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

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

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo048176x}, author = {Karanjule, Narayan S. and Markad, Shankar D. and Sharma, T. and Sabharwal, Sushma G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000231556400005, title = {2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzoquinonediimine (H2L2-), a hydrogen-bonding noninnocent bridging ligand related to aminated topaquinone: different oxidation state distributions in complexes [{(bpy)(2)Ru}(2)(mu-H2L)](n) (n=0,+,2+,3+,4+) and [{(acac)(2)Ru}(2)(mu-H2L)]}, journal = {Chemistry - a European Journal}, volume = {11}, number = {17}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4901-4911}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{The symmetrically dinuclear title compounds were isolated as diamagnetic [(bpy)(2)Ru(mu-H2L)Ru(bpy)(2)]- (ClO4)(2) (1-(ClO4)(2)) and as paramagnetic [(acac)(2)Ru(mu-H2L)Ru(acac)(2)] (2) complexes (bpy = 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine; acac(-) -

}, keywords = {bridging ligands, Density functional calculations, EPR spectroscopy, N, O ligands, ruthenium}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.2005.00202}, author = {Kar, S. and Sarkar, B. and Ghumaan, Sandeep and Janardanan, D. and van Slageren, J. and Fiedler, Jan and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sunoj, R. B. and Kaim, Wolfgang and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000229464500150, title = {6(2,4-Dichlorophenoxy)dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxa-phosphepine-6-sulfide}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {61}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {O1646-O1648}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DG, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C18H11Cl2O3PS, the seven-membered phosphepine ring exhibits a distorted-boat conformation, with the phosphoryl sulfide group axial and the dichlorophenoxy group equatorial. Fusion of the phosphepine ring to the biphenyl system causes strain, as evidenced by both widening and compression of the endocyclic angles in the heterocyclic ring. The P=S bond length is 1.8939 (12) angstrom and the planar dichlorophenyl ring is oriented at an angle of 28.70 (6)degrees to the phosphepine ring.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536805013991}, author = {Krishnaiah, M. and Babu, V. H. H. Surendra and Krishna, J. R. and Kumar, K. A. and Reddy, C. S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000230091400031, title = {Analytically continued Fock space multireference coupled-cluster theory: application to the (2)Pi(g) shape resonance in e-N-2 scattering}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {122}, number = {23}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {234320}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The technique of Fock space multireference coupled-cluster (FSMRCC) is applied for the first time to the correlated calculation of the energy and width of a shape resonance in an electron-molecule collision. The procedure is based upon combining a complex absorbing potential with FSMRCC theory. Accurate resonance parameters are obtained by solving a small non-Hermitian eigenvalue problem. The potential-energy curve of the (2)Pi(g) state of N-2(-) is calculated using the FSMRCC and multireference configuration-interaction (MRCI) level of theories. Comparison with the single-determinant Hartree-Fock theory indicates that correlation effects are important in determining the behavior of the resonance state. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.1938887}, author = {Sajeev, Y and Santra, R and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000230123500084, title = {Aromatic polyimides from m-phenylene diamines containing pendant groups: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {97}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1377-1384}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {heteroatom-containing polymers, High performance polymers, polyimides}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21859}, author = {Pal, R. R. and Patil, P. S. and Dere, R. T. and Salunkhe, M. M. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @conference { ISI:000234856700033, title = {Arrhythmia classification using local Holder exponents and support vector machine}, booktitle = {1st International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence}, series = {LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE}, volume = {3776}, year = {2005}, note = {1st International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Statist Inst Kolkata, Kolkata, INDIA, DEC 20-22, 2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {242-247}, publisher = {Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberger Platz 3, D-14197 Berlin, Germany}, organization = {Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberger Platz 3, D-14197 Berlin, Germany}, address = { Statist Inst. Kolkata, India}, abstract = {

We propose a novel hybrid Holder-SVM detection algorithm for arrhythmia classification. The Holder exponents are computed efficiently using the wavelet transform modulus maxima (WTMM) method. The hybrid system performance is evaluated using the benchmark MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The implemented model classifies 160 of Normal sinus rhythm, 25 of Ventricular bigeminy, 155 of Atrial fibrillation and 146 of Nodal (A-V junctional) rhythm with 96.94\% accuracy. The distinct scaling properties of different types of heart rhythms may be of clinical importance.

}, isbn = {3-540-30506-8}, issn = {0302-9743}, author = {Joshi, Aniruddha and Rajshekhar and Chandran, S. and Phadke, S. and Jayaraman, Valadi K. and Kulkarni, B. D.}, editor = {Pal, S. K. and Bandyopadhyay, Sanjoy and Biswas, S.} } @article { ISI:000232141000038, title = {Assessing the role of FecB mutation in productivity of Indian sheep}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {89}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {887-890}, publisher = {CURRENT SCIENCE ASSN}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, PO BOX 8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {FecB (Booroola) gene, Garole sheep, PCR-RFLP test, prolificacy}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Pardeshi, V. C. and Sainani, Mohini N. and Maddox, J. F. and Ghalsasi, P. M. and Nimbkar, C. and Gupta, V. S.} } @article { ISI:000232981200014, title = {Aziridine carboxylate from D-glucose: synthesis of polyhydroxylated piperidine, pyrrolidine alkaloids and study of their glycosidase inhibition}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {3}, number = {20}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3720-3726}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The D-glucose derived aziridine carboxylate 5 was obtained from (E)-ethyl-6-bromo-1,2-O-isopropylidene-3-O-benzyl-5-deoxy-alpha-D-xylo-5 -eno-heptofuranuronate 4 through conjugate addition of benzylamine and in situ intramolecular nucleophilic expulsion of bromine. The regioselective aziridine ring-opening, using water as a nucleophile, resulted in the alpha-hydroxy-beta-aminoester 6, which was exploited in the synthesis of six and five membered azasugars 1b/1c and 2b/2c, respectively The glycosidase inhibitory activity of the title compounds was evaluated.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b509216g}, author = {Dhavale, Dilip D. and Kumar, K. S. A. and Chaudhari, Vinod D. and Sharma, T. and Sabharwal, Sushma G. and PrakashaReddy, J.} } @article { ISI:000230220900008, title = {Bacterial aerobic synthesis of nanocrystalline magnetite}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {127}, number = {26}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9326-9327}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja0508469}, author = {Bharde, Atul A. and Wani, A. and Shouche, Y. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000232166800055, title = {Carbohydrate-based approach for the total synthesis of 1,3-polyol/alpha-pyrone antifungal natural products}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, number = {20}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8216-8219}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An elimination and stereoselective hydrogenation of alpha-D-glucoheptonic-gamma-lactone derivative has been applied to prepare a differentially protected anti,anti-1,3,5-triol system, the utility of which has been extended for the total synthesis of anti-fungal 1,3-polyol/alpha-pyrone natural products.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo050972v}, author = {Ramana, Chepuri V. and Srinivas, B. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gurjar, M. K.} } @article { ISI:000236923400014, title = {Catalytic transesterification of beta-ketoesters with zeolite H-FER under solvent free conditions}, journal = {Arkivoc}, volume = {13}, number = {13}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {162-168}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

Zeolite H-FER catalyzes the transesterification of beta-ketoesters with variety of alcohols under solvent-less condition in excellent yields. The catalyst can be reused without any loss of activity.

}, keywords = {ferrierite, transesterification, zeolite}, issn = {1424-6376}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pasupathy, K. and Shengule, S. and Shinde, V. and Anand, R.} } @article { ISI:000230297800031, title = {Catalyzing Henry reactions in chloroaluminate ionic liquids}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A - Chemical}, volume = {235}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {244-248}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Henry reactions can be accelerated in chloroaluminate room temperature ionic liquids. The choloroaluminates with higher compositions of organic species of the chloroaluminates prove to be more efficient rate promoters than the ones with lower organic species in catalyzing Henry reactions. involving both aliphatic and aromatic carbonyl compounds. The ionic liquids can be recycled five times to offer good yields. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chloroaluminates, Henry reactions, ionic liquids, Recycling}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.04.010}, author = {Kumar, Anil and Pawar, Sanjay S.} } @article { ISI:000232801900001, title = {Characterization of barium titanate: BaTiO3 (BT) ceramics prepared from sol-gel derived BT powders}, journal = {Journal of Electroceramics}, volume = {15}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {103-108}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Sol-gel synthesis was attempted at room temperature by adding drop wise a clear solution (made by reacting BaCO3 with glacial acetic acid) to an equi-molar solution of titanium tetrabutoxide in isopropanol (IPA) and acetic acid. The gelation occurred within 30 minutes. The as-dried gel was calcined at 750 degrees C/6 h in air to obtain carbon free BaTiO3 powders. The resulting BT powders were further pressed into pellets and sintered at 1280 degrees C/4 h in air to get dense ceramics (density similar to 94\%). XRD and SEM techniques were used for phase and microstructure analysis respectively. The room temperature relative permittivity (e) of 1280 increased to 7200 (at Curie temperature of 127 degrees C) at 1 kHz frequency. The dissipation factor (tan delta) similar to 1.6\% was observed in these samples. Also, the ferroelectric properties such as spontaneous polarization (Ps similar to 13 mu C/cm(2)), coercive field (E-c similar to 4.0 kV/cm) and dielectric strength (similar to 34 kV/cm) are estimated for these samples. These performance parameters are compared with the available standard data from the literature.

}, keywords = {barium titanate, ferroelectricity, Microstructure, relative permittivity, sol-gel processing}, issn = {1385-3449}, doi = {10.1007/s10832-005-1460-7}, author = {Deshpande, S. B. and Godbole, P. D. and Khollam, Y. B. and Potdar, H. S.} } @article { ISI:000228604800045, title = {Characterization of gas-liquid flows in stirred vessels using pressure and torque fluctuations}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {44}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {3298-3311}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Gas-liquid flows in a stirred vessel exhibit different flow regimes and demonstrate complex interaction of transport processes with varying spatio-temporal scales. The knowledge of key space and time scales of fluid dynamics is important for designing and enhancing the performance of gas-liquid stirred reactor. The present study uses simple, robust, and nonintrusive experimental techniques (torque and pressure sensors) to characterize the fluid dynamics in a gas-liquid stirred vessel. Time series obtained from the pressure and torque sensors were analyzed to develop criteria for flow regime identification. Further analyses of torque and pressure time series were done to extract valuable information of different time scales of fluid dynamics. The detailed analysis of torque and wall pressure fluctuations provided not only an insight into the fluid dynamics but also a possible opportunity to on-line monitoring of gas-liquid flows in stirred vessel.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie0493412}, author = {Khopkar, A. R. and Panaskar, S. S. and Pandit, A. B. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article { ISI:000232860300043, title = {Chiral 2-C-methylene glycosides and carbohydrate-derived pyrano[2,3-b][1]benzopyrans: synthesis via InCl3 catalyzed stereoselective ferrier rearrangement of 2-C-acetoxymethyl glycal derivatives}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {8047-8051}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {2-C-methylene glycoside, InCl3, pyranobenzopyran, Stereoselective}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.09.059}, author = {Ghosh, R. and Chakraborty, A. and Maiti, D. K. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000232157000036, title = {Cloning, preparation and preliminary crystallographic studies of penicillin V acylase autoproteolytic processing mutants}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications}, volume = {61}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {124-127}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S1744309104031227}, author = {Chandra, P. M. and Brannigan, James A. and Prabhune, Asmita and Pundle, A. and Turkenburg, J. P. and Dodson, Guy G. and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000232320400015, title = {Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary structural studies of penicillin V acylase from Bacillus subtilis}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology Communications}, volume = {61}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {680-683}, publisher = {INT UNION CRYSTALLOGRAPHY}, type = {Article}, address = {2 ABBEY SQ, CHESTER, CH1 2HU, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{Penicillin acylase proteins are amidohydrolase enzymes that cleave penicillins at the amide bond connecting the side chain to their beta-lactam nucleus. An unannotated protein from Bacillus subtilis has been expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and confirmed to possess penicillin V acylase activity. The protein was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method from a solution containing 4 M sodium formate in 100 mM Tris-HCl buffer pH 8.2. Diffraction data were collected under cryogenic conditions to a spacing of 2.5 A. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group C222(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 111.0

}, issn = {2053-230X}, author = {Rathinaswamy, P. and Pundle, A. V. and Prabhune, Asmita and SivaRaman, H. and Brannigan, James A. and Dodson, Guy G. and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000233129500063, title = {Cobalt and magnesium ferrite nanoparticles: preparation using liquid foams as templates and their magnetic characteristics}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {21}, number = {23}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {10638-10643}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An easy and convenient method for the synthesis of cobalt and magnesium ferrite nanoparticles is demonstrated using liquid foams as templates. The foam is formed from an aqueous mixture of an anionic surfactant and the desired metal ions, where the metal ions are electrostatically entrapped by the surfactant at the thin borders between the foam bubbles and their junctions. The hydrolysis is carried out using alkali resulting in the formation of desired nanoparticles, with the foam playing the role of a template. However, in the formation of ferrites with the formula MFe2O4, where the metal ion and iron possess oxidation states of +2 and +3, respectively, forming a foam from a 1:2 mixture of the desired ionic solutions would lead to a foam composition at variance with the original solution mixture because of greater electrostatic binding of ions possessing a greater charge with the surfactant. In our procedure, we circumvent this problem by preparing the foam from a 1:2 mixture of M2+ and Fe2+ ions and then utilizing the in situ conversion of Fe2+ to Fe3+ under basic conditions inside the foam matrix to get the desired composition of the metal ions with the required oxidation states. The fact that we could prepare both CoFe2O4 and MgFe2O4 particles shows the vast scope of this method for making even multicomponent oxides. The magnetic nanoparticles thus obtained exhibit a good crystalline nature and are characterized by superparamagnetic properties. The magnetic features observed for CoFe2O4 and MgFe2O4 nanoparticles are well in accordance with the expected behaviors, with CoFe2O4 particles showing higher blocking temperatures and larger coercivities. These features can easily be explained by the contribution of Co2+ sites to the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the absence of the same from the Mg2+ ions.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la051595k}, author = {Bala, Tanushree and Sankar, C. R. and Baidakova, Marina and Osipov, V. and Enoki, Toshiaki and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000232742000009, title = {Controlled growth of silicon nanocrystallites in silicon oxide matrix using 150 MeV Ag ion irradiation}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments \& Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms}, volume = {239}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {185-190}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We report the synthesis of silicon nanocrystals grown in silicon oxide matrix by swift heavy ion irradiation. Thin films of silicon oxide (SiO(x)) are irradiated with 150 MeV silver ions at fluence varying from 5 x 10(11) to 1 x 10(13) ions/cm(2). The variation in the properties of silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon oxide with varying fluence is studied. The energy of the photoluminescence peak corresponding to the silicon nanocrystals is found to be red shifted with increasing fluence. The trends in the broadening of the X-ray diffraction peak with decreasing fluence supports the controlled growth of silicon nanocrystals in silicon oxide matrix. The crystallite size of nanoclusters of silicon is seen to increase with increasing fluence. The results are discussed in view of the structural transformation, in SiO(x) matrix, caused by swift heavy ion irradiation. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {oxide matrix, silicon nanocrystallites, swift heavy ion irradiation}, issn = {0168-583X}, doi = {10.1016/j.nimb.2005.04.069}, author = {Chaudhari, P. S. and Bhave, T. M. and Pasricha, R. and Singh, F. and Kanjilal, D. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000229592000044, title = {Copper- and ligand-free sonogashira reaction catalyzed by Pd(0) nanoparticles at ambient conditions under ultrasound irradiation}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, number = {12}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4869-4872}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The Sonogashira reaction proceeds at ambient temperature (30 degrees C) in acetone or room-temperature ionic liquid, 1,3-di-n-butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bbim]BF4), as solvent under ultrasound irradiation to give enhanced reaction rates, excellent chemoselectivity, and high yields in the absence of a copper cocatalyst and a phosphine ligand. TEM analysis showed the formation of stable, crystalline, and polydispersed Pd(0) nanoparticles as catalyst for the reaction.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo0503815}, author = {Gholap, Atul R. and Venkatesan, K. and Pasricha, R. and Daniel, Thomas and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, K. V.} } @article { ISI:000227603500004, title = {Co-precipitation method for the preparation of fine ferroelectric BaBi2M2O9}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {379-381}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple co-precipitation technique had been successfully applied for the preparation of pure fine powders of single phase BaBi2Nb2O9. Ammonium hydroxide and ammonium oxalate were used to precipitate Ba2+, Bi3+ and Nb5+ cations simultaneously. No pyrochlore phase was formed while heating powder at 800 degrees C and pure BaBi2Nb2O9 phase was found to be formed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is 100. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dielectric properties, Electron microscopy, ferroelectric properties, powders chemical preparation}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2004.05.024}, author = {Gaikwad, S. P. and Potdar, HS and Samuel, V and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000227550500009, title = {Co-precipitation method for the preparation of nanocrystalline ferroelectric SrBi2Nb2O9 ceramics}, journal = {Journal of Electroceramics}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {83-87}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple co-precipitation technique had been successfully applied for the preparation of pure ultrafine single phase SrBi2Nb2O9. Ammonium hydroxide and ammonium oxalate were used to precipitate Sr2+, Bi3+ and Nb5+ cations simultaneously. No pyrochlore phase was found while heating powder at 850 C and pure SrBi2Nb2O9 (SBN) phase was formed as revealed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is 100. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, electronic materials, ferroelectricity, Oxides}, issn = {1385-3449}, doi = {10.1007/s10832-005-6588-y}, author = {Gaikwad, S. P. and Dhage, S. R. and Potdar, H. S. and Samuel, V. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000227447800012, title = {Coprecipitation technique to prepare BaNb2O6}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Solid State Materials for Advanced Technology}, volume = {117}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {169-171}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A mixture of ammonium oxalate and ammonium hydroxide was used to coprecipitate barium and niobium ions as barium oxalate and niobium hydroxide under basic conditions. This precursor on calcination at 750degreesC yielded BaNb2O6 ceramics. This is a much lower temperature as compared to that prepared by traditional solid-state method (1000degreesC), as reported for the formation of BaNb2O6. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size is 100 nm for the calcined powders. The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is found to be 1100. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ammonia, Ceramics, Electron microscopy, niobium oxide, Oxides}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2004.11.009}, author = {Natarajan, N and Samuel, V and Pasricha, R and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000229811300003, title = {Coprecipitation technique to prepare ZnM2O6 powders}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {28}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {205-207}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

A simple coprecipitation technique was successfully applied for the preparation of pure ultrafine single phase, ZnNb2O6 (ZN). Ammonium hydroxide was used to precipitate Zn2+ and Nb5+ cations as hydroxides simultaneously. This precursor on heating at 750 degrees, produced ZN powders. For comparison, ZN powders were also prepared by the traditional solid state method. The phase contents and lattice parameters were studied by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology were studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM).

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Electron microscopy, electronic materials, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/BF02711248}, author = {Deshpande, V. V. and Patil, M. M. and Navale, S. C. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000233661000012, title = {Correlated complex independent particle potential for calculating electronic resonances}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {123}, number = {20}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {204110}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We have formulated and applied an analytic continuation method for the recently formulated correlated independent particle potential [A. Beste and R. J. Bartlett J. Chem. Phys. 120, 8395 (2004)] derived from Fock space multireference coupled cluster theory. The technique developed is an advanced ab initio tool for calculating the properties of resonances in the low-energy electron-molecule collision problem. The proposed method quantitatively describes elastic electron-molecule scattering below the first electronically inelastic threshold. A complex absorbing potential is utilized to define the analytic continuation for the potential. A separate treatment of electron correlation and relaxation effects for the projectile-target system and the analytic continuation using the complex absorbing potential is possible, when an approximated form of the correlated complex independent particle potential is used. The method, which is referred to as complex absorbing potential-based correlated independent particle (CAP-CIP), is tested by application to the well-known (2)Pi(g) shape resonance of e-N-2 and the B-2(2g) shape resonance of e-C2H4 (ethylene) with highly satisfactory results. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.2130338}, author = {Sajeev, Y and Santra, R and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000228625600003, title = {Corrosion protective poly(o-toluldine) coatings on copper}, journal = {Corrosion Science}, volume = {47}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1352-1369}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This study examines the use of poly(o-toulidine) (POT) coatings for corrosion protection of copper (Cu) in an aqueous solution of 3\% NaCl. The POT coatings were synthesized on Cu substrates under cyclic voltammetric conditions from an aqueous solution of sodium oxalate. The resulting, POT coatings were uniform, shiny and strongly adherent to the Cu substrates. These coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ability of POT to serve as a corrosion protective coating for Cu was examined by potentiodynamic polarization measurements and CV. The results of this study clearly reveal that the POT acts as corrosion protective coating on Cu and reduces the corrosion rate of Cu almost by a factor of 40. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Conducting polymer coatings, Copper, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, poly(o-toluidine) coatings}, issn = {0010-938X}, doi = {10.1016/j.corsci.2004.07.041}, author = {Shinde, V. and Sainkar, S. R. and Patil, P. P.} } @conference { ISI:000238284200016, title = {Density functional response approach for electric properties of molecules}, booktitle = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005)}, series = {LECTURE SERIES ON COMPUTER AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES}, volume = {3}, year = {2005}, note = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005), Corinth, GREECE, OCT 21-26, 2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {142-151}, publisher = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, organization = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, address = {Corinth, Greece}, abstract = {

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

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

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

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

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

}, keywords = {activated reactive evaporation, ellipsometry, indium nitride, SEM, XRD}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.09.119}, author = {Patil, Sheetal J. and Bodas, Dhananjay S. and Mandale, A. B. and Gangal, S. A.} } @article { ISI:000227299100006, title = {Destructive adsorption of methyl parathion over nanocrystalline MgO}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {251-255}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Destructive adsorption of methyl parathion (MP) has been investigated over few transition metal oxides and alkali earth metal oxides. Performance of alkaline earth oxides have been found to be better than transition metal oxides and best performance has been shown by aerogel method prepared nanocrystalline AP-MgO. The AP-MgO powder has been characterized by XRD, AFM and BET surface area measurements. Destructive adsorption of MP over AP-MgO has been compared with that of activated carbon. Both are found to adsorb methyl parathion effectively. An IR investigation of the surface of treated AP-MgO and activated carbon reveals that activated carbon adsorbs methyl parathion as such in the molecular form and AP-MgO adsorbs it destructively.

}, issn = {0376-4710}, author = {Reddy, V. S. and RadheShyam, A. and Dwivedi, Reena and Gupta, R. K. and Chumbhale, Vilas R. and Prasad, R.} } @article { ISI:000232691500012, title = {Development of a simple assay protocol for high-throughput screening of mycobacterium tuberculosis glutamine synthetase for the identification of novel inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Screening}, volume = {10}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {725-729}, publisher = {SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {2455 TELLER RD, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91320 USA}, abstract = {

Mycobacterium tuberculosis glutamine synthetase (GS) is an essential enzyme involved in the pathogenicity of the organism. The screening of a compound library using a robust high-throughput screening (HTS) assay is currently thought to be the most efficient way of getting lead molecules, which are potent inhibitors for this enzyme. The authors have purified the enzyme to a \> 90\% level from the recombinant Escherichia coli strain YMC21E, and it was used for partial characterization as well as standardization experiments. The results indicated that the K-m of the enzyme for L-glutamine and hydroxylamine were 60 mM and 8.3 mM, respectively. The K-m for ADP, arsenate, and Mn2+, were 2 mu M, 5 mu M, and 25 mu M, respectively. When the components were adjusted according to their K-m values, the activity remained constant for at least 3 h at both 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C. The Z{\textquoteright} factor determined in microplate format indicated robustness of the assay. When the signal/noise ratios were determined for different assay volumes, it was observed that the 200-mu l volume was found to be optimum. The DMSO tolerance of the enzyme was checked up to 10\%, with minimal inhibition. The IC50 value determined for L-methionine S-sulfoximine on the enzyme activity was 3 mM. Approximately 18,000 small molecules could be screened per day using this protocol by a Beckman Coulter HTS setup.

}, keywords = {Beckman Coulter, Glutamine synthetase, high-throughput screening, Mycobacterium tuberculosis}, issn = {1087-0571}, doi = {10.1177/1087057105278013}, author = {Singh, U and Panchanadikar, V and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000232166800028, title = {Diastereoselective and general route to 5-amino-5-deoxysugars: influence of C-3 substitution on the addition of amines to C-5 of vinyl sulfone-modified Hex-5-enofuranosyl carbohydrates}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, number = {20}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8047-8054}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In the synthesis of vinyl sulfone-modified hex-5-enofuranosides, the E/Z ratios of the products are influenced by the stereoelectronic property of a group present at the C-3 position. This observation has been utilized to influence the diastereoselectivity of addition of amines to C-5 of vinyl sulfone-modified hex-5-enofuranosides, which are efficient Michael acceptors. The stereoelectronic effect of OMe attached to the beta-face of C-3 (gluco derivative) is sufficient to impose diastereoselectivity overwhelmingly in favor of L-ido-aminosugars when the Michael acceptor is reacted with both primary and secondary amines. 3-O-Benzylated gluco derivative is also effective in producing L-ido-aminosugars but only in reactions with primary amines. The selectivity is lost when an allo derivative with OBn at the alpha-face of C-3 is used. Selected products were desulfonated to establish this new approach as a general and versatile strategy for accessing 5-amino-5-deoxysugars.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo051143c}, author = {Das, Indrajit and Pathak, T. and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000226473300004, title = {DNA and PNA as templates for building nanoassemblies via electrostatic complexation with gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Current Applied Physics}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {Indo-Japan Workshop on Advanced Molecular Electronics and Bionics, Kyushu Inst Technol, Grad Sch Life Sci \& Syst Engn, Kitakyushu, JAPAN, DEC 11-13, 2003}, month = {FEB}, pages = {102-107}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Organisation of nanoparticles on structurally well-defined templates is a first step towards creating nanomachines. In this respect, nucleic acids are ideal structural templates and a variety of secondary structures realizable from DNA/RNA - e.g., duplexes, hairpins, triplexes, cruciforms, tetraplexes can be exploited to engineer nanoparticle organization at will. We have used oligonucleotides and their analogues such as phosphorothioates and peptide nucleic acids to electrostatically encapsulate cationic-capped gold nanoparticles. This article describes synthesis and characterization of DNA/PNA-gold nanoparticle composites using TEM and UV-T-m techniques. These types of assemblies may have potential for creating nanowires and lithographic circuits. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DNA, DNA-gold nanoparticle interactions, nanoassemblies, PNA}, issn = {1567-1739}, doi = {10.1016/j.cap.2004.06.020}, author = {Gourishankar, A and Shukla, S and Pasricha, R and Sastry, M and Ganesh, Krishna N.} } @article { ISI:000230717500010, title = {DNA-binding studies of mixed ligand cobalt(III) complexes}, journal = {Transition Metal Chemistry}, volume = {30}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {312-316}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The DNA binding characteristics of mixed ligand complexes of the type [Co(en)(2)(L)]Br-3 where en = N,N{\textquoteright}-ethylenediamine and L = 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (phendione), dipyrido[3,2-a:2{\textquoteright},3{\textquoteright}-c]phenazine (dppz) have been investigated by absorption titration, competitive binding fluorescence spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. The order of intercalative ability of the coordinated ligands is dppz \> phen \> phendione \> bpy in this series of complexes.

}, issn = {0340-4285}, doi = {10.1007/s11243-004-5855-0}, author = {Barve, A. C. and Ghosh, Smita and Kumbhar, A. A. and Kumbhar, A. S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000228833300134, title = {(E)-1-(2-Hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-on e}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {61}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {O1323-O1325}, publisher = {BLACKWELL MUNKSGAARD}, type = {Article}, address = {1 ROSENORNS ALLE, DK-1970 FREDERIKSBERG C, DENMARK}, abstract = {

The title compound, C17H16O5, crystallizes with two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. These are oriented approximately orthogonal to one another. The keto group adopts an s-cis conformation; the six-membered ring formed by the O-H\•\•\• O hydrogen bond and the adjacent benzene ring are approximately coplanar. In addition to an intramolecular O-H\•\•\• O hydrogen bond, intermolecular O-H\•\•\• O interactions link adjacent molecules into chains.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536805010731}, author = {Krishna, J. R. and Kumar, N. J. and Krishnaiah, M. and Rao, C. V. and Rao, Y. K. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000229127000022, title = {Effect of 2-(2-pyridyl)azole-based ancillary ligands (L1-4) on the electrophilicity of the nitrosyl function in [Ru-II(trpy)(L1-4)(NO)](3+) [trpy=2,2 {\textquoteleft}: 6 {\textquoteleft},2 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}-terpyridine]. synthesis, structures, and spectroscopic, electrochemical, and kinetic aspects}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {10}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3499-3511}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic048184w}, author = {Chanda, N. and Paul, D. and Kar, S. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Datta, Anindya and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rao, K. K. and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000227590100009, title = {Effects of conjugation length and donor-acceptor functionalization on the non-linear optical properties of organic push-pull molecules using density functional theory}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure-Theochem}, volume = {715}, number = {1-3}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {59-64}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We consider a series of dipolar organic molecules where the donor groups and the acceptor groups are separated by pi-conjugation like phenyl ring or alkene chains. We have performed extensive quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) to calculate their linear and non-linear optical coefficients. We show that though DFT is known to overestimate the polarizabilities of quasilinear systems,the results with proper inclusion of exchange correlation compare well with the experimental studies. On increasing the pi-conjugation length, the coefficients increase non-linearly. We also vary the donor and the acceptor groups and study the role of chemical modifications on the response properties. Herein we suggest experimental methods by which the molecules may be arranged in non-centrosymmetric fashion in the bulk for device integration. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DFr, donor-acceptor functionalization, non-linear properties, push-pull molecules}, issn = {0166-1280}, doi = {10.1016/j.theochem.2004.10.054}, author = {Datta, Anindya and Pal, S.} } @article { ISI:000227930800016, title = {Efficient method for the synthesis of methyl 11 alpha-amino-3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {61}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {3605-3612}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of methyl 11 alpha-azido-3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate, methyl 11 beta-azido-3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate and methyl 11 alpha-amino-3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate have been achieved. Mechanistic aspects for the decomposition of steroidal azidoketones to its enamines are discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {11-aminosteroid, 11-azidosteroid, base catalyzed epimerization, HIV-1 protease inhibitors, steroidal enamines}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2005.01.073}, author = {Salunke, D. B. and Hazra, Braja G. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Pore, V. S.} } @article { ISI:000226332600017, title = {Efficient stereoselective synthesis of (2S,4S,5R)-(-)- and (2R,4R,5S)-(+)-bulgecinine}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {439-441}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short synthetic route to (-)-and (+)-bulgecinine, the amino acid moiety of the bulgecins was achieved from the readily available nonchiral pool starting material cis-2-butene-1,4-diol in which a Claisen orthoester rearrangement and a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation were used as the key steps. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2004.11.101}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Praveen, C. and Sharma, P. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000231751000005, title = {Efficient total synthesis of iso-cladospolide B and cladospolide B}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {39}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6625-6627}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of iso-cladospolide B and cladospolide B has been achieved using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR), Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and Yamaguchi macrolactonization as the key steps. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cladospolide B, Hydrolytic kinetic resolution, iso-cladospolide B, sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, Yamaguchi macrolactonization}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.07.153}, author = {Pandey, SK and Kumar, P} } @article { ISI:000227823500012, title = {Electrochemical synthesis and corrosion protection properties of poly(o-toluidine) coatings on low carbon steel}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {96}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {685-695}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Uniform and strongly adherent poly(o-toluidine) (POT) coatings have been synthesized on low carbon steel (LCS) substrates by electrochemical polymerization (ECP) of o-toluidine under cyclic voltammetric conditions from an aqueous sodium tartrate solution. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize these coatings, which indicates that the sodium tartrate is a suitable medium for the ECP of o-toluidine and it occurs without noticeable dissolution of LCS. Corrosion protection properties of the POT coatings were evaluated in aqueous 3\% NaCl by the potentiodynamic polarization measurements and CV. The result of the potentiodynamic polarization demonstrates that the POT coating has ability to protect the LCS against corrosion. The corrosion potential was about 334 mV more positive in aqueous 3\% NaCl for the POT-coated LCS than that of bare LCS and reduces the corrosion rate of LCS almost by a factor of 50. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {conducting polymers, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltarnmetry, Electrochemical polymerization, FT-IR, Poly(o-toluidine), UV-vis spectroscopy}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21497}, author = {Shinde, V. and Sainkar, S. R. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000231714000001, title = {Electronic spectra and ionization potentials of halogen oxides using the fock space coupled-cluster method}, journal = {Collection of Czechoslovac Chemical Communications}, volume = {70}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {851-863}, publisher = {INST ORGANIC CHEM AND BIOCHEM}, type = {Article}, address = {ACAD SCI CZECH REPUBLIC, FLEMINGOVO NAM 2, PRAGUE 6 166 10, CZECH REPUBLIC}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0010-0765}, doi = {10.1135/cccc20050851}, author = {Vaval, N and Manohar, Prashant Uday and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000226424000029, title = {Epoxidation of styrene by anhydrous hydrogen peroxide over boehmite and alumina catalysts with continuous removal of the reaction water}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {227}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {217-222}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Boehmite and alumina (obtained from the boehmite by its calcination at different temperatures 300-900degreesC) are active and stable catalysts for the selective epoxidation of styrene by anhydrous H2O2 to styrene oxide with continuous removal of the reaction water. Influence of the catalyst (boehemite) calcination temperature, H2O2/styrene ratio and catalyst loading on the styrene conversion and selectivity for styrene oxide. phenyl acetaldehyde. benzaldehyde and benzoic acid in the epoxidation has been investigated. In the presence of water. the catalyst shows very poor activity and selectivity in the epoxidation. The catalyst also catalyses H2O2 decomposition and hence has optimum loading for obtaining high-styrene conversion in the epoxidation. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alumina, anhydrous hydrogen peroxide, boehmite, Epoxidation of styrene, Styrene oxide}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2004.10.025}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Patil, N. S. and Chaudhari, Nitin K. and Bhargava, Suresh Kumar} } @article { ISI:000225723800036, title = {Extracellular nuclease from a thermophile, streptomyces thermonitrificans: production, purification and partial characterization of - double strand preferential - deoxyribonuclease activity}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {40}, number = {3-4}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1271-1278}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A thermophilic strain of Streptomyces themionitrificans produced high levels of extracellular nuclease (designated as nuclease Stn beta) when grown on nutrient broth glucose medium. Maximal nuclease activity (51 U ml(-1)) was obtained, in 40 h, when the culture was grown on modified NBG medium at 45 degreesC. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity with an overall recovery of 5.6\% and a specific activity of 10,833. The relative molecular mass of the purified enzyme, determined by gel filtration, was 22.4 kDa and it showed an obligate requirement for Mn2+ for activity. The optimum pH and temperature of nuclease Stn beta were 8.0 and 45 degreesC, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by Mg2+ CO2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Hg2+, inorganic phosphate, pyrophosphate, dithiothreitol, beta-mereaptoethanol, EDTA and NaCl. Nuclease Stn beta was stable to high concentrations of urea and organic solvents but susceptible to low concentrations of SDS and guanidine hydrochloride. Nuclease Stn beta is a multifunctional enzyme with substrate specificity in the order of dsDNA \> ssDNA much greater than RNA. The end products of dsDNA hydrolysis were predominantly oligonucleotides (85-90\%) and small amounts of 5{\textquoteright} mononucleotides (10-15\%) suggesting an endo mode of action. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Characterization, Endonuclease, extracellular nuclease, production, Purification, Streptomyces thermonitrificans}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2004.05.015}, author = {Patil, N. S. and Deshmukh, Satej S. and Shankar, V.} } @article { ISI:000229476800007, title = {Facile oxidation of flavanones to flavones using [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]benzene in an ionic liquid}, journal = {Mendeleev Communications}, volume = {15}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {100-101}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0959-9436}, doi = {10.1070/MC2005v015n03ABEH001997}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Patil, P. S. and More, Shivaji V. and Joshi, Ramesh A.} } @article { ISI:000228951700012, title = {Facile regioselective decomposition of tosylhydrazones: an application towards the synthesis of alpha-lipoic acid}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1129-1132}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A facile regioselective decomposition of tosylhydrazones using NaOH as a base in refluxing isopropyl alcohol is described. This finding has been Successfully applied towards the synthesis of (\±)-α-lipoic acid (1).

}, keywords = {alpha-lipoic acid, Olefins, Regioselectivity, tosylhydrazones}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2005-865217}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Kale, R. R. and Pasupathy, K.} } @article { ISI:000228147400027, title = {First enantiospecific synthesis of (+)-beta-herbertenol}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {61}, number = {15}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {3873-3879}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The first enantiospecific synthesis of (+)-beta-herbertenol, from naturally occurring R-(+)-citronellal, employing Taber{\textquoteright}s diazo decomposition protocol as the key step, is described. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {citronellal, diazo decomposition, enantiospecific}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2005.01.050}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Thakkar, M. and Kharul, Rajendra K. and Pathak, A. B. and Bhosekar, Gaurav V. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M.} } @article {43217, title = {First synthesis of a noreremophilane isolated from the roots of ligularia przewalskii}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5211-5213}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.05.130}, author = {Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Palani, K. and Balasubrahmanyam, D. and Kamath, V. B. and Iqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000227158100004, title = {Formation of BaCrO4 nano crystallites within thermally evaporated sodium bis-2-ethylhexyl-sulfosuccinate and stearic acid thin films}, journal = {Journal of the American Ceramic Society}, volume = {88}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {24-27}, publisher = {AMER CERAMIC SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {735 CERAMIC PLACE, PO BOX 6136, WESTERVILLE, OH 43086-6136 USA}, abstract = {

This paper describes the growth of barium chromate (BaCrO4) nanocrystallites within thermally evaporated thin films of stearic acid (StA) and sodium bis-2-ethylhexyl-sulfosuccinate by a process of Ba2+ ion entrapment followed by in situ reaction CrO42- ions. Dense spherical assemblies of BaCrO4 nanocrystallites of very uniform size (similar to50 nm) were obtained within the two different host matrices. The spherical assemblies were composed of smaller (ca. 5-10 nm size) BaCrO4 crystals indicating that efficient size control over crystal size may be exercised by the matrix. Contact angle measurements of the BaCrO4-StA and BaCrO4-sodium bis-2-ethylhexyl-sulfosuccinate films indicated that they were hydrophobic, thus pointing to the possible role of hydrophobic interaction between the StA and sodium bis-2-ethylhexyl-sulfosuccinate monolayer-covered BaCrO4 crystals in the assembly process.

}, issn = {0002-7820}, doi = {10.1111/j..1551-2916}, author = {Rautaray, D. and Sinha, K. and Sainkar, S. R. and Pasricha, R. and Pavaskar, N. R. and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000230485700031, title = {General formalism of the Fock space multireference coupled cluster method for investigating molecular electronic resonances}, journal = {Molecular Physics}, volume = {103}, number = {15-16}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2267-2275}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Electron correlation and relaxation effects play a substantial role in the formation and decay of resonance states. In this paper we formulate a complex absorbing potential combined with the Fock space multireference coupled cluster method for the correlated calculations of resonance energy and width. This can describe the dynamic and non-dynamic electron correlation efficiently in the ionized or electron attached states.

}, keywords = {electronic resonances, Fock space multireference coupled cluster method}, issn = {0026-8976}, doi = {10.1080/00268970500084158}, author = {Sajeev, Y and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000231389200051, title = {Gold nanoparticle networks with photoresponsive interparticle spacings}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {21}, number = {17}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7979-7984}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Photoresponsive gold nanoparticle networks were prepared by functionalizing them with azobenzene derivatives. A network can be formed when a linker molecule constituting the azobenzene moiety suitably derivatized on either side with gold surface sensitive groups such as thiols and amines is added to the nanoparticle solution. It is shown that the interparticle spacing in the networks could be controlled by the reversible trans-cis isomerization of the azobenzene moiety induced by UV and visible light, respectively. The photoinduced variation in the interparticle spacings is inferred by the changes in the optical spectra of the gold nanoparticles which display a red or blue shift in the surface plasmon resonance peak depending on a decrease or increase in the interparticle spacing, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images are in consonance with the evidence from the optical spectra.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la051125q}, author = {Sidhaye, D. S. and Kashyap, Sudhir and Sastry, M. and Hotha, Srinivas and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000227170600016, title = {Gradual transitions in morphology of diamond films grown by using N-2 admixtures of CH4+H-2 gas in a hot filament assisted chemical vapour deposition system}, journal = {Diamond and Related Materials}, volume = {14}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {232-242}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {diamond film, hot filament CVD, morphology transitions, nitrogen}, issn = {0925-9635}, doi = {10.1016/j.diamond.2004.11.042}, author = {Kshirsagar, S. T. and Kshirsagar, R. B. and Patil, P. S. and Kulkarni, A. and Mandate, A. B. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Gokhale, Suresh P.} } @article { ISI:000226545600002, title = {Green nanocomposites from renewable resources: effect of plasticizer on the structure and material properties of clay-filled starch}, journal = {Starch-Starke}, volume = {57}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {8-15}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Nanocomposites of starch were prepared via different addition sequences of plasticizer and clay by the solution method. The extent of dispersion of the filler was evaluated by wide angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD) in the resulting composites. Thermal stability, mechanical properties and water absorption studies were conducted to measure the material properties whereas FT-IR spectroscopy was used to study the microdomain structure of composites. The sequence of addition of components (starch/plasticizer (glycerol)/clay) had a significant effect on the nature of composites formed and accordingly properties were altered. Glycerol and starch both have the tendency to penetrate into the silicate layers but penetration of glycerol is favored owing to its smaller molecule size. The filler dispersion becomes highly heterogeneous and the product becomes more brittle when starch was plasticized before filling with clay due to the formation of a bulky structure resulting from electrostatic attractions between starch and plasticizer. It was concluded that best mechanical properties can be obtained if plasticizer is added after mixing of clay in the starch matrix.

}, keywords = {clay-filled starch, effect of plasticizer, Nanocomposites, WAXD}, issn = {0038-9056}, doi = {10.1002/star.200400313}, author = {Pandey, JK and Singh, RP} } @article { ISI:000230823200014, title = {Growth of PbS nanopyramidal particulate films for potential applications in quantum-dot photovoltaics and nanoantennas}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin }, volume = {40}, number = {8}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1353-1360}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Atomic force microscopy, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Nanostructures, Optical properties}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2005.04.018}, author = {Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Patil, K. and Pasricha, R. and Sathaye, S. and Lewis, A. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000227996600003, title = {Hydrogen bond mediated open-frame networks in coordination polymers: supramolecular assemblies of Pr(III) and 3,5-dinitro-4-methylbenzoic acid with aza-donor compounds}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1824-1826}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A coordination assembly of 3,5-dinitro-4-methylbenzoic acid and Pr(III), synthesized by hydrothermal methods forms a host structure, which is stable up to 300 degrees C, through C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds and accommodates different types of guest species varying from simple molecules like water to larger molecules like trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl) ethene.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/b417754a}, author = {Varughese, S and Pedireddi, VR} } @article { ISI:000227321900006, title = {Hydrophobically modified poly(acrylic acid) using 3-pentadecylcyclohexylamine: synthesis and rheology}, journal = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {206}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {464-472}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Hydrophobically modified poly(acrylic acid) was synthesized using 3-pentadecylcyclohexylamine (3-PDCA), which was in turn synthesized from 3-pentadecylphenol, one of the components of cashew-nut shell liquid (CNSL), a renewable resource material. H-1 NMR spectra confirmed the incorporation of 3-PDCA onto PAA and a series of HMPs with three different molar concentrations, viz. congruent to 3, 5 and 7 mol-\% of 3-PDCA, were synthesized. An increase in viscosity with increasing hydrophobic content was observed by rheological measurements. The critical association concentrations were determined using an Ubbelohde viscometer and a controlled stress rheometer. The stability of HMPs towards temperature and shear was studied. Rheological measurements showed that there was a steady increase in viscosity with increase in hydrophobe content due to the formation of reversible networks. These polymers exhibited gel-like behavior at low concentrations (greater than or equal to2 wt.-\%) with an apparent yield stress (ca. 10 Pa) and showed shear thinning properties (non-Newtonian). However, below a critical concentration, c [eta], they showed Newtonian behavior.

}, keywords = {3-pentadecylcyclohexylamine (3-PDCA), hydrophobically modified polymers (HMPs), poly(acrylic acid), reversible associations, Rheology}, issn = {1022-1352}, doi = {10.1002/macp.200400392}, author = {Shedge, A. S. and Lele, Ashish K. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Hourdet, Dominique and Pcrrin, P. and Chassenieux, Christophe and Badiger, Manohar V.} } @article { ISI:000231864200007, title = {In ovulo rescue of hybrid embryos in flame seedless grapes - influence of pre-bloom sprays of benzyladenine}, journal = {Scientia Horticulturae}, volume = {106}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {353-359}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Based on the theory that cytokinins are known to increase the sink strength of seeds for assimilates, the present investigation was carried out to study the influence of pre-bloom and bloom time sprays of benzyladenine (BA) on embryo recovery, germination and plant development in Flame Seedless grape variety by using in ovulo rescue methods. The combined effect of pollen parent type and sprays of BA drastically improved these parameters and the embryo recovery was more than doubled in all the crosses, except in cross FS x Concord. Also, germination of embryos was higher when BA sprays were given. Recovery of embryos and growth depended on BA treatment and the pollen parent types. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {benzyladenine, flame seedless, in ovulo embryo rescue, interspecific hybridization, Vitis spp.}, issn = {0304-4238}, doi = {10.1016/j.scienta.2005.04.002}, author = {Bharathy, P. V. and Karibasappa, G. S. and Patil, S. G. and Agrawal, Dinesh C.} } @article { ISI:000226473300007, title = {Interfacing biology with nanoparticles}, journal = {Current Applied Physics}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {Indo-Japan Workshop on Advanced Molecular Electronics and Bionics, Kyushu Inst Technol, Grad Sch Life Sci \& Syst Engn, Kitakyushu, JAPAN, DEC 11-13, 2003}, month = {FEB}, pages = {118-127}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {amino acids{\textquoteright} enzyme immobilization, Nanoparticles, Proteins}, issn = {1567-1739}, doi = {10.1016/j.cap.2004.06.006}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Phadtare, S. and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000229553300007, title = {Larvicidal activity of acacia nilotica extracts and isolation of D-pinitol - a bioactive carbohydrate}, journal = {Chemistry \& Biodiversity}, volume = {2}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {684-688}, publisher = {VERLAG HELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA AG}, type = {Article}, address = {HOFWIESENSTRASSE 26, POSTFACH, CH-8042 ZURICH, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A low-molecular-weight, sugar-like compound other than glucose, fructose, sucrose, or myo-inositol showing lipophilic nature was isolated from the EtOH extract of Acacia nilotica. The structure of the compound was determined by spectral methods. This alicyclic polyalcohol was found to be D-pinitol (- 3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol; 1). The configuration of the compound was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The compound I is known from Soybean, Australian mangroves, Fagonia indica, A rachis hypogaea, etc., but we have isolated this compound for the first time from the aerial parts of A. nilotica. Very few references have been cited for compound I for its entomological activity, and there are no reports on mosquitoes. Therefore, the crude extracts of A. nilotica were tested for its biological activity against mosquito larvae. Acetone extract at 500-ppm concentration showed chronic toxicity against Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus IVth instar mosquito larvae. Such a biological activity has been observed for the first time for this plant. This study could be a stepping stone to a solution for destroying larval species as well as consumption of such a widely grown, problem weed, A. nilotica. This larvicidal agent, since it is derived from plant, is eco-friendly, cost effective, non-hazardous to nontarget organisms and would be safe unlike commercially available insecticides.

}, issn = {1612-1872}, doi = {10.1002/cbdv.200590044}, author = {Chaubal, Rohini and Pawar, P. V. and Hebbalkar, G. D. and Tungikar, V. B. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshpande, V. H. and Deshpande, N. R.} } @article { ISI:000232737900009, title = {Lignin-carbohydrate complexes from sugarcane bagasse: preparation, purification, and characterization}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {62}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {57-66}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Lignin-carbohydrate complexes were isolated from sugarcane bagasse by a process, which yielded sulfur-free lignins. These could be made carbohydrate-free, if necessary, by treatment with xylanase enzyme. A study of the preparation, purification, and characterization of such lignin-carbohydrate complexes, comparison with commercial lignin samples (wood based as well as bagasse based) and some other lignin derivatives was made by using a variety of analytical tools such as FTIR, HPLC at three different UV-wavelengths, GPC, thermal analysis and elemental analysis. The use of such a diverse range of lignin-carbohydrate complex samples enabled us to predict the sensitivity of the various analytical techniques for characterization of complex polymers containing carbohydrate moieties. Evidence for lignin-carbohydrate complex was detectable by FTIR as well as HPLC studies. Thermal analysis studies showed the crucial effect of carbohydrate groups, the content of aliphatic chains, and the sulfur content of the lignins. Generalized structures of lignin-carbohydrate complexes obtained from various sources using different preparation methods and chemical modifications are presented. This will aid the applications development effort with advantageously using lignins containing low levels of carbohydrate moieties as reactive sites as well as biodegradability inducing sites. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {biodegradability, hardwood lignins, lignin-carbohydrate complex, softwood lignins, Sugarcane bagasse, sulfur-free lignins, xylanase enzyme}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2005.07.011}, author = {Singh, R. and Singh, S. and Trimukhe, K. D. and Pandare, K. V. and Bastawade, Kulbhushan B. and Gokhale, D. V. and Varma, Anjanikumar} } @article { ISI:000230701800011, title = {Low temperature complete combustion of dilute toluene and methyl ethyl ketone over Mn-doped ZrO2 (cubic) catalysts}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology}, volume = {80}, number = {8}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {934-938}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Combustion of dilute toluene and methyl ethyl ketone over Mn-doped ZrO2 catalysts prepared using different precipitating agents, such as tetra-alkyl ammonium hydroxides and NH4OH, having Mn/Zr ratios from 0.05 to 0.67, and calcined at different temperatures has been thoroughly investigated. The Mn-doped ZrO2 catalyst shows high toluene or methyl ethyl ketone combustion activity, particularly when its ZrO2 is in cubic form, when its Mn/Zr ratio is close to 0.2, and when it is prepared using tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide as a precipitating agent and calcined at 773 K. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.

}, keywords = {combustion of methyl ethyl ketone, combustion of toluene, Mn-doped ZrO2 catalyst}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1002/jctb.1264}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Deshmukh, G. M. and Pataskar, S. G.} } @article { ISI:000228172600072, title = {Low-temperature complete combustion of a dilute mixture of methane and propane over transition-metal-doped ZrO2 catalysts: effect of the presence of propane on methane combustion}, journal = {Environmental Science and Technology}, volume = {39}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {2364-2368}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Complete combustion of dilute methane alone or a dilute mixture of methane and propane over transition-metal (viz. Mn, Co, Cr, Fe, and Ni)-doped ZrO2 (cubic) catalysts at different temperatures (523-873 K) and a space velocity of 51 000 CM3 center dot g(-1)center dot h(-1) has been investigated for controlling methane and propane emissions from exhaust gases. The catalysts are compared for their catalytic ignition temperature and activity in the combustion of propane and methane in the presence of each other. The methane combustion activity of all the catalysts is strongly influenced by the presence of propane; it is decreased markedly. In the combustion of mixed methane and propane the Mn-doped ZrO2 and Cr-doped ZrO2 catalysts show the highest activity in the combustion of methane and propane, respectively; the Ni-doped ZrO2 shows the lowest activity in both cases. In the combustion of mixed methane and propane the propane combustion is enhanced but the methane combustion retarded when the Cr-doped ZrO2 and Mn-doped ZrO2 catalysts in a 1:1 ratio are used together in different ways (mixed or in layers).

}, issn = {0013-936X}, doi = {10.1021/es048748v}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Deshmukh, G. M. and Pataskar, S. G.} } @article { ISI:000230338900005, title = {Low-temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline powders of lithium ferrite by an autocombustion method using citric acid and glycine}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {21}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2630-2633}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline lithium ferrite is synthesized by an autocombustion method from the corresponding metal nitrates using citric acid as well as glycine as fuels. The ordered phase of lithium ferrite, in single phase form, with particle size of 32-36 nm and large coercivity, is obtained by this method at a low temperature of 200 degrees C. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Combustion synthesis, LiFe5O8, lithium ferrite, low-temperature synthesis, Magnetic materials, Nanomaterials}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.04.005}, author = {Verma, S. and Karande, J. and Patidar, A. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @conference { ISI:000227460600023, title = {Magnetic properties of nanosized ferrite powders synthesized by microwave-hydrothermal method}, booktitle = {Ninth International Conference on Ferrites (ICF-9)}, year = {2005}, note = {9th International Conference on Ferrites (ICF-9), San Francisco, CA, AUG 22-27, 2004}, month = {AUG}, pages = {143-148}, publisher = {Amer Ceramic Soc, 735 Ceramic Place, Westerville, OH 43081-8720 USA}, organization = {Amer Ceramic Soc, 735 Ceramic Place, Westerville, OH 43081-8720 USA}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, abstract = {

Nanosized powders of Fe3O4 and MgFe2O4 are synthesized by microwave-hydrothermal (MH) method. The ferrite powders thus obtained are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, vibrating sample magnetometer and AC magnetic susceptibility studies. Stoichiometric, nanosized (similar to 34 nm) Fe3O4 particles, having cubic symmetry with a(0) approximate to 8.39 angstrom, are obtained when molar ratio of Fe/NaOH used for the synthesis is 0.133. On the other hand, non-stoichiometric Fe3O4 is obtained when Fe/NaOH molar ratio is increased to 0.4. Though the powder XRD patterns of both stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric Fe3O4 are identical, Mossbauer spectroscopic studies showed different features in terms of asymmetry, intensity, isomer shift, etc. Saturation magnetization, M-s = 70 emu/g and coercivity, H-c = 178 Oe, at room temperature, are obtained for stoichiometric Fe3O4 powders. In the case of MgFe2O4, spherical, nanosized (similar to 3 nm) powders with cubic symmetry (a(0) approximate to 8.30 angstrom) and having very narrow size distribution are obtained under the MH conditions. The temperature and field dependent magnetic measurements on MgFe2O4 powders confirmed the existence of superparamagnetic state in this material with a superparamagnetic blocking temperature of 38 K below which typical magnetic hysteresis behaviour is observed.

}, isbn = {1-57498-218-4}, author = {Khollam, Y. B. and Dhage, S. R. and Verma, S. and Potdar, H. S. and Deshpande, S. B. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Date, Sadgopal K.}, editor = {Soohoo, R. F.} } @article { ISI:000227146700004, title = {MCM-41-supported platinum carbonyl cluster-derived asymmetric hydrogenation catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {229}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {298-302}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Anionic platinum carbonyl cluster has been ion paired with cinchonidium groups that are chemically bound to the surface of MCM-41 and fumed silica. In the hydrogenation of methyl pyruvate or acetophenone the fumed silica-based catalyst gives zero enantioselectivity, but under optimum conditions enantiomeric excesses of \>90 and similar to40\%, respectively, are obtained with the MCM-41-based catalyst. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {asymmetric catalysis, functionalized inorganic oxides, hydrogenation catalysts, platinum carbonyl cluster}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2004.11.010}, author = {Basu, Susmit and Paul, Himadri and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000230717500014, title = {Metalloantitubercular compounds part 3: synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopy, electrochemistry and antimycobacterial activity of the copper(II) ciproploxacin (cfH) complex and its phenanthroline adduct}, journal = {Transition Metal Chemistry}, volume = {30}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {334-340}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The X-ray crystal structures of two ciprofloxacin compounds, viz. [Cu(cfH)(2)(Cl)(2)] (.) 2MeOH (.) 6H2O (2) and [Cu(cfH)(phen)Cl]BF4 (.) 4H(2)O (3) are reported. Complex ( 2) has a distorted octahedral geometry, whereas for the nitrogen adduct (3) a distorted square-pyramidal geometry is seen. Significant enhancement in the antimycobacterial activity of the copper conjugates correlates with their copper redox couples (Cu2+/Cu+) probably due to its relevance to intracellular accumulations and subsequent role in generating oxidative stress.

}, issn = {0340-4285}, doi = {10.1007/s11243-004-5861-2}, author = {Saha, D. K. and Patitungkho, S. and Padhye, S. and Deobagkar, D. N. and Ozarkar, A. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000232103800003, title = {Mitochondrial sequence reveals high levels of gene flow between breeds of domestic sheep from Asia and Europe}, journal = {Journal of Heredity}, volume = {96}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {494-501}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {JOURNALS DEPT, 2001 EVANS RD, CARY, NC 27513 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0022-1503}, doi = {10.1093/jhered/esi100}, author = {Meadows, J. R. S. and Li, K. and Kantanen, J. and Tapio, M. and Sipos, W. and Pardeshi, V. and Gupta, V. and Calvo, J. H. and Whan, V. and Norris, B. and Kijas, J. W.} } @article { ISI:000234037500002, title = {Modeling of rotary desiccant wheels}, journal = {Chemical Engineering \& Technology}, volume = {28}, number = {12}, year = {2005}, note = {Joint 5th International Symposium on Catalysis in Multiphase Reactors/4th International Symposium on Multifunctional Reactors, Portoroz-Portorose, SLOVENIA, JUN 15-18, 2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1473-1479}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Rotary desiccant wheels are widely used in dehumidification and energy recovery applications. In this work, we have developed a 2D, steady state model of a rotary desiccant wheel. Mass and energy balance equations for the air streams and the desiccant wheels were developed. The hydraulic diameter and surface area for heat and mass transfer were calculated based on knowledge of the flute geometry. Appropriate correlations for the Sherwood number and Nusselt number were used to estimate heat and mass transfer coefficients. The model is capable of predicting steady state behavior of desiccant wheels having at the most three sections (process, purge, and regeneration). The mathematical model was validated using a real desiccant wheel, and the calculation results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. Based on this model, the temperature and humidity profiles in the wheel during both the dehumidification and the regeneration processes are analyzed. The simulated results were used to gain an insight into the operation of desiccant wheels. The model and the presented results will be useful for optimizing dehumidification and energy recovery applications.

}, keywords = {1, 4-benzodioxan-2-carboxylate, 4-benzodioxan-2-carboxylic acid, doxazosin, enantio selectivity, enantiomeric ratio, ethyl 1, ethyl acetate, Lipases, transesterfication}, issn = {0930-7516}, doi = {10.1002/ceat.200500164}, author = {Harshe, Yogesh M. and Utikar, R. P. and Ranade, V. V. and Pahwa, D.} } @article { ISI:000228658400021, title = {Morphology and chain dynamics during collapse transition of PNIPAM gels studied by combined imaging, relaxometry and Xe-129 spectroscopy techniques}, journal = {Magnetic Resonance Imaging}, volume = {23}, number = {2, SI}, year = {2005}, note = {7th International Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media (MRPM7), Palaiseau, FRANCE, JUL 04-08, 2004}, month = {FEB}, pages = {249-253}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

The temperature-induced shape transition of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gels of different cross-link densities was investigated by a combination of NMR techniques allowing the characterization of both the macroscopic collapse as well as the changes on a molecular scale related to the expulsion of water from the gel network. The proton-containing gel phase was visualized by swelling in heavy water, and the volume change was monitored by proton imaging for cross-link densities between 0.5 \% and 2.5 \%. Above the transition temperature of 35 degrees C, gel collapse led to a volume change of up to a factor of 17 for the gel of smallest cross-link density. Two spectral lines of Xe-129 are found in the gel state and are assigned to the hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts of the network. In the collapsed state, the hydrophobic peak shows a strong shift while the hydrophilic peak disappears. A considerable shortening of both T-1 and T-2 of the gel protons upon collapse was found at a field of 4.7 T. At lower fields, the effect becomes more pronounced and qualitatively different dispersion behaviors between the swollen and the collapsed states are observed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {gel, networks, phase transition, relaxometry, Xe-129 spectroscopy}, issn = {0730-725X}, doi = {10.1016/j.mri.2004.11.019}, author = {Kariyo, Sobiroh and Kuppers, Markus and Badiger, Manohar V. and Prabhakar, A. and Jagadeesh, Bharatam and Stapf, S. and Blumich, B.} } @article { ISI:000229156500009, title = {New method for the preparation of 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-carboxaldehyde}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Research}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {99-100}, publisher = {SCIENCE REVIEWS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 314, ST ALBANS AL1 4ZG, HERTS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {Cyclophanes, olefin metathesis, Palladium, ruthenium, Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.200404373}, author = {Kotha, S and Mandal, K and Arora, KK and Pedireddi, R} } @article { ISI:000231634800045, title = {Novel low-temperature synthesis of nanosized NiZn ferrite}, journal = {Journal of the American Ceramic Society}, volume = {88}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2597-2599}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanosized NiZn ferrite powder is synthesized by a low-temperature method, using a unique combination of citric acid and glycine. An appropriate molar ratio of both citric acid and glycine offers a low-temperature synthetic route by incorporating the complexation behavior of citric acid and the combustion nature of glycine. Thermal decomposition/controlled autocatalytic combustion of the composite gel occurs at a low temperature of around 175 degrees C, with the evolution of a large amount of gases. Transmission electron microscopic studies showed that the average particle size of the ferrite obtained is similar to 2.5 nm, with a narrow size distribution. Uniformly distributed fine-grained microstructure with low porosity is obtained for a sample sintered at 1000 degrees C.

}, issn = {0002-7820}, doi = {10.1111/j.1551-2916.2005.00445.x}, author = {Verma, S. and Pradhan, S. D. and Pasricha, R. and Sainkar, S. R. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @conference { ISI:000245886300024, title = {Novel method for the synthesis of siloxane nanowires and filaments using gold nanoparticle catalysts}, booktitle = {International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology}, series = {International Journal of Nanoscience Series}, volume = {4}, number = {5-6}, year = {2005}, note = {International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology, Calcutta, INDIA, DEC 17-20, 2003}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1007-1010}, publisher = {World Scientific Publ Co Pte Ltd, Po Box 128 Farrer Rd, Singapore 9128, Singapore}, organization = {World Scientific Publ Co Pte Ltd, Po Box 128 Farrer Rd, Singapore 9128, Singapore}, address = { Calcutta, India}, abstract = {

A unique polymerization reaction of alkylsilanes to siloxane nanowires, filaments and tubes in presence of gold nanoparticles and water is presented. The gold nanoparticles, which catalyze this reaction also work as templates restricting the shape of the resulting polymers into wires and tubes. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images clearly reveal the presence of gold nanoparticle at the tip of each wire supporting the template hypothesis. Elemental analyses by different methods confirm the stoichiometry to be C18H37SiO1.5, when the alkylsilane used was C18H37SiH3, thus proving that the alkyl group remains intact during the polymerization reaction.

}, keywords = {gold nanoparticles, Nanowires, siloxane polymers}, doi = {10.1142/S0219581X0500398X}, author = {Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Stoeva, S. and Sorensen, C. M. and Klabunde, Kenneth J. and Zaikovskii, V.}, editor = {Sanyal, M. K. and Raychaudhuri, A. K. and Chakravorty, D.} } @article { ISI:000227273200009, title = {Novel one-pot synthesis of 2-Aryl-4(3H)-quinazolinones using room temperature ionic liquid as reaction medium as well as promoter}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {35}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {231-241}, publisher = {MARCEL DEKKER INC}, type = {Article}, address = {270 MADISON AVE, NEW YORK, NY 10016 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-aryl-4(3H)-quinazolinones from 2-amino benzamides and substituted benzoyl chlorides in a room temperature ionic liquid is described. Compared with the classical reaction conditions, this new synthetic method has the advantages of recyclability of ionic liquid, very good to excellent yields (78-92\%), the absence of hazardous and expensive catalysts, and easy workup procedures giving rise to a process with minimum waste.

}, keywords = {2-amino benzamide, 2-aryl-4(3H)-quinazolinones, benzoyl chlorides, Ionic liquid}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1081/SCC-200048433}, author = {Potewar, T. M. and Nadaf, R. N. and Daniel, Thomas and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, K. V.} } @article { ISI:000225750600004, title = {Novel polymer-inorganic solid-state reaction for the synthesis of CdS nanocrystallites}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {554-559}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {CdS nanocrystallites, Semiconductor, solid-state reaction, Thermoplastic polymer matrix}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2004.10.037}, author = {Kanade, K. G. and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Pasricha, R. and Radhakrishnan, S. and Seth, T. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Kale, B. B. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000227932000012, title = {Novel supramolecular assembly of 3,5-dinitro-4-methylbenzoic acid and trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {2411-2415}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel organic assembly, formed between 3,5-dinitro-4-methylbenzoic acid and trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of Pr(III) and a layered structure obtained by direct co-crystallization of the reactants at ambient conditions is reported. The structures of the complexes were established, unambiguously, by single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.02.070}, author = {Varughese, S and Pedireddi, VR} } @article { ISI:000233948800019, title = {Nucleobases in molecular recognition: molecular adducts of adenine and cytosine with COOH functional groups}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, volume = {44}, number = {47}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {7752-7757}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {carboxylic acids, hydrogen bonds, molecular recognition, nucleobases, supramolecular chemistry}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.200502434}, author = {Perumal, Sathiamurthi and Suresh, E. and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article { ISI:000230698100036, title = {Optimization of nonlinear optical properties by substituent position, geometry and symmetry of the molecule: an ab initio study}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {109}, number = {29}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {14093-14101}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Static polarizability and first- and second-order hyperpolarizability tensors are computed at the correlated level for a series of para-nitroaniline derivatives. The importance of including electron correlation effects in the determination of equilibrium structure and the molecular properties is investigated. A qualitative description of the substitution effects, planarity, and symmetric effect of the molecule on the molecular susceptibility is discussed.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp051355d}, author = {Davis, D and Sreekumar, K and Sajeev, Y and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000234204300019, title = {Oriented growth of nanocrystalline gamma ferric oxide in electrophoretically deposited films}, journal = {Hyperfine Interactions}, volume = {160}, number = {1-4}, year = {2005}, note = {International Workshop on Nanomaterials, Magnetic Ions and Magnetic Semiconductors Studies mostly by Hyperfine Interactions, M S Univ Baroda, Phys Dept, Baroda, INDIA, FEB 10-14, 2004}, month = {JAN}, pages = {199-209}, publisher = {Springer, Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 GZ Dordrecht, Netherlands}, type = {Article, Proceedings Paper}, address = { M S Univ Baroda, Phys Dept, Baroda, INDIA}, abstract = {

Films of nanocrystalline gamma-Fe2O3 were deposited on silicon substrates by using the technique of electrophoretic deposition. The precursor powder was nanocrystalline gamma-Fe2O3, which was synthesized, using DC arc plasma in the oxygen ambient by vapour-vapour interaction in gas phase condensation; at a stabilized arc current of 40 A. This powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer and Mossbauer Spectroscopy. An increase in directional coercivity was observed in case of films deposited on silicon substrates, which is dramatically significant. Preferred orientation of almost similar sized nanocrystalline magnetic domains in deposited films is evident from the results of X-ray diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy results. The preferred alignment of the nanocrystallites seems to be responsible for the significant changes observed in magnetic properties of films.

}, issn = {0304-3843}, doi = {10.1007/s10751-005-9165-5}, author = {Bhave, T. M. and Balasubramanian, C. and Nagar, H. and Kulkarni, S. and Pasricha, R. and Bakare, P. P. and Date, Sadgopal K. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000227915900011, title = {Overview on the degradability of polymer nanocomposites}, journal = {Polymer Degradation and Stability}, volume = {88}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {234-250}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Polymer nanocomposites have attracted great attention world wide from both academic and industrial points of view. The material properties of polymers can be enhanced dramatically by incorporating layered silicates at fairly low concentrations. The durability of any material depends upon several factors e.g. light, heat, microwaves, mechanical abrasion etc. The study and the effect of these factors on the performance are essentially required to extend the application limits. The durability of polymer nanocomposites has been evaluated under different environments. The present review describes the durability of different polymer nanocomposites mainly under thermal- and photoageing. Biodegradable nanoeomposites of different polymers are also discussed briefly. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biodegradation, Degradation, layered silicates, Nanocomposites, weathering}, issn = {0141-3910}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2004.09.013}, author = {Pandey, JK and Reddy, KR and Kumar, AP and Singh, RP} } @article { ISI:000229380600016, title = {Performance assessment of HC-290 as a drop-in substitute to HCFC-22 in a window air conditioner}, journal = {International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale Du Froid}, volume = {28}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {594-604}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

As per the Montreal Protocol, CFCs and HCFCs are being phased out. HCFC-22 is used in window air conditioners. This paper presents the experimental performance study of a window air conditioner with propane (HC-290), a natural refrigerant, as a drop-in substitute to HCFC-22. Experimental results showed that HC-290 had 6.6\% lower cooling capacity for the lower operating conditions and 9.7\% lower for the higher operating conditions with respect to HCFC-22. The coefficient of performance for HC290 was 7.9\% higher for the lower operating conditions and 2.8\% higher for the higher operating conditions. The energy consumption of the unit with HC-290 was lower in the range 12.4-13.5\% than HCFC-22. The discharge pressures for HC-290 were lower in the range 13.7-18.2\% than HCFC-22. For HC-290, the pressure drop was lower than HCFC-22 in both heat exchangers. This paper also presents simulation results for the heat exchangers of an HCFC-22 window air conditioner with HC-290 as a drop-in substitute. The simulation has been carried out using EVAP-COND, a heat exchanger model developed by NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology. EVAP-COND: simulation models for finned-tube heat exchangers, Maryland, USA (2003). http://www2.bfrl.nist.gov/software/evap-cond/ [18]]. The simulated evaporator capacities are within +/- 4\% of the experimentally measured cooling capacities for both refrigerants. Simulation results for HC-290 and HCFC-22 are compared. The exit temperatures of HC-290 are lower by 0.3-1.2 degrees C in the condenser and are higher by 2.1-2.4 degrees C in the evaporator than HCFC-22. Evaporating pressures of HC-290 are lower by 2.1-3.3\% as compared to HCFC-22. The pressure drops of HC-290 are lower in both the evaporator and the condenser as compared to HCFC-22. The outlet temperatures of air for HCFC-22 and HC-290 in both heat exchangers are nearly the same. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {air conditioner, COP, Evaporator, experiment, performance, propane, R-22, simulation, window}, issn = {0140-7007}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2004.09.013}, author = {Devotta, S and Padalkar, AS and Sane, NK} } @article { ISI:000231682900021, title = {Performance assessment of HCFC-22 window air conditioner retrofitted with R-407C}, journal = {Applied Thermal Engineering}, volume = {25}, number = {17-18}, year = {2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2937-2949}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This paper presents the experimental performance analysis of a 1.5 TR window air-conditioner, retrofitted with R-407C, as a substitute to HCFC-22. Experimental results showed that R-407C, for the operating conditions covered in this study, had lower cooling capacity in the range 2.1-7.9\% with respect to HCFC-22. The coefficient of performance for R-407C was lower in the range 7.9-13.5\%. The power consumption of the unit with R-407C was higher in the range 6-7\% than HCFC-22. The discharge pressures for R-407C were higher in the range 11-13\% than HCFC-22. This paper also presents simulation results of heat exchangers of an HCFC-22 window air conditioner retrofitted with R-407C. The simulation has been carried out using EVAP-COND, a heat exchanger model developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S.A. The simulated evaporator capacities are within +/- 3\% of the experimentally measured cooling capacities for both refrigerants. Simulation results for R-407C and HCFC-22 are compared. The exit temperatures of R-407C are lower by 1.9 degrees C to 5.2 degrees C in the condenser and are higher by 3.2 degrees C to 3.8 degrees C in the evaporator than HCFC-22. Evaporating pressures of R-407C are higher by 4.5-5.3\% as compared to HCFC-22. The pressure drops of R-407C are lower in both the evaporator and the condenser as compared to HCFC-22. The outlet temperatures of air for HCFC-22 and R-407C in both heat exchangers are nearly the same. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cooling capacity, COP, measurement, performance, power consumption, R-407C}, issn = {1359-4311}, doi = {10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2005.03.002}, author = {Devotta, S and Padalkar, AS and Sane, NK} } @article { ISI:000227393300019, title = {Phase transfer of oleic acid capped NicoreAgshell nanoparticles assisted by the flexibility of oleic acid on the surface of silver}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {283}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {422-431}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The phase transfer protocols in vogue for the oleic acid capped silver nanoparticles, viz., salt-induced precipitation and redispersion or phosphoric acid-induced method, are examined and compared thoroughly. A comprehensive evaluation with respect to the mechanistic aspects involved is made and the merits and demerits of the different procedures are delineated. It is found that the salt-induced precipitation and redispersion is more versatile in that the precipitate can actually be redispersed in both aqueous and organic media. However, in terms of mechanism both the routes seem to be very similar wherein the orientational change of oleic acid on the silver surface in the two different environments-organic and aqueous-plays a crucial role in the adaptability of the system to the different environments. Subsequently, this change of orientation of oleic acid on silver surface in aqueous and organic media has been utilized to phase transfer Ni-based nanoparticulate systems. The nascent oleic acid-capped Ni nanoparticles, which were synthesized by a foam-based protocol, were dispersible in water but not in nonpolar organic media such as cyclohexane or toluene. Then, just by coating a thin shell of silver on them we could achieve complete phase transfer of the NicoreAgshell from aqueous to organic media following similar procedures used for oleic acid-capped silver nanoparticles. Here, the phase transfer seems to be facilitated by the orientational flexibility of oleic acid on the silver surface as opposed to other metal surfaces as evidenced from the infrared and thermogravimetric analyses of oleic acid-capped Ni and NicoreAgshell nanoparticles. This orientation-assisted phase transfer method could be generalized and can be adapted to other systems where, if the nascent nanoparticles cannot be phase transferred as is, they can be coated by a silver shell and oleic acid making them suitable for dispersion in both aqueous and organic media. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(1) HNMR, FTIR, Phase transfer, transmetalation core-shell nanoparticles, UV-Vis}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2004.09.018}, author = {Bala, Tanushree and Swami, A. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000232341100010, title = {Photodegradation of ethylene/propylene/polar monomers co- and terpolymers. I - Prepared by group 4 catalyst systems}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {A42}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1259-1270}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

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

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

}, keywords = {bubble point, membranes, Morphology, phase inversion, salts, viscosity}, issn = {0887-6266}, doi = {10.1002/polb.20494}, author = {Phadke, M. A. and Kulkarni, Sudhir S. and Karode, Sandeep K. and Musale, D. A.} } @article { ISI:000231573100016, title = {Polycondensation in liquid crystalline phases of nonionic surfactants. Kinetics and morphology}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {46}, number = {19}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7961-7968}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We have investigated acid-catalyzed polycondensation of alkoxysilane monomers in liquid crystalline phases of nonionic CnEm surfactants. The liquid crystalline phase is retained when the monomers polymerize. The high molecular weight molecules formed phase separate from the mesophase and are subsequently organized by it to form micron-sized particles. A variety of particle morphologies are formed by organization of the polymer particles in the mesophase. For condensation of dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMS, with trimethoxysilane, TMS as crosslinker) in hexagonal and lamellar phases, specific reaction conditions, viz. slow condensation kinetics and low crosslink density, give rod-like particles in hexagonal phases and sheet-like structures in lamellar phases. However, when higher acid concentrations are used, the reaction kinetics accelerates and irregular particles form. Irregular particles also form when the fraction of trifunctional crosslinker is increased, and finally complex flower-like structures form for condensation of trimethoxysilane in the hexagonal phase. The particle morphology formed is crucially dependent on the details of the polycondensation rate, crosslinker density and surfactant-monomer/oligomer interactions. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {nonionic, surfactant, templated synthesis}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2005.07.001}, author = {Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Wadekar, M. N. and Agrawal, Vikrant V. and Pasricha, R.} } @article { ISI:000228760300034, title = {Polymerization in surfactant liquid crystalline phases}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {17}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2460-2465}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report the formation of cross-linked polysiloxane particles having rodlike and sheetlike morphologies by condensation of monomers in organized liquid crystalline mesophases of nonionic surfactants. The characteristic diffraction pattern obtained from the liquid crystalline surfactant assembly is preserved during polymer synthesis. The polymer colloids are rodlike when synthesized in a hexagonal mesophase and are sheetlike when synthesized in a lamellar mesophase. Interestingly, the size of the polymer particles is on the order of micrometers, viz. 3 orders of magnitude larger than the characteristic size of the surfactant mesophase. Thus, the polymers phase separate from the liquid crystalline phase during polymerization, and organize to resemble the mesophase geometry. The polymer particles are organized so as to minimize the elastic distortion of the surfactant mesophase after they phase separate. We speculate that the observed particle morphologies are formed due to the slow kinetics of polycondensation under our experimental conditions.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm048240r}, author = {Wadekar, M. N. and Pasricha, R. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article { ISI:000230419200001, title = {Poly(pseudo)rotaxane-like network mediated by hydrogen bonds in the solid-state structure of 1,7-phenanthroline}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {5}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1309-1312}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A unique poly(pseudo)rotaxane-like network constituted by C-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen bonds in the solid-state structure of 1,7-phenanthroline and a self-inclusion host-guest type assembly in its salt form have been discussed. The assemblies are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg050038t}, author = {Arora, KK and Pedireddi, VR} } @article { ISI:000232326700015, title = {Porous gold nanospheres by controlled transmetalation reaction: a novel material for application in cell imaging}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {17}, number = {20}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5000-5005}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Hollow shell nanostructures have numerous potential applications due to their interesting optical and electronic properties, which can be tuned by varying their shape, size, and shell thickness. In this paper we describe a simple galvanic replacement reaction (transmetalation reaction) involving sacrificial silver nanoparticles and Au(III) ions using a dialysis membrane. The dialysis membrane acts as a partial barrier that provides excellent control over the kinetics of reaction. This process results in the formation of porous gold nanospheres that improve the fluorescence in cell staining by offering an enhanced surface area for binding of the fluorescent dye, propidium iodide (PI). Such porous nanostructures could be ideal candidates for applications such as catalysis, enzyme immobilization, and drug delivery.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm051165f}, author = {Shukla, Sourabh and Priscilla, Anie and Banerjee, Meenal and Bhonde, Ramesh R. and Ghatak, J. and Satyam, P. V. and Sastry, Murali} } @article { ISI:000233539200049, title = {Preorganizing linear (self-complementary) quadruple hydrogen-bonding arrays using intramolecular hydrogen bonding as the sole force}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, number = {24}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {10067-10072}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this article we describe a rational approach for prefixing multiple cooperative binding sites in an ideal spatial arrangement on a structurally rigid backbone, constrained exclusively by intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The idea is exemplified by the ability of the self-assembling constructs la-e and 2a,b to form hydrogen-bonded dimers, whose structural preorganization has been solely effected by intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The readily accessible amidinourea backbone has been used as a common platform for the construction of a variety of such self-assembling systems. ESI mass spectrometry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies have been particularly effective in investigating the self-assembling propensities of these systems. Remarkably, most the H-bonded dimers reported herein undergo an unusual mode of self-assembly, using intermolecular four-membered ring hydrogen-bonded interaction, affording extended supramolecular networks.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo051768a}, author = {Prabhakaran, Panchami and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000233067000013, title = {Preparation and characterization of a copper based Indian traditional drug: tamra bhasma}, journal = {Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis}, volume = {39}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {951-955}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The copper based Indian traditional drug {\textquoteleft}tamra bhasma{\textquoteright} is administered for various ailments since long. Its synthesis involves treating metallic copper with plant juices and then repeated calcination in presence of air so that the metallic state is transformed into the corresponding oxide form traditionally known as {\textquoteleft}bhasma{\textquoteright}. In this work, we present a systematic characterization of this traditional drug using various techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetry (TG) and surface area measurement. The results obtained were found to match very well with those of a standard copper oxide confirming the composition of the drug sample. In addition, some specific findings were also made which could help in interpreting the therapeutic properties of the traditional drug {\textquoteleft}tamra bhasma{\textquoteright}. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {copper oxide, crystallite size, tamra bhasma, traditional medicine, XPS of copper oxide, XRD}, issn = {0731-7085}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpba.2005.06.015}, author = {Wadekar, M. P. and Rode, C. V. and Bendale, Y. N. and Patil, K. R. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000228797100048, title = {Preparation of ferroelectric BaNb2O6 the urea method}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {14-15}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1929-1931}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A precipitate was formed when an aqueous solution of BaCl2, NbF5 and urea in required ratio (the ratio of total metal cations to the urea is five) is heated on a water bath at 100 degrees C. This precipitate on decomposition at 600 degrees C yielded the nanocrystallites of BaNb2O6 (BN), as confirmed by X-ray diffraction study (XRD). This is a much lower temperature as compared to that prepared by traditional solid state method (1000 degrees C) as reported for the formation of BaNb2O6. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size is 85 nm for the calcined powders. The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is found to be 900. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, electronic material, ferroelectricity, Oxides}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.02.028}, author = {Dhage, S. R. and Pasricha, R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000228253200008, title = {Preparation of nanocrystalline ferroelectric BaNb(2)O6 by citrate gel method}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {28}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {121-123}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

A gel was formed when a aqueous solution of BaCl2, NbF5 and citric acid in stoichiometric ratio is heated on a water bath. This gel on decomposition at 600 degrees C yielded the nano crystallites of BaNb2O6, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction study (XRD). This is a much lower temperature as compared to that prepared by traditional solid state method (1000 degrees C) as reported for the formation of BaNb2O6. Transmission electron microscopic. (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size is 50 nm for the calcined powders. The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is found to be 1000. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, electronic material, ferroelectricity, Oxides}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/BF02704230}, author = {Gaikwad, S. P. and Samuel, V and Pasricha, R and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000230877900002, title = {Preparation of nanocrystalline ferroelectric CaBi2Ta2O9 by the urea method}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {31}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN }, pages = {773-775}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A precipitate was formed when a aqueous solution of CaCl2, BiCl3, TaF5 and urea in stoichiometric ratio (total metal cations to urea ratio is 5) is heated on a water bath. This precipitate on decomposition at 600 degrees C yielded the nanocrystallites of ternary oxide CaBi2Ta2O9 (CBT) as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). Ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters such as remnant polarization (P-r) and coercive field (E-C) were also determined. TEM investigations revealed that the average particle size of the polycrystalline powder is 70 nm. The room temperature dielectric constant was found to be 110. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dielectric properties, Electron microscopy, ferroelectric properties, powders : chemical preparation}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2004.08.011}, author = {Gaikwad, S. P. and Pasricha, R and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000227447800010, title = {Preparation of nanocrystalline ferroelectric CaBi2TaO9 by citrate gel method}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Solid State Materials for Advanced Technology}, volume = {117}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {159-161}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A gel was formed when an aqueous solution of CaCl2, BiCl3, TaF5 and citric acid in stoichiometric ratio is heated on a water bath. This gel on decomposition at 600degreesC yielded the nano-crystallites of ternary oxide, CaBi2Ta2O9 (CBT) as confirmed by X-ray diffraction study (XRD). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). Ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters such as remnant polarization (P-r) and coercive field (E-C) are also determined. TEM investigations revealed that the average particle size of the polycrystalline powder is 40 nm. The room temperature dielectric constant was found to be 90. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bismuth, diffraction, Electron microscopy}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2004.11.006}, author = {Gaikwad, S. P. and Pasricha, R and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000229379000010, title = {Preparation of nanocrystalline MgNb2O6 by citrate gel method}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {17}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2146-2148}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A gel was formed when a aqueous solution of Mg(NO3)(2), NbF5 and citric acid in stoichiometric ratio is heated on a water bath. This gel on decomposition at 700 degrees C produced the fine crystallites of ternary oxide, MgNb2O6 (MN). The formation of MN phase and lattice parameters were determined by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Citrate gel, Electron microscopy, magnesium niobate, powders, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.02.050}, author = {Pasricha, R and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000228413800008, title = {Pyrazole-tethered heteroditopic ligands and their transition metal complexes: synthesis, structure, and reactivity}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {1254-1263}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {cobalt, Copper, hemilabile ligands, Nickel, oligomerization, Pyrazole}, issn = {1434-1948}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.200400818}, author = {Mukherjee, Anuradha and Subramanyam, U. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Mohandas, T. P. and Sarkar, A.} } @article { ISI:000232676900017, title = {Pyridine mediated supramolecular assemblies of 3,5-dinitro substituted benzoic acid, benzamide and benzonitrile}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {61}, number = {45}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {10793-10800}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Synthesis and characterization of molecular assemblies of pyridine adducts, la, 2a and 3a, of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid, 1, 3,5-dinitrobenzamide, 2 and 3,5-dinitrobenzonitrile, 3, respectively, have been reported. All these adducts were obtained by crystallization of 1, 2 and 3 from pyridine. However, crystallization of I from pyridine in the presence of benzene resulted in the formation of a pyridinium adduct, 1b, along with a water molecule. All the adducts crystallize in a 1: 1 molecular ratio except la, which forms a 1:2 adduct, as characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction method. The adducts crystallize in different space groups-la, orthorhombic, Pna2(1); 1b, monoclinic, P2(1); 2a, monoclinc, C2/c; 3a, triclinic, P-1. In two-dimensional arrangement, la, 1b and 3a form sheet structures. In la, within the two-dimensional sheets, large cavities are formed, which are occupied by pyridine molecules. In 1b, the sheets are catenated to form a chicken-wire network. However, 2a formed a crossed ribbon packing pattern with empty channels in the three-dimensional structure. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3, 5-dinitrobenzamide, 5-dinitrobenzoic acid, 5-dinitrobenzonitrile, channel structures, host-guest complexes, layered structures, molecular recognition, Pyridine}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2005.08.080}, author = {Arora, KK and PrakashaReddy, J and Pedireddi, VR} } @conference { ISI:000238054400287, title = {Reactivity descriptors: conceptual and computational developments}, booktitle = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005)}, series = {LECTURE SERIES ON COMPUTER AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES}, volume = {4A-4B}, year = {2005}, note = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005), Corinth, GREECE, OCT 21-26, 2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1172-1174}, publisher = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, organization = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, address = {Corinth, Greece}, isbn = {90-6764-443-9}, issn = {1573-4196}, author = {Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Simos, T. and Maroulis, G.} } @article { ISI:000229119800001, title = {Recent advances in biodegradable nanocomposites}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {5}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {497-526}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {cellulose, layered silicates and properties, Nanocomposite, poly(caprolactone)s, poly(hydroxy alkanoate)s, polyiactic acid, Starch}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2005.111}, author = {Pandey, J. K. and Kumar, A. P. and Misra, M. and Mohanty, A. K. and Drzal, L. T. and Singh, R. P.} } @article { ISI:000231744300010, title = {Regression models using pattern search assisted least square support vector machines}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Research and Design}, volume = {83}, number = {A8}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1030-1037}, publisher = {INST CHEMICAL ENGINEERS}, type = {Article}, address = {165-189 RAILWAY TERRACE, DAVIS BLDG, RUGBY CV21 3HQ, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Least Square Support Vector Machines (LS-SVM), a new machine-learning tool has been employed for developing data driven models of non-linear processes. The method is firmly rooted in the statistical learning theory and transforms the input data to a higher dimensional feature space where the use of appropriate kernel functions avoid computational difficulty. Further, a pattern search algorithm, which explores multiple directions and utilizes coordinate search with fixed step size, is employed for selecting optimal LS-SVM model that produces a minimum possible prediction error. To show the efficacy and efficiency of the fully automated pattern search assisted LS-SVM methodology, we have tested it on several benchmark examples. The study suggests that proposed paradigm can be a useful and viable tool in building data driven models of non-linear processes.

}, keywords = {equality constraints, LS-SVM, model selection, Optimization, pattern search}, issn = {0263-8762}, doi = {10.1205/cherd.03144}, author = {Patil, N. S. and Shelokar, P. S. and Jayaraman, Valadi K. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {42687, title = {Reversible transformations of gold nanoparticle morphology}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {21}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10280{\textendash}10283}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein is reported a metamorphosis taking place in a gold nanosized system. The observed phenomenon of shape and size transformations was found to be completely reversible. Unlike most procedures in the literature where shape and size control occur in the synthetic step by adding growth- and shape-controlling agents such as surfactants or polymers, in this system postsynthetic changes in shape and size can be carried out simply by changing the ratio of reactive, competing reagents, more specifically, alkylthiols versus tetralkylammonium salts. Interestingly, the transfer of gold metal occurs (large prismatic particles to small particles and vice versa) under the influence of reagents that do not cause such interactions with bulk gold. All intermediate steps of the morphology change were observed using HRTEM and electron diffraction. The processes of breaking down and {\textquotedblleft}welding back{\textquotedblright} solid metal nanoparticles occur under mild conditions and are remarkable examples of the unique chemical properties of nanomaterials. The described process is expected to be relevant to other nanoscale systems where similar structural circumstances could occur.

}, doi = {10.1021/la051699v}, author = {Stoeva, Savka I. and Zaikovski, Vladimir and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Stoimenov, Peter K. and Sorensen, Christopher M. and Klabunde, Kenneth J.} } @article { ISI:000227930800010, title = {Room temperature ionic liquid promoted improved and rapid synthesis of 2,4,5-triaryl imidazoles from aryl aldehydes and 1,2-diketones or alpha-hydroxyketone}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {61}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {3539-3546}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An improved and rapid one-pot synthesis of 2,4,5-triaryl imidazoles in a room temperature ionic liquid is described, which does not need any added catalyst. Different ionic liquids based on 1-n-butyl and 1,3-di-n-butyl imidazolium salts were screened and their efficacy in terms of acidity and polarity have been correlated with yields and reaction period. The one-pot methodology resulting in excellent isolated yields in short reaction times is characterized by simple work up procedures and efficient recovery and recycling of the ionic liquid, which acts as a promoter. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 2-Diketones, 4, 5-triaryl imidazoles, alpha-hydroxyketone, ammonium acetate, benzaldehydes, ionic liquid (IL)}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2005.01.116}, author = {Siddiqui, S. A. and Narkhede, U. C. and Palimkar, S. S. and Daniel, Thomas and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, K. V.} } @article { ISI:000228436200035, title = {Self-assembly of nanostructured PbS for solar photovoltaic applications}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {91}, number = {2-3}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {447-453}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Liquid-liquid interface, nanopyramid, Nanostructures, PbS}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2004.12.007}, author = {Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Kanade, K. G. and Patil, K. R. and Sathaye, S. D. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000230909100041, title = {Self-assembly with degenerate prototropy}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, number = {16}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6461-6467}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

This work describes a rational approach for addressing the prototropy-related problems in heterocycle-based self-assembling systems by the use of degenerate prototropy. As a proof of principle, the utility of degenerate prototropy is demonstrated herein by developing heterocycle-based AADD-type self-assembling modules that exist as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}single set of protameric pair (duplex){\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} in both solution and solid states. These self-assembling modules are quickly accessible in good yield by reacting 2-amino-5,5-disubstituted-1H-pyrimidine-4,6-diones, available in one step by the condensation of (x,a-dialkyl malonates and free guanidine, with isocyanates. Evidence from NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the formation of molecular duplexes. The effect of electronic repulsion in duplex formation is also investigated. Their ready synthetic accessibility, remarkably high propensity to crystal formation, and the novel property of degenerate prototropy would make these novel self-assembling molecules promising candidates for many proposed applications.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo0508705}, author = {Baruah, Pranjal K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Phalgune, U. D. and Sanjayan, G. J.} } @article { ISI:000232909100017, title = {Separability of local reactivity descriptors}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {117}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {497-505}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

The size-dependence of different local reactivity descriptors of dimer A(2) and AB type of systems is discussed. We derive analytic results of these descriptors calculated using finite difference approximation. In particular, we studied Fukui functions, relative electrophilicity and relative nucleophilicity, local softness and local philicity. The results are explained using the example of the dimer of BH3NH3.

}, keywords = {condensed Fukai functions, Local reactivity descriptors, molecular interactions, separability}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/BF02708355}, author = {Tanwar, A and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000231605600022, title = {Silver nanoparticles of variable morphology synthesized in aqueous foams as novel templates}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {28}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {503-510}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, composites, foam, Intercalation, Nanoparticles}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/BF02711244}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Arumugam, S. K. and Pasricha, R. and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000227321500008, title = {Simple oxalate precursor route for the preparation of barium-strontium titanate: Ba1-xSrxTiO3 powders}, journal = {Materials Characterization}, volume = {54}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {63-74}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, type = {Article}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

A simple one-step cation-exchange reaction between the stoichiometric solutions of ammonium titanyl oxalate (ATO) and barium hydroxide+strontium nitrate at room temperature (RT) is investigated successfully for the quantitative precipitation of barium-strontium titanyl oxalate (BSTO): Ba1-xSrxTiO(C2O4)(2).4H(2)O (x=0.25) precursor powders with nearly theoretical yield (greater than or equal to99\%). The pyrolysis of BSTO at 730degreesC/4 h in air produced barium-strontium titanate (Ba1-xSrxTiO3; BST) powders. The characterization studies on BSTO and BST powders by using various physico-chemical techniques: micro- and chemical analysis, differential thermal analysis (DTA)/thermo-gavimetric analysis (TGA), XRD, FTIR, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the powders formed are cubic, highly pure, stoichiometric and sub-micron-sized with nearly uniform size and shape distribution. The ceramic compacts obtained by sintering the BST pellets at 1300degreesC/4 It showed density similar to95\%, dielectric constant epsilon(Tc)similar to9500, tan delta-0.15\% and T(C)similar to32 degreesC. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {barium-strontium titanate, barium-strontium titanyl oxalate, permittivity, XRF}, issn = {1044-5803}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchar.2004.11.002}, author = {Khollam, Y. B. and Deshpande, S. B. and Potdar, H. S. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Sainkar, S. R. and Date, Sadgopal K.} } @article {43219, title = {Simple procedure for the synthesis of gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-(E)-alkenoic esters: formal synthesis of (+)-macrosphelides A and B}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2287-2290}, abstract = {A highly trans-selective conjugate reduction of 7-hydroxy-alpha,beta-alkynoic esters to produce gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-(E)-alkenoic esters using LiAlH4 is reported. The application of this methodology is demonstrated by a formal synthesis of the potent cell-cell adhesion inhibitors (+)-macrosphelides A and B. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, author = {Rao, K. Srinivasa and Mukkanti, K. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Pal, Manojit and Lqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000229376400013, title = {Simplistic expedient and practical synthesis of (+/-)-alpha-lipoic acid}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {8}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1297-1300}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Synthesis of a-lipoic acid has been achieved by a simple sequence of reactions. The synthesis highlights the use of alpha-chloroesters in a Reformatsky reaction. The intermediate keto acid is an intermediate from which both isomers of lipoic acid can be prepared.

}, keywords = {alpha-chloroesters, alpha-lipoic acid, Ozonolysis, Reformatsky reaction}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-2005-861867}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Shivsankar, K. and Pasupathy, K.} } @article { ISI:000231534100002, title = {On the single-root approach within the framework of coupled-cluster theory in fock space}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {315}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {240-250}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A thorough formulation of Fock Space Brillouin-Wigner Coupled Cluster method is presented following previous developments [N.D.K. Petraco, L Horny, H.F. Schaefer, I. Hubac, J. Chem. Phys. 117 (2002) 9580]. The new method is designed to avoid the intruder states problem, and introduces the single-root solution feature which has not been considered yet within valence-universal methods. The explicit equations for the (0,1) sector of the Fock space are introduced. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0301-0104}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2005.03.020}, author = {Horny, L and Schaefer, HF and Hubac, I and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000226614200005, title = {Solvent-adaptable silver nanoparticles}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {21}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {822-826}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient way of obtaining silver nanoparticles that are dispersible both in organic and in aqueous solvents using a single capping agent is described. The silver nanoparticles are initially prepared in water in the presence of aerosol OT [sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)-sulfosuccinate, AOT]. Thereafter, transfer of the AOT-capped silver nanoparticles to an organic phase is induced by the addition of a small amount of orthophosphoric acid during shaking of the biphasic mixture. The AOT-stabilized silver nanoparticles could be separated out from the organic phase in the form of a powder. The hydrophobic nanoparticles thus prepared are stable and are readily resuspended in a variety of other polar (including water) and nonpolar solvents without further surface treatment. The amphiphatic nature of the silver surface is brought about by a small orientational change in the AOT monolayer on the silver surface in response to the polarity of the solvent.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la047707+}, author = {Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Arumugam, S. K. and Bala, Tanushree and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000229484600033, title = {Stereoselective syntheses of (+)-alpha- and (-)-beta-conhydrine from L-aspartic acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {23}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4091-4093}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of (+)-alpha-conhydrine 1 and (-)-beta-conhydrine 2 has been achieved by. diastereo selective alkylation of an amino aldehyde derivative 7 with ethylmagnesium bromide or diethylzinc. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alkylation, conhydrine, Grignard reaction, Piperidine alkaloids, stereoselectivity}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.04.013}, author = {Pandey, SK and Kumar, P} } @article { ISI:000227833600014, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of (2R, 3S, 22R, 23E)-6, 6-ethylenedioxy-22-hydroxy-2, 3-isopropylidenedioxy-24-methyl-5 alpha-cholest-23-ene: An intermediate for the synthesis of castasterone, dolichosterone and brassinolide}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {611-614}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Hazra, Braja G. and Kumar, T. P. and Pore, V. S.} } @article { ISI:000227411400039, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of (-)-microcarpalide}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {11}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1939-1941}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly convergent and efficient synthesis of (-)-microcarpalide, a 10-membered lactone displaying remarkable microfilament disrupting activity is described. Ring-closing metathesis and Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylations are the key steps. Our strategy highlights the application of novel hydroxy lactone precursors for the stereoselective synthesis of (-)-microcarpalide. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {4-diol, cis-2-butene-1, Claisen ortho ester rearrangement, microcarpalide, Ring-closing metathesis, sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.01.052}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Praveen, C.} } @article { ISI:000231294400029, title = {Stereospecific route to 5,11-methanomorphanthridine alkaloids via intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nonstabilized azomethine ylide: Formal total synthesis of (+/-)-pancracine}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {7}, number = {17}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3713-3716}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

[GRAPHICS] The core structure of the complex pentacyclic 5,11-methanomorphanthridine alkaloids is constructed stereospecifically in one step employing an intramolecular [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of nonstabilized azomethine ylide as the key step. The strategy is demonstrated by accomplishing the formal total synthesis of (+/-)-pancracine.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol051321o}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Banerjee, Prabal and Kumar, Ravindra and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000228412500017, title = {Structural rationalisation of co-crystals formed between trithiocyanuric acid and molecules containing hydrogen bonding functionality}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {11}, number = {8}, year = {2005}, note = {Symposium on Chemistry-A European Conference - Stimulating Concepts in Chemistry, Inst Sci Ingenierie Supramoleculaires, Strasbourg, FRANCE, APR 15, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {2433-2439}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Crystallisation of trithiocyanuric acid (TTCA) from various organic solvents that have hydrogen bonding capability (acetone, 2-butanone, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol and acetonitrile) leads to the formation of co-crystals in which the solvent molecules are incorporated together with TTCA in the crystal structure. Structure determination by single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that these co-crystals can be classified into different groups depending upon the topological arrangement of the TTCA molecules in the crystal structure. Thus, three different types of single-tape arrangements of TTCA molecules and one type of double-tape arrangement of TTCA molecules are identified. In all co-crystals, hydrogen-bonding interactions are formed through the involvement of N-H bonds of TTCA molecules in these tapes and the other molecule in the co-crystal. Detailed rationalisation of the structural properties of these co-crystals is presented.

}, keywords = {crystal engineering, hydrogen bonds, nitrogen heterocycles, structure elucidation}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.200400340}, author = {Ahn, Sung-Hoon and PrakashaReddy, J. and Kariuki, B. M. and Chatterjee, S. and Ranganathan, A. and Pedireddi, V. R. and Rao, C. N. R. and Harris, Kenneth D. M.} } @article { ISI:000230729300026, title = {Study of correlation of structural and surface properties with electrochemical behaviour in carbon aerogels}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {40}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3777-3782}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-005-3318-4}, author = {Hebalkar, Neha and Arabale, G. and Sainkar, S. R. and Pradhan, S. D. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Vijayamohanan, K. and Ayyub, P. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000232886800008, title = {Synthesis and analysis of ZnO and CdSe nanoparticles}, journal = {Pramana-Journal of Physics}, volume = {65}, number = {4, SI}, year = {2005}, note = {1st National Conference on Nanoscience and Technology, Pune, INDIA, MAR 07-08, 2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {615-620}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {chemical capping, Doping, Nanoparticles, photoluminescence}, issn = {0304-4289}, doi = {10.1007/BF03010449}, author = {Ashtaputre, S. S. and Deshpande, Aparna and Marathe, Sayali and Wankhede, M. E. and Chimanpure, J. and Pasricha, R. and Urban, J. and Haram, Santosh K. and Gosavi, S. W. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000226787200011, title = {Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polyamides containing an s-triazine ring with thiophenoxy linkages}, journal = {Polymer International}, volume = {54}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {569-575}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/om049226r}, author = {Mathur, P. and Singh, V. K. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Srinivasu, C. and Trivedi, R. and Bhunia, A. K. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000225497800035, title = {Synthesis and characterization of microwave-hydrothermally derived Ba1-xSrxTiO3 powders}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {2-3}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {293-296}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Submicron-sized, spherical, stoichiometric strontium substituted barium titanate: Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 (BST) powders are prepared by microwave-hydrothermal (MH) route under the MH conditions of 200 degreesC, 200 psi, and 30 min in strongly alkaline conditions (pH\>12) using potassium titanyl oxalate (KTO) and nitrates of Ba and Sr as the starting precursors and KOH as the mineralizer. The characterization studies by XRD, XRF and SEM indicated that stoichiometric cubic BST powders (a(0)=3.992 A) were obtained by adjusting MH conditions mentioned earlier and keeping the (Ba+Sr)/Ti ratio in starting solution slightly in excess (similar to1.06). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {barium-strontium titanate, dissolution-recrystallization, Microstructure, microwave-hydrothermal synthesis, mineralizer, SEM, XRD, XRF}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2004.10.006}, author = {Deshpande, S. B. and Khollam, Y. B. and Bhoraskar, Y. B. and Date, Sadgopal K. and Sainkara, S. R. and Potdar, H. S.} } @article {42602, title = {Synthesis and curing studies of PPG based telechelic urethane methacrylic macromonomers}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {41}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {23{\textendash}33}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A New class of telechelic urethane methacrylic (TUMA) macromonomers were synthesized by a two-step condensation of 1, 6-hexamethylenediisocyanate (HMDI) with polypropylene glycol (PPG) of various molecular weights and capped with hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate (HEMA). A model compound based on diethylene glycol (DEG){\textemdash}M-1 was synthesized as a low molecular weight analogue. Another model compound{\textemdash}M-2 was also synthesized by direct coupling of two equivalents of HEMA with HMDI. The structure of the telechelic urethanes were confirmed by 1H, 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. Photopolymerization of these telechelic systems was investigated using 2,2-diethoxy acetophenone as the photoinitiator at 5 wt.\%. Trihydroxymethylpropane trimethacrylate (30 parts), PPG diacrylates (25 parts), ethylhexyl acrylate (20 parts) were mixed with the various telechelic urethane methacrylates (25 parts) for curing studies. The kinetics of the curing was monitored by following the disappearance of the methacrylic double bonds at 1628 cm-1 using IR spectroscopy. TUMAPPG-425 had the fastest cure rate among the telechelic urethane methacrylates. This could be accounted for by hydrogen bonding pre-association in these systems. The thermal properties of the cured films were studied using TGA measurements. The cured films of the neat resin had a lower 50 wt.\% loss temperature compared with that of the same resin in the formulation.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2004.08.005}, author = {Asha, S. K. and Thirumal, M. and Kavitha, A. and Pillai, C.K.S.} } @article { ISI:000234350400019, title = {Synthesis and swelling behaviour of hydrophobically modified responsive polymers in dilute aqueous solutions}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {46}, number = {26}, year = {2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12190-12199}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {associating polymers, poly(acrylic acid), viscometry}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2005.10.140}, author = {Iyer, N. P. and Hourdet, Dominique and Badiger, Manohar V. and Chassenieux, Christophe and Perrin, P. and Wadgaonkar, P.} } @article {42599, title = {Synthesis, characterization, and hyperpolarizability measurements of main-chain azobenzene molecules}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {43}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4455{\textendash}4468}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of new AB type azobenzene monomers based on various substituted phenols and higher order fused/extended aromatic rings were synthesized and their hyperpolarizability tensor β determined by hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) measurement in methanol. The electron donor ([BOND]OH) and acceptor units ([BOND]COOH) were kept constant in the series, but the effective conjugation length was varied by varying the number and position of substituents as well as the number of aromatic rings. The effect of substitution of the phenolic ring on the β value was investigated and it was found to range from 15 {\texttimes} 10-30 to 42 {\texttimes} 10-30 esu. The effect of intramolecular hydrogen bonding on the nonlinear optical (NLO) property was also examined. The nonlinearity was in the following order of phenol derivative: α-naphthol \> phenyl phenol \> 2,6-dimethyl phenol \> o-cresol \> cardanol \> phenol \> β-naphthol. The unusually low values for the β-naphthol-based chromophore compared with its isomer (α-naphthol) could be rationalized based on hydrogen bonding of the o-hydroxyl group with the β nitrogen of the azo bridge. These azobenzene NLO chromophoric monomers were polymerized to form main-chain polymers with a head to tail structure. The polymers had high thermal stability and rather low solubility in common organic solvents. {\textcopyright} 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4455{\textendash}4468, 2005

}, doi = {10.1002/pola.20922}, author = {Smitha, P. and Asha, S. K. and Pillai, C. K. S.} } @article { ISI:000231712000007, title = {Synthesis of bile acid dimers linked with 1,2,3-triazole ring at C-3, C-11, and C-24 positions}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2155-2158}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of propargyl ester of a bile acid to an azide group attached at different positions of another bile acid gave three new 1,2,3-triazole-containing dimeric analogues in excellent yields.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-dipolar cycloaddition, 3-Triazole, Bile acids, Click chemistry, steroidal dimers}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2005-872223}, author = {Aher, Nilkanth G. and Pore, VS} } @article { ISI:000230275100032, title = {Synthesis of bismuth oxide nanoparticles at 100 degrees C}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {19-20}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2523-2525}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple gel to crystal conversion route has been followed for the preparation of ultrafine Bi2O3 particles at 80-100 degrees C under refluxing conditions. Freshly prepared bismuth hydroxide gel is allowed to crystallize under refluxing and stirring conditions for 6-12 h. Formation of nanocrystallites of Bi2O3 is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. The thermal decomposition of bismuth hydroxide yields Bi2O3 only at 400 degrees C. This shows the advantage of the present method. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size is 50 nm for these oven-dried powders. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.03.037}, author = {Patil, M. M. and Deshpande, V. V. and Dhage, S. R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000230877900020, title = {Synthesis of bismuth oxide nanoparticles by citrate gel method}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {31}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {889-891}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A mixture of bismuth nitrate and citric acid solution is taken in 1: 1 molar ratio and heated on hot water bath. A gel is formed on evaporation of the water, which on decomposition at 400 degrees C produces nanocrystalline Bi2O3 particles. Formation of nanocrystallites of Bi2O3 is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size is 50 nm for these powders. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electron microscopy, powders : chemical preparation, X-ray methods}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2004.09.002}, author = {Anilkumar, Mettu and Pasricha, R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000227603500020, title = {Synthesis of bismuth oxide nanoparticles using bismuth nitrate and urea}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {495-497}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A mixture of bismuth nitrate and urea is taken in 1:5 molar ratio and heated on hot water bath. A precipitate is formed on evaporation of the water which on decomposition at 400 degrees C produces nanocrystalline Bi2O3 particles. Formation of nano crystallites of Bi2O3 is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations revealed for these powders an average particle size of 50 nm. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {calcination, Electron microscopy, X-ray methods}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2004.006.013}, author = {Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Pasricha, R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000233914500027, title = {Synthesis of CdS and alloyed CdMnS nanocrystals using aqueous foams}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {5}, number = {12}, year = {2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2144-2154}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Certain surfactant-stabilized aqueous foams provide a potentially efficient and simple chemical route for the synthesis of various nanomaterials with controllable structure, size, and shape. In the present work, a one-step process for the synthesis of CdS and Cdl(1-x)Mn(x)S (0 \< x \< 10) nanocrystals has been described. Aqueous CdCl2 and the aerosol-OT solutions are homogeneously mixed together and thereafter, nitrogen is bubbled through this solution to produce stable aqueous foam. After drainage of the foam, the freestanding dry foam consisting of cadmium cations electrostatically complexed with the anionic aerosol-OT molecules at the liquid-gas interface is treated with H2S vapor. The foam turns yellowish-orange and collapses, in the process yielding CdS nanoclusters of variable morphology. This morphology variation is appropriately attributed to growth of the CdS as well as alloyed Cd1-xMnxS nanoparticles in different regions of the foam contributing to the varying topological structure. Optical absorption spectra of both CdS and Cd1-xMnxS nanoparticles clearly show a well-defined exciton absorption feature around 450 nm due to quantum confinement effects. The interesting band edge emission characteristics of these AOT-capped CdS and Cd1-xMnxS nanoparticles produced in the foam are discussed with respect to their size and shape. Particular interest in the present novel aqueous foam approach arises due to the fact that the cubic zincblende CdS and alloyed Cd1-xMnxS nanocrystals could easily be obtained even under ambient experimental conditions itself.

}, keywords = {absorption and fluorescence, aerosol-OT, alloyed CdMnS nanocrystals, aqueous foams, CdS nanoclusters, quantum confinement, zincblende}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2005.401}, author = {Kumar, P. Senthil and Kasture, Manasi and Raghavan, U and Pasricha, R and Sastry, M} } @article { ISI:000227267300021, title = {Synthesis of cis bis-beta-lactams via Staudinger cycloaddition reaction using C-2-symmetric 1,2-diamines}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {61}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2441-2451}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of bis-beta-lactams via cycloaddition reaction (Staudinger reaction) of ketenes with bisimines derived from C-2-symmetric 1, 2-diamines is described. The reaction provided diastereomeric mixture of meso and C-2-symmetric cis-bis-beta-lactams with higher selectivity for meso-bis-beta-lactams. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {imines, ketenes, Staudinger cyclo-addition reaction, stereoselective synthesis}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2005.01.031}, author = {Shaikh, A. L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshmukh, A. R. A. S.} } @article { ISI:000226803200008, title = {Synthesis of fine particles of ZnO at 100 degrees C}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {779-781}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple gel to crystal conversion route has been followed for the preparation of fine ZnO at 80-100 degreesC under refluxing conditions. Freshly prepared zinc hydroxide gel is allowed to crystallize under refluxing and stirring conditions for 4-6 It. Formation of fine crystallites of ZnO is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size is 100 nm for these powders. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2004.11.019}, author = {Dhage, S. R. and Pasricha, R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000230375200016, title = {Synthesis of fine PbE (E = S, Se) powder from direct in situ reduction of sulphur or selenium}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {93}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {91-94}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Lead sulphide and lead selenide have been prepared for the first time, by in situ reduction of elemental S or Se by using aqueous DMF or aqueous SFS as reducing agents and their reaction with lead acetate. The grayish-black powder has been characterized by powder XRD measurement, XPS and SEM/EDAX analysis. Powder X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that cubic PbE (E = S, Se) is formed with a little impurities of lead in case of PbSe. Slightly broader peaks in XRD measurement suggest small particles diameter in the powder. The particle size by using Scheffer{\textquoteright}s formula is found to be about 100 nm. Peaks due to free lead particles are observed in XPS and EDS (in case of PbSe) analysis and SEM analysis indicates agglomerated particles. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, electronic materials, reduction, Semiconductor}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2005.02.025}, author = {Khanna, P. K. and Subbarao, VVVS and Wagh, M. and Jadhav, P. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000233775500004, title = {Synthesis of gold, silver and their alloy nanoparticles using bovine serum albumin as foaming and stabilizing agent}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry }, volume = {15}, number = {48}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5115-5121}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and convenient method for the synthesis of gold, silver and their alloy nanoparticles in a foam matrix using the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) is reported. BSA is an excellent foaming agent and, by virtue of its zwitterionic character at the protein isoelectric point, may be used to bind to either cationic silver (Ag+) or anionic gold (AuCl4-) ions in the foam. The metal ions in the foam are thereafter reduced in situ to yield silver and gold nanoparticles. The versatility of an amphoteric foaming agent is further demonstrated by the simultaneous binding of Ag+ and AuCl4- ions with zwitterionic BSA leading to the possibility of obtaining Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles in the foam. The BSA molecules coat and stabilize the nanoparticles thus prepared eliminating the necessity of employing an additional stabilizing agent in the experimental recipe.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b510398c}, author = {Singh, A. V. and Bandgar, B. M. and Kasture, Manasi and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000228771600009, title = {Synthesis of nanocrystalline rutile}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {31}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {555-557}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the rutile phase has been obtained by homogeneous precipitation using urea and TiOCl2. A mixture of urea and TiOCl2 is heated on a hot water bath at 65-75 degrees C to precipitate rutile powders. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies on these oven-dried powders indicated the formation of single-phase rutile. Raman scattering experiments were also performed to confirm the formation of the rutile phase. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations revealed the average particle size of these powders to be 40 nm. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chemical preparation, Electron microscopy, powders, TiO2, X-ray methods}, issn = {0272-8842}, author = {Samuel, V and Pasricha, R and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000230338900015, title = {Synthesis of rutile from ATO and stearic acid}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {21}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2673-2675}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide in the rutile phase has been obtained from the solid state reaction between ammonium titanyl oxalate (ATO) and stearic acid at 400 degrees C in air. The fine powders of ATO and stearic acid are mixed well using acetone in an agate mortar and pestle for 2 h. This mixture (weight ratio of ATO to stearic acid \> 5) on heating at 400 degrees C produces rutile powders. For the ratios of ATO to stearic acid \< 5, a mixture of anatase and rutile phases is obtained. Pure ATO yields anatase phase on decomposition at 400 degrees C. These powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray techniques}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.04.016}, author = {Patil, M. M. and Deshpande, V. V. and Deshpande, S. B. and Samuel, V. and Ravi, V.} } @article {43221, title = {Synthesis of small cyclic peptides constrained with 3-(3-aminomethylphenyl)propionic acid linkers using free radical-mediated macrocyclization}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5207-5210}, abstract = {In this letter, we report that small peptides (di- and tri-) having a 3-bromobenzyl group at the C-termini and an acryloyl group at the N-termini undergo an efficient Bu3SnH-AlBN mediated intramolecular free radical cyclization to afford cyclic peptides in good yields. We also propose that these cyclizations are occurring via a pre-organized acyclic structure dictated by a reverse turn (gamma/beta-turn). (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.05.115}, author = {Balraju, V. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Periasamy, M. and Iqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000231592300006, title = {Synthesis of Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 by citrate gel method}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {94}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {34-36}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A gel was formed when an aqueous solution of BaCl2, SrCl2, NbF5 and citric acid in stoichiometric ratio is heated on a water bath. This gel on decomposition at 700 degrees C yielded the nanocrystallites of ternary oxide, Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 (SBN) as confirmed by X-ray diffraction study (XRD). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). The room temperature dielectric constant at I kHz is 1000. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied by a home built Sawyer-Tower circuit. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Electron microscopy, ferroelectricity, Oxides}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2005.04.003}, author = {Pasricha, R and Ravi, V} } @article { ISI:000227164000044, title = {Synthesis of Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 by urea method}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {8-9}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {1053-1055}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A precipitate was formed when an aqueous solution of SrCl2, BaCl2, NbF5 and urea in stoichiometric ratio (total metal cations to urea ratio is 5) is heated on a water bath.. This precipitate on decomposition at 750 degreesC yielded the nanocrystallites of ternary oxide, Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 (SBN) as confirmed by X-ray diffraction study (XRD). This is much lower temperature as compared to that prepared by traditional solid state method (1000 degreesC as reported for the formation of SBN ceramics. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size is 100 nm for the calcined powders. The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is found to be 1050. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Electron microscopy, ferroelectricity, Oxides}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2004.12.003}, author = {Dhage, S. R. and Pasricha, R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000231253000015, title = {Synthesis of substituted tetrahydro-1H-xanthen-1-ones and xanthenes}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Research }, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {454-456}, publisher = {SCIENCE REVIEWS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 314, ST ALBANS AL1 4ZG, HERTS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short and an efficient methodology for the synthesis of substituted tetrahydro-1H-1-xanthenones and xanthenes is described.

}, keywords = {balanol, diarylmethanes, tetrahydro-1H-xanthen-1-ones, Xanthenes}, issn = {0308-2342}, author = {Patil, M. L. and Borate, Hanumant B.} } @article { ISI:000227107500022, title = {Synthesis, structure, electrochemistry and ROMP-activity of new ferrocenyl analog of Grubbs{\textquoteright} metathesis catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {690}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1018-1027}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Electrochemistry, ferrocene, Metathesis, non-covalent interactions, ring-opening metathesis polymerization, ruthenium carbene}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2004.11.012}, author = {Maishal, T. K. and Mondal, Biplab and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar and Sarkar, A.} } @article { ISI:000226847200018, title = {Tetrazine derived mononuclear Ru-II(acac)(2)(L)(1), [Ru-II(bpy)(2)(L)](ClO4)(2)(2) and [Ru-II(bpy)(L)(2)](ClO4)(2)(3) (L=3-amino-6-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, acac = acetylacetonate, bpy=2,2 {\textquoteright}-bipyridine): syntheses, structures, spectra}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {24}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {333-342}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Mononuclear ruthenium complexes of tetrazine derived L, Ru-II(acac)(2)(L) (1), [Ru-II(bpy)(2)(L)](ClO4)(2) (2) and [Ru-II(bpy)(L)(2)](ClO4)2 (3) (L = 3-amino-6-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, acac = acetylacetonate and bpy = 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine) were prepared. The free L exists as a dimeric entity in the solid state via hydrogen bonding interactions involving L and water molecules present in the crystal lattice. 1 exhibits unusually strong bonds from Ru-II to coordinating pyrazolyl-N (2.040(2) Angstrom) and especially to tetrazine-N (1.913(2) Angstrom). The Ru-III/Ru-II couples of 1-3 appeared at 0.28, 1.34 and 1.50 V versus SCE, respectively. The tetrazine and bpy-based reductions were observed at -1.33 (1); -0.55 and -1.55/-1.75/-1.98 (2); -0.47/-0.78 and -1.80/-2.02 V (3), respectively. 1, 2 and 3 displayed two MLCT bands each, corresponding to dpi(Ru-II) --\> pi* (L, tetrazine) and dpi(Ru-II) --\> pi* (acac or bpy or L) transitions. 1(+) and 2(+) showed rhombic EPR spectra at 110 and 4 K, respectively and 1(-), 2(-) and 3(-) exhibited multiple line EPR spectra at 300 K. 1-3 exhibited moderately strong emission spectra in EtOH-MeOH glass at 77 K. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electrochemistry, redox, ruthenium-tetrazine, spectra, structure, synthesis}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2004.11.019}, author = {Nayak, A. and Patra, S. and Sarkar, B. and Ghumaan, Sandeep and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kaim, Wolfgang and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000230123500009, title = {Thermal degradation kinetics of polyesters containing mesogenic aromatic diols}, journal = {Journal Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {97}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {784-792}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Activation energy, Degradation, kinetics (polym.), Polycondensation, polyesters}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21587}, author = {Mule, Smita Atmaram and Ghadage, R. S. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000232218700049, title = {Thermoreversible behavior of associating polymer solutions: thermothinning versus thermothickening}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {38}, number = {20}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8512-8521}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Self-assembling properties of poly(sodium acrylate) grafted with dodecyl [C12], PAAgC12, or poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) [PNIPA] side chains, PAAgPNIPA, were studied in unentangled semidilute aqueous solution. While PAAgC12 self-associates through hydrophobic interactions, the gelation of PAAgPNIPA is triggered by heating in response to the lower critical solution temperature of PNIPA (LCST similar to 32 degrees C). The local structure of the physical networks was investigated by small-angle neutron scattering, and the scattering patterns were described using a polydisperse sphere model taking into account hard-sphere interactions. This model allow us to draw a realistic picture of physical gels with quantitative information concerning the size of hydrophobic cores, the volume fraction of stickers in the aggregates, the fraction of stickers which take part in the aggregation process, the range of repulsive interactions, and the structural modifications induced by temperature. The description of the network is in good agreement with complementary data obtained from DSC and C-13 NMR. In the present work, a special emphasis has been given to the important relationship existing between the viscoelastic properties of associating polymer solutions and the binding energy of stickers leaving temporarily the micellar junction. Depending on the endothermic or exothermic nature of the disengagement process of the sticker (heat of demicellization), the relaxation time of the network and the viscoelastic properties will either decrease or increase with the temperature. The consequence is that aqueous solutions of PAAgC12 and PAAgPNIPA exhibit opposite rheological properties with the temperature, namely thermothinning and thermothickening. By mixing these two copolymers, we show that intermediate properties can be obtained but in that case a microphase-separated network is obtained as a result of copolymer segregation.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma050786r}, author = {Hourdet, Dominique and Gadgil, Jayant and Podhajecka, K. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Brulet, A. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000230753500025, title = {Titanium superoxide catalyzed selective oxidation of phenols to p-quinones with aq. H2O2}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1530-1532}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, type = {Article}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Titanium superoxide, a novel heterogeneous and readily accessible catalyst, is found to catalyze the selective oxidation of phenols to the corresponding 1,4-benzoquinones in preparative yields with aq. 30\% H2O2 as oxidant under mild reaction conditions.

}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Dewkar, Gajanan and Shaikh, T. M. and Pardhy, S. and Kulkarni, S. S. and Sudalai, A.} } @article { ISI:000232857900012, title = {Transmetalation reaction between hydrophobic silver nanoparticles and aqueous chloroaurate ions at the air - Water interface}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {109}, number = {42}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {19620-19626}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The transmetalation reaction between a sacrificial nanoparticle and more noble metal ions in solution has emerged as a novel method for creating unique hollow and bimetallic nanostructures. In this report, we investigate the possibility of carrying out the transmetalation reaction between hydrophobic silver nanoparticles assembled and constrained at the air-water interface and subphase gold ions. We observe that facile reduction of the subphase gold ions by the sacrificial silver nanoparticles occurs resulting in the formation of elongated gold nanostructures that appear to cross-link the sacrificial silver particles. This transmetalation reaction may be modulated by the insertion of an electrostatic barrier in the form of an ionizable lipid monolayer between the silver nanoparticles and the aqueous gold ions that impacts the gold nanoparticle assembly. Transmetalation reactions between nanoparticles constrained into a close-packed structure and appropriate metal ions could lead to a new strategy for metallic cross-linking of nanoparticles and generation of coatings with promising optoelectonic behavior.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp0530552}, author = {Pasricha, R and Swami, A and Sastry, M} } @article { ISI:000231367700009, title = {Transparent chiral polymers for optical applications}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {98}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {58-65}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Optically active chiral polymers and copolymers of cholesteryl methacrylate have been studied for use in optical applications including plastic optical fibers. Homopolymers of chiral cholesteryl methacrylate with differing molecular weights and copolymers with methyl methacrylate were synthesized by free-radical copolymerization in tetrahydrofuran using azobisisobutyronitrile at 67 degrees C for 26 h. All polymers were characterized for molecular weight, glass-transition temperature, optical rotation, transparency, and refractive index and solution blended to test for compatibility with poly(methyl methacrylate). Such chiral materials are of particular interest because they offer useful polarization properties without requiring bulk orientation of the molecules. This makes it possible to produce low cost optical elements such as circularly birefringent or circularly polarizing optical elements with potential applications in polarization manipulations and sensing. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {chiral, cholesteryl methacrylate, optically active, plastic optical fiber, poly(cholesteryl methacrylate), poly(cholesteryl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate)}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21983}, author = {Pujari, N. S. and Kulkarni, M. R. and Large, M. C. J. and Bassett, I. M. and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article { ISI:000227346300059, title = {Unusual monodentate binding mode of 2,2 {\textquoteleft}-dipyridylamine (L) in isomeric trans(acac)(2)Ru-II(L)2, trans-[(acac)(2)Ru-III(L)(2)]ClO4, and cis-(acac)(2)Ru-II(L)(2) (acac = acetylacetonate). Synthesis, structures, and spectroscopic, electrochemical, and magn}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1571-1579}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {Catalyst, fluorotoluene, Oxidation, vanadia-titania, vapor phase}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.02.020}, author = {Maurya, S. K. and Patil, P. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Gurjar, M. K. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Rudiger, S. and Kemnitz, E.} } @article { ISI:000226929600009, title = {Vapour phase oxidation of acetophenone to benzoic acid over binary oxides of V and Mo}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Research and Design}, volume = {83}, number = {A1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {75-80}, publisher = {INST CHEMICAL ENGINEERS}, type = {Article}, address = {165-189 RAILWAY TERRACE, DAVIS BLDG, RUGBY CV21 3HQ, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Test data for catalytic oxidation of acetophenone into benzoic acid performed at bench scale with V2O5-MoO3 catalyst in a continuous downflow metal reactor are presented. The process parameters such as temperature and flow rate influence the product distribution. The P2O5, B2O3 and Na2O when used as dopant on V2O5-MoO3 catalyst showed marked influence on activity and selectivity. An acidic catalyst like V2O5-MoO3-P2O5 favours formation of benzoic acid while a basic catalyst like V2O5-MoO3-Na2O favours formation of benzaldehyde. The addition of Na2O into V2O5-MoO3 binary oxides formed new phases (NaVMoO6 and Na2V2Mo3O15), which increased Arrhenius activation energy from 18.24 to 31.35 kcal mol(-1).

}, keywords = {acetophenone, activity, benzoic acid, carbon oxides, oxidation of acetophenone, selectivity}, issn = {0263-8762}, doi = {10.1205/cherd.03206}, author = {Chumbhale, Vilas R. and Paradhy, S. A. and Anilkumar, Mettu and Kadam, S. T. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article { ISI:000233089900009, title = {Wittig-horner approach for the synthesis of tamoxifen}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {35}, number = {21}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2795-2800}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A stereoselective synthesis of Z -tamoxifen, a tetra-substituted alkene with antiestrogenic activity, is described. The Wittig-Horner reaction has been employed as the key step to establish the olefin stereochemistry.

}, keywords = {anticancer drug, phosphonate, stereoselectivity, Tamoxifen, Wittig-Horner reaction}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910500290516}, author = {Pandey, RK and Wakharkar, RD and Kumar, P} } @article { ISI:000232354200011, title = {X-ray crystallographic studies on C-phycocyanins from cyanobacteria from different habitats: marine and freshwater}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications}, volume = {61}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {844-847}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S1744309105025649}, author = {Satyanarayana, L. and Suresh, C. G. and Patel, A. and Mishra, Satyendra and Ghosh, P. K.} } @article { ISI:000228510500016, title = {X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic investigations of Cu2O nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin }, volume = {40}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {694-700}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, doi = {10.1021/ic0514288}, author = {Ghumaan, Sandeep and Kar, S. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Harish, B. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000241691500159, title = {3-(2,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {62}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {O4773-O4774}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C16H12Cl2O2, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 28.63 (6)degrees. The crystal structure is stabilized by intermolecular C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds and by short Cl center dot center dot center dot Cl interactions.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536806039006}, author = {Rosli, Mohd Mustaqim and Patil, P. S. and Fun, Hoong-Kun and Razak, Ibrahim Abdul and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dharmaprakash, S. M.} } @article { ISI:000241691500169, title = {3-(3-bromophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {62}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {O4798-O4799}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C16H13BrO2, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 41.34 (6)degrees. The molecules (via two C-H center dot center dot center dot O intermolecular interactions) form chains along the a axis that stack into layers parallel to the b axis.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536806039778}, author = {Patil, P. S. and Rosli, Mohd Mustaqim and Fun, Hoong-Kun and Razak, Ibrahim Abdul and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dharmaprakash, S. M.} } @article { ISI:000240521800008, title = {Adsorption of methanol on Si(100)/SiO(2)and mesoporous SBA-15}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {287}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {51-58}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {Adsorption, OTS, SBA-15, Self-assembly, thermal stability}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2005.06.009}, author = {Mirji, S. A. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Sawant, Dhanashri P. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Patil, K. R. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Pradhan, S. D.} } @article { ISI:000236979100030, title = {Amino functionalized novel cholic acid derivatives induce HIV-1 replication and syncytia formation in T cells}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {49}, number = {8}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {2652-2655}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/jm051114u}, author = {Salunke, Deepak B. and Ravi, D. S. and Pore, V. S. and Mitra, Debashis and Hazra, Braja G.} } @article { ISI:000241574500031, title = {Analytically continued fock space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory: application to the shape resonance}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {329}, number = {1-3, SI}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {283-289}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The Fock space multi-reference coupled-cluster (FSMRCC) method is used for the study of the shape resonance energy and width in an electron-atom/molecule collision. The procedure is based upon combining a complex absorbing potential (CAP) with FSMRCC theory. Accurate resonance parameters are obtained by solving a small non-Hermitian eigen-value problem. We study the shape resonances in e(-)-C2H4 and e(-)-Mg. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {complex absorbing potential, correlated independent particle potential, Fock space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory, shape resonance}, issn = {0301-0104}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2006.07.002}, author = {Pal, Sourav and Sajeev, Y. and Vaval, Nayana} } @article { ISI:000242601100010, title = {Assembly of phase transferred nickel nanoparticles at air-water interface using Langmuir-Blodgett technique}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {6}, number = {12}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3736-3745}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {assembly, Langmuir-Blodgett technique, Ni nanoparticles, Phase transfer}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2006.615}, author = {Bala, Tanushree and Joshi, Bhagyashree and Iyer, Neelima and Sastry, Murali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {43374, title = {Asymmetric dihydroxylation route towards the synthesis of (R)-clorprenaline hydrochloride}, journal = {Arkivoc}, year = {2006}, month = {JAN}, pages = {10-14}, abstract = {An efficient asymmetric synthesis of enantiomerically pure (R)-clorprenaline hydrochloride is described using Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation as the key step.}, author = {Pandey, Rajesh Kumar and Upadhyay, Rajesh Kumar and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article { ISI:000241492900018, title = {Autoreduction of cyanoferrate(III) ions in a polymer electrolyte membrane: all solid state electrochemical and spectroscopic investigations}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {18}, number = {22}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5244-5252}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The effect of dielectric confinement on proton-coupled electron-transfer behavior and spectroscopic properties of cyanoferrate ions in a polymer electrolyte membrane (Nafion) has been investigated in an {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}all-solid-state{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} electrochemical cell, using techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, zero current chronopotentiometry, electrochemical impedance, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT), UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). From the above investigations, we found that cyanoferrate(III) ions undergo autoreduction in the ionomer matrix, for which a sulfonate-coupled mechanism has been proposed. This report demonstrates the effectiveness of the micellar interface in tuning the redox potential of the confined ions. A systematic analysis of the cyclic voltammetry and impedance data for the [Fe(CN)(6)](4)(-)- containing Nafion membrane enables the estimation of a standard rate constant for [Fe(CN) 6](4-) oxidation, k(o), as 5.44 x 10(-6) cm/s and a diffusion coefficient, D-o, as 1.3 x 10(-12) cm(2)/s. A similar calculation yields a value of 4.8 x 10(-12) cm(2)/s for the diffusion coefficient of protons and 9.1 x 10(-6) cm/s for the standard rate constant for hydrogen oxidation. The similarity in mass-transfer coefficients calculated for protons and [Fe(CN)(6)](4-) ions suggests a proton-coupled electron-transfer mechanism for the [Fe(CN)(6)](4-)/[Fe(CN)(6)](3-) couple. The results of the above investigations could have direct technological relevance for deciding catalyst materials having redox compatibility with the polymer electrolyte, especially in the preparation of catalyst-coated membranes (wherein the fuel-cell catalyst is directly coated onto the polymer membrane instead of on the carbon support).

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm061444i}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000241481100021, title = {Beta-lactam-azasugar hybrid as a competitive potent galactosidase inhibitor}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {45}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {7923-7926}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A beta-lactam-azasugar hybrid (polyhydroxylated carbacephem) has been designed and synthesized as a potent glycosidase inhibitor. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {beta-Galactosidase, beta-lactam-azasugar, glycosidase inhibitor, hybrid molecules}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.09.005}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Dumbre, Shrinivas G. and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Shabab, M. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000243272400038, title = {BINOL: a versatile chiral reagent}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {19}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3366-3367}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2006-956459}, author = {Pandey, Satyendra Kumar} } @article {42761, title = {Bis(2-diphenylphosphinoxynaphthalen-1-yl)methane: transition metal chemistry, Suzuki cross-coupling reactions and homogeneous hydrogenation of olefins}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1322-1330}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1039/b510589g}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000236318000022, title = {CFD simulation of mixing in tall gas-liquid stirred vessel: role of local flow patterns}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {61}, number = {9, SI}, year = {2006}, note = {7th International Conference on Fluid Mixing, London, ENGLAND, APR 10-12, 2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2921-2929}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this work, we have used the computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based models to investigate the gas-liquid flows generated by three down-pumping pitched blade turbines. A two-fluid model along with the standard k-epsilon turbulence model was used to simulate the dispersed gas-liquid flow in a stirred vessel. Appropriate drag corrections to account for bulk turbulence [Khopkar and Ranade, 2005. CFD simulation of gas-liquid flow in a stirred vessel: VC, S33 and L33 flow regimes. A.I.Ch.E. Journal, accepted for publication] were developed to correctly simulate different flow regimes. The computational snapshot approach was used to simulate impeller rotation and was implemented in the commercial CFD code, FLUENT4.5 (of Fluent. Inc., USA). The computational model has successfully captured the flow regimes as observed during experiments. The particle trajectory simulations were then carried out to examine the influence of the different flow regimes on the circulation time distribution. The model predictions were verified by comparing the predicted results with the experimental data of [Shewale and Pandit, 2006. Studies in multiple impeller agitated gas-liquid contactors. Chemical Engineering Science 61, 489-504]. The computational model and results discussed in this study would be useful for explaining the implications local flow patterns on the mixing process and extending the applications of CFD models for Simulating large multiphase stirred reactors. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CFD, Flow regimes, mixing, pitched blade turbine, stirred vessel}, issn = {0009-2509}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2005.09.023}, author = {Khopkar, A. R. and Kasat, Gopal R. and Pandit, A. B. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article { ISI:000237850400019, title = {Chemoselective dithioacetalization of aldehydes using silica sulfuric acid as a reusable catalyst}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1291-1295}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Chemoselective, dithioacetalization, silica sulfuric acid}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Pore, D. M. and Desai, Uday V. and Mane, R. B. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000237405000023, title = {Co-catalyzed reductive cyclization of azido and cyano substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated esters with NaBH4: enantioselective synthesis of (R)-baclofen and (R)-rolipram}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {62}, number = {20}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4907-4916}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Sodium borohydride in combination with a catalytic amount of CoCl, has been found to be an excellent catalytic system in reductive cyclizations of suitably substituted azido and cyano groups of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters to afford gamma and delta-lactams in high yields. The process has been demonstrated for the enantioselective synthesis of (R)-baclofen, (R)-rolipram, and (R)-4-fluorophenylpiperidinone, a key intermediate for (-)-paroxetine. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Asymmetric synthesis, cobalt chloride, gamma and delta-lactams, reduction, sodium borohydride}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.03.017}, author = {Paraskar, A. S. and Sudalai, A.} } @article { ISI:000237934700044, title = {Computational fluid dynamics simulation of the solid suspension in a stirred slurry reactor}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {45}, number = {12}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4416-4428}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A comprehensive computational fluid dynamics CFD model was developed in the present study to gain insight into the solid suspension in a stirred slurry reactor. The preliminary simulations highlighted the need for the correct modeling of the interphase drag force. A two-dimensional model problem was then developed using CFD to understand the influence of free stream turbulence on the particle drag coefficient. The proposed correlation was then incorporated in a two-fluid model (Euler-Euler) along with the standard k-epsilon turbulence model with mixture properties to simulate the turbulent solid-liquid flow in a stirred reactor. A multiple reference frame approach was used to simulate the impeller rotation in a fully baffled reactor. A computational model was mapped on to a commercial CFD solver FLUENT6.2 (of Fluent Inc., USA). The model predictions were compared with the published experimental data of Yamazaki et al. [Powder Technol. 1986, 48, 205] and Godfrey and Zhu [AIChE Symp. Ser. 1994, 299, 181]. The predicted results show reasonably good agreement with the experimental data. The computational model and results discussed in this work would be useful for extending the applications of CFD models for simulating large stirred slurry reactors.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie050941q}, author = {Khopkar, A. R. and Kasat, Gopal R. and Pandit, A. B. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article {43212, title = {Concise asymmetric route to the antibiotic macrolides patulolide A and pyrenophorin}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6623-6626}, abstract = {In this letter, we describe an enantiospecific route to patulolide A and pyrenophorin through the synthesis of known protected seco acid precursors starting from commercially available (S)-ethyl lactate. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.07.026}, author = {Rao, K. Srinivasa and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Mukkanti, K. and Pal, Manojit and Iqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000243251100006, title = {Conducting polymer based hybrid nano-composites for enhanced corrosion protective coatings}, journal = {Progress in Organic Coatings}, volume = {57}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {332-336}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Hybrid composite coatings containing zinc oxide (ZnO) and polyaniline (PANI) as nano-additives dispersions were prepared with poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) as the major matrix. The steel plates dip-coated with these formulations were tested for corrosion protection by immersion in saline water over long periods. The Tafel plots for the determination of open circuit potential (OCP) and corrosion current (I-corr) were recorded. The coatings containing both ZnO and PANI showed improved corrosion resistance as compared to the single component coating. The I-corr values of PVAc-ZnO-PANI are found to be two-order magnitude lower than that of PVAc and PVAc-ZnO coatings. The results are explained on the basis of enhancement in barrier properties due to nano-particulate additives in PVAc-ZnO-PANI film together with the redox behaviour of PANI and protective oxide layer formation near the substrate. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Coatings, corrosion, nano-additives, polyaniline, ZnO}, issn = {0300-9440}, doi = {10.1016/j.porgcoat.2006.09.012}, author = {Patil, R. C. and Radhakrishnan, S.} } @article { ISI:000241168600010, title = {Constrained variational response to Fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory: Some pilot applications}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure-Theochem}, volume = {768}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {91-96}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {constrained variation, coupled-cluster, Dipole moment, Multi-reference, response}, issn = {0166-1280}, doi = {10.1016/j.theochem.2006.05.022}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000241906100003, title = {Construction of enantiopure pyrrolidine ring system via asymmetric [3+2]-cycloaddition of azomethine ylides}, journal = {Chemical Reviews}, volume = {106}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4484-4517}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0009-2665}, doi = {10.1021/cr050011g}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Banerjee, Prabal and Gadre, Smita R.} } @article { ISI:000236960600013, title = {Contrasting solid-state structures of trithiocyanuric acid and cyanuric acid}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {6}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {846-848}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Although trithiocyanuric acid (TTCA) has been investigated widely as an agent in the formation of molecular cocrystals, the crystal structure of pure TTCA has never been determined. Attempts to grow crystals of pure TTCA by crystallization from solution invariably lead to the formation of solvate cocrystals, and desolvation of these materials leads to polycrystalline powder samples. In this paper, we report the structure determination of pure TTCA directly from powder X-ray diffraction data, using the direct-space genetic algorithm technique for structure solution followed by Rietveld refinement. The structure presents interesting contrasts to that of the oxygen analogue, cyanuric acid, and alludes to the possibility that both compounds might be capable of exhibiting polymorphism.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg0601094}, author = {Guo, F. and Cheung, E. Y. and Harris, Kenneth D. M. and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article { ISI:000237886100006, title = {Convenient chemoenzymatic synthesis of (1S,7aS)-1-hydroxy-5-oxo-4-(2 {\textquoteleft}-carboxyethyl)-7a-methyltetrahydro-indane - a key intermediate of steroids}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis B-Enzymatic}, volume = {40}, number = {1-2}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {38-43}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A porcine pancreatic lipase mediated enzymatic hydrolysis of (+/-)-1-acetoxy-5-oxo-4-(2 {\textquoteleft}-carbomethoxyethyl)-7a-methyltetrahydroindane (5b) furnished (1S,7aS)-1-acetoxy-5-oxo-4-(2 {\textquoteleft}-carbomethoxyethyl)-7a-methyltetrahydro-indane (9) and (1R,7aR)-1-hydroxy-5-oxo-4-(2 {\textquoteleft}-carbomethoxyethyl)-7a-methyltetrahydro-indane (8) with \> 99\% e.e. which on further chemical hydrolysis gave 1 and ent-1, key intermediates of steroids. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chemoenzymatic method, Enzymatic hydrolysis, steroids, terpenoids}, issn = {1381-1177}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcatb.2006.01.037}, author = {Kalkote, Uttam R. and Purude, A. N. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gurjar, M. K.} } @article { ISI:000241435600021, title = {Convergent approach toward the synthesis of the stereoisomers of C-6 homologues of 1-deoxynojirimycin and their analogues: evaluation as specific glycosidase inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {71}, number = {22}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8481-8488}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new and stereoselective strategy is developed to synthesize an appropriate template 9 to obtain C-6 homologues of 1-deoxyazasugars such as 1-deoxy-D-galactohomonojirimycin ( 5), 1-deoxy-4-hydroxymethyl-D-glucohomonojirimycin (6), and their enantiomers. The template 9 is also used to obtain neutral nonbasic pseudo-glyconolactam (8), C-4 amino, and methyl analogues of 1-deoxy- homonojirimycin as new analogues of 1- deoxyhomoazasugars. Compound 5 is found to be a potent and specific inhibitor to alpha-galactosidase (K-i = 1.7 mu M). Similarly compounds 6 (K-i = 28 mu M), ent-5 (K-i = 129 mu M), and ent-6 K-i = 12 mu M) exhibited specific inhibition of beta-glucosidase.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo061455v}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Dumbre, Shrinivas G. and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Shabab, M.} } @article { ISI:000238963800023, title = {Copper-, ligand- and solvent-free synthesis of ynones by coupling acid chlorides with terminal alkynes}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {31}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5527-5530}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A general and efficient copper-, ligand- and solvent-free synthesis of ynones by coupling of a wide range of acid chlorides with terminal alkynes catalyzed by palladium(II) acetate at room temperature is reported. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ligandless, neat, ynones}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.05.166}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and Kumar, P. Harish and Jogdand, Nivrutti R. and Daniel, Thomas and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000238298100027, title = {Co-precipitation technique for the preparation of ferroelectric BaBi2Ta2O9}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {98}, number = {2-3}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {344-346}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, electronic material, ferroelectricity, Oxides}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2005.09.036}, author = {Dhage, S. R. and Pasricha, R. and Murugan, A. Vadivel and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000239270000033, title = {Cu(OTf)(2) or Et3N-catalyzed three-component condensation of aldehydes, amines and cyanides: a high yielding synthesis of alpha-aminonitriles}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {32}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5759-5762}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Copper(II) triflate or Et3N have been found to catalyze, under ambient conditions, the addition of a cyanide anion, such as trimethylsilyl cyanide or acetone cyanohydrin, onto in situ generated imines, furnishing alpha-aminonitriles in excellent yields. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {aldehydes, aminonitriles, multicomponent reactions, organocatalyst, Strecker reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.06.008}, author = {Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000237525300035, title = {Densities and heat capacities of the ammonia plus water plus NaOH and ammonia plus water plus KOH solutions}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {51}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1020-1025}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Ammonia + water + sodium hydroxide and ammonia + water + potassium hydroxide mixtures were chosen as potential candidates for absorption chillers driven by low-temperature heat sources. Heat capacity and density were studied between (293.15 and 353.15) K at a constant pressure of 1.8 MPa for these solutions using a heat flux Calvet-type calorimeter and a vibrating-tube densimeter, respectively. Measured data were well-correlated with temperature and composition using simple polynomial equations. The relative deviations between the experimental and calculated values in the density and heat capacity measurements were 0.20 \% and 0.49 \% for NH3 + H2O + NaOH solutions and 0.10 \% and 0.36 \% for NH3 + H2O + KOH solutions, respectively. Also, two density prediction methods were checked using the experimental data. Previously, it was necessary to measure the density of ammonia and hydroxide aqueous solutions in similar conditions. The results showed that both methods are suitable for predicting the density of these solutions.

}, issn = {0021-9568}, doi = {10.1021/je050512z}, author = {Salavera, D. and Libotean, S. and Patil, K. R. and Esteve, X. and Coronas, Alberto} } @article {42756, title = {Derivatisation and transition metal chemistry of a new monophosphinite ligand: 2-(diphenylphosphinoxy)naphthyl}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1390-1394}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Reaction of monophosphinite ligand, 2-(diphenylphosphinoxy) naphthyl, C10H7PPh2 (1) with elemental sulphur or selenium gives the corresponding sulphide C10H7OP(S)Ph2 (2) or selenide C10H7OP(Se)ph2 (3) derivatives. Reaction of 1 with [CpRu(PPh3)2Cl] gives monosubstituted complex, [CpRu(C10H7OPPh2)(PPh3)C1] (4) as well as the disubstituted complex. [CpRu(C10H7PPh2)2Cl] (5) depending upon the reaction conditions. Treatment of 1 with [Rh(CO)2Cl]2 affords a trans-complex, [Rh(CO)(C10H7PPh2Cl] (6). Reaction of 1 with [Pd(COD)Cl2] results in the formation of an unexpected chlorobridged dipalladium complex: [Pd (PPh2O)( PPh2OH)(μ-Cl)]2 (7), whereas similar reaction with [pt(COD)Cl2] gives cis-[Pt(C10H7PPh2)2Cl2] (8) in good yield.

}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000241967600018, title = {Design and synthesis of fluconazole/bile acid conjugate using click reaction}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {62}, number = {48}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11178-11186}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Novel fluconazole/bile acid conjugates were designed and their regioselective synthesis was achieved in very high yield via Cu(I) catalyzed intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. These new molecules showed good antifungal activity against Candida species. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Triazole, Antifungal agent, bile acid, Click chemistry, fluconazole/bile acid conjugate}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.09.021}, author = {Pore, Vandana S. and Aher, Nilkanth G. and Kumar, Manish and Shukla, Praveen K.} } @article { ISI:000239359100012, title = {Dielectric properties of BaTiO3 ceramics prepared from powders with bimodal distribution}, journal = {Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry}, volume = {12}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {584-588}, publisher = {KOREAN SOC INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {A-803 TWIN BLDG, 275-3, YANGJAE-DONG, SEOCHO-KU, SEOUL 137-130, SOUTH KOREA}, abstract = {

BaTiO3 (BT) powders having bimodal distribution were synthesized successfully through a simple classical solid-state reaction route using cheap BaCO3 and TiO2 as starting materials. These powders were further processed in the form of green pellets to obtain dense BT ceramics having densities of similar to 94 similar to 96 \% after sintering in air at 1350 and 1400 degrees C/4 h in air. The room temperature dielectric constant (epsilon(RT)) of similar to 1500 at 1 KHz frequency was increased to : 10000 at a Curie temperature (T-C) similar to 126 degrees C, showing a very sharp transition from a polar tetragonal to a non-polar cubic structure. The dielectric loss factor (tan 6) was similar to 1.5 \%. SEM studies revealed the presence of dense microstructures having a distribution of smaller grains (size: 2 similar to 3 gm) surrounded by larger grains (\>= 35 mu m). The ferroelectric hysteresis loop measurements on these samples gave values of spontaneous polarization (P-s) of similar to 12.0 mu C/cm(2), a coercive field (E-C) of similar to 2 similar to 2.5 kV/cm, and a dielectric strength (E-b) of similar to 48.0 kV/cm. DC-resistivity as high as 1.5 x 10(9) Omega-cm was obtained in these samples. All these results are quite comparable with reported ferroelectric/dielectric data and are discussed elaborately in this paper.

}, keywords = {BaTiO3, dielectric-ferroelectric properties, Microstructure, Sintering, stoichiometry}, issn = {1226-086X}, author = {Deshpande, S. B. and Potdar, H. S. and Patil, M. M. and Deshpande, V. V. and Khollam, Y. B.} } @article { ISI:000239542900032, title = {Direct synthesis of nanocrystalline silver from the reaction between silver carboxylates and n-trioctylphosphine}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {6}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2095-2102}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Neat n-Trioctylphosphine (TOP) has been used for the first ever time for reduction of silver nitrate and silver carboxylates (citrate, oleate, and myristate) under mild thermal reaction conditions. UV-visible absorption measurements of re-dispersible silver particles that were obtained by reduction of silver myristrate (product-IV) and silver nitrate (product-I) showed surface plasmon resonance absorption peak at 400 nm. The powder XRD pattern of fcc zero-valent silver resulted in diameters in the range of about 25-30 nm. TEM analysis showed particle diameter similar to that was observed by the XRD. FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the organics from the carboxylate group are retained by the nano-particles in case of product-IV however, presence of TOP is observed in product-I. It is found that when silver nitrate is reduced by TOP, spherical silver nano-particles with poor redispersity are formed but extended heating results in formation of long silver rods of micrometer size however, the re-dispersible nano-particles are easily formed when silver carboxylates are reduced by TOP.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Nanocrystalline, noble metal, XRD}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2006.339}, author = {Charan, Shobhit and Singh, Narendra and Khanna, P. K. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000242598200030, title = {Effect of a focusing electric field on the formation of arc generated carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Nanotechnology}, volume = {17}, number = {23}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5895-5902}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of a focusing electric field on the formation of carbon nanotubes in a direct current arc-plasma is investigated. The hard deposits on the surface of the cathode are the main products, rich in multi-walled carbon nanotubes. It is seen that the focusing electric field has a distinct influence on the yield, purity and morphology of the nanotubes. The yield of the carbon nanotubes under the {\textquoteleft}focused field condition{\textquoteright} has been found to be higher than that derived from the normal electrode configuration. It has been observed that the deposition of carbonaceous soot on the reactor wall is considerably reduced on application of the focusing electric field. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to determine the morphology of the nanotubes. In addition, Raman spectroscopy has helped in distinguishing the graphene-like structures from the disordered carbon networks and helped in analysing the morphology of the tubes. Thermal analysis gave a qualitative estimation of the relative yield of carbon nanotubes within the cathode deposits and their thermal stabilities. The crystalline nature of the samples has been confirmed by x-ray diffraction analysis. The results clearly indicate that the focusing electric field confines the positively charged carbon precursors within the cathode-anode space causing high relative yield and purity and has a distinct effect on controlling the inner diameter of the as-synthesized carbon nanotubes.

}, issn = {0957-4484}, doi = {10.1088/0957-4484/17/23/030}, author = {Karmakar, Soumen and Nagar, Harshada and Pasricha, R. and Seth, T. and Sathe, V. G. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Das, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000238491100062, title = {Effect of calcination cycles on the preparation of tin oxide based traditional drug: studies on its formation and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis}, volume = {41}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1473-1478}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The preparation method of metal based Indian traditional drugs involves conversion of a pure metal into its oxide by repeated high temperature calcination cycles. In this work, the effect of number of calcination cycles followed in the preparation of tin oxide based Ayurvedic drug, {\textquoteleft}vanga bhasma{\textquoteright} was studied by a systematic characterization of the drug samples after various calcination stages. It was found that tin was in the form of Sn4+ state and that the formation of SnO2 proceeded step-wise through Sn(OH)(4). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {calcination cycles, Oxidation, oxidation state of tin, Particle size, tin oxide, vanga bhasma}, issn = {0731-7085}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpba.2006.03.032}, author = {Wadekar, M. P. and Rode, C. V. and Bendale, Y. N. and Patil, K. R. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000238110300002, title = {Effect of organic additives on the mitigation of volatility of 1-nitro-3,3 {\textquoteleft}-dinitroazetidine (TNAZ): next generation powerful melt cast able high energy material}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {134}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {8-18}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

1-Nitro-3,3{\textquoteright}-dinitroazetidine(TNAZ) was synthesized based on the lines of reported method. Thermolysis studies on synthesized and characterized TNAZ using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and hyphenated TG-FT-IR techniques were undertaken to generate data on decomposition pattern. FF-IR of decomposition products of TNAZ revealed the evolution of oxides of nitrogen and HCN containing species suggesting the cleavage of C/N-NO(2) bond accompanied with the collapse of ring structure. The effect of incorporation of 15\% additives namely, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole(AT), 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT), carbohydrazide (CHZ), 5,7-dinitrobenzofuroxan (DNBF), bis (2,2-dinitropropyl) succinate (BNPS), triaminoguanidinium nitrate (TAGN), 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid (TNBA) and nitroguanidine (NQ) on the volatility of TNAZ was investigated by undertaking thermogravimetric analysis. The TG pattern brings out the potential of BNPS and TAGN as additives to mitigate the volatility of TNAZ. The influence of additives on thermal decomposition of pattern of TNAZ was also investigated by DSC. The DSC results indicated that the additives did not have appreciable effect on the melting point of TNAZ. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies were carried out to investigate the effect of additives on morphology of TNAZ. This paper also discusses the possible mechanism involved in between the TNAZ and TAGN and BNPS. It appears that the formation of charge transfer complex formation between the TNAZ and TAGN/BNPS. The effect of addition of high explosives such as CL-20, HMX and RDX on thermo-physical characteristics of TNAZ is also reported in this paper. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {melt castable explosive, morphological structure, synthesis, Thermolysis, trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), volatility behavior}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2003.10.008}, author = {Talawar, M. B. and Singh, Alok and Naik, N. H. and Polke, B. G. and Gore, G. M. and Asthana, S. N. and Gandhe, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000242137400025, title = {Efficient deprotection of dithioacetals to carbonyls using Oxone-KBr in aqueous acetonitrile}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {48}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {8559-8561}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient method has been developed for the chemoselective dethioacetalization of dithioacetals to aldehydes and ketones using Oxone-KBr in aqueous acetonitrile at room temperature. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {deprotection, dethioacetalization, Oxone}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.09.138}, author = {Desai, Uday V. and Pore, D. M. and Tamhankar, B. V. and Jadhav, Sushilkumar A. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000237993500018, title = {Efficient, solvent-free method for the chemoselective synthesis of acylals from aldehydes and their deprotection catalyzed by silica sulfuric acid as a reusable solid acid catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {7}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {508-511}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An efficient method has been developed for the chemoselective synthesis of acylals from aldehydes and acetic anhydride in the presence of silica sulfuric acid as a reusable solid acid catalyst under solvent-free conditions. Ketones are found to remain unaffected under the reaction conditions. The deprotection of acylals has also been achieved using SSA in methanol medium. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acylals, aldehydes, Chemoselective, protection and deprotection silica sulfuric acid}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2005.12.028}, author = {Desai, Uday V. and Thopate, T. S. and Pore, D. M. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article {42586, title = {Electrical bistability in a xanthene class molecule: conduction mechanisms}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {89}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article No: 142110}, abstract = {

The author study conduction mechanism in two conducting states of a bistable device at range. They find that in the electrical bistable devices, electrical switching is associated with a change in the conduction mechanism. Device current in the low-conducting state follows an injection-limited mechanism. The current in the high-conducting state conforms a bulk-dominated mechanism, namely, space-charge limited conduction with an exponential distribution of traps. The bistability has an associated memory phenomenon. The devices exhibit read-only and random-access memory applications for several hours.

}, doi = {10.1063/1.2358946}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Sahu, Satyajit and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000238030200026, title = {Electrochemical organization of monolayer protected gold nanoclusters on single-walled carbon nanotubes: significantly enhanced double layer capacitance}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {6}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1387-1391}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {double layer capacitance, double layer charging, hybrid materials, monolayer protected gold nanoclusters, single-walled carbon nanotubes}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2006.323}, author = {Mahima, Subhramanyam and Chaki, N. K. and Sharma, J. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pasricha, R. and Rao, A. M. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000244831800017, title = {Electrochemical polymerization of o-anisidine on low carbon steel from aqueous salicylate solution: corrosion protection study}, journal = {Surface \& Coating Technology}, volume = {201}, number = {6}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2240-2247}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The electrochemical polymerization of o-anisidine was carried out on low carbon steel from an aqueous salicylate medium using cyclic voltammetry. The resulting poly(o-anisidine) coatings were uniform and adherent to the steel substrates. These coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, LTV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The ability of the poly(o-anisidine) coatings to protect low carbon steel in an aqueous 3\% NaCl was evaluated by the potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The potentiodynamic polarization measurement reveals that the poly(o-anisidine) coating increases the corrosion potential and reduces the corrosion rate of low carbon steel almost by a factor of 15. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Conducting polymer coatings, corrosion protective coatings, cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical polymerization, low carbon steel, poly(o-anisidine) coatings}, issn = {0257-8972}, doi = {10.1016/j.surfcoat.2006.03.028}, author = {Wankhede, M. G. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000243335700022, title = {Electrochemical synthesis of corrosion protective polyaniline coatings on mild steel from aqueous salicylate medium}, journal = {Science and Technology of Advanced Materials}, volume = {7}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {732-744}, publisher = {NATL INST MATERIALS SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {NATL INST MATERIALS SCIENCE, 1-2-1 SENGEN, TSUKUBA-CITY, IBARAKI, 305-0047, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Strongly adherent polyaniline coatings were electrochemically synthesized on mild steel from an aqueous salicylate medium. These coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy. The extent of the corrosion protection offered by polyaniline coatings to mild steel was investigated in aqueous 3\% NaCl solution, 0.01 M Na2SO4 Solution and in aqueous solutions of NaCl + Na2SO4 with different concentrations by potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results of these studies reveal that the corrosion resistance of the polyaniline-coated mild steel is significantly higher and the corrosion rate is considerably lower than that of uncoated steel. (c) 2006 Published by NIMS and Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {Conducting polymer coatings, corrosion protective coatings, cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical polymerization, polyaniline coatings mild steel}, issn = {1468-6996}, doi = {10.1016/j.stam.2006.09.014}, author = {Pawar, Pritee and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000238111400016, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of (2R,3R)- and (2S,3S)-beta-hydroxyornithine}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {25}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4167-4169}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient and short synthesis of (2R,3R)- and (2S,3S)-beta-hydroxyornithine 1a-b is described using Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and regioselective nucleophilic opening of a cyclic sulfite as the key steps. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.04.055}, author = {Pandey, Satyendra Kumar and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article { ISI:000237937900022, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of (-)-cytoxazone and (+)-epi-cytoxazone, novel cytokine modulators via sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and L-proline catalyzed mannich reaction}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {62}, number = {24}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5756-5762}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short and efficient enantioselective synthesis of (-)-cytoxazone and its stereoisomer (+)-epi-cytoxazone, novel cytokine modulators, has been described with good yield and enantioselectivity. Ti-catalyzed Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of allyl alcohol and L-proline catalyzed three-component Mannich reaction constitute the key steps in introducing stereogenicity into the molecule. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {aminohydroxylation, Asymmetric synthesis, epoxidation, Mannich reaction, Oxidation, Ozonolysis}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.03.079}, author = {Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000239426700005, title = {Experimental comparison of the structural, magnetic, electronic, and optical properties of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic polycrystalline Zn1-xCoxO (x=0,0.05,0.1)}, journal = {Physical Review B}, volume = {74}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article No. 033201}, publisher = {AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {ONE PHYSICS ELLIPSE, COLLEGE PK, MD 20740-3844 USA}, abstract = {

Ferromagnetism at room temperature is observed in one case whereas paramagnetism down to 12 K is observed in the second case when polycrystalline Zn1-xCoxO is synthesized under almost identical conditions. Identical x-ray diffraction, optical absorption, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate the incorporation of Co2+ ions in the ZnO lattice in both cases. However, electron diffraction studies show the presence of Co metal impurities in the ferromagnetic samples, indicating that pure Co doped ZnO is not likely to be ferromagnetic.

}, issn = {1098-0121}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.74.033201}, author = {Deka, Sasanka and Pasricha, Renu and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000238312300038, title = {Facile synthesis of 1,3,7-trihydroxyxanthone and its regioselective coupling reactions with prenal: simple and efficient access to osajaxanthone and nigrolineaxanthone F}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {71}, number = {13}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4992-4995}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo0606655}, author = {Mondal, Mukulesh and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000238250300028, title = {Field emission studies of novel ZnO nanostructures in high and low field regions}, journal = {Nanotechnology}, volume = {17}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2730-2735}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0957-4484}, doi = {10.1088/0957-4484/17/11/003}, author = {Ramgir, Niranjan S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Bhise, Ashok B. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000236119700015, title = {First study of metal hybrids of boronic acids: second-sphere coordination networks in the structures of 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid with some transition metals}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {6}, year = {2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2400-2402}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Metal-organic hybrids of a boronic acid (4-carboxylphenylboronic acid) with Co(II), Mn(II), and Ni(II) salts have been reported for the first time. In all of the complexes, there is no interaction between the metal and boronic acid through dative bonds. Furthermore, second-sphere coordination, along with water clusters in the form of octamers, was observed in the absence of any other additional ligands. However, in the presence of aza-donor molecules such as 1, 2-bis(4-pyridyl) ethane, metal ions formed coordination polymers with those ligands, replacing the second-sphere coordination.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic052100h}, author = {Seethalekshmi, N. and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article { ISI:000238008900004, title = {Flufenoxuron, an acylurea insect growth regulator, alters development of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera :tenebrionidae) by modulating levels of chitin, soluble protein content, and HSP70 and p34(cdc2) in the larval tissues}, journal = {Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology}, volume = {85}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {84-90}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {chitin, Development, flufenoxuron, HSP70, p34(cdc2), phosphotyrosine, sublethal effects, total soluble proteins, Tribolium castaneum}, issn = {0048-3575}, doi = {10.1016/j.pestbp.2005.10.006}, author = {Salokhe, S. and Sarkar, A. and Kulkarni, A. and Mukherjee, Samindra N. and Pal, J. K.} } @article { ISI:000236648800046, title = {Formation of poly(o-anisidine) coatings on copper from aqueous salicylate solution}, journal = {Surface \& Coatings Technology}, volume = {200}, number = {18-19}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5557-5565}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {conducting polymers, Copper, corrosion protective coatings, cyclic voltammetry, poly(o-anisidine) coatings}, issn = {0257-8972}, doi = {10.1016/j.surfcoat.2005.07.071}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Sainkar, S. R. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000239289800036, title = {Gamma-heteroatom directed stereocontrolled staudinger cycloaddition reaction of vinylketenes and imines}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {33}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5993-5996}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Vinylketenes possessing a gamma-heteroatom, on Staudinger cycloaddition reaction with imines gave trans-3-vinyl-beta-lactams in very good yields. The vinyl side chain stereoselectively adopts the Z-configuration in the transition state to stabilize the vinylketene and produces, exclusively, trans-3-vinyl-beta-lactams. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {imines, Staudinger reaction, stereoselective synthesis, vinylketenes}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.05.189}, author = {Shaikh, Aarif L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshmukh, A. R. A. S.} } @article { ISI:000236916100016, title = {Green protocol for the synthesis of N-oxides from secondary amines using vanadium silicate molecular sieve catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {248}, number = {1-2}, year = {2006}, month = {APR }, pages = {109-112}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Vanadium silicate molecular sieve catalyst VS-I was found to promote efficiently the oxidation of alpha alpha,alpha{\textquoteright}alpha{\textquoteright}-tetrasubstituted secondary amines with 30\% aqueous hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. In comparison to other catalysts reported to date, this heterogeneous catalyst offers a remarkably simple workup procedure and is reusable without any appreciable loss of activity. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalyst, Hydrogen peroxide, N-oxide, VS-1, zeolite}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.12.005}, author = {Phukan, P. and Khisti, R. S. and Sudalai, A.} } @article {Kaliaperumal, title = {Harvesting chemical information from the Internet using a distributed approach: chemxtreme}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling}, volume = {46}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, note = {7th International Conference on Chemical Structures, Noordwijkerhout, NETHERLANDS, JUN 05-09, 2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {452-461}, publisher = {ASC, CINF; CSA Trust; CSJ; GDCh; KNCV}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{The Internet is a comprehensive resource of chemical information which is at the same time largely unstructured. It provides a wealth of scientific information such as experimental data and requires a suitable automated data mining and analysis tool for its meaningful exploration. The Java based software presented here, ChemXtreme, is developed for harvesting chemical information from the Internet employing the Google API in combination with a distributed client/server text analysis architecture based on JavaRMI. It represents the first and until now the only toolkit for automated structured data retrieval from the Internet which is itself open source. ChemXtreme employs the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}search the search engine{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}

}, keywords = {calcination, clinker, one-dimensional model, rotary cement kiln}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/ci050329+}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Krishnan, S. and Pandey, A. K. and Bender, Andreas} } @article {43267, title = {High-throughput screening of RNA polymerase inhibitors using a fluorescent UTP analog}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Screening}, volume = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {968-976}, abstract = {

RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a well-validated target for the development of antibacterial and antituberculosis agents. Because the purification of large quantities of native RNA polymerase from pathogenic mycobacteria is hazardous and cumbersome, the primary screening was carried out using Escherichia coli RNAP. The authors have developed a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay to screen for novel inhibitors of RNAP. In this assay, a fluorescent analog of UTP, gamma-amino naphthalene sulfonic acid (gamma-AmNS) UTP, was used as one of the nucleotide substrates. Incorporation of UMP in RNA results in the release of gamma-AmNS-PPi, which has higher intrinsic fluorescence than (gamma-AmNS) UTP. The assay was optimized in a 384-well format and used to screen 670,000 compounds at a concentration of 10 mu M. About 0.1\% of the compounds showed more than 60\% inhibition in the primary HTS. All the primary actives tested for dose response using the same assay had an EC50 below 100 mu M. Eighty percent of the primary HTS actives obtained using E. coli RNAP showed comparable activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis RNAP in the conventional radioactive assay. Activity of hits selected for the hit-to-lead optimization was also confirmed against Mycobacterium bovis RNAP which has \> 99\% sequence identity with Mycobacterium tuberculosis RNAP subunits.

}, author = {Bhat, Jyothi and Rane, Rajendra and Solapure, Suresh M. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Sharma, Umender and Harish, M. N. and Lamb, Sarah and Plant, Darren and Alcock, Peter and Peters, Steve and Barde, Shubhada and Roy, Raman K.} } @article { ISI:000239664900018, title = {Hydroformylation of olefins using dispersed molecular catalysts on solid supports}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {110}, number = {1-2}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {129-133}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A new method for heterogenization of metal complex catalysts by precipitation of its water-soluble analogue as a Gr.2 metals (Ca, Sr or Ba) salt on porous supports has been proposed. This technique yields a highly dispersed catalyst having a significantly higher activity (TOF) for hydroformylation of olefins compared to other known heterogenized catalysts. The catalyst can be recycled with ease.

}, keywords = {carbon support, Heterogenization, Hydroformylation, Olefins, Rhodium}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-006-0095-x}, author = {Pagar, N. S. and Deshpande, R. M. and Chaudhari, Raghunath V.} } @article { ISI:000237820800035, title = {Hydrophobic effects in a simple Diels-Alder reaction in water}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {23}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3957-3958}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The endolexo ratio for a simple Diels-Alder reaction carried out in water has been used to argue that hydrophobic effects can dominate the geometries of the transition states. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.093}, author = {Sarma, D. and Pawar, S. S. and Deshpande, Suvarna S. and Kumar, Anil} } @article { ISI:000239975900022, title = {In situ optical emission spectroscopic investigations during arc plasma synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal plasma}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science}, volume = {34}, number = {4, 1}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1175-1182}, publisher = {IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {445 HOES LANE, PISCATAWAY, NJ 08855 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {plasma arc device, plasma-materials processing applications, spectroscopy}, issn = {0093-3813}, doi = {10.1109/TPS.2006.878430}, author = {Banerjee, Indrani and Joshi, N. K. and Sahasrabudhe, S. N. and Kulkarni, Naveen V. and Karmakar, Soumen and Pasricha, R. and Ghorui, S. and Tak, Atul K. and Murthy, Shri P. S. S. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Das, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000236313300022, title = {Influence of extended pi-conjugation units on carrier mobilities in conducting polymers}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {420}, number = {4-6}, year = {2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {387-390}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Carrier mobilities in thin films of copolymers with repeat units consisting of oligothiophenes bridged by Si atoms are measured over a range of doping levels, where the numbers of thienylenes in the repeat unit are 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14. The mobilities for these polymer films increased with the increase in doping level and the mobility enhancement followed an increasing order of the pi-conjugation length. The magnitude of the mobility increase for the Si polymer comprising 14 thiophene units reached ca. 10(4), implying that this pi-conjugation length is almost sufficient to reproduce transport properties of polythiophenes. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2006.01.009}, author = {Harima, Yutaka and Kim, D. H. and Tsutitori, Y. and Jiang, Xiaoqing and Patil, R. and Ooyama, Y. and Ohshita, J. and Kunai, A.} } @article { ISI:000241506400143, title = {Intact cell MALDI mass spectrometry as a tool to screen drugs in vivo for regulation of protein expression}, journal = {Molecular \& Cellular Proteomics}, volume = {5}, number = {10, S}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {S62}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, issn = {1535-9476}, author = {Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Vinod, V. P. and Umashankar, P. K. and Patole, M. and Rao, M.} } @article { ISI:000242646200011, title = {Interaction induced shifts in O-H stretching frequency of water in halide-ion water clusters: a microscopic approach with a bond descriptor}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {125}, number = {21}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article No. 214304}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Based on conceptual density functional theory, two new descriptors, the normalized atom-condensed Fukui functions (NFFs) and bond deformation kernel (BDK), are proposed to describe the O-H stretching frequency shifts in water halide-ion clusters by including local polarizations in the system. NFF, along with BDK, can be successfully used to describe interactions between different atoms, especially in cases where polarizations are quite important. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.2400225}, author = {Tanwar, Akhilesh and Bagchi, Biman and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000240554000009, title = {Ionic liquid promoted facile one-pot synthesis of 1-pyridylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridines from dipyridylketone and aryl aldehydes}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {17}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2849-2854}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A highly efficient one-pot methodology has been developed to synthesize a class of substituted 1-pyridylimidazo[ 1,5-a]pyridines, using Bronsted acidic ionic liquid 1-butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [Hbim]BF4 in excellent isolated yields in the absence of any catalyst. The methodology is characterized by simple work-up procedures along with efficient recovery and recycling of the ionic liquid, which acts as a reaction medium as well as a promoter.

}, keywords = {5-a]pyridines, Aldehyde, ammonium acetate, heterocycles, imidazo[1, ionic liquids}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-2006-942522}, author = {Siddiqui, Shafi A. and Potewar, Taterao M. and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000238989300008, title = {Irradiation effects of 12 eV oxygen ions on polyimide and fluorinated ethylene propylene}, journal = {Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids}, volume = {161}, number = {8}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {495-504}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2210080}, author = {Rajagopal, Rajashree and Mona, J. and Kale, Sangeeta N. and Bala, Tanushree and Pasricha, Rem and Poddar, P. and Sastry, M. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kundaliya, Darshan C. and Ogale, S. B.} } @article { ISI:000237485300010, title = {Ligand-, copper-, and amine-free one-pot synthesis of 2-substituted indoles via Sonogashira coupling 5-endo-dig cyclization}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {62}, number = {21}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5109-5115}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Results of the optimized conditions for the one-pot synthesis of 2-substituted indoles via palladium acetate catalyzed tandem Sonogashira coupling 5-endo-dig cyclization at room temperature under ultrasonic irradiation and standard stirred conditions are described. Electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups present in both Coupling partners were well tolerated under these mild conditions. A copper-, ligand- and amine-free condition is an important feature of this protocol. Significant enhancement of reaction rates was observed for the reactions employing ultrasonic irradiation. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {5-endo-dig cyclization, Indole, synthesis, Ultrasound}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.03.035}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and Kumar, P. Harish and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article {31}, title = {Metal-induced reductive ring opening of 1,2,4,5-tetrazines: Three resulting coordination alternatives, including the new non-innocent 1,2-diiminohydrazido(2-) bridging ligand system}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1316-1325}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {crystal engineering, hydrogen bonds, molecular, recocynition, Self-assembly, supramolecular chemistry}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1021/ic051532p}, author = {Maji, Somnath and Sarkar, B. and Patra, S. and Fiedler, Jan and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kaim, Wolfgang and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @conference { ISI:000238125903358, title = {Micellization and colloidal adsorption of a model polyelectrolyte diblock copolymer in selective solvent: theoretical model combining scaling and lattice mean field approaches}, booktitle = { 231st National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society}, volume = {231}, year = {2006}, note = {231st National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society, Atlanta, GA, MAR 26-30, 2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {358-COLL}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, organization = {American Chemical Society}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {1155 16th ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0065-7727}, author = {Natarajan, Upendra and Poddar, Neha} } @article { ISI:000239381500020, title = {Micropropagation of Indian laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum), a source of anti-HIV compounds}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {90}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1393-1397}, publisher = {CURRENT SCIENCE ASSN}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, PO BOX 8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

An efficient protocol for in vitro micropropagtion of Calophyllum inophyllum (Linn.), an evergreen littoral tree, through multiple shoot formation from seed explants was developed. In vitro germination of the seeds was standardized on Woody Plant Medium (WPM) hormone free and/or supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP; 2.22 mu M) and on half or full strength MS medium. Multiple shoot formation was achieved on WPM supplemented with BAP (2.22-44.00 mu M) and thidiazuron (TDZ; 0.91-4.54 mu M) from the decapitated seedling explants. The maximum multiple shoots, 20.9 per explant were induced on TDZ (0.91 mu M) after two subcultures. Elongated shoots of size \> 4.0 cm were obtained on all media combinations with an average of 2.2-8.7 per explant. Elongation of the stunted shoots induced on BAP and TDZ was done on half strength WPM without any growth hormones. The elongated shoots on half WPM and/or full strength WPM supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid (2.46-24.60 mu M) alone or in combination with BAP (2.22 mu M) resulted in 52\% rooting with 1-5 roots per rooted plant. The micropropagated plants were acclimatized successfully with 77\% survival rate after five weeks. These plants were planted in the institute campus for ex situ conservation, where 72\% plants are showing good growth and development.

}, keywords = {Calophyllum inophyllum, ex situ conservation, micropropagation, seed}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Thengane, Shubhada Ratnakar and Bhosle, S. V. and Deodhar, Swapna R. and Pawar, K. D. and Kulkarni, D. K.} } @article { ISI:000239573100068, title = {Minimum magnetizability principle}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {125}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG }, pages = {Article No. 056101}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.2227381}, author = {Tanwar, Akhilesh and Pal, Sourav and Roy, Debesh Ranjan and Chattaraj, Pratim Kumar} } @article { ISI:000236913600006, title = {Natural kaolinitic clay: a remarkable catalyst for highly regioselective chlorination of arenes with Cl-2 or SO2Cl2}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {972-975}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Natural kaolinitic clay containing transition metals such as Fe and Ti in its lattice has been found to exhibit unusual regioselectivity in the liquid-phase chlorination of arenes with either Cl-2 or SO2Cl2 as the chlorinating agent para-Chlorinated products are predominant for most of the substrates with an exceptional case of ortho-selectivity for the chlorination of aniline.

}, keywords = {Aniline, chlorination, chlorine, ortho-chloroaniline, sulfuryl chloride}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Jayachandran, B. and Phukan, P. and Daniel, Thomas and Sudalai, A.} } @article { ISI:000241320000002, title = {Nature and mode of addition of phosphate precursor in the synthesis of aluminum phosphate and its influence on methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {7}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {745-751}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Four aluminum phosphate catalysts with Al/P = 1 were prepared by precipitation of mixture of aluminum nitrate and phosphate precursor (either phosphoric acid or diammonium hydrogen phosphate) with NH3 and precipitation of aluminum nitrate with NH3 followed by impregnation of phosphate precursor (either phosphoric acid or diammonium hydrogen phosphate). The catalysts were characterized, using different physico-chemical methods viz., BET-S.A., XRD, FT-IR, and NH3-TPD. Al-27 and P-31 MAS NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize selected catalysts in order to find out the presence of Al and P environments. The catalytic conversion of methanol to dimethyl ether was conducted over these catalysts in a temperature range of 448-548 K at atmospheric pressure. AIPO(4) prepared by precipitating the mixture of aluminum nitrate and (NH4)(2)HPO4 with aq. NH3 generated more number of moderate acid sites and showed higher methanol dehydration activity with 100\% selectivity to DME at 548 K. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Al-27 and P-31 MAS NMR, aluminum phosphate, dehydration, dimethyl ether, Methanol, NH3-TPD}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2006.02.025}, author = {Kumar, V. Siva and Padmasri, A. H. and Satyanarayana, C. V. V. and Reddy, I. Ajit Kumar and Raju, B. David and Rao, K. S. Rama} } @article { ISI:000238329100023, title = {Nitridation of high speed steel by electron cyclotron resonance plasma}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {39}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2109-2113}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/39/10/022}, author = {Majeed, Riyadh M A Abdul and Purohit, Vishwas and Bhide, Rajesh and Mandale, A. B. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Bhoraskar, Vasant N.} } @article { ISI:000241686000011, title = {Novel beaded polymers from telechelic methacrylic ether esters}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {66}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1087-1096}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {ether-ester dimethacrylates, macroporous, Pore size distribution, porosity, telechelics}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2006.01.020}, author = {Pujari, N. S. and Trivedi, J. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article { ISI:000239458500013, title = {Photo-bio-degradability of agro waste and ethylene-propylene copolymers composites under abiotic and biotic environments}, journal = {Journal of Polymers and the Environment}, volume = {14}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {203-212}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Composites were prepared by two methods, (i) graft copolymerization (GFC) of isotactic polypropylene (PP) with maliec anhydride, (MAH) followed by esterification with coir fiber and (ii) by direct reactive mixing (DFC) of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers with MAH and peroxide with coir fiber. These composites, after molding in films (5 x 5 cm, - 100 mu m thickness) were examined for susceptibility to biological attack by measuring the percentage weight loss in compost upto 6 months, periodically, and fungal colonization on surface of the samples, when kept as sole carbon source for the growth of Aspergillus niger in culture medium upto 40 days. Photodegradation was evaluated by monitoring the variations in FT-IR spectrum and crack formation after successive treatment with UV light (\>= 290 nm) for 0, 20, 50 and 100 h at 60 C in the presence of air. Specimens of virgin PP were taken as a reference during all period of photo and biodegradation studies. Significant changes were observed depending on the preparation methods during photodegradation and biodisintegration of composites. DFCs samples were disintegrated faster than GFCs during the composting whereas, in culture, GFCs were covered highly in well uniform way by fungi. It was observed that photo-oxidative ageing directly enhanced the biodegradability of composites as the increase in fungal growth rate and decrease in weight during composting were found. It was concluded that extent of compatibilization had a profound effect on photo-oxidation and biodisintegration of composite material; consequently ester bonds were main units during fungal consumption. Composition of monomers in copolymers was also showing significant effect on the degradability which decreased with increasing content of ethylene in ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers.

}, keywords = {Biodegradation, biodisintegration and composting, composites, ethylene-propylene copolymers, photo-degradation}, issn = {1566-2543}, doi = {10.1007/s10924-006-0012-9}, author = {Kumar, A. Pratheep and Pandey, Jitendra K. and Kumar, Bijendra and Singh, R. P.} } @article { ISI:000243157600086, title = {Physical manipulation of biological and chemical syntheses for nanoparticle shape and size control}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {89}, number = {26}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article No. 263105}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

A nanosynthesis scheme is demonstrated which renders excellent control of nanoparticle shape, size, and dispersity in a solution based synthesis process. The scheme, termed as percolative microcavity synthesis, involves the use of a granular medium with percolative microcavities which facilitate nearly similar grain size/shape dependent reaction zones limiting intrinsic growth inhomogeneities, enabling particle size/shape control. The viability of the process is demonstrated for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles by a plant extract based biological method as well as a chemical method. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2424272}, author = {Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Ahmad, Absar and Pasricha, R. and Dhas, Vivek V. and Syed, A.} } @article { ISI:000238131800003, title = {Plastics materials flow analysis for India}, journal = {Resources Conservation and Recycling}, volume = {47}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {222-244}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {employment, India, material flow analysis (MFA), plastics, plastics consumption, plastics waste, Recycling, reuse}, issn = {0921-3449}, doi = {10.1016/j.resconrec.2005.09.003}, author = {Mutha, N. H. and Patel, M. and Premnath, V.} } @conference {42804, title = {Poly(High Internal Phase Emulsion) of 2-EHA, 2-EHMA and EGDA with naturally occurring phenolic compounds", paper presented at international conference on ?polymers for advanced technology}, booktitle = {Polymers for Advanced Technology}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, address = {National Chemical Laboratory, Pune}, author = {Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Shaikh, A. A. and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Scaria, S. and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Mohammed and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000236590300058, title = {Poly(o-toluidine) coatings on copper: electrochemical synthesis from aqueous media}, journal = {Surface \& Coating Technology}, volume = {200}, number = {16-17}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {5094-5101}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Conducting polymer coatings, Copper, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, poly(o-toluidine) coatings}, issn = {0257-8972}, doi = {10.1016/j.surfcoat.2005.05.026}, author = {Shinde, V. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000242209000043, title = {Poly(urethane methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate)-supported-polypropylene biphasic membrane for lipase immobilization}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Science}, volume = {285}, number = {1-2}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {395-403}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Polypropylene (PP) was hydrophilized by coating followed by UV curing of a blend of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) terminated polyurethane prepolymer and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). This allows formation of a hydrophobic membrane with increased surface hydrophilicity, biocompatibility and stability. Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) was covalently immobilized on this membrane using 5\% glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent for post immobilization stabilization of enzyme on membrane. The membrane obtained was placed in a batch membrane reactor where a model esterification of oleic acid with octanol was studied. Under optimum conditions, the biocatalytic membrane gave a specific activity of 796.27 units/mg and 90.26\% activity yield. Moreover, there was 85. 10\% retention of specific activity. The biocatalytic membrane was observed to retain about 84.23\% of its synthetic activity after six cycles. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Candida rugosa lipase, Enzyme immobilization, membrane bioreactor, urethane methacrylate}, issn = {0376-7388}, doi = {10.1016/j.memsci.2006.09.009}, author = {Pujari, N. S. and Vaidya, Bx and Bagalkote, S. and Ponrathnam, S. and Nene, Sanjay} } @article { ISI:000242873400035, title = {Potassium phosphate or silica sulfuric acid catalyzed conjugate addition of thiols to alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones at room temperature under solvent-free conditions}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {52}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9325-9328}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Potassium phosphate and silica sulfuric acid have been found to be useful and highly efficient catalysts for conjugate addition of thiols to alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones under solvent-free conditions, at room temperature. Silica sulfuric acid (SSA) was found to be suitable for electron-deficient enones while potassium phosphate was found to effect thia-Michael addition with both, electron-deficient as well as electron-rich conjugated ketones. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha, beta-unsaturated ketones, chalcones, conjugated enones, Michael addition, Potassium phosphate, silica sulfuric acid, thiols}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.10.114}, author = {Pore, D. M. and Soudagar, M. S. and Desai, Uday V. and Thopate, T. S. and Wadagaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000235256200004, title = {Preparation of gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles using DC thermal arc-plasma route, their characterization and magnetic properties}, journal = {Scripta Materialia}, volume = {54}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {1235-1240}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

gamma-Fe2O3 particles were prepared, for the first time, using a direct current thermal arc-plasma route. The powder was characterized using X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, chemical analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry C and transmission electron microscopy. The high purity, stoichiometry and spherical morphology of the gamma-Fe2O3 particles (saturation magnetization = 79 emu g(-1) and coercivity = 348 Oe) were confirmed. (c) 2006 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chemical analysis, DC thermal arc-plasma route, maghemite, Mossbauer spectroscopy, XPS}, issn = {1359-6462}, doi = {10.1016/j.scriptamat.2005.12.029}, author = {Banerjee, Indrani and Khollam, Y. B. and Balasubramanian, C. and Pasricha, R. and Bakare, P. P. and Patil, K. R. and Das, A. K. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000238443200008, title = {Production of lactic acid and fructose from media with cane sugar using mutant of Lactobacillus delbrueckii NCIM 2365}, journal = {Letters in Applied Microbiology}, volume = {43}, number = {1}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {53-57}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Aims: To examine the potential of Lactobacillus delbrueckii mutant, Uc-3 to produce lactic acid and fructose from sucrose-based media. Methods and Results: The mutant of L. delbrueckii NCIM 2365 was cultivated in shake flask containing hydrolysed cane sugar (sucrose)-based medium. The lactic acid yield and volumetric productivity with hydrolysed cane concentration up to 200 g l(-1) were in the range of 92-97\% of the theoretical value and between 2.7 and 3.8 g l(-1) h(-1), respectively. The fructose fraction of the syrup produced was more than 95\% when the total initial sugar concentration in the medium was higher (150-200 g l(-1)). There are no unwanted byproducts detected in the fermentation broth. Conclusions: We demonstrated that L. delbrueckii mutant Uc-3 was able to utilize glucose preferentially to produce lactic acid and fructose from hydrolysed cane sugar in batch fermentation process. Significance and Impact of the Study: These findings will be useful in the production of lactic acid and high fructose syrups using media with high concentrations of sucrose-based raw materials. This approach can lead to modification of the traditional fermentation processes to obtain value-added byproducts, attaining better process economics.

}, keywords = {fructose accumulation, hydrolyzed cane sugar, lactic acid production, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Mutant}, issn = {0266-8254}, doi = {10.1111/j.1472-765X.2006.01907.x}, author = {Patil, S. S. and Kadam, S. R. and Patil, S. S. and Bastawade, Kulbhushan B. and Khire, Jayant Malhar and Gokhale, D. V.} } @article { ISI:000238086600005, title = {Radiation assisted synthesis of nanosized barium zirconate}, journal = {Radiation Physics and Chemistry}, volume = {75}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {755-759}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This paper reports the synthesis of refractory barium zirconate using solid-state reactive precursors subjected to gamma-radiations of a Co-60 source. Influence of varying doses on the formation of cubic phase of BaZrO3 has been investigated with the stepwise analysis of the intermediate products by means of FT-IR, XRD and TGA techniques. TEM depicts the nanospherical nature of the BaZrO3 particles. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, gamma-radiation, Nanoparticles, perovskite, refractory, XRD}, issn = {0969-806X}, doi = {10.1016/j.radphyschem.2005.12.041}, author = {Athawale, Anjali A. and Chandwadkar, Asha J. and Karandikar, Prashant R. and Pasricha, R. and Bapat, Malini S.} } @article { ISI:000241361400002, title = {Role of glucose in production and repression of polygalacturonase and pectate lyase from phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium moniliforme NCIM 1276}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {22}, number = {9}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {893-899}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A mangrove fungal isolate Fusarium moniliforme NCIM 1276 was found to produce the maximum extracellular endopolygalacturonase and pectate lyase activities in liquid medium containing 1\% citrus pectin and 0.2\% glucose at pH 5 and pH 8, respectively. The enzyme secretion started after 10 h, when the spores were completely germinated, and maximum production occurred after 72 h in the extracellular medium. The production of polygalacturonase was enhanced by 0.2\% glucose and completely repressed by 1\% glucose. Pectate lyase secretion was also induced by a similar concentration of glucose in the extracellular medium and significantly decreased at 1\% glucose. Quantification of extracellular and intracellular polygalacturonase and pectate lyase protein concentrations by ELISA and immunocytolocalization data suggested that glucose may control the expression of both enzymes at a transcriptional level.

}, keywords = {catabolic repression, Fusarium moniliforme, inducible enzyme, pectate lyase, polygalacturonase}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-006-9119-3}, author = {Niture, Suryakant K. and Kumar, Ameeta R. and Pant, Aditi} } @article { ISI:000241949000010, title = {Role of ligands in the formation, phase stabilization, structural and magnetic properties of alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Nanoparticle Research}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {635-643}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The electrochemical synthesis of alpha Fe2O3 nanoparticles was performed using quaternary ammonium salts viz. TPAB, TBAB and TOAB in an organic medium by optimizing current density and molar concentration of the ligand. The role of ligands in the formation of alpha phase, structure and magnetic properties was investigated in details. The effect of increasing chain length on the particle size confirmed that as the chain length increases from propyl to octyl, the particle size decreases. X-ray diffraction spectra of as prepared samples and TEM analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of iron oxide. TEM showed beads of iron oxide joined together with a size distribution in the range of 6-30 nm. The Mossbauer studies also support this observation that for the lowest particle size, the line width is broader which successively reduces with increase in particle size. Iron oxide capped with TOAB indicated superparamagnetic nature at room temperature. The resultant internal magnetic field of 506 mm/s due to hyperfine splitting clearly established the formation of alpha-Fe2O3 The infrared spectroscopy and pH measurements revealed the binding of tetra alkyl ligand with iron oxide. The IR spectra and the increase in basicity of as prepared samples confirmed the formation of hydrated iron oxide. Above 800 degrees C the spectra indicated only iron oxide. Surface area obtained by BET method was 205 m(2)/g.

}, keywords = {Alkyl chain length, alpha-Fe2O3, Electrochemistry, magnetic properties, Nanoparticles, narrow size distribution}, issn = {1388-0764}, doi = {10.1007/s11051-005-9033-x}, author = {Joshi, Satyawati S. and Patil, Prajakta R. and Nimase, Madhav S. and Bakare, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000236922600002, title = {Room temperature synthesis of mesoporous aggregates of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {97}, number = {2-3}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {207-212}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The controlled hydrolysis reaction of titanium tetrabutoxide in presence of acetic acid in isopropanol, i.e. in non-aqueous media was adopted in the present work for the synthesis of nanocrystalline titania followed by aging at ambient conditions for longer duration. The powder XRD shows that the as-dried precursor (without any aging) is non-crystalline in nature. However, room temperature aging for longer duration \> 120 days not only helped to develop crystallinity in TiO2 nanoparticles but also led to the formation of their self-assembly towards mesoporous aggregates creating sponge like TiO2 nano-structure having high surface area similar to 250m (2) g(-1)and narrow pore size distribution of 4-5 nm. TEM observations revealed the generation of spherical TiO2 nanoparticles (4-5 nm) assembled to form stable spongy scaffold having porous network structure with pore size 5-6 nm. Also, presence of a pronounced hysteresis loop in BET isotherm is indicative of a 3D-intersection network of the pores of size 4-5 nm. Further heat-treatment to the aged precursor at 400 degrees C/2 h in air modify pore network structure due to sintering of TiO2 particles as is observed in TEM studies and lowering thereby the surface area to 125 m(2) g(-1) (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Microstructure, porous materials, sol-gel processing, titania}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2005.02.014}, author = {Deshpande, S. B. and Potdar, H. S. and Khollam, Y. B. and Patil, K. R. and Pasricha, R. and Jacob, Nalini E.} } @article { ISI:000240291900046, title = {Room-temperature biosynthesis of ferroelectric barium titanate nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {128}, number = {36}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article No. JA063011M}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The syntheses of inorganic materials by biological systems is characterized by processes that occur close to ambient temperatures, pressures, and neutral pH, as is exemplified by biosilicification and biomineralization processes in nature. Conversely, laboratory-based syntheses of oxide materials often require extremes of temperature and pressure. We have shown here the extracellular, room-temperature biosynthesis of 4-5 nm ternary oxide nanoparticles such as barium titanate (BT) using a fungus-mediated approach. The tetragonality as well as a lowered Curie transition temperature in sub-10 nm particles was established, and the ferroelectricity in these particles was shown using Kelvin probe microscopy.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja063011m}, author = {Bansal, Vipul and Poddar, Pankaj and Ahmad, Absar and Sastry, Murali} } @article {42758, title = {Ruthenium(II), copper(I) and silver(I) complexes of large bite bisphosphinite, bis(2-diphenylphosphinoxynaphthalen-1-yl)methane: Application of Ru(II) complexes towards the hydrogenation of styrene and phenylacetylene}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {691}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4265{\textendash}4272}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2006.06.040}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000242873400039, title = {Stereoselective syntheses of unnatural steroidal C(20R) aldehydes by ionic hydrogenation of C-20 tertiary alcohols}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {52}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9343-9347}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Syntheses of three unnatural steroidal C(20R) aldehydes have been realised from 16-dehydropregnenol one acetate. The salient feature of the synthesis is the ionic hydrogenation of C-20 tertiary alcohols leading to the formation of the C(20R) unnatural isomer with complete stereoselectivity. Oxidative hydrolysis of the dithiane moiety furnished the C(20R) aldehydes. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 3-dithiane, ionic hydrogenation, oxidative hydrolysis, stereoselective synthesis, unnatural C-20 aldehydes}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.10.116}, author = {Shingate, Bapurao B. and Hazra, Braja G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M.} } @article { ISI:000241414500049, title = {Structural and functional analysis of a conjugated bile salt hydrolase from Bifidobacterium longum reveals an evolutionary relationship with penicillin V acylase}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {281}, number = {43}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {32516-32525}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, abstract = {

Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) is an enzyme produced by the intestinal microflora that catalyzes the deconjugation of glycine- or taurine-linked bile salts. The crystal structure of BSH reported here from Bifidobacterium longum reveals that it is a member of N-terminal nucleophil hydrolase structural superfamily possessing the characteristic alpha beta beta alpha tetra-lamellar tertiary structure arrangement. Site-directed mutagenesis of the catalytic nucleophil residue, however, shows that it has no role in zymogen processing into its corresponding active form. Substrate specificity was studied using Michaelis-Menten and inhibition kinetics and fluorescence spectroscopy. These data were compared with the specificity profile of BSH from Clostridium perfrigens and pencillin V acylase from Bacillus sphaericus, for both of which the three-dimensional structures are available. Comparative analysis shows a gradation in activity toward common substrates, throwing light on a possible common route toward the evolution of pencillin V acylase and BSH.

}, issn = {0021-9258}, doi = {10.1074/jbc.M604172200}, author = {Kumar, R. Suresh and Brannigan, James A. and Prabhune, Asmita and Pundle, Archana V. and Dodson, Guy G. and Dodson, Eleanor J. and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000238294800037, title = {Suppression of electron-transfer characteristics of ferrocene by OTS monolayer on a silicon/electrolyte interface}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {299}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {777-784}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {cyclic voltammetry, ferrocene, impedance analysis, octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), rate constant, self-assembled monolayer (SAM)}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2006.03.013}, author = {Kulkarni, S. A. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, V. K.} } @article {31}, title = {Supramolecular self-assembled ruthenium-polypyridyl framework encapsulating discrete water cluster}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {6}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {743-748}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, keywords = {4, 4 {\textquoteleft}-dimethoxydiphenylmethane, benzylsulfonic acid, Condensation of anisole, p-formaldehyde, Zr-TMS-BSA}, issn = {1381-1169}, author = {Deshpande, Megha S. and Kumbhar, A. S. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Selvaraj, K.} } @conference { ISI:000238125903326, title = {Surface characterization of diblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) and various hydrophobic moieties}, booktitle = {231st National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society}, volume = {231}, year = {2006}, note = {231st National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society, Atlanta, GA, MAR 26-30, 2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {326-COLL}, publisher = {American-Chemical-Society}, organization = {American-Chemical-Society}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {1155 16th ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0065-7727}, author = {Logan, Jennifer and Marcano, Kyle and Palaskar, Dnyaneshwar and Wadgaonkar, Prakash and Jost, Robert W. and Wudl, Fred and Baker, Shenda M.} } @article {42759, title = {Suzuki cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by palladium complex of an inexpensive phosphinite, 2-diphenylphosphinoxynaphthyl}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {259}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {78{\textendash}83}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A facile and less expensive monophosphinite ligand 2-(diphenylphosphinoxy)-naphthyl, C10H7OPPh2 (1) has been synthesized from the reaction of β-naphthol with chlorodiphenylphosphine. The mixture of Pd(OAc)2 and 1 catalyzes the Suzuki cross-coupling of a variety of aryl halides with aryl boronic acids at room temperature or at 60 {\textdegree}C, giving generally high yields even under low catalytic loads. The effect of solvent, base and catalyst loading on the coupling reaction of aryl halide with arylboronic acid is also described.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2006.05.067}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Ganesamoorthy, Chelladurai and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000237680000010, title = {Synthesis and characterization of copolyarylates using tin octoate as a catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {101}, number = {1}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {70-77}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {copolyarylates, diphenyl isophthalate, diphenyl terephthalate, melt polymerization, tin octoate}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.22953}, author = {Waghmare, P. B. and Pathak, P. and Deshmukh, S. A. and Idage, Susheela B. and Idage, Bhaskar B.} } @article { ISI:000242818000001, title = {Synthesis and characterization of corrosion protective poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coatings on copper}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {253}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1037-1045}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Review}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coatings were synthesized on copper (Cu) by electrochemical polymerization of 2,5-dimethylaniline in aqueous salicylate solution by using cyclic voltammetry. The characterization of these coatings was carried out by cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of these characterizations indicate that the aqueous salicylate solution is a suitable medium for the electrochemical polymerization of 2,5-dimethylaniline to generate strongly adherent and smooth poly (2,5-dimethylaniline) coatings on Cu substrates. The performance of poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) as protective coating against corrosion of Cu in aqueous 3\% NaCl was assessed by the potentiodynamic polarization technique. The results of the potentiodynamic polarization demonstrate that the poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coating has ability to protect the Cu against corrosion. The corrosion potential was about 0.078 V versus SCE more positive in aqueous 3\% NaCl for the poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coated Cu than that of uncoated Cu and reduces the corrosion rate of Cu almost by a factor of 31. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {5-dimethylaniline) coatings, conducting polymers, Copper, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical polymerization, Poly(2}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2006.02.007}, author = {Shinde, Vandana and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article {Bender, title = {Synthesis, characterization, X-ray structure and DNA photocleavage by cis-dichloro bis(diimine) Co(III) complexes}, journal = {Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry}, volume = {100}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {331-343}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, keywords = {Acetic acid, acrylic acid, oxidative conversion of propane, rare earth-doped Mo-V-Sb catalysts}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2005.11.022}, author = {Ghosh, Smita and Barve, A. C. and Kumbhar, A. A. and Kumbhar, A. S. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Datar, P. A. and Sonawane, U. B. and Joshi, Rohini R.} } @article { ISI:000238050700006, title = {Synthesis of beta-Ag2Se from organo-selenium precursor and silver nitrate in DMF via simultaneous reduction of selenium and silver salt}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {60}, number = {17-18}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2080-2085}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Reaction of selenium powder and silver nitrate in aqueous N,N{\textquoteright}-dimethylformamide (aq. DMF) leads to formation of silver selenide. Similar reaction with cycloalkeno-1,2,3-selenadiazole an organic compound of selenium upon thermolysis, also produces silver selenide. It is believed that DMF activates selenium and reduces silver salt via in-situ generated hydrogen ion simultaneously. Slightly broadened X-ray diffraction pattern for pure beta silver selenide (beta-Ag2Se) was observed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the agglomerated particles could be in the range of about 100 to 200 nm in dimension. EDAX analysis showed non-stoichiometric elemental ratio between silver and selenium. It is found that the weight percent of Ag is slightly higher than Se. However, free amorphous selenium is also detected by XPS analysis when the product is made by use of elemental selenium. Thermal analysis (TGA) revealed a small (4\%) weight loss due to the presence of organics or the solvent from the reaction medium. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, nano powder, noble metal chalcogenides, Semiconductor}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.12.079}, author = {Khanna, P. K. and Singh, N. and Charan, Shobhit and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000237856400014, title = {Synthesis of corrosion inhibitive poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coatings on low carbon steel}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {41}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2851-2858}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

An attempt has been made towards the synthesis of strongly adherent poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coatings on low carbon steel substrates, with an objective of examining the possibility of using this polymer for corrosion protection of steel in chloride environment. In this work, the poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coatings were synthesized by electrochemical polymerization of 2,5-dimethylaniline using sodium salicylate as a supporting electrolyte. The characterization of these coatings was carried out by cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results of these characterizations indicate that the aqueous salicylate solution is a suitable medium for the electrochemical polymerization of 2,5-dimethylaniline to generate strongly adherent and smooth poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coatings on low carbon steel substrates. The performance of poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) as protective coating against corrosion of low carbon steel in aqueous 3\% NaCl was assessed by the open circuit potential and the potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The potentiodynamic polarization measurement reveals that the poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) coating increases the corrosion potential and reduces the corrosion rate of low carbon steel almost by a factor of 50. This study clearly ascertains that the poly(2,5-dimethylaniline) has outstanding capability to protect low carbon steel against corrosion in chloride environment. (c) 2006 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-006-2375-7}, author = {Shinde, V. and Sainkar, S. R. and Gangal, S. A. and Patil, P. P.} } @article {42762, title = {Synthesis of neutral (PdII, PtII), Cationic (PdII), and water-induced anionic (PdII) complexes containing new mesocyclic thioether-aminophosphonite ligands and their application in the suzuki cross-coupling reaction}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9454{\textendash}9464}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1021/ic061419e}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000236922600018, title = {Synthesis of star shaped Ba1-xSrTiO3 (BST) powders}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {97}, number = {2-3}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {295-300}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Uniform star shaped strontium substituted barium titanyl oxalate Ba1-xSrxTiO(C2O4)(2) (BSTO)/strontium substituted barium titanate, Ba1-xSrxTiO3 (BST) powders were prepared via a simple chemical co-precipitation route with x = 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25. The process involved an addition of 0.1 M solution of titanium tetrabutoxide (BTM) in isopropanol (IPA) to 0.1 M oxalic acid in IPA containing 0.2 M of H2O to produce titanyl oxalate precipitate which was further reacted with 0.1 M solution of ammonium oxalate to obtain 0.1 M clear homogeneous solution of ammonium titanyl oxalate (ATO) with pH 4.25 containing titanium in the form of soluble anionic oxalate species [TiO(C2O4)(2)(2-)]. Stoichiometric quantities of barium hydroxide and strontium nitrate were dissolved in distilled water and its pH was adjusted nearly equal to that of ATO (similar to 4.15) by drop wise addition of dilute HNO3 solution 1:10 (v/v). The addition of this mixed cation precursor solution to ATO solution resulted in precipitation of strontium substituted barium titanyl oxalate (BSTO) having star shaped morphology. The calcination of BSTO precursors at 730 degrees C for 4 h in air produced cubic BST powders (a(o) similar to 4.001, 3.996 and 3.991 angstrom for x = 0. 15, 0.20, 0.25, respectively) having star shaped morphology. SEM, XRD and IFTIR techniques were used to characterize the BSTO/BST powders. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {barium-strontium titanate, barium-strontium titanyl oxalate, capping agent, Co-precipitation, Morphology}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2005.08.013}, author = {Khollam, Y. B. and Potdar, H. S. and Deshpande, S. B. and Gaikwad, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000238012800020, title = {Synthetic studies toward macrocidins: an RCM approach for the construction of the central cyclic core}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {24}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4061-4064}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {acyltetramic acid, Lacey-Dieckmann cyclization, macrocidins, Ring closing metathesis}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.192}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Mondal, Mohabul A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000239884300028, title = {Theoretical study of N2O reduction by CO in Fe-BEA zeolite}, journal = {Chemphyschem}, volume = {7}, number = {8}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1795-1801}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Quantum mechanical (QM) and QM/molecular mechanics (MM) studies of the full catalytic cycle of N2O reduction by CO in Fe-BEA zeolite, that is, oxidation of BEA-Fe by NO and reduction of BEA-Fe-alpha O by CO, is presented. A large QM cluster, representing half of the channel of the BEA zeolite, is used. The contribution of the MM embedding to the calculated activation energies is found to be negligible. The minimum-energy paths for N2O decomposition and reduction with CO are calculated using the nudged elastic bond (NEB) method. Calculated band experimental activation energies ore in good agreement The two possible orientations for the gaseous molecules adsorbing on the Fe site that ore found lead to different activation energies.

}, keywords = {Density functional calculations, iron, nitrogen oxides, reaction mechanisms, zeolites}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.200600228}, author = {Fischer, Gerd and Goursot, Annick and Coq, Bernard and Delahay, Gerard and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000240012600023, title = {Thermally assisted semiconductor-like to insulator transition in gold-poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites}, journal = {Nanotechnology}, volume = {17}, number = {16}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {Article No. 4129-4134}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Gold-polymethylmethacrylate ( PMMA) nanocomposites were fabricated by mixing gold nanoparticles capped with oleylamine in polymethylmethacrylate. The samples were analysed using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, small angle x-ray scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry ( FTIR) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS). Electrical resistivity of nanocomposite samples was measured by a four-probe technique in the 70-300 K range. The nanocomposites showed a transition with an onset at similar to 160-165 K. They exhibited a semiconductor-like conductivity at higher temperatures and nearly temperature independent conductivity at lower temperatures. The interfacial interaction of Au nanoparticles and PMMA polymer is investigated using FTIR and XPS. A ligand-exchange process occurs when capped gold nanoparticles are incorporated in PMMA polymer.

}, issn = {0957-4484}, doi = {10.1088/0957-4484/17/16/023}, author = {Abyaneh, Majid Kazemian and Pasricha, Renu and Gosavi, S. W. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000236150300039, title = {Thermotropic behavior of lithocholic acid derivative linked hydroxyethyl cellulose}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {100}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1995-2001}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {hydroxyethyl cellulose, lithocholic acid, thermotropic}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.22285}, author = {Shaikh, V. A. E. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Lonikar, Shrikant Vitthal and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article { ISI:000240786300012, title = {Total synthesis of (-)-radicamine B}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {39}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6979-6981}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of a chiral cyclic nitrone with L-arabino configuration and its application in the total synthesis of radicamine B is reported. An agreement in the spectral data with natural radicamine B but specific rotation with an opposite sign warranted a revision of the absolute configuration of radicamine B. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {codonopsinine, Cyclic nitrone, Grignard addition, polyhydroxy pyrrolidine alkaloids, radicamine B}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.07.120}, author = {Gurjar, Mukund K. and Borhade, Ramdas G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Ramana, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000237651600037, title = {Towards the total synthesis of clavosolide A}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {22}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3781-3783}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of the monomeric unit of clavosolide A from 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucose is presented. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {clavosolide A, diolide, reductive oxirane opening, seco acid, Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.107}, author = {Yakambram, Pedduri and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000238771400023, title = {Treatment of spentwash using chemically modified bagasse and colour removal studies}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {97}, number = {14}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1752-1755}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {decolourisation, distillery effluent, modified biomass, vinasse}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2005.10.016}, author = {Mane, Jyoti D. and Modi, Shewta and Nagawade, Swati and Phadnis, S. P. and Bhandari, Vinay M.} } @article { ISI:000242469000012, title = {Unusual formation of nano-particles of CdO and Cd(OH)(2) from the reaction of dimethyl cadmium with DMF}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {60}, number = {29-30}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3492-3498}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

This paper presents generation of CdO and Cd(OH)(2) nano-particles from Dimethyl Cadmium in DMF. The CdO nano-particles were obtained instead of CdSe, even when the reaction was done in presence of 1,2,3-selenadiazole (the source of selenium) with Me2Cd in DMF (product-I). The direct reaction of Me2Cd in DMF also leads to formation of CdO (product-II). However, Cd(OH)(2) nano-particles were obtained when Me2Cd was refluxed in DMF for a few hours followed by reaction of H2S gas (product-III). The formation of Cd(OH)(2) was also established via decomposition Of Me2Cd:Et2O adduct (product-IV). Nano-particles of CdO and Cd(OH)(2) (product-I to product-IV) were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), TEM and SEM/EDS measurements, FTIR, thermal analysis (TGA) and XPS analysis. The particle size of all the products as calculated by XRD patterns were in the range of about 20 nm. TEM images showed that the products are agglomerated clusters with the particles in the nano-meter regime. The synthesis however, is understood to be unusual as the reactions with selenium source and sulfur source should have generated the CdSe and CdS however, the end products were always found to be the product-I to product-IV (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Nanoparticles, Semiconductor, XRD}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2006.03.054}, author = {Singh, Narendra and Charan, Shobhit and Patil, K. R. and Viswanath, A. K. and Khanna, P. K.} } @article {42733, title = {Unusual products in the reactions of phosphorus(III) compounds with N=N, C equivalent to C or conjugated double-bonded systems}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {118}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {495{\textendash}501}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The diversity of products in the reaction of diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD)/diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD) and activated acetylenes with PIII compounds bearing oxygen or nitrogen substituents is discussed. New findings that are useful in understanding the nature of intermediates involved in the Mitsunobu reaction are highlighted. X-ray structures of two new compounds (2-t-Bu-4-MeC6H3O)P (μ-N-t-Bu)2P+[(NH-t-Bu)N[(CO2]-i-Pr)(HNCO2-i-Pr)]](Cl-)(2-t-Bu-4-MeC6H3OH)(23)and [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2P(O)C(CO2Me)C-(CO2Me)CClNC(O)Cl] (33) are also reported. The structure of23 is close to one of the intermediates proposed in the Mitsunobu reaction.

}, doi = {10.1007/BF02703946}, author = {Swamy, K. C. Kumara and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Pavan, M. Phani and Kumar, N. N. Bhuvan and Kumar, K. Praveen and Kumar, N. Satish} } @article { ISI:000241996500012, title = {Vapour phase methylation of phenol over nanocrystalline ZnFe(2-x)A1(x)O(4) (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0) ferrospinel system}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemical Technology}, volume = {13}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {493-498}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

The alkylation ofphenol with methanol was carried out over ZnFe2-xAlxO4 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0) type spinel systems in a Fixed bed, down flow reactor. The influence of Surface acidity, cation distribution in the spinel lattice and various reaction parameters are discussed. A maximum yield of 70.9 and 22.9\% with selectivity of 73.5 and 23.3\% was obtained for 2,6-xylenol and o-cresol respectively, giving a total ortho selectivity of: 96.8\% over ZnFeAlO4 at 350 degrees C, methanol to phenol molar ratio of 5 and WHSV of 0.6 h(-1). Catalyst characterization was made by XRD, Mossbauer spectroscopy, ammonia desorption and BET surface area measurements. Mossbauer spectroscopy reveals isomorphic substitution or Fe 3 by smaller A 13, into the octahedral sites leading to lattice distortion, Unsymmetrical charge distribution and charge transfer from iron to oxygen making it more basic and proton attracting. This helps vertical adsorption ofphenol and formation of 2.6-xylenol. It has been concluded that catalyst acidity plays major role in the reaction as compared to surface area.

}, keywords = {consecutive methylation, ferrospinels, vertical and horizontal adsorption}, issn = {0971-457X}, author = {Reddy, Vanga S. and RadheShyam, A. and Dwivedi, Reena and Rai, A. and Anilkumar, Mettu and Chumbhale, Vilas R. and Aswar, A. S. and Prasad, R.} } @article { ISI:000248080100348, title = {3-(3-Methylphenoxy)-1,5-dihydro-2,4,3-benzodioxaphosphepin-3-one}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {63}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {O2405-O2406}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, chapter = {Part 5}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C15H15O4P, the seven-membered phosphepine ring exhibits a twist-chair conformation, with the phosphoryl O atom in an equatorial and the methylphenoxy group in an axial position. The crystal structure is stabilized by both intra- and intermolecular C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536807015954}, author = {Krishna, J. Radha and Krishnaiah, M. and Babu, M. F. Stephen and Reddy, C. Suresh and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000248080100349, title = {6-Bromo-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-1,3,2-benzoxa zaphosphinine 2-sulfide}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {63}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {O2407-O2409}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, chapter = {Part 5}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C20H16BrClNO2PS, the six-membered oxazaphosphinine ring exhibits a boat conformation, with the S atom in an axial position. The methoxyphenyl and chlorobenzene groups are trans to each othe. The structure is stabilized by intermolecular C-H center dot center dot center dot S hydrogen bonds, linking the molecules into chains.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S160053680701776X}, author = {Krishna, J. Radha and Krishnaiah, M. and Prasad, G. Syam and Reddy, C. Suresh and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000242511300022, title = {Adsorption of methanol on mesoporous SBA-15}, journal = {Materials Letter}, volume = {61}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {88-92}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Electron microscopy, Methanol, SBA-15, Surfaces, thermal stability}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2006.04.012}, author = {Mirji, S. A. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Mathew, Nevin T. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Patil, K. R. and Gaikwad, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000250661500014, title = {All-solid-state{\textquoteright} electrochemistry of a protein-confined polymer electrolyte film}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {364}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {86-91}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {all-solid-state, cyclic voltammetry, hemoglobin, Impedance, Nafion, redox behavior}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.09.118}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Shabab, Mohammed and Khan, Mohammad Islam} } @article { ISI:000207455800021, title = {Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences in childhood encephalomyopathies reveals new disease-associated variants}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {2}, number = {9}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {e942}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {185 BERRY ST, STE 1300, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107 USA}, abstract = {

Background. Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of clinical disorders generally caused due to mutations in either mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or nuclear genes encoding oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). We analyzed the mtDNA sequences from a group of 23 pediatric patients with clinical and morphological features of mitochondrial encephalopathies and tried to establish a relationship of identified variants with the disease. Methodology/Principle Findings. Complete mitochondrial genomes were amplified by PCR and sequenced by automated DNA sequencing. Sequencing data was analyzed by SeqScape software and also confirmed by BLASTn program. Nucleotide sequences were compared with the revised Cambridge reference sequence (CRS) and sequences present in mitochondrial databases. The data obtained shows that a number of known and novel mtDNA variants were associated with the disease. Most of the non-synonymous variants were heteroplasmic (A4136G, A9194G and T11916A) suggesting their possibility of being pathogenic in nature. Some of the missense variants although homoplasmic were showing changes in highly conserved amino acids (T3394C, T3866C, and G9804A) and were previously identified with diseased conditions. Similarly, two other variants found in tRNA genes (G5783A and C8309T) could alter the secondary structure of Cys-tRNA and Lys-tRNA. Most of the variants occurred in single cases; however, a few occurred in more than one case (e. g. G5783A and A10149T). Conclusions and Significance. The mtDNA variants identified in this study could be the possible cause of mitochondrial encephalomyopathies with childhood onset in the patient group. Our study further strengthens the pathogenic score of known variants previously reported as provisionally pathogenic in mitochondrial diseases. The novel variants found in the present study can be potential candidates for further investigations to establish the relationship between their incidence and role in expressing the disease phenotype. This study will be useful in genetic diagnosis and counseling of mitochondrial diseases in India as well as worldwide.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0000942}, author = {Wani, Aijaz A. and Ahanger, Sajad H. and Bapat, Sharmila A. and Rangrez, Ashraf Y. and Hingankar, Nitin and Suresh, C. G. and Barnabas, Shama and Patole, Milind S. and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article { ISI:000247306400010, title = {Anhydrous magnesium sulfate mediated solvent-free synthesis of dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones at ambient temperature}, journal = {Australian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {60}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {435-438}, publisher = {CSIRO PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {150 OXFORD ST, PO BOX 1139, COLLINGWOOD, VICTORIA 3066, AUSTRALIA}, abstract = {

An anhydrous magnesium sulfate mediated solvent-free protocol is described for the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones (Biginelli compounds) at ambient temperature.

}, issn = {0004-9425}, doi = {10.1071/CH07097}, author = {Pore, D. M. and Desai, Uday V. and Thopate, T. S. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000243725800029, title = {Anticorrosive properties of electrosynthesized poly(o-anisidine) coatings on copper from aqueous salicylate medium}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {40}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {520-533}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Poly( o-anisidine) ( POA) coatings were electrosynthesized on copper ( Cu) from an aqueous solution containing o-anisidine and sodium salicylate by using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic and potentiostatic modes. The extent of corrosion protection offered by these coatings to Cu in aqueous 3\% NaCl solution was evaluated by the open circuit potential measurements, potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies reveal that the POA acts as a protective layer on Cu against corrosion in 3\% NaCl solution. The positive shift in the corrosion potential for the POA-coated Cu indicates the protection of the Cu surface by the POA. The POA coating synthesized by using cyclic voltammtery, galvanostatic and potentiostatic modes reduces the corrosion rate of Cu almost by a factor of 100, 100 and 7, respectively. The cyclic voltammetry was proved to be the better mode to adopt for the synthesis of more compact and strongly adherent POA coatings on Cu. The coatings synthesized by this mode were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the electrochemical polymerization of o-anisidine on Cu takes place after the passivation of its surface via the formation of Cu2O and/or copper salicylate complex and results in the generation of shiny, uniform and strongly adherent POA coatings. The optical absorption spectroscopy reveals the formation of the emeraldine salt form of POA. The results of this study clearly ascertain that the POA has outstanding potential to protect Cu against corrosion in a chloride environment.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/40/2/028}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Sainkar, S. R. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000244470700005, title = {Asymmetric synthesis of (R)-(-)-baclofen via asymmetric dihydroxylation}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {46}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {326-330}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

A short and efficient asymmetric synthesis of (R)-(-)-baclofen, a selective GABA(B) agonist has been described with an overall yield of 14\% and 85\% ee. The Os-catalyzed Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation of alpha,beta-unsaturated olefin constitutes the key step in introducing stereogenic centers into the molecule.

}, keywords = {asymmetric dihydroxylation, baclofen, cyclic sulfate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, Parkinsons{\textquoteright} disease}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Thakur, V. V. and Paraskar, A. S. and Sudalai, A.} } @article { ISI:000243627100004, title = {Attempt at taxonomical characterization of some Rhizobial species by intact cell MALDI mass spectrometry}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {23}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {177-185}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

In the present study an attempt was made to exploit the benefit of intact cell MALDI mass spectrometry (ICM-MS) in bringing out similarities and differences among some Rhizobium species and a species of Agrobacterium based on specific mass:charge (m/z) values. Rhizobium species isolated from the root nodules of selected leguminous plants were analysed by ICM-MS. The spectra were acquired in the range of 500-10,000 Da yielding several peaks specific to each species. The peaks obtained corresponded to the respective bacterial cell surface molecules which were desorbed during matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization. The number of peaks were more in the range of 500-1200 Da. Dice similarity coefficient analysis of m/z values indicated that Rhizobium species isolated from Trigonella foenum-graecum and Pisum arvense showed more similarity than any other species. Agrobacterium species did show a few common m/z values in comparison with other Rhizobium species. This clearly shows that Agrobacterium is closely related to Rhizobium. Eventually, ICM-MS technique offers clear, distinct, and consistent results for replicates, in less than an hour{\textquoteright}s time, therefore this technique has high potential in molecular taxonomy.

}, keywords = {ICM-MS, legume, molecular taxonomy, Rhizobium, symbiotic}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-006-9207-4}, author = {Prabhu, R. R. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Parasharami, V. A. and Santhakumari, B. and Paranjape, S.} } @article { ISI:000252511300020, title = {Bacterial enzyme mediated biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {7}, number = {12}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4369-4377}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Development of synthesis methods for anisotropic metal nanoparticles is of considerable interest due to their remarkable optoelectronic properties. Various shapes ranging from rods to cubes to tetrapods and prisms may be obtained by chemical methods. Here we show that anisotropic gold nanoparticles can be synthesized biologically by the bacterium Actinobacter spp. when challenged with gold chloride in the presence of Bovine serum albumin (BSA). We also observed that synthesis of gold nanoparticles occur with simultaneous induction of the protease enzyme secreted by the bacterium in the presence of BSA. The presence of BSA helps to enhance the rate of gold nanoparticles biosynthesis and may also impart some shape control. Controlling simple experimental conditions like incubation temperature and presence or absence of oxygen have drastic effect on the reaction rate and the morphology of the particles. Various assay experiments show that the presence of enzyme protease can act as a reducing as well as shape directing agent.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, bovine serum, gold nanoparticles}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2007.891}, author = {Bharde, Atul A. and Kulkarni, Aarohi and Rao, Mala and Prabhune, Asmita and Sastry, Murali} } @article { ISI:000249553200007, title = {Bio-milling technique for the size reduction of chemically synthesized BiMnO3 nanoplates}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {17}, number = {37}, year = {2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3910-3914}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b706154d}, author = {Mazumder, Baishakhi and Uddin, Imran and Khan, Shadab and Ravi, Venkat and Selvraj, Kaliaperumal and Poddar, Pankaj and Ahmad, Absar} } @article { ISI:000245350600013, title = {Butylation of toluene: influence of zeolite structure and acidity on 4-tert-butyltoluene selectivity}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {265}, number = {1-2}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {109-116}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Vapour phase alkylation of toluene with tert-butyl alcohol was studied over the large pore zeolites H beta, HY and HMCM-22. The influence of the acidity, reaction temperature, run duration, feed rate (WHSV) and molar ratio of the reactants on conversion of toluene and selectivity for 4-tertbutyl toluene was studied. Among the isomers formed during the reaction, the para-isomer was the predominant one, followed by the meta-isomer, while no ortho-isomer was found in the products due to steric factors. 4-tert-Butyl toluene selectivity decreases at higher temperatures, while going through a maximum in the 413-433 K temperature range. Zeolite HY with a high silica to alumina ratio (SiO2/Al2O3 = 80), that has strong acidity, but lower acid site density, possesses high activity for toluene conversion, high alkylation selectivity and also high para-selectivity. The improved para-selectivity of high silica HY zeolite is attributed to the low isomerization activity that results in the suppression of the secondary isomerization of 4-tert-butyl toluene. Both alkylation and selectivity are higher with feed mixtures containing a lower fraction of tert-butyl alcohol. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {4-t-butyltoluene, Acidity, butylation, large pore zeolites, Toluene}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2006.09.046}, author = {Pai, Shivanand and Gupta, Upendranath and Chilukuri, Satyanarayana V.} } @article { ISI:000250183300024, title = {Carbohydrate based approach towards the synthesis of aspercyclide C}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letter}, volume = {48}, number = {42}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7524-7527}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {chiron approach, D-ribose, Mukaiyama reagent, ring closing metathesis (RCM), Ullmann coupling}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.08.050}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Mondal, Mohabul A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000246341400004, title = {Cephalexin-mediated synthesis of quasi-spherical and anisotropic gold nanoparticles and their in situ capping by the antibiotic}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {111}, number = {19}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6933-6938}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Here we report, for the first time, synthesis of gold nanostructures in aqueous medium by reducing gold ions using cephalexin, a potent broad-spectrum antibiotic, where the morphology of the gold nanoparticles is found to be dependent on the concentration of chloroauric acid. The characterization techniques indicate that particle surfaces are coated with the robust layer of the antibiotic making them stable for a long time. Thus, cephalexin acts as both the reducing and the capping agent. NMR and XPS analysis indicate that the sulfur moiety is responsible for the reduction and binding process.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp067645r}, author = {Jagannathan, Ramya and Poddar, Pankaj and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000244404400002, title = {Characterization of the proteins of bacterial strain isolated from contaminated site involved in heavy metal resistance - a proteomic approach}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {128}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {444-451}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The present study describes response of a bacterial strain isolated from a polluted river to heavy metal toxicity. The bacterium was identified to be Klebsiella pneumoniae by biochemical tests using API 20E strips and 16S ribotyping. The isolate was studied for its tolerance to two heavy metals, i.e., cobalt (Co2+) and lead (Pb2+) by growing it in citrate mineral medium (CMM). Proteomic approach involving two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) and mass spectrometry (MS) was used to identify the differentially expressed proteins under heavy metal stress. Two of the differentially expressed proteins were identified to be L-isoaspartate protein carboxymethyltransferase type II and DNA gyrase A. To our knowledge, this is for the first time that K pneumoniae has been reported to be present in metal contaminated site and L-isoaspartate protein carboxymethyltransferase type II protein to be over expressed under heavy metal stress. The role of these proteins in metal tolerance is discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2D PAGE, heavy metal toxicity, Mass spectrometry}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2006.11.010}, author = {Bar, Chinmayee and Patil, Rajendra and Doshi, Jignesh and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Gade, Wasudeo N.} } @article { ISI:000250698400015, title = {Cholesterol-linked beta-cyclodextrin - a thermotropic liquid-crystalline derivative}, journal = {Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan }, volume = {80}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1975-1980}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, type = {Article}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Liquid-crystalline derivative of ss-cyclodextrin (BCD) was prepared by covalent linking of monocholesteryl succinate (ChMS) with ss-cyclodextrin. To the best of our knowledge, this was first ever attempt so far of its kind, in which BCD has been converted into its liquid-crystalline derivative through covalent linkage of a mesogen. The degree of substitution (DS) obtained was approximate to 2.00. The product was characterized by various techniques, such as FT-IR, NMR, DSC, hot-stage-coupled optical polarizing microscopy (OPM), microanalysis and chemical methods. Cholesterol-linked ss-cyclodextrin (CDCh) derivative was found to exhibit thermotropic liquid-crystalline behavior. The product exhibited birefringence during first heating above 130 degrees C, and it became isotropic at about 180 degrees C, whereas the parent compound BCD decomposed without melting above 250 degrees C. A comparison of CDCh derivative to similar liquid-crystalline polysaccharide derivatives is presented.

}, issn = {0009-2673}, doi = {10.1246/bcsj.80.1975}, author = {Shaikh, Vasi Ahmed Ebrahim and Lonikar, Shrikant Vitthal and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Pawar, G. M.} } @article { ISI:000251244900014, title = {Cobalt-salen intercalated montmorillonite catalyst for air oxidation of p-cresol under mild conditions}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {46}, number = {25}, year = {2007}, note = {Joint 6th International Symposium on Catalysis in Multiphase Reactors/5th International Symposium on Multifunctional Reactors (CAMURE-6/ISMR-5-), Pune, INDIA, JAN 14-17, 2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8413-8419}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article, Proceedings Paper}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Air oxidation of p-cresol under very mild conditions (338 K and ambient pressure) was carried out in a semibatch reactor over a solid catalyst developed by intercalating cobalt-salen into the montmorillonite clay. The intercalation of cobalt - salen was done by a simple protocol, and the characterization of the intercalated catalyst was done by XPS, FTIR, and XRD techniques. A total selectivity \>= 90\% to the oxidation products could be achieved with this solid catalyst by eliminating the undesired coupling side products in air oxidation of p-cresol under ambient pressure conditions. Effect of various process parameters on the conversion and selectivity pattern were also studied, and it was found that the selectivity ratio of aldehyde to alcohol could be varied by suitably changing the reaction conditions. This heterogeneous catalyst was found to give a 5-fold higher turnover number than the homogeneous cobalt - salen complex.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie07.00720}, author = {Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Kshirsagar, Vikas S. and Nadgeri, Jayprakash M. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000251714500004, title = {Complex carbohydrate specificity of lectin from fruiting body of ganoderma lucidum. a surface plasmon resonance study}, journal = {IUBMB Life}, volume = {59}, number = {12}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {758-764}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The thermodynamics and kinetics of binding of glycans and glycoproteins to Ganoderma lucidum lectin was studied using surface plasmon resonance. The lectin showed highest affinity for asialo triantennary N glycan (Ka = 3.52 x 10(5)) among the glycans tested. There was a several fold increase in affinity for glycoproteins compared to their corresponding glycans and coincident increase in contribution from enthalpy (Delta H), suggesting the involvement of hydrogen bonding in the interaction as well as involvement of protein-protein interactions. Increased affinity also showed increase in unfavorable negative binding entropy (Delta S) which was compensated with higher enthalpy. The glycoproteins showed faster association rates (k(1)) and the activation energy (E-1(double dagger)) in the association process was much lower for the glycoproteins than glycans, resulting in their faster associations. These observations elaborate the role of protein matrix in lectin-glycoconjugate interaction.

}, keywords = {ganoderma lucidum, glycans, Lectin, SPR}, issn = {1521-6543}, doi = {10.1080/15216540701663463}, author = {Thakur, Atul and Pal, Lakhan and Ahmad, Absar and Khan, Mohammad Islam} } @article { ISI:000251507000029, title = {Concise synthesis of (-)-deoxoprosopinine}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {18}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2894-2896}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A simple and highly efficient approach to (-)-deoxoprosopinine from racemic epoxide as a starting material is described employing a Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) and Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) as key steps.

}, keywords = {hydroboration-oxidation, Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s HKR, Piperidine alkaloids, sharpless AD, Total synthesis}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-991056}, author = {Pandey, Satyendra Kumar and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article {42585, title = {Conductance switching in an organic material: from bulk to monolayer}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {23}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9831-9835}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fluorescein sodium, which does not exhibit electrical bistability in thin films, can be switched to a high conducting state by the introduction of carbon nanotubes as channels for carrier transport. Thin films based on fluorescein sodium/carbon nanotubes display memory switching phenomenon among a low conducting state and several high conducting states. Read-only and random-access memory applications between the states resulted in multilevel memory in these systems. Results in thin films and in a monolayer (deposited via layer-by-layer assembly) show that instead of different molecular conformers, multilevel conducting states arise from the different density of high conducting fluorescein molecules.

}, doi = {10.1021/la701132f}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000250092000010, title = {Confinement of nano CdS in designated glass: a novel functionality of quantum dot-glass nanosystems in solar hydrogen production}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {17}, number = {40}, year = {2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4297-4303}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present work is the investigation of our novel approach to designing quantum dot-glass nanosystems by confining nano CdS in designated glass and the first employment of such a quantum dot system in solar hydrogen production. The CdS quantum dots were grown in a special glass matrix, which involved a sequence of steps. The obtained glass was of uniformly bright yellow in color and the bulk glass was pulverized to a fine powder of micron size particles. The glass powder was characterized structurally and morphologically. X-Ray diffraction and electron diffraction patterns reveal a hexagonal crystallite system for the CdS quantum dots. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and chemical leaching with HCl studies demonstrate that the 2.5 nm size CdS quantum dots distribute homogeneously in a monodispersed form in the glass domain and on the surface with a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}partially embedded exposure{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} configuration. This disposition imparts an excellent photostability against photocorrosion and also a facile catalytic function. Therefore, even a very small amount of CdS quantum dots (0.005 g per gram of glass powder) is able to photodecompose H2S under visible light (lambda \>= 420 nm) both in alkaline and pure aqueous media and produce solar hydrogen with markedly high quantum yields of 17.5 and 11.4\%, respectively at 470 nm. Salient features like reusability after simple washing, corrosionless-stability and remarkable catalytic activity of this quantum dot-glass nanosystem are brought forth by our novel catalyst design and are much acclaimed in large scale solar H-2 production.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b708269j}, author = {Kale, Bharat B. and Baeg, Jin-Ook and Apte, Sanjay K. and Sonawane, Ravindra S. and Naik, Sonali D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @conference { ISI:000252146200027, title = {Constrained variational response to fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory: formulation for excited-state electronic structure calculations and some pilot applications}, booktitle = {Computational Methods in Science and Engineering Vol 1: Theory and Computation: Old Problems and New Challenges}, series = {AIP CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS}, volume = {963}, year = {2007}, note = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Science and Engineering, Corfu, GREECE, SEP 25-30, 2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {337-344}, publisher = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci \& Engn; Minist Natl Educ \& Religious Affairs; E4 Comp Engn}, organization = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci \& Engn; Minist Natl Educ \& Religious Affairs; E4 Comp Engn}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, Ste 1no1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {CVA, Dipole moment, excited states, FSMRCC, polarizability}, isbn = {978-0-7354-0477-9}, issn = {0094-243X}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Maroulis, G and Simos, TE} } @article {42683, title = {Controlled aggregation of gold nanoparticle networks induced by alkali metal ions}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {7}, year = {2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2683-2689}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gold nanoparticle networks were obtained by linking them with cysteine modified triethyleneglycols. The oligo-ether linker molecule initially having a linear structure probably adopts a crown ether type structure upon complexation with alkali metal ions that leads to a controlled aggregation of the network. The extent of aggregation depends on the degree of conformational change in the molecule upon complexation with the metal ion, which in turn is governed by the metal ion radius leading to a dependence of red shift of the surface plasmon resonance on the metal ion radius. Since this network is present in the organic solvent they also act as phase transferring agent for the alkali metal ions from aqueous to organic media.

}, keywords = {Aggregation; Alkali Metal Ions; Au Nanoparticles; Crown Ether; Surface Plasmon Resonance}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2007.612}, author = {Tamang, Sudarsan and Hotha, Srinivas and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000249894100012, title = {Convenient formal synthesis of (+/-)-paroxetine}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {37}, number = {18}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3143-3149}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A formal total synthesis of antidepressant (+/-)-paroxetine employing a solvent-free Heck reaction is disclosed.

}, keywords = {antidepressants, carbamate, electrophile, Heck reaction, piperidines}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910701545130}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Khobragade, Dushant A. and Pathak, Ashok B. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000250064100040, title = {Copper phthalocyanine films deposited by liquid-liquid interface recrystallization technique (LLIRCT)}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {315}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {747-752}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Copper phthalocyanine, cyclic voltametry, nanoparticulate films}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2007.07.031}, author = {Patil, K. R. and Sathaye, S. D. and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Sathe, B. R. and Mandale, A. B. and Mitra, A.} } @article { ISI:000245369300017, title = {Correlation between mobility enhancement and conformational change in polyaniline and its derivatives: polaron lattice formation}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {52}, number = {11}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3615-3620}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conformational changes in polyaniline, poly(methyl aniline), and poly(methoxyaniline) are studied in perchloric acid and acetonitrile by means of an in situ reflection technique with oxidation level as a parameter. Stretching of polymer chains leading to enhancement of specular reflection at the polymer-coated electrodes is found to be well correlated with the increase in carrier mobility. The concomitant change in mobility and chain conformation observed with the polyaniline family is explained in terms of the formation of polaron lattice at increased oxidation levels. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Conformation, polyaniline, reflection, scattering : mobility}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2006.10.040}, author = {Harima, Yutaka and Ogawa, Fumiyuki and Patil, Rahul and Jiang, Xiaoqing} } @article { ISI:000246978800026, title = {Corrosion protection aspects of electrochemically synthesized poly(o-anisidine-co-o-toluidine) coatings on copper}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {52}, number = {19}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5958-5967}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The poly(o-anisidine-co-o-toluidine) coatings were synthesized on copper substrates by electrochemical copolymerization of o-anisidine with o-toluidine using sodium salicylate as supporting electrolyte. These coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The formation of the copolymer with the mixture of monomers in the aqueous sodium salicylate solution was ascertained by a critical comparison of the results obtained with the polymerization of the individual monomers, o-anisidine and o-toluidine, respectively. The corrosion protection aspects of poly(o-anisidine-co-o-toluidine) coatings to copper was investigated in aqueous 3\% NaCl solution by potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results of the potentiodynamic polarization measurements and EIS studies showed that the poly(o-anisidine-co-o-toluidine) coatings provided the effective corrosion protection to copper than that of respective homopolymers. The corrosion rate is observed to depend on the feed ratio of o-toluidine used for the synthesis of the copolymer coatings. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {copolymer coatings, Copper, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, poly(o-anisidine-co-o-toluidine)}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2007.03.043}, author = {Pawar, Pritee and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000244470700006, title = {Cu(OTf)(2) catalyzed high yield synthesis of hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridines}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {46}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {331-335}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Copper(II) triflate catalyzes efficiently the three-component condensation of aldehydes, beta-ketoesters and ammonium acetate in acetonitrile at 25 degrees C to afford the corresponding Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridines in high yields.

}, keywords = {4-dihydropyridines, anti-hypertensive drug, calcium channel blockers, cardiovascular diseases, Hantzsch 1, three-component condensation}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000246282600007, title = {Density functional static dipole polarizability and first-hyperpolarizability calculations of Na-n (n=2, 4, 6, 8) clusters using an approximate CPKS method and its comparison with MP2 calculations}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {3}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {716-727}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{We report the static dipole polarizability and first-hyperpolarizability of the sodium atom clusters, Na-n

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct6003627}, author = {Sophy, K. B. and Calaminici, Patrizia and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000249329300010, title = {Deprotonation of 1,2-dialkylpyridinium ions: a DFT study of reactivity and site selectivity}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {111}, number = {36}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8823-8828}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A site-selectivity model, based on the Fukui function as a local reactivity descriptor, has been applied to 1.2-disubstituted pyridinium ions incorporating two competing sites of similar reactivity, i.e., 1-methylene and 2-methylene, which may undergo deprotonation depending on the nature of substituent present on these moieties. Applicability of the local HSAB rule, in context with the Li-Evans{\textquoteright} generalized HSAB principle suggesting the hard-hard interactions to be controlled by minimum Fukui function, has been illustrated. Global and local reactivity descriptors have been computed by carrying out DFT calculations at B3LYP/6-31++G** level using Mulliken and NPA methods for charge analysis. A comparison with the calculated deprotonation energies involving two sites indicates that the observed site selectivity in differently substituted pyridinium ions is better explained by the Li-Evans rule of minimum Fukui function for hard-hard interactions.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/jp072812o}, author = {Gupta, Neelima and Garg, Reena and Shah, Kirti Kr. and Tanwar, Akhilesh and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000252235900014, title = {Design, synthesis, and micellar properties of bile acid dimers and oligomers linked with a 1,2,3-triazole ring}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {52}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12927-12934}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of propargyl esters of bile acids to azide group attached at different positions of bile acids gave dimers, trimer, and tetramer linked with 1,2,3-triazole. These dimeric and oligomeric structures were able to solubilize hydrophilic dye-cresol red, in nonpolar solvent. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.10.042}, author = {Aher, Nilkanth G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Patil, Sachin P.} } @article { ISI:000246060000033, title = {Dipole moments and polarizabilities of some small radicals using constrained variational response to fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {438}, number = {4-6}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {321-325}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2007.02.075}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000243163000032, title = {Eco-friendly synthesis of epichlorohydrin catalyzed by titanium silicate (TS-1) molecular sieve and hydrogen peroxide}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {379-382}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In a mixed solvent system of acetonitrile and methanol, titanium silicate molecular sieve, TS-1, having MFI topology, efficiently catalyses the epoxidation of allyl chloride to the corresponding epichlorohydrin in excellent yields using dilute hydrogen peroxide (45\%) as an oxidizing agent. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, epoxidation, heterogeneous catalysis, selectivity, titanium silicalite-1}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2006.07.007}, author = {Pandey, Rajesh Kumar and Kumar, Rajiv} } @article { ISI:000245599400011, title = {Effect of halogen addition to monolayer protected gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {17}, number = {16}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1614-1619}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effects of N-halosuccinimide and halogen addition to monolayer protected gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) dispersed in organic media are described. Contrary to the expectation that nanoparticles dispersed in organic media are stable against aggregation, N-iodosuccinimide addition induced aggregation of octadecylamine capped gold nanoparticles in chloroform or toluene. It was observed that even KI and CuI addition could bring about the aggregation though they are very sparingly soluble in organic solvents. It was also found that even molecular iodine could bring about the above mentioned aggregation. Interestingly, when CuI is used the aggregated structures readily convert to very thin flat nanostructures upon exposure to an electron beam or UV irradiation. In fact when the aggregation is induced by the addition of KI or N-iodosuccinamide we do not see the flattening of the aggregated structures exemplifying the important role of Cu ions in making these flat structures.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b614934k}, author = {Singh, Sanjay and Pasricha, Renu and Bhatta, Umananda M. and Satyam, P. V. and Sastry, Murali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000250556100042, title = {Effect of surface chemistry of Fe-Ni nanoparticles on mechanistic pathways of azo dye degradation}, journal = {Environmental Science \& Technology}, volume = {41}, number = {21}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {7437-7443}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The degradation of Orange G a monoazo dye, in aqueous solutions was investigated using as-synthesized and stored Fe-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles. Batch experiments with a nanocatalyst loading of 3 g/L showed complete. dye degradation (150 mg/L) after 10 min of reactiontime. HPLC-MS analysis of the degradation products showed that assynthesized nanoparticles reductively cleaved the azo linkage to produce aniline as the major degradation product. However, 1-year-stored nanoparticles showed an oxidative degradation of Orange G through a hydroxyl-radical induced coupling of parent and/or product molecules. XPS analysis in corroboration with HPLC-MS data showed that the surface chemistry between Fe and Ni in assynthesized and stored nanoparticles play a crucial role. in directing the mode of degradation. Reductive dye degradation using as-synthesized nanoparticles proceeded through hydride transfer from nickel, whereas formation of a Fe (2+) -Ni(0) galvanic cell in stored nanoparticles generated hydroxyl radicals from water in a nonFenton type reaction. The latter were responsible for the generation of radical centers on the dye molecule, which led to a coupling-mediated oxidative degradation of Orange G. The generation of hydroxyl radicals is further substantiated with radical quenching experiments using ascorbic acid indicating that stored nanoparticles degrade Orange G through a predominantly oxidative mechanism. HPLC-MS and XPS analysis of dye degradation using as-synthesized nanoparticles exposed to air and water confirmed that the reductive or oxidative degradation capability of Fe-Ni nanoparticles is decided by the time and type of catalyst aging process.

}, issn = {0013-936X}, doi = {10.1021/es071107q}, author = {Bokare, Alok D. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Paknikar, Kishore M.} } @article { ISI:000242759500013, title = {Efficient N-arylation of amines catalyzed by Cu-Fe-hydrotalcite}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {65-68}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An efficient N-arylation of amines with aryl halides in presence of heterogeneous recyclable Cu-Fe-hydrotalcite catalyst has been developed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {amines, Aryl halides, Cu-Fe-hydrotalcite, heterogeneous catalyst, N-arylation}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2006.05.030}, author = {Jadhav, Vinod H. and Dumbre, Deepa K. and Phapale, Vilas B. and Borate, Hanumant B. and Wakharkar, Radhika D.} } @article { ISI:000252094200024, title = {Efficient synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted thiazoles using ionic liquid under ambient conditions: a practical approach towards the synthesis of Fanetizole}, journal = {Tetrahedron }, volume = {63}, number = {45}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11066-11069}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {alpha-bromo ketone, ionic liquids, thiazoles, thiourea/thioamide}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.08.036}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000249394900019, title = {Efficient synthesis of azetidine-2,3-diones from L-(+)-diethyl tartrate}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {14}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2242-2246}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A convenient route to enantiopure azetidine-2,3-diones is described. The chiral ketene generated from commercially available L-(+)-diethyl tartrate on Staudinger cycloaddition with different imines gave spiro-beta-lactams in good yields. These spiro-beta-lactams were transformed into azetidine-2,3-diones in excellent yields in a two-step process.

}, keywords = {Cycloaddition, imines, lactams, spiro compounds, stereoselective synthesis}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-985563}, author = {Chincholkar, Pinak M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshmukh, Abdul Rakeeb A. S.} } @article { ISI:000243519300018, title = {Efficient total synthesis of (-)-(3S,6R)-3,6-dihydroxy-10-methylundecanoic acid}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {369-373}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of (-)-(3S,6R)-3,6-dihydroxy-10-methylundecanoic acid (1) from epichlorohydrin is described. The key steps include Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s HKR, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, regioselective opening of epoxide and cyclic sulfate. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007).

}, keywords = {cyclic sulfate, Dihydroxylation, Grignard reaction, hydroboration-oxidation, Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR), regio selectivity}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.200600690}, author = {Pandey, Satyendra Kumar and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article { ISI:000249667400056, title = {Electronic structure of spherical quantum dots using coupled cluster method}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {127}, number = {11}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {114708}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

2, 6, 12, and 20 electron quantum dots have been studied using coupled cluster at singles and doubles level and extensive multireference coupled cluster (MRCC) method. A Fock-space version of MRCC (FSMRCC) containing single hole-particle excited determinants has been used to calculate low-lying excited states of the above system. The ionization potential and electron affinity are also calculated. The effect of correlation energy on excitation energy and charge density is shown by calculating them at the high density region (low value of density parameter r(s)) and at the low density region (high value of density parameter r(s)). (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.2768523}, author = {Heidari, Ideh and Pal, Sourav and Pujari, B. S. and Kanhere, Dilip G.} } @article {Joshi, title = {Encapsulation of endoglucanase using a biopolymer Gum arabic for its controlled release}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {98}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {368-372}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Gum Arabic, a biodegradable natural polymer was used as a matrix to encapsulate endoglucanase from Thermomonospora sp. The modified enzyme retained complete biocatalytic activity and exhibited a shift in the optimum temperature [

}, keywords = {Enzyme catalysis, OPTA, Thermomonospora sp., Xylanase}, issn = {1525-7797}, author = {Ramakrishnan, Anish and Pandit, Nilesh and Badgujar, Mahesh and Bhaskar, C. and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000245870400056, title = {Energy analysis of field emitted electrons from a ZnO tetrapod}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {90}, number = {16}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {Article No. 162102}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2723199}, author = {Al-Tabbakh, Ahmed A. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Ramgir, Niranjan S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000243799400004, title = {Estimation of gross calorific value of coals using artificial neural networks}, journal = {Fuel}, volume = {86}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {334-344}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The gross calorific value (GCV) is an important property defining the energy content and thereby efficiency of fuels, such as coals. There exist a number of correlations for estimating the GCV of a coal sample based upon its proximate and/or ultimate analyses. These correlations are mainly linear in character although there are indications that the relationship between the GCV and a few constituents of the proximate and ultimate analyses could be nonlinear. Accordingly, in this paper a total of seven nonlinear models have been developed using the artificial neural networks (ANN) methodology for the estimation of GCV with a special focus on Indian coals. The comprehensive ANN model developed here uses all the major constituents of the proximate and ultimate analyses as inputs while the remaining six sub-models use different combinations of the constituents of the stated analyses. It has been found that the GCV prediction accuracy of all the models is excellent with the comprehensive model being the most accurate GCV predictor. Also, the performance of the ANN models has been found to be consistently better than that of their linear counterparts. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis of the comprehensive ANN model has been performed to identify the important model inputs, which significantly affect the GCV. The ANN-based modeling approach illustrated in this paper is sufficiently general and thus can be gainfully extended for estimating the GCV of a wide spectrum of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Artificial neural network, gross calorific value (GCV), proximate and ultimate analyses}, issn = {0016-2361}, doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2006.07.036}, author = {Patel, Shagufta U. and Kumar, B. Jeevan and Badhe, Yogesh P. and Sharma, B. K. and Saha, Sujan and Biswas, Subhasish and Chaudhury, Asim and Tambe, Sanjeev S. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @conference { ISI:000291657600254, title = {Ethane bridged hybrid mesoporous silsesquioxanes with sulfonic acid functionalities: synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications}, booktitle = {From Zeolites to Porous Mof Materials: the 40th Anniversary of International Zeolite Conference, Proceedings of the 15th International Zeolite Conference}, series = {Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis}, volume = {170}, year = {2007}, note = {15th International Zeolite Conference, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA, AUG 12-17, 2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1899-1904}, publisher = {Elsevier Science BV}, organization = {Elsevier Science BV}, address = {Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, Po Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands}, abstract = {

Periodic mesoporous organosilicas having -CH(2)-CH(2)- groups in the framewall positions and sulfonic acid groups in the pore channels were prepared using 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl) ethane, 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane and cetyltrimethylammonium surfactant, under basic conditions, by a one-pot synthesis method. XRD, N(2) sorption isotherm and TEM analysis revealed that the mesoporous structural ordering is retained after the functionalization of organic groups while solid-state NMR techniques like (13)C CP MAS NMR and (29)Si MAS NMR show the presence of sulfonic acid groups and the stability of the mesoporous framework with integrated ethane moieties as bridging groups. The hybrid material was more active, selective and stable than the conventional sulfonic acid containing mesoporous catalysts in the Claisen-Schmidt condensation of acetophenone with benzaldehyde to form chalcone.

}, isbn = {978-0-444-53068-4}, issn = {0167-2991}, author = {Shylesh, S. and Samuel, Prinson P. and Parischa, Renu and Singh, A. P.}, editor = {Xu, R and Gao, Z. and Chen, J and Yan, W} } @article { ISI:000248062700019, title = {Exhaustive analysis of frontal copolymerization of functionalized monovinyl and divinyl monomers}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {13}, number = {20}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {5862-5872}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {copolymerization, patterns, Polymers, porosity}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.200601428}, author = {Pujari, Narahari S. and Inamdar, Satish R. and Ambekar, Jalindar D. and Kulkarni, B. D. and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000245903300012, title = {Fabrication of MEMS composite-polymer gas sensor arrays for electronic nose}, journal = {Indian Journal of Pure \& Applied Physics}, volume = {45}, number = {4}, year = {2007}, note = {Indo-Chinese Workshop on Micro Electron Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and Related Technologies, Natl Phys Lab, New Delhi, INDIA, APR 05-07, 2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {321-325}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article, Proceeding Paper}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Sensor arrays capable of sensing different gases combined with a sampling system and a means of pattern classification and recognition comprise a basic system for an {\textquoteleft}Electronic Nose{\textquoteright} In the present work, a complete process for the fabrication of micro-cavities with sensing electrodes and volumes ranging from 2.5 to 12 nano-liters for the development of polymer gas sensors has been reported. An array of eight sensing cells in four sizes have been fabricated using SU-8 negative tone resist through UV-LIGA process developed at CEERI, Pilani. The length and width of the SU-8 cavities are: 250 x 250, 300 x 300, 500 x 500 and 500 x 600 micron and the depth of each of them was optimized to be 40 micron. These cavities filled with different polymer composites comprise the basic sensing cells for a variety of gases. The current paper presents the salient features of the fabrication process in detail and the results obtained in ethanol and methanol ambient using a polymer composite developed through dissolution of styrene and polyaniline in PMMA. A number of other composites such as Pc-Ppy, Pr-Ppy, Fc(+)-PPy have also been synthesized and tested for a high sensitivity in carbon monoxide.

}, keywords = {composite polymer, conducting polymer, electronic nose, polymer gas sensor, selectivity, sensitivity, sensor array}, issn = {0019-5596}, author = {Pant, B. D. and Kutnar, Mahesh and Lakshmi, Subha and Arora, Anil and Prasad, Mahanth and Sharma, Akshdeep and Patel, Mohan and Radhakrishnan, S. and Dwivedi, V. K.} } @article { ISI:000243735500042, title = {Facile chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective approach to cis-3,5-disubstituted gamma-butyrolactones and fused gamma-butyrolactones}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {72}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1009-1012}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Chemoselective S(N)2{\textquoteright} condensation of primary enolates of alkyl methyl ketones 2a-e with dimethyl bromomethylfumarate ( 1) followed by highly diastereoselective NaBH4 reduction of the ketone function in the formed ketodiesters 3a-e and the regioselective in situ lactonization of the unisolable intermediates 4a-e exclusively furnished the cis-3,5-disubstituted gamma-butyrolactones (+/-)-5a-e in very good yields. Similarly, the face-selective coupling reaction of cyclohexanone enolate with 1 to form a mixture of diastereomers in an 8: 2 ratio followed by a highly selective reductive cyclization of 9 plus 10 exclusively provided the cis-octahydrobenzofuran (+/-)- 12 in 70\% overall yield.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo0619128}, author = {Baag, Md. Merajuddin and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000244773600022, title = {Facile phenol-driven intramolecular diastereoselective thermal/base-catalyzed dipolar [2+2] annulation reactions: an easy access to complex bioactive natural and unnatural benzopyran congeners}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {72}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2068-2076}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo0624344}, author = {Mondal, Mukulesh and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article {42603, title = {Facile S(N)2 {\textquoteright} coupling reactions of wittig reagents with dimethyl bromomethylfumarate: synthesis of enes, dienes, and related natural products}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {72}, year = {2007}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4900-4904}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1021/jo070728z}, author = {Patel, Ramesh M. and N. P. Argade} } @conference { ISI:000252140200008, title = {Fault diagnosis using dynamic time warping}, booktitle = {Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Proceedings}, series = {LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE}, volume = {4815}, year = {2007}, note = {2nd International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Calcutta, INDIA, DEC 18-22, 2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {57-66}, publisher = {Indian Stat Inst, Machine Intelligence Univ; ISI Ctr Soft Comp Res; Int Assoc Pattern Recognit; Int Ctr Pure \& Appl Math; Web Intelligence Consortium; Yahoo India Res \& Dev; Philips Res Asia}, organization = {Indian Stat Inst, Machine Intelligence Univ; ISI Ctr Soft Comp Res; Int Assoc Pattern Recognit; Int Ctr Pure \& Appl Math; Web Intelligence Consortium; Yahoo India Res \& Dev; Philips Res Asia}, address = {Heidelberger Platz 3, D-14197 Berlin, Germany}, abstract = {

Owing to the superiority of Dynamic Time Warping as a similarity measure of time series, it can become an effective tool for fault diagnosis in chemical process plants. However, direct application of Dynamic Time Warping can be computationally inefficient, given the complexity involved. In this work we have tackled this problem by employing a warping window constraint and a Lower Bounding measure. A novel methodology for online fault diagnosis with Dynamic Time Warping has been suggested and its performance has been investigated using two simulated case studies.

}, isbn = {978-3-540-77045-9}, issn = {0302-9743}, author = {Rajshekhar and Gupta, Ankur and Samanta, A. N. and Kulkarni, B. D. and Jayaraman, Valadi K.}, editor = {Ghosh, A. and De, R. K. and Pal, S. K.} } @article {42684, title = {Ferromagnetic resonance in nanomagnetic metal core and noble metal shell systems}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {9}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3134-3139}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The change in the line widths in the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra of Co and Ni nanoparticles upon shell formation with noble metals like gold or silver are described. The NicoreAgshell, CocoreAgshell, and CocoreAushell nanoparticles were prepared by a simple transmetallation reaction between the Co and Ni nanoparticles and the Ag+ or AuCl-4 ions. It is revealed that the FMR line width decreases upon Ag shell formation whereas it increases upon core{\textendash}shell composite formation with Au. Several probable explanations such as the differences in size distributions before and after the reaction or the changes occurring in shape anisotropy of the particles due to the shell formation or the different extents of electronic interaction between the core and shell materials have been offered for this observation.

}, keywords = {Fmr Study; Line Width Comparison; Magnetic Core-Noble Metal Shell Nanoparticles}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2007.664}, author = {Bala, Tanushree and Enoki, Toshiaki and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000249834900020, title = {Field emission investigations of RuO2-doped SnO2 wires}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {253}, number = {23}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9159-9163}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {doped semiconductor, field emission, field enhancement factor, RuO2, SnO2}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2007.05.058}, author = {Bhise, Ashok B. and Late, Dattatray J. and Ramgir, Niranjan S. and More, Mahendra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000250735600035, title = {Fungus-based synthesis of chemically difficult-to-synthesize multifunctional nanoparticles of CuAlO2}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {19}, number = {20}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3295+}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Fungal nanosynthesis of ternary CuAlO2 phase is achieved at 50 degrees C. This phase is chemically difficult to synthesize at low temperatures because of the incompatible oxidation chemistry of Cu and Al. The synthesized protein-capped water-dispersible nanoparticles show blue luminescence and radio-frequency absorption (see figure).

}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.200602605}, author = {Ahmad, Absar and Jagadale, Tushar C. and Dhas, Vivek V. and Khan, Shadab and Patil, Shankar and Pasricha, Renu and Ravi, Venkat and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000243707700006, title = {General and efficient route to 3 {\textquoteleft}-deoxy-3 {\textquoteleft}-N-, S-, and C-substituted altropyranosyl thymines from 2{\textquoteright},3{\textquoteright}-O-anhydro-mannopyranosylthymine}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {602-608}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient route to 1-(2,3-O-anhydro-4,6-O-phenylmethylene{\textendash}D-mannopyranosyl) thymine from 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-3-O-tosyl-beta-D-glucopyranose has been devised. This newly synthesized epoxide is opened up regioselectively at the C-3{\textquoteright}-position by N-, S-, and C-nucleophiles to afford a wide range of new 3-deoxy-3{\textquoteright}-substituted altropyranosyl thymines. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.11.025}, author = {Deshpande, Sachin G. and Pathak, Tanmaya} } @article { ISI:000250820000027, title = {Genetic diversity analysis of mango cultivars using inter simple sequence repeat markers}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {93}, number = {8}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1135-1141}, publisher = {CURRENT SCIENCE ASSOC}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, PO BOX 8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie0610391}, author = {Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Joshi, Yogesh M. and Tapadia, Prashant S. and Lele, Ashish K. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @conference { ISI:000252140200050, title = {Granular support vector machine based method for prediction of solubility of proteins on overexpression in Escherichia coli}, booktitle = {Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Proceedings}, series = {LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE}, volume = {4815}, year = {2007}, note = {2nd International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Calcutta, INDIA, DEC 18-22, 2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {406-415}, publisher = {Indian Stat Inst, Machine Intelligence Univ; ISI Ctr Soft Comp Res; Int Assoc Pattern Recognit; Int Ctr Pure \& Appl Math; Web Intelligence Consortium; Yahoo India Res \& Dev; Philips Res Asia}, organization = {Indian Stat Inst, Machine Intelligence Univ; ISI Ctr Soft Comp Res; Int Assoc Pattern Recognit; Int Ctr Pure \& Appl Math; Web Intelligence Consortium; Yahoo India Res \& Dev; Philips Res Asia}, address = {Heidelberger Platz 3, D-14197 Berlin, Germany}, abstract = {

We employed a granular support vector Machines(GSVM) for prediction of soluble proteins on over expression in Escherichia coli. Granular computing splits the feature space into a set of subspaces (or information granules) such as classes, subsets, clusters and intervals [14]. By the principle of divide and conquer it decomposes a. bigger complex problem into smaller and computationally simpler problems. Each of the granules is then solved independently and all the results are aggregated to form the final solution. For the purpose of granulation association rules was employed. The results indicate that a difficult imbalanced classification problem can be successfully solved by employing GSVM.

}, isbn = {978-3-540-77045-9}, issn = {0302-9743}, author = {Kumar, Pankaj and Jayaraman, Valadi K. and Kulkarni, B. D.}, editor = {Ghosh, A. and De, R. K. and Pal, S. K.} } @article {42752, title = {Group 11 metal complexes of mesocyclic thioether-aminophosphonites, (-OC10H6)}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {720{\textendash}731}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.200600913}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article {42755, title = {Highly air-stable anionic mononuclear and neutral binuclear palladium(ii) complexes for C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {46}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11316{\textendash}11327}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1021/ic701674x}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000254475400003, title = {Immobilization of invertase on functionalized mesoporous silica and properties of the immobilized biocatalyst}, journal = {Research Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {2}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {12-17}, publisher = {RESEARCH JOURNAL BIOTECHNOLOGY}, type = {Article}, address = {SECTOR A-80, SCHEME NO 54, VIJAY NAGAR, A B ROAD, INDORE, 452 010 MP, INDIA}, abstract = {

Invertase, which catalyses the hydrolysis of sucrose, is one of the simplest commercial carbohydrases and is used for the production of invert syrup (mixture of glucose and fructose). Fructose is the sweetest natural sugar having beneficial medicinal effects and is emerging as an alternative sweetener to sucrose in the pharmaceutical industry. beta fructofuranosidase (E C 3.2.1.26) purified from Kluyveromyces marxianus NCYC 2675, a thermotolerant yeast, was immobilized on functionalized mesoporous silica SBA- 15. Attempts were made to immobilize invertase on functionalized silicalite and cross linked with glutaraldehyde so as to obtain a highly active and stable immobilized enzyme preparation suitable for commercial exploitation. Cross linked enzyme silica complex as well as enzyme silica complex showed very good temperature and pH stability. Extrudates of the mesoporous silica also showed similar results. Bound enzyme showed excellent stability to repeated use and retained 90\% of its initial activity after ten cycles of reuse in batch mode.

}, keywords = {beta fructofuranosidase, extrudates, functionalized mesoporous silica, Invert syrup, invertase, SBA-15}, issn = {0973-6263}, author = {Prabhune, Asmita Ashutosh and Sulabha, Karandikar and Archana, Pundle and Shilpa, Deshpande and Sanjeevani, Pardhy} } @article { ISI:000250792200005, title = {Immobilization of mushroom polyphenol oxidase on poly(allyl glycidyl ether-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) macroporous beaded copolymers}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {67}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {905-915}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {cross-linking agent, Enzyme immobilization, Epoxy-activated support, mushroom PPO}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunetpolym.2007.05.015}, author = {Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Karale, Abhijeet J. and Suthar, Hitesh K. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Pathak, Tara Sankar and Ponrathnam, S. and Nene, Sanjay} } @conference { ISI:000291657600253, title = {Immobilization of Ntn hydrolases on APTES fuctionalized SBA-15}, booktitle = {From Zeolites to Porous Mof Materials: the 40th Anniversary of International Zeolite Conference, Proceedings of the 15th International Zeolite Conference}, series = {Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis}, volume = {170}, year = {2007}, note = {15th International Zeolite Conference, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA, AUG 12-17, 2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1891-1898}, publisher = {Elsevier Science BV}, organization = {Elsevier Science BV}, address = {Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, Po Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands}, abstract = {

APTES Functionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15 molecular sieves have been prepared and used for immobilization of Penicillin G acylase. Physico chemical characterization was done by nitrogen adsorption, powder XRD and TEM methods to understand the nature of immobilized PGA enzyme. XRD data indicate a good mesoscopic order. The characteristic hexagonal features of SBA-15 were maintained in PGA immobilized SBA-15 samples. Incorporation of PGA does not affect the original pore structure of the parent SBA-15. The adsorption of PGA on SBA-15 from buffered solutions with a pH value, 7.8 has been studied as a model protein adsorption system. The maximum activity of the immobilized enzyme was observed at pH 7.8, slightly below the isoelectric point of the enzyme. The loading capacity of immobilized PGA is 34 mg protein per 0.5 g of SBA-15. The stability of Penicillin G acylase was enhanced by the physical entrapment in SBA-15.

}, isbn = {978-0-444-53068-4}, issn = {0167-2991}, author = {Shah, Pallavi and Sridevi, N. and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramaswamy, Veda}, editor = {Xu, R and Gao, Z. and Chen, J and Yan, W} } @article { ISI:000243388500023, title = {Influence of electric field on the global and local reactivity descriptors: reactivity and stability of weakly bonded complexes}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {111}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {375-383}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The response of the global and local reactivity density-based descriptors (chemical potential, hardness, softness, Fukui function, and local softness) in the presence of external electric field has been studied for some of the simple prototype molecular systems. In addition to the analysis on the reactivity of these systems, the influence of the electric field on the interaction energy of the complexes formed by these systems has also been studied using the recently proposed semiquantitative model based on the local hard-soft acid-base principle. By using the inverse relationship between the global hardness and softness parameters, a simple relationship is obtained for the variation of hardness in terms of the Fukui function under the external electric field. It is shown that the increase in the hardness values for a particular system in the presence of external field does not necessarily imply that the reactivity of the system would be deactivated or vice versa.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/jp065580m}, author = {Kar, Rahul and Chandrakumar, K. R. S. and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000250169800037, title = {Influence of film structure on mobilities of charge carriers in conducting polymers}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {52}, number = {28}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {8088-8095}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Doping, electrosynthesis, mobility, poly(3-hexylthiophene), swelling}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2007.07.007}, author = {Harima, Yutaka and Jiang, Xiaoqing and Patil, Rahul and Komaguchi, Kenji and Mizota, Haruo} } @article {42685, title = {Interaction of different metal ions with carboxylic acid group: a quantitative study}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {111}, year = {2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6183{\textendash}6190}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The binding strength of the carboxylic acid group (-COOH) with different divalent metal ions displays considerable variation in arachidic acid (AA) thin films. It is considered that in AA thin films the metal ions straddle the hydrophilic regions of the stacked bilayers of AA molecules via formation of carboxylates. In this study first the uptake of different divalent cations in films of AA is estimated by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Through the amount of cation uptake, it is found that the strength of binding of different cations varies as Ca2+ \> Co2+ \> Pb2+ \> Cd2+. Variation in the binding strength of different ions is also manifested in experiments where AA thin films are exposed to metal ion mixtures. The higher binding strength of AA with certain metal ions when exposed individually, as well as the preference over the other metal ions when exposed to mixtures, reveal some interesting deviation from the expected behavior based on considerations of ionic radii. For example, Pb2+ is always found to bind to AA much more strongly than Cd2+ even though the latter has smaller ionic radius, indicating that other factors also play an important role in governing the binding strength trends apart from the effects of ionic radii. Then, to get a more meaningful knowledge regarding the binding capability, first-principles calculations based on density functional theory have been applied to study the interaction of different cations with the simplest carboxylic acid, acetic acid, that can result in formation of metal diacetates. Their electronic and molecular structures, cohesive energies, and stiffness of the local potential energy well at the cation (M) site are determined and attempts are made to understand the diversity in geometry and the properties of binding of different metal ions with -COOH group. We find that the calculated M-O bond energies depend sensitively on the chemistry of M atom and follow the experimentally observed trends quite accurately. The trends in M-O bond energies and hence the total M-acetate binding energy trends can actually be related to their molecular structures that fall into different categories: Ca and Cd have tetrahedral coordination; Fe, Ni, and Co exhibit planar 4-fold coordination; and Pb is off-centered from the planar structure (forming pyramidal structure) due to its stereochemically active lone pair of electrons.

}, doi = {10.1021/jp067906x}, author = {Bala, Tanushree and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sastry, Murali and Kahaly, Mousumi Upadhyay and Waghmare, Umesh V.} } @article { ISI:000249986500041, title = {Ionic liquids as powerful solvent media for improving catalytic performance of silyl borate catalyst to promote Diels-Alder reactions}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {72}, number = {21}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8111-8114}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

[GRAPHICS] Use of the acidic chloroaluminate ionic liquid, including the recycled ones, can improve the catalytic activity of the toluene-coordinated silyl borate in enhancing rates, stereoselectivities, and yields of Diels-Alder reactions.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo071099w}, author = {Kumar, Anil and Pawar, Sanjay S.} } @article { ISI:000246157400036, title = {Kinetics of reductive alkylation of p-phenylenediamine with methyl ethyl ketone using 3\% Pt/Al2O3 catalyst in a slurry reactor}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {46}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3243-3254}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Intrinsic kinetics of reductive alkylation of p-phenylenediamine (PPDA) with methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) using 3\% Pt/Al2O3 catalyst was studied in a slurry reactor. The overall reaction involves a combination of parallel and consecutive reactions involving equilibrium noncatalytic (homogeneous) and catalytic (heterogeneous) steps. For the purpose of kinetic modeling, the effects of PPDA concentration, catalyst loading, agitation speed, and partial pressure of hydrogen were studied in a temperature range of 373-413 K. Quantitative criteria were used to ensure that the reaction occurred in the kinetic regime. Different rate equations have been considered based on the elementary steps involving catalytic and noncatalytic reactions, which lay stress on the different types of interactions occurring between the reactants and the active catalyst sites. The best-fit rate model has been proposed by rigorous optimization and model discrimination procedures, by simulating the experimental concentration-time data. For the best-fit model, the agreement between the predicted and experimental data was found to be very good over a wide range of operating conditions.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie0608556}, author = {Patil, Narendra G. and Roy, Debdut and Chaudhari, Amit S. and Chaudhari, Raghunath V.} } @article {42751, title = {Large bite bisphosphite, 2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP(-OC10H6)}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {692}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1683{\textendash}1689}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Large bite bisphosphite ligand, 2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP({\textendash}OC10H6)(μ-S)(C10H6O{\textendash})}2\ (2), is obtained by reacting chlorophosphite, {-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-}PCl (1) with 2,6-pyridinedimethanol in presence of triethylamine.Treatment of\ 2\ with aqueous solution of H2O2\ or elemental sulfur resulted in the formation of bis(oxide) or bis(sulfide) derivatives, 2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP(E)({\textendash}OC10H6)(μ-S)(C10H6O{\textendash})}2\ (3, E\ =\ O;\ 4, E\ =\ S) in quantitative yield.The 10-membered cationic chelate complex, [RuCl(η6-C10H142-2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP({\textendash}OC10H6)(μ-S)(C10H6O{\textendash})}2PP]Cl (5) is produced in the reaction between [Ru(p-cymene)(μ-Cl)(Cl)]2\ and bisphosphite\ 2, whereas the neutral chelate complex,\ cis-[Rh(CO)Cl{2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})}2}-κPP] (6) is isolated in the reaction of\ 2\ with 0.5 equiv.of [Rh(CO)2Cl]2.Compound\ 2\ on treatment with M(COD)Cl2\ (M\ =\ Pd, Pt) produce the chelate complexes, [MCl22-2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP({\textendash}OC10H6)(μ-S)(C10H6O{\textendash})}2}-κPP] (7, M\ =\ Pd;10, M\ =\ Pt).Similarly the reaction of bisphosphite\ 2\ with Pd(COD)MeCl affords\ cis-[PdMe(Cl)η2-2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP({\textendash}OC10H6)(μ-S)(C10H6O{\textendash})}2PP] (8).Treatment of\ 2\ with [Pd(η3- C3H5)Cl]2\ in the presence of AgClO4\ furnish the cationic complex, [Pd(η3-C3H52-2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP({\textendash}OC10H6)(μ-S)(C10H6O{\textendash})}2PP]ClO4\ (9). The binuclear complex, [Au2Cl2{2,6-C5H3N{CH2OP({\textendash}OC10H6)(μ-S)(C10H6O{\textendash})}2}-κPP] (11) is obtained in the reaction of compound\ 2\ with two equiv. of AuCl(SMe2), where the ligand exhibits bridged bidentate mode of coordination. All the complexes are characterized by the\ 1H NMR,\ 31P NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectroscopy data. The cationic ruthenium complex\ 5\ is proved to be an active catalyst for the hydrogenation of styrene and α-methyl styrene.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2006.12.037}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000246727900030, title = {Low density porous carrier based conceptual drug delivery system}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {102}, number = {1-3}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {290-298}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {3(2) factorial design, carrier, microporous polymer, Response surface methodology, solvent evaporation}, issn = {0378-5173}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpharm.2006.09.013}, author = {Sher, Praveen and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Pawar, Atmaram P.} } @article { ISI:000252511300009, title = {Low temperature synthesis of magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {7}, number = {12}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4294-4302}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

We report on the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles below 100 degrees C by a simple chemical protocol. The uniqueness of the method lies in the use of Ferrous ammoniurn sulphate (in conjugation with FeCl3) which helps maintain the stability of Fe-2+ state in the reaction sequence thereby controlling the phase formation. Hexamine was added as the stabilizer. The nanoparticles synthesized at three different temperatures viz, 5 degrees, 27 degrees, and 95 degrees C are characterized by several techniques. Generally, when a mixture of Fe3+ and Fe2+ is added to sodium hydroxide, alpha-Fe2O3 (the anti-ferromagnetic phase) is formed after the dehydration process of the hydroxide. In our case however, the phases formed at all the three temperatures were found to be ferro (ferri) magnetic, implying modification of the formation chemistry due to the specifics of our method. The nanoparticles synthesized at the lowest temperature exhibit magnetite phase, while increase in growth temperature to 95 degrees C leads to the maghemite phase.

}, keywords = {low temperature synthesis, maghemite, magnetite, Nanoparticles}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2007.873}, author = {Bhagwat, Shrikant and Singh, Hema and Athawale, Anjali and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Jouen, Samuel and Lefez, Benoit and Kundaliya, Darshan and Pasricha, Renu and Kulkarni, Shailaja and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article {REDDY, title = {Macroporous beads for lipase immobilization: kinetic resolution of a racemic drug intermediate}, journal = {Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers}, volume = {22}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {174-194}, publisher = {HORTICULTURAL SOC INDIA}, type = {Article}, address = {DIV FRUITS \& HORTICULTURAL TECHNOL, INDIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INST, NEW DELHI, 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {auxin pulse, coco-peat, grape, micropropagation, plantlet survival}, issn = {0972-8538}, author = {Bhushan, Indu and Parshad, Rajinder and Qazi, G. N. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Jamalpure, Trupti M. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Gupta, V. K.} } @article { ISI:000249655500007, title = {Magnetic transition and large magnetocaloric effect associated with surface spin disorder in Co and CocoreAgshell nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {111}, number = {38}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {14060-14066}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report a reversible, large magnetocaloric effect in the vicinity of a low-temperature magnetic transition in Co and CocoreAgshell nanoparticles synthesized using a wet chemical method. The as-synthesized assembly of the particles shows a sharp low-temperature peak in the zero-field-cooled (ZFC) magnetization well below the blocking transition temperature, and this feature is associated with the surface spin disorder. Co nanoparticles show a large increase in the magnetic entropy at around 15 K with a peak value of nearly 2.25 J/K center dot kg for an applied field of 30 kOe. A similar trend is also observed in the silver-coated Co particles. These are some of the largest NICE values observed in nanoparticles to date. The features are ascribed to the low-temperature spin-glass-like freezing transition associated with the surface spins in the shell region that is distinct from the behavior of core spins. Our studies reveal that manipulating the surface anisotropy in core-shell nanoparticles has the potential to lead to a large NICE effect and thus prove to be useful for magnetic refrigeration.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp073274i}, author = {Poddar, P. and Srinath, S. and Gass, James and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Srikanth, H.} } @article {sanjayan, title = {Metal-organic hybrids of 1,3,5-tris(4-pyridylsulfanylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene with mercuric halides}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, number = {8}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1150-1158}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {Synthesis and solid-state structure elucidation of metal-organic hybrids of 1,3,5-tris(4-pyridylsulfanylmenthyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene with Hg(II) halides (HgCl(2), HgBr(2), and HGI(2)) are reported. In the metal-hybrids of L(1), a reaction with HgCl(2) in dmso as well as in dmf gave host-guest complexes, 1a and 1b, respectively, with the corresponding solvent of crystallization as the guests, while a reaction with HgI(2) gave open-frame network structures without any solvent of crystallization from both dmso and dmf (1c). However, reaction with HgBr(2) gave crystals of two different morphologies from each solvent dmso and dmf (1d-1f), which corresponds to the structures with and without solvent of crystallization that resemble the related structures formed by HgCl(2) and HgI(2), respectively. Three-dimensional structures of all the compounds were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. While 1a and 1b crystallize in triclinic P (1) over bar space groups 1a: a = 9.049(2), b = 13.646(4), c = 16.298(4) angstrom, a = 111.99(1), beta = 90.43(1), gamma = 101.57(1)degrees, Z = 2, V = 1820.6(8) angstrom(3), 1b: a = 8.9799(3), b = 13.611(5), c = 16.355(5) angstrom, a = 111.57(1), beta = 92.37(1), gamma = 101.07(1)degrees, Z = 2, V = 1810.05(11) angstrom(3) complexes 1c-1f crystallize into monoclinic space groups [1c: C2/c, a = 27.661(7), b = 18.821(4), c = 15.786(4) angstrom, beta = 113.13(1), Z = 4, V = 7558(3) angstrom(3), 1d: P2(1)/c, a = 17.950(5), b = 9.031(2), c = 22.200(6) angstrom, beta = 113.62(1), Z = 4, V = 3297.3(15) angstrom(3), 1e: C2/c, a = 26.753(15), b = 18.415(10), c = 14.940(7) angstrom, beta = 109.50(1), Z = 4, V = 6938(6) angstrom(3), 1f: P2(1)/n, a = 17.697(10), b = 9.224(5), c = 21.933(12) angstrom, beta = 112.50(1), Z = 4, V = 3308(3) angstrom(3)]. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007).}, keywords = {Biomass, dominant, Modelling, pyrolysis shrinkage}, issn = {0196-8904}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.200600867}, author = {PrakashaReddy, Jayarama and Pedireddi, Venkateswara Rao} } @article { ISI:000249699500005, title = {Mitochondrial haplotypes reveal a strong genetic structure for three Indian sheep breeds}, journal = {Animal Genetics}, volume = {38}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {460-466}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Genetic diversity, Indian sheep, mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial lineage, phylogeographic distribution, sheep domestication}, issn = {0268-9146}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2052.2007.01636.x}, author = {Pardeshi, V. C. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Sainani, Mohini N. and Meadows, J. R. S. and Kijas, J. W. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000250584500016, title = {Multiutility sophorolipids as nanoparticle capping agents: synthesis of stable and water dispersible Co nanoparticles}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {23}, number = {23}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11409-11412}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids are a class of glycolipids that can be obtained from fatty acids by simply treating them with yeast cells (Candida bombicola, ATCC 22214) and glucose. In this letter, we demonstrate the application of sophorolipids obtained from oleic acid as a capping agent for Co nanoparticles. Upon capping the nanoparticle surface, the sugar moiety of these sophorolipids is exposed to the solvent environment, making the nanoparticles stable and water-redispersible.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la702931j}, author = {Kasture, Manasi and Singh, Sanjay and Patel, Pitamber and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramana, C. V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000249838300014, title = {Nearly complete oxidation of Au(0) in hydrophobized nanoparticles to Au(3+) ions by N-bromosuccinimide}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {111}, number = {39}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {14348-14352}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Au degrees atoms in hydrophobized gold nanoparticles were oxidized to Au(3+) ions, nearly quantitatively, simply by treatment with N-bromosuccinimide and sonication. (1)H NMR results indicate that the octadecylamine molecules are detached from the Au degrees surface by NBS. The bromine molecules released by NBS are suggested to be the species responsible for the oxidation of Au degrees to Au(3+), which is supported by the observation that addition of molecular bromine also leads to similar results. A gratifying feature is that the Au(3+) ions could be subsequently reduced back to An nanoparticles.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp073717i}, author = {Singh, Sanjay and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000246869200003, title = {New technique to study kinetics of chain conformation in polyaniline films}, journal = {Polymer Journal}, volume = {39}, number = {4}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {296-297}, publisher = {SOC POLYMER SCIENCE JAPAN}, type = {Article}, address = {TSUKIJI DAISAN NAGAOKA BLDG, 2-4-2 TSUKIJI, CHUO-KU, TOKYO, 104, JAPAN}, keywords = {Conformation, kinetics, laser, polyaniline, reflection}, issn = {0032-3896}, doi = {10.1295/polymj.PJ2006188}, author = {Harima, Yutaka and Kishimoto, Kazuya and Ogawa, Fumiyuki and Jiang, Xiaoqing and Patil, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000244293000015, title = {Nitrate reductase-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles from AgNO3}, journal = {Biotechnology Letters}, volume = {29}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {439-445}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using alpha-NADPH-dependent nitrate reductase and phytochelatin in vitro has been demonstrated for the first time. The silver ions were reduced in the presence of nitrate reductase, leading to the formation of a stable silver hydrosol 10-25 nm diam. and stabilized by the capping peptide. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis absorption. These studies will help in designing a rational enzymatic strategy for the synthesis of nanomaterials of different chemical composition, shapes and sizes as well as their separation.

}, keywords = {Capping Peptide, enzymatic method, nitrate reductase, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {0141-5492}, doi = {10.1007/s10529-006-9256-7}, author = {Kumar, S. Anil and Abyaneh, Majid Kazemian and Gosavi, S. W. and Kulkarni, Sulabha K. and Pasricha, Renu and Ahmad, Absar and Khan, Mohammad Islam} } @article {35}, title = {N,N {\textquoteleft},N {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}-Tri-Boc-guanidine (TBG): a common starting material for both N-alkyl guanidines and amidinoureas}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letter}, volume = {48}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1725-1727}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{In this Letter, we describe the unexpected reaction pattern of N,N{\textquoteright},N{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}

}, keywords = {1-substituted-1H-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrazoles, Ionic liquid, sodium azide, substituted amine, triethyl orthoformate}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.01.055}, author = {Prabhakaran, Panchami and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000244119800006, title = {Novel one-pot three-component synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted-3H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepines in water}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {146-152}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel green and efficient one-pot three-component synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted-3H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepines in excellent isolated yields has been reported. The methodology initially involves the formation of ynones via coupling of a wide range of acid chlorides with terminal alkynes catalysed by Pd(OAc)(2) under copper-, ligand- and solvent-free conditions in just 10 min at rt followed by the Michael addition and cyclocondensation of o-phenylenediamines added in situ using water as a solvent at reflux temprature. In addition, the structure of the benzodiazepine was confirmed to be the diimino molecule and not the enamine by X-ray crystallographic analysis of the benzodiazepine 4b. The methodology is suitable for the operation in combi-chem mode to generate libraries of a diverse array of benzodiazepines. The methodology has been successful in achieving the twin green chemistry objectives of a solvent and ligand free operation and the use of water as a non-hazardous, inexpensive and readily available solvent in the sequential reaction steps performed in situ, thus combining the features of both economic and environmental advantages.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/b610523h}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article {42750, title = {O-2-Naphthyl diphenylthiophosphinate}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Crystallographic Communications}, volume = {63}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4644}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536807056127}, author = {Mague, Joel T. and Punji, Benudhar and Ganesamoorthy, Chelladurai and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000250085300004, title = {One-step preparation of nanosized Ag-PdCo-powder and its alloy formation at low temperature}, journal = {Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic Metal-Organic and Nano-Metal Chemistry}, volume = {37}, number = {7}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {531-539}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {acetals, benzylic alcohols, Oxidation, perovskite LaCoO3}, issn = {1551-7004}, author = {Patil, Mahesh L. and Maujan, Suleman R. and Borate, Hanumant B. and Uphade, Balu S.} } @article { ISI:000242960400008, title = {Phosphotungstic acid as an efficient solid catalyst for intramolecular rearrangement of benzyl phenyl ether to 2-benzyl phenol}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {139-144}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An heteropoly acid (phosphotungstic acid, PTA) was found to be a promising solid acid catalyst as an alternative to the conventional stoichiometric reagents for the rearrangement of benzyl phenyl ether giving 2-benzyl phenol as a major product and 4-benzyl phenol and dibenzylated phenols as side products. Catalyst was recovered from the reaction mixture and reused again without loss of activity. Based on the observed product distribution for various substrates a plausible catalytic reaction pathway has also been proposed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {benzyl phenyl ether, Intramolecular rearrangement, Phosphotungstic acid}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2006.05.046}, author = {Bhure, Mahesh H. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Patwardhan, Neeraj and Patil, Shraddha} } @article { ISI:000246552100042, title = {Poly(o-anisidine) films on mild steel: electrochemical synthesis and biosensor application}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {40}, number = {8}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {2555-2562}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Poly(o-anisidine) (POA) films were synthesized on mild steel from an aqueous oxalic acid solution by electrochemical polymerization of o-anisidine using cyclic voltammetry. These films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) was entrapped into the POA film by a physical adsorption method. The resulting POA-GOx films were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, FTIR and SEM. The amperometric response of the POA-GOx films was measured as a function of glucose concentration in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.3). The POA-GOx films exhibited a fast amperometric response (1-5 s) and a linear response in the range of 2-20 mM glucose. The maximum current density and Michaelis-Menten constant of POA/GOx films were found to be similar to 406 mu A cm(-2) and 1.03 mM, respectively. The shelf stability, operational stability and thermal stability of these films were also investigated.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/40/8/021}, author = {Patil, Dewyani and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, Pradip} } @article { ISI:000244210600007, title = {Poly(o-ethylaniline) coatings for stainless steel protection}, journal = {Progress In Organic Coatings}, volume = {58}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {54-63}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The poly(o-ethylaniline) coatings were electrochemically synthesized on 304-stainless steel by using cyclic voltammetry from an aqueous salicylate medium. Cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize these coatings, which indicates that the aqueous salicylate solution is a suitable medium for the electrochemical polymerization of o-ethyaniline on 304-stainless steel. The performance of poly(o-ethylaniline) as protective coating against corrosion of 304-stainless steel in aqueous 3\% NaCl was evaluated by the open circuit potential measurements, potentiodynamic polarization technique, cyclic potentiodynamic polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results of the potentiodynamic polarization and cyclic potentiodynamic polarization demonstrate that the poly(o-ethylaniline) coating provides excellent protection to both localized and general corrosion of 304-stainless steel. The corrosion potential was about 0.190 V more positive in aqueous 3\% NaCl for the poly(o-ethylaniline) coated steel than that of bare steel and reduces the corrosion rate of steel almost by a factor of 20. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Conducting polymer coatings, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical polymerization, poly(o-ethylaniline) coatings, stainless steel}, issn = {0300-9440}, doi = {10.1016/j.porgcoat.2006.12.001}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Sainkar, S. R. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000249627100033, title = {Practical formal synthesis of camptothecin}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letter}, volume = {48}, number = {37}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6561-6563}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of the DE ring of camptothecin using simple and inexpensive starting materials, employing an addition elimination reaction and selective esterification of an aliphatic carboxylic acid as key steps is described. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkaloid, Anticancer, camptothecin, Natural product}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.07.017}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pathak, Ashok B. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000246298900004, title = {Practical formal synthesis of D-(+)-biotin from 4-formylazetidin-2-one}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {8}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {1159-1164}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A practical synthesis of (3S,6R)-1,3-dibenzyltetrahydro-1H-furo[3,4-d]imidazole-2,4-dione, an important intermediate in the synthesis of biotin, from 4-formyl-3-mesyloxyazetidin-2-one has been achieved. Acid-catalyzed azetidin-2-one ring opening followed by a one-pot conversion of diamine hydrochloride to a cyclic urea and hydroxymethylene to chloromethylene by triphosgene to obtain (4S,5R)-methyl-1,3-dibenzyl-5-chloromethyl-2-oxoimidazolidine-4-carboxyl ate is the key step in this synthesis.

}, keywords = {azetidin-2-one, beta-Lactams, cyclization, Lactone, reduction}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-965992}, author = {Kale, Ajaykumar S. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshmukh, Abdul Rakeeb A. S.} } @article { ISI:000247943800041, title = {Preparation and evaluation of cellulose acetate butyrate and poly(ethylene oxide) blend microspheres for gastroretentive floating delivery of repaglinide}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {105}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2764-2771}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

In this study, hollow microspheres of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were prepared by emulsion-solvent evaporation method. Repaglinide was successfully encapsulated into floating microspheres. Various formulations were prepared by varying the ratio of CAB and PEO, drug loading and concentration of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution. Encapsulation of the drug up to 95\% was achieved. The microspheres tend to float over the simulated gastric media for more than 10 h. The micromeritic properties of microspheres reveal the excellent flow and good packing properties. The \% buoyancy of microspheres was found to be up to 87. SEM showed that microspheres have many pores on their surfaces. Particle size ranges from 159 to 601 mu m. DSC and X-RD revealed the amorphous dispersion in the polymer matrix. In vitro release experiments were performed in simulated gastric fluid. In vitro release studies indicated the dependence of release rate on the extent of drug loading and the amount of PEO in the microspheres; slow release was extended up to 12 h. The release data were fitted to an empirical equation to compute the diffusional exponent (n), which indicated that the release mechanism followed the non-Fickian trend. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {cellulose acetate butyrate, Controlled release, floating drug delivery, microspheres, repaglinide}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.26456}, author = {Rokhade, Ajit P. and Patil, Sangamesh A. and Belhekar, Anagha A. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Aminabhavi, Tejraj M.} } @article { ISI:000244292900012, title = {Purification by silica gel chromatography using dialysis tubing and characterization of sophorolipids produced from Candida bombicola grown on glucose and arachidonic acid}, journal = {Biotechnology Letters}, volume = {29}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {267-272}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The yeast Candida bombicola (ATCC 22214) grown on primary carbon source glucose (100 g l(-1)) and secondary carbon, arachidonic acid (2 g l(-1)) produced mixture of sophorolipids up to 1.44 g l(-1). The crude product was a heterogeneous mixture of sophorolipids, which are glycolipids of sophorose linked to the fatty acid through glycosidic bond between omega and omega-1 carbon of arachidonic acid. The derived sophorolipids were isolated by silica gel chromatography using dialysis tubing. The purified sophorolipids were characterized by ESI-MS and FT-IR. Acid hydrolysis of the resolved sophorolipids were characterized by ESI-MS for the presence of 20-hydroxy-5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) and 19-hydroxy-5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eico-satetraenoic acid (19-HETE), compounds of pronounced pharmaceutical importance.

}, keywords = {19-HETE, 20-HETE, arachidonic acid, electrospray soft ionization mass spectroscopy, silica gel chromatography, Sophorolipid}, issn = {0141-5492}, doi = {10.1007/s10529-006-9221-5}, author = {Shah, Sachin and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000244979700010, title = {Quick method for isolating RNA from raw and ripe fleshy fruits as well as for co-isolating DNA and RNA from polysaccharide- and polyphenol-rich leaf tissues}, journal = {Journal of Plant Biology}, volume = {50}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {60-64}, publisher = {BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF KOREA}, type = {Article}, address = {CATHOLIC UNIV KOREA, DEPT LIFE SCIENCES, PUCHON 420-743, SOUTH KOREA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {DNA-RNA co-isolation, fleshy fruit, Mango, oligosaccharide-rich, Ripening, transcriptomic studies}, issn = {1226-9239}, author = {Pandit, Sagar Subhash and Mitra, Sirsha Sribas and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya Shrikant} } @article {Mueller, title = {Reactions of o-aminothiophenol and o-aminophenyl disulfide with itaconic anhydride and (-)-dimenthyl itaconate: access to enantiomerically pure 1,5-benzothiazepines and benzothiazolyl-2-methylacrylic acid}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {457-463}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{A facile chemo- and regioselective reactions of o-aminothiophenol (o-ATP) with itaconic anhydride is described. 1,5-Benzothiazepinyl-3-acetic acid is obtained in 81\% yield via the exclusive Michael type addition of the thiol unit from o-ATP to the carbon-carbon double bond in itaconic anhydride followed by an intramolecular anhydride ring opening with an amine unit. The moderately stereoselective Michael type addition of the thiol unit from o-ATP to (-)-dimenthyl itaconate to obtain a mixture of diastereomers in a 7:3 ratio in 82\% yield has been demonstrated. The reductive sulfur-sulfur bond cleavage in the dicarboxylic acid, 2({2-[2-(3-carboxybut-3-enoylamino)phenyidisulfanyl]phenylcarbamoyl\

}, keywords = {Magnetic nanoparticles, magnetic properties, spin glasses}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2006-958977}, author = {Baag, Md. Merajuddin and Sahoo, Manoj Kumar and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @conference {42803, title = {Removal of AS(III) and AS (V) from contaminated water sources by sorption onto novel pei-attached poly(hipe) beads", paper presented at international conference on ?role of analytical chemistry in nuclear technology?}, booktitle = {Role of Analytical Chemistry in Nuclear Technology}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, address = {BARC, Mumbai, India}, author = {Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Tayal, Rajeev and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Chaudhari, Sanjeev and Chavan, Nayaku and Rajan, Chelanattukizhakkemadath Raman and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000245142600008, title = {Rh(II)-catalyzed intramolecular N-H insertion of D-glucose-derived delta-amino alpha-diazo beta-ketoester: Synthesis of pyrrolidine iminosugars}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {4}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {559-562}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The rhodium acetate catalyzed reaction of D-glucose-derived delta-amino alpha-diazo beta-ketoester allows a stereoselective beta-facial intramolecular N-H insertion reaction that leads to formation of the bicyclic pyrrolidinone ring skeleton in high yield. The sugar-substituted pyrrolidinone thus obtained was elaborated to allow the synthesis of promising glycosidase inhibitors, namely, 2,5-dideoxy2,5-imino-L-glycero-alpha-D-galactoheptitol and 2,5-dideoxy-2,5-imino-D-galactitol.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, azasugars, carbohydrates, N-H insertion, Pyrrolidines, rhodium carbenoid}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-970743}, author = {Vyavahare, Vinod P. and Chattopadhyay, Subrata and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000247606200011, title = {Semi-synthesis of deoxyartemisinin}, journal = {Mendeleev Communications}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {27-28}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The reaction of artemisinin with aluminium-nickel chloride hexahydrate in THF or nickel boride in MeOH furnishes deoxyartemisinin in an excellent yield.

}, issn = {0959-9436}, doi = {10.1016/j.mencom.2007.01.011}, author = {Bhattacharya, Asish K. and Pathak, Ashish K. and Sharma, Ram P.} } @article { ISI:000254309400007, title = {Shape resonance in electron molecule scattering using coupled cluster method}, journal = {Indian Journal of Physics and Proceedings of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science}, volume = {81}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1061-1067}, publisher = {INDIAN ASSOC CULTIVATION SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {INDIAN J PHYSICS, JADAVPUR, KOLKATA 700 032, INDIA}, abstract = {

The Fock space multi-reference coupled-cluster (FSMRCC) method along with the complex absorbing potential (CAP) is used for the study of the shape resonance energy and width in an electron molecule collision. We study the shape resonances in e(-) -H2CO and e(-) -CO.

}, keywords = {electron-molecule scattering, multi-reference coupled-cluster}, issn = {0973-1458}, author = {Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana and Sajeev, Y.} } @article { ISI:000252029800038, title = {Short and efficient synthesis of rubrolide E}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {37}, number = {22-24}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4253-4263}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Short and efficient synthesis of rubrolide E from commercially available 4-methoxyacetophenone, employing ring-closing metathesis, Knoevenagel condensation, and Reformatsky reactions, are the key steps are described.

}, keywords = {antibiotics, antitumor, Epoxide, Natural products, Total synthesis}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910701575665}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pathak, Ashok B. and Pandey, Ankur and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000250545100010, title = {Short and efficient synthetic strategy for the total syntheses of (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-Plakolide A}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {30}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5059-5063}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Cross-coupling, epoxidation, inhibitors, olefination}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.200700401}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Pramanik, Chintnoy and Chorghade, Mukund S. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000246157500021, title = {Solid-state structures of 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid and its hydrates}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {7}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {944-949}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Solid-state structures of 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid (1a) and its mono- and quarter-hydrates (1b and 1c, respectively) obtained by crystallization from different solvents, acetone, methanol, and 2-proponal, respectively, have been reported. In the anhydrous and monohydrate structures (1a and 1b), the H-atoms on the -B(OH)(2) functional group exist in syn-syn conformation, but syn-anti conformation was found in the quarter-hydrate structure. While 1a and 1b crystallize through interactions between -B(OH)(2) and -COOH groups (heteromeric), homomeric interactions of the functional groups (COOH center dot center dot center dot COOH and B(OH)(2)center dot center dot center dot B(OH)(2)) were observed in 1c. In addition, although similar interactions prevail in 1a and 1b, the latter crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric space group Ccc2, registering itself as a unique structure with unusual catenation features with the aid of water molecules. However, 1a and 1c show many common features in the molecular arrangement in the crystal lattices with the formation of sheet structures.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg060860c}, author = {SeethaLekshmi, Nanappan and Pedireddi, Venkateswara Rao} } @article { ISI:000244413600017, title = {Spinning wave motion in frontal polymerization}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {62}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1448-1455}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {frontal polymerization, spinning wave, spiral motion, wave dynamics}, issn = {0009-2509}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2006.11.037}, author = {Inamdar, Satish R. and Pujari, N. S. and Karimi, I. A. and Ponrathnam, S. and Tayal, R. K. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000244732800019, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of 3-alkylidene/alkylazetidin-2-ones from azetidin-2,3-diones}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {11}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2524-2534}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Azetidin-2,3-diones have been used as synthons for the synthesis of C-3 alkylidene/alkylazetidin-2-ones. Some of the 3-alkylazetidin-2-ones are well known for their cholesterol absorption inhibitor activity. A regio and stereoselective Grignard reaction on a keto group followed by dehydration using PPh3/CCl4 reagent is a key step in this synthesis. Hydrogenation of the 3-alkylideneazetidin-2-ones provided stereoselectively cis-3-alkylazetidin-2-ones in very good yields. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {3-diones, azetidin-2, azetidin-2-ones, beta-lactam, Grignard reaction}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.12.010}, author = {Tiwari, Dharmendra Kumar and Shaikh, Ashif Y. and Pavase, Laxmikant S. and Gumaste, Vikas K. and Deshmukh, Abdul Rakeeb A. S.} } @article { ISI:000252091800019, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of spiro-beta-lactams using D-(+)-glucose derived chiral pool: remarkable influence of the torquoelectronic effect}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {37}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9179-9187}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Diastereoselective synthesis of spiro-beta-lactams via [2+2] cycloaddition reaction of imines and chiral ketenes is described. The chiral ketene was prepared from commercially available, inexpensive D-glucose. Although, theoretically four diastereomers are possible, the reaction yielded only two diastereomers stereoselectively in good to moderate yields. The stereochemical outcome of the reaction was in accordance with the torquoelectronic model. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {imines, ketenes, spiro-beta-lactams, Staudinger reaction, stereoselective synthesis}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.06.073}, author = {Chincholkar, Pinak M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshmukh, A. R. A. S.} } @article {42817, title = {Steric control in pd-mediated cycloisomerization of sugar alkynols: documentation of a rare allylic epimerization}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {48}, year = {2007}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4771-4774}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pd-mediated cycloisomerization of C3-alkynylated glucofuranosyl derivatives revealed a dominance of steric factors over electronic factors. However, the intermediate glycals were epimerized prior to the ketalization and afforded the more stable cis-fused bicyclic ketals. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bis-Homopropargylic Alcohols; Oriented Organic-Synthesis;Nucleophilic-Attack; Room-Temperature; Palladium; Chemistry; Heterocycles;Complexes; Transformations; Sonogashira}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.04.133}, author = {Ramana, Chepuri V. and Patel, Pitarnbar and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000244765100003, title = {Studies on gas sensing performance of pure and modified barium strontium titanate thick film resistors}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {30}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {9-17}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {(Ba0.87Sr0.13)TiO3 thick films, ammonia gas sensor, II2S gas sensor, selectivity, sensitivity}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-007-0003-z}, author = {Jain, G. H. and Patil, L. A. and Patil, P. P. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000249091400025, title = {Sulfonic acid functionalized mesoporous silicas and organosilicas: synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {274}, number = {1-2}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {153-158}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Ethane bridged mesoporous organosilicas and MCM-41 having sulfonic acid groups in the pore channels were prepared by co-condensation method as well as grafting method, using 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (3-MPTS) as the sulfur precursor. TEM and N-2 sorption isotherm analysis revealed that the mesoporous structural ordering is retained after the functionalization and modifications of organic groups while FT-IR, Raman, XPS and solid-state C-13 CP MAS NMR shows the presence of sulfonic acid groups and the stability of the mesoporous framework. The catalytic activity of the developed materials was evaluated in the liquid phase Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction of acetophenone with benzaldehyde, to probe the effect of mesoporous support surfaces as well as the role of preparation methods. Results showed that sulfonic acid functionalized ethane-silica samples were more active, selective and stable than the conventional sulfonic acid containing mesoporous catalysts. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {condensation, ethane-silica, heterogeneity, sulfonic acids}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2007.04.040}, author = {Shylesh, S. and Samuel, Prinson P. and Srilakshmi, Ch. and Parischa, Renu and Singh, A. P.} } @article { ISI:000249948100006, title = {Supramolecular architecture in some 4-halophenylboronic acids}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {7}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1958-1963}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Crystal structures of 4-chloro- and 4-bromophenylboronic acids (1 and 2) and hydrates of 2 and 4-iodophenylboronic acid in two different forms (2a, 3a, and 3b), which were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods, are reported. In structures I and 2, -B(OH)2 forms a syn-anti conformation, but it exists in syn-syn as well as anti-anti conformations in the hydrated structures 2a, 3a, and 3b. In all the structures, the molecules are held together by O-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions formed by -B(OH)2 groups. The C-H center dot center dot center dot X (X = Cl, Br, and I) interactions play an important role in crystal packing. In 2, Br center dot center dot center dot Br interactions are also observed. Interestingly, all the three hydrates form similar types of three-dimensional structures with the formation of channels, which are occupied by water molecules. The two hydrates of 4-iodophenylboronic acid (3a and 3b) are distinguishable on the basis of O center dot center dot center dot O short contacts, with an identical host lattice of the boronic acid.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg060863p}, author = {Shimpi, Manishkumar R. and SeethaLekshmi, Nanappan and Pedireddi, Venkateswara Rao} } @article { ISI:000249169900033, title = {Surface-state-mediated electron transfer at nanostructured ZnO multipod/electrolyte interfaces}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {111}, number = {35}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13092-13102}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp072695x}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Ramgir, Niranjan S. and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000243765100017, title = {Swelling and mechanical behavior of modified poly(vinyl alcohol)/laponite nanocomposite membranes}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {103}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2896-2903}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Nanocomposite (NC) membranes based on hydrophobically modified PVA and laponite were synthesized with varying laponite content in the feed. The incorporation of laponite in NC membranes was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The swelling ratio of membranes was determined as a function of temperature and laponite content. Swelling studies of NC membranes exhibited the decrease in swelling with an increase in laponite content in the NC membranes. The swelling ratio of NC membrane with 20\% laponite slightly increased with an increase in temperature. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed the systematic increase in storage modulus with laponite content, which indicates the enhancement of mechanical property upon laponite addition. There was also a decrease in the tan 6 peak values of NC membranes with an increase in laponite content in NCs. The permeabilities through NC membranes as a function of solute size and laponite content were studied and the results showed molecular screening based on size. The permeability of solute reduced due to the presence of well-dispersed laponite in the NC. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Dynamic mechanical analysis, laponite, membranes, nanocomposite hydrogel, poly(vinyl alcohol)}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.25469}, author = {Nair, Shubhangi H. and Pawar, Kiran C. and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Badiger, Manohar V.} } @article { ISI:000245341700009, title = {Syntheses of 1,2-amino alcohols and their applications for oxazaborolidine catalyzed enantioselective reduction of aromatic ketones}, journal = {Australian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {60}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {196-204}, publisher = {CSIRO PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {150 OXFORD ST, PO BOX 1139, COLLINGWOOD, VICTORIA 3066, AUSTRALIA}, abstract = {

Six new chiral 1,2-amino alcohol derivatives have been synthesized starting from (1R, 2R)-2-amino-1-phenylpropane-1,3- diol. Asymmetric reduction of aryl ketones with in-situ generated oxazaborolidine from these amino alcohol derivatives and BH3 center dot Me2S afforded secondary alcohols with good yield and moderate to high enantiomeric excess.

}, issn = {0004-9425}, doi = {10.1071/CH06412}, author = {Vatmurge, Namdev S. and Hazra, Braja G. and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article { ISI:000243695000025, title = {Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous carbon through inexpensive mesoporous silica as template}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {98}, number = {1-3}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {189-199}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Electrochemical properties, hydroxy carboxylic acid, mesoporous carbon, Mesoporous silica, sodium silicate}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2006.09.003}, author = {Karandikar, Prashant R. and Patil, K. R. and Mitra, A. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Chandwadkar, Asha J.} } @article { ISI:000248203200019, title = {Synthesis and evaluation of 1-deoxy-8-epi-castanospermine, 1-deoxy-8-hydroxymethyl castanospermine, and (6S,7S,8R,8aR)-8-amino-octahydroindolizine-6,7-diol}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {22}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4756-4761}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short, versatile, and enantioselective synthesis of 1-deoxy-8-epi-castanospermine (5), 1-deoxy-8-hydroxymethyl castanospermine (6), and (6S,7S,8R,8aR)-8-amino-octahydroindolizine-6,7-diol (7) is achieved from a common template 12. The key step utilized is PET provoked amine radical cyclization of 11 to 12 in excellent diastereoselectivity. The exocyclic double bond at C-8 of the template is functionalized to obtain 5-7 as exclusive diastereomers. 1-Deoxy-8-epi-castanospermine exhibited inhibition of alpha- and beta-galactosidase and beta-glucosidase. Compounds 6 and 7 were found to be weak inhibitors of beta-glucosidase. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-deoxy-8-epi-castanospermine, castanospermine, Glycosidase inhibitors}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.03.085}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Dumbre, Shrinivas G. and Pal, Sujit and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Shabab, A.} } @article { ISI:000250367600011, title = {Synthesis and glycosidase inhibitory studies of pentahydroxyindolizidines: D-Glucose-Derived aziridine-2-carboxylate approach}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {29}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4895-4901}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

D-Glucose -derived aziridine-2-carboxylate I was converted into a-amino aldehyde 7, which, after Wittig olefination, asymmetric dihydroxylation, hydrogenation followed by LiAlH4 reduction, and N-Cbz protection, afforded two diastereomeric pyrrolidines 11a and 11b with sugar appendages. Removal of the 1,2-acetonide functionality in 11a/11b and reductive animation gave the pentahydroxyindolizidine alkaloids 6g and 6h, respectively, with (S) absolute configurations at the ring junctions. The glycosidase inhibitory activities of these compounds were studied.

}, keywords = {asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD), Iminosugars, indolizidine, N-methylmorpholine, N-oxide (NNIO)}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.200700461}, author = {Kumar, K. S. Ajish and Chaudhari, Vinod D. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000246321200039, title = {Synthesis and LPG sensing properties of nano-sized cadmium oxide}, journal = {Talanta}, volume = {72}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {594-599}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

This paper reports the synthesis and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) sensing properties of nano-sized cadmium oxide (CdO). The nano-sized CdO powder was successfully synthesized by using a chemical co-precipitation method using cadmium acetate and the ammonium hydroxide, as starting materials and water as a carrier. The resulting nano-sized powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The LPG sensing properties of the synthesized nano-sized CdO were investigated at different operating temperatures and LPG concentrations. It was found that the calcination temperature and the operating temperature significantly affect the sensitivity of the nano-sized CdO powder to the LPG. The sensitivity is found to be maximum when the calcination temperature was 400 degrees C. The sensitivity to 75 ppm of LPG is maximum at an operating temperature 450 degrees C and it was found to be similar to 34 1 \%. The response and recovery times were found to be nearly 3-5s and 8-10s, respectively. The synthesized nano-sized CdO powder is able to detect up to 25 ppm for LPG with reasonable sensitivity at an operating temperature 450 degrees C and it can be reliably used to monitor the concentration of LPG over the range (25-75 ppm). The experimental results of the LPG sensing studies reveal that the nano-sized CdO powder synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method is a suitable material for the fabrication of the LPG sensor. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chemical co-precipitation, Gas sensor, LPG, nano-sized CdO}, issn = {0039-9140}, doi = {10.1016/j.talanta.2006.11.024}, author = {Waghulade, R. B. and Patil, P. P. and Pasricha, Renu} } @article { ISI:000251574200016, title = {Synthesis, NMR, X-ray crystallography and bioactivity of some alpha-aminophosphonates}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {13}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {133-141}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/jm070660f}, author = {Vyavahare, Vinod P. and Chakraborty, Chaitali and Maity, Biswanath and Chattopadhyay, Subrata and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000252218700032, title = {Synthesis of an indole containing KDR kinase inhibitor by tandem Sonogashira coupling-5-endo-dig-cyclization as a key step}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {51}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12786-12790}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {direct polycondensation, poly(amide-imide)s, sulphone and bulky pendant groups, thermally stable polymers}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2007.08.016}, author = {Patil, Prashant S. and Pal, Ravindra R. and Salunkhe, Manikrao M. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000243013800061, title = {Synthesis of poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine) coatings and their corrosion-protection performance on low-carbon steel}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {103}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1868-1878}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Strongly adherent poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine) coatings were synthesized on low-carbon-steel substrates by the electrochemical copolymerization of aniline with o-toluidine with sodium tartrate as the supporting electrolyte. These coatings were characterized with cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The formation of the copolymer with the mixture of monomers in the aqueous sodium tartrate solution was ascertained by a critical comparison of the results obtained from the polymerizations of the individual monomers, aniline and o-toluidine. The optical absorption spectrum of the copolymer was drastically different from the spectra of the respective homopolymers, polyaniline and poly(o-toluidine). The extent of the corrosion protection offered by poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine) coatings to low-carbon steel was investigated in aqueous 3\% NaCl solutions by open-circuit-potential measurements and a potentiodynamic polarization technique. The results of the potentiodynamic polarization measurements showed that the poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine) coatings provided more effective corrosion protection to low-carbon steel than the respective homo-polymers. The corrosion rate depended on the feed ratio of o-toluidine used for the synthesis of the copolymer coatings. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Coatings, conducting polymers, copolymerization, synthesis}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.25346}, author = {Pawar, Pritee and Sainkar, S. R. and Patil, P. P.} } @article {12}, title = {Synthesis, structure, and reactivity of diazoketiminato complexes of platinum(II) and palladium(II): cytotoxic properties of a platinum complex}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {7}, number = {27}, year = {2007}, note = {19th International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering (ISCRE 19), Pottsdam, GERMANY, SEP, 2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4272-4281}, publisher = {BASF; Bayer AG; Cargill bvba; Clariant Produkte GmbH; Degussa AG; Schering AG; Siemens AG; SOLVAY GmbH; UHDE GmbH; UHDE Inventa Fischer GbbH}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Reaction of the 2-(arylazo)anilines Ar-N = N-C6H4NH2 [

}, keywords = {CFD, hydro processing, scale-down, scale-up, trickle bed}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg070194v}, author = {Pratihar, Jahar Lal and Shee, Biswaranjan and Pattanayak, Poulami and Patra, Debprasad and Bhattacharyya, Arindam and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Hung, C. H. and Chattopadhyay, Surajit} } @article { ISI:000250647000072, title = {Template-assisted synthesis of ruthenium oxide nanoneedles: electrical and electrochemical properties}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {111}, number = {44}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16593-16600}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp0744836}, author = {Subhramannia, Mahima and Balan, Beena K. and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {42754, title = {Thioether-functionalized ferrocenyl-bis(phosphonite), Fe{(C5H4)P(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)}2: synthesis, coordination behavior, and application in suzuki-miyaura cross-coupling reactions}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {46}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10268{\textendash}10275}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1021/ic701537k}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000248795100038, title = {Titania nanoparticles synthesis in mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {314}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {310-316}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline titanium oxide (TiO2) is one of the most useful oxide material, because of its widespread applications in photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, sensors and optoelectronics. The control of particle size and monodispersity of TiO2 nanoparticles is a challenging task. The use of MCM-41, an inorganic template of uniform pore size (2-10 nm), can overcome this difficulty and produce stable nanoparticles of uniform size and shape. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of titania nanoparticles inside the pores of silica based MCM-41 forming a TiO2/Si-MCM composite. Composites are formed in the alcoholic medium by incipient wetness impregnation method. Titania particles of average 3 nm size are obtained. Effect of silica and titania precursors on the quality of nanoparticles has been investigated. The characterization of titania-MCM-41 composites has been carried out using a variety of techniques like UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. It has been found that the titania particles are co-ordinated with Si-MCM by Si-O-Ti covalent bond. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {incipient wetness impregnation, Mesoporous material, template, titania}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2007.05.069}, author = {Lihitkar, N. B. and Abyaneh, Majid Kazemian and Samuel, V. and Pasricha, R. and Gosavi, S. W. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article {40}, title = {Toluene alkylation with methanol to p-xylene over heteropoly acids supported by clay}, journal = {Journal of Natural Gas Chemistry}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {42-45}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{The alkylation of toluene with methanol for the selective formation of p-xylene was systematically studied. Very few studies have been reported on the use of superacids such as heteropolyacids on cheap supports, such as clay. This article deals with the use of different heteropoly acids (HPAs), viz, Dodeca-Tungstophosphoric acid [

}, keywords = {co-crystalline, p-xylene, toluene alkylation, ZSM-12, ZSM-5}, issn = {1003-9953}, doi = {10.1016/S1003-9953(07)60024-3}, author = {Bokade, Vijay V. and Deshpande, Suvarna S. and Patil, R. and Jain, S. and Yadav, G. D.} } @article {42816, title = {Total syntheses of schulzeines B and C}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {72}, year = {2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6591-6594}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors; Asymmetric Dihydroxylation; Adjuvant Activity; Pinellic Acid; Ketones; Reduction; Reagents; Configuration; Imbricatine;Alkaloids}, doi = {10.1021/jo070560h}, author = {Gurjar, Mukund K. and Pramanik, Chinmoy and Bhattasali, Debabrata and Ramana, Chepuri V. and Mohapatra, Debendra K.} } @article { ISI:000250836500003, title = {Total synthesis of (+)-camptothecin via an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed cyclization strategy}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {17}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2635-2638}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The novel cascade intramolecular Pd-catalyzed cyclization followed by aromatization for the construction Of D ring of (+)-camptothecin as a key step is demonstrated.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, antitumor, cyclizations, Natural products, Palladium}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-991054}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pathak, Ashok B. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000247620500052, title = {Total synthesis of pulchellalactam via an RCM strategy}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {37}, number = {7-9}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1503-1510}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Total synthesis of (Z) pulchellalactam, a CD protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, from commercially available methallyl chloride employing ring-closure metathesis (RCM) as a key step is described.

}, keywords = {alkaloid, Natural products, pulchellalactam, RCM, Total synthesis}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910701229131}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pathak, Ashok B. and Dhawane, Abasaheb N. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000249567000008, title = {Transport study on as-grown and cast films of electrogenerated poly(3-hexylthiophene)}, journal = {Materials Letter}, volume = {61}, number = {25}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4687-4689}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Two kinds of poly(3-hexylthiophene) films with identical chemical compositions are prepared. One of the films is obtained by electropolymerization of 3-hexylthiophene (as-grown film) and the other is prepared by casting a solution dissolving the as-grown film (cast film). A clear difference is found in the mobility vs. doping level plots between the as-grown and cast films and its reason is discussed. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {mobility, poly(3-hexylthiophene), swelling, thin film, transport mechanism}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.03.010}, author = {Jiang, Xiaoqing and Harima, Yutaka and Patil, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000245519000057, title = {Tryptophan residue is identified in the substrate binding of penicillin G acylase from Kluyvera citrophila}, journal = {Enzyme and Microbial Technology}, volume = {40}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {1389-1397}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, type = {Article}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Penicillin acylases are important enzymes in pharmaceutical industry for the production of semi-synthetic beta-lactam antibiotics via the key intermediate 6-aminopenicillanic acid. The penicillin G acylase purified from Kluyvera citrophila (KcPGA) on modification with tryptophan-specific reagents such as N-bromo succinamide (NBS) and 2-hydroxy 5-nitrobenzylbromide (HNBB) showed partial loss of activity and substrate protection. Various solute quenchers and substrate were used to probe the microenvironment of the putative reactive tryptophan through fluorescence quenching. Homology modeling of KcPGA structure has been carried out. Docking substrate on this modeled KcPGA structure identifies the tryptophan residue that is directly influenced by substrate binding. To confirm the biological significance of this particular tryptophan, we did a sequence comparison of PGAs from various organisms. The sequence alignment clustered the matches into two sets, those closer to (\> 40\% identical) KcPGA and had the tryptophan of interest present in them formed the first set, while those less identical (\< 30\%) to KcPGA and the particular tryptophan absent in them formed the second set. It is clear from the reported kinetic parameters of representative members of these two sets that the affinity for penicillin G (penG) of the former class is several times better. Thus, based on our studies we suggest that the tryptophan residue in the identified position is important for binding substrate penG by the acylases. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {fluorescence measurement, K. citrophila, Penicillin G acylase, sequence alignment, substrate-docking, tryptophan modification}, issn = {0141-0229}, doi = {10.1016/j.enzmictec.2006.10.022}, author = {Kumar, R. Suresh and Prabhune, Asmita and Pundle, A. V. and Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000248002800006, title = {Unprecedented two-dimensional polymeric [Zn(OOC-C6H4-COO)(2)](2_)(n)[+H3N-(CH2)(3)-NH(3])(+)n system bearing one-dimensional chain of zinc(II) bis(phthalate) dianions held by propane-1,3-diammonium cations: crystal structure, thermal and fluorescent pr}, journal = {Solid State Sciences}, volume = {9}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {491-495}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel zinc(II) phthalate compound, [Zn{C6H4(COO)(2)}(2)](n)(2-)[NH3-(CH2)(3)-NH3](n)(2+), 1 Which contains four different phthalate moieties coordinated to the Zn(II) ion through one each of their carboxyl ate moieties in a eta(1)-form and each phthalate moiety acting as a bridging unit with an overall tetrahedral geometry around the metal ion has been prepared and structurally characterized. The structure is unique in the sense that the dianionic moieties [Zn{C6H4(COO)(2)}(2)](2-) form an infinite one-dimensional network composed of 14-membered cyclic units interconnected in a way that they are disposed alternatively in almost perpendicular planes. The dicationic [NH3-(CH2)(3)-NH3](2+) units are seen to hold these one-dimensional chains by strong coulombic and hydrogen bond interaction, resulting in an infinite two-dimensional layered structure of 1. The compound is thermally stable up to 250 degrees C. Above this temperature it loses one equivalent of phthalate moiety along with the diammonium unit to yield Zn(II) phthalate. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters associated with this process could be evaluated using Coats-Redfern equation which shows the activation energy Ea for the process as 305.0 kJ mol(-1), the frequency factor A as 1.49 x 10(11) s(-1) and the entropy change Delta S as -35.90 JK(-1) mol(-1). Fluorescent emission properties of 1 was studied by exciting the compound at 380 nm and also at 322 nm which were found to be the two lambda(max) corresponding to absorptions of the molecule. Interestingly, the compound gave same type of emission spectra showing a maximum around 444 nm on exciting at these two different wavelengths, indicating that the molecule comes to the first excited state from the higher excited state by a fast non-radiative process before it exhibits singlet emission to come to the ground state. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 3-diammonium, cyclic chain, fluorescent emission, layered structure, propane, zinc(II) bis(phthalate) dianion, zinc-phthatate}, issn = {1293-2558}, doi = {10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2007.04.009}, author = {Padmanabhan, A. and Joseph, K. C. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Huang, Xiaoying and Li, Jing} } @article { ISI:000248376400006, title = {Unusual trisulphide linkage in bromine-thiourea reaction: crystal structure of formamidinium trisulphide complex with bromine}, journal = {Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals}, volume = {469}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {69+}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{A new complex of formamidinium trisulphide with bromine has been synthesized. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of this compound revealed a novel trisulphide linkage in the formamidinium trisulphide moiety. The crystals belong to orthorhombic space group Fdd2 with a = 14.9119(15)

}, keywords = {bromine, crystal structure, formamidinium trisulphide, thiourea}, issn = {1542-1406}, doi = {10.1080/15421400701431265}, author = {Tol, Abhaya D. and Natu, Arun D. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000248609900029, title = {Use of poly(o-toluidine)/ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings for the corrosion protection of mild steel}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {106}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {220-229}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Coatings, conjugated polymers, FTIR, Nanocomposites, synthesis}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.26469}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Patil, P. P. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Sainkar, S. R.} } @article { ISI:000244006300011, title = {Water-triggered frontal polymerization}, journal = {Macromolecular Rapid Communications}, volume = {28}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {109-115}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1022-1336}, doi = {10.1002/marc.200600572}, author = {Pujari, Narahari S. and Inamdar, Satish R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000258460400012, title = {Adsorption of sulfonated dyes by polyaniline emeraldine salt and its kinetics}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {112}, number = {33}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10153-10157}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp803903x}, author = {Mahanta, Debajyoti and Madras, Giridhar and Radhakrishnan, S. and Patil, Satish} } @article { ISI:000256583100002, title = {Analysis of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses in complex I deficient patients revealed a specific increase in superoxide dismutase activity}, journal = {Free Radical Research}, volume = {42}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {415-427}, publisher = {INFORMA HEALTHCARE}, type = {Article}, address = {TELEPHONE HOUSE, 69-77 PAUL STREET, LONDON EC2A 4LQ, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The mechanism of free radical production by complex I deficiency is ill-defined, although it is of significant contemporary interest. This study studied the ROS production and antioxidant defenses in children with mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase deficiency. ROS production has remained significantly elevated in patients compared to controls. The expression of all antioxidant enzymes significantly increased at mRNA level. However, the enzyme activities did not correlate with high mRNA or protein expression. Only the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was found to correlate with higher mRNA expression in patient derived cell lines. The activities of the enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were significantly reduced in patients (p \< 0.05 or p \< 0.01). Glutathione reductase (GR) activity and intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels were not changed. Decreased enzyme activities could be due to post-translational or oxidative modification of ROS scavenging enzymes. The information on the status of ROS and marking the alteration of ROS scavenging enzymes in peripheral lymphocytes or lymphoblast cell lines will provide a better way to design antioxidant therapies for such disorders.

}, keywords = {antioxidant enzymes, mitochondrial complex I, mitochondrial myopathies, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)}, issn = {1071-5762}, doi = {10.1080/10715760802068571}, author = {Wani, Aijaz A. and Rangrez, Ashraf Y. and Kumar, Himanshu and Bapat, Sharmila A. and Suresh, C. G. and Barnabas, Shama and Patole, Milind S. and Shouche, Yogesh} } @article { ISI:000257271600057, title = {Bacterial synthesis of copper/copper oxide nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3191-3196}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

A bacterial mediated synthesis of copper/copper oxide nanoparticle composite is reported. A Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the genus Serratia was isolated from the midgut of Stibara sp., an insect of the Cerambycidae family of beetles found in the Northwestern Ghats of India. This is a unique bacterium that is quite specific for the synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles as several other strains isolated from the same insect and common Indian mosquitoes did not result in nanoparticle formation. By following the reaction systematically, we could delineate that the nanoparticle formation occurs intracellularly. However, the process results in the killing of bacterial cells. Subsequently the nanoparticles leak out as the cell wall disintegrates. The nanoparticles formed are thoroughly characterized by UV-Vis, TEM, XRD, XPS and FTIR studies.

}, keywords = {bacterial synthesis, Nanoparticles, TEM, XPS, XRD}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2008.095}, author = {Hasan, Syed Saif and Singh, Sanjay and Parikh, Rasesh Y. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Patole, Milind S. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article { ISI:000256073500012, title = {Bacterial synthesis of silicon/silica nanocomposites}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {18}, number = {22}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {2601-2606}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of silicon/silica nanoparticle composites by the bacterium Actinobacter sp. is demonstrated. More specifically, the formation of silicon/silica nanocomposite is shown to occur when the bacterium is exposed to K(2)SiF(6) precursor under ambient conditions. Based on the earlier reports where this bacterium has been shown to synthesize iron oxide and iron sulfide nanoparticles, it is hypothesized that this bacterium secretes reductases and oxidising enzymes, which lead to the Si/SiO(2) nanocomposite synthesis. The particles obtained by bacterial synthesis were thoroughly characterized. The cytotoxicity studies revealed that the particles do not display any cytotoxicity to human skin cells. The synthesis of silica nanoparticles by bacteria in the present study demonstrates the versatility of the organism, and the formation of elemental silicon by this environmentally friendly process expands further the scope of microorganism based nanomaterial synthesis.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b719528a}, author = {Singh, Sanjay and Bhatta, Umananda M. and Satyam, P. V. and Dhawan, Alok and Sastry, Murali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000256232900024, title = {Bacteria-mediated precursor-dependent biosynthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide and iron sulfide nanoparticles}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {24}, number = {11}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5787-5794}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, chapter = { }, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The bacterium Actinobacter sp. has been shown to be capable of extracellularly synthesizing iron based magnetic nanoparticles, namely maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) and greigite (Fe3S4) Under ambient conditions depending on the nature of precursors used. More precisely, the bacterium synthesized maghemite when reacted with ferric chloride and iron sulfide when exposed to the aqueous solution of ferric chloride-ferrous sulfate. Challenging the bacterium with different metal ions resulted in induction of different proteins, which bring about the specific biochemical transformations in each case leading to the observed products. Maghemite and iron sulfide nanoparticles show superparamagnetic characteristics as expected. Compared to the earlier reports of magnetite and greigite synthesis by magnetotactic bacteria and iron reducing bacteria, which take place strictly under anaerobic conditions, the present procedure offers significant advancement since the reaction occurs under aerobic condition. Moreover, reaction end products can be tuned by the choice of precursors used.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la704019p}, author = {Bharde, Atul A. and Parikh, Rasesh Y. and Baidakova, Marina and Jouen, Samuel and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Enoki, Toshiaki and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Sastry, Murali} } @article { ISI:000259876700012, title = {Calculation of vibrational energy of molecule using coupled cluster linear response theory in bosonic representation: convergence studies}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {129}, number = {13}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {134111}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Vibrational excited state energies have been calculated using vibrational coupled cluster linear response theory (CCLRT). The method has been implemented on formaldehyde and water molecule. Convergence studies have been shown with varying the cluster operator from S(4) to S(6) as well as the excitation operator from four bosons to six bosons. A good agreement with full configuration interaction results has been observed with S(6) truncation at coupled-cluster method level and six bosonic excitations at CCLRT level. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.2982502}, author = {Banik, Subrata and Pal, Sourav and Prasad, M. Durga} } @article { ISI:000257737200004, title = {Carbon nano horn and bovine serum albumin hierarchical composite: towards bio-friendly superhydrophobic protein film surfaces}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {18}, number = {29}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3422-3425}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Highly hydrophilic glass substrates when coated with films of carbon nano horns dispersed in the ubiquitous protein bovine serum albumin display hydrophobic characteristics. Incidentally both the materials used to create the final hydrophobic surface are known to be highly bio-compatible. The features observed are accredited to the replication of the micro and nanoscale hierarchical structures of carbon nano horns in the final film composite.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b806777e}, author = {Jadhav, Anil D. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42461, title = {Carbon-nitrogen bond-forming reactions of dialkyl azodicarboxylate: a promising synthetic strategy}, journal = {Chemistry an Asian Journal}, volume = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {810{\textendash}820}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {amination reactions; azodicarboxylates; C[BOND]N bond formation; heterocycles; Huisgen zwitterion}, doi = {10.1002/asia.200700341}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Biju, Akkattu T. and Mathew, Smitha C. and Pattoorpadi, Beneesh Babu} } @article { ISI:000256179700013, title = {Catalyst-free efficient synthesis of 2-aminothiazoles in water at ambient temperature}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {64}, number = {22}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5019-5022}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {2-aminothiazoles, ambient temperature, environment-friendly synthesis, Water}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2008.03.082}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000258442800009, title = {CFD simulation of gas-liquid flows in a reactor stirred by dual rushton turbines}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering}, volume = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article No. A60}, publisher = {BERKELEY ELECTRONIC PRESS}, type = {Article}, address = {2809 TELEGRAPH AVENUE, STE 202, BERKELEY, CA 94705 USA}, abstract = {

In the present work, we have simulated gas-liquid flows in a tall stirred reactor equipped with dual Rushton turbines. A two fluid model along with the standard k-epsilon turbulence model and modified drag coefficient, (proposed by Khopkar \& Ranade, 2006) accounting for the effect of bulk turbulence, was used to simulate the dispersed gas-liquid flow in a stirred reactor. The multiple reference frames (MRF) approach was used to simulate impeller rotation in a fully baffled reactor. The computational model was mapped on to a commercial solver FLUENT 6.2 (of Fluent Inc. USA). The model was used to simulate three distinct flow regimes in a gas-liquid stirred reactor: L33-VC (lower impeller-upper impeller), S33-VC and VC-VC. The model predictions were compared with the published experimental data of Bombac \& Zun (2000). The predicted results show good agreement with the experimental data for all the three flow regimes. The computational model presented in this work would be useful for simulating different flow regimes in a gas-liquid stirred vessel.

}, keywords = {computational fluid dynamics, dual Rushton turbine, Flow regimes, gas hold-up distribution, stirred reactor}, issn = {1542-6580}, author = {Kasat, Gopal R. and Pandit, Aniruddha B. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article { ISI:000258368000004, title = {CFD simulation of liquid-phase mixing in solid-liquid stirred reactor}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {63}, number = {15}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3877-3885}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A comprehensive CFD model was developed to gain an insight into solid suspension and its implications on the liquid-phase mixing process in a solid-liquid stirred reactor. The turbulent solid-liquid flow in a stirred reactor was simulated using a two-fluid model with the standard k-epsilon. turbulence model with mixture properties. The multiple reference frames (MRFs) approach was used to simulate impeller rotation in a fully baffled reactor. The computational model with necessary sub-models was mapped on to a commercial solver FLUENT 6.2 (of Fluent Inc., USA). The predicted solid concentration distribution was compared with the experimental data of Yamazaki et al. [ 1986. Concentration profiles of solids suspended in a stirred tank. Powder Technology 48, 205-216]. The computational model was then further extended to simulate and understand the implications of the suspension quality on liquid-phase mixing process. The computational model and the predicted results discussed here will be useful for understanding the liquid-phase mixing process in stirred slurry reactors in various stages of solid suspension. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CFD, mixing, solid suspension, stirred reactor}, issn = {0009-2509}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2008.04.018}, author = {Kasat, Gopal R. and Khopkar, A. R. and Ranade, V. V. and Pandita, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000259799300016, title = {C-glycosides of dodecanoic acid: new capping/reducing agents for glyconanoparticle synthesis}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {49}, number = {43}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6227-6230}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A concise synthesis of 12-C-glycosylated dodecanoic acids employing an olefin cross-metathesis reaction is developed. Examination of these acids as capping agents for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles reveals that they do not cap the Co-metal nanoparticles synthesized in aqueous phase, but that two of them can reduce and cap the Ag nanoparticles in water without any aggregation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {C-Glycosides, Cross metathesis, glyconanoparticles, Grubbs{\textquoteright} catalyst, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.08.030}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Durugkar, Kulbhushan A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Narute, Sachin B. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000262796500004, title = {Characterization of MoSe2 thin film deposited at room temperature from solution phase}, journal = {Journal of Crystal Growth}, volume = {311}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {15-19}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Crystal morphology, Growth from solution, Inorganic compound, Polycrystalline deposition, Semiconducting materials, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0022-0248}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2008.09.188}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Patil, A. A. and Chate, P. A. and Garadkar, K. M. and Sathe, D. J. and Manikshete, A. H. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000258819000009, title = {Characterization of smallest active monomeric penicillin V acylase from new source: a yeast, rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425)}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {43}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {961-967}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An intracellular monomeric penicillin V acylase (PVA) of 36,000 Da exhibiting pI of 4.19, purified from newly identified yeast source, Rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425). The enzyme was purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The enzyme showed optimal activity at 45 degrees C and retained 80\% activity after incubation at 45 degrees C and pH 5.5 for I h. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 5.5 and was very stable between pH 5.5-6.5 with optimum stability at pH 6.0. It exhibited 50\% of its original activity after 30 min incubation at 60 degrees C. Enzyme hydrolyzed substrates with benzyl side chain but preferred penicillin V as primary substrate. N-terminally located serine supports the fact that it belongs to Ntn (N-terminal nucleophile)-hydrolase superfamily. The initial ten amino acid residues of R. aurantiaca PVA were identical to the initial sequence of NADH dehydrogenase (EC 1.6.99.3): however the enzyme lacks dehydrogenase activity. EGTA, EDTA, hexane and ethyl acetate stabilized the activity where as small chain alcohols inhibited it. 1,4-Dioxane, THF (tetrahydrofurane), phenol and benzyl alcohol severely inhibited enzyme activity while BME and DTT increased it. Tween 80 and Tween 20 highly enhanced the activity where as SIDS and Triton X-100 inhibited it. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Intracellular enzyme, N-terminal sequencing, Penicillin V acylase, Purification, Rhodotorula aurantiaca, Substrate specificity}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2008.04.024}, author = {Kumar, Atul and Prabhune, Asmita and Suresh, C. G. and Pundle, Archana} } @conference { ISI:000271775103415, title = {COLL 41-studies in biosurfactants: sophorolipids}, booktitle = { 235th American-Chemical-Society National Meeting}, volume = {235}, year = {2008}, note = {235th American-Chemical-Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, APR 06-10, 2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {Meeting Abstract : 41 - Coll}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, organization = {American Chemical Society}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {1155 16th ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, keywords = {Biosurfactants, Candida bombicola ATCC 22214, Fermentation Process, sophorolipids}, issn = {0065-7727}, author = {Momin, Shamim A. and Prabhune, Asmita and Sonchal, Bhushan P. and Shah, Sachin and Kothekar, Shrinivas C.} } @article { ISI:000253511900004, title = {Comparative study of structural, acidic and hydrophilic properties of Sn-BEA with Ti-BEA using periodic density functional theory}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {112}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2573-2579}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Periodic density functional theory has been employed to characterize the differences in the structural, Lewis acidic and hydrophilic properties of Sn-BEA and Ti-BEA. We show that the incorporation of Sri increases the Lewis acidity of BEA compared to the incorporation of Ti. Hence, the present work gives insight into the role of Sn in increasing the efficiency of the oxidation reactions. The results also justify that the percentage of Sri substituted in BEA is less than Ti. The structural analysis shows that the first coordination shell of Sri is larger than that of Ti. However, the second coordination of both sites remains the same. The water adsorption properties of these substituted zeolites are quantified. Moreover, we explain the higher Lewis acidity of Sn than the Ti site on the basis of the Fukui functions and charge population analysis.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp709846s}, author = {Shetty, Sharan and Kulkarni, Bhakti S. and Kanhere, Dilip G. and Goursot, Annick and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000254480500087, title = {Comparative study of the shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity of platinum multipods, discs, and hexagons: applications for fuel cells}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {24}, number = {7}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {3576-3583}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We here demonstrate a remarkable potential-dependent morphological evolution of platinum mesostructures in the form of multipods, discs, and hexagons using a porous anodic alumina membrane (PAAM). These structures prepared potentiostatically at -0.7, -0.5 and -0.3 V, respectively, reveal unique shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity toward both formic acid and ethanol oxidation reactions. A comparison of the electrooxidation kinetics of these structures illustrates that hexagons show better performance toward formic acid oxidation whereas, for ethanol oxidation, multipods show significantly enhanced activity. Interestingly, the enhancement factor (R) for these mesostructures with respect to that of commercial platinized carbon toward formic acid oxidation ranges up to 2000\% for hexagons whereas for multipods and disc they are about 700\% and 300\%, respectively. Similarly, for ethanol oxidation, the calculated value of R varies up to 600\% for multipods while for disc and hexagons these values are 500\% and 200\%, respectively. These shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity of Pt mesostructures have been further correlated with XRD results. Thus, the present results demonstrate the importance of precise control of morphology by an electric field and their potential benefits especially for fuel cell applications since designing a better electrocatalyst for many fuel cell reactions continues to be an important challenge.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la702983z}, author = {Subhramannia, Mahima and Ramalyan, Kannan and Pillal, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000259622100005, title = {Comparison of Metarhizium isolates for biocontrol of helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) in chickpea}, journal = {Biocontrol Science and Technology}, volume = {18}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {809-828}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Metarhizium isolates from soil (53) and insect hosts (10) were evaluated for extracellular production of cuticle degrading enzyme (CDE) activities such as chitinase, chitin deacetylase (CDA), chitosanase, protease and lipase. Regression analysis demonstrated the relation of CDE activities with Helicoverpa armigera mortality. On basis of this relation, ten isolates were selected for further evaluation. Subsequently, based on LT(50) of the 10 isolates towards H. armigera, five isolates were selected. Out of these five isolates, three were selected on the basis of higher conidia production (60-75 g/kg rice), faster sedimentation time (ST(50)) (2.3-2.65 h in 0.1\% (w/v) Tween 80) and lower LC(50) (1.4- 5.7 x 10(3) conidia/mL) against H. armigera. Finally, three Metarhizium isolates were selected for the molecular fingerprinting using ITS sequencing and RAPD patterning. All three isolates, M34412, M34311 and M81123, showed comparable RAPD patterns with a 935G primer. These were further evaluated for their field performance against H. armigera in a chickpea crop. The percent efficacies with the three Metarhizium isolates were from 65 to 72\%, which was comparable to the chemical insecticide, endosulfan (74\%).

}, keywords = {appressorium formation, chitin deacetylase, chitinase, chitosanase, Helicoverpa armigera, Lipase, Metarhizium anisopliae, Protease}, issn = {0958-3157}, doi = {10.1080/09583150802366475}, author = {Kulkarni, Shuklangi A. and Ghormade, Vandana and Kulkarni, Girish and Kapoor, Manisha and Chavan, Santosh B. and Rajendran, Armugam and Patil, Sanjay K. and Shouche, Yogesh and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000255827100025, title = {Concise synthesis of protected (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyornithine}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {49}, number = {20}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3297-3299}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short synthesis of the nonproteinogenic amino acid, (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyornithine is described. Starting from racemic benzyl glycidol, the scaffold of the target compound was constructed in high enantio- and diastereoselectivity using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) and regioselective opening of an epoxide as key steps. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Epoxide, Grignard reaction, hydroxyornithine, Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s HKR, Natural product}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.03.076}, author = {Pandey, Satyendra Kumar and Pandey, Menaka and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article { ISI:000259161600016, title = {Convenient access to 1, 3,4-trisubstituted pyrazoles carrying 5-nitrothiophene moiety via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of sydnones with acetylenic ketones and their antimicrobial evaluation}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {43}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1715-1720}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, type = {Article}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Novel 1-aryl-3-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)-4-aroyl-pyrazoles 7 have been synthesized by the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 3-arylsydnones 3 with 1-aryl-3-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)-2-propyn- 1-ones 6. The newly synthesized compounds were well characterized by elemental analysis, IR, (1)H NMR and mass spectral studies. They were also screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against a variety of microorganisms and the results of such studies have been discussed in this article. (c) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All fights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 3-dipolar cycloaddition, 5-nitrothiophene, acetylenic ketone, Antibacterial, antifungal, Pyrazole, sydnone}, issn = {0223-5234}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2007.08.002}, author = {Rai, N. Satheesha and Kalluraya, Balakrishna and Lingappa, B. and Shenoy, Shaliny and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000254698300035, title = {Co-precipitation method for preparation of Bi3TiNbO9 powders}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {34}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {675-677}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, electronic material, Oxides, XRD}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2007.02.002}, author = {Gupta, U. N. and Samuel, V. and Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Patil, S. D. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000252408000041, title = {Co-precipitation technique to prepare BiTaO4 powders}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {501-503}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {BiTaO4, Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.05.074}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Gupta, U. N. and Rituraj, B. and Rao, N. Koteswara and Pradhan, Sivaram and Radha, R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000257838400007, title = {Cu(OTf)(2) catalyzed Biginelli type condensation of aldehydes, beta-keto esters and carbamates: synthesis of 3,4-dihydro[1,3]oxazin-2-ones}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {47}, number = {7}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1091-1095}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, type = {Article}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Cu(OTf)(2) catalyzes effectively a new multicomponent reaction comprising aldehydes, beta-ketoester and methy carbamate in acetonitrile to afford substituted 3,4-dihydro[1,3]oxazin-2-ones in 60-82\% yields. These compounds have been found to show inhibition activity against HL-60 cancer cell.

}, keywords = {aldehydes, Catalysts, Copper, Multicomponent reaction}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Jagdale, Arun R. and Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000255704100017, title = {Density functional investigations of electronics structure and dehydrogenation reactions of Al- and Si-substituted magnesium hydride}, journal = {ChemPhysChem }, volume = {9}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {928-934}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{The effect on the hydrogen storage attributes of magnesium hydride (MgH2) of the substitution of Mg by varying fractions of Al and Si is investigated by an ab initio plane-wave pseuodopotential method based on density functional theory. Three supercells, namely, 2 x 2 x x 3 x 1 x 1 and 5 x 1 x 1 are used for generating configurations with varying amounts (fractions x=0.0625, 0.1, and 0.167) of impurities. The analyses of band structure and density of states (DOS) show that, when a Mg atom is replaced by Al, the band gap vanishes as the extra electron occupies the conduction band minimum. In the case of Si-substitution, additional states are generated within the band gap of pure MgH2-significontly reducing the gap in the process. The reduced band gaps cause the Mg-H bond to become more susceptible to dissociation. For all the fractions, the calculated reaction energies for the stepwise removal of H-2 molecules from Al- and Si-substituted MgH2 ore much lower than for H-2 removal from pure MgH2. The reduced stability is also reflected in the comparatively smaller heats of formation (Delta H-f) of the substituted MgH2 systems. Si causes greater destabilization of MgH2 than Al for each x. For fractions x = 0.167 of Al

}, keywords = {band structure, Density functional calculations, hydrides, Hydrogen storage, Thermodynamics}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.200700860}, author = {Kelkar, Tuhina and Pal, Sourav and Kanhere, Dilip G.} } @article { ISI:000260290900014, title = {Diastereoselective addition of planar N-heterocycles to vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates: a new route to isonucleosides}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {64}, number = {45}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {10406-10416}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Michael-type addition reactions of planar N-heterocycles at the C-2 positions of vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates provide an efficient and general route for the carbon-N-heterocycle bond formation. Therefore, the addition pattern of planar heterocycles, such as imidazole, triazole, thymine, and adenine to 3-C-phenyisulfonyl-hex-2-enopyranosides (1 alpha/1 beta) and 3-C-p-toluenesulfonyl-pent-2-enofuranosides (2 alpha/2 beta) was studied for developing a general methodology for the synthesis of new classes of isonucleosides possessing a carbon-N-heterocycle linkage at C-2 positions of furanosyl and pyranosyl sugars. To a great extent, the anomeric configurations of the starting vinyl sulfones play crucial roles in deciding the diastereoselectivity of addition of heterocycles. However, the trityl protected 3-C-p-toluenesulfonyl-hex-2-enopyranosides (33 alpha/33 beta) were judged to be More practical starting materials for desulfortylation and deprotection for the synthesis of a new class of thymine and adenine deoxyisonucleosides. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2008.08.050}, author = {Sanki, Aditya K. and Bhattacharya, Rahul and Atta, Ananta Kumar and Suresh, Cheravakkattu G. and Pathak, Tanmaya} } @article { ISI:000259484700016, title = {Direct shoot organogenesis and plant regeneration from hypocotyl explants in selected genotypes of Leucaena leucocephala - a leguminous pulpwood tree}, journal = {Indian Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {388-393}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

An efficient in vitro plant regeneration system in subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), a leguminous pulp wood tree species, was established. The induction of shoots was achieved from selected elite clones of subabul K-8, K-636 and also wild type on MS medium supplemented with 2\% sucrose and different concentrations (0.88 to 24.6 mu M) of plant growth regulators (BA, Kn, 2iP \& TDZ). The best medium for shoot regeneration was MS with 22.2 mu M BA (5 shoots per explant), followed by 22.7 mu M TDZ (4.6 shoots per explant). Addition of putriscine (9.3 mu M) to MS medium containing 22.2 mu M BA enhanced the number of multiple shoots to 7-8 but not the frequency of response. Shoot initials (measuring 1 cm) when separated and transferred on to MS medium containing 1.4 mu M GA(3) elongated to 2-5 cm in 15.20 d with 80\% frequency. The per cent frequency of shoot differentiation was almost identical in the genotypes K-8 and K-636 but it differed significantly from the wild type. Leaf yellowing and abscission in all the genotypes was curtailed by supplementing the medium with 685 mu M glutamine or 540 mu M adenine. The excised shoots were transferred to root regeneration media containing 2.46 and 4.98 mu M IBA or 2.6 and 5.3 mu M NAA. Root regeneration was noticed with 100\% frequency in all the three genotypes in presence of IBA or NAA. Plantlets were transferred successfully to the pots with 70\% survival rate with no visible morphological variations. The protocol can be utilized for mass propagation and genetic transformation studies of this important pulpwood species.

}, keywords = {hypocotyl explants, Leucaena lucocephala, pulpwood leguminous tree, shoot organogenesis}, issn = {0972-5849}, author = {Sirisha, V. L. and Prashant, S. and Ranadheer, D. and Ramprasad, P. and Shaik, N. M. and Arha, Manish and Gupta, S. K. and Srivastava, Sarneer and Yadav, A. K. and Kulkarni, P. S. and Othalathara U. Abhilash and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Rawal, Shuban K. and Kishor, P. B. Kavi} } @article { ISI:000255448400001, title = {Distributed chemical computing using chemstar: an open source java remote method invocation architecture applied to large scale molecular data from pubchem}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling}, volume = {48}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {691-703}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

present the application of a Java remote method invocation (RMI) based open source architecture to distributed chemical computing. This architecture was previously employed for distributed data harvesting of chemical information from the Internet via the Google application programming interface (API; ChemXtreme). Due to its open source character and its flexibility, the underlying server/client framework can be quickly adopted to virtually every computational task that can be parallelized. Here, we present the server/client communication framework as well as an application to distributed computing of chemical properties on a large scale (currently the size of PubChem; about 18 million compounds), using both the Marvin toolkit as well as the open source JOELib package. As an application, for this set of compounds, the agreement of log P and TPSA between the packages was compared. Outliers were found to be mostly non-druglike compounds and differences could usually be explained by differences in the underlying algorithms. ChemStar is the first open source distributed chemical computing environment built on Java RMI, which is also easily adaptable to user demands due to its {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}plug-in architecture{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. The complete source codes as well as calculated properties along with links to PubChem resources are available on the Internet via a graphical user interface at http://moltable.nel.res.in/chemstar/.

}, issn = {1549-9596}, doi = {10.1021/ci700334f}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Krishnan, S. and Pandey, Anil Kumar and Bender, Andreas and Tropsha, Alexander} } @article { ISI:000260283800018, title = {Effect of hydrodynamic cavitation on zooplankton: a tool for disinfection}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {320-328}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Cell disruption, heat transfer, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Modelling, Wastewater treatment, Zooplankton}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2008.08.001}, author = {Sawant, Subhash Shivram and Anil, Arga Chandrashekar and Krishnamurthy, Venkat and Gaonkar, Chetan and Kolwalkar, Janhavi and Khandeparker, Lidita and Desai, Dattesh and Mahulkar, Amit Vinod and Ranade, Vivek Vinayak and Pandit, Aniruddha Balchandra} } @article { ISI:000260843200008, title = {Efficacy of 4-methyl-7-hydroxy coumarin derivatives against vectors aedes aegypti and culex quinquefasciatus}, journal = {Indian Journal of Experimental Biology}, volume = {46}, number = {11}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {788-792}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

4-Methyl-7-hydroxy coumarin is considered as a lead molecule as a biopesticide. Its mono bromo and tribromo derivatives were synthesized. Two more derivatives were synthesized by acylation. Compound 1 (3.6,8-tribromo-7-hydroxy-4-methyl-chromen-2-one) was found to be the most potent against IV(th) instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus and A. aegypti the LC(50) being 1.49 and 2.23 ppm respectively. It showed 100\% larval mortality at 25 ppm against A. aegypti and at 10 ppm against C. quinquefasciatus. Compounds 1 and 2 (3,6,8-tribromo-7-hydroxy-4-methyl-chromen-2{\textquoteright}-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl acetate) showed remarkable ovicidal activity. Significant reduction of 80-85\%, hatching of eggs of both mosquito species was observed at the highest dose of 100 ppm. The hatched larvae showed 100\% mortality in the successive instars. Compounds 3 and 4 (3-bromo-7-hydroxy-4-methyl-chromen-2-one and 3-bromo-4-methyl-2{\textquoteright}-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl acetate) showed moderate activity against both mosquito species.

}, keywords = {4-Methyl-7-hydroxy coumarin, Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, Larval mortality, Ovicidal activity}, issn = {0019-5189}, author = {Deshmukh, Madhavi and Pawar, Pushpa and Joseph, Mary P. and Phalgune, Usha and Kashalkar, Rajashree and Deshpande, Nirmala R.} } @article { ISI:000260411100014, title = {Efficient and eco-friendly synthesis of 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles in an ionic liquid/water system under ambient conditions}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {12}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {117-125}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {2-Amino-1, 3-selenazoles, ambient conditions, heterocycles, ionic liquid/water system, selenoureas, substituted phenacyl bromide}, issn = {1551-7004}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000255728500004, title = {Efficient route towards the covalent functionalization of single walled carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {254}, number = {16}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4936-4943}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient method of chemical functionalization of both single and multiwalled carbon nanotubes has been discussed to give enhanced water solubility by rapidly and efficiently generating an appreciable amount of hydrophilic functional groups using microwave radiation. Surface functionalization containing more than 30 wt\% of oxygen has been achieved, resulting into solubility of 2-5 mg/mL. Further covalent functionalization of such soluble SWNTs provides a remarkable degree of aniline functionalization through amidation, where the formation of polyaniline has been avoided. Functionalization of SWNTs is confirmed by techniques like electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. Electrochemical analysis suggests an enhanced double layer capacitance (similar to 110 F/g) of nanotubes after microwave treatment. Aniline functionalization of SWNTs shows possible variations on the nanotube topography with concomitant formation of a dynamic polymer layer on the nanotube surface. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, Functionalization, Microwave, solubility}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2008.01.148}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000254443900045, title = {Efficient synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydro-xanthene derivatives promoted by a room temperature ionic liquid at ambient conditions under ultrasound irradiation}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {548-553}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The condensation reaction involving an aldehyde and diketone was efficiently promoted by the Ionic liquid, [Hbim]BF(4) (IL) as a reaction medium with methanol as co-solvent at ambient temperature under ultrasonic irradiation to afford the corresponding 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxantliene (xanthene) derivatives in excellent yields. The advantages of this method include among others the use of a recyclable, non-volatile ionic liquid, which promotes this protocol under ambient temperature without the requirement of ally added catalyst. The reaction times and yields are compared with p-TSA catalyzed synthesis of xanthenes under thermal conditions, which is also reported for the first time under our reaction conditions. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {aldehydes, ambient conditions, Bronsted acidity, dimedone, Ionic liquid, Ultrasound, Xanthenes}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2007.06.001}, author = {Venkatesan, K. and Pujari, Suresh S. and Lahoti, Rajgopal J. and Srinivasan, K. V.} } @article { ISI:000260209800002, title = {Efficient synthesis of quinoxalines in the ionic liquid 1-n-butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Hbim]BF4) at ambient temperature}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {21}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3601-3612}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {1, 2-diamines, 2-Diketones, Aryl-1, ionicliquid(IL), quinoxalines}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910802054271}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000259140200017, title = {Electric field induced, superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic switching in multiwalled carbon nanotube papers}, journal = {Nano Letters}, volume = {8}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2693-2696}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1530-6984}, doi = {10.1021/nl801012r}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Mehta, Rutvik and Durge, Apurva and Kulkarni, Sneha and Pillai, Vijayamohanan} } @article { ISI:000256765900007, title = {Electric field response of molecular reactivity descriptors: a case study}, journal = {Theoretical Chemistry Accounts}, volume = {120}, number = {4-6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {375-383}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

In the present article, we study the influence of external electric field on the density-based global and local reactivity descriptors using examples of some planar nonlinear polyatomic molecules with C-2V point group symmetry. The study mainly involves the application of weak electric field in a direction along the principal axis and along its perpendicular direction. We also discuss the strength of the electric field studied in this work in terms of the strength of the molecular interaction. The work is expected to throw light on the effect of interactions within the above range on reactivity descriptors. Results are presented for a few prototype molecules.

}, keywords = {electric field, molecular interaction, planar nonlinear polyatomic molecules, Reactivity descriptors}, issn = {1432-881X}, doi = {10.1007/s00214-008-0437-4}, author = {Kar, Rahul and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000257271600056, title = {Electrochemical sensing of sulphur dioxide: a comparison using dodecanethiol and citrate capped gold nanoclusters}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3184-3190}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {cyclic voltammetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, monolayer protected gold nanoclusters (Au-MPCs), SO2 sensor, X-ray photoelectron spectra}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2008.094}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Risbud, Mandar S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000257231200057, title = {Enhanced field emission from hexagonal rhodium nanostructures}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {92}, number = {25}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {253106}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2943657}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000253283700051, title = {Extracellular bacterial synthesis of protein-functionalized ferromagnetic Co3O4 nanocrystals and imaging of self-organization of bacterial cells under stress after exposure to metal ions}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {20}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1484-1491}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Co3O4, which crystallizes in the spinet phase at temperatures much higher than ambient temperatures, orders antiferromagnetically below its Neel temperature (similar to 40 K). However, in nanosize, it shows ferromagnetic ordering due to surface canting, disorder, imperfect oxygen atom coordination, etc. Here, for the first time, we report the synthesis of single-crystalline, ferromagnetic Co3O4 nanoparticles functionalized with proteins (size 5-7 nm) using cobalt acetate as precursor at room temperature in aqueous medium by a metal-tolerant marine bacterium isolated from the coast of the Arabian Sea. Energetically unfavorable change in the oxidation state of Co atoms from (+2 to +3) during synthesis by the bacterial strain was evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effect on the morphology of bacterial cells after exposure to the cobalt acetate was imaged by scanning electron microscopy showing cooperative, self-organized. structured colony formation, possibly due to the interbacterial communication under external stress.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm702727x}, author = {Kumar, Umesh and Shete, Ashvini and Harle, Arti S. and Kasyutich, Oksana and Schwarzacher, W. and Pundle, Archana and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000256975600012, title = {Extracellular synthesis of crystalline silver nanoparticles and molecular evidence of silver resistance from morganella sp.: towards understanding biochemical synthesis mechanism}, journal = {ChemBioChem}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1415-1422}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

There has been significant progress in the biological synthesis of nanomaterials. However, the molecular mechanism of synthesis of such bio-nanomaterials remains largely unknown. Here, we report the extracellular synthesis of crystalline silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using Morganella sp., and show molecular evidence I of silver resistance by elucidating the synthesis mechanism. The AgNPs were 20 +/- 5 nm in diameter and were highly stable at 1 room temperature. The kinetics of AgNPs formation was investigated. Detectable particles were formed after on hour of reaction, and their production remained exponential up to 18 h, and saturated at 24 h. Morganella sp. was found to be highly resistant to silver cations and was able to grow in the presence of more than 0.5 mm AgNO3. Three gene homologues viz. silE, silP and silS were identified in silver-resistant Morganella sp. The homologue of silE from Morganella sp. showed 99\% nucleotide sequence similarity with the previously reported gene, silE, which encodes a periplasmic silver-binding protein. The homologues of silP and silS were also highly similar to previously reported sequences. Similar activity was totally absent in closely related Escherichia coli; this suggests that a unique mechanism of extracellular AgNPs synthesis is associated with silver-resistant Morganella sp. The molecular mechanism of silver resistance and its gene products might have a key role to play in the overall synthesis process of AgNPs by Morganella sp. An understanding of such biochemical mechanisms at the molecular level might help in developing an ecologically friendly and cost-effective protocol for microbial AgNPs synthesis.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, Morganella sp., Nanoparticles, sil gene homologues, Silver}, issn = {1439-4227}, doi = {10.1002/cbic.200700592}, author = {Parikh, Rasesh Y. and Singh, Sanjay and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Patole, Milind S. and Sastry, Murali and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article { ISI:000253620600025, title = {Facile air-oxidation of N-homopiperonyl-5,6-dimethoxyhomophthalimide: simple and efficient access to nuevamine}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {64}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1786-1791}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A facile six-step synthesis of naturally occurring (+/-)-nuevamine with 55\% overall yield has been described, starting from methyl 2-(6-formyl-2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)acetate via the quantitative benzylic air-oxidation of the corresponding N-homopiperonyl-5,6-dimethoxy-homophthalimide to N-homopiperonyl-5,6-dimethoxyisoquinoline-1,3,4-trione as the key reaction, followed by base catalyzed regioselective alcoholysis of the trione with ring contraction, acid catalyzed dehydrative ring closure of the formed lactamol and decarboxylation pathway. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.11.104}, author = {Wakchaure, Prasad B. and Easwar, Srinivasan and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000253152700039, title = {Ferrocene-linked thymine/uracil conjugates: base pairing directed self-assembly and supramolecular packing}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {73}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1508-1515}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Ferrocene-linked bis(nucleobase) (la-c) and chimeric nucleobase (1d) conjugates have been synthesized from mono- and bis(hydroxybutyl)ferrocene 6 via Mitsunobu reaction as the key step. X-ray crystallographic studies of ferrocene bis(nucleobase) conjugates reveal two-dimensional supramolecular organizations of backbones through self-assembled Watson-Crick and reverse Watson-Crick type pairs. Ferrocene-bis(thymine) conjugate self-assembles by reverse Watson-Crick pairing, while the corresponding bis(uracil) conjugate self-assembles by alternating WC and reverse WC type pairing. Such continuous assemblies are not seen in monosubstituted ferrocene nucleobase conjugates which form only planar sheets. The results are interesting from the point of understanding and engineering supramolecular assemblies through rational design of base pairing patterns.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo7023416}, author = {Patwa, Amit N. and Gupta, Susmita and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Ganesh, Krishna N.} } @article { ISI:000256005300018, title = {First principles calculations of thermal, equations of state and thermodynamical properties of MgH2 at finite temperatures}, journal = {Computational Materials Science}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {510-516}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We present the first principles calculations of the thermodynamical properties of magnesium hydride (MgH2) over a temperature range of 0-1000 K. The phonon dispersions are determined within the density functional framework and are used to calculate the free energy of MgH2 within the quasiharmonic approximation (QHA) at each cell volume and temperature T. Using the free energies the thermal equation of state (EOS) is derived at several temperatures. From the thermal EOS structural parameters such as the equilibrium bell volume (V-0) and elastic properties, namely, bulk modulus (K-0) and its pressure derivative (K-0({\textquoteright})) are computed. The free energies are also used to calculate various thermodynamical properties within QHA. These include internal energy E, entropy S, specific heat capacity at constant pressure C-P, thermal pressure P-thermal(V,T) and volume thermal expansion Delta V/V (\%). The good agreement of calculated values of S and Cp with experimental data exhibits that QHA can be used as a tool for calculating the thermodynamical properties of MgH2 over a wide temperature range. P-thermal(V,T) increases strongly with T at all the volumes but it is a slowly varying function of volume for T = 298-500 K. According to Karki [B.B. Karki, Am. Miner. 85 (2000) 1447] such volume based variations can be neglected and so it is possible to estimate the thermal EOS only with the knowledge of the measured P-thermal(V,T) versus temperature at ambient pressure and isothermal compression data at ambient temperature. Temperature dependence of Delta V/V(\%) shows that V-0 increased with increase in temperature. However, the percentage decrease in K-0 superseded this percentage increase in V-0 even at temperatures moderately higher than 298 K. Therefore, we suggest application of temperature (T \> 298 K) as an approach to enhance the hydrogen storage capacity of MgH2 because of its better compressibility at these temperatures. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {equation of state, Hydrogen storage, lattice dynamics, magnesium hydride, Thermodynamic properties}, issn = {0927-0256}, doi = {10.1016/j.commatsci.2007.08.014}, author = {Kelkar, Tuhina and Kanhere, Dilip G. and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000261950600017, title = {Furfural: hemicellulose/xylosederived biochemical}, journal = {Biofuels Bioproducts \& Biorefining-Biofpr}, volume = {2}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {438-454}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, type = {Review}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {acid hydrolysis, cyclodehydration, furfural, Hemicellulose, pre-treatment of lignocellulosics, Xylose}, issn = {1932-104X}, doi = {10.1002/bbb.95}, author = {Mamman, Ajit Singh and Lee, Jong-Min and Kim, Yeong-Cheol and Hwang, In Taek and Park, No-Joong and Hwang, Young Kyu and Chang, Jong-San and Hwang, Jin-Soo} } @article { ISI:000254883500012, title = {Gelation of covalently edge-modified laponites in aqueous media. 1. rheology and nuclear magnetic resonance}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {112}, number = {15}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {4536-4544}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp710489n}, author = {Patil, Suhas P. and Mathew, Renny and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Mahesh, T. S. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article { ISI:000259408300012, title = {Gold nanoparticle superlattices}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {37}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1871-1883}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Review}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Ordered metal nanoparticle assemblies-superlattices-have captivated and stirred the imagination of scientists and engineers alike and promise great prospect for future technologies. This potential though will greatly be determined by the understanding and control that can be exerted on the assembling processes. This tutorial review presents a brief account of the factors that govern the formation of superlattices and then presents several examples of gold nanoparticle superlattices that are distinguished by the size of participating particles, chain length/functional group of the capping agent, the substrates on which they form etc.

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/b712175j}, author = {Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sorensen, C. M. and Klabunde, Kenneth J.} } @article { ISI:000207604400001, title = {Guest editorial: computational fluid dynamics}, journal = {Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {3}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {95-96}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Editorial Material}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, issn = {1932-2143}, doi = {10.1002/apj.130}, author = {Ranade, Vivek V. and Pareek, Vishnu} } @article { ISI:000255190300006, title = {Hexavalent chromate reduction by immobilized streptomyces griseus}, journal = {Biotechnology Letters}, volume = {30}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1005-1010}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Hexavalent chromium, which is a mutagen and carcinogen, was efficiently reduced by Streptomyces griseus. This activity was associated with the cell. Cr6+ reduction by free as well as immobilized cells was studied: cells in PVA- alginate had the highest ( 100\%) Cr6+ removal efficiency in 24 h with reduction rates similar to free cells. Immobilized cells completely reduced 25 mg Cr6+ l(-1) in 24 h. PVA- alginate immobilized cells could be reused four times to completely reduce 25 mg Cr6+ l(-1) in 24 h each time. Chromate in a simulated effluent containing Cu2+, Mg2+, Mn2+ and Zn2+ was completely reduced by PVA- alginate immobilized cells within 9 h.

}, keywords = {Chromate reduction, Immobilized cells, polyvinyl alcohol, Streptomyces griseus}, issn = {0141-5492}, doi = {10.1007/s10529-008-9662-0}, author = {Poopal, Ashwini C. and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article { ISI:000255086600041, title = {Highly active nanostructured Co3O4 catalyst with tunable selectivity for liquid phase air oxidation of p-cresol}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {37}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {310-311}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, type = {Article}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

This is a first report of highly efficient heterogeneous nanostructured Co3O4 catalyst (6-8 nm) having high surface area (95 m(2)/g) developed for selective liquid phase air oxidation of p-cresol under atmospheric pressure conditions.

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2008.310}, author = {Kshirsagar, Vikas S. and Vijayanand, Subramanian and Potdar, Hari S. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Patil, Kashinath R. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000253042300017, title = {Highly efficient sulfimidation of 1,3-dithianes by Cu(I) complexes}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {619-625}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A series of four Cu(I) complexes were tested for sulfimidation of 1,3-dithianes in the presence of [N-(p-tolysulfonyl)imino]phenyliodinane (PhI = NTs) as the nitrene-transfer agent. Cu(TMPhen)(PPh3)Br is an efficient catalyst with more than 90\% yield of the corresponding product with less reaction time as compared to the literature copper(I) complexes.

}, keywords = {1, 3-dithianes, Cu(I) complexes, PhI = NTs, sulfimidation}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910701798200}, author = {Giribabu, Lingamallu and Singh, Surya P. and Patil, Nandkumar M. and Kantam, M. Lakshmi and Gupte, Sunil P. and Chaudhari, Raghunath V.} } @article { ISI:000258800700002, title = {Highly selective catalytic hydrogenation of arenes using rhodium nanoparticles supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {112}, number = {35}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13317-13319}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Rhodium nanoparticles (RhNPs; 4.9 +/- 0.4 nm) supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Rh/MWNT), prepared by simple microwave treatment, show a remarkable catalytic activity for arene hydrogenation with enhanced turnover numbers of similar to 10000; disubstituted arenes show selective conversion of thermodynamically less favorable cis products (\>80\%). A series of arenes have been tested using various Rh-based catalysts, and a comparison of the results with that of reported rhodium catalysts shows unique selectivity under mild conditions.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp804843h}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Sahoo, Suman and Halligudi, Shivappa B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000255627700001, title = {High-purity synthesis of scrolled mats of multi-walled carbon nanotubes using temperature modulation}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {46}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {567-576}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2007.12.020}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Allouche, Hatem and Mahima, Subhramanyam and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000260776600040, title = {Hydrazine based facile synthesis and ordered assembly of metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag) on a bacterial surface layer protein template}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {8}, number = {7}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3565-3569}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient and facile procedure is developed for concurrent in situ synthesis and ordered assembly of metal nanoparticles on a periodic two dimensional protein array. The S-layer protein of Bacillus subtilis exhibiting uniform pore size is used as template. Synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles anchoring on the pores of S-layer is achieved by chemical reduction of respective metal salt laden protein template. Transmission electron microscopy reveals formation of well ordered and separated gold and silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of 6 +/- 1 nm and 4 +/- 1 nm, respectively. The periodic arrangement of nanoparticles is dictated by the native structure of S-layer protein array as the nanoparticle locations are found to be correlated to the nanosized pores of the crystalline S-layer array.

}, keywords = {Bacteria, Metal Nanoparticles, synthesis}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2008.135}, author = {Puranik, Sarang S. and Joshi, Hrushikesh M. and Ogale, S. B. and Paknikar, K. M.} } @article { ISI:000256501000031, title = {Hydrogen bonding-directed metallosupramolecular structural motifs based on a peripheral urea fused bipyridine tecton}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1952-1960}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The potential of bipyridine glycoluril (BPG), a urea fused bipyridine, tecton to form metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been explored by structural characterization of BPG and its complexes [Ru(phen)(BPG)(2)]Cl(2) (1) and [Ru(BPG)(3)]Cl(2) (2). The single crystal X-ray structure of BPG reveals that the inherent H-bond donor (N-H) and acceptor groups (C=O) exhibit a potential to generate diverse supramolecular motifs depending on the stoichiometry of tectons. The single crystal X-ray analysis of the secondary building units 1 and 2 provide evidence for this hydrogen-bonding capacity which results in supramolecular self-assembled metal-organic frameworks (MOF) via C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl, C-H.center dot center dot center dot O, N-H center dot center dot center dot Cl, and N-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions with a cluster of water molecules and chlorine anions surrounding secondary building units in I and channels encapsulating mixed water-dimethylsulfoxide clusters in 2.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg8000015}, author = {Deshpande, Megha S. and Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000256281800005, title = {Imaging the interaction between dengue 2 virus and human blood platelets using atomic force and electron microscopy}, journal = {Journal of Electron Microscopy}, volume = {57}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {113-118}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS}, type = {Article}, address = {GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Thrombocytopenia is frequently associated with dengue virus infection. Host factors such as anti-platelet immunopathogenic processes have been implicated in the origin of dengue-associated thrombocytopenia but the role of dengue virus in directly interacting with platelets and altering their hemostatic property remains incompletely understood. In the present study, we examined the effect of dengue 2 virus on the morphology and physiological activation profile of normal human platelets using atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy and flowcytometry. Platelets obtained from healthy donors were exposed to a cell culture-adapted 10(4) LD(50) dengue 2 virus isolate in vitro and the subsequent effect on morphology and activation biology studied. Our results show that dengue 2 virus exposure at doses comparable to natural viremic states in human infections can activate platelets with an increase in P-selectin expression and fibrinogen-binding property. Atomic force, scanning and transmission electron microscopy also showed typical activation-related morphological changes such as altered platelet membrane architecture, degranulation, presence of filopodia and dilatation of the open canalicular system in the dengue 2 virus-exposed platelets but not in the controls. Importantly, Japanese encephalitis virus exposure at the same dose did not activate platelets or show any morphological changes. Our findings suggest that dengue 2 virus may directly interact with and activate platelets - an event that might be important in the origin of dengue-associated thrombocytopenia. Detailed molecular characterization of this effect might provide key knowledge toward better prophylaxis of the hemostatic complications of dengue disease.

}, keywords = {AFM, dengue virus, Electron microscopy, platelet}, issn = {0022-0744}, doi = {10.1093/jmicro/dfn007}, author = {Ghosh, Kanjaksha and Gangodkar, Shobha and Jain, Preksha and Shetty, Shrimati and Ramjee, Sandhya and Poddar, Pankaj and Basu, Atanu} } @article { ISI:000257200200028, title = {Imaging the stomatal physiology of somatic embryo-derived peanut leaves by scanning electrochemical microscopy}, journal = {Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry}, volume = {391}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2227-2233}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, type = {Article}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The stomatal physiology, chlorophyll distribution and photosynthetic activity of somatic embryo (SE)- and seedling-derived peanut plants grown in vitro (test tube-grown) and extra vitrum (soil-grown) are investigated using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). This SECM imaging is performed in two different feedback modes, corresponding to oxygen evolution and chlorophyll distribution. More specifically, the oxygen evolution profiles of the in vitro leaves indicate important differences in leaf anatomy between the SE- and seedling-derived leaves. On the other hand, the chlorophyll distribution images show individual stomata of size ca. 27 +/- 5 mu m. Further studies on senescing (aged) leaves reveal interesting voltammograms that vary widely over the stomatal complexes and the surrounding tissues, probably due to the release of electroactive metabolites during chlorophyll breakdown when the leaves turn yellow. Thus, the present investigation could open up new opportunities for characterizing botanical systems using electroanalytical techniques. In addition, it could provide further insights into various areas of current relevance, including signal transduction, cell fate/differentiation and developmental biology.

}, keywords = {leaf senescence, oxygen evolution, photosynthesis, SECM, somatic embryogenesis, stomata}, issn = {1618-2642}, doi = {10.1007/s00216-008-2132-7}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Singh, Shweta and Hazra, Sulekha and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000254479300039, title = {Immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase on poly(allyl glycidyl ether-co-thylene glycol dimethacrylate) macroporous polymer particles}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {99}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3623-3629}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Candida rugosa lipase, Enzyme immobilization, Epoxy-activated support}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2007.07-035}, author = {Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, S. and Kulkarni, B. D. and Nene, Sanjay N.} } @article { ISI:000261282400004, title = {Immobilization of penicillin G acylase on amino functionalized mesoporous silica}, journal = {Research Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {3}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {18-21}, publisher = {RESEARCH JOURNAL BIOTECHNOLOGY}, type = {Article}, address = {SECTOR A-80, SCHEME NO 54, VIJAY NAGAR, A B ROAD, INDORE, 452 010 MP, INDIA}, abstract = {

Penicillin G acylase was immobilized on Amino functionalized mesoporous silica by adsorption method. In this paper we present the effect of penicillin G acylase immobilization on amino-functionalized mesoporous silica and the effect of silica as host matrix on enzyme kinetics. The loading capacity of immobilized Penicillin G acylase is 34 mg protein per 0.5 g of SBA-15. About 65\% of the protein was adsorbed on mesoporous silica. The stability of penicillin acylase was enhanced after immobilization on mesoporous silica. The adsorbed enzyme is more stable than the soluble form, both to temperature and pH environments and retained 73\% of its activity.

}, keywords = {Amino functionalized mesoporous silica, Immobilization, Penicillin G acylase, pH and temperature stabilities}, issn = {0973-6263}, author = {Sridevi, N. and Pallavi, Shah and Asmita, Prabhune} } @article { ISI:000262377000003, title = {In situ synthesis of ligand reduced/capped silver nanoparticles and the effect of temperature and ligand structure on the size of silver nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {120}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, note = {International Conference on Molecules and Materials - New Directions, Bangalore, INDIA, DEC 04, 2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {515-520}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, type = {Article, Proceedings Paper}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

We report in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles using biosurfactants called sophorolipids as reducing and capping agents. We further study the effect of temperature and the structure of sophorolipid on the size of silver nanoparticles obtained. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and light scattering (DLS) analysis techniques.

}, keywords = {dynamic light scattering, Nucleation and growth, silver nanoparticles, Sophorolipid}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-008-0080-6}, author = {Kasture, M. B. and Patel, P. and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramana, C. V. and Kulkarni, A. A. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000254648100007, title = {In situ synthesis of Pt nanoparticles in SBA-15 by encapsulating in modified template micelles: size restricted growth within the mesochannels}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {18}, number = {15}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1765-1770}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A truly in situ and simple method is developed for nanoparticle incorporation within the mesochannels of SBA-15 involving dispersion of metal precursors in surfactant-modified polymer micelles. The diffusion of the precursor within the micellar structure is aided by interaction with the cationic head group of the surfactant leading to a unique method to facilitate the formation of highly disperse, uniform nanoparticles molded by the walls of the mesochannels. The nanoparticle incorporated mesoporous material has a highly enhanced surface area and adsorption capabilities in comparison to its parent materials without any pore blockage which makes this method ideal for the preparation of nanocatalysts.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b717991j}, author = {Prashar, Atul K. and Hodgkins, Robert P. and Kumar, Rajiv and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000252803200006, title = {Inactivation of polygalacturonase and pectate lyase produced by pH tolerant fungus Fusarium moniliforme NCIM 1276 in a liquid medium and in the host tissue}, journal = {Microbiological Research}, volume = {163}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {51-62}, publisher = {ELSEVIER GMBH, URBAN \& FISCHER VERLAG}, type = {Article}, address = {OFFICE JENA, P O BOX 100537, 07705 JENA, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Fusarium moniliforme NCIM 1276 produced pH dependent an extracellular potygalacturonase (PG) and pectate lyase (PL) at pH 5 and pH 8, respectively. In the extracellular medium about 20.3\% PG and 54\% of PL protein concentrations were present in the active state at pH 5 and pH 8, respectively, whereas in intracelluarly, more than 86\% of both protein contents remained in the active state at all pH tested. We found two possible reasons, end-product inhibition and effect of environmental. pH on conformation of the proteins after their release into the medium. Additionally, in infected tomato and cauliflower plants, the fungus secreted similar proteins which were located near to the epidermal and vascular regions of the hypocotyts. In infected tissues, between 26.9\% and to 41.5\% of PG and only 0.84\% - 13.4\% of PL protein concentrations were present in active state. Thus, the medium/cell sap pH and concentrations of substrate/end products seem to play an important role in fungal invasion during plant pathogenesis are discussed with current literature. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Fusarium moniliforme, pathogenesis, pectate lyase, polygatacturonase}, issn = {0944-5013}, doi = {10.1016/j.micres.2006.03.004}, author = {Niture, Suryakant K. and Kumar, Ameeta R. and Parab, Pradeep B. and Pant, Aditi} } @article { ISI:000261262000024, title = {Invertase inhibition based electrochemical sensor for the detection of heavy metal ions in aqueous system: application of ultra-microlelectrode to enhance sucrose biosensor{\textquoteright}s sensitivity}, journal = {Biosensors \& Bioelectronics}, volume = {24}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {657-664}, publisher = {ELSEVIER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY}, type = {Article}, address = {OXFORD FULFILLMENT CENTRE THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We are reporting fabrication and characterization of electrochemical sucrose biosensor using ultra-microelectrode (UME) for the detection of heavy metal ions (Hg(II), Ag(I), Pb(II) and Cd(II)). The working UME, with 25 mu m diameter, was modified with invertase (INV, EC: 3.2.1.26) and glucose oxidase (GOD, EC: 1.1.3.4) entrapped in agarose-guar gum. The hydrophilic character of the agarose-guar gum composite matrix was checked by water contact angle measurement. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of the membranes showed proper confinement of both the enzymes during co-immobilization. The dynamic range for sucrose biosensor was achieved in the range of 1 x 10(-10) to 1 x 10(-7) M with lower detection limit 1 x 10(-10) M at pH 5.5 with 9 cycles of reuse. The spectrophotometric and electrochemical studies showed linear relationship between concentration of heavy metal ions and degree of inhibition of invertase. The toxicity sequence for invertase using both methods was observed as Hg(2+) \> Pb(2+) \> Ag(+) \> Cd(2+). The dynamic linear range for mercury using electrochemical biosensor was observed in the range of 5 x 10(-10) to 12.5 x 10(-10) M for sucrose. The lower detection limit for the fabricated biosensor was found to be 5 x 10(-10) M. The reliability of the electrochemical biosensor was conformed by testing the spike samples and the results were comparable with the conventional photometric DNSA method. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Co-immobilization, Electrochemical biosensor, Heavy metal ions, Invertase (INV)-glucose oxidase (GOD), Mercury, Ultra-microelectrode (UME)}, issn = {0956-5663}, doi = {10.1016/j.bios.2008.06.027}, author = {Bagal-Kestwal, Dipali and Karve, Meena S. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000253521600009, title = {Iron-nickel bimetallic nanoparticles for reductive degradation of azo dye orange G in aqueous solution}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {79}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {270-278}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The degradation of Orange G, a monoazo dye, in aqueous solutions was investigated using Fe-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of as-synthesized nanoparticles showed the presence of spherical particles having a size of 20-40 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) did not detect the presence of nickel on the nanoparticle surface, which suggested a uniform distribution of both metals inside the particle core. Batch experiments with a minimum nanocatalyst loading of 3 g/L showed complete dye degradation after 10 min of reaction time. The degradation efficiency was linearly dependent on the initial dye concentration, pH of the solution and total Fe-Ni catalyst concentration. The efficiency increased with increasing Fe-Ni concentration and decreasing pH of the solution, but decreased with an increase in the dye concentration. The degradation rate followed first order reaction kinetics with respect to the dye concentration. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis of the degradation products revealed that the degradation mechanism proceeds through a reductive cleavage of the azo linkage resulting in the formation of aniline and surface-adsorbed naphthol amine derivatives. The latter are subsequently hydroxylated through an oxidative process. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Azo Dye, Degradation, iron, Nanoparticles, Nickel}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2007.10.033}, author = {Bokare, Alok D. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Paknikar, Kishore M.} } @article { ISI:000255905400010, title = {Kinetics of PbCrO(4) nanorod growth by oriented attachment at the air-water interface}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {112}, number = {20}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7557-7561}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Oriented attachment is a new way of crystal growth to transform preformed nanoparticles into hierarchical assemblies. Here, we demonstrate the use of liquid-liquid interfaces toward the formation of PbCrO(4) nanoparticles and their subsequent time-dependent self-assembly at the air-water interface into nanorods by oriented attachment. EDAX and XPS analysis indicate the formation of stoichiometric PbCrO(4). TEM studies at different stages of aging reveal that the transformation from nanoparticles to nanorods is kinetically governed. HRTEM analysis indicates nanorod growth along the [110] plane. UV-visible spectra reveal the presence of peaks at 425 and 515 nm for nanorods, while for the nanoparticle sample, a single peak at 425 urn is evident. As formation of ultrathin films over a large area (typically equal to or greater than 1 mu m x 1 mu m) concomitantly accompanies this approach, it can be extended to other materials as well for nanostructured device applications.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp801577y}, author = {Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Harle, Arti S. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000254820000016, title = {La0.67Ce0.03Sr0.3MnO3-coupled microwave assisted ultra-fast synthesis of nanocrystalline cobalt oxide and Bismuth oxide}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {10-11}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {1511-1513}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Citrate gel method, Manganites, Microwave, Oxides}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.09.013}, author = {Rajagopal, Rajashree and Mona, J. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Kale, Sangeeta N. and Pradhan, Sivararn and Gaikwad, A. B. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000254425200040, title = {Linear assembly of hexadecanethiol coated gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {454}, number = {4-6}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {345-349}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An interesting formation of linear assembly of hexadecanethiol coated gold nanoparticles is demonstrated. The nanoparticles used were synthesized in an organic medium and then were subjected to digestive ripening to finally yield monodisperse nanoparticles. A simple drop casting on TEM grid lead to the results observed. Based on the thermo gravimetric analysis, it is hypothesized that inclusion of the particles in Au(I)-thiolate template is mainly responsible for the formation of linear assembly. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2008.02.053}, author = {Sidhaye, Deepti S. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000255130000001, title = {Lipase enzyme immobilization on synthetic beaded macroporous copolymers for kinetic resolution of chiral drugs intermediates}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {43}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {321-330}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {1-phenyl ethanol and enantioselectivity, chiral resolution, enantiomeric excess (ee), ethyl-3-hydroxy-3-phenyl propanoate, Immobilization, Lipase}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2007.11.019}, author = {Bhushan, Indu and Parshad, Rajinder and Qazi, Gulam Nabi and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendera and Gupta, Vijay Kumar} } @article { ISI:000255706500009, title = {Liquid-phase synthesized mesoporous electrochemical supercapacitors of nickel hydroxide}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {53}, number = {15}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5016-5021}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

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

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

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, electronic materials, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.07.006}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Koteswara Rao, N. and Pradhan, Sivaram and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000258195800007, title = {Low temperature synthesis of ZnSe nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {23}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3803-3805}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Synthesis of thioglycerol capped zinc selenide nanoparticles with a relatively narrow size distribution by a simple and inexpensive low temperature (similar to 80 degrees C) wet chemical method is reported here. Main advantage of this method is the use of non-toxic precursors. The size of the nanoparticles can be varied easily by changing the concentration of the capping agent. The extracted nanoparticles remain stable under normal atmospheric conditions and can be redispersed in suitable solvents. The sharp absorption features obtained in the UV-Visible absorption spectra reveal the formation of monodispersed ZnSe nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Luminescence, Nanomaterials, Semiconductor, X-ray techniques}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2008.04.082}, author = {Deshpande, Aparna and Singh, Shashi B. and Abyaneh, Majid Kazemian and Pasricha, Renu and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000256931600006, title = {Microwave studies on synthesis of biologically active chalcone derivatives}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {47}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {927-931}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Synthesis of pyrazole derivative using microwave energy has been carried out. The compound 1-[4-(2-hydroxy-ethoxy)-phenyl]-ethanone, is prepared from p-hydroxy-acetophenone and 2-chloro-ethanol. Chalcone derivative has been prepared by the condensation reaction of 1-[4-(2-hydroxy-ethoxy)-phenyl]- ethanone with 4-chlorobenzaldehyde. This chalcone. derivative cyclised with hydrazine hydrate and glacial acetic acid under microwave irradiation conditions give pyrazole derivative. These products have been characterized by detailed spectral analysis and have been screened for their antimicrobial activity, against Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, and Salmonella typhimurium.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial activity, chalcones, Pyrazole}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Katade, Sushama and Phalgune, Usha and Biswas, Sujata and Wakharkar, Radhika and Deshpande, Nirmala} } @article { ISI:000261711400041, title = {Molecular association via halogen bonding and other weak interactions in the crystal structures of 11-bromo-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan derivatives}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {892}, number = {1-3}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {246-253}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Methyl 3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate 2, methyl 11 alpha-bromo-3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate 3, methyl 11 beta-bromo-3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate 4 and methyl 11,11-dibromo-3 alpha,7 alpha-diacetoxy-12-oxo-5 beta-cholan-24-oate 5 were synthesized. The crystal structures of these molecules were resolved to study the effect of bulky bromine atom in the steroid skeleton of cholic acid with different stereo-chemical orientations at C-11 on the two-dimensional arrangement of molecules and solid-state properties. All the molecules associate only via weak intermolecular interactions in their crystal structures, notable one being the Halogen Bonded assembly (C-Br center dot center dot center dot O) in 5. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {11-Bromosteroids, Cholic acid, crystal structure, Halogen bonding}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2008.05.051}, author = {Salunke, Deepak B. and Hazra, Braja G. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M.} } @article { ISI:000256043100031, title = {Molecules to supermolecules and self assembly: a study of some cocrystals of cyanuric acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {49}, number = {22}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3666-3671}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.03.143}, author = {Marivel, S. and Suresh, E. and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article { ISI:000258965100011, title = {Mossbauer spectroscopic investigations of nanophase iron oxides synthesized by thermal plasma route}, journal = {Materials Characterization}, volume = {59}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1215-1220}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Magnetic nanoparticles of iron oxide were synthesized by transferred arc plasma induced gas phase condensation method. Structural, morphological and magnetic studies of the as synthesized powder were carried out using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Mossbauer spectroscopy. These studies have revealed the simultaneous nucleation and condensation of different magnetic phases with a broad size distribution of the nanoparticles which is peaked at 30-50 nm and ranges from 10 nm to 80 nm. 57 Fe Mossbauer spectra recorded at various temperatures (5 K-300 K) in presence of external magnetic field (at 5 K) have suggested the presence of different phases of iron oxide with sizable amounts of gamma-Fe2O3 and alpha-Fe2O3 in addition to Fe3O4. The relative concentrations of these phases have been obtained by a self consistent spectral area analysis and were found to be 44:22:34 (\%). (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {iron oxides, Mossbauer spectroscopy, phase analysis, plasma synthesis}, issn = {1044-5803}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchar.2007.10.003}, author = {Nagar, Harshada and Kulkarni, Naveen V. and Karmakar, Soumen and Sahoo, B. and Banerjee, Indrani and Chaudhari, P. S. and Pasricha, R. and Das, A. K. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Date, Sadgopal K. and Keune, W.} } @article {43320, title = {Multiple weak supramolecular interactions stabilize a surprisingly twisted As2L3 assembly}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3936 - 3938}, abstract = {A combined crystallographic, DFT and NMR spectroscopic study of a flexible As(2)(3) assembly reveals temperature dependent conformational behavior in solution and a highly asymmetric structure stabilized by As-pi and edge-to-face aromatic interactions.}, doi = {10.1039/b806958a}, author = {Pitt, Melanie A. and Zakharov, Lev N. and Vanka, Kumar and Thompson, Ward H. and Laird, Brian B. and Johnson, Darren W.} } @article { ISI:000260944500007, title = {Nano-gold supported on Fe2O3: a highly active catalyst for low temperature oxidative destruction of methane green house gas from exhaust/waste gases}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {350}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {186-190}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A number of nano-gold catalysts were prepared by depositing gold on different metal oxides (viz. Fe2O3, Al2O3, Co3O4, MnO2, CeO2, MgO, Ga2O3 and TiO2), using the homogeneous deposition precipitation (HDP) technique. The catalysts were evaluated for their performance in the combustion of methane (1 mol\% in air) at different temperatures (300-600 degrees C) for a GHSV of 51,000 h(-1). The supported nano-gold catalysts have been characterized for their gold loading (by ICP) and gold particle size (by TEM/HRTEM or XRD peak broadening). Among these nano-gold catalysts, the Au/Fe2O3 (Au loading = 6.1\% and Au particle size = 8.5 nm) showed excellent performance. For this catalyst, temperature required for half the methane combustion was 387 degrees C, which is lower than that required for Pd(1\%)/Al2O3 (400 degrees C) and Pt(1\%)/Al2O3 (500 degrees C) under identical conditions. A detailed investigation on the influence of space velocity (GHSV = 10,000-100,000 cm(3) g(-1) h(-1)) at different temperatures (200-600 degrees C) on the oxidative destruction of methane over the Au/Fe2O3 catalyst has also been carried out. The Au/Fe2O3 catalyst prepared by the HDP method showed much higher methane combustion activity than that prepared by the conventional deposition precipitation (DP) method. The XPS analysis showed the presence of Au in the different oxidation states (Au-0, Au1+ and Au3+) in the catalyst. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au/Fe2O3, Deposition precipitation, Homogeneous deposition precipitation, Methane combustion, Supported nano-gold catalysts}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2008.08.008}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Patil, V. P. and Jana, Prabhas and Uphade, B. S.} } @article {42584, title = {Nanowires of metal-organic complex by photocrystallization: a system to achieve addressable electrically bistable devices and memory elements}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {24}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5937{\textendash}5941}, abstract = {

A new method has been achieved to form a Cu:benzoquinone derivative (DDQ) charge-transfer complex by the photoexcitation of [Cu(DDQ)2(CH3COO)2] (1) that has been synthesized by the reaction of DDQ and hydrated cupric acetate in acetonitrile. Photoexcitation of coordinated complex 1 leads to the formation of charge-transfer complex Cu2+(DDQ{\textbullet}-)2 (2). The charge transfer complex 2, when spun on solid substrates, forms nanowires. Sandwich structures of 2 exhibit electrical bistability associated with memory phenomenon. Read-only and random-access memory phenomena are evidenced in nanowires of 2 providing a route to attend the issues pertaining to the addressibility of organic memory devices.

}, doi = {10.1021/la703871g}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Dhara, Koushik and Banerjee, Pradyot and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000261559400012, title = {Natural gum reduced/stabilized gold nanoparticles for drug delivery formulations}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {14}, number = {33}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10244-10250}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Gellan Gum{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, widely used in food and confectionary industry as a thickening and gelling agent, has been employed as a reducing and stabilizing agent for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. These nanoparticles display greater stability to electrolyte addition and pH changes relative to the traditional citrate and borohydride reduced nanoparticles. Subsequently these have been used to load anthracycline ring antibiotic doxorubicin hydrochloride. The drug loaded on these nanoparticles showed enhanced cytotoxic effects on human glioma cell lines LN-18 and LN-229.

}, keywords = {Apoptosis, Cytotoxicity, drug delivery, Gold, Nanostructures, natural gums}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.200801093}, author = {Dhar, Sheetal and Reddy, E. Maheswara and Shiras, Anjali and Pokharkar, Varsha and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000259140700055, title = {N-doped TiO2 nanoparticle based visible light photocatalyst by modified peroxide sol-gel method}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {112}, number = {37}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {14595-14602}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The peroxide gel route is employed to synthesize N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (NP) at low temperature using titanium tetraisopropoxide, ethylmethylamine, and hydrogen peroxide as precursors. Structural studies show anatase phase in the undoped titania NPs as well as at 5 at. \% N-doped titania NPs, although with a degree of matrix disorder in the latter case. The annealing of N-doped titania NPs at different temperatures shows that above 400 degrees C nitrogen escapes the O-Ti-O matrix and at 500 degrees C the sample becomes crystalline. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the particle size is in the range of 20-30 nm for the undoped TiO2 but only 5-10 nm for N-doped TiO2. At higher nitrogen concentration (10 at. \%) bubble-like agglomerates form. FTIR and photoluminescence quenching also confirm the incorporation of nitrogen in anatase TiO2. Optical properties reveal an extended tailing of the absorption edge toward the visible region upon nitrogen doping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to examine the electronic state of doped nitrogen and the associated possible electronic modification of the TiO2 matrix. Under visible light irradiation the undoped TiO2 NPs do not show any significant photocatalytic activity, as expected; however, the 5 at. \% N-doped TiO2 NPs show excellent activity.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp803567f}, author = {Jagadale, Tushar C. and Takale, Shrikant P. and Sonawane, Ravindra S. and Joshi, Hrushikesh M. and Patil, Shankar I. and Kale, Bharat B. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000262377000014, title = {Near-complete phase transfer of single-wall carbon nanotubes by covalent functionalization}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {120}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, note = {International Conference on Molecules and Materials - New Directions, Bangalore, INDIA, DEC 04, 2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {599-606}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

We describe here an efficient phase transfer of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) from aqueous to non-aqueous media using a unique amide functionalization route, where water soluble SWNTs (2.6 mg/mL) are effectively transferred to solvents like chloroform, toluene and CS(2). A maximum of 30 wt\% of oxygenated groups have been generated on the side walls by rapid microwave treatment, leading to a solubility of more than 2.6 mg/mL in water. Approximate surface amine coverage of 50\% has been accomplished after oxalyl chloride treatment as inferred from thermogravimetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy by controlling several key parameters associated with the extent of functionalization including purity of the sample, temperature and time.

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, microscopy, Microwave, Nanostructures, solubility of SWNTs}, issn = {0253-4134}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-008-0091-3}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Patil, Sanjay and Sathe, Bhaskar and Gokhale, Suresh and Pillai, Vijayamohanan} } @article { ISI:000258370500015, title = {New approach towards imaging lambda-DNA using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS)}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, note = {National Review and Coordination Meeting on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Hyderabad, INDIA, 2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {309-312}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A new methodology to anchor A-DNA to silanized n-Si(111) surface using Langmuir Blodget trough was developed. The n-Si (111) was silanized by treating it with low molecular weight octyltrichlorosilane in toluene. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) image of lambda-DNA on octyltrichlorosilane deposited Si substrate shows areas exhibiting arrayed structures of 700 nm length and 40 nm spacing. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) at different stages depict a broad distribution of defect states in the bandgap region of n-Si(111) which presumably facilitates tunneling through otherwise insulating DNA layer.

}, keywords = {DNA, Langmuir Blodget technique, Scanning tunneling microscopy, silanization}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-008-0049-6}, author = {Dey, Shirshendu and Pethkar, Sushama and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Sastry, Murali and Dharmadhikari, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000258370500013, title = {New route for preparation of luminescent mercaptoethanoate capped cadmium selenide quantum dots}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, note = {National Review and Coordination Meeting on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Hyderabad, INDIA, 2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {291-296}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {chalcogenides, Chemical synthesis, photoluminescence, semiconductor quantum dots}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-008-0047-8}, author = {Wankhede, Manoj E. and Inamdar, Shaukatali N. and Deshpande, Aparna and Thete, Aniket R. and Pasricha, Renu and Kulkarni, Sulabha K. and Harani, Santosh K.} } @article { ISI:000257362100009, title = {Non-isothermal kinetic studies of the template decomposition from silicalite-1 framework-high temperature X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {113}, number = {1-3}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {64-71}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Non-isothermal decomposition of the tetrapropylammonium cations (TPA(+)) intercalated in silicalite-1 framework has been carried out using thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and high temperature powder X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) techniques. Conversion factor for template decomposition is calculated using two methods viz., \% weight loss from the thermogravimetric analysis and changes in the intensities of the Bragg reflections 101/011 and 200/020 in the HTXRD patterns scanned at different temperatures (range 298823 K). The calculated apparent activation energy for template decomposition in air was 129 and 125 kJ mol(-1), respectively, for the two techniques TG and HTXRD, calculated using the Kissinger method. By Flynn-Wall-Ozawa approach of isoconversion, apparent activation energy for template decomposition in air was 123 and 124 U mol-1, respectively, for TG and HTXRD data. The reaction order was determined using the method of Kennedy and Clark and it is similar to 2 by both the techniques. The second order of template decomposition can be attributed to the fact that TPA+ is positioned in two different orientations inside the silicalite-1 framework. Template removal occurs with a contraction in unit cell dimensions. There is a decrease in the lattice parameters of the as-synthesized silicalite-1 sample after removal of template from the framework. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HTXRD, non-isothermal kinetics, Silicalite-1}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2007.11.002}, author = {Bhange, Deu S. and Pandya, N. A. and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Ramaswamy, Veda} } @article { ISI:000260533000029, title = {Noniterative density functional response approach: application to nonlinear optical properties of p-nitroaniline and its methyl-substituted derivatives}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {112}, number = {44}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11266-11272}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report the effect of substitution, position of the substituent, and the symmetry on the nonlinear optical properties of p-nitroanline (PNA) and its derivatives using our implementation of the noniterative approximation of couple-perturbed Kohn-Sham (CPKS) equation in the deMon2k. Dipole moment, static polarizability, and first hyperpolarizability of these pi-conjugated donor-acceptor organic derivatives of PNA and its methyl-substituted analogs are calculated using our method at different exchange correlation functionals, namely, BP86, BPW91, and BLYP, using 6-31++G** basis set. A comparison of results obtained by our method with those obtained by MP2 (finite-field perturbation) method is presented in this paper. The effect of optical gap on charge transfer and subsequently on polarizabilities has been illustrated.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/jp806204q}, author = {Sophy, K. B. and Shedge, Sapana V. and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000261275000005, title = {Non-phosgene route for the synthesis of methyl phenyl carbamate using ordered AISBA-15 catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {295}, number = {1-2}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {29-33}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Methyl phenyl carbamate (MPC) has been synthesized Under liquid phase conditions from dimethyl carbonate and aniline by using mesoporous AISBA-15 catalyst. The catalyst with different Si/Al ratio was synthesized by isomorphous Substitution of aluminium into the framework of siliceous SBA-15. The structural integrity of the catalyst system was diagnosed with the help of various characterization techniques Such as X-ray diffraction, Surface analysis, and the acidity measurement has been done by TPD using ammonia as probe molecule. AISBA-15 (Si/Al = 10) exhibited highest catalytic activity in the synthesis of MPC under the reaction Conditions Studied. The effect of parameters Such as molar ratio of reactants, catalyst concentration. reaction temperature and time on the conversion of aniline was investigated. The results demonstrated that an aniline conversion of 99\% and MPC selectivity of 71\% were achieved when the reaction was carried out at 100 C, DMC to aniline mole ratio of 10 with 5\% of catalyst (wt\% of total reaction mixture) for 3 h. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {amines, Dimethyl carbonate, Mesoporous AISBA-15, Methoxycarbonylation, Methyl phenyl carbamate}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2008.08.009}, author = {Lucas, Nishita and Amrute, Amol P. and Palraj, K. and Shanbhag, G. V. and Vinu, Ajayan and Halligudi, Shivaraj B.} } @article { ISI:000257365900027, title = {Novel hydroxide precursors for low temperature synthesis of selected ternary oxides}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {43}, number = {7}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1842-1849}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2007.07.006}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Rao, N. Koteswara and Gupta, U. N. and Pradhan, Sivaram and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Kumar, H. H. and Mirji, S. A. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000258775400012, title = {Novel process for the synthesis of class I antiarrhythmic agent (+/-)-cibenzoline and its analogs}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {17}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2967-2982}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis of (+/-)-cibenzoline and its analogs has been achieved by a simple sequence of reactions. The diaryl cyanoolefin intermediate 3 could be prepared by Knoevenagel condensation of benzophenone with ethylcyanoacetate to form the tetra-substituted olefin intermediate 2 followed by Krapcho deethoxycarbonylation or from beta-hydroxynitrile intermediate 2{\textquoteright} followed by the elimination of hydroxyl group respectively. The 2,2-diphenylcyclopropanecarbonitrile 4 was synthesized from intermediate 3 by cyclopropanation, which was converted to (+/-)-2-(2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl)-2-imidazoline 5 by reaction with ethylenediamine in the presence of a catalytic amount of sulfur. Moreover, the obtained 2-imidazolines were smoothly oxidized to the corresponding imidazoles 6 in good to moderate yields.

}, keywords = {Benzophenone, cibenzoline, cyclopropanation, diaryl cyanoolefin}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910802006388}, author = {Gholap, Atul R. and Paul, Vincent and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000253478500012, title = {Novel synthesis of SrBi2Nb2O9 powders from hydroxide precursors}, journal = {International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {101-104}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1546-542X}, doi = {10.1111/j.1744-7402.2008.02182.x}, author = {Gupta, Upendra Nath and Rao, Koteswara and Pradhan, Sivaram and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Muthurajan, Harries and Ravi, Venkat} } @article { ISI:000253715400006, title = {Observations of enhanced aerosol longwave radiative forcing over an urban environment}, journal = {Geophysical Research Letters}, volume = {35}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {L04817}, publisher = {AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION}, address = {2000 FLORIDA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20009 USA}, abstract = {

Collocated measurements of sun/ sky radiance, aerosol chemical composition and radiative fluxes have been utilized to estimate longwave aerosol radiative forcing over Pune, an Indian urban site during dry winter [Dec2004 to Feb2005] by two methods. Hybrid method which uses observed downwelling and modeled upwelling longwave fluxes for different aerosol loadings yielded a surface forcing of 9.4 Wm(-2). Model approach includes utilization of skyradiometer derived spectral aerosol optical properties in the visible and near infra-red wavelengths, modeled aerosol properties in 1.2-40 mu m using observed soot and chemical composition data, MODIS water vapor and TOMS column ozone in a radiative transfer model. Estimates from model method showed longwave enhancement of 6.5 and 8.2Wm(-2) at the surface with tropical model atmosphere and temporally varying profiles of temperature and humidity, respectively. Study reveals that about 25\% of the aerosol shortwave cooling is being compensated by increase in longwave radiation due to aerosol absorption.

}, issn = {0094-8276}, doi = {10.1029/2007GL032879}, author = {Panicker, A. S. and Pandithurai, G. and Safai, P. D. and Kewat, S.} } @article { ISI:000208979401243, title = {Permeabilization effect of organic solvents on cell bound penicillin v acylase activity of Erwinia aroideae (DSMZ 30186)}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {136}, number = {S}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {S321}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2008.07.1932}, author = {Kumar, Atul and Pundle, Archana} } @article { ISI:000255292000009, title = {Photocatalytic activity and characterization of sol-gel-derived Cr(III)-doped TiO(2)-coated active carbon composites}, journal = {Philosophical Magazine}, volume = {88}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {767-779}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {EDTA, photoactive, sol-gel, Titanium dioxide, XPS}, issn = {1478-6435}, doi = {10.1080/14786430801955261}, author = {Gambhire, A. B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Arbad, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000255001300003, title = {Physicomechanical and magnetic properties of neoprene based rubber ferrite composites}, journal = {Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering}, volume = {47}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {137-146}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Fine (approximately 18nm) particles of nickel ferrite were synthesized by the sol-gel technique, and their structural properties were evaluated by X-ray diffraction. Neoprene-based rubber ferrite composites were prepared by incorporating these nickel ferrite powders in the rubber matrix according to a specific recipe. The cure characteristics were analyzed, and the samples were molded into particular shapes whose properties were determined according to ASTM standards. Magnetization studies were carried out using a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. This study indicates that neoprene rubber-based flexible magnets with desired magnetic properties and appropriate mechanical properties can be prepared by incorporating an adequate amount of nanoscale nickel ferrite particles within the rubber matrix.

}, keywords = {Ferrite, ferrite composites, flexible magnets, neoprene rubber, rubber, Sol-gel method}, issn = {0360-2559}, doi = {10.1080/03602550701815946}, author = {Prema, K. H. and Kurian, Philip and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000258683600017, title = {pK(a)-Directed host-guest assemblies: rational analysis of molecular adducts of 2,4-diamino-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine with various aliphatic dicarboxylic acids}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {14}, number = {23}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6967-6977}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Molecular adducts of 2,4-diamino-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine (1) have been prepared with various aliphatic dicarboxylic acids. The molecular complexes (1a-1i) thus formed by co-crystallizing 1 with oxalic, malonic, succinic, fumaric, acetylene dicarboxylic, glutaric, thiodiglycolic, diglycolic, and adipic acids have been found to give two types of host-guest assemblies that have voids or channels in a three-dimensional arrangement. The different types of host-guest arrangement appear to result from differences in the acidity of the dicarboxylic acids, that is, acids with pK(a) \< 3.0 give host networks that consist of 1 and the corresponding acid with water or solvent molecules of crystallization present as guests, whereas acids with pK(a) \> 3.0 exist as guests in voids in a host network formed by 1. The former arrangement is observed in adducts 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1h and the latter arrangement is found in adducts 1c, 1d, 1f, 1g and 1i.

}, keywords = {dicarboxylic acids, host-guest systems, hydrogen bonds, molecular recognition, supramolecular chemistry}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.200800649}, author = {Delori, Amit and Suresh, Eringathodi and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article { ISI:000257321700001, title = {Poly(4-methyl-1-pentene)/MWNT nanocomposites}, journal = {E-Polymers}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {079}, publisher = {EUROPEAN POLYMER FEDERATION}, address = {1, QUAI LEZAY-MARNESIA, F067000 STRASBOURG, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Nanocomposites of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (PMP) with various weight fractions of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT{\textquoteright}s) were prepared by melt compounding. The nanocomposites are characterized for structure using scanning electron microscopy. The viscoelastic behavior of the nanocomposites is investigated in solid as well as melt state. The study reveals a significant increase in storage modulus especially in the rubbery regime of the polymer matrix and reduced tan delta. Rheological properties in melt show that the complex viscosity and shear storage modulus are increased as a result of incorporation of MWNT. A systematic decrease in the cross over frequency is noted which is attributed to the increased relaxation time. In dielectric analysis, composition dependent enhanced permittivity and conductivity are observed. The thermal stability of the polymer is found to be significantly improved in presence of MWNT{\textquoteright}s.

}, issn = {1618-7229}, author = {Patil, Prashant A. and Wanjale, Santosh D. and Jog, Jyoti Prakash} } @article { ISI:000254869800024, title = {Polymer electrolyte fuel cells using nafion-based composite membranes with functionalized carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {47}, number = {14}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2653-2656}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {fuel cells, membranes, nanotubes, Polymers, proton transport}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.200704343}, author = {Kannan, Ramaiyan and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000261995800008, title = {Potential plasmid-curing agent, 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate, from dioscorea bulbifera L. against multidrug-resistant bacteria}, journal = {International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents}, volume = {32}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {405-410}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an aqueous methanolic extract of Dioscorea bulbifera L. bulbs was performed using organic solvents. A novel plasmid-curing compound was identified as 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate (EEA) (norditerpene) on the basis of modern spectroscopic analysis and X-ray crystallography. EEA exhibited broad-spectrum plasmid-curing activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci. EEA cured antibiotic resistance plasmids (R-plasmids) from clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Shigella sonnei and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 12-48\% curing efficiency. The reference plasmids of Bacillus subtilis (pUB110), E. coli (RP4), P. aeruginosa (RIP64) and Salmonella typhi (R136) were cured with efficiency ranging from 16\% to 64\%. EEA-mediated R-plasmid curing decreased the minimal inhibitory concentration of antibiotics against MDR bacteria, thus making antibiotic treatment more effective. The antibiotic resistance pattern revealed that the compound was effective in the reversal of bacterial resistance to various antibiotics. In addition, the compound did not show any cytotoxicity against a broad range of human cancer cell lines, namely MCF-7 (breast cancer), SiHa (cervical cancer) and A431 (epidermal carcinoma), and hence has the potential to be used as a lead compound for drug discovery programmes. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {8-Epidiosbulbin E acetate, Antibiotic resistance, Dioscorea bulbifera, Plasmid curing}, issn = {0924-8579}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2008.05.013}, author = {Shriram, Varsha and Jahagirdar, Sheetal S. and Latha, C. and Kumar, Vinay and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rojatkar, Supada and Dhakephalkar, Prashant K. and Shitole, M. G.} } @article { ISI:000253767100014, title = {Rapid phase-controlled microwave synthesis of nanostructured hierarchical tetragonal and cubic beta-In2S3 dandelion flowers}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {452}, number = {4-6}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {301-305}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Phase controlled synthesis of hierarchical nanostructured beta-In2S3 dandelion flowers is realized by a rapid microwave solvothermal process using indium metal, nitric acid and thiourea as precursors. The tetragonal and cubic phases of the compound have been successfully and separately stabilized in the same type of dandelion morphology by using aqueous-mediated and methanol-mediated synthesis, respectively. The possible mechanism responsible for phase control is discussed. Optical properties of the flowers as well as their hydrogen generation capability by photodecomposition of H2S under visible light are also reported. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2007.12.048}, author = {Naik, S. D. and Jagadale, Tushar C. and Apte, S. K. and Sonawane, S. and Kulkarni, M. V. and Patil, S. I. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Kale, B. B.} } @article {42583, title = {Resistive switching in rose bengal and other xanthene molecules is a molecular phenomenon}, journal = {Organic Electronics}, volume = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {495{\textendash}500}, abstract = {

There has been a debate on the mechanism of resistive switching in Rose Bengal and other Xanthene class molecules. While some authors proposed that the switching was due to an oxide layer at the Rose Bengal/Aluminum interface, some inferred the switching as an extrinsic effect like filament formation. We show results from Rose Bengal and other Xanthene class molecules on doped Si. Conductance switching in such monolayers induced by Pt/Ir tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in a non-contact mode shows that resistive switching in these molecules, initially reported by us in 2003 (in thin films), is indeed a molecular phenomenon.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.orgel.2008.02.013}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000258037300073, title = {RuO(2) doped SnO(2) nanobipyramids on Si (100) as a field emitter}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {516}, number = {18}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6388-6391}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {ECR plasma, Field emission microscopy, Hollow cathode chemical sputtering, Mo nanoparticles, Scanning tunneling microscopy}, issn = {0042-207X}, doi = {10.1016/j.vacuum.2008.04.077}, author = {Purohit, Vishwas S. and Bhise, Ashok B. and Dey, Shirshendu and More, Mahendra A. and Dharmadhikari, C. V. and Joag, Dilip S. and Pasricha, Renu and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000263320900032, title = {Sequence-specific unusual (1 -> 2)-type helical turns in alpha/beta-hybrid peptides}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {130}, number = {52}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {17743-17754}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

This article describes novel conformationally ordered (alpha/beta-hybrid peptides consisting of repeating L-proline-anthranilic acid building blocks. These oligomers adopt a compact, right-handed helical architecture determined by the intrinsic conformational preferences of the individual amino acid residues. The striking feature of these oligomers is their ability to display an unusual periodic pseudo beta-turn network of nine-membered hydrogen-bonded rings formed in the forward direction of the sequence by 1{\textendash}\>2 amino acid interactions both in solid-state and in solution. Conformational investigations of several of these oligomers by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, solution-state NMR, and ab initio MO theory suggest that the characteristic steric and dihedral angle restraints exerted by proline are essential for stabilizing the unusual pseudo beta-turn network found in these oligomers. Replacing proline by the conformationally flexible analogue alanine (Ala) or by the conformationally more constrained alpha-amino isobutyric acid (Aib) had an adverse effect on the stabilization of this structural architecture. These findings increase the potential to design novel secondary structure elements profiting from the steric and dihedral angle constraints of the amino acid constituents and help to augment the conformational space available for synthetic oligomer design with diverse backbone structures.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja804297f}, author = {Prabhakaran, Panchami and Kale, Sangram S. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Chetina, Olga and Howard, Judith A. K. and Hofmann, Hans-Joerg and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000261745700001, title = {Shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity of platinum nanostructures}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {18}, number = {48}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5858-5870}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Since many metallic nanostructures with different shapes exhibit unique chemical and physical properties, a systematic attempt to synthesize these shape-controlled structures for property-shape correlation remains an important challenge in contemporary materials chemistry. Main difficulties like poor shape selectivity, low yield, presence of impurity phases, difficulty of separation, etc., are exacerbated since metallic structures have high surface energies which favour lower surface areas, and consequently many synthesis strategies, including the use of hard and soft templates and external nucleating agents, are being employed along with theoretical guidelines from density functional calculations on simpler systems. One of the important application areas where these structures have gained profound attention is in electrocatalysis, where the kinetics of many structure-sensitive reactions of technological relevance have been experimentally observed to show drastic changes with shape especially in the nanosize domain, at least in one dimension. Considering their scientific and technological importance, this feature article provides an overview of the recent progress on the shape-controlled synthesis of metallic nanostructures with special emphasis on platinum, and their crucial role in the electrocatalysis of anodic reactions for polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b811149a}, author = {Subhramannia, Mahima and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000252757100013, title = {Sheet-forming abiotic hetero foldamers}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {712-714}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/b713229h}, author = {Baruah, Pranjal K. and Sreedevi, Naduthottiyil K. and Majumdar, Baisakhi and Pasricha, Renu and Poddar, Pankaj and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000257349100007, title = {Silicate nanoparticles by bioleaching of glass and modification of the glass surface}, journal = {Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids}, volume = {354}, number = {29}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3433-3437}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Bioleaching is examined as a low temperature (50 degrees C) soft chemical approach to nanosynthesis and surface processing. We demonstrate that fungus based bioleaching of borosilicate glass enables synthesis of nearly monodispersed ultrafine (similar to 5 +/- 0.5 nm) silicate nanoparticles. Using various techniques such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and FTIR we compare the constitution and composition of the nanoparticles with that of the parent glass, and establish the basic similarities between the two. The bioleaching process is shown to enhance the non-bridging oxygen component and correspondingly influence the Si-O-Si network. The root mean square roughness of glass surface is seen to increase from 1.27 nm for bare glass to 2.52 nm for 15 h fungal processed case, this increase being equivalent to that for glass annealed at 500 degrees C. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bioglass, Biomaterials, borosilicates, narroparticles}, issn = {0022-3093}, doi = {10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2008.03.025}, author = {Kulkarni, Sneha and Syed, Asad and Singh, Sanjay and Gaikwad, Anil and Patil, Kashinath and Vijayamohanan, K. and Ahmad, Absar and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000254948900017, title = {Simple and efficient one-pot, three-component, solvent-free synthesis of beta-enaminones via sonogashira coupling-Michael addition sequences}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {1456-1469}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Alkynes, beta-enaminones, coupling, Michael additions, solvent free, ynones}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910801914343}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and More, Vijaykumar S. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000260774300012, title = {Sol-gel synthesis of MoO(3)/SiO(2) composite for catalytic application in condensation of anisole with paraformaldehyde}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {126}, number = {3-4}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {286-292}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

MoO(3)/SiO(2) composite with varying amounts of MoO(3) loading (1-20 wt.\%) were prepared by sol-gel method and calcined at 500 C. These catalysts were employed for the liquid phase condensation of anisole with paraformaldehyde. All the catalysts were characterized by N(2) sorption, XRD, and NH(3)-TPD. The activities of synthesized MoO(3)/SiO(2) catalysts were compared with p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA), the most frequently used catalyst for the condensation reactions, and with a supported metal oxide (WO (x) /ZrO(2)). Under the similar reaction conditions, synthesized 10 wt.\% MoO(3)/SiO(2) catalyst calcined at 500 C was found to be the most active in the condensation of anisole with paraformaldehyde.

}, keywords = {4, 4{\textquoteright}-Dimethoxydiphenylmethane, Condensation of anisole, MoO(3)/SiO(2) composites, Paraformaldehyde, Sol-gel synthesis}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-008-9611-5}, author = {Amrute, Amol P. and Bordoloi, Ankur and Lucas, Nishita and Palraj, K. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B.} } @article { ISI:000260776800046, title = {Static and dynamic magnetic properties of Co nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {8}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, note = {International Conference on Advanced Nano-Materials, Indian Inst Technol, Phys Dept, Bombay, INDIA, JAN 08-10, 2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4086-4091}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Co nanoparticles have been synthesized using wet-chemical methods. As-synthesized particles show a sharp low temperature peak in zero-field cooled (ZFC) magnetization well below the blocking transition temperature and this feature is associated with surface spin disorder. We have investigated the dynamic magnetic properties of Co using ac susceptibility and resonant RF transverse susceptibility (TS). We also studied the memory and relaxation effects in these nanoparticle systems. From these measurements we show a typical blocking behavior of an assembly of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with a wide distribution of blocking temperatures. The transverse susceptibility measurements on these particles show the presence of anisotropy even above the blocking temperature. The role of surface anisotropy and the size distribution of the particles on the observed memory and magnetic relaxation effects are discussed.

}, keywords = {Ac Susceptibility, Co Nanoparticles, Magnetic relaxation, Transverse Susceptibility}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2008.AN06}, author = {Srinath, S. and Poddar, P. and Sidhaye, Deepti S. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Gass, James and Srikanth, H.} } @article { ISI:000256839100021, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of beta-C-Allyl- and beta-C-propargyl-D-arabinofuranosides}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {11}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1783-1787}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The stereoselective synthesis of beta-configured C-allyl- and C-propargyl-D-arabinofuranosides (4,7-anhydro-1,2,3-deoxy-D-gluco-oct-1-enitols and -oct-1-ynitols) was addressed by employing allylation/propargylation of a dialdofuranose under aqueous Barbier reaction conditions and acid-catalyzed furan ring transposition of 5-O-mesyl-manno-oct-7-eno- or 5-O-mesyl-manno-oct-7-ynofuranoside derivatives.

}, keywords = {Allylation, Barbier reaction, C-glycoside, D-mannose, propargylation, Ring transposition}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-2008-1067016}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Narute, Sachin B. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Patil, Rahul S.} } @article { ISI:000261133600023, title = {Structural features of Penicillin acylase adsorption on APTES functionalized SBA-15}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {116}, number = {1-3}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {157-165}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The immobilization of Penicillin acylase (PGA) enzyme (which belongs to the Ntn hydrolase super family) into the amino-functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous molecular sieve is carried out to see the effect of silica as a host matrix on the enzyme kinetics. Physicochemical characterization by nitrogen adsorption, powder XRD and TEM methods indicate that the characteristic hexagonal features and the original pore structure of the parent SBA-15 is retained even after the incorporation of PGA. The adsorption of PGA on SBA15 shows a dependence on the pore volume and the composition of the adsorbent. The maximum loading of the enzyme was observed at pH 7.8, slightly below the isoelectric point of the enzyme. The loading capacity of immobilized PGA is 34 mg protein per 0.5 g of SBA-15. The trapped enzyme is more stable than the soluble form to temperature and pH environments and retained 73\% of its activity after immobilization. This enhanced stability is attributed to the protective nature of the cage itself and to the rigidity of the SiO(2) matrix, which reduces the freedom of peptide-chain refolding of molecular motions that occur in denaturation processes. The strength of binding is very strong; however, the activity of the immobilized enzyme is then simply restored with very little leakage of enzyme from the support. An important feature of the immobilized PGA enzyme is the excellent reusability without significant loss in activity, which indicates potentially exciting industrial/biomedical application of this support. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Penicillin G acylase, PGA immobilized SBA-15, pH and temperatures stability, SBA-15}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2008.03.030}, author = {Shah, Pallavi and Sridevi, N. and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramaswamy, Veda} } @article { ISI:000260776800015, title = {Structure and microbial synthesis of sub-10 nm Bi2O3 nanocrystals}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {8}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3909-3913}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

After the advent of novel chemical and microbial techniques, providing control over grain size and shape of the nanomaterials, several binary-oxide materials have been explored in size less than 10 nm for their tunable physical properties. Bi2O3 nanoparticles have also redrawn attention due to their excellent properties, mostly as optoelectronic material. Here, we report the room-temperature biosynthesis of Bi2O3 nanoparticles in a size range of 5-8 nm by extra-cellularly challenging the plant pathogenic fungus-Fusarium oxysporum with the bismuth nitrate as precursor. The as-synthesized particle-surfaces are inherently functionalized by a robust layer of proteins which provides them very good stability in the aqueous medium. Structural investigation using selected area electron diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and powder XRD shows that particles are almost perfectly single crystalline and primarily crystallize in alpha-phase with monoclinic structure.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, fungi, High Refractive Index, High Resolution TEM, Nanoparticles}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2008.179}, author = {Uddin, Imran and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Syed, Asad and Selvaraj, K. and Ahmad, Absar and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000256004800004, title = {Studies on the synthesis and unusual behavior of vinyl sulfone-modified hexenopyranosylthymines}, journal = {Carbohydrate Research}, volume = {343}, number = {7}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1163-1170}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Although vinyl sulfone-modified- (VSM) pent-2-enofuranosyl nucleosides 2 and hex-2-enopyranosyl glycoside 4 are easily synthesized from the corresponding mesylated sulfones le and 3c, respectively, via an oxidation-mesylation-elimination route, the 3{\textquoteright}-C-sulfonyl-hex-2{\textquoteright}-enopyranosylthymine 11 is not obtained from 10 and a glycal derivative 12 is formed instead. On the other hand, 3-C-sulfonyl-hex-3{\textquoteright}-enopyranosylthymine 20 is easily synthesized from the mesylated sulfone 19. Again unlike the reaction patterns of VSM-pent-T-enofuranosyl nucleosides 2 and hex-2-enopyranosyl glycosides 4 as Michael acceptors, the reactions of nucleophiles with 3{\textquoteright}-C-sulfonyl-hex-3{\textquoteright}-enopyranosylthymine 20 yielded a rearranged product 21 instead of Michael adducts. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {glycal, hexopyranosyl nucleosides, Michael addition, unsaturated nucleosides, vinyl sulfone-modified nucleosides}, issn = {0008-6215}, doi = {10.1016/j.carres.2008.02.016}, author = {Deshpande, Sachin G. and Suresh, Cheravakkattu G. and Pathak, Tanmaya} } @article { ISI:000252354300005, title = {Study of a laboratory-scale froth flotation process using artificial neural networks}, journal = {Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review}, volume = {29}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {130-142}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) model, trained using the error back propagation algorithm, has been established to simulate the froth flotation process for the beneficiation of coal fines. The network model validates the experimentally observed qualitative and quantitative trends. The optimal model parameters in terms of network weights have been estimated and can be used to compute the parameters of the coal flotation process over wide-ranging experimental conditions.

}, keywords = {back propagation algorithm, froth flotation, laboratory-scale, neural network}, issn = {0882-7508}, doi = {10.1080/08827500701421912}, author = {Kalyani, V. K. and Pallavika and Chaudhuri, Sanjay and Charan, T. Gouri and Haldar, D. D. and Kamal, K. P. and Badhe, Yogesh P. and Tambe, S. S. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000256183700006, title = {Sulfamic acid: an efficient and cost-effective solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonates at ambient temperature}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1822-1826}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {alpha-Aminophosphonates, diethylphosphite (DEP), solid acid catalyst, Solvent-free, sulfamic acid (SA)}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2008.02.011}, author = {Mitragotri, Satish D. and Pore, D. M. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000261546900021, title = {Suzuki cross-coupling and intramolecular aza-michael addition reaction sequence towards the synthesis of 1,10b-epi-7-deoxypancratistatins and their cytotoxicity studies}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {34}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5839-5847}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The development of an efficient approach to the construction of a phenanthridone is described. The convergent strategy commences with the preparation of Suzuki cross-coupling reaction precursors, arylboronic acid 12 and a-iodo enone 14, from piperonylamine (9) and (-)-D-quinic acid (10), respectively. The coupling of 12 and 19 followed by a key intramolecular aza-Michael addition produced phenanthridone 21 featuring a cis-fused B-C ring junction. The syntheses of compounds 25 and 26, both of which are C-1 and C-10b epimers of the naturally occurring potent antitumor agent 7-deoxypancratistatin (2), from 21 are elaborated in detail in this paper. The cytotoxicities of 25 and 26 were evaluated against three different cancer cell lines. Compound 26 served as a moderate growth inhibitor of THP-1 monocytic cells (GI(50) = 14.5 mu g/mL). ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

}, keywords = {antitumor agents, Chiral pool, Cross-coupling, Intramolecular aza-Michael addition, Pancratistatin}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.200800830}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Balakrishnan, Madhesan and Swaroop, Pandrangi Siva} } @article { ISI:000259973900047, title = {Suzuki cross-coupling/reductive debenzyloxycarbonylation sequence for the syntheses of [c]annulated isoquinolines: application for the syntheses of pancratistatin-like isoquinolines}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {73}, number = {20}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8128-8131}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A two-step strategy involving Suzuki cross-coupling of boronic acids with a diverse array of alpha-iodoenones followed by hydrogenation is developed for the construction of [c]annulated isoquinolines. This mild and efficient procedure is also applied to the synthesis of highly oxygenated isoquinolines.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo801761f}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Balakrishnan, Madhesan} } @article { ISI:000254180300055, title = {Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of beta-lactam-bile acid conjugates linked via triazole}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2043-2047}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Synthesis of novel 1,2,3-triazole-linked beta-lactam-bile acid conjugates 17-24 using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azido beta-lactam and terminal alkyne of bile acids in the presence of Cu( I) catalyst ( click chemistry) have been realized. These molecules were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal and antibacterial activities. Most of the compounds exhibited significant antifungal and moderate antibacterial activity against all the tested strains. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2008.01.102}, author = {Vatmurge, Namdev S. and Hazra, Braja G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Shirazi, Fazal and Chavan, Pradnya S. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000260429100023, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of bile acid dimers linked with 1,2,3-triazole and bis-beta-lactam}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {6}, number = {20}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3823-3830}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report herein the synthesis and biological evaluation of bile acid dimers 11-18 linked through 1,2,3-triazole and bis-beta-lactam. The dimers 11-18 were synthesized using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of diazido bis-beta-lactams 3, 4 and terminal alkynes 7-10 derived from cholic acid/deoxycholic acid in the presence of Cu(I) catalyst (click chemistry). These novel molecules were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal and antibacterial activity. Most of the compounds exhibited significant antifungal as well as antibacterial activity against all the tested fungal and bacterial strains. Moreover, their in vitro cytotoxicities towards HEK-293 and MCF-7 cells were also established.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b809221d}, author = {Vatmurge, Namdev S. and Hazra, Braja G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Shirazi, Fazal and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Kadreppa, Sreenath and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000262183900001, title = {Synthesis and characterization of high surface area CeO2-doped SnO2 nanomaterial}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {112}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {719-722}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

In the present investigation the synthesis and characterization of high surface area CeO2-doped SnO2 nanomaterial has been reported. The material was synthesized by coprecipitation process combined with surfactant incorporating method. The concentration level of Ce (III) additive was varied systematically from 1 to 11 wt.\%. After calcinations at500 degrees C,a high BET surface area of 40 m(2)/g was obtained for 7 wt.\% CeO2. The effect of variation of sintering temperature (600-800 degrees C/2h) on the particle size and surface area of a CeO2/SnO2 system was investigated. The material obtained was nanocrystalline, having particle size in the range of 10-16 nm. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CeO2:SnO2, Nanomaterials, sensors}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2008.06.022}, author = {Gambhire, A. B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Kalokhe, S. B. and Shirsat, M. D. and Patil, K. R. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Arbad, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000258981000008, title = {Synthesis and characterization of novel polybenzimidazoles bearing pendant phenoxyamine groups}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {46}, number = {17}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5776-5793}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A novel aromatic diacid, 3, 5-dicarboxyl-4{\textquoteright}-amino diphenyl ether, containing pendant phenoxy amine group was synthesized. Homo- and co-polybenzimidazoles containing different content of pendant phenoxyamine groups were synthesized by condensation of 3,3{\textquoteright}-diaminobenzidine with this acid and a mixture of this acid and isophthalic acid in different ratio in polyphosphoric acid. Copolybenzimidazoles with structural variations were also synthesized based on this acid and pyridine dicarboxylic acid, terephthalic acid, adipic acid, or sebacic acid. The polymers have good solubility in polar aprotic solvents and strong acids and they form tough flexible films by solution casting. The polymers were characterized by different instrumental techniques (FTIR, TGA, DSC, XRD, etc.) and for solvent solubility, mechanical properties, inherent viscosity, and proton conductivity. The inherent viscosities of the polymers vary in the range of 0.62-1.52 dL/g. They have high thermal stability up to 475506 degrees C (IDT) in nitrogen, high glass transition temperatures (T-g) ranging from 313 to 435 degrees C and good tensile strength ranging from 58 to 125 MPa. Proton conductivity of homo polymer is 3.72 x 10(-3) S/cm at 25 degrees C and 2.45 x 10(-2) S/cm at 200 degrees C (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Characterization, copolybenzimidazoles, High performance polymers, high temperature materials, pendant phenoxyamine group, polybenzimidazoles, synthesis}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.22892}, author = {Kulkarni, Mahesh and Potrekar, Ravindra and Kulkarni, R. A. and Vernekar, S. P.} } @article { ISI:000258026000010, title = {Synthesis and characterizations of NiTiO(3) nanoparticles prepared by the sol-gel process}, journal = {Philosophical Magazine Letters}, volume = {88}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {467-472}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Nanoparticles, nickel titanate, sol-gel process}, issn = {0950-0839}, doi = {10.1080/09500830802199709}, author = {Gambhire, A. B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Kalokhe, S. B. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Arbad, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000254367800011, title = {Synthesis and corrosion protection study of poly(o-ethylaniline) coatings on copper}, journal = {Surface \& Coatings Technology}, volume = {202}, number = {12}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2591-2602}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Poly(o-ethylaniline) coatings were synthesized on copper (Cu) by electrochemical polymerization of o-ethylaniline in an aqueous salicylate solution by using cyclic voltammetry. The characterization of these coatings was carried out by cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of these characterizations indicate that the aqueous salicylate solution is a suitable medium for the electrochemical polymerization of o-ethylaniline to generate strongly adherent and smooth poly(o-ethylaniline) coatings on Cu substrates. The performance of poly(o-ethylaniline) as protective coating against corrosion of Cu in aqueous 3\% NaCl was assessed by the potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results of these studies demonstrate that the poly(o-ethylaniline) coating has ability to protect the Cu against corrosion. The corrosion potential was about 0.078 V versus SCE more positive in aqueous 3\% NaCl for the poly(o-ethylanitine) coated Cu (similar to 15 mu m thick) than that of uncoated Cu and reduces the corrosion rate of Cu almost by a factor of 70. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {conducting polymers, Copper, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical polymerization, poly(o-ethylaniline) coatings}, issn = {0257-8972}, doi = {10.1016/j.surfcoat.2007.09.025}, author = {Shinde, Vandana and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000255339200058, title = {Synthesis, characterization, and gas permeability of aromatic polyimides containing pendant phenoxy group}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {108}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3881-3889}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A diamine containing a pendant phenoxy group, 1-phenoxy-2,4-diaminobenzene, was synthesized and condensed with different aromatic dianhydrides [4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydiphthalic dianhydride, 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride, 3,3{\textquoteright},4,4-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 3,3{\textquoteright},4,4{\textquoteright}-biphenyltetracorboxylic dianhydride, and pyromellitic dianhydride] by one-step synthesis at a high temperature in m-cresol to obtain polyimides in high yields. Most of the polyimides exhibited good solvent solubility and could be readily dissolved in chloroform, sym-tetrachloroethane, N,N-dimethylformamide, NN-dimethylacetamide, and nitrobenzene. Their inherent viscosities were in the range of 0.33-1.16 dL/g. Wide-angle X-ray spectra revealed that these polymers were amorphous in nature. All these polyimides were thermally stable, having initial decomposition temperatures above 500 degrees C and glass-transition temperatures in the range of 248-281 degrees C. The gas permeability of 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydiphthalic dianhydride and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride based polyimides was investigated with pure gases: He, H-2, O-2, Ar, N-2, CH4, and CO2. A polyimide containing a -C(CF3)(2)- linkage showed a good combination of permeability and selectivity. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Gas permeation, membranes, polyimides, selectivity, structure-property relations}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.28074}, author = {Kothawade, Sandeep S. and Kulkarni, Mahesh P. and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Patil, Anandrao S. and Vernekar, Subhash P.} } @article { ISI:000253014900018, title = {Synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole and 1,2,3,4-tetrazole-fused glycosides and nucleosides by an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {6}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {779-786}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Various 1,2,3-triazole and 1,2,3,4-tetrazole fused multi-cyclic compounds were synthesized from carbohydrate derived azido-alkyne and azido-cyanide substrates. The acid sensitive 1,2-O-isopropylidene group of the furanosyl sugar was utilized for diversification to glycosides and nucleosides under Fischer glycosidation and Vorbruggen{\textquoteright}s conditions, respectively.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b716996e}, author = {Anegundi, Ramakrishna I. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Hotha, Srinivas} } @article { ISI:000254222400007, title = {Synthesis of bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12)powders via calcination of microwave-hydrothermally (MH) derived precursor}, journal = {Indian Journal of Engineering and Materials Sciences}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {51-54}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Micrometer sized platelet-like particles of bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) ire prepared successfully by the calcination of a mixed-precursor in air. The mixed precursor is precipitated Under microwave-hydrothermal (MH) treatment via dissolution-recrystallization kinetics. The mixed precursor is precipitated in-situ by giving MH treatment (at 200 degrees C, 200 psi, and 30 min hold time) to the hydrolysed slurry containing Bi and Ti cations. The slurry was prepared by adding 20\% aqueous KOH precipitant solution to a well-mixed stoichiometric nitrate solution containing Bi and Ti cations. XRD results revealed that the as-dried precursor consisted of a homogenous mixture of non-crystalline particles of Bi2O3 and TiO2. The calcination of the as-dried precursor at 700 degrees C/2 h in air resulted ill the formation of micron sized platelet like single-phase Bi4Ti3O12 powders having orthorhombic structure.

}, keywords = {Bi4Ti3O12, MH processing, SEM, XRD}, issn = {0971-4588}, author = {Khollam, Y. B. and Deshpande, S. B. and Samuel, V. and Potdar, H. S.} } @article { ISI:000259972800039, title = {Synthesis of chimeric tetrapeptide-linked cholic acid derivatives: impending synergistic agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {20}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5512-5517}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Tetrapeptides derived from glycine and beta-alanine were hooked at the C-3 beta position of the modified cholic acid to realize novel linear tetrapeptide-linked cholic acid derivatives. All the synthesized compounds were tested against a wide variety of microorganisms (Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and fungi) and their cytotoxicity was evaluated against human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. While relatively inactive by themselves, these compounds interact synergistically with antibiotics such as fluconazole and erythromycin to inhibit growth of fungi and bacteria, respectively, at 1-24 mu g/mL. The synergistic effect shown by our novel compounds is due to their inherent amphiphilicity. The fractional inhibitory concentrations reported are comparable to those reported for Polymyxin B derivatives. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial activity, Cholic acid, Cytotoxicity, Synergism, Tetrapeptide}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2008.09.013}, author = {Bavikar, Sudhir N. and Salunke, Deepak B. and Hazra, Braja G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Dodd, Robert H. and Thierry, Josiane and Shirazi, Fazal and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Kadreppa, Sreenath and Chattopadhyay, Samit} } @article {Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), title = {Synthesis of five and six membered aminocyclitols: stereoselective michael and henry reaction approach with D-glucose derived alpha,beta-unsaturated ester}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {64}, number = {40}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9574-9580}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The stereoselective intermolecular Michael addition of nitromethane to D-glucose derived alpha,beta-unSaturated ester 7 afforded L-ido-configurated nitroester 8 as the only product that on reduction of the ester functionality, cleavage of 1,2-acetonide and the intramolecular Henry reaction afforded exclusively muco-nitroinositol 9. While reduction of the ester functionality in 8, deprotection of 1,2-acetonide, oxidative cleavage with NaIO(4) and the intrarnolecular Henry reaction afforded nitrocyclopentitol 13. Nitrocyclitols 9 and 13 were converted to the hydroxyethyl substituted aminocyclohexitol 5 and aminocyclopentitol 6, respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {aminocyclitols, carbohydrates, Henry reaction, Michael addition, nitroinositol}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2008.07.049}, author = {Chakraborty, Chaitali and Vyavahare, Vinod P. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000252970800002, title = {Synthesis of platinum Y-junction nanostructures using hierarchically designed alumina templates and their enhanced electrocatalytic activity for fuel-cell applications}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {20}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {601-603}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm702102b}, author = {Mahima, Subhramanyam and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Komath, Indulekha and Aslam, Mohammed and Pillai, Vijayarnohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000257424800017, title = {Synthesis of polyhydroxy piperidines and their analogues: a novel approach towards selective inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {6}, number = {14}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2587-2595}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Various polyhydroxy piperidine azasugars have been synthesized from precursors 18a and 18b, obtained in both enantiomeric forms from D-ribose. Out of these polyhydroxy piperidine azasugars, 22, 39 and 20 were found to be potent as well as selective inhibitors of a-glucosidase with K(i) values ranging as low as 1.07 mu M, 16.4 mu M, and 88.2 mu M, respectively. Replacement of the hydroxy methylene moiety of 19 (K(i) 33\% at 1 mM) by an amino methylene moiety (32, K(i) 36.8 mu M) showed a remarkable increase in the activity (almost 30 times). Furthermore, increasing the lipophilicity of 33 by N-alkylation with a dodecyl group (36) showed a three-fold enhancement in the activity (K(i) 217 mu M to K(i) 72.3 mu M).

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b804278k}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Bharadwaj, Kishor Chandra and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Shashidhara, K. S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000262196200011, title = {Synthesis of tryptanthrin and deoxyvasicinone by a regioselective lithiation-intramolecular electrophilic reaction approach}, journal = {Arkivoc}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {100-U9}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {4(3H)-Quinazolinone heterocycles, deoxyvasicinone, lithiation-intramolecular electrophilic reaction, tryptanthrin}, issn = {1424-6376}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000257533800025, title = {Synthesis, structure and reactivity of azosalophen complexes of palladium}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {27}, number = {9-10}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2209-2215}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The ligands 2-(arylazo)-1-N-salicylidene phenylamine, H(2)L(sal), (where H represents the dissociable protons upon complexation) afford stable orthopalladated complexes, [(L(sal))Pd], upon treatment with Na(2)[PdCl(4)]. The dinegative anionic (L(sal))(2-) ligands bind Pd(II) in a tetradentate (C, N, N, O) fashion with a distorted square planar geometry. The newly synthesized palladium complexes underwent oxygen insertion into the Pd-C bond with mCPBA (m-chloroperbenzoic acid) or TBHP (terbutylhydroperoxide)/[VO(acac)(2)] leading to the formation of stable azosalophen complexes of Pd(II) with the (O, N, N, O) coordination mode of the oxygenated ligand. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-(arylazo)-1-N-salicylidene phenylamine, azosalophen complex, orthopalladation, oxygen insertion}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2008.03.028}, author = {Pattanayak, Poulami and Pratihar, Jahar Lal and Patra, Debprasad and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Chattopadhyay, Surajit} } @article { ISI:000259922200004, title = {Tetranuclear manganese (III) salicylaldoxime ensemble}, journal = {Structural Chemistry }, volume = {19}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {735-740}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Crystal structure of {[Mn(salicylaldoximeH)(salicylaldoxime)](4)} center dot 3CHCl(3) 1 formed by the interaction of MnCl2 center dot 4H(2)O and salicylaldoxime in a 1:1 ratio is described. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca (No 61) with the lattice parameters; a = 27.769 (3), b = 22.672 (2), c = 21.650 (2) angstrom, V = 13630 (2) angstrom(3), Z = 8, R-1 = 0.0776, wR(2) = 0.2356, S = 1.164. The cluster with four Mn (III) centers formed by four terminal and four bridging salicylaldoxime ligands results in a central rotating wheel-like core with the Mn-Mn separation varying from 3.531 to 3.576 angstrom and with the diagonal distances being 4.156-4.165 angstrom. Four intramolecular H-bonds between a terminal oxime (NOH) group and the adjacent phenolate oxygen atom of another ligand stabilize the structure of the cluster. Spectral, magnetic, and cyclic voltammetry studies corroborate a stable Mn (III) tetramer.}, author = {Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Mulay, Mahesh P. and Padhye, Subhash B. and Tavale, Sudam S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000258030400010, title = {Total synthesis of (S)-(-)-curvularin: a ring-closing-metathesis-based construction of the macrocyclic framework}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {12}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1801-1804}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.2977592}, author = {Poddar, Pankaj and Morales, Marienette B. and Frey, Natalie A. and Morrison, Shannon A. and Carpenter, Everett E. and Srikanth, Hariharan} } @article { ISI:000261232200039, title = {Tunable surface modification of silica nanoparticles through {\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright} chemistry}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {95}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1327-1333}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Tuning the surface functionality of silica nanoparticles through a {\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright} chemistry-based protocol is demonstrated. Pyrene, a fluorophore that displays excimer emission specifically at higher density/concentration is chosen for highlighting the fidelity of surface functionalization. The UV-visible absorbance of the pyrene chromophore capping the nanoparticle is used to determine the amount of pyrene units present on the surface of a silica nanoparticle.

}, keywords = {pyrene, silica nanoparticles, surface functionality, {\textquoteleft}Click{\textquoteright} chemistry}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Chandran, S. Prathap and Hotha, Srinivas and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000256058000039, title = {Tuning the transport properties of Poly(oxyethylene)bisamine - Nafion polyelectrolyte complexes by dielectric manipulation}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {41}, number = {10}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3653-3658}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) of Nafion-H+, a perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer, and Poly(oxyethylene)bisamine (Polyox) were synthesized, and the effect of electrostatic interactions on the physicochemical properties of the individual components was studied using a combination of spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. More specifically, the pristine PECs were extensively characterized using viscosity, surface tension, and pH measurements and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared (DRIFT) spectroscopy and their transport properties were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, by employing [Fe(CN)(6)](3-) as a redox probe. Acid-base interaction between Nafion and Polyox is evident from pH measurements of the blend solutions, which indicate salt formation at a 50:50 composition, supported further by the existence of a maximum in the plot of surface tension versus blend composition. DRIFT spectra of the PEC membranes indicate subtle changes in the ionic environment and a transition from a state of medium hydration to a partially dehydrated state of the parent ionomer, Nation, after complexation with Polyox. Further evidence for polyelectrolyte-polyelectrolyte association is obtained from cyclic voltammetry, which shows that the interaction between the redox active chromophore, [Fe(CN)(6)](3-), and the pendent sulfonate groups of Nafion is minimized by complexation with the oppositely charged polyelectrolyte Polyox. The water-soluble nature of these PECs along with the tunable range of properties with blend composition could qualify them as suitable candidates for developing stimuli-responsive polymer systems for pharmaceutical and environmental applications.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma7028677}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000253512400006, title = {Tuning the wetting properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by surface functionalization}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {112}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3183-3186}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A simple strategy of chemical functionalization is employed here for controlling the wettability of multiwalled carbon nanotube films from superhydorphobic (156 degrees) to nearly hydrophilic (40 degrees), which further shows superhydrophilicity with a water contact angle of about 0 degrees within 2 s. The hydrophobic surface (water contact angle 145 degrees) in case of nitric-acid-treated MWCNT bucky paper shows an unusual pinning action even at a tilt angle of 45 degrees, following Wenzel behavior of the surface. The variation in the wetting properties of MWCNT bucky paper using such surface designing strategies provides controlled heterogeneity on the surface with no or minimal effect on surface roughness.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp711657f}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000255901700030, title = {Ultrasound promoted copper-, ligand- and amine-free synthesis of benzo[b]furans/nitro benzo[b]furans via Sonogashira coupling-5-endo-dig-cyclization}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {853-862}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {1-alkynes, benzo[b]furans, Sonogashira coupling-5-endo-dig-cyclization}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2007.10.006}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and More, Vijaykumar S. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000255339600033, title = {Unexpected metal-promoted transformation yields an anthrylmethyl spiroanthracene}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {73}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3559-3561}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The isolation and characterization of an unusual spiroanthracene, from the reaction of bisdichlororuthenium(II)bi-pyridine dihydrate with 3-(9-anthrylmethyl)pentane-2,4-dione (AMPD), is reported. This metal-promoted formation of spiroanthracene has been obtained for the first time during the synthesis of metal complexes.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo702284t}, author = {Kumbhar, Anupa A. and Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000256613900001, title = {Unusual addition of amines to C-2 of vinyl sulfone-modified-beta-D-pent-2-enofuranosyl carbohydrates: synthesis of a new class of beta-anomeric 2-amino-2,3-dideoxy-D-threo-pentofuranosides}, journal = {Carbohydrate Research}, volume = {343}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1287-1296}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

When 3-C-sulfonyl-pent-2-enofuranosides and 3-C-sulfonyl-hex-2-enofuranosides were reacted with primary and secondary amines, only the beta-anomeric methoxy group of the pent-2-enofuranoside did not cause any hindrance to incoming nitrogen nucleophiles. This resulted in the {\textquoteleft}unusual{\textquoteright} addition of amines, in which the diastereoselectivity of the reaction was overwhelmingly in favor of amino sugars of the D-arabino configuration. Selected products were desulfonylated to obtain a new class of beta-anomeric 2-amino-2,3-dideoxy-D-threo-pentofuranosides. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {amino sugars, deoxyaminosugars, desulfonylation with Mg-MeOH-NiBr(2), diastereoselective Michael addition, vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates}, issn = {0008-6215}, doi = {10.1016/j.carres.2008.03.022}, author = {Das, Indrajit and Suresh, Cheravakkattu G. and Decout, Jean-Luc and Pathak, Tanmaya} } @article { ISI:000258293100059, title = {Use of enantiomerically pure 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol as a chiral template for the synthesis of aminocyclitols}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {10}, number = {16}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3611-3614}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Using enantiopure 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-ol, the synthesis of cis- as well as trans-2-aminocyclohexanols, dihydroconduramine E-1, and ent-conduramine F-1 has been described.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol801381t}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Tiwari, Keshri Nath and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000253620600008, title = {Use of the pictet-spengler reaction for the synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carbolines and 1,4-disubstituted-beta-carbolines: formation of gamma-carbolines}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {64}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1654-1662}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Microwave-assisted conjugate addition of indole on nitro-olefins furnished nitro compounds, which were reduced to tryptamines. Further, by using Pictet-Spengler condensation, new 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carbolines were synthesized in diastereoselective manner. Dehydrogenation of the tetrahydro-beta-carbolines produced new 1,4-disubstituted-beta-carbolines. As a new observation, in some of the cases, Pictet-Spengler condensation and dehydrogenation gave two products, namely 1,4-disubstituted-beta-carbolines and 1,4-disubstituted-gamma-carbolines. A mechanism is proposed for this observation. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3, 4-Disubstituted-1, 4-disubstituted-beta-carboline, 4-disubstituted-gamma-carboline, 4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline, 4-tetrahydro-gamma-carboline, Pictet-Spengler reaction}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.12.008}, author = {Kusurkar, Radhika S. and Alkobati, Nabil A. H. and Gokule, Anita S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000261555200036, title = {Valence-state analysis through spectroelectrochemistry in a series of quinonoid-bridged diruthenium complexes [(acac)(2)Ru(mu-L)Ru(acac)(2)](n) (n =+2,+1, 0,-1,-2)}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {14}, number = {34}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10816-10828}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {microscopy, Silver, thick film circuits, X-rays}, issn = {1356-5362}, doi = {10.1108/13565360810846653}, author = {Umarji, Govind and Ketkar, Supriya and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Patil, Kashinath and Mulik, Uttam P. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000269523400273, title = {2-(2,6-Dimethoxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {65}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {O2262-U2986}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C18H16O6, the dimethoxyphenyl ring is rotated by 61.8 (1)degrees from the plane of the benzopyran system. The molecule is stabilized by an intramolecular O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bond.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536809032383}, author = {Kumar, R. Ravi and Krishnaiah, M. and Kumar, N. Jagadesh and Reddy, D. Gunasekhar and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000269426900019, title = {Acetalization of glycerol using mesoporous MoO3/SiO2 solid acid catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {310}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {150-158}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Acetalization, Aldehyde, Glycerol, Silicomolybdic acid, solid acid}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2009.06.010}, author = {Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Kotbagi, Trupti V. and Biradar, Ankush V. and Pasricha, Renu and Chanale, Jyoti and Dongare, Mohan K. and Mamede, Anne-Sophie and Lancelot, Christine and Payen, Edmond} } @article { ISI:000268795100001, title = {Acute and subacute toxicity studies of chitosan reduced gold nanoparticles: a novel carrier for therapeutic agents}, journal = {Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {233-239}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp809796e}, author = {Mahanta, Debajyoti and Madras, Giridhar and Radhakrishnan, S. and Patil, Satish} } @article { ISI:000261909800003, title = {Arthrobacter sp lipase immobilization for preparation of enantiopure masked beta-amino alcohols}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {29-34}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Recent reports on immobilization of lipase from Arthrobacter sp. (ABL, MTCC 5125; IIIM isolate) on insoluble polymers have shown altered properties including stability and enantioselectivity. Present work demonstrates a facile method for the preparation of enantiopure beta-amino alcohols by modulation of ABL enzyme properties via immobilization on insoluble as well as soluble supports using entrapment/covalent binding techniques. Efficacies of immobilized ABL on insoluble supports prepared from tetraethylorthosilicate/aminopropyltriethoxy silane and soluble supports derived from copolymerization of N-vinyl pyrrolidone-allylglycidyl ether (ANP type)/N-vinyl pyrrolidone-glycidyl methacrylate ( GNP type) for kinetic resolution of masked beta-amino alcohols have been studied vis-a-vis free ABL enzyme/wet cell biomass. The immobilized lipase on different insoluble/soluble supports has shown 21 - 110 mg/g protein binding and 30 - 700 U/g activity for hydrolyzing tributyrin substrate. The findings have shown a significant enhancement in enantioselectivity (ee 99\%) vis-a-vis wet cell biomass providing ee 70-90\% for resolution of beta-amino alcohols. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Arthrobacter sp lipase, beta-Aminoalcohol, Enantioselectivity, Immobilization, soluble polymer}, issn = {0968-0896}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmc.2008.11.023}, author = {Chaubey, Asha and Parshad, Rajinder and Gupta, Pankaj and Taneja, Subhash C. and Qazi, Ghulam N. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article { ISI:000273349000001, title = {Bond length variations: electron number profiles and transferable atomic sizes}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {936}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1-8}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A profile of the number of electrons with distance along the M-X bond in gas-phase diatomic molecules has been obtained from electron density plots calculated using DFT B3LYP 6-311G** method for some representative molecules. This {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}number profile{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} is compared with that expected from the partitioning of the 1D bond-distance into atom-specific transferable {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}hub{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} or core atomic sizes of the M and X atoms and another {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}axle{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} size which is associated with a pair of (bonding) electrons. The {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}hub{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} size is proportional to a core atom-specific size, r(nZ)(c) with r(nZ)(c)(M) \>= r(nZ)(c)(X). For {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}single bonds{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}hub{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} size for M atom is C(M)r(nZ)(c)(M) and for X atom is C(X)r(nZ)(c)(X). The {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}axle{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} size, DMX, is usually the ordinary (similar to 4a(H)/3 where a(H) is the Bohr radius of the hydrogen atom) or elongated (similar to 2a(H)) bond length of the hydrogen molecule. The {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}hub{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}axle{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} sizes could be characterized {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}charge-transfer{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} (C(M) = pi(2/3) = 2.144; C(X) = pi(4/3)/2 = 2.300 and D(MX) = 4a(H)/3) or {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}neutral{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} (CM or C(X) = 1, 2, ... and D(MX) = 2a(H)). We use a new {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}static{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} or {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}peripatetic{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} classification for the core sizes which is derived from a new condition for metallization in elements based on atomic size. The charge-transfer distance, d(MX)(+/-), is usually found for {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}static{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} conditions while the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}neutral{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} description is usually found when X = F or for {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}peripatetic{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} conditions. Such a partitioning is seen to agree with that from the plot of the total number of electrons, N(el), vs r along a bond axis. The Nel vs r plots from each atom are described by a simple hydrogen-atom-like function which differ away ({\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}out{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}) or towards ({\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}in{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}) the M-X bond. Thus N(in,out)(M, X) = (Z(M,X) +/- 1) exp (-r/B(in,out)) where the minus sign is associated with M and plus sign with X and Bin, out being related inversely to the Slater orbital exponent. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {B3LYP, Bond length, Bond-stretch isomer, DFT, Diatomic molecule}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2009.07.007}, author = {Ganguly, Parthasarathy and Kulkarni, Bhakti S. and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000266071900010, title = {Brevibacillus sp: a novel thermophilic source for the production of bile salt hydrolase}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {157}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {254-262}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

A thermophilic microorganism growing within the temperature range of 40-65 A degrees C (optimum at 55 A degrees C) was isolated from hot water springs near Konkan, Maharashtra, India. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, it was concluded that the isolate belongs to the genus Brevibacillus. The present paper reports the isolation, identification, and standardization of fermentation conditions for the production of enzyme, bile salt hydrolase (EC 3.5.1.24) which is produced intracellularly at high temperatures. This is the first report regarding the production of bile salt hydrolase from a thermophilic source. Optimization of fermentation conditions resulted in a 2.9-fold enhancement in enzyme production.

}, keywords = {Bile salt hydrolase, Brevibacillus sp, Fermentation, Glycodeoxycholic acid, Hot springs, Thermophile}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-008-8326-9}, author = {Sridevi, N. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000271838100014, title = {C-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen bonds mediated solid state structures of 2,2 {\textquoteleft}-bis (4-pyridylsulfanylmethyl)-1,1 {\textquoteleft}-biphenyl and 9-(4-pyridylsulfanyl)phenanthrene}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {937}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {81-84}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Solid state structure elucidation of sulfanyl ligands, 2,2{\textquoteright}-bis(4-pyridylsulfany[methyl)-1,1{\textquoteright}-biphenyl, L(1) and 9-(4-pyridylsulfanyl)plienanthrene, L(2) are reported. In the structures L(1) and L(2), the molecules are self-assembled through C-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen bonds, yielding ensembles of cyclic and helical networks. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {hydrogen bonds, noncovalent interactions, Supramolecular assemblies}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2009.08.020}, author = {Upadhye, Ketaki and PrakashaReddy, J. and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article { ISI:000268335600001, title = {Challenges associated with metal chelation therapy in alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimers Disease}, volume = {17}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {457-468}, publisher = {IOS PRESS}, address = {NIEUWE HEMWEG 6B, 1013 BG AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, clioquinol, cuprizone, metal dishomeostasis, metal ions, nanomedicine, Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease, polyphenols}, issn = {1387-2877}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-2009-1068}, author = {Hegde, Muralidhar L. and Bharathi, P. and Suram, Anitha and Venugopal, Chitra and Jagannathan, Ramya and Poddar, Pankaj and Srinivas, Pullabhatla and Sambamurti, Kumar and Rao, Kosagisharaf Jagannatha and Scancar, Janez and Messori, Luigi and Zecca, Luigi and Zatta, Paolo} } @article { ISI:000269374500012, title = {Changes in volatile composition during fruit development and ripening of {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} mango}, journal = {Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture}, volume = {89}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2071-2081}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Volatile blends of five developing and five ripening stages of mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Alphonso) were investigated along with those of flowers and leaves. Raw and ripe fruits of cv. Sabia were also used for comparison. RESULTS: A total of 55 volatiles belonging to various chemical classes such as aldehydes, alcohols, mono- and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, lactones and furanones were identified. In all Alphonso tissues monoterpenes quantitatively dominated, with 57-99\% contribution; in particular, (Z)-ocimene was found in the highest amount. Ripeness was characterized by the de novo appearance of lactones and furanones in the blend of monoterpenes. Sabja was distinguished by the abundance of monoterpene hydrocarbons in the raw fruit, and that of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and their derivatives in the ripe stage. CONCLUSION: Various stages of the Alphonso fruit during transition from flower to ripe fruit are characterized by unique volatile signatures that are distinguished from each other by the qualitative and quantitative appearance of different volatile compounds. Thus volatiles can be highly informative markers while studying the development and ripening of mango. (C) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

}, keywords = {Deogad, Gas chromatography, Mangifera indica, mango products, ripening indicator, Sabja}, issn = {0022-5142}, doi = {10.1002/jsfa.3692}, author = {Pandit, Sagar S. and Kulkarni, Ram S. and Chidley, Hemangi G. and Giri, Ashok P. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Koellner, Tobias G. and Degenhardt, Joerg and Gershenzon, Jonathan and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000271982400003, title = {Characterization of clay intercalated cobalt-salen catalysts for the oxidation of p-cresol}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {370}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16-23}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Cobalt-oxygen bond, Cobalt-salen, Extended X-ray absorption fine structure, Intercalation, Lattice oxygen, Montmorillonite, X-ray absorption near edge structure}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2009.09.003}, author = {Kshirsagar, V. S. and Garade, Ajit C. and Mane, R. B. and Patil, K. R. and Yamaguchi, A. and Shirai, M. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000263784200014, title = {Characterization of the smallest dimeric bile salt hydrolase from a thermophile brevibacillus sp.}, journal = {Extremophiles}, volume = {13}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {363-370}, publisher = {SPRINGER JAPAN KK}, address = {CHIYODA FIRST BLDG EAST, 3-8-1 NISHI-KANDA, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-0065, JAPAN}, abstract = {

A thermophilic microorganism producing bile salt hydrolase was isolated from hot water springs, Pali, Maharashtra, India. This microorganism was identified as Brevibacillus sp. by 16S rDNA sequencing. Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) was purified to homogeneity from this thermophilic source using Q-sepharose chromatography and its enzymatic properties were characterized. The subunit molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 28 kDa by SDS-PAGE and, 28.2 kDa by MALDI-TOF analysis. The native molecular mass was estimated to be 56 kDa by gel filtration chromatography, indicating the protein to be a homodimer. The pH and temperature optimum for the enzyme catalysis were 9.0 and 60A degrees C, respectively. Even though BSH from Brevibacillus sp. hydrolyzed all of the six major human bile salts, the enzyme preferred glycine conjugated substrates with apparent K (M) and k (cat) values of 3.08 mu M and 6.32 x 10(2) s(-1), respectively, for glycodeoxycholic acid. The NH2-terminal sequence of the purified enzyme was determined and it did not show any homology with other bacterial bile salt hydrolases. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the purification of BSH to homogeneity from a thermophilic source.

}, keywords = {Bile salt hydrolase, Brevibacillus sp., Dimeric intracellular enzyme, Purification, Thermophile}, issn = {1431-0651}, doi = {10.1007/s00792-008-0224-0}, author = {Sridevi, N. and Srivastava, Sameer and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Prabhune, Asmita Ashutosh} } @article { ISI:000266648400001, title = {Chlorophyll-based photocatalysts and their evaluations for methyl orange photoreduction}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry}, volume = {204}, number = {2-3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {83-89}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Immobilization of chlorophyll on different functionalized mesoporous materials has been attempted. The replacement of butanediol with monoethanol amine has resulted in increase in chlorophyll loading by a factor of two. The maximum immobilization of chlorophyll was on MCM-41 functionalized with monoethanolamine MCM-41/MEA/Chl) as compared to other mesoporous materials. This material has been characterized using XRD, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic reduction of methyl orange (MO)was studied using MCM-41/MEA/Chl as photocatalyst under the visible light. The photocatalytic reduction of MO was 0.396 mg/g of MCM-41/MEA/Chl photocatalyst as compared to 0.508 mg/g of TiO(2) for that of Degussa P-25 photocatalyst. The effect of various operating parameters like catalyst loading, initial concentration and intensity of light has also been studied. Photocatalytic property of chlorophyll-based photocatalytic material indicates that chlorophyll acts as a reaction center, which absorbs visible light and generates electron, which is transferred to different electron acceptors reducing MO into derivative of hydrazine. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chlorophyll-based photocatalyst, Mesoporous material, Methyl orange, Photoreduction}, issn = {1010-6030}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotochem.2009.01.016}, author = {Joshi, Meenal M. and Kamble, Sanjay R. and Labhsetwar, Nitin K. and Parwate, D. V. and Rayalu, Sadhana S.} } @article { ISI:000262966200010, title = {Chromate reduction by PVA-alginate immobilized streptomyces griseus in a bioreactor}, journal = {Biotechnology Letters}, volume = {31}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {71-76}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Microbial reduction of toxic Cr(6+) to the less toxic Cr(3+) is potentially a useful bioremediation process. Among the matrices tested for whole cell immobilization of an efficient chromate-reducing Streptomyces griseus strain, PVA-alginate was the most effective and was used for reduction of Cr(VI) in a bioreactor. Cr(6+) reduction efficiency decreased as Cr(6+) was increased from 2 to 12 mg l(-1) but increased with an increase in biomass concentration. However, increasing the flow rate from 2 to 8 ml h(-1) did not significantly affect Cr(6+) reduction. The reduction was faster in simulated effluent than in synthetic medium and complete removal of 8 mg Cr(6+) l(-1) from effluent and synthetic medium occurred in 2 and 12 h, respectively. Our results indicate that immobilized S. griseus cells could be applied for the large-scale bioremediation of chromate-containing effluents and wastewaters.

}, keywords = {Bioremediation, Chromate reduction, Immobilized cells, Polyvinyl alcohol-alginate, Streptomyces griseus}, issn = {0141-5492}, doi = {10.1007/s10529-008-9829-8}, author = {Poopal, Ashwini C. and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article {BHONDE, title = {Clickable SBA-15 mesoporous materials: synthesis, characterization and their reaction with alkynes}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {19}, number = {10}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1409-1416}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {Barbitone sodium, CNS depressant activity, pentobarbitone sodium, Sterculia guttata Roxb., Swiss albino mice}, issn = {0250-474X}, author = {Katade, S. R. and Misar, Ashwini V. and Mujumdar, Arvind M. and Phalgune, U. D. and Wakharkar, R. D. and Deshpande, N. R.} } @article { ISI:000267632500006, title = {CO sensor based on polypyrrole functionalized with iron porphyrin}, journal = {Synthetic Metals}, volume = {159}, number = {11}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1019-1023}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Polypyrrole (PPy) was chemically functionalized with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphyrin iron(III) chloride (FeTPPCl) with special interest on noxious carbon monoxide (CO) gas in ppm level. Controlled functionalization of PPy was achieved with incorporation of various concentrations of porphyrin. The resulted semiconducting material was well characterized by different techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR, GFAAS, XRD, and EDAX. The functionalized polypyrrole material on interdigitated electrode was experienced an immediate increase in resistance when exposed to carbon monoxide gas at very low concentration. The CO gas interacted very fast with the FeTPPCl functionalized PPy at room temperature (RT) and then slowly saturated. The response of these materials was not unidirectional, but reverses to the original resistance level when CO was removed from the test chamber. The highest response factor (Delta R/R(0) x 100) and lowest response time (t(50)) obtained are 12 and 169s, respectively. An optimum level of doping (1 mol\% of FeTPPCl) was established for the highest sensitivity and the detection level is as low as 100ppm. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {carbon monoxide, Chemical sensor, Fe(III) porphyrin, polypyrrole}, issn = {0379-6779}, doi = {10.1016/j.synthmet.2009.01.018}, author = {Paul, Santhosh and Amalraj, Francis and Radhakrishnan, S.} } @article { ISI:000264061100021, title = {Cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate-diisopropylamine catalyzed mild and chemoselective reduction of carboxylic esters with sodium borohydride}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {660-664}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The cobalt-catalyzed reduction of unsaturated alpha-cyano carboxylic esters using sodium borohydride (NaBH(4)) leads to the corresponding saturated cyano alcohols in high yields. In particular, the new catalytic system cobalt(II) chloride-diisopropylamine in combination with NaBH(4) showed excellent activity in the chemoselective reduction of a variety of carboxylic esters to their corresponding alcohols in good to excellent yields under mild conditions.

}, keywords = {Alcohols, amines, catalysis, Esters, reductions}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0028-1083353}, author = {Jagdale, Arun R. and Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000268231500057, title = {Combinatorial library of primaryalkylammonium dicarboxylate gelators: a supramolecular synthon approach}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {25}, number = {15}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8742-8750}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Following the supramolecular synthon approach, a combinatorial library comprising 35 organic salts derived from 7 dicarboxylic acids (malonic, succinic-, adipic, L-tartaric-, maleic-, phthalic-, and isophthalicacid) and 5 primaryalkyl amines Me-(CH2)(n)-NH2 (n = 11 - 15) was prepared and scanned for gelation. About 66\% of the salts in the combinatorial library were found to show moderate to good gelling ability in various polar and nonpolar solvents including commercial fuels such as petrol. The majority of the salts having a rigid, unsaturated anionic backbone (maleate, phthalate, and isophthalate) did not show gelation; only the corresponding hexadecylammonium salts showed gelation. Some of the representative gels were characterized by rheology, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), optical microscopy (OM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Single-crystal structures of two gelator and two nongelator salts were also discussed in the context of supramolecular synthon and structure-property correlation.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la9001362}, author = {Sahoo, Pathik and Adarsh, N. N. and Chacko, George E. and Raghavan, Srinivasa R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dastidar, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000265030200054, title = {Comparing ultraviolet and chemical reduction techniques for enhancing photocatalytic activity of silver oxide/silver deposited nanocrystalline anatase titania}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {15}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {6243-6255}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Silver oxide/silver have been deposited, with varying silver concentration (0.01-10 mol \%), on the surface of sol-gel derived nanocrystal line anatase titania using two different techniques, namely the ultraviolet reduction and chemical reduction (using stannous ions). The pure and silver oxide/silver-deposited nanocrystalline anatase titania have been characterized for their morphology, average nanocrystal lite size, specific surface area, phases involved, surface chemistry, band gap, and photoluminescence using various analytical techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller surface-area measurement, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, and spectrofluorometry, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of pure and silver oxide/silver-deposited nanocrystalline anatase titania has been measured by monitoring the degradation of methylene blue dye in an aqueous solution under ultraviolet-radiation exposure. Within the investigated Ag-concentration range, the maximum photocatalytic activity has been observed for 0.1 and 10 mol \% Ag for the chemical-reduction (using stannous ions) and ultraviolet-reduction methods with the corresponding apparent first-order reaction-rate constant (k(app)) values of 0.228 and 0.151 min(-1), which are 3.5 and 2.3 times larger than that of pure nanocrystalline anatase fitania (0.065 min(-1)). The chemical-reduction method (using stannous ions), hence, appears to be more effective than the ultraviolet-reduction method for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline anatase titania. Various factors such as the surface concentration of superoxide ions, oxygen-ion vacancies, and stannous ions as well as the amount of silver oxide/silver and tin oxide are observed to control the surface-adsorption of methylene blue and photoinduced electron/hole lifetime and, hence, variation in the photocatalytic activity as a function of silver concentration.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp8105343}, author = {Priya, R. and Baiju, K. V. and Shukla, S. and Biju, S. and Reddy, M. L. P. and Patil, K. and Warrier, K. G. K.} } @article { ISI:000262440400015, title = {Composites of plasma treated poly(etherimide) films with gold nanoparticles and lysine through layer by layer assembly: a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}friendly-rough{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} surface for cell adhesion and proliferation for tissue engineering applications}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {19}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {544-550}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A composite film fabricated by plasma treated poly(etherimide) with subsequent deposition of gold nanoparticles and lysine using layer by layer assembly has been demonstrated to be good for cell attachment and proliferation making it an attractive strategy for tissue engineering applications. As compared to the other methods the decrease in contact angle obtained here does not depend much on the plasma treatment thus affecting the polymer structure minimally. A combination of surface roughness provided by the gold nanoparticles and the presence of amine groups of lysine is hypothesized to be the reason for the features observed.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b817231e}, author = {D{\textquoteright}Britto, Virginia and Tiwari, S. and Purohit, V. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Bhonde, Ramesh R. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000266989800010, title = {Computational study of electronic structure, thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen desorption from Al- and Si-doped alpha-, gamma-, and beta-MgH2}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {19}, number = {25}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {4348-4355}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

First principles calculations of pure and Al-and Si-doped alpha-, gamma-, and beta-MgH2 were performed to investigate the influence of Al and Si as impurities and the presence of high pressure phases on the properties of hydrogen sorption of magnesium hydride. The ab initio plane wave pseudopotential method based on density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation was used in the present study. The total energies of the considered systems were calculated as a function of cell volume to obtain material properties such as bulk modulus K-0, equilibrium cell volume V-0 and minimum energy E-0(V-0). From the density of states (DOS) analysis, it was shown that doping MgH2 with Al and Si caused a reduction in the band gaps of each of the three phases. The diminished band gaps made the Mg-H bond more susceptible to dissociation. The destabilization of the hydrides was reflected in the decreased heats of formation of the doped hydrides, with the following Delta H-f order: Si \< Al and beta \< gamma \< alpha. A 30.5\% reduction in the activation energy barrier E-act for H-2 desorption was calculated for the Al-doped alpha-MgH2(001) surface and a 15.5\% decrease in E-act of the Si-doped gamma-MgH2(001) surface was deduced, while doping with Al and Si increased the activation energy barrier for the beta-MgH2 (001) surface drastically.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b901115c}, author = {Kelkar, Tuhina and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000262810900014, title = {Conducting polyaniline-nano-TiO2 composites for smart corrosion resistant coatings}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {54}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1249-1254}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Anticorrosion, Coating, conducting polymer, Nano-composite, Titanium dioxide}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2008.08.069}, author = {Radhakrishnan, S. and Siju, C. R. and Mahanta, Debajyoti and Patil, Satish and Madras, Giridhar} } @article { ISI:000271552400019, title = {Conformational characterization of human eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha: a single tryptophan protein}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {390}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {273-279}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The alpha-subunit of the human eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (heIF2 alpha), a GTP binding protein, plays a major role in the initiation of protein synthesis. During various cytoplasmic stresses, eIF2 alpha gets phosphorylated by eIF2 alpha-specific kinases resulting in inhibition of protein synthesis. The cloned and over expressed heIF2 alpha, a protein with a single tryptophan (trp) residue was examined for its conformational characteristics using steady-state and time-resolved tryptophan fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and hydrophobic dye binding. The steady-state fluorescence spectrum, fluorescence lifetimes (tau(1) = 1.13 ns and tau(2) = 4.74 ns) and solute quenching studies revealed the presence of trp conformers in hydrophobic and differential polar environment at any given time. Estimation of the alpha-helix and beta-sheet content showed: (i) more compact structure at pH 2.0, (ii) distorted alpha-helix and rearranged beta-sheet in presence of 4 M guanidine hydrochloride and (iii) retention of more than 50\% ordered structure at 95 degrees C. Hydrophobic dye binding to the protein with loosened tertiary structure was observed at pH 2.0 indicating the existence of a molten globule-like structure. These observations indicate the inherent structural stability of the protein under various denaturing conditions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Circular dichroism, heIF2 alpha, K562 cells, Molten globule, Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.09.106}, author = {Sreejith, R. K. and Yadav, Viveka Nand and Varshney, Nishant K. and Berwal, Sunil K. and Suresh, C. G. and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Pal, Jayanta K.} } @article {42749, title = {Copper (I) complexes of a thioether-functionalized short-bite aminobis(phosphonite)}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {28}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {101{\textendash}106}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2008.10.014}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000264437500012, title = {Copper-based catalysts for water gas shift reaction: influence of support on their catalytic activity}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {141}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, note = {18th National Symposium and Indo-US Seminar on Catalysis, Indian Inst Petroleum, Dehradun, INDIA, APR 16-18, 2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {72-76}, publisher = {Catalysis Soc India; Petrotech Soc; Indo US Sci \& Technol Forum}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Three copper containing catalysts supported on ceria and mixed oxides of ceria with zirconia and titania were prepared by co-precipitation method and their catalytic activity was tested for water gas shift (WGS) reaction. High surface area (\>100m(2)/g) mixed oxides were obtained following the present method of preparation. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, H(2)-temperature programmed reduction (TPR), UV-vis and XPS. Catalytic activity was evaluated for water gas shift reaction in the 200-400 degrees C temperature range, The gas hourly space velocity was varied from 5000 to 25,000h(-1) for better evaluation and comparison of their performance. The effect of CO(2) in the feed gas mixture on the WGS activity of these catalysts was also studied. Among the three catalysts studied, CuO-CeO(2)-ZrO(2) mixed oxide shows better activity, implying the influence of support. Characterization of the catalysts after WGS reaction was also carried out in order to investigate structure-property correlation. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ceria, Ceria-titania, Ceria-zirconia, Co-precipitation, Copper, Water gas shift}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2008.06.026}, author = {Pradhan, S. and Reddy, A. Satyanarayana and Devi, R. N. and Chilukuri, Satyanarayana V.} } @article { ISI:000263216000054, title = {Cultivar relationships in mango based on fruit volatile profiles}, journal = {Food Chemistry}, volume = {114}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {363-372}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Aroma volatiles of mango (Mangifera indica L.) determine consumer acceptability and influence selection, whilst breeding. To assess their variety, composition and possible impact on cultivar relationships, volatile blends of 22 Indian and five non-Indian cultivars were investigated using solvent extraction and gas chromatography. Totally 84 volatiles belonging to various chemical classes were detected. Based on the Cumulative Occurrence of members of these classes, cultivars were grouped as monoterpene or sesquiterpene dominant. a-Pinene, beta-myrcene and beta-caryophyllene were found in all 27 cultivars. For ordination, common compounds with high (relative) concentration provided quantitative characters, whereas the rare and lesser ones provided qualitative (binary) characters; non-Indian cultivars separated from Indian ones but displayed close relations within their groups. In conclusion, mango flavour is dominated qualitatively as well as quantitatively by terpene hydrocarbons; ancient selection of mango cultivars is hinted to be driven by different aroma characters in different parts of the world. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Flavour, GC-MS, Mangifera indica, Multivariate analysis, Ordination}, issn = {0308-8146}, doi = {10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.09.107}, author = {Pandit, Sagar S. and Chidley, Hemangi G. and Kulkarni, Ram S. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000263373600066, title = {Dendritic effect of ligand-coated nanoparticles: enhanced apoptotic activity of silica-berberine nanoconjugates}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {25}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2339-2347}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la802761b}, author = {Halimani, Mahantappa and Chandran, S. Prathap and Kashyap, Sudhir and Jadhav, V. M. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Hotha, Srinivas and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000265529700034, title = {Density functional investigation of relativistic effects on the structure and reactivity of tetrahedral gold clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {7101-7106}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The influence of relativistic effects on the structure, vibrational modes, and reactivity of recently discovered tertrahedral gold clusters (Au(19) and Au(20)) are investigated using density functional methods. The intramolecular reactivity of the clusters was analyzed using density functional-based reactivity descriptors. The work shows that whereas the structural properties and vibrational modes are considerably affected by the relativistic effects, the reactivity trends based on Fukui function calculation on various atoms within this cluster remain unaffected by the absence or presence of relativistic effects. The reactivity descriptors reveal that the vertex atoms are the most reactive ones in Au(20) toward a nucleophilic attack. On the other hand, atoms connecting the missing vertex edge with the pyramid base along with the vertex atom are the most reactive for a nucleophilic attack in Au(19). The atoms lying at the center of each face are favorable for an electrophilic attack in both cases. Interestingly, the atoms with a missing cap in Aulg are highly favorable for electrophilic attack, and Au(20) has more sites for a favorable nucleophilic attack.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp9001884}, author = {De, Himadri Sekhar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000269760900028, title = {Design and synthesis of bile acid-based amino sterols as antimicrobial agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {19}, number = {18}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5411-5414}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Amino sterols, Antibacterial agent, bile acid, Oxirane}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.07.117}, author = {Aher, Nilkanth G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Mishra, Nripendra N. and Shukla, Praveen K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000266821100020, title = {Design of an "allsolid-state{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} supercapacitor based on phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) electrolyte}, journal = {Journal of Applied Electrochemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {7}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1097-1103}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Electrochemical characterization, Electrochemical supercapacitor, Energy storage device, PBI electrolyte, RuO(2)/carbon composite}, issn = {0021-891X}, doi = {10.1007/s10800-008-9764-3}, author = {Rathod, Dhanraj and Vijay, Meenu and Islam, Md. Nazrul and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan} } @article { ISI:000270450400265, title = {Diethyl [(5-chloro-2-hydroxyanilino)(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]phosphonate}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {65}, number = {10}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {O2506+}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C17H20Cl2NO4P, the P atom is bonded in a distorted tetrahedral environment. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 80.5 (1)degrees. In the crystal structure, intermolecular O-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds link pairs of molecules into centrosymmetric dimers. These dimers, are in turn, linked by weak intermolecular C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds into one-dimensional chains along [010]. Additional stabilization is provided by very weak C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl interactions.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536809037039}, author = {Krishnaiah, M. and Babu, V. H. H. Surendra and Prasad, G. Syam and Reddy, C. Suresh and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000263922500027, title = {Direct method for the preparation of glycolipid-metal nanoparticle conjugates: sophorolipids as reducing and capping agents for the synthesis of water re-dispersible silver nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {33}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {646-652}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The production of a new class of glycolipid-metal nanoparticle conjugates, namely, sophorolipid reduced/capped silver nanoparticles is demonstrated for the first time, by unveiling the reducing and capping abilities of sophorolipid derived from oleic acid. It is also demonstrated that the sophorolipid capped Ag nanoparticles are highly potent antibacterial agents, against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The utilization of sophorolipid brings out several advantages, such as eliminating the necessity for exogenous reducing agent and imparting better stability to the silver nanoparticles as compared to their oleic acid capped analogues. These sophorolipid capped silver nanoparticles can be obtained as a stable powder that can be re-dispersed in water as desired.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/b811829a}, author = {Singh, Sanjay and Patel, Pitamber and Jaiswal, Swarna and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramana, C. V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000271072500019, title = {Disproportionation of ethylbenzene in the presence of C-8 aromatics}, journal = {Journal of Natural Gas Chemistry}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {369-374}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The selective synthesis of p-diethylbenzene (p-DEB) by disproportionation of ethylbenzene (EB) in the presence of aromatics like m- and p-xylene isomers has been studied over a pore size regulated HZSM-5 catalyst. The industrial feed having different compositions of ethylbenzene and xylene isomers was used for the experimentation. Hence, they were expected to hinder the movement of reactant molecules both on the external surface and within the zeolite channels. It was observed that irrespective of the different feed compositions the concentration of the xylene isomers was intact in the product. There is no other byproducts formation like para-ethylmethyl benzene. The effects of varying the concentration of aromatic compounds in the feed on ethylbenzene conversion and product distribution over the parent and modified H-ZSM-5 catalyst have been discussed. Ethylbenzene disproportionation reaction follows the pseudo first order reaction with an activation energy of 8.6 kcal/mol.

}, keywords = {Catalyst, diethylbenzene, disproportionation, ethylbenzene, xylene isomers}, issn = {1003-9953}, doi = {10.1016/S1003-9953(08)60125-5}, author = {Sharnappa, N. and Pai, S. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article { ISI:000268138400070, title = {Domain size manipulation of perflouorinated polymer electrolytes by sulfonic acid-functionalized MWCNTs to enhance fuel cell performance}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {25}, number = {14}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8299-8305}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la9005218}, author = {Kannan, Ramaiyan and Parthasarathy, Meera and Maraveedu, Sreekuttan U. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000267662600010, title = {Effect of cultural conditions and media constituents on production of penicillin V acylase and CTAB treatment to enhance whole-cell enzyme activity of rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425)}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {157}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {463-472}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Penicillin V acylase (PVA) is a pharmaceutically important enzyme as it plays a vital role in the manufacture of semi-synthetic beta-lactam antibiotics. Rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425) produced high levels of intracellular penicillin V acylase after 18 h at pH 8.0 and temperature 27 degrees C. Fructose was the best carbon source for PVA production, whereas tryptone was the best nitrogen source to produce the enzyme up to 170 and 1,088 IU/l of culture, respectively. Additionally, the cell-bound PVA activity was enhanced on treatment with cationic detergent. Whole-cell activity was found to be doubled (204\%) on treatment of 0.01 g dry weight of cells with 50 mu g/ml solution of N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethylammoniumbromide at pH 8.0 for 1 h at room temperature. Atomic force microscopy images of permeabilized cells show perturbation in the cell wall and offer first-ever visual illustration of surface structure modifications that occur during permeabilization of R. aurantiaca cells leading to enhancement in activity of intracellular enzyme.

}, keywords = {Atomic force microscopy, Intracellular enzyme, Penicillin Vacylase, Permeabilization, Rhodotorula aurantiaca}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-008-8294-0}, author = {Kumar, Atul and Singh, Sanjay and Poddar, Pankaj and Prabhune, Asmita and Pundle, Archana} } @article { ISI:000264899000012, title = {Effect of organic solvents on cell-bound penicillin V acylase activity of erwinia aroideae (DSMZ 30186): a permeabilization effect}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis B-Enzymatic}, volume = {57}, number = {1-4}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {67-71}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Erwinia aroideae (DSMZ 30186) is a potential microbial culture to produce intracellular penicillin V acylase (PVA). The whole cell PVA activity was improved by permeabilization with various organic solvents. The cell-bound PVA activity showed an eightfold increase upon treatment with chloroform (5 mu L/mg(dry) (biomass)) for 10 min and diethyl ether (10 mu L/mg(dry) (biomass)) for 45 min. Hexane, toluene, ethyl acetate and dichloromethane enhanced the enzyme activity up to two-, six-, four- and two-fold, respectively; whereas, PVA activity declined drastically on permeabilization with acetone, pyridine and alcohols. The physicochemical properties of the organic solvents used for permeabilization were correlated with the change in activity. It was found that solvents with high hydrophobicity (log P \> 0.68) and lower dielectric constant (\< 9) were relatively effective in increasing PVA activity. These results allow systematic selection of suitable solvent for best performance. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dielectric constant, Erwinia aroideae, Hydrophobicity, Organic solvents, Penicillin V acylase, Permeabilization}, issn = {1381-1177}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcatb.2008.06.018}, author = {Kumar, Atul and Pundle, Archana} } @article { ISI:000262749400001, title = {Effect of relative humidity and sea level pressure on electrical conductivity of air over Indian ocean}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres}, volume = {114}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {D02205}, publisher = {AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION}, address = {2000 FLORIDA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20009 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2169-897X}, doi = {10.1029/2007JD009716}, author = {Pawar, S. D. and Murugavel, P. and Lal, D. M.} } @article { ISI:000263749400010, title = {Efficient, rapid, and regioselective bromination of anilines and phenols with 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium tribromide as a new reagent/solvent under mild conditions}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1007-1009}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

1-Butyl-3-methylpyridinium tribromide, [BMPy]Br(3) proves to be a highly efficient, regioselective reagent/solvent for nuclear bromination of various anilines and phenols. The synthesis and characterization of the room temperature ionic liquid [BMPy]Br(3) (2) is described. The bromination was carried out in the absence of organic solvents and in most cases the only extraction solvent needed was water. The spent 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium bromide (1) was easily recycled. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bromination, Ionic liquid, Regioselective, [BMPy]Br(3)}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.12.053}, author = {Borikar, Sanjay P. and Daniel, Thomas and Paul, Vincent} } @article { ISI:000267070700046, title = {Enantioselective total synthesis of (2S,3R,4R)-D-xylo-phytosphingosine from substituted azetidin-2-one}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {26}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3296-3298}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Enantiomerically pure (2S,3R,4R)-D-xylo phytosphingosine is synthesized in 36\% overall yield in seven steps from known beta-lactam (8) derived from D-mannitol triacetonide. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {beta-lactam, Enantioselective synthesis, Sphingosine, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.02.050}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Tiwari, Dharmendra Kumar} } @article { ISI:000263070700020, title = {Enhanced solar-radiation induced photocatalytic activity of surface-modified nanocrystalline anatase-titania}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {128}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {137-143}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Sol-gel derived pure nanocrystalline (similar to 20-30 nm) anatase-titania has been surface-modified by depositing silver(I) oxide and silver (predominantly the former) via UV-reduction process. The pure and surface-modified nanocrystalline anatase-titania have been characterized using different analytical techniques for determining the average nanocrystallite size, phase-contents, surface-chemistry, as well as the absorption and photoluminescence characteristics. It is demonstrated that, the latter exhibits an enhanced solar-radiation induced photocatalytic activity as compared to that of the former as a result of the absorption in the visible-region and enhanced photo-induced e(-)/h(+) life-time, both caused by the surface-deposition of silver(I) oxide and silver.

}, keywords = {Nanocrystalline, Photocatalysis, Silver, sol-gel, titania, UV-reduction}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-008-9704-1}, author = {Priya, R. and Baiju, K. V. and Shukla, S. and Biju, S. and Reddy, M. L. P. and Patil, K. R. and Warrier, K. G. K.} } @article { ISI:000208013800003, title = {Eudragit (R) EPO based nanoparticle suspension of andrographolide: in vitro and in vivo}, journal = {Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters}, volume = {1}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {156-164}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Characteristic formulation of an isolated active phytoconstituent is of great therapeutic significance. The purpose of this work was to develop Eudragit (R) EPO based nanoparticle suspension of isolated andrographolide in order to increase its solubility and efficacy. Andrographolide was isolated from Andrographis paniculata and Its Nanoparticle suspension was prepared by precipitation technique. The 3(2) factorial design was used to study the effect of Eudragit (R) EPO and Pluronic (R) F-68 on characteristics of nanoparticle suspension. The optimized formulation was subjected to lyophilization. The nanoparticle suspension, lyophilized suspension and the redispersed lyophilized nanoparticle suspension were characterized by drug content, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, electrokinetic properties, DSC, PXRD, FTIR, TEM and in vitro drug release. Optimized batch showed particle size 255 +/- 9 nm with encapsulation efficiency 93.8 +/- 0.67\% and zeta potential 29.3 +/- 3.4 mV. There was marked increase in drug dissolution with complete drug release within 10 minutes in nanoparticle suspension and redispersed naoparticle suspension as compared to pure drug. However, lyophilization retarded the drug release. The nanoparticle suspension and redispersed nanoparticle suspension also showed improved hepatoprotectivity as compared to andrographolide against CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The results were confirmed by histopathological studies on hepatic lesions. Thus particle engineering can be used to improve pharmaceutical properties of phytoconstituents.

}, keywords = {Andrographolide, Eudragit (R) EPO, Hepatoprotective Activity, Nanoparticle Suspension, Pluronic (R) F-68}, issn = {1941-4900}, doi = {10.1166/nnl.2009.1029}, author = {Bothiraja, C. and Pawar, Atmaram P. and Shaikh, Karimunnisa S. and Sher, Praveen} } @article { ISI:000272536800003, title = {Evaluation of high performance liquid chromatography purified leptospiral antigen for the diagnosis of leptospirosis}, journal = {Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases}, volume = {62}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {428-431}, publisher = {NATL INST INFECTIOUS DISEASES}, address = {JPN J INFECT DIS ED OFF NATL INST INFECTIOUS DISEASES TOYAMA 1-23-1, SHINJUKU-KU, TOKYO, 162-8640, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Leptospirosis is a re-emerging infection, and often occurs in outbreaks. Early diagnosis is important for appropriate control measures and treatment. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic test depends on the antigen, which is used for the detection of antibodies. In the present study, an effort was made to purify and characterize leptospiral antigens, and their performance in the laboratory was assessed. Leptospira biflexa semaranga, Patoc was subjected to processing by the heat extraction method, and the crude antigenic preparation was subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography for purification. The purified antigen fractions were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine their reactivity. Only the reactive fractions were tested for specificity by ELISA by allowing the fractions to react with positive sera of patients with non-leptospiral illness. H1, the purified antigen fraction of the heat-extracted preparation, was found to be the most reactive and specific of all fractions tested. The protein was found to have a molecular weight of 50 kDa. The performance of H1 in the laboratory was assessed by formulating an in-house ELISA using the H1 antigen. The results were compared with those of microscopic agglutination testing and commercial ELISA. The specificity and sensitivity of in-house ELISA using the H1 antigen were found to be 93.3 and 85.0\%, respectively.

}, issn = {1344-6304}, author = {Pol, Sae and Bharadwaj, Renu} } @article { ISI:000265517700038, title = {Facile synthesis of 5,6-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridone}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {20}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2440-2442}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short synthesis of 5,6-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridone was achieved from L-serine employing Horner-Emmons olefination as the key step. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, Horner-Emmons olefination, L-serine, Pyridone, Z-selectivity}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.03.026}, author = {Upadhyay, Puspesh K. and Prasad, Rajendra and Pandey, Menaka and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article { ISI:000266526200007, title = {Feature selection and classification employing hybrid ant colony optimization/random forest methodology}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {12}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {507-513}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y26, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

Accurate classification of instances depends on identification and removal of redundant features. Classification of data having high dimensionality is usually performed in conjunction with an appropriate feature selection method. Feature selection enables identification of the most informative feature subset from the enormously vast search space that can accurately classify the given data. We propose an ant colony optimization (ACO)/random forest based hybrid filter-wrapper search technique, which traverses the search space and selects a feature subset with high classifying ability. We evaluate the performance of our algorithm on four widely studied CoEPrA (Comparative Evaluation of Prediction Algorithms, http://coepra.org) datasets. The performance of the software ants mediated hybrid filter/wrapper approach compares well with the available competition results. Thus, the proposed Ant Colony Optimization based technique can effectively find small feature subsets capable of classifying with a very good accuracy and can be employed for feature subset selection with a high level of confidence.

}, issn = {1386-2073}, author = {Patil, Diwakar and Raj, Rahul and Shingade, Prashant and Kulkarni, Bhaskar and Jayaraman, Valadi K.} } @article { ISI:000271843400019, title = {Ferromagnetic properties of glucose coated Cu2O nanoparticles}, journal = {Solid State Communications}, volume = {149}, number = {47-48}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2199-2201}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

}, keywords = {chemotherapy, doxorubicin, drug delivery, fullerenol, nanoparticle}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/nn900318y}, author = {Chaudhuri, Padmaparna and Paraskar, Abhimanyu and Soni, Shivani and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000273709600061, title = {Gas sensing properties of magnesium ferrite prepared by co-precipitation method}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {488}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {270-272}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Ferrites, Gas sensor, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2009.08.103}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Jadhav, S. D. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Sasikala, R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000264471400009, title = {General approach to medium-sized ring ethers via hydrolytic and oxidative kinetic resolutions: stereoselective syntheses of (-)-cis-lauthisan and (+)-isolaurepan}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {65}, number = {11}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2226-2231}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short and enantioselective approach to medium ring ethers and its application to the syntheses of (-)-cis-lauthisan and (+)-isolaurepan are described. The synthetic strategy features Jacobson{\textquoteright}s Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution (HKR), oxidative resolution of secondary alcohol, and highly diastereoselective Et(3)SiH/TMSOTf-promoted reductive cyclization of a hydroxy ketone to give exclusively the different medium-sized cis-disubstituted cyclic ethers. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cis-Reductive cyclization, Jacobson{\textquoteright}s Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution (HKR), Oxepanes, Oxidative resolution of secondary alcohol, Ring ether}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2009.01.062}, author = {Tripathi, Divya and Pandey, Satyendra Kumar and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article { ISI:000265515400019, title = {Green and sustainable approach to BIS-(INDOLYL) alkanes}, journal = {Indian Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {279-282}, publisher = {DR R S VARMA}, address = {C-85 SECTOR-B, ALIGANJ SCHEME, LUCKNOW, INDIA 226020 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient, high yielding, green and mild method has been developed for the synthesis of bis (indolyl) methanes using dodecylsulphonic acid as an effective surfactant type Bronsted acid catalyst in aq media. The method is excellent for various new bis-(indolyl) methanes derived from pyrazolaldehydes.

}, issn = {0971-1627}, author = {Gholap, Somnath S. and Wakchaure, Prasad B. and Pandhare, Gajanan R. and Gill, Charansingh H.} } @article { ISI:000271103500011, title = {Heterogeneous cobalt-saponite catalyst for liquid phase air oxidation of p-cresol}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {21}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9423-9427}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Heterogeneous Co-saponite was found to be an efficient catalyst for the liquid phase oxidation of p-cresol under mild conditions. Divalent cobalt tons were found to be in both the tetrahedral and octahedral positions of the saponite clay. Studies on the effect of reaction parameters showed that the rate of reaction increased with increase in Co loading from 5 to 13\% and then remained constant up to 30\% of Co loading, while the rate of oxidation showed a first-order dependence on the partial pressure of oxygen up to 300 kPa. Results of oxidation experiments over Co-saponite, in an Inert atmosphere, and the XPS studies Suggest Mars-van Krevelen pathway operating, which involves lattice oxygen of Co-saponite in the liquid phase oxidation of p-cresol.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie801941e}, author = {Kshirsagar, Vikas S. and Garade, Ajit C. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000269337500015, title = {Highly diastereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a D-galactose-derived nitrone with dimethyl maleate: synthesis of polyhydroxylated perhydroazaazulenes}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1959-1963}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

An intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a D-galactose-derived nitrone with dimethyl maleate was found to be perfectly diastereoselective at the nitrone carbon to give exclusive formation of isoxazolidine. The N-O bond reductive cleavage in isoxazolidine followed by lactam reduction afforded a pyrrolidine ring skeleton with sugar appendage that on acetonide cleavage and reductive amino-cyclization gave hitherto unknown hydroxymethyl-substituted hexa- and pentahydroxy perhydroazaazulenes.

}, keywords = {1, 3-dipolar nitrone olefin cycloaddition (DNOC), diastereoselectivity, Iminosugars, inhibitors, nitrone}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-0029-1217541}, author = {Bande, Omprakash P. and Jadhav, Vrushali H. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article {43365, title = {Human blood vessel-derived endothelial progenitors for endothelialization of small diameter vascular prosthesis}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {Article Number: e7718}, abstract = {Background: Coronary bypass graft failure as a result of acute thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia has been the major challenge in surgical procedures involving small-diameter vascular prosthesis. Coating synthetic grafts with patients{\textquoteright} own endothelial cells has been suggested to improve the patency rate and overall success of bypass surgeries. Methodology/Principal Findings: We isolated endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from leftover pieces of human saphenous vein/mammary artery. We demonstrate that EPCs can be expanded to generate millions of cells under low-density culture conditions. Exposure to high-density conditions induces differentiation to endothelial cell phenotype. EPC-derived endothelial cells show expression of CD144(high), CD31, and vWF. We then assessed the ability of differentiated endothelial cells to adhere and grow on small diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) tubings. Since ePTFE tubings are highly hydrophobic, we optimized protocols to introduce hydrophilic groups on luminal surface of ePTFE tubings. We demonstrate here a stepwise protocol that involves introduction of hydrophilic moieties and coating with defined ECM components that support adhesion of endothelial cells, but not of blood platelets. Conclusion/Significance: Our data confirms that endothelial progenitors obtained from adult human blood vessels can be expanded in vitro under xenoprotein-free conditions, for potential use in endothelialization of small diameter ePTFE grafts. These endothelialized grafts may represent a promising treatment strategy for improving the clinical outcome of small-caliber vascular grafts in cardiac bypass surgeries.}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0007718}, author = {Ranjan, Amaresh K. and Kumar, Umesh and Hardikar, Ashutosh A. and Poddar, Pankaj and Nair, Prabha D. and Hardikar, Anandwardhan A.} } @article {42582, title = {Hybrid core-shell nanoparticles: photoinduced electron-transfer for charge separation and solar cell application}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {21}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5292{\textendash}5299}, abstract = {

We report growth and formation of hybrid core-shell nanoparticle systems, where photoinduced electron-transfer takes place from the II-VI semiconducting core to an organic shell. With the hybrid core-shell nanoparticles, we fabricate devices so that the photoinduced electron-transfer can finally yield photocurrent and result photovoltaic solar cells. Formation of an organic shell-layer on CdSe nanoparticles is supported by electronic absorption spectroscopy. Electron-transfer from the nanoparticle in the core to a number of organic molecules in the shell is established from quenching of photoluminescence intensity of CdSe nanoparticles as well as from a change in the lifetime of photoluminescence emission. Devices based on the hybrid core-shell nanoparticles in a suitable hole-transporting layer with two dissimilar metal electrodes show efficient photovoltaic performance. Here, following the electron-transfer, electrons flow through the organic molecules and holes, left in the nanoparticles, move through the hole-transporting polymer to the opposite electrodes to yield photovoltaic short-circuit current. The role of CdSe nanoparticles in light-harvesting and charge-generation has been substantiated by control experiments with ZnS nanoparticles in the core. In ZnS-based hybrid core-shell systems, photovoltaic performance is low since photoinduced electron-transfer does not occur from ZnS to the dye.

}, doi = {10.1021/cm902404s}, author = {Guchhait, Asim and Rath, Arup Kumar and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000266197300018, title = {Hypocholesteremic effect of bile salt hydrolase from Lactobacillus buchneri ATCC 4005}, journal = {Food Research International}, volume = {42}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, note = {International Congress on Bioprocesses in Food Industries, Hyderabad, INDIA, NOV 06-08, 2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {516-520}, publisher = {ICBF Forum; Biotech Res Soc India}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The effect of oral administration of the immobilized bile salt hydrolase enzyme on serum cholesterol. triglyceride, high density lipoprotein levels and its application in the therapeutic treatment of hypercholesteremia was assessed. Culture conditions were optimized for the production of bile salt hydrolase, which resulted in 2.9-fold enhancement in activity. Bile salt hydrolase (BSH; E.C.3.5.1.24) was isolated from Lactobacillus buchneri ATCC 4005 and immobilized in 0.5\% gellan gum gel. The immobilized enzyme was orally delivered in wistar rats, induced with hypercholesteremia by triton X-100. The serum cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced by 50\% and 15\%, respectively, in the group fed with immobilized enzyme 10 IU/kg dose whereas administration of 20 IU/kg immobilized enzyme resulted in reduction of serum cholesterol by 58\% and triglycerides by 45\%, respectively. The results indicate that bile salt hydrolase has potential cholesterol lowering property and oral administration of the immobilized enzyme is an alternative pharmacological approach to reduce serum cholesterol levels. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bile salt hydrolase, Gellan gum, Hypocholesteremic effect, Lactobacillus buchneri, Wistar Rats}, issn = {0963-9969}, doi = {10.1016/j.foodres.2009.02.016}, author = {Sridevi, N. and Vishwe, Pradnya and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000278806800025, title = {Identification of defensins employing recurrence quantification analysis and random forest classifiers}, journal = {Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Proceedings}, volume = {5909}, year = {2009}, note = {3rd International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, INDIA, DEC 16-20, 2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {152-157}, publisher = {ISI Kolkata}, address = {HEIDELBERGER PLATZ 3, D-14197 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, isbn = {978-3-642-11163-1}, issn = {0302-9743}, author = {Karnik, Shreyas and Mitra, Joydeep and Singh, Arunima and Kulkarni, B. D. and Sundarajan, V. and Jayaraman, Valadi K.}, editor = {Chaudhury, S. and Mitra, S. and Murthy, C. A. and Sastry, P. S. and Pal, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000271982000020, title = {Imaging hydrogen oxidation activity of catalyst-coated perfluoro sulfonic acid-polymer electrolyte membranes using scanning electrochemical microscopy}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {121}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {719-725}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) is a unique technique for studying fast heterogeneous kinetics and to map reactivity gradients along the surface of an electrocatalyst, especially when it involves multiple surface sites of varying reactivity. It combines the dual advantages offered by ultramicroelectrode (UME) voltammetry in terms of reduced ohmic drop and insignificant double layer charging contribution with the advantages of imaging by rastering the UME across an electro-active surface. In this work, we demonstrate these distinctive features of SECM in evaluating reactivity gradients on catalyst (Pt/C) coated NafionA (R) films towards hydrogen oxidation activity, a reaction of immense technological relevance. Imaging has been performed in the feedback mode by allowing H(2) evolution at the tip (25 A mu m Pt UME), which is reoxidized at the substrate electrode containing Pt/C-Nafion film. Interesting distribution in H(2) oxidation activity has been observed as a function of potential applied to the Pt/C-Nafion film. In addition, a plot of normalized tip current versus the substrate electrode potential indicates the effect of potential-induced reactivity change in the catalyst-coated membranes. The results of the present investigation are believed to be useful to H(2)/O(2) PEM fuel cells with respect to evaluating reactivity gradients of catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membranes, which is important to rectify problems related to catalyst utilization.

}, keywords = {hydrogen oxidation, Imaging, Nafion, platinum, SECM}, issn = {0253-4134}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-009-0086-8}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000263733200020, title = {In situ observation of antibiotic mediated concurrent growth of two distinct homogeneous populations of gold nanoparticles in solution phase}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3478-3486}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

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

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

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

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

}, keywords = {Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, catalysis, Functionalization of mesopores, Meerwin-Pondorf-Verly reduction, Sn-SBA-15}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2009.05.038}, author = {Sasidharan, M. and Kiyozumi, Y. and Mal, N. K. and Paul, M. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Bhaumik, Asim} } @article {42581, title = {Induce negative differential resistance in organic devices through a ferroelectric polymer}, journal = {Organic Electronics}, volume = {10}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1116{\textendash}1119}, abstract = {

We report how ferroelectric materials induce negative differential resistance (NDR) in organic devices. Fluorescein, which exhibits semiconducting current{\textendash}voltage characteristics, shows NDR effect in a ferroelectric matrix. Here, we vary the concentration of fluorescein in the ferroelectric matrix to study its effect on NDR. We also show how the degree of polarization controls NDR. We infer that under a suitable bias, the ferroelectric polymer becomes polarized to facilitate electron-injection in the device followed by a double-reduction of fluorescein molecules. From the capacitance{\textendash}voltage measurements, we substantiate the role of polarization in inducing NDR effect in organic molecules.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.orgel.2009.05.027}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000269470200028, title = {Influence of dopant ions on properties of conducting polypyrrole and its electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation}, journal = {Synthetic Metals}, volume = {159}, number = {15-16}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1682-1688}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The polypyrrole (PPy) films were deposited on vacuum metallized substrates by electro-oxidation of pyrrole monomer. These electrodes were then modified with a range of metal halides having different electronegativities. The modified polypyrrole electrodes were employed to investigate electrocatalytic activity towards methanol electrochemical oxidation by means of cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M HClO(4) as supporting electrolyte. It was found that the electronegativity of the dopant ion incorporated in the PPy film governs the electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation. Among different dopant anions used in the present work, the PPy doped with zirconium chloride gave the highest anodic current of 10 mA cm(-2) at the oxidation potential of methanol. Electrical property and the charge created due to doping in the polymers were measured using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). Electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrodes was correlated with various factors obtained from different polymer characterization experiments. The results were explained on the basis of the charge-transfer efficiency at the electrode I electrolyte interface, which was associated with the acceptor state created by the dopant in the semi-conducting polymer. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {charge transfer, electrocatalyst, ESR, Metal halide dopant, Methanol oxidation, polypyrrole, XPS}, issn = {0379-6779}, doi = {10.1016/j.synthmet.2009.05.007}, author = {Adhikari, Arindam and Radhakrishnan, S. and Patil, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000267619700020, title = {Influence of hormones and medium components on expression of dipyranocoumarins in cell suspension cultures of calophyllum inophyllum L.}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {8}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {916-922}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cell suspension cultures were initiated separately from leaf and nodal/internodal calluses for the study of influence of hormones and medium components on biomass growth and expression of dipyranocoumarins. Highest 6.2 times biomass was enhanced in suspension cultures of nodal/internodal callus supplemented with threefold total sulphate. Picloram 8.28 mu M along with BAP 8.88 mu M enhanced 295.05 times inophyllum A in suspension cultures of leaf callus whereas IBA 14.70 mu M along with BAP 4.44 mu M in suspension cultures of leaf callus enhanced 1065 times inophyllum B. IBA 4.90 mu M alone in suspension cultures of nodal/internodal callus enhanced maximum 616 times inophyllum C. Only IBA 9.80 mu M in suspension cultures of leaf callus enhanced 23.22 times inophyllum P. Variation in nitrate and sulphate had maximum positive influence on expression of inophyllums A and C and vitamins had maximum positive influence on expression of inophyllums A, C and B. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Calophyllum inophyllum, dipyranocoumarins, Expression pattern, HPLC, Medium components, Suspension culture}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2009.03.005}, author = {Pawar, Kiran D. and Thengane, Shubhada Ratnakar} } @article { ISI:000272134300006, title = {Interaction of alpha-mannosidase from aspergillus fischeri with glycosidase inhibitors, metal ions and group specific reagents}, journal = {Research Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {4}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {39-48}, publisher = {RESEARCH JOURNAL BIOTECHNOLOGY}, address = {SECTOR A-80, SCHEME NO 54, VIJAY NAGAR, A B ROAD, INDORE, 452 010 MP, INDIA}, abstract = {

As an initial step towards using alpha-mannosidase as a target against anticancer drugs, inhibition studies of a model enzyme, class II alpha-mannosidase from Aspergillus fischeri in presence of polyhydroxy piperidine derived glycosidase inhibitors, metal ions and amino acid specific reagents were carried out to reveal the sensitivity of the enzyme. Three of the derivatives (Compound 20, 32 and 39)(11) showed competitive inhibition (K(i) =45, 48 and 235 mu M) and the binding of the inhibitors to the enzyme was entropically driven. Among the metal ions checked, Cu(++) (K(i) = 21nm) and Se(++) ions (K(i) = 32 mu M) showed noncompetitive and Co(++) (K(i) = 1.195 mM) showed competitive inhibition of the enzyme activity with insignificant change in the secondary structure of the protein. The above studies exhibit the Potential of the enzyme in studying anticancer drugs. Treatment of the enzyme with group specific reagents showed the presence of carboxylate, Arg and Cys at the active site. Substrate protection studies and kinetics of the modified enzyme confirmed the above results. Trp and His at the active site were observed to be in proximity.

}, keywords = {active-site, alpha-Mannosidase, Chemical modification, Glycosidase inhibitors, metal ions}, issn = {0973-6263}, author = {Shashidhara, K. S. and Gaikwad, S. M. and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Bharadwaj, Kishor Chandra and Pandey, G.} } @article { ISI:000269926200012, title = {Intermediate hamiltonian hilbert space coupled cluster method: theory and pilot application}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {109}, number = {13}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2909-2915}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The intermediate Hamiltonian state universal (Hilbert-space) coupled-cluster method is presented, using a formalism similar to that developed for the valence universal (Fock-space) approach. The method is expected to be applicable to many states not accessible by traditional multiroot multireference all-order size-extensive approaches. A pilot application to excited states of atomic beryllium shows good convergence and agreement with experiment and full CI values. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 109: 2909-2915, 2009

}, keywords = {coupled cluster, Hilbert space, intermediate Hamiltonian}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.22155}, author = {Eliav, Ephraim and Borschevsky, Anastasia and Shamasundar, K. R. and Pal, Sourav and Kaldor, Uzi} } @article { ISI:000270136900080, title = {Intracellular biogenic silver nanoparticles for the generation of carbon supported antiviral and sustained bactericidal agents}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {25}, number = {19}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11741-11747}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Intracellular silver nanoparticles produced by exposing silver ions to the fungus Aspergillus ochraceus were heat-treated in nitrogen environment to yield silver nanoparticles embedded in carbonaceous supports. This carbonaceous matrix embedded silver nanoparticles showed antimicrobial properties against both bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative) and virus (M 13 phage virus). The bactericidal effects were noticed even after washing and repealed exposure of these carbon supported silver nanoparticles to fresh bacterial Cultures, revealing their sustained activity.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la901024p}, author = {Vijayakumar, P. S. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000265804300014, title = {Ionization potential and structure relaxation of adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine bases and their base pairs: a quantification of reactive sites}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure-Theochem}, volume = {902}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {96-102}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Base-pairs, DNA bases, Fukui function, H-bond length, Ionization potential}, issn = {0166-1280}, doi = {10.1016/j.theochem.2009.02.018}, author = {Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000266263000034, title = {Liquid phase oxidation of p-cresol over cobalt saponite}, journal = {Topics in Catalysis}, volume = {52}, number = {6-7}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {784-788}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Liquid phase oxidation of p-cresol was carried out over a Co-saponite catalyst in a temperature and pressure range of 333-393 K and 20-827 kPa, respectively in n-propanol. Co-saponites with varying cobalt content (5-30\%) were prepared and screened among which 13\% Co-saponite gave the highest conversion of 92\% of p-cresol with 92\% selectivity to p-hydroxybenzaldehyde without formation of any non-oxidation products.

}, keywords = {Co-saponite, Liquid phase oxidation, p-Cresol, p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde, XPS}, issn = {1022-5528}, doi = {10.1007/s11244-009-9199-z}, author = {Kshirsagar, Vikas S. and Garade, Ajit C. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Shirai, Masayuki and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000268022700058, title = {Magnetic and dielectric properties of nanophase manganese-substituted lithium ferrite}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {321}, number = {19}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3270-3273}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {bismuth compounds, coercive force, crystallites, magnetic domains, magnetic transitions, Multiferroics, Nanostructured materials, Raman spectra, remanence}, issn = {1098-0121}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.80.064423}, author = {Vijayanand, S. and Mahajan, Mangesh B. and Potdar, H. S. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000267086900013, title = {Magnetizability of doublet radicals using fock space multi-reference coupled cluster method}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {109}, number = {10, SI}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2191-2198}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

In this article, we report the first implementation of the recently developed Fock space multi reference Coupled cluster (FSMRCC) response approach for magnetizabilities. The FSM-RCC treats dynamic and static correlation in a very extensive manner. We report pilot application of the diarnagnetizability of NO, NO2, OH, and BH2 radicals. We also report preliminary applications of the paramagnetic magnetizability of the NO radical. Standard atom-centered Gaussian basis functions have been used, and this allowed US to Study the gauge dependence of the magnetizabilities. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 109: 2191-2198, 2009

}, keywords = {Fock space, magnetizability, multireference}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.22093}, author = {Ravichandran, Lalitha and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000263397900005, title = {Manipulation of magnetic nanostructures through low temperature metal-oxygen chemistry: Co/CoO exchange biased nanodonuts and Co nanotips}, journal = {Solid State Communications}, volume = {149}, number = {7-8}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {277-280}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Dense nanodonut and nanotip type morphologies are shown to self-evolve in Ultrathin cobalt films during growth under Vacuum, depending oil the level of oxygen incorporation and temperature. The nanodonut morphology forms at room temperature and the corresponding magnetic hysteresis shows exchange bias (similar to 35 Oe shift along the field axis), which is attributed to the presence of CoO and its exchange Coupling with cobalt. The morphology evolves into nanotip features with increase of growth temperature, with Concurrent elimination of the oxide component and exchange bias. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Co/CoO, Magnetic film, self assembly, Vacuum evaporation}, issn = {0038-1098}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssc.2008.12.019}, author = {Phase, Deodatta and Choudhary, Ram Janay and Ganesan, V. and Reddy, V. Raghvendra and Gupta, Ajay and Selvi, N. and Kulkarni, Sneha and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000272936400005, title = {Mechanistic study of surface functionalization of enzyme lysozyme synthesized Ag and Au nanoparticles using surface enhanced raman spectroscopy}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {52}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {21493-21500}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The fate of bioactivity of biomolecules such as enzymes, proteins, and even drug molecules is greatly affected by the conformational changes in the proximity of the solid surfaces. This interaction is the key to the potential of their further applications as biosensors, in drug delivery, etc. With increasing interest in the biofunctionalization of noble metal nanoparticles for various applications, it is important to precisely investigate the functional groups responsible for binding with the nanoparticle surfaces and probable structural changes in the structure of the biomolecules as both are key factors affecting the bioactivity of these molecules once they are tagged onto the nanoparticle surfaces. However, it is not an easy task to probe these properties, especially for bigger Molecules such as enzymes and proteins. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been used extensively in the detection of biomolecules and study of their conformation on noble metal surfaces since its discovery because of its high sensitivity. This technique is capable of detecting changes in the secondary structure and the effects of surrounding environment on the biomolecule in the proximity of nanoscopic rough metal surfaces. In this study, we have used this technique to precisely determine the functional groups responsible in the Surface capping of Ag and Au nanoparticles synthesized by the hen egg derived enzyme lysozyme. The sharp and intense Stokes Raman shift peaks observed around 704, 866, 1519, and 1598 cm(-1), in the case of Ag nanoparticles, which are assigned to tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and histidine residues, clearly indicate the involvement of these residues for surface passivation of the Ag nanoparticle surface. The Ag-N peak situated around 236 cm(-1) was also seen in the spectra, showing that probably the amine group of lysozyme is responsible in binding to the Ag nanoparticle surface. Similarly, in the case of Au nanoparticles, we observed sharp and intense peaks around 1583, 1545, and 1584 cm(-1) which were assigned to above-mentioned amino acid residues, indicating that a similar mechanism is also responsible for the binding of lysozyme molecules at the Au nanoparticle surface. In both cases peaks for the amide III band (C-N-H) around 1250 cm(-1) were also observed.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp905806t}, author = {Das, Raja and Jagannathan, Ramya and Sharan, Chandrashekhar and Kumar, Umesh and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000265398300016, title = {Media optimization for biosurfactant production by rhodococcus erythropolis MTCC 2794: artificial intelligence versus a statistical approach}, journal = {Journal of Industrial Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {36}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {747-756}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

This paper entails a comprehensive study on production of a biosurfactant from Rhodococcus erythropolis MTCC 2794. Two optimization techniques-(1) artificial neural network (ANN) coupled with genetic algorithm (GA) and (2) response surface methodology (RSM)-were used for media optimization in order to enhance the biosurfactant yield by Rhodococcus erythropolis MTCC 2794. ANN and RSM models were developed, incorporating the quantity of four medium components (sucrose, yeast extract, meat peptone, and toluene) as independent input variables and biosurfactant yield [calculated in terms of percent emulsification index (\% EI24)] as output variable. ANN-GA and RSM were compared for their predictive and generalization ability using a separate data set of 16 experiments, for which the average quadratic errors were similar to 3 and similar to 6\%, respectively. ANN-GA was found to be more accurate and consistent in predicting optimized conditions and maximum yield than RSM. For the ANN-GA model, the values of correlation coefficient and average quadratic error were similar to 0.99 and similar to 3\%, respectively. It was also shown that ANN-based models could be used accurately for sensitivity analysis. ANN-GA-optimized media gave about a 3.5-fold enhancement in biosurfactant yield.

}, keywords = {Artificial neural network, Biosurfactant, Genetic algorithm, Media optimization, Response surface methodology, Rhodococcus}, issn = {1367-5435}, doi = {10.1007/s10295-009-0547-6}, author = {Pal, Moumita P. and Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Desai, Kiran M. and Joshi, Renuka M. and Nene, Sanjay N. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000266222400014, title = {Microwave assisted convenient synthesis of quino[2,3-b][1,5]benzoxazepines}, journal = {Chinese Chemical Letters}, volume = {20}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {557-561}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

A convenient synthesis of quino[2,3-b][1,5]benzoxazepines from substituted 2-chloroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde and 2-hydroxyaniline by using stable, non-toxic and inexpensive catalyst 1,8-diazabicyclo-undecan-7-ene (DBU)/silica gel is described. This method affords the quino[2,3-b][1,5]benzoxazepines under the influence of microwave irradiation (360 W) in solvent-free conditions within short reaction times (2-3 min), giving high yields of products (93-96\%). (C) 2009 Murlidhar S. Shingare. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3-b][1, 5]benzoxazepines, DBU/silica gel, Microwave irradiatiom, Quino[2, Solvent-free}, issn = {1001-8417}, doi = {10.1016/j.cclet.2009.01.031}, author = {Sonar, Swapnil S. and Sadaphal, Sandip A. and Pawar, Shivaji S. and Shingate, Bapurao B. and Shingare, Murlidhar S.} } @article { ISI:000263353200007, title = {Microwave dielectric and attenuation properties of Ni0.7-xCoxZn0.3Fe2O4 thick films}, journal = {Microelectronics International}, volume = {26}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {43-46}, publisher = {EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LIMITED}, address = {HOWARD HOUSE, WAGON LANE, BINGLEY BD16 1WA, W YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to investigate permittivity of nano structured Ni0.7-xCoxZn0.3Fe2O4 thick films at microwave frequencies. Design/methodology/approach - Nanosized Ni0.7-xCoxZn0.3Fe2O4 ferrites with x = 0, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.12 were prepared by sucrose precursor technique using the constituent metal nitrates. Thick films of the ferrites were fabricated on alumina substrates by screen-printing technique. Microwave dielectric constant (epsilon{\textquoteright}) and the loss factor (epsilon {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}) for the thick films were measured by VSWR slotted section method in the 8-18 GHz range of frequencies. Microwave attenuation properties were studied using a waveguide reflectometer set up. Findings - Both the epsilon{\textquoteright} and epsilon {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} were found to vary with frequency and composition x It is observed that, value of epsilon{\textquoteright} increases with increase in x, due to the increase in bulk density and reduction in porosity of the material, that resulted due to the substitution of cobalt in Ni-Zn ferrite. The microwave transmission loss offered by the thick films was found to increase with the increase in cobalt concentration x Within the band width of 4 GHz (from 12-16 GHz), all the films except that with x = 0.04 offered the reflection loss of less than 3 dB. Originality/value - The dielectric constant of Ni0.7-xCoxZn0.3Fe2O4 thick films have been reported for the first time. These thick films provide scope for cost effective planar ferrite devices.

}, keywords = {Microwaves, Oxides, Thick-film circuits}, issn = {1356-5362}, doi = {10.1108/13565360910923160}, author = {Rendale, M. K. and Kulkarni, S. D. and Puri, Vijaya} } @article { ISI:000266640800030, title = {Modulation and optimization of drug release from uncoated low density porous carrier based delivery system}, journal = {AAPS Pharmscitech}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {547-558}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {chronotherapy, floating pulsatile drug delivery system, low density porous carrier, pore data, solvent polarity}, issn = {1530-9932}, doi = {10.1208/s12249-009-9239-9}, author = {Sher, Praveen and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Poddar, Pankaj and Pawar, Atmaram P.} } @article { ISI:000269291500035, title = {Nanocrystalline Mn-Zn-ferrite by novel oxalato-hydrazinated complex method}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {117}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {187-191}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

We report here for the first time the synthesis of technologically important ferrite, using a metal oxalato-hydrazinate (MOH) complex method. The MOH complex of iron-manganese-zinc was synthesized at room temperature using the precursors, ferrous ammonium sulphate, manganese acetate and zinc acetate. Thermo-gravimetric studies of MOH intermediate showed complete phase formation of MnZnFe(2)O(4) at 280 degrees C. XRD data showed the formation of single phase cubic spinel MnZnFe(2)O(4). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrate the spherical shape particle morphology. TEM images indicated the particle size of ferrite powder in the range of 20-36 nm. Magnetization of synthesized nano-sized Mn(0.69)Zn(.0.19)Fe(2.12)O(4) was observed coercive force (H(c)) at 127.82 Oe with a saturation magnetization (M(s)), 34.5 emu g(-1) using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature. Mossbauer study of nano-sized ferrite powder showed super-paramagnteic behavior. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {crystal structure, Magnetic materials, Mn-Zn-ferrite, Nanostructures, Optical properties}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2009.05.036}, author = {Kanade, K. G. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P. and Potdar, H. S. and Kale, B. B.} } @article { ISI:000263365600013, title = {NC palladacycles in the Heck arylation of ethylene: synthesis, structure and their reactivity}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {694}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {683-690}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Monomeric cyclopalladated complexes with NC coordination using ligands 2-phenylpyridine, 2-phenylquinoline, 8-methylquinoline have been synthesized and the structures have been determined by single crystal X-ray structure analysis. The crystal structures of monomeric palladacycles prepared using benzophenone oxime, and 2-phenylpyridine have also been determined. The use of these complexes in the Heck arylation of ethylene with 2-bromo-6-methoxynaphthalne (BMN) to give 2-vinyl-6-methoxynapthalene which is an intermediate for the synthesis of anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen has been examined and also arylation of ethylene with 3-bromo-benzophenone and 4-bromo-isobutylbenzene was investigated. These palladacycles with NC coordination show excellent catalytic activity with a TOF \> 4000 h (1). (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-Aryl propionic acids, Arylation, Palladacycle}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2008.11.065}, author = {Atla, Shashi B. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Bensch, Wolfgang and Chaudhari, Raghunath V.} } @article {42457, title = {N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed hydroacylation of unactivated double bonds}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {131}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {14190{\textendash}14191}, abstract = {

An intramolecular N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed hydroacylation of unactivated double bonds is reported. Systematic variation of the catalyst structure revealed an N-mesitylthiazolylidene annulated with a seven-membered ring to be especially reactive. This NHC enables a unique C-C bond-forming reaction to afford substituted chroman-4-ones in moderate to excellent yields, even ones containing all-carbon quaternary centers.

}, doi = {10.1021/ja906361g}, author = {Hirano, Keiichi and Biju, Akkattu T. and Piel, Isabel and Glorius, Frank} } @article { ISI:000264925400047, title = {Novel electroless process for copper coating of flyash using titania/ultraviolet-radiation/metal catalyst-system}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {255}, number = {13-14}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {6696-6704}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel electroless process has been demonstrated in this investigation to coat the surface of flyash particles with a conducting metal such as copper. The conventional electroless process has been modified for this purpose by replacing the tin-palladium catalyst-system with the titania/ultraviolet-radiation/metal catalyst-system, where the metal is either copper or silver as demonstrated here. The mechanism of copper coating of flyash particles in an electroless bath, using the novel methods of surface-sensitization and surface-activation, has been systematically studied by monitoring changes in the surface-morphology, surface-chemistry, and surface-structure of flyash particles using the scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope, and X-ray diffraction. It has been revealed that the novel electroless method involves coating the flyash particles with titania photocatalyst via sol-gel, which acts as a surface-sensitizer under the ultraviolet-radiation exposure for the subsequent surface-activation with the copper- or silver-clusters. The latter in turn acts as surface-catalyst for the subsequent Cu-coating in an electroless bath. The proposed mechanism of surface-sensitization and surface-activation of flyash particles using the novel catalyst-system has been compared with that using the conventional catalyst-system. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Copper, Electroless, Flyash, Photocatalysis, sol-gel, titania}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2009.02.066}, author = {Shijitha, T. and Baiju, K. V. and Shukla, S. and Patil, K. and Warrier, K. G. K.} } @article { ISI:000266674700038, title = {Novel foldamer structural architecture from cofacial aromatic building blocks}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, number = {23}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3446-3448}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This communication demonstrates the utility of peri-substituted 1,8-diphenylnaphthalene as an effective building block for the construction of novel conformationally ordered synthetic oligomers displaying cofacial structural features.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/b822113h}, author = {Prabhakaran, Panchami and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Chandran, Jima N. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparampil R. and Hofmann, Hans-Joerg and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000273174300036, title = {Novel/conceptual floating pulsatile system using high internal phase emulsion based porous material intended for chronotherapy}, journal = {AAPS Pharmscitech}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1368-1380}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {chronotherapy, floating pulsatile drug delivery system, high internal phase emulsion, ibuprofen, multiparticulate porous carriers}, issn = {1530-9932}, doi = {10.1208/s12249-009-9331-1}, author = {Sher, Praveen and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Benson, James R. and Li, Nai-Hong and Pawar, Atmaram P.} } @article { ISI:000272797200013, title = {Optical limiting properties of hydrophobic poly(etherimide) membranes embedded with isolated and aggregated gold nanostructures}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {352}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {79-83}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple method to incorporate spherical or aggregated nanostructures of gold into hydrophobic poly(etherimide) membranes is demonstrated and their comparative nonlinear optical properties are investigated. When excited at 532 nm using laser pulses of 7 ns duration, a reduced transmission behaviour in both the cases, viz., polymers embedded with isolated nanoparticles and their aggregates is observed. This fits to a three-photon type nonlinear absorption process and is attributed to excited state absorption occurring in the nanostructures. Interestingly, the nonlinearity is more prominent in the aggregated nanostructures compared to the spherical nanostructures. These materials are potential candidates for optical limiting applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {gold nanoparticles, Nanoparticle aggregation, Nonlinear optical properties, Optical limiting, Phase transfer, Polymer nanocomposites}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2009.10.002}, author = {D{\textquoteright}Britto, Virginia and Sandeep, C. S. Suchand and Philip, R. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42580, title = {Organic memory and electrical bistability in a quinone {\textendash}based charge transfer complex}, journal = {Proceedings of the IEEE}, volume = {97}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, abstract = {

We present an overview of the issues of organic memory devices and discuss the mechanisms involved in conductance switching. To make the memory elements addressable, we introduce nanostructures of a quinone-based charge-transfer complex. The devices based on charge-transfer complexes exhibit electrical bistability. Apart from characterizing complex formation, we study characteristics of memory devices based on the complexes. The mechanism of bistability has been discussed in terms of electroreduction of the quinone derivative with the formation of a percolating network of conducting molecules or channels across the device. Depending on the device architecture, a device may exhibit memoryswitching or threshold-switching phenomenon. The former system has displayed read-only and random-access memory applications.

}, doi = {10.1109/JPROC.2009.2021962}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000270126100012, title = {Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of beta-blockers: (S)-propranolol and (S)-naftopidil}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {20}, number = {15}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1767-1770}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of beta-adrenergic blockers (S)-propranolol and (S)-naftopidil with \> 98\% ee using an L-proline-catalyzed alpha-aminoxylation of an aldehyde as a key step is described. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2009.07.002}, author = {Panchgalle, Sharad P. and Gore, Rohitkumar G. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000265933700042, title = {Origin of high room temperature ferromagnetic moment of nanocrystalline multiferroic BiFeO3}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {94}, number = {18}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {182507}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Single phase nanocrystalline BiFeO3 of average crystallite size similar to 25 nm with very high magnetization at room temperature is synthesized by an autocombustion method. Magnetic measurements above room temperature show deviation between field cooled and zero field cooled magnetization below 645 K, the Neel temperature (T-N) of the bulk material, indicating intrinsic nature of ferromagnetism. However, observation of a broad magnetic transition above T-N of BiFeO3 and extended up to 800 K suggests the presence of Fe3O4 as a possible magnetic impurity phase. Evidence for the presence of Fe3O4 is obtained from detailed analysis of the powder x-ray diffraction pattern.

}, keywords = {bismuth compounds, Combustion synthesis, crystallites, ferromagnetic materials, high-temperature effects, magnetic impurities, Magnetic moments, Magnetisation, Multiferroics, Nanostructured materials, Neel temperature, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3132586}, author = {Vijayanand, S. and Potdar, H. S. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000264095500002, title = {Parametric dependence studies on cracking of clay}, journal = {Physica A-Statistical Mechanics and its Applications}, volume = {388}, number = {8}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {1352-1358}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We have studied the shrinkage-crack patterns formed in the process of drying of clay/water slurries employing simple laboratory experiments. Both isotropic and directional drying was studied. The objective has been to examine the correlation between the solvent, materials parameters and the crack patterns. Attempt is made to fit the observations to specific models. The dynamics of the pattern formation process and the geometric properties of the crack patterns are found to be in conformity with the hydrodynamic model by Lee and Routh [W.P. Lee, A.F. Routh, Langmuir 20 (2004) 9887]. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {clay, Cracks pattern, Hydrodynamic model}, issn = {0378-4371}, doi = {10.1016/j.physa.2008.12.039}, author = {Pasricha, Kanika and Wad, Uday and Pasricha, Renu and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000262435000012, title = {Phylogenetic analysis, homology modelling, molecular dynamics and docking studies of caffeoyl-CoA-O- methyl transferase (CCoAOMT 1 and 2) isoforms isolated from subabul (Leucaena leucocephala)}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {15}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {203-221}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Caffeoyl coenzyme A O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) is an important enzyme that participates in lignin biosynthesis especially in the formation of cell wall ferulic esters of plants. It plays a pivotal role in the methylation of the 3-hydroxyl group of caffeoyl CoA. Two cDNA clones that code CCoAOMT were isolated earlier from subabul and in the present study; 3D models of CCoAOMT1 and CCoAOMT2 enzymes were built using the MODELLER7v7 software to find out the substrate binding sites. These two proteins differed only in two amino acids and may have little or no functional redundancy. Refined models of the proteins were obtained after energy minimization and molecular dynamics in a solvated water layer. The models were further assessed by PROCHECK, WHATCHECK, Verify_3D and ERRAT programs and the results indicated that these models are reliable for further active site and docking analysis. The refined models showed that the two proteins have 9 and 10 alpha-helices, 6 and 7 beta-sheets respectively. The models were used for docking the substrates CoA, SAM, SAH, caffeoyl CoA, feruloyl CoA, 5-hydroxy feruloyl CoA and sinapyl CoA which showed that CoA and caffeoyl CoA are binding with high affinity with the enzymes in the presence and absence of SAM. It appears therefore that caffeoyl CoA is the substrate for both the isoenzymes. The results also indicated that CoA and caffeoyl CoA are binding with higher affinity to CCoAOMT2 than CCoAOMT1. Therefore, CCoAOMT2 conformation is thought to be the active form that exists in subabul. Docking studies indicated that conserved active site residues Met58, Thr60, Val63, Glu82, Gly84, Ser90, Asp160, Asp162, Thr169, Asn191 and Arg203 in CCoAOMT1 and CCoAOMT2 enzymes create the positive charge to balance the negatively charged caffeoyl CoA and play an important role in maintaining a functional conformation and are directly involved in donor-substrate binding.

}, keywords = {Caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyl transferase, docking, Modelling, S-adenosyl homocysteine}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-008-0395-8}, author = {Pagadala, Nataraj Sekhar and Arha, Manish and Reddy, P. S. and Kumar, Ranadheer and Sirisha, V. L. and Prashant, S. and Reddy, K. Janardhan and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Rawal, S. K. and Kishor, P. B. Kavi} } @article { ISI:000265316800007, title = {Polybenzimidazoles tethered with N-Phenyl 1,2,4-triazole units as polymer electrolytes for fuel cells}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {47}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2289-2303}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) polymers tethered with N-phenyl 1,2,4-triazole (NPT) groups were prepared from a newly synthesized aromatic diacid, 3{\textquoteright}-(4-phenyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diyl) dibenzoic acid (PTDBA). The obtained polymers show superior thermal and chemical stability and good solubility in many aprotic solvents. The inherent viscosities of all polymers were around 1 dL/g. They exhibit high thermal stability with initial decomposition temperature ranging from 515 to 530 degrees C, high glass transition temperature ranging from 375 to 410 degrees C, and good mechanical properties with tensile stress in the range of 66-98 MPa and modulus 1897-2600 MPa. XRD analysis indicates that these polymers are amorphous in nature. PhysicochemiCal properties such as water and phosphoric acid-uptake, oxidative stability, and proton conductivity of membranes of these polymers have also been determined. The proton conductivity ranged from 4.7 x 10(-3) to 1.8 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) at 175 degrees C in dry conditions. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2289-2303, 2009

}, keywords = {fuel cells, Polybenzimidazole, synthesis and characterization, Triazole}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.23310}, author = {Potrekar, R. A. and Kulkarni, M. P. and Kulkarni, R. A. and Vernekar, S. P.} } @article { ISI:000259765600037, title = {Poly(o-anisidine) coatings on brass: synthesis, characterization and corrosion protection}, journal = {Current Applied Physics}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {206-218}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Poly(o-anisidine) (POA) coatings were synthesized on brass by electrochemical polymerization of o-anisidine in aqueous salicylate solution by using cyclic voltammetry. These coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy., Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The corrosion protection aspects of POA coatings on brass in aqueous 3\% NaCl solution were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The potentiodynamic polarization measurements show that the POA coating has ability to protect the brass against corrosion. The corrosion potential was about 0.204 V versus SCE more positive for the POA coated brass than that of uncoated brass and reduces the corrosion rate of brass almost by a factor of 800. The corrosion behavior of the POA coatings was also investigated by EIS through immersion tests performed In aqueous 3\% NaCl solution. The evolution of the impedance parameters with the immersion time was studied and the results Show that the POA acts as a protective coating on brass against corrosion in 3\% NaCl solution. The water uptake and delamination area were also determined to further support the corrosion protection performance of the POA coating. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {brass, conducting polymers, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Electrochemical polymerization, poly(o-anisidine)}, issn = {1567-1739}, doi = {10.1016/j.cap.2008.01.012}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000268215200017, title = {Polypyrrole functionalized with FePcTSA for NO(2) sensor application}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {140}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {439-444}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) sensing capability of polypyrrole (PPy) was enhanced dramatically after functionalized with iron(III)phthalocyanine-4,4{\textquoteright},4 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright},4{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}-tetrasulfonic acid monosodium salt (FePcTSA). The incorporated phthalocyanine was confirmed by different characterization techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR, GFAAS, EDAX, etc. The resistance of the functionalized PPy decreased spontaneously during exposure to NO(2) gas at room temperature. This material exhibited excellent stability, reversibility, and reproducibility. The lowest response time (t(50)) thus obtained is 47 s with a highest response factor (Delta R/R(0) x 100) of 50.25. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical sensor, Fe(III)phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate, Nitrogen dioxide, polypyrrole}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2009.04.043}, author = {Paul, Santhosh and Joseph, Michael} } @article { ISI:000265814500012, title = {Polypyrrole functionalized with ferrocenyl derivative as a rapid carbon monoxide sensor}, journal = {Synthetic Metals}, volume = {159}, number = {5-6}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {415-418}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A rapid carbon monoxide detection system was developed with the electrochemical functioncalization of polypyrrole (PPy) with ferrocenylmethyltrimethylammonium iodide (FTMA-I) as a co-dopant exhibits very high sensitivity to ppm levels of carbon monoxide gas and fast recovery under normal dry room temperature conditions. The co-dopant was synthesized mainly to incorporate into PPy electrochemically to modify the properties in order to sense carbon monoxide (CO) gas. The FTMA-I doped PPy exhibited the characteristics oxidation/reduction peaks for ferrocene in its cyclic voltammograms. The modified PPy films deposited on interdigited electrodes gave rapid sensitivity within a second to 300 ppm carbon monoxide gas and good sensitivity factor was observed even at 4 mmol of the functional groups in the polymer for 300 ppm carbon monoxide gas. This material detected the CO gas concentration as low as 100 ppm. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {carbon monoxide, Chemical sensor, conducting polymer, polypyrrole}, issn = {0379-6779}, doi = {10.1016/j.synthmet.2008.10.013}, author = {Paul, Santhosh and Chavan, Nayaku and Radhakrishnan, S.} } @article { ISI:000270471100021, title = {Porous anisotropic metal nanostructures through controlled transmetallation across a dialysis membrane}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {9}, number = {11}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6401-6408}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Nanostructured metals with hollow interiors are of technological importance due to their unique optoelectronic properties and enhanced surface area. We describe herein, a novel method for the synthesis of anisotropic gold and palladium nanoparticles through a simple galvanic replacement reaction across a semi-permeable dialysis membrane. The control over the reaction kinetics achieved by the presence of membrane enables one to tune the bimetal composition, particle porosity and morphology. Rapid outward diffusion of silver ions generated from the sacrificial silver nanoparticles even at room temperatures prevents the precipitation of high quantities of silver chloride, thereby circumventing the need for product purification. The porous anisotropic nanostructures have potential applications in catalysis, cell imaging and therapeutics.

}, keywords = {Ag/Pd Nanostructures, Anisotropic Nanoparticles, Dialysis, Galvanic Replacement, Porous nanostructures, Silver Nanotriangles, Silver Nanowires, Transmetallation}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2009.1350}, author = {Shukla, Sourabh and Pasricha, Renu and Sastry, Murali} } @article { ISI:000266447600030, title = {Preparation and characterization of rhodium nanostructures through the evolution of microgalvanic cells and their enhanced electrocatalytic activity for formaldehyde oxidation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {22}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {9616-9622}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Shape-controlled morphological evolution of nanostructured Rh has been demonstrated with the help of a galvanic displacement reaction using Al in 1 mM aqueous Rh(III) chloride at an open circuit potential 0.99 V and at a temperature of 273 K (room temperature). Nanospheres composed of small nanoparticles of size around 2.9 +/- 0.4 nm having uniform distribution with a FCC pattern have been evolved during the course of the reaction. Electrochemical results coupled with structural and morphological characterization data from transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) suggested the formation of Rh nanostructures. Considering the role of the potential of substrate Al and Rh and diffusion of reactant and product species toward and from the surface of the Al, we proposed the tentative mechanism for the formation of microgalvanic cell. Significantly, these: rhodium nanostructures exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward many fuel cell reactions as demonstrated by formaldehyde oxidation in 0.5 M NaOH. The present strategy is expected to be valid for preparing many other similar electrocatalysts (Pt, Au, and Pd) capable of exhibiting such a remarkable size- and shape-dependent reactivity.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp901055v}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000263733200011, title = {Preparation of nearly monodisperse nickel nanoparticles by a facile solution based methodology and their ordered assemblies}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3426-3429}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Nickel nanoparticles have been synthesized by a simple wet chemical reduction technique in the presence of a surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and a capping agent oleic acid. Varying the concentration of the surfactant and the capping agent has been found to critically govern the nature of the nanoparticles prepared. It is observed that at an optimum concentration of SDS and oleic acid, nearly monodisperse Ni nanoparticles are obtained that form highly ordered hexagonally close-packed structures on electron microscopy grids by a simple drop coating procedure. It is also shown that the presence of oleic acid is necessary for the stability of the Ni nanoparticles synthesized. Structural and magnetic characterizations of the nanoparticles are also presented.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp807542w}, author = {Sidhaye, Deepti S. and Bala, Tanushree and Srinath, S. and Srikanth, H. and Poddar, Pankaj and Sastry, Murali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000261921400006, title = {Proline-catalyzed simple and efficient synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-decahydroacridines in aqueous ethanol medium}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {39}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {PII 907127919}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Proline-catalyzed synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-decahydroacridines is achieved via one-pot, three-component condensation of aromatic aldehydes, cyclic diketone, and aryl amines in aqueous ethanol medium. This method offers the advantages of proceeding in neutral and mild conditions, giving high to excellent yields of acridines with easy workup procedure.

}, keywords = {1, 8-dioxodecahydroacridines, aqueous media, one-pot MCR, Proline}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910802044306}, author = {Venkatesan, K. and Pujari, Suresh S. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000265921000002, title = {Purification and characterization of putative alkaline [Ni-Fe] hydrogenase from unicellular marine green alga, tetraselmis kochinensis NCIM 1605}, journal = {Microbiological Research}, volume = {164}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {131-137}, publisher = {ELSEVIER GMBH, URBAN \& FISCHER VERLAG}, address = {OFFICE JENA, P O BOX 100537, 07705 JENA, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Hydrogenase enzyme from the unicellular marine green alga Tetraselmis kochinensis NCIM 1605 was purified 467 fold to homogeneity. The molecular weight was estimated to be similar to 89kDa by SDS-PAGE. This enzyme consists of two subunits with molecular masses of similar to 70 and similar to 19 kDa. The hydrogenase was found to contain 10 g atoms of Fe and 1 g of atom of Ni per mote of protein. The specific activity of hydrogen evolution was 50 mu mol H-2/mg/h of enzyme using reduced methyl viologen as an electron donor. This hydrogenase enzyme has pl value similar to 9.6 representing its alkaline nature. The absorption spectrum of the hydrogenase enzyme showed an absorption peak at 425 nm indicating that the enzyme had iron-sulfur clusters. The total of 16 cysteine residues were found per mote of enzyme under the denaturing condition and 20 cysteine residues in reduced denatured enzyme indicating that it has two disulfide bridges. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier GmbH.

}, keywords = {Characterization, Chemical modification, Ni-Fe hydrogenase, Tetraselmis kochinensis, Unicellular green algae}, issn = {0944-5013}, doi = {10.1016/j.micres.2006.11.006}, author = {Bhosale, Siddharth H. and Pant, A. and Khan, Mohammad Islam} } @article {42455, title = {Reactions of morita-baylis-hillman acetates with huisgen zwitterions: a novel strategy for the synthesis of ?-amino acid derivatives}, journal = {Synthesis}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {1829{\textendash}1833}, abstract = {

The reaction of Huisgen Zwitterion with Morita{\textendash}Baylis{\textendash} Hillman acetates afforded b-amino acid derivatives.

}, keywords = {b-amino acid, Huisgen zwitterion, Morita{\textendash}Baylis{\textendash}Hillman acetate}, doi = {10.1055/s-0028-1088063}, author = {Jose, Anu and Paul, Rony Rajan and Mohan, Resmi and Mathew, Smitha C. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Eringathodi, Suresh and Nair, Vijay} } @article { ISI:000266545500027, title = {Real-time nanomechanical and topographical mapping on live bacterial cells-brevibacterium casei under stress due to their exposure to Co2+ Ions during microbial synthesis of Co3O4 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {113}, number = {22}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7927-7933}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The study of elastic properties of microbial and mammalian cells using atomic force microscopy, with force-sensitivity as high as pico-Newtons and spatial resolution of a few nanometers, is proving to be a great tool for the real-time observation of the effects of drugs, biomolecules, metal ions, and nanoparticles on cell physiology in their natural environment. It has been shown that the Young{\textquoteright}s modulus of the cell surfaces is extremely sensitive to the surrounding environment. Recently, a broad array of microbes have been used successfully to synthesize nanocrystals of several metal and metal oxides in a controlled manner at room temperature after exposing them to various metal ion precursors. However, so far there is no report on the fate of their elastic properties and cell topography etc. during and after their exposure to the metal ions during the microbial synthesis of nanomaterials. Additionally, this information is also found to be extremely relevant to areas such as bioremediation, bioleaching, and biomineralization, where it is important to study the direct influence on the cell physiology in the presence of metal ions. Here, we report, for the first time, the use of AFM force-distance curves on live cells, to directly monitor (in real time) the changes in the surface-topography, surface-adhesion, indentation-depth, and Young{\textquoteright}s modulus of a metal-tolerant marine bacterium, Brevibacterium casei, isolated from the coast of the Arabian Sea, after its exposure to the Co2+ ions during the process of biosynthesis of nanoparticles. We earlier reported that this bacterium is capable of using the cobalt acetate as a precursor to synthesize protein-functionalized Co3O4 nanoparticles with very high crystallinity. Our study indicates a significant change in the morphology as well as elastic and adhesive properties of the Brevibacterium casei, where we found an increase in the adhesive properties and the indentation depth of the bacterial surfaces and a decrease in the cell stiffness after several hours of exposure to the cobalt acetate. We have discussed both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the force-spectroscopy data in detail.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp902698n}, author = {Kumar, Umesh and Vivekanand, K. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000271538700006, title = {Rhodotorula aurantiaca penicillin V acylase: active site characterization and fluorometric studies}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-Biology}, volume = {97}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {109-116}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Penicillin V acylase (PVA), a member of newly evolved Ntn-hydrolase superfamily, is a pharmaceutically important enzyme to produce 6-aminopenicillanic acid. Active site characterization of recently purified monomeric PVA from Rhodotorula aurantiaca (Ra-PVA), the yeast source, showed the involvement of serine and tryptophan in the enzyme activity. Modification of the protein with serine and tryptophan specific reagents such as PMSF and NBS showed partial loss of PVA activity and substrate protection. Ra-PVA was found to be a multi-tryptophan protein exhibiting one tryptophan, in native and, four in its denatured condition. Various solute quenchers and substrate were used to probe the microenvironment of the putative reactive tryptophan through fluorescence quenching. The results obtained indicate that the tryptophan residues of Ra-PVA were largely buried in hydrophobic core of the protein matrix. Quenching of the fluorescence by acrylamide was collisional. Acrylamide was the most effective quencher amongst all the used quenchers, which quenched 71.6\% of the total intrinsic fluorescence of the protein, at a very less final concentration of 0.1 M. Surface tryptophan residues were found to have predominantly more electropositively charged amino acids around them, however differentially accessible for ionic quenchers. Denaturation led to shift lambda(max) from 336, in native state, to 357 nm and more exposed to the solvent, consequently increase in fluorescence quenching with all quenchers. This is an attempt towards the conformational studies of Ra-PVA. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {active site residues, Fluorometric studies, Penicillin V acylase, Rhodotorula aurantiaca}, issn = {1011-1344}, author = {Kumar, Atul and Gowda, Nagaraj M. and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Pundle, Archana} } @article { ISI:000264437500028, title = {Ru(II)-Chiral (1R,2S)-(+)-cis-1-amino-2-indanol immobilized over SBA-15 for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reaction of prochiral ketones}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {141}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, note = {18th National Symposium and Indo-US Seminar on Catalysis, Indian Inst Petroleum, Dehradun, INDIA, APR 16-18, 2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {161-167}, publisher = {Catalysis Soc India; Petrotech Soc; Indo US Sci \& Technol Forum}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mesoporous SBA-15 (Santa Barbara University at California) has been synthesized and functionalized with (4-chloromethyl)phenyltriethoxysilane, there after the surface silanols groups were passivated by dimethoxydimethylsilane (MeO(2)Me(2)Si) [Bz-SBA-15]. Further (1R,2S)-(+)-cis-1-amino-2-indanol [AIL] has been immobilized over functionalized SBA-15 (BzAIL-SBA-15). The heterogeneous catalysts were synthesized by complexation of BzAIL-SBA-15 by [RuCl(2)(benzene)](2) and [RuCl(2)(p-cymene)](2) in 2-propanol at reflux condition designated as Ru-Bn-BzAIL-SBA-15 (Ru-1) and Ru-Cy-BzAIL-SBA-15 (Ru-2). The synthesized materials have been characterized by small angle X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (SAXS), N(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier Transformed-Infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), intensively Coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Diffuse reflectance UV-vis and (13)C CP MAS NMR analysis. Further the synthesized and characterized materials (Ru-1 and Ru-2) have been successfully applied in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) reaction of simple prochiral ketones, which gave a yield of 56\% and 18\% and enantiomeric excess (ee) values of 62\% and 77\% for Ru-1 and Ru-2, respectively, after 1 h for acetophenone. The reusability studies showed approximately the same enantiomeric excess value at lower conversions. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(1R, 2S)-(+)-Cis-1-amino-2-indanol, Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, Chiral amino alcohols, Mesoporous molecular sieve, Prochiral ketones, SBA-15}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2008.04.003}, author = {Parambadath, Surendran and Singh, A. P.} } @article { ISI:000273100600003, title = {Selective binding of benzoquinone with a Pt-II-cyclophane constructed on the skeleton of N,N {\textquoteleft}-bis(salicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine: synthesis and spectroscopic studies}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {48}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1644-1651}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

The Schiff base NN{\textquoteright}-bis(salicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine has been complexed with Pt(en)Cl-2 and the resulting Pt-II-cyclophane, [Pt(en)L](2)center dot 4PF(6), reacted with phenol, resorcinol, hydroquinone or benzoquinone in DMSO solution. Their binding has been monitored by the variation in the corresponding UV-visible and emission spectral patterns. The binding properties are compared with the earlier reported Zn-II-cyclophane [Zn(bpy)L](2) (bpy = 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine). A few solid adducts of phenol and benzoquinone with the Pt-II-cyclophane complex and hydroquinone as well as that of resorcinol with the Zn-cyclophane have also been synthesized and characterized.

}, keywords = {Coordination chemistry, Cyclophanes, Metallocyclophanes, platinum, Schiff bases}, issn = {0376-4710}, author = {Kumari, Niraj and Prajapati, Rishikesh and Dixit, Mudit and Mishra, Lallan} } @article { ISI:000264897200052, title = {Shape and size selective separation of gold nanoclusters by competitive complexation with octadecylamine monolayers at the air-water interface}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {333}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {380-388}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The paper presents a time-dependent study of shape-dependent preferential complexation of gold nanoparticles to the octadecyl amine (ODA) monolayers at the air-water interface. Room temperature reduction of chloroaurate ions using lemon grass leaf extract yields a Mixture of spherical and triangular nanoparticles, which were used for this study. These nanoparticles have a net negative charge on their surface due to the presence of biomolecules from plant extract and thus a strong attractive electrostatic interaction with the positively charged ODA monolayers drives the complexation process. The extent of preferential complexation of the gold nanoparticles to the ODA monolayers is a function of the charge on the particles and the relative mobility of the nanoclusters in the medium. The complexation process has been followed in real time by a host of techniques such as surface pressure-area (pi-A) isotherms, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and Brewster angle microscopy. The charge and mobility of the gold nanoparticles was confirmed by measurement of their electrophoretic mobility. Langmuir-Blodgett films of the nanogold-ODA composites have been characterized by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. These measurements clearly indicate that the cluster mobility and complexation increase with decreasing cluster size. In the competitive complexation process of large and small gold particles, it was observed that some bigger gold particles were also incorporated into the amine matrix even though the cluster mobility is higher for smaller gold particles. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Competitive complexation, gold nanoparticles, Langmuir-Blodgett technique, ODA monolayer}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2008.12.076}, author = {Pasricha, Renu and Singh, Amit and Sastry, Murali} } @article { ISI:000266390000011, title = {Silver fused conducting fiber formation of Au-Ag core-shell nanoparticles mediated by ascorbic acid}, journal = {Plasmonics}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {161-170}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we report the spontaneous formation of fibrous structures consisting of assemblies of Au-Ag core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) from a solution consisting of Au-Ag core-shell NPs and l-ascorbic acid (AA). AA acted both as the reducing agent for the generation of NPs and also as the mediator for the formation of fibers. The process of fiber formation involved three steps-reduction of HAuCl(4) to Au NPs by AA, subsequent formation of Au-Ag core-shell NPs after addition of AgNO(3), and spontaneous formation of fibers from the mixtures in water. It took typically about 30 days to form complete fibers that are of lengths of several hundred micrometers to millimeters, although nanofibers started forming from the first day of solution preparation. The width of each of these fibers was typically about 1-4 A mu m with length of each segment of fiber bundle, on the order of 40 A mu m. Formation of fibers was also observed in absence of AgNO(3). These fibers consisted of Au NPs and polymer of AA degradation products and were not electrically conducting. Also, low concentrations of AgNO(3) produced fibers with low electrical conductivity. However, it was observed that increase in the amount of AgNO(3) leads to the formation of fibers that were electrically conducting with conductivity values in the range of metallic conductivity. Spectroscopic and electron microscopic investigations were carried out to establish the formation of fibers. The details of fiber formation mechanism under different conditions and electrical conductivities of the fibers are discussed in the article.

}, keywords = {Ascorbic acid, core-shell, Fiber, Gold, Nanoparticles, Silver}, issn = {1557-1955}, doi = {10.1007/s11468-009-9091-5}, author = {Murugadoss, A. and Kar, Manoranjan and Pasricha, Renu and Chattopadhyay, Arun} } @article { ISI:000269197400020, title = {Some mechanistic insights into the gelation of regenerated silk fibroin sol}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8014-8023}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We provide some new insights into the kinetics and mechanism of sol-gel transition as it pertains to regenerated silk fibroin, which is the principle structural protein of silkworm silk fiber. Silk fibroin was dissolved in lithium bromide and dialyzed against deionized water to prepare a regenerated fibroin solution. This solution was found to be unstable at lower pH and transformed into a colloidal gel. The kinetics and mechanism of the sol-gel transition were investigated using rheology and light scattering. We show that gelation proceeds in two steps. In the first step, a weak gel is formed almost immediately upon lowering the pH, while in the second step further gelation proceeds rapidly after a long induction time to form a self-similar structure.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie801723f}, author = {Nagarkar, Shailesh and Patil, Avinash and Lele, Ashish K. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Bellare, Jayesh R. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000271603000046, title = {Stereo-controlled approach to pyrrolidine iminosugar C-glycosides and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-L-allitol using a D-mannose-derived cyclic nitrone}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {49}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6906-6908}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Intramolecular N-alkylation of 2,3-O-isopropylidene-5-O-methanesulfonyl-6-O-t-butyldimethylsilyl-D-mann ofuranose-oxime 7 afforded a five-membered cyclic nitrone 9, which on N-O bond reductive cleavage followed by deprotection of -OTBS and acetonide functionalities gave 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-L-allitol (DIA) 3. Addition of allylmagnesium chloride to nitrone 9 afforded alpha-allylated product 10a in high diastereoselectivity providing an easy entry to N-hydroxy-C1-alpha-allyl-substituted pyrrolidine iminosugar 4a after removal of protecting group, while N-O bond reductive cleavage in 10a afforded C1-alpha-allyl-pyrrolidine iminosugar 4b. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cyclic nitrone, Enzyme inhibitors, Iminosugars, pyrrolidine}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.09.139}, author = {Bande, Omprakash P. and Jadhav, Vrushali H. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D. and Lombardo, Marco} } @article { ISI:000269337500025, title = {Stereoselective construction of steroidal side chain from 16-dehydropregnenolone acetate}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2005-2009}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Stereoselective construction of steroidal side chain at C-20 having {\textquoteleft}natural{\textquoteright} configuration using 16-dehydropregnalone acetate (16-6PA) as a starting material has been carried out. Palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming Heck reaction between C-20 vinyl iodide with methyl acrylate and transfer hydrogenation with triethylsilane and Pd/C are the key steps for stereoselective side-chain synthesis.

}, keywords = {16-dehydropregnenolone acetate, Heck coupling, stereoselectivity, steroidal side chain, transfer hydrogenation}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-0029-1217521}, author = {Aher, Nilkanth G. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article { ISI:000266930900018, title = {Stereoselective one-step construction of vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters of the 5,10b-ethanophenanthridine skeleton: total synthesis of (+/-)-maritidine}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {11}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2547-2550}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The challenging vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters of the 5,10b-ethanophenanthridine skeleton are created in a single step utilizing intramolecular [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of nonstabilized azomethine ylide as the key step. The application of the chemistry is demonstrated by synthesizing (+/-)-maritidine.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol900806m}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Gupta, Nishant R. and Pimpalpalle, Tukaram M.} } @article { ISI:000264648900011, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of (+)-isoindolo-beta-carboline}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {20}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {220-224}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Starting from homophthalic anhydride and (S)-tryptophan, the stereoselective synthesis of (+)-isoindolo-beta-carboline has been described via the corresponding homophthalimide, its chemoselective oxidative ring contraction, and the intramolecular dehydrative ring closure followed by a geometry-specific demethoxycarbonylation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2009.01.001}, author = {Wakchaure, Prasad B. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000271055100016, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of the densely functionalized C1-C9 fragment of amphidinolides C and F}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {46}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6276-6279}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of the C1-C9 subunit of amphidinolides C and F is described. Key steps include tandem Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation-S(N)2 cyclization reaction, Lewis acid-mediated epoxide opening, Wittig reaction, and Wacker oxidation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amphidinolide C and F, Cytotoxic, Tandem dihydroxylation-S(N)2, Wacker oxidation, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.09.001}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Dasari, Pavankumar and Rahaman, Hasibur and Pal, Rita} } @article { ISI:000266269600030, title = {Sterically controlled naphthalene homo-oligoamides with novel structural architectures}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {7}, number = {11}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2458-2465}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein we report novel naphthalene homo-oligoamides, derived from 4-amino-3-methoxy-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid and 4-amino-1-methoxy-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid as monomer building blocks, that display an anti-periplanar arrangement of the naphthyl rings, primarily induced by steric interactions between adjacent groups and functionalities.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b822076j}, author = {Prabhakaran, Panchami and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Chandran, Jima N. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Hofmann, Hans-Joerg and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000268967200075, title = {Studies on biological reduction of chromate by Streptomyces griseus}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {169}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {539-545}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Chromium is a toxic heavy metal used in various industries and leads to environmental pollution due to improper handling. The most toxic form of chromium Cr(VI) can be converted to less toxic Cr(III) by reduction. Among the actinomycetes tested for chromate reduction, thirteen strains reduced Cr(VI) to Cr(III), of which one strain of Streptomyces griseus (NCIM 2020) was most efficient showing complete reduction within 24h. The organism was able to use a number of carbon sources as electron donors. Sulphate, nitrate, chloride and carbonate had no effect on chromate reduction during growth while cations such as Cd, Ni, Co and Cu were inhibitory to varying degrees. Chromate reduction was associated with the bacterial cells and sonication was the best method of cell breakage to release the enzyme. The enzyme was constitutive and did not require presence of chromate during growth for expression of activity. Chromate reduction with cell free extract (CFE) was observed without added NADH. However, addition of NAD(P)H resulted in 2-3-fold increase in activity. Chromate reductase showed optimum activity at 28 degrees C and pH 7 (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bioreduction, Chromate reductase, Hexavalent chromium, Streptomyces griseus}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.03.126}, author = {Poopal, Ashwini C. and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article { ISI:000264024200006, title = {Supramolecular synthesis of some molecular adducts of 4,4 {\textquoteleft}-bipyridine N,N {\textquoteleft}-dioxide}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {33}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {57-63}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Molecular adducts (1a-1e) of 4,4{\textquoteright}-bipyridine N,N{\textquoteright}-dioxide, 1, respectively with cyanuric acid, trithiocyanuric acid, 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene ( phloroglucinol), 1,3-dihydroxybenzene ( resorcinol) and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid have been reported. The major interactions observed in the structures 1a-1e are N-H center dot center dot center dot O, N-H center dot center dot center dot S, O-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot O, in the form of homomeric and heteromeric patterns of the constituents, either as a single or cyclic hydrogen-bonded motifs. While in the adduct 1a, both homomeric and heteromeric units of both the constituents were observed, no heteromeric interactions were observed in 1b and 1c. In addition, in 1b, homomeric aggregation of molecules of 1 occurred in association with water molecules. However, while heteromeric interactions prevail between the constituents in 1d and 1e, only one of the co-crystallizing species gave homomeric interactions (4,4{\textquoteright}-bipyridine N,N{\textquoteright}-dioxide in 1d; 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid in 1e). Further, in either type of the patterns, the cyclic motifs are formed as a pair-wise hydrogen bonds comprising of strong and weak hydrogen bonds (N-H center dot center dot center dot O/C-H center dot center dot center dot O or O-H center dot center dot center dot O/C-H center dot center dot center dot O). In three-dimensions, the ensembles of molecules yield planar sheets, ladders and pseudorotaxane type assemblies.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/b807853j}, author = {Arora, Kapildev K. and Talwelkar, Mayura S. and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article { ISI:000267784200012, title = {Susceptibility of aedes aegypti and culex quinquefasciatus larvae to gedunin-related limonoids}, journal = {Chemistry \& Biodiversity}, volume = {6}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {897-902}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The major non-azadirachtin limonoids such as gedunin (1), epoxyazadiradione (3), nimbocinol (4), and nimolicinol (5) from Azadirachta indica A. Juss ({\textquoteright}neem{\textquoteright}) and their derivatives were evaluated for their toxic action against fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti L. and Culex quinquefasciatus SAY. Gedunin exhibited 100\% toxic action against both the mosquito larvae at 50 and 10 ppm. Epoxyazadiradione and epoxynimolicinol also showed significant toxicities (\>= 50\%) against larvae of both mosquito species at 50 ppm. These neem limonoids can have benefits in mosquito-control programs.

}, issn = {1612-1872}, author = {Gurulingappa, Hallur and Tare, Vrushali and Pawar, Pushpa and Tungikar, Vijay and Jorapur, Yogesh R. and Madhavi, Sriram and Bhat, Sujata V.} } @article { ISI:000262707000040, title = {Synthesis and antifungal activity of 1,2,3-triazole containing fluconazole analogues}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {19}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {759-763}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Fluconazole based novel mimics containing 1,2,3-triazole were designed and synthesized as antifungal agents. Their antifungal activities were evaluated in vitro by measuring the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Compounds 12, 15, and 16 were found to be more potent against Candida fungal pathogens than control drugs fluconazole and amphotericin B. The studies presented here provide structural modi. cation of fluconazole to give 1,2,3-trazole containing molecules. Furthermore, these molecules were evaluated in vivo against Candida albicans intravenous challenge in Swiss mice and antiproliferative activities were tested against human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B and human epithelial carcinoma A431. It was found that compound 12 resulted in 97.4\% reduction in fungal load in mice and did not show any profound proliferative effect at lower dose (0.001 mg/ml). (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Triazole, Antifungal agent, bile acid, Conjugates, Fluconazole}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2008.12.026}, author = {Aher, Nilkanth G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Mishra, Nripendra N. and Kumar, Awanit and Shukla, Praveen K. and Sharma, Aanchal and Bhat, Manoj K.} } @article { ISI:000271542900165, title = {Synthesis and characterization of CoCrxFe2-xO4 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {485}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {798-801}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Spinel-phase nanocrystalline CoCrxFe2-xO4 powders (0.0 \<= x \<= 2.0) were synthesized by citrate-gel precursor method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR). The XRD and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns indicated that the synthesized nanoparticles have single-phase spinet structure without the presence of any other impurities. The changes in electrical and magnetic properties of different stiochiometric compositions have also been investigated. It is seen that with increase in chromium contents, the measured magnetic hysteresis loops become narrow with decreasing trend in saturation magnetization. Electrical resistivity indicated that all the compounds are semiconducting nature. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Magnetic measurements, Sintering, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2009.06.087}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Lokhande, P. D. and Gajbhiye, N. S.} } @article { ISI:000263932600008, title = {Synthesis and characterization of high-surface-area Ag2O-doped SnO2 nanomaterial}, journal = {Philosophical Magazine Letters}, volume = {89}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {PII 909257359}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanosized tin dioxide-based powders containing silver and palladium oxides have been prepared by coprecipitation reaction. XRD, TEM, and XPS analysis were carried out for investigation of crystalline structure and surface morphology. The best reactive conditions were determined, such as the concentration of the reactants, pH value, surfactants, reaction temperature, and time. The material obtained is nanocrystalline, having a particle size in the range of 5.21-7.42 nm. Effect of doped-Ag2O on the crystal size of the nanoparticles and the influence of the presence of a second dopant (Pd) on the Ag2O/SnO2 matrix was discussed.

}, keywords = {Ag2O:SnO2, Nanomaterials, XPS}, issn = {0950-0839}, doi = {10.1080/09500830902758651}, author = {Gambhire, A. B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Kalokhe, S. B. and Shirsat, M. D. and Patil, K. R. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Arbad, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000269257800009, title = {Synthesis and conformational study of chiral oxepines: the baylis-hillman reaction and RCM approach with sugar aldehyde}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {74}, number = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6486-6494}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The Baylis-Hillman reaction of 3-O-allyl-alpha-D-xylo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose 3 afforded a diastereomeric mixture of D-gluco- and L-ido-configured alpha-methylene-beta-hydroxy esters 4a and 4b, respectively, in a ratio of 2:3. Reduction of the ester functionality in 4a/4b gave alcohols 5a/5b. The diene thus formed in 5a/5b was subjected to ring-closing metathesis (Grubbs{\textquoteright} second-generation catalyst) to afford oxa-bicyclic ring system 6a/6b in high yield. Further manipulation of the aectonide functionality in 6a and 6b afforded new polyhydroxylated oxepines 1a/2a and 1b/2b, respectively. The (1)H NMR of oxepines 1a and 1b in D(2)O showed doubling of signals indicating their existence in two different rotamers/conformers. This fact was substantiated by calculating energetics of 1 and 2 conformers using the density functional theory and correlating the calculated (1)H NMR chemical shift pattern with that of the experimental spectra.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo900660q}, author = {Jadhav, Vrushali H. and Bande, Omprakash P. and Pinjari, Rahul V. and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000264232900041, title = {Synthesis, characterization and constitutional isomerism study of new aromatic polyamides containing pendant groups based on asymmetrically substituted meta-phenylene diamines}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {45}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {953-959}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Four new aromatic polyamides containing pendant groups were synthesized by low temperature interfacial polycondensation of two asymmetrically substituted diamine monomers, namely, 4-[4-(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl) phenoxyl-1,3-diamino benzene and 4-[4-[4-methylphenyl) sulphonyl]phenoxy)-1,3-diamino benzene with two aromatic diacid chlorides, namely isophthaloyl chloride and tereplithaloyl chloride. Inherent viscosities of polyamides were in the range 0.64-0.72 dL/g indicating formation of medium molecular weight polymers. The weight average molecular weights and number average molecular weights, determined by gel permeation chromatography (polystyrene standard), were in the range 54,500-65,000 and 19,750-27,000, respectively. The constitutional isomerism of synthesized polyamides was investigated by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, where as the constitutional order was calculated from (1)H NMR spectroscopy and was found to be in the range 0.35-0.37. Polyamides containing pendant groups were essentially amorphous and were soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as N, N-dimethyl acetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N, N-dimethyl formamide and dimethyl sulfoxide. Polyamides exhibited glass-transition temperature in the range 237-254 degrees C. The initial decomposition temperature, determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, of polyamides was in the range 371-410 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Asymmetrically substituted diamines, Constitutional isomerism, interfacial polycondensation, Pendant groups}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2008.11.034}, author = {Pal, Ravindra R. and Patil, Prashant S. and Salunkhe, Manikrao M. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000264463600013, title = {Synthesis of Ag-Pt alloy nanoparticles in aqueous bovine serum albumin foam and their cytocompatibility against human gingival fibroblasts}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {69}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {239-245}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Foams of bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been utilized for synthesizing in situ protein capped Ag-Pt alloy nanoparticles. The in vitro cytotoxicity and the rate of proliferation of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) in presence of the above synthesized alloy nanoparticles is investigated. Expression profile of protein involved in detoxification, i.e. metallotheonein (MT) were assayed by ELISA and expression of mRNA transcripts by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cytotoxicity results suggested that protein capped nano-alloys might be promising candidates for implants and prosthetic material. RT-PCR and ELISA confirmed the expression of MT. in cells treated with the alloy nanoparticles. Morphology variation studied by SEM also confirms that cells treated with alloy nanoparticles present an intact morphology. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alloy nanoparticles, Biocompatibility, ELISA, Human gingival fibroblasts, mRNA, Protein foams}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2008.11.021}, author = {Singh, A. V. and Patil, R. and Kasture, M. B. and Gade, Wasudeo N. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000267381100014, title = {Synthesis of catalytically active porous platinum nanoparticles by transmetallation reaction and proposition of the mechanism}, journal = {Small}, volume = {5}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1467-1473}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A facile method for the synthesis of porous platinum nanoparticles by transmetallation reactions between sacrificial nickel nanoparticles and chloroplatinic acid (H(2)PtCl(6)) in solution, as well as at the constrained environment of the air water interface, using a Langmuir-Blodgett instrumental setup is presented. To carry out the transmetallation at the air-water interface hydrophobized nickel nanoparticles are assembled as a monolayer on the sub phase containing platinum ions. The porous Pt nanoparticles obtained as a result of the reaction are found to act as extremely good catalysts for hydrogenation reaction. The products are well characterized by TEM, HRTEM, EDAX, and STEM. Attempts are made to postulate the plausible mechanism of this reaction to generate this kind of nanoparticle with controllable geometric shape and structure. This simple strategy has the potential to synthesize other nanomaterials of interest too.

}, keywords = {Catalysts, Interfaces, Nickel nanoparticles, porous platinum, Transmetallation}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.200801863}, author = {Pasricha, Renu and Bala, Tanushree and Biradar, Ankush V. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Sastry, Murali} } @article {39}, title = {Synthesis of hydroxy-functional PMMA macromonomers by anionic polymerization}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {46}, number = {10}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {PII 914494634}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Living anionic polymerization has been utilized to synthesize hydroxy end-functionalized PMMA macromonomers with styryl or allyl functionalities as the polymerizable end-groups. Protected hydroxy-functionalized alkyl lithium initiators have been used to initiate anionic polymerization of MMA. Subsequently the living chains with protected hydroxyl function have been terminated using 4-vinylbenzyl chloride (4-VBC) or allyl methacrylate (ALMA) to form -hydroxy{\textendash}styryl and -hydroxy{\textendash}allyl PMMA, respectively. These protected hydroxy-functionalized PMMA macromonomers have been characterized by GPC and 1H-NMR. Termination using 4-VBC led to 50\% functionalization, whereas that using allyl methacrylate led to 100\% functionalization of the hydroxy-PMMA.

}, keywords = {Anionic polymerization, functionalized initiator, Macromonomer}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601320903158610}, author = {Dhara, Mahua Ganguly and Sivaram, Swaminathan and Bhonde, Ramesh R. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000268481500018, title = {Synthesis of polyfunctional quinolizidine alkaloids: development towards selective glycosidase inhibitors}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {7}, number = {16}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3300-3307}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly divergent route to a variety of quinolizidine alkaloids is described. The enantiomeric precursors 22a and 22b utilized for the synthesis of these alkaloids were constructed stereospecifically from the PET cyclization of the corresponding acetylene tethered alpha-trimethylsilyl amine moieties 21a and 21b, respectively, both of which were synthesised from D-ribose. The polyhydroxy quinolizidine alkaloid 7 was found to be a selective inhibitor of alpha-galactosidase with Ki 83.9 mu M. The amine analogs 18, 12 and 10 are found to be selective and potent inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase with Ki 28, 120 and 140 mu M, respectively.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b907007a}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Grahacharya, Debasish and Shashidhara, K. S. and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000286307300007, title = {Synthesis of Sb-doped SnO2 nanowires and hyperbranched structures}, journal = {Science of Advanced Materials}, volume = {1}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {38-43}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Branched nanostructures of semiconducting materials are of great interest for their potential applications in optoelectronic, photonic devices and sensors. We herein describe a facile single-step chemical vapor deposition route for the synthesis of Sb-SnO2 hyperbranched nanostructures comprised of elongated nanowires with 30-40 nm diameter and 10-20 Am length. The morphology and structure has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selective area electron diffraction (SAED), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also, a possible mechanism is proposed for the growth of nanowires into the hyperbranched form on the basis of the substrate effect, the role of Au nanoparticles, and the effect of Sb doping on specific morphology evolution. Interestingly, electrical conductivity measurements as a function of temperature suggest a semiconducting behavior, despite being governed by different electron-transport mechanisms with activation energies of 0.55 and 0.17 eV, which correspond to pure SnO2 and Sb-SnO2 nanowires, respectively. A precise control over the operating parameters not only envisages custom-designed, branched structures by a simple and economical route but also offers an alternative method to the expensive and tedious nanofabrication techniques for industrial applications.

}, keywords = {Au Nanoparticles, chemical vapor deposition, Sb-SnO2 Hyperbranched Nanostructures}, issn = {1947-2935}, doi = {10.1166/sam.2009.1006}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Patil, Mrudula and Walke, Pravin S. and Vivek, J. P. and Lele, Ashish K. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000263375600003, title = {Total synthesis of (+/-)-1,3,4,5-tetragalloylapiitol}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {372-374}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Starting from citraconic anhydride, the first total synthesis of (+/-)-1,3,4,5-tetragalloylapiitol has been demonstrated via a stepwise route involving generation of an apiitol derivative followed by benzoylation.

}, keywords = {(+/-)-1, 3, 4, 5-tetragalloylapiitol, allylic hydroxylation, Natural products, osmium tetroxide}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0028-1083310}, author = {Patel, Ramesh M. and N. P. Argade} } @article {43208, title = {Total synthesis of (+/-)-petasitolone and (+/-)-fukinone}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3833-3837}, abstract = {An efficient, general, and fully stereocontrolled synthesis of eremophilane-type compounds is disclosed. The approach features a highly diastereoselective Diels-Alder/aldol sequence to give a common intermediate, which is subsequently exploited to produce (+/-)-petasitolone and (+/-)-fukinone in a short sequence.}, doi = {10.1055/s-0029-1218150}, author = {Pasikanti, Srinivas and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Iqbal, Javed and Dubey, Pramod Kumar and Das, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000269243000011, title = {Traditional medicine-inspired approaches to drug discovery: can ayurveda show the way forward?}, journal = {Drug Discovery Today}, volume = {14}, number = {15-16}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {804-811}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Drug discovery strategies based on natural products and traditional medicines are re-emerging as attractive options. We suggest that drug discovery and development need not always be confined to new molecular entities. Rationally designed, carefully standardized, synergistic traditional herbal formulations and botanical drug products with robust scientific evidence can also be alternatives. A reverse pharmacology approach, inspired by traditional medicine and Ayurveda, can offer a smart strategy for new drug candidates to facilitate discovery process and also for the development of rational synergistic botanical formulations.

}, issn = {1359-6446}, doi = {10.1016/j.drudis.2009.05.009}, author = {Patwardhan, Bhushan and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article {42800, title = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document of polyimide binder resins}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, author = {Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Dwivedi, Mayank and Chavan. N. N. and Qureshi, Moham and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Dhansekharan, Janakiraman and Mohan, S. Krishna and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article { ISI:000269310600079, title = {Ultrafast switching time and third order nonlinear coefficients of microwave treated single walled carbon nanotube suspensions}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, note = {International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology, Chennai, INDIA, FEB 27-29, 2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5550-5554}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Microwave treated water soluble and amide functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes have been investigated using femtosecond degenerate pump-probe and nonlinear transmission experiments. The time resolved differential transmission using 75 femtosecond pulse with the central wavelength of 790 nm shows a bi-exponential ultrafast photo-bleaching with time constants of 160 fs (130 fs) and 920 fs (300 fs) for water soluble (amide functionalized) nanotubes. Open and closed aperture z-scans show saturation absorption and positive (negative) nonlinear refraction for water soluble (amide functionalized) nanotubes. Two photon absorption coefficient, beta(0) similar to 250 cm/GW (650 cm/GW) and nonlinear index, gamma similar to 15 cm(2)/pW (-30 cm(2)/pW) are obtained from the theoretical fit in the saturation limit to the data for two types of nanotubes.

}, keywords = {Nonlinear Optical Coefficients, SWCNT, Ultra-Fast Switching}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2009.1184}, author = {Kamaraju, N. and Kumar, Sunil and Karthikeyan, B. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Sood, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000262781700012, title = {Ultrasound assisted synthesis of polyacrylic acid-nanoclay nanocomposite and its application in sonosorption studies of malachite green dye}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {16}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {351-355}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Synthesis of nanoclay nanocomposite has been undertaken by using polyacryalic acid (PAA) in aqueous medium and ultrasound environment and its application in dye removal has been investigated. The synthesized product was characterized by using FTIR and XRD techniques. The sonosorption capacity of the product namely PAA-nanoclay composite was determined by choosing malachite green (MG) dye as a model pollutant. The effects of various parameters such as nanocomposite loading, pH, various process conditions etc. have been studied. On comparing the results obtained with that of nanoclay as an adsorbent, it was found for an initial concentration of 500 mg/l, the PAA-nanoclay nanocomposite exhibited higher percentage of pollutant removal (68\%) and for nanoclay it was 54\%. The adsorption data has been correlated using Langmuir and Freundlich models. The fit of the Freundlich isotherm model was found to be good in the entire range of concentration for the experimental sorption data obtained on the nanoclay nanocomposite. A plausible reaction mechanism for use of PAA-nanoclay nanocomposite as ail adsorbent is also proposed. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Malachite Green, Nanocomposite, Polyacrylic acid, Sonosorption, Ultrasound}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2008.10.008}, author = {Sonawane, S. H. and Chaudhari, P. L. and Ghodke, S. A. and Parande, M. G. and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Mishra, Satyendra and Kulkarni, R. D.} } @article { ISI:000263399700004, title = {Utilization of sugarcane bagasse cellulose for producing cellulose acetates: novel use of residual hemicellulose as plasticizer}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {76}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {23-29}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Sugarcane bagasse was fractionated to cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin by a proprietary steam explosion process, followed by downstream purifications, developed in our laboratory. The fractionated cellulose contained similar to 94\% cellulose, about similar to 5\% hemicellulose, traces of lignin (similar to 0.2\%), and similar to 1\% ash. The cellulose was acetylated under heterogeneous conditions to obtain cellulose acetates. These were extensively characterized using FTIR, TGA, DSC, GPC, HPIC, WAXRD, and viscometry. The novel feature of this study was the utilization of the hemicellulose content (5\%) of bagasse cellulose as an internal plasticizer. Through kinetic experimentation, we have demonstrated that the residual hemicellulose need not be considered as an impurity; rather it can be used in acetylated form as a plasticizer as well as a biodegradable additive for cellulose acetates made from slightly impure cellulose produced from non-wood origin. Our results therefore show how lignocellulosic agricultural wastes can be utilized to produce high value plastics. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bagasse cellulose, Cellulose acetate, Hemicellulose, Plasticizer, Sugarcane bagasse, Xylan acetate}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2008.09.014}, author = {Shaikh, Hamid M. and Pandare, Kiran V. and Nair, Greeshma and Varma, Anjanikumar} } @article { ISI:000264434000008, title = {Variation in acid moiety of polybenzimidazoles: investigation of physico-chemical properties towards their applicability as proton exchange and gas separation membrane materials}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {50}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1403-1413}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Gas permeability, Polybenzimidazole, Proton exchange membrane}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2009.01.043}, author = {Kumbharkar, S. C. and Islam, Md. Nazrul and Potrekar, R. A. and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000263021000003, title = {Vinyl-2-pyrrolidone derivatized guar gum based aqueous two-phase system}, journal = {Separation and Purification Technology}, volume = {65}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {9-13}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPs) are formed when certain combinations of two polymers or polymer and salt are added to water. Phase separation occurs at certain specific concentrations that have similar densities and low interfacial tensions. The present study involves synthesis and application of a novel derivatized guar in aqueous two-phase system. The derivation of guar gum was performed by grafting of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone by a redox reaction in aqueous medium ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) and potassium Peroxydisulfate(K2S2O8). The ratio of grafting efficiency (\%GE) and ratio of grafting (\%G) was 56\% and 70.1\% respectively. The grafted copolymers were characterized for percent yield and FTIR absorbance. A new aqueous two-phase extraction protocol was established using a mixture of derivatized guar and dextran. A phase diagram was constructed based on the phase separation exhibited by the system at 25 degrees C. The partition coefficient was determined for standard bovine serum albumin (BSA), lactate oxidase (LO) and phytase. The partitioning coefficients were 0.479, 1.981, and 2.586 respectively in the Dextran (2 mill ion)/V-GG/H2O system. The influence of an ionic salt sodium chloride (NaCl) was investigated on the partitioning of BSA. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aqueous two phase, graft copolymers, Guar gum, Partition coefficient (K), Phase diagram, Vinyl pyrrolidone, viscosity}, issn = {1383-5866}, doi = {10.1016/j.seppur.2008.03.020}, author = {Kautharapu, Kumar and Pujari, Narahari S. and Golegaonkar, Sandeep B. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Nene, Sanjay N. and Bhatnagar, D.} } @article { ISI:000262449000038, title = {VLS-like growth and characterizations of dense ZnO nanorods grown by e-beam process}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {035310}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We present a new approach to produce ZnO nanorods in a reproducible manner at a temperature lower than other physical vapour deposition techniques, such as the vapour-liquid-solid mechanism. Arrays of well-aligned ZnO nanorods of uniform diameter have been synthesized on the Si substrate precoated with Au, using a simple electron beam evaporation method without the flow of any carrier gas. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy characterizations show that as-grown nanorods are well aligned and uniform in diameter. X-ray diffraction measurements and clear lattice fringes in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy image show the growth of good quality polycrystalline hexagonal ZnO nanorods and a \< 0 0 2 \> growth direction. The polarization-dependent studies of near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) are performed to investigate the electronic structure of the zinc and oxygen ions. The analysis of NEXAFS spectra at different angles of incidence of photon flux indicates the formation of ZnO nanorods having anisotropic behaviour of O and Zn states. The photoluminescence spectrum exhibits strong ultraviolet emission at 385 nm and the UV-visible spectrum also shows a band-gap transition around 390 nm indicating the good quality of nanorods. The catalytic growth mechanism of the ZnO nanorods is discussed on the basis of experimental results in this work.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/42/3/035310}, author = {Agarwal, Dinesh C. and Chauhan, R. S. and Avasthi, D. K. and Sulania, I. and Kabiraj, D. and Thakur, P. and Chae, K. H. and Chawla, Amit and Chandra, Ramesh and Ogale, S. B. and Pellegrini, G. and Mazzoldi, P.} } @article { ISI:000263397000011, title = {Winged bean chymotrypsin inhibitors retard growth of Helicoverpla anmigera}, journal = {Gene}, volume = {431}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {80-85}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Two putative Kunitz-type chymotrypsin inhibitor genes (WC12 and WC15) were isolated from winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC). While WC12 has previously been characterized, WC15 represents a new member of the WC1 family. WC15 was exclusively expressed in winged bean seeds. Theoretical translation of both the genes resulted into polypeptides of 207 amino acids with 86\% sequence similarity. The polypeptide sequences contain four half-cysteine residues and a well-conserved Leu(65)-Ser(66) reactive site, typical for chymotrypsin inhibitors. WC15 and WC12 were expressed in Pichia pastoris and the recombinant proteins were assayed against various proteinases. Both the inhibitors strongly inhibited commercially available bovine chymotrypsin. More importantly, gut proteinases of Helicoverpa armigera larvae that damage many important crop plants, were inhibited by WC12 and WC15. In addition, both proteinase inhibitors demonstrated significant reduction of growth of H. armigera larvae after feeding on inhibitor incorporated artificial diets. The inhibitory effects of WC12 and WC15 on activity of proteinases and larval growth make these proteins and their genes promising candidates for enhancing plant defense against H. armigera using transgenic plants. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antimetabolic effect, Digestive gut proteinases, Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor, Organ-specific mRNA expression, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus}, issn = {0378-1119}, doi = {10.1016/j.gene.2008.10.026}, author = {Telang, Manasi A. and Giri, Ashok P. and Pyati, Prashant S. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Tegeder, Mechthild and Franceschi, Vincent R.} } @article { ISI:000264541800007, title = {Y-junction nanostructures of palladium: enhanced electrocatalytic properties for fuel cell reactions}, journal = {Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry}, volume = {627}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {58-62}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Here we demonstrate the utility of hierarchically designed alumina templates for the formation of palladium Y-junction nanostructures through a chemical vapor deposition route. These structures exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of formic acid (up to 1020\%) compared to that of platinum Y-junction nanostructures, which could be of immense relevance to portable fuel cell technology, since designing a better electrocatalyst for fuel cell reactions continues to be an important challenge. Apart from the obvious applications in fuel cell electrocatalysis, these Y-junction nanostructures could also act as promising candidates for room temperature hydrogen separation and more importantly as interconnects in molecular scale electronic devices. The present method of fabrication of Y-junction nanostructures using hierarchical alumina templates could be extended to other metallic/semiconducting systems facilitating more general opportunities for such hierarchical designs in nanoelectronics. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {electrocatalysts, fuel cells, Hierarchical structures, Nanostructure, Porous alumina membrane, Y-junctions}, issn = {1572-6657}, doi = {10.1016/j.jelechem.2008.12.021}, author = {Subhramannia, Mahima and Ramaiyan, Kannan and Aslam, Mohammed and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000273403400066, title = {Adsorption induced enzyme denaturation: the role of polymer hydrophobicity in adsorption and denaturation of alpha-chymotrypsin on allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) copolymers}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {26}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1096-1106}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la904114u}, author = {Lahari, Challa and Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Sontakke, Kalpana and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article {42793, title = {Amino functionalized oligoimides telechelics}, number = {2922/DEL/2010 A}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, type = {India Patents}, abstract = {

This invention relates to a process for the preparation of amino functionalized oligoimide telechelics. More particularly it relates to a process for the preparation of soluble oligoimide prepolymers which can be used as matrix resins that can be rapidly cured to form stable polyimides with amino end functionalities. The amino functionalized oligoimide telechelics are suitable for conversion into three dimensional polymeric systems through condensation chemistry such as reaction with oligo epoxies (epoxy-imide resins), polyacids (polyamide imides) and polyhalogenated compounds (poly amine - imides) to form crosslinked structures having enhanced thermal stability and mechanical strength. The polymers prepared by the process of this invention can be used as materials in advanced composites having high temperature stability.

}, author = {Dwivedi, Mayank and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Reddy, Krishna Mohan Srinivasulu and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Rao, Bevara Madhusudana and Kumar, Sriperambudur Rajesh and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Rajan, Chelanattukizhakkemadath Raman and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Nalawade, Archana Chetan and Sontakke, Kalpana Vishwanathrao and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Mohammed Shadbar and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Mule, Smita Atmaram and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article {42798, title = {Amino-phenol-formaldehyde resins by in-situ generation of catalyst}, number = {2536/DEL}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, author = {Dwivedi, Mayank and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Reddy, Krishna Mohan Srinivasulu and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Rao, Bevara Madhusudana and Kumar, Sriperambudur Rajesh and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Tayal, Rajivkumar and Qureshi, Moham} } @article { ISI:000280656200027, title = {Antibiotic mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles with potent antimicrobial activity and their application in antimicrobial coatings}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {20}, number = {32}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6789-6798}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a one-pot synthesis of spherical gold nanoparticles (52-22 nm) and their capping with cefaclor, a second-generation antibiotic, without use of other chemicals. The differently sized gold nanoparticles were fabricated by controlling the rate of reduction of gold ions in aqueous solution by varying the reaction temperature (20-70 degrees C). The primary amine group of cefaclor acted as both the reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles leaving the beta-lactam ring of cefaclor available for activity against microbes. Antimicrobial testing showed that cefaclor reduced gold nanoparticles have potent antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria as compared to cefaclor or gold nanoparticles alone. The minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of cefaclor reduced gold nanoparticles were 10 mu g mL(-1) and 100 mu g mL(-1) for S. aureus and E. coli respectively. The cefaclor reduced gold nanoparticles were further coated onto poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) modified glass surfaces to obtain antimicrobial coatings suitable for biomedical applications and were tested against E. coli as an exemplar of activity. The antimicrobial coatings were very robust under adverse conditions (pH 3 and 10), inhibited the growth of E. coli on their surfaces, and could be used many times with retained activity. Results from a combined spectroscopic (FTIR) and microscopic study (AFM) suggest that the action of these novel particles is through the combined action of cefaclor inhibiting the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer and gold nanoparticles generating {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}holes{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} in bacterial cell walls thereby increasing the permeability of the cell wall, resulting in the leakage of cell contents and eventually cell death.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm00817f}, author = {Rai, Akhilesh and Prabhune, Asmita and Perry, Carole C.} } @article { ISI:000280021000011, title = {Artificially designed membranes using phosphonated multiwall carbon nanotube-polybenzimidazole composites for polymer electrolyte fuel cells}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters}, volume = {1}, number = {14}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2109-2113}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The ability of phosphonated carbon nanotubes to offer an unprecedented approach to tune both proton-conductivity and mechanical stability of hybrid polymer electrolytes based on the polybenzimidazole membrane is demonstrated for fuel cell applications. The covalent attachment between the amino group of the 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid precursor and CNTs has been confirmed by NMR and IR experiments, while EDAX analysis indicates that one out of every 20 carbon atoms is in the CNT is functionalized. Proton conductivity of the composite membrane shows a remarkable 50\% improvement in performance while a maximum power density of 780 and 600 mW cm(-2) is obtained for the composite and pristine membranes, respectively. Finally, the ultimate strength determined for the composite and pristine membranes is 100 and 65 MPa, respectively, demonstrating the superiority of the composite. This study opens up a new strategy to systematically tune the properties of polymer electrolytes for special applications by using appropriately functionalized CNTS.

}, issn = {1948-7185}, doi = {10.1021/jz1007005}, author = {Kannan, Ramaiyan and Aher, Pradnya P. and Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {42680, title = {Bacterial synthesis of phtocatalytically active and biocompatible TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles}, journal = {International Journal of Green Nanotechnology: Physics and Chemistry}, volume = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {80-99}, abstract = {

TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles are well known for their photocatalytic and ultraviolet (UV)-absorbent properties and have successfully entered into the market as consumer products. Large volume production of these nanoparticles by industries require environmentally friendly processes of synthesis. In this article, we show that when challenged with an appropriate precursor, the bacterium Actinobacter spp. can lead to the extracellular synthesis of ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles. The biological way of synthesizing these materials probably leads to the in situ doping of elements like C, F, and N into their crystal lattices, which is evidenced by a red shift in the absorption edge. Because the doping is expected to affect the photocatalytic activity of these materials under different light conditions, such investigations have also been undertaken here. Further, the biocompatibility of these nanomaterials (cytotoxicity and genotoxicity) has also been investigated in detail.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, genotoxicity, Nanoparticles, Nanotoxicity, Photocatalysis}, doi = {10.1080/19430876.2010.532459}, author = {Singh, Sanjay and Britto, Virginia D. and Bharde, Atul A. and Sastry, Murali and Dhawan, Alok and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42799, title = {Beaded cross linked polymers containing tert-amino functional group moities}, number = {2537/DEL}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, author = {Dwivedi, Mayank and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Reddy, Krishna Mohan Srinivasulu and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Rao, Bevara Madhusudana and Kumar, Sriperambudur Rajesh and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Tayal, Rajivkumar and Qureshi, Moham} } @article { ISI:000277581100043, title = {Biocatalytic approach for the utilization of hemicellulose for ethanol production from agricultural residue using thermostable xylanase and thermotolerant yeast}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {101}, number = {14}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5366-5373}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A hydrolysis of 62\% and 50\% for OSX (Oat spelt xylan) and WBH (Wheat bran hemicellulose) were obtained in 36 h and 48 h using Accellerase(TM) 1000 at 50 degrees C wherein thermostable xylanase from alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp. yielded 67\% (OSX) in 3 h and 58\% (WBH) in 24 h at 60 degrees C, favouring a reduction in process time and enzyme dosage. The rate of hydrolysis with thermostable xylanase was increased by 20\% with the addition of nonionic surfactant tween 80 or biosurfactant sophorolipid. The simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of OSX and WBH using thermostable xylanase and D. hansenii in batch cultures produced 9.1 g/L and 9.5 g/L of ethanol, respectively and had a shorter overall process time than the separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). The immobilized yeast cells in Ca-alginate matrix produced ethanol with a yield of 0.46 g/g from hemicellulosic hydrolysates and were reused six times with 100\% fermentation efficiency. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biosurfactant, Ethanol, Hemicellulose, Thermostable xylanase, Thermotolerant yeast}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2010.01.150}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Prakash, Gyan and Prabhune, Asmita and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000283603000012, title = {Bio-inspired catalyst compositions for enhanced oxygen reduction using nanostructured Pt electrocatalysts in polymer electrolyte fuel cells}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {20}, number = {43}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9651-9657}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Composites of Nafion with a class of bio-molecules viz., plant hormones, are explored as potential polymer electrolytes for improving the proton transport inside the catalyst layer of a H(2)/O(2) fuel cell. Specifically, four nitrogenous plant hormones, two each from the class of auxins and cytokinins have been investigated, following preliminary characterization of the composite dispersions and membranes. Interestingly, the use of indole-3-acetic acid (an auxin) in the catalyst layer reveals a 30\% enhancement in Pt catalyst utilization and improved fuel cell performance by 150 mW cm(-2). The effect of these bio-molecules on the kinetic and mass transport parameters has been analyzed systematically using a combination of electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm01774d}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Sreekumar, Kurungot and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000275756700018, title = {Bromine-induced facile synthesis of butenolides and spirobutenolides from sterically congested tetrasubstituted dialkyl alkylidene succinates}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {7}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {1188-1194}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Starting from sterically congested tetrasubstituted dialkyl alkylidene succinates, facile general approach to several dialkyl substituted butenolides and spirobutenolides with the generation of quaternary carbon center has been demonstrated via bromine-induced dealkylative regioselective intramolecular cyclization and dehydrobromination pathway. The mechanistic aspects involved in the formation of butenolides have been also described in brief.

}, keywords = {alkylidene succinates, bromine, butenolides, intramolecular cyclizations, spirobutenolides}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0029-1219233}, author = {Patel, Ramesh M. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000282840600020, title = {Calculation of dipole transition matrix elements and expectation values by vibrational coupled cluster method}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {6}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3198-3204}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An effective operator approach based on the coupled cluster method is described and applied to calculate vibrational expectation values and absolute transition matrix elements. Coupled cluster linear response theory (CCLRT) is used to calculate excited states. The convergence pattern of these properties with the rank of the excitation operator is studied. The method is applied to a water molecule. Arponen-type double similarity transformation in extended coupled cluster (ECCM) framework is also used to generate an effective operator, and the convergence pattern of these properties is compared to the normal coupled cluster (NCCM) approach. It is found that the coupled cluster method provides an accurate description of these quantities for low lying vibrational excited states. The ECCM provides a significant improvement for the calculation of the transition matrix elements.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct1003669}, author = {Banik, Subrata and Pal, Sourav and Prasad, M. Durga} } @article { ISI:000280708400025, title = {CDASE-A reliable scheme to explain the reactivity sequence between Diels-Alder pairs}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {12}, number = {32}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9328-9338}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The reliability of the Comprehensive Decomposition Analysis of Stabilization Energy (CDASE) scheme, proposed recently (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2009, 11, 8306), has been demonstrated in the present study. Reactivity sequence among more than 100 pairs, taking part in Diels-Alder (DA) reaction, is successfully generated by this scheme. The diene series consisted mainly of cis-1,3-butadiene and different substituted butadienes whereas dienophiles are mainly ethylene and its different substitutions. Both the positive energy component (i.e., the energy parameter defined as {\textquoteleft}internal assistance{\textquoteright}) and the negative energy component could generate the expected reactivity trend among the chosen DA pairs, which is also supported by the global electrophilicities of dienes and dienophiles and the corresponding charge-transfer values (Delta N). The numerical values of these components are capable of predicting even the {\textquoteleft}normal electron demand{\textquoteright} (NED) and {\textquoteleft}inverse electron demand{\textquoteright} (IED) nature of the corresponding DA reaction. The method is also capable of reproducing the lower reactivity of acetylene as dienophile when compared to that of ethylene. The reason for the success of CDASE-scheme in explaining intermolecular reactivity sequence is also analysed.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/b925441b}, author = {Saha, Soumen and Roy, Ram Kinkar and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000278307300010, title = {Citrate-capped quantum dots of CdSe for the selective photometric detection of silver ions in aqueous solutions}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {168}, number = {1-3, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {Conference on Specialty Advanced Materials and Polymers for Aerospace and Defense and Applications (SAMPADA-2008), Mat Res Soc Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE, JUL 03-08, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {60-65}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Ag(+) ions, Luminescence quenching, Luminescent probe, Q-CdSe, Tri-sodium citrate}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.10.033}, author = {Ingole, Pravin P. and Rajiv M. Abhyankar and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Haram, Santosh K.} } @article { ISI:000283495200040, title = {Clicking molecular hooks on silica nanoparticles to immobilize catalytically important metal complexes: the case of gold catalyst immobilization}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {34}, number = {11}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2662-2670}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Gold mediated reactions have emerged as one of the best choices for affecting a variety of chemical transformations with a wide range of functional group tolerance. Application of such transformations to industrial processes necessitates immobilization of the Au ions into a matrix for easy separation of the catalyst after reaction. We report the synthesis and characterization of silica nanoparticles in which Au(III) has been immobilized through a 1,2,3-triazole linkage using an alkynalated picolinic acid exploiting {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click chemistry{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. The Au( III) immobilized silica nanoparticle has been thoroughly characterized using FT-IR, C-13 CP MAS NMR and XPS. The utility of these particles as an easily separable catalyst for the Hashmi phenol synthesis is also reported.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c0nj00292e}, author = {Ganai, Anal Kumar and Bhardwaj, Rima and Hotha, Srinivas and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000284515800005, title = {Combined experimental and density functional theory study on the Pd-mediated cycloisomerization of o-alkynylnitrobenzenes - synthesis of isatogens and their evaluation as modulators of ROS-mediated cell death}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {31}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5955-5966}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Highly selective cycloisomerization of o-alkynylnitrobenzenes, leading to isatogens, has been achieved by employment of a Pd-II complex. This reaction is very general and functional-group-tolerant. The possible mechanism of this reaction was investigated with the help of DFT calculations. Three possible pathways - namely, the addition of the nitro group either in (i) 5-exo-dig or (ii) 6-endo-dig mode and (iii) halopalladation - and subsequent intramolecular events have been considered and studied in detail. These investigations revealed that pathway (i) is the favored route to isatogen formation. A preliminary screening of the available isatogens reveals the 2-alkylisatogens to be novel ROS scavengers capable of inhibiting cellular necroptosis.

}, keywords = {Anthranil, cyclization, Density functional calculations, isatogens, Nitro-alkyne cycloisomerization, Palladium}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201000769}, author = {Ramana, Chepuri V. and Patel, Pitambar and Vanka, Kumar and Miao, Benchun and Degterev, Alexei} } @article { ISI:000274355800017, title = {Comparison of the auxiliary density perturbation theory and the noniterative approximation to the coupled perturbed kohn-sham method: case study of the polarizabilities of disubstituted azoarene molecules}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {114}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2357-2364}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We present a theoretical study of the polarizabilities of free and disubstituted azoarenes employing auxiliary density perturbation theory (ADPT) and the noniterative approximation to the coupled perturbed Kohn-Sham (NIA-CPKS) method. Both methods are noniterative but use different approaches to obtain the perturbed density matrix. NIA-CPKS is different froth the conventional CPKS approach in that the perturbed Kohn-Sham matrix is obtained numerically, thereby yielding a single-step solution to CPKS. ADPT is an alternative approach to the analytical CPKS method in the framework of the auxiliary density functional theory. It is shown that the polarizabilities obtained using these two methods are in good agreement with each other. Comparisons are made for disubstituted azoarenes, which give support to the push-pull mechanism. Both methods reproduce the same trend for polarizabilities because of the substitution pattern of the azoarene moiety. Our results are consistent with the standard organic chemistry {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}activating/deactivating{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} sequence. We present the polarizabilities of the above molecules calculated with three different exchange-correlation functionals and two different auxiliary function sets. The computational advantages of both methods are also discussed.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/jp909966f}, author = {Shedge, Sapana V. and Carmona-Espindola, Javier and Pal, Sourav and Koster, Andreas M.} } @article { ISI:000276973200011, title = {Continuous flow synthesis of functionalized silver nanoparticles using bifunctional biosurfactants}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {12}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {609-615}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by continuous flow methods using biosurfactants, namely, oleic acid sophorolipid (OASL) and stearic acid sophorolipid (SASL). Both the sophorolipids can act as reducing and capping agents. The effect of temperature on the completion of nanoparticle formation and the particle growth dynamics (size) were studied in batch mode. While the completion of the reaction using oleic acid sophorolipid needed 20 min, only 5 min were required with the stearic acid sophorolipid as capping and reducing agent. Hence all the continuous flow experiments were carried out using the stearic acid sophorolipid. The continuous flow synthesis of silver nanoparticles was carried out in a stainless steel helical coil and also in a spiral polymeric minichannel reactor. The DLS results show that higher flow rate leads to the formation of bigger and polydisperse particles because of incomplete reactions. Higher residence time allowed the completion of reaction leading to spherical, small and monodisperse particles.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/b919550e}, author = {Kumar, D. V. Ravi and Kasture, Manasi and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramana, C. V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kulkarni, A. A.} } @article { ISI:000283700200020, title = {Convenient approach to the synthesis of different types of schiff{\textquoteright}s bases and their metal complexes}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {39}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1078-1079}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Various metal complexes derived from different Schiff bases are conveniently prepared using solvent-free condensation reactions in one-pot synthesis, resulting in significantly enhanced yields Initial calorimetric studies, and/or TGA of reaction mixtures, led to better optimization of reaction conditions The ligands like mines, hydrazones, semicarbazones, and nitrones are also synthesized by this method, thus this process is general and expedient

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2010.1078}, author = {Pradhan, Kiran and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal and Nanda, Ashis K.} } @article { ISI:000285510500001, title = {Copolymerzation of L,L-lactide with epsilon-caprolactone by using novel zinc L-proline organometallic catalyst}, journal = {E-Polymers}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {139}, publisher = {EUROPEAN POLYMER FEDERATION}, address = {1, QUAI LEZAY-MARNESIA, F067000 STRASBOURG, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Copolyesters based on L, L-lactide (LA) and e-caprolactone (CL) with different LA: epsilon-CL ratios were synthesized by ring opening polymerization using zinc (L-proline) as a catalyst. Ring opening polymerization results in random P(L, L-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers of molecular weights between 9,800 to 30,000 and block copolymer up to 51,800 Da. H-1 NMR spectroscopy analysis was used for calculation of monomer incorporation in the copolymer. FT-IR spectra were used to differentiate between random and block copolymer using carbonyl region splitting. C-13 quantitative NMR spectroscopy analysis coupled with information from TGA and DSC allowed determination of the polymer structure. Copolymers (CP-1, CP-2 and CP-3) prepared by ROP are random copolymer (h \> 1), while CP-4 prepared by ROP (sequential addition of epsilon-caprolactone and L, L-lactide) has a multi block character (h \< 1). The LA number-average sequence length (L-LA) decreased from 14 to 5 for LA-CL 80:20 to 50:50 copolymers prepared by ROP. The copolymer (CP-4) prepared by sequential addition showed the number-average sequence length (L-LA) to be 83.0.

}, issn = {1618-7229}, author = {Pandey, Asutosh K.} } @article { ISI:000280605900013, title = {Coupling growth-factor engineering with nanotechnology for therapeutic angiogenesis}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {31}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {13608-13613}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Therapeutic angiogenesis is an emerging paradigm for the management of ischemic pathologies. Proangiogenic Therapy is limited, however, by the current inability to deliver angiogenic factors in a sustained manner at the site of pathology. In this study, we investigated a unique nonglycosylated active fragment of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor, 1K1, which acts as a potent angiogenic agent in vitro and in a zebrafish embryo and a murine matrigel implant model. Furthermore, we demonstrate that nanoformulating 1K1 for sustained release temporally alters downstream signaling through the mitogen activated protein kinase pathway, and amplifies the angiogenic outcome. Merging protein engineering and nanotechnology offers exciting possibilities for the treatment of ischemic disease, and furthermore allows the selective targeting of downstream signaling pathways, which translates into discrete phenotypes.

}, keywords = {cardiovascular disease, HGF/SF, ischemic disease, nanoparticle, protein engineering}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1006007107}, author = {Roy, Rituparna Sinha and Soni, Shivani and Harfouche, Rania and Vasudevan, Pooja R. and Holmes, Oliver and de Jonge, Hugo and Rowe, Arthur and Paraskar, Abhimanyu and Hentschel, Dirk M. and Chirgadze, Dimitri and Blundell, Tom L. and Gherardi, Ermanno and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000284052600021, title = {Covalently immobilized triphenylphosphine rhodium complex: synthesis, characterization, and application in catalytic olefin hydrogenation}, journal = {Chemcatchem}, volume = {2}, number = {11}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1477-1482}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

A trimethoxysilane functionalized triphenylphosphine was coordinated to rhodium(I) and the resulting rhodium complex was covalently bound to a mesoporous SBA-15 support. The catalytic activity of this hybrid material was studied for the hydrogenation of 2-cyclohexen-1-one and compared with the corresponding homogeneous catalyst. According to the (31)P-MAS NMR data, the catalytically active species was stable against oxidation; no structural change could be detected after exposing it to air for more than two months. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements on the used catalyst confirmed that the rhodium species was also stable against reduction to the metal because the formation of rhodium nanoparticles during the catalysis could be excluded. The kinetic curves of the recycled system confirmed that this hybrid catalyst shows excellent activity, selectivity, stability, and reusability, and is truly heterogeneous in the hydrogenation reaction.

}, keywords = {alkenes, heterogeneous catalysis, Hydrogenation, mesoporous materials, Rhodium}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201000133}, author = {Wang, Lei and Jia, Mingjun and Shylesh, Sankaranarayanapillai and Philippi, Thomas and Seifert, Andreas and Ernst, Stefan and Singh, Anand Pal and Thiel, Werner R.} } @article { ISI:000275769700022, title = {Crystal structure, NMR and theoretical investigations on 2-(o-hydroxy-anilino)-1,4-napthoquinone}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {966}, number = {1-3}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {144-151}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Crystal structure, (1)H NMR and cyclic voltammetric investigations of 2-(o-hydroxy-anilino)-1,4-napthoquinone (HAN), resulting from coupling of aminophenol with 2-hydroxy-1,4-napthoquinone, have been carried out. X-ray structure reveals that the HAN ligand crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Pca2(1) with Z = 4. forming a chain via inter-molecular O2 center dot center dot center dot H1A-O1 and C15-H15 center dot center dot center dot O3 interactions. Both (1)H NMR and cyclic voltammetry experiments suggest the titled ligand is associated and exists as dinner in d(6)-DMSO while the monomer has been predicted in CDCl(3) solution. Density functional calculations can be utilized to gauge the strength of hydrogen-bonded interactions from the (1)H chemical shifts in the NMR spectra. Self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) calculations further support the inferences drawn from cyclic voltammetry experiments. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(1)H NMR, cyclic voltammetry, Density functional, hydrogen bonding, Napthoquinone}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2009.12.029}, author = {Feizi, Nourollah and Pinjari, Rahul V. and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Sayyed, Fareed B. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Rane, Sandhya Y.} } @article { ISI:000275090400021, title = {Cu:Al Nano catalyst for selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {135}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {141-147}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Non-chromium Cu:Al nano catalyst prepared by simultaneous co-precipitation and digestion method without any template or stabilizer, showed three times higher activity than the bulk Cu-Cr catalyst for hydrogenolysis of glycerol in both isopropanol and water solvents, with the selectivity to 1,2-Propanediol (1,2-PDO) as high as 91\% at 493 K and H(2) pressure of 7 MPa in 5 h. XRD pattern showed the presence of Cu(+) species in the activated Cu: Al nano catalyst. Although Cu(+) is catalytically inactive in glycerol hydrogenolysis reaction, the presence of Cu(+) helps to stabilize the particle size in a narrow range of 7-11 nm by inhibiting the sintering of copper particles under reaction conditions.

}, keywords = {1, 2-Propanediol, Cu:Al nano catalyst, Glycerol, Selective hydrogenolysis}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-010-0276-5}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Hengne, Amol M. and Ghalwadkar, Ajay A. and Vijayanand, Subramanian and Mohite, Pravin H. and Potdar, Hari S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000274207800015, title = {Cytotoxic and genotoxic assessment of glycolipid-reduced and -capped gold and silver nanoparticles}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {294-301}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A systematic cytotoxic and genotoxic evaluation of glycolipid-conjugated silver and gold nanoparticles is carried out. These glycolipid nanoparticle conjugates are obtained by exploiting the reductive capability of a class of glycolipids called sophorolipids that play the role of capping agent as well. Further, when tested for their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on HepG2 cells, these nanoparticles are found to be cytocompatible up to 100 mu M metal concentrations. Of the two metallic systems investigated, gold nanoparticles are found to be more cytocompatible than the same concentrations of silver nanoparticles. Similarly, it is also demonstrated that at 100 mu M, silver nanoparticles cause more DNA damage compared to gold nanoparticles of similar concentrations.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/b9nj00277d}, author = {Singh, Sanjay and D{\textquoteright}Britto, Virginia and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramana, C. V. and Dhawan, Alok and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @conference { ISI:000287122200023, title = {Dynamic modeling of hydro- formylation of 1-decene on Rh/C catalyst in bubble colunm slurry reactor}, booktitle = {International Conference on Modeling, Optimization, and Computing}, series = {AIP Conference Proceedings}, volume = {1298}, year = {2010}, note = {International Conference on Modeling, Optimization, and Computing, Durgapur, INDIA, OCT 28-30, 2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {143-150}, publisher = {Natl Inst Technol Durgapur; SERC, Dept Sci \& Technol; Caledonian Coll Engn; BRNS, Dept Atom Energy; DRDO, Minist Defence}, organization = {Natl Inst Technol Durgapur; SERC, Dept Sci \& Technol; Caledonian Coll Engn; BRNS, Dept Atom Energy; DRDO, Minist Defence}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1NO1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

A dynamic model has been developed for the bubble column slurry reactor operating under non-isothermal conditions. The model consists of mass and heat balance equations for the gas and liquid phases and the catalyst particle. The model equations consisted of partial differential equations (PDE) which were converted to ordinary differential equations (ODE) by using finite difference relationships for the spatial derivatives and the ordinary differential equations for the time derivatives (Numerical Method of Lines-NMoL). The model was applied to describe the dynamic behaviour of bubble column slurry reactor during the hydroformylation of 1-decene on Rh/C catalyst. Model simulations were performed to obtain a meaningful path to steady state and to reproduce the other characteristics of the dynamic behaviour of the reactor. Under given conditions, the reaction required approximately 3750 seconds to reach the steady state concentrations at various reactor positions. It was observed with increase in the fluid velocities, the dynamics of the system was altered to 2500 seconds to reach the steady state condition. The effect of axial dispersion on the substrate concentration and the temperature rise along the reactor was further studied and discussed.

}, keywords = {axial dispersion, bubble column slurry reactor, Dynamic modeling, method of line, PDE solutions}, isbn = {978-0-7354-0854-8}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.3516292}, author = {Upkare, Makarand M. and Rajurkar, Kalpendra B. and Das, Samir K. and Jaganathan, Rengaswamy}, editor = {Paruya, S. and Kar, S. and Roy, S.} } @article { ISI:000284101100028, title = {Dynamic study of N {\textquoteleft} N-dimethylparanitroaniline encapsulated in silicalite-1 matrix using neutron spin-echo spectroscopy}, journal = {European Physical Journal-Special Topics}, volume = {189}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {279-284}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The present work focuses on the dynamic studies of N{\textquoteright}N-dimethyl-paranitroaniline (dmpNA) encapsulated in silicalite zeolite. Quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) experiments are carried out using neutron spin-echo technique. Polarisation of the scattered neutron beam is measured at carefully chosen values of Q = 0.35, 0.9, 1.1 and 1.45 angstrom(-1) at fixed T = 298K and at fixed Q = 0.9 angstrom(-1) at 150, 200, 250 and 298 K. This gives insight into the motion and the related activation energy of the guest dmpNA molecule. The quasielastic signal observed in the present system within the time range considered is due to fast local rotational motions of protons of the end methyl groups. The results are in good agreement with the dynamics of methyl group rotations reported in the literature by back-scattering QENS technique.

}, issn = {1951-6355}, doi = {10.1140/epjst/e2010-01333-9}, author = {Bhange, Deu S. and Dejoie, C. and Porcher, F. and Malikova, N. and Martinetto, P. and Dooryhee, E. and Anne, M.} } @article { ISI:000282607600040, title = {Ecofriendly synthesis and solar photocatalytic activity of S-doped ZnO}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {183}, number = {1-3}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {315-323}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The S-doped ZnO was prepared by new ecofriendly method, which involves simple mechanochemical synthesis followed by thermal decomposition of bisthiourea zinc oxalate (BTZO) powders. The BTZO was characterized by FTIR and TG-DTA analysis while S-doped ZnO crystallite was characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, EDXS, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. X-ray diffraction data suggest the single phase wurtzite structure for S-doped ZnO and the incorporation of sulfur expand the lattice constants of ZnO. Room temperature PL spectra show more number of oxygen vacancies in S-doped ZnO as compare to that of pure ZnO. Photocatalytic activity of S-doped ZnO was checked by means of solar photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of resorcinol, using a batch photoreactor. The PCD efficiency of S-doped ZnO was found to be 2 times greater than that of pure ZnO. The inherent relationship between PL intensity and photocatalytic activity of S-doped ZnO was discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Photocatalysis, photoluminescence, Resorcinol, S-doped ZnO, Sunlight, XPS}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.07.026}, author = {Patil, Ashokrao B. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Pardeshi, Satish K.} } @article { ISI:000278307300038, title = {Effect of additives on the co-electrodeposition of Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder composition}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {168}, number = {1-3, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {Conference on Specialty Advanced Materials and Polymers for Aerospace and Defense and Applications (SAMPADA-2008), Mat Res Soc Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE, JUL 03-08, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {219-223}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We have developed a methane sulfonic acid (MSA) based ternary electrodeposition bath for the deposition of near eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu films aimed at solder bumping applications in electronics. The bath contains thiourea as chelating agent and iso-octyl phenoxy ethanol (OPPE) as surfactant. We added gelatin to this bath and studied its effect on bath stability, microstructure of the deposited films and the film composition. It is found that the bath containing both the additives, viz. OPPE and gelatin, show improved stability up to 8-10 days. Striking improvement in the film microstructure, in terms of the compactness, uniformity and refinement of grains was found when the bath contained these additives. Detailed electrochemical studies with the help of cyclic voltametry and impedance analysis helped in understanding the role played by these additives during deposition. It is confirmed that there is a formation of loosely connected, highly non-uniform passivating film on the cathode surface, which is removed competitively by the depositing metal ions during the deposition. It is also clear that the additives play a role in the formation of such a passivating film. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Additives, Lead-free solders, Sn-Ag-Cu, Solder bumping, Ternary bath}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2010.01.017}, author = {Joseph, Shany and Phatak, Girish J.} } @article { ISI:000278592400024, title = {Effect of Fe3O4 on morphology of Fe-SnO2 hyperbranched heterostructures}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {493}, number = {1-3}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {121-125}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple modified thermal evaporation technique is employed for the synthesis of microstructured Fe:SnO2 system and their plausible growth mechanism has been proposed based on the results from various characterization techniques. Such structures grow in two steps; initially, growth of Fe core takes place from Fe3O4 source which acts as nucleating site for SnO2 growth on its surface as per the vapor-liquid- solid progression. Moreover, the composition of Fe/Sn source and temperature are found to have key roles in governing their morphology. XPS studies clearly demonstrate the presence of Fe species, which acts as a catalyst along with source for hetero-structure growth with SnO2. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2010.05.019}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Walke, Pravin S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000286305100010, title = {Effect of leakage current and dielectric constant on single and double layer oxides in MOS structure}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {519}, number = {5, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {37th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films, San Diego, CA, APR 26-30, 2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1530-1535}, publisher = {Amer Vacuum Soc, Adv Surface Engn Div}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

MOS structure of Al/Al2O3/n-Si, Al/TiO2/n-Si and Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si was obtained by deposition of Al2O3 and TiO2 on silicon substrate by RF Magnetron Sputtering system. The total thickness of the oxide layer similar to 40 +/- 5 nm in the MOS structure was kept constant. Samples were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Impedance analyzer and Current-voltage (J-V) characteristics. The variations in the dielectric constant and tan 8 of the MOS capacitor in the frequency range of 1000Hz-1MHz were measured by impedance analyzer. The variation in dielectric constant of the Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si multilayer compared to single layer of Al/Al2O3/n-Si and Al/TiO2/n-Si is due to high probability of defects, lattice mismatch and interface interactions. The steep rise of Tan 6 values in the Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si structure is due to the resonance effect of both Al2O3 and TiO2 layers. The leakage current mechanisms of MOS structures were extracted from Schottky coefficient and Poole-Frenkel coefficient. Theoretical values of Schottky coefficients (beta(SC)) and Poole-Frenkel coefficients (beta(PF)) for each sample were estimated using the real part of the dielectric constant. The experimental values were calculated from J-V characteristics and compared with theoretical values. The appropriate model has been proposed. It was found that Schottky and Poole-Frenkel mechanisms are applicable at low and high field respectively for all MOS structures. The combination of Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si is found to be a promising structure with high dielectric constant and low leakage current suitable for MOS devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Al2O3, dielectric constant, Leakage current, MOS device, Poole-Frenkel emission, Schottky emission, TiO2}, issn = {0040-6090}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2010.08.089}, author = {Laha, Pinaki and Panda, A. B. and Dahiwale, S. and Date, Kalyani S. and Patil, K. R. and Barhai, P. K. and Das, A. K. and Banerjee, Indrani and Mahapatra, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000274269700021, title = {Effect of reduced particle size on the magnetic properties of chemically synthesized BiFeO3 nanocrystals}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2108-2115}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Here, we report the effect of reduction in particle size on the temperature dependent magnetization of chemically synthesized BiFeO3 nanocrystals with average grain size of 55 nm. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show a significant broadening of binding energy peaks associated to Fe3+ 2p(3/2) core levels due to the reduced size. Additionally, due to the nanosize effect, the M-H loops show a significant coercivity starting from 390 K with an anomaly located in the vicinity of 150 K in our H-c vs T as well as M-r/M-s(50 kOe) vs T curves. At this temperature, both H-c and M-r/M-s(50 kOe) undergo minima. Additionally, our results for the first time show the evidence of existence of a low temperature anomaly due to spin-glass transition in the range from 40-44 K in the field cooled magnetization curves. In bulk single crystals, this transition is reported to be situated at around 50 K, however, this transition remained so far undiscovered in the recent studies on BiFeO3 nanoparticles due to the insufficient temperature resolution. The significant shift in this transition toward lower temperature can be attributed to size dependent effects. Our results clearly present new information on the size dependent properties of BiFeO3 nanoparticles.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp910745g}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Vivekanand, K. and Abraham, Priya Mary and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000278112200007, title = {Effect of solvents having different dielectric constants on reactivity: a conceptual DFT approach}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {110}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1642-1647}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Conceptual density functional theory is exploited to understand the reactivity in a medium of solvents with increasing dielectric constants. Aprotic as well as protic solvents are used for this study. It is found that the global parameters, such as chemical potential and hardness, decrease from gas phase to solvent phase with increasing dielectric constant. However, it is observed that the Fukui functions of the reactive atoms increase significantly with the dielectric constants of the aprotic solvents while for the protic solvents the variation of the reactivity indices is insignificant. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 110: 1642-1647, 2010

}, keywords = {COSMO, DFT, dielectric constant, Reactivity descriptors, solvent effect}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.22333}, author = {Kar, Rahul and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000273038200015, title = {Effect of the allylic substituents on ring closing metathesis: the total synthesis of stagonolide B and 4-epi-stagonolide B}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {398-406}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The total syntheses of stagonolide B and its 4-epimer were carried out to probe into how the relative stereochemistry of allylic hydroxy groups and their protecting groups influence the efficiency of the ring closing metathesis.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b916198h}, author = {Giri, Awadut G. and Mondal, Mohabul A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {43206, title = {Efficient synthesis of varenicline}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {51}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {151-152}, abstract = {Synthesis of varenicline the antismoking drug has been achieved in six steps with 10\% overall yield. A Diels-Alder reaction, oxidative cleavage of an olefin and reductive amination remain as key steps in the synthesis (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.10.107}, author = {Pasikanti, Srinivas and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Venkatesham, B. and Dubey, P. K. and Iqbal, Javed and Das, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000285311000016, title = {Enantio- and diastereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-strictifolione}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {36}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6993-7004}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

A concise and practical enantioselective synthesis of (+)-strictifolione has been achieved in high diastereomeric excess using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution, proline-catalyzed sequential alpha-aminoxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of aldehyde and cross olefin/ring-closing metathesis as the key steps.

}, keywords = {Asymmetric synthesis, Hydrolytic kinetic resolution, lactones, Natural products, organocatalysis, Ring-closing metathesis, Total synthesis}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201001221}, author = {Kumar, Pradeep and Pandey, Menaka and Gupta, Priti and Naidu, S. Vasudeva and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000278985800034, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of (R)-(+)-alpha-lipoic acid via proline-catalyzed sequential alpha-aminoxylation and HWE olefination of aldehyde}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {51}, number = {27}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3587-3589}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of (R)-(+)-alpha-lipoic acid is described, in high optical purity (\>97\% ee), using L-proline-catalyzed sequential alpha-aminoxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of aldehyde as the key step. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.05.007}, author = {Panchgalle, Sharad P. and Jogdand, Ganesh F. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000283216900029, title = {Enhancement of anisotropic conductivity, elastic, and dielectric constants in a liquid crystal-gold nanorod system}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {97}, number = {15}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {151913}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We report electrical conductivity (sigma), dielectric constant (epsilon) and the elastic constant measurements in a nematic liquid crystal (LC) doped with small concentrations of gold nanorods. This LC-nanoparticle complex, shows not only orders of magnitude higher sigma, but also stabilizes its anisotropy. The epsilon data suggests an increased ordering in the nematic phase, and an improved antiparallel correlation of the molecules in the isotropic phase. Surprisingly, an anisotropic enhancement of the Frank elasticity is also seen. We suggest a possible electro/magnetomechanical conductivity switch and also provide explanations based on the aspect ratio of the nanoparticles vis-a-vis the LC molecules. (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3499744]

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3499744}, author = {Sridevi, S. and Prasad, S. Krishna and Nair, Geetha G. and D{\textquoteright}Britto, Virginia and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000282471100001, title = {Enhancement of thermal stability and phase relaxation behavior of chitosan dissolved in aqueous l-lactic acid: using {\textquoteleft}silver nanoparticles{\textquoteright} as nano filler}, journal = {Macromolecular Research}, volume = {18}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {713-720}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Chitosan films with various compositions of silver nanoparticles were prepared by solution casting with an aqueous solution of chitosan and l-lactic acid. The chitosan/Ag nanocomposites were characterized by wide angle Xray diffraction (WAXD) and UV-vis spectroscopy. An analysis of the surface topography and size of the Ag nanoparticles (\<= 100 nm) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA) confirmed the increase in thermal stability with increasing Ag nanoparticle content in the nanocomposites. Dynamic thermal analysis (DMA) was used to examine the phase relaxation behavior of chitosan and its nanocomposites. The conductivity of chitosan/Ag nanocomposites was considered with respect to the frequency. Contact angle measurements were used to characterize the surface twistability, surface cleanliness, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the surface.

}, keywords = {Chitosan, conductivity, contact angle, relaxation, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {1598-5032}, doi = {10.1007/s13233-010-0801-9}, author = {Rana, V. K. and Pandey, Asutosh K. and Singh, Raj Pal and Kumar, B. and Mishra, Satyendra and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000280972500010, title = {Enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol production using xyloglucanase and debaromyces hansenii from tamarind kernel powder: galactoxyloglucan predominant hemicellulose}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {148}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {233-239}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The hydrolysis and ethanol production from tamarind kernel powder (TKP), a rich source of galactoxyloglucan (GXG) was investigated for the first time using xyloglucanase and thermotolerant Debaromyces hansenii. The acid hydrolysis of TKP with 2N H(2)SO(4) at 120 degrees C for 30 min yielded an overall saccharification of 94\% based on the total available carbohydrate content and further fermentation at 40 degrees C with thermotolerant D hansenii produced an ethanol yield of 0.35 g/g. A maximum hydrolysis of 55 and 78\% for GXG was obtained in 48 h at 50 degrees C using Thermomonospora xyloglucanase (TXy) and accellerase (TM) 1000, respectively. The synergistic effect of beta-galactosidase and xyloglucanase was demonstrated by the exogenous addition of beta-galactosidase to TXy which improved the overall hydrolysis of GXG by 30\%. The rate of hydrolysis of GXG with TXy and accellerase was increased by 15-20\% in the presence of chemical surfactants (tween 80 and toluene) or protein additive (BSA). The fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysates of GXG by TXy and accellerase with free cells at 40 degrees C produced an ethanol yield of 0.39 and 0.41 g/g whereas with immobilized cells produced 0.45 and 0.43 g/g, respectively, with a theoretical conversion efficiencies of 78-88\%. The immobilized yeast cells were reused six times at 40 degrees C with 100\% fermentation efficiency. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ethanol, Galactoxyloglucan, Hydrolysis, Tamarind kernel powder, Thermotolerant yeast, Xyloglucanase}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.06.004}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Prakash, Gyan and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000273400300004, title = {Experimental and theoretical study on the remarkable influence of protecting groups on the selectivity of addition of amines to vinyl sulfone-modified hex-2-enopyranosides}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {75}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {303-314}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Although phenylmethylene-protected vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrate 2 alpha reacts with both primary and secondary amines in Michael fashion to afford aminated products, only primary amines react with the dibenzyl-protected 3 alpha, 6-O-trityl-protected 4 alpha, and unprotected 5 alpha, highlighting for the first time the remarkable influence of protecting, groups on the reaction patterns of vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates. The quantum chemical calculations suggest that the Michael addition of amines and proton transfer to vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates 2 alpha and 5 alpha are possible via relay process in a concerted mechanism. These calculations reveal that the addition of primary amines to vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrate is preferential due to the low activation energy barriers, whereas the addition of secondary amines has relatively higher activation energy barriers. The theoretical conclusions are in line with the experimental observations.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo902046g}, author = {Bhattacharya, Rahul and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Manna, Chinmoy and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Suresh, Cheravakattu G. and Pathak, Tanmaya} } @article { ISI:000278798900006, title = {Expression profiling of various genes during the fruit development and ripening of mango}, journal = {Plant Physiology and Biochemistry}, volume = {48}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {426-433}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Alphonso) development and ripening are the programmed processes; conventional indices and volatile markers help to determine agronomically important stages of fruit life (fruit-setting, harvesting maturity and ripening climacteric). However, more and precise markers are required to understand this programming; apparently, fruit{\textquoteright}s transcriptome can be a good source of such markers. Therefore, we isolated 18 genes related to the physiology and biochemistry of the fruit and profiled their expression in developing and ripening fruits, flowers and leaves of mango using relative quantitation PCR. In most of the tissues, genes related to primary metabolism, abiotic stress, ethylene response and protein turnover showed high expression as compared to that of the genes related to flavor production. Metallothionin and/or ethylene-response transcription factor showed highest level of transcript abundance in all the tissues. Expressions of mono- and sesquiterpene synthases and 14-3-3 lowered during ripening; whereas, that of lipoxygenase, ethylene-response factor and ubiquitin-protein ligase increased during ripening. Based on these expression profiles, flower showed better positive correlation with developing and ripening fruits than leaf. Most of the genes showed their least expression on the second day of harvest, suggesting that harvesting signals significantly affect the fruit metabolism. Important stages in the fruit life were clearly indicated by the significant changes in the expression levels of various genes. These indications complemented those from the previous analyses of fruit development, ripening and volatile emission, revealing the harmony between physiological, biochemical and molecular activities of the fruit. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Mangifera indica, Stress response, Terpene metabolism, Transcriptome analysis}, issn = {0981-9428}, doi = {10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.02.012}, author = {Pandit, Sagar S. and Kulkarni, Ram S. and Giri, Ashok P. and Koellner, Tobias G. and Degenhardt, Joerg and Gershenzon, Jonathan and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000275363900023, title = {Fabrication, characterization and electrochemical performance of single strand carbon fiber prepared by catalytic chemical vapor decomposition method}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {55}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2022-2028}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Preparation, fabrication and voltammetric characterizations of a single strand of carbon fiber (SSCF) electrode and their potential applications for biosensor are presented. SSCFs of diameter ca. 10 +/- 2 mu m and few millimeters in length are prepared by catalytic chemical vapor decomposition (CCVD) method. Voltammetry with potassium ferricyanide. alpha-methylferrocene methanol and hexaammineruthenium(III) chloride on SSCF electrode are used as bench marks to validate the electrode properties. Quasi-steady state voltammograms obtained were fitted into a cylindrical diffusion model From which, the standard rate constant (k(0)) and electron transfer coefficient (alpha) are obtained. The use of SSCF electrode is demonstrated for the voltammetric detection of the micromolar quantity of dopamine in the presence of large excess (ca. 200 times) of ascorbic acid, without any fouling of electrode surface. The kinetics of electron transfer are investigated. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-Methylferrocene methanol, Ascorbic acid, Catalytic chemical vapor decomposition (CCVD), Cylindrical diffusion, dopamine, Hexaammineruthenium(III) chloride, Single strand carbon fiber (SSCF) electrode}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2009.11.025}, author = {Joshi, Vrushali S. and Gokhale, Suresh P. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Haram, Santosh K.} } @article { ISI:000284238000010, title = {Fabrication of homogeneous nanoparticle/nanoneedle BaTiO3 and Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 smooth thin films by simple dip coating}, journal = {International Journal of Nanotechnology}, volume = {7}, number = {9-12, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {919-931}, publisher = {INDERSCIENCE ENTERPRISES LTD}, address = {WORLD TRADE CENTER BLDG, 29 ROUTE DE PRE-BOIS, CASE POSTALE 896, CH-1215 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) and Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 (BSTO) thin film materials have been successfully prepared by sol-gel processing and simple dip coating on glass and silicon supports. Above thin films were characterised by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Phase identification of BaTiO3 and Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 was performed by XRD. XRD and Raman spectroscopy investigations demonstrate that thc Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 film exhibits tetragonal structure. AFM analysis demonstrates the elongated nanospherical particles on glass substrate and nanowires on silicon substrate, which represent a strong influence of the crystallinity of underlying substrate on the grain morphology in this technique. The thin films on both the substrates are uniformly coated without any pinhole to significant area (similar to 2.5 cm(2)), and this method might be extended to large area uniform coating. Spectroscopic ellipsometric measurements reveal the exact thickness, refractive index and extinction coefficient of the thin films.

}, keywords = {barium strontium titanate, barium titanate, dip coating, fabrication, ferroelectric material, large area coating, nanotechnology, thin film}, issn = {1475-7435}, author = {Saini, Mamta and Vivekanand, K. and Poddar, Pankaj and Murty, K. V. G. K. and Thushara, K. S. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000285413300005, title = {Fabrication of In-doped SnO2 nanowire arrays and its field emission investigations}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Nanoscience}, volume = {5}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {PII 931283663}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The field emission of In-doped SnO2 wire array has been performed in parallel plate diode configuration. A maximum current density of 60 mu A/cm2 is drawn from the emitter at an applied field of 4 V/mu m. The nonlinearity in the Fowler-Nordheim plot, characteristics of semiconductor emitter has been observed and explained on the basis of electron emission from both the conduction and the valence bands. The current stability recorded at a preset value of 1 mu A is observed to be good. The high emission current density, good current stability and mechanically robust nature of the wires offer unprecedented advantages as promising cold cathodes for many potential applications based on field emission.

}, keywords = {cold cathodes, device, Doping, field emission, Nanowires, SnO2}, issn = {1745-8080}, doi = {10.1080/17458081003671683}, author = {Bhise, Ashok B. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sathe, B. and More, Mahendra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000284018100044, title = {Facile synthesis of N- and S-incorporated nanocrystalline TiO2 and direct solar-light-driven photocatalytic activity}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {45}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {19473-19482}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Sulfur- and nitrogen-incorporated mesoporous TiO2 (SNT) nanocomposites have been synthesized by a template-free homogeneous coprecipitation technique. The above nanocomposites have been thoroughly characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopy methods to explore the structural, electronic, and optical properties. The photocatalytic activities of the catalysts were evaluated for the degradation of methyl orange and phenol under direct solar light. SNT shows about a 2-fold higher photocatalytic activity than singly N-doped or S-doped mesoporous TiO2 and 3-fold higher than Degussa P25. The higher activity might be attributed to the synergetic interaction of sulfate and nitrogen with the TiO2 lattice. N-Ti-O and O-Ti-N-O environments are responsible for a red shift, and the sulfate group on TiO2 acts as a cocatalyst, for increasing surface acidity as well as for sustaining the redox cycles for high stability.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp1083345}, author = {Naik, Brundabana and Parida, K. M. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000285081100050, title = {Ferrocene-Bis(thymine/uracil) conjugates: base pairing directed, spacer dependent self-assembly and supramolecular packing}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {75}, number = {24}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8705-8708}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

X-ray crystallographic studies of methylene linked Ferrocene-bis(thymine/uracil) conjugates Fc(T:T)m and Fc(U:U)(M) reveal base dependent 2-D supramolecular assemblies generated via wobble self-pairing for bis-thymine and reverse wobble self-pairing for bis-uracil conjugates, differing in architecture from the corresponding butylene spacer linked conjugates

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo101813z}, author = {Patwa, Amit N. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Ganesh, Krishna N.} } @article { ISI:000277834300107, title = {Field dependence of the magnetocaloric effect in core-shell nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {107}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, note = {11th Joint MMM-Intermag Conference, Washington, DC, JAN 18-22, 2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {09A902}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The field dependence of the magnetic entropy change peak at the low temperature surface spin freezing transition in chemically synthesized, monodispersed Co, Co-Ag, and Ni-Ag core-shell nanoparticles is studied, with the aim of gaining insight into the critical exponents of this transition. It is evidenced that although the magnitude of the peak entropy change and position of the peak can be tuned by changing the composition and nature (metallic or organic) of the shell and surfactant layers, the characteristics of the spin freezing transition are not altered. The field dependence of the refrigerant capacity also confirms this finding. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3335514]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3335514}, author = {Franco, V. and Conde, A. and Sidhaye, Deepti and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Poddar, P. and Srinath, S. and Phan, M. H. and Srikanth, H.} } @article { ISI:000272071800042, title = {Flocculation of dimorphic yeast benjaminiella poitrasii is altered by modulation of NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {101}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1393-1395}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A strategy to control flocculation is investigated using dimorphic yeast, Benjaminiella poitrasii as a model. Parent form of this yeast (Y) exhibited faster flocculation (11.1 min) than the monomorphic yeast form mutant Y-5 (12.6 min). Atomic force microscopy revealed higher surface roughness of Y (439.34 rms) than Y-5 (52 rms). Also, the former had a zeta potential of -65.97 +/- 3.45 as against -50.21 +/- 2.49 for the latter. Flocculation of both Y and Y-5 could be altered by supplementing either substrates or inhibitor of NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) in the growth media. The rate of flocculation was promoted by alpha-ketoglutarate or isophthalic acid and decelerated by glutamate with a statistically significant inverse correlation to corresponding NAD-GDH levels. These interesting findings open up new possibilities of using NAD-GDH modulating agents to control flocculation in fermentations for easier downstream processing. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Benjaminiella poitrasii, dimorphism, flocculation, NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2009.09.052}, author = {Joshi, C. V. and Ghormade, Vandana and Kunde, P. and Kulkarni, P. and Mamgain, H. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Paknikar, K. M. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000284635100022, title = {Fock space multi-reference coupled-cluster method for energies and energy derivatives}, journal = {Molecular Physics}, volume = {108}, number = {21-23, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {PII 927961714}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this article, the development of Fock space multi-reference coupled-cluster method is reviewed. Molecular applications of the method for excitation and ionisation energies which took place at Quantum Theory Project have been discussed. Later developments of the method for energy derivatives have been presented along with pilot applications of molecular properties of radicals and excited states.

}, keywords = {coupled-cluster, difference energies, energy derivatives, Fock space, Multi-reference}, issn = {0026-8976}, doi = {10.1080/00268976.2010.522205}, author = {Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000283453700016, title = {Fowler-nordheim plot behavior and mechanism of field electron emission from ZnO tetrapod structures }, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {4}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5585-5590}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Field emission measurements of current-voltage characteristics are reported for tetrapod structures of ZnO. The nonlinear Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plot is analyzed according to a model of calculation based on saturation of conduction band current and predominance of valence band current at high-field values. The simulated FN plot exhibits similar features to those observed experimentally. The model of calculation suggests that the slope variation of the FN plot, in the high-field and low-field regions, does not depend on the magnitude of saturation. Instead, it is a characteristic of the energy band structure and voltage-to-barrier-field conversion factor of the emitting material.

}, keywords = {field emission, Fowler-Nordheim plot, Nanostructures, nonlinearity, ZnO}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/nn1008403}, author = {Al-Tabbakh, Ahmed A. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000274954400005, title = {Gas-phase oxidant-free oxidation of cyclohexanol over V2O5-MoO3-M2O (M = Na, K, Cs) catalysts}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemical Technology}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {43-49}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Oxidant-free oxidation (dehydrogenation) of cyclohexanol is carried out in a down-flow integral laboratory scale reactor using different alkali doped catalysts. The effect of reaction temperature, contact time (W/F) and doping of alkali metals is studied to check its effect on nature of prominent products of the reaction (cyclohexanone and cyclohexene). At lower temperature the cyclohexanone prevails whereas at higher temperature cyclohexene is observed in prominence. Acid-modified catalysts (with boron and phosphorous) facilitated cyclohexene selectivity whereas alkali modified catalysts facilitated cyclohexanone selectivity. Calcination of sodium modified catalyst at different temperatures under static condition affect characteristic phase intensity and cyclohexanone selectivity. XRD investigation showed formation of different inorganic phases as the characteristic of dopant. Cesium modified catalyst showed better dehydrogenation activity.

}, keywords = {Cyclohexanol, dehydration, Dehydrogenation, Electronegativity, V2O5-MoO3}, issn = {0971-457X}, author = {Vyawahare, Y. K. and Chumbhale, Vilas R. and Pardhy, S. A. and Samuel, V. and Aswar, A. S.} } @article { ISI:000283602000008, title = {General and concise asymmetric synthesis of sphingosine, safingol and phytosphingosines via tethered aminohydroxylation}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {8}, number = {22}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5074-5086}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel, practical and efficient enantioselective synthesis of sphingoid bases, L-threo-[2S,3S]-sphinganine (safingol), L-threo-[2S,3S]-sphingosine, L-arabino-[2R,3S,4R] and L-xylo-[2R,3S,4S]-C(18)-phytosphingosine is described. The synthetic strategy features the Sharpless kinetic resolution and tethered aminohydroxylation (TA) as the key steps.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c0ob00117a}, author = {Kumar, Pradeep and Dubey, Abhishek and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000281130600002, title = {General approach to 2,4-dialkyl-3-carboxybutyrolactones: an efficient synthesis of (+/-)-striatisporolide A and (+/-)-lichesterinic acid}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {49}, number = {8, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1071-1075}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Starting from 2-alkylidene-3-methylsuccinimides, simple and efficient synthesis of the natural products striatisporolide A. lichesterinic acid and lichesterylic acid have been demonstrated via an acid catalyzed hydrolysis, esterification, OsO(4)-dihydroxylation and dehydrative cyclization pathway.

}, keywords = {2-Alkylidene-3-methylsuccinimides, dehydrative cyclizations, lichesterinic acid, OsO(4)-dihydroxylation, striatisporolide A, synthesis}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Patel, Ramesh M. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000273051800037, title = {Halide ion controlled shape dependent gold nanoparticle synthesis with tryptophan as reducing agent: enhanced fluorescent properties and white light emission}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {484}, number = {4-6}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {271-275}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We report the synthesis of Au nanoparticles in presence of two surfactants cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC) and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) by reducing Au(3+) ions with tryptophan. Interestingly, triangular shaped particles were seen to form in presence of CTAB, while spherical nanoparticles resulted with CTAC. The highlight of this result is the white light emission from the Au triangles obtained when CTAB is used. These results are supported by lifetime measurements and fluorescence. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2009.11.052}, author = {Kasture, Manasi and Sastry, Murali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000279843200010, title = {Harnessing structure-activity relationship to engineer a cisplatin nanoparticle for enhanced antitumor efficacy}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {28}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12435-12440}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Cisplatin is a first line chemotherapy for most types of cancer. However, its use is dose-limited due to severe nephrotoxicity. Here we report the rational engineering of a novel nanoplatinate inspired by the mechanisms underlying cisplatin bioactivation. We engineered a novel polymer, glucosamine-functionalized polyisobutylene-maleic acid, where platinum (Pt) can be complexed to the monomeric units using a monocarboxylato and an O {\textendash}\> Pt coordinate bond. We show that at a unique platinum to polymer ratio, this complex self-assembles into a nanoparticle, which releases cisplatin in a pH-dependent manner. The nanoparticles are rapidly internalized into the endolysosomal compartment of cancer cells, and exhibit an IC50 (4.25 + 0.16 mu M) comparable to that of free cisplatin (3.87 +/- 0.37 mu M), and superior to carboplatin (14.75 +/- 0.38 mu M). The nanoparticles exhibited significantly improved antitumor efficacy in terms of tumor growth delay in breast and lung cancers and tumor regression in a K-ras(LSL/+)/Pten(fl/fl) ovarian cancer model. Furthermore, the nanoparticle treatment resulted in reduced systemic and nephrotoxicity, validated by decreased biodistribution of platinum to the kidney as quantified using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. Given the universal need for a better platinate, we anticipate this coupling of nanotechnology and structure-activity relationship to rationally reengineer cisplatin could have a major impact globally in the clinical treatment of cancer.

}, keywords = {cancer, chemotherapy, nanomedicine}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1007026107}, author = {Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Soni, Shivani and Chin, Kenneth T. and Chaudhuri, Padmaparna and Muto, Katherine W. and Berkowitz, Julia and Handlogten, Michael W. and Alves, Nathan J. and Bilgicer, Basar and Dinulescu, Daniela M. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000273933800010, title = {Heterogenized copper catalysts for the amination of arylhalide: synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {372}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {73-81}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

This research investigated the synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of heterogenized copper complexes for the selective amination of aryl halides. Amination reactions using homogeneous copper catalyst systems are not generally selective and it is also difficult to recover the catalyst from the homogeneous system for recycling. To overcome these difficulties, our efforts were directed towards the development of cheaper heterogeneous catalyst systems, which can be easily recovered and recycled. Heterogenized analogs of the homogenous Cu complexes were prepared using two methods: (a) encapsulation of copper complexes in zeolite-Y and (b) tethering of copper complexes on various supports like zeolite-Y, silica, charcoal, or clay. The encapsulated and tethered copper catalysts on zeolite-Y were characterized using EPR, Diffused reflectance UV-vis, XRD, IAS, ICPES, SEM, and TEM. The results confirmed that the copper complexes were truly heterogenized in zeolite-Y support. Encapsulated and tethered copper complexes were tested for amination of aryl iodide. The effects of various reaction parameters were examined using tethered Cu(Phen)(PPh(3))Br-PTA-Y catalyst to determine optimum conditions. A recycle study of encapsulated and tethered Cu catalyst was carried out to test their robustness for possible commercial exploitation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amination, C-N coupling, Copper, heterogeneous catalysis, mesoporous materials}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2009.10.013}, author = {Patil, Nandkumar M. and Gupte, Sunil P. and Chaudhari, Raghunath V.} } @article { ISI:000280145000055, title = {High aspect ratio nanoscale multifunctional materials derived from hollow carbon nanofiber by polymer insertion and metal decoration}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {46}, number = {30}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5590-5592}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel high aspect ratio material which can simultaneously display multiple functions such as proton and electron conductivity and electrocatalytic activity has been developed by incorporating both platinum nanoparticles and phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole along the inner and outer surfaces of a hollow carbon nanofiber.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c0cc00571a}, author = {Balan, Beena K. and Kale, Vinayak S. and Aher, Pradnya P. and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000281153600066, title = {High current density, low threshold field emission from functionalized carbon nanotube bucky paper}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {97}, number = {7}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {073102}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Field emission studies of bucky paper of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), prepared after microwave (MW) assisted acid functionalization are reported along with a comparison with that of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}as-grown{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} sample. MW treated bucky papers reveal an interesting linear field emission behavior in Fowler-Nordheim plot. The field emission currents at preset value are found to be remarkably stable over a period of more than 3 h sustaining current densities of 4.9 mA/cm(2) and 8.5 mA/cm(2) for {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}as-grown{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and functionalized sample, respectively. The enhancement in the field emission due to functionalization has been discussed in terms of tip opening and defect induced charge transport caused by intershell and intertubular interaction. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3479049]

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, current density, field emission, fullerenes}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3479049}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Late, Dattatray J. and Chavan, Padmakar G. and Sheini, Farid J. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000281129100046, title = {High pt utilization electrodes for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells by dispersing pt particles formed by a preprecipitation method on carbon {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}polished{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} with polypyrrole}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {34}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {14654-14661}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Pt utilization on carbon black (CB) has been significantly improved by initially utilizing polypyrrole (PPy) as a moiety to {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}polish{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} the carbon surface and subsequently by dispersing Pt particles formed by a preprecipitation process to minimize their migration into the geometrically restricted areas of the carbon surface. This process strategy has helped to significantly extend the triple-phase boundary as a greater number of Pt particles comes in direct contact with Nafion, leading to a substantial improvement in the overall catalyst utilization. Preliminary analyses such as IR, thermogravimetric analysis, and N(2) sorption confirmed the presence of PPy on the surface. Approximately 50\% reduction in the surface area of CB after the controlled in situ polymerization of pyrrole monomer on the carbon surface indicated preferential filling and coverage of pores and other geometrically restricted pockets of carbon surface. On the other hand, by converting Pt into colloids in the preprecipitation method prior to their reduction, the platinum particles are forced to stay on the hybrid support; a major part of which otherwise would have been migrated into the surface pores and defect sites. Platinum particle size on these hybrid supports is 2 times higher than the catalyst prepared by polyol process. However, the electroactive surface area and mass activity are 2 times higher than that of the Pt particles prepared by polyol on hybrid material and are also significantly higher than that of the conventional electrocatalysts prepared by the polyol method. At 0.8 V, the kinetic current density (j(k)) of Pt/C-PPy-Pre obtained from the Koutecky-Levich plot is 1.5 and 2.5 times higher than that of catalysts prepared by the polyol method on PPy-coated carbon and Vulcan XC-72 carbon, respectively. Almost 210 and 160 mW cm(-2) improvement for the maximum power density, respectively with oxygen and air, was obtained with the modified system in comparison to the conventional system when the single cell evaluations were carried out at 60 degrees C with a Pt loading of 0.5 mg cm(-2) in the anode and cathode sides. This enhancement in the cell performance under the two different oxygen partial pressure conditions clearly emphasizes the improved oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and mass-transfer characteristics of the hybrid electrode material compared to the other catalysts.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp104664t}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000276052700007, title = {Highly sensitive and fast responding CO sensor based on Co3O4 nanorods}, journal = {Talanta}, volume = {81}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {37-43}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Co3O4 nanorods (diameters similar to 6-8 nm and lengths similar to 20-30 nm) were synthesized for the first time through a simple co-precipitation/digestion method by calcination of cobalt hydroxyl carbonate in air and their CO gas sensing properties were investigated. The Co3O4 nanorods exhibited outstanding gas sensing characteristics such as, higher gas response (similar to 6.55-50 ppm CO gas at 250 degrees C), extremely rapid response (similar to 3-4s), fast recovery (similar to 5-6s), excellent repeatability, good selectivity and lower operating temperature (similar to 250 degrees C). Furthermore, the Co3O4 nanorods are able to detect up to 5 ppm for CO with reasonable sensitivity (similar to 3.32) at an operating temperature 250 degrees C and they can be reliably used to monitor the concentration of CO over the range (5-50 ppm). The experimental results clearly demonstrate the potential of using the Co3O4 nanorods as sensing material in the fabrication of CO sensors. Plausible CO sensing mechanism of the Co3O4 nanorods is also discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CO sensor, Co3O4 nanorods, HRTEM, Semiconductor gas sensors, XPS, XRD}, issn = {0039-9140}, doi = {10.1016/j.talanta.2009.11.034}, author = {Patil, Dewyani and Patil, Pradip and Subramanian, Vijayanand and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Potdar, Hari S.} } @article {42746, title = {Highly stable adamantyl-substituted pincer-ligated iridium catalyst for alkane dehydrogenation}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {29}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2702{\textendash}2709}, abstract = {

The adamantyl-substituted pincer-ligand precursor AdPCP-H [(AdPCP = κ3-C6H3-2,6-(CH2PAd2)2); Ad = 1-adamantyl] has been synthesized by the reaction of 1,3-dibromoxylene with di-1-adamantylphosphine in the presence of triethylamine. Treatment of AdPCP-H with [Ir(COD)Cl]2 (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) affords the pincer-ligated complex (AdPCP)IrHCl, which was crystallographically characterized. Dehydrohalogenation of (AdPCP)IrHCl either with LiBEt3H or with KOtBu, under hydrogen atmosphere, yields the hydrides (AdPCP)IrH2 and (AdPCP)IrH4. (AdPCP)IrH2 catalyzes dehydrogenation of alkanes with a level of activity comparable to that of the previously reported (tBuPCP)IrH2, while it is thermally much more robust than the tBuPCP analogue, as well as iPrPCP or tBuPOCOP pincer complexes.

}, doi = {10.1021/om100145q}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Emge, Thomas J. and Goldman, Alan S.} } @article { ISI:000274929000006, title = {In situ encapsulation of pt nanoarchitectures of varying morphologies in mesoporous compounds}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {22}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1633-1639}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Nanoparticle morphology could be engineered and fine-tuned based on a novel in situ template method Different shapes of platinum nanoparticles were obtained from very low concentrations of precursors and could be isolated exclusively inside the mesochannels of SBA-15 This was achieved by dispersing a platinum precursor in surfactant modified polymer to different extents and using these composite materials as templates for the formation of mesoporous silica [PtCl(6)](2-) interacts with the cationic headgroup of the surfactant and facilitates the isolation of precursors within the composite template leading to the formation of nanoparticles molded by the walls of the mesochannels when calcined When this [PtCl(6)](2-)-surfactant-polymer micelle composite is aged for different duration, Pt nanoparticles of various morphologies like spheroids, nano rugby balls, and nanorods are obtained

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm9036499}, author = {Prashar, Atul K. and Hodgkins, Robert P. and Chandran, Jima N. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000280090500014, title = {In vitro regeneration of semecarpus anacardium L. from axenic seedling-derived nodal explants}, journal = {Trees-Structure and Function}, volume = {24}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {733-742}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Semecarpus anacardium (Anacardiaceae), a deciduous forest tree, is a potent source of medicinal compounds. Poor seed viability of this species limits the conventional propagation practice. Proliferation of shoots from axillary meristem was achieved in semisolid WPM medium supplemented with BAP 4.44 mu M and KN 4.64 mu M. Factors including culture vessels, gelling agents and antioxidants were identified and optimized for proliferation and growth of shoots in vitro. Cotton-plugged culture vessels were more favorable. Phytagel 0.2\% as gelling agent and activated charcoal 0.2\% as antioxidant were superior to other agents and antioxidants tested. All the shoots rooted in half-strength WPM liquid medium with IBA 2.46 mu M. Rooted shoots survived (91\%) in the soil-sand 1:1 mixture. Ex vitro rooting of shoots and hardening of plants were achieved in 80\% of the explants in the soil-sand mixture. Hardened plants were maintained in a greenhouse. This is the first report on in vitro regeneration of Semecarpus anacardium.

}, keywords = {Antioxidants, Culture vessels, Ex vitro rooting, Gelling agents, Medicinal tree, micropropagation}, issn = {0931-1890}, doi = {10.1007/s00468-010-0443-8}, author = {Panda, Bhuban Mohan and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article { ISI:000273051800057, title = {Influence of plane wave cut-off on structural and electronic properties in Sn-BEA and Ti-BEA zeolite water molecule interaction}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {484}, number = {4-6}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {374-379}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Periodic systems are best described by the pseudo-potential methods. However, the accuracy of its description depends on the cut-off of plane wave basis. This is much more critical in the case of weak interactions, where a clear understanding on the influence of plane wave cut-off on the structural and electronic properties is not readily available in the literature. In the present work, we have taken a metal substituted beta zeolite-H2O complex for understanding this objective. Our studies show that while a lower cut-off of 500 eV is sufficient for the convergence of the structural parameters, description of energy-dependent properties necessitates a high cut-off value. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2009.11.041}, author = {Kulkarni, Bhakti S. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42812, title = {Investigation of magnetic anisotropy in Co nanoparticles using ferromagnetic resonance technique}, journal = {Journal of Physics: Conference Series}, volume = {200}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {

Using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) technique, we have investigated the temperature dependence and angular dependence of line width and resonance magnetic field of Co nanoparticles capped with novel alkane carboxylic acids of varying chain lengths. The magnetic properties such as blocking temperature and anisotropy sensitively depend on the chain length as evidenced by the temperature dependence of line width. These results indicate that the magnetic properties of these samples are critically governed by the interparticle interactions which are decided by the chain length. The presence of anisotropy even up to very high temperature above the blocking temperature observed in these studies confirms the presence of inter-particle magnetic interactions as well as intra-particle exchange interaction between the core and shell regions as evidenced by our earlier ac susceptibility and transverse susceptibility measurements on similar system.

}, doi = {10.1088/1742-6596/200/7/072088}, author = {Sendilkumar, A. and Kasture, Manasi and Patel, Pitamber and Ramana, Chepuri V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Srinath, S.} } @article { ISI:000283349200004, title = {Investigations of CdS and Ag-CdS nanoparticles by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {257}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1390-1394}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In the present report, CdS and Ag-CdS nanoparticles were synthesized using cysteine as a capping agent. Surface properties CdS and Ag-CdS nanoparticles were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS study of CdS nanoparticles was carried out as a function of pH and for a refluxed sample at pH 11.2. Effect of dopant concentration on surface properties of Ag-CdS nanoparticles was also studied for as prepared samples as well as for annealed sample at 2\% doping. Effect of pH, dopant concentration, and effect of particle size on different sulfur species present in the system was studied. Features of Cd 3d, S 2p and Ag 3d core level have been discussed in detail. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag-CdS, CdS, Cysteine, XPS}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.08.035}, author = {Thakur, Priya and Joshi, Satyawati S. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000281430800001, title = {Kinetic model of TBP auto-regulation exhibits bistability}, journal = {Biology Direct}, volume = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {50}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: TATA Binding Protein (TBP) is required for transcription initiation by all three eukaryotic RNA polymerases. It participates in transcriptional initiation at the majority of eukaryotic gene promoters, either by direct association to the TATA box upstream of the transcription start site or by indirectly localizing to the promoter through other proteins. TBP exists in solution in a dimeric form but binds to DNA as a monomer. Here, we present the first mathematical model for auto-catalytic TBP expression and use it to study the role of dimerization in maintaining the steady state TBP level. Results: We show that the autogenous regulation of TBP results in a system that is capable of exhibiting three steady states: an unstable low TBP state, one stable state corresponding to a physiological TBP concentration, and another stable steady state corresponding to unviable cells where no TBP is expressed. Our model predicts that a basal level of TBP is required to establish the transcription of the TBP gene, and hence for cell viability. It also predicts that, for the condition corresponding to a typical mammalian cell, the high-TBP state and cell viability is sensitive to variation in DNA binding strength. We use the model to explore the effect of the dimer in buffering the response to changes in TBP levels, and show that for some physiological conditions the dimer is not important in buffering against perturbations. Conclusions: Results on the necessity of a minimum basal TBP level support the in vivo observations that TBP is maternally inherited, providing the small amount of TBP required to establish its ubiquitous expression. The model shows that the system is sensitive to variations in parameters indicating that it is vulnerable to mutations in TBP. A reduction in TBP-DNA binding constant can lead the system to a regime where the unviable state is the only steady state. Contrary to the current hypotheses, we show that under some physiological conditions the dimer is not very important in restoring the system to steady state. This model demonstrates the use of mathematical modelling to investigate system behaviour and generate hypotheses governing the dynamics of such nonlinear biological systems.

}, issn = {1745-6150}, doi = {10.1186/1745-6150-5-50}, author = {Gokhale, Sucheta A. and Roshan, Reema and Khetan, Vivek and Pillai, Beena and Gadgil, Chetan J.} } @article { ISI:000288434800016, title = {Kinetics studies and mechanism evolution of the epoxidation of styrene over nanoporous Au doped TS-1}, journal = {Polish Journal of Chemical Technology}, volume = {12}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {72-78}, publisher = {VERSITA}, address = {SOLIPSKA 14A-1, 02-482 WARSAW, POLAND}, abstract = {

{A kinetic investigation of the slurry phase epoxidation of styrene with hydrogen peroxide has been carried out, for the first time, over nanoporous Au doped TS-1 catalyst, in a batch reactor, in the temperature range of 313-333 K. It was found that product selectivity and the rate of reaction are greatly influenced by concentrations of styrene and hydrogen peroxide. Kinetics studies reveal that the mechanism of the reaction is of the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Redox{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} type. The rate equation

}, keywords = {Au/TS-1, epoxidation, kinetics, styrene, Styrene oxide}, issn = {1509-8117}, doi = {10.2478/v10026-010-0054-6}, author = {Saxena, Samidha and Dwivedi, Reena and Bhadauria, Sheenu and Chumbhale, Vilas R. and Prasad, Rajendra} } @article {42748, title = {Large-bite bisphosphite, 1,3-C6H4{OPOC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O}2: synthesis, copper(I), and gold(I) complexes}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {695}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {981{\textendash}986}, abstract = {

Large-bite bisphosphite ligand 1,3-C6H4{OPOC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O}2 (3), is obtained by reacting chlorophosphonite {OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O}PCl (2) with resorcinol in the presence of triethylamine. Treatment of 3 with CuCl in 1:1 molar ratio produces a 1D-coordination polymer [CuCl{({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC6H4O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})}-κP,κP]$\infty$ (4) in good yield. Similar reaction of 3 with two equivalents of AuCl(SMe2) affords a dinuclear complex, [Au2Cl2{({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC6H4O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})}-κP,κP] (5). Single crystal X-ray structures of the ligand 3 and the complexes 4 and 5 are reported. The gold complex 5 shows dimeric structure supported by strong Au{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}Au aurophilic interactions.

}, author = {Balakrishna, Maravanji S. and Kumar, Pawan and Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T.} } @article { ISI:000288651100012, title = {Lipase of aspergillus niger NCIM 1207: a potential biocatalyst for synthesis of isoamyl acetate}, journal = {Indian Journal of Microbiology}, volume = {50}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {432-437}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Commercial lipase preparations and mycelium bound lipase from Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207 were used for esterification of acetic acid with isoamyl alcohol to obtain isoamyl acetate. The esterification reaction was carried out at 30 degrees C in n-hexane with shaking at 120 rpm. Initial reaction rates, conversion efficiency and isoamyl acetate concentration obtained using Novozyme 435 were the highest. Mycelium bound lipase of A. niger NCIM 1207 produced maximal isoamyl acetate formation at an alcohol/acid ratio of 1.6. Acetic acid at higher concentrations than required for the critical alcohol/acid ratio lower than 1.3 and higher than 1.6 resulted in decreased yields of isoamyl acetate probably owing to lowering of micro-aqueous environmental pH around the enzyme leading to inhibition of enzyme activity. Mycelium bound A. niger lipase produced 80 g/l of isoamyl acetate within 96 h even though extremely less amount of enzyme activity was used for esterification. The presence of sodium sulphate during esterification reaction at higher substrate concentration resulted in increased conversion efficiency when we used mycelium bound enzyme preparations of A. niger NCIM 1207. This could be due to removal of excess water released during esterification reaction by sodium sulphate. High ester concentration (286.5 g/l) and conversion (73.5\%) were obtained within 24 h using Novozyme 435 under these conditions.

}, keywords = {Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207, Fusel oil, Isoamyl acetate formation, Mycelium bound lipase, Novozyme 435}, issn = {0046-8991}, doi = {10.1007/s12088-011-0087-4}, author = {Mhetras, Nutan and Patil, Sonal and Gokhale, Digambar V.} } @article { ISI:000273689600061, title = {Magnetic and dielectric properties and Raman spectroscopy of GdCrO3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {107}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {013912}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The rare earth orthochromites are extremely interesting due to the richness of their optical, dielectric, and magnetic properties as well as due to their multiferroic properties which make them suitable materials to study in the nanoregime. However, the wet-chemical synthesis of these materials in nanosize is nontrivial. Here, we report for the first time, the detailed Raman spectra as well as magnetic and dielectric properties of chemically synthesized GdCrO3 nanoparticles of size ranging from 40 to 60 nm. The magnetic properties are dictated by competing Cr3+-Cr3+, Gd3+-Cr3+, and Gd3+-Gd3+ superexchange interactions in different temperature regions, resulting into an antiferromagnetic ordering at 167 K due to the Cr3+-Cr3+ followed by weak ferromagnetic ordering due to the onset of Cr3+-Gd3+ interactions. At lower temperature, it shows weak antiferromagnetic ordering due to Gd3+-Gd3+ interaction. Below 95 K, GdCrO3 nanoparticles showed the presence of negative magnetization due to Gd3+ and Cr3+ interactions resulting into weak ferromagnetic coupling. The Raman spectroscopy shows the characteristic Raman shifts indicating that below 450 cm(-1), Gd3+ ions play a dominant role in determining the phonon frequencies of GdCrO3, and above 450 cm(-1), the Cr+3 ions dominate. We also present for the first time the low temperature dielectric constant and loss tangent data for GdCrO3 in a broad temperature and frequency range. The dielectric constant shows a decrease in comparison to the bulk values due to the size dependent effects. It also shows a peak centered at around 320 K above which it shows a sharp decrease. The dielectric loss value in GdCrO3 nanoparticles is quite small and shows an interesting frequency dependent anomaly at lower temperature which might be due to the coupling between magnetic and dielectric order parameters.

}, keywords = {dielectric losses, gadolinium compounds, Magnetisation, Multiferroics, nanofabrication, Nanoparticles, permittivity, phonons, Raman spectra, superexchange interactions}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3275926}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Vivekanand, K. and Maity, Tuhin and Abraham, Priya Mary and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000278305600001, title = {Magnetic, dielectric and complex impedance spectroscopic studies of nanocrystalline Cr substituted Li-ferrite}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {322}, number = {18}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2629-2633}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline Li0.5Fe2.5-xCrxO4 (2.5 \<= x \>= 0) ferrites were prepared by a sol-gel autocombustion route. X-ray diffraction was employed to confirm the cubic spinel phase formation of the ferrites. The lattice parameter decreases with increase in Cr content. The saturation magnetization, coercivity and remanance were studied as a function of Cr content. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss were measured as a function of frequency in the frequency range 20 Hz-1 MHz. Frequency dependence of dielectric constant shows dielectric dispersion due to the Maxwell-Wagner type of interfacial polarization. In order to understand the conduction mechanism, complex impedance measurements were carried out. The substitution of chromium plays an important role in changing the dielectric and magnetic properties of lithium ferrites. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Complex impedance, dielectric response, Ferrites, Magnetic hysteresis, Sol-gel synthesis, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2010.03.005}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Patil, R. P. and Sankpal, U. B. and Garadkar, K. M. and Sasikala, R. and Tripathi, A. K. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @conference { ISI:000287122200024, title = {Mathematical modeling and simulation of bubble column reactor for aerial liquid phase cyclohexane oxidation}, booktitle = {International Conference on Modeling, Optimization, and Computing}, series = {AIP Conference Proceedings}, volume = {1298}, year = {2010}, note = {International Conference on Modeling, Optimization, and Computing, Durgapur, INDIA, OCT 28-30, 2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {151-159}, publisher = {Natl Inst Technol Durgapur; SERC, Dept Sci \& Technol; Caledonian Coll Engn; BRNS, Dept Atom Energy; DRDO, Minist Defence}, organization = {Natl Inst Technol Durgapur; SERC, Dept Sci \& Technol; Caledonian Coll Engn; BRNS, Dept Atom Energy; DRDO, Minist Defence}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1no1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Cyclohexane oxidation is an important but complex commercial reaction, wherein the desired product, K-A oil appears as an intermediates of the reaction sequence. A mathematical model has been developed for the bubble column reactor operating under isothermal conditions. The mass and energy model equations consisted of stiff ODEs. The model was applied to describe the behavior of bubble column reactor for aerial liquid phase cyclohexane oxidation. Effect of initial substrate concentration, catalyst loading and temperature was studied and discussed in detail. Conclusions were presented at the end of the study.

}, keywords = {K-A Oil Selectivity, Mathematical modeling, substrate conversion and product yield analysis}, isbn = {978-0-7354-0854-8}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.3516293}, author = {Upkare, Makarand M. and Rajurkar, Kalpendra B. and Gupta, Pankaj R. and Jaganathan, Rengaswamy}, editor = {Paruya, S. and Kar, S. and Roy, S} } @article { ISI:000274929000012, title = {Melting characteristics of superlattices of alkanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles: the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}excluded{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} story of excess thiol}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {22}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1680-1685}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Melting characteristics of gold nanoparticle superlattices obtained from nanoparticles capped by alkanethiols of different chain lengths (octane, dodecane and hexadecane) have been investigated. The alkanethrol capped nanoparticles were synthesized by the well-established digestive ripening method It is observed that as the chain length Of the thiol increases, the propensity to form superlattices decreases and the melting of the superlattice is observed at lower temperature However, the Formation of the 3D superlattice is critically dependent on the presence of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}excess{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} thiol as determined from thermogravimetric and transmission electron microscope analysis. In the absence of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}excess{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} thiol, only 2D hexagonally close-packed arrangements were seen

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm9031607}, author = {Sidhaye, Deepti S. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000274424100003, title = {Mild, efficient, and regioselective monobromination of arylamines and phenols using [BBIm]Br-3 as a new reagent}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {40}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {PII 919083074}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

We report here an efficient method for the synthesis and characterization of the room-temperature ionic liquid 1,3-di-n-butylimidazolium tribromide ([BBIm]Br-3) (2) and its application as an efficient reagent and solvent for regioselective bromination of arylamines and phenols under mild conditions. The bromination was carried out in the absence of organic solvents, and in most cases, the only extraction solvent needed was water. The spent 1,3-di-n-butylimidazolium bromide (1) was easily recycled.

}, keywords = {Ionic liquid, monobromination, Regioselective, Solvent-free, [BBIm]Br3}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910903009430}, author = {Borikar, Sanjay P. and Daniel, Thomas and Paul, Vincent} } @article {42579, title = {Mn-doped nanocrystals in light-emitting diodes: energy-transfer to obtain electroluminescence from quantum dots}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {97}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article number: 113502}, abstract = {

We fabricatelight-emitting diodes(LEDs) based on Mn-doped ZnSnanocrystals along with hole-transporting bis(3-methylphenyl)--diphenyl-benzidine (TPD). With Mn-doping, ZnSnanostructures exhibit a strong photoluminescence. The LEDs exhibit electroluminescence(EL) from Mn-doped ZnSquantum dots and TPD. In order to open up channels for energy-transfer from TPD to quantum dots and to achieve EL from only the nanoparticles, we grow core-shell nanoparticles with Mn-doped ZnS in the core and CdS as the shell layer. Excitons formed in TPD can now transfer their energy directly to the shell-layer to yield EL from only the nanoparticles.

}, doi = {10.1063/1.3489099}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Bhaumik, Saikat and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000284743900017, title = {Model study of effect of M = Li+, Na+, Be2+, Mg2+, and Al3+ ion decoration on hydrogen adsorption of metal-organic framework-5}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {35}, number = {23, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12846-12857}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of light metal ion decoration of the organic linker in metal organic framework MOF 5 on its hydrogen adsorption with respect to its hydrogen binding energy (Delta B E) and gravimetric storage capacity is examined theoretically by employing models of the form MC6H6 nH(2) where M = Li+ Na+ Be2+ Mg2+ and Al3+ A systematic investigation of the suitability of DFT functionals for studying such systems is also carried out Our results show that the interaction energy (Delta E) of the metal ion M with the benzene ring Delta B E and charge transfer (Q(trans)) from the metal to benzene ring exhibit the same increasing order Na+ \< Li+ \< Mg2+ \< Be2+ \< Al3+ Organic hnker decoration with the above metal ions strengthened H-2 MOF 5 interactions relative to its pure state However amongst these ions only Mg2+ ion resulted in Delta B E magnitudes that were optimal for allowing room temperature hydrogen storage applications of MOF 5 A much higher gravimetric storage capacity (6 15 wt \% H-2) is also predicted for Mg2+ decorated MOF 5 as compared to both pure MOF 5 and Li+ decorated MOF (C) 2010 Professor T Nejat Veziroglu Published by Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

}, keywords = {Binding energy, Hydrogen adsorption, Hydrogen storage, Metal organic frameworks}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.08.054}, author = {Maark, Tuhina Adit and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000273066200048, title = {Modular total synthesis of aculeatins A, B, E, F and 6-epi-aculeatins E, F}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {66}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {390-399}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of aculeatins A, B. E and F confirming the assigned absolute configuration of recently isolated aculeatins E and F is documented. A convergent approach has been designed by the addition of both the terminal units (phenol and side chain) at an advanced stage. The central 1,3,5-triol unit with the requisite stereochemistry was prepared from the commercially available alpha-D-glucoheptonic-gamma-lactone. Selective O-debenzylation during the hydrogenolysis of the diyne intermediate and the one pot phenolic oxidation with concomitant spiroketalization highlight the accomplished total syntheses. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {aculeatins, Alkyne-oxirane coupling, Natural products synthesis, Oxidative spiroketalization, Sonogashira coupling}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2009.10.058}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Pandey, Sunil Kumar} } @article { ISI:000274375500003, title = {Molecular cloning, over expression, and activity studies of a peptidic HIV-1 protease inhibitor: designed synthetic gene to functional recombinant peptide}, journal = {Peptides}, volume = {31}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {16-21}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

The aspartic protease inhibitor (ATBI) purified from a Bacillus sp. is a potent inhibitor of several proteases including recombinant HIV-1 protease, pepsin, and fungal aspartic protease. In this study, we report the cloning, and over expression of a synthetic gene coding for ATBI in Escherichia coli and establish a purification Protocol. The ATBI molecule consists of eleven amino acids and is peptidic in nature. We used the peptide sequence data of ATBI to synthesize complementary oligonucleotides, which were annealed and subsequently cloned in-frame with the gene for glutathione-S-transferase (GST). The expression of the resulting fusion protein was induced in E. coli BL21-A1 cells using arabinose. The recombinant peptide was Purified using a reduced glutathione column, and cleaved with Factor Xa to remove the GST tag. The resultant product was further purified to homogeneity using RP-HPLC. Mass spectroscopy analysis revealed that the purified peptide had a molecular weight of 1186 Da which matches the theoretical molecular weight of the amino acids present in the synthetic gene. The recombinant peptide was found to be active in vitro against HIV-1 protease, pepsin, and fungal aspartic protease. The protocol described in this study may be used to clone pharmaceutically important peptide molecules. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gateway cloning, HIV-1 protease, inhibitor, Proteases, Synthetic gene}, issn = {0196-9781}, doi = {10.1016/j.peptides.2009.09.034}, author = {Vathipadiekal, Vinod and Umasankar, Perunthottathu K. and Patole, Milind S. and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000274432400021, title = {Molecular electric dipole moments using the GVVPT2 variant of multireference perturbation theory}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {487}, number = {1-3}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {116-121}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A Lagrangian approach for electric dipoles within second order Generalized Van Vleck Perturbation Theory (GVVPT2) is presented. The Lagrangian approach for this response property requires that only one, perturbation-independent, set of simultaneous equations needs to be solved. The presented formulation is demonstrated numerically on several well studied molecules at their equilibrium bond lengths and on the complete potential energy curves of the ground and first excited states of LiH. Numerical corroboration of the expected continuity for molecular properties for the GVVPT2 method is observed. It is seen that the GVVPT2 electric dipoles are in good agreement with experiment and with other high accuracy theoretical methods. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2010.01.003}, author = {Theis, Daniel and Khait, Yuriy G. and Pal, Sourav and Hoffmann, Mark R.} } @article { ISI:000281058900005, title = {Nanogold-Loaded sharp-edged carbon bullets as plant-gene carriers}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials}, volume = {20}, number = {15}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2416-2423}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The higher DNA delivery efficiency into plants by gold nanoparticles embedded in sharp carbonaceous carriers is demonstrated. These nanogold-embedded carbon matrices are prepared by heat treatment of biogenic intracellular gold nanoparticles. The DNA-delivery efficiency is tested on a model plant, Nicotiana tabacum, and is further extended to the monocot, Oryza sativa, and a hard dicot tree species, Leucaena leucocephala. These materials reveal good dispersion of the transport material, producing a greater number of GUS foci per unit area. The added advantages of the composite carrier are the lower plasmid and gold requirements. Plant-cell damage with the carbon-supported particles is very minimal and can be, gauged from the increased plant regeneration and transformation efficiency compared with that of the commercial micrometer-sized gold particles. This is ascribed to the sharp edges that the carbon supports possess, which lead to better piercing capabilities with minimum damage.

}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.200901883}, author = {Vijayakumar, Periyasamy S. and Othalathara U. Abhilash and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000279514400059, title = {Nanoscale modulation of electronic states across unit cell steps on the surface of an epitaxial colossal magnetoresistance manganite film}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {96}, number = {26}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {Article No. 263108}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The nature of electronic states near the edge of unit cell steps on the surface of epitaxial La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3) (LSMO) thin films grown by real-time reflection high energy electron diffraction monitored pulsed laser deposition is examined by scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy techniques. It is observed that the electronic states are strongly modulated near the step edge with considerably high gap at the edge and low gap on the terrace. This modulation weakens at low temperature. The temperature evolution of the density of states and the nature of gap in deep metallic state of LSMO are also discussed. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3455886]

}, keywords = {colossal magnetoresistance, electronic density of states, lanthanum compounds, magnetic epitaxial layers, Nanostructured materials, pulsed laser deposition, reflection high energy electron diffraction, scanning tunnelling microscopy, scanning tunnelling spectroscopy, strontium compounds}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3455886}, author = {Rana, Abhimanyu and Bogle, Kashinath A. and Game, Onkar S. and Patil, Shankar and Valanoor, Nagarajan and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article {42578, title = {Near-IR activity of hybrid solar cells: enhancement of efficiency by dissociating excitons generated in PbS nanoparticles}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {96}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article no: 073505}, abstract = {

Photovoltaic devices based on PbSnanoparticles remained inactive in the near-IR region due to a not-so-favorable energy band-diagram that does not allow dissociation of excitons generated in PbS. In this work, with the introduction of nanostructures in the PbS-based hybrid system, we show an enhancement of photovoltaic performance in both visible and near-IR regions. The addition of increases the power conversion efficiency from 0.006\% to 0.12\%. With the aid of energy band-diagram, we show that excitons generated in PbS even in the near-IR range can now become dissociated to yield photocurrent in the external circuit.

}, doi = {10.1063/1.3292183}, author = {Guchhait, Asim and Rath, Arup Kumar and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000285326300001, title = {New ATRP initiator for synthesis of cyclic carbonate-terminated poly(methyl methacrylate)}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {70}, number = {12}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {931-937}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A new ATRP initiator, viz, 2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl-(methyl-2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate) (ODMBMP) was synthesized by the reaction of commercially available glycerol carbonate with 2-bromoisobutyrylbromide and was used to carry out ATRP reactions of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of copper chloride/N,N{\textquoteright},N{\textquoteright},N{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}N{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine to afford low molecular weight (M(n)(GPC) = 1750-7550) cyclic carbonate-terminated poly(methyl methacrylate)s with relatively narrow molecular weight distribution (M(w)/M(n) = 1.16-1.30). Poly(methyl methacrylate)s having higher molecular weight (M(n)(GPC) = 18,250 and 44,130) could also be synthesized using ODMBMP as the ATRP initiator. The kinetic studies of bulk ATRP of MMA showed a linear relationships between both In[M](o)/[M(t)] vs time and molecular weight vs conversion indicating controlled/living polymerization. The presence of cyclic carbonate functionality in poly(methyl methacrylate)s was confirmed by FUR. (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The reactivity of cyclic carbonate group was demonstrated by a model reaction using n-propyl amine and the results showed quantitative conversion to hydroxyl urethane group. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), cyclic carbonate, functional polymers, poly(methyl methacrylate)}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2010.08.005}, author = {Palaskar, Dnyaneshwar V. and Sane, Prakash S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000280708400032, title = {New organic-inorganic hybrid microporous organosilica having high metal ion adsorption capacity}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {12}, number = {32}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9389-9394}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new microporous organic-inorganic hybrid organosilica LHMM-2 containing a bis(propyliminomethyl)benzene moiety inside the framework has been synthesized hydrothermally without using any template or structure-directing agent. Powder XRD and TEM image analyses suggest a new disordered microporous structure with pores of dimension ca. 0.54 nm, and C-13 and Si-29 MAS NMR and spectroscopic results indicate the presence of bridging organic bis(propyliminomethyl) benzene moiety in this framework. TPD-NH3 results suggested that nearly 5 times as much bis(propyliminomethyl) benzene moiety is located inside the micropore walls (matrix) than in the surface of the pores. LHMM-2 shows very high adsorption capacity for metal cations like Fe3+, Cu2+ and Zn2+.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/b925619a}, author = {Paul, Manidipa and Pal, Nabanita and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Rana, Bharat S. and Sinha, Anil K. and Bhaumik, Asim} } @article { ISI:000279958200023, title = {Nitrophenoxy groups containing polybenzimidazoles as polymer electrolytes for fuel cells: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {117}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3282-3292}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Polybenzimidazoles containing different contents of pendant nitrophenoxy groups were prepared by condensation of 3,3{\textquoteright}-diamino-benzidine with a mixture of 3,5-dicarboxyl-4{\textquoteright}-nitro diphenyl ether and isophthalic acid (IPA) in different ratios in polyphosphoric acid. The polymers are soluble in polar aprotic solvents, they have inherent viscosities in the range of 0.75-1.10 dL g(-1) and they form tough and transparent films on solution casting. They have good thermal stability with initial decomposition temperature ranging from 380 to 416 degrees C in nitrogen, good tensile strength ranging from 56 to 65 MPa and reasonably good oxidative stability. Phosphoric acid uptake of these polymers is low compared with PBI and membranes doped with phosphoric acid exhibit good proton conductivity in the range of 6.6x 10(-3) to 1.9x 10(-2) S/cm at 25 degrees C and 1.2x 10(-2) to 4.9x 10(-2) S/cm at 175 degrees C, compared with 3.9x 10(-3) S/cm at 25 degrees C and 3.2x 10(-2) S/cm at 175 degrees C for PBI. These membranes are suitable for applications as polymer electrolyte for fuel cell and presumably for gas separation at high temperature. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 3282-3292, 2010

}, keywords = {Characterization, membranes, pendant nitrophenoxy group, polybenzimidazoles, proton conductivity, synthesis}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.30279}, author = {Kulkarni, Mahesh and Potrekar, Ravindra and Kulkarni, R. A. and Vernekar, S. P.} } @article { ISI:000274424100004, title = {N-nitrosation of secondary amines using p-TSA-NaNO2 as a novel nitrosating agent under mild conditions}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {40}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {PII 919082658}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A combination of p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) and sodium nitrite was used as a novel effective nitrosating agent for the N-nitrosation of secondary amines to their corresponding nitroso derivatives under mild and heterogeneous conditions in moderate to excellent yields.

}, keywords = {N-nitrosation, nitroso amines, p-toluenesulfonic acid, secondary amines}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910903009448}, author = {Borikar, Sanjay P. and Paul, Vincent} } @article { ISI:000275434800071, title = {Novel poly(amide-hydrazide)s and copoly(amide-hydrazide)s from Bis-(4-aminobenzyl) hydrazide and aromatic diacid chlorides: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {116}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2441-2450}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A new aromatic diamine, viz., bis-(4-aminobenzyl) hydrazide (BABH), which contains preformed hydrazide and methylene linkage, was synthesized starting from alpha-tolunitrile. The BABH and intermediates involved in its synthesis were characterized by spectroscopic methods. Novel poly(amide-hydrazide)s were synthesized by low temperature solution polycondensation of BABH with isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) and terephthaloyl chloride (TPC). Furthermore, two series of copoly(amide-hydrazide)s, based on different mol \% of BABH and bis-(4-aminophenyl) ether (ODA) with IPC/TPC were also synthesized. Poly(amidehydrazide)s and copoly(amide-hydrazide)s were characterized by inherent viscosity [eta(inh)], FTIR, solubility, X-ray diffraction (MUD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The polycondensation proceeded smoothy and afforded the polymers with inherent viscosities in the range of 0.18-093 dL/g in (NMP + 4\% LiCl) at 30 degrees C +/- 0.1 degrees C. These polymers dissolved in DMAc, NMP or DMSO containing LiCl. The solubility of copolymers was considerably improved in line with less crystalline nature due to random placement of constituent monomers during the copolymerization. XRD data indicated that poly(amide-hydrazide)s from BABH alone and IPC/TPC had higher crystallinity than the corresponding copoly(amide-hydrazide)s derived from a mixture of BABH and bis-(4-aminophenyl) ether (ODA). Polymers showed initial weight loss around 160 degrees C which is attributed to the cyclodehydration leading to the formation of corresponding poly(amide-oxadiazole)s. Copolyamide-hydrazides showed, T(max) between 400 and 540 degrees C which is essentially the decomposition of poly(amide-oxadiazole)s. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J App Polym Sci 116: 2441-2450, 2010

}, keywords = {bis-(4-aminobenzyl) hydrazide, poly(amide-hydrazide), structure-property relations, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), x-ray diffractograms}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.31849}, author = {Medhi, M. and Patil, A. S. and Halhalli, Mahadeo R. and Choubey, A. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000275045600020, title = {Observation of photoconductivity in Sn-doped ZnO nanowires and their photoenhanced field emission behavior}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3843-3849}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Sn-doped ZnO nanowire films have been Successfully synthesized by electrodeposition oil zinc foil followed by annealing in air at 400 degrees C for 4 h. The XRD patterns of the annealed specimens exhibit I set of well-defined diffraction peaks indexed to the wurtzite phase of ZnO. The Surface morphology of the as-synthesized films showed a network of densely packed flakes/sheets oil the Substrate. However, upon annealing, the formation of ZnO nanowires, processing length in the range of several micrometers and diameter less than 150 nm, oil the entire substrate is observed. The relative atomic percentage of Sri, estimated from the energy dispersive spectra, was found to be 0.5 and 2.0 in the ZnO films deposited for 10 and 40 min durations, respectively. Front the field emission studies, the Values of the turn-on field and threshold field, required to draw emission Current density of 10 and 100 mu A/cm(2), are observed to be 0.68 and 1.1 V/mu m for 0.5\% Sn-doped ZnO and 1.72 and 2.25 V/mu m for 2.0\% Sn-doped ZnO, respectively. The field emission Current stability investigated for a duration Of h at the preset value of 100 mu A is found to be excellent. A prominent photoenhancement in the field emission Current upon visible light illumination of the Sn-doped ZnO nanowires films has been observed. This enhancement has been attributed to the photoconductivity of the Sn-doped ZnO.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp911080f}, author = {Sheini, Farid Jamali and More, Mahendra A. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Patil, K. R. and Pillai, Vijaymohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000275170800011, title = {One-pot synthesis of oleic acid-capped cadmium chalcogenides (CdE: E = Se, Te) nano-crystals}, journal = {Journal of Nanoparticle Research}, volume = {12}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {101-109}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Surface-capped CdSe and CdTe nano-crystals (NCs) have been synthesized using cadmium acetate, oleic acid and respective tri-octylphosphine chalcogenide (TOPE; E = Se/Te) in diphenyl ether (DPE). Well-dispersed CdSe particles showed two absorption bands at the region of 431-34 and 458-60 nm in optical absorption study. A band-edge emission resulted at 515 nm with an excitation energy of 400 nm, in its photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. Similarly, UV-visible absorption study of CdTe revealed an absorption band at \< 700 nm. The broadened X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern showed that at higher reaction temperature cubic CdSe but hexagonal CdTe can be obtained with crystallite size of \< 10 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that agglomerated particles are of spherical nature. The inter-planar spacing in CdTe was measured to be 0.406 nm, a characteristic of (100) lattice plane in hexagonal CdTe. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that CdSe NCs have better air stability stable than CdTe. Presence of organic moiety around the semiconductor particles was confirmed by infrared (IR) spectroscopy.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, photoluminescence, Semiconductors, Surface capping}, issn = {1388-0764}, doi = {10.1007/s11051-008-9581-y}, author = {Khanna, P. K. and Rao, K. Srinivasa and Patil, K. R. and Singh, V. N. and Mehta, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000284728400014, title = {Organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of (-)-delta-coniceine based on sequential proline-catalyzed asymmetric alpha-amination-HWE olefination}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {21}, number = {19}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2399-2401}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient asymmetric synthesis of (-)-delta-coniceine via sequential proline-catalyzed asymmetric alpha-amination and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of an aldehyde with excellent enantiomeric excess (\>99\%) and high yields (overall yield 44\%) is described. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2010.08.009}, author = {Panchgalle, Sharad P. and Bidwai, Harshad B. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000283834100025, title = {Organocatalytic route to the synthesis of lactone moiety of compactin and mevinolin}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {51}, number = {44}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5838-5839}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of lactone moiety of compactin has been achieved. The stereogenic centers were generated by means of iterative proline-catalyzed sequential alpha-aminoxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination of aldehydes. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aminoxylation, Compactin, Lactone, organocatalysis, Proline}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.08.093}, author = {Kumar, Pradeep and Pandey, Menaka and Gupta, Priti and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000279787600008, title = {Origin of magnetic anomalies below the neel temperature in nanocrystalline LuMnO3}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {28}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12104-12109}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Rare earth manganites crystallize in distorted orthorhombic perovskite or hexagonal structures and exhibit quite interesting optical and magnetic properties dictated by the size of the rare earth ion. Many of these materials might exhibit both ferroelectric and magnetic ordering as well as magnetoelectric coupling. However, their physical properties at reduced particle sizes remain underexplored due to the challenges associated with their synthesis with a proper control over the crystalline phase. Here, we report the wet-chemical synthesis of the hexagonal phase of nanocrystalline LuMnO3 with an average crystallite size of similar to 32 nm. The room-temperature Raman spectroscopy data are consistent with the calculated values of isomorphous hexagonal RMnO3 (R = rare earth atom) compounds with P6(3)cm symmetry. The UV-vis-NIR spectra recorded in the diffused reflectance mode at room temperature show electronic transitions at 1.7 eV (729 nm), 2.3 eV (539 nm), and 5 eV (258 nm). The magnetization measurements show that the Neel temperature for the LuMnO3 is situated at around 89 K, which is in close proximity to the reported value of the bulk phase. We also observed two unique and field-dependent magnetic anomalies that were predicted earlier but never reported experimentally. The first anomaly is observed as a sharp bifurcation in the ZFC-FC curves below 44 K at a 100 Oe applied field, which is accompanied with a sudden rise in the coercivity and magnetization. A second transition is observed at 12 K as a sharp peak in the ZFC curves, which is accompanied with a dip in coercivity. We attribute the transition at 44 K to the reorientation of the Mn3+ ions due to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, and the transition at 12 K is explained by weak antiferromagnetic coupling between Mn-O-Mn in the ab plane, which becomes dominant at lower temperatures.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp103037r}, author = {Das, Raja and Jaiswal, Adhish and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000279864100030, title = {Pd-catalyzed one-pot chemoselective hydrogenation protocol for the preparation of carboxamides directly from azides}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {51}, number = {29}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3815-3819}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Carboxamides were obtained efficiently in high yields from azides on reaction with the corresponding pre-formed activated carboxylic acids in a single-step reductive transformation using hydrogen atmosphere (balloon) under Pd/BaSO(4) or Pd/CaCO(3) catalysis. The method is highly chemoselective and compatible with extremely labile functional groups such as benzyl carbamates, benzyl ethers, benzyl esters, and olefins. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Azide, Carboxamide, Catalytic hydrogenation, Chemoselective, Palladium, Succinimide ester}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.05.066}, author = {Bavikar, Sudhir N. and Salunke, Deepak B. and Hazra, Braja G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Thierry, Josiane and Dodd, Robert H.} } @article { ISI:000277768000019, title = {Poly(amideimide)s containing pendant pentadecyl chains: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Polymer Degradation and Stability}, volume = {95}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {837-844}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new aromatic diacylhydrazide monomer viz., 4-[4{\textquoteright}-(hydrazinocarbonyl)phenoxy]-2- pentadecylbenzo-hydrazide was synthesized starting from cardanol, which in turn is obtainable from cashew nut shell liquid a renewable resource material. A series of new poly(amideimide)s containing flexibilizing ether linkages and pendant pentadecyl chains was synthesized from 4-[4{\textquoteright}-(hydrazinocarbonyl)phenoxy]-2-pentade-cylbenzohydrazide and commercially available aromatic dianhydrides, viz., benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 3,3{\textquoteright},4,4{\textquoteright}-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, benzophenone-3,3{\textquoteright},4,4{\textquoteright}-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydiphthalic anhydride and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoro isopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride by a two-step solution polycondensation in N,N-dimethylacetamide via the poly(hydrazide acid) intermediate. Inherent viscosities of poly(amideimide)s were in the range 0.60-0.64 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees C. Poly(amideimide)s could be solution cast into tough, transparent and flexible films from their N,N-dimethylacetamide solutions. The solubility of poly(amideimide)s was significantly improved by incorporation of pendant pentadecyl chains and were found to be soluble in N,N-dimethylacetamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, pyridine and m-cresol at room temperature or upon heating. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns of poly(amideimide)s revealed a broad halo at around 2 theta = similar to 19 degrees suggesting that polymers were amorphous in nature. In the small-angle region, diffuse to sharp reflections of a typically layered structure resulting from the packing of pentadecyl side chains were observed. The temperature at 10\% weight loss (T(10)), determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, of poly(amideimide)s was in the range of 388-410 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. Glass transition temperatures of poly(amideimide)s were in the range 162-198 degrees C. It was observed that the plasticization effect of attached pentadecyl side chains induced the depression of T(g). (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cardanol, Cashew nut shell liquid, Pentadecyl chains, Plasticization, Poly(amideimide)s, thermal stability}, issn = {0141-3910}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2010.01.030}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Patil, Anandrao S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000274292700015, title = {Polymer-supported palladium-imidazole complex catalyst for hydrogenation of substituted benzylideneanilines}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {317}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111-117}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The polymer-supported palladium-imidazole complex catalyst was synthesized and characterized by various techniques Such as elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and TG analysis. The physico-chemical properties such as bulk density, Surface studies by BET method and swelling studies of catalyst in different solvents were investigated. XPS Studies were carried out to identify the oxidation state of palladium in the catalyst. The morphology of the support and the catalyst was studied using scanning electron microscope. Using the synthesized catalyst, hydrogenation of benzylideneaniline and a few of its para Substituted derivatives was carried out at ambient conditions. The influence of variation in temperature, concentration of the catalyst as well as the substrate on the rate of reaction Was Studied. The catalyst showed an excellent recycling efficiency over six cycles without leaching of metal from the polymer support. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Benzylideneaniline, Hydrogenation, kinetics, Polymer-supported palladium-imidazole complex catalyst}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2009.10.030}, author = {Udayakumar, V. and Alexander, S. and Gayathri, V. and Shivakumaraiah and Patil, K. R. and Viswanathan, B.} } @article { ISI:000281321000006, title = {Probing lewis acidity and reactivity of Sn- and Ti-beta zeolite using industrially important moieties: a periodic density functional study}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {329}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {36-43}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The Lewis acidic nature and reactivity of two industrially important catalysts, viz.. Sn and Ti substituted beta zeolite (T-BEA) are analyzed using a unique combination of structural parameters, energetics and reactivity descriptors. To achieve this purpose, we adsorb the industrially important moieties (L) namely NH(3), H(2)O, CH(3)OH, CH(3)CN on the active sites of T-BEA. The calculations were performed using a periodic density functional method where the valence electrons are described using a plane wave basis set in conjunction with pseudo-potentials for the core electrons. The analysis of the structural properties of these complexes reveals that TO(4) shows typical characteristic splitting 120 degrees/90 degrees, close to bipyramidal geometry as compared to tetrahedral symmetry observed in the bare T-BEA. This is associated with small variations in the framework bond lengths (\>= 0.08 angstrom) and a substantially large variation of bond angles (\<= 10 degrees) in all the ligand-zeolite complexes. Further in both cases of Sn and Ti substituted beta zeolite, ligand interacts at optimum inter-atomic bond distance. Our interaction energies show that adsorption of all ligand moieties is stronger at Sn center than that of Ti. In general, the order of stability of the different T-BEA adducts is NH(3) \> H(2)O \> CH(3)OH \> CH(3)CN. The ligand interaction is associated with the corresponding bond elongation and bond reduction of the adsorbed molecules on catalyst active site, which can be taken as measure of red or blue shifted frequencies. Finally, the global descriptors of reactivity justify the fact that soft acid, Sn-BEA, interacts strongly with soft bases following the Pearson{\textquoteright}s HSAB principle. However, hard acid, Ti-BEA interacts with soft bases to form a stable Lewis adduct. Furthermore, the HOMO-LUMO gap of all Sn-BEA-L adducts is lower than that of Ti-BEA-L adducts indicating to its higher Lewis acidic nature compared to Ti-BEA. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Beta zeolite, Lewis acidity, Ligand-zeolite complex, Periodic-DFT, Reactivity descriptors}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2010.06.014}, author = {Kulkarni, Bhakti S. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42795, title = {Process for synthesis of beaded cross linked polymers, water-in-oil-in-water emulsions and post functionalisation}, number = {2538/DEL}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, author = {Dwivedi, Mayank and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Reddy, Krishna Mohan Srinivasulu and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Rao, Bevara Madhusudana and Kumar, Sriperambudur Rajesh and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Tayal, Rajivkumar and Qureshi, Moham} } @article { ISI:000284238000028, title = {Rapid generation of hierarchical nanoarchitectures of CdS via facile microwave assisted hydrothermal/semi-solvothermal route}, journal = {International Journal of Nanotechnology}, volume = {7}, number = {9-12, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1120-1130}, publisher = {INDERSCIENCE ENTERPRISES LTD}, address = {WORLD TRADE CENTER BLDG, 29 ROUTE DE PRE-BOIS, CASE POSTALE 896, CH-1215 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

1-D nanorod bundles as well as sea urchin and starfish like hierarchical morphological nanoarchitectures of CdS have been synthesised using a facile microwave assisted hydrothermal/semi-solvothermal technique. Observation of interesting regular/irregular pine-tree like secondary growth over these hierarchical nanoarchitectures is an important aspect of this work. Cadmium acetate and thiourea were used as precursor materials and were dissolved in solution containing mixture of diethylene triamine (DETA) and deionised water (DIW) in different volume ratios prior to subjecting the resultant solution to microwave radiation of 300 W at a reaction time of 10 min and temperature of 140 degrees C. XRD revealed formation of hexagonal CdS with strong (002) preferred orientation (c-axis orientation). Morphology dependent optical properties are studied using room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy. We feel such secondary growth will be highly favourable in determining the non-linear properties of optoelectronic devices fabricated using such novel hierarchical nanoarchitectures.

}, keywords = {CdS, hierarchical nanoarchitectures, Microwave, Nanorods, secondary growth, solvothermal synthesis}, issn = {1475-7435}, author = {Shinde, Manish D. and Pawar, Amol U. and Sreeja, V. and Rane, Sunit and Potdar, Hari S. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000274490400085, title = {Reductive dechlorination of gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane using Fe-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {175}, number = {1-3}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {680-687}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nanoscale Fe-Pd bimetallic particles were synthesized and used for degradation of lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane) in aqueous solution. Batch studies showed that 5 mg/Lof lindane was completely dechlorinated within 5 min at a catalyst loading of 0.5 g/L and the degradation process followed first-order kinetics. GC-MS analysis in corroboration with GC-ECD results showed the presence of cyclohexane as the final degradation product. The proposed mechanism for the reductive dechlorination of lindane involves Fe corrosion-induced hydrogen atom transfer from the Pd Surface. The enhanced degradation efficiency of Fe-Pd nanoparticles is attributed to: (1) high specific surface area of the nanoscale metal particles (60 m(2)/g), manyfold greater that of commercial grade micro- or milli-scale iron particles (similar to 1.6 m(2)/g); and, (2) increased catalytic reactivity due to the presence of I{\textquoteright}d on the Surface. Recycling and column studies showed that these nanoparticles exhibit efficient and sustained catalytic activity. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bimetallic, Cyclohexane, Degradation, kinetics, Lindane, Nanoparticles}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.10.063}, author = {Nagpal, Varima and Bokare, Alok D. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Paknikar, Kishore M.} } @article { ISI:000284454600041, title = {Ru(II) phenanthroline complex as catalyst for chemoselective hydrogenation of nitro-aryls in a green process}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {49}, number = {23}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12180-12184}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Ru(II) Phenanthroline [Ru(II)(Phen)(n) where n = 1,2,3] complexes were used as highly chemoselective catalysts for hydrogenation of nitro aryls using molecular hydrogen in an aqueous media. Water, universal solvent, was used as a reaction mixture for hydrogenation of nitro-aryls to make the process green. The chemoselectivity in hydrogenation of substituted nitrobenzene to substituted aniline was obtained as high as \>99\% at about complete conversion of substituted nitrobenzene. The parametric effects, including effect of solvent, effect of ligand, effect of metal to ligand ratio, effect of temperature and pressure, were studied in detail to obtain the best results. The Ru(Phen)(n) was characterized by FTIR, UV-vis, and XPS.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie1015969}, author = {Deshmukh, Amit A. and Prashar, Atul K. and Kinage, Anil K. and Kumar, Rajiv and Meijboom, Reinout} } @article { ISI:000282871600015, title = {Selective CO2 and H-2 adsorption in a chiral magnesium-based metal organic framework (Mg-MOF) with open metal sites}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {20}, number = {41}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9073-9080}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A rare porous magnesium-based metal-organic framework, Mg-MOF-1 [Mg(3,5-PDC)(H2O)], was synthesized solvothermally in DMF. Structural determination by X-ray single-crystal diffraction technique reveals that this chiral MOF (space group P6(1)22) is constructed by helical assembly of Mg2+ ions with achiral 3,5-pyridine dicarboxylates and coordinating water molecules, to form a three-dimensional framework with parallel hexagonal channels. The structural detail of its 0D analogue Mg-MOF-2 [Mg(2,4-PDC)(H2O)(3)] has been discussed to show how subtle variation in the ligand architecture changes the resulting structure from 0D to 3D. Mg-MOF-1 remains robust and porous upon evacuation of the coordinating water molecules. This is the first report of a chiral hexagonal Mg-MOF synthesized from an achiral organic building unit. Open Mg metal sites show selective hydrogen (H-2) adsorption (ca. 0.8 wt\% at 77 K) and carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake (ca. 0.7 mmol g(-1) at 298 K) over nitrogen at 1 atm. Ab initio quantum chemical calculation of adsorption energies and possible adsorption sites of hydrogen molecules are also reported.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm01125h}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Saha, Subhadeep and Pachfule, Pradip and Roy, Sudip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000285027100017, title = {Self-organizing maps: a tool to ascertain taxonomic relatedness based on features derived from 16S rDNA sequence}, journal = {Journal of Biosciences}, volume = {35}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {617-627}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Exploitation of microbial wealth, of which almost 95\% or more is still unexplored, is a growing need. The taxonomic placements of a new isolate based on phenotypic characteristics are now being supported by information preserved in the 16S rRNA gene. However, the analysis of 16S rDNA sequences retrieved from metagenome, by the available bioinformatics tools, is subject to limitations. In this study, the occurrences of nucleotide features in 16S rDNA sequences have been used to ascertain the taxonomic placement of organisms. The tetra- and penta-nucleotide features were extracted from the training data set of the 16S rDNA sequence, and was subjected to an artificial neural network (ANN) based tool known as self-organizing map (SOM), which helped in visualization of unsupervised classification. For selection of significant features, principal component analysis (PCA) or curvilinear component analysis (CCA) was applied. The SOM along with these techniques could discriminate the sample sequences with more than 90\% accuracy, highlighting the relevance of features. To ascertain the confidence level in the developed classification approach, the test data set was specifically evaluated for Thiobacillus, with Acidiphilium, Paracocus and Starkeya, which are taxonomically reassigned. The evaluation proved the excellent generalization capability of the developed tool. The topology of genera in SOM supported the conventional chemo-biochemical classification reported in the Bergey manual.

}, keywords = {Curvilinear component analysis, Principal component analysis, self-organizing maps}, issn = {0250-5991}, doi = {10.1007/s12038-010-0070-y}, author = {Raje, D. V. and Purohit, H. J. and Badhe, Yogesh P. and Tambe, S. S. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000277738400017, title = {Simple and efficient synthesis of 2-Aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones using silica chloride as a new catalyst under solvent-free conditions}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {40}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {PII 921000023}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A mild, efficient, and high-yielding method for the synthesis of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones from their corresponding 2-amino chalcones using silica chloride (SiO2Cl) under solvent-free conditions is described. A series of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones containing both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents were synthesized.

}, keywords = {2-Amino chalcones, 2-aryl-2, 3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones, Microwave, silica chloride}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910903097252}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Mujahid, Mohammad and Punitharasu, V. and Dnyaneshwar, D. A.} } @article { ISI:000281175500059, title = {Simple chemical co-precipitation/calcination route for the synthesis of simulated synroc-B and synroc-C powders}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {123}, number = {2-3}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {695-699}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A simple chemical co-precipitation/calcination route was developed for the synthesis of simulated synroc-B and synroc-C powders using mostly nitrate salts as starting chemicals and 20\% ammonia solution as precipitant. In this route, a mixed solution containing Al-nitrate, Ca-nitrate, Ba-nitrate, zirconyl nitrate and titanyl nitrate in the molar proportion required for synroc-B is added to dilute ammonia solution to precipitate these cations in the form of their hydroxides at room temperature by maintaining pH approximate to 10.5 during precipitation. Formation of a major fluorite phase with minor amounts of anatase, rutile and hollandite phases is observed in the powder obtained after calcination in air at 750 degrees C. Multiphase crystalline synroc-B matrix containing hollandite, perovskite, zirconolite, and rutile phases is obtained after sintering the heat treated powder in the form of pellets at 1230 degrees C for 4h in air. Similarly, pure synroc-C phases with 14 and 20\% simulated waste loadings were synthesized following the same synthesis protocol. These pre-treated powders with a high surface area of similar to 25 m(2) g(-1) gave sintered ceramics having density of similar to 90\% for 14 and 20\% waste loadings. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Oxides, Sintering}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2010.05.039}, author = {Potdar, H. S. and Vijayanand, S. and Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Patil, K. R. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Madhavan, R. Raja and Kutty, K. V. G. and Ambashta, Ritu D. and Wattal, P. K.} } @proceedings {42678, title = {On some aspects of fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster singles and doubles energies and optical properties}, volume = {11}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {375-393}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Netherlands}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Shamasundar, K. R. and Bag, Arijit and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @conference { ISI:000279938400011, title = {Static hyper-polarizability of open shell molecules computed at the FSMRCCSD level using constrained variational approach}, booktitle = {International Conference on Recent Advances in Spectroscopy - Theoretical, Astrophysical and Experimental Perspectives}, series = {Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings}, year = {2010}, note = {International Conference on Recent Advances in Spectroscopy - Theoretical, Astrophysical and Experimental Perspectives, Indian Inst Astrophys, Kodaikanal Observatory, Bangalore, INDIA, JAN 28-31, 2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {99-109}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, address = {233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, United States}, abstract = {

In recent years, there has been a significant development in the analytic derivatives of energy with respect to electric fields based on the state-of-the-art multi-reference coupled-cluster method using Lagrangian based constrained variational approach. So far, the Lagrangian based Fock space multi-reference coupled cluster (FSMRCC) method has been successfully used to calculate electrical dipole moment and polarizability of open shell molecules, particularly, doublet radicals at the ground state and the electronic excited states of closed shell molecules. In this article, Lagrangian based FSMRCC method has been implemented for the first time for calculation of hyper polarizabilites of a few doublet radicals such as OH, OF, NO and NO(2). Orbital-relaxed finite field FSMRCC values are reported for comparison.

}, isbn = {978-3-642-10321-6}, issn = {1570-6591}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-642-10322-3_11}, author = {Bag, Arijit and Bhattacharya, S. and Pal, S.}, editor = {Chaudhuri, R. K. and Mekkaden, M. V. and Raveendran, A. V. and Narayanan, A. S.} } @article { ISI:000283697400019, title = {Stereocontrolled route to the synthesis of (+/-)-3-amino-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-diphenylpropan-1-ol}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {51}, number = {45}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5927-5929}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Both the diastereomers of (+/-)-3-amino-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-diphenylpropan-1-ol were synthesized starting from a common intermediate, namely,B-hydroxy, oxime 6. Diastereoselective reduction with NaBH(4)/TiCl(4) and H(2)-Pd/C provided syn- and anti-isomers, respectively. Good overall yield and selectivity were realized using a simple protocol. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 3-Aminoalcohol, Aldol-Tishchenko reaction, beta-Hydroxy oxime, Diastereoslective reduction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.09.011}, author = {Patil, M. N. and Bhowmick, Kartick C. and Joshi, Navalkishore N.} } @article { ISI:000287635800023, title = {Stereoselective formal total synthesis of novel antibiotic (-)-centrolobine}, journal = {Heterocycles}, volume = {80}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {219-227}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A concise and stereoselective formal total synthesis of (-)-centrolobine is achieved utilizing Mioskowski{\textquoteright}s Lewis acid mediated epoxide opening followed by ring-closing metathesis as the key reaction.

}, keywords = {antibiotic, Centrolobine, Keck allylation, Ring-closing metathesis, Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation}, issn = {0385-5414}, doi = {10.3987/COM-08-S(S)1}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Pal, Rita and Rahaman, Hasibur and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000280204900018, title = {Structural diversity in a series of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) composed of divalent transition metals, 4,4 {\textquoteleft}-bipyridine and a flexible carboxylic acid}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {12}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {2381-2389}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been successfully synthesized under hydrothermal condition using 1,3-adamantanediacetic acid (C(14)H(20)O(4), H(2)ADA) as a flexible dicarboxylate building block, 4,4{\textquoteright}-bipyridine and transition metal ions [Cd(II), Zn(II), and Mn(II)] as metal centers in DMF and aqueous media. These MOFs formulated as [Cd(ADA)(4,4{\textquoteright}-bipy)(0.5)]center dot(DMF) (Cd-ADA-1), [Mn(ADA)(4,4{\textquoteright}-bipy)(0.5)]center dot(DMF) (Mn-ADA-1), Zn(ADA)(4,4{\textquoteright}-bipy)(0.5) (Zn-ADA-1), and [Mn(HADA)(2)(4,4{\textquoteright}-bipy)(H(2)O)(2)] (Mn-ADA-2) (ADA = 1,3-adamantanediacetate, 4,4{\textquoteright}-bipy = 4,4{\textquoteright}-bipyridine and DMF = N,N{\textquoteright}-dimethyl formamide) display interesting 1D, 2D and 3D structural features depending on the solvent of synthesis. All these MOFs were structurally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The coordination modes of this ligand are discussed and in addition, thermal stability and hydrogen (H(2)) and carbon-dioxide (CO(2)) adsorption properties of Cd-ADA-1, Mn-ADA-1 and Zn-ADA-1 are also presented. Hydrogen sorption at 77 K and up to 1 atm is found to be 0.42, 0.72 and 1.36 wt\% without saturation for Zn-ADA-1, Mn-ADA-1 and Cd-ADA-1 samples.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c000723d}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Panda, Tamas and Dey, Chandan and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000275049800051, title = {Structural diversity in partially fluorinated metal organic frameworks (F-MOFs) composed of divalent transition metals, 1,10-phenanthroline, and fluorinated carboxylic acid}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1351-1363}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Seven new partially fluorinated metal-organic frameworks (F-MOFs) have been synthesized under different solvothermal conditions (H(2)O or N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)) from transition metal cations [Zn(II), Co(II), and Mn(II)], 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) bis(benzoic acid) (C(17)H(10)F(6)O(4), H(2)hfbba) to determine the influence of reaction conditions on the formation of metal-organic frameworks. This family of materials displays a striking degree of structural similarity depending on the solvent of synthesis. Of the seven materials, two contain three-dimensional connectivity: Co(3)(hfbba)(6)(phen)(2) (F-MOF-6) and Mn(3)(hfbba)(6)(Phen)(2) (F-MOF-10). Three materials are one-dimensional structures: Zn(hfbba)(0.5)(phen)(HCO(2)) (F-MOF-8), Mn(Hhfbba)(2)(Phen) (F-MOF-11), and [Mn(hfbba)(2)(dm-phen)]center dot(H(2)O) (F-MOF-11A). Lastly, Co(hfbba)(phell)(2)center dot 2(H(2)hfbba)(H(2)O)(HCO(2)) (F-MOF-7) and Zn(hfbba)(phen)(2)center dot 2(H(2)hfbba) (H(2)O)-(HCO(2)) (F-MOF-9) are discrete zero-dimensional molecular complexes. F-MOF-6 and -10, which feature it three-dimensional (3D) framework with pcu topolgy are formed in DMF like F-MOF-8 and at 85 degrees C. The remaining F-MOFs are formed by a solvothermal reaction at 120 degrees C in water. F-MOF-7 and -9 are isostructural discrete zero-dimensional molecular complexes (a similar to 19.5; b similar to 13.7; c similar to 26.2/29.6 angstrom; beta similar to 99.9/120.04; V similar to 6840 angstrom(3)). All these F-MOFs were structurally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Solid-state properties such its UV-vis and the thermal stability of F-MOF-6 to -11A have also been studied. Insight into the factors influencing the preferred crystallization of a specific complex over others has been obtained from full quantum chemical (QM) calculations using density functional theory (DFT).

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg9013812}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Dey, Chandan and Panda, Tamas and Vanka, Kumar and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000278147900009, title = {Structural, magnetic, and gas adsorption study of a two-dimensional tetrazole-pyrimidine based metal-organic framework}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {10}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2475-2478}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic framework, Cu-TP-1, has been synthesized under solvothermal conditions (DMF) from the transition metal cation Cu(II) and 2-tetrazole pyrimidine (C5H5N6, H-TP). The structure has been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography which shows a (6,3) honeycomb 2D net with perpendicular one-dimensional channels. Permanent porosity of Cu-TP-1 has been determined by the nitrogen adsorption isotherm. Cu-TP-1 show interesting H-2 and CO2 uptake. CO2 uptake of Cu-TP-1 (at 298 K, 1 atm pressure) is seen to be comparable to the recently reported ZIF-95 which outperforms ZIF-100 and BPL carbon. The magnetic properties show an antiferromagnetically coupled Cu ... Cu interaction down to 8 K with a Weiss temperature around 108 K.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg1003726}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000278319300033, title = {Synthesis and biodegradation studies of new copolymers based on sucrose derivatives and styrene}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {46}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1151-1157}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Novel unsaturated esters of sucrose were synthesised directly and in good yields from sucrose using a simple, mild, and selective Mitsunobu procedure. These regioisomerically pure vinyl sugars have been copolymerised with styrene by a free radical process, yielding unbranched linear polymer materials with pendant sucrose moieties. Their physical properties indicate that these polymers have potential technological relevance as amphiphilic and biodegradable materials. Biodegradation tests on the copolymer samples by a fungal (Aspergillus niger) culture method showed a fungal growth \>= 60\%, indicating good biodegradability and that the copolymers were partiallybio-assimilated during microbial attack. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biodegradable copolymers, Biodegradation culture test, free radical copolymerization, Vinyl sucrose ester monomers}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2010.02.002}, author = {Barros, M. Teresa and Petrova, Krasimira T. and Singh, Raj P.} } @article { ISI:000278626400054, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of new 2-chloro-3-((4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)quinoline derivatives via click chemistry approach}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {7}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3142-3146}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Synthesis of new 2-chloro-3-((4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)quinoline derivatives (4a-h) using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click chemistry) reaction of 3-(azidomethyl)-2-chloro-quinoline derivatives (3a-h) with phenyl acetylene in the presence of Cu(I) catalyst has been achieved in very high yield. These molecules were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal and antibacterial activity. Most of the compounds exhibited significant antifungal and antibacterial activity against all the tested strains. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 2-Chloro3-formyl quinoline, 3-Triazole, Antibacterial, antifungal, Click chemistry}, issn = {0223-5234}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2010.04.002}, author = {Kategaonkar, Amol H. and Shinde, Pravin V. and Kategaonkar, Atul H. and Pasale, Sharad K. and Shingate, Bapurao B. and Shingare, Murlidhar S.} } @article { ISI:000281369500037, title = {Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polyazomethines bearing pendant pentadecyl chains}, journal = {Polymer Degradation and Stability}, volume = {95}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1727-1735}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Aromatic diamine monomer viz., 4-(4{\textquoteright}-aminophenoxy)-2-pentadecylbenzenamine containing pendant pentadecyl chain was synthesized starting from cashew nut shell liquid - a renewable resource material and was characterized by FTIR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. A series of new (co) polyazomethines containing pendant pentadecyl chains and flexibilizing ether linkages was synthesized by polycondensation of 4-(4{\textquoteright}-aminophenoxy)-2-pentadecyl benzenamine with commercially available aromatic dialdehydes viz., terephthaldehyde (TPA), isophthaldehyde (IPA) and varying mixture of TPA and IPA. Inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights of (co) polyazomethines were in the range 0.50-0.70 dL/g and 10,490-40-800 (GPC, polystyrene standard), respectively indicating formation of medium to reasonably high molecular weight polymers. (Co) polyazomethines containing pendant pentadecyl chains were found to be soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, m-cresol and could be cast into transparent and stretchable films from their solution in chloroform. (Co) polyazomethines were essentially amorphous in nature and the formation of loosely-developed layered structure was observed arising from the packing of pendant pentadecyl chains. Polyazomethines exhibited glass transition temperatures (T(g)) in the range 21-48 degrees C. The observed depression of glass transition temperature could be ascribed to the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}internal plasticization{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} effect of pentadecyl chains. The temperature at 10\% wt loss (T(10)), determined from TGA in nitrogen atmosphere of polyazomethines were in the range 434-441 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cashew nut shell liquid, CNSL, pentadecyl, polyazomethines, renewable, Side-chain, solubility}, issn = {0141-3910}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2010.05.017}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Sane, Prakash S. and Patil, Anandrao S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000278744500055, title = {Synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline zinc substituted nickel ferrites}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {496}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {256-260}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline zinc substituted nickel ferrites, Ni(1-x)Zn(x)Fe(2)O(4) (0.0 \<= x \<= 1.0) have been prepared by citrate gel auto-combustion method. The effect of zinc ion content on structural, electrical transport and magnetic properties has been studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that, all the compositions possess single-phase spinel structure. The nano-sized grain structure formation was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dc electrical resistivity shows the samples are semiconducting in nature. The magnetic measurements showed that the composition Ni(0.6)Zn(0.4)Fe(2)O(4) has maximum saturation magnetization (M(s)) while high coersivity (Hc) for ZnFe(2)O(4). Thermoelectric power measurement study showed that the compounds, with x \<= 0.4 are p-type and for x \> 0.4 behaves n-type conduction mechanism. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Electron microscopy, Magnetic, Sintering, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.01.009}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Sasikala, R. and Tripathi, A. K. and Garadkar, K. M.} } @article { ISI:000278307300018, title = {Synthesis and characterization of novel aromatic-aliphatic polyamides from bis-[(4-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {168}, number = {1-3, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {Conference on Specialty Advanced Materials and Polymers for Aerospace and Defense and Applications (SAMPADA-2008), Mat Res Soc Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE, JUL 03-08, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {111-116}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel aromatic diamine monomer containing preformed aromatic-aliphatic amide and ether linkage, bis-[(4-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether (BABE) was prepared from 2-phenylacetonitrile. BABE was characterized by FT-IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and mass spectrometry. Five new aromatic polyamides were prepared by low temperature solution polymerization from BABE and different mole proportions of isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) or terephthaloyl chloride (TPC). The resulting polymers were characterized by means of FT-IR, inherent viscosity [eta(inh)], solubility, differential scanning calorimetry [DSC], thermogravimetric analysis [TGA] and X-ray diffraction [XRD]. Polyamides were obtained in good yields and had moderate to high molecular weights as indicated by inherent viscosities in the range 0.63-1.35 dL/g in (DMAc + 4\% LiCl). XRD results showed the partly crystalline nature of polymers and these polymers dissolved in aprotic polar solvents containing LiCl. The solubility of copolyamides improved due to random placement of constituent IPC and TPC during polymerization. DSC analysis of these polyamides showed glass transition temperatures in the range of 197-204 degrees C, and they showed no weight loss below 336 degrees C when analyzed by TG. These polyamides have potential applications as engineering materials. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bis-[(4-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether, ether linkage, Inherent viscosity, polyamides, thermal stability, XRD}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.10.016}, author = {Patil, A. S. and Medhi, M. and Sadavarte, Nilakshi V. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article {42651, title = {Synthesis and characterization of novel value added biodegradable poly(aleuritic acid) from renewable resources(shellac) and invertible amphiphilic behaviors in various solvents}, journal = {E-Polymer}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {Article Number: 131}, abstract = {

A novel biodegradable polymer poly(aleuritic acid) (PAA) ( M̄w 120,000) was prepared from aleuritic acid, which was obtained from renewable resources (Lac) by using tin catalyst. Aleuritic acid (AL) was protected at 9, 10 position by dimethoxy propane. The protected AL (Pro.AL) was further polymerized to obtain linear protected polyaleuritic acid (PAL) by dehydropolycondensation. Effects of various kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were studied. After polymerization, the deprotection of PAL was carried out. The synthesized PAL and PAA were characterized by using various techniques such as FT-IR, LC-MS, SEC, NMR (1H and 13C), 13C CP/MAS (Cross Polarization / Magic Angle Spinning) of solid PAA, DSC, SEM and TEM etc. The micelle and inverted micelle -structure in polar and nonpolar solvents are highlighted

}, doi = {10.1515/epoly.2010.10.1.1476}, author = {Pandey, Asutosh K. and Nande, Smita S. and Selukar, Balaji S. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article { ISI:000276284200019, title = {Synthesis and characterization of polyamides containing pendant pentadecyl chains}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {46}, number = {3}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {557-567}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new aromatic diacid monomer viz., 4-(4{\textquoteright}-carboxyphenoxy)-2-pentadecylbenzoic acid was synthesized starting from cardanol and was characterized by FTIR, (1)H- and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. A series of new aromatic polyamides containing ether linkages and pendant pentadecyl chains was prepared by phosphorylation polycondensation of 4-(4{\textquoteright}-carboxyphenoxy)-2-pentadecylbenzoic acid with five commercially available aromatic diamines viz., 1,4-phenylenediamine, 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydianiline, 4,4{\textquoteright}-methylenedianiline, 1,3-phenylenediamine, and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)dianiline. Inherent viscosities of the polyamides were in the range 0.45-0.66 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees C. The introduction of ether linkages and pendant pentadecyl chains into polyamides led to an enhanced solubility in N,N-dimethylacetamide and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone at room temperature or upon heating. The polyamides could be solution-cast into tough, flexible and transparent films from their N,N-dimethylacetamide solution. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited broad halo indicating that the polymers were essentially amorphous in nature. X-Ray diffractograms also displayed a diffuse to sharp reflection in the small-angle region (20 = similar to 2-5 degrees) for the polyamides characteristics of formation of loosely to well-developed layered structure arising from packing of flexible pentadecyl chains. The glass transition temperature observed for the polyamides was in range 139-189 degrees C. The temperature at 10\% weight loss (T(10)), determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, of the polyamides was in the range 425-453 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkyl side-chain, Cardanol, Cashew nut shell liquid, Pentadecyl chains, polyamides}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2009.11.014}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Pasale, Sharad K. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000278307300032, title = {Synthesis and characterization of polyesters from 2,3-bis (4 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxy phenyl) quinoxaline and 2,3-bis (2 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxynaphthalene-6 {\textquoteleft}-yl) quinoxaline}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {168}, number = {1-3, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {Conference on Specialty Advanced Materials and Polymers for Aerospace and Defense and Applications (SAMPADA-2008), Mat Res Soc Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE, JUL 03-08, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {186-192}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Two bisphenols containing pendant, quinoxaline moiety; 2,3-bis (4{\textquoteright}-hydroxy phenyl) quinoxaline (BHPQ) and 2,3-bis (2{\textquoteright}-hydroxynaphthalene-6-yl) quinoxaline (BHNQ) were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and mass spectrometry. Aromatic polyesters and copolyesters were prepared by interfacial polymerization from BHPQ or BHNQ and isophthaloyl chloride or terephthaloyl chloride or a mixture of different mole proportions of (IPC + TPC). These polyesters and copolyesters were characterized by spectroscopic technique, viscosity measurement, solubility, thermal stability. DSC and XRD. Polymers had moderate to high molecular weights as evidenced by the inherent viscosities in the range 0.35-0.78 dL/g for BHPQ series and 0.27-0.52 dL/g for BHNQ series. BHPQ polyesters and copolyesters dissolved in m-cresol, NMP and conc. H(2)SO(4) whereas, BHNQ polyesters and copolyesters were readily soluble in NMP, DMAc, (TCE + phenol) and partly soluble in solvent like CHCl(3), pyridine, etc. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) results showed that introduction of quinoxaline moiety into polymer chain and aromatic phenyl/rigid naphthyl structures lead to crystalinity. Differentional scanning calorimetry of BHNQ polyesters showed the glass transition temperatures in the range of 131-151 degrees C. BHPQ polyesters did not show any weight loss below 330 degrees C and retained 27-55\% weight at 900 degrees C when investigated by TGA under nitrogen atmosphere demonstrating good thermal stability BHNQderived polyesters showed initial decomposition temperatures in range 211-234 degrees C. The structure-property relationships for the mentioned polyesters are analyzed, as these polyesters are of interest as materials for electronics, microelectronics and membrane separation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2, 3-Bis (2 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxynaphthalene-6 {\textquoteleft}-yl) quinoxaline, 3-Bis (4 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxy phenyl) quinoxaline, Aromatic polyesters, Glass transition temperature, solubility, Thermal properties}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.12.036}, author = {Patil, V. B. and Medhi, M. and Bhairamadgi, Nagendra S. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000276562300063, title = {Synthesis and characterization of poly-L-lysine-grafted silica nanoparticles synthesized via NCA polymerization and click chemistry}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {26}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {5772-5781}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Polypeptide polymer-grafted silica nanoparticles are of considerable interest because the ordered secondary structure of the polypeptide grafts imparts novel functional properties onto the nanoparticle composite. The synthesis of poly-L-lysine-grafted nanoparticles would be of particular interest because the high density of cationic charges on the surface could lead to many applications such as gene delivery and antimicrobial agents. In this work, we have developed a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}grafting-to{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} approach using a combination of NCA polymerization and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click chemistry{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} to synthesize poly-L-lysine-grafted silica nanoparticles with a high graft density of 1 chain/nm(2). The covalent attachment of poly-L-lysine to silica nanoparticles (PLL-silica) was confirmed using a variety of techniques such as C-13 CP MAS NMR, TGA, and IR. This methodology was then extended to graft poly-L-lysine-b-poly-L-leucine copolymer (PLL-b-PLLeu-silica) and poly-L-benzylglutamate (PLUG silica) onto silica nanoparticles. All of these polypeptide-grafted nanoparticles show interesting aggregation properties in solution. The efficacy of PLL-silica and PLL-h-PLLeu-silica as antimicrobial agents was tested on both gram-negative B. cull and grain-positive Bacillus subtilis.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la903595x}, author = {Kar, Mrityunjov and Vijayakumar, P. S. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000273175100013, title = {Synthesis and corrosion protection aspects of poly(o-toluidine)/CdO nanoparticle composite coatings on mild steel}, journal = {Journal of Coatings Technology and Research}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {119-129}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

This study examines the possibility of using poly(o-toluidine)/CdO (POT-CdO) nanoparticle composite coating for corrosion protection of mild steel in chloride environment. The POT-CdO nanoparticle composite coating was synthesized on mild steel from aqueous tartrate solution containing CdO-nanoparticles (size similar to 18 nm) by using cyclic voltammetry. These coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements. The corrosion protection aspects of the resulting POT-CdO nanocomposite structure were investigated in aqueous 3\% NaCl solution by potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results of these investigations reveal that the POT-CdO nanoparticle composite acts as a protective coating on mild steel and reduces the corrosion rate of mild steel almost by factor of 70.

}, keywords = {CdO, Conducting polymer coatings, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical polymerization, Mild steel, Nanocomposites, Poly(o-toluidine)}, issn = {1547-0091}, doi = {10.1007/s11998-008-9160-2}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000277091700039, title = {Synthesis and structural comparisons of five new fluorinated metal organic frameworks (F-MOFs)}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {12}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1600-1609}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of fluorinated metal-organic frameworks (F-MOFs) have been successfully synthesized under hydrothermal condition using 4,40-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) bis(benzoic acid) (C(17)H(10)F(6)O(4), H(2)hfbba) as a flexible dicarboxylate building block, Cu(+2) and various heterocyclic co-ligands. These F-MOFs formulated as [Cu(hfbba)(phen)(2)]center dot 2(H(2)hfbba)(H(2)O)(HCO(2)) (F-MOF-1), [Cu(hfbba)(2)(2,2{\textquoteright}-bipy) 2(H(2)O)] (F-MOF-2), [Cu(hfbba)(4,4{\textquoteright}-dime-2,2{\textquoteright}-bipy)(HCO(2))]center dot(hfbba)(H(2)O) (F-MOF-3), [Cu(2)(hfbba)(2)(3-mepy)(2)]center dot(DMF) 2(3-mepy) (F-MOF-4), and [Cu(hfbba)(2)(phen)(2)]center dot 0.5(DMF) (F-MOF5) (hfbba = 4,4{\textquoteright}-(Hexafluoroisopropylidene) bis(benzoate), phen 1,1{\textquoteright}-phenanthroline; 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipy 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine; 4,4{\textquoteright}dime-2,2{\textquoteright}-bipy 4,4{\textquoteright}-dimethyl 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine; 3-mepy 3-methyl-pyridine and DMF dimethyl formamide) display interesting H-bonded, 1D and 2D structural features. All these F-MOFs were structurally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. F-MOF-1 and 5 form a distorted octahedral Cu(+2) secondary building unit (SBU). F-MOF-5 forms a one-dimensional architecture constructed from Cu(2+) ions bridged by phen anions and two types of 4 hfbba ligands while in F-MOF-1, two among the three acid co-ligands are not coordinated with Cu(2+) ions. F-MOF-2 displays dinuclear SBUs within the three-dimensional frameworks whereas F-MOF-3 displays mononuclear SBUs and forms a one-dimensional chain. F-MOF-4 display a interesting 2D framework with conventional Cu(2)(CO(2))(4) paddle wheel SBU. In the crystal structures four hfbba ligands, each coordinated to a dicopper paddlewheel unit via one of their carboxylate groups. Solid-state properties such as UV-vis and thermal stability of F-MOF-1-5 have also been studied.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/b917483d}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Dey, Chandan and Panda, Tamas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000276083200006, title = {Synthesis of azepane and nojirimycin iminosugars: the sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of D-glucose-derived allyl alcohol and highly regioselective epoxide ring opening using sodium azide}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {21}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {163-170}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The Sharp less asymmetric epoxidation of D-glucose-derived ally! alcohol 4 afforded alpha- and beta-epoxides 5a and 5b in high stereoselectivity. The epoxide ring opening in 5a/5b was studied with different nucleophilic azido reagents, under various reaction conditions, and was found to be highly regioselective to give the preferential formation of 6-azido diol 6a/6b over 5-azido-diol 7a/7b. The 6-azido diol 6a/6b and 5-azido dial 7a/7b thus obtained were converted to the corresponding seven- and six-membered iminosugar, namely, azepane 1a/1b and 1-deoxy-nojirimycin 2a/2b. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2010.01.007}, author = {Jadhav, Vrushali H. and Bande, Omprakash P. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000276490800006, title = {Synthesis of eight-membered iminocyclitols from D-glucose}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {66}, number = {15}, year = {2010}, month = {APR0}, pages = {2830-2834}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The Baylis-Hillman reaction of 3-o-benzyl-alpha-d-xylo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose 2 afforded a diastereomeric mixture of L-ido- and D-gluco-configurated alpha-methylene-beta-hydroxy esters 3a and 3b, respectively, in 1:1 ratio. Conjugate addition of benzyl amine on 3a gave adduct 4a as a major product while, addition of benzyl amine to 3b gave only one diastereomer 4b. Reduction of ester functionality in 4a/4b, opening of 1,2-acetonide functionality followed by reductive amino-cyclization under hydrogenation condition afforded azocanes 1c/1d in good yield. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Baylis-Hillman reaction, Conjugate addition, diastereoselectivity, Iminosugars}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2010.02.044}, author = {Jadhav, Vrushali H. and Bande, Omprakash P. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000277119800027, title = {Synthesis of hydrophilic and amphiphilic acryl sucrose monomers and their copolymerisation with styrene, methylmethacrylate and alpha- and beta-pinenes}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {1792-1807}, publisher = {MDPI AG}, address = {POSTFACH, CH-4005 BASEL, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the synthesis of monomethacryloyl sucrose esters, and their successful free radical homo- and co-polymerisation with styrene, methylmethacrylate, alpha- and beta-pinene. The chemical, physical, structural and surface chemical properties of these polymers, containing a hydrophobic olefin backbone and hydrophilic sugar moieties as side chains, have been investigated. Biodegradation tests of the copolymer samples by a microbial fungal culture (Aspergillus niger) method showed good biodegradability. The chemical structure and surface chemistry of the synthesized homo- and co-polymers demonstrate their potential technological relevance as amphiphilic and biodegradable polymers.

}, keywords = {Biodegradable copolymers, Biodegradation culture test, free radical copolymerization, Vinyl sucrose ester monomers}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms11041792}, author = {Barros, Maria Teresa and Petrova, Krasimira T. and Singh, Raj P.} } @article { ISI:000278128500009, title = {Synthesis of optically pure 2,3,4-trisubstituted tetrahydrofurans via a two-step sequential Michael-Evans aldol cyclization strategy: total synthesis of (+)-magnolone}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {51}, number = {22}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2975-2978}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Synthesis of optically pure 2,3,4-trisubstituted tetrahydrofurans is described employing a two-step Michael-Evans aldol cyclization strategy. The approach is successfully applied for the total synthesis of furano lignan natural product (+)-magnolone. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HWE reaction, Lignans, Magnolone, Michael-Evans aldol reaction, Tetrahydrofuran}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.03.111}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Luckorse, Srikanth and Budakoti, Asha and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000280514500009, title = {Synthesis of Rh-carbon nanotube based heterostructures and their enhanced field emission characteristics}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {46}, number = {31}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5671-5673}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Selective decoration of Rh nanospheres on acid functionalized carbon nanotubes has been demonstrated using Al as a sacrificial substrate. Remarkable field emission has been observed for this heterostructure as a high current density of 170 mu A cm(-2) is generated at an ultra-low threshold of 300 V mu m(-1), compared to much smaller values for Rh nanospheres and carbon nanotubes separately.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c0cc01532f}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Kushwaha, Ajay and Aslam, Mohammed and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000279126700017, title = {Synthesis, resolution, and applications of 3-amino-2,2-dimethy1-1,3-diphenylpropan-1-ol, a conformationally restricted 1,3-aminoalcohol}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {66}, number = {27-28}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5036-5041}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Efficient synthetic routes to both syn and anti diastereomers of a conformationally restricted 1,3-aminoalcohol were devised. Resolution of the aminoalcohols was accomplished through diastereomeric salt with R-(-)-O-acetyl mandelic acid. These aminoalcohols were examined as ligands for two standard reactions, namely, enantioselective addition of Et(2)Zn to aldehydes and reduction of prochiral ketones with BH(3). (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 3-Aminoalcohol, Aldol-Tishchenko reaction, Diethylzinc, Oxazaborinane, Resolution}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2010.05.001}, author = {Patil, M. N. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Joshi, Navalkishore N.} } @article { ISI:000287801700007, title = {Synthetic studies of superstolide A: a carbohydrate based synthesis of the C21-C26 segment}, journal = {Letters in Organic Chemistry}, volume = {7}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {657-660}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y26, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

The synthesis of C21-C26 fragment of superstolide A, starting from D-glucose diacetonide, involving regioselective ring opening of epoxide by Grignard reagent and regioselective stereospecefic hydroboration oxidation has been described.

}, keywords = {Chiral pool, Potent cytotoxic, Regioselective epoxide opening, Stereoselective hydroboration-oxidation, Superstolide A}, issn = {1570-1786}, doi = {10.2174/157017810793811704}, author = {Pal, Rita and Rahaman, Hasibur and Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000280070900009, title = {Temperature-dependent raman and dielectric spectroscopy of BiFeO3 nanoparticles: signatures of spin-phonon and magnetoelectric coupling}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {29}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12432-12439}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report the temperature-dependent Raman and dielectric spectroscopy of chemically synthesized BiFeO3 nanoparticles (average size similar to 50-60 nm). The Raman spectra (90-700 K) show two sets of transitions in the lowest Raman E mode, associated with Bi-O bond motion situated in close proximity to the spin reorientation transitions reported for BiFeO3, thereby indicating the existence of possible coupling between magnons and phonons for particle size below the helical order parameter (62 nm). These transitions are slightly shifted in temperature in comparison to the bulk single crystals. We also observe a step-like behavior in Raman peak position around the Neel temperature, suggesting that the phonons are influenced by the magnetic ordering in nanosized BiFeO3. The heat-flow measurements show two sharp endothermic peaks at 1094 and 1223 K representing rhombohedral to orthorhombic or monoclinic transition followed by transition into the cubic phase above 1200K. The low temperature (20-325 K), frequency-dependent (1-10(6) Hz) dielectric constant and loss tangent measurements show that the loss tangent (similar to 10(-3)) and ac conductivity values (similar to 10(-8) Ohm(-1)-cm(-1)) are orders of magnitude lower than the reported values for BiFeO3 ceramics, indicating high levels of ionic purity of our samples. The real part of the permittivity shows a slight reduction in its value (similar to 30) in comparison to the bulk single crystals. Similar to the Stokes Raman shift, its temperature-dependent dielectric constant also shows four weak anomalies at similar to 85, 168, 205, and 230 K situated in close proximity to the spin reorientation transitions, indicating magnetoelectric coupling.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp102450z}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Vivekanand, K. and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000275328000070, title = {Thermal conductivity measurement of polyglycol alkyl ethers at temperatures from (303.15 to 393.15) K}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {55}, number = {3}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1449-1452}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Experimental Values of the thermal conductivity of five pure polyglycol alkyl ethers are presented in a temperature range from (303.15 to 393.15) K at a pressure of 1 MPa. Measurements were made with a Setaram C-80 II calorimetric device equipped with a suitable vessel Setup and ail auxiliary thermostat to measure at high-temperature conditions using the steady-state coaxial cylinders method. The measured values of the thermal conductivity were compared with data reported in the literature. The reliability and accuracy of the experimental method were confirmed with the measurements on pure benzene with well-known thermal conductivity values. Our data agreed with the limited data available in the literature and were correlated using an empirical expression. The Uncertainty of the results was estimated to be within 2.0 \%, and the reproducibility of the data was better than +/- 0.5 \%.

}, issn = {0021-9568}, doi = {10.1021/je900641w}, author = {Salavera, Daniel and Patil, Kashinath R. and Coronas, Alberto} } @article { ISI:000276556600030, title = {Total synthesis of proposed auranthine}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {75}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {2702-2705}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Starting from CBz-protected glutamic anhydride and Boc-protected o-aminobenzyl amine, the first total synthesis of proposed structure of auranthine has been reported. An intramolecular aza-Wittig reaction involving a lactam carbonyl group that delivered the diazepine core unit was the key step in the synthesis.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo100400z}, author = {Kshirsagar, Umesh A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000276341700068, title = {Understanding the reactivity properties of Au-n (6 <= n <= 13) clusters using density functional theory based reactivity descriptors}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {14}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {6690-6703}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Relativistic density functional theory (DFT) based calculations have been performed on gold clusters with six to thirteen atoms (Au-n

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp1004852}, author = {De, Himadri Sekhar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000282830500007, title = {Unusual central indian drought of summer monsoon 2008: role of southern tropical indian ocean warming}, journal = {Journal of Climate}, volume = {23}, number = {19}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5163-5174}, publisher = {AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC}, address = {45 BEACON ST, BOSTON, MA 02108-3693 USA}, abstract = {

While many of the previous positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) years were associated with above (below)normal monsoon rainfall over central (southern) India during summer monsoon months [June-September (JJAS)], the IOD event in 2008 is associated with below (above)-normal rainfall in many parts of central (southern peninsular) India. Because understanding such regional organization is a key for success in regional prediction, using different datasets and atmospheric model simulations, the reasons for this abnormal behavior of the monsoon in 2008 are explored. Compared to normal positive IOD events, sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall in the southern tropical Indian Ocean (STIO) in JJAS 2008 were abnormally high. Downwelling Rossby waves and oceanic heat advection played an important role in warming SST abnormally in the STIO. It was also found that the combined influence of a linear warming trend in the tropical Indian Ocean and warming associated with the IOD have resulted in abnormal warming of the STIO. This abnormal SST warming resulted in enhancement of convection in the southwest tropical Indian Ocean and forced anticyclonic circulation anomalies over the Bay of Bengal and central India, leading to suppressed rainfall over this region in JJAS 2008. The above mechanism is tested by conducting several model sensitivity experiments with an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). These experiments confirmed that the subsidence over central India and the Bay of Bengal was forced mainly by the anomalous warming in the STIO region driven by coupled ocean-atmosphere processes. This study provides the first evidence of combined Indian Ocean warming, associated with global warming, and IOD-related warming influence on Indian summer monsoon rainfall. The combined influence may force below-normal rainfall over central India by inducing strong convection in the STIO region. The conventional seesaw in convection between the Indian subcontinent and the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean may shift to the central equatorial Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal if the central Indian Ocean consistently warms in the global warming scenario.

}, issn = {0894-8755}, doi = {10.1175/2010JCLI3257.1}, author = {Rao, Suryachandra A. and Chaudhari, Hemantkumar S. and Pokhrel, Samir and Goswami, B. N.} } @article { ISI:000273709900033, title = {Vice to virtue: intracellular biogenic nanoparticles for the generation of carbon supported catalysts}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {905-911}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Intracellular biogenic nanoparticles are considered disadvantageous as the separation of the nanoparticles from the biomass becomes intricate. However realizing the importance of carbon supported catalyst for many important organic reactions we envisaged these nanoparticles as a source for carbon supported catalyst. Herein we demonstrate the heat treatment of intracellular biogenic nanoparticles under inert atmosphere as an efficient method for the preparation of carbon supported metal oxide catalysts. Aspergillus ochraceus, a fungus isolated from foundries, on incubation with K(2)TiF(6) led to the synthesis of intracellular titanium oxide nanoparticles. The nanoparticles embedded biomass upon heat treatment at 600 degrees C in a nitrogen environment gave titanium oxide nanoparticles implanted in a carbonaceous matrix. The material thus formed was characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, HRTEM and X-ray diffraction. Appreciable benzaldehyde selectivity was observed when styrene oxidation was carried out over such immobilized catalysts. The conversion rate was determined to be 76\% and the benzaldehyde selectivity was greater than 80\%.

}, keywords = {Benzaldehyde Selectivity, Biosynthesis, Carbon Supported Titania, Nanoparticles, Styrene Oxidation}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2010.1894}, author = {Vijayakumar, P. S. and Selvakumar, S. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Singh, A. P. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000295615400016, title = {1,8-Bis(4-methoxy-3-nitrophenyl)naphthalene}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online}, volume = {67}, number = {10}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {O2630+}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Molecules of the title compound, C(24)H(18)N(2)O(6), are located on a twofold rotation axis passing through through the central C-C bond of the naphthalene ring system. The molecular conformation is characterized by a roughly coplanar arrangement of the two substituted phenyl rings [dihedral angle 18.53 (5)degrees]. These two aryl rings are each twisted by 65.40 (5)degrees from the plane of the naphthyl unit.

}, issn = {1600-5368}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536811036567}, author = {Prabhakaran, Panchami and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000286474600008, title = {(-)-6 alpha-Hydroxy polyanthellin A - a novel antifouling diterpenoid from the Indian soft coral Cladiella krempfi (Hickson)}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemistry-Revue Canadienne De Chimie}, volume = {89}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {57-60}, publisher = {CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING, NRC RESEARCH PRESS}, address = {1200 MONTREAL ROAD, BUILDING M-55, OTTAWA, ON K1A 0R6, CANADA}, abstract = {

Bioassay-guided purification of methanol extract of the soft coral Cladiella krempfi (Octocorallia: Alcynocea) yielded a novel eunicellin-type diterpenoid, (-)-6 alpha-hydroxy polyanthellin A (1), active against the cyprids of the fouling barnacle, Balanus amphitrite (EC(50) 9.02 mu g/mL; LC(50) 36 mu g/mL; and therapeutic ratio = 4). The structure of compound 1 was determined from its spectral data, including IR, NMR (1D and 2D NMR), and mass spectra.

}, keywords = {antifouling, Balanus amphitrite, biofouling, Cladiella krempfi, diterpenes}, issn = {0008-4042}, doi = {10.1139/V10-159}, author = {Mol, V. P. Limna and Raveendran, T. V. and Parameswaran, P. S. and Kunnath, R. J. and Rajamohanan, P. R.} } @article { ISI:000295235200041, title = {Ab initio and periodic DFT investigation of hydrogen storage on light metal-decorated MOF-5}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {36}, number = {17}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10816-10827}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of light metal (M = Li, Be, Mg, and Al) decoration on the stability of metal organic framework MOF-5 and its hydrogen adsorption is investigated by ab initio and periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations by employing models of the form BDC:M-2:nH(2) and MOF-5:M-2:nH(2), where BDC stands for the benzenedicarboxylate organic linker and MOF-5 represents the primitive unit cell. The suitability of the periodic DFT method employing the GGA-PBE functional is tested against MP2/6-311 + G* and MP2/cc-pVTZ molecular calculations. A correlation between the charge transfer and interaction energies is revealed. The metal-MOF-5 interactions are analyzed using the frontier molecular orbital approach. Difference charge density plots show that H-2 molecules get polarized due to the charge generated on the metal atom adsorbed over the BDC linker, resulting in electrostatic guest-host interactions. Our solid state results show that amongst the four metal atoms, Mg and Be decoration does not stabilize the MOF-5 to any significant extent. Li and Al decoration strengthened the H-2-MOE-5 interactions relative to the pure MOF-5 exhibited by the enhanced binding energies. The hydrogen binding energies for the Li- and Al-decorated MOF-5 were found to be sensible for allowing reversible hydrogen storage at ambient temperatures. A high hydrogen uptake of 4.3 wt.\% and 3.9 wt.\% is also predicted for the Li- and Al-decorated MOF-5, respectively. Copyright (C) 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ab initio calculations, Density functional theory, Hydrogen binding energies, Hydrogen storage, Metal-Pi-Arene interactions}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.05.165}, author = {Dixit, Mudit and Maark, Tuhina Adit and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000294378600020, title = {Active pharmaceutical ingredient (api) from an estuarine fungus, microdochium nivale (Fr.)}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Biology}, volume = {32}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {653-658}, publisher = {TRIVENI ENTERPRISES}, address = {C/O KIRAN DALELA, 1/206 VIKAS NAGAR, KURSI RD, LUCKNOW 226 022, INDIA}, abstract = {

Various marine habitats sustain variety of bio-sources of ecological and biotech potentials. Pharmaceutical potential compound Cyclosporine A was reported from marine fungus Microdochium nivale associated with Porteresia coarctata, a marine salt marsh grass from mangrove environment distributed along the Central West Coast (CWC) of India. This study involves association of M. nivale with P. coarctata plant, fermentation conditions, purification of Cyclosporine A, chemical characterization etc. Its antifungal inhibition and MIC (Minimum inhibitory concentration) against Aspergillus strains (A. niger, A. japonicus, A. fresenii), yeasts and dermatophytes (Candida sp., Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T tonsurans, T violaceum, Microsporium gypsum and Fusarium sp.) were evaluated. However, the MIC against A. japonicus, C. neoformans, Candida sp. and T. tonsurans were confirmed to be as low as 12.5-25 mg disc(-1). The antifungal properties of Cyclosporine A against Aspergillus species, yeast and dermatophytes revealed that Cyclosporine A would be a potential compound for life threatening diseases caused by above fungi in both human and animals. Furthermore, we have reported herewith another source of Cyclosporin A derived from filamentous fungus, M. nivale. occurring in marine environment.

}, keywords = {antifungal, Cyclosporine A, Estuarine environment, Microdochium nivale}, issn = {0254-8704}, author = {Bhosale, Siddharth H. and Patil, K. B. and Parameswaran, P. S. and Naik, C. G. and Jagtap, T. G.} } @article { ISI:000286766600016, title = {Amino functionalized zeolitic tetrazolate framework (ZTF) with high capacity for storage of carbon dioxide}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2011-2013}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A three dimensional -NH(2) functionalized Zeolitic Tetrazolate Framework (ZTF-1) has been reported. The framework adopts a dia topology (M-L-M angle is close to 156 degrees). ZTF-1 shows high CO(2) (273 K) and H(2) (77 K) uptake due to the presence of the free -NH(2) group and uncoordinated tetrazolate nitrogen.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c0cc04169f}, author = {Panda, Tamas and Pachfule, Pradip and Chen, Yifei and Jiang, Jianwen and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000294572800023, title = {Antifungal activity of novel synthetic peptides by accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and disruption of cell wall against Candida albicans}, journal = {Peptides}, volume = {32}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1732-1740}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

In the present work, we investigated the antifungal activity of two de novo designed, antimicrobial peptides VS2 and VS3, incorporating unnatural amino acid alpha,beta-dehydrophenylalanine (Delta Phe). We observed that the low-hemolytic peptides could irreversibly inhibit the growth of various Candida species and multidrug resistance strains at MIC(80) values ranging from 15.62 mu M to 250 mu M. Synergy experiments showed that MIC(80) of the peptides was drastically reduced in combination with an antifungal drug fluconazole. The dye PI uptake assay was used to demonstrate peptide induced cell membrane permeabilization. Intracellular localization of the FITC-labeled peptides in Candida albicans was studied by confocal microscopy and FACS. Killing kinetics, PI uptake assay, and the intracellular presence of FITC-peptides suggested that growth inhibition is not solely a consequence of increased membrane permeabilization. We showed that entry of the peptide in Candida cells resulted in accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to cell necrosis. Morphological alteration in Candida cells caused by the peptides was visualized by electron microscopy. We propose that de novo designed VS2 and VS3 peptides have multiple detrimental effects on target fungi, which ultimately result in cell wall disruption and killing. Therefore, these peptides represent a good template for further design and development as antifungal agents. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antifungal peptides, Candida albicans, Cell wall, ROS}, issn = {0196-9781}, doi = {10.1016/j.peptides.2011.06.003}, author = {Maurya, Indresh Kumar and Pathak, Sarika and Sharma, Monika and Sanwal, Hina and Chaudhary, Preeti and Tupe, Santosh and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Chauhan, Virander Singh and Prasad, Rajendra} } @article { ISI:000288661500011, title = {Association between chemical and genetic variation in calophyllum inophyllum, a medicinally important tree of the Western Ghats of India}, journal = {Plant Systematics and Evolution}, volume = {292}, number = {3-4}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {257-265}, publisher = {SPRINGER WIEN}, address = {SACHSENPLATZ 4-6, PO BOX 89, A-1201 WIEN, AUSTRIA}, abstract = {

The objective of the present work is to study the chemical variation in Calophyllum inophyllum growing along the Western Ghats of India. Contents of dipyranocoumarins (inophyllums) in C. inophyllum were determined to assess whether they could be used as a taxonomic marker for C. inophyllum. This study also aims to establish inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers that can be used to study genetic variation within the species and explore correlation between ISSR and chemical markers. The contents of dipyranocoumarins were estimated in seeds collected from 20 locations. Leaves from plants at the same 20 locations were assayed for ISSR variation. A dendrogram based on Nei{\textquoteright}s genetic distance as well as principal component analysis based on dipyranocoumarins and ISSR variation clustered plants from these 20 locations into three groups that indicated close relationship among ISSR, dipyranocoumarins contents, and geographical position (variation) of locations. Based on this study, two locations of elite plants were identified.

}, keywords = {Calophyllum inophyllum, Dendrogram, dipyranocoumarins, HPLC, ISSR, Principal component analysis, Western Ghats of India}, issn = {0378-2697}, doi = {10.1007/s00606-010-0409-8}, author = {Pawar, Kiran D. and Joshi, Swati P. and Thengane, Shubhada Ratnakar} } @article { ISI:000296873900005, title = {Asymmetric first total syntheses and assignment of absolute configuration of oxazinin-5, oxazinin-6 and preoxazinin-7}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {23}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7990-7992}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Asymmetric first total syntheses of the unprecedented toxins oxazinin-5, oxazinin-6 and preoxazinin-7 have been achieved from a common key intermediate 18, derived from a regiocontrolled Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation and oxa-Michael reaction, which in addition to confirming the structure also established the absolute configuration of the natural products. On the way an expeditious synthesis of a metabolite bursatellin was completed in 8 steps.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c1ob06320k}, author = {Dethe, Dattatraya H. and Ranjan, Alok and Pardeshi, Vijendra H.} } @article { ISI:000299148200039, title = {Azide derivatized anticancer agents of vitamin K-3: X-ray structural, DSC, resonance spectral and API studies}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1006}, number = {1-3}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {288-296}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Compound 1 [1-imino (acetyl hydrazino)-Vitamin K-3], displays valence tautomerically related electronic isomers as Form land Form II. Form I exhibits 2D packing fragment with 1D ribbon chains of N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds and shows EPR silent features. While Form II is EPR active and exhibits biradical nature with double quantum transitions at g = 2.0040. H-1 NMR of compound 2, [1-imino (hydrazino carboxylate)-Vitamin K-3] and Form II exhibit pi delocalization via resonance assisted H-bonding [RAHB] effect compared to Form I. Molecular interactions in Form I and II are visualized by DSC. The electronic structures of compounds 1 and 2 have been correlated to their API values by measuring anticancer activities, mitochondrial potentials and DNA shearing patterns. Form II and compound 2 indicate mitochondria mediated apoptosis (similar to 75\% cell death) while Form I causes 35\% cell death. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anticancer agents, API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), Electronic isomers, RAHB (resonance assisted H-bonding), Vitamin K-3}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2011.09.022}, author = {Badave, Kirti D. and Patil, Yogesh and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Srinivas, Darbha and Dasgupta, Rajan and Khan, Ayesha A. and Rane, Sandhya} } @article { ISI:000295890100006, title = {Bicyclic amino acid-carbohydrate-conjugates as conformationally restricted hydroxyethylamine (HEA) transition-state isosteres}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {21}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7300-7302}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This communication describes a general synthetic route to bicyclic amino acid-carbohydrate-conjugates, which would be useful as conformationally restricted hydroxyethylamine (HEA) transition-state isosteres. The synthesis was achieved in 12 steps starting from D-glucose. The striking features of this system are the bicyclic rigid core displaying an a-amino acid side chain and hydroxyethylamine moiety - both of which would be potentially important for receptor interactions, leading to various biomedical responses, as described in the literature. Crystal structure investigation suggested extensive intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions in this system, involving the backbone amide and hydroxyl groups.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c1ob06215h}, author = {Kale, Sangram S. and Chavan, Sanjay T. and Sabharwal, Sushma G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000293587300003, title = {Biocompatible gellan gum-reduced gold nanoparticles: cellular uptake and subacute oral toxicity studies}, journal = {Journal of Applied Toxicology}, volume = {31}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {411-420}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Currently gold nanoparticles are being explored for drug delivery and other biomedical applications; therefore it is necessary to study the fate of such nanoparticles inside the body. The objective of the present study was to investigate the cellular uptake and toxicity of the gold nanoparticles synthesized using a microbial polysaccharide, gellan gum, as a capping and reducing agent. The cellular uptake of gold nanoparticles was studied on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells, NIH3T3 and human glioma cell line, LN-229. The cellular uptake study indicated that the gellan gum-reduced gold nanoparticles were located in cancer cells (LN-229) while no uptake was observed in normal mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH3T3). The toxicity of the gold nanoparticles was evaluated by carrying out subacute 28 day oral toxicity studies in rats. Subacute administration of gum-reduced gold nanoparticles to the rats did not show any hematological or biochemical abnormalities. The weight and normal architecture of various organs did not change compared with control. The current findings, while establishing the specific uptake of nanoparticles into cancerous cells, also demonstrates that the gellan gum-reduced gold nanoparticles are devoid of toxicity in animals following oral administration. Copyright (c) 2010 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {cell lines, cellular uptake, Gellan gum, gold nanoparticles, subacute toxicity}, issn = {0260-437X}, doi = {10.1002/jat.1595}, author = {Dhar, Sheetal and Mali, Vishal and Bodhankar, Subhash L. and Shiras, Anjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Pokharkar, Varsha} } @article { ISI:000294678600026, title = {Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using nicotiana tobaccum leaf extract and study of their antibacterial effect}, journal = {African Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {10}, number = {41}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8122-8130}, publisher = {ACADEMIC JOURNALS}, address = {P O BOX 5170-00200 NAIROBI, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS 73023, NIGERIA}, abstract = {

A green synthesis of silver nanoparticle was carried out using tobacco leaf extract. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, TEM, EDAX, FT-IR and photoluminescence study, respectively. UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy of prepared silver colloidal solution showed absorption maxima at 418 nm. Excitation maximum and emission maximum obtained from photoluminescence study were found at 414 and 576 nm, respectively. TEM analysis showed average particle size of 8 nm, while SAED pattern confirmed the crystalline nature of synthesized nanoparticles. FT-IR analysis indicated the involvement of carboxyl (-C = O), hydroxyl (-OH) and amine (-NH) functional groups of tobacco leaf extract in preparation of silver nanoparticles. EDAX analysis showed proportion of silver (54.55\%) among other elements in nanoparticle. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli DH5 alpha showed highest sensitivity towards silver nanoparticles.

}, keywords = {FT-IR spectroscopy, photoluminescence, silver nanoparticles, Tobacco, UV-Vis absorption}, issn = {1684-5315}, author = {Prasad, Kumar Suranjit and Pathak, Darshit and Patel, Ankita and Dalwadi, Palak and Prasad, Ram and Patel, Pradip and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article { ISI:000287176600009, title = {Carbon nanotube-modified sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for molecular weight determination of proteins}, journal = {Analytical Biochemistry}, volume = {409}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {230-235}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The effect of incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the gel matrix on the electrophoretic mobility of proteins based on their molecular weight differences was investigated using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). More specifically, a reduction in standard deviation in the molecular weight calibration plots by 55\% in the case of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and by 34\% in the case of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) compared with that of pristine polyacrylamide gels was achieved after incorporating an insignificant amount of functionalized CNTs into the gel matrix. A mechanism based on a more uniform pore size distribution in CNT modified polyacrylamide gel matrix is proposed. Furthermore, the impact of SWCNTs and MWCNTs on the mobility of proteins in different molecular weight regimes at a given acrylamide concentration offers a tunable gel matrix in terms of the selection of molecular weight ranges of proteins. The robustness and excellent reproducibility of the CNT-PAGE protocol are expected to have a significant impact on the molecular weight determination of newly isolated proteins. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, Gel electrophoresis, Molecular weight determination, Polyacrylamide, Protein separation}, issn = {0003-2697}, doi = {10.1016/j.ab.2010.10.021}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Debgupta, Joyashish and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Ansary, Abu Ayoobul and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {42745, title = {Catalytic dehydroaromatization of n-alkanes by pincer-ligated iridium complexes}, journal = {Nature Chemistry}, volume = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {167{\textendash}171}, abstract = {

Aromatic hydrocarbons are among the most important building blocks in the chemical industry. Benzene, toluene and xylenes are obtained from the high temperature thermolysis of alkanes. Higher alkylaromatics are generally derived from arene{\textendash}olefin coupling, which gives branched products{\textemdash}that is, secondary alkyl arenes{\textemdash}with olefins higher than ethylene. The dehydrogenation of acyclic alkanes to give alkylaromatics can be achieved using heterogeneous catalysts at high temperatures, but with low yields and low selectivity. We present here the first catalytic conversion of n-alkanes to alkylaromatics using homogeneous or molecular catalysts{\textemdash}specifically {\textquoteleft}pincer{\textquoteright}-ligated iridium complexes{\textemdash}and olefinic hydrogen acceptors. For example, the reaction of n-octane affords up to 86\% yield of aromatic product, primarily o-xylene and secondarily ethylbenzene. In the case of n-decane and n-dodecane, the resulting alkylarenes are exclusively unbranched (that is, n-alkyl-substituted), with selectivity for the corresponding o-(n-alkyl)toluene.

}, doi = {10.1038/nchem.946}, author = {Ahuja, Ritu and Punji, Benudhar and Findlater, Michael and Supplee, Carolyn and Schinski, William and Brookhart, Maurice and Goldman, Alan S.} } @article { ISI:000292735200016, title = {CFD simulation of stirred tanks: comparison of turbulence models (Part II: axial flow impellers, multiple impellers and multiphase dispersions)}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {89}, number = {4, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {754-816}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

In the first part of the review, published literature regarding the CFD modelling of single-phase turbulent flow in stirred tank reactors with radial flow impellers was critically analysed. A brief overview of different turbulence models (standard k-epsilon model, RNG k-epsilon model, the Reynolds stress model and large eddy simulation) as well as impeller baffle interaction models has been presented in the previous part. This part is concerned with the review of literature regarding CFD simulation of axial flow impellers. Comprehensive simulations have been carried out using various turbulence models and the model predictions (of all the mean velocities, turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate) have been compared with the experimental measurements at various locations in the tank. The strengths and weaknesses of various turbulence models for axial flow impellers is presented. The quantitative comparison of exact and modelled turbulence production, transport and dissipation terms has highlighted the reasons behind the partial success of various modifications of standard k-e model as well as Reynolds stress model. Literature efforts on multiple impeller systems and multiphase systems have been discussed in a separate section. Based on these results, suggestions have been made for the future work in this area.

}, keywords = {axial flow impellers, CFD, impeller models, stirred vessel, turbulence models}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.20465}, author = {Joshi, Jyeshtharaj B. and Nere, Nandkishor K. and Rane, Chinmay V. and Murthy, B. N. and Mathpati, Channamallikarjun S. and Patwardhan, Ashwin W. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000287042800004, title = {CFD simulation of stirred tanks: comparison of turbulence models. part I: radial flow impellers}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {89}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {23-82}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A critical review of the published literature regarding the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of single-phase turbulent flow in stirred tank reactors is presented. In this part of review, CFD simulations of radial flow impellers (mainly disc turbine (DT)) in a fully baffled vessel operating in a turbulent regime have been presented. Simulated results obtained with different impeller modelling approaches (impeller boundary condition, multiple reference frame, computational snap shot and the sliding mesh approaches) and different turbulence models (standard k-epsilon model, RNG k-epsilon model, the Reynolds stress model (RSM) and large eddy simulation) have been compared with the in-house laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) experimental data. In addition, recently proposed modifications to the standard k-epsilon models were also evaluated. The model predictions (of all the mean velocities, turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate) have been compared with the experimental measurements at various locations in the tank. A discussion is presented to highlight strengths and weaknesses of currently used CFD models. A preliminary analysis of sensitivity of modelling assumptions in the k-epsilon models and RSM has been carried out using LES database. The quantitative comparison of exact and modelled turbulence production, transport and dissipation terms has highlighted the reasons behind the partial success of various modifications of standard k-epsilon model as well as RSM. The volume integral of predicted energy dissipation rate is compared with the energy input rate. Based on these results, suggestions have been made for the future work in this area.

}, keywords = {CFD, impeller models, k-epsilon models, LES, radial flow impellers, RSM, stirred vessel}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.20446}, author = {Joshi, Jyeshtharaj B. and Nere, Nandkishor K. and Rane, Chinmay V. and Murthy, B. N. and Mathpati, Channamallikarjun S. and Patwardhan, Ashwin W. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000291194800039, title = {Characterisation of copolymer, poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB-co-PHV) produced by halomonas campisalis (MCM B-1027), its biodegradability and potential application}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {102}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6625-6628}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Characterisation of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) film produced by haloalkalitolerant Halomonas campisalis (MCM B-1027) in 14 L SS fermenter revealed it to have composition of monomer units, HB:HV as 96:4 as analysed by (1)H NMR indicating the PHA as a co-polymer of PHB-co-PHV, molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography as 2.08 x 10(6), melting temperature 166.51 degrees C, tensile strength 18.8 MPa; two relaxations namely beta transition corresponding to the glass rubber transition and alpha transition corresponding to crystalline relaxation by Dynamic Mechanical Thermal analysis and only one relaxation corresponding to MWS interfacial polarisation with activation energy of 129 kJ/mol by broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Optical microscopic studies showed typical Maltese-cross pattern of spherulites. The PHA film was found to be biodegradable by standard ASTM method as well as by soil burial method. The leak proof polymer bags prepared from the film could be used as a packaging material. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biodegradable polymer, Copolymer PHB-co-PHV, Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, Dynamic mechanical analysis, Halomonas}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2011.03.054}, author = {Kulkarni, Snehal O. and Kanekar, Pradnya P. and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Patil, Prashant A. and Nilegaonkar, Smita S. and Sarnaik, Seema S. and Kshirsagar, Pranav R.} } @article { ISI:000288483400033, title = {Characterization of surface acid sites in tin-silicalite-1 (Sn-MFI) molecular sieve by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {141}, number = {1-3}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {236-240}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The nature, strength and density of surface acid sites in Sn-MFI molecular sieves with different Sn-content were characterized by N 1s high resolution photoelectron peak of chemisorbed pyridine in combination with pyridine-IR and TPAD. Two peaks emerged at 399.5 +/- 0.2 and 401.5 +/- 0.2 eV by deconvoluting composite N is peak were assigned to chemisorbed pyridine on weak and relatively strong Lewis acid sites, respectively. The relative percentage of strong Lewis acid sites was found to increase with the decrease of framework Sn content. A close agreement was observed between the ratios of weak Lewis acid sites to strong Lewis acid sites obtained from XPS and TPAD. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Lewis acidity, Pyridine chemisorption, SiO2/SnO2 molar ratio, Sn-MFI, XPS}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2010.10.036}, author = {Niphadkar, P. S. and Patil, K. R. and Joshi, P. N.} } @article { ISI:000288890800008, title = {Chemoenzymatic total synthesis of potent HIV RNase H inhibitor (-)-1,3,4,5-tetragalloylapiitol}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {22}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {173-177}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Starting from racemic dimethyl 2-acetoxy-3-methylenesuccinate, the chemoenzymatic facile total synthesis of (-)-1,3,4,5-tetragalloylapiitol has been demonstrated via an efficient lipase catalyzed resolution followed by a DIBAL reduction-double gallyolation, osmium tetroxide dihydroxylation-double gallyolation, and reductive global O-benzyl deprotection pathway. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2010.11.032}, author = {Batwal, Ramesh U. and Patel, Ramesh M. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000284150200042, title = {Classification of Indian power coals using K-means clustering and self organizing map neural network}, journal = {Fuel}, volume = {90}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {339-347}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present study reports results of the classification of Indian coals used in thermal power stations across India. For classifying these power coals a classical unsupervised clustering technique, namely {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}K-Means Clustering{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and an artificial intelligence (AI) based nonlinear clustering formalism known as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Self-Organizing Map (SOM){\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} have been used for the first time. To conduct the said classification, five coal descriptor variables namely moisture, ash, volatile matter, carbon and gross calorific value (GCV) have been used. The classification results thereof indicate that Indian power coals from different geographical origins can be classified optimally into seven classes. It has also been found that the K-means and SOM based classification results exhibit similarity in close to 75\% coal samples. Further, K-means and SOM based seven coal categories have been compared with as many grades of a commonly employed Useful Heat Value (UHV) based Indian non-coking coal grading system. Here, it was observed that a number of UHV-based grades exhibit similarity with the categories identified by the K-means and SOM methods. The classification of Indian power coals as provided here can be gainfully used in selecting application-specific coals as also in their grading and pricing. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Coal classification, Indian power coals, K-means clustering, Self-Organizing Map}, issn = {0016-2361}, doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2010.09.012}, author = {Pandit, Yogesh P. and Badhe, Yogesh P. and Sharma, B. K. and Tambe, Sanjeev S. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000296273900010, title = {Click chemistry: 1,2,3-triazoles as pharmacophores}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {6}, number = {10, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2696-2718}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The copper(I)-catalyzed 1,2,3-triazole-forming reaction between azides and terminal alkynes has become the gold standard of {\textquoteleft}click chemistry{\textquoteright} due to its reliability, specificity, and biocompatibility. Applications of click chemistry are increasingly found in all aspects of drug discovery; they range from lead finding through combinatorial chemistry and target-templated in vitro chemistry, to proteomics and DNA research by using bioconjugation reactions. The triazole products are more than just passive linkers; they readily associate with biological targets, through hydrogen-bonding and dipole interactions. The present review will focus mainly on the recent literature for applications of this reaction in the field of medicinal chemistry, in particular on use of the 1,2,3-triazole moiety as pharmacophore.

}, keywords = {Click chemistry, Copper, Cycloaddition, pharmacophores, triazoles}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201100432}, author = {Agalave, Sandip G. and Maujan, Suleman R. and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article {43255, title = {Comparative genomics of the pathogenic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, its free-living relatives and a host species provide insights into adoption of a parasitic lifestyle and prospects for disease control}, journal = {Genome Biology}, volume = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: R100}, abstract = {Background: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, commonly known as Ich, is a highly pathogenic ciliate responsible for {\textquoteright}white spot{\textquoteright}, a disease causing significant economic losses to the global aquaculture industry. Options for disease control are extremely limited, and Ich{\textquoteright}s obligate parasitic lifestyle makes experimental studies challenging. Unlike most well-studied protozoan parasites, Ich belongs to a phylum composed primarily of free-living members. Indeed, it is closely related to the model organism Tetrahymena thermophila. Genomic studies represent a promising strategy to reduce the impact of this disease and to understand the evolutionary transition to parasitism. Results: We report the sequencing, assembly and annotation of the Ich macronuclear genome. Compared with its free-living relative T. thermophila, the Ich genome is reduced approximately two-fold in length and gene density and three-fold in gene content. We analyzed in detail several gene classes with diverse functions in behavior, cellular function and host immunogenicity, including protein kinases, membrane transporters, proteases, surface antigens and cytoskeletal components and regulators. We also mapped by orthology Ich{\textquoteright}s metabolic pathways in comparison with other ciliates and a potential host organism, the zebrafish Danio rerio. Conclusions: Knowledge of the complete protein-coding and metabolic potential of Ich opens avenues for rational testing of therapeutic drugs that target functions essential to this parasite but not to its fish hosts. Also, a catalog of surface protein-encoding genes will facilitate development of more effective vaccines. The potential to use T. thermophila as a surrogate model offers promise toward controlling {\textquoteright}white spot{\textquoteright} disease and understanding the adaptation to a parasitic lifestyle.}, doi = {10.1186/gb-2011-12-10-r100}, author = {Coyne, Robert S. and Hannick, Linda and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Hostetler, Jessica B. and Brami, Daniel and Joardar, Vinita S. and Johnson, Justin and Radune, Diana and Singh, Irtisha and Badger, Jonathan H. and Kumar, Ujjwal and Saier, Milton and Wang, Yufeng and Cai, Hong and Gu, Jianying and Mather, Michael W. and Vaidya, Akhil B. and Wilkes, David E. and Rajagopalan, Vidyalakshmi and Asai, David J. and Pearson, Chad G. and Findly, Robert C. and Dickerson, Harry W. and Wu, Martin and Martens, Cindy and Van de Peer, Yves and Roos, David S. and Cassidy-Hanley, Donna M. and Clark, Theodore G.} } @article { ISI:000296738500014, title = {Comparison of racemic epi-inosose and (-)-epi-inosose}, journal = {ACTA Crystallographica Section C-Crystal Structure Communications}, volume = {67}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {O435-O438}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

The conversion of myo-inositol to epi-inositol can be achieved by the hydride reduction of an intermediate epi-inosose derived from myo-inositol. (-)-epi-Inosose, (I), crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2(1), with two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit [Hosomi et al. (2000). Acta Cryst. C56, e584-e585]. On the other hand, (2RS,3SR,5SR,6SR)epi-inosose, C6H10O6, (II), crystallized in the orthorhombic space group Pca2(1). Interestingly, the conformation of the molecules in the two structures is nearly the same, the only difference being the orientation of the C-3 and C-4 hydroxy H atoms. As a result, the molecular organization achieved mainly through strong O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonding in the racemic and homochiral lattices is similar. The compound also follows Wallach{\textquoteright}s rule, in that the racemic crystals are denser than the optically active form.

}, issn = {0108-2701}, doi = {10.1107/S0108270111039412}, author = {Krishnaswamy, Shobhana and Patil, Madhuri T. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article { ISI:000293516200047, title = {Competitive wetting of acetonitrile and dichloromethane in comparison to that of water on functionalized carbon nanotube surfaces}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {13}, number = {32}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {14668-14674}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Differential wetting of pristine and ozonized carbon nanotubes has been studied using solvents like acetonitrile and dichloromethane in comparison to the well-known wetting behavior of water. Based on their unique structural and physical properties, functionalized CNT substrates have been used due to the fact that independent variation in molecular as well as electronic properties could be controlled by understanding the wetting of these liquids on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), both pristine as well as ozone treated. The sensitivity of the wetting behavior with respect to molecular interactions has been investigated using contact angle measurements while Raman and XPS studies unravel the differential wetting behavior. Charge-transfer between adsorbed molecules and CNTs has been identified to play a crucial role in determining the interfacial energies of these two liquids, especially in the case of acetonitrile. Ozone treatment has been observed to affect the surface properties of pristine CNTs along with a concomitant change in the wetting dynamics.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c1cp21121h}, author = {Debgupta, Joyashish and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000293230300022, title = {Concurrent display of both alpha- and beta-turns in a model peptide}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {16}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5762-5765}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This article describes a model peptide that concurrently displays both alpha- and beta-turns, as demonstrated by structural investigations using single crystal X-ray crystallography and solution-state NMR studies. The motif reported herein has the potential for the design of novel conformationally ordered synthetic oligomers with structural architectures distinct from those classically observed.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c1ob05553d}, author = {Srinivas, Deekonda and Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Phalgune, Usha D. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000285749800008, title = {Conformationally rigid aromatic amino acids as potential building blocks for abiotic foldamers}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {367-369}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This communication describes the development of conformationally constrained unnatural aromatic amino acids, constructed on rigid backbone wherein the carboxyl and amino groups project in two dimensions (planes) on the aromatic framework. Such a feature offers the possibility of design and development of conformationally ordered synthetic oligomers with intriguing structural architectures distinct from those classically observed. Furthermore, such amino acids will have the potential to extend the conformational space available for foldamer design with diverse backbone conformation and structural architectures.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c0ob00593b}, author = {Ramesh, Veera V. E. and Roy, Arup and Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N. and Kendhale, Amol M. and Prabhakaran, Panchami and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000287163000011, title = {Construction of the 5,10b-phenanthridine skeleton using [3+2]-cycloaddition of a non-stabilized azomethine ylide: total synthesis of (+/-)-maritidine and (+/-)-crinine alkaloids}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {740-750}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters of the 5,10b-phenanthridine skeleton 1 are constructed simultaneously in one step by the [3+2]-cycloaddition of non-stabilized azomethine ylide 9, generated by sequential double desilylation of 10 utilizing silver(I) fluoride as a one-electron oxidant. The regioas well as stereochemical origin of this cycloaddition reaction is explained through a favorable transition state 9{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. The strategy is successfully applied for the total synthesis of the biologically active alkaloids (+/-)-maritidine (1a), (+/-)-crinine (1b), and their analogues (1d, 1e, and 1f).

}, keywords = {alkaloids, Azomethine ylides, Cycloaddition, Natural products, Ylides}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201001263}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Gupta, Nishant R. and Gadre, Smita R.} } @article { ISI:000289764000056, title = {Control of competing hydrogenation of phenylhydroxylamine to aniline in a single-step hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to p-aminophenol }, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {50}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5478-5484}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Two steps involving catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to phenylhydroxylamine (PHA) in acid medium and its rearrangement to p-aminophenol (PAP) were studied separately in a batch reactor, using a well-characterized 3\% Pt/C catalyst. The first step of hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to PHA could be carried out at 303 K and a H(2) pressure of 0.69 MPa with complete conversion of nitrobenzene, while the achieved selectivity to PHA was higher than 90\% with some formation of aniline, even at lower temperature. The second step of PHA rearrangement to PAP could be achieved under a hydrogen atmosphere at elevated temperature of 353 K to give a maximum selectivity to PAP of 74\%.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie102544a}, author = {Nadgeri, Jayprakash M. and Biradar, Narayan S. and Patil, Priyanka B. and Jadkar, Sachin T. and Garade, Ajit C. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000291410900022, title = {Controlling stoichiometry in low temperature synthesis of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Advanced Science Letters}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {424-430}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Nanoparticles of complex oxides (\<20 nm) are desirable for several applications in view of the diverse range of physical properties of such oxides. However the simultaneous presence of multiple cation precursors makes the corresponding chemical synthesis non-trivial with possible intermediate evolution of secondary phases. Such phases could react at high temperatures to form the desired stoichiometry, but this process is diffusion limited and can lead to larger particles. In this work we examine the role of three different reaction and growth controlling additives, namely dextran, citric acid and hexamine, on the synthesis of the well known colossal magneto-resistive (CMR) manganite La0.7Sr0.3MnO3. We demonstrate that phase evolutions differ significantly in the three cases, and the physical properties of the products also differ dramatically. Only dextran is shown to yield the desired phase with faceted nanoparticles at as low a temperature as 600 degrees C. A high saturation moment of similar to 47 emu/gm is realized at 10 K with a good square hysteresis loop. In 650 degrees C annealed sample, room temperature magnetization of similar to 15 emu/gm was obtained, which brings the nanoparticles in the applicability domain.

}, keywords = {Citric acid, Complex Oxide, Dextran, Hexamine, hydrothermal}, issn = {1936-6612}, doi = {10.1166/asl.2011.1230}, author = {Azarifar, Ali and Yadav, P. A. and Chawla, A. K. and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Patil, S. I. and Chandra, Ramesh and Ogale, S. B.} } @article { ISI:000287363500022, title = {Cytotoxicity of sophorolipid-gellan gum-gold nanoparticle conjugates and their doxorubicin loaded derivatives towards human glioma and human glioma stem cell lines}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {3}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {575-580}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Biocompatible gold nanoparticles were synthesized by using a naturally occurring gum-Gellan Gum-as a capping and reducing agent. These were further conjugated with sophorolipids which again were accessed through a biochemical transformation of a fatty acid. The cellular uptake of sophorolipid-conjugated gellan gum reduced gold nanoparticles and their cytotoxicity on human glioma cell line LN-229 and human glioma stem cell line HNGC-2 were investigated. Quite surprisingly even the simple sophorolipid-conjugated gellan gum reduced/capped gold nanoparticles showed greater efficacy in killing the glioma cell lines and, gratifyingly, the glioma stem cell lines also. The cytotoxic effects became more prominent once the anti cancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride was also conjugated to these gold nanoparticles.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c0nr00598c}, author = {Dhar, Sheetal and Reddy, E. Maheswara and Prabhune, Asmita and Pokharkar, Varsha and Shiras, Anjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000286904800076, title = {Degradation of methylene blue via photocatalysis of transition metal-loaded sulfated TiO2}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {125}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {807-812}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Transition metal-loaded nanocrystalline SO42-/TiO2 powders were prepared by sol-gel method. Anatase is found as the active phase in all the samples. Sulfation process clearly stabilizes TiO2 catalyst phase against sintering, maintaining anatase phase and relatively high surface area values with respect to pure TiO2. Wide structural and surface characterization of samples was carried out in order to establish a correlation between the effect of sulfation and metal incorporation on the TiO2 photocatalytic properties. The maximum photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue solution was achieved with sulfation of TiO2. In addition, incorporation of metal into the structure of SO42-/TiO2 seems to enhance the photocatalytic activity of the samples, which is ascribed to the enlargement of specific surface area, photogenerated carriers separation, light absorption, as well as the higher surface acidity. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {nanomaterial, Photocatalytic activity, sol-gel process}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2010.09.053}, author = {Gambhire, A. B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Arbad, B. R. and Rathod, S. B. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000293637800009, title = {Degradation of tannic acid by cold-adapted klebsiella sp NACASA1 and phytotoxicity assessment of tannic acid and its degradation products}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, volume = {18}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1129-1138}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The focus of the present study is to know the potential of bacterial isolate for tannic acid degradation at low temperature. Also, we tried to evaluate the suitability of phytotoxicity testing protocol for the determination of tannic acid toxicity. Screening for tannic acid degrading bacterial strains was carried out by using microbial isolation techniques. The 16S rDNA amplicon of the isolate was used to identify the isolate. The effect of different concentrations of tannic acid and its degradation products on germination of Vigna unguiculata was evaluated. The study was carried out to determine total sugar and starch content of the used seeds and even to check the presence of alpha-amylase activity during seed germination. The isolated bacterium was identified as Klebsiella sp NACASA1 and it showed degradation of tannic acid in 40 (+/- 0.85***) h at 15A degrees C and pH 7.0. A gradual decrease in root/shoot length was observed with increasing concentration of tannic acid. There was 95.11 (+/- 0.24**)\% inhibition in alpha-amylase activity at 20,000 ppm tannic acid, as compared to control. No such effects were observed on germination, root-shoot length, and alpha-amylase activity with tannic acid degradation products. The results obtained confirmed that tannic acid may act as a toxic agent in plant cells. The simple biodegradation process presented in this study was found to be effective in reducing toxicity of tannic acid. Also, it reveals the potential of soil bacterium to degrade tannic acid at low temperature.

}, keywords = {Cold-adapted bacterium, Phytotoxicity, Tannic acid degradation}, issn = {0944-1344}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-011-0468-6}, author = {Jadhav, Umesh and Kadu, Sudhir and Thokal, Nilesh and Padul, Manohar and Dawkar, Vishal V. and Chougale, Ashok D. and Salve, Abhay and Patil, Manoj} } @article { ISI:000295275200035, title = {Design and in situ synthesis of a Cu-based porous framework featuring isolated double chain magnetic character}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {39}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11008-11010}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A Cu-based double chain MOF was synthesized in hydrothermal conditions using an in situ ligand formation method. This double chain MOF shows temperature dependent ferromagnetic (long range ordering) and antiferromagnetic (intra double chain) coupling. The magnetic behaviour originating from the individual double chain remains almost same even after structural collapse due to the removal of guest water molecules.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c1cc13418c}, author = {Dey, Chandan and Das, Raja and Saha, Binoy Krishna and Poddar, Pankaj and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000295696300005, title = {DFT investigation of the potential of porous cages for the catalysis of ammonia borane dehydrogenation}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {41}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11417-11419}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Full DFT based quantum mechanical studies reveal that zero dimensional porous structures, especially the newly proposed phosphorus incorporated organic cages, can be excellent catalysts for the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c1cc13285g}, author = {Pal, Amrita and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000290685100004, title = {Diastereoselective synthesis of 1,1,4-trisubstituted-2,3,4,9-tetrahydrospiro-beta-carbolines via glacial acetic acid catalyzed pictet - spengler reaction}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {41-56}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

The Pictet-Spengler reaction of substituted tryptamines with cyclic ketones using glacial acetic acid afforded only one diastereomer of unreported 1,1,4-trisubstituted-2,3,4,9-tetrahydrospiro-beta-carbolines. The stereoselectivity in the reaction has been demonstrated using unsymmetrical ketones and single-crystal X-ray analysis of one of the spiro products in the form of base, its sulfate and hydrochloride salts, which indicated the formation of only the R, R diastereomer.

}, keywords = {1, 3, 4, 4-Trisubstituted-2, 9-tetrahydrospiro-beta-carbolines, beta-substituted tryptamine, Diastereoselective Pictet-Spengler reaction, Glacial acetic acid}, issn = {1551-7004}, author = {Shumaila, Abdullah M. A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @article { ISI:000290602100011, title = {Diastereoselective synthesis of tetrasubstituted-octahydro-3,6-diazacarbazoles and tetrasubstituted-3,6-diazacarbazoles via double Pictet-Spengler reaction}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {52}, number = {21}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2661-2663}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Pictet-Spengler condensation of 2,5-bis(2-phenyl-1-aminoethyl)pyrrole using glacial acetic acid afforded only one diastereomer of unreported tetrasubstituted-octahydro-3,6-diazacarbazoles. These were readily dehydrogenated to tetrasubstituted-3,6-diazacarbazoles. The stereoselectivity in the Pictet-Spengler reaction has been demonstrated using single crystal X-ray analysis. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2, 5-Bis(2-phenyl-1-aminoethyl)pyrrole, 6-diazacarbazoles, Diasteroselective Pictet-Spengler reaction, Glacial acetic acid, Tetrasubstituted-3, Tetrasubstituted-octahydro-3}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2011.03.060}, author = {Shumaila, Abdullah M. A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @article { ISI:000288438500030, title = {Dibutyl phthalate, a secondary metabolite from mimusops elengi}, journal = {Chemistry of Natural Compounds}, volume = {46}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {955-956}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, issn = {0009-3130}, doi = {10.1007/s10600-011-9793-8}, author = {Ruikar, A. D. and Gadkari, T. V. and Phalgune, U. D. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshpande, N. R.} } @article { ISI:000298639800093, title = {Dielectric and spin relaxation behaviour in DyFeO3 nanocrystals}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {110}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {124301}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We report the temperature and frequency dependent dielectric measurements and ac magnetic susceptibility of chemically synthesized DyFeO3 nanoparticles (size similar to 50-60 nm). The measurement of the dielectric properties was carried out in a broad temperature (20-325 K) and frequency (1-10(6) Hz) range. The non-Debye type dipolar relaxation phenomenon was observed in the DyFeO3 nanoparticles, as confirmed by the Cole-Cole plots. The higher values of epsilon{\textquoteright} at the lower frequencies are explained on the basis of the Maxwell-Wagner model. The Cole-Cole analysis enabled us to separate the contribution of relaxation times, resistance and capacitance in grain and grain boundaries in DyFeO3 nanocrystals. We found that with increasing temperature, the contribution of grain boundary resistance increases in comparison to the grain resistance. We also performed spin relaxation studies in a broad temperature and frequency range. Both the in-phase (chi{\textquoteright}) and out-of-phase (chi {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}) components of the ac magnetic susceptibilities of the DyFeO3 nanoparticles show a clear evidence at spin reorientation transition around 70K and T-N (Dy) around 4K as reported by us in our earlier study using the dc magnetic behaviour. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3669154]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3669154}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000290493000005, title = {Differentiation-inducing ability of sophorolipids of oleic and linoleic acids using a glioma cell line}, journal = {Biotechnology Journal}, volume = {6}, number = {5, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {509-512}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids are biosurfactants produced by non-pathogenic yeasts. They show structural similarity with the membrane components of mammalian cells, i.e., glycosphingolipids and gangliosides, which are involved in processes such as signaling, oncogenesis, and differentiation. Sophorolipids have been reported to induce differentiation in several leukemic cell lines, cell death via apoptosis in a human liver cancer cell line, and necrosis in a pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line. Here we report, for the first time, the effects of precursor fatty acids and sophorolipids of oleic and linoleic acids in pure acidic and crude forms on LN-229, a glioma cell line. In response to different sophorolipid forms, various morphological changes were observed, such as formation of long thread-like extensions arising from the ends of the cells, cell alignment, cell elongation and bundle formation in a dose-dependent manner. In this study we present the morphological evidence of the potential of sophorolipids as differentiation inducers.

}, keywords = {Differentiation, Glioma, LN-229, Sophorolipid}, issn = {1860-6768}, doi = {10.1002/biot.201000345}, author = {Joshi-Navare, Kasturi and Shiras, Anjali and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000292786700024, title = {Direct synthesis of well-ordered mesoporous Al-SBA-15 and its correlation with the catalytic activity}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {400}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {176-184}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The synthesis of Al-SBA-15 under milder acidic conditions were made through an adjusting the molar H(2)O/HCl ratio which indicate the formation of Si-O-Al linkages that lead to isomorphous substitution of Si(4+) by some Al(3+) ions. By adjusting the H(2)O/HCl molar ratio, Al gets incorporated into the lattice of SBA-15, which is evidenced by XRD. N(2) adsorption, TEM, (29)Si and (27)Al MAS NMR spectroscopic data. Aluminium incorporated SBA-15 samples retained both structural and textural properties of SBA-15. The (27)Al MAS NMR confirms that a large proportion of the Al is inserted into tetrahedral positions within the framework. The Al(3+) ions could assume a tetrahedral coordination and be part of the hexagonal structure of silica in Al-SBA-15. In the present study, we have examined the effectiveness of Al-SBA-15, as an acid catalyst for the esterification of acetic acid and in benzylation of anisole. The high activity of Al-20 sample in esterification reaction has been attributed to isolated, generally tetrahedrally coordinated, framework Al species. While in benzylation of anisole, the best result was achieved with Al-5 catalyst. The selectivity for benzylanisole increases and that for dibenzylether decreases with increase in the Si/Al ratio of Al-SBA-15. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Al-SBA-15, Benzylation of anisole, Esterification of acetic acid}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2011.04.031}, author = {Bhange, Pallavi and Bhange, Deu S. and Pradhan, Sivaram and Ramaswamy, Veda} } @article { ISI:000295890100012, title = {Divergent Pd(II) and Au(III) mediated nitroalkynol cycloisomerizations}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {21}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7327-7334}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new cycloisomerization reaction comprising the simultaneous addition of nitro and alcohol groups across C C leading to skeletally diverse small molecules is documented.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c0ob00858c}, author = {Patel, Pitambar and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000296020200002, title = {Diversifying the structural architecture of synthetic oligomers: the hetero foldamer approach}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {42}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {11593-11611}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conformationally ordered synthetic oligomers, also called {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}foldamers{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, have attracted considerable attention in recent years owing to their ability to mimic the structural architecture of biopolymers and also because of their potential applications in biomedical and material science fields. Until recently, the major focus in this area has been the development of oligomers featuring a single type of monomer building blocks. However, due to the enormous possibility of augmenting the conformational space available for oligomer design, the hetero foldamer approach has been introduced very recently. This feature article aims to describe foldamers with unique structural architectures, exclusively featuring heterogeneous backbones (hetero foldamers).

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c1cc13313f}, author = {Roy, Arup and Prabhakaran, Panchami and Baruah, Pranjal Kumar and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000295831700027, title = {Early stages of unwinding of zwitterionic alpha-helical homopolymeric peptides}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {514}, number = {4-6}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {330-335}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Unwinding mechanisms of helices of the zwitterionic polyalanine, polyleucine, and polylysine were studied using classical molecular dynamics simulation at 300 K temperature. Interestingly the helices of polyalanine and polyleucine start to unwind from the terminals, which is further relayed to the middle of the chain with time. Polylysine helix also starts to unwind from the terminals of the alpha-helical chain but the unwinding is not relayed to the middle. The reason behind this observation is investigated whether the presence of -NH(2) groups in the side chain of polylysine is influencing the unwinding. Two competitive mechanisms, fluctuation of the terminal residues and exchange of H-bonds between residues and water trigger the process of unwinding. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2011.08.050}, author = {Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000289149900115, title = {Effect of particle size and annealing on spin and phonon behavior in TbMnO3}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {109}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {064309}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Interest has grown to study TbMnO3 as it was recently reported to show a gigantic magnetoelectric effect. Here, we report the synthesis and detailed magnetic and Raman spectroscopy study on TbMnO3 particles of size similar to 25 nm and 2-3 mu m, respectively. The incommensurate-commensurate (lock-in) transition, usually observed at 27 K for bulk phase of TbMnO3 was not observed in susceptibility versus T curve but was seen at 30 K in the coercivity versus T curve in similar to 25 nm particles. This transition, which is due to the spin modulation length scale, gets weakened in nanosize due to the increased intrinsic lattice strain observed in 2-3 mu m particles, due to the effect of increased particle size. The increased value of magnetization in the 2-3 mu m sample was attributed to double exchange interactions between Mn+3 and Mn+4 spins. The role of annealing related effects on the fate of the Neel temperature for TbMnO3 was investigated. Raman spectroscopy indicated a decrease in the lattice distortion for similar to 25 nm particles. (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3563571]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3563571}, author = {Das, Raja and Jaiswal, Adhish and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000289315700010, title = {Effect of triples to dipole moments in fock-space multireference coupled cluster method}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {7}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {876-883}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we present the new implementation of partial triples for the dipole moment of doublet radicals in Lagrangian formulation of Fock-space multireference coupled cluster (A-FSMRCC) response method. We have implemented a specific scheme of noniterative triples, in addition to singles and doubles schemes, which accounts for the effects appearing at least at the third order in dipole moments. The method is applied to the ground states of OH, OOH, HCOO, CN, CH, and PO radicals.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct1007263}, author = {Ravichandran, Lalitha and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000291182100026, title = {Efficiency and recycling capability of montmorillonite supported Fe-Ni bimetallic nanocomposites towards hexavalent chromium remediation}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {104}, number = {3-4}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {407-414}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Cr(VI) remediation, Iron-nickel bimetallics, Montmorillonite, Nanocomposites, Recycling}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2011.02.011}, author = {Kadu, Brijesh S. and Sathe, Yogesh D. and Ingle, Abhijit B. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000295817100054, title = {Efficient synthesis of benzofuranones: N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)/base-catalyzed hydroacylation-stetter-rearrangement cascade}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {13}, number = {20}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5624-5627}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A N-heterocyclic carbene/base-catalyzed cascade reaction leading to the formation of functionalized benzofuranones is reported. The reaction proceeds via an intramolecular hydroacylation of unactivated alkynes followed by an intermolecular Stetter reaction and a base-catalyzed chromanone to benzofuranone rearrangement.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol2023483}, author = {Padmanaban, Mohan and Biju, Akkattu T. and Glorius, Frank} } @article { ISI:000292555200032, title = {Electrical behavior of silver particulate films deposited on 8 MeV electron beam irradiated softened polystyrene substrates}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {22}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1095-1100}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Results of the investigations carried out on the electrical behavior of silver particulate films deposited on electron beam irradiated polystyrene (PS) coated substrates held at a temperature of 455 K in a vacuum of 8 x 10(-6) torr at a constant deposition rate of 0.4 nm/s are reported. It is known that when metals are evaporated on to softened polymer substrates, subsurface particulate structures are formed whose morphology is dependent on deposition parameters. Further, it was shown that the morphology is dependent on polymer-metal interaction. The present work demonstrates that the polymer-metal interaction can be brought about in inert polymers like PS by electron irradiation. The results indicate that the films deposited on PS irradiated to a dose of 20 and 25 kGy gives rise to smaller clusters with smaller inter-cluster separation, better suited for sensor applications. The induced polymer-metal interaction is attributed to the creation of free radicals due to the 8 MeV electron irradiation.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-010-0266-9}, author = {Pattabi, Manjunatha and Gurumurthy, S. C. and Sanjeev, Ganesh and Gaikwad, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000291715300005, title = {Electrochemical unzipping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes for facile synthesis of high-quality graphene nanoribbons}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {133}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4168-4171}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Here we report a remarkable transformation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to nanoribbons composed of a few layers of graphene by a two-step electrochemical approach. This consists of the oxidation of CNTs at controlled potential, followed by reduction to form graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) having smooth edges and fewer defects, as evidenced by multiple characterization techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. This type of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}unzipping{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} of CNTs (single-walled, multi-walled) in the presence of an interfacial electric field provides unique advantages with respect to the orientation of CNTs, which might make possible the production of GNRs with controlled widths and fewer defects.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja1101739}, author = {Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Debgupta, Joyashish and Kushwaha, Ajay and Aslam, Mohammed and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000295921500010, title = {Employing homoenolates generated by NHC catalysis in carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions: state of the art}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {40}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5336-5346}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Homoenolate is a reactive intermediate that possesses an anionic or nucleophilic carbon beta to a carbonyl group or its synthetic equivalent. The recent discovery that homoenolates can be generated from alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes via N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) catalysis has led to the development of a number of new reactions. A majority of such reactions include the use of carbon-based electrophiles, such as aldehydes, imines, enones, dienones etc. resulting in the formation of a variety of annulated as well as acyclic products. The easy availability of chiral NHCs has allowed the development of very efficient enantioselective variants of these reactions also. The tolerance showed by NHCs towards magnesium and titanium based Lewis acids has been exploited in the invention of cooperative catalytic processes. This tutorial review focuses on these and other types of homoenolate reactions reported recently, and in the process, updates the previous account published in 2008 in this journal.

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/c1cs15139h}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Menon, Rajeev S. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Sinu, C. R. and Paul, Rony Rajan and Jose, Anu and Sreekumar, Vellalath} } @article { ISI:000297732400016, title = {Enantioselective total syntheses of (-)-isonitramine, (-)-sibirine, and (+)-nitramine by ring-closing metathesis}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {36}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {7372-7377}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Concise enantioselective total syntheses of naturally occurring 2-azaspiro[5,5]undecan-7-ol (Nitraria) alkaloids viz. ()-isonitramine, ()-sibirine, and (+)-nitramine are accomplished in 42, 38, and 25?\% overall yield, respectively, in six steps starting from enantiomerically pure (S)-methyl 3-allyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carboxylate (\>99?\%?ee). The key feature of the syntheses involves diastereoselective HosomiSakurai allylation followed by ring-closing metathesis.

}, keywords = {Alk-aloids, Allylation, Amino alcohols, Metathesis, Total synthesis}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201101256}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Kumara, Prasanna C. and Burugu, Shiva Kumar and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000298066300009, title = {Energy optimization in integrated pulp and paper mills with recourse to environmental benefits}, journal = {Journal of Scientific \& Industrial Research}, volume = {70}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1061-1069}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

This study focuses on energy optimization in evaporator and digester of integrated pulp and paper mills in India, and recommends application of 7 effects/plates evaporator in place of 5 effects/plates normally used. Steam economy resulting from this modification is definitely more than 7. Pinch technology is found suitable for optimization of controlled parameters in the digester. Using recommendations, total energy savings was observed in West Coast Paper Mill (11.74\%) and Star Paper Mill (12.97\%). Environmental benefits that will accrue in terms of reductions in emissions are: SPM, 46464-48664 TPA; SO(2), 1045 kg/annum; H(2)S, 55,020 kg/annum; and CO(2), 13612 TPA.

}, keywords = {Air emissions, Digester, Evaporator, Pinch technology, Steam economy}, issn = {0022-4456}, author = {Pharande, V. A. and Asthana, S. R. and Saini, D. R. and Kaul, S. N.} } @article { ISI:000290732000044, title = {Enhanced electrocatalytic performance of functionalized carbon nanotube electrodes for oxygen reduction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {13}, number = {21}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {10312-10317}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Although nitrogen doped CNTs (N-CNTs) are considered as a promising alternative to platinized carbon for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), the origin of the enhanced ORR activity with N-CNTs is not clear at present. Among several plausible reasons, the exposure of edge plane and creation of impurity band/surface states near the Fermi level are considered as major causes behind the catalytic activity. However, CNTs without nitrogen doping are not known to catalyze the ORR. In this work, we study the ORR activity of functionalized carbon nanotubes with different functional groups, such as sulfonic acid and phosphonic acid, in order to understand the role of surface functionalities in catalyzing the reaction. Functionalized CNTs show significantly enhanced activity towards the ORR, while CNTs without such surface functional groups do not reveal any such special ORR activity. Linear sweep voltammetry experiments with different rotation rates show diffusion controlled limiting current values for functionalized CNTs, and the {\textquoteleft}n{\textquoteright} values derived from Koutecky-Levich plots are 3.3 and 1.7 for S-MWCNTs and P-MWCNTs, respectively. This work demonstrates the ORR activity of functionalized MWCNTs, which opens up new strategies for electrocatalyst design in PEMFCs.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c0cp02853c}, author = {Kannan, Ramaiyan and Bipinlal, Unni and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000287924700049, title = {Enhanced electrocatalytic performance of interconnected Rh nano-chains towards formic acid oxidation}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {4}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1029-1036}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A chain-like assembly of rhodium nanoparticles (5-7 nm mean diameter) has been synthesized from rhodium chloride with the help of polydentate molecules like tartaric and ascorbic acids (1 : 3 in mM scale) as capping agents at room temperature. Subsequent characterization using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a unique inter-connected network like features, while their electrochemical behavior using cyclic voltammetry and current-time transient suggests potential applications as electrocatalysts in fuel cells. A significant negative shift in the onset potential as well as higher anodic peak current density for formic acid oxidation on Rh-tartaric acid (Rh-TA) as compared to that of bulk Rh metal confirms their higher electrocatalytic activity. Interestingly, the enhancement factor (R) with respect to that of bulk metallic Rh towards formic acid oxidation ranges up to 2000\% for Rh-TA and 1200\% for Rh-AA (Rh-ascorbic acid) respectively. The composition of Rh nano-chains has been further analyzed with thermogravimetry and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy to demonstrate the importance of controlling the chain topology using polyfunctional organic molecules. These findings open up new possibilities for tailoring nanostructured electrodes with potential benefits since the development of a better electrocatalysts for many fuel cell reactions continues to be an important challenge.

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/c0ee00219d}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Balan, Beena K. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000294875200040, title = {Enhanced electron transport through template-derived pore channels in dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {37}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {18342-18347}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Dye-sensitized solar cells use porous nanoparticle TiO(2) coating as their photoanode. To obtain effective dye adsorption and better electrolyte permeation in the TiO(2) coating, the porosity structure must be fully, three-dimensionally interconnected. Templated processing offers the advantage of preparing TiO(2) photoanodes in controlled shape and interconnection to the porosity structures that result, including the creation of dual size scale porosity in some cases. In the present work, an emulsion templating method was employed to obtain the dual porosity in the titania coating. We have studied the effect of the enhanced permeation of the electrolyte provided by these interconnected pore channels using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The change in internal resistances of the dye-sensitized solar cell during operation is correlated with the microstructural features using scanning electron microscopy, mercury porosimetry and I-V characterization.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp204974d}, author = {Phadke, Sarika and Du Pasquier, Aurelien and Birnie, Dunbar P.} } @article { ISI:000297662500023, title = {Enhancement of oxygen vacancies and solar photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide by incorporation of nonmetal}, journal = {Journal of Solid State Chemistry}, volume = {184}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3273-3279}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

B-doped ZnO and N-doped ZnO powders have been synthesized by mechanochemical method and characterized by TG-DTA, XRD, SEM-EDX, XPS, UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. X-ray diffraction data suggests the hexagonal wurtzite structure for modified ZnO crystallites and the incorporation of nonmetal expands the lattice constants of ZnO. The room temperature PL spectra suggest more number of oxygen vacancies exist in nonmetal-doped ZnO than that of undoped zinc oxide. XPS analysis shows the substitution of some of the O atoms of ZnO by nonmetal atoms. Solar photocatalytic activity of B-doped ZnO, N-doped ZnO and undoped ZnO was compared by means of oxidative photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of Bisphenol A (BPA). B-doped ZnO showed better solar PCD efficiency as compare to N-doped ZnO and undoped ZnO. The PCD of BPA follows first order reaction kinetics. The detail mechanism of PCD of Bisphenol A was proposed with the identification of intermediates such as hydroquinone, benzene-1,2,4-triol and 4-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl) phenol. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bisphenol A, Enhanced oxygen vacancies, Nonmetal doping, Photocatalysis, Sunlight}, issn = {0022-4596}, doi = {10.1016/j.jssc.2011.10.016}, author = {Patil, Ashokrao B. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Pardeshi, Satish K.} } @article { ISI:000296390600030, title = {Experimental and computational approach of understanding the gas adsorption in amino functionalized interpenetrated metal organic frameworks (MOFs)}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {21}, number = {44}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {17737-17745}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two isostructural, three dimensional, interpenetrated, amino (-NH2) functionalized Metal Organic Frameworks [Cd(ANIC)(2)] (Cd-ANIC-1) and [Co(ANIC)(2)] (Co-ANIC-1) with amine-lined pores have been reported. The framework adopts dia topology with interpenetration. Cd-ANIC-1 and Co-ANIC-1 show high CO2 (273 K) and H-2 (77 K) uptake due to the presence of free -NH2 groups and framework interpenetration. The effect of interpenetration and amino functionalization on gas uptake properties of MOFs has been analysed experimentally and computationally, in the isostructural MOFs Cd-ANIC-1 and Co-ANIC-1.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c1jm13762j}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Chen, Yifei and Jiang, Jianwen and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000290409100007, title = {Exploration of L-proline-catalyzed -aminoxylation of aldehyde to (S)-guaifenesin-related drug molecules}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {41}, number = {13}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {PII 937137930}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

[image omitted] An efficient enantioselective synthesis of (S)-guaifenesin with 99\% ee using L-proline-catalyzed -aminoxylation of aldehyde as key step is described and explored for asymmetric syntheses of (S)-moprolol and (R)-methocarbamol.

}, keywords = {-Aminoxylation, guaifenesin, methocarbamol, moprolol, Proline}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2010.493631}, author = {Panchgalle, Sharad P. and Kunte, Sunita S. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Kalkote, Uttam R.} } @article { ISI:000288386600076, title = {Ex-situ dispersion of core-shell nanoparticles of Cu-Pt on an in situ modified carbon surface and their enhanced electrocatalytic activities}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {13}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3951-3953}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Direct dispersion of core-shell nanoparticles on a carbon support (Cu@ Pt/C) has been achieved while retaining the essential core-shell features of the nanoparticles by adopting an in situ surface modification-cum-anchoring strategy.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c0cc05645f}, author = {Dhavale, Vishal M. and Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Kagalwala, Husain N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000286852900002, title = {Extrudate swell of linear and branched polyethylenes: ALE simulations and comparison with experiments}, journal = {Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics}, volume = {166}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {12-24}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Extrudate swell is a common phenomenon observed in the polymer extrusion industry. Accurate prediction of the dimensions of an extrudate is important for appropriate design of dies for profile extrusion applications. Prediction of extrudate swell has been challenging due to (i) difficulties associated with accurate representation of the constitutive behavior of polymer melts, and (ii) difficulties associated with the simulation of free surfaces, which requires special techniques in the traditionally used Eulerian framework. In a previous work we had argued that an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) based finite element formulation may have advantages in simulating free surface deformations such as in extrudate swell. In the present work we reinforce this argument by comparing our ALE simulations with experimental data on the extrudate swell of commercial grades of linear polyethylene (LLDPE) and branched polyethylene (LOPE). Rheological behavior of the polymers was characterized in shear and uniaxial extensional deformations, and the data was modeled using either the Phan-Thien Tanner (PTT) model or the eXtended Pom-Pom (XPP) model. Additionally, flow birefringence and pressure drop measurements were done using a 10:1 contraction-expansion (CE) slit geometry in a MultiPass Rheometer. Simulated pressure drop and contours of the principal stress difference were compared with experimental data and were found to match well. This provided an independent test for the accuracy of the ALE code and the constitutive equations for simulating a processing-like flow. The polymers were extruded from long (L/D=30) and short (L/D=10) capillaries dies at 190 degrees C. ALE simulations were performed for the same extrusion conditions and the simulated extrudate swell showed good agreement with the experimental data. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ALE-FEM, extrudate swell, Flow birefringence, MultiPass Rheometer, PSD, PTT, XPP}, issn = {0377-0257}, doi = {10.1016/j.jnnfm.2010.10.001}, author = {Ganvir, Vivek and Gautham, Basavarsu P. and Pol, Harshawardhan and Bhamla, M. Saad and Sclesi, Lino and Thaokar, Rochish and Lele, Ashish K. and Mackley, Malcolm} } @article { ISI:000287530700045, title = {Facile construction of non-precious iron nitride-doped carbon nanofibers as cathode electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {10}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2910-2912}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We demonstrate a facile construction of iron nitride-doped carbon nanofiber by effectively utilizing the existing slit pores and rough edges along the inner wall of the substrate as originated by virtue of its cup-stack structure for effectively increasing the number of active sites and consequently the oxygen reduction activity.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c0cc04605a}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000288979400008, title = {Facile synthesis of N-benzylated 3-alkyl-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-ones: Stereochemical investigation by 1D/2D NMR and single-crystal XRD}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {990}, number = {1-3}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {44-56}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A series of thirteen 1-benzyl-3-alkyl-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-ones 14-26 were conveniently synthesized in high yields 87-92\%. In order to find the impact on piperidone stereochemistry, beside the N-benzylation, methyl/ethyl/isopropyl groups at C-3 and halo/alkyl/alkoxy/benzyloxy groups on the phenyl rings at C-2/C-6 were introduced. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by mass, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectral studies. Of them, the 1-benzyl-3-ethyl-2,6-diphenylpiperidin-4-one 22 was completely characterized by 2D NMR techniques such as (1)H-(1)H COSY, (1)H-(13)C COSY and NOESY to assign the signals, unambiguously. The proton coupling constants and NOE correlations provided the complete stereochemistry of 22, which is further witnessed by its single-crystal XRD analysis. The NMR and XRD studies revealed that the compound 22 exists in a chair conformation with equatorial orientation of all the substituents in both solution and solid states. On the basis of their vicinal coupling constants, the chair conformation with equatorial orientation of the substituents at C-2, C-3, C-6 and N is proposed for all compounds 14-26; moreover, a considerable population of boat conformation also suggested for the compound 26 along with the predominant chair conformation, in solution. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2D NMR, Conformation, N-benzylation, Piperidin-4-one, single-crystal XRD, Stereochemistry}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2010.12.054}, author = {Dindulkar, Someshwar D. and Parthiban, Paramasivam and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Jeong, Yeon Tae} } @article { ISI:000293756800010, title = {Facile synthesis of unusual glycosyl carbamates and amino acid glycosides from propargyl 1,2-orthoesters as glycosyl donors}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {17}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {5951-5959}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Propargyl 1,2-O-orthoesters are exploited for the synthesis of 1,2-trans O-glycosides of protected amino acids. N-Fmoc- and N-Cbz protected serine/threonine - benzyl/methyl esters reacted well with glucosyl-, galactosyl-, mannosyl- and lactosyl- derived propargyl 1,2-orthoesters affording respective 1,2-trans glycosides in good yields under AuBr(3)/4 angstrom MS Powder/CH(2)Cl(2)/rt. t-Boc serine derivative gave serine 1,2-orthoester and glycosyl carbamate. Optimized conditions enabled preparation of new glycosyl carbamates from N-Boc protected amines in a single step using gold catalysts and propargyl 1,2-orthoesters in excellent yields.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c1ob05056g}, author = {Shaikh, Ashif Y. and Sureshkumar, Gopalsamy and Pati, Debasish and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Hotha, Srinivas} } @article { ISI:000293464100028, title = {Fe(III) complex of biuret-amide based macrocyclic ligand as peroxidase enzyme mimic}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {28}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {8016-8018}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An Fe(III) complex of a biuret-amide based macrocyclic ligand that exhibits both excellent reactivity for the activation of H(2)O(2) and high stability, especially at low pH and high ionic strength, is reported.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c1cc12686e}, author = {Panda, Chakadola and Ghosh, Munmun and Panda, Tamas and Banerjee, Rahul and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000288677200073, title = {Ferrocene based organometallic gelators: a supramolecular synthon approach}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {7}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3634-3641}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The supramolecular synthon namely primary ammonium dicarboxylate (PAD) synthon has been exploited to generate a new series of salt based low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) derived from ferrocenedicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and primary amines Me-(CH2)(n)-NH2 (n = 3-15). While most of the salts are capable of forming gels with DMSO and DMF, nearly all of them show a tendency to form gels with at least one of the solvents studied. Structure property correlation based on single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction data in combination with optical-, scanning-, and transmission-electron microscopy reveals that the supramolecular synthon approach adopted herein for designing LMWGs is indeed useful and allows one to get an easy access to a new series of organometallic gelators.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c0sm01148g}, author = {Sahoo, Pathik and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Patra, A. K. and Sastry, P. U. and Dastidar, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000299031600049, title = {Ferroelectric and electrical characterization of multiferroic BiFeO3 at the single nanoparticle level}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {99}, number = {25}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article No. 252905}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric BiFeO3 (BFO) nanoparticles deposited on epitaxial substrates of SrRuO3 (SRO) and La1-xSrxMnO3 (LSMO) were studied using band excitation piezoresponse spectroscopy (BEPS), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). BEPS confirms that the nanoparticles are ferroelectric in nature. Switching behavior of nanoparticle clusters were studied and showed evidence for inhomogeneous switching. The dimensionality of domains within nanoparticles was found to be fractal in nature, with a dimensionality constant of similar to 1.4, on par with ferroelectric BFO thin-films under 100 nm in thickness. Ferromagnetic resonance studies indicate BFO nanoparticles only weakly affect the magnetic response of LSMO. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3671392]

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3671392}, author = {Vasudevan, R. K. and Bogle, Kashinath A. and Kumar, A. and Jesse, S. and Magaraggia, R. and Stamps, R. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Potdar, H. S. and Nagarajan, V.} } @article { ISI:000290015600029, title = {Field emission studies of silver nanoparticles synthesized by electron cyclotron resonance plasma}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {257}, number = {16}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7184-7189}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Field emission has been studied for silver nanoparticles (25-200 nm), deposited within a cylindrical silver target in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma. Particle size distribution was controlled by optimum biasing voltages between the chamber and the target. Presence of non-oxidized silver was confirmed from the X-Ray diffraction analysis; however, thin protective layer of oxide was identified from the selective area electron diffraction pattern obtained with transmission electron microscopy. The silver nanoparticles were seen to exhibit hilly pointed like structures when viewed under the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The emissive properties of these particles were investigated by field emission microscopy. It is found that this technique of deposition is ideal for formation of nanoparticles films on different substrate geometries with size controllability as well as its application to emission devices. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cold plasma, field emission, Nanoparticles, thin film}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.03.088}, author = {Purohit, Vishwas and Mazumder, Baishakhi and Bhise, Ashok B. and Poddar, Pankaj and Joag, Dilip S. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000294386000007, title = {Finite temperature behavior of gas phase neutral Au-n (3 <= n <= 10) clusters: a first principles investigation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {35}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {17278-17285}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Relativistic density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamical simulations are performed on gold clusters with 3-10 atoms (Au-n

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp2023605}, author = {De, Himadri Sekhar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000290297800015, title = {First total synthesis of 5-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-propylsulfanyl-5H-furan-2-one: a cancer chemopreventive agent}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {10}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1595-1598}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The first total synthesis of 5-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-propylsulfanyl-5H-furan-2-one, a newly discovered natural product with anticancer property is described by two different routes. A sequence involving an incorporation of a methyl group via a Gilman reagent and a chemoselective reduction of a cyclic anhydride functionality are the key steps. The methods proposed start from easily available starting materials and allow ready preparation of the final compound in good overall yield.

}, keywords = {Allium cepa, chemopreventive, Gilman reagent, selective, synthesis}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0030-1260004}, author = {Borikar, Sanjay P. and Paul, Vincent and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sathe, Vilas T. and Lagunas-Rivera, Selene and Ordonez, Mario} } @article { ISI:000288576700003, title = {Fluorescence resonance energy transfer from tryptophan to folic acid in micellar media and deionised water}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-Biology}, volume = {103}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {16-21}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from tryptophan (Trp) to folic acid (FA) in aqueous sodiumdodecyl sulphate, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, and Brij-35 as well as deionised water was investigated using steady state and time resolved fluorescence techniques. The data obtained from steady state fluorescence spectral studies and time resolved measurement indicated that the FRET from Trp to FA occurred most effectively in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate micellar solutions. The distance between Trp and FA were evaluated. Binding constant, number of binding sites and thermodynamic parameters were determined for Trp-FA interactions in deionised water. The values of the thermodynamic parameters suggest that the hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonding are the key interacting forces between Trp-FA interaction. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Fluorescence quenching, Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), Folic acid, Foster theory, Stern-Volmer plot, Tryptophan}, issn = {1011-1344}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2011.01.006}, author = {Mote, U. S. and Patil, S. R. and Bhosale, Siddharth H. and Han, Sung-Hwan and Kolekar, G. B.} } @article { ISI:000294701600022, title = {Functionalization of SBA-15 mesoporous materials using {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}thiol-ene click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} michael addition reaction}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {115}, number = {36}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {17774-17781}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Methacrylate-labeled SBA-15 has been successfully synthesized from calcined SBA-15 and commercially available 3-trichlorosilyl propylmethacrylate. This material undergoes efficient thiol-ene {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click reaction{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} with a variety of both thiol and disulfide-containing substrates in aqueous and organic media. The products were thoroughly characterized by a variety of analytical techniques including multinuclear (C-13, Si-29) solid-state NMR, TG-DTA, and nitrogen adsorption desorption studies. Disulfide-containing substrates in which the TCEP-mediated reduction of the disulfide bond and its subsequent addition to the methacrylate group anchored in SBA-15 in one-pot were used to synthesize a silica-protein hybrid material composed of biotin-labeled SBA-15 and streptavidin. Electrochemically active material was synthesized from the reaction of ferrocene-containing thiol and the methacrylate-labeled SBA-15. The ease of synthesis for the methacrylate-labeled SBA-15 material together with its ability to undergo efficient chemoselective thiol-ene reaction would make it a very attractive platform for the development of covalently anchored enzymes and sensors.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp2056442}, author = {Kumari, Sushma and Malvi, Bharmana and Ganai, Anal Kumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000298910800008, title = {Growth of hydrothermally stable meso-porous silica structure interconnected around micro-porous zeolite crystals}, journal = {Materials Characterization}, volume = {62}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1166-1172}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

The growth of hydrothermally stable ordered meso-porous silica with M41S type structure interconnected around zeolite crystals was achieved from seeds normally nucleating the crystallization of micro-porous zeolite. The solid state NMR and FT-IR showed species like Si(OSi)(3)OH and Si(OSi)(2)(OH)(2) (or Q(3) and Q(2) sites, respectively) are formed during first hydrothermal treatment with surfactant and NaOH. These species and surface silanol group of zeolite crystal condense to give meso-porous silica structure interconnected around zeolite crystal during re-crystallization at lower pH. Resulting meso-micro-porous hybrid material is found to be highly active, selective and stable in the synthesis of 2-(phenylamino) ethanol from aniline and ethylene carbonate compare to parent ZSM-5 and pure MCM-41. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Hydrothermal stability, Interconnected meso-porous silica, Meso-micro hybrid material, Synthesis of amino alcohol}, issn = {1044-5803}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchar.2011.09.002}, author = {Kinage, Anil K. and Prashar, Atul K. and Berlier, Gloria and Chaturvedi, Rajiv K.} } @article { ISI:000288644700053, title = {Headgroup mediated water insertion into the DPPC billayer: a molecular dynamics study}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {115}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3155-3163}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Molecular dynamics simulation was performed on the 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-phosphocholine (DPPC) bilayer-water system using the GROMOS96 53a6 united atom force field. The transferability of force field was tested by reproducing the area per lipid within 3\% accuracy from the experimental value. The simulation shows that water can penetrate much deeper inside the bilayer almost up to the starting point of the aliphatic chain. There is significant evidence from experiments that water goes deep in the DPPC bilayer, but it has not been reported from theoretical work. The mechanism of insertion of water deep inside the lipid bilayer is still not clear. In this report, for the first time the mechanism of water insertion deep into the bilayer has been proposed. Water transport occurs by the headgroup and its first solvation shell. The trimethyl ammonium (NMe3) group (headgroup of DPPC) has two stable conformations at the bilayer-water interface, one outside the bilayer and another inside it. The NMe3 group has a large clustering of water around it and takes the water molecules inside the bilayer with it during its entry into the bilayer. The water molecules penetrate into the bilayer with the help of the NMe3 group present at the headgroup of DPPC and eventually form hydrogen bonds with carbonyl oxygen present deep inside the bilayer. Structural characteristics at the bilayer-water interface region are also reported.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp1090203}, author = {Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000309890700003, title = {Heat and mass transfer analysis in air gap membrane distillation process for desalination}, journal = {Membrane Water Treatment}, volume = {2}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {159-173}, publisher = {TECHNO-PRESS}, address = {PO BOX 33, YUSEONG, DAEJEON 305-600, SOUTH KOREA}, abstract = {

The air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) process was applied for water desalination. The main objective of the present work was to study the heat and mass transfer mechanism of the process. The experiments were performed on a flat sheet module using aqueous NaCl solutions as a feed. The membrane employed was hydrophobic PTFE of pore size 0.22 mu m. A mathematical model is proposed to evaluate the membrane mass transfer coefficient, thermal boundary layers{\textquoteright} heat transfer coefficients, membrane/liquid interface temperatures and the temperature polarization coefficients. The mass transfer model was validated by the experimentally and fitted well with the combined Knudsen and molecular diffusion mechanism. The mass transfer coefficient increased with an increase in feed bulk temperature. The experimental parameters such as, feed temperature, 313 to 333 K, feed velocity, 0.8 to 1.8 m/s (turbulent flow region) were analyzed. The permeation fluxes increased with feed temperature and velocity. The effect of feed bulk temperature on the boundary layers{\textquoteright} heat transfer coefficients was shown and fairly discussed. The temperature polarization coefficient increased with feed velocity and decreased with temperature. The values obtained were 0.56 to 0.82, indicating the effective heat transfer of the system. The fouling was observed during the 90 h experimental run in the application of natural ground water and seawater. The time dependent fouling resistance can be added in the total transport resistance.

}, keywords = {AGMD, Desalination, heat transfer coefficient, mass transfer coefficient, temperature polarization coefficient}, issn = {2005-8624}, author = {Pangarkar, Bhausaheb L. and Sane, Mukund G.} } @article { ISI:000299066700002, title = {Hierarchical mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composites co-templated by trimethyl chitosan and a surfactant for controlled drug delivery}, journal = {Medchemcomm}, volume = {2}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1162-1166}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this communication, we report the facile synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composite materials with bimodal mesopores using a dual-template of the cationic N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMCs) and the anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) via one-step synthetic strategy. Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used as a silica source. The nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the hierarchical structure of the mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composites with bimodal mesopores having an average pore size of 5-7 nm with the visible voids between the silica nanoparticles, which allow the mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composites to encapsulate a large number of guest drug molecules, Ibuprofen (IBU) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), due to their high surface area and pore volume. In addition, the mesoporous chitosan-silica composites also had a long term biocompatibility for the target release of the drug molecules to the CEM cells, MCF cells, etc. as well as a pH sensitive controlled release behavior of the drug molecules.

}, issn = {2040-2503}, doi = {10.1039/c0md00222d}, author = {Rana, Vijay Kumar and Park, Sung Soo and Parambadath, Surendran and Kim, Mi Ju and Kim, Sun-Hee and Mishra, Satyendra and Singh, Raj Pal and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000295617000024, title = {High throughput quantitative analysis of melamine and triazines by MALDI-TOF MS}, journal = {Analytical Methods}, volume = {3}, number = {10}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2360-2366}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Quantitative and high throughput MALDI MS analysis of symmetrical triazines (s-triazines), and milk contaminated with melamine has been demonstrated. s-Triazines from a multi component aqueous test mixture, and melamine, a known adulterant in milk, were quantified at low parts-per-million (ppm) level using 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHB) as a matrix. Mass spectral peak intensity ratios of the analyte and a suitable internal standard were used for the quantitation. Limit of detection at 20 {\textquoteleft}parts-per- billion{\textquoteright} (nano molar concentration) has been achieved for the s-triazines from the aqueous mixture. Quantitation from MALDI MS peak intensities was validated using LC-PDA and LC-ESI-MS analysis using both spectral peak intensities and areas under the chromatographic curves. Excellent linearity in low ppm concentrations along with good precision and accuracy, all of which were comparable to LC-ESI-MS data, were obtained with the advantage of rapid analysis.

}, issn = {1759-9660}, doi = {10.1039/c1ay05262d}, author = {Singh, Ajeet and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu} } @article { ISI:000288877700023, title = {Highly sensitive and selective LPG sensor based on alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {152}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {299-306}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods were successfully synthesized without any templates by calcining the alpha-FeOOH precursor in air at 300 degrees C for 2 h and their LPG sensing characteristics were investigated. The alpha-FeOOH precursor was prepared through a simple and low cost wet chemical route at low temperature (40 degrees C) using FeSO4 center dot 7H(2)O and CH3COONa as starting materials. The formation of alpha-FeOOH precursor and its topotactic transformation to alpha-Fe2O3 upon calcination was confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurement (XRD). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods exhibited outstanding gas sensing characteristics such as, higher gas response (similar to 1746-50 ppm LPG at 300 degrees C), extremely rapid response (similar to 3-4 s), relatively slow recovery (similar to 8-9 min), excellent repeatability, good selectivity and lower operating temperature (similar to 300 degrees C). Furthermore, the alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods are able to detect up to 5 ppm for LPG with reasonable response (similar to 15) at the operating temperature of 300 degrees C and they can be reliably used to monitor the concentration of LPG over the range (5-60 ppm). The experimental results clearly demonstrate the potential of using the alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods as sensing material in the fabrication of LPG sensors. Plausible LP G sensing mechanism of the alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods is also discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-Fe2O3 nanorods, FESEM, LPG sensor, Semiconductor gas sensors, TEM, XPS, XRD}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2010.12.025}, author = {Patil, Dewyani and Patil, Virendra and Patil, Pradip} } @article { ISI:000293693200004, title = {Hydrogen bond directed honeycomb-like porous network structure of tris (bipyridyl-glycoluril)cobalt(III) chloride}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {13}, number = {17}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5289-5291}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The [Co(bpg)3]Cl-3 complex (1), where bpg = 4b, 5, 7, 7a-tetrahydro4b,7a-epiminomethan-oimino-6H-imidazo [4,5-f][1,10]-phenanthroline-6,13-dione has been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The combination of bipyridyl-glycoluril (bpg) ligands and cobalt ion self-organise to form a honeycomb-like porous network structure resulting in the formation of zeolite like channels which adsorb gases, is described.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c1ce05376k}, author = {Kawade, Vitthal A. and Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Erxleben, Andrea and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000294242600050, title = {Iminium ion cascade reaction in the total synthesis of (+)-vincadifformine}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {13}, number = {17}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4672-4675}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An iminium ion triggered cascade reaction is described in the total synthesis of (+)-vincadifformine by the coupling of 3,3-substituted tetrahydropyridine and indole derivative. The strategy allows simultaneous construction of two new rings, three new sigma bonds, and two new stereogenic centers in one pot with complete stereochemical control.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol201892j}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Kumara, Prasanna C.} } @article { ISI:000290167200026, title = {Improved performance of phosphonated carbon nanotube-polybenzimidazole composite membranes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {21}, number = {20}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {7223-7231}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Development of thermally stable polymer electrolyte membranes with higher proton conductivity as well as mechanical stability is a key challenge in commercializing PEM fuel cells operating above 100 degrees C. Polybenzimidazole membranes are one of the promising candidates in this category although with limited mechanical stability and moderate proton conductivity. Here the incorporation of functionalized MWCNT is shown to increase both these key parameters of the polybenzimidazole membranes. Further, formation of a domain like structure after the incorporation of phosphonated MWCNTs (P-MWCNTs) in phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole membranes is demonstrated. The enhanced performance has been attributed to the formation of proton conducting networks that formed along the sidewalls of P-MWCNTs with a domain size of 17 nm as estimated from the small angle X-ray scattering measurements. Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) impedance measurements further reveal that the activation energy of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) reduced for the composite membranes with enhanced proton conductivity. In addition, the mechanical strength measurements reveal a significant improvement in the yield strength and ultimate strength. Also, the mechanical strength of the composite membrane has been increased significantly as indicated by the improvement in the ultimate strength from 65 MPa to 100 MPa for the pristine and composite membranes, respectively. The optimum loading of P-MWCNTs is found to be 1\% as inferred from the polarization measurements carried out using pure hydrogen and oxygen. Thus, this study provides a unique opportunity to tune the properties of polymer electrolytes to prepare application oriented hybrid membranes using CNTs with tailor-made functional groups.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm04265j}, author = {Kannan, Ramaiyan and Kagalwala, Husain N. and Chaudhari, Harshal D. and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000295149400011, title = {In situ encapsulation of Pt nanoparticles in mesoporous silica: synthesis, characterisation and effect of particle size on CO oxidation}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {403}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {91-97}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Pt nanoparticles of narrow size distribution and average particle size of 4.4 nm are isolated exclusively inside SBA-12 mesoporous silica by a novel in situ method. The interaction of Pt precursor with surfactant-polymer composite micelle is followed by NMR and UV studies. The final Pt incorporated silica material is characterised by XRD, TEM and N(2) adsorption. The mesoporous nature of the silica is found to be intact after Pt incorporation without any pore blockage. CO oxidation activity of this material is compared with that of mesoporous silica incorporating different sizes of Pt viz., 1.8, 3.6 and 8 nm. Activation energies of CO oxidation for all these materials are calculated by a simple differential method based on first principles. A comparison of activation energies and single site yields reveals that these parameters are distinguishably less in catalyst containing 1.8 nm Pt nanoparticles but more or less same in catalysts containing 3.6, 4.4 and 8 nm Pt nanoparticles. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CO oxidation, In situ synthesis, Mesoporous silica, Pt nanoparticle}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2011.06.016}, author = {Prashar, Atul K. and Mayadevi, S. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000296009600009, title = {Influence of abiotic elicitation on production of dipyranocoumarins in suspension cultures of calophyllum inophyllum L.}, journal = {Acta Physiologiae Plantarum}, volume = {33}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2149-2158}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Effects of elicitation with heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, chromium (abiotic elicitation) and supplementation of CaCl(2) on production of dipyranocoumarins (inophyllums) in suspension cultures of leaf and stem callus of Calophyllum inophyllum were studied. The optimum timing for elicitor introduction was found to be the 10th day after initiating the suspension cultures. Cadmium as abiotic elicitor in suspension cultures of stem callus was found best to elicit maximum production of inophyllums A, C, and calophyllolide while cadmium in suspension cultures of leaf callus was found best for eliciting maximum production of inophyllums B and P. Inophyllum D was the only dipyranocoumarin whose highest production was achieved when 1.0 mM chromium was used as abiotic elicitor in suspension cultures of stem callus. Out of the three abiotic elicitors used, none could result biomass growth. Only incorporation of CaCl(2) in suspension cultures resulted biomass growth. A maximum of 35.26-fold biomass growth was achieved when suspension cultures of stem callus were incorporated with 2.0 mM CaCl(2). CaCl(2) was noted to have no positive influence on production of most of the dipyranocoumarins under study.

}, keywords = {Abiotic elicitation, Calophyllum inophyllum, dipyranocoumarins, Heavy metals, Suspension culture}, issn = {0137-5881}, doi = {10.1007/s11738-011-0754-4}, author = {Pawar, Kiran D. and Thengane, Shubhada Ratnakar} } @article { ISI:000295403700010, title = {Influence of DMDBS on the morphology and mechanical properties of polypropylene cast films}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {51}, number = {10, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2013-2023}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

We investigate extrusion film casting (EFC) of polypropylene (PP) and examine the effects of varying the concentration of nucleating agent, dimethyl dibenzylidene sorbitol (DMDBS); melt temperature at the die exit; and the draw ratio. Addition of DMDBS increases the PP crystallization temperature, and consequently the PP lamellar repeat spacing. For the draw ratios explored, we do not observe any substantial orientation of iPP crystals for films of neat iPP. However, addition of DMDBS results in the formation of oriented PP crystals, with greater orientation for higher draw ratios. On cooling from the melt, a network of DMDBS nanofibers forms in the PP. We believe that flow-alignment of this DMDBS network templates the orientation of PP crystals. We observe that the tensile modulus and yield stress increase with PP crystal orientation. However, at high DMDBS concentrations (0.8\%), films have poor mechanical strength due to formation of voids and defects. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51:2013-2023, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.21957}, author = {Sreenivas, K. and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article { ISI:000292989000018, title = {Influence of endophytic fungal elicitation on production of inophyllum in suspension cultures of Calophyllum inophyllum L.}, journal = {Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture}, volume = {106}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {345-352}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The influence of dried cell powder and culture filtrates of endophytic fungi on production of inophyllum in cell suspension cultures of leaf- and stem-derived callus of Calophyllum inophyllum was investigated. Two fungi, Nigrospora sphaerica and Phoma spp., endophytic to C. inophyllum, were isolated from leaf tissues, and were identified by both 18S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Elicitation of suspension cultures of both callus types of C. inophyllum with dried cell powder and culture filtrates of both fungi consistently elicited production of inophyllum A, B, C, and P. In comparison to stem-derived callus, suspension cultures of leaf-derived callus enhanced production of most inophyllum. Of the four inophyllum studied, the highest production of inophyllum A, C, and P was achieved in elicited suspension cultures of leaf-derived callus. Suspension cultures of stem-derived callus enhanced production only of inophyllum B. When suspension cultures of leaf-derived callus were elicited with 40 mg dried cell powder of Phoma spp., a level of 751-fold (6.84 mg/100 g elicited biomass) of inophyllum A was produced, compared to control. Whereas, a level of 414-fold (6.22 mg/100 g elicited biomass) of inophyllum B was produced when suspension cultures of stem-derived callus were elicited with 20 mg dried cell powder of N. sphaerica. When compared to control, a 10\% culture filtrate of N. sphaerica in suspension cultures of leaf-derived callus elicited inophyllum C and P production by 928-fold (7.43 mg/100 g elicited biomass) and 750-fold (1.5 mg/100 g elicited biomass), respectively.

}, keywords = {Biotic elicitation, Calophyllum inophyllum, Endophytic fungi, Inophyllum, Suspension cultures}, issn = {0167-6857}, doi = {10.1007/s11240-011-9928-4}, author = {Pawar, Kiran D. and Yadav, Amit V. and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Thengane, Shubhada Ratnakar} } @article { ISI:000287685100009, title = {Influence of Mg2+ substitution on the magnetic and electrical properties of Li-Zn ferrite thick films synthesized with PVA matrix}, journal = {Microelectronics International}, volume = {28}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {58-65}, publisher = {EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LIMITED}, address = {HOWARD HOUSE, WAGON LANE, BINGLEY BD16 1WA, W YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of Mg2+ substitution on the magnetic and electrical properties of Li0.35-x Mg-2x Zn-0.3 Fe2.35-xO4 thick films synthesized with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. Design/methodology/approach - The nanoferrites Li0.35-x Mg-2x Zn-0.3 Fe2.35-xO4 (x = 0, 0.07, 0.14, 0.21, 0.28 and 0.35) were synthesized by chemical technique using aqueous solution of PVA (the matrix) and thick films were fabricated by screen printing technique. The DC magnetic hysteresis measurements, AC magnetic susceptibility and DC electrical resistivity were measured as a function of temperature. Findings - The lattice parameter of thick film Li0.35-x Mg-2x Zn-0.3 Fe2.35-xO4 (x = 0, 0.07, 0.14, 0.21, 0.28 and 0.35) increases with the substitution of Mg2+ ions for Li1+ and Fe3+. The surface morphology of the thick films showed the grain size increasing with Mg2+ substitution till x = 0.21 and then decreasing for the higher concentrations of magnesium. The magnetic moment n(B) (mu(B)) computed from the M-s obtained by extrapolation of the magnetization curve showed a gradual decrease with the composition till x = 0.21, beyond which a sudden decrease was observed. The resistivity of the films at room temperature had variation with composition x, similar to that of magnetic moment. The activation energies Delta E-F and Delta E-P were found to vary with composition x of the ferrite system. Originality/value - The paper reports, for the first time, the magnetic and electrical properties of fritless Li0.35-xMg2xZn0.3Fe2.35-xO4 thick films using PVA polymer matrix. Up to x = 0.21 (Mg2+), grain size increases and Curie temperature decreases beyond which reverse effect takes place.

}, keywords = {Alternating current, Direct current, Electrical properties, Films (states of matter), Magnetic moments}, issn = {1356-5362}, doi = {10.1108/13565361111097128}, author = {Rendale, M. K. and Kulkarni, S. D. and Kulkarni, D. C. and Puri, Vijaya} } @article { ISI:000298639800119, title = {Investigation of poly(o-anisidine)-SnO2 nanocomposites for fabrication of low temperature operative liquefied petroleum gas sensor}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {110}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {124501}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Poly(o-anisidine)-tin oxide (POA-SnO2) nanocomposites has been investigated for the fabrication of low temperature operative (100 degrees C) liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensor. The POA-SnO2 nanocomposites have been synthesized through an in situ chemical polymerization of o-anisidine in presence of SnO2 nanoparticles. The POA-SnO2 nanocomposite shows better LPG sensing properties than that of pure POA. The nanocomposite with 50 wt. \% SnO2 exhibits an excellent LPG sensing characteristics at the operating temperature of 100 degrees C such as higher relative gas response (similar to 23.47\% to 3.4\% of LPG), extremely rapid response (similar to 6 s), fast recovery (similar to 33 s), good reproducibility, and remarkable selectivity. The application of POA-SnO2 nanocomposites for fabrication of the LPG sensor was demonstrated. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3667107]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3667107}, author = {Patil, Dewyani and Kolhe, Kishor and Potdar, Hari S. and Patil, Pradip} } @article { ISI:000285674000014, title = {Investigations of magnetic and dielectric properties of cupric oxide nanoparticles}, journal = {Solid State Communications}, volume = {151}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {55-60}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cupric oxide nanoparticles of similar to 8-10 nm width and 40-45 nm length self assembled as large particles similar to 1-1 5 mu m have been investigated in the 10-325 K temperature range using magnetic and dielectric measurements In magnetic measurements a single broad peak at similar to 230 K in a zero field cooled sample has been observed Coercivity in magnetization measurements at 10 K suggests that the nanoparticles are core-shell type particles with an antiferromagnetic core and a ferromagnetic shell Dielectric measurements at various frequencies from 3 7 Hz to 949 kHz exhibit a sharp peak at 284 K followed by weak anomalies around 213 and 230 K (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

}, keywords = {CuO nanoparticles, Dielectric, Ferroelectric transition, Ferromagnetic}, issn = {0038-1098}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssc.2010.10.024}, author = {Bhalerao-Panajkar, Rohini S. and Shirolkar, Mandar M. and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000291804900001, title = {Isolation, identification and optimization of a new extracellular lipase producing strain of rhizopus sp.}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {164}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {969-978}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

A lipolytic mesophilic fungus which produces lipase extracellularly was isolated from soil. Based on ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 region sequences of ribosomal RNA, it was concluded that the isolate JK-1 belongs to genus Rhizopus and clades with Rhizopus oryzae. The present paper reports the screening, isolation, identification, and optimization of fermentation conditions for the production of lipase (EC 3.1.1.3). Culture conditions were optimized, and the highest lipase production was observed in basal medium with corn steep liquor as nitrogen source and glucose as carbon source. Maximum lipase production was observed at 72 h, which is about 870 U/ml. Optimization of fermentation conditions resulted in 16-fold enhancement in enzyme production.

}, keywords = {Corn steep liquor, Fermentation, ITS region, Lipase, Medium optimization, Rhizopus}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-011-9188-0}, author = {Kantak, Jayshree B. and Bagade, Aditi V. and Mahajan, Siddharth A. and Pawar, Shrikant P. and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000293419700048, title = {Kinetics of nitric oxide adsorption on Pd(111) surfaces through molecular beam experiments: a quantitative study}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {31}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {15487-15495}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A detailed kinetic picture derived by molecular beam studies of the adsorption-desorption of the NO/Pd(111) system is presented. Numerical simulations and detailed kinetic analysis show that the precursor state model of adsorption provides a valid picture of the sticking coefficient variation with surface coverage, especially at low temperatures. At higher temperatures, the precursor model gives way to the Langmuir molecular model of adsorption. All the parameters of the precursor state model have been quantified. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) studies further show that there is a slight repulsive interaction between adsorbed NO molecules and there is only a negligible fraction of dissociated molecules on the surface for temperatures less than 500 K, as the Pd(111) surface is defect free. A Bragg-Williams (BW) lattice gas model with repulsive interactions, within the framework of mean field approach (MFA), is shown to describe the TPD spectra reasonably well.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp203992r}, author = {Nagarajan, Sankaranarayanan and Thirunavukkarasu, Kandasamy and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Prasad, Sudarsan D.} } @article { ISI:000292518500008, title = {Long-lived monsoon depressions of 2006 and their linkage with the Indian ocean Dipole}, journal = {International Journal of Climatology}, volume = {31}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1334-1352}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

A highlight of the 2006 boreal summer monsoon season was the enhanced activity of long-lived monsoon depressions and low-pressure systems (LPS) over the Indian region. Another important phenomenon during this period was the evolution of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (PIOD) event. Although previous studies have investigated the impact of PIOD on the large-scale monsoon response, their influence on monsoon LPS activity is not well understood. Based on detailed diagnostic analyses of monsoon LPS during 2006, as well as those associated with other PIOD events during 1958-2007, the present work addresses two specific issues concerning the roles of (a) PIOD-induced large-scale circulation changes and (b) internal feedbacks between latent heating and dynamics, in sustaining the monsoon LPS activity. The results show that PIOD conditions generally favour increased propensity of long-lived (\>5 days) LPS with long westward tracks extending into northwest India. The average contribution of long-lived monsoon LPS to the total is found to be approximately 12\% higher during PIOD episodes as compared to non-PIOD. The PIOD events showed two important large-scale elements conducive for enhancement of LPS activity: (a) strengthening of cross-equatorial moisture transport from south-eastern tropical Indian Ocean into the Bay of Bengal and (b) enrichment of barotropic instability of monsoon flow. Estimates of latent-heating profiles from TRMM-satellite products during the 2006 LPS showed heating in the mesoscale updrafts above 600 hPa with maximum approximately 400 hPa; while cooling prevailed in lower levels. Stratiform precipitation covered approximately 70-85\% of rain area during the prolonged LPS; and the large-scale monsoon Hadley-type circulation was found to be intensified with strong mid-level inflows entering the stratiform rain region. The overall findings suggest that the PIOD-induced background circulation together with internal feedbacks between mesoscale convective systems and large-scale circulation can effectively enhance the longevity of monsoon LPS. These results should serve as important inputs for numerical weather forecasting of extreme rainfall events associated with the regional monsoon phenomenon. Copyright (C) 2010 Royal Meteorological Society

}, keywords = {Indian ocean dipole, life period, monsoon depressions}, issn = {0899-8418}, doi = {10.1002/joc.2156}, author = {Krishnan, R. and Ayantika, D. C. and Kumar, Vinay and Pokhrel, Samir} } @article { ISI:000288772300011, title = {Magnetic properties of thermal plasma synthesized nanocrystalline nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4)}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {509}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4404-4413}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A rapid synthesis method is reported for magnetic nanoparticles of nickel ferrite involving thermal plasma assisted vapor phase condensation process. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy techniques. The average particle size was determined from the TEM micrographs and found to be around 30 nm. The effects of reactor parameters on the magnetic and structural properties have been evaluated, to find the optimized parameters so as to achieve the highest values of saturation magnetization and coercivity. Reasonably high saturation magnetization (48 emu/g) has been assigned to the high degree of crystallinity, achieved on account of high temperature during the growth, and the cation redistribution. The high value of coercivity (1150e) is explained on the basis of possible lattice defects arising from the cation redistribution. Detailed analysis of cation distribution using the XRD line intensity data leads to the conclusion that these samples are iron deficit and nickel rich. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {crystal structure, Magnetic measurements, Magnetization, Nanostructured materials, TEM}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2011.01.057}, author = {Nawale, Ashok B. and Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Patil, K. R. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Mathe, Vikas L. and Das, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000289518000002, title = {Magnetite/CdTe magnetic-fluorescent composite nanosystem for magnetic separation and bio-imaging}, journal = {Nanotechnology}, volume = {22}, number = {22}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {Article No. 225101}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new synthesis protocol is described to obtain a CdTe decorated magnetite bifunctional nanosystem via dodecylamine (DDA) as cross linker. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and fluorescence microscopy are used to characterize the constitution, size, composition and physical properties of these superparamagnetic-fluorescent nanoparticles. These CdTe decorated magnetite nanoparticles were then functionalized with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody to specifically target cells expressing this receptor. The EGFR is a transmembrane glycoprotein and is expressed on tumor cells from different tissue origins including human leukemic cell line Molt-4 cells. The magnetite-CdTe composite nanosystem is shown to perform excellently for specific selection, magnetic separation and fluorescent detection of EGFR positive Molt-4 cells from a mixed population. Flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy results show that this composite nanosystem has great potential in antibody functionalized magnetic separation and imaging of cells using cell surface receptor antibody.

}, issn = {0957-4484}, doi = {10.1088/0957-4484/22/22/225101}, author = {Kale, Anup and Kale, Sonia and Yadav, Prasad and Gholap, Haribhau and Pasricha, Renu and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Lefez, Benoit and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Shastry, Padma and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000288908100001, title = {Many manifestations of digestive ripening: monodispersity, superlattices and nanomachining}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {35}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {755-763}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Digestive ripening has now been established as a very convenient route to obtain monodisperse nanoparticles from polydisperse ones by refluxing the latter in the presence of an excess ligand. Many ligands including long chain thiols, amines, or phosphines have been shown to be effective digestive ripening agents. It is hypothesized that the surface active groups of such digestive ripening agents bind and remove reactive surface atoms/clusters from big nanoparticles and redeposit them on smaller nanoparticles. In this way, large particles become smaller, while small particles become larger, and eventually, an equilibrium size is obtained that is specific to each of the digestive ripening agents used. Herein, the digestive ripening procedure is reviewed, discussed and its utility spanning the preparation of monodispersed metal nanoparticles, alloy nanoparticles, superlattice structures and the most interesting nano-machining (wherein the monodisperse particles can be reverted back to the polydisperse system) is demonstrated.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c0nj00359j}, author = {Sidhaye, Deepti S. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000286904500164, title = {Microbial production of xylitol from D-xylose and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose using newly isolated thermotolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {102}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3304-3308}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A thermotolerant yeast capable of fermenting xylose to xylitol at 40 C was isolated and identified as a strain of Debaryomyces hansenii by ITS sequencing. This paper reports the production of xylitol from D-xylose and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose by free and Ca-alginate immobilized cells of D. hansenii. The efficiency of free and immobilized cells were compared for xylitol production from D-xylose and hemicellulose in batch culture at 40 degrees C. The maximum xylitol produced by free cells was 68.6 g/L from 100 g/L of xylose, with a yield of 0.76 g/g and volumetric productivity 0.44 g/L/h. The yield of xylitol and volumetric productivity were 0.69 g/g and 0.28 g/L/h respectively from hemicellulosic hydrolysate of sugarcane bagasse after detoxification with activated charcoal and ion exchange resins. The Ca-alginate immobilized D. hansenii cells produced 73.8 g of xylitol from 100 g/L of xylose with a yield of 0.82 g/g and volumetric productivity of 0.46 g/L/h and were reused for five batches with steady bioconversion rates and yields. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Immobilization, Sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose, Thermotolerant Debaryomyces hansenii, xylitol, Xylose}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2010.10.074}, author = {Prakash, Gyan and Varma, Anjanikumar and Prabhune, Asmita and Shouche, Yogesh and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000234250400007, title = {Microwave-hydrothermal (MH) synthesis of Ba1-xSrxTiO3 (BST)}, journal = {Ferroelectrics}, volume = {327}, year = {2011}, note = {4th Asian Meeting on Ferroelectricity (AMF-4), Indian Inst Sci, Bangalore, INDIA, DEC 12-15, 2003}, month = {MAR}, pages = {39-43}, publisher = {Dept Sci \& Technol; Defense R\& D Org; Council Sci \& Ind Res; Mat Res Soc India; Indian Inst Sci; IEEE UFFC; Taylor \& Francis Sci Publ; Int Journal FERROELECT}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The barium-strontium titanate (BST) powders are used in fabrication of various microelectronic devices (because of their field- \& composition dependent dielectric properties), integrated capacitors \& as thin dielectric layer in DRAM (dynamic random access memories). The utility of MH synthesis route in deriving the BST powders was explored in the present studies under strongly alkaline conditions (pH \> 12). Potassium titanyl oxalate (KTO) and nitrates of Ba \& Sr were used as the starting precursors and KOH as a mineralizer. The typical BST composition, namely, BST with Sr = 0.25 was chosen for the experimentation. All the MH experiments were carried out in the MARS-5 microwave accelerated digestion system (CEM Corpn., USA). The stoichiometric BST powders were obtained under the MH conditions of 200 degrees C, 200 psi, and 30 min when the Ba/Sr ratio (greater than or similar to 3.25) was kept slightly in excess. The acetic acid treated and water washed MH derived powders showed formation of exclusively cubic BST phase (a(0) = 3.992 A degrees) as confirmed by XRD. These powders were further processed in the form of disks and sintered at high temperature (1350 degrees C/4 h) in air to obtain dense (rho \>= 92\%) ceramic bodies. Electrical measurements on the lapped and electroded samples (sintered at 1350 degrees C/4h) revealed epsilon(T-c) = 6800, tan delta = 0.1\% and T-c = 32 degrees C. These properties are comparable to the reported standard data in the literature.

}, issn = {0015-0193}, doi = {10.1080/00150190500316226}, author = {Deshpande, S. B. and Khollam, Y. B. and Potdar, H. S.} } @article { ISI:000290357000002, title = {Modeling \& simulation of micro reactor with nitration of 2-methyl-4,6 dihydroxy-pyrimidine}, journal = {Science and Technology of Energetic Materials}, volume = {72}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9-20}, publisher = {JAPAN EXPLOSIVES SOC}, address = {C/O JAPAN EXPLOSIVES INDUSTRY ASSOC, ICHIJOJI BLDG., 2-3-22 AZABUDAI, MINATO-KU, TOKYO, 106-0041, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Nitration of 2-methyl-4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine (MDP) using concentrated sulfuric acid and nitric acid as nitrating mixture is a highly exothermic and hazardous reaction. Conducting such reaction in a batch reactor follow an unsteady state and its trajectory depends on various important parameters such as initial reactor temperature, initial composition of reaction mass, temperature of circulating coolant, etc. However, over all productivity, process control and safety of the batch process is highly restricted due to lower surface to volume ratio. In the present work, an effort has been made to over come the limitations of batch reactor by using the novel micro reactor device. Micro reactor is having extremely high surface to volume ratio, which has been explored to carry out nitration of MDP both numerically as well as experimentally and the results were compared with conventional batch reactor. The micro reaction system has been modeled using two dimensional (2-D) heat flow and mass transfer equations. The kinetic rate equation for nitration of MDP has evaluated experimentally by differential method which is used in modeling of the micro reactor. The numerical results from the 2-D model for conversion and temperature profile along the length and radius of micro reactor have been compared with corresponding results obtained from batch reactor. In order to validate the model, several experiments were conducted in micro reactor set-up with the variation of flow rate, residence time, concentration, temperature, etc. The experimental results from micro reactor revealed that nitration of MDP takes place even at much lower concentration and lower residence time with better control of temperature profile. Also, the reaction takes place in laminar region compared to turbulent region in corresponding batch reactor setup.

}, keywords = {2-D modeling, 2-methyl-4, 6 dihydroxypyrimidine, Batch reactor, micro reactor}, issn = {1347-9466}, author = {Mandal, Alok Kumar and Pandey, Raj Kishore and Asthana, Nandan and Kulkarni, Amol and Kulkarni, Bhaskar Dattatraya} } @article { ISI:000292455700027, title = {Money handling and obesity: a test of the exaptation hypothesis}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {100}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1695-1700}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

The food reward centres in the brain play a central role in the regulation of food intake and thereby obesity. In the modern lifestyle, a number of artificial rewards such as money have been introduced and brain areas evolved for handling food rewards appear to be exapted to handle money and other rewards. This implies that the changing behaviour related to these rewards could influence obesity. Considering money as a reward, we conducted a survey of 211 full-time cashiers to test whether ownership over cash, amount of cash handled and duration of cash-handling work correlated with obesity parameters. Body mass index was significantly affected by sex, ownership, amount of money handled and duration of cash-handling service. Waist-to-hip ratio was significantly affected by sex, amount of money handled and marginally by ownership. The results are compatible with the exaptation hypothesis. It is possible that increasing importance of non-food rewards may play a significant role in the obesity epidemic.

}, keywords = {Body weight, economics of obesity, exaptation hypothesis, money handling}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Karve, Shraddha and Shurpali, Ketaki and Dahanukar, Neelesh and Paranjape, Sharayu and Jog, Maithili and Belsare, Prajakta and Watve, Milind} } @article { ISI:000292118800013, title = {Morphological changes in nanoparticulate silver films due to electron beam irradiation of polystyrene substrates}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments \& Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions With Materials and Atoms}, volume = {269}, number = {13}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1534-1539}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Results of the studies on the effect of 8 MeV electron beam irradiation of polystyrene substrates on the morphology of silver particulate films deposited at 455 K in a vacuum of 8 x 10(-6) Torr are reported. Optical absorption studies show the presence of transverse and longitudinal plasmon resonance for films deposited on irradiated polystyrene. Scanning electron microscopy reveals a decrease in particle size with smaller inter-particle separation for irradiated films. Larger clusters are formed in the case of films deposited on polystyrene after 300 h of irradiation. In this paper, we show that the morphology of silver nanoparticulate films can be modified by electron irradiation of inert polymer substrates like polystyrene. The change observed due to irradiation is attributed to the formation of free radicals, thereby altering the polymer-metal interaction. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electron bombardment, Optical properties, Particulate films, Polymers, Silver, surface morphology}, issn = {0168-583X}, doi = {10.1016/j.nimb.2011.04.109}, author = {Pattabi, Manjunatha and Gurumurthy, S. C. and Sanjeev, Ganesh and Gaikwad, A. B.} } @article {42766, title = {Nanoparticles that communicate in vivo to amplify tumour targeting}, journal = {Nature Materials}, volume = {10}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {545-552}, doi = {10.1038/NMAT3049}, author = {von Maltzahn, Geoffrey and Park, Ji-Ho and Lin, Kevin Y. and Singh, Neetu and Schwoeppe, Christian and Mesters, Rolf and Berdel, Wolfgang E. and Ruoslahti, Erkki and Sailor, Michael J. and Bhatia, Sangeeta N.} } @article { ISI:000288189100018, title = {Nanostructured spinet ZnCo2O4 for the detection of LPG}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {152}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {121-129}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Nanostrucutred spinel ZnCo2O4 (similar to 26-30 nm) was synthesized by calcining the mixed precursor (consisting of cobalt hydroxyl carbonate and zinc hydroxyl carbonate) in air at 600 degrees C for 5 h. The mixed precursor was prepared through a low cost and simple co-precipitation/digestion method. The transformation of the mixed precursor into nanostructured spinel ZnCO2O4 upon calcinations was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). To demonstrate the potential applicability of ZnCo2O4 spinel in the fabrication of gas sensors, its LPG sensing characteristics were systematically investigated. The ZnCo2O4 spinel exhibited outstanding gas sensing characteristics such as, higher gas response (similar to 72-50 ppm LPG gas at 350 degrees C), response time (similar to 85-90 s), recovery time (similar to 75-80 s), excellent repeatability, good selectivity and relatively lower operating temperature (similar to 350 degrees C). The experimental results demonstrated that the nanostructured spinel ZnCo2O4 is a very promising material for the fabrication of LPG sensors with good sensing characteristics. Plausible LPG sensing mechanism is also discussed. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HRTEM, LPG sensor, Nanostructured ZnCo2O4, Semiconductor gas sensors, XPS}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2010.09.001}, author = {Vijayanand, Subramanian and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Potdar, Hari S. and Patil, Dewyani and Patil, Pradip} } @article { ISI:000295259700041, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene catalyzed umpolung of michael acceptors for intermolecular reactions}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {50}, number = {36}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8412-8415}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

eahciM! The N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed umpolung of Michael acceptors proceeds through the formation of a deoxy-Breslow intermediate (see scheme; EWG=electron-withdrawing group). This nucleophilic species can react with other Michael acceptors in an intermolecular fashion, thereby resulting in the formation of homo- or heterodimeric olefins. This {\textquotedblleft}Michael umpolung{\textquotedblright} should become a valuable method for the formation of densely functionalized olefins.

}, keywords = {carbenes, Michael acceptors, nitrogen heterocycles, organocatalysis, umpolung}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201103555}, author = {Biju, Akkattu T. and Padmanaban, Mohan and Wurz, Nathalie E. and Glorius, Frank} } @article {42450, title = {N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed cross-coupling of aromatic aldehydes with activated alkyl halides}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {13}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {98{\textendash}101}, abstract = {

N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed umpolung of aldehydes followed by their interception with diarylbromomethanes has been reported. This conceptually novel transition-metal-free cross-coupling of aldehydes with alkyl halides works well at low catalyst loadings and under mild reaction conditions leading to the formation of diaryl acetophenone derivatives in good yields. In addition, α-halo ketones and esters can also be used as aldehyde reaction partners.

}, doi = {10.1021/ol102626p}, author = {Padmanaban, Mohan and Biju, Akkattu T. and Glorius, Frank} } @article { ISI:000294413400023, title = {Numerical and experimental studies on extrudate swell of branched polyethylene through axisymmetric and planar dies}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Engineering}, volume = {31}, number = {2-3, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {217-221}, publisher = {WALTER DE GRUYTER \& CO}, address = {GENTHINER STRASSE 13, D-10785 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Extrudate swell is simulated using an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) technique based finite element formulation and the same has been validated by comparing the results with reported numerical and experimental studies. In the present work we compare our ALE simulations with our own experimental data on the extrudate swell of commercial grade low density polyethylene (LDPE) resin. The resins were characterized for their rheological behavior in both shear and uniaxial extension. The polymers were extruded from a capillary under isothermal conditions and the extrudates were observed on-line using a video camera. ALE simulations were performed using molecular constitutive model like eXtended Pom-Pom (XPP) for branched (LDPE). The simulated extrudate swell was a good match with the experimental data. It was found that the swell values of LPDE through planar die are higher than the axisymmetric die.

}, keywords = {ALE-FEM, extrudate swell, polymer flow simulations, XPP}, issn = {0334-6447}, doi = {10.1515/POLYENG.2011.046}, author = {Ganvir, Vivek and Gautham, Basavarsu P. and Thaokar, Rochish and Lele, Ashish K. and Pol, Harshwardhan} } @article { ISI:000286902200016, title = {One-pot synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles using MoO3/SiO2, an efficient and recyclable catalyst}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {41}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {PII 932996516}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

[image omitted] A simple one-pot synthesis has been developed for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles using an efficient and recyclable MoO3/SiO2 solid acid catalyst by condensation of benzil or benzoin, benzaldehyde, and ammonium acetate in acetonitrile as a solvent. Using this solid catalyst, the reactions could be carried out under mild reaction conditions with very good yield of imidazoles, up to 95\%. This catalyst could be recycled very easily, which makes this methodology environmentally benign.

}, keywords = {benzil, benzoin, cyclocondensation, imidazoles, MoO3, One-pot, SiO2, solid acid}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911003644415}, author = {Bhosale, Sidhanath V. and Kalyankar, Mohan B. and Nalage, Santosh V. and Bhosale, Dattatry S. and Pandhare, Swati L. and Kotbagi, Trupti V. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Dongare, Mohan K.} } @article { ISI:000289600300032, title = {One-step in situ synthesis of NHx-adsorbed rhodium nanocrystals at liquid-liquid interfaces for possible electrocatalytic applications}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {358}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {238-244}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Nearly monodisperse rhodium nanoparticles with adsorbed NHx were synthesized at the CCl4-water interface. The presence of NHx-adsorbed species was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. The synthesis of controlled size 2-38 nm rhodium particles was studied as a function of reducing agent concentration by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). HRTEM confirmed the formation of rhodium nanoparticles having fringe spacing consistent with reported Rh (1 1 1) planes. The continuity of these films over an area of 1 x 1 pm was revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies. The electrocatalytic application of these nanostructure Rh-NHx), thin films for formaldehyde oxidation in 0.5 M NaOH was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The Rh nanoparticles formed by the present strategy are expected to be useful for other catalytic applications also. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Hydrazine hydrate, Liquid-liquid interface, Nanoparticles, Rhodium, Thin films}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2011.02.065}, author = {Patil, V. S. and Krishna, S. R. and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Sathaye, S. D. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000294656400011, title = {One-step stereospecific strategy for the construction of the core structure of the 5,11-methanomorphanthridine alkaloids in racemic as well as in optically pure form: synthesis of (+/-)-pancracine and (+/-)-brunsvigine}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {24}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4571-4587}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The unique core structure of the complex pentacyclic 5,11-methanomorphanthridine has been constructed stereospecifically in one step by an intramolecular [3+2] cycloaddition of a non-stabilized azomethine ylide (AMY), generated by the sequential double desilylation of 14 using (AgF)-F-I as a one-electron oxidant. The formation of the single diastereomer in the key step is explained by the preferred transition state produced by endo attack of the AMY on the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Re{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} face of the dipolarophile. An asymmetric version of the cycloaddition using a chiral dipolarophile was applied to construct the core structure 68 with 63 \% ee. This strategy was successfully applied to the formal synthesis of (+/-)-pancracine and the total synthesis of (+/-)-brunsvigine. An unprecedented and interesting skeletal rearrangement product 49 was observed during the attempted assembly of the E ring from 46 through Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions. Mechanisms involving azetidinium salt formation or the Grob-type fragmentation are advanced to explain the observed rearrangement.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, Azomethine ylides, Cycloaddition, Ring-closing metathesis, synthesis design}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201100601}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Kumar, Ravindra and Banerjee, Prabal and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000296821900021, title = {Perspectives for nano-biotechnology enabled protection and nutrition of plants}, journal = {Biotechnology Advances}, volume = {29}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {792-803}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilizers causes environmental pollution, emergence of agricultural pests and pathogens, and loss of biodiversity. Nanotechnology, by virtue of nanomaterial related properties, has potential agro-biotechnological applications for alleviation of these problems. The literature pertaining to the role of nanotechnology in plant and soil systems demonstrates that nanomaterials may assist in a) the controlled release of agrochemicals for nutrition and protection against pests and pathogens, b) delivery of genetic material, c) sensitive detection of plant disease and pollutants and d) protection and formation of soil structure. For instance, porous silica (15 nm) and biodegradable, polymeric chitosan (78 nm) nanoparticles displayed slow release of encapsulated pesticide and fertilizer, respectively. Further, nanosized gold (5-25 nm) delivered DNA to plant cells while iron oxide (30 nm) based nanosensors detected pesticides at minute levels. These functions assist the development of precision farming by minimizing pollution and maximizing the value of farming practice. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biofertilizer, Biopesticides, Controlled delivery, Fertilizer, Genetic material, Nanomaterials, Nanosensors, Pathogen, Pesticides, Residues}, issn = {0734-9750}, doi = {10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.06.007}, author = {Ghormade, Vandana and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Paknikar, Kishore M.} } @article { ISI:000287374800008, title = {Phytochemical investigation of artemisia pallens}, journal = {Helvetica Chimica Acta}, volume = {94}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {73-77}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Two new eudesmanolides, pallensin (1) and 4-epipallensin (2), along with a known eudesmanolide, santonin, and a known flavone, 4-epivalgarin, have been isolated from the aerial part of A. pallens. Their structures were established by detailed spectral studies (1D and 2D) and by comparison of their spectroscopic data with those of known compounds.

}, issn = {0018-019X}, doi = {10.1002/hlca.201000125}, author = {Ruikar, Anjali D. and Jadhav, Ravindra B. and Phalgune, Usha D. and Rojatkar, Supada R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshpande, Nirmala R.} } @article { ISI:000291605900010, title = {Polyamides containing quinoxaline moiety}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {549-557}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A new quinoxaline moiety containing aromatic diamine; 2,3-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]quinoxaline (APQ) was synthesized starting from 4-methoxybenzaldehyde and was characterized by IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and Mass spectrometry. Five new polyamides were synthesized by polycondensation of various aliphatic diacid / aromatic diacids namely, azelaic acid, bis(4-carboxyphenyl)dimethylsilane, 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxybis(benzoicacid), isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid with APQ by Yamazaki{\textquoteright}s phosphorylation method using triphenyl phosphite as condensing agent. The polyamides were characterized by IR spectroscopy, solubility tests, inherent viscosity, X-ray diffraction technique, differential scanning colorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The polyamides had inherent viscosities in the range 0.39-0.45 dL/g in N, N-dimethylacetamide at 30 +/- 0.1 A degrees C. The polyamides were soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as N, N-dimethylacetamide, N, N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, N-methylpyrrolidone. X-Ray diffraction studies showed that polyamides were amorphous in nature. The polyamides showed glass transition temperatures in the range 104-205 A degrees C, according to differential scanning calorimetry. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited initial decomposition temperatures above 348 A degrees C; indicating that these polyamides possessed excellent thermal stability.

}, keywords = {polyamides, Quinoxaline, solubility, Thermal properties, XRD}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-010-9448-7}, author = {Patil, Vidyadhar B. and Sayyed, Maheboob M. and Mahanwar, Prakash A. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000291832800003, title = {Polyaniline modified electrodes for detection of dyes}, journal = {Synthetic Metals}, volume = {161}, number = {9-10}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {659-664}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Polyaniline (PANI) is one of the most extensively used conjugated polymers in the design of electrochemical sensors. In this study, we report electrochemical dye detection based on PANI for the adsorption of both anionic and cationic dyes from solution. The inherent property of PANI to adsorb dyes has been explored for the development of electrochemical detection of dye in solution. The PANI film was grown on electrode via electrochemical polymerization. The as grown PANI film could easily adsorb the dye in the electrolyte solution and form an insulating layer on the PANI coated electrode. As a result, the current intensity of the PANI film was significantly altered. Furthermore, PANI coated stainless steel (SS) electrodes show a change in the current intensity of Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) redox peaks due to the addition of dye in electrolyte solution. PANI films coated on both Pt electrodes and non-expensive SS electrodes showed the concentration of dye adsorbed is directly proportional to the current intensity or potential shift and thus can be used for the quantitative detection of textile dyes at very low concentrations. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electrochemical sensor, Emeraldine base, Emeraldine salt, polyaniline}, issn = {0379-6779}, doi = {10.1016/j.synthmet.2011.01.005}, author = {Mahanta, Debajyoti and Munichandraiah, N. and Radhakrishnan, S. and Madras, Giridhar and Patil, Satish} } @article { ISI:000287058200053, title = {Polybenzimidazoles based on 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-diaminobenzidine and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids: synthesis and evaluation of physicochemical properties toward their applicability as proton exchange and gas separation membrane material}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {120}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {1090-1099}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A series of aromatic-aliphatic polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) based on 3,3{\textquoteright}-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid with incremental -CH2- groups were synthesized. Optimization of synthesis parameters and evaluation of physicochemical properties are requisite for PBI applicability as the proton exchange membrane (PEM) and gas separation membrane materials are reported. It was found that though all these PBIs exhibited high thermal, mechanical, and oxidative stability, effect of added flexibility on physical properties is not monotonous. Membranes were prepared by solution casting as well as phase-inversion method. The later types of membranes exhibited much higher H3PO4 content than its doping achieved in the solution casted membranes. These PBIs possess low hydrogen and helium permeability than that of conventional PBI. This low permeability, along with their excellent oxidative stability indicated that they can be promising PEM materials. Their CO2-sorption analysis revealed that PBI6 based on suberic acid possesses appreciable CO2 sorption. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 1090-1099, 2011

}, keywords = {Gas permeation, mechanical properties, membranes, oxidative stability, polybenzimidazoles}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.33246}, author = {Bhavsar, Rupesh S. and Nahire, Sandip B. and Kale, Mrunali S. and Patil, Shubhangi G. and Aher, Pradnya P. and Bhavsar, Ritesh A. and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000293849200017, title = {Poly(ether ether ketone)s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone)s containing cardo decahydronaphthalene groups: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {122}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1607-1613}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

New poly(ether ether ketone)s and poly (ether ether ketone ketone) s were synthesized by polycondensation of each of the three bisphenols, viz., 4,4{\textquoteright}-(octahydro-2(1H)-naphthylidene) bisphenol, 4,4{\textquoteright}-(octa-hydro-2(1H)-naphthylidene) bis-3-methylphenol, and 4,4{\textquoteright}(octahydro-2(1H)-naphthylidene) bis-3,5-dimethylphenol with 4,4{\textquoteright}-difluorobenzophenone and 1,3-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl) benzene in a mixture of N,N-dimethylacetamide and toluene [1 : 1 (v/v)] in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate. Inherent viscosities of poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly (ether ether ketone ketone) s were in the range 0.32-0.80 dL/g and number-average molecular weights were in the range 16,100-55,900 g/mol. Poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s were soluble in organic solvents such as dichloromethane, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, meta-cresol, pyridine, and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone at room temperature and could be cast into tough, transparent, and flexible films from their chloroform solutions. Wide angle x-ray diffraction measurements revealed the amorphous nature of poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly (ether ether ketone ketone) s. The glass transition temperature poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s were in the range 185-251 degrees C. The temperature at 10\% weight loss, determined from thermogravimetric analysis, of poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s in nitrogen atmosphere was in the range 462-493 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 1607-1613, 2011

}, keywords = {bisphenol, cardo decahydronaphthalene, poly(ether ether ketone ketone)s, poly(ether ether ketone)s, Polycondensation, Thermal properties}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.33921}, author = {Honkhambe, Pandurang N. and Pasale, Sharad K. and Bhairamadgi, Nagendra S. and Kumbhar, Kishor P. and Salunkhe, Manikrao M. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000297609100003, title = {Porous nitrogen rich cadmium-tetrazolate based metal organic framework (MOF) for H-2 and CO2 uptake}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {11}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5176-5181}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The highly porous nitrogen rich metal organic framework [Cd-3(4-TP)(6)] (Cd-4TP-1) was synthesized solvothermally from the predesigned organic building block 4-tetrazole pyridine (4-TP) and Cd(II) as metal center using DMF as solvent. Cd-4TP-1 has a three-dimensional porous architecture where all the binding sites of Cd(II) are exclusively occupied by the nitrogen atoms from the mu(2)-tetrazolyl group or the pyridyl functionality of the 4-TP ligands. Cd-4TP-1 has Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Langmuir surface areas of 472.2 and 728.6 m(2)/g, respectively, and shows 1.1 wt \% H-2 (77 K) and 2.7 mmol/g CO2 uptake (273 K).

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg201054f}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000292472400016, title = {Protecting group directed stereoselective reduction of an epi-inosose: efficient synthesis of epi-inositol}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {52}, number = {29}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3756-3758}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A facile and high yielding synthesis of epi-inositol via stereoselective reduction of a pentaprotected epi-inosose is reported. Extent of stereoselectivity during the hydride reduction appears to depend on the ability of the substrate to complex with metal ions in the reducing agent. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cyclitol, Inositol, Polyol, reduction, Stereoselective}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2011.05.051}, author = {Patil, Madhuri T. and Krishnaswamy, Shobhana and Sarmah, Manash P. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article { ISI:000287277700038, title = {Quantum dot based immunosensor using 3D circular microchannels fabricated in PDMS}, journal = {Biosensors \& Bioelectronics}, volume = {26}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3050-3053}, publisher = {ELSEVIER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY}, type = {Article}, address = {OXFORD FULFILLMENT CENTRE THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Microchannel is basic functional component of microfluidic chip and every step-forward of its construction technique has been receiving concern all over the world. The present work describes a novel, rapid and simple fabrication technique for building 3D microchannels in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) elastomer. These microchannels were used for rapid detection of antigens (E. coli) by quantum dot (QD) based approach. Luminescent QD (CdTe) were synthesized by aqueous method and characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The QDs were functionalized with anti-E. coli antibodies for immuno-detection. The reported process allowed easier and faster method of fabrication of circular 3D micochannels and demonstrated their potential use in an immuno-biosensor device. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Capillary driven flows, Circular microfluidics, Immunosensor, QDs}, issn = {0956-5663}, doi = {10.1016/j.bios.2010.12.017}, author = {Morarka, Amit and Agrawal, Shailaja and Kale, Sonia and Kale, Anup and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Paknikar, Kishore and Bodas, Dhananjay S.} } @article { ISI:000295856200011, title = {Recurrent somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in Angelica glauca Edgew., a critically endangered medicinal plant of the Western Himalaya}, journal = {Journal of Horticultural Science \& Biotechnology}, volume = {86}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {493-498}, publisher = {HEADLEY BROTHERS LTD}, address = {INVICTA PRESS, ASHFORD TN24 8HH, KENT, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Secondary somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from seedling explants of Angelica glauca, an endangered medicinal plant of the Himalaya, is reported for the first time. Callus was obtained from all the explants tested in the present study (i.e., epicotyls, hypocotyls, and cotyledonary nodes). The highest frequency of callus formation (95.8\%) was observed using epicotyl explants on 4.0 mu M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), whereas 70.8\% of hypocotyl explants, and 58.3\% of cotyledonary nodes produced callus. One-hundred percent embryogenic callus was induced from epicotyl explants in 2.0 mu M 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 2.0 mu M alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), together with the maximum number of somatic embryos (34.2 embryos per explant). Cotyledonary nodes did not produce somatic embryos. Histological studies confirmed the induction of somatic embryogenesis. Somatic embryos germinated into plantlets upon transfer to half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without added plant growth regulators. We observed 85\% survival of these plantlets under field conditions. The development of secondary embryos was also observed when primary embryos were sub-cultured on full-strength MS medium containing 2.0 mu M NAA plus 2.0 mu M BA. This system of recurrent somatic embryogenesis provides a route for gene transfer and also for the large-scale production of this critically endangered medicinal plant.

}, issn = {1462-0316}, author = {Pandey, Meena and Dhar, Uppeandra and Samant, Sher Singh and Shirgurkar, Mrudul Vijay and Thengane, Shubhada Ratnakar} } @article { ISI:000294263900019, title = {Regio- and stereoselective selenium dioxide allylic oxidation of (E)-dialkyl alkylidenesuccinates to (Z)-allylic alcohols: synthesis of natural and unnatural butenolides}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {18}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6312-6322}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The first SeO(2) induced (Z)-selective allylic alcohol formation of dialkyl alkylidenesuccinates has been demonstrated to accomplish one-step syntheses of several essential butenolides and fused butenolides via an unusual E- to Z- carbon-carbon double bond isomerisation followed by the lactonization pathway. The observed regio- and stereoselective SeO(2) allylic oxidation protocol has also been extended to the diastereoselective total synthesis of bioactive natural product isomintlactone, its direct conversion to mintlactone and an example of the base-catalyzed intramolecular rearrangement of gamma-lactone to delta-lactone.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c1ob05709j}, author = {Patel, Ramesh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000287268900024, title = {Room temperature ferromagnetism in undoped and Fe doped ZnO nanorods: microwave-assisted synthesis}, journal = {Journal of Solid State Chemistry}, volume = {184}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {391-400}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

One-dimensional (1D) undoped and Fe doped ZnO nanorods of average length similar to 1 mu m and diameter similar to 50 nm have been obtained using a microwave-assisted synthesis. The magnetization (M) and coercivity (H-c) value obtained for undoped ZnO nanorods at room temperature is similar to 5 X 10(-3) emu/g and similar to 150 Oe, respectively. The Fe doped ZnO samples show significant changes in M -H loop with increasing doping concentration. Both undoped and Fe doped ZnO nanorods exhibit a Curie transition temperature (T-c) above 390 K. Electron spin resonance and Mossbauer spectra indicate the presence of ferric ions. The origin of ferromagnetism in undoped ZnO nanorods is attributed to localized electron spin moments resulting from surface defects/vacancies, where as in Fe doped samples is explained by F center exchange mechanism. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc.

}, keywords = {Diluted magnetic semiconductors, Nanostructures, ZnO}, issn = {0022-4596}, doi = {10.1016/j.jssc.2010.11.008}, author = {Limaye, Mukta V. and Singh, Shashi B. and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, Sulabha K.} } @article { ISI:000296548400026, title = {RuCl3-TBHP mediated allylic oxidation of Delta(8(9)) lanosterol derivatives}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {52}, number = {45}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6007-6010}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A variety of Delta(8(9))-lanosterol derivatives were converted into 7,11-dienones using t-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of ruthenium chloride (RuCl3) in good yields. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Allylic oxidation, Oxygenated steroids, Ruthenium chloride, Steroidal ketones, t-Butyl hydroperoxide}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2011.08.166}, author = {Shingate, Bapurao B. and Hazra, Braja G. and Salunke, Deepak B. and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article { ISI:000293419700042, title = {Selectivity tailoring in liquid phase oxidation over MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposite catalysts}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {31}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {15440-15448}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Highly selective multiwalled nanotubes (MWNT)-Mn3O4 nano-composite catalyst was designed for liquid phase oxidation of p-cresol, which gave highest selectivity of 90\% to the first step oxidation product, p-hydroxy benzyl alcohol. Mn3O4 nanoparticles and MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposites were synthesized by coprecipitation route using mixed precursors under controlled conditions. The phase purity of Mn3O4 and the formation of MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposites were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed the selective exposure of (101) and (001) planes of Mn3O4 nanoparticles in the MWNT-Mn3O4 composite, while lowering in oxidizing capacity of MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposite confirmed by cyclic voltametry was due to incorporation of electron rich MWNT. Thus, selectivity tuning of the new material (MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposite) was found to be due to alteration in both geometric as well as electronic properties. A plausible reaction pathway also has been proposed involving the predominant role of nucleophilic lattice oxygen (O2-) species due to exposure of particular crystal planes giving highest selectivity to p-hydroxy benzyl alcohol.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp203318n}, author = {Biswal, Mandakini and Dhas, Vivek V. and Mate, Vivek R. and Banerjee, Abhik and Pachfule, Pradip and Agrawal, Kanika L. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000287092000033, title = {Self assembled CdLa2S4 hexagon flowers, nanoprisms and nanowires: novel photocatalysts for solar hydrogen production}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {21}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2624-2631}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report here a new ternary chalcogenide material, cadmium lanthanum sulfide (CdLa2S4) produced using a facile hydrothermal method at 433 K. The effect of the solvent on the morphology of the CdLa2S4 was demonstrated for the first time. The prima facie observations revealed the formation of highly crystalline hexagonal structures in the form of flowers in aqueous medium. The flowers comprise hexagonal columns similar to 300 nm in diameter and 1-1.2 mu m in length. All the hexagonal structures have a sharp tip with a cavity of 10 nm and are almost equal in size. The nanoprisms have an average base size of 35 nm with 35 nm edges, and the nanowires have a diameter of 10-15 nm; both were obtained in methanol. Crystal and electronic structure calculations were performed using the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP) based on density functional theory (DFT). Considering the band gap of pristine CdLa2S4 in the visible region (2.3 eV), we have demonstrated CdLa2S4 as a photocatalyst for the production of H-2 under solar light. Nanostructured CdLa2S4 prisms gave the maximum hydrogen production, i.e. 2552 mu mol h(-1). Being a stable ternary nanostructured metal sulfide (with nanohexagons, nanoprisms, nanowires), CdLa2S4 may have other potential prospective applications in solar cells and optoelectronic devices.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm02890h}, author = {Kale, Bharat B. and Baeg, Jin-Ook and Kong, Ki-jeong and Moon, Sang-Jin and Nikam, Latesh K. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000295422000005, title = {Sesquiterpene lactone, a potent drug molecule from artemisia pallens wall with anti-inflammatory activity}, journal = {Arzneimittel-Forschung-Drug Research}, volume = {61}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {510-514}, publisher = {ECV-EDITIO CANTOR VERLAG MEDIZIN NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN}, address = {BANDELSTOCKWEG 20, POSTFACH 1255, D-88322 AULENDORF, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The present study was carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities of bioactive secondary metabolites of Artemisia pallens Wall, an aromatic herb from family Asteraceae. The results provide evidence for the topical anti-inflammatory properties of Artemisia pallens Wall. The compounds were isolated from the acetone extract of the plant material. The isolates were tested on Swiss albino mice using 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced ear edema. One of the molecules from the extract indicated potent anti-inflammatory activity equivalent to indometacin (CAS 53-86-1). Elucidation of the molecular structures by single crystal x-ray diffraction studies revealed the conformational differences that the six membered rings in both the molecules are at an angle of 28.79 degrees. Presence of hydroxy function for compound 2 may be responsible for higher potency.

}, keywords = {Anti-inflammatory activity, Artemisia pollens, Asteraceae, Mice, Single crystal x-ray structure}, issn = {0004-4172}, author = {Ruikar, Anjali D. and Misar, Ashwini V. and Jadhav, Ravindra B. and Rojatkar, Supada R. and Mujumdar, Arvind M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshpande, Nirmala R.} } @article { ISI:000296871800013, title = {Sharp cut algorithm for optimization}, journal = {Computers \& Chemical Engineering}, volume = {35}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2716-2728}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Convergence theorem, Cutting plane, Sharp cut, Successive linear programming}, issn = {0098-1354}, doi = {10.1016/j.compchemeng.2010.11.010}, author = {Inamdar, Satish R. and Karimi, I. A. and Parulekar, S. J. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000292776300038, title = {Silver nanoparticle studded porous polyethylene scaffolds: bacteria struggle to grow on them while mammalian cells thrive}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {3}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2957-2963}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Silver nanoparticle studded scaffolds were prepared by exploiting the Ag+ ion reducing activity of sophorolipids-a class of {\textquoteleft}glycolipids{\textquoteright} that cap the ensuing nanoparticles as well. To achieve this, the porous polyethylene scaffolds are subjected to N-2+H-2 plasma treatment, in the first step. Subsequently the sophorolipids are covalently attached to the amine groups on the polymer surface through simple amide chemistry to yield sophorolipid grafted polymer scaffolds. These are then exposed to Ag+ ions under appropriate conditions leading to the formation of silver nanoparticles immobilized on the polymer scaffolds. It has been found that while bacteria do not survive on these silver studded scaffolds, CHO-K1 cells thrive on them making them good candidates for tissue engineering and bio-implant applications.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c1nr10154d}, author = {D{\textquoteright}Britto, Virginia and Kapse, Harsha and Babrekar, Harshada A. and Prabhune, Asmita and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Premnath, V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000293192100022, title = {Size- and shape-sensitive reactivity behavior of Al-n(n=2-5, 13, 30, and 100) clusters toward the N-2 molecule: a first-principles investigation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {30}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {14615-14623}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Reactivity of aluminum clusters has been found to exhibit size-sensitive variations. N-2 reduction is a hard process, and its dissociation on the Al surface is one of the few chemical methods available under nonhazardous conditions. In this context, we attempt to understand the adsorption behavior of N-2 molecules as a function of varying size and shape of Al clusters using a Density Functional Theory (DFT) based method. During the complex formation, various N-2 adsorption modes are examined. The results clearly demonstrate that, while the interaction energy does not vary with respect to the cluster size, shape of the cluster is highly contributive toward the chemisorption (a prerequisite for the reactivity) of the N-2 molecule. The underlying electronic and structural factors influencing the adsorption of N-2 molecules on the Al clusters are analyzed with the help of the Electron Localization Function (ELF) and Frontier Molecular Orbitals. As an illustration, the activation barrier calculations on various Al-13 conformations are calculated, and results confirm the experimental propositions that high-energy structures (depending upon their geometrical and electronic orientation) are more favorable for N-2 reduction.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp203452a}, author = {Kulkarni, Bhakti S. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000289050100049, title = {Solvothermal synthesis, structure, and properties of metal organic framework isomers derived from a partially fluorinated link}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {1215-1222}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Solvothermal reactions of Cu(NO3)(2) center dot 3H(2)O with 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) bis(benzoic acid) (C17H10F6O4, H(2)hfbba) and terminal monodentate ligand 3-methyl pyridine (3-picoline/3-mepy) in the presence of N, N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and N,N-diethyl formamide (DEF) solvents gave rise to two structurally different two-dimensional (2D) fluorinated metal organic frameworks (F-MOFs). The effect of the choice of solvent has been clearly reflected in the structures obtained. The F-MOFs reported in this paper are formulated as [Cu-2(hfbba)(2)(3-mepy)(2)] center dot (DMF)(2)(3-mepy) (F-MOF-4), [Cu-2(hfbba)(2)(3-mepy)(2)] (Cu-F-MOF-4B), and [Zn-2(hfbba)(2)(3-mepy)(2)] center dot (3-mepy) (Zn-F-MOF-4B) which displays interesting 2D structures with and without interdigitation depending on the solvent used. The structures of these F-MOFs have been determined by X-ray crystallography and further identified by IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of interdigitation has been reflected in the gas adsorption and magnetic properties of these F-MOFs. These F-MOFs also show comparable H-2 and CO2 uptake depending on their structural variation. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements over a wide range of temperatures exhibit dominantly short-range antiferromagnetic behavior, with weak ferromagnetic behavior showing up at very low temperatures, which is evident from opening of the hysteresis loop with a finite value of coercivity in both F-MOF-4 and Cu-F-MOF-4B. We observed a smaller value of mu(eff) per Cu atom and coercivity in Cu-F-MOF-4B than the F-MOF-4 due to relatively larger distances between the neighboring dicopper paddlewheel secondary building unit.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg101414x}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000295237400015, title = {Stereoselective synthesis and antimicrobial activity of steroidal C-20 tertiary alcohols with thiazole/pyridine side chain}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {46}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3681-3689}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Stereoselective synthesis of novel steroidal C-20 tertiary alcohols with thiazole and pyridine side chain using Grignard reaction of steroidal ketones and thiazole/pyridine magnesium bromide have been realized. These molecules were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal and antibacterial activities. Most of the compounds exhibited significant antifungal and antibacterial activity against all the tested strains. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, Antifungal activity, Grignard reaction, Steroid side chain, Steroidal ketones}, issn = {0223-5234}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2011.05.032}, author = {Shingate, Bapurao B. and Liazra, Braja G. and Salunke, Deepak B. and Pore, Vandana S. and Shirazi, Fazal and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000296264700024, title = {Structural and gas adsorption study of a two-dimensional copper-tetrazole based metal-organic framework}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {101}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {894-899}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

A new two-dimensional (2D) metal organic framework, Cu-1(4-TBA)(1)(DMBP)(1).DMF (Cu-TBA-3), has been synthesized under solvothermal condition from transition metal cation Cu(II), predesigned ligand 4-(1H-tetrazole-5-yl)benzoic acid (4-TBA) and coligand 4,4{\textquoteright}-dimethy1-2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine (DMBP). The structure has been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography which shows layered 2D structure with square shaped one-dimensional channels. Cu-TBA-3 shows 0.69 wt\% H-2 (at 77 K, 1 atm) and 1.65 mmol/g CO2 (at 298 K, 1 atm) uptake.

}, keywords = {CO2 capture, Hydrogen storage, metal-organic frameworks, microporous materials}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000285735100021, title = {Structural and selective gas adsorption studies of polyoxometalate and tris(ethylenediamine) cobalt(III) based ionic crystals}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {139-146}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Seven new ionic solids built on polyoxometalate anions and [Co(en)(3)](3+) cations, namely, [Co(en)(3)Mo(8)O(26)(H(3)O)-(Cl)](DMF)(4)(H(2)O) (Co-Mo(8)-DMF), [alpha-PW(12)O(40)][Co(en)(3)]center dot 6DMF (Co-W(12)P-DMF), [alpha-PW(12)O(40)][Co(en)(3)]center dot 6DEF (Co-W(12)P-DEF), [alpha-PMo(12)O(40)][Co(en)(3)]center dot 5.5DMF (Co-Mo(12)P-DMF), [alpha-PMo(12)O(40)][Co(en)(3)]center dot 6DEF (Co-Mo(12)P-DEF), [alpha-SiW(12)O(40)]-[Co(en)(3)](3/2)[Cl](1/2)center dot 6DMF center dot 3H(2)O (Co-W(12)Si-DMF), and [alpha-SiW(12)O(40)][Co(en)(3)]center dot 6DEF (Co-W(12)Si-DEF), have been synthesized from nonaqueous (DMF/DEF) media and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. We attempt to understand if [Co(en)(3)](3+) cations used in these reaction systems play a crucial role in controlling the assembly of these crystals. These ionic solids, after removal of the DMF or DEF molecules, are found to exhibit size selective H(2) adsorption properties over N(2). The amount of hydrogen adsorption was influenced by POM anion types and their orientations. CoMo(12)P-DEF has the highest (0.9 wt \%) H(2) uptake, and CoW(12)P-DEF has the lowest (0.4 wt \%) uptake among the series when the adsorbate pressure approached 1 atm.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg101201b}, author = {Dey, Chandan and Das, Raja and Pachfule, Pradip and Poddar, Pankaj and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000291294100029, title = {Structural isomerism and effect of fluorination on gas adsorption in copper-tetrazolate based metal organic frameworks}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {23}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2908-2916}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis, structure, and gas adsorption properties of three Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) synthesized from predesigned ligands 4-(1H-tetrazole-5-yl)benzoic acid (4-TBA) and 2-fluoro-4-(1H-tetrazole-5-yl)benzoic acid (2F-4-TBA) along with Cu(II) as an metal precursor has been reported. Among these MOFs, Cu-9(4-TBA)(10)(C2H5OH)(2) (Cu-TBA-1) and Cu-2(4-TBA)(2)(DMF)(C2H5OH) (Cu-TBA-2) are structural isomers. Whereas, Cu-2(4-TBA)(2)(DMF)(C2H5OH) (Cu-TBA-2) and Cu-2(2-F-4-TBA)(2)(DMF)(2) (Cu-TBA-2F) have similar crystal structure. N-2 adsorption isotherms of the activated sample of Cu-TBA-1 and -2 exhibit types-I sorption behavior with a Langmuir and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 686, 402 m(2)/g and 616, 356 m(2)/g, respectively. It is noteworthy that Cu-TBA-1 and -2 adsorbs 1.16 and, 1.54 wt \% H-2, while Cu-TBA-2F adsorbs 0.67 wt \% at 77 K and 1 atm. On the other hand, Cu-TBA-1 and -2 adsorb 3.08 and 2.54 mmol/g, while Cu-TBA-2F adsorbs 1.27 mmol/g of CO2 at 298 K and 1 bar pressure. H-2 adsorption sites in Cu-TBA-2 and -2F have been analyzed by molecular simulation.

}, keywords = {CO2 adsorption, fluorination, Hydrogen storage, Metal-organic framework, structural isomerism}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm2004352}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Chen, Yifei and Sahoo, Subash Chandra and Jiang, Jianwen and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000289710700005, title = {Structural, magnetic, and gas adsorption study of a series of partially fluorinated metal-organic frameworks (HF-MOFs)}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {50}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3855-3865}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Four new partially fluorinated metal organic frameworks (HF-MOFs) have been synthesized under different solvothermal conditions (H2O or dimethylformamide (DMF)) from transition metal cations [Co2+ and Mn2+], 3-methyl pyridine (3-mepy) and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) bis(benzoic acid) (C17H10F6O4, H(2)hfbba), to determine the influence of reaction conditions on the formation of MOFs. This family of materials displays a striking degree of structural similarity depending on the solvent of synthesis. HF-MOFs synthesized from H2O [Co-HFMOF-W, Co(liffiba)(3-mepy)(H2O) and Mn-HFMOF-W, Mn(hfbba)(3-mepy)(H2O)] contain three-dimensional connectivity whereas HF-MOFs synthesized from DmF Co-HFMOF-D, [Co-2(hfbba)(2)(3-mepy)(2)]center dot(DMF)(3) and Mn-HFMOE-D, [Mn-2(hfbba)(2)(3-mepy)]center dot(H2O) are two-dimensional in nature. Co-HFMOF-W and Mn-HFMOF-W are iso-structural polymeric materials. Thermal gravimetric analysis performed on as-synthesized HP-MOFs revealed that these compounds have high thermal stability (similar to 350 degrees C). The continuous decrease of the chi T product with decreasing T for Co-HFMOF-D and Co-HFMOF-W respectively indicates the presence of antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between two Co2+ (S = 3/2) metal centers within a duster.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic1017246}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000287175600029, title = {Structure and gas sorption behavior of a new three dimensional porous magnesium formate}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {50}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1392-1401}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new three-dimensional magnesium formate polymorph, namely, gamma-[Mg-3(O2CH)(6)] has been synthesized via in situ formate anion generation method. gamma-Mg-formate crystallizes in space group Pbcn, and structural determination by X-ray single crystal diffraction reveals a three-dimensional network of Mg2+ linked by formate anions. All formate anions possess similar binding mode to the metal center with one oxygen of a particular formate anion binds to one metal center (mu(1) oxygen) and other oxygen binds to two metal centers (mu(2) oxygen). N-2 adsorption studies indicate that the framework displays permanent porosity. The specific surface area of gamma-Mg-formate (BET, 120 m(2) gm(-1)) is lower than the alpha- polymorph (BET, 150 m(2) gm(-1)). However, the initial hydrogen uptake of gamma-Mg-formate reached almost 1.0 wt \% when the adsorbate pressure approached 760 Torr at 77 K. This is higher than the hydrogen uptake of alpha-Mg-formate (0.6 wt \%). gamma-Mg-formate, shows a moderate affinity and capacity for CO2 (3.4 angstrom kinetic diameter) at 298 K. The CO2 uptake at 760 Torr is 2.01 mmol gm(-1)(47.0 cc gm(-1)). Although this CO2 uptake is somewhat modest, it compares well with the CO2 uptake of several Mg-MOFs and ZIFs reported in the literature.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic102057p}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Saha, Subhadeep and Pachfule, Pradip and Roy, Sudip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000298175400040, title = {Studies on the feasibility of recycled polystyrene doped with NLO active meta-Nitroaniline for optoelectronics applications}, journal = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies}, volume = {22}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1865-1871}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A Guest-Host system based on meta-Nitroaniline (m-NA) and recycled polystyrene (RPS) susceptible to generate nonlinear optically (NLO) active property such as second harmonic generation (SHG) has been prepared. Pure, sublimed, optical grade, crystalline m-NA is used as a guest and RPS from the disposable packaging waste as available utilized as the host polymer. In this paper we report the effect of NLO active m-NA on the bulk and optical properties of RPS. The purified m-NA was incorporated from 1-10 wt\% in the RPS polymer matrix by conventional solution casting method. Thin, transparent, freestanding films obtained were characterized with optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), viscosity measurement, and UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy for bulk properties evaluation and Nd:YAG laser studies for optoelectronics application such as SHG through frequency doubling. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {frequency doubling, guest-host NLO systems, meta-Nitroaniline, nonlinear optical activity, Polystyrene, second harmonic generation}, issn = {1042-7147}, doi = {10.1002/pat.1685}, author = {Sureshkumar, M. S. and Goyal, R. K. and Negi, Y. S. and Pratheepkumar, A. and Reddy, K. Raghunatha and Singh, R. P. and Dadge, Jagdish W. and Aiyer, Rohini C.} } @article { ISI:000287338100007, title = {Surface effects on morin transition, exchange bias, and enchanced spin reorientation in chemically synthesized DyFeO3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2954-2960}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A giant linear magnetoelectric effect was observed by Y. Tokura{\textquoteright}s group recently in multiferroic DyFeO3, which demands a detailed investigation of its magnetic properties. Additionally, there is little information on the changes of chemical and physical properties of these materials with the reduction in particle size in spite of the potential applications of these materials nanoscale devices. As the wet-chemical synthesis of these materials in nanosize and getting a control over crystallinity and stoichiometry is nontrivial and poses a serious challenge prohibiting the study of their size-dependent properties. Here, we report the synthesis of DyFeO3 nanoparticles using a surfactantless hydrothermal method with a detailed magnetic property measurement. The as-synthesized DyFeO3 nanoparticles showed excellent crystallinitywith average particle size in the range 50-60 nm. The structural analysis indicated that they are of a distorted orthorhombic pervoslcite crystal structure. Detailed dc magnetization measurements in the temperature range of 3-350 K could isolate the presence of Dy3+-Fe3+ and Dy3+-Dy3+ superexchange interactions, which showed up as spin reorientation transitions in various temperature regions due to the differing magnitude of their interactions resulting in continuous rotation of antiferromagnetic component of Fe3+ spins with cooling of the sample. Nanosized DyFeO3 showed spin-reorientation transitions near 315 and 70K due to the Dy3+-Fe3+ interaction accompanied with an opening up of the hysteresis loop followed by antiferromagnetic ordering around 4 K due to a possible Dy3+-Dy3+ interaction. We also observed significant effect of the particle size reduction on the magnetic properties. The main effects seen. by us were in terms of (1) pronounced spontaneous spin reorientation transitions, (2) the absence of Morin transition, and (3) presence of temperature-dependent exchange bias in the DyFeO3 nanoparticles. We present a detailed mechanism to explain these features based on the interplay of Dy3+ and Fe3+ spins as well surface disorder, anisotropy, canting, and so forth.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp109313w}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000294982800015, title = {Surfactant tunable hierarchical nanostructures of CdIn2S4 and their photohydrogen production under solar light}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {36}, number = {18}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11628-11639}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The hierarchical nanostructures of CdIn2S4 were selectively prepared through hydrothermal process in the presence of different surfactants. Structural study demonstrated existence of cubic spinel structure and micro structural study shown a pretty marigold flower like morphology without any surfactant. The effect of surfactants on the morphology and microstructure of CdIn2S4 has been studied by using Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactants. The CdIn2S4 bipyramids with length of 0.7-1 mu m have been obtained using PVP. Interestingly, the nanopetals (thin and transparent) of CdIn2S4 are self assembled into hollow spheres in the presence of CTAB. Considering the importance of these unique nanostructures, the growth mechanism has also been proposed. The optical properties demonstrated the band gap in the range of 2.12-2.29 eV which is well within the visible region. In this contest, photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production using the above nanostructures under visible light was also demonstrated. The prima-fascia observations shows that the bipyramidal CdIn2S4 exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production (3238 mu molh(-1)) than other nanostructures. Being a nanostructured semiconductor chalcogenide with a good stability will also have potential applications in solar cells and LED. Copyright (C) 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bipyramids, CdIn2S4, Hydrogen generation, hydrothermal, Self-assembled}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.06.061}, author = {Bhirud, Ashwini P. and Chaudhari, Nilima and Nikam, Latesh and Sonawane, Ravindra and Patil, Kashinath and Baeg, Jin-Ook and Kale, Bharat} } @article { ISI:000292555200034, title = {Synthesis and characterization of cobalt substituted zinc ferri-chromites prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion method}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {22}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1109-1115}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mixed metal oxides having spinel structure shows interesting structural properties. In the present investigation, cobalt substituted zinc ferri-chromites were prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion method. The completion of solid state reaction and the formation of spinel phase were identified using X-ray diffraction technique. All the compounds exhibit cubic spinel symmetry and lattice constant shows an irregular trend with substitution of Co. Infra-red spectral studies shows an two strong bands, one around 600 cm(-1) which is attributed to the intrinsic vibrations of tetrahedral complexes and the other at 400 cm(-1) is due to octahedral one. The morphology and size of the particles was found out by scanning electron microscopy while the elemental compositions by elemental dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The various compounds of the present system Zn1-xCoxFeCrO4 were also investigated for their thermal and electronic studies.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-010-0268-7}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Vader, V. T. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Jadhav, A. V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000291613900071, title = {Synthesis and characterization of organo-soluble poly(ether ether ketone)s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone)s containing pendant pentadecyl chains}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {121}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3689-3695}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Poly(ether ether ketone)s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s containing pendant pentadecyl chains were synthesized by polycondensation of each of the two bisphenol monomers viz, 1,1,1-[bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4{\textquoteright}-pentadecylphenyl] ethane and 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-pentadecyl cyclohexane with activated aromatic dihalides namely, 4,4{\textquoteright}-difluorobenzophenone, and 1,3-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl) benzene in a solvent mixture of N,N-dimethylacetamide and toluene, in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate. Polymers were isolated as white fibrous materials with inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights in the range 0.70-1.27 dL g(-1) and 76,620-1,36,720, respectively. Poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s were found to be soluble at room temperature in organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, and pyridine and could be cast into tough, transparent, and flexible films from their solutions in chloroform. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited a broad halo at around 2 theta = similar to 19 degrees indicating that the polymers containing pentadecyl chains were amorphous in nature. In the small-angle region, diffuse reflections of a typically layered structures resulting from the packing of pentadecyl side chains were observed. The temperature at 10\% weight loss, obtained from TG curves, for poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s were in the range 416-459 degrees C, indicating their good thermal stability. A substantial drop in glass transition temperatures (68-78 degrees C) was observed for poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s due to {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}internal plasticization{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} effect of flexible pendant pentadecyl chains. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 3689-3695, 2011

}, keywords = {alkyl side-chain, Cashew nut shell liquid, CNSL, pentadecyl, poly(arylene ether)s, poly(ether ketone)s, polyethers, renewable}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.34181}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Pasale, Sharad K. and Honkhambe, Pandurang N. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000289692500038, title = {Synthesis and characterization of poly-L-lysine grafted SBA-15 using NCA polymerization and click chemistry}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {21}, number = {18}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {6690-6697}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Poly-L-lysine (PLL) grafted ordered mesoporous material was prepared by a combination of NCA polymerization and click chemistry. Large pore SBA-15 with a mesopore diameter of similar to 12 nm was synthesized using a previously reported method. The surface of this SBA-15 material was modified with azidopropyl groups. This {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}clickable{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} SBA-15 was then reacted with an alkyne terminated poly-L-lysine synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of 3-cbz-L-lysine NCA with N-TMS propargylamine as the initiator. This procedure allows grafting of a uniform polymer film with a high polymer loading. No appreciable pore blocking was observed upon grafting of PLL. No change in the periodic structure of the SBA-15 was observed throughout the grafting process. The SBA-15 PLL conjugate was characterized using (13)C and (29)Si NMR, XRD, FT-IR, N(2) adsorption-desorption and thermogravimetry. The results indicate that polypeptides can be easily grafted onto various ordered mesoporous materials by this {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}grafting to{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} methodology with accessible pores and high loadings of the polypeptide.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm04589f}, author = {Kar, Mrityunjoy and Malvi, Bharmana and Das, Anindita and Panneri, Suyana and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000290038000005, title = {Synthesis and characterization of soluble polyamides from bis-[(4 {\textquoteleft}-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether and various diacids}, journal = {Polymer Bulletin}, volume = {66}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1207-1218}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

New aromatic diamine containing preformed amide, ether, and methylene; bis-[(4{\textquoteright}-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether (BABE), was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, NMR, and mass spectrometry. Aromatic-aliphatic polyamides were prepared from BABE with aliphatic/aromatic diacids via Yamazaki{\textquoteright}s polymerization. The polyamides were characterized by FT-IR, (1)H NMR, inherent viscosity [eta(inh)], solubility tests, differential scanning calorimetry [DSC], thermogravimetric analysis [TGA], and X-ray diffraction [XRD]. Polyamides had inherent viscosities 0.35-0.84 dL/g, soluble in aprotic polar solvents like N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N, N-dimethyl acetamide and dimethyl sulphoxide containing LiCl due to an amorphous to partially crystalline morphology; as XRD patterns indicated. DSC analysis of polyamides showed glass transition temperatures 166-268 A degrees C. Polyamides showed high thermal stability as they did not degrade below 300 A degrees C, had 10\% weight loss temperature higher than 375 A degrees C, and the char yields at 900 A degrees C were 22-55\%; indicating potential applications as engineering materials.

}, keywords = {Aryl-ether and methylene linkages, Bis-[(4 {\textquoteleft}-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether, Direct phosphorylative polycondensation, Soluble aromatic-aliphatic polyamides, Thermal properties}, issn = {0170-0839}, doi = {10.1007/s00289-010-0344-4}, author = {Patil, A. S. and Sayyed, M. M. and Bhairamadgi, Nagendra S. and Han, Sung-Hwan and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000289003000012, title = {Synthesis and optical studies of GdCrO3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Nanoparticle Research}, volume = {13}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1019-1027}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{Here we report for the first time, a detailed synthesis mechanism of GdCrO3 nanoparticles using a surfactant-less hydrothermal method. We also report a detailed study of their structural and optical properties. The selected area electron diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction studies of GdCrO3 nanoparticles show pure phase and excellent crystallinity with average particle size around 50-60 nm. The structural analysis indicates a distorted perovskite crystal structure with lattice parameter values of a = 5.3099 +/- A 0.0022

}, keywords = {hydrothermal, Nanoparticles, Rare earth orthochromites}, issn = {1388-0764}, doi = {10.1007/s11051-010-0090-4}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000286633000031, title = {Synthesis and photopolymerization kinetics of linear alicyclic urethane acrylate macromonomer in presence of reactive diluents}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {46}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {2221-2228}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

This study deals with the photopolymerization of a macromonomer in the presence of reactive diluents using Photo Differential Scanning Calorimetry or Photo DSC. The kinetic profiles of these systems showed that the rate of photopolymerization rapidly increases at very early stages of the reaction. The rate of reaction was further found to increase with the addition of crosslinking agents. The addition of trifunctional crosslinking agent to the macromonomeric formulation resulted in a higher polymerization rate and conversion than that of a difunctional crosslinking agent. From the heat flow profiles, the kinetic parameters such as induction time, time to attain peak maximum, rate of maximum polymerization, and final conversion were noted for all the formulations. The initiation of photopolymerization was found to depend on the functionality while the in situ viscosity controlled the time scale for reaction diffusion which resulted in varying levels of conversions. Other parameters such as effect of temperature and concentration of photoinitiator on photocuring kinetics are also discussed.

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-010-5060-9}, author = {Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Ponrathnam, S. and Rajan, C. R.} } @article { ISI:000297737900020, title = {Synthesis and structural characterization of homochiral homo-oligomers of parent CIS- and trans-furanoid-beta-amino acids}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {17}, number = {46}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {12946-12954}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis of homochiral homo-oligomers of cis- and trans-3-aminotetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylic acids (parent cis- and trans-furanoid-beta-amino acids, referred to as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}cis-/trans-FAA{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}) has been carried out to understand their secondary structures and their dependence on the ring heteroatom. The oligomers of two diastereomers have been shown to have a distinct left-handed helicity. The cis-FAA homo-oligomers show a 14-helix structure, in contrast to the homo-oligomers of cis-ACPC, which adopt a sheet like structure. The trans-FAA homo-oligomers were found to adopt a 12-helix structure, the same trend found in trans-ACPC homo-oligomers. With the help of ab initio calculations, the structural features of cis-ACPC and cis-FAA hexamers were compared. We believe that the more compact packing of the cis-FAA hexapeptide should be due to a more favorable interaction between the ring and the backbone amide hydrogen.

}, keywords = {ab initio calculations, Amino acids, Density functional calculations, Peptides, secondary structures}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201101855}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Jogdand, Ganesh F. and Oliveira, Joao C. A. and Mata, Ricardo A. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000288141700012, title = {Synthesis, characterisation of polymer-supported palladium-2-methylimidazole complex catalyst for the hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Research}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {112-115}, publisher = {SCIENCE REVIEWS 2000 LTD}, address = {PO BOX 314, ST ALBANS AL1 4ZG, HERTS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A polymer-supported palladium-2-methylimidazole complex was synthesised and characterised by various physicochemical methods. The complex was successfully used as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and a few of its derivatives under ambient conditions. Results reveal that the electronic as well as the steric effects of the substitutent control the rate of hydrogenation of the nitro group in the studied nitro compounds. The kinetics of hydrogenation and the reusability of the catalyst were also studied.

}, keywords = {aromatic nitro compounds, Hydrogenation, polymer-supported complex catalyst, transition metal complexes}, issn = {1747-5198}, doi = {10.3184/174751911X556855}, author = {Velua, Udayakumar and Stanislaus, Alexander and Virupaiah, Gayathri and Shivakumaraiah and Patil, Kashinath Rangu and Balasubramanian, Viswanathan} } @article { ISI:000285956600023, title = {Synthesis, electronic structure, DNA and protein binding, DNA cleavage, and anticancer activity of fluorophore-labeled copper(II) complexes}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {50}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {545-558}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Two mononuclear fluorophore-labeled copper(II) complexes [Cu(nip)(acac)](+) (2) and [Cu(nip)(2)](2+) (3), where fluorophore is 2-(naphthalen-1-yl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (nip) (1) and acac is acetylacetone, have been synthesized aid characterized by various techniques. The ligand 1 and complex 2 are structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The coordination geometries around the copper are square planar in solid as well as solution state as evidenced by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The density functional calculations carried out on 1-3 have shown that electron-rich regions in the highest occupied orbital are localized on the naphthalene end partly on the phenanthroline moiety. Both complexes 2 and 3 in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) exhibit near square planar structure around the metal ion in their ground state. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations reveal that Cu(II) ion in complex 2 shows tetrahedral coordination around the metal while 3 retains its square planar geometry in the lowest excited state. The interaction of complexes with calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) has been explored by using absorption, emission, thermal denaturation, and viscosity studies, and the intercalating mode of DNA binding has been proposed. The complexes cleave DNA oxidatively without any exogenous additives. The protein binding ability has been monitored by quenching of tryptophan emission in the presence of complexes using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as model protein. The compounds showed dynamic quenching behavior. Further, the anticancer activity of the complexes on MCF-7 (human breast cancer), HeLa (human cervical cancer), HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia), and MCF-12A (normal epithelial) cell lines has been studied. It has been observed that 3 exhibits higher cytotoxicity than 2, and the cells undergo apoptotic cell death.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic101534n}, author = {Bhat, Satish S. and Kumbhar, Anupa A. and Heptullah, Hussain and Khan, Ayesha A. and Gobre, Vivekanand V. and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000293939800014, title = {Synthesis of bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene and poly (methyl methacrylate) macromonomers using a new ATRP initiator}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {47}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1621-1629}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new bis-allyloxy functionalized ATRP initiator, viz, 4,4-bis (4-(allyloxy) phenyl) penty1-2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate was synthesized starting from commercially available 4,4-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) pentanoic acid. Atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene in bulk and that of methyl methacrylate in anisole using CuBr/N,N,N{\textquoteright},N{\textquoteright},N {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}-pentamethyldiethyl-enetriamine system was carried out. The kinetic study of styrene polymerization showed controlled polymerization behavior. Bis-allyloxy functionalized well-defined polystyrene (M(n)(GPC): 13,600-28,250, PDI: 1.07-1.09) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (M(n)(GPC): 10,100-18,450, PDI: 1.23-1.34) macromonomers were obtained. The presence of allyloxy functionality was confirmed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The reactivity of allyloxy functionality was demonstrated by carrying out organic reactions such as addition of bromine and hydrosilylation on polystyrene macromonomer. Polystyrene macromonomer with bis-allyloxy functionality was transformed into bis-epoxy functionalized polystyrene macromonomer using 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Allyloxy end-functional polymer, Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), Macromonomers, Poly (methyl methacrylate), Polystyrene}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2011.05.012}, author = {Sane, Prakash S. and Palaskar, Dnyaneshwar V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000289330000005, title = {Synthesis of C1- and C8a-epimers of (+)-castanospermine from D-glucose derived gamma,delta-epoxyazide: intramolecular 5-endo epoxide opening approach}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {67}, number = {15}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {2773-2778}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A concise synthesis of two diastereomers of (+)-castanospermine namely 1- and 8a-epi-castanospermine 1b and 1c, respectively, is reported from D-glucose. The methodology involves stereoselective cross metathesis of D-glucose derived alkene 2 with 4-bromo-1-butene followed by azide displacement and m-CPBA oxidation to afford diastereomeric gamma,delta-epoxyazides 5a/5b. The Staudinger reaction of epoxyazide 5a followed by reaction with benzylchloroformate (CbzCl) unexpectedly furnished 1,3-oxazinan-2-one derivative 7 whose stereochemistry was establish by single crystal X-ray. This helps to assign the stereochemistry in the epoxidation reaction. The reduction of 5a/5b was then carried out by transfer hydrogenation to provide gamma,delta-epoxyamine that concomitantly undergoes intramolecular 5-endo-tet cyclization to afford hydroxypyrrolidine ring skeleton with sugar framework-a precursor to castanospermine analogues 1b/1c. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, Cross metathesis, D-Glucose, Epoxide, Oxazinanone, Polyhydroxy indolizidines}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2011.02.030}, author = {Kalamkar, Navnath B. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000291725100012, title = {Synthesis of Cu-ZnO and C-ZnO nanoneedle arrays on zinc foil by low temperature oxidation route: effect of buffer layers on growth, optical and field emission properties}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {257}, number = {20}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8366-8372}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Different densities of ZnO nanoneedle films have been prepared by pre-coated zinc foils with thin layer of copper and carbon followed by thermal oxidation at 400 degrees C in air. The X-ray diffraction patterns show well defined peaks, which could be indexed to the wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. The scanning electron microscope images clearly reveal formation of ZnO needles on the entire substrate surface. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies indicate that Cu and C ions are incorporated into the ZnO lattice. Photoluminescence studies evaluate different emission bands originated from different defect mechanism. From the field emission studies, the threshold field, required to draw emission current density of similar to 100 mu A/cm(2), is observed to be 2.25 V/mu m and 1.57 V/mu m for annealed zinc foil pre-coated with copper and carbon, respectively. The annealed film with copper layer exhibits good emission current stability at the pre-set value of similar to 100 mu A over a duration of 4 h. The results show that buffer layer is an important factor to control the growth rate, resulting in different density of ZnO needles, which leads to field emission properties. This method may have potential in fabrication of electron sources for high current density applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Buffer layer, Carbon, Copper, field emission, Nanoneedle, ZnO}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.04.023}, author = {Jamali-Sheini, Farid and Patil, K. R. and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000288386700006, title = {Synthesis of glycopolypeptides by the ring opening polymerization of O-glycosylated-alpha-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA)}, journal = {Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {2}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {805-811}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The novel synthesis of O-glycosylated lysine-NCA from a stable glycosyl donor and a commercially available protected amino acid in very high yield is reported. These O-glycosylated lysine-NCA monomers underwent ring opening polymerization using simple primary amine initiators to form well defined, high molecular weight homoglycopolypeptides and diblock co-glycopolypeptides. The synthesis of azide labelled end functionalized glycopolypeptides and amphiphilic diblock copolypeptides is also reported. This methodology represents an easy and practical route to the synthesis of O-glycosylated polypeptides with 100\% glycosylation.

}, issn = {1759-9954}, doi = {10.1039/c0py00412j}, author = {Pati, Debasis and Shaikh, Ashif Y. and Hotha, Srinivas and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000295187300051, title = {Synthesis of poly-L-glutamic acid grafted silica nanoparticles and their assembly into macroporous structures}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {27}, number = {19}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12124-12133}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Polypeptide-coated silica nanoparticles represent an interesting class of organic inorganic hybrids since the ordered secondary structure of the polypeptide grafts imparts functional properties to these nanoparticles. The synthesis of a poly-L-glutamic acid (PLGA) silica nanoparticle hybrid by employing N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) polymerization to synthesize the polypeptide chains and Cu catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition reaction to graft these chains onto the silica surface is reported. This methodology enables the synthesis of well-defined polypeptide chains that are attached onto the silica surface at high surface densities. The PLGA-silica conjugate particles are well dispersed in water, and have been thoroughly characterized using multinuclear (C-13, Si-29) solid state NMR, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The pH-dependent reversible aggregation of the PLGA-silica particles, driven by the change in PLGA structure, has also been studied. Preliminary results on the use of aqueous dispersions of silica-PLGA for the preparation of three-dimensional macroporous structures with oriented pores by ice templating methodology are also demonstrated. These macroporous materials, comprising a biocompatible polymer shell covalently attached to rigid inorganic cores, adopts an interesting lamellar structure with fishbone-type architecture.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la202036c}, author = {Kar, Mrityunjoy and Pauline, Minois and Sharma, Kamendra and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000286995800020, title = {Synthesis of tetrahydro-5-azaindoles and 5-azaindoles using pictet-spengler reaction-appreciable difference in products using different acid catalysts}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {67}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {936-942}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Pictet-Spengler condensation of 2-(aryl)-2-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)ethanamines using conventional acid catalysts like TMSCl or TFA resulted in the formation of substituted 5-azaindoles involving a tandem one pot four steps reaction sequence. By contrast use of glacial acetic acid furnished the targeted tetrahydro-5-azaindoles in diastereoselective manner. These were readily dehydrogenated to 5-azaindoles. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-(Aryl)-2-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)ethanamines, 4, 7-Disubstituted-5-azaindoles, 7-Disubstituted-tetrahydro-5-azaindoles, Diastereoselective Pictet-Spengler reaction}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2010.12.003}, author = {Shumaila, Abdullah M. A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @article { ISI:000292095800003, title = {Temperature-guided diastereoselectivity switch during the desymmetrization of meso-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene: new strategy towards the synthesis of aminocyclitols}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {17}, number = {23}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6304-6308}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, keywords = {aminocyclitols, azabicycloheptane, desymmetrization, diastereoselectivity, synthetic methods}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201100418}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Rajender, Salla} } @article { ISI:000292113700028, title = {Template induced structural isomerism and enhancement of porosity in manganese(II) based metal-organic frameworks (Mn-MOFs)}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {27}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7674-7676}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Three new metal-organic framework isomers have been synthesized by using the organic linker 5-triazole isophthalic acid and Mn(NO3)(2)center dot xH(2)O. Structural conversions from non-porous to porous MOFs due to the template effect have been observed. The cross-sectional pore apertures of the resulting Mn-MOFs are comparable to the molecular dimensions of the template (pyrazine and 4,40-bipyridine). The periodic increased porosity in Mn-MOFs depending on the size of the template used has been further confirmed by the CO2 adsorption isotherms.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c1cc12278a}, author = {Panda, Tamas and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {42577, title = {To make polymer: quantum dot hybrid solar cells NIR-active by increasing diameter of PbS nanoparticles}, journal = {Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells}, volume = {95}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {651{\textendash}656}, abstract = {

We fabricate NIR-active solar cells based on PbS quantum dots and a conventional conjugated polymer. These devices act as solar cells under exclusively NIR wavelengths above 650 nm. Here PbS nanoparticles absorb photons in the NIR range that in turn generate excitons. We show that with an assistance from a strong electron-acceptor (TiO2), these excitons can be dissociated to electrons and holes to yield a photocurrent in the external circuit. We then aim to extend the spectral window of the solar cells to higher wavelength region by increasing the diameter of PbS nanoparticles to make the cells further NIR-active. We observe that the short-circuit current (JSC) shows a peak when the diameter of PbS nanoparticles increases. Here, the spectral window can be extended till conduction band-edge of PbS quantum dots falls below that of TiO2 nanostructures cutting off the electron-transfer pathway. The NIR-active photovoltaic solar cells yield a short-circuit current (JSC) of 1.0 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.42 V, and power conversion efficiency (η) of 0.16\% and remain operative till 1200 nm.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.solmat.2010.09.034}, author = {Guchhait, Asim and Rath, Arup Kumar and Pal, Amlan J.} } @article { ISI:000288692000046, title = {Totall synthesis of (+/-)-sacidumllignan D}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {76}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {2315-2318}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The first total synthesis of (+/-)-sacidumlignan D featuring a Zn-mediated Barbier reaction and reverse Wacker oxidation to form the key gamma-lactone, its diastereoselective alpha-methylation followed by reduction cyclization, was documented.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo1025749}, author = {Pandey, Sunil Kumar and Ramana, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000286868600075, title = {Toward an understanding of the molecular level properties of ziegler-natta catalyst support with and without the internal electron donor}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1952-1960}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Two Ziegler-Natta catalysts supported on molecular adducts, namely, MgCl2 center dot 6EtOH (ME) and MgCl2 center dot 5EtOH center dot EtOOCPh (Est-ME), have been prepared. A systematic effort has been made to unravel the molecular level structure property relationships of the catalysts and adducts. Ethylbenzoate is an internal electron donor, and its in situ formation through EtOH+PhCOCl coupling is successfully achieved. The above adduct has been treated with TiCl4, and the resultant catalyst (Ti/Est-ME) is evaluated for ethylene polymerization activity. Rand C-13 CP/MAS NMR of Est-ME (Ti/Est-ME) show carbonyl features at 1730 (1680) cm(-1) and 169 (170) delta, respectively, providing direct support for the presence of ester as an integral part. In spite of low surface area, Ti/Est-ME gives higher yield for ethylene polymerization than the one derived from ME. The results indicate that electronic environment is more important than surface area or any other single factor in determining the polymerization activity.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp1078289}, author = {Thushara, K. S. and Gnanakumar, Edwin S. and Mathew, Renny and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sarma, Krishna and Padmanabhan, Sudhakar and Bhaduri, Sumit and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @conference {42783, title = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document of ethyl silicate-32}, booktitle = {Transfer of Technology (ToT)/ Technical Documents}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, address = {DRDL Hyderabad.}, author = {Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Dwivedi, Mayank and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Moham and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Mohan, S. Krishna and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @conference {42789, title = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document of phenol-aniline-formaldehyde (sf-342a) resins}, booktitle = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, address = {DRDL Hyderabad.}, author = {Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Dwivedi, Mayank and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Moham and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Mohan, S. Krishna and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article { ISI:000294340300007, title = {Understanding the molecular conformations of Na-dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) using DFT-based method}, journal = {Molecular Simulation}, volume = {37}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {953-963}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The molecular conformations of phospholipids comprising a lipid bilayer determine the physico-chemical properties of the latter. In this study, we attempt to understand the various possible conformations available for an anionic lipid molecule dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) with Na as its charge-compensating cation. The various possible molecular orientations available for lipid molecule are analysed using a density functional theory-based method. Our study reveals a rich conformational space with two different types of glycerol body orientations, more commonly known as rotamers. Interestingly, this is in agreement with the molecular conformations proposed earlier by NMR studies on lipid monomer solutions. We demonstrate that these conformations are an outcome of delicate balance of electrostatic and van der Waals forces along with intra-molecular hydrogen bonds achieved by a critical combination of torsion angles. Na(+) ions are seen to interact predominantly with the oxygen atoms of the glycerol groups in tail and head along with that of phosphate oxygen atoms leading to a cage-like orientation of lipid molecule around the Na(+). Following the conformational analysis, we attempt to evaluate the electronic properties of few low-lying conformations. This study shows that though the water molecules screen the Na-O(lipid) interactions, they do not dramatically modify the Na-O(lipid) bond distances. The lipid conformation retains the cage-like structure around the Na(+) in the presence of water molecules. Some amount of charge transfer from the water molecules to Na ion is noted. The water molecules modify the phosphate-tail glycerol group interactions leading to a more stable Na-DMPG-H(2)O and Na-DMPG-4H(2)O complexes.

}, keywords = {DFT, DMPG, molecular conformations, rotamer and hydration energy}, issn = {0892-7022}, doi = {10.1080/08927022.2011.582105}, author = {Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article {42744, title = {User-friendly [(diglyme)NiBr2]-catalyzed direct alkylations of heteroarenes with unactivated alkyl halides through c?h bond cleavages}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {353}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3325{\textendash}3329}, abstract = {

A nitrogen and phosphorus ligand-free catalytic system derived from inexpensive [(diglyme)NiBr2] allowed for efficient direct C[BOND]H bond alkylations of heteroarenes with unactivated β-hydrogen-containing alkyl halides under basic reaction conditions.

}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.201100487}, author = {Ackermann, Lutz and Punji, Benudhar and Song, Weifeng} } @article { ISI:000292022700003, title = {Validation and application of auxiliary density perturbation theory and non-iterative approximation to coupled-perturbed Kohn-Sham approach for calculation of dipole-quadrupole polarizability}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {510}, number = {4-6}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {185-190}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Recently, two non-iterative approaches have been proposed to calculate response properties within density functional theory (DFT). These approaches are auxiliary density perturbation theory (ADPT) and the non-iterative approach to the coupled-perturbed Kohn-Sham (NIA-CPKS) method. Though both methods are non-iterative, they use different techniques to obtain the perturbed Kohn-Sham matrix. In this Letter, for the first time, both of these two independent methods have been used for the calculation of dipole-quadrupole polarizabilities. To validate these methods, three tetrahedral molecules viz., P-4; CH4 and adamantane (C10H16) have been used as examples. The comparison with MP2 and CCSD proves the reliability of the methodology. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2011.05.032}, author = {Shedge, Sapana V. and Pal, Sourav and Koester, Andreas M.} } @article { ISI:000311966300017, title = {1-Benzoyl-3-[(2-benzylsulfanyl)phenyl]thiourea}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section C-Crystal Structure Communications}, volume = {68}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {O485-U254}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

In the title compound, C21H18N2OS2, a strong intramolecular N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bond [N center dot center dot center dot O = 2.642 (3) angstrom] between the amide N atom and the benzoyl O atom forms an almost planar six-membered ring in the central part of the molecule. In the crystal, molecules are packed through weak N-H center dot center dot center dot S interactions. Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions are the stabilizing forces for the crystal structure.

}, issn = {0108-2701}, doi = {10.1107/S0108270112045167}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Tirtha and Gogoi, Prasanta and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Barman, Pranjit} } @article { ISI:000306503200003, title = {Activity modulated low platium content oxygen reduction electrocatalysts prepared by inducing nano-order dislocations on carbon nanofiber through N-2-doping}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {116}, number = {28}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {14754-14763}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp300881p}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Irshad, Ahamed and Unni, Bipinlal and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000298518600028, title = {Adsorption induced enzyme denaturation: the role of protein surface in adsorption induced protein denaturation on allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) copolymers}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {90}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {184-190}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The effects of protein size on adsorption and adsorption-induced denaturation of proteins on copolymers of allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) have been studied. Different responses were observed for the amount of protein adsorbed and denatured on the polymer surface for different proteins (trypsin, alchol dehydrogenase from baker{\textquoteright}s yeast (YADH), glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) from Gluconobacter cerinus, and alkaline phosphates from calf intestinal mucosa (CIAP). Protein adsorption on the copolymer with 25\% crosslink density (AGE-25) was dependent not only on the size of the protein but also on the presence of glycoside residues on the protein surface. Adsorption and denaturation of proteins follows the order YADH \> trypsin \> GDH \>\> CIAP although the molecular weights of the proteins follow the order YADH \> CIAP \> GDH \> trypsin. The lack of correlation between amount of adsorbed protein and its molecular weight was due to the presence of glycoside residues on CIAP and GDH which protect the enzyme surface from denaturation. Enzyme stabilities in aqueous solutions of 1-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidinone (CHP) correlate well with the trend in denaturation by the copolymer, strongly suggesting that hydrophobic interactions play a major role in protein binding and the mechanism of protein denaturation is similar to that for water-miscible organic solvents. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-Cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidinone, Adsorption, Alcohol dehydrogenase, Alkaline phosphatase, allyl glycidyl ether, Denaturation, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, Glucose dehydrogenase, Trypsin}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2011.10.022}, author = {Thudi, Lahari and Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Swarnalatha, Y. and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000305714200033, title = {Alginate and hydrotalcite-like anionic clay composite systems: synthesis, characterization and application studies}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {158}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {241-246}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Hydrotalcite-like anionic clays (Zn/Al and Mg/Al) were intercalated with sodium alginate to form organic-inorganic composite adsorbents for water treatment applications. The synthesized composites were characterized using different characterization techniques viz. XRD, DRIFTS, SEM and surface area/porosity analysis. The adsorption potential of the alginate-clay composites was examined for removal of fluoride ions and Orange II dye from water by adsorption. Our studies revealed that these composites had high adsorption capacity for the adsorption of fluoride and Orange II dye from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity of the composites was considerably higher than that of either alginate or clay, used individually. The results indicated that these materials might be useful sorbents for groundwater purification/effluent treatment. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alginate, Anionic clay, Composite, Fluoride, Orange II dye}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2012.03.046}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Patil, Varsha S. and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000308957700010, title = {Alpha-geminal dihydroxymethyl piperidine and pyrrolidine iminosugars: synthesis, conformational analysis, glycosidase inhibitory activity, and molecular docking studies}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {77}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7873-7882}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The Jocic-Reeve and Corey-Link type reaction of dichloromethyllithium with suitably protected 5-keto-hexofuranoses followed by treatment with sodium azide and sodium borohydride reduction gave 5-azido-5-hydroxylmethyl substituted hexofuranoses 7a-c with required geminal dihydroxymethyl group. Removal of protecting groups and converting the C-1 anomeric carbon into free hemiacetal followed by intramolecular reductive aminocyclization with in situ generated C5-amino functionality afforded corresponding 5C-dihydroxymethyl piperidine iminosugars 2a-c. Alternatively, removal of protecting groups in 7b and 7c and chopping of C1-anomeric carbon gave C2-aldehyde that on intramolecular reductive aminocyclization with CS-amino gave 4C-dihydroxyrnethyl pyrrolidine iminosugars 1b and 1c, respectively. On the basis of the H-1 NMR studies, the conformations of 2a/2b were assigned as C-4(1) and that of 2c as C-1(4). The glycosidase inhibitory activities of all five iminosugars were studied with various glycosidase enzymes and compared with natural o-g/uco-l-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ). All the five compounds were found to be potent inhibitors of rice alpha-glucosidase with K-i and IC50 values in the nanomolar concentration range. Iminosugars 2b and 1b were found to be more potent inhibitors than their parent iminosugar. These results were substantiated by in silico molecular docking studies.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo3009534}, author = {Pawar, Nitin J. and Parihar, Vijay Singh and Chavan, Sanjay T. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Joshi, Pranaya V. and Sabharwal, Sushma G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article {42779, title = {Amino functionalized oligo polyimides with enhanced storage stability}, number = {EP 11817412 A 20111228}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, abstract = {

The invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of amino functionalized oligomeric monomeric reactant type polyimides having higher stability. More particularly it relates to a process for the preparation of soluble imide prepolymers, used as matrix resins that can be rapidly cured with multi-functional moieties such as diepoxy, dicarboxyl, anhydride, diisocyanates to form crosslinked structures having enhanced thermal stability and mechanical strength.

}, author = {Dwivedi, Mayank and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Mohan, Srinivasulu Reddy Krishna and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Rao, Bevara Madhusudana and Kumar, Sriperambudur Rajesh and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Rajan, Chelanattukizhakkemadath Raman and Tayal, Rajiv Kumar and Shadbar, Qureshi Mohammed and Chavan, Nayaku and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Nalawade, Archana Chetan and Sontakke, Kalpana Vishwanathrao and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Mule, Smita Atmaram and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and John, Aruldoss and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Punitharasu, Vellimala and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article { ISI:000307950000006, title = {Andrographolide inhibits osteopontin expression and breast tumor growth through down regulation of PI3 Kinase/Akt signaling pathway}, journal = {Current Molecular Medicine}, volume = {12}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {952-966}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in India and around the world. Despite recent advancement in the treatment of breast cancer, the results of chemotherapy to date remain unsatisfactory, prompting a need to identify natural agents that could target cancer efficiently with least side effects. Andrographolide (Andro) is one such molecule which has been shown to possess inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth. In this study, Andro, a natural diterpenoid lactone isolated from Andrographis paniculata has been shown to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and arrest cell cycle at G2/M phase and induces apoptosis through caspase independent pathway. Our experimental evidences suggest that Andro attenuates endothelial cell motility and tumor-endothelial cell interaction. Moreover, Andro suppresses breast tumor growth in orthotopic NOD/SCID mice model. The anti-tumor activity of Andro in both in vitro and in vivo model was correlated with down regulation of PI3 kinase/Akt activation and inhibition of pro-angiogenic molecules such as OPN and VEGF expressions. Collectively, these results demonstrate that Andro may act as an effective anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic agent for the treatment of breast cancer.

}, keywords = {Andrographolide, angiogenesis and breast tumor, migration, osteopontin, PI 3 kinase}, issn = {1566-5240}, author = {Kumar, S. and Patil, H. S. and Sharma, P. and Kumar, D. and Dasari, Sreekanth and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Thulasiram, H. V. and Kundu, G. C.} } @article { ISI:000309096400007, title = {Aromatic aldehyde functionalized polycaprolactone and polystyrene macromonomers: synthesis, characterization and aldehyde-aminooxy click reaction}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {72}, number = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {713-721}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

New bis-aldehyde functionalized initiators, viz, 4,4{\textquoteright}-(4,4{\textquoteright}-(5-hydroxypentane-2,2-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene))bis(oxy)dibenza ldehyde (1) and 4,4{\textquoteright}-bis(4-(4-(formylphenoxy) phenyl) pentyl 2-bromopropanoate (2) were synthesized starting from commercially available 4,4{\textquoteright}-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) pentanoic acid. These initiators were utilized, respectively, for ring opening polymerization of E-caprolactone and atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene. Well-defined polycaprolactone macromonomers (M-n(GPC): 2600-19400, PDI: 1.37-1.47) and polystyrene macromonomers (M-n(GPC): 2800-28200, PDI: 1.11-1.16) with bis-aldehyde functionality were synthesized. The kinetic study of styrene polymerization showed controlled polymerization behaviour. The presence of aldehyde functionality in macromonomers was confirmed by H-1 NMR spectroscopy. The reactivity of aldehyde functionality was demonstrated by carrying out aldehyde-aminooxy click reaction of polycaprolactone macromonomer with O-(2-azidoethyl) hydroxylamine which proceeded in a quantitative manner without backbone degradation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aldehyde-terminated macromonomers, ATRP, Polycaprolactone, Polystyrene, ROP}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2012.06.020}, author = {Sane, Prakash S. and Tawade, Bhausaheb V. and Palaskar, Dnyaneshwar V. and Menon, Shamal K. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000312149600044, title = {Base promoted highly efficient copper fluorapatite catalyzed coupling of phenols with arylboronic acids under mild and ligand-free conditions}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {33}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12818-12823}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra21850j}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @article { ISI:000302296000032, title = {Behaviour of density functional theory for electric response properties at distorted geometries of molecules}, journal = {Theoretical Chemistry Accounts}, volume = {131}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1094}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The role of exchange-correlation is well known for accurate calculations of electric response properties. The exchange-correlation functional in density functional theory (DFT) has been well studied for ground state equilibrium geometry. However, the behaviour of these functional in stretched geometries, where static correlation play an important role, has not been studied systematically, particularly for response electric properties. Thus, we present here the rigorous calculation of electric response properties at distorted geometries of the molecules. We have considered dipole polarizability and dipole-quadrupole polarizability for description of role of static and dynamic correlation for electric response properties. The calculations are performed with our new approach, noniterative approximation to coupled-perturbed Kohn-Sham method. These DFT results are compared with higher level ab initio such as coupled perturbed singles and doubles and fully correlated full CI. We have studied single, double and triple-bonded systems at different inter-nuclear separation. We report here the dipole polarizability and dipole-quadrupole polarizability of HF, BH, H2CO, CO and NO+. We also present the effect of basis and functional on polarizability and dipole-quadrupole polarizability.

}, keywords = {DFT, Dipole-dipole polarizability, Dipole-quadrupole polarizability, Distorted geometry, NIA-CPKS}, issn = {1432-881X}, doi = {10.1007/s00214-012-1094-1}, author = {Shedge, Sapana V. and Joshi, Sayali P. and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43072, title = {Bioanalytical method development and validation of levalbuterol a β2-adrenergic agonist by RP-HPLC method}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {249-253}, author = {Ghemud, A. S. and Santhakumari, B. and Pharne, A. B. and Jadhav, M. M. and Jain, K. S. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {43069, title = {Bioanalytical method development and validation of vildagliptin a novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor by RP-HPLC method}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {119-123}, abstract = {

A simple, selective, rapid, precise and economical Reverse-Phase HPLC method has been developed and validated for quantitative determination of vildagliptin in plasma. Vildagliptin is a potent dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor used for treatment of diabetes. Tolbutamide is used as an internal standard. The method was carried out with UV Spectrophotometric detection using a Perkin Elmer Series 200 HPLC system equipped with XBridge Shield C18 column (3.5 μm, 4.6x150mm) and a guard column of the same type, at a flow rate of 1.0mL/min. Detection was carried out at 210 nm. The mobile phase consisted of 50mM ammonium bicarbonate (pH 7.8) (solvent A) and acetonitrile (solvent B). The retention times of vildagliptin and tolbutamide were 11.2 min and 13.4 min respectively. The method was developed and tested for linearity range of 10μg/ml to 120μg/ml. The developed method was validated in terms of selectivity, accuracy, precision, linearity, and stability study. The proposed method uses less biological material and the method is MS compatible also. Method can be applicable for pharmacokinetic studies using HPLC or LC-MS.

}, author = {Pharne, A. B. and Santhakumari, B. and Ghemud, A. S. and Jain, H. K. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000298390900013, title = {Biochemical characterization of a novel thermostable xyloglucanase from an alkalothermophilic thermomonospora sp.}, journal = {Extremophiles}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {135-146}, publisher = {SPRINGER JAPAN KK}, address = {CHIYODA FIRST BLDG EAST, 3-8-1 NISHI-KANDA, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-0065, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Xyloglucanase from an extracellular culture filtrate of alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp. was purified to homogeneity with a molecular weight of 144 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and exhibited specificity towards xyloglucan with apparent K (m) of 1.67 mg/ml. The enzyme was active at a broad range of pH (5-8) and temperatures (40-80A degrees C). The optimum pH and temperature were 7 and 70A degrees C, respectively. The enzyme retained 100\% activity at 50A degrees C for 60 h with half-lives of 14 h, 6 h and 7 min at 60, 70 and 80A degrees C, respectively. The kinetics of thermal denaturation revealed that the inactivation at 80A degrees C is due to unfolding of the enzyme as evidenced by the distinct red shift in the wavelength maximum of the fluorescence profile. Xyloglucanase activity was positively modulated in the presence of Zn2+, K+, cysteine, beta-mercaptoethanol and polyols. Thermostability was enhanced in the presence of additives (polyols and glycine) at 80A degrees C. A hydrolysis of 55\% for galactoxyloglucan (GXG) from tamarind kernel powder (TKP) was obtained in 12 h at 60A degrees C and 6 h at 70A degrees C using thermostable xyloglucanases, favouring a reduction in process time and enzyme dosage. The enzyme was stable in the presence of commercial detergents (Ariel), indicating its potential as an additive to laundry detergents.

}, keywords = {Alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp., Biotechnological applications, Purification, Thermostable, Xyloglucanase}, issn = {1431-0651}, doi = {10.1007/s00792-011-0413-0}, author = {Pol, Dipali and Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000300299500001, title = {Biomimetic synthesis of selenium nanoparticles using cell-free extract of microbacterium sp ARB05}, journal = {Micro \& Nano Letters}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-4}, publisher = {INST ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY-IET}, address = {MICHAEL FARADAY HOUSE SIX HILLS WAY STEVENAGE, HERTFORD SG1 2AY, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This Letter is a novel approach to synthesise a bio-functionalised selenium nanoparticles using cell-free extract of selenium-resistant bacterial isolate. Phylogenetic analysis of isolate suggested its close similarity with Microbacterium luteolum (Y17235.1) and Microbacterium oxydans str. TPL09 (EU373379.1) while it was distantly related to Microbacterium dextranolyticum (Y17230.1). Selenium colloidal solution exhibited an absorption maximum at 300 nm and gave emission maximum at 590 nm. Transmission electron microscopy followed by selected area electron diffraction pattern analysis indicated the formation of spherical, polydispersed, crystalline, Se nanoparticles of diameter ranging from similar to 30 to 150 nm. X-ray diffraction results showed 111, 200 and 220 planes of face-centred cubic selenium. Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays confirmed the presence of selenium in nanosphere. Selenium nanoparticles synthesised in this manner can be studied for chemo-prevention as well as its fluorescent property can be utilised for molecular diagnostics in cancer research.

}, issn = {1750-0443}, doi = {10.1049/mnl.2011.0498}, author = {Prasad, K. S. and Vyas, P. and Prajapati, V. and Patel, P. and Selvaraj, K.} } @article { ISI:000307134700044, title = {Bistable dynamic coordination polymer showing reversible structural and functional transformations}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {51}, number = {15}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8317-8321}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A bistable dynamic coordination polymer [Ni(pca)(bdc)(0.5)(H2O)(2)] having a two-dimensional (2D) zigzag sheet structure is synthesized solvothermally. Topological analysis revealed that the frameworks have an hcb type of uninodal net. The compound exhibits guest specific reversible structural transformations accompanying reversible changes in physical properties driven by inherent flexibility and transformability.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic301481p}, author = {Nagarkar, Sanjog S. and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj and Ghosh, Sujit K.} } @article { ISI:000304037200008, title = {Carbohydrate based total synthesis of xestodecalactone B and C: revision of the absolute configuration}, journal = {Current Organic Chemistry}, volume = {16}, number = {9}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1159-1168}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y26, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

A convergent chiral pool approach for the total synthesis of xestodecalactones B and C was demonstrated in which intramolecular acylation reaction constituted the key step. Synthetic and spectroscopic studies reported herein, suggested that the previously assigned structures of xestodecalactone B and C be interchanged.

}, keywords = {Chiral pool, Hydroboration, Intramolecular acylation, Pinnick oxidation, Revision of absolute configuration, Xestodecalactone B and C}, issn = {1385-2728}, author = {Pal, Rita and Rahaman, Hasibur and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000310863400012, title = {Carbohydrate-derived conformationally restricted bicyclic dipeptides as potential hetero foldamer building blocks}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {23}, number = {18-19}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1400-1404}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Starting from carbohydrate precursors, hetero foldamer building blocks featuring diverse amino acid side chains and stereochemistry have been accessed via a multi-step synthetic protocol. These conformationally restricted bicyclic dipeptide building blocks are characterized by a constrained beta-lactam ring fused with a pyrrolidine ring carrying a hydroxyethylamine isostere (HEA) on the backbone. These building blocks offer the possibility of developing foldamers with interesting structural architectures, conspicuously different from those classically observed. Furthermore, such hetero-building blocks have the potential to augment the conformational space available for foldamer design with diverse backbone conformations and structural architectures. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2012.08.007}, author = {Ramesh, Veera V. E. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000312061000043, title = {Ce-Ni mixed oxide as efficient catalyst for H-2 production and nanofibrous carbon material from ethanol in the presence of water}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {25}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9626-9634}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Hydrogen production from ethanol steam reforming (H2O/C2H5OH = 3) was studied over Ce-Ni based catalysts issued from different preparation methods (co-precipitation (CP), impregnation (IMP) and incipient wetness impregnation (IWI)). Catalysts prepared by the CP method exhibit higher activity and much better stability compared to the other two types of catalysts. The Ni1CeOY-CP catalyst is able to completely convert ethanol at 450 degrees C to H-2, CO2 and CH4 (almost no CO is observed), with a H-2 yield of 3 moles of hydrogen produced per mole of ethanol converted. A very high H-2 yield of 4.6 mol mol(EtOH)(-1) is achieved over the Ni1CeOY-CP mixed oxide at 650 degrees C. Correlations between the preparation method, catalytic activity and stability, and type of carbon deposition are discussed. The CP method forms very active small sized NiO (15 nm) and CeO2 (4 nm) nanoparticles, leading to the formation of a lower amount of carbon deposition in the form of nanofibrous carbon materials, the size of which depends on the Ni related nanoparticles. For CP catalysts, the graphitic filaments obtained correspond to carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a much smaller and homogenous size compared to the filamentous carbon formed over the catalysts issued from the other preparation methods, in relation to the active particles size. The catalytic stability is attributed to the type of carbon formed.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra21701e}, author = {Fang, Wenhao and Pirez, Cyril and Capron, Mickael and Paul, Sebastien and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant and Dumeignil, Franck and Jalowiecki-Duhamel, Louise} } @article { ISI:000307537300043, title = {Characterization of a new bacillus cereus ATUAVP1846 strain producing penicillin V acylase, and optimization of fermentation parameters}, journal = {Annals of Microbiology}, volume = {62}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1287-1293}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Penicillin acylases are involved chiefly in the industrial production of semisynthetic penicillins, which remain the most widely used group of antibiotics. We have isolated a new bacterial strain ATUAVP1846 that produces penicillin V acylase (PVA). Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing showed 99.37\% homology with Bacillus cereus. Maximum PVA production was observed with B. cereus ATUAVP1846 at 30A degrees C, pH 7 after 24 h fermentation time under submerged conditions. Highest enzyme productivity was achieved using sucrose as carbon source, and tryptone and ammonium hydrogen phosphate as nitrogen sources. Minimal medium containing 0.4\% glucose and 0.3\% ammonium hydrogen phosphate was found to be optimal for maximum PVA production from B. cereus ATUAVP1846. The crude enzyme from B. cereus ATUAVP1846 was partially purified using ammonium sulfate fractionation and showed highest enzymatic activity in the hydrolysis of penicillin V at 40A degrees C and pH 6. The crude enzyme preparation also showed unique substrate specificity, preferring ampicillin and cephalexin over penicillin V.

}, keywords = {16S rRNA, Bacillus cereus, isolation, Ntn hydrolase, Optimization, Penicillin acylase}, issn = {1590-4261}, doi = {10.1007/s13213-011-0374-7}, author = {Sunder, Avinash Vellore and Kumar, Atul and Naik, Neha and Pundle, Archana V.} } @article { ISI:000302770700013, title = {Characterization of smallest active monomeric lipase from novel rhizopus strain: application in transesterification}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {166}, number = {7}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {1769-1780}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

An extracellular lipase-producing fungus was isolated from oil-rich soil. This fungus belongs to the genus Rhizopus and clades with Rhizopus oryzae. Lipase was purified to homogeneity from this novel fungal source using ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by Q-Sepharose chromatography. The extracellular lipase was purified 8.6-fold, and enzymatic properties were studied. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 17 kD by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 16.25 kD by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight analysis. The native molecular mass was estimated to be 17.5 kD by gel filtration, indicating the protein to be monomer. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme catalysis were 7.0 A degrees C and 40 A degrees C, respectively. Enzyme was stable in pH range 6.0-7.0 and retains 95-100\% activity when incubated at 50 A degrees C for 1 h. The pI of the purified lipase was 4.2. Enzyme was stable in the organic solvents such as ethanol, hexane and methanol for 2 h. Purified enzyme was used for transesterification of oleic acid in the presence of ethanol for production of oleic acid ethyl ester with a conversion efficiency of 66\% after 24 h at 30 A degrees C.

}, keywords = {Lipase, Low molecular weight, Purification, Rhizopus, transesterification}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-012-9584-0}, author = {Kantak, Jayshree B. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000309072200065, title = {Charge transport in functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotube-Nafion composite}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {112}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {053706}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The charge transport in sulfonated multi-wall carbon nanotube (sMWNT)-Nafion composite is reported. The scanning electron microscope images of the composite, at 1 and 10 wt \% of sMWNT, show that the nanotubes are well dispersed in polymer matrix, with conductivity values of 0.005 and 3.2 S/cm, respectively; and the percolation threshold is nearly 0.42 wt. \%. The exponent (similar to 0.25) of the temperature dependence of conductivity in both samples indicates Mott{\textquoteright}s variable range hopping (VRH) transport. The conductance in 1 wt. \% sample increases by three orders of magnitude at high electric-fields, consistent with VRH model. The negative magnetoresistance in 10 wt. \% sample is attributed to the forward interference scattering mechanism in VRH transport. The ac conductance in 1 wt. \% sample is expressed by sigma(omega) proportional to omega(s), and the temperature dependence of s follows the correlated barrier hopping model. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4749264]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.4749264}, author = {Sangeeth, C. S. Suchand and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Menon, Reghu} } @article { ISI:000306642100056, title = {Cholesterol-tethered platinum II-based supramolecular nanoparticle increases antitumor efficacy and reduces nephrotoxicity}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {28}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {11294-11299}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Nanoscale drug delivery vehicles have been harnessed extensively as carriers for cancer chemotherapeutics. However, traditional pharmaceutical approaches for nanoformulation have been a challenge with molecules that exhibit incompatible physicochemical properties, such as platinum-based chemotherapeutics. Here we propose a paradigm based on rational design of active molecules that facilitate supramolecular assembly in the nanoscale dimension. Using cisplatin as a template, we describe the synthesis of a unique platinum (II) tethered to a cholesterol backbone via a unique monocarboxylato and O -\> Pt coordination environment that facilitates nanoparticle assembly with a fixed ratio of phosphatidylcholine and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine- N-[amino (polyethylene glycol)-2000]. The nanoparticles formed exhibit lower IC50 values compared with carboplatin or cisplatin in vitro, and are active in cisplatin-resistant conditions. Additionally, the nanoparticles exhibit significantly enhanced in vivo antitumor efficacy in murine 4T1 breast cancer and in K-Ras(LSL/+/)Pten(fl/fl) ovarian cancer models with decreased systemic- and nephro-toxicity. Our results indicate that integrating rational drug design and supramolecular nanochemistry can emerge as a powerful strategy for drug development. Furthermore, given that platinum-based chemotherapeutics form the frontline therapy for a broad range of cancers, the increased efficacy and toxicity profile indicate the constructed nanostructure could translate into a nextgeneration platinum-based agent in the clinics.

}, keywords = {chemotherapy, nanomedicine}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1203129109}, author = {Sengupta, Poulomi and Basu, Sudipta and Soni, Shivani and Pandey, Ambarish and Roy, Bhaskar and Oh, Michael S. and Chin, Kenneth T. and Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Sarangi, Sasmit and Connor, Yamicia and Sabbisetti, Venkata S. and Kopparam, Jawahar and Kulkarni, Ashish and Muto, Katherine and Amarasiriwardena, Chitra and Jayawardene, Innocent and Lupoli, Nicola and Dinulescu, Daniela M. and Bonventre, Joseph V. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000302573400003, title = {Cloning, characterization and impact of up- and down-regulating subabul cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) gene on plant growth and lignin profiles in transgenic tobacco}, journal = {Plant Growth Regulation}, volume = {66}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {239-253}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Both cDNA including 5{\textquoteright}UTR and 3{\textquoteright}UTR and genomic clones of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) were isolated and characterized from a pulp-yielding leguminous tree Leucaena leucocephala (LlCAD1). The deduced amino acid sequence shared high identity with orthologous sequences of Acacia mangium x Acacia auriculiformis (83\%), Medicago sativa (83\%), Nicotiana tabaccum (83\%) and Aralia cordata (81\%). Full length cDNA contained 78 bases of 5{\textquoteright}UTR and 283 bases of 3{\textquoteright}UTR, while the genomic clone contained 5 exons and 4 introns. Western blot analysis revealed elevated expression of LlCAD1 in seedling roots and shoots compared to leaves. Sense and antisense CAD tobacco transgenics showed increased and reduced CAD activity accompanied by a change in monomeric lignin composition. Histochemical staining of lignin in down-regulated plants suggested an increase in aldehyde units and a decrease in S/G ratio. Down-regulation of CAD resulted in accumulation of syringic, ferulic, p-coumaric and sinapic acids compared to untransformed controls. These observations were validated by anatomical studies of down-regulated transgenic stems which showed thin walled, elongated phloem and xylem fibres, accompanied by a reduction in the density of vessel elements and amount of secondary xylem when compared to untransformed plants. Furthermore, Klason lignin analysis of CAD antisense transgenics showed 7-32\% reduced lignin and normal phenotype as compared to untransformed plants. Such a reduction was not noticed in up-regulated transgenics. These results demonstrate a unique opportunity to explore the significant role that down-regulation of CAD gene plays in reducing lignin content thereby offering potential benefits to the pulp and paper industry.

}, keywords = {Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, Lignin down-regulation, Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), Tobacco}, issn = {0167-6903}, doi = {10.1007/s10725-011-9647-1}, author = {Sirisha, V. L. and Prashant, S. and Kumar, D. Ranadheer and Pramod, S. and Jalaja, N. and Kumari, P. Hima and Rao, P. Maheshwari and Rao, S. Nageswara and Mishra, Preeti and Karumanchi, S. Rao and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Kishor, P. B. Kavi} } @article {43249, title = {Comparative genomics of the apicomplexan parasites toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum: coccidia differing in host range and transmission strategy}, journal = {Plos Pathogens}, volume = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, abstract = {Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite which infects nearly one third of the human population and is found in an extraordinary range of vertebrate hosts. Its epidemiology depends heavily on horizontal transmission, especially between rodents and its definitive host, the cat. Neospora caninum is a recently discovered close relative of Toxoplasma, whose definitive host is the dog. Both species are tissue-dwelling Coccidia and members of the phylum Apicomplexa; they share many common features, but Neospora neither infects humans nor shares the same wide host range as Toxoplasma, rather it shows a striking preference for highly efficient vertical transmission in cattle. These species therefore provide a remarkable opportunity to investigate mechanisms of host restriction, transmission strategies, virulence and zoonotic potential. We sequenced the genome of N. caninum and transcriptomes of the invasive stage of both species, undertaking an extensive comparative genomics and transcriptomics analysis. We estimate that these organisms diverged from their common ancestor around 28 million years ago and find that both genomes and gene expression are remarkably conserved. However, in N. caninum we identified an unexpected expansion of surface antigen gene families and the divergence of secreted virulence factors, including rhoptry kinases. Specifically we show that the rhoptry kinase ROP18 is pseudogenised in N. caninum and that, as a possible consequence, Neospora is unable to phosphorylate host immunity-related GTPases, as Toxoplasma does. This defense strategy is thought to be key to virulence in Toxoplasma. We conclude that the ecological niches occupied by these species are influenced by a relatively small number of gene products which operate at the host-parasite interface and that the dominance of vertical transmission in N. caninum may be associated with the evolution of reduced virulence in this species.}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1002567}, author = {Reid, Adam James and Vermont, Sarah J. and Cotton, James A. and Harris, David and Hill-Cawthorne, Grant A. and Koenen-Waisman, Stephanie and Latham, Sophia M. and Mourier, Tobias and Norton, Rebecca and Quail, Michael A. and Sanders, Mandy and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Sohal, Amandeep and Wasmuth, James D. and Brunk, Brian and Grigg, Michael E. and Howard, Jonathan C. and Parkinson, John and Roos, David S. and Trees, Alexander J. and Berriman, Matthew and Pain, Arnab and Wastling, Jonathan M.} } @article { ISI:000310215400007, title = {Conformational modulation of Ant-Pro oligomers using chirality alteration of proline residues}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {10}, number = {42}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8426-8433}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Structural modulation of Ant-Pro (anthranilic acid-proline) oligomers has been carried out by chirality alteration of the proline residues. The results suggest that the chirality altered oligomers show well-defined helical conformation featuring nine-membered hydrogen bonding interactions - without compromising conformational rigidity.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c2ob26132d}, author = {Kale, Sangram S. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Pal, Sourav and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {Dutta Chowdhury, title = {Conformational transitions of the catalytic domain of heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinase, a key translational regulatory molecule}, journal = {Journal of Fluorescence}, volume = {22}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {431-441}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

In mammalian cells, the heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI) plays a critical role in the regulation of protein synthesis at the initiation step through phosphorylation of a-subunit of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). In this study we have cloned and performed biophysical characterization of the kinase catalytic domain (KD) of rabbit HRI. The KD described here comprises kinase 1, the kinase insertion domain (KI) and kinase 2. We report here the existence of an active and stable monomer of HRI (KD). The HRI (KD) containing three tryptophan residues was examined for its conformational transitions occurring under various denaturing conditions using steady-state and time-resolved tryptophan fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and hydrophobic dye binding. The parameter A and phase diagram analysis revealed multi-state unfolding and existence of three stable intermediates during guanidine hydrochloride (Gdn-HCl) induced unfolding of HRI (KD). The protein treated with 6 M Gdn-HCl showed collisional and static mechanism of acrylamide quenching and the constants (K-sv=3.08 M-1 and K-s=5.62 M-1) were resolved using time resolved fluorescence titration. Based on pH, guanidine hydrochloride and temperature mediated transitions, HRI (KD) appears to exemplify a rigid molten globule-like intermediate with compact secondary structure, altered tertiary structure and exposed hydrophobic patches at pH 3.0. The results indicate the inherent structural stability of HRI (KD), a member of the class of stress response proteins.

}, keywords = {Circular dichroism (CD), eIF2 alpha kinase, Heme-regulated inhibitor, Molten globule, Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence}, issn = {1053-0509}, doi = {10.1007/s10895-011-0976-2}, author = {Sreejith, R. K. and Suresh, C. G. and Bhosale, Siddharth H. and Bhavnani, Varsha and Kumar, Avinash and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Pal, Jayanta K.} } @article { ISI:000304915100006, title = {Constrained variational approach for energy derivatives in Intermediate hamiltonian fock-space coupled-cluster theory}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {401}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {45-49}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Fock-space multi-reference coupled cluster theory is an efficient method for electronic structure of nearly degenerate cases. However, it suffers from the intruder state problem for large model space. The intermediate Hamiltonian formulation eliminates intruder state problem and helps in the convergence of equations. In this paper we have implemented intermediate Hamiltonian approach in Fock-space coupled cluster method for the response properties. We test our method for the dipole moments of doublet radicals. We report dipole moments of CN, SF and NS radicals. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Constrained variational approach, Fock-space multi-reference coupled cluster, Intermediate Hamiltonian theory, Response approach}, issn = {0301-0104}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2011.10.018}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Gupta, Jitendra and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article { ISI:000308310100032, title = {Control of porosity by using isoreticular zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (IRZIFs) as a template for porous carbon synthesis}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {18}, number = {36}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11399-11408}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Herein, by using isoreticular zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (IRZIFs) as a template, we report the synthesis, morphology, and gas adsorption properties of porous carbon synthesized by a nanocasting method at 1000 degrees C, in which furfuryl alcohol (FA) was used as a carbon source. By using IRZIFs with variable porosity as templates, we could achieve control over the carbon porosity and H-2 and CO2 uptake. The resultant microporous carbon C-70, synthesized by using ZIF-70 as the template, is the most porous (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area 1510 m(2)g(-1)). Carbon C-68, synthesized by using ZIF-68, has moderate porosity (BET surface area 1311 m(2)g(-1)), and C-69, synthesized by using ZIF-69, has the lowest porosity in this series (BET surface area 1171 m(2)g(-1)). The porous carbons C-70, C-68, and C-69, which have graphitic texture, have promising H2 uptake capacities of 2.37, 2.15, and 1.96 wt\%, respectively, at 77 K and 1 atm. Additionally, C-70, C-68, and C-69 show CO2 uptake capacities of 5.45, 4.98, and 4.54 mmolg(-1), respectively, at 273 K and 1 atm. The gas uptake trends shown by C-70, C-68, and C-69 clearly indicate the dependence of carbon porosity on the host template. Moreover, the as-synthesized carbons C-70, C-68, and C-69 show variable conductivity.

}, keywords = {Carbon, Hydrogen storage, metal-organic frameworks, microporous materials, zinc}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201200957}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Biswal, Bishnu P. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000299775500022, title = {Controlled release of nutrients to mammalian cells cultured in shake flasks}, journal = {Biotechnology Progress}, volume = {28}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {188-195}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Though cell culture-based protein production processes are rarely carried out under batch mode of operation, cell line and initial process development operations are usually carried out in batch mode due to simplicity of operation in widely used scale down platforms like shake flasks. Nutrient feeding, if performed, is achieved by bolus addition of concentrated feed solution at different intervals, which leads to large transient increases in nutrient concentrations. One negative consequence is increased waste metabolite production. We have developed a hydrogel-based nutrient delivery system for continuous feeding of nutrients in scale down models like shake flasks without the need for manual feed additions or any additional infrastructure. Continuous delivery also enables maintaining nutrient concentrations at low levels, if desired. The authors demonstrate the use of these systems for continuous feeding of glucose and protein hydrolysate to a suspension Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) culture in a shake flask. Glucose feeding achieved using the glucose-loaded hydrogel resulted in a 23\% higher integral viable cell density and an 89\% lower lactate concentration at the end of the culture when compared with a bolus-feed of glucose. (c) 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012

}, issn = {8756-7938}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.729}, author = {Hegde, Swati and Pant, Tejal and Pradhan, Ketaki and Badiger, Manohar V. and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article { ISI:000303951600008, title = {Controlled synthesis of O-glycopolypeptide polymers and their molecular recognition by lectins}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {13}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1287-1295}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble O-glycopolypeptide polymers by the ring-opening polymerization of their corresponding N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) in very high yield (overall yield \> 70\%) is reported. The per-acetylated-O-glycosylated lysine-NCA monomers, synthesized using stable glycosyl donors and a commercially available protected amino acid in very high yield, was polymerized using commercially available amine initiators. The synthesized water-soluble glycopolypeptides were found to be alpha-helical in aqueous solution. However, we were able to control the secondary conformation of the glycopolypeptides (alpha-helix vs nonhelical structures) by polymerizing raceznic amino acid glyco NCAs. We have also investigated the binding of the glycopolypeptide poly(alpha-manno-O-lys) with the lectin Con-A using precipitation and hemagglutination assays as well as by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The ITC results clearly show that the binding process is enthalpy driven for both alpha-helical and nonhelical structures, with negative entropic contribution. Binding stoichiometry for the glycopolypeptide poly(alpha-manno-O-lys) having a nonhelical structure was slightly higher as compared to the corresponding polypeptide which adopted an alpha-helical structure.

}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/bm201813s}, author = {Pati, Debasis and Shaikh, Ashif Y. and Das, Soumen and Nareddy, Pavan Kumar and Swamy, Musti J. and Hotha, Srinivas and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000306358100005, title = {Copper modified waste fly ash as a promising catalyst for glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {190}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {31-37}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Several catalyst formulations using waste fly ash along with Cu were prepared and characterised by XRD, BET and TEM. These catalysts were also evaluated for the first time for hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2 propanediol (1,2-PDO) in a batch reactor under 52 bar H-2 pressure in the temperature range of 473-513 K conditions. The fly ash pretreated by alkali using the fusion method and impregnated with Cu showed higher activity and stability for glycerol hydrogenolysis. Due to pretreatment with alkali at high temperature, transformation of alpha-quartz to the tridymite phase of SiO2 occurred. More importantly, use of alkali either during the pretreatment or the Cu loading step resulted in a high dispersion on the surface which was responsible for higher glycerol conversion and 1,2-PDO selectivity. The effects of temperature, Cu loading and solvent on glycerol conversion and product selectivities were also studied in this work. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2-Propanediol, Alkali fusion, Cu loading, Fly ash, Glycerol hydrogenolysis}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2011.11.038}, author = {Rode, C. V. and Mane, R. B. and Potdar, A. S. and Patil, P. B. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Joshi, P. N.} } @article { ISI:000301921300006, title = {Crystallization and X-ray structure analysis of a thermostable penicillin G acylase from alcaligenes faecalis}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications}, volume = {68}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {273-277}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {calcium binding, disulfide bridges, Ntn hydrolases, orthorhombic form, tetragonal form, Thermostability}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S1744309111053930}, author = {Varshney, Nishant Kumar and Kumar, R. Suresh and Ignatova, Zoya and Prabhune, Asmita and Pundle, Archana and Dodson, Eleanor J. and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000308970100011, title = {CVD synthesis of highly graphitized single-walled carbon nanotubes using nitrogen-pretreated Fe-Mo/MgO catalyst}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {41}, number = {9}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {871-873}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with highly graphitized structure were synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition using an improved nitrogen-pretreated Fe-Mo/MgO catalyst. The effects of nitrogen pretreatment of Fe-Mo/MgO on the structure and properties of SWNTs were studied by TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and TGA. The investigations revealed that the nitrogen pretreatment of the catalyst promoted the growth of SWNTs. It also enhanced the structural features and thermal properties of SWNTs.

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2012.871}, author = {Patil, Gaurav and Sarode, Chetan and Patil, Rahul and Gokhale, Suresh} } @inbook { ISI:000321629100005, title = {Descriptors as probes for inter-molecular interactions and external perturbation}, booktitle = {Applications of Density Functional Theory to Chemical Reactivity}, series = {Structure and Bonding}, volume = {149}, year = {2012}, pages = {131-158}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, address = {233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, United States}, abstract = {

In this article, different reactivity descriptors have been reviewed. Conceptual density functional theory is an important area where a lot of interesting developments in terms of descriptors and molecule interactions have taken place in recent years. This review will highlight our own work on such development of descriptors and their applications to characterise stability and reactivity in molecule systems.

}, keywords = {Conceptual density functional theory, Electric field effect, Global reactivity descriptors, HSAB, Local HSAB, Local reactivity descriptors}, isbn = {978-3-642-32753-7; 978-3-642-32752-0}, issn = {0081-5993}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-642-32753-7_4}, author = {Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Putz, M. V. and Mingos, D. M. P.} } @article { ISI:000304646100048, title = {Development of genomic simple sequence repeat markers for linseed using next-generation sequencing technology}, journal = {Molecular Breeding}, volume = {30}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {597-606}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is regarded as a cash crop of tomorrow because of the presence of nutraceutically important alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and lignan. However, only limited breeding progress has been made in this crop, mainly due to the lack of sufficient genetic and genomic resources. Among these, simple sequence repeats (SSR) are useful DNA markers for diversity analysis, genetic mapping and tagging traits because of their co-dominant and highly polymorphic nature. In order to develop SSR markers for linseed, we used three microsatellite isolation methods, viz., PCR Isolation of Microsatellite Arrays (PIMA), 5{\textquoteright}-anchored PCR method, and Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining repeats (FIASCO). The amplified products from these methods were pooled and sequenced using the 454 GS-FLX platform. A total of 36,332 reads were obtained, which assembled into 2,183 contigs and 2,509 singlets. The contigs and the singlets contained 1,842 microsatellite motifs, with dinucleotide motifs as the most abundant repeat type (54\%) followed by trinucleotide motifs (44\%). Based on this, 290 SSR markers were designed, 52 of which were evaluated using a panel of 27 diverse linseed genotypes. Among the three enrichment methods, the 5{\textquoteright}-anchored PCR method was most efficient for isolation of microsatellites, while FIASCO was most efficient for developing SSR markers. We show the utility of next-generation sequencing technology for efficiently discovering a large number of microsatellite markers in non-model plants.

}, keywords = {Flax, Microsatellite isolation, Next-generation sequencing, SSR}, issn = {1380-3743}, doi = {10.1007/s11032-011-9648-9}, author = {Kale, Sandip M. and Pardeshi, Varsha C. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Ghorpade, Prakash B. and Jana, Murari M. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000304621400045, title = {Dimensionality reduction in computational demarcation of protein tertiary structures}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2741-2754}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Predictive classification of major structural families and fold types of proteins is investigated deploying logistic regression. Only five to seven dimensional quantitative feature vector representations of tertiary structures are found adequate. Results for benchmark sample of non-homologous proteins from SCOP database are presented. Importance of this work as compared to homology modeling and best-known quantitative approaches is highlighted.

}, keywords = {Logistic regression, Principal component analysis, Protein structural classes, Quantitative features of tertiary folds, SCOP database}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-011-1223-0}, author = {Joshi, Rajani R. and Panigrahi, Priyabrata R. and Patil, Reshma N.} } @article { ISI:000325943800011, title = {Dimethyl [(2R,3R,5S)-5-phenylmorpholine-2,3-diyl]diacetate as a designer substrate in the syntheses of important heterocyclic scaffolds}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {1}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {65-70}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Designed scaffold dimethyl [(2R,3R,5S)-5-phenylmorpholine-2,3-diyl]diacetate was synthesized in optically pure form by photoinduced one-electron reductive beta-activation of an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl moiety for stereoselective C-C bond formation. Use of the morpholine derivative as a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}chemical multitalent{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} is demonstrated by its easy transformation to valuable heterocyclic building blocks such as methyl [(2R,3S)-3-hydroxy-5-oxopyrrolidin-2-yl]acetate, methyl [(2R,3S)-3-amino-5-oxotetrahydrofuran-2-yl]acetate, (3R,4S)-4-aminohexane-1,3,6-triol, and 2-[(2R,3S)-3-aminotetrahydrofuran-2-yl]ethanol.

}, keywords = {Amino alcohols, butyrolactams, butyrolactones, morpholines, photoinduced electron transfer reactions}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201200033}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Gaikwad, Amrut L. and Gadre, Smita R.} } @article { ISI:000309786400075, title = {Discovering bisdemethoxycurcumin from curcuma longa rhizome as a potent small molecule inhibitor of human pancreatic alpha-amylase, a target for type-2 diabetes}, journal = {Food Chemistry}, volume = {135}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2638-2642}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Curcuma longa rhizome is used extensively in culinary preparations in Far East and South-East Asia. Health benefits of curcuminoids from C. longa as antioxidants, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory molecules have been well documented. We report here for the first time that Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) from C. longa, acts as an inhibitor to inactivate human pancreatic alpha-amylase, a therapeutic target for oral hypoglycemic agents in type-2 diabetes. Bioactivity guided isolation of rhizome isopropanol extract led to the identification by HPLC and NMR of BDMC as a lead small molecule inhibitor of porcine and human pancreatic alpha-amylase with an IC50 value of 0.026 and 0.025 mM, respectively. Kinetic analysis revealed that using starch as the substrate, HPA exhibited an uncompetitive mode of inhibition with an apparent K-i of 3.0 mu M. The study gains importance as BDMC could be a good drug candidate in development of new inhibitors of HPA and of functional foods for controlling starch digestion in order to reduce post-prandial hyperglycemia. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {BDMC, Curcuma longa, Human pancreatic amylase, kinetics, Type-2 diabetes}, issn = {0308-8146}, doi = {10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.06.110}, author = {Ponnusamy, Sudha and Smita S. Zinjarde and Bhargava, Shobha and Rajamohanan, P. R. and RaviKumar, Ameeta} } @article { ISI:000303173800002, title = {Distinctions in early stage unwinding mechanisms of zwitterionic, capped, and neutral forms of different alpha-helical homopolymeric peptides}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {116}, number = {16}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {4731-4740}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Molecular dynamics simulations of alpha-helical polyalanine, polyleucine, polylysine, and poly(glutamic acid) with different forms of terminal groups in water at 300 K showed sharp distinctions in their unwinding mechanisms. Zwitterionic, capped, and neutral forms of polyalanine, polyleucine, and polylysine have been explored to elucidate their unwinding mechanism at very early stage, e.g., initial time window. Role of water in the unwinding mechanisms of the various helices has been envisaged. Also, it is evident from our calculations that the short- and long-range nonbonded interactions among the side chains is an important factor determining the unwinding mechanisms of the various homopolymeric alpha-helices. These findings can be helpful in constructing predictive models for understanding of the unwinding of alpha-helical proteins and peptides.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp301556x}, author = {Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000302017500007, title = {Dynamic proteome in enigmatic preeclampsia: an account of molecular mechanisms and biomarker discovery}, journal = {Proteomics Clinical Applications}, volume = {6}, number = {1-2}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {79-90}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The coevolution of genomics and proteomics has led to advancements in the field of diagnosis and molecular mechanisms of disease. Proteomics is now stepping into the field of obstetrics, where early diagnosis of pregnancy complication such as preeclampsia (PE) is imperative. PE is a multifactorial disease characterized by hypertension with proteinuria, which is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality occurring in 5-7\% of pregnancies worldwide. This review discusses the probable molecular mechanisms that lead to PE and summarizes the proteomics research carried out in understanding the pathogenicity of PE, and for identifying the candidate biomarker for diagnosis of the disease.

}, keywords = {Hypertension, Oxidative stress, Pregnancy complication, Proteinuria}, issn = {1862-8346}, doi = {10.1002/prca.201100089}, author = {Mary, Sheon and Patil, Gouri V. and Kulkarni, Asmita V. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Joshi, Sadhana R. and Mehendale, Savita S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000310642900002, title = {Effect of addition of {\textquoteleft}carrier{\textquoteright} DNA during transient protein expression in suspension CHO culture}, journal = {Cytotechnology}, volume = {64}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {613-622}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Transient protein expression using polyethyleneimine as a transfection agent is useful for the rapid production of small amounts of recombinant proteins. It is known that an increase in extracellular DNA concentration during transfection can lead to a nonlinear increase in intracellular DNA concentration. We present an approach that hypothesizes that this nonlinearity can be used to decrease the amount of plasmid required for productive transfections. Through addition of non coding {\textquoteleft}carrier{\textquoteright} DNA to increase total DNA concentration during transfection, we report a statistically significant increase in protein (IgG) expression per unit plasmid used for transfection. This approach could be useful to increase protein yields for large scale transfections under conditions where plasmid availability is limited.

}, keywords = {Carrier DNA, Cell age, DNA: polyethyleneimine particle size, Medium equilibration with CO2, pH excursion, Salmon sperm DNA, Transient protein expression}, issn = {0920-9069}, doi = {10.1007/s10616-012-9435-4}, author = {Pradhan, Ketaki and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article { ISI:000300225900019, title = {Effect of digestive ripening agent on nanoparticle size in the digestive ripening process}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {525-26}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {101-104}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Digestive ripening is an efficient method that leads to monodispersed nanoparticles from polydispersed ones. A systematic investigation of digestive ripening with different agents viz. dodecanethiol and dodecylamine on different metallic systems is presented. It is shown that both the metallic system involved and the digestive ripening agent have influences on the final size distribution. Further, it is demonstrated that the interaction strength between the different metals and the digestive ripening agents based on Hard Soft Acid Base principles could be invoked to explain the variation in nanoparticle size. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2011.12.078}, author = {Sahu, Puspanjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000311180800010, title = {Effect of particle size on selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde by Pt encapsulated in mesoporous silica}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {28}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {42-46}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Pt nanoparticles of various sizes, viz. 8. 4.9, 3.6 and 1.8 nm were encapsulated in 2D hexagonal mesoporous silica by in-situ synthesis as well as post synthetic modifications so that the final catalyst composition was \<= 1 wt.\% Pt/SiO2. A kinetic analysis of the effect of particle size on selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde was carried out on these catalysts. It was found that the materials, even at such low loading of Pt, were very active for the hydrogenation and selective for the desired product, cinnamyl alcohol. Among the different particle sizes, selectivity was found to be the highest on 8 nm particles. Kinetic analysis shows that the reaction follows a consecutive reaction pathway. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha, beta-Unsaturated aldehydes, Cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation, Kinetic analysis, Mesoporous silica, Pt nanoparticles, Selective hydrogenation}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2012.08.017}, author = {Prashar, Atul K. and Mayadevi, S. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000311350000043, title = {Effect of preparation parameters of Cu catalysts on their physico-chemical properties and activities for glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {198}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {321-329}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Cu based catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation, alkali fusion followed by precipitation and direct solid state fusion methods. The changes in the phase formation, morphology, crystallite size, extent of aggregation, strength and nature of acid sites were observed due to variations in precipitating agents and also their order of addition. The catalyst prepared by co-precipitation using Na2CO3 showed the predominant presence of metallic Cu phase with a crystallite size of 5 nm, well segregated spherical morphology and highest acidity in the activated sample. These intrinsic properties contributed to achieve the highest glycerol conversion of 62\% and 1,2-PDO selectivity of 88\% in glycerol hydrogenolysis. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Co-precipitation, Cu catalysts, Glycerol hydrogenolysis, Physico-chemical properties, Solid state fusion}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2012.05.051}, author = {Mane, R. B. and Kondawar, S. E. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Joshi, P. N. and Patil, K. R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000300635600002, title = {Effects of arsenite stress on growth and proteome of Klebsiella pneumoniae}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {158}, number = {1-2}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {8-16}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In the present study an arsenite, As(III), tolerating bacterium, MR4, was isolated from Mulla River Pune, India, capable of reducing arsenate to arsenite and identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae (HQ857583). Comparative proteomic analysis using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-time of flight (MALDI-TOF/ TOF) was used to monitor the proteins undergoing changes in expression levels under 2.5 mM As(III) stress. The 2-DGE proteome map has shown that 60 proteins were differentially expressed under As(III) stress, of which 39 proteins were successfully identified with a MASCOT score greater than 70 (p \< 0.05). Among the identified proteins, membrane transport/ binding proteins, porins, and amino acid metabolism enzymes were down-regulated while stress responsive proteins and antioxidant enzymes were up-regulated. Proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, particularly those in pentose phosphate pathway were also up-regulated while those involved in pyruvate metabolism were down-regulated. However, proteins involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle showed a mixed regulation response. These findings provide new insights into the probable mechanisms by which K. pneumoniae (HQ857583) could be adapting to As(III) stress. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(2-DGE), Arsenite stress, Klebsiella pneumoniae, MALDI-TOF-TOF, Two dimensional gel electrophoresis}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2011.12.013}, author = {Daware, Vandana and Kesavan, Suresh K. and Patil, Rajendra and Natu, Arvind and Kumar, Ameeta and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Gade, Wasudeo N.} } @article { ISI:000311522500012, title = {Efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalyst from graphene by simultaneously generating pores and nitrogen doped active sites}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {45}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {23799-23805}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple way to simultaneously create pores and nitrogen doped active sites on graphene for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is developed. The key aspect of the process is the in-situ generation of Fe2O3 nanoparticles and their concomitant dispersion on graphene by pyrolyzing graphene oxide (GO) with the iron phenanthroline complex. Thus the deposited Fe2O3 nanoparticles act as the seeds for pore generation by etching the carbon layer along the graphene-Fe2O3 interface. Detection of the presence of Fe3C along with Fe2O3 confirms carbon spill-over from graphene as a plausible step involved in the pore engraving process. Since the process offers a good control on the size and dispersion of the Fe2O3 nanoparticles, the pore size and distribution also could be managed very effectively in this process. As the phenanthroline complex decomposes and gives Fe2O3 nanoparticles and subsequently the pores on graphene, the unsaturated carbons along the pore openings simultaneously capture nitrogen of the phenanthroline complex and provide very efficient active sites for ORR under alkaline conditions. The degree of nitrogen doping and hence the ORR activity could be further improved by subjecting the porous material for a second round of nitrogen doping using iron-free phenanthroline. This porous graphene enriched with the N-doped active sites effectively reduces oxygen molecule through a 3e(-) pathway, suggesting a preferential shift towards the more favourable 4e(-) route compared to the 2e(-) reaction as reported for many N-doped carbon nano-morphologies. The 90 mV onset potential difference for oxygen reduction as compared to the state-of-the art 20 wt\% Pt/C catalyst is significantly low compared to the overpotentials in the range of 120-200 mV reported in the literature for few N-doped graphenes.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm35128e}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Aiyappa, Harshitha Barike and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000302023500063, title = {Efficient, rapid synthesis of bis(indolyl)methane using ethyl ammonium nitrate as an ionic liquid}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3525-3529}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra00849a}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Sudalai, A. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Siddique, Shafi A. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Chavan, Santosh S. and Reddy, R. Santosh} } @article { ISI:000308042000010, title = {Efficient synthesis of a hydroxyethylamine (HEA) isostere and its alpha-aminophosphonate and phosphoramidate derivatives as potential anti-HIV agents}, journal = {Chemmedchem}, volume = {7}, number = {9}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1601-1611}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

HIV protease is a promising drug target for AIDS therapy, and several potent HIV-1 protease inhibitors have been reported to date. Although existing inhibitors exhibit high selectivity, they have also been associated with severe side effects and the possible emergence of therapeutic resistance. As HIV protease cleaves the peptide bond via a tetrahedral intermediate, various transition-state models such as hydroxyethylamine (HEA) have been designed. We therefore pursued an efficient synthesis of an HEA isostere; this was performed with a novel one-pot reductiontransiminationreduction reaction sequence as a key step. a-Aminophosphonate and phosphoramidate derivatives of the HEA isostere were designed and synthesized, and all of the synthesized derivatives were assayed for their anti-HIV activities against wild-type and mutant HIV strains. Phosphoramidate derivative 15?a was found to be the most active of all synthesized compounds against the IIIB and RES056 strains. As phosphonates are known to exhibit physiological stability, good cell permeability, and other promising pharmacokinetic characteristics, our newly synthesized compounds have the potential as alternatives to existing therapeutics and diagnostics.

}, keywords = {a-aminophosphonates, antiviral agents, hydroxyethylamine isosteres, phosphoramidates, synthesis}, issn = {1860-7179}, doi = {10.1002/cmdc.201200271}, author = {Bhattacharya, Asish K. and Rana, Kalpeshkumar C. and Pannecouque, Christophe and De Clercq, Eric} } @article { ISI:000304387800025, title = {Efficient total synthesis of calothrixin B}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {23}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2894-2896}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of calothrixin B (2) is demonstrated starting from 9H-carbazol-4-ol, having two one-pot reaction sequences as key steps. As a novel observation, DMF-methanol was shown to be a hydride donor for reduction of aldehyde to alcohol. Unexpectedly, nucleophilic substitution of benzyloxy by methoxy group was observed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Calothrixin B, CAN, DMF-methanol, Hydride donor}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.03.131}, author = {Bhosale, Shrikar M. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @article { ISI:000308879000041, title = {Electrochemical preparation of luminescent graphene quantum dots from multiwalled carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {18}, number = {39}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {12522-12528}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Green luminescent, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with a uniform size of 3, 5, and 8.2(+/- 0.3) nm in diameter were prepared electrochemically from MWCNTs in propylene carbonate by using LiClO4 at 90?degrees C, whereas similar particles of 23(+/- 2) nm were obtained at 30?degrees C under identical conditions. Both these sets of GQDs displayed a remarkable quantum efficiency of 6.3 and 5.1?\%, respectively. This method offers a novel strategy to synthesise size-tunable GQDs as evidenced by multiple characterisation techniques like transmission and scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Photoluminescence of these GQDs can be tailored by size variation through a systematic change in key process parameters, like diameter of carbon nanotube, electric field, concentration of supporting electrolyte and temperature. GQDs are promising candidates for a variety of applications, such as biomarkers, nanoelectronic devices and chemosensors due to their unique features, like high photostability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity and tunable solubility in water.

}, keywords = {electrochemical synthesis, graphene, Nanostructures, photoluminescence, quantum dots}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201201043}, author = {Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000304106900015, title = {Electrostatic grafting of a triphenylphosphine sulfonate on SBA-15: application in palladium catalyzed hydrogenation}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {2}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1188-1195}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel strategy for the immobilization of a sulfonate functionalized triphenylphosphine ligand by ion-ion interactions on an imidazolium modified SBA-15 is presented. A support containing electrostatically grafted triphenylphosphine as the ligand was reacted with PdCl2( CNPh)(2) and the resulting hybrid material catalyzed olefin hydrogenation under mild conditions. The catalyst exhibits excellent activity, selectivity and stability and it can be reused for at least ten times without any loss of activity. An analogous but covalently grafted palladium system does not show any hydrogenation activity under the same conditions. TEM images of the used catalyst clearly prove the absence of palladium nanoparticles. Additionally, XPS investigations prove that palladium( 0) is formed and the phosphine is oxidized. By AAS no palladium contamination down to 0.5 X 10(-4) mmol could be detected in the products and further leaching tests verified the reaction to be truly heterogeneous. This concept of non-covalent immobilization guarantees a tight bonding of the catalytically active species to the surface in combination with a high mobility, which should be favorable for other catalyses, too.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c2cy00535b}, author = {Wang, Lei and Dehe, Daniel and Philippi, Thomas and Seifert, Andreas and Ernst, Stefan and Zhou, Zhou and Hartmann, Martin and Taylor, Robin N. Klupp and Singh, Anand Pal and Jia, Mingjun and Thiel, Werner R.} } @article { ISI:000307207300023, title = {Enhanced permeation, leaf retention, and plant protease inhibitor activity with bicontinuous microemulsions}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {383}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {177-183}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Bicontinuous microemulsions (BCMEs) have excellent solubulizing properties along with low interfacial tension and aqueous content that can be controlled. In this work, water soluble plant protease inhibitor (PI), well characterized for its activity against insect pests, was incorporated into a BCME system and explored for permeation on hydrophobic leaf surfaces and protease inhibition activity. The bicontinuous nature of the microemulsion containing water:2-propanol:1-butanol (55:35:10 w/w) was characterized using conductivity and self-diffusion coefficient measurements. The PI was soluble in the water-rich bicontinuous domains, stable in the microemulsions, and protease inhibition activity was retained for a prolonged duration. The microemulsions ensured greater wettability and a wider spread of the PI on hydrophobic leaf surfaces as revealed by contact angle measurements. Significantly, trypsin inhibition activity assays of the PI recovered from the leaves after delivery from the microemulsion indicated a significant increase in the PI retention on the leaf. This BCME enabled greater leaf permeation and retention of the PI can be attributed to a temporary disruption of the waxy leaf surface followed by self-repair without causing any long term damage to the plant. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bicontinuous microemulsion, Biopesticide, Microemulsion pesticide, protease inhibitor, Protein encapsulation, Protein permeation}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2012.06.025}, author = {Tamhane, Vaijayanti A. and Dhaware, Deepika G. and Khandelwal, Neha and Giri, Ashok P. and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu} } @article {42649, title = {Environmental pollution reduction in cement industry for cocombustion of waste tyre and coal as a fuel}, journal = {International Journal of Modern Engineering Research }, volume = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4652-4656}, abstract = {

In recent years, there are several problems encountered in waste management system particularly waste tyre as well as coals. The energy generation on incineration provides large amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions which is the cause of major environmental threat. Therefore, the combustion of coal and tyre were carried out in cement industry in order to generate heat energy at 1300oC and the only remaining residue (steel powder) to enhance the strength of the cement. At the outset, the particle size of coal and tyre was cut into 63-75 and 180-212 {\textmu}m respectively. Combustion experiments were conducted using Nelson reactor under controlled conditions in presence of air and also in presence of nitrogen gas (INOX) atmosphere. The temperature range was varied from 300-13000C and several fuel mass loading in the furnace, expressed in terms of bulk equivalence ratios in the range of 0.7-2.4. At fixed bulk equivalence ratios, as the furnace gas (Air) temperature increased the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon yields from both fuels decreased drastically, while the CO2 yields increased. At the highest temperature around 13000C, the effluent of combustion of both (coal and tyre) fuels was practically devoid of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) (at a detection limit of 0.3 {\textmu}g of a PAH component/g of fuel burnt). In order to understand the rate of thermal effect and morphology of co combustion material (coal and tyre), the preliminary results are very essential to explore. Therefore, the thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were carried out and results of coal and tyre mixture at various temperature conditions will be highlighted.

}, author = {Patil, R. K. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala and Khond, M. P. and Nawale, L. G.} } @article { ISI:000297609900010, title = {Enzyme immobilization on epoxy supports in reverse micellar media: prevention of enzyme denaturation}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis B-Enzymatic}, volume = {74}, number = {1-2}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {54-62}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Immobilization of enzymes such as alpha-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1), yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (EC 1.1.1.1) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) from Gluconobacter cerinus (EC 1.1.1.119) has been carried out. Copolymers of allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) crosslinked with 25\% ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) (25 mg, dry wt) were contacted with the enzymes solubilized in reverse micellar media (0.5-5 mg/mL)(overall) of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) salt in isooctane, and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in chloroform-isooctane (50:50, v/v). Although the enzymes are readily denatured (\>90\%) after adsorption on the copolymer in aqueous buffers, no such adsorption-induced denaturation takes place in reverse micelles. alpha-Chymotrypsin is remarkably stable in AOT reverse micelles when 0.025 M citrate buffer of pH 9.0 containing 2 mM CaCl2 is used in the water pools instead of Tris-HCl buffer of pH 8.5. It was possible to achieve enzyme concentration of 5 mg/mL in 0.3 M AOT at molar ratio of water to surfactant, (W-0), 30 and to obtain alpha-chymotrypsin loading of 20 mg/g of copolymer. The recovered enzyme solution can be reused with a fresh batch of polymer after supplementing the depleted solution. The immobilized enzyme exhibits excellent stability in aqueous buffers at room temperature and can be recycled several times. YADH is stable in both AOT and CTAB reverse micelles while GDH is stable only in CTAB reverse micelles containing 0.05 M Tris-HCI buffer of pH 8.5. Interestingly, the combination of YADH (2.5 mg/g) and GDH (0.5 mg/g) co-immobilized on the copolymer using CTAB-chloroform-isooctane system can be used for regeneration and recycle of NADPH at least 50 times as exemplified by complete reduction of a prochiral ketoester, ethyl 4-phenyl-2,4-dioxobutyrate (10 mM) to ethyl (R)-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyrate (HPB ester) using NADPH (0.2 mM). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {allyl glycidyl ether, alpha-Chymotrypsin, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, Glucose dehydrogenase, Reverse micelles, Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase}, issn = {1381-1177}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcatb.2011.08.014}, author = {Thudi, Lahari and Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Swarnalatha, Yalangi and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000306066600010, title = {Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method for the study of shape resonance}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {136}, number = {23}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {234110}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method (EOM-CC) is applied for the first time to calculate the energy and width of a shape resonance in an electron-molecule scattering. The procedure is based on inclusion of complex absorbing potential with EOM-CC theory. We have applied this method to investigate the shape resonance in e(-)N(2), e(-)CO, and e(-)C(2)H(2). (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4729464]

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4729464}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42782, title = {Ethyl oligo-silicates with strong acid heterogeneous polymeric catalysts}, number = {PCT/IB2011/002531}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, type = {Application}, abstract = {

The present invention provides a process for the synthesis of ethyl silicate with varying silica concentration, by hydrolysing ethyl silicate in varying water concentration in the presence of sulfonated catalysts having a styrene-divinyl benzene backbone. The present invention further relates to the preparation of beaded crosslinked polymers containing sulfonic acid moieties having an interconnected pore structure and surface area up to 400 m2 /g.

}, author = {Bevara, Madhusudana Rao and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Chavan, Nayaku and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Dwivedi, Mayank and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and John, Aruldoss and Locanindi, Hari Sarvothama Rao and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Mule, Smita Atmaram and Nalawade, Archana Chetan and Punitharasu, Vellimalai and Qureshi, Mohammed Shadbar and Kumar, Tayal Rajiv and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Sontakke, Kalpana Vishwanathrao and Reddy, Krishna Mohan Srinivasulu and Sriperambudur, Rajesh Kumar and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000304570000010, title = {Expanding the structural repertoire of beta/alpha Ant-Pro (anthranilic acid-proline) oligomers into gamma/alpha 2-Amb-Pro (2-aminomethyl benzoic acid-proline) oligomers}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {68}, number = {23}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4399-4405}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this article, we report a novel class of heterogeneous synthetic oligomers featuring the conformationally constrained amino acid residues - 2-aminomethyl benzoic acid (2-Amb) and proline (Pro) in repeating sequences. Oligomers as large as hexadecamers featuring the conformationally restricted gamma/alpha 2-Amb-Pro motif have been assembled using solution-phase Boc strategy, following multi-step synthetic sequences starting from the commercially available O-toluic acid. EDC-mediated peptide coupling has been found to be optimum for the assembly of the relatively non-polar oligomers, which could be readily purified by the standard column chromatographic purification procedures. This study offers considerable prospects of expanding the structural repertoire of beta/alpha Ant-Pro motif, which has been described earlier to assume right-handed helical architecture displaying robust nine-membered-ring closed network of hydrogen-bonding interactions, into gamma/alpha 2-Amb-Pro motif. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amino acids, Foldamer, Peptides, Proline, Synthetic oligomers}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2012.02.006}, author = {Ramesh, Veera V. E. and Priya, Gowri and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Hofmann, Hans-Joerg and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000306111900003, title = {Extended coupled cluster for Raman and infrared spectra of small molecules}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {403}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {25-32}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In this paper we study the harmonic vibrational frequencies, infrared (IR) intensities, Raman intensities and depolarization ratio using extended coupled cluster method. Raman and IR intensities are mixed derivatives of energy with respect to the electric field and geometric perturbation whereas vibrational frequencies are derivatives of energy with respect to geometry. We use semi-numerical approach to obtain these derivatives. We have studied the effect of electron correlation and basis set for the above properties. We compare our results with non-variational coupled cluster and experimental values, wherever available. We have studied HF, BH, CH+, CO and H2CO molecules in different basis sets. For HF molecule, benchmarking is done with full CI values and basis set convergence is studied for this molecule. Effect of triples is studied for all the molecules. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Extended coupled cluster, IR and Raman spectroscopy, Mixed derivatives}, issn = {0301-0104}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2012.04.017}, author = {Joshi, Sayali P. and Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article { ISI:000306946500009, title = {FeCl3/Montmorillonite K10 as an efficient catalyst for solvent-free aza-Michael reaction between amine and alpha,beta-unsaturated compounds}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7061-7065}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly efficient, inexpensive and greener protocol for aza-Michael addition reaction of different aromatic and aliphatic/cyclic amines to alpha,beta-unsaturated compounds using a FeCl3/MontK10 catalyst under solvent-free conditions has been developed. The Michael addition products are obtained in good to excellent yields. The catalyst was insensitive to moisture and it also showed excellent reusability in the reaction. Its high activity is attributed mostly to redox properties of FeCl3.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra01323a}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Dumbre, Deepa K. and Patil, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000306215900022, title = {Fine-tuning the balance between crystallization and gelation and enhancement of CO2 uptake on functionalized calcium based MOFs and metallogels}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {30}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {14951-14963}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis, structure, gas adsorption and catalytic properties of a new 3D porous, crystalline metal-organic framework (Ca-5TIA-MOF) as well as stable viscoelastic metallogels (Ca-5TIA-Gel) are reported. Remarkably, the preparation of both types of materials can be carried out starting from the same organic ligand (i.e. 5-(1,2,4-triazoleyl) isophthalic acid (5TIA)), divalent metal ion (i.e. Ca(II)) and organic solvent (i.e. DMF). In this particular case, the presence of water in the solvent system favors the formation of a crystalline MOF, whereas a pure organic solvent induces gelation. The characterization of the materials was carried out using a series of techniques including XRD, FT-IR, TGA, TEM, SEM, SAXS and dynamic rheology. Experimental PXRD peaks of both Ca-5TIA-xerogel and Ca-5TIA-MOF matched reasonably well with simulated PXRD, suggesting the presence of, at least, some common structural elements in the 3D networks of both xerogel and crystalline phases. Moreover, the nature of the metal counteranion was found to have a critical influence on the gelation phenomenon. To the best of our knowledge, this report describes unprecedented Ca-based LMW-metallogels, as well as the first porous Ca-based MOF, which shows adsorption capacity for CO2 at 1 atm pressure. Interestingly, Ca-5TIA-xerogel presented 20\% higher CO2-uptake than the crystalline Ca-5TIA-MOF at 1 atm and 298 K. Both Ca-5TIA-MOF and Ca-5TIA-Gel also displayed a modest catalytic activity towards the hydrosilylation of benzaldehyde, with slightly better performance for the gel phase material.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm30866e}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Schoen, Eva-Maria and Panda, Tamas and Sreenivas, K. and Diaz, David Diaz and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000311350000015, title = {First principle investigation on the thermal stability of a golden fullerene: a case study of Au-32}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {198}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {106-109}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Structural and electronic properties of Au-32 cluster are analyzed using relativistic density functional theory (DFT) based methods. Further, DFT based molecular dynamical (MD) simulations are performed on Au-32 golden fullerene with an aim of understanding its thermal stability at various working temperatures. Various conformations being populated at different temperatures of a cluster are analyzed. The study shows that the ground state icosahedral conformation is stable only up to 300 K and structure remains in a hollow conformation only up to 400 K. This clearly explains the reasons for failure by experimentalists in trapping the unique fullerene conformation in spite of the theoretical predictions of it being a very stable one. The above MD study also indicates that the bare fullerene Au-32 cluster (without any stabilizing ligands) can be used for potential catalytic applications only around room temperatures. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au-32 cluster, Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, Density functional theory, Golden fullerenes, Relativistic effects}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2012.04.072}, author = {De, Himadri Sekhar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000312111500001, title = {Fluorescent superparamagnetic iron oxide core-shell nanoprobes for multimodal cellular imaging}, journal = {Materials Express}, volume = {2}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {265-274}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Multimodal imaging agents that combine magnetic and fluorescent imaging capabilities are desirable for the high spatial and temporal resolution. In the present work, we report the synthesis of multifunctional fluorescent ferrofluids using iron oxide as the magnetic core and rhodamine B as fluorochrome shell. The core-shell structure was designed in such a way that fluorescence quenching due to the inner magnetic core was minimized by an intermediate layer of silica. The intermediate passive layer of silica was realized by a novel method which involves the esterification reaction between the epoxy group of prehydrolysed 3-Glyidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and the surfactant over iron oxide. The as-synthesized ferrofluids have a high saturation magnetization in the range of 62-65 emu/g and were found to emit light of wavelength 640 nm (lambda(excitation) = 446 nm). Time resolved life time decay analysis showed a bi-exponential decay pattern with an increase in the decay life time in the presence of intermediate silica layer. Cytotoxicity studies confirmed the cell viability of these materials. The in vitro MRI imaging illustrated a high contrast when these multimodal nano probes were employed and the R2 relaxivity of these sample was found to be 334 mM(-1)s(-1) which reveals its high potential as a T2 contrast enhancing agent.

}, keywords = {GPTMS, MRI Imaging, Multimodal Imaging, SPION, T2 Contrast Agent}, issn = {2158-5849}, doi = {10.1166/mex.2012.1083}, author = {Smitha, Sasidharan and Haseena, Vadakkenchery S. and Narayanan, Tharangattu N. and Mary, Antony P. Reena and Ajayan, Pulickel M. and Puthumana, Jayesh and Aziz, Anas A. and Aburto, Rebeca R. and Mani, Sendurai A. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000298731200036, title = {Fluorinated metal-organic frameworks: advantageous for higher H-2 and CO2 adsorption or not?}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {18}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {688-694}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis, structure, and gas adsorption properties of three new metalorganic frameworks (MOFs) designed from isonicotinic acid (INA) and its fluorinated analogue 3-fluoroisonicotinic acid (FINA) along with CoII as the metal center have been reported. Co-INA-1 ([Co3(INA)4(O)(C2H5OH)3][NO3].C2H5OH.3?H2O; INA=isonicotinic acid) and Co-INA-2 ([Co(INA)2].DMF) are structural isomers as are Co-FINA-1 ([Co3(FINA)4(O)(C2H5OH)2].H2O; FINA=3-fluoroisonicotinic acid) and Co-FINA-2 ([Co(FINA)2].H2O), but the most important thing to note here is that Co-INA-1 and Co-FINA-1 are isostructural as are Co-INA-2 and Co-FINA-2. The effect of partial introduction of fluorine atoms into the framework on the gas uptake properties of MOFs having similar structures has been analyzed experimentally and computationally in isostructural MOFs.

}, keywords = {cobalt, fluorine, Hydrogen storage, metal-organic frameworks, microporous materials, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201102295}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Chen, Yifei and Jiang, Jianwen and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {42679, title = {Foam based synthesis of metal carbonates: establishing the role of spatial confinement for obtaining interesting morphologies}, journal = {Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience}, volume = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {91-97}, abstract = {

The crystallization of different carbonates namely lead carbonate, cadmium carbonate and strontium carbonate in aqueous foam stabilized by the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) by a method of cation entrapment is described. Reaction of ammonium carbonate with the respective cations electrostatically entrapped in the foam results in the formation of minerals, possibly in the Plateau border and Plateau junction regions of the foam. The unusual morphology of the crystals obtained from foam based synthetic method as compared to the crystals prepared in aqueous solution shows the utility of the template for the growth of crystals with an unusual morphology due to constrained environment. The materials are well characterized using TEM, SEM, EDAX and FTIR techniques. The large interfacial area of the liquid lamellae in the foam provides a striking possibility for the large-scale synthesis for not only minerals but also other nanoscale materials.

}, doi = {10.1166/asl.2012.2175}, author = {Bala, Tanushree and Sanyal, Ambarish and Pant, Jayashree and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42666, title = {Fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster response with the effect of triples on dipole moment of ClO and SF radicals}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {124}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {223-232}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-012-0220-x}, author = {Ravichandran, Lalitha and Bhattacharya, Debarati and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000303001000003, title = {Foldamers: they{\textquoteright}re not just for biomedical applications anymore}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {51}, number = {17}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {4006-4008}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {Foldamers, foldaxanes, molecular shuttles, nanotechnology}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201107521}, author = {Prabhakaran, Panchami and Priya, Gowri and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000303429600017, title = {Formal synthesis of (-)-stemoamide using a useful epimerization at C-8}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {21}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2647-2650}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The formal synthesis of (-)-stemoamide was achieved starting from L-pyroglutamic acid. The key steps used are the allylation using BF3 center dot OEt2, ring closing metathesis, allylic oxidation and a novel epimerization at C8. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Allylation, Allylic oxidation, Pyroglutamic acid, Ring closing metathesis, Stemoamide}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.03.054}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Harale, Kishor R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gawade, Rupesh L.} } @article { ISI:000298854300037, title = {Gellan gum capped silver nanoparticle dispersions and hydrogels: cytotoxicity and in vitro diffusion studies}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {563-567}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The preparation of highly stable water dispersions of silver nanoparticles using the naturally available gellan gum as a reducing and capping agent is reported. Further, exploiting the gel formation characteristic of gellan gum silver nanoparticle incorporated gels have also been prepared. The optical properties, morphology, zeta potential and long-term stability of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were investigated. The superior stability of the gellan gum-silver nanoparticle dispersions against pH variation and electrolyte addition is revealed. Finally, we studied the cytotoxicity of AgNP dispersions in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH3T3) and also evaluated the in vitro diffusion of AgNP dispersions/gels across rat skin.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c1nr10957j}, author = {Dhar, Sheetal and Murawala, Priyanka and Shiras, A. and Pokharkar, V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000295666100008, title = {Geographic variation in the flavour volatiles of alphonso mango}, journal = {Food Chemistry}, volume = {130}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {58-66}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Alphonso, one of the most popular cultivars of mango in India is known to exhibit geographic variation in the flavour of ripe fruits. To get chemical insight into this difference, volatiles were studied in the ripening fruits of Alphonso mangoes from three cultivation locations in India. Ripe fruits from Deogad had lower content of mono- and sesquiterpenes and higher content of lactones and furanones as compared to the fruits from Dapoli: whereas fruits from Vengurle had average quantities of these chemicals in comparison with Deogad and Dapoli fruits. This variation was clearly reflected as separate clustering of the localities in the Principal Component Analysis. The localities were indistinguishable from each other in terms of raw fruit volatiles. This study exemplifies a case of phenotypic plasticity; since the plants chosen were clonally propagated, such geographic variation in the volatiles can be attributed to varied abiotic conditions at these three localities. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Mango, Phenotypic plasticity, Ripening, Volatiles}, issn = {0308-8146}, doi = {10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.06.053}, author = {Kulkarni, Ram S. and Chidley, Hemangi G. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000312472000040, title = {Gold nanoparticle embedded hydrogel matrices as catalysts: better dispersibility of nanoparticles in the gel matrix upon addition of N-bromosuccinimide leading to increased catalytic efficiency}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {414}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {296-301}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple and convenient method for generating and immobilizing gold NPs into polyethylene glycol-polyurethane (PEGPU) matrices is presented. The gold NP immobilized PEGPU (Au NP-PEGPU) hydrogel matrices are easy to handle and can be used as catalysts. The efficiency, reusability and durability of the Au NP-PEGPU catalyst matrices were investigated using the reduction of 4-nitroaniline (4NA) to p-phenylenediamine (p-PDA) by sodium borohydride in the presence of the catalyst as a test reaction. The Au NPs in the PEGPU matrix got aggregated after 3 cycles of catalysis but dispersion could be regenerated by the addition of N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). After this regeneration process the Au NPs-PEGPU matrix showed excellent efficiency without any aggregation, leaching or degradation. The reusability of the catalyst for 28 cycles yielding a total turnover number of 3220 and turn over frequency of 0.152 s(-1) is demonstrated. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {catalysis, hydrogels, Immobilization, Nanoparticles, Turn over numbers}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2012.08.026}, author = {Ramtenki, Vilas and Anumon, V. D. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000300606400030, title = {Green approach towards size controlled synthesis of biocompatible antibacterial metal nanoparticles in aqueous phase using lysozyme}, journal = {Current Nanoscience}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {130-140}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

Inspired by array of proteins present in nature, we choose lysozyme (hen egg protein) as a model system to synthesize nanoparticles of noble metals to understand the mechanism of interaction as well as to use them for potential applications such as potent antibacterial agents. Lysozyme is a very well studied biomolecule containing aromatic amino acids like tryptophan and tyrosine. Tyrosine has phenoxy group which is considered to be responsible for interacting with the metal ions. Lysozyme can be suitably modified by treatment with N-bromosuccinimide/N-acetylimidazole to obtain tight control over size distribution of nanoparticles. Here we report the direct synthesis of nanocrystals of gold and silver at controlled pH and light conditions without using any known reducing agents. Out of these, synthesis of gold nanoparticles is assisted by the presence of low concentration of Ag+ ions through the galvanic exchange. It is remarkable to note that the structure of protein is not changed drastically as seen by the FTIR studies. As-synthesized lysozyme capped nanoparticles prepared by this method are biocompatible and retain antibacterial property.

}, keywords = {Antibacterial, Biocompatible, Gold, lysozyme, Nanoparticles, Silver}, issn = {1573-4137}, author = {Kumar, Umesh and Ranjan, Amaresh K. and Sharan, Chandrashekhar and Hardikar, Anandwardhan A. and Pundle, Archana and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000307300900016, title = {Helical folding in heterogeneous foldamers without inter-residual backbone hydrogen-bonding}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {71}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8922-8924}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This communication describes a set of hybrid foldamers that do not feature inter-residual, but intra-residual backbone hydrogen-bonding, yet adopt a preferentially folded conformation displaying right-handed helical architecture. Conformational ordering is apparently due to the combined conformational restrictions imposed by the conformationally restricted individual amino acid residues with which the oligomers are made of.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc33235c}, author = {Priya, Gowri and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000308896400057, title = {Heterocyclic tri-urea isocyanurate bridged groups modified periodic mesoporous organosilica synthesized for Fe(III) adsorption}, journal = {Journal of Solid State Chemistry}, volume = {194}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {392-399}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

To achieve a high level of heavy metal adsorption, 1,1{\textquoteright},1 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)tris(3-(3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl)urea) (TTPU) was synthesized as a novel melamine precursor and incorporated on the silica surface of periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO). The melamine modified PMOs (MPMOs) were synthesized under acidic conditions using TTPU, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and Pluronic P123 as a template and the modified PMOs were characterized using the relevant instrumental techniques. The characteristic materials were used as adsorbents for the adsorption of Fe(III) ions. Fe(III) adsorption studies revealed MPMO-7.5 to be a good absorbent with higher adsorption efficiency than other MPMOs. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption efficiency, Fe(III) adsorption, Melamine, Periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO)}, issn = {0022-4596}, doi = {10.1016/j.jssc.2012.05.019}, author = {Rana, Vijay Kumar and Selvaraj, M. and Parambadath, Surendran and Chu, Sang-Wook and Park, Sung Soo and Mishra, Satyendra and Singh, Raj Pal and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000307351500021, title = {High viscosity of ionic liquids causes rate retardation of Diels-Alder reactions}, journal = {Science China-Chemistry}, volume = {55}, number = {8, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1633-1637}, publisher = {SCIENCE PRESS}, address = {16 DONGHUANGCHENGGEN NORTH ST, BEIJING 100717, PEOPLES R CHINA}, abstract = {

Second order rate constants, k (2) have been determined for three bi-molecular Diels-Alder reactions to demonstrate that the high viscosity of ionic liquids can be a detrimental property in carrying out Diels-Alder reactions, if ionic liquids are employed as solvent media. It is possible to enhance the reaction rates of the reaction if a co-solvent is mixed in pure ionic liquid used as a solvent.

}, keywords = {Diels-Alder reactions, ionic liquids, kinetics, viscosity}, issn = {1674-7291}, doi = {10.1007/s11426-012-4684-9}, author = {Kumar, Anil and Pawar, Sanjay S.} } @article { ISI:000303362900001, title = {Highly efficient (R-X-R)-type carbamates as molecular transporters for cellular delivery}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {134}, number = {17}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7196-7199}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The (R-X-R) motif-containing arginine-rich peptides are among the most effective cell-penetrating peptides. The replacement of amide linkages in the (R-X-R) motif by carbamate linkages as in (r-ahx-r)(4) or (r-ahx-r-r-apr-r)(2) increases the efficacy of such oligomers several-fold. Internalization of these oligomers in mammalian cell lines occurs by an energy-independent process. These oligomers show efficient delivery of biologically active plasmid DNA into CHO-K1 cells.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja210026m}, author = {Patil, Kiran M. and Naik, Rangeetha J. and Rajpal and Fernandes, Moneesha and Ganguli, Munia and Kumar, Vaijayanti A.} } @article { ISI:000308046400038, title = {Hybrid molecules of carvacrol and benzoyl urea/thiourea with potential applications in agriculture and medicine}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {22}, number = {17}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5550-5554}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Benzoyl phenyl urea, a class of insect growth regulator{\textquoteright}s acts by inhibiting chitin synthesis. Carvacrol, a naturally occurring monoterpenoid is an effective antifungal agent. We have structurally modified carvacrol (2-methyl-5-[1-methylethyl] phenol) by introducing benzoylphenyl urea linkage. Two series of benzoylcarvacryl thiourea (BCTU, 4a-f) and benzoylcarvacryl urea (BCU, 5a-f) derivatives were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR and Mass spectroscopy. Derivatives 4b, 4d, 4e, 4f and 5d, 5f showed comparable insecticidal activity with the standard BPU lufenuron against Dysdercus koenigii. BCTU derivatives 4c, 4e and BCU 5c showed good antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi viz. Magnaporthe grisae, Fusarium oxysporum, Dreschlera oryzae; food spoilage yeasts viz. Debaromyces hansenii, Pichia membranifaciens; and human pathogens viz. Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Compounds 5d, 5e and 5f showed potent activity against human pathogens. Moderate and selective activity was observed for other compounds. All the synthesized compounds were non-haemolytic. These compounds have potential application in agriculture and medicine. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antifungal agents, Benzoyl carvacryl urea, Benzoyl phenyl urea, Crop protection agents, Insect growth regulators}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2012.07.017}, author = {Pete, Umesh D. and Zade, Chetan M. and Bhosale, Jitendra D. and Tupe, Santosh G. and Chaudhary, Preeti M. and Dikundwar, Amol G. and Bendre, Ratnamala S.} } @article { ISI:000299292600030, title = {Hydrous RuO2-carbon nanofiber electrodes with high mass and electrode-specific capacitance for efficient energy storage}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {4}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {890-896}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We demonstrate a new strategy for the fabrication of supercapacitor electrodes possessing high mass and area-specific capacitance for efficient charge storage, which can be extremely useful for the development of light, compact and high performance supercapacitors for a variety of high power demanding applications. High mass and electrode area specific capacitances were attained by using Hydrous Ruthenium Oxide (HRO)-Carbon Nanofiber (CNF) hybrid electrodes prepared by the deposition of HRO (similar to 31\% Ru content) on both the outer and inner surfaces of a cylindrical hollow CNF having open tips. Electrochemical studies of the uniformly deposited HRO nanoparticles on the CNF surface showed a mass specific capacitance of 645 F g(-1) and an electrode specific capacitance of 1.29 F cm(-2) with a HRO-CNF material loading of 2 mg cm(-2) in the supercapacitor electrodes. The mass specific capacitance of pure HRO is 301 F g(-1), whereas the mass specific capacitance of HRO in the HRO-CNF electrode is similar to 1300 F g(-1), which is very close to the theoretical capacitance of HRO. This enhanced charge storage ability, high rate capability, better cyclic stability and low ESR of the HRO-CNF will be useful for the development of high performance supercapacitors.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c2nr11479h}, author = {Vellacheri, Ranjith and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000308878400007, title = {Immobilization of enantioselective lipase on soluble supports for kinetic resolution of drug intermediates}, journal = {Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers}, volume = {27}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {499-509}, publisher = {SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON EC1Y 1SP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The microbial lipase, Arthrobacter sp. lipase (MTCC 5125), from the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine repository, is known as an effective catalyst for high enantioselective kinetic resolution of drug intermediates. The ABL was immobilized on water-soluble linear supports by covalently binding it to the epoxy groups on the N-vinyl pyrrolidone/allyl glycidyl ether and N-vinyl pyrrolidone/glycidyl methacrylate copolymers. The immobilized lipase, on different soluble supports, had 90-110 mg/g protein binding and 500-700 U/g hydrolysis activities for tributyrin substrate. These copolymers had soluble/insoluble characteristics in different pH ranges, which is an advantage over insoluble copolymers. A soluble polymer at neutral pH provided better accessibility to the immobilized enzyme, which was recovered by precipitation at pH 2-3 for reuse. Kinetic resolution of racemic acyl derivatives of chiral auxiliaries and drug intermediates, namely, phenyl ethanol, aminoalcohol, and fluoxetine intermediate resulted in a significant enhancement in enantioselectivity (99\%).

}, keywords = {Arthrobacter sp lipase, Enantioselectivity, Immobilization, Kinetic resolution, N-vinylpyrrolidone, soluble polymer}, issn = {0883-9115}, doi = {10.1177/0883911512453638}, author = {Chaubey, Asha and Parshad, Rajinder and Taneja, Subhash C. and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Raman, Rajan C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000311832900049, title = {Improved inhibition of telomerase by short twisted intercalating nucleic acids under molecular crowding conditions}, journal = {Nucleic Acid Therapeutics}, volume = {22}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {399-404}, publisher = {MARY ANN LIEBERT INC}, address = {140 HUGUENOT STREET, 3RD FL, NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10801 USA}, abstract = {

Human telomeric DNA has the ability to fold into a 4-stranded G-quadruplex structure. Several G-quadruplex ligands are known to stabilize the structure and thereby inhibit telomerase activity. Such ligands have demonstrated efficient telomerase inhibition in dilute conditions, but under molecular crowding conditions mimicking physiological milieu, stabilization of the telomeric G-quadruplex is often lost. We attempted to demonstrate the enhanced G-quadruplex stabilizing ability under molecular conditions by using twisted intercalating nucleic acids (TINA)-modified oligonucleotides. We have shown using circular dichroism and ultraviolet spectroscopic methods that these TINA-modified short oligonucleotides function as G-quadruplex, inducing agents and participate in the formation of stabilized 3:1 G-quadruplex with the human telomeric oligonucleotide. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based telomerase repeat amplification assay (TRAP) assay as well as nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-based TRAP, we demonstrate remarkable enhancement in their anti-telomerase activity even under molecular crowding conditions. This is the first time in which a G-quadruplex stabilizing agent has demonstrated enhanced activity even under molecular crowding conditions.

}, issn = {2159-3337}, doi = {10.1089/nat.2012.0372}, author = {Agarwal, Tani and Pradhan, Devranjan and Geci, Imrich and El-Madani, Amro M. and Petersen, Michael and Pedersen, Erik B. and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000300782600014, title = {In situ electrochemical organization of CdSe nanoclusters on graphene during unzipping of carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {25}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3088-3090}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In situ decoration of very small CdSe quantum dots on graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) has been achieved during the electrochemical unzipping of single walled carbon nanotubes. Critical parameters like the width of the GNRs, size distribution of quantum dots and their organization on GNRs have been shown to be strongly dependent on the electric field and time.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc17749h}, author = {Debgupta, Joyashish and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000312157100027, title = {In situ pH maintenance for mammalian cell cultures in shake flasks and tissue culture flasks}, journal = {Biotechnology Progress}, volume = {28}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1605-1610}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

pH in animal cell cultures decreases due to production of metabolites like lactate. pH control via measurement and base addition is not easily possible in small-scale culture formats like tissue-culture flasks and shake flasks. A hydrogel-based system is reported for in situ pH maintenance without pH measurement in such formats, and is demonstrated to maintain pH between 6.8 and 7.2 for a suspension CHO cell line in CD CHO medium and between 7.3 and 7.5 for adherent A549 cells in DMEM:F12 containing 10\% FBS. This system for pH maintenance, along with our previous report of hydrogels for controlled nutrient delivery in shake flasks can allow shake flasks to better mimic bioreactor-based fed batch operation for initial screening during cell line and process development for recombinant protein production in mammalian cells. (C) 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012

}, keywords = {high throughput screening, pH control for cell culture, pH control in shake flask, pH control in tissue culture flasks, small scale platforms for cell culture}, issn = {8756-7938}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.1614}, author = {Pradhan, Ketaki and Pant, Tejal and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article { ISI:000303055200006, title = {In vitro morphogenic response in cotyledon explants of semecarpus anacardium L.}, journal = {Plant Biotechnology Reports}, volume = {6}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {141-148}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Three different morphogenic responses-caulogenesis, direct somatic embryogenesis, and callusing-were noted in cotyledon explants of Semecarpus anacardium L. cultured in woody plant medium (WPM) containing thidiazuron (TDZ). Thidiazuron, at all concentrations tested, induced organogenic as well as embryogenic responses. The organogenic buds differentiated to shoots and the embryogenic mass (EM) gave rise to globular embryos which differentiated up to cotyledon-stage embryos on repeated culture in growth regulator (GR)-free WPM medium containing 0.2\% activated charcoal after the removal of TDZ. The organogenic and embryogenic responses were optimal in 9.08 mu M TDZ after the removal of TDZ. Elongated shoots rooted in half-strength liquid WPM medium with 2.46 mu M indole butyric acid. Plants were successfully acclimatized and transferred to soil. Histological studies confirmed the direct origin of the organogenic buds from the cotyledon explants. The EMs produced somatic embryos on repeated culture in charcoal incorporated GR-free medium. Morphogenic callus formation from the cotyledon explants was also noted. This callus on repeated culture in WPM medium with charcoal differentiated into somatic embryos. Repetitive somatic embryogenesis was evident from direct and indirectly formed primary embryos. The somatic embryos did not convert into plantlets, though sporadic germination of embryos was observed through the emergence of roots.

}, keywords = {callus, Caulogenesis, Globular embryos, Growth regulator, Histology, somatic embryogenesis}, issn = {1863-5466}, doi = {10.1007/s11816-011-0207-y}, author = {Panda, Bhuban Mohan and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article { ISI:000306670200022, title = {InCl3-mediated addition of indole to isatogens: an expeditious synthesis of 13-deoxy-isatisine A}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {18}, number = {31}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9601-9611}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A strategy directed towards the total synthesis of isatisine A that involves several late-stage metal-catalyzed transformations that address the key carboncarbon and carbonheteroatom bond formations has been developed. As a part of this strategy, methods for the addition of indoles to isatogens that lead selectively to either 2,2-disubstituted N-hydroxyindolin-3-one or 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-one compounds have been developed by employing InCl3 as a catalyst or as the reagent. The present methods provide the first examples of the additions of indoles to the isatogen nucleus. To demonstrate its viability, the synthesis of 13-deoxy-isatisine A has been completed in ten steps from a known and easily available lactone.

}, keywords = {indium, indoles, isatogens, Natural products, Total synthesis}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201103604}, author = {Kumar, Chepuri V. Suneel and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000305852100053, title = {Influence of Pd-loading on gas sensing characteristics of SnO2 thick films}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4835-4844}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline pristine and 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 wt\% Pd loaded SnO2 were synthesized by a facile co-precipitation route. These powders were screen-printed on alumina substrates to form thick films to investigate their gas sensing properties. The crystal structure and morphology of different samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The 3.0 wt\% Pd:SnO2 showed response of 85\% toward 100 ppm of LPG at operating temperature of 250 degrees C with fast response (8 s) and quick recovery time (24 s). The high response toward LPG on Pd loading can be attributed to lowering of crystallite size (9 nm) as well as the role of Pd particles in exhibiting spill-over mechanism on the SnO2 surface. Also selectivity of 3.0 wt\% Pd:SnO2 toward LPG was confirmed by measuring its response to other reducing gases like acetone (CH3COCH3), ethanol (C2H5OH) and ammonia (NH3) at optimum operating temperature. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {LPG sensor, Palladium, SnO2, Thick film}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2012.02.073}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000309569200044, title = {Kernel morphometric traits in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are modulated by intricate QTL x QTL and genotype x environment interactions}, journal = {Journal of Cereal Science}, volume = {56}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {432-439}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {24-28 OVAL RD, LONDON NW1 7DX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Wheat kernel size and shape influence its flour yield and market price. A hexaploid wheat population of 185 recombinant inbred lines was evaluated for five kernel morphometric traits namely, 1000-kernel weight, kernel length, width, length width ratio and factor form density in two diverse agro-climatic regions in India in five to eight year location combinations. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis revealed significant contributions from genotype (G) and genotype x environment (G x E) effects for these traits. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis by composite interval mapping (CIM) was performed using a linkage map of 251 SSR markers and 59 QTLs distributed on 16 chromosomes were identified. The majority of the QTLs were located on the D genome (44.07\%) and the homeologous chromosomes of Group 2 (38.98\%). Stable QTLs detected in three or more year location combinations were identified for four traits. Multi-trait CIM showed 10 chromosomal regions harboring putative pleiotropic loci. Complexity in the genetic effects was further revealed by QTL analysis based on mixed-linear model that indicated 19 QTLs with significant individual effects (main-effect QTLs) and 14 QTL x QTL interactions. Five of these - nineteen main-effect QTLs and one of the fourteen QTL x QTL interactions showed environmental influence. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Epistatic QTLs, Genotype x environment interactions, Kernel size and shape, Stable QTLs}, issn = {0733-5210}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcs.2012.05.010}, author = {Prashant, Ramya and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Desale, Charushila and Kore, Prajakta and Dhaliwal, Harcharan Singh and Chhuneja, Parveen and Gupta, Vidya} } @article { ISI:000308519200010, title = {Larvicidal potential of mimusops elengi against aedes aegypti (L) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say)}, journal = {Journal of Vector Borne Diseases}, volume = {49}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {111-113}, publisher = {MALARIA RESEARCH CENTRE, INDIAN COUNCIL MEDICAL RESEARCH-ICMR}, address = {22 SHAM NATH MARG, DELHI, 00000, INDIA}, keywords = {Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, larvicidal activity, Mimusops elengi}, issn = {0972-9062}, author = {Ruikar, Anjali D. and Pawar, Pushpa V. and Sen, Avalokiteswar and Phalgune, Usha D. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshpande, Nirmala R.} } @article { ISI:000301965000034, title = {Ligand free, highly efficient synthesis of diaryl ether over copper fluorapatite as heterogeneous reusable catalyst}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {14}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {1826-1829}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Arylhalide, Copper fluorapatite, Diaryl ethers, phenol, Ullmann coupling}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.01.124}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @article { ISI:000313404400021, title = {Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline CoFe2O4 synthesized by thermal plasma in large scale}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {137}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {586-595}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The paper reports the large scale synthesis of nanoparticles of CoFe2O4 using thermal plasma reactor by gas phase condensation method. The yield of formation was found to be around 15 g h(-1). The magnetic properties of CoFe2O4, synthesized at different reactor powers, were investigated in view of studying the effect of operating parameters of plasma reactor on the structural reorganization leading to the different cation distribution. The values of saturation magnetization, coercivity and remanent magnetization were found to be influenced by input power in thermal plasma. Although the increase in saturation magnetization was marginal (61 emu g(-1) to 70 emu g(-1)) with increasing plasma power; a significant increase in the coercivity (552 Oe to 849 Oe) and remanent magnetization (16 emu g(-1) to 26 emu g(-1)) were also noticed. The Mossbauer spectra showed mixed spinel structure and canted spin order for the as synthesized nanoparticles. The detailed analysis of cation distribution using the Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy leads to the conclusion that the sample synthesized at an optimized power shows the different site selective states. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Magnetic materials, magnetic properties, Mossbauer spectroscopy, Nanostructures}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2012.10.007}, author = {Nawale, A. B. and Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Patil, K. R. and Reddy, V. R. and Gupta, A. and Kale, B. B. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Mathe, Vikas L. and Das, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000298854300041, title = {Metal and metal oxide nanoparticle synthesis from metal organic frameworks (MOFs): finding the border of metal and metal oxides}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {591-599}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, for the first time, we report a generalized strategy for the successful synthesis of highly crystalline metal and metal oxide nanoparticles embedded in a carbon matrix by the controlled thermolysis of metal organic frameworks (MOFs). The rationalized synthesis strategy of a broad range of metal and metal oxides nanoparticles, such as Cu/CuO, Co/Co3O4, ZnO, Mn2O3, MgO and CdS/CdO, by thermolysis of MOFs demonstrates for the first time that metal ions with a reduction potential of -0.27 volts or higher present in MOFs always form pure metal nanoparticles during thermolysis in N-2, whereas metal ions with a reduction potential lower than -0.27 volts form metal oxide nanoparticles during thermolysis in N-2. Another point of interest is the fact that we have found a unique relationship between the nanoparticle size and the distance between the secondary building units inside the MOF precursors. Interestingly, the crystallinity of the carbon matrix was also found to be greatly influenced by the environment (N-2 and air) during thermolysis. Moreover, these nanoparticles dispersed in a carbon matrix showed promising H-2 and CO2 adsorption properties depending on the environment used for the thermolysis of MOFs.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c1nr10944h}, author = {Das, Raja and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000311240100021, title = {Metal [Zn(II), Cd(II)], 1,10-phenanthroline containing coordination polymers constructed on the skeleton of polycarboxylates: synthesis, characterization, microstructural, and CO2 gas adsorption studies}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5311-5319}, abstract = {

{Four new coordination polymers have been obtained by the reaction of metal [Zn(II), Cd(II)], 1,10-phenanthroline separately with two carboxylic acids, [biphenyl-4,4{\textquoteright}-dicarboxylic acid (4,4{\textquoteright}-H(2)BDA),and 4,4{\textquoteright}-azodibenzoic acid (4,4{\textquoteright}-H(2)ADA)]. The crystal structures of the resulting complexes of type {[Zn(4,4{\textquoteright}-BDA)(Phen)(2)center dot HCON(CH3)(2)}(n) (1), {[Cd(4,4{\textquoteright}-BDA)(Phen)](2)center dot H2O\

}, author = {Yadav, Pramod Kumar and Kumari, Niraj and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Mishra, Lallan} } @article { ISI:000310594400007, title = {Micropropagation of semecarpus anacardium L.: a medicinally important tree species}, journal = {Plant Biosystems}, volume = {146}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {61-68}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Semecarpus anacardium L., a deciduous forest tree, is a source of medicinal compounds. Poor seed-viability restricts the conventional propagation. Micropropagation protocol is standardized for this species. Shoot culture-derived nodal explants were cultured in woody plant media supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ). Shoot differentiation from meristem was limited. Meristems swelled to form meristematic mass in higher concentrations of TDZ. Swelling of meristem was attributed to the proliferation of meristematic cells. Development of shoots from meristematic mass on withdrawal of TDZ in culture medium indicated the inhibitory influence of TDZ on differentiation of buds to form shoots. Harvesting the primary shoot, leads to appearance of additional shoot buds which elongated on repeated transfer of explants in a medium devoid of growth regulator every four weeks. Optimum (17) number of shoots obtained from each meristem in explants pre-cultured in TDZ 2.27 mu M and re-cultured in growth regulator free medium for seven cycles (28 weeks). This confirms the stimulatory influence of TDZ on proliferation of meristem and inhibitory influence on shoot differentiation. All shoots, rooted in the medium with Indole butyric acid 2.46 mu M. Plantlets survived on transfer to sand: soil (1: 1) mixture and acclimatized. This is the first report on micropropagation of S. anacardium from seedling derived nodal buds using TDZ.

}, keywords = {Meristematic, micropropagation, Semecarpus anacardium L., thidiazuron}, issn = {1126-3504}, doi = {10.1080/11263504.2012.727877}, author = {Panda, Bhuban Mohan and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article { ISI:000306547300013, title = {Microstructural elucidation of self-emulsifying system: effect of chemical structure}, journal = {Pharmaceutical Research}, volume = {29}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2180-2188}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Self-emulsifying systems (SES) emulsify spontaneously to produce fine oil-in-water emulsion when introduced into aqueous phase. The self-emulsification process plays an important role during formation of emulsion. The objective of current work was to understand and explore the inner structuration of SES through controlled hydration and further to study the influence of additive on the same which ultimately governs performance of final formulation in terms of droplet size. Droplet size of final formulations containing structural analogues of ibuprofen was determined. Microstructural properties of intermediate hydrated regimes of SES were investigated using techniques such as small angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and rheology. The current work established inverse relationship between droplet size of the formulations containing structural analogues of ibuprofen and their Log P values. Microstructural analysis of intermediate hydrated regimes of the prepared samples showed formation of local lamellar structure. Structural analogues of ibuprofen significantly altered microstructure of lamellae which was well correlated with the droplet size of final formulations. In vitro drug release study showed increase in dissolution rate of lipophillic drugs when formulated as SES. The current work emphasizes the fact that tailor-made formulations can be prepared by controlling the properties of intermediate regimes.

}, keywords = {emulsion, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, lamellar structure, self-emulsifying system, structural analogues}, issn = {0724-8741}, doi = {10.1007/s11095-012-0746-0}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000311184500020, title = {Modeling of liquid propellant combustion chamber}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {207}, number = {SI}, year = {2012}, note = {22nd International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering (ISCRE), Maastricht, NETHERLANDS, SEP 02-05, 2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {151-166}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Liquid propellants are fuels which do not require external supply of oxygen for combustion. These fuels are widely used for propulsion applications in oxygen rare environments (underwater, space). We had previously presented a model for solid propellant decomposition in a combustion chamber. In this study we extend the model for the case of combined solid and liquid propellant combustion. Sub-models relating to solid propellant combustion and outlet flow-rate in the present study are borrowed from the previous study. The combustion chamber is assumed to be a {\textquoteleft}well-mixed reactor{\textquoteright}. A model is developed to characterize the liquid propellant spray assuming the spray is a collection of individually burning droplets. A single droplet decomposition model was developed and used along-with the spray model to solve for the liquid propellant burning rate. Appropriate numerical methods and computer programs were developed to solve the model equations. The model predictions were compared with the experimental data obtained in earlier studies. Appropriate methodology for calibrating the model parameters was developed and its usefulness was demonstrated by comparing the simulated pressure profiles with the experimental pressure profiles. The presented model and results will be useful for selecting appropriate liquid propellants for propulsion systems and for the development of a system level model of propulsion systems. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Liquid propellant, Single droplet decomposition, Spray combustion}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2012.06.033}, author = {Pandit, Ajinkya V. and Kumar, Ashok and Rao, G. Srinivasa and Kedarnath, C. and Srihari, R. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000307920400025, title = {MOF with hydroxynaphthoquinone as organic linker: molecular structure of [Zn(Chlorolawsone)(2)(H2O)(2)] and thermogravimetric studies}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1022}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {189-196}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Zinc complexes as MOF with hydroxynaphthoquinone as organic linkers are synthesized and characterized. The complexes Zn-1; [Zn(lawsone)(2)(H2O)(2)]center dot 3H(2)O and Zn-2; [Zn(chlorolawsone)(2)(H2O)(2)]center dot H2O, where lawsone is 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and chlorolawsone is 3-chloro-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, serve as hosts for adsorbed water molecules. nu(c=O) shows shift towards lower frequencies similar to 25 cm(-1) in Zn-1 and similar to 35 cm(-1) in Zn-2 in FTIR spectra. (HNMR)-H-1 shows upfield shift in Zn-1 and downfield shift in Zn-2 to the benzenoid ring protons. Bathochromic shift has been observed to the charge transfer band in UV-visible spectra of both complexes. The mass loss of adsorbed water molecules have been observed \<100 degrees C in thermogravimetric (TG) studies. Three adsorbed water molecules are present in Zn-1, while one in Zn-2. X-ray diffraction studies of Zn-2 show, distorted octahedral geometry around Zn(II). The two chlorolawsone ligands are in plane with the metal, while water molecules are trans to this plane. Formation of MOF has been observed in the synthesis of Zn-2 with chlorolawsone as organic linkers. The structure is stabilized by O-H center dot center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonding H-bonding along with Cl center dot center dot center dot pi interactions to form a beautiful MOF architecture. Zn(II) atoms along with organic ligand form a tetramer via O-H center dot O interactions. The shortest Zn center dot center dot center dot Zn distance is 5.04 angstrom. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3-Chloro-2-hydroxy-1, 4-naphthoquinone, MOF, Naphthoquinone, O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonding, Vapochromic behavior, Zinc complexes}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2012.05.012}, author = {Salunke-Gawali, Sunita and Kathawate, Laxmi and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000305444200038, title = {Molecular dynamics simulation of phosphoric acid doped monomer of polybenzimidazole: a potential component polymer electrolyte membrane of fuel cell}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {116}, number = {24}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7357-7366}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole is promising electrolyte membranes for high temperature (100 degrees C and above) fuel cells. Proton conduction is governed by the amount of phosphoric acid content in the polymer membrane. In this present work, we perform molecular dynamics simulations on phosphoric acid doped 2-phenyl-1H,1{\textquoteright}H-5,5{\textquoteright}-bibenzo[d]imidazole (monomer unit of polybenzimidazole) to characterize the structural and dynamical properties at varying phosphoric acid content and temperature. From the structural analysis, we have predicted the arrangement of the phosphoric acids, formation of H-bonds in the system, and the contribution of different atoms toward H-bonding. We have also examined the stacking of 2-phenyl-1H,1{\textquoteright}H-5,5{\textquoteright}-bibenzo[d]imidazole molecules and how their arrangement changes with the increasing amount of PA in the system with the help of cluster analysis. From the molecular dynamics simulation conducted at different temperatures and phosphoric acid doping level, we have predicted the diffusion of phosphoric acid and monomer. As a dynamic quantity, we have also calculated ring flipping of the imidazole ring of the monomer.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp301117m}, author = {Pahari, Swagata and Choudhury, Chandan Kumar and Pandey, Prithvi Raj and More, Minal and Venkatnathan, Arun and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000310068800011, title = {Multifaceted folding in a foldamer featuring highly cooperative folds}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {91}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11205-11207}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report on the folding pattern observed in a synthetic peptide featuring two highly mutually dependent, yet strikingly dissimilar, closed networks of hydrogen-bonded rings that work in a cumulative fashion to stabilize the entire folded architecture of the peptide. Structural studies unequivocally suggest that disruption of any one of these mutually-dependent hydrogen-bonded networks is deleterious to the stability of the fully folded conformation of the peptide.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc35649j}, author = {Ramesh, Veera V. E. and Priya, Gowri and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000321561204290, title = {Multi-Hit action of membrane active peptides: towards understanding bacterial cell killing}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {102}, number = {3, 1}, year = {2012}, note = {56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, FEB 25-29, 2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {616A}, publisher = {Biophys Soc}, address = {600 TECHNOLOGY SQUARE, 5TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA}, issn = {0006-3495}, author = {Moiset, Gemma and Cirac, Anna D. and Mika, Jacek T. and Kocer, Armagan and Stuart, Marc C. A. and Sengupta, Durba and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Poolman, Bert} } @article { ISI:000303696200040, title = {Multiple topologies from glycopolypeptide-dendron conjugate self-assembly: nanorods, micelles, and organogels}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {134}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {7796-7802}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Glycopolypeptides (GPs) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of glycosylated N-carboxyanhydride monomer and attached to hydrophobic dendrons at one chain end by {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} reaction to obtain amphiphilic anisotropic macromolecules. We show that by varying polypeptide chain length and dendron generation, an organogel was obtained in dimethylsulfoxide, while nanorods and micellar aggregates were observed in aqueous solutions. Assemblies in water were characterized by electron microscopy and dye encapsulation. Secondary structure of the GP chain was shown to affect the morphology, whereas the chain length of the poly(ethylene glycol) linker between the GP and dendron did not alter rod-like assemblies. Bioactive surface chemistry of these assemblies displaying carbohydrate groups was demonstrated by interaction of mannose-functionalized nanorods with ConA.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja300065f}, author = {Pati, Debasis and Kalva, Nagendra and Das, Soumen and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Ambade, Ashootosh V.} } @article { ISI:000300859000006, title = {Nanowires of silver-polyaniline nanocomposite synthesized via in situ polymerization and its novel functionality as an antibacterial agent}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {92}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {35-41}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Silver-polyaniline (Ag-PANI) nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ polymerization method using ammonium persulfate CAPS) as an oxidizing agent in the presence of dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) and silver nitrate (AgNO3). The as synthesized Ag-PANI nanocomposite was characterized by using different analytical techniques such as UV-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-visible spectra of the synthesized nanocomposite showed a sharp peak at similar to 420 nm corresponding to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in the polymer matrix which is overlapped by the polaronic peak of polyaniline appearing at that wavelength. Nanowires of Ag-PANI nanocomposite with diameter 50-70 nm were observed in FE-SEM and TEM. TGA has indicated an enhanced thermal stability of nanocomposite as compared to that of pure polymer. The Ag-PANI nanocomposite has shown an antibacterial activity against model organisms, a gram positive Bacillus subtilis NCIM 6633 in Mueller-Hinton (MH) medium, which is hitherto unattempted. The Ag-PANI nanocomposite with monodispersed AgNPs is considered to have potential applications in sensors, catalysis, batteries and electronic devices. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, Conducting poly(aniline), In situ polymerization, Nanocomposite}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2011.11.006}, author = {Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Kulkarni, Milind V. and Patil, Rajendra H. and Gade, Wasudeo N. and Navale, Shalaka C. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000308628900033, title = {New synthetic route for 1,2-diketo compounds using unexpected C-C bond cleavage by PCC}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {39}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5327-5330}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient method has been established for the preparation of 1,2-diketones by unexpected C-C bond cleavage in 4-keto-2-hydroxy esters using pyridiniumchlorochromate (PCC). (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2-Diketones, C-C bond cleavage, PCC}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.07.095}, author = {Bhosale, Shrikar M. and Momin, Aadil A. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @article { ISI:000299054200028, title = {Nitrogen-rich porous covalent imine network (CIN) material as an efficient catalytic support for C-C coupling reactions}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {41}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1304-1311}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In an effort to expand the realm of possibilities of nitrogen-rich porous materials that could be used in catalysis, herein we report the synthesis of a new highly nitrogen rich (ca. 45\%) porous covalent imine network (CIN-1) material employing simple Schiff base chemistry and further grafting its surface with palladium. Pd-loaded CIN-1 support acts as a truly heterogeneous catalyst towards Suzuki C-C coupling reaction between aryl halides with arylboronic acids. High surface area and excellent accessibility of the catalytic sites make it very efficient for heterogeneous catalysis. The stability of the catalyst due to intimate contact between nitrogen-rich organic support and metal allows several reuses with only a minor loss in catalytic activity.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c1dt11350j}, author = {Bhunia, Manas K. and Das, Swapan K. and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Bhaumik, Asim} } @article { ISI:000306651100077, title = {Novel anti-inflammatory activity of epoxyazadiradione against macrophage migration inhibitory factor inhibition of tautomerase and proinflammatory activities of macrophage migration inhibitory factor}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {287}, number = {29}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {24844-24861}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0021-9258}, doi = {10.1074/jbc.M112.341321}, author = {Alam, Athar and Haldar, Saikat and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kumar, Rahul and Goyal, Manish and Iqbal, Mohd Shameel and Pal, Chinmay and Dey, Sumanta and Bindu, Samik and Sarkar, Souvik and Pal, Uttam and Maiti, Nakul C. and Bandyopadhyay, Uday} } @article { ISI:000305112000030, title = {Novel microwave assisted sol-gel synthesis (MW-SGS) and electrochromic performance of petal like h-WO3 thin films}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {47}, number = {7}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1787-1793}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Use of domestic microwave oven is first time employed for chemical deposition of nanocrystalline hexagonal WO3 (h-WO3) thin films. Low cost precursors like sodium tungstate, hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid and potassium sulfate signifies cost effectiveness of this thin film fabrication route. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal formation of petal like nanodisks. A number of analytical techniques were used to characterize the WO3 petal like nanodisks, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy, UV-visible spectrophotometry and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies revealed 2.89 O/W atomic ratio. The electrical transport studies on WO3 thin films show semiconducting behavior with n-type semiconductivity. The value of determined coloration efficiency is 57.90 cm(2)/C. The mechanism of Li+ intercalation and deinercalation in h-WO3 matrix is proposed for enhanced electrochromism. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Electrochemical properties, Oxides, photoelectron spectroscopy}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2012.03.025}, author = {Kharade, Rohini R. and Patil, K. R. and Patil, P. S. and Bhosale, Popatrao N.} } @article {42644, title = {Novel solid cloisite tin catalyzed polymerization of L-lactide}, journal = {Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering}, volume = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = { 54-60 }, abstract = {

A novel cloisite modified solid catalyst was prepared in a single step from commercially available starting materials for the first time. The ring opening polymerization of L-lactide and D-lactide using this cloisite modified solid catalyst resulted in homopolymers of 75,000 and PDI = 1.6 and the maximum molecular weight (Mw) i.e. 180,000 with PDI = 1.9 were obtained. The catalytic activity of cloisite modified solid catalyst was compared with the conventional stannous octoate catalyst and found superior to stannous octoate in all respect such as conversion, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution etc.. Moreover, the maximum molecular weight i.e. 180,000was obtained at 220 o C, whereas, transesterification reaction predominate in presence of stannous octoate. The linear structure was confirmed by quantitative 13C NMR Spectroscopy. Blend films were obtained by casting mixed solutions of poly (D-lactide) and poly (L lactide) at various compositions, and stereocomplex was formed at 50/50 composition with molecular weight of 75,000.

}, author = {Selukar, Balaji Sidram and Pandey, Asutosh Kumar and Nande, Smita Sunil and Bansode, Avinash Santram and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article { ISI:000305092400004, title = {NOx catalyzed pathway of stratospheric ozone depletion: a coupled cluster investigation}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1895-1901}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report a theoretical investigation on the NOx catalyzed pathways of stratospheric ozone depletion using highly accurate coupled cluster methods. These catalytic reactions represent a great challenge to state-of-the-art ab initio methods, while their mechanisms remain unclear to both experimentalists and theoreticians. In this work, we have used the so-called {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}gold standard of quantum chemistry,{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} the CCSD(T) method, to identify the saddle points on NOx-based reaction pathways of ozone hole formation. Energies of the saddle points are calculated using the multireference variants of coupled cluster methods. The calculated activation energies and rate constants show good agreement with available experimental results. Tropospheric precursors to stratospheric NOx radicals have been identified, and their potential importance in stratospheric chemistry has been discussed. Our calculations resolve previous conflicts between ab initio and experimental results for a trans nitro peroxide intermediate, in the NOx catalyzed pathway of ozone depletion.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct300209s}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000308631300056, title = {Observation of enhanced dielectric coupling and room-temperature ferromagnetism in chemically synthesized BiFeO3@SiO2 core-shell particles}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {116}, number = {36}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {19503-19511}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report the effect of SiO2 coating on the structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of chemically synthesized high-purity BiFeO3 particles. The assynthesized BiFeO3 particles demonstrate properties comparable with those reported for bulk BiFeO3. On the other hand, the structural measurement on BiFeO3@SiO2 shows that the SiO2 coating has anisotropically compressed the lattice of BiFeO3 particles and stimulates the variation in the electron density. This affects magnetic and dielectric behavior of material. Frequency-dependent dielectric constant study at low temperature (20-325 K) revealed slight reduction (8-10\%) in the dielectric constant of BiFeO3@SiO2 particles compared to uncoated BiFeO3 particles. The study reveals five anomalies at 234, 206, 146, 84, and 25 K located in close proximity to the linear magnetodielectric coupling and spin reorientation transitions. The loss tangent (approximate to 10(-3)) and alternating current (ac) conductivity (approximate to 10(-8) Omega(-1)cm(-1)) of BiFeO3@SiO2 particles are orders of magnitude lower than those observed for the BiFeO3 particles. The magnetic measurement shows the existence of room-temperature ferromagnetism in BiFeO3@SiO2 particles with average value of magnetic moment per Fe atom approximate to 0.030 mu(B) and appreciable coercivity as high as 120 Oe. The canted spin structure in the surface shell of BiFeO3@SiO2 particles show an enhanced magnetic property and shifted hysteresis loop. The magnetic measurement in close proximity to dielectric transitions revealed enhanced magnetization, suggesting the presence of anisotropies. It has been observed that SiO2 coating alters the properties of BiFeO3 particles. Our dielectric and magnetic measurements show enhanced coupling among the electric and magnetic ordered parameters in BiFeO3@SiO2 core-shell particles compared to uncoated BiFeO3 particles. The magnetic and dielectric properties of SiO2-coated BiFeO3 are similar to nanoparticles of BiFeO3 where interface plays a significant role.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp3025683}, author = {Shirolkar, Mandar M. and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, Sulabha K.} } @article { ISI:000303442500016, title = {One pot glucose detection by [Fe-III(biuret-amide)] immobilized on mesoporous silica nanoparticles: an efficient HRP mimic}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {43}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {5289-5291}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An [Fe-III(biuret-amide)] complex has been immobilized onto mesoporous silica nanoparticles via Cu(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne click chemistry. This hybrid material functions as an efficient peroxidase mimic and was successfully used for the quantitative determination of hydrogen peroxide and glucose via a one-pot colorimetric assay.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc30970j}, author = {Malvi, Bharmana and Panda, Chakadola and Dhar, Basab B. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000299290200019, title = {One-dimensional confinement of a nanosized metal organic framework in carbon nanofibers for improved gas adsorption}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {14}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2009-2011}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The loading of a Zn-terephthalate based MOF in the inner cavity as well as on the outer walls of a hollow carbon nanofiber (CNF) creates MOF@CNF hybrids. This hybrid {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}MOF@CNF{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} displayed improved thermal stability as well as gas adsorption compared to the individual counterparts.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc16877d}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Balan, Beena K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000311698800036, title = {One-pot sol-gel preparation for efficient cobalt-molybdenum-titania hydrotreating catalysts}, journal = {Chemcatchem}, volume = {4}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2112-2120}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Titania-based hydrodesulfurization catalysts were prepared by using a one-pot solgel method with the titanium peroxo complex as titanium precursor and molybdenum and cobalt precursors dissolved in the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution used during synthesis. Catalysts with MoO3 loadings varying from 5 to 40 wt?\% and a Co/Mo atomic ratio of 0.5 were prepared. Solids with molybdenum loadings below 20 wt?\% MoO3 demonstrated poor hydrodesulfurization activity for the model compound thiophene. This was attributed to the presence of a large amount of embedded cobalt and molybdenum species in the titania matrix. A significant increase in the catalytic activity was observed for solids containing 20 and 25 wt?\% of MoO3 on which active species appeared to be accessible on the titania surface. Furthermore, the highest conversion obtained on these solgel solids was superior to the highest conversion obtained on reference catalysts prepared through the impregnation of ammonium heptamolybdate and cobalt nitrate on commercial titania.

}, keywords = {cobalt, heterogeneous catalysis, Molybdenum, sol-gel process, titanium}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201200165}, author = {Nguyen, D. L. and Gillot, S. and Souza, D. O. and Blanchard, P. and Lamonier, Carole and Berrier, E. and Kotbagi, T. V. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Cristol, S. and Payen, E. and Lancelot, Christine} } @article { ISI:000302634800023, title = {Organization of cubic CeO2 nanoparticles on the edges of self assembled tapered ZnO nanorods via a template free one-pot synthesis: significant cathodoluminescence and field emission properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {8887-8895}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present investigation explores the controlled architecture of a CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite via a template-free, low temperature, facile single step solvothermal approach. This complex architecture depicts cubic single crystalline CeO2 nanoparticles (size similar to 15 nm) grown on the edges of tapered ZnO nanorods with definite orientations and alignments. The formation of wurtzite ZnO, cubic CeO2 and the coexistence of Ce3+ and Ce4+ on the surface of the CeO2-ZnO nanocomposites are confirmed using various characterization tools. The finding of such unique nanostructures by a facile method is exemplified by a plausible growth mechanism. Surprisingly, the aqueous mediated ultrasonication reaction conferred the formation of crystalline ZnO nanotubes of diameter similar to 50 nm. Spatially resolved cathodoluminescence spectra are obtained by linearly scanning an individual CeO2-ZnO nanorod along its length, which reveals the size-dependent surface effects. Interestingly, such hybrid CeO2-ZnO nanoarchitecture is observed to exhibit enhanced field emission properties, demonstrating better current stability as compared to other ZnO nanostructures. This is attributed mainly to strong surface interactions between the Ce-ionic species and the ZnO nanorods. Herein, a soft-chemical approach is used for the first time to architect a binary oxide nanostructure, which is otherwise accomplished using high temperature techniques, as reported elsewhere. Also, the present work not only gives insight into understanding the hierarchical growth behaviour of the CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite in a solution phase synthetic system, but also provides an efficient route to enhance the field emission performance of ZnO nanostructures, which could be extended to other potential applications, such as chemical sensors, optoelectronic devices and photocatalysts.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm30226h}, author = {Warule, Sambhaji S. and Chaudhari, Nilima S. and Kale, Bharat B. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Koinkar, Pankaj M. and More, Mahendra A. and Murakami, Ri-ichi} } @article { ISI:000310215100010, title = {Organocatalytic dynamic kinetic resolution via conjugate addition: synthesis of chiral trans-2,5-dialkylcyclohexanones}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {10}, number = {41}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8260-8267}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel strategy of initiating an organocatalysed dynamic kinetic resolution (dr up to 99 : 1 and er up to 94 : 6) for the synthesis of chiral trans-2,5-dialkylcyclohexanones by an asymmetric conjugate addition of dimethyl malonate on to 6-substituted cyclohexenones is reported.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c2ob26597d}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Adate, Priyanka A. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000300047600017, title = {Organocatalytic stereoselective synthesis of passifloricin A}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {10}, number = {9}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1820-1825}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The enantioselective synthesis of passifloricin A has been achieved in high diastereomeric excess. The 1,3-polyol moiety was constructed by iterative proline-catalyzed sequential alpha-aminoxylation and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination of aldehydes while the synthesis of lactone moiety was achieved by ring-closing metathesis (RCM).

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c2ob06711k}, author = {Kumar, Pradeep and Pandey, Menaka and Gupta, Priti and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000307143600015, title = {Overview on the cellulose based conducting composites}, journal = {Composites Part B-Engineering}, volume = {43}, number = {7, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2822-2826}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Biopolymer based composites have been employed in numerous applications with increasing interest not only due to renewable, eco-friendly nature, but also because of the flexibility in processing conditions and competitive cost of their end products. The conductive materials from biopolymers have been found applicable in robots, medical imaging, sensitive membranes, actuators, visual displays, electronic wiring and shielding, and components in batteries. Cellulose is one of the most abundant biopolymers in the nature, which has received special attention for development of conducting materials due to biocompatibility for protein and drug immobilization and ability to form the composites with synthetic polymers. The present review is aimed to provide concisely the current status in this field of conducting composites from cellulose, with brief discussions of associated problems and future applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Fibres, mechanical properties, Nano-structures, Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs)}, issn = {1359-8368}, doi = {10.1016/j.compositesb.2012.04.045}, author = {Pandey, Jitendra Kumar and Takagi, Hitoshi and Nakagaito, Antonio Norio and Saini, Daulat Ram and Ahn, Sung-Hoon} } @article { ISI:000303280000009, title = {Photocatalytic degradation of Azo dyes using Au:TiO2, gamma-Fe2O3:TiO2 functional nanosystems}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {12}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {928-936}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

We report photocatalytic degradation studies on Navy Blue HE2R (NB) dye on significant details as a representative from the class of azo dyes using functional nanosystems specifically designed to allow a strong photocatalytic activity. A modified sol-gel route was employed to synthesize Au and gamma-Fe2O3 modified TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) at low temperature. The attachment strategy is better because it allows clear surface of TiO2 to remain open for photo-catalysis. X-ray diffraction, Raman and UV-VIS spectroscopy studies showed the presence of gold and iron oxide phases along-with the anatase TiO2 phase. TEM studies showed TiO2 nanocomposite particles of size similar to 10-12 nm. A detailed investigation on heterogeneous photocatalytic performance for Navy Blue HE2R dye was done using the as-synthesized catalysts Au:TiO2 and gamma-Fe2O3:TiO2 in aqueous suspension under 8 W low-pressure mercury vapour lamp irradiation. Also, the photocatalytic degradation of Amranth and Orange G azo dyes were studied. The surface modified TiO2 NPs showed significantly improved photocatalytic activity as compared to pure TiO2. Exposure of the dye to the UV light in the presence of pure and gold NPs attached TiO2 catalysts caused dye degradation of about similar to 20\% and similar to 80\%, respectively, in the first couple of hours. In the presence of gamma-Fe2O3 NPs attached TiO2, a remarkable similar to 95\% degradation of the azo dye was observed only in the first 15 min of UV exposure. The process parameters for the optimum catalytic activity are established which lead to a complete decoloration and substantial dye degradation, supported by the values of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) similar to 93\% and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) similar to 65\% of the treated dye solution after 5 hours on the employment of the UV/Au:TiO2/H2O2 photocatalytic process.

}, keywords = {Azo Dye, COD, H2O2, Photocatalysis, TiO2}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2012.5171}, author = {Jagadale, Tushar C. and Kulkarni, Manjusha and Pravarthana, D. and Ramadan, Wegdan and Thakur, Pragati} } @article { ISI:000309072800094, title = {Photopatternable nano-composite (SU-8/ZnO) thin films for piezo-electric applications}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {101}, number = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {104102}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Photo-curable nanocomposite material was formulated by embedding ZnO nanoparticles into a SU-8 matrix and studied for its piezoelectric properties for low cost fabrication of self-powered nanodevices. The piezoelectric coefficient of ZnO nanoparticles was observed to be ranging between 15 and 23 pm/V, which is the highest reported. These experimental studies support the recent theoretical predictions where the piezoelectric coefficients in ZnO nanoparticles were found to be higher compared to the thin films because of the surface relaxation induced volume reductions in the nanometer scale. The photo-curable property of these polymer composite films is exploited to demonstrate fabrication of a micro-cantilever test structure. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4748575]

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.4748575}, author = {Kandpal, Manoj and Sharan, Chandrashekhar and Poddar, Pankaj and Prashanthi, K. and Apte, Prakash R. and Rao, V. Ramgopal} } @article { ISI:000300929600025, title = {Photopolymerization kinetics of 2-phenylethyl (meth) acrylates studied by photo DSC}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {19}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9811}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The present work deals with the photopolymerization of 2-phenylethyl (meth)acrylates and estimation of their kinetic parameters. Formulations were made by independently homogenizing the monomers with photoinitiators of two different classes. Two different compositions of photoinitiators were used to study the effect of concentration of photoinitiator on cure kinetics. These compositions obtained were tested for photo curing performance using differential photocalorimetry (DPC) or photo DSC under polychromatic radiation. The heat flow against time was recorded for all formulations under isothermal conditions and the rates of polymerization as well as the percentage conversions were estimated. It was observed that due to a longer timescale for reaction diffusion, the methacrylate formulations showed a higher conversion than acrylate formulations. Other parameters such as induction time, maximum rate and conversion attained as well as the time to attain peak maximum were noted. The photopolymerization and kinetic estimations of the formulations including evaluation of kinetic models are discussed.

}, keywords = {Bimolecular termination model, Photo DSC, Photopolymerization, Variable autocatalytic model}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-011-9811-3}, author = {Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Ponrathnam, S. and Rajan, C. R. and Chavan, Nayaku and Harikrishna, Reghunathan} } @article { ISI:000311783800011, title = {Phyllocladane diterpenes from anisomeles heyneana}, journal = {Journal of Asian Natural Products Research}, volume = {14}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1162-1168}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

New phyllocladane diterpene, phyllocladan-16 alpha,17-dihydroxy-19-oic acid (1), together with known phyllocladane diterpene, phyllocladan-16 alpha,19-diol (2), cembrane diterpene ovatodiolide (3), sitosteryl-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (4), and verbascoside (5), were isolated from aerial parts of Anisomeles heyneana. The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analyses which included HSQC, HMBC, and nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments as well as X-ray crystallography. This is the first report of phyllocladane diterpenes from genus Anisomeles. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 5 were evaluated for inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 3 was found to exhibit anti-mycobacterial activity with IC90 6.53 mu g/ml. Compounds 1, 3, and 5, at 100 mu g/ml, were also evaluated for inhibition of Thp-1 cell lines, and compounds 1 and 3 showed 59.02\% and 96.4\% inhibitions, respectively.

}, keywords = {Anisomeles heyneana, Lamiaceae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, phyllocladane diterpenes}, issn = {1028-6020}, doi = {10.1080/10286020.2012.738672}, author = {Kulkarni, Roshan R. and Shurpali, Ketaki and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Joshi, Swati P.} } @article { ISI:000307184100001, title = {Phylogenomic analysis of UDP glycosyltransferase 1 multigene family in Linum usitatissimum identified genes with varied expression patterns}, journal = {BMC Genomics}, volume = {13}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {175}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: The glycosylation process, catalyzed by ubiquitous glycosyltransferase (GT) family enzymes, is a prevalent modification of plant secondary metabolites that regulates various functions such as hormone homeostasis, detoxification of xenobiotics and biosynthesis and storage of secondary metabolites. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a commercially grown oilseed crop, important because of its essential fatty acids and health promoting lignans. Identification and characterization of UDP glycosyltransferase (UGT) genes from flax could provide valuable basic information about this important gene family and help to explain the seed specific glycosylated metabolite accumulation and other processes in plants. Plant genome sequencing projects are useful to discover complexity within this gene family and also pave way for the development of functional genomics approaches. Results: Taking advantage of the newly assembled draft genome sequence of flax, we identified 137 UDP glycosyltransferase (UGT) genes from flax using a conserved signature motif. Phylogenetic analysis of these protein sequences clustered them into 14 major groups (A-N). Expression patterns of these genes were investigated using publicly available expressed sequence tag (EST), microarray data and reverse transcription quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR). Seventy-three per cent of these genes (100 out of 137) showed expression evidence in 15 tissues examined and indicated varied expression profiles. The RT-qPCR results of 10 selected genes were also coherent with the digital expression analysis. Interestingly, five duplicated UGT genes were identified, which showed differential expression in various tissues. Of the seven intron loss/gain positions detected, two intron positions were conserved among most of the UGTs, although a clear relationship about the evolution of these genes could not be established. Comparison of the flax UGTs with orthologs from four other sequenced dicot genomes indicated that seven UGTs were flax diverged. Conclusions: Flax has a large number of UGT genes including few flax diverged ones. Phylogenetic analysis and expression profiles of these genes identified tissue and condition specific repertoire of UGT genes from this crop. This study would facilitate precise selection of candidate genes and their further characterization of substrate specificities and in planta functions.

}, issn = {1471-2164}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2164-13-175}, author = {Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Pardeshi, Varsha C. and Kale, Sandip M. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000309096400004, title = {Poly(allyl glycidyl ether-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) copolymer beads as support for covalent immobilization of L-aminoacylase}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {72}, number = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {687-694}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Enzyme immobilization, Epoxy-activated support, L-Aminoacylase}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2012.06.012}, author = {Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, S. and Nene, Sanjay N.} } @article { ISI:000303366000001, title = {Polymorphs, salts, and cocrystals: what{\textquoteright}s in a name?}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2147-2152}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The December 2011 release of a draft United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance concerning regulatory classification of pharmaceutical cocrystals of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) addressed two matters of topical interest to the crystal engineering and pharmaceutical science communities: (1) a proposed definition of cocrystals; (2) a proposed classification of pharmaceutical cocrystals as dissociable {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}API-excipient{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} molecular complexes. The Indo U.S. Bilateral Meeting sponsored by the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum titled The Evolving Role of Solid State Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Science was held in Manesar near Delhi, India, from February 2-4, 2012. A session of the meeting was devoted to discussion of the FDA guidance draft. The debate generated strong consensus on the need to define cocrystals more broadly and to classify them like salts. It was also concluded that the diversity of API crystal forms makes it difficult to classify solid forms into three categories that are mutually exclusive. This perspective summarizes the discussion in the Indo-U.S. Bilateral Meeting and includes contributions from researchers who were not participants in the meeting.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg3002948}, author = {Aitipamula, Srinivasulu and Banerjee, Rahul and Bansal, Arvind K. and Biradha, Kumar and Cheney, Miranda L. and Choudhury, Angshuman Roy and Desiraju, Gautam R. and Dikundwar, Amol G. and Dubey, Ritesh and Duggirala, Nagakiran and Ghogale, Preetam P. and Ghosh, Soumyajit and Goswami, Pramod Kumar and Goud, N. Rajesh and Jetti, Ram R. K. R. and Karpinski, Piotr and Kaushik, Poonam and Kumar, Dinesh and Kumar, Vineet and Moulton, Brian and Mukherjee, Arijit and Mukherjee, Gargi and Myerson, Allan S. and Puri, Vibha and Ramanan, Arunachalam and Rajamannar, T. and Reddy, C. Malla and Rodriguez-Hornedo, Nair and Rogers, Robin D. and Row, T. N. Guru and Sanphui, Palash and Shan, Ning and Shete, Ganesh and Singh, Amit and Sun, Changquan C. and Swift, Jennifer A. and Thaimattam, Ram and Thakur, Tejender S. and Thaper, Rajesh Kumar and Thomas, Sajesh P. and Tothadi, Srinu and Vangala, Venu R. and Variankaval, Narayan and Vishweshwar, Peddy and Weyna, David R. and Zaworotko, Michael J.} } @article { ISI:000306942300059, title = {Polymorphs, salts and cocrystals: what{\textquoteright}s in a name? (vol 12, pg 2147, 2012)}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4290-4291}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg300704b}, author = {Aitipamula, Srinivasulu and Banerjee, Rahul and Bansal, Arvind K. and Biradha, Kumar and Cheney, Miranda L. and Choudhury, Angshuman Roy and Desiraju, Gautam R. and Dikundwar, Amol G. and Dubey, Ritesh and Duggirala, Nagakiran and Ghogale, Preetam P. and Ghosh, Soumyajit and Goswami, Pramod Kumar and Goud, N. Rajesh and Jetti, Ram R. K. R. and Karpinski, Piotr and Kaushik, Poonam and Kumar, Dinesh and Kumar, Vineet and Moulton, Brian and Mukherjee, Arijit and Mukherjee, Gargi and Myerson, Allan S. and Puri, Vibha and Ramanan, Arunachalam and Rajamannar, T. and Reddy, C. Malla and Rodriguez-Hornedo, Nair and Rogers, Robin D. and Row, T. N. Guru and Sanphui, Palash and Shan, Ning and Shete, Ganesh and Singh, Amit and Sun, Changquan C. and Swift, Jennifer A. and Thaimattam, Ram and Thakur, Tejender S. and Thaper, Rajesh Kumar and Thomas, Sajesh P. and Tothadi, Srinu and Vangala, Venu R. and Vishweshwar, Peddy and Weyna, David R. and Zaworotko, Michael J.} } @article { ISI:000311522500055, title = {Porous ZnO nanorod for targeted delivery of doxorubicin: in vitro and in vivo response for therapeutic applications}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {45}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {24145-24154}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cancer cell specific targeted delivery (TDD) by porous nanocarrier is on a high role. Here in a simple route for the synthesis of porous ZnO nanorods (ZnO) has been demonstrated. ZnO expressed very high surface area of 305.14 m(2) g(-1) (S-BET) and uniformly distributed pores of 5 nm. In continuation ZnO has been fabricated with 3-aminophosphonic acid followed by folic acid to yield folate conjugated porous ZnO nanorod (ZnO-FA). High surface area, uniformly distributed pores on its surface make the nanocarrier suitable for high drug loading (88\%) of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). A pH triggered drug release was observed with minimum release in pathophysical conditions. In vitro efficacy of DOX loaded ZnO-FA (ZnO-FA-DOX) has been evaluated against breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231, which is not possible alone by DOX or ZnO-FA. Targeted scaffold with pendant -NH2 group has been covalently bonded with fluorescent dye (RITC) for cellular uptake and imaging studies in MDA-MB-231 cells; the possible pathway for cancer regression has also been evaluated. Even in vivo acute and intravenous toxicological evaluation on murine model system complemented biocompatibility of ZnO-FA in TDD. All together we have collaged a template free synthesis of porous ZnO nanorod, successful targeting on to cancer cells, high drug loading, pH triggered drug release, in vitro efficacy of ZnO-FA-DOX against MDA-MB-231 cells and in vivo compatibility as well. We envisioned the future prospect of porous ZnO nanostructures in TDD.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm35013k}, author = {Mitra, Shouvik and Subia, B. and Patra, Prasun and Chandra, Sourov and Debnath, Nitai and Das, Sumistha and Banerjee, Rahul and Kundu, Subhas C. and Pramanik, Panchanan and Goswami, Arunava} } @article { ISI:000309634900001, title = {Practical and highly efficient protocol for multicomponent synthesis of beta-phosphonomalononitriles and 2-amino-4H-chromen-4-yl phosphonates using diethylamine as a novel organocatalyst}, journal = {Comptes Rendus Chimie}, volume = {15}, number = {9}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {745-752}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Diethylamine has been demonstrated for the first time to be a highly efficient organocatalyst in the solvent-free synthesis of beta-phosphonomalononitriles by a three component condensation of aldehyde, malononitrile and dialkyl phosphite at ambient temperature. The applicability of the same catalyst in the synthesis of diethyl (2-amino-3-cyano-chromene-4-yl) phosphonic acid esters has also been described. (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Academie des sciences.

}, keywords = {2-amino-4H-chromenes, beta-phosphonomalononitriles, diethylamine, multicomponent reactions, organocatalyst, Phospha-Michael reaction}, issn = {1631-0748}, doi = {10.1016/j.crci.2012.07.001}, author = {Kulkarni, M. A. and Pandurangi, V. R. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000311072800004, title = {Preparation of spherical particles of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) using a micellar nanoreactor}, journal = {Organic Process Research \& Development}, volume = {16}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1711-1716}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The need and preparation of spherical 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) particles to meet certain special applications in high explosives and propellant formulation have been illustrated. Preparation of spherical FOX-7 particles by using a microemulsion technique has not been reported in the literature. In the present study, the preparation of spherical FOX-7 particles has been described using the novel concept of a micelle-based nanoreactor. Micelle-based nanoreactors have been prepared using a microemulsion of Triton X-100, cyclohexane, and water. Formation of spherical FOX-7 particles in the reverse micelle reactors have been described in the subsequent sections of this article. It is observed that spherical particles of FOX-7 are formed within 2 h in the microemulsion media. Analysis of the experimental results revealed that the particle size and shape of FOX-7 can be varied by changing the water/surfactant molar ratio in the microemulsion. Spherical particles synthesized by this method have diameters that are generally in the submicrometer to nanometer range. Impact sensitivity (h(50)) of the spherical particles obtained by the fall-hammer method is around 45 cm compared to regular synthesized FOX-7 (i.e., 50 +/- 5 cm) without any change in friction sensitivity, i.e. 36 kg. Loadability of the explosive charges can be enhanced by using these spherical particles of FOX-7.

}, issn = {1083-6160}, doi = {10.1021/op200386u}, author = {Mandal, Alok Kumar and Thanigaivelan, U. and Pandey, Raj Kishore and Asthana, Srinandan and Khomane, Ramdas B. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar Dattatraya} } @article { ISI:000308099200029, title = {Preparative separation of alpha- and beta-santalenes and (Z)-alpha- and (Z)-beta-santalols using silver nitrate-impregnated silica gel medium pressure liquid chromatography and analysis of sandalwood oil}, journal = {Analyst}, volume = {137}, number = {19}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4564-4570}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The major sesquiterpene constituents of East-Indian sandalwood oil (Z)-alpha- and (Z)-beta-santalols have shown to be responsible for most of the biological activities and organoleptic properties of sandalwood oil. The work reported here describes the strategic use of medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) for the separation of both alpha- and beta-santalenes and (Z)-alpha- and (Z)-beta-santalols. Silver nitrate impregnated silica gel was used as the stationary phase in MPLC for quantitative separation of alpha- and beta-santalenes and (Z)-alpha- and (Z)-beta-santalols with mobile phases hexane and dichloromethane, respectively. The purities of alpha-santalene and (Z)-alpha-santalol obtained were \>96\%; however, beta-santalene and (Z)-beta-santalol were obtained with their respective inseparable epi-isomers. Limits of quantification (LoQ) relative to the FID detector were measured for important sesquiterpene alcohols of heartwood oil of S. album using serial dilutions of the standard stock solutions and demonstrated that the quality of the commercial sandalwood oil can be assessed for the content of individual sesquiterpene alcohols regulated by Australian Standard (AS2112-2003), International Organization for Standardization ISO 3518: 2002 (E) and European Union (E. U.).

}, issn = {0003-2654}, doi = {10.1039/c2an35575b}, author = {Daramwar, Pankaj P. and Srivastava, Prabhakar Lal and Priyadarshini, Balaraman and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000300474900013, title = {Probing influence of mesophasic transformation on performance of self-emulsifying system: effect of ion}, journal = {Molecular Pharmaceutics}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {318-324}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Self-emulsifying systems are mixtures of oils and surfactants, ideally isotropic, sometimes including cosolvents, which emulsify under conditions of gentle agitation, similar to those which would be encountered in the gastrointestinal tract. The process of self-emulsification has remained the center of attraction for most researchers. Controlled hydration of self-emulsifying systems shows formation of an intermediate gel phase which upon rupture forms an emulsion. Current work was undertaken to understand and explore the microstructural properties of intermediate gel phase which are believed to influence the performance (droplet size) of the final formulation. The effect of additives on microstructural properties of intermediate gel phase has also been investigated. Microstructural elucidation of hydrated samples of intermediate regimes was done by using techniques such as small angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and rheology. Samples from intermediate regimes showed formation of local lamellar structure which swelled with hydration. In the present work, the effect of addition of salt form of naproxen (sodium and potassium) and naproxen (base) on microstructural properties of intermediate regimes was investigated. Systems containing naproxen salts formed larger droplets whereas naproxen base formed smaller ones. Microstructural properties of intermediate lamellar structures were well correlated with performance of the final formulation. The current studies indicate that by controlling the properties of intermediate regimes optimized formulations with desired performance can be tailor-made.

}, keywords = {emulsion, lamellar structure, liquid crystal, Microstructure, Naproxen, self-emulsifying system}, issn = {1543-8384}, doi = {10.1021/mp200541r}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000311925900060, title = {Proteome profiling of flax (linum usitatissimum) seed: characterization of functional metabolic pathways operating during seed development}, journal = {Journal of Proteome Research}, volume = {11}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6264-6276}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seeds are an important source of food and feed due to the presence of various health promoting compounds, making it a nutritionally and economically important plant. An in-depth analysis of the proteome of developing flax seed is expected to provide significant information with respect to the regulation and accumulation of such storage compounds. Therefore, a proteomic analysis of seven seed developmental stages (4, 8, 12, 16, 22, 30, and 48 days after anthesis) in a flax variety, NL-97 was carried out using a combination of ID-SDS-PAGE and LC-MSE methods. A total 1716 proteins were identified and their functional annotation revealed that a majority of them were involved in primary metabolism, protein destination, storage and energy. Three carbon assimilatory pathways appeared to operate in flax seeds. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR of selected 19 genes was carried out to understand their roles during seed development. Besides storage proteins, methionine synthase, RuBisCO and S-adenosylmethionine synthetase were highly expressed transcripts, highlighting their importance in flax seed development. Further, the identified proteins were mapped onto developmental seed specific expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries of flax to obtain transcriptional evidence and 81\% of them had detectable expression at the mRNA level. This study provides new insights into the complex seed developmental processes operating in flax.

}, keywords = {alpha-linolenic acid, carbon flux, Digital expression analysis, flax seed development, MSE, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside}, issn = {1535-3893}, doi = {10.1021/pr300984r}, author = {Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Pardeshi, Varsha C. and Kale, Sandip M. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000298860100004, title = {Proteomic analysis of glycated proteins from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat kidney}, journal = {Molecular Biotechnology}, volume = {50}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {28-38}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Glycation of proteins leading to formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) has been considered as one of the important causes of diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, in this study, glycated proteins were detected by anti-AGE antibodies from kidney of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat showing nephropathic symptoms, by using two dimensional electrophoresis and western blot analysis. These glycated proteins were identified and characterized by using combination of peptide mass finger printing and tandem mass spectrometric approaches. Glycated proteins identified included proteins from metabolic pathways, oxidative stress, cell signaling, and transport. Several of the proteins modified by glycation were involved in glucose metabolism. The extent of glycation was higher in diabetes compared to control, in the glycated proteins that were common to both control and diabetic kidney. Two dimensional electrophoresis proteins profiling of glycated proteins suggest that four of the glycated proteins were significantly up regulated in diabetes.

}, keywords = {AGE, Diabetes, Glucose toxicity, Nephropathy, Post-translation modification}, issn = {1073-6085}, doi = {10.1007/s12033-011-9409-3}, author = {Chougale, Ashok D. and Bhat, Shweta P. and Bhujbal, Swapnil V. and Zambare, Mandar R. and Puntambekar, Shraddha and Somani, Rahul S. and Boppana, Ramanamurthy and Giri, Ashok P. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000306146400006, title = {Purification and biochemical characterization of endoglucanase from Penicillium pinophilum MS 20}, journal = {Indian Journal of Biochemistry \& Biophysics}, volume = {49}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {189-194}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Cellulases find increasing prominence in sustainable production of fuel and feedstock from lignocellulosic biomass. The purification and biochemical characterization of individual components of cellulase complex is important to understand the mechanism of their action for the solubilization of crystalline cellulose. In this study, an extra-cellular endoglucanase isolated from culture filtrate of Penicillium pinophilum MS 20 was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The purified endoglucanase (specific activity 69 U/mg) was a monomeric protein with molecular mass of 42 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE. The endoglucanase was active over a broad range of pH (4-7) with maximum activity at pH 5 and showed optimum temperature of 50 degrees C. It retained 100\% activity at 50 degrees C for 6 h and half- lives of 4 h and 3 h at 60 degrees C and 70 degrees C, respectively. The kinetic constants for the endoglucanase determined with carboxymethyl cellulose as substrate were V-max of 72.5 U/mg and apparent K-m of 4.8 mg/ml. The enzyme also showed moderate activity towards H3PO4 swollen cellulose and p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucoside, but no activity towards filter paper, Avicel and oat spelt xylan. The activity was positively modulated by 47, 32 and 25\% in the presence of Co2+, Zn2+ and Mg2+, respectively to the reaction mixture. The wide pH stability (4-7) and temperature stability up to 50 degrees C of endoglucanase makes the enzyme suitable for use in cellulose saccharification at moderate temperature and pH.

}, keywords = {Biochemical properties, Carboxymethyl cellulose, Endoglucanase, Penicillium pinophilum MS 20, Purification}, issn = {0301-1208}, author = {Pol, Dipali and Laxman, Ryali Seeta and Rao, Mala} } @article {Poddar, title = {Purification and characterization of an antioxidant protein (similar to 16 kDa) from Terminalia chebula fruit}, journal = {Food Chemistry}, volume = {131}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {141-148}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Terminalia chebula fruit is used as folk medicine in India and Southeast Asia. An antioxidant protein was isolated by bioassay guided fractionation of T. chebula fruit by homogenizing in the citrate phosphate buffer. The isolated protein (TCP-III) obtained from fruit was purified by gel chromatography and preparative HPLC, showed apparent molecular weight of 16 kDa by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF/MS analyses. Amino acid sequence obtained by LC-MSE analysis showed homology with the predicted protein fragments of Populus trichocarpa, putative uncharacterized protein fragments from Oryza sativa and with fragments of 17 kDa thylakoid lumenal protein from Spinacia oleracea. TCP-III exhibited significant radical scavenging in DPPH, NO, H2O2 and ABTS assays. In addition, TCP-III inhibited oxidation of linoleic acid in beta-carotene bleaching assay, reduced ferric ions and chelated ferrous ions. The present finding demonstrates uniquely, for the first time, characterization of an antioxidant protein from T. chebula fruit. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {16 kDa protein molecule of T. chebula, Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity, Characterization, Purification, Terminalia chebula fruit}, issn = {0308-8146}, doi = {10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.08.048}, author = {Srivastava, Pratibha and Raut, Hema N. and Wagh, Renuka S. and Puntambekar, Hemalata M. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000300202400005, title = {Purification and characterization of YxeI, a penicillin acylase from Bacillus subtilis}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {50}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {25-30}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The paper reports the purification and characterization of the first penicillin acylase from Bacillus subtilis. YxeI, the protein annotated as hypothetical, coded by the gene yxeI in the open reading frame between iol and hut operons in B. subtilis was cloned and expressed in Eshcherichia coli, purified and characterized. The purified protein showed measurable penicillin acylase activity with penicillin V. The enzyme was a homotetramer of 148 kDa. The apparent Km of the enzyme for penicillin V and the synthetic substrate 2-nitro-5-(phenoxyacetamido)-benzoic acid was 40 mM and 0.63 mM, respectively, and the association constants were 8.93 x 10(2) M-1 and 2.51 x 10(5) M-1, respectively. It was inhibited by cephalosporins and conjugated bile salts, substrates of the closely related bile acid hydrolases. It had good sequence homology with other penicillin V acylases and conjugated bile acid hydrolases, members of the Ntn hydrolase family. The N-terminal nucleophile was a cysteine which is revealed by a simple removal of N-formyl-methionine. The activity of the protein was affected by high temperature, acidic pH and the presence of the denaturant guanidine hydrochloride. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bacillus subtilis, Conjugated bile acid hydrolases, Ntn hydrolase, Penicillin acylase}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2011.09.018}, author = {Rathinaswamy, Priya and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Suresh, C. G. and Prabhune, Asmita and Brannigan, James A. and Dodson, Guy G. and Pundle, Archana V.} } @article { ISI:000312148500013, title = {Rapid microwave synthesis of fluorescent hydrophobic carbon dots}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {32}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12129-12131}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Fluorescent hydrophobic carbon dots (HCDs) have been fabricated from a poloxamer by a simple microwave assisted process within a few minutes for the first time. Small and distinct spherical HCDs emitted bright blue and green fluorescent light depending upon the excitation wavelength and were dispersed easily in a wide variety of organic solvents. HCDs exhibited excellent water resistant behavior with a contact angle of similar to 122 degrees enforcing good hydrophobic character which will be quite useful in potential surface applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra21048g}, author = {Mitra, Shouvik and Chandra, Sourov and Kundu, Tanay and Banerjee, Rahul and Pramanik, Panchanan and Goswami, Arunava} } @article { ISI:000301712600016, title = {Rapid self-healing hydrogels}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4383-4388}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Synthetic materials that are capable of autonomous healing upon damage are being developed at a rapid pace because of their many potential applications. Despite these advancements, achieving self-healing in permanently cross-linked hydrogels has remained elusive because of the presence of water and irreversible cross-links. Here, we demonstrate that permanently cross-linked hydrogels can be engineered to exhibit self-healing in an aqueous environment. We achieve this feature by arming the hydrogel network with flexible-pendant side chains carrying an optimal balance of hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that allows the side chains to mediate hydrogen bonds across the hydrogel interfaces with minimal steric hindrance and hydrophobic collapse. The self-healing reported here is rapid, occurring within seconds of the insertion of a crack into the hydrogel or juxtaposition of two separate hydrogel pieces. The healing is reversible and can be switched on and off via changes in pH, allowing external control over the healing process. Moreover, the hydrogels can sustain multiple cycles of healing and separation without compromising their mechanical properties and healing kinetics. Beyond revealing how secondary interactions could be harnessed to introduce new functions to chemically crosslinked polymeric systems, we also demonstrate various potential applications of such easy-to-synthesize, smart, self-healing hydrogels.

}, keywords = {adhesives, biomimetic materials, Hydrophobicity, molecular dynamics, smart materials}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1201122109}, author = {Phadke, Ameya and Zhang, Chao and Arman, Bedri and Hsu, Cheng-Chih and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Lele, Ashish K. and Tauber, Michael J. and Arya, Gaurav and Varghese, Shyni} } @article {42504, title = {Ratiometric detection of Cr3+ and Hg2+ by a naphthalimide-rhodamine based fluorescent probe}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {51}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1769{\textendash}1777}, abstract = {

Newly synthesized rhodamine derivatives, L1 and L2, are found to bind specifically to Hg2+ or Cr3+ in presence of large excess of other competing ions with associated changes in their optical and fluorescence spectral behavior. These spectral changes are significant enough in the visible region of the spectrum and thus, allow the visual detection. For L1, the detection limit is even lower than the permissible [Cr3+] or [Hg2+] in drinking water as per standard U.S. EPA norms; while the receptor, L2 could be used as a ratiometric sensor for detection of Cr3+ and Hg2+ based on the resonance energy transfer (RET) process involving the donor naphthalimide and the acceptor Cr3+/Hg2+-bound xanthene fragment. Studies reveal that these two reagents could be used for recognition and sensing of Hg2+/Cr3+. Further, confocal laser microscopic studies confirmed that the reagent L2 could also be used as an imaging probe for detection of uptake of these ions in A431 cells.

}, doi = {10.1021/ic202073q}, author = {Mahato, Prasenjit and Saha, Sukdeb and Suresh, E. and Liddo, Rosa Di and Parnigotto, Pier Paolo and Conconi, Maria Teresa and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000302540600008, title = {Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of new substituted tetrahydrocarbazoles and carbazoles using diels-alder reactions}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {42}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1786-1795}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Diels-Alder reactions of 3-vinylindoles were carried out with methyl acrylate and N-phenylmaleimide as dienophiles under microwave conditions to furnish unreported tetrahydrocarbazoles regio- and stereoselectively in good yields. Further dehydrogenation resulted in new substituted carbazoles.

}, keywords = {Carbazoles, regio- and stereoselective Diels-Alder reactions, tetrahydrocarbazoles}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2010.544440}, author = {Hingane, Dattatray G. and Goswami, Shailesh K. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @article { ISI:000307077500019, title = {Regulation of BACE1 by miR-29a/b in a cellular model of spinocerebellar ataxia 17}, journal = {RNA Biology}, volume = {9}, number = {6, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {891-899}, publisher = {LANDES BIOSCIENCE}, address = {1806 RIO GRANDE ST, AUSTIN, TX 78702 USA}, abstract = {

Polyglutamine diseases are a class of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by expansion of polyglutamine repeats, protein aggregation and neuronal cell death in specific regions of the brain. The expansion of a polyglutamine repeat in the TATA binding protein (TBP) causes a neurodegenerative disease, Spinocerebellar Ataxia 17 (SC A17). This disease is characterized by intranuclear protein aggregates and selective loss of cerebellar neurons, including Purkinje cells. MicroRNAs are small, endogenous, regulatory non-coding RNA molecules that bind to mRNAs with partial complementarity and interfere in their expression. Here, we used a cellular model of SC A17 where we expressed TBP with 16 (normal) or 59 (pathogenic) polyglutamines and found differential expression of several microRNAs. Specifically, we found two microRNAs, miR-29a/b, were downregulated. With miR-29a/b downregulation, we found an increased expression of targets of miR-29a/b-beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE 1), p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) and BAK, increased cytochrome c release and apoptosis. Restoration of miR-29a/b in the pathogenic polyglutamine background reduced the BACE 1 expression. While, antagomiRs against miR-29a/b resulted in an increase in BACE 1 levels and neuronal apoptosis. In spite of the elevation of BACE 1 in Alzhemiers disease, its role in neuronal cell death has not been established. Here, we show that increased BACE 1 expression is not sufficient to cause apoptosis. However restoring level of BACE 1 to normal in polyglutamine cells partially reduced neuronal apoptosis. We show a role for the miR-29a/b-BACE 1 regulatory interaction in SC A17, suggesting that this microRNA could be part of a common molecular mechanism leading to neuronal cell death in multiple neurodegenerative disorders. The identification of a common mechanism of microRNA mediated neurodegeneration not only improves our understanding of the process, but also provides promising and novel therapeutic targets.

}, keywords = {BACE1, miR-29a/b, neurodegeneration, SCA17, TBP}, issn = {1547-6286}, doi = {10.4161/rna.19876}, author = {Roshan, Reema and Ghosh, Tanay and Gadgil, Mugdha and Pillai, Beena} } @article { ISI:000309568700049, title = {Reply to comment on {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Reductive dechlorination of gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane using Fe-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, by C. Noubactep}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {235}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {392-393}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.04.015}, author = {Nagpal, Varima and Bokare, Alok D. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Paknikar, Kishore M.} } @article { ISI:000298731600002, title = {Reply to the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}comments to CFD simulation of stirred tanks: comparison of turbulence models. part I: radial flow impellers and part II: axial flow impellers, multiple impellers and multiphase dispersions{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {90}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3-6}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.21610}, author = {Joshi, J. B. and Nere, N. K. and Rane, C. V. and Murthy, B. N. and Mathpati, Channamallikarjun S. and Patwardhan, A. W. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article {42503, title = {Rhodamine-alginate conjugate as self-indicating gel beads for efficient detection and scavenging of Hg 2+ and Cr 3+ in aqueous media}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1659-1661}, abstract = {

Effective extraction of Hg2+ and Cr3+ ions from aqueous media by novel rhodamine{\textendash}alginate polymer-based highly fluorogenic, as well as colorimetric, chemosensor beads.

}, doi = {10.1039/C1CC16554B}, author = {Saha, Sukdeb and Chhatbar, Mahesh U. and Mahato, Prasenjit and Praveen, L. and Siddhanta, A. K. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000307748700004, title = {Scandium-decorated MOF-5 as potential candidates for room-temperature hydrogen storage: a solution for the clustering problem in MOFs}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {116}, number = {33}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {17336-17342}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Transition-metal-based systems show promising binding energy for hydrogen storage but suffer from clustering problem. The effect of light transition metal (M = Sc, Ti) decoration, boron substitution on the hydrogen storage properties of MOF-5, and clustering problem of metals has been investigated using ab initio density, functional theory. Our results of solid-tate calculations reveal that whereas Ti clusters strongly Sc atoms do not suffer from this problem when decorating MOF-5. Boron substitution on metal-decorated MOF-5 enhances the interaction energy of both the metals with MOF-5. Sc-decorated MOF-5 shows a hydrogen storage capacity of 5.81 wt \% with calculated binding energies of 20-40 kJ/mol, which ensures the room-teniperature applicability of this hydrogen storage material.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp302852h}, author = {Dixit, Mudit and Maark, Tuhina Adit and Ghatak, Kamalika and Ahuja, Rajiv and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000306933400046, title = {Segmented flow synthesis of Ag nanoparticles in spiral microreactor: role of continuous and disperzsed phase}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {192}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {357-368}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

This work focuses on understanding the effect of segmented flow on the nanoparticle size distribution in a unidirectionally expanding spiral microreactor, where secondary flows are prevalent in the absence of segmentation. Stearic acid sophorolipid reduced/capped Ag NPs were synthesized in the aqueous phase and air or kerosene was used as inert phases for creating the gas-liquid and liquid-liquid segmented flow, respectively. While, in one case the reactant phase is in the form of dispersed phase slugs, in the other case it is in the form of continuous phase, each exhibiting a different behavior. The slug sizes and the slip velocity, both of which govern the nature of internal mixing in the reactant phase slug controlled the nanoparticle size distribution. This observation was consistent for both, gas-liquid and liquid-liquid segmented flows. The micromixer having smaller orifice diameter yielded smaller slugs and also a narrow particle size distribution. In general, the particle sizes were much smaller for gas-liquid flow rather than for liquid-liquid flow. Because of the unidirectionally expanding spiral geometry of the channel, at any given condition, unsteady behavior of slugs due to continuously varying radius of curvature results in variation in the slip velocity along the length of microchannel. This effect was seen to further narrow the particle size distribution than alone by the segmented flow. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag nanoparticles, Segmented flow synthesis, Sophorolipid, Spiral microreactor}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2012.02.084}, author = {Kumar, D. V. Ravi and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article { ISI:000310744400011, title = {Selective oxidation of nonrefractory and refractory sulfides by cyclopentadienyl molybdenum acetylide complexes as efficient catalysts}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {142}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1352-1360}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

{The synthesis and catalytic properties of molybdenum acetylide complexes CpMo(CO)(3)(-C CR)

}, keywords = {Homogeneous catalysis, Molybdenum acetylide, Oxo-peroxo species, Refractory sulfide oxidation}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-012-0898-x}, author = {Chandgude, Macchindra G. and Biradar, Ankush V. and Kotbagi, Trupti V. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar} } @article { ISI:000301955900026, title = {Selective recognition of fluoride and acetate by a newly designed ruthenium framework: experimental and theoretical investigations}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {41}, number = {15}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4484-4496}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{An effective anion sensor, [Ru-II(bpy)(2)(H2L-)](+) (1(+)), based on a redox and photoactive {Ru-II(bpy)(2)} moiety and a new ligand (H3L = 5-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxylic acid), has been developed for selective recognition of fluoride (F-) and acetate (OAc-) ions. Crystal structures of the free ligand, H3L and [1](ClO4) reveal the existence of strong intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. The structure of [1](ClO4) shows that the benzimidazole N-H of H2L- is hydrogen bonded with the pendant carboxylate oxygen while the imidazole N-H remains free for possible hydrogen bonding interaction with the anions. The potential anion sensing features of 1(+) have been studied by different experimental and theoretical (DFT) investigations using a wide variety of anions, such as F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, HSO4-, H2PO4-, OAc- and SCN-. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry established that 1(+) is an excellent electrochemical sensor for the selective recognition kof F- and OAc- anions. 1(+) is also found to be a selective colorimetric sensor for F- or OAc- anions where the MLCT band of the receptor at 498 nm is red shifted to 538 nm in the presence of one equivalent of F- or OAc- with a distinct change in colour from reddish-orange to pink. The binding constant between 1(+) and F- or OAc- has been determined to be logK = 7.61 or 7.88, respectively, based on spectrophotometric titration in CH3CN. The quenching of the emission band of 1(+) at 716 nm (lambda(ex) = 440 nm

}, doi = {10.1039/c2dt12126c}, author = {Kundu, Tanaya and Chowdhury, Abhishek Dutta and De, Dipanwita and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Datta, Anindya and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000311864500004, title = {Selectivity tuning options in hydrogenation of m-chloronitrobenzene to m-chloroaniline over mono- and bimetallic supported Pt catalysts}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {51}, number = {48}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {15564-15572}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Supported monometallic (Pt, Ni,) and bimetallic (Ni-Pt) catalysts were prepared for the selective liquid phase hydrogenation of m-chlronitrobenzene to m-chloroaniline (m-CAN). It was found that the use of sodium carbonate as an additive substantially reduced the extent of dehydrohalogenation in the case of monometallic, 1\% Pt/C catalyst, to give the highest selectivity of 96\% to m-CAN. Ni-Pt bimetallic catalyst although showed almost complete selectivity (\>99\%) to m-chloroaniline; its activity was several fold lower than that of 1\% Pt/C Na2CO3 system. However, compared with Ni monometallic catalyst, bimetallic Ni-Pt showed higher activity and selectivity due to the presence of electron rich surface metallic Pt stabilized by Ni having lower ionization potential compared with Pt.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie301363x}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Potdar, Aparna S. and Nadgeri, Jayprakash M. and Biradar, Narayan S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000303774000020, title = {Self-assembled one dimensional functionalized metal-organic nanotubes (MONTs) for proton conduction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {44}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {5464-5466}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two self-assembled isostructural functionalized metal-organic nanotubes have been synthesized using 5-triazole isophthalic acid (5-TIA) with In(III) and Cd(II). In-and Cd-5TIA possess one-dimensional (1D) nanotubular architecture and show proton conductivity along regular 1D channels, measured as 5.35 x 10(-5) and 3.61 x 10(-3) S cm(-1) respectively.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc31527k}, author = {Panda, Tamas and Kundu, Tanay and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000309462100003, title = {SHI irradiation induced effects in functionalized MWCNTs}, journal = {Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids}, volume = {167}, number = {8, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {569-576}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have attracted extensive attention globally due to their applications in modern nanotechnology. It is very important to study the effects on these MWCNTs under swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation since ion irradiation has been recognized as one of the best tools for nanostructuring of materials, in general. Here, we present the effects of 80MeV Ni ions with a fluence ranging from 3 x 10(12) to 3 x 10(13) ions/cm(2) on functionalized MWCNT mats. The properties of pristine and irradiated samples were studied using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The effects of SHI irradiation on these samples are discussed in detail.

}, keywords = {CNT, Raman, SHI, TEM}, issn = {1042-0150}, doi = {10.1080/10420150.2012.660939}, author = {Saikiran, V. and Pathak, A. P. and Rao, N. Srinivasa and Devaraju, G. and Debgupta, Joyashish and Kyriakou, I. and Emfietzoglou, D.} } @article {UGC-New Delhi}, title = {Single crystal X-ray structure of lawsone anion: evidence for coordination of alkali metal ions and formation of naphthosemiquinone radical in basic media}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1010}, number = {3-4}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {38-45}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone; Lawsone (Lw) is a natural compound found in henna leaves. The reaction of lawsone with {\textquoteleft}Na{\textquoteright} metal (Lw-1), CH3COONa (Lw-2), NaOH (Lw-3), KOH (Lw-4), K2CO3 (Lw-5) and Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Lw-6) were studied. Red orange solids obtained for Lw-1 to Lw-6 are characterized by Elemental Analysis, FTIR, (HNMR)-H-1 and EPR studies. The results reveal the coordination of alkali metals {\textquoteleft}Na{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}K{\textquoteright} to lawsone anion. The single crystal X-ray structure of Lw-6 was solved and it crystallizes in triclinic space group P-1 with extensive hydrogen bonding network of C-H center dot center dot center dot O, N-H center dot center dot center dot O and O-H center dot center dot center dot O between cations and anions. Polycrystalline powder X-band EPR spectra of Lw-1 to Lw-5 shows signals similar to 2.004 at 133 K, while Lw-6 is EPR silent. The naphthosemiquinone (NSQ) radical formed in Lw-2 to Lw-5, is due to disproportion reaction of catechol and naphthoquinone. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-Hydroxy-1, 4-naphthoquione, EPR, hydrogen bonding, Lawsone, Naphthosemiquinone radicals}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2011.11.015}, author = {Salunke-Gawali, Sunita and Kathawate, Laxmi and Shinde, Yogesh and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Weyhermueller, Thomas} } @article {42726, title = {Smart wireless temperature monitor \& control system}, journal = {UACEE International Journal of Computer Science and its Application}, volume = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {56-60}, doi = {10.3850/ 978-981-07-2950-9_687}, author = {Patil, Rohit and Joshi, Dnyanesh and More, Rahul and Iyer, Neelima} } @article { ISI:000298726300004, title = {Solid phase morphological diversity of a rare vanadium cubane (V4O16) based metal organic framework}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {12-17}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A Cu(II) connected V4O16-cubane based metal organic framework, Cu-2(phen)(2)(V4O8) (PO4)(4) [Cu2V4O16-2D] was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. This is the first example of transition metal connected V4O16-cubane based MOF. X-ray single crystal data shows the alternate arrangement V4O16-cubane and Cu(phen)(O)(3) square pyramidal unit in two dimensions. These two-dimensional sheets are stacked on top of each other to form a three-dimensional architecture. Cu2V4O16-2D shows two types of solid state morphologies of the same phase, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. It is noteworthy that this type of morphological difference of the solid phase in an extended metal organic hybrid material is rare and has not been perceived in the polyoxovanadate based MOFs literature. Cu2V4O16-2D was further characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), IR-spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis. We also studied the static magnetic and gas adsorption properties for Cu2V4O16-2D.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg201030u}, author = {Dey, Chandan and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000311284900014, title = {Solution mediated phase transformation (RHO to SOD) in porous Co-imidazolate based zeolitic frameworks with high water stability}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {97}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11868-11870}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Here we report a highly porous, water stable Co based ZIF [CoNIm (RHO)] and its solution mediated phase transformation to a less porous and water unstable ZIF [CoNIm (SOD)]. CoNIm (RHO) has high Langmuir surface area [2087 m(2) g(-1)] as well as high water adsorption [200 cm(3) (STP) g(-1)] capacity.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc36651g}, author = {Biswal, Bishnu P. and Panda, Tamas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000305742400008, title = {Stereoselective construction of 5,11-methanomorphanthridine and 5,10b-phenanthridine structural frameworks: total syntheses of (+/-)-pancracine, (+/-)-brunsvigine, (+/-)-maritidine, and (+/-)-crinine}, journal = {Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {84}, number = {7}, year = {2012}, note = {23rd International Congress on Heterocyclic Chemistry (ICHC), Glasgow, SCOTLAND, JUL 31-AUG 04, 2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1597-1619}, publisher = {Virginia Taylor; Astra Zeneca; Chem Sci Scotland; Eisai; EPSRC; Glasgow City Council; GSK; IUPAC; Pfizer; Scottish Enterprise; Syngenta; Univ Strathclyde}, type = {Article}, address = {104 TW ALEXANDER DR, PO BOX 13757, RES TRIANGLE PK, NC 27709-3757 USA}, abstract = {

The core structure of the complex pentacyclic 5,11-methanomorphanthridine skeleton and the vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters of the 5,10b-phenanthridine skeleton are constructed stereospecifically in one step employing intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cyclo addition of a nonstabilized azomethine ylide (AMY) generated by the sequential double desilylation of appropriate bis-trimethylsilylmethyl amines using Ag(I)F as a single-electron oxidant. The strategy is successfully applied for the total synthesis of biologically active alkaloids such as (+/-)-pancracine, (+/-)-brunsvigine, (+/-)-maritidine, and (+/-)-crinine.

}, keywords = {alkaloid synthesis, cycloadditions, organic synthesis, stereocontrolled synthesis}, issn = {0033-4545}, doi = {10.1351/PAC-CON-11-10-12}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Gadre, Smita R.} } @article { ISI:000310947900008, title = {Stereospecific synthesis of C-arabinofuranosides and carba-disaccharide analogues of Motif C of cell wall AG complex of Mtb}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {47}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6347-6350}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple strategy for the synthesis of alpha- and beta-C-arabinofuranosides featuring a furan ring transposition reaction has been developed. A novel double furan ring transposition reaction has proposed and executed for the synthesis of the carba-disaccharide analogue of Motif C of the cell wall AG complex of Mtb. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Arabinose, C-Glycosides, Carba-disaccharide, Cell wall AG complex, Ring transposition}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.09.015}, author = {Patil, Rahul S. and Ahire, Ketan M. and Ramana, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000309885500028, title = {Strong metal-metal coupling in mixed-valent intermediates [Cl(L)Ru(mu-tppz)Ru(L)Cl](+), L = beta-diketonato ligands, tppz=2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {41}, number = {43}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13429-13440}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Five diruthenium(II) complexes [Cl(L)Ru(mu-tppz)Ru(L)Cl](1-5) containing differently substituted beta-diketonato derivatives (1: L = 2,4-pentanedionato; 2: L = 3,5-heptanedionato; 3: L = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato; 4: L = 3-methyl-2,4-pentanedionato; 5: L = 3-ethyl-2,4-pentanedionato) as ancillary ligands (L) were synthesized and studied by spectroelectrochemistry (UV-Vis-NIR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)). X-ray structural characterisation revealed anti (1, 2, 5) or syn (3) configuration as well as non-planarity of the bis-tridentate tppz bridge and strong d pi(Ru-II) -\> pi*(pyrazine, tppz) back-bonding. The widely separated one-electron oxidation steps, (RuRuII)-Ru-II/(RuRuIII)-Ru-II and (RuRuIII)-Ru-II/(RuRuIII)-Ru-III, result in large comproportionation constants (K-c) of \>= 10(10) for the mixed-valent intermediates. The syn-configurated 3(n) exhibits a particularly high K-c of 10(12) for n = 1+, accompanied by density functional theory (DFT)-calculated minimum Ru-N bond lengths for this (RuRuIII)-Ru-II intermediate. The electrogenerated mixed-valent states 1(+)-5(+) exhibit anisotropic EPR spectra at 110 K with average values \< g \> of 2.304-2.234 and g anisotropies Delta g = g(1)-g(3) of 0.82-0.99. Metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) absorptions occur for 1(+)-5(+) in the NIR region at 1660 nm-1750 nm (epsilon approximate to 2700 dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1), Delta nu(1/2) approximate to 1800 cm(-1)). DFT calculations of 1(+) and 3(+) yield comparable Mulliken spin densities of about 0.60 for the metal ions, corresponding to valence-delocalised situations (Ru-2.5)(2). Rather large spin densities of about -0.4 were calculated for the tppz bridges in 1(+) and 3(+). The calculated electronic interaction values (V-AB) for 1(+)-5(+) are about 3000 cm(-1), comparable to that for the Creutz-Taube ion at 3185 cm(-1). The DFT calculations predict that the (RuRuIII)-Ru-III forms in 12(+)-52(+) prefer a triplet (S = 1) ground state with Delta E (S = 0 - S = 1) similar to 5000 cm(-1). One-electron reduction takes place at the tppz bridge which results in species [Cl(L)Ru-II(mu-tppz(.-)) Ru-II(L)Cl](-) (1(.-)-3(.-), 5(.-)) which exhibit free radical-type EPR signals and NIR transitions typical of the tppz radical anion. The system 4(n) is distinguished by lability of the Ru-Cl bonds.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c2dt31763j}, author = {Kundu, Tanaya and Schweinfurth, David and Sarkar, Biprajit and Mondal, Tapan Kumar and Fiedler, Jan and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kaim, Wolfgang and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000302817400015, title = {Structural and surface morphological properties of chemically deposited Mo0.5W0.5S2 thin film}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {23}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {909-912}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Preparation of layered type semiconductor Mo0.5W0.5S2- thin films has been successfully done by using chemical bath deposition method. Objective of the studies are related to structural, optical, morphological and electrical properties of the thin films. The preparation method is based on the reaction between tartarate complex of Mo and W with thiourea in an aqueous alkaline medium at 363 K. X-Ray diffraction reveals a polycrystalline film composed of both MoS2 and WS2 phases. The optical study shows that the band gap of the film is 1.6 eV. Electrical conductivity is high which is in the order of 10(-3)-10(-2) (Omega cm)(-1).

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-011-0519-2}, author = {Patil, A. A. and Hankare, P. P. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Garadkar, K. M.} } @article { ISI:000301295900015, title = {Structural determination and chemical esterification of the sophorolipids produced by Candida bombicola grown on glucose and alpha-linolenic acid}, journal = {Biotechnology Letters}, volume = {34}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {701-707}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The extracellular surface-active glycolipids produced by the yeast, Candida bombicola when grown on glucose and alpha-linolenic acid, were analyzed by HPLC with electro-spray ionization (ESI-MS) and collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry. The analysis confirmed that the sophorolipid (SL) mixture contained three different forms of C18:3 SL molecules: free acid, lactone and a diacetylated lactone, which has not been reported previously. Also a minor amount of diacetylated lactone form of C18:1 SL was detected. Further, the SL mixture was subjected to chemical esterification reaction with sodium methoxide. The reaction product was analyzed with ESI-MS and confirmed to be the single homogenous esterified product containing C18:3 moieties in its fatty acid chain.

}, keywords = {Candida bombicola, Collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry, Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, HPLC, Linolenic acid, Sophorolipid methyl ester}, issn = {0141-5492}, doi = {10.1007/s10529-011-0818-y}, author = {Gupta, Reetika and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000309645000013, title = {Studies on the resistive response of nickel and cerium doped SnO2 thick films to acetone vapor}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {38}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6171-6179}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Undoped and Ni, Ce-doped nanocrystalline tin oxide were synthesized by co-precipitation route. Doped as well as undoped SnO2 compositions revealed single phase structure without any impurity. The lattice constant of SnO2 increases and the grain size decreases with doping of Ni and Ce. The responses of the sensing elements are evaluated by measuring the resistance change upon exposure to various test gases such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), acetone, ethanol and ammonia. In comparison to LPG, ethanol, and ammonia the response towards acetone vapor increases markedly on simultaneous doping of Ni and Ce. For acetone vapors with 500 ppm at 300 degrees C, the undoped SnO2 shows 31\% response, while with individual Ni or Ce doping it increases to 38 and 60\%, respectively, however with simultaneous doping of Ni and Ce there is a significant enhancement up to 92\%. The results of gas sensing measurements reveal that the thick films deposited on alumina substrates using screen printing technique give selectively a high response of (87\%) with fast recovery (similar to 1 min) towards 100 ppm acetone at 300 degrees C. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(Ni plus Ce)-doping, Acetone vapor, Screen-printing, SnO2}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2012.04.068}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000307202800028, title = {Supported copper triflate as an efficient catalytic system for the synthesis of highly functionalized 2-naphthol Mannich bases under solvent free condition}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {33}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4376-4380}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Various heterogeneous catalysts (Lewis acid) have been prepared and screened for the synthesis of Betti bases in an attempt to reduce the environmental hazards associated with the conventional homogeneous Lewis acid system. And we found especially Cu(OTf)(2)center dot SiO2 catalyzes the three-component coupling of aldehyde, 2-naphthol, and alicyclic amine to generate Betti base with high efficiency under neat conditions without additional co-catalyst or additive in air. The reaction is not sensitive to water and occurs smoothly in water as well. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Betti bases, single-crystal XRD, Solvent-free, Supported copper triflate, Three-component coupling}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.06.022}, author = {Dindulkar, Someshwar D. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Jeong, Yeon Tae} } @article { ISI:000311858600006, title = {Supramolecular synthon transferability and gelation by diprimary ammonium monocarboxylate salts}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5864-5868}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Earlier studies revealed that primary ammonium dicarboxylate (PAD) salts possessed gelling ability, and many such salts displayed a 1D columnar hydrogen bonded network (observed in primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM) salts) on either side of the dicarboxylate end of the anion. In the present study, a new series of diprimary ammonium monocarboxyate (DPAM) salts have been prepared with the aim of achieving supramolecular synthon transferability (the same 1D columnar hydrogen PAM bonded network on either side of the diammonium cation) in these salts. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that, in 47\% of the DPAM salts, such supramolecular synthon transferability indeed took place. Some of the DPAM salts also showed gelation ability. The gels were characterized by DSC, rheology, electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Structure property correlation using single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction data on a selected gel was also attempted.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg301242p}, author = {Das, Uttam Kumar and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dastidar, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000309645000077, title = {Surface characterization of Au-ZnO nanowire films}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {38}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6665-6670}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Au-ZnO nanowire films have been synthesized by annealing Zn foils coated with a thin layer of gold. An X-ray diffraction study found that the synthesized ZnO consists mainly of a hexagonal wurtzite structure along with a small amount of AuZn3 phase. Scanning electron images showed that the ZnO wires extend to several microns in length. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies confirmed the oxidation states of Au and Zn. An asymmetric O ls peak indicates the presence of oxygen in an oxide layer and O H groups on the films surfaces. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed different visible peaks for pre-annealed films, while for annealed films an UV peak appeared. In addition, the PL analysis showed that the overall intensity of photoluminescence decreased significantly after the films were annealed. Raman spectroscopy results also indicated that the crystalline quality of the films improved with annealing. This could be attributed to a decrease in oxygen vacancies and/or absorption of O-H groups on the surface of ZnO film. The highly hydrophilic surface with a water contact angle of similar to 155 degrees was obtained after annealing in air. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au-ZnO, Highly hydrophilic, Nanowires, XPS}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2012.05.054}, author = {Jamali-Sheini, Farid and Yousefi, Ramin and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000301098700068, title = {Syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of metal-organic hybrid materials of Co(II) using flexible and rigid nitrogen-based ditopic ligands as spacers}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1571-1578}, abstract = {

{A carboxylate-based flexible ligand, 5-(4-carboxybenzyloxy)isophthalic acid (p-cbiaH(3)), readily reacts with Co(II) salts in the presence of different pyridine-based coligands such as 4-bis(4-pyridinylmethyl)piperazine (bpmp) or 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene (dpe) under hydrothermal conditions to afford two different three-dimensional (3D) coordination polymers, {[Co-4(OH)(2)(p-cbia)(2)(bpmp)-(H2O)(3)]center dot 2H(2)O}(n) (1) and {[Co-4(OH)(2)(p-cbia)(2)(dpe)(H2O)(4)]center dot 2H(2)O\

}, author = {Ahmad, Musheer and Sharma, Mamsh K. and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankai and Bharadwaj, Parimal K.} } @article { ISI:000303086200012, title = {Synthesis and antifungal activity of 1,5-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole containing fluconazole analogues}, journal = {Medchemcomm}, volume = {3}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {484-488}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Fluconazole based novel mimics containing 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized by using Ru catalysed 1,3 dipolar cycloaddition. All the newly synthesized compounds and pure enantiomers were more potent than fluconazole against Candida albicans. Docking of 9A and 9B showed different conformation in the active site of Cyp51 of Candida albicans. The more active compounds 2 and 2A did not exhibit any toxicity up to 3.12 mu g mL(-1) against mammalian cell line L929.

}, issn = {2040-2503}, doi = {10.1039/c2md00205a}, author = {Pore, Vandana S. and Jagtap, Manisha A. and Agalave, Sandip G. and Pandey, Atindra K. and Siddiqi, Mohammad I. and Kumar, Vikash and Shukla, Praveen K.} } @article { ISI:000324503204546, title = {Synthesis and self-assembly of glycopolypeptides}, journal = {Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {243}, year = {2012}, note = {243rd National Spring Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society, San Diego, CA, MAR 25-29, 2012}, month = {MAR}, publisher = {Amer Chem Soc}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0065-7727}, author = {Pati, Debasis and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000300076200019, title = {Synthesis and stereochemistry of highly crowded N-benzylpiperidones}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1007}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {158-167}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A series of N-benzylated 3,5-diakyl-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-ones 4-8 were conveniently synthesized in significant yields of 68-88\% by N-benzylation of the corresponding 2,6-diaryl-3,5-dimethylpiperidin-4-ones 1-3 using different benzyl bromides. Initially, the new piperidone 2,6-bis(4-ethoxypheny1)-3,5-dimethylpiperidin-4-one 3 was synthesized by the condensation of 1:1:2 M ratio of 3-pentanone, ammonium acetate and para-ethoxybenzaldehyde in ethanolic medium. All the synthesized new compounds 3-8 were characterized by their analytical and spectral (IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR) interpretations. The stereochemistry of the new piperidone 3 was elucidated as chair conformation with an equatorial orientation of all substituents, suggested by its vicinal couplings from H-1 NMR spectrum. To investigate the impact on piperidone stereochemistry as well as NMR chemical shifts, all the N-benzylated products 4-8 were compared with their corresponding precursors, and as a result, it is clearly established that all the synthesized N-benzyl piperidones exist in the chair conformation with an equatorial orientation of all the substituents at C-2, C-3, C-5, C-6 and N. Contrary to the probability all N-benzylated compounds retain the same conformation and configuration as their precursors, however, a remarkable change on the chemical shifts are observed. For the further unambiguous confirmation of stereochemistry, the 1-benzyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,6-diphenylpiperidin-4-one 4 was examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound 4, C26H27NO, crystallized in a P-1 space group under triclinic system with unit cell dimensions a, b, c (angstrom) and alpha, beta, gamma (degrees) of 10.156(2), 11.002(2), 11.348(4) and 116.74(4), 100.81(3), 100.17(3), respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chair conformation, Configuration, crystal structure, N-benzylation, NMR, Piperidin-4-one}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2011.10.037}, author = {Dindulkar, Someshwar D. and Parthiban, Paramasivam and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Jeong, Yeon Tae} } @article { ISI:000303157400022, title = {Synthesis and structural characterization of homochiral homo-oligomers of cis-gamma-methoxy-substituted cis- and trans-furanoid-beta-amino acids}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {13}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2656-2663}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Herein we describe the synthesis of cis-/trans-3-aminotetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylic acids (cis-/trans-FAA) having a ?-methoxy group cis to the amine. The homo-oligomers of these two diastereomeric FAAs have been prepared. Preliminary investigation of their solution secondary structures revealed that they are the same as the homo-oligomers of the parent cis-/trans-FAA with the methoxy group only being a spectator substituent.

}, keywords = {Amino acids, helical structures, Oxygen heterocycles, Peptides}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201101424}, author = {Giri, Awadut G. and Jogdand, Ganesh F. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparampil R. and Pandey, Sunil K. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000308279900043, title = {Synthesis, characterization, and magnetic studies of coordination polymers with Co(II) and Mn(II) ions}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {9}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4624-4632}, abstract = {

{An ether bridged tricarboxylic acid ligand, 5-(4-carboxybenzyloxy)isophthalic acid (p-cbiaH(3)) has been used to construct three coordination polymers with Co(II) salts in presence of different nitrogen donor ligands such as 1,4-bis(4-pyridinylmethyl)piperazine (bpmp), dipyridine-4-yl-diazene (dpd), and 4,4{\textquoteright}-bipyridine (bpy). The products formed under hydrothermal conditions are formulated as {[Co-3(p-cbia)(2)(bpmp)(2)(H2O)(6)]center dot 10H(2)O}(n) (1), {[Co-2(p-cbiaH)(2)(dpd)(H2O)(2)]\

}, author = {Ahmad, Musheer and Das, Raja and Lama, Prem and Poddar, Pankaj and Bharadwaj, Parimal K.} } @article { ISI:000303442500017, title = {Synthesis of functional hybrid silica scaffolds with controllable hierarchical porosity by dynamic templating}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {43}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {5292-5294}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a facile one-pot synthesis of hierarchically porous scaffolds, with independent control over nanoparticle mesoporosity and scaffold macroporosity. Our technique combines the chemistry of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with the control afforded by dynamic templating of surfactant mesophases. These materials are readily functionalizable and allow controllable spatial variation in macroporosity.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc30885a}, author = {Ganai, Anal Kumar and Kumari, Sushma and Sharma, Kamendra P. and Panda, Chakadola and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {42647, title = {Synthesis of linear polylactic acid {\textendash}based urethanes using tin modified closite -30b catalyst}, journal = {Advance Material Letters}, volume = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {161 - 171}, author = {Selukar, Balaji S. and Parwe, Sharad P. and Mohite, Kavita K. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article { ISI:000310931900030, title = {Synthesis of silk fibroin-glycopolypeptide conjugates and their recognition with lectin}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {13}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3695-3702}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Silk fibroin (SF), the natural fibrous protein created by the Bombyx mori silk worm, is being increasingly excellent mechanical strength, high oxygen/water permeability, excellent mechanical strength; high oxygen/water:permeability, and biocompatibility: :It is also well known that surface. modification of SF, With Organic ligands such as the extracellular protein :binding. Arg-Gly-Asp, (RGD) peptides:,: help adhesion and,proliferation. of cells better-a key; requirement for it to function as extracellular. matrices; In this, Work, We have conjugated synthetic glycopolypeptides (GPs) that were synthesized by controlled ring opening polymerization of alpha-manno-lys N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) onto SF by using Cu catalyzed click reaction to synthesize 1 a new hybrid :Material (SF GP), Which We believe will have :both the mechanical properties of native SF and the molecular recognition property of the carbohydrates in the GP. By controlling the :amount of GP grafted onto SF, we have made three SF GP conjugates that differ in their ability to assemble into films. SF GP conjugates having a very high content of GP formed completely water soluble brush like polymer that displayed very high affinity toward the lectin concanavalin-A (Con-A) Films cast from SF-GP conjugates using lower amounts of grafted GP were more stable in water, and the stability can be modulated by varying the amount of G grafted. The water insoluble film SF-GP(25) was also found to bind to fluorescently labeled Con A, as was seen by confocal microscopy Such SF-GP hybrid films may be useful as mimics of extracellular matrices for tissue engineering:

}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/bm301170u}, author = {Das, Soumen and Pati, Debasis and Tiwari, Neha and Nisal, Anuya and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000302902200025, title = {Synthesis, spectroscopy, and electrochemical investigation of new conjugated polymers containing thiophene and 1,3,4-thiadiazole in the main chain}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {125}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1882-1889}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Novel photoluminescent donoracceptor poly(p-phenylenevinylene)-type conjugated polymers containing thiophene and 1,3,4-thiadiazole units in the main chain were synthesized from 2,5-bis(5-bromomethyl-2-thienyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 1,3/1,4-benzenedialdehyde by WittigHorner reaction. The synthesized polymers were characterized by the use of thermal analysis and spectroscopic (infrared, UV-visible absorption, and photoluminescence) measurement. The resultant material exhibited bluish green, green, and orange fluorescence in their solution and thin film and solid forms, respectively. The redox property of the polymers has also been studied by cyclic voltammetry. The optical and electrochemical studies reveal that these novel polymers are new promising materials for the development of efficient polymer light-emitting diodes. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

}, keywords = {conjugated polymers, photoluminescence, thiophene and thiadiazole-containing polymer}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.36238}, author = {Patil, Prashant S. and Haram, Nanda S. and Pal, Ravindra R. and Periasamy, N. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Salunkhe, Manikrao M.} } @article { ISI:000312519900003, title = {Temperature-dependent spectroscopic evidences of curcumin in aqueous medium: a mechanistic study of its solubility and stability}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {116}, number = {50}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {14533-14540}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In curcumin, keto-enol-enolate equilibrium of the heptadiene-dione moiety determines its physiochemical and antioxidant properties. However, its poor solubility in water at neutral pH and room temperature decreases its bioavailability. Potential therapeutic applications have triggered an interest in manipulating the solubility of curcumin in water as its stability and solubility in water remains poorly understood. Here, the mechanism behind its solubility at various temperatures and the influence of interplay of temperature, intramolecular H-bonding, and intermolecular forces is reported, which leads to aggregation-disaggregation at various temperatures. Remarkable change is observed in temperature-dependent electronic transition behavior of curcumin, however, the absorption spectra after cooling and heating cycles remain unchanged, hinting much better thermal stability of curcumin in water than previously thought. This study indicates that it is perhaps the breaking of intramolecular hydrogen bonding which leads to exposure of polar groups and hence responsible for the dissolution of curcumin at higher temperature. The formation of intermolecular aggregates might be responsible behind a better room temperature stability of the molecules after cooling its aqueous suspension from 90 to 25 degrees C. These curcumin solubility studies have great application in biological research with reference to bioavailability and to understand target oriented mode of action of curcumin.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp3050516}, author = {Jagannathan, Ramya and Abraham, Priya Mary and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000310567800027, title = {Theoretical study of frequency and temperature dependence of dipole-quadrupole polarizability of P-4 and adamantane}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {552}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {146-150}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The frequency and temperature dependence of dipole-quadrupole polarizability of tetrahedral P-4 and adamantane molecules have been studied using first-principle all-electron density functional theory calculation. The recently developed time-dependent auxiliary density functional theory is extended for the calculation of dynamic dipole-quadrupole polarizabilities. Temperature effects are incorporated by Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations recorded up to 100 ps. The dynamic dipole-quadrupole polarizabilities are calculated along these trajectories. The frequency and temperature effects can be significant for the accurate calculation of dipole-quadrupole polarizability. We have also identified the main reason for the observed discrepancy between experiment and theory in the case of adamantane. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2012.09.045}, author = {Shedge, Sapana V. and Pal, Sourav and Koester, Andreas M.} } @article { ISI:000303158300021, title = {Topochemical click reaction: spontaneous self-stitching of a monosaccharide to linear oligomers through lattice-controlled azide-alkyne cycloaddition}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {51}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {4362-4366}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {Click chemistry, green chemistry, polymerization, pseudosugars, topochemistry}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201201023}, author = {Pathigoolla, Atchutarao and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Sureshan, Kana M.} } @article {42809, title = {Total synthesis and structural revision of stagonolide D}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {77}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2169{\textendash}2175}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of the putative structure of stagonolide D has been completed. The relative and absolute configuration of stagonolide D was established by synthesizing its optical antipode. The adopted strategy involves the construction of the central macrolide employing ring-closing metathesis (RCM), followed by selective protecting group manipulations and a final concomitant -OTBS deprotection and displacement of an -OMs placed next to it, resulting in the formation of the epoxide ring.

}, doi = {10.1021/jo202138g}, author = {Vadhadiya, Paresh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000311926100005, title = {Total synthesis of (-)-isatisine A}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {77}, number = {23}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10509-10515}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A modular total synthesis of (-)-isatisine A is described in which four consecutive metal-mediated transformations have been employed at the final stage. These include [Pd]-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling, [Pd]-catalyzed nitroalkyne cycloisomerization leading to isatogens, and addition of indoles to isatogens using InCl3- and [Rh]-catalyzed oxidative N-heterocyclization of amino alcohol to form the key amide bond. In addition to these, the removal of the protecting groups has also been carried out in a selective fashion employing either catalytic or stoichiometric metal/metal-based reagents.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo302198v}, author = {Patel, Pitambar and Ramana, C. V.} } @article {43386, title = {Trends towards zero discharge of distillery effluents}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {211 - 215}, type = {Special Report}, abstract = {In the present paper we have described briefly a customer friendly process for the treatment of distillery effluent to obtain colourless water.In order to bring about improvement of cost factor, our developmental efforts towards cheaper and efficient adsorbents have been elucidated. Further improvement of its cost factor could be achieved by enhancing the colour removal ability of the adsorbent (activecharcoal) with small quantities of oxidizing agents (in ppm level). Recent developments towards obtaining valueadded products from spent wash using various methodologies and techniques have been reviewed with a view to encourage technocrats and entrepreneurs to take lead in this challenging and economically attractive endeavor}, author = {Gokarn, A. N. and Pande, Anita R. and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000299158700036, title = {Tuberculosis drug streptomycin as a potential cancer therapeutic: inhibition of miR-21 function by directly targeting its precursor}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {51}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1019-1023}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, keywords = {Apoptosis, drug discovery, Gene expression, inhibitors, RNA}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201106455}, author = {Bose, Debojit and Jayaraj, Gopal Gunanathan and Suryawanshi, Hemant and Agarwala, Prachi and Pore, Subrata Kumar and Banerjee, Rajkumar and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000299212700017, title = {Tuning spectral properties of phenothiazine based donor-pi-acceptor dyes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {889-894}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c1jm14024h}, author = {Marszalek, Magdalena and Nagane, Satyawan and Ichake, Amol and Humphry-Baker, Robin and Paul, Vincent and Zakeeruddin, Shaik M. and Graetzel, Michael} } @article { ISI:000304913100024, title = {Ultra-low level optical detection of mercuric ions using biogenic gold nanotriangles}, journal = {Analyst}, volume = {137}, number = {13}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {3083-3090}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Mercury is a serious environmental pollutant known to have detrimental health effects in all life forms. Here, we report the use of biologically synthesized aqueous gold nanotriangles for sensitive and selective optical detection of femto-molar levels of mercury ions by exploiting the high amalgamation tendency of mercury metal towards gold. Aqueous chloroaurate ions were reduced using lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) leaf extract at room temperature to form gold nanotriangles. Mercuric (Hg2+) ions were reduced in the presence of these triangles to facilitate amalgamation and the optical properties were monitored. We observe a significant change in the longitudinal plasmon absorption band of the nanotriangles even at femto-molar concentrations of mercuric ions. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirms changes in particle morphology at such low concentrations. This protocol shows no sensitivity to other environmentally relevant metal ions, including Pb2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Fe2+, Ni2+, Sr2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, and Cu2+, confirming further that change in the optical properties of gold nanotriangles in the presence of reduced mercuric ions is solely due to the strong amalgamation tendency of mercury metal.

}, issn = {0003-2654}, doi = {10.1039/c2an35162e}, author = {Singh, Amit and Pasrichax, Renu and Sastry, Murali} } @article { ISI:000300466900006, title = {Understanding the growth of micro and nano-crystalline AlN by thermal plasma process}, journal = {Journal of Crystal Growth}, volume = {339}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {36-45}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We report the studies related to the growth of crystalline AlN in a DC thermal plasma reactor, operated by a transferred arc plasma torch. The reactor is capable of producing the nanoparticles of Al and AlN depending on the composition of the reacting gas. Al and AlN micro crystals are formed at the anode placed on the graphite and nano crystalline Al and AlN gets deposited on the inner surface of the plasma reactor. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and TGA-DTA techniques are used to infer the purity of post process crystals as a hexagonal AlN. The average particle size using SEM was found to be around 30 mu m. The morphology of nanoparticles of Al and AlN, nucleated by gas phase condensation in a homogeneous medium were studied by transmission electron microscopy analysis. The particle ranged in size between 15 and 80 nm in diameter. The possible growth mechanism of crystalline AlN at the anode has been explained on the basis of non-equilibrium processes in the core of the plasma and steep temperature gradient near its periphery. The gas phase species of AlN and various constituent were computed using Murphy code based on minimization of free energy. The process provides 50\% yield of microcrystalline AlN and remaining of Al at anode and that of nanocrystalline h-AlN and c-Al collected from the walls of the chamber is about 33\% and 67\%, respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Crystal morphology, Growth from high temperature solutions, Nitride, Semiconducting aluminum compound}, issn = {0022-0248}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2011.11.011}, author = {Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Nawale, Ashok B. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Das, Asoka K. and Mathe, Vikas L.} } @article { ISI:000308414500020, title = {Unusual conformational similarity of two peptide folds featuring sulfonamide and carboxamide on the backbone}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {78}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9747-9749}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two folded peptides featuring carboxamide and sulfonamide at the core of the peptide fold have been shown to possess almost similar conformational features, despite the well-known fact that carboxamides and sulfonamides have strikingly different hydrogen-bonding and geometrical preferences.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc34533a}, author = {Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N. and Davis, Hilda C. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000309100600009, title = {Vibrational multi-reference coupled cluster theory in bosonic representation}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {137}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {114108}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The vibrational multi-reference coupled cluster method is developed to calculate the vibrational excitation energies of polyatomic molecules. The method is implemented on ozone and formaldehyde molecules and the results are compared with full vibrational configuration interaction (FVCI) method. A good agreement is found between the vibrational multi-reference coupled cluster method and converged FVCI method for lower lying vibrational states. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4753422]

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4753422}, author = {Banik, Subrata and Pal, Sourav and Prasad, M. Durga} } @article { ISI:000300458200002, title = {Visible light photoredox catalysis: generation and addition of N-aryltetrahydroisoquinoline-derived alpha-amino radicals to michael acceptors}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {672-675}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The photoredox-catalyzed coupling of N-aryltetrahydroisoquinoline and Michael acceptors was achieved using Ru(bpy)(3)Cl-2 or [Ir(ppy)(2)-(dtb-bpy)]PF6 in combination with irradiation at 455 nm generated by a blue LED, demonstrating the trapping of visible light generated alpha-amino radicals. While intermolecular reactions lead to products formed by a conjugate addition, in intramolecular variants further dehydrogenation occurs, leading directly to 5,6-dihydroindolo[2,1-a]tetrahydroisoquinolines, which are relevant as potential immunosuppressive agents.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol202857t}, author = {Kohls, Paul and Jadhav, Deepak and Pandey, Ganesh and Reiser, Oliver} } @article { ISI:000317929800033, title = {3-Dimensionally self-assembled single crystalline platinum nanostructures on few-layer graphene as an efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalyst}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {19}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {6913-6921}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Here, we report for the first time the synthesis of a 3-D self-assembled single crystalline platinum nanostructure directly on the graphene surface (PtNAGE) without using any harmful structural directing agents. A slow reduction method is used to prepare the desired platinum morphology. Initial formation of platinum nanoparticles and their homogenous dispersion on the surface of graphene have been observed 10 h after the commencement of the reduction using formic acid as the reducing agent. From these initially deposited seed particles, the growth starts on the {111} facets along the \< 111 \> direction and the nanostructure formation is completed within 72 h of the commencement of the reaction. The individual assembly has a diameter of similar to 80 nm. PtNAGE shows superior electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction compared to graphene supported platinum (PtGE) and commercial carbon supported platinum (PtC) catalysts. PtNAGE is less vulnerable to strong hydroxyl adsorption compared to PtC and PtGE. Specific activity and mass activity of the catalyst are high compared to PtC by a factor of 6.50 and 1.80, respectively, and 4.00 and 3.05, respectively, compared to PtGE. The limiting current density of PtNAGE is 1.28 and 1.20 times higher than PtGE and PtC, respectively. Kinetic analysis of PtNAGE shows that the oxygen reduction reaction follows first order kinetics involving a four electron transfer mechanism with the direct formation of water. In addition to this, it has been observed that PtNAGE also prevents surface area degradation better than the commercial platinised carbon under potential induced conditions.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra23112g}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000315775800008, title = {Acetone vapour sensing characteristics of undoped and Zn, Ce doped SnO2 thick film gas sensor}, journal = {Materials Research Innovations}, volume = {17}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {98-105}, publisher = {MANEY PUBLISHING}, address = {STE 1C, JOSEPHS WELL, HANOVER WALK, LEEDS LS3 1AB, W YORKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The nanocrystalline materials of zinc and ceria doped tin oxide [(Zn+Ce)-SnO2] powders were synthesised by coprecipitation method and investigated for their sensing properties towards liquid petroleum gas (LPG), ethanol, ammonia and acetone vapour. The crystal structure and phase of the as synthesised and sintered powders were characterised by X-ray diffractometer and the microstructure by scanning electron microscopy. All the doped and undoped SnO2 compositions revealed single phase solid solution formation. Transmission electron microscope results indicated that well crystallised (Zn+Ce) doped SnO2 particles of size similar to 7 nm were obtained at the annealing temperature of 650 degrees C. The reduction in grain size of the metal oxide is a key factor to enhance the gas sensing properties. The doping of zinc, ceria in SnO2 has reduced the grain size and improved the gas response. The results of gas sensing measurements showed that the thick films deposited on alumina substrates using screen printing technique exhibited high response to acetone at an operating temperature of 300 degrees C. Further, the selectivity of the sensor towards acetone with respect to other reducing gases (LPG, ethanol and ammonia) was studied.

}, keywords = {Gas, Screen printing, Sensor, SnO2}, issn = {1432-8917}, doi = {10.1179/1433075X12Y.0000000035}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Bagal, K. N. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000323497900010, title = {Alishewanella solinquinati sp nov., isolated from soil contaminated with textile dyes}, journal = {Current Microbiology}, volume = {67}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {454-459}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A novel Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic bacterial strain, KMK6(T), was isolated from soil contaminated with textile dyes from an industrial estate located at Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra, India, and its taxonomical position was established by using a polyphasic approach. The major cellular fatty acids included C-17:1 omega 8c, summed feature 3 (C-16:1 omega 7c and/or iso-C-15:0 2-OH), C-17:0, C-16:0,C- and C-18:1 omega 7c. The DNA G+C content of strain KMK6(T) was 48.8 mol \%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis confirmed its placement in the genus Alishewanella, and exhibited sequence similarity levels of below 97 \% to the type strains of validly published Alishewanella species. On the basis of genotypic and phenotypic evidence, strains KMK6(T) is considered to be a novel species of the genus Alishewanella, for which we propose that strain KMK6(T) (=NCIM 5295(T) =BCRC 17848(T)) is assigned to a novel species, Alishewanella solinquinati sp. nov.

}, issn = {0343-8651}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-013-0385-7}, author = {Kolekar, Yogesh M. and Pawar, Shrikant P. and Adav, Sunil S. and Zheng, Liu-Qiang and Li, Wen-Jun and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Kodam, Kisan M.} } @article { ISI:000315758900005, title = {Alpha-trimethylsilylmethylamine radical cation in the synthesis of cyclic amines and beyond}, journal = {Chimia}, volume = {67}, number = {1-2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {30-38}, publisher = {SWISS CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {SCHWARZTORSTRASSE 9, CH-3007 BERN, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The evolution of chemistry associated with the photoinduced electron transfer (PET)-generated alpha-trimethylsilylmethylamine radical cation cyclization to a tethered olefin to synthesize byclic amine structural frame works is presented in chronological order. The importance of this interesting chemistry is demonstrated by the synthesis of several novel glycosidase inhibitors.

}, keywords = {1-N-Iminosugars, alpha-Amine radical, alpha-Trimethylsilyl methylamine radical cation, Glycosidase inhibitors, Photoinduced electron transfer (PET)}, issn = {0009-4293}, doi = {10.2533/chimia.2013.30}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Dey, Debasis and Gadre, Smita R.} } @article { ISI:000322068400048, title = {Aminosilicate sol-gel stabilized N-doped TiO2-Au nanocomposite materials and their potential environmental remediation applications}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {32}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {13390-13398}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A facile chemical reduction method to synthesize amine functionalized silicate sol-gel-supported gold-deposited nitrogen-doped Degussa-TiO2 nanocomposite materials (APS/(N-P25-Au)(NCM)) is reported and the materials are characterized by DRS, PL, XRD, TEM, Raman, XPS and BET surface area analysis. The application of the synthesized APS/(N-P25-Au)(N)CM towards environmental remediation processes are investigated by studying the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) and photocatalytic reduction of toxic mercuric (Hg(II)) ions. The catalytic and photocatalytic activity of the prepared catalysts are found to be in the order of APS/(N-P25-Au)(NCM) \>\> APS/(P25-Au)(NCM) \> N-P25 \> P25. The enhanced catalytic and photocatalytic activities of the APS/(N-P25-Au)(NCM) can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Au-nps and N-doped P25. The catalytic activities of the APS/(N-P25-Au)(NCM) are very promising in the field of green technology for the environmental cleaning applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra40573g}, author = {Pandikumar, Alagarsamy and Sivaranjani, Kumarsrinivasan and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Ramaraj, Ramasamy} } @article { ISI:000326319700002, title = {Antimycobacterial labdane diterpenes from leucas stelligera}, journal = {Journal of Natural Products}, volume = {76}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1836-1841}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Phytochemical investigation of the acetone extract of the aerial parts of Leucas stelligera afforded four new compounds (1-4) belonging to the labdane diterpene series as well as two known flavones, velutin (5) and chrysoeriol (6). Structure elucidation of the new compounds was carried out using ID and 2D NMR spectroscopic data and single-crystal X-ray crystallography of compound 1. Compounds 1-4 exhibited selective antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with IC50 values in the range 5.02-9.80 mu g/mL.

}, issn = {0163-3864}, doi = {10.1021/np400002p}, author = {Kulkarni, Roshan R. and Shurpali, Ketaki and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Joshi, Swati P.} } @article { ISI:000320036300013, title = {Ant-pro reverse-turn motif. structural features and conformational characteristics}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {17, SI}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3529-3542}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Peptides, Peptidomimetics, Protein folding, Protein structures}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201201739}, author = {Thorat, Vijaykumar H. and Ingole, Tukaram S. and Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N. and Nair, Roshna V. and Kale, Sangram S. and Ramesh, Veera V. E. and Davis, Hilda C. and Prabhakaran, Panchami and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000319942700023, title = {Arsenomics of exiguobacterium sp PS (NCIM 5463)}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {25}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {9705-9713}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the present study, arsenate [As(V)] tolerant organisms were isolated from a metal contaminated site, and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Exiguobacterium sp. Arsenomics (omics of arsenic response) in Exiguobacterium sp. PS via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) coupled with identification of proteins using MALDI-TOF MS, MALDI-TOF MS/MS and LC/MSE are studied vide this paper. Out of 2460 Coomassie stained proteins, 270 were differentially expressed (p \< 0.05). Considering the resolution and abundance level, 45 spots (proteins) were subjected to MALDI-TOF MS/MS, MALDI-TOF/TOF and LC/MSE. Out of these, 33 were identified and categorized into several functional categories (including both known and novel/putative stress responsive proteins) viz., carbohydrate and energy metabolism, stress response, motility, amino acid, and purine and protein synthesis. The identifications of unique proteins, phosphate ABC transporter ATPase subunit and pyridine nucleotide disulfide oxidoreductase, are the significant findings of the present study which may be used as markers of As(V) stress in Exiguobacterium sp. PS. The absence of As(V) reductase activity and non-amplification of the arsC gene of the ars operon suggests that the classical mechanism of As(V) resistance may not be operating in Exiguobacterium sp. PS. Lastly, considering the fact that proteomic studies under As(V) stress were performed only in Gram negative organisms, this study is the first comprehensive endeavour to explore the mechanism of As(V) response in Gram positive organisms, Exiguobacterium sp. PS at the proteomic level.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra40897c}, author = {Sacheti, Poonam and Bhonsle, Hemangi S. and Patil, Rajendra and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Srikanth, Rapole and Gade, Wasudeo N.} } @article { ISI:000326049600005, title = {Ascertaining universal features of yielding of soft materials}, journal = {Rheologica Acta}, volume = {52}, number = {10-12}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {859-865}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Many metastable complex fluids, when subjected to oscillatory shear flow of increasing strain amplitude at constant frequency, are known to show a characteristic nonlinear rheological response which consists of a monotonic decrease in the elastic modulus and a nonmonotonic change in the loss modulus. In particular, the loss modulus increases from its low strain value, crosses the elastic modulus, and then decreases with further increase in the strain amplitude. Miyazaki et al. (Europhys Lett 75:915-921, 2006) proposed a qualitative argument to explain the origin of the nonmonotonic nature of the loss modulus and suggested that in fact this response could be universal to all complex fluids if they are probed in a certain frequency window in which the fluid is dominantly elastic in the small strain limit. In this letter, we confirm their hypothesis by showing that a wide variety of complex fluids, irrespective of their thermodynamic state under quiescent conditions, indeed show the aforementioned characteristic nonlinear response. We also show that the maximum relative dissipation during yielding occurs when the imposed frequency resonates with the characteristic beta relaxation frequency of the fluid.

}, keywords = {Colloidal suspensions, Entangled melts, Gels, Glasses, Microgels, Rheology, Yielding}, issn = {0035-4511}, doi = {10.1007/s00397-013-0724-4}, author = {Kamble, Samruddhi and Pandey, Anurag and Rastogi, Sanjay and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article { ISI:000317094300018, title = {Azide-functionalized lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks showing selective CO2 gas adsorption and postsynthetic cavity expansion}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {52}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {3588-3590}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report herein selective CO2 gas adsorption by two azide-functionalized lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This work also demonstrates that azide-functionalized MOFs can be used for postsynthetic cavity expansion, further corroborated by enhanced gas-sorption data.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic302823r}, author = {Ganguly, Sumi and Pachfule, Pradip and Bala, Sukhen and Goswami, Arijit and Bhattacharya, Sudeshna and Mondal, Raju} } @article { ISI:000319992200002, title = {Biochemical correlate of dimorphism in a zygomycete benjaminiella poitrasii: characterization of purified NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase, a target for antifungal agents}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {104}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {25-36}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The fungal organisms, especially pathogens, change their vegetative (Y, unicellular yeast and H, hypha) morphology reversibly for survival and proliferation in the host environment. NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH, EC 1.4.1.2) from a non-pathogenic dimorphic zygomycete Benjaminiella poitrasii was previously reported to be an important biochemical correlate of the transition process. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity and characterized. It is a 371 kDa native molecular weight protein made up of four identical subunits. Kinetic studies showed that unlike other NAD-GDHs, it may act as an anabolic enzyme and has more affinity towards 2-oxoglutarate than l-glutamate. Chemical modifications revealed the involvement of single histidine and lysine residues in the catalytic activity of the enzyme. The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation study showed that the NAD-GDH is present in active phosphorylated form in hyphal cells of B. poitrasii. Two of the 1,2,3 triazole linked beta-lactam-bile acid conjugates synthesized in the laboratory (B18, B20) were found to be potent inhibitors of purified NAD-GDH which also significantly affected Y-H transition in B. poitrasii. Furthermore, the compound B20 inhibited germ tube formation during Y-H transition in Candida albicans strains and Yarrowia lipolytica. The possible use of NAD-GDH as a target for antifungal agents is discussed.

}, keywords = {Antifungal agent, Benjaminiella poitrasii, Biochemical correlate of dimorphism, Candida albicans, NAD-GDH activity regulation, Yarrowia lipolytica, Yeast-hypha reversible transition}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-013-9921-5}, author = {Joshi, C. V. and Pathan, E. K. and Punekar, N. S. and Tupe, S. G. and Kapadnis, B. P. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000316636600004, title = {Biodegradation of phenol by the yeast candida tropicalis: an investigation by NMR spectroscopy}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {169}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {2029-2037}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

The process of phenol biodegradation by the yeast Candida tropicalis NCIM 3556 in aqueous medium was studied by H-1, C-13, and DOSY NMR techniques. Samples at regular intervals were centrifuged to separate the cells, and H-1 spectral data were collected at 400 MHz. Though a gradual decrease in the concentration of phenol was observed, after an incubation period of similar to 8 h, formation of any intermediate products could not be detected. Experiments carried out with uniformly C-13-labeled phenol also failed to detect formation of any carboxylic acid intermediates during degradation. The studies indicated that the phenol was completely degraded to carbon dioxide and water in approximately 20 h. Self-diffusion coefficient measurements showed that the lifetime of phenol in the bound form is too small to impart any change in its diffusion behavior and the intermediates formed are converted to carbon dioxide and water at a very fast rate.

}, keywords = {biocatalysis, Carboxylic acid, Diffusion, Enzyme, NMR spectroscopy, phenol}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-013-0119-0}, author = {Phalgune, U. D. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Gaikwad, B. G. and Varma, R. J. and George, S.} } @article { ISI:000324732600001, title = {Biosurfactant-sophorolipid acts in synergy with antibiotics to enhance their efficiency}, journal = {Biomed Research International}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {512495}, publisher = {HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORPORATION}, address = {410 PARK AVENUE, 15TH FLOOR, \#287 PMB, NEW YORK, NY 10022 USA}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids (SLs), biosurfactants with antimicrobial properties, have been tried to address the problem of antibiotic resistance. The synergistic action of SL and antibiotics was checked using standard microdilution and spread plate methods. With Staphylococcus aureus, SL-tetracycline combination achieved total inhibition before 4 h of exposure while tetracycline alone couldnot achieve total inhibition till the end of 6 h. The inhibition caused by exposure of bacterium to SL-tetracycline mixture was similar to 25\% more as compared to SL alone. In spite of known robustness of gram-negative bacteria, SL-cefaclor mixture proved to be efficient against Escherichia coli which showed similar to 48\% more inhibition within 2 h of exposure as compared to cefaclor alone. Scanning electron microscopy of the cells treated with mixture revealed bacterial cell membrane damage and pore formation. Moreover, SLs being a type of asymmetric bola, they are expected to form self-assemblies with unique functionality. This led to the speculation that SLs being amphiphilic in nature can span through the structurally alike cell membrane and facilitate the entry of drug molecules.

}, issn = {2314-6133}, doi = {10.1155/2013/512495}, author = {Joshi-Navare, Kasturi and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000315127000035, title = {Biosynthesis of Se nanoparticles and its effect on UV-induced DNA damage}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {103}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {261-266}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

This paper reports, an environmentally benign procedure of synthesis and characterizations of selenium nanoparticles and their protective effect against UV-induced DNA damage activities. An aqueous leaf extract of lemon plant was used as a precursor for synthesis of colloidal selenium nanoparticles. Resulting nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectrophotometer, photoluminescence, TEM, EDAX, FT-IR and XRD, respectively. Selenium colloidal solution exhibited an absorption maximum at 395 nm and produced an emission maximum at 525 nm. Transmission electron microscopy followed by selected area electron diffraction pattern analysis indicated the formation of spherical, polydispersed, crystalline, selenium nanoparticles of diameter ranging from (similar to 60 to 80 nm). X-ray diffraction studies showed the formation of 111, 2 0 0 and 220 planes of face-centered cubic (fcc) selenium. EDAX analysis confirmed the presence of selenium in nanosphere. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopic investigation reveled the involvement of carboxyl (-C=0), hydroxyl (-OH), amine (-NH) functional group of lemon plant extract in preparation of selenium nano particles. MU assay as well single cell gel electrophoresis assay or comet assay revealed that synthesized selenium nanoparticles, caused less cell death of lymphocytes and prevented DNA damage, when cells were exposed to UVB. The fluorescent property of selenium nanopartides can be used as diagnostic agent. Further, their anti DNA damaging property can be investigated as a chemotherapeutic agent in cancer therapy. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Comet assay, EDAX, FT-IR, MTT assay, Selenium nanoparticles, UV-vis spectrophotometer}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2012.10.029}, author = {Prasad, Kumar Suranjit and Patel, Hirnee and Patel, Tirtha and Patel, Khusbu and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article { ISI:000312004800088, title = {Bulk and surface structure characterization of nanoscopic silver doped lanthanum chromites}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {264}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {574-580}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Crystalline state of lanthanum chromites with silver as a dopant has been studied by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reveals microscopic properties of grain boundaries. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to analyze surface states with atomic ratio of La, Cr, O and Ag as a dopant. LaCrO3 shows mixed valence states of chromium while the silver doped samples exhibit differences in chromium concentration with the oxidation of Cr3+ to Cr6+ in presence of chromium nitrate as a precursor salt. Trivalent stable state of chromium is observed for samples synthesized by chromic acetate as a precursor salt. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, Microwave combustion synthesis, Perovskite nanostructures, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.10.067}, author = {Desai, P. A. and Joshi, P. N. and Patil, K. R. and Athawale, Anjali A.} } @article { ISI:000325400600023, title = {CAP/EOM-CCSD method for the study of potential curves of resonant states}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {15}, number = {41}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {17915-17921}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC) method along with the complex absorbing potential (CAP) is used for the study of resonance in e(-)-N-2 and e(-)-CO. Resonance position and width are studied as a function of bond length. We report the potential curves (PC) of the resonance states.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c3cp52552j}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Karne, Anagha S. and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article { ISI:000317327900022, title = {Carboxamide versus sulfonamide in peptide backbone folding: a case study with a hetero foldamer}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {15}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {1504-1507}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Strikingly dissimilar hydrogen-bonding patterns have been observed for two sets of closely similar hetero foldamers containing carboxamide and sulfonamides at regular intervals. Although both foldamers maintain conformational ordering, the hydrogen-bonding pattern and backbone helical handedness differ diametrically.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol4002762}, author = {Ramesh, Veera V. E. and Kale, Sangram S. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000326660900038, title = {Carrier free co-immobilization of alpha amylase, glucoamylase and pullulanase as combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (combi-CLEAs): a tri-enzyme biocatalyst with one pot starch hydrolytic activity}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {147}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {269-275}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A tri-enzyme biocatalyst {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}combi-CLEAs{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} with starch hydrolytic activity was prepared from commercially available alpha amylase, glucoamylase and pullulanase preparations by aggregating enzymes with ammonium sulphate followed by cross-linking formed aggregates for 4.5 h with 40 mM glutaraldehyde. The effects of precipitant type and cross-linking were studied and the biocatalyst was characterized. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that tri-enzyme biocatalyst was of spherical structure. For one pot starch hydrolytic activity, shift in optimum pH from 6 to 7 and temperature from 65 to 75 degrees C were observed after co-immobilization of enzymes. After one pot starch hydrolysis reaction in batch mode, 100\%, 60\% and 40\% conversions were obtained with combi-CLEAs, separate CLEAs mixture and free enzyme mixture, respectively. Co-immobilization also enhanced the thermal stability of enzymes. Finally, the catalytic activity of enzymes in combi-CLEAs during one pot starch hydrolysis was well maintained up to five cycles without performance changes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alpha amylase, Combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (combi-CLEAs), Glucoamylase, One pot starch hydrolysis, Pullulanase}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2013.08.035}, author = {Talekar, Sachin and Pandharbale, Amol and Ladole, Mayur and Nadar, Shamraja and Mulla, Mosin and Japhalekar, Kshitija and Pattankude, Kishori and Arage, Devika} } @article { ISI:000313230200031, title = {Catalytic and DFT study of selective ethylene oligomerization by nickel(II) oxime-based complexes}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {366}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {238-246}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The reactivity of nickel(II) thiophenealdoxime complex (3) toward oligomerization of ethylene in the presence of an alkylaluminum co-catalyst has been studied. The complex was found to be a selective ethylene dimerization catalyst in the presence of co-catalysts such as methylalumoxane (MAO) and diethylaluminum chloride (DEAC). With DEAC, the productivity was considerably higher than with MAO. Under optimum conditions the productivity reaches 388 kg/mol catalyst/h/bar with DEAC whereas for MAO this value was 119 kg/mol catalyst/h/bar. Complex 3 displays good ethylene conversions of up to a maximum of 90\% with exceptionally high alpha-selectivity for 1-butene (\>99.5\%) amongst C-4 products. Computational studies using density functional theory (DFT) were also carried out to ascertain the decomposition pathway for 3 as well as that for Ni(II) complex of the pyridine ketoxime ligand 2. The results suggest that loss of one of the two bidentate oxime ligands attached to the metal center through reaction with DEAC is likely for both 2 and 3. Further, calculations indicate that the subsequent decomposition step was significantly more probable for 3 than for 2 thus explaining why the pyridine ketoxime ligand bound nickel complex 2 was experimentally found to be more stable than the thiophene aldoxime bound nickel complex 3. Calculations also show that the proton of the -OH group (oxime) plays a major role in the stability of the molecules. This was confirmed experimentally by synthesizing the Ni(II) dichloro complex of Pyridine-2-carbaldehyde O-methyloxime 5 and reacting it with ethylene under similar conditions. 5 was found to be highly active even at low co-catalyst concentrations. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Butene-1, Ethylene dimerization, Ni(II) complex, Thiophene aldoxime}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2012.09.029}, author = {Tayade, Kamlesh N. and Mane, Manoj V. and Sen, Suman and Murthy, C. N. and Tembe, Gopal L. and Pillai, S. Muthukumaru and Vanka, Kumar and Mukherjee, Soumen} } @article { ISI:000315168800013, title = {Catalytic signal amplification using [Fe-III(biuret-amide)]-mesoporous silica nanoparticles: visual cyanide detection}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {49}, number = {22}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2216-2218}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Catalytic signal amplification was used for the colorimetric detection of CN- in aqueous media by using the enzyme catalase in tandem with mesoporous silica nanoparticle based synthetic HRP enzyme mimic Fe-MSNs. Signal amplification up to a maximum of eight fold was observed for the reporter {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}oxidized TMB{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} with respect to the added CN- ion.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc38932d}, author = {Panda, Chakadola and Dhar, Basab B. and Malvi, Bharmana and Bhattacharjee, Yudhajit and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000320976600013, title = {Catalytic upgrading of renewable levulinic acid to ethyl levulinate biodiesel using dodecatungstophosphoric acid supported on desilicated H-ZSM-5 as catalyst}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {460}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {90-98}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Levulinic acid (LA) is considered as a renewable platform chemical and can be used for the synthesis of variety of important fuels and chemicals. In particular, its esterification with ethanol produces ethyl levulinate (EL) would be green process, as it can be used as diesel miscible biofuel (DMB), preventing global warming by decreasing atmospheric CO2. This study explores the use of modified H-ZSM-5 by desilication viz.; DH-ZSM-5 and dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTPA) loaded on DH-ZSM-5 for esterification of LA with ethanol aiming to EL. Different degree of desilication of H-ZSM-5 was performed by using aq. NaOH (0.2-1.5 M) at 338 K for 30 min and then DTPA was loaded on these desilicated H-ZSM-5 (DH-ZSM-5) support. H-ZSM-5, DH-ZSM-5 and DTPA on these DH-ZSM-5 samples were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), N-2 adsorption-desorption, pyridine chemisorbed IR spectroscopy, Temperature Programmed Ammonia Desorption (TPAD). The increase in conversion of levulinic acid was observed from 28\% to 94\% with increase of DTPA loading from 0\% to 15\%. The increased LA conversion may be due to increase in total acidity from 43.14\% to 84.31\%. The use of DH-ZSM-5 as support for deposition of DTPA may be reported for the first time. The present work also extended to optimize process parameters such as DTPA loading on DH-ZSM-5, catalyst to LA ratio, LA to ethanol molar ratio, speed of agitation, particle size reaction temperature and catalyst reusability. Kinetic study based on pseudo-homogeneous (P-H) model is also presented. The experimental results follow second order kinetics. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {desilicated H-ZSM-5, DTPA on desilicated H-ZSM-5, Esterification, ethyl levulinate, levulinic acid}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2013.04.024}, author = {Nandiwale, Kakasaheb Y. and Sonar, Shilpa K. and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Joshi, Praphulla N. and Deshpande, Shilpa S. and Patil, Vilas S. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article { ISI:000313077100009, title = {Characterization of the structures and dynamics of phosphoric acid doped benzimidazole mixtures: a molecular dynamics study}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {109-118}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Benzimidazole-based polymer membranes like poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) doped with phosphoric acid (PA) are electrolytes that exhibit high proton conductivity in fuel cells at elevated temperatures. The benzimidazole (BI) moiety is an important constituent of these membranes, so the present work was performed in order to achieve a molecular understanding of the BI-PA interactions in the presence of varying levels of the PA dopant, using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The various hydrogen-bonding interactions, as characterized based on structural properties and hydrogen-bond lifetime calculations, show that both BI and PA molecules exhibit dual proton-acceptor/donor functionality. An examination of diffusion coefficients showed that the diffusion of BI decreases with increasing PA uptake, whereas the diffusion of PA slightly increases. The hydrogen-bond lifetime calculations pointed to the existence of competitive hydrogen bonding between various sites in BI and PA.

}, keywords = {Diffusion coefficient, Hydrogen bond, molecular dynamics, Radial distribution functions}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-012-1519-8}, author = {More, Minal and Pahari, Swagata and Roy, Sudip and Venkatnathan, Arun} } @article { ISI:000325836600014, title = {Characterization of three novel isoprenyl diphosphate synthases from the terpenoid rich mango fruit}, journal = {Plant Physiology and Biochemistry}, volume = {71}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {121-131}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Mango (cv. Alphonso) is popular due to its highly attractive, terpenoid-rich flavor. Although Alphonso is clonally propagated, its fruit-flavor composition varies when plants are grown in different geo-climatic zones. Isoprenyl diphosphate synthases catalyze important branch-point reactions in terpenoid biosynthesis, providing precursors for common terpenoids such as volatile terpenes, sterols and carotenoids. Two geranyl diphosphate synthases and a farnesyl diphosphate synthase were isolated from Alphonso fruits, cloned for recombinant expression and found to produce the respective products. Although, one of the geranyl diphosphate synthases showed high sequence similarity to the geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases, it did not exhibit geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthesizing activity. When modeled, this geranyl diphosphate synthase and farnesyl diphosphate synthase structures were found to be homologous with the reference structures, having all the catalytic side chains appropriately oriented. The optimum temperature for both the geranyl diphosphate synthases was 40 degrees C and that for farnesyl diphosphate synthase was 25 degrees C. This finding correlated well with the dominance of monoterpenes in comparison to sesquiterpenes in the fruits of Alphonso mango in which the mesocarp temperature is higher during ripening than development. The absence of activity of these enzymes with the divalent metal ion other than Mg2+ indicated their adaptation to the Mg2+ rich mesocarp. The typical expression pattern of these genes through the ripening stages of fruits from different cultivation localities depicting the highest transcript levels of these genes in the stage preceding the maximum terpene accumulation indicated the involvement of these genes in the biosynthesis of volatile terpenes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alphonso, Flavor variation, Fruit, Isoprenyl diphosphate synthase, Mangifera indica, Terpene volatiles}, issn = {0981-9428}, doi = {10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.07.006}, author = {Kulkarni, Ram and Pandit, Sagar and Chidley, Hemangi G. and Nagel, Raimund and Schmidt, Axel and Gershenzon, Jonathan and Pujari, Keshav and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya} } @article { ISI:000318362400053, title = {Charge storage and electron transport properties of gold nanoparticles decorating a urethane-methacrylate comb polymer network}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {5}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4404-4411}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We propose enhanced charge storage capacity of nanoparticles based polymer films. A flat band voltage window varying from 5-7 V is obtained leading to a trapped charge density of the order of 10(13) cm(-2). These results vary for two distinct morphologies obtained due to decoration of a urethane-methacrylate comb polymer (UMCP) network by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Films have been further investigated for morphology, optical, charge storage, and electron transport properties using techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis), scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and capacitance versus voltage (C-V) measurements. SEM and AFM confirm either the deposition of AuNPs inside the UMCP network or the formation of ring like structures depending on the deposition sequence. STS measurements performed on both films are compared with bare UMCP and AuNPs films. Current versus voltage (I-V) characteristics so obtained are discussed in the light of electron transport mechanisms in such materials.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c3nr00330b}, author = {Patil, Sumati and Datar, Suwarna and Rekha, N. and Asha, S. K. and Dharmadhikari, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000326056600165, title = {Chemically conjugated sophorolipids on CdTe QDs: a biocompatible photoluminescence nanocomposite for theranostic applications}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {44}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {22319-22325}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Functional nontoxic cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) have been synthesized using a natural functional glycolipid belonging to the family of sophorolipids (SL) as a surface-modifying agent. These SLs with open acidic form are highly suitable for QDs stabilization, are readily obtained by a fermentation process of the yeast Candida bombicola (polymorph Starmerella bombicola) in large amounts. In this work chemically stable, water soluble, and photoluminescent CdTe QDs were successfully conjugated to sophorolipids via a cross-linking reaction. The formation of SLs conjugated CdTe QDs was confirmed using different analytical techniques X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Electron Diffraction (ED), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Photoluminescence (PL). It was shown that after being conjugated with SL the SL-CdTe QDs becomes biocompatible, still maintaining its water solubility and photoluminescence properties. The final SL coated photoluminescent CdTe QDs represent interesting biocompatible materials potentially useful for biomedical applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra44535f}, author = {Singh, Pooja and Joshi, Kasturi and Guin, Debanjan and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000313165500057, title = {Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) genes from leucaena leucocephala: a pulp yielding leguminous tree}, journal = {Molecular Biology Reports}, volume = {40}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1265-1274}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Leucaena leucocephala is a leguminous tree species accounting for one-fourth of raw material supplied to paper and pulp industry in India. Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase (C4H, EC 1.14.13.11) is the second gene of phenylpropanoid pathway and a member of cytochrome P450 family. There is currently intense interest to alter or modify lignin content of L. leucocephala. Three highly similar C4H alleles of LlC4H1 gene were isolated and characterized. The alleles shared more than 98 \% sequence identity at amino acid level to each other. Binding of partial promoter of another C4H gene LlC4H2, to varying amounts of crude nuclear proteins isolated from leaf and stem tissues of L. leucocephala formed two loose and one strong complex, respectively, suggesting that the abundance of proteins that bind with the partial C4H promoter is higher in stem tissue than in leaf tissue. Quantitative Real Time PCR study suggested that among tissues of same age, root tissues had highest level of C4H transcripts. Maximum transcript level was observed in 30 day old root tissue. Among the tissues investigated, C4H activity was highest in 60 day old root tissues. Tissue specific quantitative comparison of lignin from developing seedling stage to 1 year old tree stage indicated that Klason lignin increased in tissues with age.

}, keywords = {Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase (C4H), Leucaena leucocephala, lignin, Phenylpropanoid}, issn = {0301-4851}, doi = {10.1007/s11033-012-2169-8}, author = {Kumar, Santosh and Omer, Sumita and Patel, Krunal and Khan, Bashir Mohammad} } @article {42743, title = {Cobalt-catalyzed C{\textendash}H bond functionalizations with aryl and alkyl chlorides}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {19}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10605{\textendash}10610}, abstract = {

Inexpensive cobalt catalysts derived from N-heterocylic carbenes (NHC) allowed efficient catalytic C[BOND]H bond arylations on heteroaryl-substituted arenes with widely available aryl chlorides, which set the stage for the preparation of sterically hindered tri-ortho-substituted biaryls. Likewise, challenging direct alkylations with β-hydrogen-containing primary and even secondary alkyl chlorides proceeded on pyridyl- and pyrimidyl-substituted arenes and heteroarenes. The cobalt-catalyzed C[BOND]H bond functionalizations occurred efficiently at ambient reaction temperature with excellent levels of site-selectivities and ample scope. Mechanistic studies highlighted that electron-deficient aryl chlorides reacted preferentially, while the arenes kinetic C[BOND]H bond acidity was found to largely govern their reactivity.

}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201301409}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Song, Weifeng and Shevchenko, Grigory A. and Ackermann, Lutz} } @article { ISI:000328100400042, title = {Comprehensive study on mutual interplay of multiple V-shaped ligands on the helical nature of a series of coordination polymers and their properties}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {13}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5487-5498}, abstract = {

{V-shaped ligands are commonly used for helical coordination polymer synthesis. However, employment of multiple V-shaped ligands does not always lead to a helical network. The mutual interplay of two V-shaped ligands, which is neither easily predictable nor well documented, plays a major role directing the self-assembly of the resultant network. We report here the construction of a series of novel coordination polymers {[Ni(OBA)(H2MDP)(H2O)]center dot(DMF)(3)}(n) (1),{[Ni(FBA)(H2MDP)]center dot(H2O)(3)center dot(DMF)\

}, author = {Goswami, Arijit and Bala, Sukhen and Pachfule, Pradip and Mondal, Raju} } @article { ISI:000312944900011, title = {Controlled synthesis of aligned Bi2S3 nanowires, sharp apex nanowires and nanobelts with its morphology dependent field emission investigations}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {890-896}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Well-aligned ultra-long Bi2S3 nanowire arrays with three kinds of apex morphology - abruptly sharpened apex, thin belt and flat - have been systematically fabricated on tungsten (W) foil by a facile hydrothermal method. The structural and morphological studies reveal formation of distinct tip morphologies, possessing high aspect ratio, single crystalline nature and growth along the orthorhombic [001] axis. A plausible growth mechanism has been proposed on the basis of observed experimental results. The field emission properties of Bi2S3 nanowires and sharp apex Bi2S3 nanowires are investigated. From the field emission studies, the values of the turn-on field, required to draw emission current density of similar to 0.1 mu A cm(-2), are observed to be similar to 2.01 and 1.21 V mu m(-1) for nanowires and sharp apex nanowires, respectively. Furthermore, ultra-long Bi2S3 nanowires are also grown on the W microtip (brush-like) from which very high emission current density similar to 11 mA cm(-2) has been drawn. These results are helpful for the design, fabrication and optimization of integrated field emitters using 1D nanostructures as cold cathode material.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c2ce26588e}, author = {Warule, Sambhaji S. and Chaudhari, Nilima S. and Kale, Bharat B. and Pandiraj, S. and Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {42643, title = {Copolymerization of aleuritic acid with l-lactic acid and study the aggregation behavior in different solvents}, journal = {International Journal of Research in Pharmacy and Chemistry}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {

In this present work, we highlight the copolymerization of L-lactic acid (L-LA with protected aleuritic acid in presence of Lewis acid catalyst using dehyropolycondensation method. The resulted copolymers are pliable, soft, waxy or even viscous liquid copolymers influenced by the aleuritic acid content. The purpose of this study is to investigate the physical properties. In addition, deprotected copolymers focus micelle-like aggregates in various organic solvents and mixed organic solvent at various proportions.

}, issn = {2231-2781}, author = {Pandey, Asutosh K. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article { ISI:000322611900037, title = {Correlation of hydrogen-bonding propensity and anticancer profile of tetrazole-tethered combretastatin analogues}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {23}, number = {16}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4680-4684}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole-tethered combretastatin analogues with extended hydrogen-bond donors at the ortho-positions of the aryl A and B rings were developed and evaluated for their antitubulin and antiproliferative activity. We wanted to test whether intramolecular hydrogen-bonding used as a conformational locking element in these analogues would improve their activity. The correlation of crystal structures with the antitubulin and antiproliferative profiles of the modified analogues suggested that hydrogen-bond-mediated conformational control of the A ring is deleterious to the bioactivity. In contrast, although there was no clear evidence that intramolecular hydrogen bonding to the B ring enhanced activity, we found that increased substitution on the B ring had a positive effect on antitubulin and antiproliferative activity. Among the various analogues synthesized, compounds 5d and 5e, having hydrogen-bonding donor groups at the ortho and meta-positions on the 4-methoxy phenyl B ring, are strong inhibitors of tubulin polymerization and antiproliferative agents having IC50 value in micromolar concentrations. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Colchicine, Combretastatin, Crystal, Tetrazole, Tubulin}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.06.004}, author = {Jedhe, Ganesh S. and Paul, Debasish and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Santra, Manas K. and Hamel, Ernest and Tam Luong Nguyen and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000316341000001, title = {Crystalline xylitol production by a novel yeast, pichia caribbica (HQ222812), and its application for quorum sensing inhibition in gram-negative marker strain chromobacterium violaceum CV026}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {169}, number = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1753-1763}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Xylitol, a sugar alcohol, is fast gaining ground over other artificial sugar substitutes owing to its advantageous properties. Xylitol is a safer alternative for diabetics because of insulin-independent metabolism. It has beneficial properties suitable to form an important part of odontological formulations. Conventional commercial production of xylitol involves harsh chemical method operating at high temperature and pressure. Thus, microbial production of xylitol is preferred over chemical method, and yeasts have been extensively exploited for this purpose. In the present manuscript, quantitative production of xylitol from d-xylose with the yield of 0.852 gm/gm and volumetric productivity of 1.83 gm/l/h in crystalline form, using novel yeast Pichia caribbica is reported. Also, a mild, safe procedure for product extraction is described. The ability of xylitol to act as a quorum sensing antagonist in gram-negative marker strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 has been demonstrated for the first time.

}, keywords = {Crystallization, CV026, Pichia caribbica, Quorum sensing antagonist, xylitol}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-012-0039-4}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Joshi-Navare, Kasturi and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000312135500006, title = {Crystallisation of ferrous sulphate heptahydrate: experiments and modelling}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {91}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {47-53}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Crystallisation is an industrially important unit operation for purifying and separating chemical mixtures. A generic crystallisation modelling framework has been implemented in the general process modelling system (gPROMS) software (of PSE, UK). This framework can be used to model the batch cooling crystallisation of ferrous sulphate heptahydrate (FSH). The parameter estimation and sensitivity of the predicted results with various numerical parameters was studied for batch crystalliser. An Excel front-end to the gPROMS model was developed to facilitate the interactive use of the model. (c) 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering

}, keywords = {batch crystallisation, ferrous sulphate heptahydrate, gPROMS, MSExcel-linking, parameter estimation}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.20695}, author = {Shaikh, Latif and Pandit, Aniruddha and Ranade, Vivek} } @article { ISI:000319721200042, title = {CuCN-Mediated cascade cyclization of 4-(2-bromophenyl)-2-butenoates: a high-yield synthesis of substituted naphthalene amino esters}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {78}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5045-5050}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new method of CuCN-mediated one-pot cyclization of 4-(2-bromophenyl)-2-butenoates leading to efficient synthesis of substituted naphthalene amino esters including phenanthrene aromatic structural units is described. Deuterium labeling studies establish that this one-pot cascade cyclization proceeds through isomerization of olefin, intramolecular C-C bond cyclization, and aromatization as the key intermediates, all occurring in a single step.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo400244h}, author = {Reddy, R. Santhosh and Prasad, Pragati K. and Ahuja, Brij Bhushan and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000323644600046, title = {Defluoridation of drinking water using pural (R) MG-20 mixed hydroxide adsorbent}, journal = {Water Air and Soil Pollution}, volume = {224}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1727}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The potential ofmixed alumina-magnesia hydroxide adsorbent (PURAL (R) MG-20) for defluoridation of drinking water using batch and continuous mode of operations has been reported in the present article. Systematic adsorption experiments were carried out to elucidate the effects of different process parameters such as adsorbent dose, initial fluoride concentration, pH of the solution and effect of other ions (usually present in groundwater). These studies were aimed to understand the adsorption behaviour of the PURAL (R) MG-20 adsorbents. Fluoride adsorption by PURAL (R) MG-20 sorbent was found pH dependent. Maximum fluoride removal efficiency was observed in the range of pH 5-7. Langmuir isotherm described the data better than Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models and the adsorption capacity was found to be 5.62 mg g(-1) at initial fluoride concentration of 5.13 mg L-1, pH 7 and contact time 24 h. The kinetic result shows that the fluoride sorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetics. Column breakthrough studies were performed to test the performance of the adsorbent media at continuous mode of operation. Thus, it can be concluded that PURAL (R) MG-20 adsorbent can be used directly for field applications since it shows high fluoride uptake capacity under simulated drinking water conditions and it is also commercially available.

}, keywords = {Breakthrough studies, Defluoridation of drinking water, Kinetic modelling, Mixed hydroxide adsorbent}, issn = {0049-6979}, doi = {10.1007/s11270-013-1727-6}, author = {Patankar, Gaurang V. and Tambe, Amruta S. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. and Malyshew, Alexander and Kamble, Sanjay P.} } @article { ISI:000319417100005, title = {Design, synthesis, structural characterization by IR, 1H, 13C, 15N, 2D-NMR, X-ray diffraction and evaluation of a new class of phenylaminoacetic acid benzylidene hydrazines as pfENR inhibitors}, journal = {Chemical Biology \& Drug Design}, volume = {81}, number = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {715-729}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Recent studies have revealed that plasmodial enoyl-ACP reductase (pfENR, FabI), one of the crucial enzymes in the plasmodial type II fatty acid synthesis II (FAS II) pathway, is a promising target for liver stage malaria infections. Hence, pfENR inhibitors have the potential to be used as causal malarial prophylactic agents. In this study, we report the design, synthesis, structural characterization and evaluation of a new class of pfENR inhibitors. The search for inhibitors began with a virtual screen of the iResearch database by molecular docking. Hits obtained from the virtual screen were ranked according to their Glide score. One hit was selected as a lead and modified to improve its binding to pfENR; from this, a series of phenylamino acetic acid benzylidene hydrazides were designed and synthesized. These molecules were thoroughly characterized by IR, 1H, 13C, 15N, 2D-NMR (COSY, NOESY, 1H-13C, 1H-15N HSQC and HMBC), and X-ray diffraction. NMR studies revealed the existence of conformational/configurational isomers around the amide and imine functionalities. The major species in DMSO solution is the E, E form, which is in dynamic equilibrium with the Z, E isomer. In the solid state, the molecule has a completely extended conformation and forms helical structures that are stabilized by strong hydrogen bond interactions, forming a helical structure stabilized by N-H...O interactions, a feature unique to this class of compounds. Furthermore, detailed investigation of the NMR spectra indicated the presence of a minor impurity in most compounds. The structure of this impurity was deduced as an imidazoline-4-one derivative based on 1H-13C and 1H-15H HMBC spectra and was confirmed from the NOESY spectra. The molecules were screened for in vitro activity against recombinant pfENR enzyme by a spectrophotometric assay. Four molecules, viz. 17, 7, 10, and 12 were found to be active at 7, 8, 10, and 12m concentration, respectively, showing promising pfENR inhibitory potential. A classification model was derived based on a binary QSAR approach termed recursive partitioning (RP) to highlight structural characteristics that could be tuned to improve activity.

}, keywords = {ADMET, docking, enoyl-ACP reductase, FabI, hydrogen bonding, NMR, phenylaminoacetic acid benzylidene hydrazine, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium falciparum enoyl-ACP reductase, QSAR, recursive partitioning, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {1747-0277}, doi = {10.1111/cbdd.12118}, author = {Samal, Ramanuj P. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Pissurlenkar, Raghuvir R. S. and Bwalya, Angela Gono and Tasdemir, Deniz and Joshi, Ramesh A. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Coutinho, Evans C.} } @article { ISI:000320275600007, title = {Desymmetrization approach to the enantiopure syn/anti-1,5-diols via hydrolytic kinetic resolution (hkr) of functionalized meso-bis-epoxides: further elaboration to syn/syn-1,3,5-triols and application to the formal synthesis of cryptocarya diacetate}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {355}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1719-1723}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A new approach has been developed for the synthesis of enantiopure syn/anti-1,5-diols by desymmetrization of functionalized meso-bis-epoxides using hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR). The usage of this protocol was demonstrated by converting syn-1,5-diols into syn/syn-1,3,5-triols and its subseqent application to the formal synthesis of cryptocarya diacetate.

}, keywords = {bis-epoxides, cryptocarya diacetate, desymmetrization, stereoselective reduction, synthetic methods}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.201300098}, author = {Kumar, Pradeep and Chowdhury, Partha Sarathi and Pandey, Menaka} } @article { ISI:000319335700004, title = {Detection and knockdown of MicroRNA-34a using thioacetamido nucleic acid}, journal = {Nucleic Acid Therapeutics}, volume = {23}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {195-202}, publisher = {MARY ANN LIEBERT INC}, address = {140 HUGUENOT STREET, 3RD FL, NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10801 USA}, abstract = {

Thioacetamido nucleic acids (TANA) contain a backbone modification of dinucleotides consisting of a 5-atom amide linker N3{\textquoteright}-COCH2-S-CH2 at thymidine or thymidine-cytidine dimer blocks. Here, the chemical synthesis of the TANA linked 5-methyl-cytidine-cytidine ((Me)cc) dimer block and its incorporation into the DNA sequence, complementary to human microRNA 34 (miR-34) is described. Further, for the first time, we demonstrate the biological applications of TANA modified oligonucleotides in detection and intracellular knockdown of a cancer related microRNA in comparison with DNA containing locked nucleic acid (LNA) and 2{\textquoteright}-O-methyl modifications. The human microRNA miR-34 is a pro-apoptotic microRNA under the transcriptional control of protein 53 (p53). It gets expressed in response to DNA damage and regulates several cell cycle and apoptosis related targets. Here, we show that the TANA modified antisense oligonucleotide binds specifically to miR-34a, allowing its detection using primer extension. We also show that, using the TANA modified antisense oligonucleotide against miR-34a, intracellular levels of miR-34 can be reduced, and consequently, the expression of its target oncogene V-myc myelocytomatosis viral related oncogene, neuroblastoma derived (MYCN) is enhanced. Further, we assessed the toxicity and serum stability of the oligonucleotide to conclude that it is suitable for detection and modulation of the vital biomarker and tumor suppressor microRNA.

}, issn = {2159-3337}, doi = {10.1089/nat.2012.0411}, author = {Soni, Kartik and Gupta, Shivani and Gokhale, Sachin S. and Dey, Rakesh and Gunjal, Anita D. and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Pillai, Beena} } @article { ISI:000313812400012, title = {Development of a multifunctional catalyst for a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}relay{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} reaction}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2186-2191}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the area of catalysis, nanoparticles and enzymes are two of the most important systems. By amalgamating the two, we present here proof of the concept that it is possible to prepare a multifunctional catalyst that can carry out a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}relay{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} reaction. The catalyst consists of a surface bound enzyme on a metal(core)-silica(shell) nanoparticle architecture. Here the enzyme catalyzes the 1st reaction and the metal nanoparticles act as a catalyst for the 2nd reaction of the product from the 1st reaction. In particular, we have studied the catalytic activity of glucosidase grafted Au@mSiO(2) on 4-nitrophenyl-beta-glucopyranoside, where glucosidase will catalyse the 1st step to generate 4-nitrophenol, which acts as a substrate for the next reduction step which is catalysed by the Au nanoparticles present inside the mesoporous silica shell.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra22829g}, author = {Ganai, Anal Kumar and Shinde, Pravin and Dhar, Basab B. and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000322943000001, title = {Diethylamine: a smart organocatalyst in eco-safe and diastereoselective synthesis of medicinally privileged 2-amino-4H-chromenes at ambient temperature}, journal = {Comptes Rendus Chimie}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {689-695}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Diethylamine has been demonstrated to be an efficient organocatalyst in the diastereoselective synthesis of Bcl-2 protein antagonist (HA-14-1) and of its structural analogues by one-pot condensation between salicylaldehyde and three different C-H acids, viz, ethyl cyanoacetate, phenylsulfonyl acetonitrile, and malononitrile. Easy commercial availability of the catalyst at extremely low cost and avoidance of conventional work-up as well as purification procedures qualifies this scalable protocol for a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}near-ideal synthesis{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. (c) 2013 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-amino-4H-chromenes, Active methylene compounds (C-H acids), diethylamine, multicomponent reactions, organocatalyst}, issn = {1631-0748}, doi = {10.1016/j.crci.2013.02.016}, author = {Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Pandit, Kapil S. and Desai, Uday V. and Lad, Uday P. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000318901000001, title = {Draft genome of ochrobactrum intermedium strain M86 isolated from non-ulcer dyspeptic individual from India}, journal = {GUT Pathogens}, volume = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {7}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: Ochrobactrum intermedium is an emerging opportunistic pathogen of humans that is closely related to members of the genus Brucella. Earlier, we reported the case of an Indian subject with non-ulcer dyspeptic symptoms whose urease positive gastric biopsy revealed the presence of Helicobacter pylori along with non-Helicobacter like bacteria, eventually cultured and identified as O. intermedium strain M86. Results: Here, we describe the unclosed draft genome of the strain M86 with a length of 5,188,688 bp and mean G+C content of 57.9\%. We have also identified many putative gene clusters that might be responsible for its persistence in the gastric mucosa. Comparative analysis of genomic features of Ochrobactrum intermedium strain M86 and Ochrobactrum intermedium LMG 3301(T) was also done. Conclusions: This paper attempts to gain whole-genome based insights into the putative gene determinants of O. intermedium for survival in the highly acidic stomach lumen environment. Identification of genes putatively involved in the various metabolic pathways may lead to a better understanding of the survival of O. intermdedium in acidic condition.

}, issn = {1757-4749}, doi = {10.1186/1757-4749-5-7}, author = {Kulkarni, Girish and Dhotre, Dhiraj and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Shetty, Sudarshan and Chowdhury, Somak and Misra, Vatsala and Misra, Sriprakash and Patole, Milind and Shouche, Yogesh} } @article { ISI:000317909500043, title = {Dual action of BPC194: a membrane active peptide killing bacterial cells}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {8}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {e61541}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Membrane active peptides can perturb the lipid bilayer in several ways, such as poration and fusion of the target cell membrane, and thereby efficiently kill bacterial cells. We probe here the mechanistic basis of membrane poration and fusion caused by membrane-active, antimicrobial peptides. We show that the cyclic antimicrobial peptide, BPC194, inhibits growth of Gram-negative bacteria and ruptures the outer and inner membrane at the onset of killing, suggesting that not just poration is taking place at the cell envelope. To simplify the system and to better understand the mechanism of action, we performed Forster resonance energy transfer and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy studies in model membranes and show that the BPC194 causes fusion of vesicles. The fusogenic action is accompanied by leakage as probed by dual-color fluorescence burst analysis at a single liposome level. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations reveal how the peptides are able to simultaneously perturb the membrane towards porated and fused states. We show that the cyclic antimicrobial peptides trigger both fusion and pore formation and that such large membrane perturbations have a similar mechanistic basis.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0061541}, author = {Moiset, Gemma and Cirac, Anna D. and Stuart, Marc C. A. and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Sengupta, Durba and Poolman, Bert} } @article { ISI:000320640600005, title = {Effect of loops and G-quartets on the stability of RNA G-quadruplexes}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {117}, number = {23}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6896-6905}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The loop length, loop composition, salt concentration, and number of G-quartets are major determinants of G-quadruplex stability. We examined the effect of each of these factors on the thermal stability and folding topology of a library of RNA quadruplexes. The thermal stability of G2 and G3 RNA quadruplexes was investigated upon varying the loop length (from 1-1-1 to 15-15-15) and salt concentration (from sequence 1 to 100 mM KCl), while the effect of loop composition was explored using 18 naturally occurring potential RNA quadruplexes predicted in untranslated regions (UTRs). We found loop length and quadruplex stability to be inversely related for G2 RNA quadruplexes and G3 RNA quadruplexes with shorter loops. However, melting temperature saturates for G3 RNA quadruplexes with longer loops. RNA G-quadruplexes with longer loops (G3 15-15-15) displayed T-m values significantly higher than the physiological temperature. This study thus highlights the need to modify the consensus motif presently used by quadruplex prediction tools. An increase in the loop size from 7 bases to IS bases in the consensus motif will add to its predictive value for the discovery of potential RNA quadruplexes across transcriptomes.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp401739m}, author = {Pandey, Satyaprakash and Agarwala, Prachi and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000315209900016, title = {Electrochemical resolution of multiple redox events for graphene quantum dots}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {52}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2482-2485}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {charging energy, differential pulse voltammetry, graphene, quantum dots, single-electron transfer}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201208904}, author = {Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000315874200009, title = {Electronic transition dipole moments and dipole oscillator strengths within fock-space multi-reference coupled cluster framework: an efficient and novel approach}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {138}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {094108}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Within the Fock-space multi-reference coupled cluster framework, we have evaluated the electronic transition dipole moments, which determine absorption intensities. These depend on matrix elements between two different wave functions (e. g., ground state to the excited state). We present two different ways, to calculate these transition moments. In the first method, we construct the ground and excited state wave functions with the normal exponential ansatz of Fock-space coupled cluster method and then calculate the relevant off-diagonal matrix elements. In the second approach, we linearize the exponential form of the wave operator which will generate the left vector, by use of Lagrangian formulation. The right vector is obtained from the exponential ansatz. In order to relate the transition moments to oscillator strengths, excitation energies need to be evaluated. The excitation energies are obtained from the Fock-space multi-reference framework. The transition dipole moments of the ground to a few excited states, together with the oscillator strengths of a few molecules, are presented. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4793277]

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4793277}, author = {Bhattacharya, Debarati and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000325642400017, title = {Electrophile induced branching cascade: a powerful approach to access various molecular scaffolds and their exploration as novel anti-mycobacterial agents}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {49}, number = {86}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10109-10111}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein we report on the Electrophile Induced Branching Cascade (EIBC), a new technique to produce a variety of biologically important molecular scaffolds. Some compounds exhibit excellent activities against Mycobacterium smegmatis.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc45289a}, author = {Patil, Nitin T. and Konala, Ashok and Sravanti, Sudha and Singh, Ashita and Ummanni, Ramesh and Sridhar, Balasubramanian} } @article { ISI:000321481300045, title = {Enhanced electrochromic coloration in Ag nanoparticle decorated WO3 thin films}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {102}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {358-368}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

WO3/Ag composite thin films were prepared by microwave assisted sol-gel synthesis (MW-SGS) of WO3 followed by vacuum evaporation of Ag nanoparticles and their enhanced electrochromic coloration was investigated. The composition and morphology of WO3 thin films with different thickness of Ag layer obtained by vacuum evaporation were investigated. Distinct plasmon absorption bands of Ag nanoparticle thin films were obtained. The optical band gap energy of WO3/Ag films decreased with increasing the Ag layer thickness. The surface of these films has been examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to gain information about the chemical states of species present at surfaces. Experimental results indicated that the conductivity of the films increased after surface modification by Ag layer. To investigate the origin of enhanced electrochromic absorption in optical properties, working electrode consisting of WO3/Ag thin film was used and observed the optical properties during electrochemical reaction. It was found that composite electrode shows enhancement in electrochromic properties in terms of optical modulation (Delta OD) and coloration efficiency (eta). (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag2WO4, CIE coordinates, Electrochromism, SPR, WO3/Ag composite thin films}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2013.03.123}, author = {Kharade, Rohini R. and Mali, Sawanta S. and Patil, Satish P. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Gang, Myong G. and Patil, Pramod S. and Kim, Jin H. and Bhosale, Popatrao N.} } @article { ISI:000327410300055, title = {Enhancement of chemical stability and crystallinity in porphyrin-containing covalent organic frameworks by intramolecular hydrogen bonds}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {52}, number = {49}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {13052-13056}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {covalent organic frameworks, hydrogen bonds, mesoporous materials, porphyrinoids, tautomerism}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201306775}, author = {Kandambeth, Sharath and Shinde, Digambar Balaji and Panda, Manas K. and Lukose, Binit and Heine, Thomas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000317558000024, title = {Epoxidation of styrene by t-butyl hydroperoxide over gold nanoparticles supported on Yb2O3: effect of gold deposition method, gold loading, and calcination temperature of the catalyst on its surface properties and catalytic performance}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {300}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {217-224}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Surface properties and epoxidation performance of Au/Yb2O3 catalyst are influenced by the method of gold deposition [viz. deposition-precipitation (DP), homogeneous deposition-precipitation (HDP) or impregnation], gold loading (0.9-6.6 wt\%), and the catalyst calcination temperature (400-900 degrees C)]. The catalyst showed the best epoxidation performance when it was prepared by the HDP method and calcined at 500 degrees C. The Au/Yb2O3 catalyst even after calcination at 900 degrees C showed good activity and epoxide selectivity. Both Au-0 and Au3+ surface species were found in the catalyst calcined at 800 degrees C, but only Au-0 species were observed at the lower calcination temperatures (\<600 degrees C). The selectivity for styrene oxide increased continuously with the reaction temperature (from 75 degrees C to 97 degrees C) and time (1-5 h), indicating that styrene oxide did not undergo secondary reactions under these conditions. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au/Yb2O3 catalyst, Epoxidation of styrene, gold nanoparticles, Styrene oxide, tert-Butyl hydroperoxide}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2013.01.002}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Dumbre, Deepa K. and Patil, N. S. and Uphade, B. S. and Bhargava, Suresh Kumar} } @article { ISI:000328182900006, title = {Ester vs. amide on folding: a case study with a 2-residue synthetic peptide}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {11}, number = {48}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8348-8356}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Although known for their inferiority as hydrogen-bonding acceptors when compared to amides, esters are often found at the C-terminus of peptides and synthetic oligomers (foldamers), presumably due to the synthetic readiness with which they are obtained using protected peptide coupling, deploying amino acid esters at the C-terminus. When the H-bonding interactions deviate from regularity at the termini, peptide chains tend to {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}fray apart{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. However, the individual contributions of C-terminal esters in causing peptide chain end-fraying goes often unnoticed, particularly due to diverse competing effects emanating from large peptide chains. Herein, we describe a striking case of a comparison of the individual contributions of C-terminal ester vs. amide carbonyl as a H-bonding acceptor in the folding of a peptide. A simple two-residue peptide fold has been used as a testing case to demonstrate that amide carbonyl is far superior to ester carbonyl in promoting peptide folding, alienating end-fraying. This finding would have a bearing on the fundamental understanding of the individual contributions of stabilizing/destabilizing non-covalent interactions in peptide folding.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c3ob41967c}, author = {Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N. and Nair, Roshna V. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Prabhakaran, Panchami and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000314692400006, title = {Evaluation of ethanol production by a new isolate of yeast during fermentation in synthetic medium and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate}, journal = {Annals of Microbiology}, volume = {63}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {63-70}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A new xylose fermenting yeast was isolated from over-ripe banana by enrichment in xylose-containing medium. The phylogenetic analysis of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region sequences of ribosomal RNA of isolate BY2 revealed that it shows affiliation to genus Pichia and clades with Pichia caribbica. In batch fermentation, Pichia strain BY2 fermented xylose, producing 15 g l(-1) ethanol from 30 g l(-1) xylose under shaking conditions at 28A degrees C, with ethanol yield of 0.5 g g(-1) and volumetric productivity of 0.31 g l(-1) h(-1). The optimum pH range for ethanol production from xylose by Pichia strain BY2 was 5-7. Pichia strain BY2 also produced 6.08 g l(-1) ethanol from 30 g l(-1) arabinose. Pichia strain BY2 can utilize sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose acid hydrolysate for alcohol production, efficiency of fermentation was improved by neutralization, and sequential use of activated charcoal adsorption method. Percent total sugar utilized and ethanol yield for the untreated hydrolysate was 17.14\% w/v and 0.33 g g(-1), respectively, compared with 66.79\% w/v and 0.45 g g(-1), respectively, for treated hemicellulose acid hydrolysate. This new yeast isolate showed ethanol yield of 0.45 g g(-1) and volumetric productivity of 0.33 g l(-1) h(-1) from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate detoxified by neutralization and activated charcoal treatment, and has potential application in practical process of ethanol production from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

}, keywords = {D-xylose, Ethanol, Pichia, Sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose}, issn = {1590-4261}, doi = {10.1007/s13213-012-0445-4}, author = {Hande, Aparna and Mahajan, Siddharth A. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000326116600039, title = {Evidence and characterization of dynamic heterogeneity in binary mixtures of phosphoric acid and benzimidazole}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {139}, number = {15}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {154701}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We report here anomalous diffusions of components in mixtures of monomer of polybenzimidazole, i.e., 2-phenyl-1H, 1{\textquoteright}H-5,5{\textquoteright}-bibenzo[d] imidazole (BI) and phosphoric acid (PA) from molecular dynamics simulations. We have observed initial drop and further increase in self-diffusion constant for both monomer molecule (BI) and PA with gradual increase in PA concentration. The origin of such anomalous diffusion is identified in this work, which happens to be the presence of dynamic heterogeneity in each component of the binary mixture. We characterized microscopic picture of dynamical heterogeneity by finding correlation between dynamical heterogeneity and structural arrangement among the components of the binary system. Different types of H-bonding arrangements in the BI-PA systems at different concentration of PA are observed. The stability of the H-bonded network consisting of different types of H-bonds between BI and PA in the system has been studied by calculating the lifetime of various H-bonds. The results indicate that there are fast and slow moving PA molecules in the mixtures because of coexistence of different types of hydrogen bonds among the components of the mixture. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4824767}, author = {Pahari, Swagata and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000326126000033, title = {Exclusion from hexagonal mesophase surfactant domains drives end-to-end enchainment of rod-like particles}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {117}, number = {41}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12661-12668}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Anisotropic rod-like particles assemble end-to-end when the surfactant/water matrix in which they are dispersed is cooled from the isotropic to the lyotropic hexagonal phase. We demonstrate the formation of such end-to-end assemblies for gold nanorods, which are tens of nanometers in size, as well as for micrometer-sized ellipsoidal polystyrene particles. In both cases, the particles are well-dispersed in the low-viscosity surfactant/water phase above the isotropic-H-1 transition temperature. On cooling into the H-1 phase, mesophase domains form and the particles are expelled to the isotropic phase. As the H-1 domains grow and finally impinge, the particles are localized at the domain boundaries where they reorient and assemble end-to-end. Remarkably, we observe the formation of end-to-end assemblies of gold nanorods even for volume fractions as low as 2 x 10(-6) in the initially dispersed state. The extent of particle {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}enchainment{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} increases with the particle concentration and with the aspect ratio of the particles.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp407403a}, author = {Sharma, Kamendra P. and Ganai, Anal Kumar and Sen, Debasis and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article { ISI:000324927300004, title = {Expedient preparative isolation, quantification and characterization of limonoids from neem fruits}, journal = {Analytical Methods}, volume = {5}, number = {20}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5386-5391}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Major basic limonoids from Neem fruits such as azadirone, epoxyazadiradione and azadiradione were isolated in preparative scale using an automated and rapid medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC)-based protocol. They were individually quantified using HPLC. An LC-ESI-MS/MS-based rapid identification technique was developed for the high-throughput screening of these limonoids in phytochemical extracts.

}, issn = {1759-9660}, doi = {10.1039/c3ay41136b}, author = {Haldar, Saikat and Phapale, Prasad B. and Kolet, Swati P. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000327467000009, title = {Exploring the effectiveness of different Lewis pair combinations in caged structures for the catalysis of ammonia borane dehydrogenation: a DFT study}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {15}, number = {48}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20857-20867}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Zero dimensional cage structures containing four phenyl rings separated by imine linkers have recently been synthesized. In the current work, through a computational investigation using density functional theory (DFT), we demonstrate that modifying such cages by replacing the 2, 4, 6 carbon atoms in the phenyl rings to yield new rings, as well as replacing the imine moiety in the linker by other electronegative atoms, can yield interesting new cages that can be reactive in catalysing reactions such as the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane-an important reaction in hydrogen storage research. Specifically, it is predicted that phosphorus-nitrogen pairs (phosphorus in the 2, 4, 6 positions in the ring, nitrogen in the linker position), germanium-nitrogen and germanium-phosphorus pair combinations would lead to effective Lewis pairs that can work in tandem to dehydrogenate ammonia borane efficiently under room temperature conditions.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c3cp53557f}, author = {Pal, Amrita and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000319006300007, title = {Extended coupled cluster through nth perturbation order for molecular response properties: a comparative study}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {417}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {45-51}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In this paper, we have presented and analyzed the extended coupled cluster (ECC) energy functional, truncated up to nth perturbation order in which expansion is limit to operators of the single and double excitations. The expression for the first order energy derivatives based on the above truncation schemes has been derived and numerically analyzed. We have done a comparative study for dipole moment in various perturbative ECC (n) methods (2 \<= n \<= 5) for three systems (HF, H2O and BH) at equilibrium geometry. We have particularly studied two variants of ECC (4) and ECC (5*) method for stretched geometry. We have analyzed the contribution of important terms present in ECC functional based on perturbative argument. We have compared our results with standard coupled cluster (CCSD) as well as cubic truncated ECC and also benchmarked with the full CI results wherever available. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dipole moment, Energy functional, Extended coupled cluster}, issn = {0301-0104}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2013.03.012}, author = {Gupta, Jitendra and Manohar, Prashant Uday and Ghosh, Aryya and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43363, title = {Extracellular biosynthesis of water dispersible, protein capped Mn5O8 nanoparticles using the fungus fusarium oxysporum and study of their magnetic behavior}, journal = {Journal of Nanoengineering and Nanomanufacturing}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {91 - 97}, abstract = {

Nanomaterials of different sizes, shapes and compositions are being synthesized by various chemical, physical and biological routes. The pressing need of the hour is to have a synthesis protocol which does not harm the environment in any way and is inexpensive so that the benefits can be reaped by all. In this regard, the biological synthesis routes weigh over the chemical and physical ones which are toxic and expensive respectively. The biological routes occur at ambient conditions of temperature, pressure and pH and help protect the ecosystem as these do not employ any hazardous chemicals. Moreover, the nanoparticles obtained via biological routes are naturally protein capped which prevents their agglomeration and helps them retain their shape, size and stability for several months. One such important material is manganese oxide (Mn5O8) which at the nanoscale, has found good use in catalysis and as ionic conductors in fuel cells or batteries. The compound Mn5O8 exists in mixed valences of Mn2+ and Mn4+ and has drawn attention due to its antiferromagnetic nature. Here we report extracellular biosynthesis of manganese oxide (Mn5O8 nanoparticles in the size range of 10{\textendash}11 nm at room temperature by challenging the fungus Fusarium oxysporum with manganese (II) acetate tetrahydrate [(CH3CO2)2 Mn {\textperiodcentered} 4H2O] as precursor. The Mn5O8 nanoparticles so formed were characterized by TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, and TGA. Two mixed manganese ion valencies (Mn2+ and Mn4+) of Mn5O8 have been confirmed by XPS studies and antiferromagnetic transitions by magnetic measurements.

}, doi = {10.1166/jnan.2013.1125}, author = {Uddin, Imran and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000316812800023, title = {Facile strategy for synthesis of ,-heterobifunctionalized poly (epsilon-caprolactones) and poly (methyl methacrylate)s containing {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}clickable{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} aldehyde and allyloxy functional groups using initiator approach}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {51}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2091-2103}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Two new initiators, namely, 4-(4-(2-(4-(allyloxy) phenyl)-5-hydroxypentane 2-yl) phenoxy)benzaldehyde and 4-(4-(allyloxy) phenyl)-4-(4-(4-formylphenoxy) phenyl) pentyl 2-bromo-2-methyl propanoate containing clickable hetero-functionalities namely aldehyde and allyloxy were synthesized starting from commercially available 4,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) pentanoic acid. These initiators were utilized, respectively, for ring opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Well-defined -aldehyde, -allyloxy heterobifunctionalized poly(epsilon-caprolactones) (Mn,GPC: 590029,000, PDI: 1.261.43) and poly(methyl methacrylate)s (Mn,GPC: 530028800, PDI: 1.191.25) were synthesized. The kinetic study of methyl methacrylate polymerization demonstrated controlled polymerization behavior. The presence of aldehyde and allyloxy functionality on polymers was confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Aldehyde-aminooxy and thiol-ene metal-free double click strategy was used to demonstrate reactivity of functional groups on polymers. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013, 51, 2091-2103

}, keywords = {atom transfer radical polymerization, Click chemistry, functional polymers, ring opening polymerization}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.26598}, author = {Sane, Prakash S. and Tawade, Bhausaheb V. and Parmar, Indravadan and Kumari, Savita and Nagane, Samadhan and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000314931900004, title = {Fine control of nanoparticle sizes and size distributions: temperature and ligand effects on the digestive ripening process}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1768-1771}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

It is demonstrated that a fine control over the size and size distribution of nanoparticles could be achieved using digestive ripening at different temperatures. Such variations in size and size distributions hugely influence the self-assembled processes in nanoparticles, and result in superlattice structures that are controlled by subtle interplay between ligand orientational entropy and their interdigitation and the van der Waals attraction between the metal cores.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c2nr32855k}, author = {Sahu, Puspanjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000316691100012, title = {Fluorescent sophorolipid molecular assembly and its magnetic nanoparticle loading: a pulsed laser process}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {943-953}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report realization of strong green fluorescence in a fully biocompatible highly spherical mesoscale molecular assembly of sophorolipid created by pulsed UV laser processing of a water-based dispersion of sophorolipid. Remarkably, the said fluorescence is totally absent in the original molecule of sophorolipid and is thus the property of the pulsed laser induced modifications in the molecule and the assembly. We have separately examined the consequences of laser irradiation for glucose and oleic acid components which form the sophorolipid. This fluorescence character appears to be driven by the oleic acid component while the assembly process is assisted by the glucose component. Importantly the laser synthesized mesostructures can be easily redispersed in an aqueous medium after being dried and can also be loaded with magnetic nanoparticles (magnetite) for inducing the hyperthermia effect.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c3gc40108a}, author = {Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Mukherji, Ruchira and Joshi-Navare, Kasturi and Banerjee, Abhik and Gokhale, Rohan and Nagane, Satyawan and Prabhune, Asmita and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000318538100003, title = {Fock space multireference coupled cluster theory: study of shape resonance}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {113}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1690-1695}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

The complex absorbing potential along with correlated independent particle potential (CIP) Fock space multireference coupled cluster method is used for the study of resonances. We have studied shape resonance of e(-) - F-2, e(-) - N2O and e(-) -CO molecules. In particular, we have studied e(-) - F-2 scattering at different bond lengths to know whether F-2(-) is bound at the equilibrium bond length of F-2. (C) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {correlated independent particle potential, Fock-space multireference coupled cluster theory, shape resonance}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.24387}, author = {Bhattacharya, Sumantra and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000314795300042, title = {Four 3D Cd(II)-based metal organic hybrids with different N,N {\textquoteleft}-donor spacers: syntheses, characterizations, and selective gas adsorption properties}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {13}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {731-739}, abstract = {

{Four new metal organic frameworks with bivalent cadmium, disodium succinate (Na(2)suc), and four different N,N{\textquoteright}-donor ligands, i.e., {[Cd(L1)(suc)]center dot(H2O)(3)}(n) (1), {[Cd(L2)(suc)]center dot(H2O)(2)\

}, author = {Bhattacharya, Biswajit and Dey, Rajdip and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Ghoshal, Debajyoti} } @article {42636, title = {Gamma-glutamyl transferases: a structural, mechanistic and physiological perspective}, journal = {Frontiers in Biology}, volume = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {51{\textendash}65}, abstract = {

Gamma glutamyl transferases (GGT) are highly conserved enzymes that occur from bacteria to humans. They remove terminal γ-glutamyl residue from peptides and amides. GGTs play an important role in the homeostasis of glutathione (a major cellular antioxidant) and in the detoxification of xenobiotics in mammals. They are implicated in diseases like diabetes, inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular diseases. The physiological role of GGTs in bacteria is still unclear. Nothing is known about the basis for the strong conservation of the enzyme across the living system. The review focuses on the enzyme{\textquoteright}s physiology, chemistry and structural properties of the enzyme with emphasis on the evolutionary relationships. The available data indicate that the members of the GGT family share common structural features but are functionally heterogenous.

}, doi = {10.1007/s11515-014-1288-0}, author = {Balakrishna, Sharath and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000316759800020, title = {Genome-wide identification and characterization of microRNA genes and their targets in flax (Linum usitatissimum)}, journal = {Planta}, volume = {237}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {1149-1161}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (20-24 nucleotide long) endogenous regulatory RNAs that play important roles in plant growth and development. They regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by translational repression or target degradation and gene silencing. In this study, we identified 116 conserved miRNAs belonging to 23 families from the flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) genome using a computational approach. The precursor miRNAs varied in length; while most of the mature miRNAs were 21 nucleotide long, intergenic and showed conserved signatures of RNA polymerase II transcripts in their upstream regions. Promoter region analysis of the flax miRNA genes indicated prevalence of MYB transcription factor binding sites. Four miRNA gene clusters containing members of three phylogenetic groups were identified. Further, 142 target genes were predicted for these miRNAs and most of these represent transcriptional regulators. The miRNA encoding genes were expressed in diverse tissues as determined by digital expression analysis as well as real-time PCR. The expression of fourteen miRNAs and nine target genes was independently validated using the quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). This study suggests that a large number of conserved plant miRNAs are also found in flax and these may play important roles in growth and development of flax.

}, keywords = {Digital expression analysis, Gene cluster, Linseed, miRNA, MiRNA target transcript, Promoter analysis}, issn = {0032-0935}, doi = {10.1007/s00425-012-1833-5}, author = {Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Pardeshi, Varsha C. and Kale, Sandip M. and Qiu, Shuqing and Rollins, Meaghen and Datla, Raju and Gupta, Vidya S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article { ISI:000316557400002, title = {Genome-wide identification and characterization of nucleotide binding site leucine-rich repeat genes in linseed reveal distinct patterns of gene structure}, journal = {Genome}, volume = {56}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {91-99}, publisher = {CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING, NRC RESEARCH PRESS}, address = {1200 MONTREAL ROAD, BUILDING M-55, OTTAWA, ON K1A 0R6, CANADA}, abstract = {

Plants employ different disease-resistance genes to detect pathogens and to induce defense responses. The largest class of these genes encodes proteins with nucleotide binding site (NBS) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains. To identify the putative NBS-LRR encoding genes from linseed, we analyzed the recently published linseed genome sequence and identified 147 NBS-LRR genes. The NBS domain was used for phylogeny construction and these genes were classified into two well-known families, non-TIR (CNL) and TIR related (TNL), and formed eight clades in the neighbor-joining bootstrap tree. Eight different gene structures were observed among these genes. An unusual domain arrangement was observed in the TNL family members, predominantly in the TNL-5 clade members belonging to class D. About 12\% of the genes observed were linseed specific. The study indicated that the linseed genes probably have an ancient origin with few progenitor genes. Quantitative expression analysis of five genes showed inducible expression. The in silico expression evidence was obtained for a few of these genes, and the expression was not correlated with the presence of any particular regulatory element or with unusual domain arrangement in those genes. This study will help in understanding the evolution of these genes, the development of disease resistant varieties, and the mechanism of disease resistance in linseed.

}, keywords = {Flax, in silico gene expression, motif analysis, NBS-LRR, Phylogenetic analysis, Promoter analysis}, issn = {0831-2796}, doi = {10.1139/gen-2012-0135}, author = {Kale, Sandip M. and Pardeshi, Varsha C. and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article { ISI:000326674800001, title = {GIAO/DFT studies on 1,2,4-triazole-5-thiones and their propargyl derivatives}, journal = {Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry}, volume = {51}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {767-774}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Density functional theory (DFT)/Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) and gauge-including atomic orbital (GIAO) calculations were performed on a number of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives, and the optimized structural parameters were employed to ascertain the nature of their predominant tautomers. C-13 and N-15 NMR chemical shifts of 3-substituted 1,2,4-triazole-5-thiones and their propargylated derivatives were calculated via GIAO/DFT approach at the B3LYP level of theory with geometry optimization using a 6-311++G** basis set. A good agreement between theoretical and experimental C-13 and N-15 NMR chemical shifts could be found for the systems investigated. The data generated were useful in predicting N-15 chemical shifts of all the nitrogen atoms of the triazole ring, some of which could not be obtained in solution state N-15 HMBC/HSQC NMR measurements. The energy profile computed for the dipropargylated derivatives was found to follow the product distribution profile of regioisomers formed during propargylation of 1,2,4-triazole thiones. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 4-triazole-5-thiones, C-13, DFT, GIAO, N-15, NMR, Regioisomers, tautomers}, issn = {0749-1581}, doi = {10.1002/mrc.4012}, author = {Phalgune, Usha D. and Vanka, Kumar and Rajamohanan, P. R.} } @article { ISI:000327259400008, title = {Glucose oxidase conjugated H2O2 sensitive CdTe QDs: an effective fluorescence tool for glucose sensing}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {1}, number = {47}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6538-6543}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Water-soluble quantum dots (QDs) are extensively used for molecular sensing because of the flexibility they offer in terms of modification of the QDs surface with a variety of functional groups using thiol chemistry and monitoring by fluorescence intensity. We describe a simple assay that allows the photoluminescence (PL) detection of H2O2 and glucose in aqueous samples and demonstrate its applicability by estimating glucose in blood. To enable the glucose detection, we functionalized the 3-mercaptopropanoic acid (MPA) capped CdTe QDs with glucose oxidase (GOx), the enzyme specific to b-D-glucose, using carbodiimide chemistry. The fluorescence of the GOx-functionalized CdTe QDs was quenched on the interaction with glucose. The same photoluminescence quenching was also observed in gel form, when a GOx modified CdTe QDs loaded agarose gel was dipped in H2O2 and glucose solutions, respectively.

}, issn = {2050-750X}, doi = {10.1039/c3tb21164a}, author = {Singh, Pooja and Prabhune, Asmita and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Guin, Debanjan} } @article { ISI:000315844500003, title = {G-quadruplex augments translation in the 5 {\textquoteleft} untranslated region of transforming growth factor beta 2}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {52}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1528-1538}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF beta 2) is a versatile cytokine with a prominent role in cell migration, invasion, cellular development, and immunomodulation. TGF beta 2 promotes the malignancy of tumors by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. As it is well-documented that nucleic acid secondary structure can regulate gene expression, we assessed whether any secondary motif regulates its expression at the post-transcriptional level. Bioinformatics analysis predicts an existence of a 23-nucleotide putative G-quadruplex sequence (PG4) in the 5{\textquoteright} untranslated region (UTR) of TGF beta 2 mRNA. The ability of this stretch of sequence to form a highly stable, intramolecular parallel quadruplex was demonstrated using ultraviolet and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Footprinting studies further validated its existence in the presence of a neighboring nucleotide sequence. Following structural characterization, we evaluated the biological relevance of this secondary motif using a dual luciferase assay. Although PG4 inhibits the expression of the reporter gene, its presence in the context of the entire 5{\textquoteright} UTR sequence interestingly enhances gene expression. Mutation or removal of the G-quadruplex sequence from the 5{\textquoteright} UTR of the gene diminished the level of expression of this gene at the translational level. Thus, here we highlight an activating role of the G-quadruplex in modulating gene expression of TGF beta 2 at the translational level and its potential to be used as a target for the development of therapeutics against cancer.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/bi301365g}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Mapa, Koyeli and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000326292100005, title = {G-Quadruplexes as tools for synthetic biology}, journal = {Chembiochem}, volume = {14}, number = {16}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2077-2081}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

With the potential to engineer biological systems, synthetic biology is an emerging field that combines various disciplines of sciences. It encompasses combinations of DNA, RNA and protein modules for constructing desired systems and the rewiring of existing signalling networks. Despite recent advances, this field still lags behind in the artificial reconstruction of cellular processes, and thus demands new modules and switches to create genetic circuits. The widely characterised noncanonical nucleic acid secondary structures, G-quadruplexes are promising candidates to be used as biological modules in synthetic biology. Structural plasticity and functional versatility are significant G-quadruplex traits for its integration into a biological system and for diverse applications in synthetic circuits.

}, keywords = {G-quadruplexes, ribozymes, synthetic biology, topology, zipcodes}, issn = {1439-4227}, doi = {10.1002/cbic.201300456}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000320121500042, title = {Growth of oriented single crystalline La-doped TiO2 nanorod arrays electrode and investigation of optoelectronic properties for enhanced photoelectrochemical activity}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {26}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {10363-10369}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Fabrication of single crystalline, oriented one-dimensional (1D) rods or wires of titania on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrates have enormous significance in the area of photoelectrochemical research owning to their unique optoelectronic properties. It is possible to modify the electrical conductivity and optoelectronic properties of titania by intentional inclusion of atomic impurity in the material. Here for the first time, we have doped lanthanum homogeneously in TiO2 nanorod arrays. The homogeneous distribution of lanthanum in titania lattice is confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) elemental mapping and line scanning analysis. After doping with lanthanum, there is a negative shift of the flat-band potential of the TiO2 nanorods and the charge carrier density of the nanorods is also improved. The energy-conversion efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell based on 4 mol\% La-doped nanorods is increased about 21\% compared with the undoped one.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra40746b}, author = {Sadhu, Subha and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000323132100073, title = {Highly concise and practical route to clavaminols, sphinganine and (+)-spisulosine via indium mediated allylation of alpha-hydrazino aldehyde and a theoretical insight into the stereochemical aspects of the reaction}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {35}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {15442-15448}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A conceptually different approach has been employed for the synthesis of 1,2-amino alcohols by proline-catalyzed alpha-amination of aldehyde and one-pot indium mediated allylation of the crude alpha-hydrazino aldehydes. DFT based quantum chemical calculations have been performed to obtain a quantitative explanation of the stereoselectivity of the reaction.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra43048k}, author = {Pandey, Menaka and Chowdhury, Partha Sarathi and Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Kumar, Pradeep and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000327053200023, title = {High-resolution outgoing longwave radiation dataset from Kalpana-1 satellite during 2004-2012}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {105}, number = {8}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1124-1133}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Long record of high-resolution quality-controlled outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from geostationary platforms like Kalpana-1 has the potential not only to provide detailed information of cloud types contributing to the measure of rain, but also helps unravel convective cloud organization in the tropics from small scale to meso- and synoptic scales. A research quality product of three hourly OLR for the period May 2004 June 2012 is produced from Kalpana-1 very high resolution radiometer (VHRR) radiances over the Indian region (40 degrees S-40 degrees N, 25-125 degrees E) in a regular grid of 0.25 x 0.25 degrees. The quality and usefulness of the dataset is demonstrated here using some illustrative examples. Although these data are available for a relatively short-period, it is shown that they will be potentially more useful than the widely used OLR from NOAA satellites in representing the annual cycles, particularly over the desert and humid oceans, due to their frequent sampling and quality. The active-break periods in the Indian summer monsoon picked up by both the OLR match well. This three hourly OLR estimated from Kalpana-1 VHRR is able to describe the fine-scale structure of the diurnal variation over the region.

}, keywords = {Active break periods, diurnal variation, geostationary platforms, outgoing longwave radiation}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Mahakur, M. and Prabhu, A. and Sharma, A. K. and Rao, V. R. and Senroy, S. and Singh, Randhir and Goswami, B. N.} } @article { ISI:000327071100001, title = {Hollow nanogold/meso-magnetite composite: pulsed laser synthesis, properties, and biosensing application}, journal = {Journal of Nanoparticle Research}, volume = {15}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {Article No. UNSP 2081}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A facile and template-free UV (Excimer) laser photolysis process is demonstrated to transform a Fe-complex into unique hollow Fe3O4 nanosphere morphology with each sphere having nanometric pores and an opening. Depending on the Fe-complex concentration and processing time interesting configurations are seen to evolve. When an identical process is applied to a mixture of Fe-complex and chloroauric acid an enthrallingly decorated Au-Fe3O4 nanostructure evolves, with Au nanoparticles surface-loaded on mesospheric Fe3O4. This room temperature process implemented under normal laboratory conditions is clearly versatile and applicable to heterojunction nanomaterials synthesis in a single-step process. The potential application of these gold-decorated magnetic nanostructures was also investigated for immuno-magnetic capture of E. coli in biosensing and these were found to be sensitive even below 1,000 cfu/ml. The test results demonstrate linear sensing response in the range of 10(3)-10(5) cfu/ml. We also show that these nanostructures can be used for simple electrical conductivity-based biosensing since they show dramatic conductivity change in a simple drop-cast test. A new laser-based approach to the synthesis of unique hollow sphere morphology of magnetite (Fe3O4) without and with Au nanoparticle decoration is presented. The potential application of these gold-decorated magnetic nanostructures was also investigated for immuno-magnetic capture of E. coli in biosensing and these were found to be sensitive even below 1,000 cfu/ml.

}, keywords = {E. coli cells, Fe-complex, Meso-magnetite, Nanobiotechnology, Nanocomposite, Pulse laser irradiation}, issn = {1388-0764}, doi = {10.1007/s11051-013-2081-8}, author = {Chaudhari, Nilima and Warule, Sambhaji and Agrawal, Shailaja and Thakare, Vishal and Jouen, Samuel and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Kale, Bharat and Paknikar, Kishore and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000327805400022, title = {Human mitochondrial NDUFS3 protein bearing leigh syndrome mutation is more prone to aggregation than its wild-type}, journal = {Biochimie}, volume = {95}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2392-2403}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

NDUFS3 is an integral subunit of the Q module of the mitochondrial respiratory Complex-I. The combined mutation (T145I + R199W) in the subunit is reported to cause optic atrophy and Leigh syndrome accompanied by severe Complex-I deficiency. In the present study, we have cloned and overexpressed the human NDUFS3 subunit and its double mutant in a soluble form in Escherichia coli. The wild-type (w-t) and mutant proteins were purified to homogeneity through a serial two-step chromatographic purification procedure of anion exchange followed by size exclusion chromatography. The integrity and purity of the purified proteins was confirmed by Western blot analysis and MALDI-TOF/TOF. The conformational transitions of the purified subunits were studied through steady state as well as time resolved fluorescence and CD spectroscopy under various denaturing conditions. The mutant protein showed altered polarity around tryptophan residues, changed quenching parameters and also noticeably altered secondary and tertiary structure compared to the w-t protein. Mutant also exhibited a higher tendency than the w-t protein for aggregation which was examined using fluorescent (Thioflavin-T) and spectroscopic (Congo red) dye binding techniques. The pH stability of the w-t and mutant proteins varied at extreme acidic pH and the molten globule like structure of w-t at pH1 was absent in case of the mutant protein. Both the w-t and mutant proteins showed multi-step thermal and Gdn-HCI induced unfolding. Thus, the results provide insight into the alterations of NDUFS3 protein structure caused by the mutations, affecting the overall integrity of the protein and finally leading to disruption of Complex-I assembly. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aggregation Fluorescence lifetime, Complex-I, Leigh syndrome, NDUFS3}, issn = {0300-9084}, doi = {10.1016/j.biochi.2013.08.032}, author = {Jaokar, Tulika M. and Patil, Deepak P. and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000318268800072, title = {Hysteresis and charge trapping in graphene quantum dots}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {102}, number = {14}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {143104}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We report current hysteresis in response to applied voltage in graphene quantum dots of average diameter 4.5 +/- 0.55 nm, synthesized electrochemically using multiwalled carbon nanotubes. In response to step voltages, transient current decay, characteristic of deep and shallow level charge traps with time constants 186 ms and 6 s, is observed. Discharging current transients indicate charge storage of the order of 100 mu C. Trap states are believed to arise due to the fast physisorption of external adsorbates, which are found to have a significant effect on charge transport and changes the resistance of the prepared device by an order of 3. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.4800236}, author = {Kalita, Hemen and Harikrishnan, V and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Aslam, Mohammed} } @article { ISI:000328438800007, title = {Impinging jet micromixer for flow synthesis of nanocrystalline MgO: role of mixing/impingement zone}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {52}, number = {49}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {17376-17382}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Continuous flow synthesis of nanomaterials via sol-gel process using microreactors has not received much attention. For the synthesis of gels where the reaction time is of the order of few seconds to few tens of seconds, microchannel reactors are an excellent processing option. However since a {\textquoteleft}gel{\textquoteright} does not {\textquoteleft}flow{\textquoteright} easily, making it in a microchannel usually clogs the microchannel. We envisaged that by using an impinging jet micromixer, where the two reactants impinge and collide to form a mixing zone outside the micromixer, this problem could be circumvented. Here we report a successful implementation of continuous flow synthesis of metal oxides formed by the rapid sol-gel process taking the nanocrystalline MgO (NC-MgO) as a specific example. Furthermore, we clearly demonstrate that the nature of the mixing zone formed by the impinging jets governs the surface area of the product. Specific flow rate and impingement angle are identified that yield high surface area materials.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie402012x}, author = {Kumar, D. V. Ravi and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kulkarni, A. A.} } @article { ISI:000314931900026, title = {In situ synthesis and surface functionalization of gold nanoparticles with curcumin and their antioxidant properties: an experimental and density functional theory investigation}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1882-1893}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Curcumin ((1E,6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) is an active component of turmeric; it is responsible for its characteristic yellow color and therapeutic potential, but its poor bioavailability remains a major challenge. In order to improve the bioavailability of curcumin, various approaches have been used. One of the possible approaches to increase the bioavailability of curcumin is its conjugation on the surface of metal nanoparticles. Therefore, in the present study, we report the binding of curcumin on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNPs were synthesized by the direct reduction of HAuCl4 using curcumin in the aqueous phase, without the use of any other reducing agents. We found that curcumin acts both as a reducing and capping agent, stabilizing the gold sol for many months. Moreover, these curcumin-capped AuNPs also show good antioxidant activity which was confirmed by the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl) radical test. Thus, the surface functionalization of AuNPs with curcumin may pave a new way of using the curcuminoids towards possible drug delivery and therapeutics. Apart from the experimental study, a detailed quantum chemical calculation using density functional theory (DFT) has been performed, in order to investigate the formation of a complex of curcumin with Au3+ ions in different possible conformational isomeric forms. Our theoretical calculations indicate the evidence of electron transfer from curcumin into the Au center and essentially indicate that as a consequence of complexation, Au3+ ions are reduced to Au-0. Our theoretical results also propose that it is the breakage of intramolecular H-bonding that probably leads to the increased availability of curcumin in the presence of gold ions and water molecules.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c2nr33776b}, author = {Singh, Dheeraj K. and Jagannathan, Ramya and Khandelwal, Puneet and Abraham, Priya Mary and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000326366800071, title = {Influence of charge and ligand on the finite temperature behavior of gold clusters: a BOMD study on Au-6 cluster}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {117}, number = {40}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20982-20990}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Conformation and electronic charge on a gold cluster are known to determine its catalytic property. However, little is known on the finite temperature behavior of various gold cluster conformations. Much less is known on the role of charge or a ligand in stabilizing a conformation at finite temperatures. In this work, we have carried out relativistic density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamical simulations on neutral and charged Au-6 clusters with an aim of understanding the stability of ground state conformations as a function of charge on the cluster. Our simulations reveal that cationic and anionic Au-6 clusters undergo conformational transitions at 500 K where as neutral Au-6 cluster retains its ground state conformation up to a temperature of 1100 K. In order to look into the factors leading to the stabilization of neutral Au-6 cluster (or destabilization of cationic and anionic Au-6 clusters), structural and electronic properties are analyzed. Factors such as charge redistribution within the atoms and composition of molecular orbitals are seen to contribute towards stronger Au-Au bonds in Au-6(0) thereby stabilizing it considerably. Following the analysis, simulations are also extended to neutral, cationic, and anionic Au-6-COn (n = 1,2) complexes. In the case of CO chemisorbed Au-6 clusters, neutral and negatively charged ground state conformations are stable up to nearly 800 K, while the positively charged Au-6 ground state conformation collapses at room temperature. This work, in short demonstrates how charge or even a ligand can be used to moderate the physical properties of a gold cluster.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp407081m}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article { ISI:000314177300008, title = {Influence of the sophorolipid molecular geometry on their self-assembled structures}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {369-372}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {bolaamphiphiles, helical structures, p-p stacking, Self-assembly, sophorolipids}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201200935}, author = {Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Banerjee, Agnimitra and Visaveliya, Nikunjkumar and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42654, title = {Interatomic coulombic decay in (HF)n,(n=2-3) clusters using CAP/EOM-CCSD method}, journal = {Molecular Physics}, volume = {112}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {669-673}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method along with the complex absorbing potential has been applied to study the interatomic Coulombic decay mechanism in hydrogen-bonded clusters. We have applied this method to calculate the lifetime of the F 2s inner-valence ionised state of (HF)(n) (n = 2-3) clusters. The lifetime is found to be very short and decreases substantially with increasing the number of HF monomer.

}, keywords = {complex absorbing potential (CAP), equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC), HF clusters, interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD)}, issn = {0026-8976}, doi = {10.1080/00268976.2013.852263}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article { ISI:000324494000004, title = {Isolation, purification and characterization of vinblastine and vincristine from endophytic fungus fusarium oxysporum isolated from catharanthus roseus}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {8}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {UNSP e71805}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Endophytic fungi reside in a symbiotic fashion inside their host plants, mimic their chemistry and interestingly, produce the same natural products as their hosts and are thus being screened for the production of valuable compounds like taxol, camptothecin, podophyllotoxin, etc. Vinblastine and vincristine are excellent anti-cancer drugs but their current production using plants is non-abundant and expensive. In order to make these drugs readily available to the patients at affordable prices, we isolated the endophytic fungi from Catharanthus roseus plant and found a fungus AA-CRL-6 which produces vinblastine and vincristine in appreciable amounts. These drugs were purified by TLC and HPLC and characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, ESI-MS, MS/MS and H-1 NMR. One liter of culture filtrate yielded 76 mu g and 67 mu g of vinblastine and vincristine respectively. This endophytic fungal strain was identified as Fusarium oxysporum based upon its cultural and morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0071805}, author = {Kumar, Ashutosh and Patil, Deepak and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil Ramanpillai and Ahmad, Absar} } @article { ISI:000326845200037, title = {Is it possible to change wettability of hydrophilic surface by changing its roughness?}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters}, volume = {4}, number = {21}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3692-3697}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Wetting behavior of model rough surfaces made of hydrophilic square pillars is investigated. The hydrophilic pillars are equally spaced on hydrophilic surface. The surface roughnesses are altered by varying the pillar width and interpillar spacing. Wetting to dewetting transition is observed for these surfaces. This is one of the first accounts of observation from molecular simulations where hydrophilic surface converts into hydrophobic by changing its roughness. The extent of hydrophilicities are also changed to gain more insightful observations. Energies of the wetting to dewetting transitions are analyzed by calculating the contribution from water water and water surface energy components. A correlation between energy and the wetting to dewetting transition has been established, which rationally explains the observed water repellent nature of hydrophilic surface as a function of roughness.

}, issn = {1948-7185}, doi = {10.1021/jz401946v}, author = {Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000323509900012, title = {Lagrange multiplier approach for excited state properties through intermediate hamiltonian formulation of fock space multireference coupled-cluster theory}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {139}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {074108}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we present a formulation based on Lagrange multiplier approach for efficient evaluation of excited state energy derivatives in Fock space coupled cluster theory within the intermediate Hamiltonian framework. The formulation is applied to derive the explicit generic expressions up to second order energy derivatives for [1, 1] sector of Fock space with singles and doubles approximation. Its advantage, efficiency, and interconnection in comparison to the Lagrange multiplier approach in traditional formulation of Fock space, which is built on the concept of Bloch equation based effective Hamiltonian, has been discussed. Computational strategy for their implementation has also been discussed in some detail. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4817943}, author = {Gupta, Jitendra and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000327090400009, title = {Lavandula gibsoni and plectranthus mollis essential oils: chemical analysis and insect control activities against aedes aegypti, anopheles sfttephensi and culex quinquefasciatus}, journal = {Journal of Pest Science}, volume = {86}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {713-718}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Essential oils and acetone extracts from Lavandula gibsoni and Plectranthus mollis, family Lamiaceae, were investigated for their mosquito larvicidal activity against 4th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus. LC50 values against these three species were 48.3, 62.8 and 54.7 mg/L for L. gibsoni essential oil and 118.5, 137.2 and 128.1 mg/L, respectively, for its acetone extract, while LC50 values for P. mollis essential oil were 25.4, 33.5 and 29.5 mg/L and 195.0, 213.8 and 209.0 mg/L, respectively, for its acetone extract. Repellence of the essential oils was assessed against A. aegypti adults. L. gibsoni essential oil provided 100 \% protection for more than 7 h at a concentration of 2.0 mg/cm(2). Under the same conditions, the standard repellent N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, at 0.25 mg/cm(2), provided 100 \% protection for more than 8 h, while P. mollis essential oil was only weakly repellent. The major components from both essential oils were identified based on GC-MS analysis and linear retention indices. Our results demonstrated promising larvicidal activities of both essential oils against these mosquito species. L. gibsoni essential oil also showed promising repellent activity.

}, keywords = {Essential oil, Lavandula gibsoni, Mosquito larvicidal activity, Mosquito repellent, Plectranthus mollis}, issn = {1612-4758}, doi = {10.1007/s10340-013-0502-1}, author = {Kulkarni, Roshan R. and Pawar, Pushpa V. and Joseph, Mary P. and Akulwad, Ambadas K. and Sen, Avalokiteswar and Joshi, Swati P.} } @article { ISI:000318577600145, title = {Liquefied petroleum gas sensing performance of cerium doped copper ferrite}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {39}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5901-5907}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Undoped and cerium (Ce) doped nanocrystalline copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) materials were synthesized via the molten-salt (M-S) method. Effects of Ce doping on the structural, morphological and gas sensing properties of the CuFe2O4 ferrite have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the formation of spinel CuFe2O4. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations showed that the synthesized ferrite is made up of very fine spherical nanoparticles. Moreover, the gas sensing properties of sintered samples were studied towards different reducing gases such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), acetone, ethanol and ammonia. The sample with 4\% cerium doped CuFe2O4 (Ce4) showed the maximum gas sensitivity (86\%) towards LPG with fast response time of 5 s and good recovery time of 68 s. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ferrite, Gas sensor, Molten-salt method, TEM}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.01.010}, author = {Khandekar, M. S. and Tarwal, N. L. and Patil, J. Y. and Shaikh, F. I. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000322432600012, title = {Magnetically separable single-site Ti-Fe3O4@MCM-41 catalyst for selective epoxidation of olefins}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {52}, number = {29}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9803-9811}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Magnetically separable Ti-Fe3O4@MCM-41 (Ti-MS) catalysts were prepared by postgrafting Ti with varying loading on mesoporous silica containing dispersed magnetite. The hexagonal structure of Ti-MS catalysts with a periodicity in the pores and a highly ordered hexagonal matrix was established by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, while diffuse reflectance UV showed the isolated tetrahedral Ti species coordinated with O2-. From the Fourier transform infrared studies, the extent of Ti-O-Si linkage was found to increase with increase in Ti-loading from 1 to 5 wt \%beyond which (10\%), the intensity of Ti-O-Si band decreased due to the polymerization of the Ti on the silica surface. Silanol groups on the surface of silica interact with the precursor Ti((OPr)-Pr-i)(4) to give site isolated tetrahedral Ti-species responsible for complete selectivity to the epoxide in the epoxidation of cyclooctene. The magnetic property facilitated easy recovery of the catalyst for its successful eight recycles showing its stability under reaction conditions.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie4013248}, author = {Jha, Ajay and Patil, Chetana R. and Garade, Ajit C. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000320005100018, title = {Mapping ion-induced mesophasic transformation in lyotropic in situ gelling system and its correlation with pharmaceutical performance}, journal = {Pharmaceutical Research}, volume = {30}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1906-1914}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

To investigate influence of ion induced mesophasic transformation on pharmaceutical performance of in situ gelling system consisting of glyceryl monooleate. The prepared system showed mesophasic transformation during its conversion from sol to gel upon controlled hydration. The process of mesophasic transformation was studied by SAXS, DSC, rheology and plane polarized light microscopy. Further the influence of additives i.e. naproxen salts (sodium and potassium) and naproxen (base) on the process of mesophasic transformation was also elucidated. It was observed that addition of salt form of naproxen transformed W/O emulsions into cubic mesophase whereas addition of base form of naproxen formed reverse hexagonal (H-II) phase upon controlled hydration. The cubic mesophase formed by naproxen salts retarded the drug release for initial 3 h whereas H-II phase showed sustained drug release characteristics for naproxen base following Higuchi drug release kinetics. The current work suggests that formulations with tailor made pharmaceutical performance can be developed by selecting proper additives in the system so as to obtain the desired mesophase {\textquoteleft}on demand{\textquoteright} thereby controlling drug release characteristics.

}, keywords = {cubic phase, hexagonal phase, liquid crystal, mesophasic transformation, sustained drug release}, issn = {0724-8741}, doi = {10.1007/s11095-013-1033-4}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000326207600024, title = {Mechanism of action of novel synthetic dodecapeptides against Candida albicans}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1830}, number = {11}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5193-5203}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Background: Three de novo designed low molecular weight cationic peptides (IJ2, IJ3 and IJ4) containing an unnatural amino acid alpha,beta-didehydrophenylalanine (APhe) exhibited potent antifungal activity against fluconazole (FLC) sensitive and resistant clinical isolates of Candida albicans as well as non-albi cans and other yeast and filamentous pathogenic fungi. In the present study, their synthesis, susceptibility of different fungi and the mechanism of anti-candidal action have been elucidated. Methods: The antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were synthesized by solid-phase method and checked for antifungal activity against different yeasts and fungi by broth microdilution method. Anti-candidal mode of action of the peptides was investigated through detecting membrane permeabilization by confocal microscopy, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation by fluorometry, apoptosis and necrosis by flow cytometry and cell wall damage using Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Results and conclusions: The MIC of the peptides against C. albicans and other yeast and filamentous fungal pathogens ranged between 3.91 and 250 mu M. All three peptides exhibited effect on multiple targets in C. albi cans including disruption of cell wall structures, compromised cell membrane permeability leading to their enhanced entry into the cells, accumulation of ROS and induction of apoptosis. The peptides also showed synergistic effect when used in combination with fluconazole (FLC) and caspofungin (CAS) against C. albi cans. General significance: The study suggests that the AMPs alone or in combination with conventional antifungals hold promise for the control of fungal pathogens, and need to be further explored for treatment of fungal infections. (C) 2013 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antifungal peptide, Antimicrobial peptide (AMP), Apoptosis, Candida albicans, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.07.016}, author = {Maurya, Indresh Kumar and Thota, Chaitanya Kumar and Sharma, Jyotsna and Tupe, Santosh Genba and Chaudhary, Preeti and Singh, Manoj Kumar and Thakur, Indu Shekhar and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Prasad, Rajendra and Chauhan, Virander Singh} } @article { ISI:000314973700004, title = {Microbial oxidation of medium chain fatty alcohol in the synthesis of sophorolipids by candida bombicola and its physicochemical characterization}, journal = {Journal of Surfactants and Detergents}, volume = {16}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {173-181}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids (SL) are glycolipid biosurfactants abundantly produced from different feedstocks by yeasts and have been widely developed for various applications. The amphipathic structures of sophorolipids imparts to them surfactant type properties. These biosurfactants are readily isolated in high yield and are nontoxic and biodegradable, which make them industrially interesting as surfactants or emulsifiers. Sophorolipid production was carried out using glucose as a hydrophilic source and lauryl alcohol C12-14, as a hydrophobic source by Candida bombicola (ATCC 22214). Process economics and environmental attractiveness was increased by using a low cost substrate. Optimization studies were carried out where the effect of glucose concentration, pH, temperature and metal ions on sophorolipid production was studied. Optimum production of sophorolipid obtained using lauryl alcohol (SLLA) was achieved after 96 h, the initial pH of the medium was 6.0 with 10 \% glucose at 30 A degrees C. Primary characterization of SLLA was done by FTIR. The SLLA showed high physicochemical properties in terms of the surface activities when compared with synthetic surfactants including dodecyl tetraethylene glycol ether and sodium lauryl sulfate. The surface tension of SLLA thus obtained was found to be 24 mN/m with a critical micellar concentration (CMC) value of 0.68 mg/L. Antimicrobial testing showed that SLLA have potent antimicrobial activity against both gram negative bacteria, Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and gram positive cocci, Staphylococcus aureuss (ATCC 2079).

}, keywords = {Biosurfactants, Candida bombicola, CMC, Lauryl alcohol C12-14, sophorolipids, Surface tension}, issn = {1097-3958}, doi = {10.1007/s11743-012-1378-4}, author = {Pulate, Vrushali Dengle and Bhagwat, Sunil S. and Prabhune, Asmita Ashutosh} } @article { ISI:000326900600015, title = {Mixed Co-Mn oxide-catalysed selective aerobic oxidation of vanillyl alcohol to vanillin in base-free conditions}, journal = {Chempluschem}, volume = {78}, number = {11}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1384-1392}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Manganese-doped cobalt mixed oxide (MnCo-MO) catalyst was prepared by a solvothermal method. The as-prepared catalyst was characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, H-2 temperature-programmed reduction, O-2 temperature-programmed oxidation and XRD. This catalyst gave 62\% conversion with 83\% selectivity to vanillin in 2hours for the liquid-phase air oxidation of vanillyl alcohol without using base. Three different types of metal oxides were observed in the prepared catalyst, which could be identified as Co3O4, Mn3O4 and CoMn2O4. Among these, the tetragonal phase of CoMn2O4 was found to be more active and selective for vanillyl alcohol oxidation than Co3O4 and Mn3O4. High-resolution TEM characterisation revealed the morphology of MnCo-MO nanorods with a particle size of 10nm. Successful recycling of the catalyst was also established in this oxidation reaction.

}, keywords = {aerobic oxidation, cobalt, heterogeneous catalysis, manganese, spinel phases}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.201300247}, author = {Jha, Ajay and Patil, Kashinath R. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000328864800088, title = {Multicomponent reactions involving arynes, quinolines, and aldehydes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {15}, number = {17}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4620-4623}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The multicomponent reaction involving arynes, quinolines, and aldehydes leading to the diastereoselective synthesis of benzoxazino quinoline derivatives in good yields proceeding via 1,4-zwitterionic intermediates is reported. In addition, the synthetic potential of various carbonyl compounds in this reaction as well as the utility of isoquinoline as the nucleophilic trigger has been examined.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol4023134}, author = {Bhunia, Anup and Porwal, Digvijay and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000314748100011, title = {Necking in extrusion film casting: the role of macromolecular architecture}, journal = {Journal of Rheology}, volume = {57}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {559-583}, publisher = {JOURNAL RHEOLOGY AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {STE 1 NO 1, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4502 USA}, abstract = {

Extrusion film casting (EFC) is used on an industrial scale to produce several thousand tons of polymer films and coatings. While significant research has been carried out on necking of films of viscoelastic melts in EFC, the influence of macromolecular chain architecture on the necking behavior is not yet fully understood. In the present research, we have explored experimentally and theoretically the effects of long chain branching and molecular weight distribution on the extent of necking during EFC. Polyethylenes of essentially linear architecture but having narrow and broad molecular weight distributions, and polyethylenes having long chain branching were used for experimental studies. The EFC process was analyzed using the one-dimensional flow model of Silagy et al. [Polym. Eng. Sci. 36(21), 2614-2625 (1996)] in which multimode molecular constitutive equations namely the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}extended pom-pom{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} equation (for long chain branched polymer melts) and the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Rolie-Poly (Rouse linear entangled polymers){\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} equation (for linear polymer melts) were incorporated. We show that the model qualitatively captures the salient features of the experimental data thereby elucidating the role of chain architecture on the extent of necking. (C) 2013 The Society of Rheology. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1122/1.4788911]

}, issn = {0148-6055}, doi = {10.1122/1.4788911}, author = {Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Thete, Sumeet Suresh and Doshi, Pankaj and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article { ISI:000326465600015, title = {New dipyranocoumarin from the leaves of calophyllum apetalum willd}, journal = {Natural Product Research}, volume = {27}, number = {20}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1896-1901}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new dipyranocoumarin, -hydroxytomentolide A (1) was isolated from the leaves of Calophyllum apetalum together with the known compounds friedelin (2), apetalactone (3), inophyllum C (4) and canophyllol (5). The structure of the new compound was established by spectroscopic studies which include H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, NOESY, HetCOSY, COLOC experiments and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

}, keywords = {-hydroxytomentolide A, Calophyllum apetalum, dipyranocoumarins, Guttiferae, Triterpenoids}, issn = {1478-6419}, doi = {10.1080/14786419.2013.784869}, author = {Joshi, Swati P. and Kulkarni, Smita R. and Phalgune, Usha D. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000325924000001, title = {New organosoluble aromatic poly(esterimide)s containing pendent pentadecyl chains: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {High Performance Polymers}, volume = {25}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {735-743}, publisher = {SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON EC1Y 1SP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new diimide dicarboxylic acid, namely 2,2-(4-pentadecyl-1,3-phenylene)bis(1,3-dioxoisoindoline-5-carboxylic acid), containing preformed imide rings and pentadecyl chain, was synthesized by the reaction of 4-pentadecylbenzene-1,3-diamine with trimellitic anhydride. A series of new aromatic poly(esterimide)s (PEIs) was synthesized using diphenylchlorophosphate-activated direct polycondensation of 2,2-(4-pentadecyl-1,3-phenylene)bis(1,3-dioxoisoindoline-5-carboxylic acid), with five commercially available bisphenols, namely 4,4-isopropylidenediphenol (I), 4,4-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphenol (II), 4,4-oxydiphenol (III), 4,4-biphenol (IV), and 4,4-(9-fluorenylidene)diphenol (V) in the presence of pyridine and lithium chloride. Inherent viscosities of PEIs were in the range 0.54-0.83dLg(-1) in chloroform (CHCl3) at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees C. PEIs containing pendent pentadecyl chains were soluble in organic solvents such as CHCl3, m-cresol, N, N-dimethylacetamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, pyridine, and nitrobenzene. Tough, transparent, and flexible films of PEIs could be cast from their CHCl3 solutions. PEIs exhibited glass transition temperature in the range 145-198 degrees C. The temperature at 10\% weight loss of PEIs, determined by thermogravimetric analysis under the nitrogen atmosphere, was in the range of 450-470 degrees C indicating good thermal stability.

}, keywords = {pendent pentadecyl chains, Polycondensation, Polyimide, Preformed imide rings, Thermogravimetric analysis}, issn = {0954-0083}, doi = {10.1177/0954008313483344}, author = {Sadavarte, Nilakshi V. and Patil, Sachin S. and Avadhani, C. V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000317327900086, title = {NHC-Catalyzed reaction of enals with hydroxy chalcones: diastereoselective synthesis of functionalized coumarins}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {15}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {1756-1759}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed annulation of enals with 2{\textquoteright}-hydroxy chalcones afford cyclopentane-fused coumarin derivatives with an excellent level of diastereocontrol. The reaction tolerates a broad range of functional groups; 25 examples are given, and a preliminary mechanistic investigation is provided.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol400562z}, author = {Bhunia, Anup and Patra, Atanu and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000325950600094, title = {Novel and efficient synthesis of azaarene-substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles via sp(3) C-H functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes over a heterogeneous, reusable silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid catalyst}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {43}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {20281-20286}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel and efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of azaarene-substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles via sp(3) C-H functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes with isatin in good to excellent yield. This is the first example in which heterogeneous, reusable silica supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyzed sp(3) C-H functionalization of 2-substituted azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra43515f}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @article {43364, title = {Novel green bio-milling technique for the synthesis of BaTiO3 nanoparticle using Saccharomyces cerevisiae}, journal = {International Journal of Innovative Biological Research}, volume = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-5}, abstract = {The development of a novel green top-down approach called bio-milling for synthesizing the oxide nanomaterials is an issue of topical interest. While a number of chemical processes are energy intensive and involve toxic chemicals. Here we report, at room temperature, bio-milling of chemically synthesized barium titinate (BaTiO3) particles by challenging the fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae against aqueous solution of BaTiO3 to synthesize the biogenic nanoparticles. The extracellular breaking of microscaled BaTiO3 particles by extracellular biomolecules/proteins secreted by the fungus under stressed condition results in the formation of particles in nanoregime. XRD spectra and TEM analysis showed that BaTiO3 particles reduce to their size during the interaction with the fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae and maintaining their phase and crystallinity after bio-milling process.}, author = {Uddin, Imran and Jaiswal, Adhish and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000323761100009, title = {Novel mechanism for antiglycative action of limonene through stabilization of protein conformation}, journal = {Molecular Biosystems}, volume = {9}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2463-2472}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Inhibition of protein glycation is known to ameliorate secondary complications in diabetes. In the present study antiglycative properties of limonene, a natural product, were evaluated using BSA as a model protein. AMG (aminoguanidine) was used as a positive control. Measurement of total AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products) and specific AGEs revealed that limonene could inhibit protein glycation to the extent of 56.3\% and 75.1\% respectively at 50 mu M concentration as against 54.4\% and 82.2\% by AMG at 1 mM. Congo red binding and CD (Circular Dichroism) analysis revealed inhibition of alpha-helix to beta-sheet transition wherein 18.5\% beta-sheet structures were observed in glycated BSA (bovine serum albumin) as against 4.9\% with limonene. Glycation of protein in the presence of urea was enhanced by 18\%, while in the presence of limonene it was reduced by 23\% revealing the stabilizing effect of limonene. Electrophoretic mobility was similar to the normal control and a zeta potential value of -12.1 mV as against -15.1 mV in diabetic control was observed. Inhibition of glycation in limonene treated samples was confirmed through LC-MS analysis wherein AGEs such as pentosidine, CML (N-epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine), CEL (N-epsilon-(carboxyethyl) lysine), MOLD (methylglyoxal-lysine dimer) and imidazolone observed in glycated samples were absent in limonene treated samples. PatchDock studies revealed that limonene could bind to the major glycation sites IB, IIA and IIB sub domains and AMG to the IIIA sub domain. Thus limonene is a potent protein glycation inhibitor that prevents protein glycation through a novel mechanism of stabilization of protein structure through hydrophobic interactions.

}, issn = {1742-206X}, doi = {10.1039/c3mb00020f}, author = {Joglekar, Madhav M. and Panaskar, Shrimant N. and Chougale, Ashok D. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Arvindekar, Akalpita U.} } @article { ISI:000313694200024, title = {One pot solvent free synthesis and in vitro antitubercular screening of 3-aracylphthalides against mycobacterium tuberculosis}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {23}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {711-714}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

One pot synthesis of 3-Aracylphthalide was accomplished in good yield by reacting 2-carboxy benzaldehyde with various aromatic methyl ketones in presence of methane sulphonic acid. Various phthalides thus obtained were characterized with spectral techniques. These phthalides were subjected to in vitro antitubercular screening against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) by using XRMA protocol. Among the phthalides screened, four exhibited half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the range of 0.81-1.24 mu g/ml thereby providing potential lead compounds for future drug discovery studies. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3-Aracylphthalide, Antitubercular activity, Methane sulphonic acid, One pot synthesis}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2012.11.097}, author = {Limaye, Rohan A. and Kumbhar, Virendra B. and Natu, Arun D. and Paradkar, Madhusudan V. and Honmore, Varsha S. and Chauhan, Rubia R. and Gample, Suvarna P. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000316238400025, title = {One pot synthesis, growth mechanism and optical properties of Zn1-xCdxSe graded core/shell and alloy nanocrystals}, journal = {Journal of Luminescence}, volume = {135}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {154-159}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Comparatively higher photoluminescence yield along with robustness of core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals make them attractive candidates for studying intricate quantum size effects. Here, we report, one pot synthesis of Zn1-xCdxSe graded core/shell structures by exploiting change in the reactivity of precursors. Optical and structural measurements indicate formation of graded structure. Growth mechanism probed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy shows formation of graded core/shell structure, with CdSe rich core and ZnSe rich shell. Annealing these nanocrystals, in chemical bath, leads to diffusion of Cd from core to shell region. Formation of Zn1-xCdxSe alloy is also observed in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements, confirming the diffusion of Cd from core to shell region. Substantially high photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 60\% with narrow line width of about 27 nm, was observed and is attributable to the reduced strain due to graded core/shell structure. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Graded core/shell, II-VI Semiconductor, Luminescence, Optical properties, Semiconductor alloy}, issn = {0022-2313}, doi = {10.1016/j.jlumin.2012.10.042}, author = {Sonawane, Kiran G. and Patil, K. R. and Mahamuni, Shailaja} } @article { ISI:000326122200015, title = {One-pot fluorescent labeling protocol for complex hydroxylated bioactive natural products}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {78}, number = {20}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10192-10202}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Tagging of small bioactive molecules with a fluorophore is a highly sensitive method to trace their cellular activities through real-time visual information. Here we disclose a 7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD)-based, high-yielding, one-pot labeling protocol for hydroxylated molecules using Yamaguchi coupling as the key reaction. This methodology was successfully applied on several sensitive and complex hydroxylated bioactive compounds including 7-deacetylazadiradione, simvastatin, camptothecin, andrographolide, cinchonine, beta-dihydroartemisinin, and azadirachtin A. Further, utility of this protocol was illustrated on the cytotoxic activity of azadiradione derivatives against several cancer cell lines through cell imaging of two qualified fluorescent probes.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo401559t}, author = {Haldar, Saikat and Kumar, Santosh and Kolet, Swati P. and Patil, Harshal S. and Kumar, Dhiraj and Kundu, Gopal C. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000315540200007, title = {One-step method for the synthesis of aryl olefins from aryl aldehydes and aliphatic aldehydes}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {54}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1528-1530}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A conceptually new one-step reaction affording unexpected aryl olefinic product from aromatic aldehyde, aliphatic aldehyde and malononitrile in the presence of acetic acid-ammonium acetate under mild reaction conditions without using any metal catalyst is reported. This novel reaction was used to prepare a number of substituted aryl olefins including new molecules. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aliphatic aldehyde, Aromatic aldehyde, Aryl olefin, Dicyanoaniline, Malononitrile}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.01.008}, author = {Borate, Hanumant B. and Gaikwad, Supriya H. and Kudale, Ananada S. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Pharande, Shrikant G. and Wagh, Vitthal D. and Sawant, Vikram S.} } @article { ISI:000319647600012, title = {Orientation of the beta-hydroxyl group controls the diastereoselectivity during the hydride reduction and grignard reaction of inososes}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {69}, number = {25}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5144-5151}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A comparison of the results of the Grignard reaction and the hydride reduction of the carbonyl group of epi- and scyllo-inososes reveals that the extent of diastereoselectivity of these reactions is decided by the orientation of the beta-hydroxyl group (or its derivative). Presence of an axial beta-hydroxyl group generally results in the formation of relatively larger amount of the axial alcohol as a result of the reduction of the carbonyl group. The possible reasons for the observed differences in diastereoselectivity between the reactions of these isomeric epi- and scyllo-inososes have been discussed. The sequence of reactions reported here provides convenient access to C-allcylated inositols, such as iso-laminitol and iso-mytilitol as well as 2-O-methyl epi-inositol, an epimer of the naturally occurring ononitol. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cyclitol, diastereoselectivity, Grignard, Inositol, Nucleophile, reduction}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2013.04.081}, author = {Jagdhane, Rajendra C. and Patil, Madhuri T. and Krishnaswamy, Shobhana and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article { ISI:000315168800015, title = {Orthanilic acid-promoted reverse turn formation in peptides}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {49}, number = {22}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2222-2224}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Orthanilic acid (2-aminobenzenesulfonic acid, (S)Ant), an aromatic beta-amino acid, has been shown to be highly useful in inducing a folded conformation in peptides. When incorporated into peptide sequences (Xaa-(S)Ant-Yaa), this rigid aromatic beta-amino acid strongly imparts a reverse-turn conformation to the peptide backbone, featuring robust 11-membered-ring hydrogen-bonding.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc40522b}, author = {Kale, Sangram S. and Priya, Gowri and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000209465100066, title = {Oxidoreductase from {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} mango catalyzing biosynthesis of furaneol and reduction of reactive carbonyls}, journal = {SpringerPlus}, volume = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {494}, publisher = {SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG}, type = {Article}, address = {GEWERBESTRASSE 11, CHAM, CH-6330, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Two furanones, furaneol (4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone) and mesifuran (2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)-furanone), are important constituents of flavor of the Alphonso cultivar of mango (Mangifera indica). To get insights into the biosynthesis of these furanones, we isolated an enone oxidoreductase gene from the Alphonso mango. It has high sequence similarity to an alkenal/one oxidoreductase from cucumber (79\% identity) and enone oxidoreductases from tomato (73\% identity) and strawberry (72\% identity). The complete open reading frame was expressed in E. coli and the (his) 6-tagged recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography. The purified protein assayed with NADH as a reducing agent converted D-fructose-1,6-diphosphate into furaneol, the immediate precursor of mesifuran. The enzyme was also able to convert two highly reactive carbonyls, 3-buten-2-one and 1-penten-3-one, produced by lipid peroxidation in plants, into their saturated derivatives. Expression profiling in various ripening stages of Alphonso fruits depicted an expression maxima at 10 days after harvest stage, shortly before the appearance of the maximum amount of furanones (completely ripe stage, 15 days after harvest). Although no furanones were detected at the 0 day after harvest stage, significant expression of this gene was detected in the fruits at this stage. Overall, the results suggest that this oxidoreductase plays important roles in Alphonso mango fruits.

}, keywords = {Detoxification, Enone oxidoreductase, Flavor, Mangifera indica, Ripening}, issn = {2193-1801}, doi = {10.1186/2193-1801-2-494}, author = {Kulkarni, Ram and Chidley, Hemangi G. and Deshpande, Ashish and Schmidt, Axel and Pujari, Keshav and Giri, Ashok P. and Gershenzon, Jonathan and Gupta, Vidya} } @article { ISI:000313156400005, title = {Palladium-promoted [2+2+2] cocyclization of arynes and unsymmetrical conjugated dienes: synthesis of justicidin B and retrojusticidin B}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {14-17}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A facile synthesis of natural and unnatural arylnaphthalenes has been demonstrated via the unprecedented palladium-promoted [2 + 2 + 2] cocyclization of arynes and unsymmetrical conjugated dienes using the N-heterocyclic carbene as a ligand. The unsymmetrical dienes used herein are actually alpha-coupled acrylate - cinnamate combinations bearing two beta-positive carbons and follow the key [2 + 2 + 2] cocyclization pathway.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol3028658}, author = {Patel, Ramesh M. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000326355100005, title = {Performance of the EOMIP-CCSD(2) method for determining the structure and properties of doublet radicals: a benchmark investigation}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {9}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4313-4331}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We present a benchmark study on the performance of the EOMIP-CCSD(2) method for computation of structure and properties of doublet radicals. The EOMIP-CCSD(2) method is a second-order approximation to the standard EOMIP-CCSD method. By retaining the black box nature of the standard EOMIP-CCSD method and adding favorable N-5 scaling, the EOMIP-CCSD(2) method can become the method of choice for predicting the structure and spectroscopic properties of large doublet radicals. The EOMIP-CCSD(2) method overcomes the typical problems associated with the standard single reference ab initio treatment of doublet radicals. We compare our results for geometries and harmonic vibrational frequencies with those obtained using the standard EOMIP-CCSD method, as well as unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF)- and restricted open-shell Hartree-Fock (ROHF)-based single-reference coupled-cluster and second order many-body perturbation theory (MBPT(2)) methods. The effect of the basis set on the quality of the results has been studied using a hierarchy of Dunning{\textquoteright}s correlation-consistent aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D, T, Q) basis sets. Numerical results show that the EOMIP-CCSD(2) method, despite its N-5 scaling, gives better agreement with experimental results, compared to the UHF- and ROHF-based MBPT(2), as well as the single-reference coupled-cluster methods.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct400316m}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000325392000050, title = {Perturbative approximations to single and double spin flip equation of motion coupled cluster singles doubles methods}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {139}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {124116}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Spin flip equation of motion coupled cluster (EOM-SF-CC) can correctly treat situations involving electronic degeneracies or near degeneracies, e. g., bond breaking, di- and tri-radicals, etc. However, for large systems EOM-SF-CC (even in single and double excitations) is computationally prohibitively expensive. Therefore, earlier approximations to EOM-SF-CC methods such as spin flip configuration interaction singles with perturbative doubles (SF-CIS(D)) have been proposed. In this work, we present a new perturbative approximation to EOM-SF-CC, which has been found to be more accurate than SF-CIS(D). The capabilities, advantages, and timings of the new approach have been demonstrated considering the singlet-triplet gaps in di- and triradicals as well as bond breaking examples. The method is extended to double spin flip EOM-CC and its capabilities have been tested. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4821936}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Pal, Sourav and Ghosh, Debashree} } @article { ISI:000318292400036, title = {Photopolymerization of bis-aromatic and alicyclic based solid urethane acrylate macromonomer in the presence of large excess of reactive diluent Kinetics and modeling}, journal = {Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry}, volume = {112}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {805-813}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A solid urethane acrylate macromonomer with bis-aromatic as well as alicyclic moieties was synthesized and the kinetics of photopolymerization reactions were studied in the presence of varying concentration of photoinitiator and large excess of reactive diluent using photo DSC. The studies show that the rate of maximum polymerization was found to increase with increase in concentration of photoinitiator while a decrease was observed by an increase in temperature. The final conversion showed a decrease at highest isothermal condition due to vitrification. Estimation of kinetic parameters including applicability of autocatalytic and modified autocatalytic models were investigated by nonlinear regression. It was observed that the modified models gave a better fit with the experimental data and kinetic parameters showed a decrease with increase in temperature and an increase with increase in concentration of photoinitiator.

}, keywords = {Autocatalytic model, kinetics, Levenberg-Marquardt method, Photopolymerization}, issn = {1388-6150}, doi = {10.1007/s10973-012-2619-5}, author = {Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Ponrathnam, S. and Rajan, C. R. and Tambe, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000313012200051, title = {Polarizability of few electron quantum dots: extended coupled-cluster response approach}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {555}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {263-267}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The dipole polarizability is studied for few electron quantum dots using extended coupled cluster linear response method (ECCLR). The polarizability of pure parabolic quantum dots depends only on the number of electrons and the parabolic confinement strength. We added impurity in a GAUSSIAN form to the external parabolic potential and used ECCLR to calculate polarizability. To examine the effect of external potential, we changed the parabolic confinement to square-well and repeated all calculations. We mainly looked at eigenvalue spectrum and charge density specially when the system shifts towards lower density regions. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2012.10.071}, author = {Heidari, Ideh and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav and Kanhere, Dilip G.} } @article { ISI:000326300200011, title = {Porous carbons from nonporous MOFs: influence of ligand characteristics on intrinsic properties of end carbon}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {13}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4195-4199}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis of porous carbons on direct carbonization of nonporous Zn-based MOFs has been achieved without using any additional carbon precursor. The effect of ligand nature on the resulting carbon porosity has been studied systematically using the MOFs synthesized from rigid and flexible ligands. The linear relations between Zn/C ratio of the MOF versus surface area of the resulting carbon, micro-porosity versus H-2 uptake achieved in these carbons, and surface area versus specific capacitance of the end carbons have been verified from the gas adsorption, molecular composition, and electrochemical studies, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge cycling have been carried out to study the capacitive behavior of the carbons. The interdependence of capacitive behavior on the surface area has been analyzed using data derived from N-2 adsorption isotherms and charge-discharge curves. Among the carbons synthesized, C-MOF-2 shows maximal surface area of 1378 m(2)/g with a specific capacitance of 170 F/g at 1 A/g.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg401122u}, author = {Aiyappa, Harshitha Barike and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000324098200003, title = {Porous Co3O4 nanorods as superior electrode material for supercapacitors and rechargeable Li-ion batteries}, journal = {Journal of Applied Electrochemistry}, volume = {43}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {995-1003}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Porous aggregated nanorods of Co3O4 with a surface area of similar to 100 m(2) g(-1) synthesized without using any templates or surfactants give very high specific capacitance of similar to 780 F g(-1) when used as electrode in a faradaic supercapacitor, with a cycle life of more than 1,000 cycles. Further, in Li-ion batteries when used as an anode, the Co3O4 nanorods achieved a capacity of 1155 mA h g(-1) in the first cycle and upon further cycling it is stabilized at 820 mA h g(-1) for more than 25 cycles. Detailed characterization indicated the stability of the material and the improved performance is attributed to the shorter Li-insertion/desertion pathways offered by the highly porous nanostructures. The environmentally benign and easily scalable method of synthesis of the porous Co3O4 nanorods coupled with the superior electrode characteristics in supercapacitors and Li-ion batteries provide efficient energy storage capabilities with promising applications.

}, keywords = {Cobalt oxide, Electrode materials, Li-ion battery, Porous nanostructures, supercapacitor}, issn = {0021-891X}, doi = {10.1007/s10800-013-0593-7}, author = {Vijayanand, S. and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Potdar, H. S. and Pillai, V. K. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000313263300022, title = {Porous-organic-framework-templated nitrogen-rich porous carbon as a more proficient electrocatalyst than Pt/C for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {19}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {974-980}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Porous nitrogen-rich carbon (POF-C-1000) that was synthesized by using a porous organic framework (POF) as a self-sacrificing host template in a nanocasting process possessed a high degree of graphitization in an ordered structural arrangement with large domains and well-ordered arrays of carbon sheets. POF-C-1000 exhibits favorable electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) with a clear positive shift of about 40 mV in the onset potential compared to that of a traditional, commercially available Pt/C catalyst. In addition, irrespective of its moderate surface area (785 m2?g-1), POF-C-1000 showed a reasonable H2 adsorption of 1.6 wt?\% (77 K) and a CO2 uptake of 3.5 mmol?g-1 (273 K).

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Electrochemistry, fuel cells, oxygen-reduction reaction, porous organic frameworks}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201202940}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Kandambeth, Sharath and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000315751600033, title = {Probing interaction of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cells with ZnO nanorods}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {33}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {1247-1253}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In the present work, the physiological effects of the ZnO nanorods on the Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Aerobacter aerogenes) bacterial cells have been studied. The analysis of bacterial growth curves for various concentrations of ZnO nanorods indicates that Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial cells show inhibition at concentrations of similar to 64 and similar to 256 mu g/mL respectively. The marked difference in susceptibility towards nanorods was also validated by spread plate and disk diffusion methods. In addition, the scanning electron micrographs show a clear damage to the cells via changed morphology of the cells from rod to coccoid etc. The confocal optical microscopy images of these cells also demonstrate the reduction in live cell count in the presence of ZnO nanorods. These, results clearly indicate that the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanorods is higher towards Gram positive bacterium than Gram negative bacterium which indicates that the structure of the cell wall might play a major role in the interaction with nanostructured materials and shows high sensitivity to the particle concentration. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Confocal, Growth curve, Nanorods, SEM, Zeta potential, ZnO}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2012.12.019}, author = {Jain, Aanchal and Bhargava, Richa and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000324842900004, title = {Probing the active site of cinnamoyl CoA reductase 1 (Ll-CCRH1) from Leucaena leucocephala}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {60}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {33-38}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Lack of three dimensional crystal structure of cinnamoyl CoA reductase (CCR) limits its detailed active site characterization studies. Putative active site residues involved in the substrate/NADPH binding and catalysis for Leucaena leucocephala CCR (Ll-CCRH1; GenBank: DQ986907) were identified by amino acid sequence alignment and homology modeling. Putative active site residues and proximal H215 were subjected for site directed mutagenesis, and mutated enzymes were expressed, purified and assayed to confirm their functional roles. Mutagenesis of S136, Y170 and K174 showed complete loss of activity, indicating their pivotal roles in catalysis. Mutant S212G exhibited the catalytic efficiencies less than 10\% of wild type, showing its indirect involvement in substrate binding or catalysis. R51G, D77G, F30V and I31N double mutants showed significant changes in K-m values, specifying their roles in substrate binding. Finally, chemical modification and substrate protection studies corroborated the presence Ser, Tyr, Lys, Arg and carboxylate group at the active site of Ll-CCRH1. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical modification, Cinnamoyl CoA reductase 1, Docking simulations, homology modeling, Site directed mutagenesis, Substrate protection}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2013.05.005}, author = {Sonawane, Prashant and Patel, Krunal and Vishwakarma, Rishi Kishore and Srivastava, Sameer and Singh, Somesh and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Khan, Bashir Mohammad} } @article { ISI:000324405700012, title = {Proposing late transition metal complexes as frustrated Lewis pairs - a computational investigation}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {42}, number = {38}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {13866-13873}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

There has been considerable interest in recent times to develop transition metal complex systems that can demonstrate metal-ligand cooperativity. It has recently been shown (Wass et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133, 18463) that early transition metals can cooperate with ligands carrying phosphines as pendant groups, working as metal analogues to frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) to mediate in a variety of important reactions. What the current work attempts to do is to show how this concept of metal containing FLPs can be expanded to include late transition metal complexes as well: complexes that have been modified from existing systems that serve as efficient catalysts for homogeneous polymerization. A modified palladium complex has been considered in this regard as an example of a potential late transition metal FLP and studied with full quantum mechanical calculations. The calculations indicate that this complex would be effective at catalyzing ammonia borane dehydrogenation. The possibility of competing side reactions such as reductive elimination have also been considered, and it has been found that such processes would also yield stable products which could act as an FLP in catalyzing reactions such as the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane. The current work therefore expands the scope of metal containing FLPs to include late transition metals and demonstrates computationally the potential of such complexes for exhibiting metal-ligand cooperativity.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c3dt51677f}, author = {Pal, Amrita and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000325608800002, title = {Proteome wide reduction in AGE modification in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice by hydralazine mediated transglycation}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2941}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The non-enzymatic reaction between glucose and protein can be chemically reversed by transglycation. Here we report the transglycation activity of hydralazine using a newly developed MALDI-TOF-MS based assay. Hydralazine mediated transglycation of HbA1c, plasma proteins and kidney proteins was demonstrated in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic mice, as evidenced by decrease in protein glycation, as well as presence of hydralazine-glucose conjugate in urine of diabetic mice treated with hydralazine. Hydralazine down regulated the expression of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE), NADPH oxidase (NOX), and super oxide dismutase (SOD). These findings will provide a new dimension for developing intervention strategies for the treatment of glycation associated diseases such as diabetes complications, atherosclerosis, and aging.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep02941}, author = {Kesavan, Suresh K. and Bhat, Shweta and Golegaonkar, Sandeep B. and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Deshmukh, Arati B. and Patil, Harshal S. and Bhosale, Santosh D. and Shaikh, Mahemud L. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Boppana, Ramanamurthy and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000326259800016, title = {Quantifying the mechanism of phosphate monoester hydrolysis in aqueous solution by evaluating the relevant Ab initio QM/MM free-energy surfaces}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {117}, number = {42}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12807-12819}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Understanding the nature of the free-energy surfaces for phosphate hydrolysis is a prerequisite for understanding the corresponding key chemical reactions in biology. Here, the challenge has been to move to careful ab initio QM/MM (QM(ai)/MM) free-energy calculations, where obtaining converging results is very demanding and computationally expensive. This work describes such calculations, focusing on the free-energy surface for the hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters, paying special attention to the comparison between the one water (1W) and two water (2W) paths for the proton-transfer (PT) step. This issue has been explored before by energy minimization with implicit solvent models and by nonsystematic QM/MM energy minimization, as well as by nonsystematic free-energy mapping. However, no study has provided the needed reliable 2D (3D) surfaces that are necessary for reaching concrete conclusions. Here we report a systematic evaluation of the 2D (3D) free-energy maps for several relevant systems, comparing the results of QM(ai)/MM and QM(ai)/implicit solvent surfaces, and provide an advanced description of the relevant energetics. It is found that the 1W path for the hydrolysis of the methyl diphosphate (MDP) trianion is 6-9 kcal/mol higher than that the 2W path. This difference becomes slightly larger in the presence of the Mg2+ ion because this ion reduces the plc of the conjugated acid form of the phosphate oxygen that accepts the proton. Interestingly, the BLYP approach (which has been used extensively in some studies) gives a much smaller difference between the 1W and 2W activation barriers. At any rate, it is worth pointing out that the 2W transition state for the PT is not much higher that the common plateau that serves as the starting point of both the 1W and 2W PT paths. Thus, the calculated catalytic effects of proteins based on the 2W PT mechanistic model are not expected to be different from the catalytic effects predicted using the 1W PT mechanistic model, which was calibrated on the observed barrier in solution and in which the TS charge distribution was similar to the that of the plateau (as was done in all of our previous EVB studies).

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp4020146}, author = {Plotnikoy, Nikolay V. and Prasad, B. Ram and Chakrabarty, Suman and Chu, Zhen T. and Warshel, Arieh} } @article {42741, title = {Rational design of highly active {\textquotedblleft}hybrid{\textquotedblright} phosphine-phosphinite pincer iridium catalysts for alkane metathesis}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2505{\textendash}2514}, abstract = {

Both the bisphosphine and bisphosphinite pincer complexes (tBu4PCP)IrH2 and (tBu4POCOP)IrH2 can cocatalyze alkane metathesis in tandem with olefin metathesis catalysts, but the two complexes have different resting states during catalysis, suggesting that different steps are turnover-limiting in each case. This led to the hypothesis that a complex with intermediate properties would be catalytically more active than either of these two species. Accordingly, {\textquotedblleft}hybrid{\textquotedblright} phosphine{\textendash}phosphinite pincer ligands (PCOP) and the corresponding iridium complexes were synthesized (3c{\textendash}e). In tandem with olefin-metathesis catalyst MoF12, (tBu4PCOP)IrH2 displays significantly higher activity for the metathesis of n-hexane than does (tBu4PCP)IrH2 or (tBu4POCOP)IrH2. (tBu2PCOPiPr2)IrH4 (3d) is even more active (\>30-fold more active than (tBu4POCOP)IrH2) and affords nearly 4.6 M alkane products after 8 h at 125 {\textdegree}C.

}, doi = {10.1021/cs400624c}, author = {Nawara-Hultzsch, Agnieszka J. and Hackenberg, Jason D. and Punji, Benudhar and Supplee, Carolyn and Emge, Thomas J. and Bailey, Brad C. and Schrock, Richard R. and Brookhart, Maurice and Goldman, Alan S.} } @article {42740, title = {Recent advances in transition-metal-free direct C{\textendash}C and C{\textendash}heteroatom bond forming reactions}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {11957-11986}, abstract = {

The efficient generation of biaryl compounds and heterocycles via the advent of the transition-metal-free coupling reaction constitutes an important development in the last few years. Although early methods for the construction of such molecules involved transition metals, recent advances in the field have witnessed a myriad of elegant reports without the use of metal sources. The serendipitous discovery and observation of synthetic chemists have realized that there lies a great potential in exploiting the inherent reactivity of molecules in absence of transition metal. The key to the success of such coupling reactions is the use of a strong base, oxidant and a catalytic amount of N-donor ligands which contribute significantly. This review aims to highlight the recent progress in the field of transition-metal-free direct C{\textendash}C and C{\textendash}heteroatom bond forming reactions via the use of a strong base and (or) an oxidant.

}, doi = {10.1039/C3RA40813B}, author = {Mehta, Vaibhav P. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {42863, title = {Relay catalytic branching cascade: technique to access diverse molecular scaffolds}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, volume = {52}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2251-2255}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201208738}, author = {Patil, Nitin T. and Shinde, Valmik S. and Sridhar, Balasubramanian} } @article { ISI:000326296800033, title = {Role of substituents on the reactivity and electron density profile of diimine ligands: a density functional theory based study}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {125}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1247-1258}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we study the reactivity of diimines like 2, 2({\textquoteright})-bipyridine, 1, l0-phenanthroline and 1, 2, 4-triazines using density-based reactivity descriptors. We discuss the enhancement or diminution in the reactivity of these ligands as a function of two substituent groups, namely methyl (-CH3) group and phenyl (-C6H5) group. The global reactivity descriptors explain the global affinity and philicity of these ligands, whereas the local softness depicts the particular site selectivity. The inter-molecular reactivity trends for the same systems are analysed through the philicity and group philicity indices. The sigma-donor character of these ligands is quantified with the help of electron density profile. In addition, the possible strength of interaction of these ligands with metal ions is supported with actual reaction energies of Ru-L complexes.

}, keywords = {2, 2 {\textquoteleft}-bipyridine, DFT, diimine, Reactivity descriptors, Ru-ligand interaction, substituent effects}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-013-0469-8}, author = {Kulkarni, Bhakti S. and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000326716300008, title = {Seasonal prediction of Indian summer monsoon in NCEP coupled and uncoupled model}, journal = {Theoretical and Applied Climatology}, volume = {114}, number = {3-4}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {459-477}, publisher = {SPRINGER WIEN}, address = {SACHSENPLATZ 4-6, PO BOX 89, A-1201 WIEN, AUSTRIA}, abstract = {

This study has identified probable factors that govern ISMR predictability. Furthermore, extensive analysis has been performed to evaluate factors leading to the predictability aspect of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) using uncoupled and coupled version of National Centers for Environmental Prediction Coupled Forecast System (CFS). It has been found that the coupled version (CFS) has outperformed the uncoupled version [Global Forecast System (GFS)] of the model in terms of prediction of rainfall over Indian land points. Even the spatial distribution of rainfall is much better represented in the CFS as compared to that of GFS. Even though these model skills are inadequate for the reliable forecasting of monsoon, it imparts the capacious knowledge about the model fidelity. The mean monsoon features and its evolution in terms of rainfall and large-scale circulation along with the zonal and meridional shear of winds, which govern the strength of the monsoon, are relatively closer to the observation in the CFS as compared to the GFS. Furthermore, sea surface temperature-rainfall relation is fairly realistic and intense in the coupled version of the model (CFS). It is found that the CFS is able to capture El Nio Southern Oscillation ISMR (ENSO-ISMR) teleconnections much strongly as compared to GFS; however, in the case of Indian Ocean Dipole ISMR teleconnections, GFS has the larger say. Coupled models have to be fine-tuned for the prediction of the transition of El Nio as well as the strength of the mature phase has to be improved. Thus, to sum up, CFS tends to have better predictive skill on account of following three factors: (a) better ability to replicate mean features, (b) comparatively better representation of air-sea interactions, and (c) much better portrayal of ENSO-ISMR teleconnections. This study clearly brings out that coupled model is the only way forward for improving the ISMR prediction skill. However, coupled model{\textquoteright}s spurious representation of SST variability and mean model bias are detrimental in seasonal prediction.

}, issn = {0177-798X}, doi = {10.1007/s00704-013-0854-8}, author = {Chaudhari, Hemantkumar S. and Pokhrel, Samir and Mohanty, Sachiko and Saha, Subodh K.} } @article { ISI:000329137400042, title = {Selective imaging of quorum sensing receptors in bacteria using fluorescent Au nanocluster probes surface functionalized with signal molecules}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {5}, number = {24}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {13076-13081}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Au nanoclusters, Biosensor, fluorescence imaging, quorum sensing}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am404093m}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Samanta, Anupam and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Chowdhury, Somak and Prabhune, Asmita and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article {42493, title = {Self-assembly of modified rhodamine-6G with tri-block copolymer: unusual vesicles formation, pH sensing and dye release properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1150-1155}, abstract = {

A new rhodamine-6G derivative having a C18-alkyl chain self-assembles with an amphiphilic tri-block copolymer and forms stable vesicles in water or in water{\textendash}ethanol (4 : 1, v/v) medium. The stability of the spirolactam form of the rhodamine-6G derivative in these vesicular structures, along with studies of controlled dye release and pH sensing are discussed. Transmission electron micrographs and DLS analyses confirm the formation of vesicular structures. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show that the self assembled tri-block copolymer-octadecyl rhodamine vesicles form near spherical nanostructures with a size ranging from 80 to 110 nm. Furthermore, the vesicular system is disassembled under acidic conditions, releasing the cargo which are an integral part of the vesicle. Dye-release studies showed that the release rates of the loaded dye in the vesicles could be well-controlled as a function of the media pH. These results offer an opportunity to use these nanovesicles as imaging reagents for probing media pH with their simultaneous use as nanocarriers for intracellular drug delivery.

}, doi = {10.1039/C2TB00193D}, author = {Praveen, L. and Saha, Sukdeb and Jewrajka, Suresh K. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000325943200033, title = {Sequence dependent lipid-mediated effects modulate the dimerization of ErbB2 and its associative mutants}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {15}, number = {43}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {19031-19041}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The association of transmembrane helices is an important event in several biological processes, but the factors governing association, especially the non-specific environmental effects, have still not been elucidated. Here, we use coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations to study the association of ErbB2 transmembrane helices and three {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}oncogenic mutants.{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} Self-assembly simulations and the dimerization free-energy profiles confirm an energetically-favorable dimerized state for both the wildtype and the mutants. The dissociation free energy of all three mutants is calculated to be larger than the wildtype peptide. Along with favourable protein-protein interactions, non-specific environmental effects are observed to contribute to the association. In particular, local bilayer thinning along with membrane perturbations are seen around the mutants. The membrane perturbations are reduced upon helix association, suggesting that lipid chain packing is an important driving force for helix dimerization. Our results highlight the importance of both specific as well as non-specific driving forces in the association of transmembrane helices.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c3cp52447g}, author = {Prasanna, Xavier and Praveen, P. J. and Sengupta, Durba} } @article { ISI:000323093300010, title = {Short synthesis of (2S,3S)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {54}, number = {36}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4851-4853}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A convenient synthesis of (2S,3S)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid starting from cheap and abundant L-(+)-tartaric acid has been achieved. The strategy employs selective ester reduction and reductive lactamization as key steps. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Reductive lactamization, Selective deprotection, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.06.111}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Harale, Kishor R. and Pawar, Kailash P.} } @article { ISI:000318142300022, title = {Solution and in silico studies on the recombinant lectin from Cicer arietinum seeds}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {56}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {149-155}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The Cicer arietinum seed lectin was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and purified in active form. Conformational characterization of the recombinant lectin (rCAL) was performed using biophysical and bioinformatics tools. Thermal denaturation of rCAL caused rapid secondary structural rearrangements above 50 degrees C and transient exposure of hydrophobic residues at 55 degrees C, leading to aggregation. Treatment of rCAL with GdnHCl resulted in unfolding followed by dissociation of the dimer. The single tryptophan in rCAL present on the surface of the protein is surrounded by hydrophobic and acidic amino acids and exists as different conformers. The experimental observations correlated well with the structural information revealed from the homology model of rCAL. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aggregation, BL21-CodonPlus (DE3)-RIL cells, Cicer lectin, Homology model, Steady-state and time resolved fluorescence, Unfolding}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2013.02.015}, author = {Wakankar, Madhurima S. and Krishnasastry, Musti V. and Jaokar, Tulika M. and Patel, Krunal A. and Gaikwad, Sushama M.} } @article { ISI:000314743000016, title = {Solvent-free, highly efficient one-pot multi-component synthesis of 1-amido- and 1-carbamato-alkyl naphthols/phenols catalyzed by ethylammonium nitrate as reusable ionic liquid under neat reaction condition at ambient temperature}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {54}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {672-675}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Aldehyde, amide, Carbamate Phenol, Ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), Urea}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet2012.12.004}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Salama, Tarek A. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @article { ISI:000314193500042, title = {Spatial and temporal changes in the volatile profile of alphonso mango upon exogenous ethylene treatment}, journal = {Food Chemistry}, volume = {136}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {585-594}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Alphonso is a highly favoured and exported mango cultivar among the vast mango germplasm of India. Being a climacteric fruit, ethylene plays an important role in ripening of mango. For deeper understanding of effect of pre-climacteric ethylene treatment on volatile profiles of Alphonso mango, 26 volatiles were tracked through six ripening stages of pulp and skin of ethylene-treated and control Alphonso fruits. The study revealed accelerated ripening in terms of early appearance of ripening-specific compounds, lactones and mesifuran, upon ethylene treatment. While the level of lactones remained unaffected, the mesifuran level vastly increased upon ethylene treatment. Skin showed high terpene content while pulp had higher amount of lactones compared to skin. This work points towards involvement of ethylene as a natural hormone in the biosynthesis of lactones and furanones in naturally ripened fruits; whereas, an increase in the terpene level during ripening appears to be independent of ethylene. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ethylene, Flavour, Mango, Pre-climacteric, Ripening, Volatiles}, issn = {0308-8146}, doi = {10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.08.029}, author = {Chidley, Hemangi G. and Kulkarni, Ram S. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000329331300031, title = {Spin transport and magnetic correlation parameters for graphene-like nanocarbon sheets doped with nitrogen}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {117}, number = {51}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {27105-27113}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Globally, graphene magnetism has captivated the attention of researchers in recent years. To obtain magnetic ordering, irregularities in the carbon network, like defects, adatoms, etc., are essential. Herein, we report on spin transport and magnetic correlations in graphene-like nanocarbon sheets (GNCs) that were doped with nitrogen by use of tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene (TDAE). The spin transport measurements, performed by electron spin resonance technique, showed that both spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation times are increased by nitrogen doping. The magnetic correlations, measured on a vibrating sample magnetometer, showed that ordering parameters are reduced for nitrogen-loaded GNCs. Chemical analysis, carried out via electron spectroscopy, revealed that nitrogen atoms exchange couples electron-to-hole with the carbon network Analysis of I-V measurements showed that higher-order resistance is appreciably decreased for nitrogen-doped GNCs. The observed decrease is due to an increase in nonbonding states baying small local density. After doping, states in this region may be localized pi spin populated around the doped region. By and large, the approximately 20\% magnetization that exists in GNCs is found to be reduced to 5\% by introduction of nitrogen.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp407262w}, author = {Alegaonkar, Ashwini P. and Kumar, Arvind and Patil, Sagar H. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Pardeshi, Satish K. and Alegaonkar, Prashant S.} } @article { ISI:000325762000061, title = {Stabilization of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) by encapsulation inside zeolitic imidazolate framework nanocrystals for photoluminescence tuning}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {5}, number = {21}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10556-10561}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are encapsulated and stabilized in Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework (ZIF-8) nanocrystals. The GQDs are well confined due to the adsorption on the growing face of the ZIF-8 nanocrystals and have a profound effect on the shape of the nanocrystals from rhombic dodecahedron to spherical. Stabilizing GQDs inside the ZIF-8 nanocrystals results in tailoring of the photoluminescence emission (ca. 32 nm, bathochromic shift) of the GQD@ZIF-8 nanocrystal composite even after 3 months of aging under normal laboratory conditions. Also the water adsorption (at STP) capacity increased for the GQD@ ZIF-8 composite as compared to the pristine ZIF-8.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c3nr03511e}, author = {Biswal, Bishnu P. and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000327261700125, title = {Static and dynamic magnetic properties and effect of surface chemistry on the morphology and crystallinity of DyCrO3 nanoplatelets}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {48}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {26427-26432}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this contribution, the structural and magnetic properties of DyCrO3 nanoplatelets, synthesized by a hydrolytic sol-gel method, have been investigated. The crystalline phase of DyCrO3 was attained at the decomposition temperature of 800 degrees C for citric acid and oxalic acid, respectively and their structural analysis indicates a distorted orthorhombic perovskite structure of the DyCrO3 nanoplatelets. The dc-magnetization curve shows the Neel temperature of similar to 144 and similar to 146 K for DyCrO3 nanoplatelets synthesized using citric acid (DCO (C)) and oxalic acid (DCO (O)), respectively. In addition, DCO (O) shows weak anomalies at similar to 22 and similar to 6 K in the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves. Below the Neel temperature, DCO (C) and DCO (O) exhibit cross-over from positive to negative magnetization at similar to 143 and similar to 145 K, respectively. This was attributed to a Dy3+-Cr3+ interaction, which resulted in a weak ferromagnetic coupling (seen as a small opening in the M-H curves). The low temperature transition observed at similar to 6 K can be assigned to the onset of Dy3+-Dy3+ antiferromagnetic interaction.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra43088j}, author = {Gupta, Preeti and Bhargava, Richa and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000313591300016, title = {Static and dynamic magnetic properties and interplay of Dy3+, Gd3+ and Mn3+ spins in orthorhombic DyMnO3 and GdMnO3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {46}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {045301}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Single-phase orthorhombic DyMnO3 and GdMnO3 nanoparticles in the size range 60-70 and 35-45 nm, respectively, were synthesized using a modified hydrothermal method. The magnetic property measurements of DyMnO3 nanocrystals show anomalies around similar to 43K (antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between Mn3+ spins) and at 7K in the form of a peak in the zero-field-cooled curve (AFM coupling between Dy3+ spins). Whereas, GdMnO3 undergoes a phase transition at similar to 42K from paramagnetic to an incommensurate-antiferromagnetic phase (ICAFM) followed by a second anomaly at similar to 22 K, which could be associated with the transition from ICAFM into a canted A-type AFM ordering of the Mn3+ spins. This transition is followed by a long-range ordering of the Gd3+ moments at 6K yielding the canting of the Gd3+ spins with a ferromagnetic (FM) component antiparallel to the FM moment of the canted Mn3+ spins. No anomaly near the Neel temperature of the Mn moments for both DyMnO3 and GdMnO3 nanoparticles was observed in ac magnetization which were observed in dc magnetization. The room temperature Raman spectra of DyMnO3 shows two most intense Raman modes at 480 and 609 cm(-1) which can be assigned to an antisymmetric Jahn-Teller stretching mode and a symmetric or breathing stretching mode, respectively, involving Mn-O bond stretching.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/46/4/045301}, author = {Das, Raja and Jaiswal, Adhish and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000316064700007, title = {Structural and catalytic properties of a novel vanadium containing solid core mesoporous silica shell catalysts for gas phase oxidation reaction}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {125}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {63-69}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

A novel vanadium containing solid core mesoporous silica shell catalyst was synthesized with different Si/V ratios by sol-gel method under neutral conditions. The synthesized materials were characterized by various techniques and gas phase diphenyl methane oxidation reaction. The mesoporosity combined with microporosity are formed by incorporation of octadecyltrichloro silane and triethylamine in the catalyst and it was found out from E-DAX and BET-surface area analysis. The material was found to be nanocrystalline. Vanadium is present as V4 + species in as-synthesized samples and convert to V5 + on calcination. Most of the vanadium is present in tetrahedral or square pyramidal environment. Incorporation of vanadium in silica framework was confirmed by Si-29 MAS NMR analysis. Among the various vanadium containing solid core mesoporous silica shell catalysts, the Si/V = 100 ratio exhibited maximum efficiency towards diphenyl methane to benzophenone gas phase reaction. The optimum condition required for maximum conversion and selectivity was found out from the catalytic studies.

}, keywords = {diphenylmethane, Gas phase oxidation, vanadium containing solid core mesoporous silica shell}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-013-0365-2}, author = {Venkatathri, N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Rajini, A. and Raju, M. Nooka and Reddy, I. A. K.} } @article { ISI:000325211000079, title = {Structural and logical analysis of a comprehensive hedgehog signaling pathway to identify alternative drug targets for glioma, colon and pancreatic cancer}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {8}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e69132}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Hedgehog is an evolutionarily conserved developmental pathway, widely implicated in controlling various cellular responses such as cellular proliferation and stem cell renewal in human and other organisms, through external stimuli. Aberrant activation of this pathway in human adult stem cell line may cause different types of cancers. Hence, targeting this pathway in cancer therapy has become indispensable, but the non availability of detailed molecular interactions, complex regulations by extra- and intra-cellular proteins and cross talks with other pathways pose a serious challenge to get a coherent understanding of this signaling pathway for making therapeutic strategy. This motivated us to perform a computational study of the pathway and to identify probable drug targets. In this work, from available databases and literature, we reconstructed a complete hedgehog pathway which reports the largest number of molecules and interactions to date. Using recently developed computational techniques, we further performed structural and logical analysis of this pathway. In structural analysis, the connectivity and centrality parameters were calculated to identify the important proteins from the network. To capture the regulations of the molecules, we developed a master Boolean model of all the interactions between the proteins and created different cancer scenarios, such as Glioma, Colon and Pancreatic. We performed perturbation analysis on these cancer conditions to identify the important and minimal combinations of proteins that can be used as drug targets. From our study we observed the under expressions of various oncoproteins in Hedgehog pathway while perturbing at a time the combinations of the proteins GLI1, GLI2 and SMO in Glioma; SMO, HFU, ULK3 and RAS in Colon cancer; SMO, HFU, ULK3, RAS and ERK12 in Pancreatic cancer. This reconstructed Hedgehog signaling pathway and the computational analysis for identifying new combinatory drug targets will be useful for future in-vitro and in-vivo analysis to control different cancers.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0069132}, author = {Chowdhury, Saikat and Pradhan, Rachana N. and Sarkar, Ram Rup} } @article { ISI:000320332500027, title = {Structural isomerism leading to variable proton conductivity in indium(III) isophthalic acid based frameworks}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {49}, number = {55}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6197-6199}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Proton conductivity has been studied thoroughly in two isomeric In(III)-isophthalate based MOFs. In-IA-2D-1 is capable of showing proton conductivity (3.4 x 10(-3) S cm(-1)) under humidified conditions (98\% RH), whereas In-IA-2D-2 can conduct protons (2.6 x 10(-5) S cm(-1)) under humidified as well as anhydrous conditions.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc41939h}, author = {Panda, Tamas and Kundu, Tanay and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000323584400008, title = {Structural modelling of substrate binding and inhibition in penicillin V acylase from pectobacterium atrosepticum}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {437}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {538-543}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Penicillin V acylases (PVAs) and bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) have considerable sequence and structural similarity; however, they vary significantly in their substrate specificity. We have identified a PVA from a Gram-negative organism, Pectobacterium atrosepticum (PaPVA) that turned out to be a remote homolog of the PVAs and BSHs reported earlier. Even though the active site residues were conserved in PaPVA it showed high specificity towards penV and interestingly the penV acylase activity was inhibited by bile salts. Comparative modelling and docking studies were carried out to understand the structural differences of the binding site that confer this characteristic property. We show that PaPVA exhibits significant differences in structure, which are in contrast to those of known PVAs and such enzymes from Gram-negative bacteria require further investigation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bile salt hydrolase, docking, Homology modelling, Inhibition, Pectobacterium, Penicillin acylase}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.06.109}, author = {Avinash, Vellore Sunder and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Suresh, C. G. and Pundle, Archana V. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar} } @article { ISI:000318634000040, title = {Structural variations of D-pi-A dyes influence on the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {21}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {7921-7927}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra22249g}, author = {Marszalek, Magdalena and Nagane, Satyawan and Ichake, Amol and Humphry-Baker, Robin and Paul, Vincent and Zakeeruddin, Shaik M. and Gratzel, Michael} } @article { ISI:000312452700005, title = {Structure-property relationship of different types of polyester industrial yarns}, journal = {Journal of the Textile Institute}, volume = {104}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {35-45}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Four major types of polyester industrial yarns (1000 Denier) which are used commercially were studied for their key structural parameters. An attempt has been made to establish a relationship between morphology and properties of these yarns. High tenacity (HT) polyester yarn has the highest birefringence, amorphous orientation, and long period but is relatively less crystalline. High shrinkage characteristic of HT polyester yarn can be accounted for its higher amorphous orientation. High modulus low shrinkage (HMLS) polyester yarn has higher crystallinity and crystal size compared to HT yarn. Fraction of tie molecules of these yarns has been calculated and found that low shrinkage (LS) and super low shrinkage (SLS) yarns have lesser tie molecules. These LS and SLS yarns are tailor-made to achieve lower shrinkage and at the same time maintaining a good level of tenacity. This is achieved with lower amorphous orientation in the final drawn yarn structure. Amorphous orientation was found to have stronger influence than any other structural parameter on the key yarn properties like modulus, tenacity, elongation, and shrinkage.

}, keywords = {modulus, orientation, polyester, shrinkage, structure}, issn = {0040-5000}, doi = {10.1080/00405000.2012.693277}, author = {Samui, Barun Kumar and Prakasan, Manikanda Priya and Ramesh, C. and Chakrabarty, Debabrata and Mukhopadhyay, R.} } @article { ISI:000313613800011, title = {Studies on fabrication, characterization, and metal extraction using metal chelating nonwoven nanofiber mats of poly(vinyl alcohol) and sodium alginate blends}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {53}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {321-333}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Poly(vinyl alcohol) and sodium alginate blends with and without the metal chelate, bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid were prepared in various compositions and fabricated to stable nanofibers and films to evaluate their efficacy for metals adsorption and desorption. Surface morphology of the nanofibers was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The solution properties and variation in content of sodium alginate in the feed mixture have influenced morphology of nanofibers. However, influence of bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid was insignificant. The films and nanofibers were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermo gravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction to understand compatibility between polymers, thermal stability, decomposition temperature, and variations in crystallinity. Metal adsorption studies for nanofiber mats comprising bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid were demonstrated using copper (II), cobalt(II), and nickel(II) salts. The nanofibers adsorbed more copper (363 mg/g) when compared with films (105 mg/g). Nanofiber mats immobilized with bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid adsorbed copper in greater magnitude (497 mg/g) than nanofiber mats without bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid (363 mg/g). However, adsorption of cobalt and nickel was very low to be detected. The metal adsorption and desorption studies were also confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. (c) 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.23267}, author = {Rathna, G. V. N. and Birajdar, Mallinath S. and Bhagwani, Manish and Paul, V. L.} } @article {42641, title = {Study of grafting of polylactic acid and its copolymer with 12-hydroxy stearic acid on the surface of MWCNT by 13CCP/MAS and AFM}, journal = {International Journal of Research in Pharmacy and Chemistry}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {

The purpose of this study to study the structure property relationship of grafted material on MWCNT, the determination of NMR nuclei spin-lattice (T1) and spin-spin (T2) relaxation times suggest that the broaden signals are associated with diamagnetic species namely the nanotube attached polymer moieties. the AFM image of PLA oligomer grafted MWCNTs and topography patterns comprised of height from 0-250 nm and the side lengths ranging from 0.0 to 7.7 {\textmu}m. Surface patches are formed randomly distributed employing that the presence of side chain hanged at 12-postion in the copolymer grafted on MWCNTs.

}, issn = { 2231-2781}, author = {Pandey, Asutosh K. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article { ISI:000323177900012, title = {Study of interatomic coulombic decay of Ne(H2O)(n) (n=1,3) clusters using equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {139}, number = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {Article No. 064112}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) is an efficient and ultrafast radiationless decay mechanism which can be initiated by removal of an electron from the inner-valence shell of an atom or molecule. Generally, the ICD mechanism is prevailed in weakly bound clusters. A very promising approach, known as CAP/EOM-CC, consists of the combination of complex absorbing potential (CAP) with the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC) method, is applied for the first time to study the nature of the ICD mechanism. We have applied this technique to determine the lifetime of an auto-ionized, inner-valence excited state of the NeH2O, Ne(H2O)(2), and Ne(H2O)(3) systems. The lifetime is found to be very short and decreases significantly with the number of neighboring water molecules. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4817966}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article { ISI:000325738700001, title = {Sugar furanoid trans-vicinal diacid as a gamma-turn inducer: synthesis and conformational study}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {11}, number = {40}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6874-6878}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple method for the synthesis of a sugar furanoid trans vicinal diacid and its incorporation into the N-terminal tetrapeptide sequence (H-Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr-OH) to get glycopeptide 8 has been described. 2D NMR and MD simulation studies of 8 clearly show that the sugar diacid adopts a gamma-turn conformation towards the N-terminus.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c3ob41462k}, author = {Vangala, Madhuri and Dhokale, Snehal A. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Pattuparambil, Rajamohanan R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article { ISI:000313513400048, title = {Surface chemistry and growth mechanism of highly oriented, single crystalline TiO2 nanorods on transparent conducting oxide coated glass substrates}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1933-1940}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) rods or wires of titania in desired crystalline facets is quite exciting due to unique optoelectronic properties. The single crystalline, oriented nanorods directly grown on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrates are finding a lot of interest in solar photovoltaics and several other optoelectronic devices due to enhanced electron transport and lower exciton recombination rates. However, the growth of desired crystalline facets of highly oriented, single crystalline nanorods on different substrates and understanding the interplay between the surface chemistry and growth mechanism still remain a non-trivial and challenging task. Here, for the first time, the kinetically controlled growth of the (310) facet of TiO2 nanorods on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate has been reported which is in contrast to the previously reported (002) faceted TiO2 nanorods. In addition to this, the growth of (110) facet TiO2 nanorods using amorphous fluorine doped silicon oxide (FSO) as a substrate is also demonstrated. In this paper, it is shown that two different faceted TiO2 nanorods can be synthesized following same synthetic condition by varying only the material properties of the substrate. To investigate the role of substrate chemistry on the morphology and single crystallinity of TiO2 nanorods, electron microscopy, XPS and contact angle measurements have been done. The results clearly indicate an important link between the surface chemistry and morphology of TiO2 nanorods. It can be assumed that there is a role of OH- and water groups which are responsible for the growth of plane (110) which has less surface energy. The observation of (310) facet is quite surprising and can be explained based on FTO crystallinity. It is possible to tune the diameter of the titania nanorods by further coating the FTO substrate with a thin gold layer due to increase in the hydrophilicity of the substrate. Finally, a light to electricity conversion efficiency of 2.5\% could be achieved by using vertically grown titania nanorods on FTO as the photoanode in a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC).

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra21516k}, author = {Sadhu, Subha and Jaiswal, Adhish and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000326056600079, title = {Surfactant-free synthesis of anisotropic gold nanostructures: can dicarboxylic acids alone act as shape directing agents?}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {44}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {21641-21647}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present study describes the synthesis of gold nanostructures using different dicarboxylic (viz. oxalic, malonic, succinic, glutaric and adipic) acids as reducing agents in the absence of any other additives or surfactants. Various anisotropic structures such as kites, tadpoles, triangular/hexagonal plates, and twinned particles were seen to evolve depending on the molar ratio of dicarboxylic acid to HAuCl4 used. It was also demonstrated that gold nanostructure formation is hampered as the chain length/distance between two carboxylic acid groups increases. Among the various structures obtained the kite like structures displayed the largest surface enhanced Raman enhancement factors.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra43974g}, author = {Kumar, D. V. Ravi and Kumavat, S. R. and Chamundeswari, V. N. and Patra, Partha Pratim and Kulkarni, A. A. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000328177300017, title = {Synergetic effect of combination of AOP{\textquoteright}s (hydrodynamic cavitation and H2O2) on the degradation of neonicotinoid class of insecticide}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {261}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {139-147}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In the present work, degradation of imidacloprid (neonicotinoid class of insecticide) in aqueous solution has been systematically investigated using hydrodynamic cavitation and combination of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and H2O2. Initially, effect of different operating parameters such as inlet pressure to the cavitating device (5-20 bar) and operating pH (2-7.5) has been investigated. Optimization of process parameters was followed by the study of effect of combination of HC and H2O2 process on the rate of degradation of imidacloprid. Significant enhancement in the rate of degradation of imidacloprid has been observed using HC+H2O2 process which lead to a complete degradation of imidacloprid in 45 min of operation using optimal molar ratio of imidacloprid:H2O2 as 1:40. Substantial synergetic effect has been observed using HC+H2O2 process which confer the synergetic coefficient of 22.79. An attempt has been made to investigate and compare the energy efficiency and extent of mineralization of individual and combined processes applied in the present work. Identification of the byproducts formed during degradation of imidacloprid has also been done using LC-MS analysis. The present work has established a fact that hydrodynamic cavitation in combination with H2O2 can be effectively used for degradation of imidacloprid. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Advanced oxidation processes, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Imidacloprid, Synergetic coefficient, Venturi}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.07.012}, author = {Raut-Jadhav, Sunita and Saharan, Virendra Kumar and Pinjari, Dipak and Sonawane, Shirish and Saini, Daulat and Pandit, Aniruddha} } @article { ISI:000329539200015, title = {Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of novel oxysterols from lanosterol}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {69}, number = {52}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {11155-11163}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Chemically diverse oxysterols and their synthetic manipulations were carried out from variety of Delta(8(9)_) lanosterol derivatives and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities. Most of the synthesized oxysterols exhibited significant antifungal activity against the tested strains. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Allylic oxidation, antibacterial activity, Antifungal activity, Dihydroxylation, Oxygenated steroids}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2013.10.090}, author = {Shingate, Bapurao B. and Hazra, Braja G. and Salunke, Deepak B. and Pore, Vandana S. and Shirazi, Fazal and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000323468500032, title = {Synthesis and molecular structure of a zinc complex of the vitamin K-3 analogue phthiocol}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1048}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {223-229}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The complex [Zn(phthiocol)(2)(H2O)(2)]; 1, where phthiocol is 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, H-1 NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, electrochemical and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The v(C=O) stretch shifts to lower frequencies upon complexation of phthiocol to Zn2+. H-1 NMR spectra show an upfield shift of the benzenoid ring protons in 1. There is a bathochromic shift of the LMCT band in the UV-vis spectra of 1. Single crystal X-ray structure of 1 show distorted octahedral geometry around Zn2+. Two phthiocol ligands are in plane with the metal, while water molecules are trans to this plane. Coordination of deprotonated phthiocol ligands is {\textquoteleft}trans, trans{\textquoteright} to Zn2+. Intra as well as intermolecular interactions are observed in 1. Molecules of 1 show three dimensional network through C-H center dot center dot center dot O and O-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions. Additional anodic peaks are observed in cyclic voltammogram of phthiocol ligand due to oxidation of reduced species formed during reduction. One-electron reduction of 1 is shown to be reversible and DFT studies define this redox event as ligand-centered. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {hydrogen bonding, Naphthoquinone, Phthiocol, Trans coordination, Vitamin K-3, Zinc complex}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2013.05.057}, author = {Kathawate, Laxmi and Sproules, Stephen and Pawar, Omkar and Markad, Ganesh and Haram, Santosh K. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article { ISI:000322938100026, title = {Synthesis and X-ray single crystal structure of a cadmium(II) acetophenone thiosemicarbazone complex and its use as a single-source precursor for the preparation of CdS nanocrystallites and thin films}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {61}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {195-201}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{A cadmium(II) acetophenone thiosemicarbazone complex has been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 and C-13{H-1}) spectroscopic techniques. Its single crystal structure has also been determined. The compound is found to be monoclinic, space group C2/c, with a = 12.1020(3) angstrom

}, keywords = {CdS, Nanocrystallites, Single source precursor, Thin films, Thiosemicarbazone complex}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2013.05.052}, author = {Palve, Anil M. and Joshi, Pranaya V. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Garje, Shivram S.} } @article { ISI:000325763700047, title = {Synthesis of Ag-glyconanoparticles using C-glycosides, their lectin binding studies and antibacterial activity}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {37}, number = {11}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3716-3720}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two 12-C-glycosyl dodecanoic acids, namely, 1-(alpha-D-mannopyranosyl)-12-dodecanoic acid and 1-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-12-dodecanoic acid were synthesized. Their ability to act as reducing and capping agents for the synthesis of water re-dispersible silver nanoparticles is displayed. These Ag C-glycosyl nanoparticles were later utilized to investigate the carbohydrate-lectin interactions. Furthermore, the specificity of mannoside binding to the surface of the Gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli has been utilized to demonstrate the enhanced antibacterial activity of Ag-C-mannosyl nanoparticles towards this bacterium as compared to Ag-C-glycosyl nanoparticles.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c3nj00496a}, author = {Ramtenki, Vilas and Raju, D. and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ramana, C. V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000316024500022, title = {Synthesis of low coercive BaFe12O19 hexaferrite for microwave applications in low-temperature cofired ceramic}, journal = {Journal of Electronic Materials}, volume = {42}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {761-768}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Polycrystalline M-type barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) samples have been synthesized by solution combustion route at different pH and calcination conditions in order to reduce the coercivity for microwave applications in low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrates. Structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of BaFe12O19 were studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The formation of a single-phase hexagonal structure was confirmed by XRD. The Raman spectra reveal all characteristic peaks of BaFe12O19, illustrating the phase purity and crystal lattice symmetry of the synthesized material. Mossbauer spectra illustrate the existence of Fe3+ cations at all five crystallographic lattice sites. The microstructural features observed by FESEM disclose the growth of nanoregime particles into hexagonal platelet particles after calcination at temperatures from 800A degrees C to 1200A degrees C. The VSM results show a lower coercivity (1350 Oe to 3500 Oe) together with reasonably high saturation magnetization (55 emu/g to 60 emu/g) and a high bulk resistivity (\> 10(9) Omega-cm) at room temperature. The dependence of magnetic and electrical properties on the preparation and processing conditions is also discussed.

}, keywords = {Barium hexaferrite, coercivity, LTCC, Mossbauer spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy}, issn = {0361-5235}, doi = {10.1007/s11664-012-2398-6}, author = {Rane, Vivek A. and Meena, Sher Singh and Gokhale, Suresh P. and Yusuf, S. M. and Phatak, Girish J. and Date, Sadgopal K.} } @article { ISI:000316693100020, title = {Synthesis of palmyrolide A and its cis-isomer and mechanistic insight into trans-cis isomerisation of the enamide macrocycle}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {49}, number = {32}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3342-3344}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Concise and protecting-group free synthesis of ent-palmyrolide A and (-)-cis-palmyrolide A were achieved starting from commercially available (S)-citronellal. The key fragment of palmyrolide A, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}(5S,7S)-7-hydroxy-5,8,8-trimethylnonanamide{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, which makes up the most challenging part of the target molecule, was prepared in just three steps. A plausible mechanism for the trans-cis isomerization of the double bond in the macrocycle has been investigated.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc40541a}, author = {Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Seetharamsingh, B. and Dangat, Yuvraj B. and Vanka, Kumar and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article { ISI:000317151900024, title = {Synthesis of triangular gold nanoplates: role of bromide ion and temperature}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {422}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {181-190}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Synthesis of noble metal triangular nanoplates is a kinetically controlled process in which temperature and packing defects play a major role. Nucleation and growth process of kinetically controlled reaction can be greatly influenced by temperature affecting the yield and edge length of the triangles. Through a conventional batch mode process, here we study the effect of temperature on nucleation and growth of gold triangular nanoplates and obtain some insight of the temperature effects on the final yield and edge length of triangles. The role of Br- ions in the synthesis of triangular nanoplates is studied by varying the amount of CAB and by replacing the CTAB with HBr. The results show that, while CTAB controls the edge length and yield of triangles, its use is not mandatory to attain plate like morphology. Finally we show that, while the initial temperature of the reaction mixture governs the nucleation rate and the rate of temperature rise governs the growth rate of particles, they along with the concentration of Br- ions control the edge length and yield. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au nanotriangles, Halide ion effect, heat transfer, Kinetically controlled, Nature of gold precursor complex, Nucleation and growth, Optical properties}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2013.01.044}, author = {Kumar, D. V. Ravi and Kulkarni, Amol A. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000323019400017, title = {Synthetic zipper peptide motif orchestrated via co-operative interplay of hydrogen bonding, aromatic stacking, and backbone chirality}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {135}, number = {31}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {11477-11480}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Here, we report on a new class of synthetic zipper peptide which assumes its three-dimensional zipper-like structure via a co-operative interplay of hydrogen bonding, aromatic stacking, and backbone chirality. Structural studies carried out in both solid- and solution-state confirmed the zipper-like structural architecture assumed by the synthetic peptide which makes use of unusually remote inter-residual hydrogen-bonding and aromatic stacking interactions to attain its shape. The effect of chirality modulation and the extent of noncovalent forces in the structure stabilization have also been comprehensively explored via single-crystal X-ray diffraction and solution-state NMR studies. The results highlight the utility of noncovalent forces in engineering complex synthetic molecules with intriguing structural architectures.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja405455g}, author = {Nair, Roshna V. and Kheria, Sanjeev and Rayavarapu, Suresh and Kotmale, Amol S. and Jagadeesh, Bharatam and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000335434600004, title = {Thermoresponsive and biodegradable dextran based microgels: synthesis and structural investigation}, journal = {Macromolecular Symposia}, volume = {329}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, note = {Polymer Networks Conference (PNG), WY, AUG 12-16, 2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {27-34}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Nanostructured objects, often ranging from hundreds of nanometers to few microns, support a number of functions directly linked to their structural features. They are, or they will be, protagonists in biomedical applications where miniaturized activities are required. These include the interface with living systems as tissues and cells, where targeted release of drug molecules occurs, or molecular imaging methods monitoring the drug trafficking in specific cell districts. The potentials of such devices, far to be fully understood, will be assessed only when a close correlation of their functions with their structure will be established. In this contribution we present a dextran based microdevice responsive to temperature and biodegradable. Both thermoresponsivity and biodegradability are of relevance for the potential use as drug carrier and controlled release device. The temperature behaviour, overall structure and internal architectures have been addressed with different methods.

}, keywords = {Biomaterials, colloids, dynamic light scattering, hydrogels, p(NiPAAm)}, issn = {1022-1360}, doi = {10.1002/masy.201300009}, author = {Ghugare, Shivkumar V. and Chiessi, Ester and Sakai, Victoria Garcia and Telling, Mark T. F. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Paradossi, Gaio} } @article { ISI:000317859400005, title = {Thiolated graphene - a new platform for anchoring CdSe quantum dots for hybrid heterostructures}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {5}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3615-3619}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Effective organization of small CdSe quantum dots on graphene sheets has been achieved by a simple solution exchange with thiol terminated graphene prepared by diazonium salt chemistry. This generic methodology of CdSe QD attachment to any graphene surface has remarkable implications in designing hybrid heterostructures.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c3nr00363a}, author = {Debgupta, Joyashish and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {42445, title = {Transition-metal-free multicomponent reactions involving arynes, N-heterocycles, and isatins}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {52}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10040{\textendash}10043}, abstract = {

Mix and match: With isoquinoline as the nucleophilic trigger, multicomponent reactions afforded spirooxazino isoquinoline derivatives, proceeding through 1,4-dipolar intermediates. The use of pyridine as a nucleophile furnished indolin-2-one derivatives, with the reaction likely proceeding through a pyridylidene intermediate.

}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201304278}, author = {Bhunia, Anup and Roy, Tony and Pachfule, Pradip and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000325389000001, title = {Understanding the orientation of water molecules around the phosphate and attached functional groups in a phospholipid molecule: a DFT-based study}, journal = {Molecular Simulation}, volume = {39}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {937-955}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The adsorption of water molecules around a polar region (in particular around the phosphate moiety) in the phospholipid molecules is studied in this work. Phospholipid molecules with different functional groups are known to respond differently to the water molecules. Hence, we attempt to study the adsorption of water molecules around the phosphate group as a consequence of the change of functional group attached to the phosphate group, viz. phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidyl glycerol (PG). As the latter is anionic in nature, the charge is compensated by Na+ counterion. Up to seven water molecules are adsorbed around the phosphate groups in model systems mimicking phospholipid molecule. The corresponding changes in the structural and electronic aspects are analysed. The significant difference between the PE and PC model systems is the formation of clathrate-like structure in the latter. Itisnoticed that as the number of water molecules increases to seven, both the hydrogen atoms in the water molecule participate in hydrogen bonding. However, in the PG model system, the charge-compensating counterion prevents the water molecule to form clathrate-like structures. The adsorption sites for water molecules are validated by density functional theory-based reactivity descriptors, viz. Fukui functions in the PE model system.

}, keywords = {cHelpG, DMPC, DMPE, DMPG, Fukui functions, Hydration}, issn = {0892-7022}, doi = {10.1080/08927022.2013.783701}, author = {Mishra, Deepti and Das, Susanta and Krishnamurthy, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000330145400022, title = {Understanding the site selectivity in small-sized neutral and charged AI(n) (4 <= n <= 7) clusters using density functional theory based reactivity descriptors: a validation study on water molecule adsorption}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {117}, number = {36, SI}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8691-8702}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Aluminum clusters are now technologically important due to their high catalytic activity. Our present study on the small-sized aluminum clusters applies density functional theory (DFT)-based reactivity descriptors to identify potential sites for adsorption and eventual chemical reaction. Depending on symmetry, susceptibility of various type of reactive sites within a cluster toward an impending electrophilic and/or nucleophilic attack is predicted using the reactivity descriptors. In addition, the study devises general rules as to how the size, shape, and charge of the cluster influences the number of available sites for an electrophilic and/or nucleophilic attack. The predictions by reactivity descriptors are validated by performing an explicit adsorption of water molecule on Al clusters with four atoms. The adsorption studies demonstrate that the most stable water-luster complex is obtained when the molecule is adsorbed through an oxygen atom on the site with the highest relative electrophilicity.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/jp403109s}, author = {Das, Susanta and Pal, Sourav and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article { ISI:000325849000034, title = {Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-derived, hollow-core, nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructures for oxygen-reduction reactions in PEFCs}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {19}, number = {28}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9335-9342}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The facile synthesis of a porous carbon material that is doped with iron-coordinated nitrogen active sites (FeNC-70) is demonstrated by following an inexpensive synthetic pathway with a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-70) as a template. To emphasize the possibility of tuning the porosity and surface area of the resulting carbon materials based on the structure of the parent ZIF, two other ZIFs, that is, ZIF-68 and ZIF-69, are also synthesized. The resulting active carbon material that is derived from ZIF-70, that is, FeNC-70, exhibits the highest BET surface area of 262m2g-1 compared to the active carbon materials that are derived from ZIF-68 and ZIF-69. The HR-TEM images of FeNC-70 show that the carbon particles have a bimodal structure that is composed of a spherical macroscopic pore (about 200nm) and a mesoporous shell. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals the presence of Fe-N-C moieties, which are the primary active sites for the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR). Quantitative estimation by using EDAX analysis reveals a nitrogen content of 14.5wt.\%, along with trace amounts of iron (0.1wt.\%), in the active FeNC-70 catalyst. This active porous carbon material, which is enriched with Fe-N-C moieties, reduces the oxygen molecule with an onset potential at 0.80V versus NHE through a pathway that involves 3.3-3.8e- under acidic conditions, which is much closer to the favored 4e- pathway for the ORR. The onset potential of FeNC-70 is significantly higher than those of its counterparts (FeNC-68 and FeNC-69) and of other reported systems. The FeNC-based systems also exhibit much-higher tolerance towards MeOH oxidation and electrochemical stability during an accelerated durability test (ADT). Electrochemical analysis and structural characterizations predict that the active sites for the ORR are most likely to be the insitu generated NFeN2+2/C moieties, which are distributed along the carbon framework.

}, keywords = {Doping, Electrochemistry, metal-organic frameworks, Nanostructures, oxygen-reduction reaction}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201300145}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Biswal, Bishnu P. and Banerjee, Rahul and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000338486300020, title = {1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU): a highly efficient catalyst in glycerol carbonate synthesis}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {391}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {144-149}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Transesterification of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with glycerol (GLY) was investigated using various amines as catalysts. Amidines like 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) and 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN) were found to be the best catalysts for this reaction. Best results: 98\% conversion of GLY with 96\% selectivity to GC (TON: 9408), were obtained with DBU as a catalyst. Effect of various reaction conditions on activity and selectivity were investigated using DBU as catalyst. The mechanism of the reaction was investigated with the help of H-1, C-13 and N-15 NMR analysis and OFT calculations. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DBU, Glycerol, Glycerol carbonate, transesterification}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2014.04.016}, author = {Munshi, Mudassir K. and Gade, Swapna M. and Mane, Manoj V. and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav and Vanka, Kumar and Rane, Vilas H. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A.} } @article { ISI:000331413700027, title = {3D micro-porous conducting carbon beehive by single step polymer carbonization for high performance supercapacitors: the magic of in situ porogen formation}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {728-735}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report non-templated synthesis of interconnected microporous carbon (IMPC) sheets having beehive morphology by direct pyrolysis of poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) potassium salt in inert atmosphere without any activation. The presence of the alkali metal in the selected polymer precursor results in a high specific surface area of 1327 m(2) g(-1). Importantly, 80\% of the pore volume is contributed by micropores with pore size ranging from 1-2 nm which is ideal for use as an electrode for supercapacitors. Whereas the rest of the surface area was contributed by a small fraction of mesopores and macropores due to the interconnected structure. The presence of three different types of pores make the material ideal for supercapacitor electrodes. IMPC was tested as an electrode in both aqueous and non-aqueous supercapacitors. All the aqueous measurements were done in 1 M H2SO4 solution with a potential window 1 V. A specific capacitance of 258 F g(-1) was realized at a constant charge-discharge current of 0.5 A g(-1) and it maintained at a value of 150 F g(-1) at 30 A g(-1). A long cycle stability of 90\% capacitance retention was observed after 5000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 2 A g(-1). At the highest power density 13 600 W kg(-1) the energy density was found to be 3.1 W h kg(-1). Non aqueous performance was tested in the presence of 1 M LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate-di-methyl carbonate with 5 mg active material loading. A specific capacitance of 138 F g(-1) was obtained at a current density of 0.25 A g(-1) and it retained at a value of 100 F g-1 at 10 A g(-1). The material can deliver an energy density of 31 W h kg(-1) at its highest power density of 11 000 W kg(-1) in a two electrode system based on active material loading.

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/c3ee42551g}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000340500300065, title = {Access to harmonine, a chemical weapon of ladybird beetles}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {58}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {30923-30926}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of harmonine, a defense alkaloid from the harlequin ladybird is reported by three different routes. The preparation of several new analogs with the same molecular weight and the decoration of gold nanoparticles with harmonines are also part of the present communication.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra05859c}, author = {Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {46399, title = {Additive induced capture of elusive polymorphs of conformationally flexible Sulfonamides/Sulfoesters}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {C776}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {additive induced polymorphism, intermolecular interactions, phase transition}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Shaikh, Samir Rashid and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gonnade, Rajesh} } @article { ISI:000334599800029, title = {Anti-cancer therapeutic potential of quinazoline based small molecules via global upregulation of miRNAs}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {35}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4639-4642}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Three quinazoline based small molecules showed global upregulation of miRNA expression with a selective enrichment of tumor suppressor miRNAs. The target genes of the upregulated miRNAs were predicted to be enriched for apoptotic pathways. Apoptotic induction following treatment with quinazoline compounds was confirmed by in cellulo studies. Thus, these small molecules having the core structural moiety (2,4-diphenyl-quinazoline) can be used as scaffolds to design activators of miRNA expression paving the way for novel anti-cancer drugs.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc49337g}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Bose, Debojit and Panja, Sumit Kumar and Saha, Satyen and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000344448000015, title = {Anti-fungal potentials of extracellular metabolites of western ghats isolated streptomyces sp NII 1006 against moulds and yeasts}, journal = {Indian Journal of Experimental Biology }, volume = {52}, number = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1138-1146}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Realization of hazardious effects of chemical fungicides has led to an interest in the usage of biocontrol agents. The present study, therefore, evaluates the biocontrol efficacy of Western Ghats (India) soil bacterial isolates. A potential strain NII 1006 was evaluated for its antagonistic property against a diverse range of moulds and yeasts. The strain was characterized morphologically, biochemically and molecularly, which revealed the isolate belonged to Streptomyces genus. Organic solvent extracts of NII 1006 culture filtrates inhibited the growth of the test pathogens indicating that growth suppression was due to extracellular anti-fungal metabolites present in the culture filtrates. The strain produced extracellular chitinase enzyme in addition to some stable partially purified anti-fungal compounds. Morphological changes such as hyphae degradation into debris and abnormal shapes were observed in test fungi and yeast grown on potato dextrose broth that contained the NII 1006 culture filtrate. The cell free supernatant has a tolerance to wide range of pH, temperature and enzymes such as lipase and protease. The biocontrol potential of NII 1006 strain may be correlated significantly with their ability to produce antibiotics as well as extracellular hydrolytic enzymes particularly chitinolytic enzyme.

}, keywords = {Anti-fungal activity, Biocontrol, Extracellular anti-fungal metabolites, Streptomyces}, issn = {0019-5189}, author = {Jayamurthy, Himani and Sajna, Kuttavan Valappil and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Pandey, Ashok} } @article { ISI:000334682700018, title = {Antimicrobial and SEM studies of sophorolipids synthesized using lauryl alcohol}, journal = {Journal of Surfactants and Detergents}, volume = {17}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {543-552}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, type = {Article}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

In recent years, researchers have developed biosurfactants for industrial, pharmaceutical and medical applications revealing the promising biological activities of these biomolecules. One of the best studied microbial surfactants are glycolipids, especially sophorolipids (SLs) produced by selected non-pathogenic yeast species of Candida. They are biodegradable, non-toxic and are environmentally friendly. Sophorolipid production was carried out using glucose as the hydrophilic source and lauryl alcohol C12-14, as the hydrophobic source using Candida bombicola ATCC 22214. Primary characterization of the SL obtained using lauryl alcohol (SLLA) was done by FTIR which depicted the presence of alkyl sophorosides/SLs. Antimicrobial activity testing revealed that SLLA showed complete inhibition against gram negative bacteria, Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027) at 30 and 1 mu g/ml at a contact time of 2 and 4 h respectively. Whereas for gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6358), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), complete inhibition was observed at 6 and 1 mu g/ml respectively at a contact time of 4 h. The formed SLLA showed noteworthy inhibition against the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans (ATCC 2091) at 50 mu g/ml with a contact time of 4 h. These values are remarkably low compared to reported values of oleic acid SLs and linolenic acid SLs which were studied for antimicrobial properties. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the treated cells revealed the changes in morphology and topography of the microorganisms.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial property, Biosurfactants, Candida bombicola, Lauryl alcohol, sophorolipids}, issn = {1097-3958}, doi = {10.1007/s11743-013-1495-8}, author = {Dengle-Pulate, Vrushali and Chandorkar, Parul and Bhagwat, Sunil S. and Prabhune, Asmita Ashutosh} } @article { ISI:000346322200010, title = {Artificial intelligence-based modeling of high ash coal gasification in a pilot plant scale fluidized bed gasifier}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research }, volume = {53}, number = {49}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {18678-18689}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The quality of coalespecially its high ash contentsignificantly affects the performance of coal-based processes. Coal gasification is a cleaner and an efficient alternative to the coal combustion for producing the syngas. The high-ash coals are found in a number of countries, and they form an important source for the gasification. Accordingly, in this study, extensive gasification experiments were conducted in a pilot-plant scale fluidized-bed coal gasifier (FBCG) using high-ash coals from India. Specifically, the effects of eight coal and gasifier process related parameters on the four gasification performance variables, namely CO+H-2 generation rate, syngas production rate, carbon conversion, and heating value of the syngas, were rigorously studied. The data collected from these experiments were used in the FBCG modeling, which was conducted by utilizing two artificial intelligence (AI) strategies namely genetic programming (GP) and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The novelty of the GP formalism is that it searches and optimizes both the form and parameters of an appropriate linear/nonlinear function that best fits the given process data. The original eight-dimensional input space of the FBCG models was reduced to three-dimensional space using the principal component analysis (PCA) and the PCA-transformed three variables were used in the AI-based FBCG modeling. A comparison of the GP and ANN-based models reveals that their output prediction accuracies and the generalization performance vary from good to excellent as indicated by the high training and test set correlation coefficient magnitudes lying between 0.92 and 0.996. This study also presents results of the sensitivity analysis performed to identify those coal and process related parameters, which significantly affect the FBCG process performance.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie500593j}, author = {Patil-Shinde, Veena and Kukarni, Tejas and Kulkarni, Rahul and Chavan, Prakash D. and Sharma, Tripurari and Sharma, Bijay Kumar and Tambe, Sanjeey S. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000332756200019, title = {Atypical energetic and kinetic course of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in room-temperature protic ionic liquids}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {118}, number = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2487-2498}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) process in 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone (18DHAQ) dye has been investigated in protic ionic liquid (PIL) solvents using photochemical measurements. The results demonstrate noteworthy modulations in both steady-state and time-resolved emission characteristics of excited normal (N*) and tautomeric (T*) forms of the dye. That the emission of T* increases unexpectedly upon increasing solvent viscosity indicates that subsequent to the initial forward ESIPT, there is also a relatively slower back ESIPT process involved for the excited dye. It is inferred that the propensity of this back ESIPT process is determined by the dynamics of the diffusive solvent relaxation, a process that is known to be strongly viscosity-dependent in ionic liquids. Evidence of both forward and back ESIPT for the dye has been obtained from femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion measurements. While an unusually fast forward ESIPT is clearly observed in all of the PILs studied, the uncommon back ESIPT process is distinctly indicated in PIL solvents having lower viscosities, certainly due to reasonably fast diffusive solvent relaxation in these solvents that causes a temporal modulation in the energies of the normal and tautomeric forms within a reasonably short time and thereby brings down the energy of N* compared to that of T*, triggering the back ESIPT process. Observation of solvent-viscosity-dependent back ESIPT is an intriguing finding for the present study as to the best of our knowledge, such a behavior has so far not been reported in the literature for the ESIPT reaction.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp500281z}, author = {Manna, Arpan and Sayed, Mhejabeen and Kumar, Anil and Pal, Haridas} } @article { ISI:000331737000012, title = {Biogenic synthesis of selenium nanoparticles and their effect on as(III)-induced toxicity on human lymphocytes}, journal = {Biological Trace Element Research}, volume = {157}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {275-283}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

{A bioreductive capacity of a plant, Terminalia arjuna leaf extract, was utilized for preparation of selenium nanoparticles. The leaf extract worked as good capping as well as stabilizing agent and facilitated the formation of stable colloidal nanoparticles. Resulting nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), respectively. The colloidal solution showed the absorption maximum at 390 nm while TEM and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) indicated the formation of polydispersed, crystalline selenium nanoparticles of size raging from 10 to 80 nm. FT-IR analysis suggested the involvement of O-H, N-H

}, keywords = {Arsenite, Comet assay, EDAX, MTT assay, Selenium nanoparticles, Terminalia arjuna}, issn = {0163-4984}, doi = {10.1007/s12011-014-9891-0}, author = {Prasad, Kumar Suranjit and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article { ISI:000327915300016, title = {Calcium oxide supported gold nanoparticles as catalysts for the selective epoxidation of styrene by t-butyl hydroperoxide}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {415}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111-116}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Gold nanoparticles are deposited on basic CaO supports as catalysts for the selective conversion of styrene into styrene oxide. Synthetic methods, gold loading and calcination temperatures are varied to permit an understanding of their influence on gold nanoparticle size, the presence of cationic gold species and the nature of interaction between the gold nanoparticles and the CaO support. Based on these studies, optimal conditions are designed to make the Au/CaO catalyst efficient for the selective epoxidation of styrene. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au/CaO, Epoxidation of styrene, gold nanoparticles, Homogenous deposition precipitation method, Styrene oxide}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2013.10.016}, author = {Dumbre, Deepa K. and Choudhary, Vasant R. and Patil, Nilesh S. and Uphade, Balu S. and Bhargava, Suresh Kumar} } @article { ISI:000339228500017, title = {Can silylenes rival transition metal systems in bond-strengthening pi-back donation? a computational investigation}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {62}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8522-8525}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Full quantum chemical calculations with density functional theory (DFT) show that bond-strengthening back-donation to a pi-diborene, recently discovered for transition metal systems (Braunschweig and co-workers, Nat. Chem., 2013, 5, 115-121), would be just as favored for Main Group silylene complexes. This result not only shows the range and applicability of the bond-strengthening back-bonding interaction, but also showcases the capacity of silylene complexes to do new chemistry, such as the cooperative activation of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc02470b}, author = {Pal, Amrita and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000341359200002, title = {Capturing a novel metastable polymorph of the anticancer drug gefitinib}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {16}, number = {37}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG }, pages = {8638-8641}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Gefitinib, a life-extending anticancer drug, exhibits solvent-mediated conformational polymorphism to yield stable (form I) and novel metastable (form II) polymorphs. Crystal structure analysis revealed 3D isostructurality in the molecular organization of the polymorphs, and the metastable polymorph undergoes a crystal-to-crystal thermal phase transition to the stable polymorph.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = { 10.1039/c4ce01446d}, author = {Thorat, Shridhar H. and Patwadkar, Manjusha V. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Vaidhyanathan, R.} } @article { ISI:000343026600023, title = {Cationic charged helical glycopolypeptide using ring opening polymerization of 6-deoxy-6-azido-glyco-N-carboxyanhydride}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {15}, number = {10}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3679-3686}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Glycopolypeptides with a defined secondary structure are of significance in understanding biological phenomena. Synthetic glycopolypeptides, or polypeptides featuring pendant carbohydrate moieties, have been of particular interest in the field of tissue engineering and drug delivery. In this work, we have synthesized charged water-soluble glycopolypeptides that adopt a helical conformation in water. This was carried out by the synthesis of a glyco-N-carboxyanhydride (glyco-NCA) containing an azide group at the sixth position of the carbohydrate ring. Subsequently, the NCA was polymerized to obtain azide-containing glycopolypeptides having good control over molecular weight and polydispersity index (PDI) in high yields. We were also able to control the incorporation of the azide group by synthesizing random co-glycopolypeptide containing 6-deoxy-6-azido and regular 6-OAc functionalized glucose. This azide functionality allows for the easy attachment of a bioactive group, which could potentially enhance the biological activity of the glycopolypeptide. We were able to obtain water-soluble charged glycopolypeptides by both reducing the azide groups into amines and using CuAAC with propargylamine. These charged glycopolypeptides were shown to have a helical conformation in water. Preliminary studies showed that these charged glycopolypeptides showed good biocompatibility and were efficiently taken up by HepG2 cells.

}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/bm5009537}, author = {Shaikh, Ashif Y. and Das, Soumen and Pati, Debasis and Dhaware, Vinita and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Hotha, Srinivas} } @article { ISI:000342161600057, title = {Cellulose supported cuprous iodide nanoparticles (Cell-CuI NPs): a new heterogeneous and recyclable catalyst for the one pot synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles in water}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {79}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {42137-42146}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cellulose supported cuprous iodide nanoparticles (Cell-CuI NPs) have been demonstrated for the first time as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the click synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles by a one-pot three component reaction between aralkyl/alkyl bromides, alkynes and sodium azide in water. The catalyst has been characterized by XRD, HRTEM, SEM, ICP-AES, EDS as well as IR spectroscopy. It was found to be reusable for five consecutive runs without significant loss of activity.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra05080k}, author = {Chavan, Pramod V. and Pandit, Kapil S. and Desai, Uday V. and Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @conference {46371, title = {Characteristics of HRV patterns for different yoga postures}, booktitle = {2014 Annual IEEE India Conference (INDICON)}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, publisher = {YASHADA, MDC, IEEE Pune Sect; IEEE}, organization = {YASHADA, MDC, IEEE Pune Sect; IEEE}, address = {345 E 47TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

Human heart rate fluctuates in a complex and non-stationary manner, due to continuous influences from autonomic nervous system and other factors (harmones, temp, etc) on the sinoatrial node (S.A) (Pacemaker of the heart). ANS dysfunction is known to be associated with various cardiovascular and lifestyle diseases. The importance of traditional ancient Indian practice like Yoga has increased significantly due to the observed beneficial effects of it in various lifestyle diseases. Preliminary studies have shown that yoga may have its beneficial effect by influencing autonomic nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a most promising predictive and prognostic marker of autonomic (ANS) activity. HRV is analyzed by time and frequency domain parameters (Fast Fourier Transform). Being linear parameters these are not able to extract full information regarding the non linear behavior of heart rate fluctuations. In this paper, we propose to analyze HRV by using linear as well as non-linear methods during different yogaasanas. These mathematical models will be useful to understand the underlying physiological mechanisms during different yogasanas.

}, keywords = {ECG, HRV, Poincare plot, Recurrence plot, Yogasanas}, isbn = {978-1-4799-5364-6}, author = {Pitale, Rahul and Tajane, Kapil and Phadke, Leena and Joshi, Aniruddha and Umale, Jayant} } @article { ISI:000338089500001, title = {Chemistry of materials celebrates the 80th birthday of one of the premier "chemists of materials"}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {26}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3593-3594}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Editorial Material}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm501763w}, author = {Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V and Buriak, Jillian M.} } @article { ISI:000333226900011, title = {Cholesterol modulates the dimer interface of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor via cholesterol occupancy sites}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {106}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1290-1300}, publisher = {CELL PRESS}, type = {Article}, address = {600 TECHNOLOGY SQUARE, 5TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA}, abstract = {

The beta(2)-adrenergic receptor is an important member of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, whose stability and function are modulated by membrane cholesterol. The recent high-resolution crystal structure of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor revealed the presence of possible cholesterol-binding sites in the receptor. However, the functional relevance of cholesterol binding to the receptor remains unexplored. We used MARTINI coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulations to explore dimerization of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor in lipid bilayers containing cholesterol. A novel (to our knowledge) aspect of our results is that receptor dimerization is modulated by membrane cholesterol. We show that cholesterol binds to transmembrane helix IV, and cholesterol occupancy at this site restricts its involvement at the dimer interface. With increasing cholesterol concentration, an increased presence of transmembrane helices I and II, but a reduced presence of transmembrane helix IV, is observed at the dimer interface. To our knowledge, this study is one of the first to explore the correlation between cholesterol occupancy and GPCR organization. Our results indicate that dimer plasticity is relevant not just as an organizational principle but also as a subtle regulatory principle for GPCR function. We believe these results constitute an important step toward designing better drugs for GPCR dimer targets.

}, issn = {0006-3495}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpj.2014.02.002}, author = {Prasanna, Xavier and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article { ISI:000330822900026, title = {Clay encapsulated Cu(OH)(x) promoted homocoupling of arylboronic acids: an efficient and eco-friendly protocol}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {470}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {232-238}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Cu(OH)(x) has been encapsulated over montmorillonite-KSF by simple ologomeric deposition strategy. The resulting catalyst has been employed for selective homocoupling of arylboronic acids under ambient conditions without requirement of any ligand or base. This catalyst is easy to recover and shows excellent reusability without losing its activity. Techniques like XRD, SEM, TPR, IR, BET surface area measurement and XPS were used to characterize the catalyst. The present method promises for the simple and clean homocoupling of arylboronic acids. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biaryls, clay, Copper, Heterogenous catalyst, Homocoupling}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2013.10.048}, author = {Dar, Bashir Ahmad and Singh, Snehil and Pandey, Nalini and Singh, A. P. and Sharma, Priti and Lazar, Anish and Sharma, Meena and Vishwakarma, Ram A. and Singh, Baldev} } @article { ISI:000342257000011, title = {Co-immobilized glucose oxidase and beta-galactosidase on bovine serum albumin coated allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) copolymer as a biosensor for lactose determination in milk}, journal = {Enzyme and Microbial Technology}, volume = {64-65}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {67-73}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, type = {Article}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was adsorbed on allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) copolymer with 25\% crosslink density (AGE-25) at pH 8.0 (16\% w/w). The amino, thiol and carboxylic acid functional groups available on protein coated surface were utilized for covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase and beta-galactosidase, both independently, and in a step-wise manner on the same matrix, with no more than 10\% loss of enzyme activity during immobilization. Glutaraldehyde cross-linking after immobilization provided stable enzyme preparations. The pH-optima of the immobilized enzymes were similar to those for free enzyme but their thermal stability was vastly improved. The co-immobilized enzyme support was used as a biosensor for determination of lactose in milk with excellent reproducibility and reusability. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {beta-Galactosidase, Bovine serum albumin, Glucose oxidase, Immobilization, Lactose assay}, issn = {0141-0229}, doi = {10.1016/j.enzmictec.2014.07.005}, author = {Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Dola, Sandhya Rani and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Addepally, Uma and Daniels, Siona and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000335706100026, title = {Comparison of polymer induced and solvent induced trypsin denaturation: the role of hydrophobicity}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {116}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {201-205}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Trypsin adsorption from aqueous buffer by various copolymers of allyl glycidyl ether-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (AGE-EGDM) copolymer with varying crosslink density increases with increasing crosslink density and the effect slowly wears off after reaching a plateau at 50\% crosslink density. The copolymer with 25\% crosslink density was reacted with different amines with alkyl/aryl side chains to obtain a series of copolymers with 1,2-amino alcohol functional groups and varying hydrophobicity. Trypsin binding capacity again increases with hydrophobicity of the reacting amine and a good correlation between logP(octanol) of the amine and protein binding is observed. The bound trypsin is denatured to the extent of 90\% in spite of the presence of hydrophilic hydroxyl and amino groups. The behavior was comparable to that in mixtures of aqueous buffer and water-miscible organic co-solvents where the solvent concentration required to deactivate 50\% of the enzyme (C-50) is dependent on logP(octanol) of the co-solvent. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Denaturation, Hydrophobicity, Polymer, Trypsin}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2014.01.002}, author = {Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Addepally, Uma and Daniels, Siona and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @conference { ISI:000349165104705, title = {Complex absorbing potential based coupled-cluster methods to metastable states}, booktitle = { 248th National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS)}, volume = {248}, year = {2014}, note = {248th National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS), San Francisco, CA, AUG 10-14, 2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {Meeting Abstract: 504-COMP}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, organization = {American Chemical Society}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {1155 16th ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0065-7727}, author = {Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000344589700016, title = {Complex absorbing potential based equation-of-motion coupled cluster method for the potential energy curve of CO2- anion}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {141}, number = {16}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article No. 164113}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The equation-of-motion coupled cluster method employing the complex absorbing potential has been used to investigate the low energy electron scattering by CO2. We have studied the potential energy curve for the (2)Pi(u) resonance states of CO2- upon bending as well as symmetric and asymmetric stretching of the molecule. Specifically, we have stretched the C-O bond length from 1.1 angstrom to 1.5 angstrom and the bending angles are changed between 180 degrees and 132 degrees. Upon bending, the low energy (2)Pi(u) resonance state is split into two components, i.e., (2)A(1), B-2(1) due to the Renner-Teller effect, which behave differently as the molecule is bent. (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4899280}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav and Bartlett, Rodney J.} } @article { ISI:000349902200001, title = {Computational investigation on the catalytic activity of Rh-6 and Rh4Ru2 clusters towards methanol activation}, journal = {Theoretical Chemistry Accounts }, volume = {134}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1597}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Catalysis of molecular activation of small molecules through scission of strong chemical bonds is one of the major challenges faced by chemists. More specifically, activation of the strong C-H and O-H bonds of various alcohols, especially methanol, is one of the various important intermediate steps of key organic reactions. Our present work explores a suitable metal cluster catalyst towards methanol dissociation. In particular, we have examined the effect of ruthenium doping (Rh:Ru = 2:1) on the catalytic activity of Rh-6 cluster towards methanol dissociation. Density functional theory-based calculations illustrate two competitive pathways for methanol dissociation, which are via O-H and C-H bond breaking. Both the pathways are found to be energetically favourable in the presence of bimetallic and mono-metallic clusters. Importantly, energy barrier for O-H bond dissociation reduces considerably in doped cluster as compared to pure Rh-6 cluster and is smaller than the values reported for a number of other small metallic clusters.

}, keywords = {Bimetallic Clusters, Density Functional Theory (DFT), Doping, Methanol Activation, Rhodium Clusters}, issn = {1432-881X}, doi = {10.1007/s00214-014-1597-z}, author = {Ghatak, Kamalika and Sengupta, Turbasu and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000331895900018, title = {Conformational modulation of peptide secondary structures using beta-aminobenzenesulfonic acid}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {22}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2886-2888}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This communication describes the influence of beta-aminobenzenesulfonic acid ((S)Ant) on the conformational preferences of hetero foldamers. The designed (Aib-(S)Ant-Aib)(n) and (Aib-(S)Ant-Pro)(n) oligomers display a well-defined folded conformation featuring intramolecular mixed hydrogen bonding (7/11) and intra-residual (6/5) H-bonding interactions, respectively.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc48850k}, author = {Kale, Sangram S. and Kunjir, Shrikant M. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000330489500002, title = {Controlled release of antimicrobial Cephalexin drug from silica microparticles}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9-14}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Release of antimicrobial drugs in a controlled fashion for extended duration of time has been investigated for long. Such controlled-drug-releasing materials show promising applications in medicinal bandages. Along with antimicrobial agents, one could also incorporate other therapeutic drugs, to make such bandages more versatile. In this context, silica micro particles were synthesized using direct reduction method, in which the synthesis was done in the presence of Cephalexin. Cephalexin was chosen as an antimicrobial candidate. The morphological characterization shows formation of monodispersed, silica microparticles of similar to 200 nm in size. The FTIR spectroscopy shows weak interaction of the drug molecule at its hydroxide (OH) site with oxygen ions on the silica surface. Upon conjugation, the UV-vis spectroscopy shows persistence of the Cephalexin signature, especially its R group, confirming its antimicrobial activity even after conjugation. Loading studies reveal 12\% Cephalexin loading on silica. The antimicrobial studies were done on three micro-organisms, namely, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Using zone-of-inhibition studies, it was found that E. coli, did not respond to the delivery of Cephalexin either directly or via microparticles. However, for both S. aureus and B. subtilis, the particles showed controlled release of Cephalexin for the duration of 48 h and continued maintenance and even increase in the zone of inhibition. This work demonstrates an effective protocol to prepare antimicrobial patches for controlled drug delivery. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial, Medicinal bandage, Silica microparticles, sustained drug release}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2013.10.002}, author = {Rao, B. V. Bhaskara and Mukherji, Ruchira and Shitre, G. and Alam, F. and Prabhune, Asmita and Kale, Sangeeta N.} } @article { ISI:000338988800008, title = {Copper(I) bromide-catalyzed carbonylative coupling of aryl halides with phenols, alcohols and amines using sodium cyanide as C-1 source: a synthesis of carboxylic acid derivatives}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {356}, number = {10}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2231-2238}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A new {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}carbon monoxide-free{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} synthesis of carboxylate derivatives via carbonylative coupling of aryl bromides with phenols, alcohols, amines and acids in the presence of copper(I) bromide as catalyst and sodium cyanide in a stoichiometric amount has been developed. Its intramolecular version provides for the preparation of lactones (e.g., isochroman-1-ones and isobenzfuranones), imides, anhydrides and lactams in excellent yields (73-96\%).

}, keywords = {anhydrides, C-1 building blocks, isochroman-1-ones, lactams, lactones}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.201301155}, author = {Prasad, Pragati K. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000332716400001, title = {Counter-ion dependent, longitudinal unzipping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes to highly conductive and transparent graphene nanoribbons}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article No. : 4363}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, type = {Article}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Here we report for the first time, a simple hydrothermal approach for the bulk production of highly conductive and transparent graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) using several counter ions from K2SO4, KNO3, KOH and H2SO4 in aqueous media, where, selective intercalation followed by exfoliation gives highly conducting GNRs with over 80\% yield. In these experiments, sulfate and nitrate ions act as a co-intercalant along with potassium ions resulting into exfoliation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in an effective manner. The striking similarity of experimental results in KOH and H2SO4 that demonstrates partially damaged MWCNTs, implies that no individual K+, SO42- ion plays a key role in unwrapping of MWCNTs, rather this process is largely effective in the presence of both cations and anions working in a cooperative manner. The GNRs can be used for preparing conductive 16 k Omega sq(-1), transparent (82\%) and flexible thin films using low cost fabrication method.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep04363}, author = {Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Majumder, Mainak and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000341579600004, title = {Coupled cluster methods for autoionisation resonances}, journal = {International Reviews in Physical Chemistry}, volume = {33}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {397-425}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The quantum chemical calculation of autoionisation resonances in many-electron systems is a highly challenging task due to the ionisation continuum involved. Recently, advances were reported where conventionally used ab initio codes can be employed to compute autoionisation resonances. This is made possible by the use of analytical continuation tools such as complex scaling and complex absorbing potential (CAP) in the electronic structure codes. We review the formulation and the use of complex scaling and CAP in coupled cluster methods for the electron correlated calculation of energy position and autoionisation decay rate of resonance states. The application of analytically continued coupled cluster method for the correlated calculation of interatomic or intermolecular Coulombic decay process is also discussed.

}, keywords = {autoionisation resonances, complex absorbing potential, complex scaling, equation-of-motion coupled cluster, Fock space multi-reference-coupled cluster, intermolecular Coulombic decay}, issn = {0144-235X}, doi = {10.1080/0144235X.2014.935585}, author = {Sajeev, Y. and Ghosh, A. and Vaval, N. and Pal, S.} } @article { ISI:000346322200038, title = {Crystal shape evolution using polyhedral population balance}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {53}, number = {49}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {18966-18974}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Research on crystal morphology covers shape evolution of single crystal and evolution of the size and shape distribution of populations of crystals. The population balance models have been used for the single or multiple dimensions for predicting the evolution of crystal size distributions (CSDs). More often than not these models do not consider the change in solute concentration due to disappearance/appearance of the crystal faces and therefore compromise rigorous mass balance. The present work focuses on the methodology for the morphological evolution of crystal shape using a polyhedral population balance model. This methodology is based on the morphodrome which illustrates the shapes of crystals at various operating conditions. gPROMS software (PSE, UK) along with Microsoft Excel is used to devise the framework for predicting the crystal shape evolution. The developed approach and models can be implemented for various crystallization systems and will be useful for simulating crystal shape evolutions.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie501039c}, author = {Shaikh, Latif J. and Ranade, Vivek V. and Pandit, Aniruddha B.} } @article {46394, title = {Crystalline porous materials for gas adsorption}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {C463}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {Covalent organic framework, gas adsorption}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Pal, Tapan Kumar and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000335551200002, title = {C@SiNW/TiO2 core-shell nanoarrays with sandwiched carbon passivation layer as high efficiency photoelectrode for water splitting}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4897}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, type = {Article}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

One-dimensional heterostructure nanoarrays are efficiently promising as high performance electrodes for photo electrochemical (PEC) water splitting applications, wherein it is highly desirable for the electrode to have a broad light absorption, efficient charge separation and redox properties as well as defect free surface with high area suitable for fast interfacial charge transfer. We present highly active and unique photoelectrode for solar H-2 production, consisting of silicon nanowires (SiNWs)/TiO2 core-shell structures. SiNWs are passivated to reduce defect sites and protected against oxidation in air or water by forming very thin carbon layer sandwiched between SiNW and TiO2 surfaces. This carbon layer decreases recombination rates and also enhances the interfacial charge transfer between the silicon and TiO2. A systematic investigation of the role of SiNW length and TiO2 thickness on photocurrent reveals enhanced photocurrent density up to 5.97 mA/cm(2) at 1.0 V vs. NHE by using C@SiNW/TiO2 nanoarrays with photo electrochemical efficiency of 1.17\%.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep04897}, author = {Devarapalli, Rami Reddy and Debgupta, Joyashish and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article { ISI:000329886900036, title = {Cu(II) conjugation along the transformation of a vitamin K-3 derivative to a dinaphthoquinone methide radical}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {38}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {277-284}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

1,1{\textquoteright}-Methide-bi-vitamin K-3 (B) has been isolated as a dinaphthoquinone methide radical (DNQM) by the transformation of 1-imino(acetylhydrazino)-vitamin K-3 (A). The transformation follows a biomimetic activation pathway mediated via Cu(II) ion catalyzed oxidative coupling. Single crystal X-ray and electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments combined with density functional calculations elucidate the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}resonance structure{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} of the DNQM radical (B). Fluorescence investigations reveal that DNQM facilitates interaction with the cysteine residue. As compared to the parent substrate, B shows a depletion in the level of GSH, triggering apoptosis in HeLa cells.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c3nj00783a}, author = {Badave, Kirti D. and Patil, Shalaka S. and Khan, Ayesha A. and Srinivas, Darbha and Butcher, Raymond J. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Pinjari, Rahul V. and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Rane, Sandhya Y.} } @article { ISI:000339692700028, title = {Defluoridation using biomimetically synthesized nano zirconium chitosan composite: kinetic and equilibrium studies}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {276}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {232-240}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{The present study reports a novel approach for synthesis of Zr nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Aloe vera. Resulting nanoparticles were embedded into chitosan biopolymer and termed as CNZr composite. The composite was subjected to detailed adsorption studies for removal of fluoride from aqueous solution. The synthesized Zr nanoparticles showed UV-vis absorption peak at 420 nm. TEM result showed the formation of polydispersed, nanoparticles ranging from 18 nm to 42 nm. SAED and XRD analysis suggested an fcc (face centered cubic) Zr crystallites. EDAX analysis suggested that Zr was an integral component of synthesized nanoparticles. FT-IR study indicated that functional group like -NH

}, keywords = {Aloe vera, Chitosan, FT-IR spectroscopy, Sorption, Zirconium nanoparticles}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.05.038}, author = {Prasad, Kumar Suranjit and Amin, Yesha and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article { ISI:000343958900048, title = {Design and development of POCN-pincer palladium catalysts for C-H bond arylation of azoles with aryl iodides}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {43}, number = {42}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16084-16096}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{Well-defined and efficient POCN-ligated palladium complexes have been developed for the direct C H bond arylation of azoles with aryl iodides. The phosphinite-amine pincer ligands 1-(R2PO)-C6H4-3-((CH2NPr2)-Pr-i) 1R2POCNIPr2-H; R = {\textquoteleft}Pr (1a)

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c4dt01547a}, author = {Khake, Shrikant M. and Soni, Vineeta and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @proceedings {43316, title = {Design and engineering of organic molecules for customizable terahertz tags}, volume = {8985}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: UNSP 89850P}, publisher = {SPIE-Int Soc Optical Engineering, 1000 20th ST, PO Box 10, Bellingham, WA 98227-0010 USA}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, abstract = {

Terahertz (THz) frequency band lies between the microwave and infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Molecules having strong resonances in this frequency range are ideal for realizing "Terahertz tags" which can be easily incorporated into various materials. THz spectroscopy of molecules, especially at frequencies below 10 THz, provides valuable information on the low frequency vibrational modes, viz. intermolecular vibrational modes, hydrogen bond stretching, torsional vibrations in several chemical and biological compounds. So far there have been very few attempts to engineer molecules which can demonstrate customizable resonances in the THz frequency region. In this paper, Diamidopyridine (DAP) based molecules are used as a model system to demonstrate engineering of THz resonances (\< 10 THz) by fine-tuning the molecular mass and bond strengths. Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations have been carried out to explain the origin of THz resonances and factors contributing to the shift in resonances due to the addition of various functional groups. The design approach presented here can be easily extended to engineer various organic molecules suitable for THz tags application.

}, doi = {10.1117/12.2041194}, author = {Ray, Shaumik and Dash, Jyotirmayee and Nallappan, Kathirvel and Kaware, Vaibhav and Basutkar, Nitin and Ambade, Ashootosh and Joshi, Kavita and Pesala, Bala} } @article { ISI:000337149900033, title = {Design, synthesis and cytotoxicity of novel N-benzylpiperidin-4-one oximes on human cervical cancer cells}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {126}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {861-873}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

A series of fifteen diversified N-benzylpiperidin-4-one oximes were synthesized and characterized by their NMR spectral data. Additionally, single-crystal XRD analysis was performed for the representative symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted molecules. All the synthesized oximes from unsymmetrical ketones existed as E-isomer as witnessed by their NMR and XRD data. Among the synthesized target compounds that evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells, five compounds were potent with IC50 \< 17 mu M. 1-Benzyl-2,6-bis(4-isopropylphenyl)-3-methylpiperidin-4-one oxime 3c with an IC50 of 13.88 mu M was found to be the best active compound as depicted by the microscopic analysis.

}, keywords = {Cytotoxicity, HeLa cells, N-benzylpiperidin-4-one oximes, single-crystal XRD}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-014-0622-z}, author = {Dindulkar, Someshwar D. and Bhatnagar, Ira and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kim, Se-Kwon and Anh, Dong Hyun and Parthiban, Paramasivam and Jeong, Yeon Tae} } @article {43307, title = {Determination of optimum values of descriptors to set filters for synthetic tri-pyrrole derivatives (prodiginines) against multi drug resistant strain of plasmodium falciparum}, journal = {Current Research in Drug Discovery}, volume = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {51-59}, abstract = {

Abstract: In the present study, we have carried out extensive non-linear Quantitative-Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis to correlate in vitro anti-malarial activity against multi drug resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum. Forty-three synthetic prodiginines with different structural features were used for their potential antimalarial activity. Linear, bilinear, biexponential and parabolic equations were developed. These equations were compared to determine the optimum values of descriptors for very useful and easily interpretable descriptors. The optimum values of these descriptors could be helpful in finding and optimizing a good lead compound. Obtained correlations reveal that various factors like lipophilicity, molecular weight and number of bonds have non-linear relation with the anti-malarial activity. Keywords: Prodiginines, Anti-Malarial Activity, Optimum/Desirability Values, Hybrid Inverse-QSAR

}, doi = {10.3844/crddsp.2014.51.59}, author = {Masand, Vijay H. and Mahajan, Devidas T. and Pourbasheer, Eslam and Hadda, Taibi Ben and Chauhan, Harsh and Gajbhiye, Jayant M. and Alafeefy, A. M.} } @article { ISI:000345065400015, title = {Development of a novel method to grow mono-/few-layered MoS2 films and MoS2-graphene hybrid films for supercapacitor applications}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {16}, number = {47}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10845-10855}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The controlled synthesis of highly crystalline MoS2 atomic layers remains a challenge for practical applications of this emerging material. We demonstrate a facile method to synthesize crystalline mono-layered/few-layered MoS2 thin films at the liquid-liquid interface which can be suitably transferred to the substrates. The films are characterized by XRD for their crystal structure and by SEM and TEM for the morphology. MoS2 nanosheet-graphene nanosheet (MoS2-GNS) hybrid films have been developed by the application of layer-by-layer (LbL) techniques. Cyclic voltammetry and other electrochemical characterization techniques reveal that the hybrid film electrode shows a specific capacitance of 282 F g(-1) at a scan rate of 20 mV s(-1). The as-obtained hybrid electrode is robust and exhibits much improved cycle life (\>1000), retaining over 93\% of its initial capacitance as revealed by galvanostatic charge/discharge studies. The confirmation of better performance as a supercapacitor of the composite was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. These results indicate that the MoS2-GNS hybrid is a promising candidate for the electrode material in supercapacitor applications.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c4ce01595a}, author = {Patil, Sagar and Harle, Arti S. and Sathaye, Shivaram and Patil, Kashinath} } @article { ISI:000333730900019, title = {Dilution does the trick: role of mixed solvent evaporation in controlling nanoparticle self-assembly}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {447}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {142-147}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An easy and convenient way to prepare superlattices of amine capped gold nanoparticles is presented. It is clearly established that solvent evaporation significantly influences the nature of resulting superlattices and critically governs whether monolayer or multilayer superlattices are formed. More specifically, it is demonstrated that dilution of the nanoparticle dispersion with a similar solvent (but with different vapour pressure) is an expedient handle to control the nature of self-assembly. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Evaporation rate, gold nanoparticles, Nucleation, Self-assembly}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2014.01.070}, author = {Sahu, Puspanjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000339727800002, title = {Dimorphism and hydrocarbon metabolism in Yarrowia lipolytica var. indica}, journal = {Archives of Microbiology}, volume = {196}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {545-556}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Yarrowia lipolytica is able to metabolize high Mr hydrophobic natural compounds such as fatty acids and hydrocarbons. Characteristically, strains of Y. lipolytica can grow as populations with variable proportions of yeast and filamentous forms. In the present study, we describe the dimorphic characteristics of a variant designated as Y. lipolytica var. indica isolated from petroleum contaminated sea water and the effect of cell morphology on hydrocarbon metabolism. The variant behaved as a yeast monomorphic strain, under conditions at which terrestrial Y. lipolytica strain W29 and its derived strains, grow as almost uniform populations of mycelial cells. Using organic nitrogen sources and N-acetylglucosamine as carbon source, var. indica was able to form mycelial cells, the proportion of which increased when incubated under semi-anaerobic conditions. The cell surface characteristics of var. indica and W29 were found to be different with respect to contact angle and percent hydrophobicity. For instance, percent hydrophobicity of var. indica was 89.93 +/- A 1.95 while that of W29 was 70.78 +/- A 1.1. Furthermore, while all tested strains metabolize hydrocarbons, only var. indica was able to use it as a carbon source. Yeast cells of var. indica metabolized hexadecane with higher efficiency than the mycelial form, whereas the mycelial form of the terrestrial strain metabolized the hydrocarbon more efficiently, as occurred with the mycelial monomorphic mutant AC11, compared to the yeast monomorphic mutant AC1.

}, keywords = {Hexadecane metabolism, Yarrowia lipolytica, Yeast-mycelium transition}, issn = {0302-8933}, doi = {10.1007/s00203-014-0990-2}, author = {Palande, A. S. and Kulkarni, S. V. and Leon-Ramirez, C. and Campos-Gongora, E. and Ruiz-Herrera, J. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000341122200039, title = {Dinitrogen activation by silicon and phosphorus doped aluminum clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {19869-19878}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

N-2 reduction is crucial for life, and very few catalysts are currently available to carry out this process at ambient temperature and pressure. In the present work, density functional theory based calculations reveal doped aluminum clusters to be highly reactive toward molecular nitrogen and hence are prospective materials for its activation at low temperatures. Calculations on silicon and phosphorus doped aluminum clusters with 5-8 atoms demonstrate an enhanced N-2 activation with respect to their pristine ground state and high energy counterparts. This increased efficiency of N-2 activation by doped ground state Al clusters is corroborated by an increment of the N N bond length, a red shift in N N bond stretching frequency, and adsorption energy (E-ad). Ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations demonstrate consequential efficiency of doped clusters toward dinitrogen activation at finite temperature. The ability of doped clusters toward activation of molecular nitrogen is site and shape sensitive. In short, this theoretical study highlights the critical role of doping foreign impurities for future endeavors in the design of cost-effective and efficient catalysts for N-2 activation at ambient temperatures. This observation may spur further studies in the field of aluminum nanocatalysis by doping silicon and phosphorus atom in aluminum clusters.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp505700a}, author = {Das, Susanta and Pal, Sourav and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article { ISI:000341360400024, title = {Divergent total synthesis of 1,6,8a-tri-epi-castanospermine and 1-deoxy-6,8a-di-epi-castanospermine from substituted azetidin-2-one (beta-lactam), involving a cascade sequence of reactions as a key step}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {12}, number = {37}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7389-7396}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A divergent, short, and novel total synthesis of 1,6,8a-tri-epi-castanospermine (7) and 1-deoxy-6,8a-di-epi-castanospermine (8) has been developed via a common precursor, 15, obtained from D-mannitol derived beta-lactam. The key step involves a one pot cascade sequence of trimethyl sulfoxonium ylide based cyclization of epoxy sulfonamide 14 via epoxide ring opening, one carbon homologation followed by intramolecular cyclization.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c4ob00948g}, author = {Tiwari, Dipak Kumar and Bharadwaj, Kishor Chandra and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Tiwari, Dharmendra Kumar} } @article { ISI:000341023400022, title = {Easy access to alpha-aryl substituted gamma-ketophosphonates: lewis acid mediated reactions of 1,3-diketones with alpha-hydroxyphosphonates and tandem regioselective C-C bond cleavage}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {12}, number = {36}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7140-7149}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A range of alpha-aryl substituted gamma-ketophosphonates is synthesised by Lewis acid mediated reactions of 1,3-diketones and easily accessible, inexpensive benzylic alpha-hydroxyphosphonates in an operationally simple method under solvent-free conditions without exclusion of air/moisture. A regioselective C-C bond cleavage for 1,3-diketones in a tandem fashion has also been demonstrated. Synthesis of a gamma-ketophosphonate with phenol functionality at the a-position (structural analogue of raspberry ketone, a natural product) has also been presented.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c4ob01091d}, author = {Pallikonda, Gangaram and Chakravarty, Manab and Sahoo, Manoj Kumar} } @article { ISI:000334895800014, title = {Effect of method of preparation on hydrodesulphurization activity of Co- or Ni-promoted MoS2/SBA-15 catalysts}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {126}, number = {2, SI}, year = {2014}, note = {21st National Symposium on Catalysis (CATSYMP), CSIR Indian Inst Chem Technol, Hyderabad, INDIA, FEB 11-13, 2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {437-444}, publisher = {Catalysis Soc India}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Ordered mesoporous material SBA-15 was synthesized and used as a support for the preparation of molybdenum sulphide catalysts through precipitation from homogeneous solution (PFHS) technique with the Mo content varying from 2-12 wt\%. The prepared catalysts were evaluated for thiophene hydrodesulphurizadon catalytic activities at 400 degrees C. Catalysts prepared through PFHS method resulted in highly dispersed MoS2 catalysts, which were inferred from powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low temperature oxygen chemisorptions (LTOC) and BET surface area analysis. The relationship between XPS intensity ratio, oxygen chemisorption and catalytic activities is discussed in terms of highly dispersed nano particles of MoS2 and its consequence in accommodating more promoted atoms at the edge sites.

}, keywords = {HDS, MoS2, PFHS method, promotional effects, SBA-15}, issn = {0974-3626}, author = {Garg, Shelu and Soni, Kapil and Prasad, V. V. D. N. and Kumar, Manoj and Bhaskar, Thallada and Gupta, J. K. and Dhar, G. Murali and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {46369, title = {Effect of pH on the hydrolytic kinetics of gamma-glutamyl transferase from bacillus subtilis}, journal = {Scientific World Journal}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {216270}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The effect of pH on the steady state kinetics of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) from Bacillus subtilis was examined using glutamyl-(3-carboxyl)-4-nitroanilide as the chromogenic reporter substrate. The enzyme was active in the pH range 7.0-11.0 with the optimum activity at pH 11.0. We noticed a pH dependent transformation in the nature of substrate consumption kinetics. The substrate saturation curves were hyperbolic in the pH range 7.0-9.0 but changed into sigmoid form at pH 10.0 and 11.0. Hill{\textquoteright}s coefficients were \> 1. We also analysed the effect of pH on the structure of the enzyme. The circular dichroism spectra of the enzyme sample at pH 9.0 and 11.0 were coincidental in both far and near UV regions indicating conservation of the secondary and tertiary structures, respectively. Themolecular weight of the enzyme sample was the same in both pH 7.0 and 11.0 indicating conservation of the quaternary structure. These results show that the kinetic transformation does not involve significant conformational changes. Cooperative binding of multiple substrate molecules may not be the basis for the sigmoid kinetics as only one substrate binding site has been noticed in the reported crystal structures of B. subtilis GGT.

}, issn = {1537-744X}, doi = {10.1155/2014/216270}, author = {Balakrishna, Sharath and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000345479000014, title = {Effect of preparation parameters on characterization and activity of Co3O4 catalyst in liquid phase oxidation of lignin model substrates}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {487}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {130-138}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The nano structured spinel cobalt oxide (Co3O4) was prepared via simple co-precipitation method and its catalytic activity was evaluated for the liquid phase aerobic oxidation of lignin sub structure compounds such as veratryl alcohol. Catalyst preparation parameters influenced its morphology eventually affecting its oxidation activity. Thus, nano rod shaped CO3O4 catalyst showed 75\% and 38\% conversion of veratryl alcohol with complete selectivity to veratryl aldehyde in toluene and water, respectively, under base free condition. The influence of reaction conditions, such as temperature, oxygen pressure and catalyst loading was studied to obtain the optimum product yield and selectivity to the desired product. Furthermore, oxidation of various sub-structures of lignin model compounds was also studied over the same catalyst which was found to be in the following order: secondary alcohol \>di-substituted \> tri-substituted \> monosubstituted \> non-substitution. The stability of the catalyst was confirmed by its successful recycle for three times. (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Coniferyl alcohol, Nano Co3O4, Sinapyl alcohol, TPR, Veratryl alcohol}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2014.08.023}, author = {Mate, Vivek R. and Jha, Ajay and Joshi, U. D. and Patil, K. R. and Shirai, M. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000335620500016, title = {Effect of self-assembly on triiodide diffusion in water based polymer gel electrolytes: an application in dye solar cell}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {425}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {110-117}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The preparation of ordered polymer gels from the amphiphilic block copolymers, Pluronic (R) F77, P123 and polyethylene glycol in the presence of ionic liquid, iodine and organic additives is presented. At 35\%(w/w) concentration these copolymers (F77 and P123) self-assembled into cubic liquid crystalline phase in aqueous solution and characterized by using SAXS and AFM measurements. The effects of micellar aggregation formed by polymers on the ionic transport and triiodide diffusion have been studied by electro-chemistry and SANS experiments. The ionic migration or triiodide diffusion through these polymer gels is found to be affected by the PEO/PPO content in the polymer backbone. These gels were successfully employed as an electrolyte in a dye sensitized solar cell. A remarkable solar to electricity conversion efficiency and good stability was obtained using Pluronic (R) F77 based gel, which is attributed to its thermoreversible sol to gel transition. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amphiphilic block copolymer, Dye solar cell, Micellar nanochannels, SANS, SAXS, Self-assembly, Water based gel electrolytes}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2014.03.047}, author = {Soni, S. S. and Fadadu, K. B. and Vekariya, R. L. and Debgupta, Joyashish and Patel, K. D. and Gibaud, A. and Aswal, Vinod K.} } @article {46365, title = {Effect of silicon doping on the reactivity and catalytic activity of gold clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, year = {2014}, month = {APR }, pages = {7501-7507}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Doping is known to be an excellent and simple way of catalyst design. Although notable progress has been made in understanding the reactivity and catalytic activity of gas-phase and supported gold clusters, very few studies have been carried out on the doped gold clusters. In the present work, we have carried out density functional theory calculations to investigate the effect of silicon doping on the reactivity and catalytic activity of gold nanoclusters. The present work particularly focuses on the adsorption and activation of molecular oxygen on the pristine and silicon-doped gold clusters. The results confirm that the silicon-doped Au7Si cluster shows considerable binding and activation of the O-2 molecule in comparison to the pristine Au-8 cluster as reflected in the relevant geometrical parameters (O-O and Au-O bond lengths) and O-O stretching frequency. However, silicon doping has no contrasting effect on the reactivity and catalytic activity of the Au-7 cluster. In addition to the stronger binding and activation of the O-2 molecule, the doped Au7Si cluster leads to a significant reduction in the activation barrier (0.57 eV) for the environmentally important CO oxidation reaction in contrast to the catalytically inactive pristine Au-8 cluster (1.22 eV). Thus, our results highlight the critical role of doping foreign impurities for future endeavors in the field of gold nanocatalysis.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp501611t}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000346322200021, title = {Efficient conversion of cellulose to levulinic acid by hydrothermal treatment using zirconium dioxide as a recyclable solid acid catalyst}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {53}, number = {49}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {18796-18805}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Conversion of cellulose into platform chemicals is essential for sustainable development of the chemical industry. With this aim, single step hydrothermal conversion of cellulose to industrially important levulinic acid using zirconium dioxide as a catalyst has been investigated. A remarkably high yield (53.9 mol \%) of levulinic acid with excellent accountability and total conversion of cellulose has been achieved at 180 degrees C reaction temperature and reaction time of 3 h with 2 wt \% of catalyst and 2 g of cellulose. The major products identified were levulinic acid (LA), formic acid (FA), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), furfural, and humins. Formation of humins during cellulose hydrolysis and dehydration was observed and is also confirmed by NMR and FTIR analysis. The effect of various reaction parameters such as temperature, time, substrate concentration, and catalyst loading on conversion and selectivity has been studied. The catalyst has been regenerated and recycled several times without any loss of activity and selectivity.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie5011838}, author = {Joshi, Sunil S. and Zodge, Amit D. and Pandare, Kiran V. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000346624500002, title = {Efficient synthesis of 1,5-benzodiazepines catalyzed by bismuth nitrate}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1561-1567}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

An efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of biologically active 1,5-benzodiazepines in one-pot by reacting o-phenylenediamine and ketones catalyzed by bismuth nitrate pentahydrate at room temperature or under microwave irradiation.

}, keywords = {1, 5-benzodiazepines, bismuth nitrate pentahydrate, o-Phenylenediamine, synthetic methods}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Bhattacharya, Asish K. and Dange, Santoshkumar S. and Polanki, Innaiah K. and Chand, Hemender R.} } @article { ISI:000341552000026, title = {Efficient synthesis of O-aryloxime ethers by copper fiuorapatite catalyzed cross-coupling of aryloximes with arylboronic acids}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {55}, number = {38}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5327-5332}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Arylboronic acid, Aryloxime, Copper fluorapatite, O-Aryloxime ethers}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.07.056}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Chavan, Santosh S. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Pathari, Mohsinkhan Y. and Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y.} } @article { ISI:000339861500096, title = {Electrochemical preparation of vertically aligned, hollow CdSe nanotubes and their p-n junction hybrids with electrodeposited Cu2O}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {6}, number = {15}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9148-9156}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Vertically aligned, hollow nanotubes of CdSe are grown on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates by ZnO nanowire template-assisted electrodeposition technique, followed by selective removal of the ZnO core using NH4OH. A detailed mechanism of nucleation and anisotropic growth kinetics of nanotubes have been studied by a combination of characterization tools such as chronoamperometry, SEM and TEM. Interestingly, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}as grown{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} CdSe nanotubes (CdSe NTs) on FTO coated glass plates behave as n-type semiconductors exhibiting an excellent photo-response (with a generated photocurrent density value of similar to 470 mu A cm(-2)) white in contact with p-type Cu2O (p-type semiconductor, grown separately on FTO plates) because of the formation of a n-p heterojunction (type II). The observed photoresponse is 3 times higher than that of a similar device prepared with electrodeposited CdSe films (not nanotubes) and Cu2P on FTO. This has been attributed to the hollow 1-D nature of CdSe NTs, which provides enhanced inner and outer surface areas for better absorption of light and also assists faster transport of photogenerated charge carriers.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c3nr06917f}, author = {Debgupta, Joyashish and Devarapalli, Rami Reddy and Rahman, Shakeelur and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000340530500007, title = {Electronic transition dipole moment: a semi-biorthogonal approach within valence universal coupled cluster framework}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {114}, number = {18, SI}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1212-1219}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Electronic dipole strengths (square of transition moments) and oscillator strengths are evaluated for various transitions, arising from the ground state to a few valence excited states. Parallel to two other methods of calculating the dipole strength within the Fock-space multireference coupled cluster framework, a new semi-biorthogonal approach is formulated and implemented in this article. This semi-biorthogonal approach can evaluate dipole strengths at a lower computational effort than the biorthogonal approach without compromising on the accuracy. This new method is compared and tested against the previously developed expectation value and biorthogonal approach for various molecular transitions. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {electronic transition dipole, Fock-space, oscillator strength, semi-biorthogonal expectation value}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.24691}, author = {Bhattacharya, Debarati and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000344989500005, title = {Electrostatics determine vibrational frequency shifts in hydrogen bonded complexes}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {16}, number = {46}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {25247-25250}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The red-shifts in the acetylenic C-H stretching vibration of C-H center dot center dot center dot X (X = O, N) hydrogen-bonded complexes increase with an increase in the basicity of the Lewis base. Analysis of various components of stabilization energy suggests that the observed red-shifts are correlated with the electrostatic component of the stabilization energy, while the dispersion modulates the stabilization energy.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c4cp04617j}, author = {Dey, Arghya and Mondal, Sohidul Islam and Sen, Saumik and Ghosh, Debashree and Patwari, G. Naresh} } @article { ISI:000364426500019, title = {Enantioselective heterogeneous bronsted acid catalysis}, journal = {Organic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {1}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {582-586}, publisher = {CHINESE CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {PO BOX 1-18, NANKANG, TAIPEI 115, TAIWAN}, abstract = {

This highlight describes the synthesis and catalytic activities of heterogeneous chiral Bronsted acid catalysts. The heterogeneous catalysts are stable, easily separable from the reaction mixture and can be used multiple times without any loss of activity. As a remarkable particularity, the use of heterogeneous catalyst systems has been exemplified for designing continuous flow reactors.

}, issn = {2052-4129}, doi = {10.1039/c4qo00051j}, author = {Mutyala, Anil Kumar and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000337783800074, title = {Enhanced capacitance retention in a supercapacitor made of carbon from sugarcane bagasse by hydrothermal pretreatment}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {28}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4233-4240}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A unique morphology-controlling protocol involving hydrothermal preprocessing before pyrolysis is presented to convert cellulosic waste in the form of sugarcane bagasse into three-dimensional (3D) interconnected, conducting, and high surface area carbon nanochannels. The large buffer spaces in such a porous carbon sample yield impressive electrochemical capacitance (C-sp) of 280 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g (and 275 F/g at 5 mV/s), with 72\% retention even at a very high current density of 20 A/g. In contrast, the non-hydrothermally treated sample exhibits a C-sp value of 180 F/g at 1 A/g and only 52\% retention at 20 A/g. The much better performance of the hydrothermally preprocessed bagasse-derived carbon (BHAC) can be ascribed to the solvent retention inside the buffer spaces created, negating the diffusional limitations of pore inaccessibility at higher scan rates. The BHAC has a high surface area of 1260 m(2)/g with a fairly good (11 wt \%) concentration of oxygen functionality. The material renders a good energy density of Wh/kg at a power density of 3.5 kW/kg and shows good cyclability of 90\% after 1000 charge/discharge cycles.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/ef500342d}, author = {Wahid, Malik and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Phase, Deodatta and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000341059100015, title = {Enhanced interaction of molecular oxygen with amino acid complexes of silver and gold clusters}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {8-9, SI}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {996-1000}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to study the effect of amino acid adsorption on the reactivity of silver and gold clusters with molecular oxygen. It is found that the amino acids glycine and alanine form stable complexes with both Ag-4 and Au-4 clusters. However, the extent of interaction is more in the case of the Au-4 cluster, as reflected from the increase in binding energy in the amino acid Au-4 complexes. Our results confirm that the adsorption of amino acids glycine and alanine enhances the reactivity of Ag-4 and Au-4 clusters towards O-2 molecule. The enhanced reactivity of O-2 molecule towards the amino acid metal cluster complexes is manifested by an increase in the O-2 binding energy and a decrease in the M-O (M = Ag, Au) bond length. Moreover, it is found that the co-adsorption of amino acids and O-2 molecule on the Ag-4 and Au-4 clusters is cooperative.

}, keywords = {Amino acid complexes, Density functional calculations, Gold clusters, Metal clusters, Silver clusters, Theoretical chemistry}, issn = {0376-4710}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav} } @conference { ISI:000352795700066, title = {Enhancement in the field emission behavior of graphene in N-2/O-2 high vacuum ambience}, booktitle = {2014 27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC) }, series = {International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference}, year = {2014}, note = {27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC), Engelberg, SWITZERLAND, JUL 06-10, 2014}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, organization = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {Engelberg, Switzerland}, abstract = {

Herein we report, pressure dependent field emission (FE) behaviour of a few-layer graphene emitter. Gas dependent FE properties have been investigated in ultra high vacuum (UHV), as well as in N-2 and O-2 ambience at base pressure similar to 1x10(-6) torr. Interestingly, the graphene emitter when operated in N-2/O-2 ambience exhibits lower turn-on field and higher emission current density, as compared to the UHV conditions. The emission current stability investigated at preset value of similar to 1 mu A over the period of more than 2 hrs is found better in the N2 ambience and is characterized by fewer fluctuations, in contrast to the behaviour in the O-2 ambience. The observed enhanced electron emission behavior in N-2/O-2 ambience is attributed to modulation of the work function of graphene emitter.

}, keywords = {graphene, Pressure Dependent Field Emission}, isbn = {978-1-4799-5306-6}, issn = {2164-2370}, doi = {10.1109/IVNC.2014.6894791}, author = {Suryawanshi, S. R. and Kolhe, Pankaj S. and Gavhane, D. S. and Patil, S. S. and Chavan, P. G. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.}, editor = {Tsujino, S. and Gobrecht, J. and Paraliev, M. and Braun, H. H. and Groening, O. and Feurer, T.} } @article { ISI:000336254200003, title = {Enhancement of CO2 uptake in iso-reticular Co based zeolitic imidazolate frameworks via metal replacement}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {16}, number = {22}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4677-4680}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Three Co based Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (Co-ZIF-68, -69 and -81) which adopt a GME topology with high porosity have been synthesized. These Co-ZIFs show high CO2 (273 K/298 K) uptake compared to their isostructural Zn based analogues, which has been proved experimentally as well as by ab initio calculations.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c3ce42075b}, author = {Panda, Tamas and Gupta, Krishna M. and Jiang, Jianwen and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000328527000041, title = {Esterification of levulinic acid to ethyl levulinate over bimodal micro-mesoporous H/BEA zeolite derivatives}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {43}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {188-191}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A series of bimodal micro-mesoporous H/BEA zeolite derivatives were prepared by the post-synthesis modification of H/BEA zeolite by NaOH (0.05 M-1.2 M) treatment Samples were characterized by powder XRD, low temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption, temperature programmed desorption of ammonia and ICP. The mesopore formation was found to play a crucial role in liquid phase esterification of levulinic acid with ethanol. The enhanced catalytic activity of a bimodal micro-mesoporous H/BEA zeolite derivative (H/BEA(0.10)) prepared by treatment with 0.1M NaOH can be mainly attributed to the high mesoporosity coupled with better preserved crystallinity and acidic properties. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Esterification, ethyl levulinate, H/BEA zeolite, Mesoporosity, Post-synthesis modification}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2013.10.006}, author = {Patil, C. R. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Bokade, Vijay V. and Joshi, P. N.} } @article { ISI:000341831600037, title = {Evolution of an adenine-copper cluster to a highly porous cuboidal framework: solution-phase ripening and gas-adsorption properties}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {20}, number = {38}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {12262-12268}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis and directed evolution of a tetranu-clear copper cluster, supported by 8-mercapto-N9-propyladenine ligand, to a highly porous three-dimensional cubic framework in the solid state is reported. The structure of this porous framework was unambiguously characterized by Xray crystallography. The framework contains about 62\% solvent-accessible void; the presence of a free exocyclic amino group in the porous framework facilitates reversible adsorption of gas and solvent molecules. Oriented growth of framework in solution was also tracked by force and scanning electron microscopy studies, leading to identification of an intriguing ripening process, over a period of 30 days, which also revealed formation of cuboidal aggregates in solution. The elemental composition of these cuboidal aggregates was ascertained by EDAX analysis.

}, keywords = {cuboidal frameworks, gas adsorption, metal-organic frameworks, Ostwald ripening, solution-phase ripening}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201403115}, author = {Venkatesh, V. and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Verma, Sandeep} } @article { ISI:000340292800014, title = {Extracellular biosynthesis of metal sulfide nanoparticles using the fungus fusarium oxysporum}, journal = {Current Nanoscience}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {588-595}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

The development of reliable, eco-friendly processes for the synthesis of nanomaterials is an important aspect of nanotechnology. One approach that shows immense potential is based on the biosynthesis of nanoparticles using microorganisms such as bacteria. In this report, we demonstrate the extracellular biosynthesis and complete characterization of metal sulfide (PbS, ZnS, MnS and NiS) nanoparticles using fungus, Fusarium oxysporum. We observed that the exposure of aqueous solution of 1 mM metal sulfate to fungus Fusarium oxysporum resulted in the formation of highly stable technologically important metal sulfide semiconductor nanoparticles. Fusarium oxysporum synthesizes lead sulfide and zinc sulfide nanoparticles of fractal type structure whereas manganese sulfide and nickel sulfide nanoparticles are of variable polydispersed morphology. The variable morphology may be due to the dissimilar interaction of metal sulfide nanoparticles with capping proteins secreted by the fungus in solution. The nanoparticles solution is found to be extremely stable with little evidence of aggregation even after a month of storage. The long term stability of the nanoparticles is due to the proteins secreted by fungus in the nanoparticle solution which bind to the surface of the nanoparticles and thus prevent aggregation.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, enzymes, fungi, metal sulfide, Nanoparticles}, issn = {1573-4137}, author = {Senapati, Satyajyoti and Syed, Asad and Khan, Shadab and Pasricha, Renu and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Kumar, Rajiv and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {45977, title = {Extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles using living peanut seedling}, journal = {Applied Nanoscience}, volume = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {875-879}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthesis of nanoparticles by environment friendly method is an important aspect of nanotechnology. In the present study, extracellular reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles was carried out using living peanut plant. The electron microscopic analysis shows that the formed nanoparticles were of different shapes and sizes. The formed nanoparticles were polydispersed. The shapes of the nanoparticles were spherical, square, triangle, hexagonal and rod. Most of the particles were spherical and 56 nm in size. EDS analysis confirmed the formed nanoparticles were of silver. The crystalline nature of nanoparticles was confirmed by diffraction. This method opens up an exciting possibility of plant-based synthesis of other inorganic nanomaterials. This study confirms the synthesis of extracellular silver nanoparticles by living plant.

}, keywords = {Nanoparticles, Shapes, Silver, synthesis, TEM}, issn = {2190-5509}, doi = {10.1007/s13204-013-0269-y}, author = {Raju, D. and Paneliya, Nikita and Mehta, Urmil J.} } @article { ISI:000329040500055, title = {Facile room temperature methods for growing ultra thin films of graphene nanosheets, nanoparticulate tin oxide and preliminary assessment of graphene-tin oxide stacked layered composite structure for supercapacitor application}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4094-4104}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a novel, facile, single step process for growing highly uniform few layer graphene nanosheet (FLGNS) thin films over a micrometer scale, formed at the liquid-air interface. The process is further extended to form monolayer graphene nanosheets (GNS). The films are characterized by Raman spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicate that very few chemical and/or physical defects are introduced during formation of films. Further, an innovative single step method to form tin oxide (SnO2) films at the liquid-air interface is presented. A special feature of the method is that entire process is completed at room temperature. The film can be suitably transferred to the desired substrates by Blodgett technique. Characterization by various techniques such as XPS, TEM and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) shows that the films are made up of uniform spherical, crystalline SnO2 particles with the size in the range of 3-5 nm. Layer-by-layer (LbL) techniques can be exploited to stack graphene and SnO2 films alternately, in a desired sequence, forming a stacked composite structure. The composite structure is subjected to characterization by XPS, FE-SEM, TEM and EDS. The results show that the structure consists of a stack of predetermined thickness consisting of alternate layers of both the components. Such a structure is subjected to cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies. The results suggest LbL grown SnO2-GNS stacked composites exhibit better electrochemical performance in terms of specific capacitance and cycling ability which are primary requirements for the supercapacitor application. The coating techniques of few layer graphene nanosheets, SnO2 film and their stacked composite film are simple and inexpensive. A suitable explanation of the formation of both GNS and SnO2 films is discussed. The proposed methods extend the scope for production of high quality and defect free graphene nanosheets (GNS) and other components for forming LbL stacking of composite films.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra46576d}, author = {Patil, Sagar and Patil, Virendra and Sathaye, Shivaram and Patil, Kashinath} } @article { ISI:000337507100014, title = {Facile room temperature synthesis of ZnO nanoflower thin films grown at a solid-liquid interface}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {49}, number = {17}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5945-5954}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Hierarchical ZnO films consisting of nanoflower particulates are successfully grown by a solid-liquid interface reaction technique at room temperature without additives like surfactants, capping agent, or complexing agent. The structural, morphological, and photocatalytic properties of these films are studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The nucleation, growth processes and hence the resulting morphology of the end product can be regulated by changing the concentration of LiOH and the time of reaction. SEM throws light on the chronology of the flower formation by studying the intermediate morphology. Electron microscopy results indicated that these ZnO nanostructures self-assembled to produce flower-like nanostructures. The highest photocatalytic efficiency was observed for the films prepared at the concentration of LiOH 0.5 mg/mL in ethanol at 24 h. On the basis of the results, a plausible growth mechanism for the formation of flower-like ZnO nanostructures is discussed.

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-014-8313-1}, author = {Jadhav, Aarti H. and Patil, Sagar H. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000342117600027, title = {Facile synthesis of gamma-ketophosphonates by an intermolecular stetter reaction onto vinylphosphonates}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {16}, number = {18}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4798-4801}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The atom-economic and practical N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed Stetter reaction for the synthesis of gamma-ketophosphonates by the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with vinylphosphonates is reported. The NHC derived from N-mesitylimidazolium salt (IMes) was an effective catalyst for this transformation, and the products were formed in moderate to good yields.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol502262d}, author = {Patra, Atanu and Bhunia, Anup and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {43348, title = {Factors influence on growth, don and niv production by two species of fusarium isolated from finger millets [eleusine coracana l.]}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {312-317}, abstract = {ABSTRACT Objective: The present investigations (In vitro) on an influence of different synthetic and food based [flour] media, pH, temperature and microbial nutrients on growth, Deoxynivalenol [DON] and Nivalenol [NIV] production by Fusarium aethiopicum and F. culmorum was carried out. Methods: Fusarium species associated with the finger millets were isolated and identified phenotypically and further confirmed by molecular methods by Polymerase Chain Reaction [PCR]. Monosporic seven day old F. aethiopicum and F. culmorum were grown in CYA broth and incubated at 27{\textpm}2{\textdegree}C on rotary shaker for 21 days at 120 rpm. At the end of 21 day incubation period, cultures were harvested for determination of fungal biomass. The resultant culture filtrates were extracted twice with ethyl acetate and concentrated to get and final concentration of 1 ml in methanol and employed for RP-HPLC analysis for detection of DON and NIV production. Results: Finger millets flour medium induced the highest amount of mycelial growth, DON and NIV production by F. aethiopicum. However, F. culmorum achieved highest amount of hyphal growth, DON and NIV production under the influence of yeast extract sucrose [YES] medium. Maize flour medium, rice flour medium and sorghum flour medium was next preffered substrates. Optimum pH of 5.5-6.5 and temperature of 20-35{\textdegree}C for growth, DON and NIV production was observed. Both the species of Fusarium failed to grow and produce toxins at pH 2.5-3.5 and temperature of 40{\textdegree}C. Yeast extract was most favorable for maximum DON and NIV production, which increased with an increase in its concentration. On the other hand, malt extract and beef extract induced good growth and mycotoxin production at comparatively higher concentration in both the species of Fusarium under study. Conclusion: Comparatively food based media were the better substrates than synthetic media for both growth and DOIN and NIV production by two species of Fusarium under investigation. A positive correlation coefficient [r] on growth [0.458], DON [0.744] and NIV [0.882] was recorded among the media and both the species of Fusarium. Keywords: Finger millets, F. aethiopicum, F. culmorum, Synthetic media, pH, Temperature, Microbial nutrients, DON, NIV, HPLC}, author = {Vankudoth, Koteswara Rao and Penugonda, Shilpa and Sivadevuni, Girisham and Reddy, S. M.} } @article { ISI:000341122000068, title = {Fe-TAML encapsulated inside mesoporous silica nanoparticles as peroxidase mimic: femtomolar protein detection}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {6}, number = {16}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {13866-13873}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Peroxidase, such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP), conjugated to antibodies are routinely used for the detection of proteins via an ELISA type assay in which a critical step is the catalytic signal amplification by the enzyme to generate a detectable signal. Synthesis of functional mimics of peroxidase enzyme that display catalytic activity which far exceeds the native enzyme is extremely important for the precise and accurate determination of very low quantities of proteins (fM and lower) that is necessary for early clinical diagnosis. Despite great advancements, analyzing proteins of very low abundance colorimetrically, a method that is most sought after since it requires no equipment for the analysis, still faces great challenges. Most reported HRP mimics that show catalytic activity greater than native enzyme (similar to 40-fold) are based on metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles such as Fe3O4. In this paper, we describe a second generation hybrid material developed by us in which approximately 25 000 alkyne tagged biuret modified Fetetraamido macrocyclic ligand (Fe-TAML), a very powerful small molecule synthetic HRP mimic, was covalently attached inside a 40 nm mesoporous silica nanopartide (MSN). Biuret-modified Fe-TAMLs represent one of the best small molecule functional mimics of the enzyme HRP with reaction rates in water close to the native enzyme and operational stability (pH, ionic strength) far exceeding the natural enzyme. The catalytic activity of this hybrid material is around 1000-fold higher than that of natural HRP and 100-fold higher than that of most metal/metal oxide nanoparticle based HRP mimics reported to date. We also show that using antibody conjugates of this hybrid material it is possible to detect and, most importantly, quantify femtomolar quantities of proteins colorimetrically in an ELISA type assay. This represents at least 10-fold higher sensitivity than other colorimetric protein assays that have been reported using metal/metal oxide nanoparticles as HRP mimic. Using a human IgG expressing cell line, we were able to demonstrate that the protein of interest human IgG could be detected from a mixture of interfering proteins in our assay.

}, keywords = {colorimetrically, immuno assay, MSN, peroxidase mimic, signal amplification}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am503275g}, author = {Kumari, Sushma and Dhar, Basab B. and Panda, Chakadola and Meena, Abhishek and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000332208200024, title = {Flexible dicarboxylate based pillar-layer metal organic frameworks: differences in structure and porosity by tuning the pyridyl based N, N {\textquoteleft} linkers}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {16}, number = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2305-2316}, abstract = {

{Dicarboxylate supported metal organic hybrids of Co(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) have been synthesized using two different pyridyl based N, N{\textquoteright} linkers having Schiff base functionalized site. The use of flexible dicarboxylate glutarate in designing such frameworks has created a marked diversity in topology. The different N, N{\textquoteright} donor linkers also played an active part in the channel modification in the synthesized MOFs. The structural and topological diversity has been analyzed from the single crystal X-ray structure. Five compounds, {[Co(azpy)(glut)]center dot(CH3OH)}(n) (1), {[Co(meazpy)(glut)(H2O)(2)]center dot (H2O)(3)

}, author = {Dey, Rajdip and Bhattacharya, Biswajit and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Ghoshal, Debajyoti} } @article { ISI:000330083100010, title = {Formation of a pseudo-beta-hairpin motif utilizing the Ant-Pro reverse turn: consequences of stereochemical reordering}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {12}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {774-782}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a special case of pseudo-beta-hairpin formation by tetrapetide sequences featuring a two-membered Ant Pro dipeptide motif (Ant = anthranilic acid and Pro = proline) at the loop region. These folded structures uniquely feature the presence of C9- and C17-H-bonding patterns at reverse turn and interstrand regions, respectively. Their hairpin nucleation and folding propensities have been expounded using solution and solid state studies of distinct stereochemically altered sequences.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c3ob42016g}, author = {Nair, Roshna V. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Dhokale, Snehal A. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000338980500002, title = {Formation of a room temperature stable Fe-V(O) complex: reactivity toward unactivated C-H bonds}, journal = {Journal of American Chemical Society}, volume = {136}, number = {27}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9524-9527}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An Fe-V(O) complex has been synthesized from equimolar solutions of (Et4N)(2)[Fe-III(Cl)(biuretamide)] and mCPBA in CH3CN at room temperature. The Fe-V(O) complex has been characterized by UV-vis, EPR, Mossbauer, and HRMS and shown to be capable of oxidizing a series of alkanes having C-H bond dissociation energies ranging from 99.3 kcal mol(-1) (cyclohexane) to 84.5 kcal mori (cumene). Linearity in the Bell-Evans-Polayni graph and the finding of a large kinetic isotope effect suggest that hydrogen abstraction is engaged the rate-determining step.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja412537m}, author = {Ghosh, Munmun and Singh, Kundan K. and Panda, Chakadola and Weitz, Andrew and Hendrich, Michael P. and Collins, Terrence J. and Dhar, Basab B. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000345654000087, title = {From micron to nano-curcumin by sophorolipid co-processing: highly enhanced bioavailability, fluorescence, and anti-cancer efficacy}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {104}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {60334-60341}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Co-sonication of curcumin and acidic sophorolipid in aqueous solution is shown to lead to a dramatic enhancement of curcumin bioavailability through size reduction and encapsulation. The interaction between the two is studied and discussed based on optical absorption, photoluminescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, FE-SEM, TEM, Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. The cytotoxicity effects of curcumin on breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, are shown to be significantly enhanced by the formation of its complex with sophorolipid. The relative cytotoxicity of curcumin with its SL(A) complex is more due to the presence of the glucose moiety. The results further suggest that sophorolipid based formulations, which solubilize and nano-encapsulate curcumin after lipid digestion, show great potential for curcumin cell entry.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra07300b}, author = {Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Wani, Kirtee and Kaul-Ghanekar, Ruchika and Prabhune, Asmita and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {46360, title = {From waste paper basket to solid state and Li-HEC ultracapacitor electrodes: a value added journey for shredded office paper}, journal = {Small}, volume = {10}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4395-4402}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrothermal processing followed by controlled pyrolysis of used white office paper (a globally collectable shredded paper waste) are performed to obtain high surface area carbon with hierarchical pore size distribution. The BET specific surface area of such carbon is 2341 m 2 g(-1). The interconnected macroporous structure along with the concurrent presence of mesopores and micropores makes the material ideal for ultracapacitor application. Such waste paper derived carbon (WPC) shows remarkable performance in all solid-state supercapacitor fabricated with ionic liquid-polymer gel electrolyte. At room temperature, the material exhibits a power density of 19 000 W kg(-1) with an energy capability of 31 Wh kg(-1). The Li-ion electrochemical capacitor constructed using WPC as cathode also shows an excellent energy storage capacity of 61 Wh kg(-1)

}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.201401041}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Anothumakkool, Bihag and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000345734800010, title = {Functionally engineered egg albumen gel for quasi-solid dye sensitized solar cells}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {2}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2707-2714}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this report, we demonstrated an interesting application of a bioderived material for the dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Egg white, the clear liquid in a hen{\textquoteright}s egg, which possesses a remarkable gelling/cross-linking ability, was applied in the form of a gel electrolyte in a DSSC architecture to enhance its durability. A hybrid gel composed of poly(acrylic acid), polyaniline and egg albumen was synthesized, and the cell efficiency, stability and durability of the corresponding DSSC device were studied in detail. The dye sensitized solar cell with the egg albumen based electrolyte demonstrated a conversion energy efficiency of 4.6\%. Further, a chemically modified egg albumen with ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride showed improved cross-linking, microstructural and conductivity properties of the gel, and yielded a remarkable 5.75\% conversion efficiency. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data showed favorable characteristics for charge transport through the modified gel and supported the efficiency observations very well.

}, keywords = {dye sensitized solar cells, Egg albumen, gel electrolyte}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/sc5004488}, author = {Kelkar, Sarika A. and Pandey, Komal and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Saikhedkar, Nidhi and Tathavadekar, Mukta and Agrawal, Ishita and Gundloori, Rathna V. N. and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000343624300009, title = {Fungi mediated production and practical purification of (R)-(-)-3-quinuclidinol}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {55}, number = {43}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5911-5914}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A fungal system belonging to Mucoraceae family (Mucor piriformis) was explored for the asymmetric reduction of a prochiral ketone, 3-quinuclidinone (I) in an efficient manner to produce an important pharmaceutical precursor (R)-(-)-3-quinuclidinol (II) with similar to 96\% enantiomeric excess. The efficiency of the process was improved by developing a cation exchange resin (Amberlite IR-120) which assisted the purification of water soluble metabolite II from fermentation media. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(R)-(-)-3-Quinuclidinol, Amberlite IR-120, Biotransformation, Ion exchange resin, Mucor pinformis}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.09.015}, author = {Kolet, Swati P. and Jadhav, Dipesh D. and Priyadarshini, Balaraman and Swarge, Bhagyashree N. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000338353000004, title = {Glycerol etherification using n-butanol to produce oxygenated additives for biodiesel fuel over H-beta zeolite catalysts}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {2}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {446-452}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The catalytic etherification of glycerol has been systematically studied in batch process by using n-butanol to produce oxygenated additives for biodiesel fuels over various solid-acid catalysts, such as H-beta zeolite, ZSM-5, K10, etc.. The present work includes a detailed study of the optimization of the etherification process parameters, such as catalyst loading (7-20 wt\% of glycerol), molar ratio of glycerol/n-butanol (1: 6 to 1: 15), speed of agitation (100-400 rpm), reaction temperature (413-453 K), and reaction time (0.5-4 h) in view of maximizing the glycerol conversion and selectivity towards mono-butyl-glycerol ether (ME). The catalyst reusability was studied using the optimized process parameters. Amongst the studied catalysts, the H-beta zeolite was found to be the most promising for the etherification of glycerol with glycerol conversion of 55\% and a 98\% selectivity towards ME formation. The H-beta zeolite was found to be an active and stable catalyst for up to 4 cycles. The use of n-butanol as alkylating agent is presented for first time, to the authors knowledge. The reaction was performed at milder operating conditions (0.5 MPa) than previously reported (2 MPa). A kinetic model was developed for the etherification reaction and the data obtained at optimized process parameters was used to calculate the kinetic parameters. The reaction rate constants at different reaction temperatures, activation energies, and pre-exponential factors were obtained for the etherification reaction with an accuracy of R-2 \> 0.989.

}, keywords = {biofuels, catalysis, etherification, fuel additives, zeolites}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.201300169}, author = {Nandiwale, Kakasaheb Y. and Patil, Shivraj E. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article { ISI:000334168400024, title = {Ground state of naphthyl cation: singlet or triplet?}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {140}, number = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {114312}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We present a benchmark theoretical investigation on the electronic structure and singlet- triplet(ST) gap of 1- and 2-naphthyl cations using the CCSD(T) method. Our calculations reveal that the ground states of both the naphthyl cations are singlet, contrary to the results obtained by DFT/B3LYP calculations reported in previous theoretical studies. However, the triplet states obtained in the two structural isomers of naphthyl cation are completely different. The triplet state in 1-naphthyl cation is (pi,sigma) type, whereas in 2-naphthyl cation it is (pi,sigma) type, The S-T gaps in naphthyl cations and the relative stability ordering of the singlet and the triplet states are highly sensitive to the basis set quality as well as level of correlation, and demand for inclusion of perturbative triples in the coupled-cluster ansatz. (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4868485}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Manohar, Prashant Uday and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000339802300026, title = {High charge carrier mobility in two dimensional indium (iii) isophthalic acid based frameworks}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences India Section A-Physical Sciences}, volume = {84}, number = {2, SI}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {331-336}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES INDIA}, address = {5 LAJPATRAI RD, ALLAHABAD 211002, INDIA}, abstract = {

The effect of dimensionality (1D to 2D) on charge carrier mobility have been studied thoroughly on three In(III)-isophthalate based MOFs [In-IA-1D, In-IA-2D-1 and -2]. In-IA-1D possess 1D nanotubular architecture with [(CH3)(2)NH2](+). In-IA-2D-1 have 2D layers containing only [(CH3)(2)NH2](+) cations. Whereas, In-IA-2D-2 have [(CH3)(2)NH2](+) cations as well as solvent DMF molecule inside the crystal structure. Due to presence of the pi-pi stacking arrangement among the phenyl rings of IA moieties facilitates the high charge carrier mobility (4.6 x 10(-3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) at V-G = -40 V) in In-IA-2D-2. However, In-IA-1D and In-IA-2D-1 does not show any charge carrier mobility due to absence of pi-pi stacking arrangement.

}, keywords = {Charge carrier mobility, Coordination chemistry, metal organic framework, pi-pi stacking}, issn = {0369-8203}, doi = {10.1007/s40010-014-0152-6}, author = {Panda, Tamas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000330241000045, title = {Highly efficient one-pot multi-component synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonates and bis-alpha-aminophosphonates catalyzed by heterogeneous reusable silica supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) at ambient temperature and their antitubercular eval}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {15}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {7666-7672}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly efficient one-pot multi-component reaction (MCR) protocol over DTP/SiO2 has been developed for the synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonate derivatives (4a-x) in excellent yields. The alpha-aminophosphonate derivatives were for the first time evaluated for their antitubercular activity against the M. tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) strain. An evaluation of the data on the cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity shows that 4n and 4v are promising antitubercular agents.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra45853a}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S. and Gample, Suvarna P. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000339128700053, title = {Highly regioselective C4-hydrazinylation of 2,4-dichloroquinolines: expedient synthesis of aminoquinoline substituted pyrrolidin-2,5-diones via hydrazinylquinolines}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {55}, number = {30}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4240-4244}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new class of hydrazinylquinoline regio-isomers has been synthesized through SNAr reaction of 2,4-dichloroquinolines with hydrazine hydrate. The reaction stops at the mono-substitution product with high regioselectivity at the C-4 rather than C-2 position of dichloroquinolines. The hydrazinylquinolines were subsequently converted into aminoquinoline substituted pyrrolidin-2,5-diones in the presence of Eaton{\textquoteright}s reagent. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {5-diones, Eaton{\textquoteright}s reagent, Hydrazinylquinolines, Pyrrolidin-2, Regioisomers, SNAr reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.05.132}, author = {Kumar, Gopal Senthil and Zeller, Matthias and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Prasad, Kamam Jayarampillai Rajendra} } @article {PACHFULE, title = {Highly stable covalent organic framework-Au nanoparticles hybrids for enhanced activity for nitrophenol reduction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {24}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {3169-3172}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{Gold [

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc49176e}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Kandambeth, Sharath and Diaz, David Diaz and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000341226000019, title = {Homogeneous photochemical water oxidation by biuret-modified Fe-TAML: evidence of Fe-V(O) intermediate}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {136}, number = {35}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {12273-12282}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Water splitting, leading to hydrogen and oxygen in a process that mimics natural photosynthesis, is extremely important for devising a sustainable solar energy conversion system. Development of earth-abundant, transition metal-based catalysts that mimic the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II, which is involved in oxidation of water to O-2 during natural photosynthesis, represents a major challenge. Further, understanding the exact mechanism, including elucidation of the role of active metal-oxo intermediates during water oxidation (WO), is critical to the development of more efficient catalysts. Herein, we report Fe-III complexes of biuret-modified tetra-amidomacrocyclic ligands (Fe-TAML; 1a and 1b) that catalyze fast, homogeneous, photochemical WO to give OD with moderate efficiency (maximum TON = 220

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja503753k}, author = {Panda, Chakadola and Debgupta, Joyashish and Diaz, David Diaz and Singh, Kundan K. and Gupta, Sayam Sen and Dhar, Basab B.} } @article { ISI:000332835300494, title = {Homogeneous water oxidation using peroxidase mimic [Fe-III(biuret-amide)] and analyte detection via signal amplification}, journal = {Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, note = {16th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry (ICBIC), Grenoble, FRANCE, JUL 22-26, 2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {S557}, publisher = {Int Organizing Comm; Natl Organizing Comm; SBIC; Veolia Environm; Arcane; Grenoble Innovat Adv New Technologies; LOREAL; Soc Chimique France; CEA, Life Sci Div; SHIMADZU; High Tech Mat; CEA, Div Matter Sci; IFP Energies Nouvelles; Univ Joseph Fourier; Spr}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, issn = {0949-8257}, author = {Panda, C. and Dhar, B. B. and Ghosh, Munmun and Malvi, Bharmana and Bhattacharjee, Yudhajit and Sengupta, S.} } @article { ISI:000341455400031, title = {Humidity-sensing studies of cerium oxide nanoparticles synthesizedby non-isothermal precipitation}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {203}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {229-238}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

We report the fabrication of a highly sensitive and fast humidity sensor based on cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles, which were prepared at low cost via a simple non-isothermal precipitation method. The asprepared CeO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy( TEM) and the results indicated the formation of face centered cubic phase of CeO2 with average crystallite size of approximately 10-12 nm. Humidity sensors based on CeO2 nanoparticles exhibit high and linear response within the whole relative humidity (RH) range of 11-97\% at an operating frequency of 60 Hz. The corresponding impedance changes by approximately three orders of magnitude within the entire humidity range from 11\% to 97\% RH. The response and recovery times are about 2-3 and 9-10 s, respectively, when RH was switched between 11\% and 97\%. Furthermore, the sensors also show relatively small hysteresis, excellent reproducibility, long term stability and broad range of operation (11-97\% RH). The complex impedance spectra of the sensor at different RHs and the equivalent circuit were analyzed to explore the humidity-sensing mechanism. This study demonstrates that the CeO2 nanoparticles prepared by non-precipitation method can be used as the humidity-sensing material for the fabrication of humidity sensors. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CeO2 nanoparticles, Complex impedance spectra, humidity sensor, Non-isothermal precipitation, TEM}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2014.06.107}, author = {Khadse, V. R. and Thakur, Sharada and Patil, K. R. and Patil, Pradip} } @article { ISI:000347360200068, title = {Hydrogen atom chemisorbed gold clusters as highly active catalysts for oxygen activation and co oxidation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {51}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {30057-30062}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Using oxygen activation and carbon monoxide oxidation as a probe, we have carried out density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the effect of hydrogen atom chemisorption on the reactivity and catalytic activity of gold nanoclusters. In the present work, we particularly focus on the closed shell neutral Au-n (n = 2, 4, 6, 8) gold clusters which are reported to be chemically inert and catalytically less active. The results confirm that the hydrogen atom chemisorption activates the inert clusters, thereby leading to enhanced binding and activation of the O-2 molecule. A significant amount of increase in the O-O and decrease in the Au-O bond lengths together with a pertinent red shift in the O-O stretching frequencies clearly indicates the stronger binding and activation of oxygen molecule in the case of AunH clusters. Further, our results reveal that the hydrogen atom chemisorbed gold clusters are catalytically more active with low activation barriers for the CO oxidation reaction compared to the parent less active closed shell gold clusters. Thus, in short the current theoretical observation provides key inputs for enhancing the reactivity and catalytic activity of inert gold clusters through the adsorption of a small atom or a molecule.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp510488v}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000344635200043, title = {I-2-catalyzed regioselective Oxo- and hydroxy-acyloxylation of alkenes and enol ethers: a facile access to alpha-acyloxyketones, esters, and diol derivatives}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {16}, number = {21}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5674-5677}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

I-2-catalyzed oxo-acyloxylation of alkenes and enol ethers with carboxylic acids providing for the high yield synthesis of a-acyloxyketones and esters is described. This unprecedented regioselective oxidative process employs TBHP and Et3N in stoichiometric amounts under metal-free conditions in DMSO as solvent. Additionally, I-2-catalysis allows the direct hydroxy-acyloxylation of alkenes with the sequential addition of BH3 center dot SMe2 leading to monoprotected diol derivatives in excellent yields.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol5027393}, author = {Reddi, Rambabu N. and Prasad, Pragati K. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000330999600057, title = {IFN-gamma signaling maintains skin pigmentation homeostasis through regulation of melanosome maturation}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2301-2306}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Cellular homeostasis is an outcome of complex interacting processes with nonlinear feedbacks that can span distinct spatial and temporal dimensions. Skin tanning is one such dynamic response that maintains genome integrity of epidermal cells. Although pathways underlying hyperpigmentation cascade are recognized, negative feedback regulatory loops that can dampen the activated melanogenesis process are not completely understood. In this study, we delineate a regulatory role of IFN-gamma in skin pigmentation biology. We show that IFN-gamma signaling impedes maturation of the key organelle melanosome by concerted regulation of several pigmentation genes. Withdrawal of IFN-gamma signal spontaneously restores normal cellular programming. This effect in melanocytes is mediated by IFN regulatory factor-1 and is not dependent on the central regulator microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. Chronic IFN-gamma signaling shows a clear hypopigmentation phenotype in both mouse and human skin. Interestingly, IFN-gamma KO mice display a delayed recovery response to restore basal state of epidermal pigmentation after UV-induced tanning. Together, our studies delineate a new spatiotemporal role of the IFN-gamma signaling network in skin pigmentation homeostasis, which could have implications in various cutaneous depigmentary and malignant disorders.

}, keywords = {detanning, gene regulation, interferon, melanin}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1304988111}, author = {Natarajan, Vivek T. and Ganju, Parul and Singh, Archana and Vijayan, Vinaya and Kirty, Kritika and Yadav, Shalini and Puntambekar, Shraddha and Bajaj, Sonali and Dani, Prachi P. and Kar, Hemanta K. and Gadgil, Chetan J. and Natarajan, Krishnamurthy and Rani, Rajni and Gokhale, Rajesh S.} } @article { ISI:000330603800033, title = {Immobilization of bile salt hydrolase enzyme on mesoporous SBA-15 for co-precipitation of cholesterol}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {63}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {218-224}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We describe herein a simple and effective strategy for immobilization of bile salt hydrolase enzyme by grafting glutaraldehyde groups inside channels of APTES functionalized SBA-15. The increase in glutaraldehyde concentration prevents leakage of enzyme but showed a steep decrease in enzyme activity in the immobilized matrix. So the degree of cross-linking should be the minimum possible to ensure sufficient stability without loss of activity. Cross-linking carried out with 0.1\% glutaraldehyde concentration showed the highest activity, so this was used in all further experiments. Physico-chemical characterizations of the immobilized enzyme were carried out by XRD, N-2 adsorption, TEM, FUR and Si-29 CP-MAS NMR techniques. Immobilized BSH exhibits enhanced stability over a wide pH (3-11) and temperature range (40-80 degrees C) and retains an activity even after recycling experiments and six months of storage. From our in vivo research experiment toward co-precipitation of cholesterol, we have shown that immobilized BSH enzyme may be the promising catalyst for the reduction of serum cholesterol levels in our preliminary investigation. Enhancement in pH stability at the extreme side of pH may favor the use of immobilized BSH enzyme for drug delivery purpose to with stand extreme pH conditions in the gastrointestinal conditions. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bile salt hydrolase, Co-precipitation of cholesterol, SBA-15}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2013.11.008}, author = {Bhange, Pallavi and Sridevi, N. and Bhange, Deu S. and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramaswamy, Veda} } @article { ISI:000339470100014, title = {Improved method for specificity annotation shows a distinct evolutionary divergence among the microbial enzymes of the cholylglycine hydrolase family}, journal = {Microbiology-SGM}, volume = {160}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1162-1174}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) are gut microbial enzymes that play a significant role in the bile acid modification pathway. Penicillin V acylases (PVAs) are enzymes produced by environmental microbes, having a possible role in pathogenesis or scavenging of phenolic compounds in their microbial habitats. The correct annotation of such physiologically and industrially important enzymes is thus vital. The current methods relying solely on sequence homology do not always provide accurate annotations for these two members of the cholylglycine hydrolase (CGH) family as BSH/PVA enzymes. Here, we present an improved method [binding site similarity (BSS)-based scoring system] for the correct annotation of the CGH family members as BSH/PVA enzymes, which along with the phylogenetic information incorporates the substrate specificity as well as the binding site information. The BSS scoring system was developed through the analysis of the binding sites and binding modes of the available BSH/PVA structures with substrates glycocholic acid and penicillin V. The 198 sequences in the dataset were then annotated accurately using BSS scores as BSH/PVA enzymes. The dataset presented contained sequences from Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and archaea. The clustering obtained for the dataset using the method described above showed a clear distinction in annotation of Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria Based on this clustering and a detailed analysis of the sequences of the CGH family in the dataset, we could infer that the CGH genes might have evolved in accordance with the hypothesis stating the evolution of diderms and archaea from the monoderms.

}, issn = {1350-0872}, doi = {10.1099/mic.0.077586-0}, author = {Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Sule, Manas and Sharma, Ranu and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Suresh, C. G.} } @article {46362, title = {Improving the energy density of Li-ion capacitors using polymer-derived porous carbons as cathode}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {130}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN }, pages = {766-770}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

High energy density Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors (Li-HEC) are fabricated with 3 D architectured high surface area porous carbon (HSPC) derived from the poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) potassium salt in a single step without any activating agent. The obtained HSPC exhibits high specific surface area of 1490 m(2) g(-1) and characterized with several analytical techniques. Li-HEC is fabricated with insertion type Li4Ti5O12 anode by adjusting the mass balance based on the single electrode performance with Li. The Li-HEC delivered the maximum energy density of similar to 55 Wh kg(-1), which is much higher than commercially available activated carbon (similar to 36 Wh kg(-1)). Further HSPC based Li-HEC delivered excellent cycleability and rendered similar to 87\% of initial value after 2000 cycles. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {energy density, Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors, non-aqueous, porous carbon}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2014.03.079}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000330489500020, title = {In situ synthesized BSA capped gold nanoparticles: effective carrier of anticancer drug methotrexate to MCF-7 breast cancer cells}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials For Biological Applications}, volume = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {158-167}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The proficiency of MTX loaded BSA capped gold nanoparticles (Au-BSA-MTX) in inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancer cells MCF-7 as compared to the free drug Methotrexate (MTX) is demonstrated based on MTT and Ki-67 proliferation assays. In addition, DNA ladder gel electrophoresis studies, flow cytometry and TUNEL assay confirmed the induction of apoptosis by MTX and Au-BSA-MTX in MCF-7 cells. Notably, Au-BSA-MTX: was found to have higher cytotoxicity on MCF-7 cells compared with an equivalent dose of free MTX. The enhanced activity is attributed to the preferential uptake of Au-BSA-MTX particles by MCF-7 cells due to the presence of BSA that acts as a source of nutrient and energy to the rapidly proliferating MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the targeting ability of the drug MTX to the over expressed folate receptors on MCF-7 cells also contributes to the enhanced uptake and activity. Taken together, these results unveil that Au-BSA-MTX could be more effective than free drug for cancer treatment. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Apoptosis, Bovine serum albumin, Cancer therapy, Cytotoxicity, Dual active agents, gold nanoparticles}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2013.09.004}, author = {Murawala, Priyanka and Tirmale, Amruta and Shiras, Anjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000345226100028, title = {Indanthrone derived disordered graphitic carbon as promising insertion anode for sodium ion battery with long cycle life}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {146}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {218-223}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report facile, one step synthesis of disordered graphitic carbon by high temperature (1000 degrees C) pyrolysis of indanthrone dye (ID). The pyrolysed carbon is disordered in nature and the same is clearly evidenced by various analytical techniques like X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Na-insertion properties of such indanthrone dye derived disordered graphitic carbon (IDDGC) is evaluated in half-cell assembly (Na/IDDGC). The test cell delivered a reversible capacity of similar to 160 mAh g(-1) at current density of 25 mAg 1. In addition, excellent cycling profiles are noted for such IDDGC, which retains 67\% of initial reversible capacity after 500 cycles. The present study clearly highlights the importance of disorder in the graphitic carbon for efficient Na-ion storage. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {anode, disordered carbon, indanthrone, Na-ion battery}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2014.09.052}, author = {Suryawanshi, Anil and Mhamane, Dattakumar and Nagane, Satyawan and Patil, Shankar and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Ogale, Satishchandra and Srinivasan, Madhavi} } @article { ISI:000343715000091, title = {Influence of method of preparation on the activity of La-Ni-Ce mixed oxide catalysts for dry reforming of methane}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {91}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {50226-50232}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

La-Ni-x-Ce1-x mixed oxide catalysts were prepared by a sol-gel method varying the Ni composition (0 \<= x \<= 1). The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), BET surface area, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), H-2 chemisorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. CO2 reforming of methane was carried out at atmospheric pressure and 800 degrees C, maintaining a reactant CO2/CH4/N-2 ratio of 80/80/80 (total flow rate = 240 ml min(-1), GHSV of 28 800 h(-1)). The catalysts offered higher activity even at lower Ni compositions. LaNi0.4Ce0.6O3. showed the highest conversion of CH4 and CO2. The H-2/CO ratio in the syngas was stable at 0.85 +/- 0.02. The performance of the sol-gel catalysts was compared with that of the hydrothermally prepared catalysts, reported earlier. High surface area and better Ni dispersion were found to be the reasons for superior activity of the sol-gel catalysts.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra07098d}, author = {Sagar, T. V. and Sreelatha, N. and Hanmant, G. and Surendar, M. and Lingaiah, N. and Rao, K. S. Rama and Satyanarayana, C. V. V. and Reddy, I. A. K. and Prasad, P. S. Sai} } @article { ISI:000333675600057, title = {In-Silico analysis of binding site features and substrate selectivity in plant flavonoid-3-o glycosyltransferases (F3GT) through molecular modeling, docking and dynamics simulation studies}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {9}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {e92636}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Flavonoids are a class of plant secondary metabolites that act as storage molecules, chemical messengers, as well as participate in homeostasis and defense processes. They possess pharmaceutical properties important for cancer treatment such as antioxidant and anti-tumor activities. The drug-related properties of flavonoids can be improved by glycosylation. The enzymes glycosyltransferases (GTs) glycosylate acceptor molecules in a regiospecific manner with the help of nucleotide sugar donor molecules. Several plant GTs have been characterized and their amino acid sequences determined. However, three-dimensional structures of only a few are reported. Here, phylogenetic analysis using amino acid sequences have identified a group of GTs with the same regiospecific activity. The structures of these closely related GTs were modeled using homologous GT structures. Their substrate binding sites were elaborated by docking flavonoid acceptor and UDP-sugar donor molecules in the modeled structures. Eight regions near the acceptor binding site in the N- and C-terminal domain of GTs have been identified that bind and specifically glycosylate the 3-OH group of acceptor flavonoids. Similarly, a conserved motif in the C-terminal domain is known to bind a sugar donor substrate. In certain GTs, the substitution of a specific glutamine by histidine in this domain changes the preference of sugar from glucose to galactose as a result of changed pattern of interactions. The molecular modeling, docking, and molecular dynamics simulation studies have revealed the chemical and topological features of the binding site and thus provided insights into the basis of acceptor and donor recognition by GTs.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0092636}, author = {Sharma, Ranu and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000344451800020, title = {Interchain relay of antiferromagnetic ordering in 1D Co(II) coordination polymers via pi-pi interactions}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {16}, number = {36}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8523-8530}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1039/c4ce01010h}, author = {Ahmad, Musheer and Das, Raja and Mrozinski, Jerzy and Bienko, Alina and Poddar, Pankaj and Bharadwaj, Parimal K.} } @article { ISI:000341543000009, title = {Intermediate hamiltonian fock space multireference coupled cluster approach to core excitation spectra}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {10}, number = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3656-3668}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The Fock space multireference coupled cluster (FSMRCC) method provides an efficient approach for the direct calculation of excitation energies. In intermediate Hamiltonian (IH-FSMRCC) formulation, the method is free from intruder state problems and associated convergence difficulties, even with a large model space. In this paper, we demonstrate that the IH-FSMRCC method with suitably chosen model space can be used for the accurate description of core excitation spectra of molecules, and our results are in excellent agreement with the experimental values. We have investigated the effect of choice of model space on the computed results. Unlike the equation-of-motion (EOM)-based method, the IH-FSMRCC does not require any special technique for convergence and in singles and doubles approximation gives a performance comparable to that of the standard EOMEE-CCSD method, even better in some of the cases.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct500285e}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Gupta, Jitendra and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000337783900075, title = {Ionic control on the morphology of ytterbium manganese oxide nanorods and nanoplates in a surfactant-free synthesis and their magnetic properties}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {24}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {13268-13275}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Here, we report the synthesis of multiferroic, single-crystalline ID YbMnO3 in nanoregime. By using ionic chemistry without the use of surfactant or template, we demonstrate control synthesis of one- and two-dimensional nanoparticles of YbMnO3. Magnetic properties of YbMnO3 show influence of morphology. Detailed alternating current (ac) and direct current (dc) magnetic study shows ferromagnetic interaction of Mn3+ and Yb3+ moments in nanorods of YbMnO3 below similar to 35 K.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp503591f}, author = {Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000332188100018, title = {Large increase in the energy product of Fe3Se4 by Fe-site doping}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4016-4022}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Fe3Se4 possesses a large coercivity at room temperature. At lower temperature, a coercivity value up to 40 kOe has been achieved. However, due to a relatively lower saturation magnetization value, the energy product of this material is not suitable for its use as rare-earth-free hard magnetic material. Although the anisotropy and magnetic structure of Fe3Se4 have been topics of research, there is no attempt to increase the energy product. Here, we report the synthesis of Fe3-xMnxSe4 (x = 0.01-0.2) nanorods. As required for practical applications, after doping, the Curie temperature remains unchanged; however, at optimum (x = 0.03) doping of manganese ions, the magnetization of the host matrix increases significantly from 4.84 to 7.54 emu/g. The corresponding energy product value was found to be increased by more than 130\%. At low temperature (10 K) the energy product shows almost a 2 order of magnitude increase (similar to 0.12 MG Oe), which makes it valuable for many low temperature applications. This improvement is a vital step for its use in some of the household applications where a large volume and relatively lower energy product are needed.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp411956q}, author = {Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000337521700013, title = {Large magnetocaloric effect, moment, and coercivity enhancement after coating Ni nanoparticles with Ag}, journal = {ChemPhysChem}, volume = {15}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1619-1623}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

We observe a large magnetocaloric effect in monodisperse Ni and NicoreAgshell nanoparticles in the superparamagnetic region. The organically passivated Ni nanospheres show a large magnetic entropy change of 0.9 J kg(-1)K for a 3 T magnetic field change. In comparison to the surfactant-coated Ni nanoparticles, the NicoreAgshell nanoparticles show an enhanced coercivity, magnetization, and magnetocaloric effect (1.3 kgK for a 3 T magnetic field change). The coercivity at 10 K increases from 360 Oe for Ni nanoparticles to nearly 610 Oe for NicoreAgshell particles. This large enhancement is attributed to the enhanced inter-particle interaction, which is mediated by the metallic shell, over the relatively weaker dipolar interaction in the surfactant-coated Ni nanoparticles, and to modification of the surface spin structure.

}, keywords = {anisotropy, core-shell, magnetic properties, Nanoparticles, superparamagnetic}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.201300886}, author = {Srinath, Sanyadanam and Poddar, Pankaj and Das, Raja and Sidhaye, Deepti and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Gass, James and Srikanth, Hariharan} } @article {46404, title = {Large scale synthesis of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from waste biomass and their use as an efficient and selective photoluminescence on-off-on probe for Ag+ ions}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {11664-11670}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are synthesized from bio-waste and are further modified to produce amine-terminated GQDs (Am-GQDs) which have higher dispersibility and photoluminescence intensity than those of GQDs. A strong fluorescence quenching of Am-GQDs (switch-off) is observed for a number of metal ions, but only for the Ag+ ions is the original fluorescence regenerated (switch-on) upon addition of L-cysteine.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c4nr02494j}, author = {Suryawanshi, Anil and Biswal, Mandakini and Mhamane, Dattakumar and Gokhale, Rohan and Patil, Shankar and Guin, Debanjan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000330603800038, title = {Leucaena sp recombinant cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase: purification and physicochemical characterization}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {63}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {254-260}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase is a broad substrate specificity enzyme catalyzing the final step in monolignol biosynthesis, leading to lignin formation in plants. Here, we report characterization of a recombinant CAD homologue (LICAD2) isolated from Leucaena leucocephala. LICAD2 is 80 kDa homodimer associated with non-covalent interactions, having substrate preference toward sinapaldehyde with K-cat/K-m of 11.6 x 10(6) (M-1 s(-1)), and a possible involvement of histidine at the active site. The enzyme remains stable up to 40 C, with the deactivation rate constant (K-d*) and half-life (t(1/2)) of 0.002 and 5 h, respectively. LICAD2 showed optimal activity at pH 6.5 and 9 for reduction and oxidation reactions, respectively, and was stable between pH 7 and 9, with the deactivation rate constant (K-d*) and half-life (t(1/2)) of 7.5 x 10(-4) and 15 h, respectively. It is a Zn-metalloenzyme with 4 Zn2+ per dimer, however, was inhibited in presence of externally supplemented Zn2+ ions. The enzyme was resistant to osmolytes, reducing agents and non-ionic detergents. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), Metalloenzyme, Substrate specificity}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2013.09.005}, author = {Patel, Parth and Gupta, Neha and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Agrawal, Dinesh C. and Khan, Bashir Mohammad} } @article { ISI:000329337000031, title = {Ligand-free one-step synthesis of {001} faceted semiconducting BiOCl single crystals and their photocatalytic activity}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {236-239}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Herein, we report one-step ligand-free hydrothermal synthesis of predominantly {001}-faceted micron-sized single crystals of bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl). The structural chlorine is obtained by in situ generation of chloride ions. From Raman spectra, we could resolve the E-g transition. Photocatalytic activity of as-synthesized crystals showed 78\% degradation of RhB dye under a xenon source after 120 min of exposure.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg4014366}, author = {Biswas, Anupam and Das, Raja and Dey, Chandan and Banerjee, Rahul and Poddar, Panka} } @article { ISI:000336107400002, title = {Living plant-mediated synthesis of different shaped gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters}, volume = {6}, number = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {279-283}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

We demonstrate extracellular green synthesis of gold nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes by using live Prosopis juliflora L. seedling. The conversion of ionic to metallic gold nanoparticles by P. juliflora seedling was carried out in short period. The formed nanoparticles were characterized by UV, TEM, Diffraction and EDS. TEM shows well dispersed particles of different shapes and sizes. The percentage of different shapes of nanoparticles was calculated, most of the particles were spherical in shape (75\%). The triangle nanoparticles were 10\%, followed by squares (8\%), hexagonal (5\%) and rods (2\%). The diffraction shows the formed nanoparticles are crystalline in nature and EDS confirms the formed nanoparticles are of gold. This shows P. juliflora seedling can synthesis different shapes of well dispersed nanoparticles.

}, keywords = {Gold, Nanoparticles, Prosopis juliflora, Shapes, synthesis, TEM}, issn = {1941-4900}, doi = {10.1166/nnl.2014.1756}, author = {Raju, D. and Paneliya, Nikita and Mehta, Urmil J.} } @article {46402, title = {Low temperature grown CuBi2O4 with flower morphology and its composite with CuO nanosheets for photoelectrochemical water splitting}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3661-3668}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work we highlight a peculiar synthesis protocol for the p-type ternary metal oxide system of copper bismuth oxide (CuBi2O4), which yields a highly crystalline spherulitic morphology at a low temperature of 78 degrees C. We associate this growth with the hydrogen bonding effects imparted by the ethanol-water co-solvent system used for the synthesis. We present a detailed growth mechanism by evaluating different synthesis conditions systematically. Furthermore we show that upon the use of the non-stoichiometric (excess copper) precursor mixture under the same experimental conditions the growth of spherulitic CuBi2O4 changes the size and type of the spherulites. Interestingly, careful optimization of the nonstoichiometric synthesis presents a complete impediment to the spherulitic growth and produces a composite of nanorods of CuBi2O4 and nanosheets of CuO. This anisotropic nanocomposite shows an order of magnitude higher surface area as compared to spherulitic CuBi2O4. Since both CuBi2O4 and CuO are visible light absorbing p-type semiconductors, when the synthesized nanocomposite materials are examined as photoelectrochemical (PEC) photocathodes for water splitting, they show a remarkable dependence on the morphology and phase constitution. Almost 13-fold stronger PEC response is observed as the morphology changes from spherulites to nanorods.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c3ta14906d}, author = {Patil, Rupali and Kelkar, Sarika and Naphadeab, Rounak and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000337763200018, title = {Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry analysis of dimethyl arginine isomers from urine}, journal = {Analytical Methods}, volume = {6}, number = {13}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {4602-4609}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Isomeric asymmetric and symmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA and SDMA respectively) residues are excreted in urine and are putative markers of cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases. In this work, we demonstrate simultaneous and quantitative detection of endogeneous ADMA and SDMA from urine samples of healthy subjects using MALDI-TOF MS without any chromatographic separation. The DMA isomers yielded [M + H](+) ions along with their product ions formed due to MALDI in-source fragmentation. The precursor ions were validated using MALDI-TOF MS/MS as well as direct injection ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS. ADMA and SDMA generated unique product ions at similar to m/z 46 and similar to m/z 172 respectively in the MS-mode itself. These were advantageously used for full scan-mode absolute quantification of the isomeric metabolites. The m/z observed for all the ions was within 10 ppm mass accuracy. The calibration method was established by generating internal standard normalized peak area-based concentration response curves using synthetic standards. Good linearities (R-2 \> 0.95) with acceptable intra-assay, inter-assay variation (within 15\% RSD) and excellent recoveries were observed for quality control samples. Finally, endogeneous concentrations of the metabolites were determined in urine from healthy subjects (n = 11). ADMA and SDMA were found to be in the range of 1.6-8 mu M and 2.9-9.1 mu M in urine and were in agreement with previously reported physiological levels.

}, issn = {1759-9660}, doi = {10.1039/c4ay00309h}, author = {Bhattacharya, Nivedita and Singh, Ajeet and Ghanate, Avinash and Phadke, Gayatri and Parmar, Dharmesh and Dhaware, Deepika G. and Basak, Trayambak and Sengupta, Shantanu and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu} } @article { ISI:000340469800044, title = {Mechanical downsizing of a gadolinium(iii)-based metal-organic framework for anticancer drug delivery}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {20}, number = {33}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10514-10518}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A Gd-III-based porous metal-organic framework (MOF), Gd-pDBI, has been synthesized using fluorescent linker pDBI (pDBI=(1,4-bis(5-carboxy-1H-benzimidazole-2-yl)benzene)), resulting in a three-dimensional interpenetrated structure with a one-dimensional open channel (1.9x1.2nm) filled with hydrogen-bonded water assemblies. Gd-pDBI exhibits high thermal stability, porosity, excellent water stability, along with organic-solvent and mild acid and base stability with retention of crystallinity. Gd-pDBI was transformed to the nanoscale regime (ca. 140nm) by mechanical grinding to yield MG-Gd-pDBI with excellent water dispersibility (\>90min), maintaining its porosity and crystallinity. In vitro and in vivo studies on MG-Gd-pDBI revealed its low blood toxicity and highest drug loading (12wt\%) of anticancer drug doxorubicin in MOFs reported to date with pH-responsive cancer-cell-specific drug release.

}, keywords = {ball-milling, doxorubicin, drug delivery, metal-organic frameworks, nanocarriers}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201402244}, author = {Kundu, Tanay and Mitra, Shouvik and Patra, Prasun and Goswami, Arunava and Diaz, David Diaz and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000336005600009, title = {Mesoporous, ligand free Cu-Fe solid catalyst mediated CS cross coupling of thiols with aryl halides}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {476}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {54-60}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Solid catalyst derived from Cu-Fe hydrotalcite was demonstrated to be a novel, ligandless, efficient and environmentally greener catalyst for the synthesis of diaryl sulfurs from the C-S cross coupling reaction of substituted thiols with different aryl halides. This catalyst has shown higher product yield in the presence of dimethylformamide (as a solvent) and K2CO3 (as a base) at 120 C. Influence of different solvents and bases on the product yield has also been investigated. The catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture, simply by filtration and reused several times without a significant loss of its activity. The catalyst has been fully characterized for its surface and bulk properties and the mesoporous CuO:Fe2O3 phase was attributed for its catalytic activity towards S-arylation reactions. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {C-S cross coupling, Cu-Fe-hydrotalcite, S-arylation}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2014.02.015}, author = {Dumbre, Deepa K. and Selvakannan, P. R. and Patil, S. K. and Choudhary, Vasant R. and Bhargava, Suresh Kumar} } @article { ISI:000334984000005, title = {Methane reforming with carbon dioxide over La-Ni-x-Ce1-x mixed oxide catalysts}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {4-5, SI}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {478-483}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

La-Ni-x-Ce1-x mixed oxide (0 \<= x \<= 1) catalysts have been hydrothermally prepared, characterized by physico-chemical techniques and evaluated for CO2 reforming of methane. High conversions are achieved for both methane and carbon dioxide over the LaNi0.6Ce0.4O3 catalyst tested under the conditions of CO2/CH4/N-2 ratio of 80/80/80. (total flow rate = 240 mL/min), space velocity of 28,800 h(-1) and at a temperature of 800 degrees C. The H-2/CO ratio in the syngas is stable at 0.93 +/- 0.02. Exchanging Ni with Ce, rather than with La as reported in the literature, appears to be a better option for the improved performance of the catalysts.

}, keywords = {Carbon dioxide reforming, Catalysts, Cerium, Dry reforming, Hydrothermal synthesis, Lanthanum, Methane reforming, Mixed oxides, Nickel}, issn = {0376-4710}, author = {Sagar, T. V. and Sreelatha, N. and Hanmant, G. and Upendar, K. and Lingaiah, N. and Rao, Kamaraju Seetha Rama and Satyanarayana, C. V. V. and Reddy, I. A. K. and Prasad, P. S. Sai} } @article { ISI:000342501300021, title = {Microfluidic platform for continuous flow synthesis of triangular gold nanoplates}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {443}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {149-155}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A microfluidic platform for the continuous flow synthesis of triangular gold nanoplates with and without surfactants is developed. The temperature profile in the microchannel, residence time and composition have been studied to understand effect of these parameters on the yield of the triangular nanoplates and were optimized for obtaining maximum yield of triangles. The flow synthesis approach has been demonstrated where the Br- ions can be supplied to the reaction mixture either from the surfactant viz. Cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or even from HBr. Apart from the Br- ions, the temperature gradient at the inlet of the continuous flow reactor is one of the key parameter that affects the yield of the triangular nanoplates. Finally we establish that with a right combination of the controlling parameters abetter yield of the Au nanotriangles by flow methods can be achieved even in the absence of surfactant. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au nanotriangles, Flow synthesis, microreactor, Nucleation kinetics, Surfactants}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2013.10.047}, author = {Kumar, D. V. Ravi and Kulkarni, A. A. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000343673200022, title = {Mitigating the cytotoxicity of graphene quantum dots and enhancing their applications in bioimaging and drug delivery}, journal = {ACS Macro Letters}, volume = {3}, number = {10}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1064-1068}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Despite the promising photophysical properties of fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs), their cellular toxicity needs to be addressed before their full potential could be completely realized in biomedicine. A simple method for mitigating the toxicity of GQDs by embedding them in PEG matrix is reported here. The enhanced biocompatibility of polymer modified, P-GQDs, is attributed to reduced reactive oxygen species generation, as measured by an intracellular ROS assay. We also demonstrate the enhanced loading and efficient intracellular delivery of therapeutics by P-GQDs.

}, issn = {2161-1653}, doi = {10.1021/mz500479k}, author = {Chandra, Anil and Deshpande, Sonal and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Singh, Neetu} } @article { ISI:000339628400017, title = {Model atomistic protrusions favouring the ordering and retention of water}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {16}, number = {30}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {15856-15865}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The ordering of water molecules near model linear atomistic protrusions is studied using classical molecular dynamics simulations. The protrusions are made up of Lennard-Jones particles of hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks. Simulations are performed at a range of temperatures and pressures, keeping the position of the protrusions fixed. At different temperatures and pressures, the ordering and residence time of water molecules is enhanced on the surface of the hydrophilic block. Detailed analysis of the systems shows that the surface region is potentially the most energetically favorable for water molecules, which is consistent with the tetrahedral ordering of water molecules. A competition between energetics and structuring is observed from residence time calculations.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c4cp00094c}, author = {Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000346168600001, title = {Modification of crystal anisotropy and enhancement of magnetic moment of Co-doped SnO2 thin films annealed under magnetic field}, journal = {Nanoscale Research Letters}, volume = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {635}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Co-doped SnO2 thin films were grown by sputtering technique on SiO2/Si(001) substrates at room temperature, and then, thermal treatments with and without an applied magnetic field (H-TT) were performed in vacuum at 600 degrees C for 20 min. H-TT was applied parallel and perpendicular to the substrate surface. Magnetic M(H) measurements reveal the coexistence of a strong antiferromagnetic (AFM) signal and a ferromagnetic (FM) component. The AFM component has a N,el temperature higher than room temperature, the spin axis lies parallel to the substrate surface, and the highest magnetic moment m =7 mu(B)/Co at. is obtained when H-TT is applied parallel to the substrate surface. Our results show an enhancement of FM moment per Co+2 from 0.06 to 0.42 mu(B)/Co at. for the sample on which H-TT was applied perpendicular to the surface. The FM order is attributed to the coupling of Co+2 ions through electrons trapped at the site of oxygen vacancies, as described by the bound magnetic polaron model. Our results suggest that FM order is aligned along [101] direction of Co-doped SnO2 nanocrystals, which is proposed to be the easy magnetization axis.

}, keywords = {Antiferromagnetism, Crystal anisotropy, Diluted magnetic oxide, Ferromagnetism, Magnetic anisotropy, Magnetic moment, Spin axis, thin film}, issn = {1556-276X}, doi = {10.1186/1556-276X-9-635}, author = {Loya-Mancilla, Sagrario M. and Poddar, Pankaj and Das, Raja and Ponce, Hilda E. Esparza and Templeton-Olivares, Ivan L. and Solis-Canto, Oscar O. and Ornelas-Gutierrez, Carlos E. and Espinosa-Magaa, Francisco and Olive-Mendez, Sion F.} } @article { ISI:000337974900017, title = {Modulation of reaction kinetics for the tuneable synthesis of gold nanoparticles and quantum clusters: application of gold quantum clusters as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}turn-off{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} sensing probe for Sn4+ ions}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {79}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {134-142}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The syntheses of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and gold quantum clusters (Au QCs) that employ cefadroxil (CFX; an antibiotic) as both reducing and capping agents are reported. The HAuCl4/CFX concentration, temperature, and pH are crucial factors in the modulation of the nucleation and growth kinetics of the reaction, and consequently, in guiding the size and morphology of as-synthesized Au NPs. Interesting results are observed if the reaction is performed under different pH conditions. TEM analysis of the Au NPs synthesized at pH 6 shows an average particle size of approximately 2 nm along with a relatively smaller population of bigger NPs (up to 6 nm). The Au QCs were isolated by high-speed centrifugation and showed fluorescence at lambda approximate to 460 nm. Furthermore, the as-synthesized Au QCs were applied as sensor for Sn4+ ions on the basis of an aggregation-induced fluorescence quenching mechanism. These Au QCs offer acceptable sensitivity, high selectivity, and a limit of detection of approximately 10 mm for the determination of Sn4+ ions.

}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.201300319}, author = {Khandelwal, Puneet and Singh, Dheeraj K. and Sadhu, Subha and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000333567300064, title = {MOF-derived crumpled-sheet-assembled perforated carbon cuboids as highly effective cathode active materials for ultra-high energy density Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors (Li-HECs)}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {6}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4387-4394}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Lithium ion hybrid capacitors (Li-HECs) have attracted significant attention for use in next generation advanced energy storage technologies to satisfy the demand of both high power density as well as energy density. Herein we demonstrate the use of very high surface area 3D carbon cuboids synthesized from a metal-organic framework (MOF) as a cathode material with Li4Ti5O12 as the anode for high performance Li-HECs. The energy density of the cell is similar to 65 W h kg(-1) which is significantly higher than that achievable with commercially available activated carbon (similar to 36 W h kg(-1)) and a symmetric supercapacitor based on the same MOF-derived carbon (MOF-DC similar to 20 W h kg(-1)). The MOF-DC/Li4Ti5O12 Li-HEC assembly also shows good cyclic performance with similar to 82\% of the initial value (similar to 25 W h kg(-1)) retained after 10 000 galvanostatic cycles under high rate cyclic conditions. This result clearly indicates that MOF-DC is a very promising candidate for future P-HEVs in a Li-HEC configuration.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c4nr00025k}, author = {Banerjee, Abhik and Upadhyay, Kush Kumar and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000346656700045, title = {Molecular Insights into the dynamics of pharmacogenetically important N-terminal variants of the human beta(2)-adrenergic receptor}, journal = {Plos Computational Biology}, volume = {10}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {e1004006}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

The human beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR), a member of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family, is expressed in bronchial smooth muscle cells. Upon activation by agonists, beta(2)AR causes bronchodilation and relief in asthma patients. The N-terminal polymorphism of beta(2)AR at the 16th position, Arg16Gly, has warranted a lot of attention since it is linked to variations in response to albuterol (agonist) treatment. Although the beta(2)AR is one of the well-studied GPCRs, the N-terminus which harbors this mutation, is absent in all available experimental structures. The goal of this work was to study the molecular level differences between the N-terminal variants using structural modeling and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations reveal that the N-terminal region of the Arg variant shows greater dynamics than the Gly variant, leading to differential placement. Further, the position and dynamics of the N-terminal region, further, affects the ligand binding-site accessibility. Interestingly, long-range effects are also seen at the ligand binding site, which is marginally larger in the Gly as compared to the Arg variant resulting in the preferential docking of albuterol to the Gly variant. This study thus reveals key differences between the variants providing a molecular framework towards understanding the variable drug response in asthma patients.

}, issn = {1553-734X}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004006}, author = {Shahane, Ganesh and Parsania, Chirag and Sengupta, Durba and Joshi, Manali} } @article { ISI:000347596700001, title = {Molecular recognition pattern of cytotoxic alkaloid vinblastine with multiple targets}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Graphics \& Modelling}, volume = {54}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1-9}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Vinblastine (VLB), a cytotoxic alkaloid is used extensively against various cancer types and the crystal structure of its tubulin complex is already known. Multitarget affinity of vinblastine has been investigated and the nature of binding with biological receptors namely, duplex DNA and Human serum albumin (HSA) has been compared to the binding characteristics of its known complex with natural high affinity receptor tubulin using molecular docking and QM-MM calculations. VLB is found to interact with DNA as well as HSA protein, though, with weaker affinity as compared to tubulin. Analysis of various docked complexes revealed that the H-bonds and cation-pi bonds do not have significant contribution to the binding interactions and despite its large size, VLB remains in relaxed conformation and fits in the hydrophobic regions on the receptors. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Drug-DNA interactions, Drug-protein binding, Human serum albumin, Molecular docking, Multitarget affinity, QM-MM calculation, Vinblastine}, issn = {1093-3263}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmgm.2014.09.001}, author = {Pandya, Prateek and Agarwal, Lokesh Kr and Gupta, Neelima and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000331157500011, title = {Molecular structures and biological evaluation of 2-chloro-3-(n-alkylamino)-1,4-napthoquinone derivatives as potent antifungal agents}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1059}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {68-74}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Derivatives of 2-chloro-3-(n-alkylamino)-1,4-naphthoquinone (1-alkyl: methyl; L-1, ethyl; L-2, propyl; L-3 and butyl; L-4) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, H-1 NMR, UV-visible spectroscopy, LC-MS and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Antifungal activity of L-1 to L-4 has been evaluated against Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans and Cladosporium herbarum. The intramolecular hydrogen bonding affects the N-H vibrational frequency in L-2 (3273 cm(-1)). The single crystal X-ray structure reveal that L-1 and L-3 crystallizes in triclinic P-1, whereas L-2 crystallizes in orthorhombic Pca2(1), space group. An extensive intra and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions were observed in L-1 to L-3 which leads to molecular association. Intramolecular N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonding were observed in L-1 to L-3. Moreover pi-pi stacking interactions were observed between the quinonoid rings of L-1 and L-3, however no such interactions were observed in L-2. An electrochemical study showed molecular association of L-1 to L-4 in DMSO solution. Compounds L-1 to L-4 were found to be potent antifungal agents against all the three strains, especially against C. tropicalis. Amongst these promising antifungal candidates, L-1 showed better activity compared to the clinically administered antifungal drug Amphotericin B and Nitrofurantoin with MIC = 1.25 mu g ml(-1) and MIC = 0.025 mu g ml(-1) respectively against C. albicans. Structure and activity relationship (SAR) study suggest a LogP value of similar to 2.0 and the cyclic voltammetry studies reveals additional chemical processes for L-1, which exhibits maximum activity against all fungal strains. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aminonaphthoquinone, Antifungal activity, LogP, Naphthosemiquinone, pi-pi stacking}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2013.11.029}, author = {Pawar, Omkar and Patekar, Ashwini and Khan, Ayesha A. and Kathawate, Laxmi and Haram, Santosh K. and Markad, Ganesh and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article { ISI:000344470100036, title = {Molybdenum(VI) dioxo complexes for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols and olefins}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {772}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {271-279}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Several molybdenum(VI) dioxo complexes have been investigated as catalyst precursors for allylic alcohol epoxidation using mainly hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. All catalysts proved to be efficient and selective for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols provided the olefins were rather electron rich. Indeed, electron poor substrates could be converted selectively into the corresponding unsaturated aldehydes. A chiral dioxomolybdenum complex based on an optically pure tridentate Schiff base ligand was synthesized and characterized. Though that complex provided an efficient epoxidation catalyst for allylic alcohols and olefins, no chiral induction was observed. During the X-ray diffraction analysis, the cooling at 100 K led to the appearance of super-lattice reflections on diffraction patterns reflecting an ordering of the structure. Instead of one organometallic species observed at 298 K, three similar complexes of the same molecular structure could be observed in the asymmetric unit at 100 K. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Allylic alcohol, epoxidation, Molybdenum, Oxidation, Peroxide}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2014.09.029}, author = {Pandhare, Swati L. and Jadhao, Rajesh R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Joshi, Pranaya V. and Capet, Frederic and Dongare, Mohan K. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Michon, Christophe and Agbossou-Niedercorn, Francine} } @article { ISI:000330018400013, title = {Monitoring cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of copper(II) complex using a fluorescent anthracene thiosemicarbazone ligand}, journal = {Bioconjugate Chemistry}, volume = {25}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {102-114}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The thiosemicarbazone derivative of anthracene (ATSC, anthracene thiosemicarbazone I) and its copper(II) complex (CuATSC, 2) were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical, and crystallographic techniques. Interaction of 1 and 2 with calf thymus (CT) DNA was explored using absorption and emission spectral methods, and viscosity measurements reveal a partial-intercalation binding mode. Their protein binding ability was monitored by the quenching of tryptophan emission using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. Furthermore, their cellular uptake, in vitro cytotoxicity testing on the HeLa cell line, and flow cytometric analysis were carried out to ascertain the mode of cell death. Cell cycle analysis indicated that 1 and 2 cause cell cycle arrest in sub-G1 phase.

}, issn = {1043-1802}, doi = {10.1021/bc400385d}, author = {Kate, Anup N. and Kumbhar, Anupa A. and Khan, Ayesha A. and Joshi, Pranaya V. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000341359000029, title = {Multicomponent reactions involving phosphines, arynes and aldehydes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {77}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {11389-11392}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Although nucleophilic phosphine-catalysis is a powerful tool for the construction of various carbocycles and heterocycles, the reactions in which phosphines are incorporated into the final product are rare, and the reports on phosphine addition to highly electrophilic arynes are scarce. Herein, we report the phosphine triggered multicomponent reaction of arynes and aldehydes, which takes place via the formal [3+2] cycloaddition of an initially generated 1,3-phosphonium zwitterion from phosphines and arynes with aldehydes. The reaction resulted in the formation of a diverse range of stable pentacovalent phosphoranes in good yields based on the benzooxaphosphole system.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc05420b}, author = {Bhunia, Anup and Kaicharla, Trinadh and Porwal, Digvijay and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000335924100043, title = {Multifunctional and robust covalent organic framework-nanoparticle hybrids}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {2}, number = {21}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {7944-7952}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Highly dispersed Pd(0) nanoparticles were successfully immobilized into a stable, crystalline and porous covalent organic framework (COF), TpPa-1, by a solution infiltration method using NABH(4) as a reducing agent. High resolution and dark field TEM images confirmed the uniform loading of the Pd(0) nanoparticles into the TpPa-1 matrix without aggregation. This hybrid material exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards the Cu free Sonogashira, Heck and sequential one pot Heck-Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions under basic conditions, and with superior performance compared to commercially available Pd supported on activated charcoal (i.e., 1, 5 and 10 wt\%). Additionally, the precursor Pd(II)-doped COF also displayed competitive catalytic activity for the intramolecular oxidative biaryl synthesis under acidic conditions. Both catalysts were found to be highly stable under the reaction conditions showing negligible metal leaching, non-sintering behavior, and good recyclability. To the best of our knowledge, the organic support used in this work, TpPa-1, constitutes the first COF matrix that can hold both Pd(0) nanoparticles and Pd(II) complex without aggregation for catalytic purposes under both highly acidic and basic conditions.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c4ta00284a}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Panda, Manas K. and Kandambeth, Sharath and Shivaprasad, S. M. and Diaz, David Diaz and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000328260200011, title = {Multi-walled CNT-induced phase behaviour of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its electro-mechanical properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {103-113}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A simple two-step process was used to disperse acid functionalizedmulti-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). While the neat solvent-cast PVDF showed coexistence of alpha- and beta-phases; the composite films exhibited only beta-phase crystals. Further studies on the crystalline behaviour, using differential scanning calorimetry and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques showed an increase in the percentage of crystalline phase with CNT. The network formed by CNTs in the matrix reduced the macroscopic electrical resistivity of composite films. The dielectric constant increased with CNT loading. Further, these composites were investigated for its electromagnetic wave absorbance (EWA) and strain sensing properties. The EWA properties were studied in the X-band (6-12 GHz) region. A maximum of similar to 37 dB reflectivity loss at similar to 9.0 GHz was obtained in a similar to 25 mu m thick PVDF film containing only 0.25 wt\% of functionalized CNT. Preliminary studies showed a systematic change in electrical resistance by the application of dynamic bending strain in nanocomposite film. The film also showed a significant improvement in mechanical stiffness owing to efficient stress transfer from matrix to filler, the property desirable for a good strain sensor. In view of the unique combination of EWA and electro-mechanical properties, the nanocomposite films are expected to serve as a multifunctional material for strain sensing in health monitoring as well as in radar absorption.

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-013-7681-2}, author = {Rath, Sangram K. and Dubey, Sachin and Kumar, G. Sudheer and Kumar, Sanjay and Patra, A. K. and Bahadur, Jitendra and Singh, A. K. and Harikrishnan, G. and Patro, T. Umasankar} } @article { ISI:000332061300050, title = {Nanocomposite of silver and thermo-associating polymer by a green route: a potential soft-hard material for controlled drug release}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {20}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {10261-10268}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Major research efforts are continuously being made to look for alternative, environment friendly green chemicals for the synthesis of nanoparticles in place of conventional and hazardous reducing agents such as sodium borohydride and hydrazine. We report here on the synthesis and characterization of AgNPs using a thermo-associating polymer namely, carboxymethyl guar grafted poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) [CMG-g-PEPO]. The polymer acts as both reducing agent as well as stabilizing/capping agent. The formation of AgNPs with polymer was confirmed by UV/Vis spectroscopy and the TEM images indicated the size of nanoparticles to be in the range of 10-20 nm. We also demonstrated the use of these nanoparticles in the controlled release of doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox), an anticancer drug. The binding of Dox onto the polymer and AgNPs was investigated by XPS and Raman spectroscopy which indicates that a charge-transfer mechanism is operative between the Dox and polymer holding both the entities together. The first synthesis of AgNPs using non-toxic thermo-associating polymer and subsequent release of Dox with body temperature (37 degrees C) as a trigger is the highlight of the present work.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra45022h}, author = {Gupta, Nivika R. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Badiger, Manohar V.} } @article { ISI:000330814200017, title = {Nanodiamond particles/reduced graphene oxide composites as efficient supercapacitor electrodes}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {68}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {175-184}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The paper reports on the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) modified with nanodiamond particles composites by a simple solution phase and their use as efficient electrode in electrochemical supercapacitors. The technique relies on heating aqueous solutions of graphene oxide (GO) and nanodiamond particles (NDs) at different ratios at 100 degrees C for 48 h. The morphological properties, chemical composition and electrochemical behavior of the resulting rGO/NDs nanocomposites were investigated using UV/vis spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical means. The electrochemical performance, including the capacitive behavior of the rGO/NDs composites were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge curves at 1 and 2 A g(-1) in 1 M H2SO4. The rGO/ND matrix with 10/1 ratio displayed the best performance with a specific capacitance of 186 +/- 10 F g (-1) and excellent cycling stability. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2013.10.077}, author = {Wang, Qi and Plylahan, Nareerat and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Devarapalli, Rami Reddy and Li, Musen and Subramanian, Palaniappan and Djenizian, Thierry and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article { ISI:000333203900024, title = {Nanoporous graphene by quantum dots removal from graphene and its conversion to a potential oxygen reduction electrocatalyst via nitrogen doping}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1059-1067}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/c3ee43648a}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Valappil, Manila Ozhukil and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000334485400001, title = {New role for penicillin acylases: degradation of acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing signals by Kluyvera citrophila penicillin G acylase}, journal = {Enzyme and Microbial Technology }, volume = {56}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1-7}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, type = {Article}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Use of penicillin acylases for the production of semi-synthetic penicillins is well-known. Escherichia coli penicillin G acylase (EcPGA) has been extensively used for this purpose; however, Kluyvera citrophila penicillin G acylase (KcPGA) is assumed to be a better substitute, owing to its increased resilience to extreme pH conditions and ease of immobilization. In the present article we report a new dimension for the amidase activity of KcPGA by demonstrating its ability to cleave bacterial quorum sensing signal molecules, acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) with acyl chain length of 6-8 with or without oxo-substitution at third carbon position. Initial evidence of AHL degrading capability of KcPGA was obtained using CV026 based bioassay method. Kinetic studies performed at pH 8.0 and 50 degrees C revealed 3-oxo-C6 HSL to be the best substrate for the enzyme with V-max and K-m values of 21.37+0.85 mM/h/mg of protein and 0.1+0.01 mM, respectively. C6 HSL was found to be the second best substrate with V-max. and K-m value of 10.06+0.27 mM/h/mg of protein and 0.28+0.02 mM, respectively. Molecular modeling and docking studies performed on the active site of the enzyme support these findings by showing the fitting of AHLs perfectly within the hydrophobic pocket of the enzyme active site. (c) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acyl homoserine lactones, CV026, KcPGA, Quorum quenching}, issn = {0141-0229}, doi = {10.1016/j.enzmictec.2013.12.010}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Varshney, Nishant Kumar and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Suresh, C. G. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000340537000016, title = {New yeast isolate Pichia caribbica synthesizes xylolipid biosurfactant with enhanced functionality}, journal = {European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology}, volume = {116}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1070-1079}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids (SL) belong to a class of glycolipidic biosurfactants suitable for a wide range of applications. The structural diversity in SL gives rise to variation in physicochemical and biological properties. To achieve the less explored head group diversity in sophorolipid structure, a new xylose fermenting yeast Pichia caribbica has been employed for biosurfactant production. The media and fermentation parameters have been optimized to achieve maximum yield of 7.48 g/L. The physicochemical properties of the xylolipid biosurfactant have been assessed. It reduced the surface tension of distilled water from 70 to 35.9 mN/m with the low critical micellar concentration (CMC) 1.0 mg/L as compared to typical SL (reported CMC range 40-100 mg/L). Structural characterization was done using FTIR and HR-MS to identify the structure. 17-L-[(beta-D-xylopyranosyl)-oxy]-Delta 9-heptadecanoic acid correlated to m/z 415 majorly constituted the product. Control experiment was performed in which glucose was provided as the hydrophilic carbon. This product was also subjected to HR-MS analysis to determine its chemical nature and found to be different from xylolipid. Presence of xylose as head group was anticipated to give altered physicochemical and biological activities and indeed a low CMC value and better inhibitory action was demonstrated against Staphylococcus aureus. Practical applications: Sophorolipids produced by microbial sources have several advantageous properties over commercial petroleum-based surfactants including biodegradability, environmentally friendly nature, and low toxicity. Here, we have attempted to modify the hydrophilic head group by incorporating xylose in place of glucose. This molecule will also behave differently in response to different stimuli. Stimuli-responsive surfactants are a class of compounds with applications in stabilization of emulsions, suspensions or foams, drug encapsulation and delivery, hard-surface cleaning, personal care applications.

}, keywords = {Antibacterial action, Critical micelle concentration, Pichia caribbica, Sophorolipid, Xylolipid}, issn = {1438-7697}, doi = {10.1002/ejlt.201300363}, author = {Joshi-Navare, Kasturi and Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000344459400014, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of functionalized cyclopentenes via alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl azoliums}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {93}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {14539-14542}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Highly enantioselective NHC-organocatalyzed synthesis of functionalized cyclopentenes proceeding via alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl azolium intermediates is reported. The organocascade reaction of modified enals with malonic ester derivatives having a gamma-benzoyl group involves the Michael-intramolecular aldol-beta-lactonization-decarboxylation sequence to deliver cyclopentenes in good yields and excellent ee values.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc07433e}, author = {Mondal, Santigopal and Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Patra, Atanu and Kunte, Sunita S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000341363200040, title = {Nickel ferrite nanoparticles-hydrogen peroxide: a green catalyst-oxidant combination in chemoselective oxidation of thiols to disulfides and sulfides to sulfoxides}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {69}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {36702-36707}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nickel ferrite nanoparticles-hydrogen peroxide has been demonstrated for the first time as a green and efficient catalyst-oxidant combination in the chemoselective oxidation of thiols to disulfides and sulfides to sulfoxides. This magnetically separable catalyst was found to be reusable for five consecutive runs without appreciable change in the activity, as well as composition of the catalyst. The mechanism for the oxidation of thiols and sulfides has also been proposed.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra04095c}, author = {Kulkarni, Aparna M. and Desai, Uday V. and Pandit, Kapil S. and Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000331819800001, title = {Non-coding RNA interact to regulate neuronal development and function}, journal = {Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience}, volume = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {47}, publisher = {FRONTIERS RESEARCH FOUNDATION}, address = {PO BOX 110, LAUSANNE, 1015, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {gene expression regulation, lncRNA, miRNA, network-motifs, piRNA}, issn = {1662-5102}, doi = {10.3389/fncel.2014.00047}, author = {Iyengar, Bharat R. and Choudhary, Ashwani and Sarangdhar, Mayuresh A. and Venkatesh, K. V. and Gadgil, Chetan J. and Pillai, Beena} } @article { ISI:000329101700009, title = {Nonisothermal analysis of extrusion film casting process using molecular constitutive equations}, journal = {Rheologica Acta}, volume = {53}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {85-101}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Extrusion film casting (EFC) is a commercially important process that is used to produce several thousand tons of polymer films and coatings. In a recent work, we demonstrated the influence of polymer chain architecture on the extent of necking in an isothermal film casting operation (Pol et al., J Rheol 57:559-583, 2013). In the present research, we have explored experimentally and theoretically the effects of long-chain branching on the extent of necking during nonisothermal film casting conditions. Polyethylenes of linear and long-chain branched architectures were used for experimental studies. The EFC process was analyzed using the 1-D flow model of Silagy et al. (Polym Eng Sci 36:2614-2625, 1996) in which the energy equation was introduced to model nonisothermal effects, and two multimode constitutive equations, namely the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}extended pom-pom{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} (XPP, for long-chain branched polymer melts) equation and the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Rolie-Poly stretch version{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} (RP-S, for linear polymer melts) equation, were incorporated to account for the effects of polymer chain architecture. We show that the model does a better job of capturing the qualitative features of the experimental data, thereby elucidating the role of chain architecture and nonisothermal conditions on the extent of necking.

}, keywords = {Branched, Extrusion, Film, Linear, Necking, Nonisothermal, Polyethylene}, issn = {0035-4511}, doi = {10.1007/s00397-013-0739-x}, author = {Pol, Harshawardhan and Banik, Sourya and Azad, Lal Busher and Thete, Sumeet Suresh and Doshi, Pankaj and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article { ISI:000341083400001, title = {Novel, concise and efficient protocol for non-natural piperidine compounds}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {62}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {32594-32598}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Formal synthesis of L-altro-1-deoxynojirimycin, cis-3-hydroxypipecolic acid along with synthesis of (R)-piperidinol and a conceptually different advanced intermediate for non-natural piperidine alkaloids is reported from cis-butene-1,4-diol. The key reactions involved are Johnson-Claisen rearrangement, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, reductive lactamization and novel regioselective elimination.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra04558k}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Dumare, Nilesh B. and Pawar, Kailash P.} } @article { ISI:000330425000001, title = {Novel glycolipids synthesized using plant essential oils and their application in quorum sensing inhibition and as antibiofilm agents}, journal = {Scientific World Journal}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {890709}, publisher = {HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORP}, address = {410 PARK AVENUE, 15TH FLOOR, \#287 PMB, NEW YORK, NY 10022 USA}, abstract = {

Essential oils (EOs) form an important part of traditional medicine so their anti-microbial and, in the recent past, antiquorum sensing activity has been well studied. However it is likely that due to their hydrophobic nature and reduced solubility in aqueous environments full potential of their activity cannot be realized. hence it is only rational to formulate a process to make these molecules more polar in nature. The present paper reports synthesis of sophorolipids using 12 different essential oils as substrates, thus providing surfactant-like properties to these EOs. The synthesis protocol makes the use of Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 as producer organism. The production process required 7 days of incubation at 28 degrees C and 180 rpm. Preliminary characterization of the synthesized essential oil sophorolipids (EOSLs) was performed using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Additionally, essential oils that were incapable of mediating quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) on their own became potent quorum sensing inhibitors upon conversion into their corresponding EOSLs. Antibiofilm potential of these EOSLs was also demonstrated using V. cholerae as test organism. Use of essential oils as substrates for glycolipid synthesis has not been attempted previously, and hence this is the first report.

}, issn = {1537-744X}, doi = {10.1155/2014/890709}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000341513700006, title = {Nucleophilic ring-opening of benzoxazinones by dbu: some observations}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {44}, number = {20}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2955-2960}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

This communication demonstrates the formation of an unusual nucleophilic ring opening of benzoxazinones by 1,8-diazabicycloundec-7-ene (DBU). This observation contradicts the intrinsic feature of a hindered nonnucleophilic base like DBU. Confirmation of the product was achieved via single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

}, keywords = {Benzoxazinones, caprolactam, DBU, HATU}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2014.910529}, author = {Baravkar, Sachin B. and Roy, Arup and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000332061900022, title = {Observation of exchange bias below incommensurate antiferromagnetic (ICAFM) to canted A-type antiferromagnetic (cAAFM) transition in nanocrystalline orthorhombic EuMnO3}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {21}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10614-10618}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Detailed ac and dc magnetic properties of orthorhombic EuMnO3 were studied using a nanocrystalline powder sample. Orthorhombic EuMnO3 nanoparticles of 45 nm average size were synthesised using a hydrothermal method. Zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) magnetisation shows anomalies at similar to 53, 44 and 24 K attributed to paramagnetic (PM) to an incommensurate antiferromagnetic phase (ICAFM), ICAFM to a canted A-type antiferromagnetic order (cAAFM) and spin reorientation transitions, respectively. No indication of a PM to ICAFM transition was observed in either the real or imaginary part of ac magnetisation. The real part of the ac magnetisation curve showed a peak at similar to 24.7 K and anomalies at similar to 46.8 and 21.8 K were observed in the imaginary part of ac magnetisation. Reduction in the width of the thermal hysteresis between the field cooling and heating magnetisation curve was observed with the nanocrystallites (similar to 1 K) compared with the bulk phase (similar to 3 K) EuMnO3. Isothermal magnetisation showed a large value of the exchange bias (2799 Oe at 3 K) below the ICAFM to cAAFM transition temperature.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra45435e}, author = {Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000341619600016, title = {Observation of the marcus inverted region for bimolecular photoinduced electron-transfer reactions in viscous media}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {118}, number = {36}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10704-10715}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The general observation of Marcus inverted region (MIR) for bimolecular electron-transfer (ET) reactions in different viscous media, e.g., micelles, reverse micelles, vesicles, ionic liquids, DNA scaffold, etc. has been doubted in some recent publications arguing limitations in SternVolmer (SV) analysis to account for the static and transient stages of quenching in these slow diffusing media. Thus, following a theoretical treatment based on a spherically symmetric diffusion equation coupled with conventional Marcus ET description, it has been suggested that the MIR observed in viscous media arises due to the inadequate consideration of different quenching regimes and also due to the differential excited-state lifetimes of the fluorophores used than a genuine one (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 11396). However, the overall treatment in this study is severely compromised by setting the minimum solvent reorganization energy (?s) to (lambda) to similar to 0.96 eV while fitting the experimental data, which unambiguously suggests that the inversion in ET rate will never appear in the exergonicity (-Delta G(0)) range of 0.16 to 0.71 eV, as is the case for the studied ET systems. Besides, the applicability of the conventional Marcus ET model (instead of Sumi-Marcus two-dimensional ET model) in such extremely viscous media with exceptionally slow solvent response is highly debatable and perhaps is the main cause of the failure in fitting the experimental data quite satisfactorily. In the present study involving ultrafast ET quenching for coumarin derivatives by dimethylaniline donor in viscous ionic liquid media, we demonstrate clear MIR for the intrinsic ET rates, directly obtained from the ultrafast decay components of 110 ps, a time scale in which diffusion of reactants is negligible and the ET rates are either faster than or, at the most, competitive with the solvent reorganization. The appearance of MIR at ?Delta G(0) similar to-0.5 eV, significantly lower than expected from the lambda(s) value, further substantiate the nonapplicability of conventional ET description but certainly advocate for the applicability of the SumiMarcus two-dimensional ET model in such media. Moreover, no obvious correlation has experimentally been observed between the excited-state lifetimes of the coumarin derivatives and the ET rates for a large number of dyes used in the present study. On the basis of the present results and drawing inferences from reported literatures in viscous media, we conclude that not only is the appearance of MIR very genuine but also the mechanistic model necessary to account the observed facts for the bimolecular ET reactions in a viscous medium is the two-dimensional ET description, which deals with an extremely slow relaxing solvent coordinate and a fast relaxing intramolecular coordinate to describe the ET reactions.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp506885r}, author = {Kumbhakar, Manoj and Manna, Arpan and Sayed, Mhejabeen and Kumar, Anil and Pal, Haridas} } @article { ISI:000339540700077, title = {Off-stoichiometric nickel cobaltite nanoparticles: thermal stability, magnetization, and neutron diffraction studies}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {29}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {16246-16254}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In the present investigation, we report a detailed examination of the effect of off-stoichiometry introduced in NiCo2O4 by adding excess cobalt. Thus, we compare and analyze the structural and magnetic properties of the Ni075Co2.25O4 and NiCo2O4 cubic systems. A low temperature combustion method was utilized to synthesize stoichiometric (NiCo2O4) and off-stoichiometric (Ni0.75Co2.25O4) nanoparticles on a large scale. The X-ray diffraction pattern for the sample annealed at high temperature (773 K) shows the presence of a much less intense NiO phase (similar to 2-5\%) in Ni0.75Co2.25O4 as compared to that in the case of NiCo2O4 sample (similar to 15-20\%). The Ni 2p and Co 2p XPS spectra reveal the coexistence of Ni2+, Ni3+, Co2+, and Co3+ species on the surface of both the NiCo2O4 and Ni0.75Co2.23O4 samples in differing proportions. In addition to the basic magnetic characterizations using PPMS, these were also analyzed by neutron diffraction. The off-stoichiometric Ni0.75Co2.25O4 sample shows an interesting magnetic phase conversion from frustrated dipolar system to an enhanced magnetic ordering upon annealing. Local moments on the lattice sites of NiCo2O4 and Ni0.75Co2.25O4 samples are further compared by neutron diffraction confirming stronger ordered moments and enhanced structural and thermal stability for the Ni0.75Co2.25O4 sample.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp504538y}, author = {Verma, Seema and Kumar, Amit and Pravarthana, D. and Deshpande, Aparna and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Yusuf, S. M.} } @article { ISI:000344132400051, title = {Oligomer-salt derived 3D, heavily nitrogen doped, porous carbon for Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors application}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {80}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {462-471}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

3D high surface area porous carbon is seen to form via self assembly of porous graphene sheets by direct pyrolysis of an oligomer salt tailored for the realization of molecular level activation. The oligomer salt was derived from 4-amino benzoic acid as the monomer by a facile free radical polymerization process. Incorporation of the functional groups (-COONa) eliminate the need for any external activating agents (KOH, ZnCl2, etc.) and also render high degree of sub-nanoscale homogeneity. This oligomer derived carbon (ODC) exhibits efficient performance in non-aqueous charge storage application namely Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitor (Li-HEC) owing to its high surface area, 3D interconnectivity and an appropriate pore size distribution. The Li-HEC fabricated with ODC based electrodes delivered a maximum energy density of similar to 63 Wh kg(-1) with spinel L4Ti5O12 as the anode. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2014.08.086}, author = {Gokhale, Rohan and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Yadav, Prasad and Jain, Srashti and Phase, Deodatta and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000344458100024, title = {One molecule of ionic liquid and tert-alcohol on a polystyrene-support as catalysts for efficient nucleophilic substitution including fluorination}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {12}, number = {45}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9264-9271}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The tert-alcohol and ionic liquid solvents in one molecule [mim-(OH)-O-t][OMs] was immobilized on polystyrene and reported to be a highly efficient catalyst in aliphatic nucleophilic substitution using alkali metal salts. Herein, we investigated the catalytic activity of a new structurally modified polymer-supported tert-alcohol functionalized imidazolium salt catalyst in nucleophilic substitution of 2-(3-methanesulfonyl-oxypropyoxy) naphthalene as a model substrate with various metal nucleophiles. The tert-alcohol moiety of the ionic liquid with a hexyl chain distance from polystyrene had a better catalytic activity compared to the other resin which lacked an alkyl linker and tert-alcohol moiety. We found that the maximum [mim-(OH)-O-t][OMs] loading had the best catalytic efficacy among the tested polystyrene-based ionic liquids (PSILs) in nucleophilic fluorination. The catalytic efficiency of the PS[him-(OH)-O-t][OMs] as a phase transfer catalyst (PTC) was determined by carrying out various nucleophilic substitutions using the corresponding alkali metal salts from the third to sixth periodic in CH3CN or tert-BuOH media. The scope of this protocol with primary and secondary polar substrates containing many heteroatoms is also reported. This PS [him-(OH)-O-t][OMs] catalyst not only enhances the reactivity of alkali metal salts and reduces the formation of by-products but also affords high yield with easy isolation.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c4ob01781a}, author = {Shinde, Sandip S. and Patil, Sunil N.} } @article { ISI:000336020400012, title = {Partitioned EOMEA-MBPT(2): an efficient N-5 scaling method for calculation of electron affinities}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {10}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {1923-1933}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We present an N-5 scaling modification to the standard EOMEA-CCSD method, based on the matrix partitioning technique and perturbative approximations. The method has lower computational scaling and smaller storage requirements than the standard EOMEA-CCSD method and, therefore, can be used to calculate electron affinities of large molecules and clusters. The performance and capabilities of the new method have been benchmarked with the standard EOMEA-CCSD method, for a test set of 20 small molecules, and the average absolute deviation is only 0.03 eV. The method is further used to investigate electron affinities of DNA and RNA nucleobases, and the results are in excellent agreement with the experimental values.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct4009409}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Gupta, Jitendra and Pathak, Himadri and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000330489600005, title = {PBI-BuI and PAN-PSSALi based UF membranes: effects of solute and membrane surface interactions on rejection and flux}, journal = {Desalination}, volume = {333}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {45-51}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Ultrafiltration membrane using tert-butylpolybenzimidazole (PBI-BuI) was prepared and characterized for flux and rejection performance using Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) with different molecular weights were used as the solutes. While using feed solution containing mixture of PEGs, higher rejection was observed than using individual PEG. The water flux of PBI-BuI membrane after passing individual PEG solutions showed considerable (similar to 36\%) reduction, which could be attributable to the PEG adsorption on the membrane pore surface. PEG adsorption was further substantiated by SEM, IR and TGA. The amphoteric nature of PBI-BuI could cause H-bonding between membrane surface and PEG molecules, leading to PEG adsorption on the membrane and pore surface. To ascertain this postulation, a study with PAN-PSSALi (which does not contain H-bonding) based UF membrane containing negatively charged -SO3- group was done. It was found that PEG adsorption in this case is not as predominant as in earlier case. This membrane showed marginal reduction in water flux of 8\%, vis-a-vis 36\% reduction shown by PBI-BuI based membrane. This indicated that H-bonding present in PBI-BuI is mainly responsible for the PEG adsorption on its membrane and pore surface, in spite of PEG being a neutral molecule. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gel permeation chromatography, Polybenzimidazole, Rejection, Solute adsorption, Ultrafiltration}, issn = {0011-9164}, doi = {10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.036}, author = {Bhagat, Deepti G. and Mule, Bhavana and Mandlekar, Neeraj and Pandare, Kiran and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000341226500016, title = {pH-Dependent single-step rapid synthesis of cuo and cu2o nanoparticles from the same precursor}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {14}, number = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4329-4334}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A single-step protocol to prepare Cu2O and CuO nanocrystalline particles from the same precursor by microwave irradiation has been developed using the pH of the solution as the only variable parameter. The utility of different bivalent Cu-precursors for synthesis of CuO and Cu2O nanoparticles was also investigated. The morphology, phase purity, and optical properties of these nanoparticles were analyzed using TEM, SEM, XRD, and optical spectroscopy. The band edges were determined using cyclic voltammetry. Field effect transistors based on CuO nanoparticles showed a hole mobility of 3.5 x 10(-2) cm(2) V-1 s(-1), making them a suitable candidate for energy-related applications. The effect of hydrazine vapor exposure on the IV-characteristics of CuO nanoparticles was also investigated. This revealed a decrease in source current with respect to time.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg500394p}, author = {Nikam, Arun V. and Arulkashmir, Arulraj and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Kulkarni, Amol A. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000332999800006, title = {Photoelectrochemical splitting of water with nanocrystalline Zn1-xMnxO thin films: first-principle DFT computations supporting the systematic experimental endeavor}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {39}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3637-3648}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Photoelectrochemical splitting of water with nanocrystalline Zn1-xMnxO thin films was investigated. ZnO thin films with 1, 3, 5 and 7\% at. Mn incorporation were synthesized by sol gel method and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Mn incorporation coupled with variation in sintering temperature led to significant microstructural changes, which tentatively influenced the magnitude of optical absorption and charge carrier mobility, thereby impacting the performance of such systems towards photoelectrochemical splitting of water. Electronic structure computations based on first principle density functional theory (DFT) revealed electronic states of Mn being responsible for the marginally recorded red shift in bandgap energy. Photoelectrochemical measurements using thin films of 1\% at. Mn:ZnO sintered at 600 degrees C yielded 3 times enhanced photocurrent at zero bias due to improved optical absorption. Plausible explanations for the effect have also been offered. Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, Hydrogen energy, Mn doped ZnO, Optical properties, Photoelectrochemical water splitting}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.12.150}, author = {Sharma, Vidhika and Dixit, Mudit and Satsangi, Vibha R. and Dass, Sahab and Pal, Sourav and Shrivastav, Rohit} } @conference { ISI:000352795700039, title = {Photo-enhanced field emission studies of tapered CdS nanobelts}, booktitle = {2014 27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC) }, series = {International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference}, year = {2014}, note = {27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC), Engelberg, SWITZERLAND, JUL 06-10, 2014}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {Paul Scherrer Inst; EMPA, Mat Sci \& Technol; Swiss Nanoscience Inst; Appl MicroSWISS; Amer Elements; Amer Vacuum Soc; IEEE, Electron Devices Soc}, organization = {Paul Scherrer Inst; EMPA, Mat Sci \& Technol; Swiss Nanoscience Inst; Appl MicroSWISS; Amer Elements; Amer Vacuum Soc; IEEE, Electron Devices Soc}, address = {345 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

Field emission and photo-enhanced field emission characteristics of single crystalline tapered CdS nanobelts have been investigated. The turn-on field for the emission current density of similar to 0.1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be similar to 2.1 V/mu m, which is much lower than reported values for various CdS nanostructures. The photo-enhanced field emission current shows a reproducible photo-switching behavior with rise in current level nearly four times that of its initial preset value (similar to 1 mu A) which is found to be very remarkable. Possible mechanism of photo-enhanced field emission is discussed.

}, keywords = {Current stability, field emission, Nanobelts, Photoswitching}, isbn = {978-1-4799-5306-6}, issn = {2164-2370}, author = {Chavan, Padmakar G. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Badadhe, Satish S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.}, editor = {Tsujino, S. and Gobrecht, J. and Paraliev, M. and Braun, H. H. and Groening, O. and Feurer, T.} } @article { ISI:000333205200008, title = {Photophysical and photoconductivity properties of thiol-functionalized graphene-CdSe QD composites}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {27}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {13788-13795}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Graphene-semiconductor QD hybrid nanostructure materials have recently emerged as a new class of functional materials because of their potential applications in solar energy conversion, optoelectronic devices, sensing etc. Here, oleic acid-capped CdSe QDs are attached to -PhSH functionalized graphene by ligand exchange via bonding with the -SH group. The shifting of the G-band and D-band due to structural changes for the attachment of QD with graphene has been evaluated by using Raman spectroscopy. Steady state photoluminescence (PL) and time resolved fluorescence measurements have been employed to understand the electronic interactions between graphene and CdSe QDs. A time resolved fluorescence spectroscopic study has been used to understand the fluorescence dynamics of the photoexcitated CdSe QDs in the presence of graphene. It is evident that the electron transfer occurs from photoexcited QDs to graphene and the electron transfer rate is found to be 12.8 x 10(8) s(-1) for 3.8 nm CdSe QDs. Photoconductivity properties of the graphene-QD device under illumination have been examined and it is to be noted that 2-3 fold increase in the photocurrent is found in this composite device in presence of 1.5 AM solar simulated light. The enhancement of the photocurrent in this hybrid device is found to be suitable for potential applications in optoelectronic and solar cell systems.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra47420h}, author = {Debgupta, Joyashish and Mandal, Sadananda and Kalita, Hemen and Aslam, Mohammed and Patra, Amitava and Pillai, Vijayamohanan} } @article { ISI:000328434500029, title = {Photopolymerization kinetics of bis-aromatic based urethane acrylate macromonomers in the presence of reactive diluent}, journal = {Progress in Organic Coatings}, volume = {77}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {225-231}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The present work deals with the photopolymerization of bis-aromatic based urethane acrylate macromonomers in the presence of excess end capping agent as reactive diluent and estimation of their kinetic parameters. Formulations were made by independently homogenizing the macromonomers with photoinitiators of three different classes. Three different compositions of photoinitiators were used to study the effect of concentration of photoinitiator on cure kinetics. These compositions obtained were tested for photo curing performance using photo DSC under polychromatic radiation. The heat flows against time were recorded for all formulations under isothermal condition and the rates of polymerization, peak maximum times as well as the percentage conversions were estimated. It was observed that due to a longer timescale for reaction diffusion, formulations with macromonomer containing propoxylated backbone showed higher conversions than the corresponding ethoxylated analogue. The photopolymerization and kinetic estimations of the formulations including evaluation of kinetic model are discussed. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bimolecular termination model, kinetics, Macromonomer, Photopolymerization}, issn = {0300-9440}, doi = {10.1016/j.porgcoat.2013.09.006}, author = {Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Ponrathnam, S. and Rajan, C. R.} } @article { ISI:000325450600001, title = {Photopolymerization of high internal phase emulsions based on 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylates and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate}, journal = {Designed Monomers and Polymers}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-6}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Photopolymerization of high internal phase emulsions based on 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylates and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate was carried out in presence of low concentration of different photoinitiators. The stable emulsions obtained by mixing with individual photoinitiators were subjected to low-intensity photopolymerization under UV-Visible lamp. Identical samples were irradiated for differing periods ranging from 2 to 10min at an interval of 2min. The percentage conversions of each monomer in the compositions with respect to the time of irradiation were determined using gas chromatography. It was observed that the formulations containing IRGACURE 819 showed the highest conversion while that containing IRGACURE 2959 showed the least conversion. The former showed high conversion due to the proximity of the absorption maxima of photoinitiator to the major emission line of mercury spectrum at 365nm while the latter showed least conversion due to non-availability of major absorption maxima within the irradiation range.

}, keywords = {(meth)acrylates, high internal phase emulsion, Photopolymerization, residual monomer analysis}, issn = {1385-772X}, doi = {10.1080/15685551.2013.771312}, author = {Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Shaikh, A. W. and Ponrathnam, S. and Rajan, C. R. and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram} } @conference {46367, title = {Photosensitive field emission study of SnS2 nanosheets (27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference )}, booktitle = {2014 27TH International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC)}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {Paul Scherrer Inst; EMPA, Mat Sci \& Technol; Swiss Nanoscience Inst; Appl MicroSWISS; Amer Elements; Amer Vacuum Soc; IEEE, Electron Devices Soc}, organization = {Paul Scherrer Inst; EMPA, Mat Sci \& Technol; Swiss Nanoscience Inst; Appl MicroSWISS; Amer Elements; Amer Vacuum Soc; IEEE, Electron Devices Soc}, address = {345 E 47TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

SnS2 nanosheets (SnS(2)NSs), synthesized by one-step hydrothermal reaction, are subjected to Field Emission (FE) studies. For synthesis, specific concentrations of Na2SnO3 and thioamide solution are used. The FE study is carried out in all metal Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) chamber in planar diode configuration at a base pressure of similar to 10(-8) torr. A maximum current density of 110 mu A/cm(2) was attainable. The turn on field required to draw a current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be 2.6 V/mu m. A separate study was carried out to investigate the photosensitivity of the emitter by illuminating the specimen under visible light. In dark, the FN plot is non-linear, indicative of semiconductor nature of the emitter. However, on illumination, the FN plot is observed to be linear. This remarkable change can be explained by the photoconductivity imparted on illumination. The field at the tip is high in presence of light, than in dark, due to enhanced conductivity. It is also observed that on switching ON the light, the FE current increases almost instantaneously. Repetitive switching is observed at a fixed applied voltage, generating current pulses. The visible light soaking of the sample is carried out by illuminating the lamp for more than 100 minutes, where the current seems to saturate. On switching off the lamp the emission current decayed almost to its initial value exponentially. The photosensitivity has been studied for different wavelengths in the visible spectra. The maximum photosensitive field emission is observed for green filter. With this photoresponse, it is envisaged that SnS2 nanosheets are a potential candidate for optoelectronic applications of field emitters.

}, keywords = {field emission, photosensitivity, Photoswitching}, isbn = {978-1-4799-5306-6}, author = {Joshi, Padmashree D. and Joag, Dilip S. and Rout, Chandra Shekhar and Late, Dattatray J.}, editor = {Tsujino, S and Gobrecht, J and Paraliev, M and Braun, HH and Groening, O and Feurer, T} } @article { ISI:000331020000010, title = {Polyketide synthesis in tobacco plants transformed with a plumbago zeylanica type III hexaketide synthase}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {98}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {92-100}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A type III polyketide synthase from Plumbago zeylanica (PzPKS) was cloned and expressed in tobacco plants to study whether the transgenic tobacco plants expressing PzPKS synthesize the pharmacologically important polyketide, plumbagin. High resolution mass spectrometry based metabolite profiling of two transgenic events and wild type tobacco plants was carried out to investigate changes in polyketides, including plumbagin. Ten polyketides, which included six pyrones and four naphthalene derivatives, were identified in PzPKS transgenic plants. While one pyrone, styry1-2-pyranone, was detected in both, wild type and transgenic tobacco plants, three pyrones were expressed only in the leaves of transgenic tobacco plants. The transgenic tobacco plants did not accumulate plumbagin, but showed accumulation of isoshinanolone in the roots, which is postulated to be the reduction product of plumbagin. In addition, leaves of transgenic tobacco plants accumulated 3-methyl-1,8-naphthalenediol, a postulated precursor of plumbagin. The results indicated the requirement of additional Plumbago-specific components in the biosynthetic pathway of this polyketide. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HR-MS, Metabolite profiling, Napthalene derivatives, Plumbago zeylanica L., Polyketide synthase, Pyrones, Tobacco transgenics}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.11.017}, author = {Jadhav, Supriya and Phapale, Prasad and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Bhargava, Sujata} } @article { ISI:000332124800027, title = {Post modification of MOF derived carbon via g-C3N4 entrapment for an efficient metal-free oxygen reduction reaction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {25}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3363-3366}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

High surface area carbon with a nitrogen content of 7.0\% is derived from MOF via in situ g-C3N4 formation. The material shows excellent ORR activity with an onset potential of 0.035 V (vs. Hg/HgO) in alkaline medium apart from high durability and strong disinclination towards methanol crossover.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc47620k}, author = {Pandiaraj, Sekar and Aiyappa, Harshitha Barike and Banerjee, Rahul and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000335757800015, title = {Preparation and characterization of silver particulate films on softened polystyrene and poly(4-vinylpyridine) blends}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials In Electronics}, volume = {25}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2501-2506}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Results of the investigations carried out on the optical properties of silver particulate films deposited at a rate of 0.4 nm/s on softened polystyrene and poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) blends held at 455 K are reported. Under the conditions of deposition, a sub-surface particulate structure is expected. It had been shown earlier that the morphology of the sub-surface particulate structure is dependent on polymer-metal interaction. In the present studies, an inert polymer like polystyrene (PS) is blended with an interacting polymer P4VP. The optical studies on the silver particulate films deposited on softened blends of PS/P4VP have been carried out. The results show a shift in plasmon resonance to higher wavelength with increasing P4VP concentration of the blends in comparison to that of the films deposited on pure PS. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study at two different electron take off angles indicates the formation of subsurface particulate structures for films deposited on blends.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-014-1902-6}, author = {Gurumurthy, S. C. and Pattabi, Manjunatha and Krishna, Shreedhar and Gaikwad, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000332485000048, title = {Probing the folding induction ability of orthanilic acid in peptides: some observations}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {25}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {13018-13025}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This paper describes the ability of orthanilic acid (2-aminobenzenesulfonic acid, (S)Ant) to promote folding when introduced in a peptide sequence. Three peptide sequences, containing orthanilic acid (SAnt) with a sulfonamide moiety in the turn segment, have been synthesized in the solution phase using suitable coupling agents, and their structural aspects investigated using NMR and X-ray crystallographic studies. Solid- and solution-state conformational analyses reveal that the peptide sequences containing orthanilic acid in their backbone exist in a folded conformation featuring long-range 15-membered ring H-bonding.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra47039c}, author = {Roy, Arup and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {46405, title = {Protecting group free and scalable approach towards total synthesis of (-)-venlafaxine}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {14468-14470}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A protecting group free asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-venlafaxine is reported. The strategy employs Sharpless epoxidation and regio-selective epoxide ring opening by an in situ generated Gilman reagent as key steps. This paper reports a 53\% overall yield in 6 steps for total synthesis of (-)-venlafaxine.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra00840e}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pawar, Kailash P. and Garai, Sumanta} } @article { ISI:000334421100007, title = {Protein-coated polymer as a matrix for enzyme immobilization: immobilization of trypsin on bovine serum albumin-coated allyl glycidyl ether-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate copolymer}, journal = {Biotechnology Progress}, volume = {30}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {317-323}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) copolymer with 25\% crosslink density (AGE-25) shows excellent bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption (up to 16\% (w/w)) at pH 8.0 and the adsorbed BSA is strongly bound. This protein-coated polymer provides a novel matrix with naturally existing functional groups such as thiol, amino, and carboxylic acid that are available for covalent immobilization of functional enzymes. Employing appropriate strategies, trypsin as a model protein was covalently bound to BSA-coated matrix both independently, and in a stepwise manner on the same matrix, with less than 5\% loss of enzyme activity during immobilization. Glutaraldehyde crosslinking after immobilization provide stable enzyme preparation with activity of 510 units/g recycled up to six times without loss of enzyme activity. AFM studies reveal that the polymer surface has protein peaks and valleys rather than a uniform monolayer distribution of the protein and the immobilized enzyme preparation can best be described as polymer supported cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs). (c) 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:317-323, 2014

}, keywords = {allyl glycidyl ether, Bovine serum albumin, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, Immobilization, Trypsin}, issn = {8756-7938}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.1871}, author = {Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Dola, Sandhya Rani and Kumaraguru, Thenkrishnan and Bajja, Sreedhar and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Addepally, Uma and Rajdeo, Kishor and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb} } @article {43330, title = {Proteomic analysis of human plasma in chronic rheumatic mitral stenosis reveals proteins involved in the complement and coagulation cascade}, journal = {Clinical Proteomics}, volume = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article Number: 35}, abstract = {Background: Rheumatic fever in childhood is the most common cause of Mitral Stenosis in developing countries. The disease is characterized by damaged and deformed mitral valves predisposing them to scarring and narrowing (stenosis) that results in left atrial hypertrophy followed by heart failure. Presently, echocardiography is the main imaging technique used to diagnose Mitral Stenosis. Despite the high prevalence and increased morbidity, no biochemical indicators are available for prediction, diagnosis and management of the disease. Adopting a proteomic approach to study Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis may therefore throw some light in this direction. In our study, we undertook plasma proteomics of human subjects suffering from Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis (n = 6) and Control subjects (n = 6). Six plasma samples, three each from the control and patient groups were pooled and subjected to low abundance protein enrichment. Pooled plasma samples (crude and equalized) were then subjected to in-solution trypsin digestion separately. Digests were analyzed using nano LC-MSE. Data was acquired with the Protein Lynx Global Server v2.5.2 software and searches made against reviewed Homo sapiens database (UniProtKB) for protein identification. Label-free protein quantification was performed in crude plasma only. }, doi = {10.1186/1559-0275-11-35}, author = {Mukherjee, Somaditya and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Banerjee, Tanima and Ghosh, Sudip K. and Biswas, Monodeep and Dutta, Santanu and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Pattari, Sanjib and Bandyopadhyay, Arun} } @article { ISI:000339880300021, title = {Proteomics of arsenic stress in the gram-positive organism Exiguobacterium sp PS NCIM 5463}, journal = {Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology}, volume = {98}, number = {15}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6761-6773}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The general responses of microorganisms to environmental onslaughts are modulated by altering the gene expression pattern to reduce damage in the cell and produce compensating stress responses. The present study attempts to unravel the response of the Gram-positive Exiguobacterium sp. PS NCIM 5463 in the presence of [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] using comparative proteomics via two-dimension gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with identification of proteins using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI-TOF/MALDI-TOF/TOF). Out of 926 Coomassie-stained proteins, 45 were differentially expressed (p \< 0.05). Considering the resolution and abundance level, 24 spots (peptides) were subjected to MALDI analysis, identified and categorised into several functional categories, viz., nitrogen metabolism, energy and stress regulators, carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis components and others. A functional role of each protein is discussed in Exiguobacterium sp. PS 5463 under arsenic stress and validated at their transcript level using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Unlike previous reports that unravel the responses toward arsenic stress in Gram-negative organisms, the present study identified new proteins under arsenic stress in a Gram-positive organism, Exiguobacterium sp. PS NCIM 5463, which could elucidate the physiology of organisms under arsenic stress.

}, keywords = {Arsenic, Exiguobacterium, proteomics, Stress, Transcriptomics}, issn = {0175-7598}, doi = {10.1007/s00253-014-5873-6}, author = {Sacheti, Poonam and Patil, Rajendra and Dube, Ankita and Bhonsle, Hemangi S. and Thombre, Dipalee and Marathe, Sayali and Vidhate, Ravindra and Wagh, Priyanka and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Rapole, Srikanth and Gade, Wasudeo N.} } @article { ISI:000336442600003, title = {Rapid efficient synthesis and characterization of silver, gold, and bimetallic nanoparticles from the medicinal plant plumbago zeylanica and their application in biofilm control}, journal = {International Journal of Nanomedicine}, volume = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2635-2653}, publisher = {DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD}, address = {PO BOX 300-008, ALBANY, AUCKLAND 0752, NEW ZEALAND}, abstract = {

Background: Nanoparticles (NPs) have gained significance in medical fields due to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio. In this study, we synthesized NPs from a medicinally important plant - Plumbago zeylanica. Materials and methods: Aqueous root extract of P. zeylanica (PZRE) was analyzed for the presence of flavonoids, sugars, and organic acids using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS), and biochemical methods. The silver NPs (AgNPs), gold NPs (AuNPs), and bimetallic NPs (AgAuNPs) were synthesized from root extract and characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The effects of these NPs on Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli biofilms were studied using quantitative biofilm inhibition and disruption assays, as well as using fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Results: PZRE showed the presence of phenolics, such as plumbagin, and flavonoids, in addition to citric acid, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and starch, using HPTLC, GC-TOF-MS, and quantitative analysis. Bioreduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) and chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) were confirmed at absorbances of 440 nm (AgNPs), 570 nm (AuNPs), and 540 nm (AgAuNPs), respectively. The maximum rate of synthesis at 50 degrees C was achieved with 5 mM AgNO3 within 4.5 hours for AgNPs; and with 0.7 mM HAuCl4 within 5 hours for AuNPs. The synthesis of AgAuNPs, which completed within 90 minutes with 0.7 mM AgNO3 and HAuCl4, was found to be the fastest. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed bioreduction, while EDS and XRD patterns confirmed purity and the crystalline nature of the NPs, respectively. TEM micrographs and DLS showed about 60 nm monodispersed Ag nanospheres, 20-30 nm Au nanospheres adhering to form Au nanotriangles, and about 90 nm hexagonal blunt-ended AgAuNPs. These NPs also showed antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against E. coli, A. baumannii, S. aureus, and a mixed culture of A. baumannii and S. aureus. AgNPs inhibited biofilm in the range of 96\%-99\% and AgAuNPs from 93\% to 98\% in single-culture biofilms. AuNPs also showed biofilm inhibition, with the highest of 98\% in S. aureus. AgNPs also showed good biofilm disruption, with the highest of 88\% in A. baumannii. Conclusion: This is the first report on rapid and efficient synthesis of AgNPs, AuNPs and AgAuNPs from P. zeylanica and their effect on quantitative inhibition and disruption of bacterial biofilms.

}, keywords = {AgAuNPs, AgNPs, AuNPs, biofilm inhibition and disruption, GC-TOF-MS, P. zeylanica}, issn = {1178-2013}, doi = {10.2147/IJN.S59834}, author = {Salunke, Gayatri R. and Ghosh, Sougata and Kumar, R. J. Santosh and Khade, Samiksha and Vashisth, Priya and Kale, Trupti S. and Chopade, Snehal and Pruthi, Vikas and Kundu, Gopal and Bellare, Jayesh R. and Chopade, Balu Ananda} } @article { ISI:000342254500047, title = {Reaction between lawsone and aminophenol derivatives: synthesis, characterization, molecular structures and antiproliferative activity}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1075}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {397-405}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Reaction between two bioreductive reactants lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-napthoquinone) and derivatives 2-aminophenol without catalyst is reported. The reaction between lawsone and 4-chloro-2-aminophenol leads to formation of red colored major product 1A:[2-[(5-chloro-hydroxyphenyl)amino]naphthalene-1,4-dione] and fluorescent orange colored minor compound 1B:[10-chloro-benzo[alpha]phenoxazine-5-one]. Molecular structure of 1A and 1B were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Two mechanisms were proposed to the formation of red 1A and 1B. {\textquoteleft}Ortho-para{\textquoteright} tautomeric equilibrium was observed in DMSO-d(6) solution in 1A, which was revealed by H-1, C-13 NMR and LC-MS studies. Molecules of 1A formed dimers via N-H center dot center dot center dot O interaction and polymeric chain of dimers was formed by OH center dot center dot center dot O interactions. Cl center dot center dot center dot Cl interactions were observed between the polymeric chains of dimers in 1A. Molecules of 1B show Cl center dot center dot center dot N interaction. Antiproliferative properties is studied for 1A-5A compounds (obtained by the reaction of lawsone with 2-amino-4-methylpheno1;2A, 2-aminopheno1;3A, 3-aminophenol;4A and 4-aminophenol;5A) and evaluated against two cancer cell lines, THP1 (human monocytic leukemia cells) and COLO205 (colorectal adenocarcinoma) and one normal cell line, HEK293T (human embryonic kidney). The values of 50\% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of compounds 1A-5A was determined using XTT assay. The cytotoxic effects of compounds 2A and 3A were observed against COLO205 and compounds 4A and 5A on THP1 were observed to be higher in comparison to their effect on HEK293T cell lines. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aminonaphthoquinone, Aminophenol, Benzo[alpha]phenoxazine, Cl center dot center dot center dot N interactions, Lawsone, pi-pi stacking interaction}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2014.07.007}, author = {Kathawate, Laxmi and Joshi, Pranya V. and Dash, Tapan Kumar and Pal, Sanjima and Nikalje, Milind and Weyhermueller, Thomas and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Konkimalla, V. Badireenath and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article { ISI:000329385800009, title = {Reaction kinetics and modeling of photoinitiated cationic polymerization of an alicyclic based diglycidyl ether}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments \& Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms}, volume = {318}, number = {B}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {263-268}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Photoinitiated cationic polymerization of cycloaliphatic diepoxides had received tremendous attention, while studies with lesser polymerizable diglycidyl ethers are comparatively less reported. The present work deals with the photoinitiated cationic polymerization of cyclohexane dimethanol diglycidyl ether followed by estimation of kinetic parameters. The effects of concentration of photoinitiator and temperature on curing performance were studied using photo differential scanning calorimeter or photo DSC with polychromatic radiation. It was observed that the rate of polymerization as well as ultimate conversion increased with increasing concentration of photoinitiator and temperature. The influences of gelation as well as diffusional restrictions have remarkable effect on cure performance. The kinetic parameters as per autocatalytic kinetic model were studied by Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear regression method instead of conventional linear method for obtaining more accurate values of apparent rate constant. It was observed that the model fits with data from initial stages to almost towards the end of the reaction. The activation energy was found to be higher than the values reported for more reactive cycloaliphatic diepoxides. The value of pre-exponential factor increased with increase in activation energy showing influence of gelation at early stages of reaction. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Autocatalytic model, kinetics, Levenberg-Marquardt method, Photopolymerization}, issn = {0168-583X}, doi = {10.1016/j.nimb.2013.10.004}, author = {Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Ponrathnam, S. and Tambe, S. S.} } @article {46363, title = {Relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method: application to closed-shell atomic systems}, journal = {Physical Review Applied}, volume = {89}, year = {2014}, month = {APR }, pages = {042510}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report our successful implementation of the relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOMCC) method. This method is employed to compute the principal ionization potentials (IPs) of closed-shell rare-gas atoms, He-like ions, Be-like ions, along with Na+, Al+, K+, Be, andMg. Four-component Dirac spinors are used in the calculations, and the one-and two-electron integrals are evaluated using the Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian. Our results are in excellent agreement with available measurements, which are taken from the National Institute of Science and Technology database. The accuracies of the calculations are estimated to be within one half of a percent for He-like and Be-like ions and 1\% for the heavier systems. We also present results using the second-order many-body perturbation theory and random-phase approximation in the EOMCC framework. These results are compared with those of EOMCC at the level of single and double excitations in order to assess the role of the electron correlation effects in the intermediate schemes considered in our calculations.

}, issn = {2469-9926}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.89.042510}, author = {Pathak, Himadri and Sahoo, B. K. and Das, B. P. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42640, title = {Relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method for the double-ionization potentials of closed-shell atoms}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {90}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article No. 010501}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.90.010501}, author = {Pathak, Himadri and Ghosh, Aryya and Sahoo, B. K. and Das, B. P. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000346385900016, title = {Relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method for the ionization problem: application to molecules}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {90}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article No. 062501}, publisher = {AMER PHYSICAL SOC}, address = {ONE PHYSICS ELLIPSE, COLLEGE PK, MD 20740-3844 USA}, abstract = {

We report the implementation of the four-component spinor relativistic equation-of-motion (EOM) coupled-cluster method within the single- and double-excitation approximation to calculate the ionization potential of molecules. We have applied this method to calculate vertical ionization potentials of the molecules XH (X = F, Cl, Br, I) along with Cl-2 and Br-2 in their closed-shell configuration. We have also presented intermediate results using the second-order many-body perturbation-theory level in the EOM framework to understand the role of electron correlation. All the calculated values are compared with the available experimental results. Our results are found to be in good agreement with sophisticated experiments, and relative deviation of less than 1\% is achieved for all the considered systems.

}, issn = {1050-2947}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.90.062501}, author = {Pathak, Himadri and Sasmal, Sudip and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000341976100014, title = {Relativistic spectroscopy of plasma-embedded Li-like systems with screening effects in two-body Debye potentials}, journal = {Journal of Physics B-Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics}, volume = {47}, number = {17}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {175701}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The spectroscopic properties of Li atoms and Li-like Ca and Ti ions in the plasma environment are investigated using a relativistic coupled-cluster (RCC) method. Assuming that the plasma is of low density and very hot, we consider the Debye model with two approximations to account for the screening effects: (i) in the nuclear potential alone and (ii) in both the nuclear and the electron-electron interaction potentials. Also, calculations for the energies and the lifetimes of the atomic states are carried out for plasma-free systems to check their accuracy, after which they are investigated in the plasma environment. It is observed that screenings in the electron-electron interaction potentials stabilize the systems more than when the screenings are present only in the nuclear potential. Similarly, the blue and red shifts in the Delta n = 0 and Delta n not equal 0 transition lines (with the principal quantum number n) of the Li-like ions observed in the (i) approximation are altered in the (ii) approximation. The level crossings among the energy levels are observed for large screening effects and are found to be prominent in the states of higher orbital angular momentum. The lifetimes of many low-lying states of the allowed transitions are estimated by considering different plasma screening strengths.

}, keywords = {atomic Spectroscopy, Debye model, relativistic method}, issn = {0953-4075}, doi = {10.1088/0953-4075/47/17/175701}, author = {Das, Madhulita and Sahoo, B. K. and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000343847000023, title = {Role of G-quadruplex located at 5 end of mRNAs}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1840}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3503-3510}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Background: Secondary structures in 5{\textquoteright} UTR of mRNAs play a critical role in regulating protein synthesis. Though studies have indicated the role of secondary structure G-quadruplex in translational regulation, position-specific effect of G-quadruplex in naturally occurring mRNAs is still not understood. As a pre-initiation complex recognises 5{\textquoteright} cap of the mRNA and scans along the untranslated region (UTR) before initiating translation, the presence of G-quadruplex in 5{\textquoteright} region may have a significant contribution in regulating translation. Here, we investigate the role of G-quadruplex located at the 5{\textquoteright} end of an mRNA. Methods: Biophysical characterisation of putative G-quadruplexes was performed using UV and CD spectroscopy. Functional implication of G-quadruplex in the context of their location was assessed in cellulo using gRT-PCR and dual luciferase assay system. Results: PG4 sequences in 5{\textquoteright} UTR of AICT interacting protein (AKTIP), cathepsin B (CTSB) and forkhead box E3 (FOXE3) mRNAs form G-quadruplex whereas it is unable to form G-quadruplex in apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (APOA1BP). Our results demonstrated diverse roles of G-quadruplex located at 5{\textquoteright} end of mRNAs. Though G-quadruplex in AKTIP and CTSB mRNA act as inhibitory modules, it activates translation in FOXE3 mRNA. Conclusions: Our works suggests that G-quadruplex present at the 5{\textquoteright} terminal of an mRNA behaves differently in a different gene context. It can activate or inhibit gene expression. General significance: This study demonstrated that it is difficult to predict the role of G-quadruplex on the basis of its position in 5{\textquoteright} UTR. The neighbouring nucleotide sequence, the intracellular milieu and the interacting partners might render diverse functions to this secondary structure. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {AKTIP, APOA1BP, CTSB, FOXE3, G-quadruplex, UTR}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.08.017}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000336899800007, title = {Role of iron oxide impurities in electrocatalysis by multiwall carbon nanotubes: An investigation using a novel magnetically modified ITO electrodes}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {37}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {221-226}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

The role of iron oxide impurities in the electrocatalytic properties of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) prepared by catalytic chemical vapour decomposition method (CCVD) is studied in detail. A novel magnetically modified electrodes have been developed by which MWCNTs were immobilized on indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, without any chemical binders. The electro-catalytic oxidation of dopamine, and reduction of hydrogen peroxide have been studied by cyclic voltammetry on magnetically modified electrodes with (i) MWCNTs with occluded iron oxide impurities (Fe-MWCNTs), (ii) MWCNTs grown on iron oxide nanoparticle particulate films (Io-MWCNTs) and (iii) pristine iron oxide nanoparticle particulate film (Io-NPs). A shift towards less positive potentials for the oxidation of dopamine was observed which is in the order of Fe-MWCNTs \< Io-MWCNTs \< Io-NPs. Similarly, trend towards less negative potentials for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide was observed. Thus, the electrocatalytic activities displayed by MWCNTs have been attributed to the iron oxide impurities associated with it. The systematic variation was related to the nature of interaction of iron oxide nanoparticles with MWCNT surface.

}, keywords = {dopamine, Hydrogen peroxide, iron oxide nanoparticles, magnetically-modified electrode, Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)}, issn = {0250-4707}, author = {Samant, Kanchan M. and Joshi, Vrushali S. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Haram, Santosh K.} } @article { ISI:000341339300024, title = {Second generation, arginine-rich (R-X {\textquoteleft}-R)(4)-type cell-penetrating alpha-omega-alpha-peptides with constrained, chiral omega-amino acids (X {\textquoteleft}) for enhanced cargo delivery into cells}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {24}, number = {17}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4198-4202}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The syntheses of novel N-aminoalkyl proline-derived spacers (X{\textquoteright}) in polycationic (R-X{\textquoteright}-R)-motif cell-penetrating alpha-omega-alpha-peptides are described as improved molecular transporters and their structural features studied by CD. FACS analysis shows enhanced cellular uptake and confocal microscopy indicates predominantly cytoplasmic localization. The oligomers are efficient at transporting pDNA into cells. The chirality together with the hydrophobicity and flexibility derived from the spacer chain are found to have marked influence on the cell-penetrating and cargo delivery properties of the cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). The peptides containing N-(3-aminopropyl)-D-proline spacers are found to be the best at cell penetration and cargo delivery in the present study. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(R-X-R)-motif, alpha-omega-alpha-Peptide, Cell-penetrating peptide, Constrained chiral amino acid, Peptidomimetics}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2014.07.040}, author = {Patil, Kiran M. and Naik, Rangeetha J. and Vij, Manika and Yadav, Amit K. and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Ganguli, Munia and Fernandes, Moneesha} } @article { ISI:000330901700003, title = {Selection of phytase producing yeast strains for improved mineral mobilization and dephytinization of chickpea flour}, journal = {Journal of Food Biochemistry}, volume = {38}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {18-27}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Among 600 yeast isolates screened for phytase production, five (Zygosaccharomyces bisporusNCIM 3265 and 3296, Williopsis saturnusNCIM 3298, Zygosaccharomyces priorionusNCIM 3299 and Schizosaccharomyces octosporusNCIM 3297) were selected as potential phytase producers. Phytase activity was found to be cell wall associated with temperature and pH optima of 50C and 4.0, respectively. Highest phytase production was attained in cane juice medium as compared with other media used. Addition of phytase to chickpea flour significantly enhanced mineral mobilization by approximately 20-28\%, 26-37\% and 24-42\% for Zn2+, Fe2+ and Ca2+, respectively, and decreased phytic acid content by about 75-88\%.

}, issn = {0145-8884}, doi = {10.1111/jfbc.12020}, author = {Pable, A. and Gujar, P. and Khire, Jayant Malhar} } @article { ISI:000330542900022, title = {Sequential electrochemical unzipping of single-walled carbon nanotubes to graphene ribbons revealed by in situ Raman spectroscopy and imaging}, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {234-242}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report an in situ Raman spectroscopic and microscopic investigation of the electrochemical unzipping of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Observations of the radial breathing modes (RBMs) using Raman spectral mapping reveal that metallic SWNTs are opened up rapidly followed by gradual unzipping of semiconducting SWNTs. Consideration of the resonant Raman scattering theory suggests that two metallic SWNTs with chiralities (10,4) and (12, 0) get unzipped first at a lower electrode potential (036 V) followed by the gradual unzipping of another two metallic tubes, (9, 3) and (10, 1), at a relatively higher potential (1.16 V). The semiconducting SWNTs with chiralities (11, 7) and (12, 5), however, get open up gradually at +/- 1.66 V. A rapid decrease followed by a subsequent gradual decrease in the metallicity of the SWNT ensemble as revealed from a remarkable variation of the peak width of the G band complies well with the variations of RBM. Cyclic voltammetry also gives direct evidence for unzipping in terms of improved capacitance after oxidation followed by more important removal of oxygen functionalities during the reduction step, as reflected in subtle changes of the morphology confirming the formation of graphene nanoribbons. The density functional-based tight binding calculations show additional dependence of chirality and diameter of nanotubes on the epoxide binding energies, which is in agreement with the Raman spectroscopic results and suggests a possible mechanism of unzipping determined by combined effects of the structural characteristics of SWNTs and applied field.

}, keywords = {density functional-based tight binding calculations, Electrochemistry, graphene, Raman spectral mapping, single-walled carbon nanotubes}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/nn403289g}, author = {John, Robin and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Liu, Lili and Ding, Feng and Xu, Zhiping and Vijayan, Cherianath and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Pradeep, Thalappil} } @article { ISI:000341004800003, title = {Simple, economical, and environmentally benign protocol for the synthesis of 2-amino-3,5-dicarbonitrile-6-sulfanylpyridines at ambient temperature}, journal = {Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {228-235}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple, economical, and environmentally benign protocol has been described for one-pot synthesis of medicinally privileged 2-amino-3,5-dicarbonitrile-6-sulfanylpyridines by three-component condensation between aldehyde, malononitrile, and thiol using diethylamine as a catalyst. Ambient temperature and avoidance of conventional work-up as well as purification procedure qualify this cost-effective protocol for {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}green synthesis.{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}

}, keywords = {5-dicarbonitriles, diethylamine, green chemistry, multicomponent reactions, organocatalyst, pyridine-3}, issn = {1751-8253}, doi = {10.1080/17518253.2014.925144}, author = {Desai, Uday V. and Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Pandit, Kapil S. and Kulkarni, Aparna M. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000336351800043, title = {Solar photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using doped TiO2 nanoparticles}, journal = {Solar Energy}, volume = {103}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {473-479}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Doped-TiO2 nanoparticles (M:TiO2: Fe, Zn, Zr, Sb, Ce and nM:TiO2: B, C, N, P, S) with anatase structure were prepared by sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Brunauer-Teller method (BET), UV-Vis diffuses reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Results revealed that the anatase structure is highly stable for all doped TiO2 prepared compounds with enhancement in the surface area. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra showed that these dopants were responsible for narrowing the band gap of TiO2 and shifting its optical response from ultraviolet to visible-light region. The photocatalytic activities of these multi-doped TiO2 catalysts were investigated by degradation methylene blue in aqueous solution under solar-light illumination. The results showed an appreciable enhancement in the photoactivity of the C-doped TiO2 as compared to other multi-doped TiO2 because of the formation of Ti+3 species which prevent the recombination of electron-hole pairs in C-doped TiO2. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Carbon, iron, Methylene blue, Solar photocatalysis}, issn = {0038-092X}, doi = {10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.043}, author = {Bhosale, R. R. and Pujari, S. R. and Muley, G. G. and Patil, S. H. and Patil, K. R. and Shaikh, M. F. and Gambhire, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000341544200034, title = {Sol-gel assisted fabrication of collagen hydrolysate composite scaffold: a novel therapeutic alternative to the traditional collagen scaffold}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {6}, number = {17}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {15015-15025}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Collagen is one of the most widely used biomaterial for various biomedical applications. In this Research Article, we present a novel approach of using collagen hydrolysate, smaller fragments of collagen, as an alternative to traditionally used collagen scaffold. Collagen hydrolysate composite scaffold (CHCS) was fabricated with sol-gel transition procedure using tetraethoxysilane as the silica precursor. CHCS exhibits porous morphology with pore sizes varying between 380 and 780 mu m. Incorporation of silica conferred CHCS with controlled biodegradation and better water uptake capacity. Notably, 3T3 fibroblast proliferation was seen to be significantly better under CHCS treatment when compared to treatment with collagen scaffold. Additionally, CHCS showed excellent antimicrobial activity against the wound pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli due to the inherited antimicrobial activity of collagen hydrolysate. In vivo wound healing experiments with full thickness excision wounds in rat model demonstrated that wounds treated with CHCS showed accelerated healing when compared to wounds treated with collagen scaffold. These findings indicate that the CHCS scaffold from collagen fragments would be an effective and affordable alternative to the traditionally used collagen structural biomaterials.

}, keywords = {collagen, collagen hydrolysate, scaffold, sol-gel, tissue engineering, wound Healing}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am502948g}, author = {Ramadass, Satiesh Kumar and Perumal, Sathiamurthi and Gopinath, Arun and Nisal, Anuya and Subramanian, Saravanan and Madhan, Balaraman} } @article { ISI:000335559100055, title = {Solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous manganese oxide with enhanced catalytic activity for veratryl alcohol oxidation}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {37}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {19450-19455}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Catalyst activities of manganese and cobalt oxides prepared by solvothermal and co-precipitation methods were studied for veratryl alcohol oxidation. Manganese oxides showed higher activity performance than that of cobalt oxides irrespective of the method of preparation. The solvothermal method yielded mesoporous manganese oxide without using any template giving mixed phases of monoclinic Mn5O8 and hausmannite Mn3O4. The mesoporous manganese oxide exhibited excellent activity for liquid phase aerobic oxidation of veratryl alcohol under base free conditions, with 90\% conversion and almost complete selectivity towards veratraldehyde. The detailed characterization results on morphology, size and composition of the prepared mesoporous manganese oxide obtained by XRD, XPS, H-2-TPR, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, FESEM and HR-TEM techniques were used to understand the role of morphological and structural features in enhancement of the observed catalytic activity.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra00184b}, author = {Jha, Ajay and Chandole, Tejansh and Pandya, Rajan and Roh, Hyun-Seog and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000344384000010, title = {Static and dynamic photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties of uniform, monodispersed up/down-converting, highly luminescent, lanthanide-ion-doped beta-NaYF4 phosphor microcrystals with controlled multiform morphologies}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {2}, number = {45}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {19189-19200}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Lanthanide-ion-doped, single-crystalline hexagonal phase NaYF4 microcrystals with multiform morphologies, such as microrods, hexagonal microprisms, and spindle-like structures, were fabricated via a cationic/anionic binary capping agent system: CTAB and a tri-sodium citrate-assisted hydrothermal route. The influence of synthesis conditions on the crystalline morphology was studied and the possible growth mechanisms are presented systematically. The down-conversion and up-conversion photoluminescence (PL) properties of beta-NaYF4:Ln(3+) (Ln = Tb, Yb/Er, and Yb/Tm) were investigated. The static and dynamic PL studies of beta-NaYF4:5\% Tb3+ showed strong dependence of luminescent properties on the crystalline morphology. Furthermore, the beta-NaYF4:5\% Tb3+ phosphors exhibited efficient photocatalytic activity under UV as well as solar light irradiation, and showed enhanced selectivity towards methylene blue. Moreover, the morphological effect on the photocatalytic activity of beta-NaYF4:5\% Tb3+ crystals has also been studied. The high luminescence efficiency and strong photocatalytic activity of beta-NaYF4:5\% Tb3+ make them a potential phosphor material and promise to provide a gateway into other applications as in biology and materials sciences.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c4ta04274c}, author = {Padhye, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000341653300004, title = {Status of membrane distillation for water and wastewater treatment-a review}, journal = {Desalination and Water Treatment}, volume = {52}, number = {28-30}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5199-5218}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising separation technique for water treatment. It is a nonisothermal process known since 1963. However, this technology still needs to be developed for its industrial implementation for different purposes. This paper presents a status review of MD based on the available published literatures and on preliminary analysis. The review covers the concept, membranes and modules design, configurations, performance parameters, fouling phenomena, the heat and mass transfer phenomena, applications, energy assessment, heat integration, and Memstill technology of MD process. Earlier study indicates that the permeate quality obtained by MD is stable and practically independent on the feed concentrations. The permeate flux is strongly affected by the feed temperature, feed flow rate, vacuum pressure in vacuum MD, and the boundary layer heat transfer coefficient. The permeate flux obtained in the literature of MD process is disagree by an order of enormity and hence better experimental work is needed. The less attention was found in the literature towards the removal of organic and inorganic toxic constituents from the groundwater by MD process.

}, keywords = {Fouling, Membrane configuration, Membrane design, Membrane distillation, wastewater}, issn = {1944-3994}, doi = {10.1080/19443994.2013.808422}, author = {Pangarkar, Bhausaheb L. and Sane, Mukund G. and Parjane, Saroj B. and Guddad, Mahendra} } @article { ISI:000338423600051, title = {Structure function attributes of gold nanoparticle vaccine association: effect of particle size and association temperature}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmaceutics}, volume = {471}, number = {1-2}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {439-448}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Many biotherapeutic applications of gold nanoparticles make use of conjugated or adsorbed protein moieties. Physical parameters of association such as particle size, morphology, surface chemistry and temperature influences the protein-nanoparticle association and thereby their interaction with the biological environment. In present study, effect of size of chitosan reduced gold nanoparticles (CsAuNPs) and association temperature on structure and function of tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine has been investigated. CsAuNPs were synthesized in the sizes of 20 + 3, 40 + 5 and 80 + 7 nm followed by loading of TT. Binding process of CsAuNPs with TT was investigated at their predetermined micro molar concentrations. Upon binding of TT onto CsAuNPs, particle surface was characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. CD spectroscopic evaluation of TT bound 20 nm CsAuNPs led to 75\% reduction in secondary structure of TT and thereby compromised immune function. Binding of TT with 40 and 80 nm sized CsAuNPs did not cause significant modifications in secondary structure or function of TT. Thermodynamic studies using temperature dependent fluorescence spectroscopy revealed an increase in association constants with the temperature. Based on thermodynamic data three phases in CsAuNPs and TT association process were traced. Samples from these distinct phases were also investigated for immunological recognition. Ex-vivo interaction of TT-CsAuNPs with TT positive and negative sera followed by relative change in particle size and zeta potential was studied. The findings here suggests prominent role of particle size and association temperature on adsorbed TT structure and function. Such studies may help in engineering functional nanotherapeutics. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Association thermodynamics, Gold nanoparticle, Nanoparticle protein interaction, Structure function studies, Vaccine formulation}, issn = {0378-5173}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.06.002}, author = {Barhate, Ganesh A. and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Jadhav, Suresh S. and Pokharkar, Varsha B.} } @article {46378, title = {Structure of highly active BSH enzyme with subordinated post-translational excision}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {C272}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {Bile salt hydrolase, Mutagenesis, X-ray crystallography}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Chand, Deepak and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000332188200009, title = {Structure, stability, and properties of the trans peroxo nitrate radical: the importance of nondynamic correlation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {118}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1350-1362}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report a comparative single-reference and multireference coupled-cluster investigation on the structure, potential energy surface, and IR spectroscopic properties of the trans peroxo nitrate radical, one of the key intermediates in stratospheric NOx chemistry. The previous single-reference ab initio studies predicted an unbound structure for the trans peroxo nitrate radical. However, our Fock space multireference coupled-cluster calculation confirms a bound structure for the trans peroxo nitrate radical, in accordance with the experimental results reported earlier. Further, the analysis of the potential energy surface in FSMRCC method indicates a well-behaved minima, contrary to the shallow minima predicted by the single-reference coupled-cluster method. The harmonic force field analysis, of various possible isomers of peroxo nitrate also reveals that only the trans structure leads to the experimentally observed IR peak at 1840 cm(-1). The present study highlights the critical importance of nondynamic correlation in predicting the structure and properties of high-energy stratospheric NOx radicals.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/jp409218c}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Dar, Manzoor and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000344998700012, title = {Structure-property relationship in charge transporting behaviour of room temperature liquid crystalline perylenebisimides}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {2}, number = {46}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9882-9891}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A homologous series of pentadecyl phenol functionalized perylenebisimide (PBI) terminated with trialkoxy gallate esters was synthesized, where the terminal alkyl chain length was varied from n = 4 to 12 (PBI-En). The thermotropic liquid crystalline (LC) characteristics of the molecules were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM) combined with variable temperature wide angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) techniques. A clear odd-even oscillation was observed in the melting as well as isotropization enthalpies as a function of alkyl spacer length in the terminal gallate unit, with the even spacers exhibiting higher values. The higher members of the series with n \> 8 exhibited thermotropic liquid crystalline textures in the PLM, which remained stable until room temperature. The nature of the LC phase was identified to be columnar rectangular and columnar hexagonal based on detailed analysis of the WXRD pattern recorded in the LC phase. The WXRD pattern of the room temperature LC frozen samples indicated a nearly constant intra columnar stack distance of similar to 3.7 angstrom for all the members. The space-charge-limited current (SCLC) values of the LC frozen sample films were analyzed for dependence of the bulk mobility estimate on the nature of the LC phase. The columnar hexagonal phase exhibited a mobility value one order (10(-3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1)) higher than that of crystalline (10(-4) cm(2) V-1 s(-1)) and two orders higher than that of columnar rectangular phase (10(-5) cm(2) V-1 s(-1)), indicating a strong dependence of packing on bulk mobility.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/c4tc01806k}, author = {Prajitha, K. P. and Chithiravel, Sundaresan and Krishnamoorthy, K. and Asha, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000335660200006, title = {Studies on morphology of polyaniline films formed at liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces at 25 and 5 A degrees C, respectively, and effect of doping}, journal = {Colloid and Polymer Science}, volume = {292}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1079-1089}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

It is well accepted that the morphology of the nanomaterials has great effect on the properties and hence their applications. Therefore, morphology of materials has become a focus of research in the scientific world. The present study shows that interfacial polymerization and subsequent self-assembly provides a control over the morphology, nanorod/nanosheet, of polyaniline (PANI) films synthesized by liquid-liquid interface reaction technique and solid-liquid interface reaction technique. The synthesized PANI films and its particulate structure are characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques such as UV-visible, ATR-IR, Raman and XPS. The study confirmed the formation, the structure, the size and shape of particles and morphology of PANI by using analytical techniques namely, SAED, SEM and TEM. An important observation is that doping with HCl significantly improves the nanorod formation at the interface. The doped PANI electrode exhibits a higher area with rectangular shape in CV cycle and better cycle stability when compared with the performance of undoped PANI films. We believe that the results of these studies can give valuable leads to manoeuvre formation of PANI films with desired morphology for various applications.

}, keywords = {interfacial polymerization, Liquid-liquid interface, Nanorods, nanosheets, polyaniline, Self-assembly, Solid-liquid interface, Thin films}, issn = {0303-402X}, doi = {10.1007/s00396-013-3150-3}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Patil, Sagar H. and Jahagirdar, Mandar M. and Patil, Virendra S. and Waichal, Rupali P. and Malkhede, Dipalee D. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000341464100041, title = {Surface studies on benzophenone doped PDMS microstructures fabricated using KrF excimer laser direct write lithography}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {314}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {292-300}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

his paper discusses microfabrication process for benzophenone doped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using laser lithography. KrF excimer laser of 248 nm with 20 ns pulse width at repetition rate of 1 Hz was used for microfabrication of undoped and benzophenone doped PDMS. The doped-PDMS shows sensitivity below 365 nm, permitting processing under ambient light. The analysis of etch depth revealed that doped PDMS shows self developable sensitivity at lower fluence of similar to 250 mJ/cm(2). The unexposed and exposed surface was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Spectrocopic analysis indicated increase in C-O, C=O, Si-O-3 and Si-O-4 bonding at the expense of Si-C and Si-O-2 bonds of PDMS. In case of laser exposed doped-PDMS, removal of benzophenone from probe depth of spectroscopy was observed. Whereas the surface morphology of exposed and unexposed doped-PDMS was observed to be same, indicating clean development of PDMS micropattems. The present study indicates that addition of 3.0 wt.\% benzophenone in PDMS enhance self development sensitivity of PDMS. The self developable results on doped-PDMS are quite encouraging for its potential use in point of care Lab-On-Chip applications, for fabricating micropattems using direct write laser lithography technology.\ 

}, keywords = {Direct write laser lithography, Microfabrication, micropatterning, Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.06.054}, author = {Kant, Madhushree Bute and Shinde, Shashikant D. and Bodas, Dhananjay S. and Patil, K. R. and Sathe, V. G. and Adhi, K. P. and Gosavi, S. W.} } @article { ISI:000364541100006, title = {Syntheses, X-ray structures, catalytic activity and magnetic properties of two new coordination polymers of Co(II) and Ni(II) based on benzenedicarboxylate and linear N,N {\textquoteleft}-donor Schiff base linkers}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {1}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {414-425}, abstract = {

{Two isostructural coordination polymers based on Co(II) and Ni(II), {[M(azpy)(3)(p-bdc)(2)(H2O)(4)]center dot(CH3OH)(2)(H2O)(3)}(n) [where M = Co (1) and Ni (2); azpy = N,N{\textquoteright}-bis-pyridin-4-ylmethylene-hydrazine and p-bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate], have been synthesized using mixed ligand systems at room temperature and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and other physicochemical methods. Structure determination reveals that both the complexes crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c and exhibit one-dimensional (1D) ladder like structures constructed by p-bdc and azpy ligands in which Schiff base (azpy) linkers serve as a bridging as well as pendent ligands. These pendent ligands are involved in H-bonding and pi-pi interactions with lattice water, methanol molecules and bridging azpy ligands, to form the 3D supramolecular structure. Notably, both the frameworks efficiently catalyze the Knoevenagel condensation reactions of a wide range of substituted benzaldehydes with active methylene compounds in heterogeneous medium under environmentally friendly conditions and the products were obtained in excellent yields. These catalysts were also found to exhibit excellent recyclability and re-usability without any significant loss of activity. A variable temperature magnetic study of both compounds was carried out and their magnetic properties justified on the basis of their crystal structure.

}, author = {Bhattacharya, Biswajit and Maity, Dilip Kumar and Pachfule, Pradip and Colacio, Enrique and Ghoshal, Debajyoti} } @article { ISI:000343341100006, title = {Synthesis and characterization of hypercrosslinked hydroxyl functionalized co-polymer beads}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {59}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {46-58}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Hydroxyl functionalized beaded copolymers were synthesized from 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate by suspension polymerization using two different crosslinking agents (EDMA, DVB) and diluents (1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,2-dichlorobenzene). Microporous beads with high surface area were successfully synthesized and characterized by different techniques. Maximum surface area obtained was 564 m(2)/g bearing uniform, spherical as well as non-aggregation images of beads. Thermal properties such as DTG and DSC reveal that, type of crosslinker (flexible/rigid) is major while its concentration is minor parameter that affect decomposition and softening temperature of copolymer. Swelling ratio of copolymer beads was examined as a function of crosslinker and crosslink density. Swelling behavior is in accordance with copolymer-solvent interaction parameter. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Copolymer, Morphology, surface area, Suspension polymerization, Swelling ratio}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2014.07.001}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000332351800006, title = {Synthesis and in situ observation of 3D super lattices of gold nanoparticles using oil-in-water emulsion}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {420}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {41-49}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

In this work oil-in-water emulsion has been successfully used as a confined environment to grow 3D superlattices of gold nanoparticles. The superlattices were grown from 5 nm uniform gold nanoparticles using slow destabilization method. The confined environment was created by forming a stable emulsion where the gold colloid suspended in toluene was used as oil phase. Superlattices were also formed in bulk solution using the same slow destabilization method. A comparative study reveals that compact superlattices form more readily inside the emulsion drops as compared to bulk precipitation. The unstable colloid (in bulk or as emulsion) was aged for various periods at 5 degrees C to form more compact superlattices. The best superlattices with sharp corners are observed when the superlattices are formed inside the emulsion and aged for a month. Two key parameters, the incubation temperature and anti-solvent concentration, are optimized to obtain larger superlattices with sharp features. A new method is also demonstrated for in situ observation of superlattice formation using an optical microscope. 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3D nanocrystal superlattices, In situ observation of superlattice formation, Monodisperse gold nanoparticles, Nanocrystal superlattices}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2013.12.060}, author = {Dutta, Ankur and Chakraborty, Jayanta and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Sahu, Puspanjali} } @article { ISI:000338820600009, title = {Synthesis and luminescence of graphene-nano calcium sulphide composite}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {147}, number = {1-2}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {57-64}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Graphene-nanocrystalline calcium sulphide has been synthesized using in-situ reduction of calcium salt and graphene oxide. Graphene oxide was prepared using Hummer{\textquoteright}s method. Surface morphology and crystal structure of samples were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). Ultra thin graphene and graphene oxide sheets with size ranging between tens to several hundreds of square nanometers are observed in TEM images. The TEM micrographs of G-CaS show that CaS particles are embedded in graphene sheets and the average particle size of CaS particles in the composite is less than 50 nm. The reduction in the intensity of various functional groups in FTIR spectrum also confirms the formation of graphene. The UV-Visible spectra of CaS shows absorption peak at 220 nm with a small shoulder at 250 nm whereas in G-CaS 220 nm absorption peak has reduced intensity and the shoulder at 250 nm has now shifted to 270 nm due to modification in the defect structure of CaS by graphene. CaS and G-CaS shows photoluminescence emission at 470 nm (lambda(exc.) = 375 nm) and 440 nm (lambda(exc.) = 350 nm) respectively, however emission intensity of G-CaS is relatively lower than CaS. Although the emission intensity is found to be lower than CaS, addition of CaS to graphene in G-CaS complex has made graphene luminescent. XPS spectra also indicate reduction of various oxygen containing functional groups in highly reduced graphene oxide and G-CaS. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Luminescence, Nanostructures, powder diffraction, Precipitation}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2014.04.006}, author = {Sharma, Geeta and Patil, K. R. and Gosavi, S. W.} } @article { ISI:000340149800003, title = {Synthesis, characterization, and crystal structure determination of palladacycles of para-substituted 2-thiobenzylazobenzenes}, journal = {Journal of Coordination Chemistry}, volume = {67}, number = {10}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1702-1714}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Bichelated neutral palladacycles (1-3), [Pd(L)Cl], were synthesized from reaction of the new potential tridentate (C,N,S) ligands, 2-thiobenzylazobenzene (L-1), 4{\textquoteright}-methyl-2-thiobenzylazobenzene (L-2), and 4{\textquoteright}-chloro-2-thiobenzylazobenzene (L-3) with sodium tetrachloropalladate(II), Na-2[PdCl4], in ethanol. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, H-1 NMR, UV-visible, and thermogravimetric analysis. The crystal structures of L-2 and 1-3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In 1-3, the geometry around palladium remains almost square planar, coordinated to carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur of the ligand forming a bichelated cyclopalladate complex. The C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl type intermolecular hydrogen bonds, weak pi center dot center dot center dot pi, C-H center dot center dot center dot pi, and van der Waals interactions are believed to be the stabilizing forces for the crystal packing of these palladacycles.

}, keywords = {2-Thiobenzylazobenzene, CNS-donor ligand, crystal structure, Palladacycles, Thermogravimetric analysis}, issn = {0095-8972}, doi = {10.1080/00958972.2014.922683}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Tirtha and Kalita, Mukul and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Barman, Pranjit and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000343671700036, title = {Synthesis, characterization and in vitro study of biocompatible cinnamaldehyde functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (CPGF Nps) for hyperthermia and drug delivery applications in breast cancer}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {e107315}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Cinnamaldehyde, the bioactive component of the spice cinnamon, and its derivatives have been shown to possess anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines. However, its hydrophobic nature invites attention for efficient drug delivery systems that would enhance the bioavailability of cinnamaldehyde without affecting its bioactivity. Here, we report the synthesis of stable aqueous suspension of cinnamaldehyde tagged Fe3O4 nanoparticles capped with glycine and pluronic polymer (CPGF NPs) for their potential application in drug delivery and hyperthermia in breast cancer. The monodispersed superparamagnetic NPs had an average particulate size of similar to 20 nm. TGA data revealed the drug payload of similar to 18\%. Compared to the free cinnamaldehyde, CPGF NPs reduced the viability of breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 and MDAMB231, at lower doses of cinnamaldehyde suggesting its increased bioavailability and in turn its therapeutic efficacy in the cells. Interestingly, the NPs were non-toxic to the non-cancerous HEK293 and MCF10A cell lines compared to the free cinnamaldehyde. The novelty of CPGF nanoparticulate system was that it could induce cytotoxicity in both ER/PRpositive/Her2 negative (MCF7) and ER/PRnegative/Her2 negative (MDAMB231) breast cancer cells, the latter being insensitive to most of the chemotherapeutic drugs. The NPs decreased the growth of the breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner and altered their migration through reduction in MMP-2 expression. CPGF NPs also decreased the expression of VEGF, an important oncomarker of tumor angiogenesis. They induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells through loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspase-3. Interestingly, upon exposure to the radiofrequency waves, the NPs heated up to 41.6 degrees C within 1 min, suggesting their promise as a magnetic hyperthermia agent. All these findings indicate that CPGF NPs prove to be potential nano-chemotherapeutic agents in breast cancer.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0107315}, author = {Wani, Kirtee D. and Kadu, Brijesh S. and Mansara, Prakash and Gupta, Preeti and Deore, Avinash V. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Poddar, Pankaj and Dhole, Sanjay D. and Kaul-Ghanekar, Ruchika} } @article { ISI:000330147900013, title = {Synthesis, characterization and molecular structures of homologated analogs of 2-bromo-3-(n-alkylamino)-1,4-napthoquinone}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1056}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {97-103}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Four analogues of 2-bromo-3-(n-alkylamino)-1,4-napthoquinone (where n-alkyl is methyl in L-1Br, ethyl in L-2Br, propyl in L-3Br and butyl in L-4Br) are synthesized and characterized. A reaction mechanism is proposed for the formation of L-1 Br to L-4Br from the starting material 2,3-dibromo-1,4-naphthoquinone. The v(N-H) frequency in the FT-IR spectra is affected by the intramolecular hydrogen bonding in L-1Br to L-4Br and is observed similar to 3267 cm(-1) in L-2Br. A shift of similar to 25 cm(-1) is observed in the v(C-Br) frequency in all the compounds as compared to 2,3-dibromo-1,4-naphthoquinone (627 cm(-1)). A broad charge transfer band is observed between 400 and 600 nm in the UV-Vis spectra, which imparts red colour to all the compounds. Molecular structures of L-2Br and L-3Br were studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Molecules of L-2Br crystallize in Pca2(1), whereas the molecule L-3Br crystallizes in the P-1 space group. Molecules of L-2Br forms a polymeric chain through N-H...O interaction and forms beautiful butterfly like arrangement of molecules when viewed down the {\textquoteleft}a{\textquoteright} axis. Ladder like polymeric chain of molecules is observed in L-3Br via C-H...O and N-H...O interactions. Every alternating neighbouring chains of L-3Br, show pi-pi stacking interactions between the quinonoid rings of the molecules, however this interaction is not observed in L-2Br. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2, 3-Dibromo-1, 4-naphthoquinone, Aminonaphthoquinone, hydrogen bonding, Michael addition, pi-pi stacking}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2013.10.016}, author = {Salunke-Gawali, Sunita and Pawar, Omkar and Nikalje, Milind and Patil, Rishikesh and Weyhermueller, Thomas and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Konkimalla, V. Badireenath} } @article { ISI:000330779900044, title = {Synthesis of an efficient heteroatom-doped carbon electro-catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction by pyrolysis of protein-rich pulse flour cooked with SiO2 nanoparticles}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {16}, number = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {4251-4259}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Development of a highly durable, fuel-tolerant, metal-free electro-catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essential for robust and cost-effective Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (AEMFCs). Herein, we report the development of a nitrogen-doped (N-doped) hierarchically porous carbon-based efficient ORR electrocatalyst from protein-rich pulses. The process involves 3D silica nanoparticle templating of the pulse flour(s) followed by their double pyrolysis. The detailed experiments are performed on gram flour (derived from chickpeas) without any in situ/ex situ addition of dopants. The N-doped porous carbon thus generated shows remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards ORR in the alkaline medium. The oxygen reduction on this material follows the desired 4-electron transfer mechanism involving the direct reduction pathway. Additionally, the synthesized carbon catalyst also exhibits good electrochemical stability and fuel tolerance. The results are also obtained and compared with the case of soybean flour having higher nitrogen content to highlight the significance of different parameters in the ORR catalyst performance.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c3cp55396e}, author = {Gokhale, Rohan and Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000333686000001, title = {Synthesis of ciprofloxacin-conjugated poly(L-lactic acid) polymer for nanofiber fabrication and antibacterial evaluation}, journal = {International Journal of Nanomedicine}, volume = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1463-1477}, publisher = {DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD}, address = {PO BOX 300-008, ALBANY, AUCKLAND 0752, NEW ZEALAND}, abstract = {

Ciprofloxacin was conjugated with polylactide (PLA) via the secondary amine group of the piperazine ring using PLA and 7-(4-(2-Chloroacetyl) piperazin-1-yl)-1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1, 4-dihydro-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid. Zinc prolinate, a biocompatible catalyst was synthesized, characterized, and used in ring opening polymerization of L-lactide. Five different kinds of OH-terminated poly(L-lactide) (two-, three-, four-, six-arm, star-shaped) homopolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of L-lactide in the presence of dodecanol, glycerol, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol as initiator and zinc prolinate as a catalyst. The structures of the polymers and conjugates were thoroughly characterized by means of gel permeation chromatography, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. PLA (molecular weight = 100,000) and ciprofloxacin conjugated PLA were used for fabrication of nonwoven nanofiber mat (diameter ranges; 150-400 nm) having pore size (62-102 nm) using electrospinning. The microbiological assessment shows that the release of ciprofloxacin possesses antimicrobial activity. The drug-release behavior of the mat was studied to reveal potential application as a drug delivery system. The result shows that the ciprofloxacin release rates of the PLA conjugate nonwoven nanofiber mat could be controlled by the drug loading content and the release medium. The development of a biodegradable ciprofloxacin system, based on nonwoven nanofiber mat, should be of great interest in drug delivery systems.

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, ciprofloxacin conjugated polylactides, CP-PLA, drug release, electrospinning, MDR, nonwoven nanofibers, zinc prolinate}, issn = {1178-2013}, doi = {10.2147/IJN.S54971}, author = {Parwe, Sharad P. and Chaudhari, Priti N. and Mohite, Kavita K. and Selukar, Balaji S. and Nande, Smita S. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article {42442, title = {Synthesis of functionalized coumarins and quinolinones by NHC-catalyzed annulation of modified enals with heterocyclic C-H acids}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {79}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {4245{\textendash}4251}, abstract = {

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed lactonization and lactamization of 2-bromoenals with heterocyclic C{\textendash}H acids proceeding via the α,β-unsaturated acyl azolium intermediates is reported. The reaction furnished coumarin- or quinolinone-fused lactone/lactam derivatives. In addition, results of the enantioselective version of this reaction using chiral NHC are presented.

}, doi = {10.1021/jo500693h}, author = {Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Roy, Tony and Bhunia, Anup and Porwal, Digvijay and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000344379900113, title = {Synthesis of green nano iron particles (GnIP) and their application in adsorptive removal of As(III) and As(V) from aqueous solution}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {317}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1052-1059}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{The present study reports a new approach to synthesise nano iron particles using leaf extract of Mint (Mentha spicata L.) plant. The synthesised GnIPs were subjected to detailed adsorption studies for removal of arsenite and arsenate from aqueous solution of defined concentration. Iron nanoparticles synthesised using leaf extract showed UV-vis absorption peaks at 360 and 430 nm. TEM result showed the formation of polydispersed nanoparticles of size ranging from 20 to 45 nm. Nanoparticles were found to have core-shell structure. The planer reflection of selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and XRD analysis suggested that iron particles were crystalline and belonged to fcc (face centred cubic) type. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) shows that Fe was an integral component of synthesised nanoparticles. The content of Fe in nanoparticles was found to be 40\%, in addition to other elements like C (16\%), 0 (19\%) and Cl (23\%). FT-IR study suggested that functional groups like NH

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Arsenate, Arsenite, Iron nanoparticles, kinetics, M. spicata L.}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.09.042}, author = {Prasad, Kumar Suranjit and Gandhi, Pooja and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article { ISI:000330816000048, title = {Synthesis of the central tricyclic core of the isatisine A: harmonious orchestration of [metal]-catalyzed reactions in a sequence}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {70}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {510-516}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two sequential metal-catalyzed transformations, involving [In]-catalyzed Friedel Crafts type addition of spiroaminol carbon to indole C3 followed by [Rh]-catalyzed dehydrogenative cyclization of the resulting gamma-amino alcohol culminated in the construction of the central tricyclic core isatisine A. The overall strategy employed three easily available starting compounds and delivered the complex tricyclic core in four steps with all four steps being catalytic in nature. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dehydrogenative cyclization, Friedel-Crafts reaction, Indium chloride, Isatisine A, Rhodium, Spiro-3-indolinone}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2013.11.026}, author = {Patel, Pitambar and Reddy, B. Narendraprasad and Ramana, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000328005400055, title = {Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and structural investigations of new adduct compound of carbazole with picric acid: DNA binding and antimicrobial studies}, journal = {Spectrochimica Acta Part A-Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy}, volume = {118}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {399-406}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Carbazole picrate (CP), a new organic compound has been synthesized, characterized by various analytical and spectroscopic technique such as FT-IR, UV-Vis, H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. An orthorhombic geometry was proposed based on single crystal XRD study. The thermal stability of the crystal was studied by using thermo-gravimetric and differential thermal analyses and found that it was stable up to 170 degrees C. Further, the newly synthesized title compound was tested for its in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity against various bacterial and fungal species. Also, the compound was tested for its binding activity with Calf thymus (CT) DNA and the results show a considerable interaction between CP and CT-DNA. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial activity and DNA-interaction, CP adduct, Single crystal XRD, TG-DTA}, issn = {1386-1425}, doi = {10.1016/j.saa.2013.08.115}, author = {Saravanabhavan, Munusamy and Sathya, Krishnan and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sekar, Marimuthu} } @article { ISI:000340809600062, title = {Template-free fabrication of highly-oriented single-crystalline 1D-rutile TiO2-MWCNT composite for enhanced photoelectrochemical activity}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {33}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {19363-19373}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Template-free synthesis of phase pure one-dimensional (1D), single crystalline rutile titania nanorods or wires at low temperature still remains a challenging task due to its complex nature of surface chemistry. In these ID structures, charge transport is highly favored. To further modify the electrical conductivity and optoelectronic properties of these 1D nanostructures, various methods such as doping of TiO2 with metal and nonmetal and synthesis of branched and hybrid structures are developed. If these hybrid structures can directly synthesize on the substrate, the transport of the electron will improve due to reduced grain boundary and exciton recombination. In this contribution, for the first time, we have simultaneously synthesized 1D-rutile TiO2-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite film directly grown on fluorine dope conducting oxide (FTO) substrate along with 1D-rutile TiO2-MWCNT composite powder. The as-grown nanorods films were single-crystalline and oriented vertically with respect to the substrate, having an average height of similar to 2 mu m. The well connected network of TiO2 with MWCNTs was observed through electron microscopy. The composite film shows positive movement of the flat-band edge and increase in charge carrier density. The TiO2-MWCNT composite was successfully used as photoanode in a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and exhibits a 60\% increase in energy-conversion efficiency compared with only TiO2 nanorods.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp5023983}, author = {Sadhu, Subha and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000341230100001, title = {Time and temperature effects on the digestive ripening of gold nanoparticles: is there a crossover from digestive ripening to ostwald ripening?}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {30}, number = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10143-10150}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The effects of time and temperature on the gold nanoparticle sizes obtained by digestive ripening have been investigated. In digestive ripening, a polydisperse colloid, upon refluxing with a surface-active ligand in a solvent, gets converted to a nearly monodisperse one. In this study, a polydisperse gold nanoparticle system was heated in 4-tert-butyltoluene with hexadecanethiol at different temperatures, viz., 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 degrees C for different time periods, and the trends in particle size variations were recorded. At lower temperatures such as 60 and 90 degrees C, after the initial narrowing of the size distribution, the particle sizes remain constant even though the refluxing step is continued for 24 h, substantiating the prevalence of the digestive ripening process. However, at elevated temperatures (120, 150, and 180 degrees C) particle sizes grow continuously, indicating a deviation from the digestive ripening behavior to an Ostwald ripening-type phenomenon.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la500914j}, author = {Sahu, Puspanjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000345975300012, title = {Titania nanoparticles stabilized HPA in SBA-15 for the intermolecular hydroamination of activated olefins}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {6}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3347-3354}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A liquid phase hydroamination (HA) of alpha,beta-ethylenic compounds with amines was investigated with TiO2 nanoparticles stabilized 12-tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) in SBA-15. The catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation of TPA/TiO2 nanoparticles into the SBA-15 and calcined at different temperatures. The characterization results reveal that the textural properties and the acidity of the prepared catalysts can be finely controlled with the simple adjustment of the calcination temperature and the structure of the support, decorated with the TiO2 and TPA nanoparticles, was intact even after the modification. The prepared catalysts were investigated for HA of ethyl acrylate with different aromatic and aliphatic amines over a wide range of reaction conditions to optimize the yield and the selectivity of product. It was found that this process is 100\% atom efficient and the catalytic performance depended significantly on the loading of TPA over the catalyst and the calcination temperature. Under optimized reaction conditions, the best catalyst, 15 wt\% TPA/22.4 wt\% TiO2/SBA-15 calcined at 1123 K, offered the highest conversion of p-ethylaniline (70\%) with 100\% chemo-selectivity to the anti-Markovnikov product, i.e., the mono-addition product. The reaction was heterogeneously catalyzed and no contribution from leached TPA into the reaction was observed.

}, keywords = {heteropoly acids, hydroamination, mesoporous materials, nanocatalysts}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201402449}, author = {Sawant-Dhuri, Dhanashri and Balasubramanian, Veerappan V. and Ariga, Katsuhiko and Park, Dae-Hwan and Choy, Jin-Ho and Cha, Wang Soo and Al-deyab, Salem S. and Halligudi, Shivappa B. and Vinu, Ajayan} } @conference { ISI:000358999700317, title = {To study non linear features in circadian heart rate variability amongst healthy subjects}, booktitle = {2014 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI)}, year = {2014}, note = {3rd International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI), New Delhi, INDIA, SEP 24-27, 2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1921-1927}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, organization = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {New Delhi, India}, abstract = {

ECG signal is used for diagnosis of ailments of heart. HRV is used as a predictive and prognostic marker of autonomic dis-functioning. ANS is known to influence heart and any dis-functioning of this system leads to cardiac disorders. ANS has endogenous circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are responsible for physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle. Previous studies have shown large inter and intra individual differences in HRV which has lead to difficulties in establishing standard norms. Therefore the aim of our study is to establish a brief protocol for HRV analysis where we will be able to extract features in shorter duration of recording, representative of 24 hour fluctuations in HRV. In this paper we have studied different linear as well as non-linear techniques to analyze circadian HRV. 24 hour ECG recording of 15 subjects using Minimum Activity Protocol subjected for HRV analysis.

}, keywords = {Circadian Rhythm, Correlation Dimensions, DFA, ECG, HRV}, isbn = {978-1-4799-3080-7}, author = {Tajane, Kapil and Pitale, Rahul and Phadke, Leena and Joshi, Aniruddha and Umale, Jayant} } @article { ISI:000341938100024, title = {Total syntheses of D-allo-1-deoxynojirimycin and L-talo-1-deoxynojirimycin via reductive cyclization}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {77}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {40852-40858}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Synthesis of a polyhydroxypiperidine framework for L-talo-1-deoxynojirimycin and D-allo-1-deoxynojirimycin was achieved from L-tartaric acid by employing flash dihydroxylation and reductive lactamisation as the key steps.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra06884j}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Dumare, Nilesh B. and Pawar, Kailash P.} } @article { ISI:000339367300057, title = {Transition-metal-free C-S bond formation: a facile access to aryl sulfones from sodium sulfinates via arynes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {16}, number = {14}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3836-3839}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Sulfones have been attractive targets for synthetic organic chemists owing to their immense applications in medicinal, material, and synthetic chemistry. In this context, an efficient transition-metal-free process has been demonstrated, wherein a broad range of alkyl/aryl/heteroaryl sodium sulfinates react with varyingly substituted aryne precursors (o-silyl aryl triflates) under mild reaction conditions to afford structurally diverse sulfones in good to excellent yields.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol5018646}, author = {Pandya, Virat G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {42675, title = {Ultrathin sheets of metal or metal sulfide from molecularly thin sheets of metal thiolates in solution}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {26}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3436-3442}, abstract = {

Materials that exist as single molecule thick twodimensional sheets are in great demand because they hold promise as precursors for synthesis of layered functional materials. We demonstrate that metal thiolates, that exist as lamellar assemblies in the neat state, can be disassembled into individual molecular sheets simply by dilution in apolar organic solvents and that these can form ultrathin metallic layers on substrates upon heat treatment. We establish the pathway to the disassembly of metal thiolates in solution using a combination of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, light scattering, FTIR, and TEM. Our results indicate that the lamellar structure of Pd-thiolates is preserved in toluene up to a concentration of 300\% w/v and the average intersheet distance is unchanged. Interestingly, the dynamics of the Pd-thiolate sheets remain correlated even on diluting them up to 30\% w/v, though the disorder within the lamellar stacks increases with a decrease in their coherence length. Finally, at dilutions less than about 5\% w/v, individual sheets of these structures can be accessed that are isolated and directly observed using TEM. Heat treatment of the ultrathin films of metal thiolates deposited on appropriate substrates resulted in the formation of metal or metal sulfides with retention of sheetlike morphologies.

}, doi = {10.1021/cm5006949}, author = {Busupalli, Balanagulu and Kummara, Sreenivas and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000330812400027, title = {Uptake of Azo dyes into silk glands for production of colored silk cocoons using a green feeding approach}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {2}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {312-317}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Dyeing of textile fabrics is considered to be one of the most polluting industries today, and there is a need to develop green processes that can reduce this pollution. A promising technology that can potentially cleanup the dyeing of silk fibers that are widely used for textile applications would involve the generation of intrinsically colored silk cocoons. This can be achieved by feeding of Bombyx mori silkworm larvae with a modified feed of mulberry leaves containing a sprayed dye solution. This process significantly reduces the need for treating toxic dye effluents that are generated in traditional dyeing processes. In this report, we have evaluated a set of seven different azo dyes that are used in the textile industry for dyeing to produce intrinsically dyed silk. The dyes used in the study had similar chemical structures with systematically varying partition coefficients. The results suggest that while some dyes produced intrinsically colored silk other did not. Careful evaluation of the physical properties of these related azo dyes suggest that the balance of hydrophobic and hydrophilic character is necessary for diffusion of the dye from the alimentary canal of the silkworm larva into the hemolymph and later into the silk glands. The partition coefficient of the dye also determines the preferential association of the dye with either sericin or fibroin protein in the silkworm gland and finally into the cocoon. These insights are extremely important in development of novel dye molecules that can be successfully fed to Bombyx mori silkworm larvae for producing intrinsically colored silk of various colors and shades.

}, keywords = {Azo dyes, Biochemical pathways, Color silk, Dye uptake, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} Green {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} silk}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/sc400355k}, author = {Nisal, Anuya and Trivedy, Kanika and Mohammad, Hasan and Panneri, Suyana and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Lele, Ashish K. and Manchala, Ramesh and Kumar, Nirmal S. and Gadgil, Mugdha and Khandelwal, Harish B. and More, Snehal and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article { ISI:000331493200090, title = {Vapor-liquid-solid growth of one-dimensional tin sulfide (sns) nanostructures with promising field emission behavior}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {6}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2018-2025}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Single-crystalline ultralong tin sulfide (SnS) nanowires has been grown by a thermal evaporation technique under optimized conditions on gold-coated silicon substrates, and for the first time, field emission investigations on the SnS nanowires at the base pressure of 1 X 10(-8) mbar are reported. It has been revealed that the surface morphology of the as-synthesized SnS nanostructures is significantly influenced by the deposition temperature and duration. Structural and morphological analyses of as-synthesized SnS nanostructures have been carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To understand the optical and electronic properties of as-synthesized SnS nanowires, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), photo-luminescence (PL), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies were carried out. The SEM and TEM measurements reveal the formation of ultralong SnS nanowires, with an average diameter of 80 nm. A plausible explanation on the vapor-solid-liquid (VLS) growth mechanism based on the experimental results and reported literature has been presented. Furthermore, the field emission characteristics of the SnS nanowires are found to be superior to the other metal chalcogenide nanostructures. The synthesized SnS nanowire emitter delivers a high current density of similar to 2.5 mA/cm(2) at an applied electric field of similar to 4.55 V/mu m. The emission current stability over a period of 6 h is observed to be good. The observed results demonstrate the potential of the SnS nanowire emitter as an electron source for practical applications in vacuum nano/microelectronic devices.

}, keywords = {Electron emission, ID nanostructure, SnS nanowires, thermal evaporation, vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am405039j}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Warule, Sambhaji S. and Patil, Sandip S. and Patil, Kashinath R. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000336738400017, title = {Variation of CO2 adsorption in isostructural Cd(II)/Co(II) based MOFs by anion modulation}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {16}, number = {23}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5012-5020}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{A potential multidentate tris-pyridyl ligand has been synthesized, and later employed for the tailoring of four isostructural cadmium(II)/cobalt(II) two dimensional (2D) metal organic frameworks, [[ M(dmpt)(2)(X)(2)].xS](n), where S = solvent

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c4ce00058g}, author = {Singh, Udai P. and Narang, Shikha and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000335773800005, title = {Vesicle structures from bolaamphiphilic biosurfactants: experimental and molecular dynamics simulation studies on the effect of unsaturation on sophorolipid self-assemblies}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {20}, number = {21}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6246-6250}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The formation of giant-vesicle-like structures by self-assembling linolenic acid sophorolipid (LNSL) molecules is revealed. Sophorolipids belong to the class of bolaamphiphilic glycolipid biosurfactants. Interestingly, the number of double bonds present in the hydrophobic core of sophorolipids is seen to have a great influence on the type of self-assembled structures formed. Dye encapsulation results establish the presence of an aqueous compartment inside the LNSL vesicles. Molecular dynamics simulation (MD) studies suggest the existence of two possible conformations of LNSLs inside the self-assembled structures and that LNSL molecules arrange in layered structures.

}, keywords = {bolaamphiphiles, MD simulations, Self-assembly, sophorolipids, vesicles}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201304719}, author = {Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Visaveliya, Nikunjkumar and Roy, Sudip and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000344997100001, title = {When gold meets chiral bronsted acid catalysts: extending the boundaries of enantioselective gold catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {96}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {15124-15135}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc04633a}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Konala, Ashok and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000362588700016, title = {Alumina-supported copper iodide: an efficient and recyclable catalyst for microwave-assisted synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles via three-component reaction in water}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {4}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {943-951}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A one-pot procedure for the synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles by a three-component reaction of allyl or benzyl halides, sodium azide, and terminal alkynes over a neutral alumina-supported copper iodide catalyst has been developed. The products were isolated by simple filtration followed by washing of the catalyst with acetone. The products were obtained in almost pure form in up to 98\% yield (TON 495). The catalyst can be recycled for more than eight subsequent reactions. The halides are directly converted into triazoles via in situ formation of azides and thus handling of hazardous azides can be avoided. The broad scope of this protocol is shown by the synthesis of a variety of diversely substituted 1,2,3-triazoles and also two-component azide-alkyne click reaction. The key features of this procedure are the use of water as a solvent, recyclability of the catalyst up to eight runs without appreciable loss of activity, and high yields of products. The catalyst has been fully characterized by FTIR, solid-state NMR and EDX spectroscopy, ESEM, TGA, and XRD.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-triazoles, 4, copper(I) iodide, Cycloaddition, disubstituted 1, Microwave chemistry, supported catalysts}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201500189}, author = {Agalave, Sandip G. and Pharande, Shrikant G. and Gade, Swapna M. and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article { ISI:000362948200004, title = {Ambient temperature photocopolymerization of tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate and isobornyl methacrylate: reactivity ratios and thermal studies}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {52}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {982-991}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Photocopolymerization of heterocyclic monomer namely, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate with bulky bicyclic monomer, isobornyl methacrylate with different feed ratios was carried out in bulk with low concentration of an -hydroxyl ketone based photoinitiator. The ambient temperature photocopolymerization was carried out by using a UV-Visible lamp with fixed low intensity of 0.4mW cm(-2) for a period of 6min. The residual monomer remained in the polymerization process were determined by using gas chromatography. The reactivity ratio values for the two monomers were calculated from the copolymer composition data by using Fineman-Ross, Kelen-Tudos, Extended Kelen-Tudos and Mao-Huglin methods. Individually, as well as the average of all the methods revealed that the monomer reactivity ratios of tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate were higher than isobornyl methacrylate. The dyad sequence distribution and dyad sequence lengths were calculated using the Igarashi and Pyun method and the sequence length distribution for tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate was observed to be higher with an increase in its feed content. This supports the reactivity ratio studies that a higher monomer reactivity ratio value for tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate was observed as compared to its comonomer. The thermal studies showed that the glass transition temperatures of the copolymers increased with an increase in isobornyl methacrylate content.

}, keywords = {Copolymer, methacrylates, micro structure, photocopolymerization, reactivity ratios, thermal studies}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601325.2015.1095600}, author = {Rajdeo, K. S. and Ponrathnam, S. and Pardeshi, S. and Chavan, Nayaku and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Harikrishna, Reghunathan} } @article { ISI:000355856200035, title = {Antibacterial non-woven nanofibers of curcumin acrylate oligomers}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4464-4470}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two new (meth) acrylate monomers, namely, 4-((1E,6E)-7-(4{\textquoteright}-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3,5-dioxohepta-1,6-dienyl)-2-m ethoxyphenyl acrylate or curcumin monoacrylate (CmA) and 4-((1E, 6E)-7-(4{\textquoteright}-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)- 3,5-dioxohepta-1,6-dienyl)-2-methoxyphenyl methacrylate or curcumin monomethacrylate (CmMA), are synthesized by reacting (1E, 6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione (curcumin) with acryloyl chloride and methacryloyl chloride, respectively. The respective derivatives are polymerized by free radical polymerization using an initiator, 2,2-azobisisobutyrontrile (AIBN), to obtain the oligomer of curcumin monoacrylate (OCM) and the oligomer of curcumin monomethacrylate (OCMA). The oligomers are characterized by FTIR, H-1 NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy. The molecular weights of the oligomers are determined by GPC to range between 2000 and 5500 Da. The melting temperature (T-m) and degradation temperature of the respective oligomers are evaluated by thermal analysis. The melting temperature of the oligomers ranged from 195 to 197 degrees C. Antibacterial studies are evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, in which the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of OCA1 is 27 mg mL(-1). The blends of the individual oligomers with poly(lactic acid) are electrospun to obtain the respective non-woven nanofiber mats. Nanofibers are formed, with the diameter ranging from 400 to 750 nm, and the nanofiber mats are porous. Because the nanofiber mats are antibacterial and highly porous, they may have potential application as a wound dressing material for tissue regeneration.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c4nj01936a}, author = {Killi, Naresh and Paul, Vejendla Luke and Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga} } @article { ISI:000359850300008, title = {Antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against sexually transmitted pathogens}, journal = {Natural Product Research}, volume = {29}, number = {16}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1562-1566}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Comprehensive management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) using vaginal or rectal microbicide-based intervention is one of the strategies for prevention of HIV infection. Herbal products have been used for treating STIs traditionally. Herein, we present in vitro activity of 10 plant extracts and their 34 fractions against three sexually transmitted/reproductive tract pathogens - Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophilus ducreyi and Candida albicans. The plant parts were selected; the extracts/fractions were prepared and screened by disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory and minimum cidal concentrations were determined. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of selected extracts/fractions showing activity was performed. Of the extracts/fractions tested, three inhibited C. albicans, ten inhibited N. gonorrhoeae and five inhibited H. ducreyi growth. Our study demonstrated that Terminalia paniculata Roth. extracts/fractions inhibited growth of all three organisms. The ethyl acetate fraction of Syzygium cumini Linn. and Bridelia retusa (L.) Spreng. extracts was found to inhibit N. gonorrhoeae at lowest concentrations.

}, keywords = {anti-STI activity, Candida albicans, fractions, Haemophilus ducreyi, microbicide, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, plant extracts}, issn = {1478-6419}, doi = {10.1080/14786419.2014.983919}, author = {Jadhav, Nutan and Kulkarni, Sangeeta and Mane, Arati and Kulkarni, Roshan and Palshetker, Aparna and Singh, Kamalinder and Joshi, Swati P. and Risbud, Arun and Kulkarni, Smita} } @article { ISI:000362291300048, title = {Architecturally designed Pt-MoS2 and Pt-graphene composites for electrocatalytic methanol oxidation}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {39}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {26101-26110}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Thin films consisting of platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) with uniform size and distribution have been successfully prepared at a liquid-liquid interface. Apart from the usual substrates like glass, Si etc. the films were also deposited on the surfaces of MoS2 thin films and graphene nanosheets (GNS) respectively, by using a layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition technique to form Pt-MoS2 and Pt-GNS composites. The loading concentration of Pt NPs on MoS2 and GNS can be adjusted by selecting the number and sequence of the component layers during LbL deposition. The Pt thin films, Pt-MoS2 and Pt-GNS nanocomposite thin films are characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TEM results of the composites show that Pt NPs with sizes in the range of 1 to 3 nm are uniformly dispersed on the MoS2/GNS surface. The catalytic activities of Pt and Pt-composites for the reaction of methanol oxidation are studied using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Electrochemical studies reveal that both the Pt-MoS2 and Pt-GNS nanocomposites show excellent electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation. Pt-MoS2 and Pt-GNS nanocomposite electrodes show excellent stability for reuse of the catalyst. A probable mechanism of catalysis has been discussed. We propose that the similar architecture reported here would be promising for the synthesis of high performance catalysts for fuel cells, gas phase reactions, and other applications such as sensors.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp04141d}, author = {Patit, Sagar H. and Anothumakkool, Bihag and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000363168200012, title = {Assessing the effect of different shapes of glyco-gold nanoparticles on bacterial adhesion and infections}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {86}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {15669-15672}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Achieving selective and sensitive carbohydrate-protein interactions (CPIs) using nanotechnology is an intriguing area of research. Here we demonstrate that the different shapes of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with monosaccharides tune the bacterial aggregations. The mechanism of aggregation revealed that the large number of surface interactions of rod shaped mannose-AuNPs with E. coli ORN 178 compared with spherical and star-shaped AuNPs exhibited higher avidity and sensitivity. Moreover, such sensitive binding can be used for effective inhibition of bacterial infection of cells.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc05238f}, author = {Chaudhary, Preeti Madhukar and Sangabathuni, Sivakoti and Murthy, Raghavendra Vasudeva and Paul, Ajay and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kikkeri, Raghavendra} } @article { ISI:000359166300084, title = {Bacopa monniera recombinant mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase: biochemical characterization}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {79}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {661-668}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD; EC 4.1.1.33) is an important enzyme in the mevalonic acid pathway catalyzing the Mg2+-ATP dependant decarboxylation of mevalonate 5-diphosphate (MVAPP) to isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). Bacopa monniera recombinant MDD (BmMDD) protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain and purified to apparent homogeneity. K-m and V-max for MVAPP were 144 mu M and 52 U mg(-1) respectively. The values of turnover (k(cat)) and k(cat)/K-m, for mevalonate 5-diphosphate were determined to be 40 s(-1) and 2.77 x 10(5) M-1 s(-1) and k(cat) and k(cat)/K-m values for ATP were found to be 30 s(-1) and 2.20 x 10(4) M-1 s(-1), respectively. pH activity profile indicated the involvement of carboxylate ion, lysine and arginine for the activity of enzyme. The apparent activation energy for the BmMDD catalyzed reaction was 12.7 kJ mol(-1). Optimum pH and temperature for the forward reaction was found to be 8.0 and 45 degrees C. The enzyme was most stable at pH 7 at 20 degrees C with the deactivation rate constant (K-d(*)) of 1.69 x 10(-4) and half life (t(1/2)) of 68 h. The cation studies suggested that BmMDD is a cation dependant enzyme and optimum activity was achieved in the presence of Mg2+. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase, pH activity profile, Phylogenetic analysis, stability}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2015.05.041}, author = {Shakeel Abbassi and Vishwakarma, Rishi K. and Patel, Parth and Kumari, Uma and Khan, Bashir Mohammad} } @article { ISI:000345975000014, title = {Bifunctional covalent organic frameworks with two dimensional organocatalytic micropores}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {310-313}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the successful incorporation of bifunctional (acid/base) catalytic sites in the crystalline organocatalytic porous COF (2,3-DhaTph). Due to the presence of acidic (catachol) and basic (porphyrin) sites, 2,3-DhaTph shows significant selectivity, reusability, and excellent ability to perform the cascade reaction.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc07104b}, author = {Shinde, Digambar Balaji and Kandambeth, Sharath and Pachfule, Pradip and Kumar, Raya Rahul and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000348331900056, title = {Bile acid hydrazides: gelation, structural, physical and spectroscopic properties}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {453-460}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Synthesis and gelation properties of a series of novel bile acid hydrazides are presented. These compounds are found to undergo self-assembly leading to organogelation in certain organic solvents. Compound 1 was found to be the most {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}effective{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} gelator in this series. The properties of this gel have been thoroughly investigated by conventional methods typical for molecular gel studies. Sol gel transition temperature (T-g) of chloroform gels of compounds 1 and 3 was found to increase with increase in the chain length. Sol-gel transition was probed using the isothermal time test and results show that there is instantaneous increase in both the moduli after shear melting, which suggests that the kinetics of formation of the network was very fast. IR and NMR studies revealed hydrogen bonding between amidic carbonyl in the side chain and hydroxyl groups of cholic acid.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c4nj01352b}, author = {Pore, Vandana S. and Agalave, Sandip G. and Pharande, Shrikant G. and Patil, Prashant A. and Kotmale, Amol S.} } @article {45888, title = {Bioactive thermoresponsive polyblend nanofiber formulations for wound healing}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {48}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR }, pages = {126-137}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The rationale of this work is to develop new bioactive thermoresponsive polyblend nanofiber formulations for wound healing (topical). Various polymer compositions of thermoresponsive, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), egg albumen and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) blend solutions with and without a drug [gatifloxacin hydrochloride, Gati] were prepared. Non-woven nanofibers of various compositions were fabricated using an electrospinning technique. The morphology of the nanofibers was analyzed by an environmental scanning electron microscope. The morphology was influenced by the concentration of polymer, drug, and polymer blend composition. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed the shift in bands due to hydrogen ion interactions between polymers and drug. Thermogram of PNIPAM/PCL/EA with Gati recorded a shift in lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and glass transition temperature (T-g) of PNIPAM. Similarly T-g and melting temperature (T-m) of PCL were shifted. X-ray diffraction patterns recorded a decrease in the crystalline state of PCL nanofibers and transformed crystalline drug to an amorphous state. In vitro release study of nanofibers with Gati showed initial rapid release up to 10 h, followed by slow and controlled release for 696 h (29 days). Nanofiber mats with Gati exhibited antibacterial properties to Staphylococcus aureus, supported suitable controlled drug release with in vitro cell viability and in vivo wound healing. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antibacterial, Cell viability, drug release, nanofibers, thermoresponsive, wound Healing}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2014.11.037}, author = {Pawar, Mahesh D. and Rathna, G. V. N. and Agrawal, Shubhang and Kuchekar, Bhanudas S.} } @article { ISI:000359173900007, title = {Biochemical, structural and functional diversity between two digestive alpha-amylases from helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1850}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1719-1728}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Background: Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera) feeds on various plants using diverse digestive enzymes as one of the survival tool-kit. The aim of the present study was to understand biochemical properties of recombinant alpha-amylases of H. armigera viz., HaAmy1 and HaAmy2. Methods: The open reading frames of HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 were cloned in Pichia pastoris and expressed heterologously. Purified recombinant enzymes were characterized for their biochemical and biophysical attributes using established methods. Results: Sequence alignment and homology modeling showed that HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 were conserved in their amino acid sequences and structures. HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 showed optimum activity at 60 degrees C; however, they differed in their optimum pH. Furthermore, HaAmy2 showed higher affinity for starch and amylopectin whereas HaAmy1 had higher catalytic efficiency. HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 were inhibited to the same magnitude by a synthetic amylase inhibitor (acarbose) while wheat amylase inhibitor showed about 2-fold higher inhibition of HaAmy1 than HaAmy2 at pH 7 while 6-fold difference at pH 11. Interactions of HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 with wheat amylase inhibitor revealed 2:1 stoichiometric ratio and much more complex interaction with HaAmy1. Conclusions: The diversity of amylases in perspective of their biochemical and biophysical properties, and their differential interactions with amylase inhibitors signify the potential role of these enzymes in adaptation of H. armigera on diverse plant diets. General significance: Characterization of digestive enzymes of H. armigera provides the molecular basis for the polyphagous nature and thus could assist in designing future strategies for the insect control. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-amylases, Amylase inhibitors, Digestive enzymes, Enzyme activity, Helicoverpa armigera}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2015.04.008}, author = {Bhide, Amey J. and Channale, Sonal M. and Patil, Sucheta S. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000346189100034, title = {Biomilling of rod-shaped ZnO nanoparticles: a potential role of saccharomyces cerevisiae extracellular proteins}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1883-1889}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

There is a tremendous interest in newly-discovered, green, room-temperature, biological routes for the fabrication of biologically-benign functional nanostructures. The bottom-up biogenic synthesis, where the precursor molecules form crystalline solids at the nanoscale by a redox process, has been validated over the years and gained its popularity. However, a new top-down technique has recently been developed by our group, in which small isotropic nanoparticles (NPs) are formed by the break-down of chemically-synthesized anisotropic rod or plate-shaped NPs using microbes (termed as biomilling). This technique, which holds great promise, is still in its infancy. Here, an improved process with an easy isolation of NPs from the biomass and better control of the technique is reported. This novel technique is demonstrated to break-down the chemically synthesized ZnO nanorods (NRs), similar to 250 nm in length, to small quasi-spherical ZnO NPs (similar to 10 nm in diameter) possibly due to the proteins secreted by the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), which also led to the formation of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft} corona{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} around the NPs. The UV-vis, PL and FTIR results show the dynamic nature of the protein corona, which is further supported by the SDS-PAGE study of the extracellular proteins. The SDS-PAGE study of the intracellular proteins shows the over-expression of a single protein which is supposed to have a role in zinc transport in the cells. The ICP-OES results show the accumulation of a higher amount of zinc in the yeast cells as biomilling progresses, while the extracellular zinc contents were almost same. Therefore, we believe that the yeast cells play an important role in the biomilling process by secreting the proteins and maintaining the zinc content in the extracellular fluid. The biomilled NPs exhibit a uniform dispersity and better aqueous stability than chemically synthesized ZnO NRs.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra10077h}, author = {Sharan, Chandrashekhar and Khandelwal, Puneet and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000367464000006, title = {c Squalene synthase gene from medicinal herb bacopa monniera: molecular characterization, differential expression, comparative modeling, and docking studies}, journal = {Plant Molecular Biology Reporter}, volume = {33}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1675-1685}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The widespread pharmaceutically important triterpenoid saponins are synthesized via isoprenoid pathway. The formation of squalene is the key regulatory point in triterpene biosynthesis, catalyzed by squalene synthase (SQS). The present study deals with the detailed characterization of SQS by molecular, biochemical, and computational means from Bacopa monniera, an immensely important medicinal plant rich in triterpenoid saponin, bacosides. A full-length SQS gene was isolated from B. monniera, characterized as B. monniera squalene synthase (BmSQS) (1242 bp) encoding 414 amino acids. Deduced amino acid sequence of BmSQS showed highly conserved consensus aspartate-rich motifs (DXXXD) and catalytic site residues. Phylogenetic analysis showed that BmSQS belongs to dicot group having closest relationship with Salvia miltiorrhiza. Semiquantitative and real-time PCR studies showed that the BmSQS messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level was higher in vegetative parts (roots) as compared to floral parts. Methyl jasmonate induces the BmSQS mRNA expression in all tissues tested, while salicylic acid, cold, and salt induce much higher expression in roots. Homology modeling and docking simulations of BmSQS showed the pivotal roles of Asp77, Asp81, Asp213, Asp217, and Tyr168 in catalysis.

}, keywords = {Abiotic stress, Bacopa monniera, Comparative modeling and docking, Differential expression, Isoprenoid pathway, Squalene synthase}, issn = {0735-9640}, doi = {10.1007/s11105-015-0864-z}, author = {Vishwakarma, Rishi K. and Patel, Krunal and Sonawane, Prashant and Kumari, Uma and Singh, Somesh and Ruby and Shakeel Abbassi and Agrawal, Dinesh C. and Tsay, Hsin-Sheng and Khan, Bashir Mohammad} } @article { ISI:000360653900022, title = {Calculation of P,T-odd interaction constant of PbF using Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {143}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {084119}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The effective electric field experienced by the unpaired electron in the ground state of PbF, which is a potential candidate in the search of electron electric dipole moment due to some special characteristics, is calculated using Z-vector method in the coupled cluster single-and double-excitation approximation with four component Dirac spinor. This is an important quantity to set the upper bound limit of the electron electric dipole moment. Further, we have calculated molecular dipole moment and parallel magnetic hyperfine structure constant (A(parallel to)) of Pb-207 in PbF to test the accuracy of the wavefunction obtained in the Z-vector method. The outcome of our calculations clearly suggests that the core electrons have significant contribution to the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}atom in compound{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} properties. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4929591}, author = {Sasmal, Sudip and Pathak, Himadri and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000364323300003, title = {Can enantiomer ligands produce structurally distinct homochiral MOFs?}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {17}, number = {43}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8202-8206}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Here, we report a self-assembled homochiral metal-organic framework [Cu-1.5(H2LL-leu)(Ac)H2O](n)center dot 3H(2)O (1) obtained from an L-leucine-derived ligand (H4L(L-leu)) and Cu(Ac)(2)center dot H2O in a 1 : 1 ratio. Coordination-induced conformational change in the ligand has been monitored by circular dichroism which has been further attested by synthesizing a D-leucine-containing enantiomer H4L D-leu and its Cu(II) complex [Cu-1.5(H2LD-leu)H2O](n)center dot 10H(2)O (2). Structure determination revealed entirely different structures for the homochiral MOFs (1 and 2) obtained from the L/D-leucine-derived enantiomer ligands under analogous reaction conditions. Further, structural dissimilarity in these MOFs has been judicially supported by proton conductance studies. MOF 1 shows higher proton (10(-5) S cm(-1)) conductance in comparison to 2 (10(-6) S cm(-1)) due to dissimilar alignment of the hydrogen-bonded water molecules in the hydrophilic pocket as well as crystal packing.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c5ce01180a}, author = {Dubey, Mrigendra and Kumar, Ashish and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pandey, Daya Shankar} } @article { ISI:000364355500053, title = {Carbon nanohorn-derived graphene nanotubes as a platinum-free fuel cell cathode}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {43}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {24256-24264}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {carbon nanohorns, carbon nanotube, electrocatalyst, fuel cell, oxygen reduction reaction}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b07802}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Puthenpediakkal, Hasna and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000348510400004, title = {Catalyst-dependent selectivity in the relay catalytic branching cascade}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {21}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2319-2323}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis of small organic molecules as probes for discovering new therapeutic agents has been an important aspect of chemical biology. One of the best ways to access collections of small molecules is to use various techniques in diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS). Recently, a new form of DOS, namely relay catalytic branching cascades (RCBCs), has been introduced, wherein a common type of starting material reacts with several scaffold-building agents (SBAs) to obtain structurally diverse molecular scaffolds under the influence of catalysts. Herein, the RCBC reaction of a common type of substrate with SBAs is reported to give two different types of molecular scaffolds and their formation is essentially dependent on the type of catalyst used.

}, keywords = {alkynols, cascade synthesis, chemoselectivity, diversity-oriented synthesis, Homogeneous catalysis}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201405736}, author = {Bansode, Avinash H. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Kavthe, Rahul D. and Thorat, Shridhar and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000358022300001, title = {Cations and dications of heavier group 14 elements in low oxidation states}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {44}, number = {29}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {12903-12923}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cations and dications of heavier group 14 elements in their low oxidation state have received widespread attention in recent years. The journey started with the isolation of a series of cations of the composition [(C5Me5)E:](+) [E = Si-Pb], followed by the more recent isolation of a Ge(II) dication encapsulated within a cryptand, a carbodiphosphorane stabilized [GeCl](+) monocation with a two coordinate Ge atom, Si(II) cations and dications stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), which highlights the ongoing growth and interest in the chemistry of tetrel(II) cations. This is presumably because the central atom (E) in these compounds contains two or three unoccupied valence orbitals as well as holds a lone pair of electrons. Such an electronic description represents ambiphilicity, which is of great interest for catalysis. The successful synthesis of divalent group 14 cations requires new synthetic strategies based on the sterically demanding neutral or monoanionic ligands, utilization of counter anions, and solvents with low nucleophilicity in order to minimize the degree of interactions with the cations. An alternative approach for the realization of divalent cations of group 14 elements is their coordination to the transition metals. This synthetic approach was successfully applied for the isolation of a range of transition metal coordinated divalent cations of group 14 elements. Apart from arousing academic interest some of these cations have found application as activators in the Ziegler-Natta polymerization of alkenes.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c5dt01912e}, author = {Swamy, V. S. V. S. N. and Pal, Shiv and Khan, Shabana and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {42991, title = {Chemical utilisation of CO2 a challenge for the sustainable world}, journal = {Resonance}, volume = {20}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {165{\textendash}176}, abstract = {

We derive more than 80\% of our energy and chemicals from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. Depleting resources and environmental pollution are forcing us to look for alternative resources. Carbon dioxide (CO2), which is produced in large quantities, could be recycled to chemical feedstocks.

}, doi = {10.1007/s12045-015-0163-x}, author = {Jagadeesan, Dinesh and Joshi, Bhaskar and Parameswaran, Prashant} } @article {45931, title = {Chemically chargeable photo battery}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {119}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN }, pages = {14010-14016}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here we show a surrogate strategy for power production, wherein light is used to actuate a discharge Chemistry in the cathode of an aqueous rechargeable battery (ARB). The proposed photo battery consists of a titaninm nitride photoanode, promising. cathode:material iron(III) hexacyanoferrate(II) as the battery active species, and Na2S2O8 as the chemical charging agent The photo battery delivered negligible capacity in the dark and the capacity shot up to 77.8 mAh/g when artificially shined light, confirming that the battery chemistry is light driven. In the ambient light, the device retained 72\% of its artificial light discharge capacity with a stable cycling for more than 100 cycles. Further, an unprecedented means for charging the battery rapidly is presented using Na2S2O8 and it revitalized the battery in 30 s without any external bias. This methodology of expending a photoanode extends to a battery that is free from dissolution of active materials, irreversible structural changes, spontaneous deinsertion reactions, and safety concerns commonly encountered in the state of the art anode materials in ARBs. Apart from bringing out a sustainable way for power production, this device opens up avenues for charging the battery in the likely events of electrical input unavailability, while solving the critcial issues of longer charging time and higher charging voltage.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b02871}, author = {Thimmappa, Ravikumar and Paswan, Bhuneshwar and Gaikwad, Pramod and Devendrachari, Mruthyunjayachari Chattanahalli and Kotresh, Harish Makri Nimbegondi and Mohan, Ramsundar Rani and Alias, Joy Pattayil and Thotiyl, Musthafa Ottakam} } @article { ISI:000356801300073, title = {Chemically grafted graphite nanosheets dispersed in poly(ethylene-glycol) by gamma-radiolysis for enhanced lubrication}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {66}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {53766-53775}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Graphite nanosheets (Gr-NS) dispersed in poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG200) medium were subjected to various doses of gamma-irradiation. Hydroxyl functional groups present in PEG are chemically grafted through hydrogen bonding with hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxylic groups of Gr-NS. The grafting process is driven by the generation of active radicals from solvent radiolysis. Chemical grafting was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results of spectroscopic studies revealed reduction in oxygen functionality of PEG-Gr-NS at higher doses of gamma-irradiation. The gamma-irradiation not only bridges the functionalities between PEG and PEG-Gr-NS but edge and basal plane defects in Gr-NS are further reduced as is evident from Raman analysis. The inter-planar sheet distance in Gr-NS is increased due to intercalated chemical grafting with PEG molecules. The chemical grafting between PEG and Gr-NS and reduction in defects enhance the tribological properties with a decrease of 26\% and 32\% for the friction coefficient and wear, respectively as compared to PEG alone. The lubrication mechanism is mediated through inter-planar weak forces when PEG is chemically grafted with Gr-NS. The electrostatic interaction of PEG with Gr-NS acts as a molecular bridge thus enhancing the sustainability of tribo-stress. Additionally, in the presence of functionalized PEG-Gr-NS tribo-contact conditions, evidence of deposited graphitic tribo-film was observed from micro-Raman spectroscopy inside the steel wear track. This film further enhanced lubrication mediated through low shear strength interlayer graphite sheets and therefore, antiwear properties were synergistically improved.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra07528a}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Panda, Kalpataru and Kumar, Niranjan and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Dash, Sitaram and Tyagi, Ashok Kumar} } @article { ISI:000360934800005, title = {Chemoinformatics approach for building molecular networks from marine organisms}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {18}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {673-684}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

Natural products obtained from marine sources are considered to be a rich and diverse source of potential drugs. In the present work we demonstrate the use of chemoinformatics approach for the design of new molecules inspired by molecules from marine organisms. Accordingly we have assimilated information from two major scientific domains namely chemoinformatics and biodiversity informatics to develop an interactive marine database named MIMMO (Medicinally Important Molecules from Marine Organisms). The database can be queried for species, molecules, scaffolds, drugs, diseases and associated cumulative biological activity spectrum along with links to the literature resources. Molecular informatics analysis of the molecules obtained from MIMMO was performed to study their chemical space. The distinct skeletal features of the biologically active compounds isolated from marine species were identified. Scaffold molecules and species networks were created to identify common scaffolds from marine source and drug space. An analysis of the entire molecular data revealed a unique list of around 2000 molecules from which ten most frequently occurring distinct scaffolds were obtained.

}, keywords = {Chemoinformatics, Drug design, marine, virtual library}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207318666150703112950}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Nimje, Deepika and Pahujani, Rakhi and Tyagi, Kushal and Bapat, Sanket and Vyas, Renu and Padmakumar, Krishna Pillai} } @article { ISI:000360934400003, title = {ChemScreener: a distributed computing tool for scaffold based virtual screening}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {544-561}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

In this work we present ChemScreener, a Java-based application to perform virtual library generation combined with virtual screening in a platform-independent distributed computing environment. ChemScreener comprises a scaffold identifier, a distinct scaffold extractor, an interactive virtual library generator as well as a virtual screening module for subsequently selecting putative bioactive molecules. The virtual libraries are annotated with chemophore-, pharmacophore- and toxicophore-based information for compound prioritization. The hits selected can then be further processed using QSAR, docking and other in silico approaches which can all be interfaced within the ChemScreener framework. As a sample application, in this work scaffold selectivity, diversity, connectivity and promiscuity towards six important therapeutic classes have been studied. In order to illustrate the computational power of the application, 55 scaffolds extracted from 161 anti-psychotic compounds were enumerated to produce a virtual library comprising 118 million compounds (17 GB) and annotated with chemophore, pharmacophore and toxicophore based features in a single step which would be non-trivial to perform with many standard software tools today on libraries of this size.

}, keywords = {Scaffold extraction, therapeutic category, virtual library generation, virtual screening}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207318666150703112242}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Pandit, Deepak and Vyas, Renu} } @article {45947, title = {Chirality induction and chiron approaches to enantioselective total synthesis of alpha-lipoic acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {71}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN }, pages = {4213-4218}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient, short and convenient asymmetric synthesis of (R)-(+)-lipoic acid in seven steps from chiral hydroxy aldehyde with 32.5\% overall yield is described. Synthesis of S and R enantiomers of a-lipoic acid from cis-1,4-butene diol derived chiral lactone is reported with 34 \% overall yield. The present synthesis involves use of simple reaction conditions making it a convenient synthesis. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chiral pool, Chirality induction, enantioselective, Lipoic acid, sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2015.04.090}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pawar, Kailash P. and Praveen, Ch and Patil, Niteen B.} } @article { ISI:000358250800001, title = {Chromerid genomes reveal the evolutionary path from photosynthetic algae to obligate intracellular parasites}, journal = {Elife}, volume = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article Number: e06974}, publisher = {ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {SHERATON HOUSE, CASTLE PARK, CAMBRIDGE, CB3 0AX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The eukaryotic phylum Apicomplexa encompasses thousands of obligate intracellular parasites of humans and animals with immense socio-economic and health impacts. We sequenced nuclear genomes of Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis, free-living non-parasitic photosynthetic algae closely related to apicomplexans. Proteins from key metabolic pathways and from the endomembrane trafficking systems associated with a free-living lifestyle have been progressively and non-randomly lost during adaptation to parasitism. The free-living ancestor contained a broad repertoire of genes many of which were repurposed for parasitic processes, such as extracellular proteins, components of a motility apparatus, and DNA-and RNA-binding protein families. Based on transcriptome analyses across 36 environmental conditions, Chromera orthologs of apicomplexan invasion-related motility genes were co-regulated with genes encoding the flagellar apparatus, supporting the functional contribution of flagella to the evolution of invasion machinery. This study provides insights into how obligate parasites with diverse life strategies arose from a once free-living phototrophic marine alga.

}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.06974}, author = {Woo, Yong H. and Ansari, Hifzur and Otto, Thomas D. and Klinger, Christen M. and Kolisko, Martin and Michalek, Jan and Saxena, Alka and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Tayyrov, Annageldi and Veluchamy, Alaguraj and Ali, Shahjahan and Bernal, Axel and del Campo, Javier and Cihlar, Jaromir and Flegontov, Pavel and Gornik, Sebastian G. and Hajduskova, Eva and Horak, Ales and Janouskovec, Jan and Katris, Nicholas J. and Mast, Fred D. and Miranda-Saavedra, Diego and Mourier, Tobias and Naeem, Raeece and Nair, Mridul and Panigrahi, Aswini K. and Rawlings, Neil D. and Padron-Regalado, Eriko and Ramaprasad, Abhinay and Samad, Nadira and Tomcala, Ales and Wilkes, Jon and Neafsey, Daniel E. and Doerig, Christian and Bowler, Chris and Keeling, Patrick J. and Roos, David S. and Dacks, Joel B. and Templeton, Thomas J. and Waller, Ross F. and Lukes, Julius and Obornik, Miroslav and Pain, Arnab} } @article { ISI:000352745300007, title = {Cloning, expression and in silico studies of a serine protease from a marine actinomycete (Nocardiopsis sp NCIM 5124)}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {50}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {378-387}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A serine protease (N. protease), from Nocardiopsis sp., was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and investigated for its potential kinetic stability. Protein expression using two vectors, pET-22b (+) and pET-39b (+) was compared based on proper folding and soluble expression of the protein. pET-39b (+) was found to be a better vector for soluble expression of this protease containing disulfide bonds. In silico studies were also carried out for N. protease. Homology modeling suggested N. protease to be a member of PA clan of proteases. The phylogenetic analysis showed relatedness of N. protease to kinetically stable proteases. Molecular docking studies performed exhibited interaction of a peptide substrate with catalytic pocket of the enzyme. High temperature MD simulations were performed on N. protease to study its unfolding behavior and comparisons were made with alpha LP. A novel approach to study {\textquoteleft}cooperativity{\textquoteright} of protein unfolding was undertaken, wherein {\textquoteleft}P{\textquoteright} value analysis based on phi and psi values of the protein was performed. Data showed sharper P value transition for alpha LP when compared to N. protease thus indicating relatively less kinetic stability of N. protease. Present study holds significance as the non-streptomycete actinomycetes group is least explored and ensures industrially important enzymes with exceptional stabilities. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Actinomycetes, Cloning and expression, Kinetic stability, Protease, Thermal simulation}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2014.12.025}, author = {Rohamare, Sonali and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Jones, Dafydd and Bhavnani, Varsha and Pal, Jayanta and Sharma, Ranu and Chatterjee, Prathit} } @article { ISI:000356537400001, title = {Co3O4 nanorods-efficient non-noble metal electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution at neutral pH}, journal = {Electrocatalysis}, volume = {6}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {331-340}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, issn = {1868-2529}, doi = {10.1007/s12678-015-0263-0}, author = {Ramsundar, Rani M. and Debgupta, Joyashish and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000360404400089, title = {Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles: a magnetically separable and reusable catalyst for Petasis-Borono-Mannich reaction}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {86}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {70586-70594}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Magnetically separable cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4, NPS) have been demonstrated for the first time as an efficient catalyst in Petasis-Borono-Mannich (PBM) reaction between salicylaldehydes, sec. amines and aryl boronic acids to furnish alkylaminophenols in high yields. Relatively shorter reaction times, easy purification of the products and reusability of the catalyst for five consecutive runs without appreciable loss in it{\textquoteright}s activity are the noteworthy features of the developed protocol.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra10693a}, author = {Kulkarni, Aparna M. and Pandit, Kapil S. and Chavan, Pramod V. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {45883, title = {Colossal increase in negative magnetization, exchange bias and coercivity in samarium chromite due to a strong coupling between Sm3+-Cr3+ spins sublattices}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {48}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN }, pages = {025004}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report giant temperature dependent negative magnetization (magnetization reversal) along with a large exchange bias and large coercivity in SmCrO3. The static magnetization measurements show the negative magnetization below similar to 192 K, due to competition between the external field, thermal activation energy and antiparallel Sm3+-Cr3+ spin interaction. At further lower temperatures, Sm3+ spins show an increased alignment due to the internal induced field of Cr3+ spins with minimum magnetization similar to - 0.037 emu g(-1). The temperature dependent exchange bias shows non-monotonic behavior. At 35 K, the exchange bias ceases to exist due to the orientation of Sm3+ moments with respect to canted Cr3+ moments. The crossover temperature decreases from similar to 191 K at 100 Oe to similar to 153 K at 250 Oe. The training effect further confirms the exchange bias in SmCrO3. The dynamic magnetization measurements exhibit anomalies around spin reorientation transition (T-SR similar to 34 K) and Neel transition (T-N similar to 192 K) which is consistent with static measurement and no frequency dependence was observed. The room temperature Raman spectra of SmCrO3 show peaks at similar to 364, similar to 375 and similar to 456 cm(-1) suggesting O-Cr-O bending modes within the octahedral.

}, keywords = {exchange bias, multiferroics etc, negative magnetization, samarium chromite, spin reorientation}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/48/2/025004}, author = {Gupta, Preeti and Bhargava, Richa and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000357192200003, title = {Compact polar moieties induce lipid-water systems to form discontinuous reverse micellar phase}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {11}, number = {27}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5417-5424}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The role of molecular interactions in governing lipid mesophase organization is of fundamental interest and has technological implications. Herein, we describe an unusual pathway for monoolein/water reorganization from a bicontinuous mesophase to a discontinuous reverse micellar assembly, directed by the inclusion of polar macromolecules. This pathway is very different from those reported earlier, wherein the Fd3m phase formed only upon addition of apolar oils. Experiments and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that hydrophilic ternary additives capable of inducing discontinuous phase formation must (i) interact strongly with the monoolein head group and (ii) have a compact molecular architecture. We present a detailed investigation that contrasts a monoolein-water system containing polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrons with one containing their linear analogs. The Fd3m phase forms only on the addition of PAMAM dendrons but not their linear analogs. Thus, the dendritic architecture of PAMAM plays an important role in determining lipid mesophase behavior. Both dendrons and their linear analogs interact strongly with monoolein through their amine groups. However, while linear polymers adsorb and spread on monoolein, dendrons form aggregates that interact with the lipid. Dendrons induce formation of an intermediate reverse hexagonal phase, which subsequently restructures into the Fd3m phase. Finally, we demonstrate that other additives with compact structures that are known to interact with monoolein, such as branched polyethylenimine and polyhedral silsesquioxane cages, also induce the formation of the Fd3m phase.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c5sm00854a}, author = {Kumar, Manoj and Patil, Naganath G. and Choudhury, Chandan Kumar and Roy, Sudip and Ambade, Ashootosh V. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article { ISI:000356520400003, title = {Computational strategies for understanding the nature of interaction in dioxin imprinted nanoporous trappers}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Recognition}, volume = {28}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {427-437}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A new computational model capable of understanding the nature of interactions in signature complexes formed between the template(2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p dioxin (TCDD)) and the functional monomers (methacrylic acid (MAA)) using density functional theory (DFT) has been designed. The polymer precursors were optimized for geometries in polymerization media, computing the interaction energies between template molecules and functional monomers of transient pre-polymerized complexes (PPC), and structural and vibrational properties reference to theoretical infrared spectra were computed using DFT of B3LYP/6 311+G(d,p) hybrid functional method. Atom in molecule theory was used to analyze the hydrogen-bonding characteristics of PPC of MAA-TCDD. Considering the theoretical titrations conducted in a virtual solvent box, it was found that the 1:4 molar ratio was required to form the most stable PPC in a given solvent system. The electron density plots indicate strong hydrogen bonding as shown by the 2pz dominant highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) character that could be the preferable sites of binding for target molecule, TCDD. Considering HOMO approach, the active adsorption sites in molecularly imprinted polymer was modeled to get insight on molecular recognition property for targeted molecule, TCDD. The proposed computational protocol is simple, accurate, and novel to design the polymer and is useful to predict the properties of polymer systems than the conventional theoretical analysis of template-monomer interactions. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {carcinogenic pollutants, computer simulations, Density Functional Theory (DFT), intermolecular interactions, Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIP)}, issn = {0952-3499}, doi = {10.1002/jmr.2459}, author = {Khan, Muntazir S. and Pal, Sourav and Krupadam, Reddithota J.} } @article { ISI:000349401300020, title = {Conformational modulation of peptides using beta-amino benzenesulfonic acid ((S)Ant)}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2087-2091}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This communication describes the utility of a conformationally restricted aromatic beta-amino acid (2-aminobenzenesulfonic acid, (S)Ant) inducing various folding interactions in short peptides. Sandwiching (S)Ant between diverse amino acid residues was shown to form robust folded architectures featuring a variety of H-bonded networks, suggesting its utility in inducing peptide folding.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c4ob02421d}, author = {Priya, Gowri and Kotmale, Amol S. and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000361085800009, title = {Construction of polynuclear lanthanide (Ln = Dy-III, Tb-III, and Nd-III) cage complexes using pyridine-pyrazole-based ligands: versatile molecular topologies and smm behavior}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {17}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8197-8206}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Employment of two different pyridyl pyrazolyl-based ligands afforded three octanudear lanthanide(III) (Ln = Dy, Tb) cage compounds and one hexanudear neodymium(III) coordination cage, exhibiting versatile molecular architectures including a butterfly core. Relatively less common semirigid pyridyl pyrazolyl-based asymmetric ligand systems show an interesting trend of forming polynuclear lanthanide cage complexes with different coordination environments around the metal centers. It is noteworthy here that construction of lanthanide complex itself is a challenging task in a ligand system as soft N-donor rich as pyridyl pyrazol. We report herein some lanthanide complexes using ligand containing only one or two O-donors compare to five N-coordinating sites. The resultant multinuclear lanthanide complexes show interesting magnetic and spectroscopic features originating from different spatial arrangements of the metal ions. Alternating current (ac) susceptibility measurements of the two dysprosium complexes display frequency- and temperature-dependent out-of-phase signals in zero and 0.5 T direct current field, a typical characteristic feature of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior, indicating different energy reversal barriers due to different molecular topologies. Another aspect of this work is the occurrence of the not-so-common SMM behavior of the terbium complex, further confirmed by ac susceptibility measurement.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b00334}, author = {Bala, Sukhen and Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Pramanik, Bhaskar and Khanra, Sumit and Fromrn, Katharina M. and Poddar, Pankaj and Mondal, Raju} } @article { ISI:000349726500017, title = {Continuous precipitation of calcium carbonate using sonochemical reactor}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {24}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {132-139}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The continuous production of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) by precipitation method at room temperature was carried out in a stirred reactor under ultrasonic environment and was compared with the conventional stirring method. The effect of various operating parameters such as Ca(OH)(2) slurry concentration, CO2 flow rate and Ca(OH)(2) slurry flow rate on the particle size of CaCO3 was investigated. The calcium carbonate particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) and particle size. The morphology was studied by using scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images. The particle size obtained in the presence of ultrasonic environment was found to be smaller as compared to conventional stirring method. The particle size is found to be reduced with an increase in the concentrations of Ca(OH)(2) and increased with increasing CO2 flow rate for both the methods. The slurry flow rate had a major effect on the particle size and the particle size decreased with increased slurry flow rate. Only calcite phase of CaCO3 was predominantly present as confirmed by the characterization techniques for both the preparation methods. In most of the cases rhombohedral calcite particles were observed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Calcite, Crystal growth, Morphology, Nucleation, Particle size, Ultrasound}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2014.12.003}, author = {Shirsath, S. R. and Sonawane, S. H. and Saini, D. R. and Pandit, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000361677200008, title = {Controlled micellar disassembly of photo- and pH-cleavable linear-dendritic block copolymers}, journal = {Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {6}, number = {38}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6826-6835}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A linear-dendritic block copolymer with both photo-and pH-cleavable linkages at the junction between the hydrophobic dendron and hydrophilic linear polymer was synthesised. The photocleavable o-nitrobenzyl group attached to alkyne was introduced at the focal point of polyester dendron and acid-degradable acetal linkage with terminal azide was introduced at one end of linear polyethylene glycol. The two segments were connected using click chemistry. The copolymer was found to self-assemble into micelle-like aggregates in dilute aqueous solution. Stimuli-responsive disassembly of the aggregates was studied by monitoring fluorescence emission of the encapsulated hydrophobic dye and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Products of acetal cleavage at acidic pH were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography and NMR spectroscopy. The photo and pH stimuli were applied separately as well as simultaneously to study the rate of dye release. The synergistic effect of the two stimuli on dye release was demonstrated and the non-cytotoxic nature of the polymer was shown using the MTT assay. Cell uptake of DOX-loaded micelles and photo-induced release of the drug resulting in significantly higher cytotoxicity than by free DOX was demonstrated using MDA-MB-231 cells.

}, issn = {1759-9954}, doi = {10.1039/c5py00792e}, author = {Kalva, Nagendra and Parekh, Nimisha and Ambade, Ashootosh V.} } @article { ISI:000363152800005, title = {Core-shell nanoparticles: synthesis and applications in catalysis and electrocatalysis}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {44}, number = {21}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7540-7590}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Core-shell nanoparticles (CSNs) are a class of nanostructured materials that have recently received increased attention owing to their interesting properties and broad range of applications in catalysis, biology, materials chemistry and sensors. By rationally tuning the cores as well as the shells of such materials, a range of core-shell nanoparticles can be produced with tailorable properties that can play important roles in various catalytic processes and offer sustainable solutions to current energy problems. Various synthetic methods for preparing different classes of CSNs, including the Stober method, solvothermal method, one-pot synthetic method involving surfactants, etc., are briefly mentioned here. The roles of various classes of CSNs are exemplified for both catalytic and electrocatalytic applications, including oxidation, reduction, coupling reactions, etc.

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/c5cs00343a}, author = {Gawande, Manoj B. and Goswami, Anandarup and Asefa, Tewodros and Guo, Huizhang and Biradar, Ankush V. and Peng, Dong-Liang and Zboril, Radek and Varma, Rajender S.} } @article { ISI:000365529900006, title = {Cyclic cationic peptides containing sugar amino acids selectively distinguishes and inhibits maturation of pre-mirnas of the same family}, journal = {Nucleic Acid Therapeutics}, volume = {25}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {323-329}, publisher = {MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC}, address = {140 HUGUENOT STREET, 3RD FL, NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10801 USA}, abstract = {

The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has added a new dimension to the gene regulatory networks, making aberrantly expressed miRNAs as therapeutically important targets. Small molecules that can selectively target and modulate miRNA levels can thus serve as lead structures. Cationic cyclic peptides containing sugar amino acids represent a new class of small molecules that can target miRNA selectively. Upon treatment of these small molecules in breast cancer cell line, we profiled 96 therapeutically important miRNAs associated with cancer and observed that these peptides can selectively target paralogous miRNAs of the same seed family. This selective inhibition is of prime significance in cases when miRNAs of the same family have tissue-specific expression and perform different functions. During these conditions, targeting an entire miRNA family could lead to undesired adverse effects. The selective targeting is attributable to the difference in the three-dimensional structures of precursor miRNAs. Hence, the core structure of these peptides can be used as a scaffold for designing more potent inhibitors of miRNA maturation and hence function.

}, issn = {2159-3337}, doi = {10.1089/nat.2015.0554}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Bose, Debojit and Pal, Sudip and Chakraborty, Tushar Kanti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000360934400007, title = {Design and development of cheminfocloud: an integrated cloud enabled platform for virtual screening}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {604-619}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

The power of cloud computing and distributed computing has been harnessed to handle vast and heterogeneous data required to be processed in any virtual screening protocol. A cloud computing platorm ChemInfoCloud was built and integrated with several chemoinformatics and bioinformatics tools. The robust engine performs the core chemoinformatics tasks of lead generation, lead optimisation and property prediction in a fast and efficient manner. It has also been provided with some of the bioinformatics functionalities including sequence alignment, active site pose prediction and protein ligand docking. Text mining, NMR chemical shift (1H, 13C) prediction and reaction fingerprint generation modules for efficient lead discovery are also implemented in this platform. We have developed an integrated problem solving cloud environment for virtual screening studies that also provides workflow management, better usability and interaction with end users using container based virtualization, OpenVz.

}, keywords = {Chemoinformatics, cloud computing, machine learning, Molecular docking, OpenVz, sequence alignment, spectra prediction, text mining, virtual screening}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207318666150703113656}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Pandit, Deepak and Bhavasar, Arvind and Vyas, Renu} } @article { ISI:000361004700026, title = {Design and synthesis of 11 alpha-substituted bile acid derivatives as potential anti-tuberculosis agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {25}, number = {19}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4185-4190}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We have synthesized a series of novel 11 alpha-triazoyl bile acid derivatives. In addition, we also have synthesized N-alkyl and N-acyl derivatives of C-11 amino bile acid esters. All the compounds were evaluated for the inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) at 30 mu g/mL level. Four lead compounds (2b, 3, 7 and 8) were further confirmed from their dose dependent effect against MTB. These compounds were found to be active against Dormant and active stage MTB under both in vitro as well as within THP1 host macrophages. The most promising compound 2b showed strong antitubercular activities against MTB under in vitro and ex vivo (IC90 value of similar to 3 mu g/mL) conditions and almost insignificant cytotoxicity up to 100 mu g/mL against THP-1, A549 and PANC-1 human cancer cell lines. Inactivity of all these compounds against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria indicates their specificity. Molecular docking studies of these compounds into the active site of DprE1 enzyme revealed a similar binding mode to native ligands in the crystal structure thereby helping to establish a structural basis of inhibition of MTB. The synthesized compounds were analyzed for ADME properties and showed potential to develop good oral drug candidates. Our results clearly indicate the identification of some novel, selective and specific inhibitors against MTB that can be explored further for potential antitubercular drug. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antituberculosis, Bile acids, Cycloaddition, Docking study, In silico ADME}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.08.006}, author = {Pore, Vandana S. and Divse, Jaisingh M. and Charolkar, Chaitanya R. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000360825100003, title = {Design and synthesis of cauliflower-shaped hydroxyl functionalized core-shell polymer}, journal = {Designed Monomers and Polymers}, volume = {18}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {723-733}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conventional crosslinked polymers and homopolymers both have their own limitations. As a result, core-shell polymer was synthesized to obtain cauliflower-shaped and highly hydroxyl functionalized polymer. For the core, acrylate-based copolymers were synthesized by varying crosslinkers and porogens at different crosslink density. Owing to high surface area (554 m(2)/g), poly(MMA-co-DVB) was used as a core and low-molecular weight (24,600g/mol) poly(GMA) was used as a shell in core-shell approach. Average particle sizes of the core polymers were in the range of 15-75 mu m. In order to evaluate reactivity efficiency of core-shell polymer, hydroxyl content was evaluated with a value of 3.97mmol/g. Importantly, hydroxyl content demonstrated the successful increase in reactive sites of the core-shell polymer over conventional crosslinked hydroxyl polymer. Notably, synthesized core-shell polymer has more surface area and pore volume which substantially attributes for better polymer efficiency during application. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the spherical, uniform, and slightly conglomerated properties of core-shell polymer. Due to higher reactivity, insolubility, and more surface area of hydroxyl functionalized core-shell polymer, its use become inevitably essential.

}, keywords = {C-13 solid state NMR, cauliflower-shaped porous beads, core-shell polymer, hydroxyl functionalization, surface area}, issn = {1385-772X}, doi = {10.1080/15685551.2015.1070504}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000355859600015, title = {Design and synthesis of new fluconazole analogues}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {23}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6551-6561}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We have synthesized new fluconazole analogues containing two different 1,2,3-triazole units in the side chain. The synthesis of new amide analogues using a variety of acids is also described. All the compounds showed very good antifungal activity. A hemolysis study of the most active compounds 6e and 13j showed that both compounds did not cause any hemolysis at the dilutions tested. These compounds did not exhibit any toxicity to L929 cells at MIC and lower concentrations. In the docking study, the overall binding mode of 6e and 13j appeared to be reasonable and provided a good insight into the structural basis of inhibition of Candida albicans Cyp51 by these compounds.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c5ob00590f}, author = {Pore, Vandana S. and Agalave, Sandip G. and Singh, Pratiksha and Shukla, Praveen K. and Kumar, Vikash and Siddiqi, Mohammad I.} } @article {42432, title = {Diastereoselective synthesis of cyclopentanone-fused spirooxindoles by N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed homoenolate annulation with isatilidenes}, journal = {Organic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1584-1588}, abstract = {

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed formal [3 + 2] annulation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with N-substituted isatilidenes resulting in the diastereoselective synthesis of cyclopentanone-fused spirooxindoles is demonstrated. Mechanistically, the reaction proceeds via the generation of homoenolate equivalent intermediates from NHC and enals, which on interception with isatilidenes afford spiroheterocyclic compounds bearing an all-carbon quaternary spiro-center in moderate to good yields and generally with high diastereoselectivity. Moreover, the functionalization of the spirooxindoles as well as the initial studies on the enantioselective version of this reaction are presented.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5QO00242G}, author = {Patra, Atanu and Bhunia, Anup and Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000369744300004, title = {Differential dynamics of the serotonin(1A) receptor in membrane bilayers of varying cholesterol content revealed by all atom molecular dynamics simulation}, journal = {Molecular Membrane Biology}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {127-137}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The serotonin(1A) receptor belongs to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and is a potential drug target in neuropsychiatric disorders. The receptor has been shown to require membrane cholesterol for its organization, dynamics and function. Although recent work suggests a close interaction of cholesterol with the receptor, the structural integrity of the serotonin(1A) receptor in the presence of cholesterol has not been explored. In this work, we have carried out all atom molecular dynamics simulations, totaling to 3s, to analyze the effect of cholesterol on the structure and dynamics of the serotonin(1A) receptor. Our results show that the presence of physiologically relevant concentration of membrane cholesterol alters conformational dynamics of the serotonin(1A) receptor and, on an average lowers conformational fluctuations. Our results show that, in general, transmembrane helix VII is most affected by the absence of membrane cholesterol. These results are in overall agreement with experimental data showing enhancement of GPCR stability in the presence of membrane cholesterol. Our results constitute a molecular level understanding of GPCR-cholesterol interaction, and represent an important step in our overall understanding of GPCR function in health and disease.

}, keywords = {GPCR, Membrane cholesterol, molecular dynamics simulation, serotonin(1A) receptor}, issn = {0968-7688}, doi = {10.3109/09687688.2015.1096971}, author = {Patra, Swarna M. and Chakraborty, Sudip and Shahane, Ganesh and Prasanna, Xavier and Sengupta, Durba and Maiti, Prabal K. and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article { ISI:000362438300008, title = {Dinuclear salen cobalt complex incorporating Y(OTf)(3): enhanced enantioselectivity in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of epoxides}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {101}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {82699-82703}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The activation of inactive Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s chiral salen Co(II) (salen = N,N{\textquoteright}-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine) compound is attained by dinuclear chiral salen Co(III)-OTf complex formation with yttrium triflate. The yttrium metal not only displays a promoting effect on electron transfer, but also assists in forming two stereocentres of a Lewis acid complex with Co(III)-OTf. We found that the binuclear Co-complex significantly enhanced reactivity and enantioselectivity in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of terminal epoxides compared to its analogous monomer and kinetic data are also consistent with these results.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra12408e}, author = {Patel, Deepak and Kurrey, Ganesh Ram and Shinde, Sandip S. and Kumar, Pradeep and Kim, Geon-Joong and Thakur, Santosh Singh} } @article { ISI:000355093500003, title = {Direct glycosylation of unprotected and unactivated sugars using bismuth nitrate pentahydrate}, journal = {Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry}, volume = {34}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {196-205}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Bi(NO3)(3), a low-cost, mild, and environmentally green catalyst, has been successfully utilized for Fischer glycosylation for the synthesis of alkyl/aryl glycopyranosides by reacting unprotected sugars, namely, D-glucose, L-rhamnose, D-galactose, D-arabinose, and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with various alcohols in good to excellent yields. The glycosides were formed with high alpha-selectivity. Further, an expedient separation of alpha- and beta-glycosides using silver nitrate-impregnated silica gel flash liquid chromatography has been developed.

}, keywords = {Bismuth nitrate, carbohydrates, Fischer glycosylation, Flash chromatography, Separation}, issn = {0732-8303}, doi = {10.1080/07328303.2015.1028585}, author = {Polanki, Innaiah K. and Kurma, Siva H. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article { ISI:000357468200016, title = {Discovery of rimonabant and its potential analogues as anti-TB drug candidates}, journal = {Medicinal Chemistry Research}, volume = {24}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2960-2971}, publisher = {SPRINGER BIRKHAUSER}, address = {233 SPRING STREET, 6TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Rimonabant and its analogues have been synthesized in moderate to good yields using a simple synthetic route. All the newly synthesized compounds were subjected to in vitro screening against M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis. The most potent analogue JMG-14 exhibits MIC value of 3.13 compared to 3.25 and 50 A mu g/ml for ethambutol and pyrazinamide, respectively. The molecular docking reveals that pyrazole ring, number and position of halogen atoms play a crucial role in deciding interactions with MTCYP-121. These findings open up a new avenue in the search of potent anti-TB drugs with rimonabant and its novel analogue JMG-14 as lead molecules.

}, keywords = {Diaryl pyrazoles, H37Rv, MTCYP-121, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rimonabant, tuberculosis}, issn = {1054-2523}, doi = {10.1007/s00044-015-1346-4}, author = {Gajbhiye, J. M. and More, Namita A. and Patil, Manoj D. and Ummanni, R. and Kotapalli, S. S. and Yogeeswari, P. and Sriram, D. and Masand, Vijay H.} } @article { ISI:000365203000020, title = {Doxorubicin-conjugated beta-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ multifunctional, phosphor nanorods: a multimodal, luminescent, magnetic probe for simultaneous optical and magnetic resonance imaging and an excellent pH-triggered anti-cancer drug delivery nanovehicle}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {46}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {19501-19518}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the fabrication of a multifunctional nanoprobe based on highly monodispersed, optically and magnetically active, biocompatible, PEI-functionalized, highly crystalline beta-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ nanorods as an excellent multi-modal optical/magnetic imaging tool and a pH-triggered intracellular drug delivery nanovehicle. The static and dynamic photoluminescence spectroscopy showed the presence of sharp emission peaks, with long lifetimes (similar to 3.5 milliseconds), suitable for optical imaging. The static magnetic susceptibility measurements at room temperature showed a strong paramagnetic signal (chi similar to 3.8 x 10(-5) emu g(-1) Oe(-1)). The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements showed fair T-1 relaxivity (r(1) = 1.14 s(-1) mM(-1)) and magnetic resonance imaging gave enhanced T-1-weighted MRI images with increased concentrations of beta-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ making them suitable for simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, an anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX) was conjugated to the amine-functionalized beta-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ nanorods via pH-sensitive hydrazone bond linkages enabling them as a pH-triggered, site-specific drug delivery nanovehicle for DOX release inside tumor cells. A comparison between in vitro DOX release studies undertaken in normal physiological (pH 7.4) and acidic (pH 5.0) environments showed an enhanced DOX dissociation (similar to 80\%) at pH 5.0. The multifunctional material was also applied as an optical probe to confirm the conjugation of DOX and to monitor DOX release via a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism. The DOX-conjugated beta-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ nanorods exhibited a cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells and their uptake by MCF-7 cells was demonstrated using confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry. The comparative cellular uptakes of free DOX and DOX-conjugated beta-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ nanorods were studied in tumor microenvironment conditions (pH 6.5) using confocal imaging, which showed an increased uptake of DOX-conjugated beta-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ nanorods. Thus, DOX-conjugated beta-NaYF4:Get(3+)/Tb3+ nanorods combining pH-triggered drug delivery, efficient luminescence and paramagnetic properties are promising for a potential multifunctional platform for cancer therapy, biodetection, and optical and magnetic resonance imaging.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr04473a}, author = {Padhye, Preeti and Alam, Aftab and Ghorai, Suvankar and Chattopadhyay, Sarnit and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000368141200024, title = {Drug-drug molecular salt hydrate of an anticancer drug gefitinib and a loop diuretic drug furosemide: an alternative for multidrug treatment}, journal = {Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {104}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4207-4216}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A 1:1 monohydrate salt containing gefitinib, an orally administrated chemotherapy treatment for lung and breast cancers and furosemide, a loop diuretic drug, commonly used in the treatment of hypertension and edema, has been prepared. The molecular salt crystallized in triclinic P-1 space group. The CO bond lengths (similar to 1.26 angstrom) in the COOH group show that proton transfer has occurred from furosemide to morpholine moiety of the gefitinib suggesting cocrystal to be ionic. The morpholine moiety of the gefitinib showed significant conformational change because of its involvement in conformation dictating the strong N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonding interaction. The strong hydrogen bonding interaction between gefitinib and furosemide places their benzene rings in stacking mode to facilitate the generation of pi-stack dimers. The neighboring dimers are bridged to each other via water molecule through N-H center dot center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot O, O-H center dot center dot center dot N, and O-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions. The remarkable stability of the salt hydrate could be attributed to the strong hydrogen bonding interactions in the crystal structure. Interestingly, release of water from the lattice at 140 degrees C produced new anhydrous salt that has better solubility and dissolution rate than salt hydrate. The drug-drug molecular salt may have some bearing on the treatment of patient suffering from anticancer and hypertension. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association

}, keywords = {cancer chemotherapy, cocrystals, crystal engineering, crystal structure, dissolution rate, hydrate, phase transition, solubility, stability, thermal analysis}, issn = {0022-3549}, doi = {10.1002/jps.24651}, author = {Thorat, Shridhar H. and Sahu, Sanjay Kumar and Patwadkar, Manjusha V. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000360889600001, title = {Ecological turmoil in evolutionary dynamics of plant-insect interactions: defense to offence}, journal = {Planta}, volume = {242}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {761-771}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Available history manifests contemporary diversity that exists in plant-insect interactions. A radical thinking is necessary for developing strategies that can co-opt natural insect-plant mutualism, ecology and environmental safety for crop protection since current agricultural practices can reduce species richness and evenness. The global environmental changes, such as increased temperature, CO (2) and ozone levels, biological invasions, land-use change and habitat fragmentation together play a significant role in re-shaping the plant-insect multi-trophic interactions. Diverse natural products need to be studied and explored for their biological functions as insect pest control agents. In order to assure the success of an integrated pest management strategy, human activities need to be harmonized to minimize the global climate changes. Plant-insect interaction is one of the most primitive and co-evolved associations, often influenced by surrounding changes. In this review, we account the persistence and evolution of plant-insect interactions, with particular focus on the effect of climate change and human interference on these interactions. Plants and insects have been maintaining their existence through a mutual service-resource relationship while defending themselves. We provide a comprehensive catalog of various defense strategies employed by the plants and/or insects. Furthermore, several important factors such as accelerated diversification, imbalance in the mutualism, and chemical arms race between plants and insects as indirect consequences of human practices are highlighted. Inappropriate implementation of several modern agricultural practices has resulted in (i) endangered mutualisms, (ii) pest status and resistance in insects and (iii) ecological instability. Moreover, altered environmental conditions eventually triggered the resetting of plant-insect interactions. Hence, multitrophic approaches that can harmonize human activities and minimize their interference in native plant-insect interactions are needed to maintain natural balance between the existence of plants and insects.

}, keywords = {Climatic change, Co-evolution, Ecosystem, Human interference, Plant-insect interaction}, issn = {0032-0935}, doi = {10.1007/s00425-015-2364-7}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Lomate, Purushottam R. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {42994, title = {Effect of lipid bilayer composition on membrane protein association}, journal = {Advances in Planar Lipid Bilayers and Liposomes}, volume = {22}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {43{\textendash}63}, abstract = {

Diverse cellular functions are supported by membrane protein assemblies associated with the cell membrane. Although considered to be protein-mediated, membrane components are now being recognized as critical in modulating and sometime dictating function. This chapter discusses the effect of the lipid bilayer, in particular its composition on membrane protein organization. Computational methods have been successful in quantifying transmembrane protein association and general features of dimerization profiles are explored. Understanding the molecular basis of the interactions has lead to the recognition of the lipophobic effects. These nonspecific effects include those that arise from membrane perturbations and lipid chain packing and have been shown to modulate the energetics as well as the structural characteristics of membrane protein dimerization. In addition, specific interactions arising from direct protein{\textendash}lipid interactions and protein{\textendash}cholesterol interactions have been suggested to influence membrane protein association. We summarize here a few examples highlighting the role of the lipid bilayer on membrane protein organization.

}, doi = {10.1016/bs.adplan.2015.06.001}, author = {Pawar, Aiswarya B. and Prasanna, Xavier and Sengupta, Durba} } @article { ISI:000345895200048, title = {Effect of Pd and Ce on the enhancement of ethanol vapor response of SnO2 thick films}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {207}, number = {A}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {383-390}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The undoped SnO2 and 4 wt\% Ce-doped SnO2 were successfully synthesized by a facile co-precipitation route. The ternary systems were prepared by Pd-loading (0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 wt\%) on the 4 wt\% Ce-doped SnO2 nanoparticles. The structure and morphology of the nanocrystalline powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The nanocrystalline powders were screen printed on the alumina substrates to form thick films to investigate their gas response properties. The gas response studies reveal that 4 wt\% Ce-doped SnO2 with the loading of 3.0 wt\% Pd exhibits high response (88\%) towards ethanol (100 ppm) at an operating temperature of 250 degrees C with quick response (6 s) and rapid recovery (20 s). The high ethanol vapor response at lower operating temperature of this sensor is attributed to the spill-over mechanism of Pd particles present on the SnO2 surface and enhancement in alkalescence of SnO2 due to Ce-doping. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ce-doped tin oxide, Gas sensor, Semiconductor, Thick film}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2014.10.021}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Vaishampayan, M. V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000352546100012, title = {Efficient access to enantiopure 1,3-disubstituted isoindolines from selective catalytic fragmentation of an original desymmetrized rigid overbred template}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {15}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4438-4448}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient and scalable synthesis of various enantiopure 1,3-disubstituted isoindolines is reported. The base catalyzed nucleophilic fragmentation of a rigid overbred template is established with various substrates to afford the corresponding 1,3-disubstituted isoindoline ester, amide, thioate, 1,3-amino alcohol and isoindolylcarboxylic acid. The crucial rigid overbred template is synthesized in an optically pure form in multigram scale by asymmetric desymmetrization of the corresponding meso compound.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c5ob00229j}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Varkhedkar, Rajesh and Tiwari, Divya} } @article { ISI:000347609400069, title = {Efficient Ag-nanoparticle embedded semi-IPN hydrogel for catalytic applications}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {7567-7574}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Silver nanoparticle embedded semi-IPN hydrogels based on a combination of poly(acrylamide) and poly(aspartic acid) were synthesized. These semi-IPN hydrogel networks can potentially serve as micro or nano reactors for entrapment of metal nanoparticles. Current methodology allows us to entrap metal nanoparticles throughout hydrogel networks via poly(aspartic acid) chains which are dispersed homogeneously in the gel matrix. The Ag-NPs were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The Ag embedded hydrogels catalyze the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4 very efficiently at room temperature with good recyclability upto 3 cycles.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra14594a}, author = {Patwadkar, Manjusha V. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Badiger, Manohar V.} } @article { ISI:000346405200060, title = {Efficient robust fluorite CeZrO4-delta oxide catalyst for the eco-benign synthesis of styrene}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3619-3626}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this work, we have reported CeO2, ZrO2, physically mixed (PH)-CeO2/ZrO2 and fluorite CeZrO4-delta oxides and their catalytic activities for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethyl benzene (EB) to styrene (ST) using molecular oxygen, air and carbon dioxide as oxidants. The catalysts were prepared by a gel-combustion method followed by calcination at 600 degrees C for 6 h and subjected to catalytic activity measurements. All the catalysts were characterized and studied by various physicochemical methods. The reaction parameters were varied systematically such as different catalysts, oxidants, temperatures, EB flow and oxidant flow. CeZrO4-delta accounted for a 47\% styrene yield for 72 h without any significant deactivation under optimized reaction conditions. A thorough analysis of the spent catalysts demonstrated the robustness of the catalyst for this reaction under different oxidants and reaction conditions. Pristine CeO2 deactivated easily and the activity decreased with time on stream of the reaction.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra12355g}, author = {Periyasamy, Kaliyappan and Aswathy, Venugopalan T. and Kumar, Venugopal Ashok and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Shukla, Rakesh and Tyagi, Avesh K. and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article { ISI:000362426800004, title = {Efficient sorption and photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye onto NiS nanoparticles prepared using novel green approach}, journal = {Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {32}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1986-1992}, publisher = {KOREAN INSTITUTE CHEMICAL ENGINEERS}, address = {F.5, 119, ANAM-RO, SEONGBUK-GU, SEOUL 136-075, SOUTH KOREA}, abstract = {

The extract of the Asparagus racemosus leaf tissue works as a stabilizing and capping agent and assists the formation of stable colloidal nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectrophotometer, photoluminescence, TEM, EDAX and XRD, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy followed by selected area electron diffraction pattern analysis indicated the formation of near spherical, polydispersed, crystalline NiS of diameter ranging from 4-27 nm. X-ray diffraction studies showed the formation of 110, 101, 300, 021, 220, 221, 131, 410, 401, 321, 330 and 021 planes of hexagonal NiS. EDAX analysis confirmed the presence of Ni and S in nanosphere. The maximum sorption capacity (q (m) ) of NiS nanoparticles for MG dye was found to be 64.85 mg/g. Decolorization as well as disintegration of malachite green under white light illumination was confirmed by LC-MS studies. Results of the present study suggest that nanosized NiS can play an instrumental role in photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye present in water bodies.

}, keywords = {Degradation, FTIR, Malachite Green, NiS Nanoparticles, TEM}, issn = {0256-1115}, doi = {10.1007/s11814-015-0041-y}, author = {Prasad, Kumar Suranjit and Prajapati, Sheel and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article { ISI:000353831200020, title = {Electrochemical preparation of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots and their size-dependent electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {38}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {435-442}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Here we report a remarkable transformation of nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to size selective nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) by a two-step electrochemical method. The sizes of the N-GQDs strongly depend on the applied anodic potential, moreover increasing potential resulted in a smaller size of N-GQDs. These N-GQDs display many unusual size-dependant optoelectronic (blue emission) and electrocatalytic (oxygen reduction) properties. The presence of N dopants in the carbon framework not only causes faster unzipping of MWCNTs but also provides more low activation energy site for enhancing the electrocatalytic activity for technologically daunting reactions like oxygen reduction. The smaller size of N-GQDs has shown better performance as compared to the large N-GQDs. Interestingly, N-GQDs-3 (size = 2.5 +/- 0.3 nm, onset potential = 0.75 V) show a 30-mV higher positive onset potential shift compared to that of N-GQDs-2 (size = 4.7 +/- 0.3 nm, onset potential = 0.72 V) and 70 mV than that of N-GQDs-1 (size = 7.2 +/- 0.3, onset potential = 0.68 V) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a liquid phase. These result in the size-dependent electrocatalytic activity of N-GQDs for ORR as illustrated by the smaller sized N-GQDs (2.5 +/- 0.3 nm) undoubtedly promising metal-free electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications.

}, keywords = {fuel cells, MWCNTs, N-GQDs, oxygen reduction reaction, unzipping}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-014-0834-3}, author = {Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000354238700002, title = {Electron attachment to DNA and RNA nucleobases: an EOMCC investigation}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {115}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {753-764}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

We report a benchmark theoretical investigation of both vertical and adiabatic electron affinities of DNA and RNA nucleobases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil using equation of motion coupled cluster method. The vertical electron affinity (VEA) values of the first five states of the DNA and RNA nucleobases are computed. It is observed that the first electron attached state is energetically accessible in gas phase. Furthermore, an analysis of the natural orbitals exhibits that the first electron attached states of uracil and thymine are valence-bound in nature and undergo significant structural changes on attachment of an extra electron, which reflects in the deviation of the adiabatic electron affinity (AEA) than that of the vertical ones. Conversely, the first electron attached states of cytosine, adenine, and guanine are in the category of dipole-bound anions. Their structure, by and large, remain unaffected on attachment of an extra electron, which is evident from the observed small difference between the AEA and VEA values. VEA and AEA values of all the DNA and RNA nucleobases are found to be negative, which implies that the first electron attached states are not stable rather quasi bound. The results of all previous theoretical calculations are out of track and shows large deviation with respect to the experimentally measured values, whereas, our results are found to be in good agreement. Therefore, our computed values can be used as a reliable standard to calibrate new theoretical methods. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {DNA-RNA bases, electron affinity, EOMCC}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.24892}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Sengupta, Turbasu and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000358349700002, title = {Enantioselective cooperative catalysis}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {30}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {8116-8162}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c5ob00986c}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Shinde, Valmik S. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000355987900093, title = {Enantioselective syntheses of (R)-pipecolic acid, (2R,3R)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid, beta-(+)-conhydrine and (-)-swainsonine using an aziridine derived common chiral synthon}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {62}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {50580-50590}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Concise total syntheses of (R)-pipecolic acid, (R)-ethyl-6-oxopipecolate, (2R, 3R)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid and formal syntheses of beta-(+)-conhydrine, (-)-lentiginosine, (-)-swainsonine and 1,2-di-epi-swainsonine have been accomplished starting from a common chiral synthon. The present strategy employs regioselective aziridine ring opening, Wittig olefination and RCM as the key chemical transformations.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra06429e}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Khairnar, Lalit B. and Pawar, Kailash P. and Chavan, Prakash N. and Kawale, Sanket A.} } @article { ISI:000364449200020, title = {Engineering ligands on the Au center: discovering broadly applicable gold catalysis with high turnover numbers}, journal = {Organic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {2}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {995-998}, publisher = {CHINESE CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {PO BOX 1-18, NANKANG, TAIPEI 115, TAIWAN}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2052-4129}, doi = {10.1039/c5qo00162e}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000362499200027, title = {Engineering proteins for thermostability with iRDP web server}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {10}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e0139486}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Engineering protein molecules with desired structure and biological functions has been an elusive goal. Development of industrially viable proteins with improved properties such as stability, catalytic activity and altered specificity by modifying the structure of an existing protein has widely been targeted through rational protein engineering. Although a range of factors contributing to thermal stability have been identified and widely researched, the in silico implementation of these as strategies directed towards enhancement of protein stability has not yet been explored extensively. A wide range of structural analysis tools is currently available for in silico protein engineering. However these tools concentrate on only a limited number of factors or individual protein structures, resulting in cumbersome and time-consuming analysis. The iRDP web server presented here provides a unified platform comprising of iCAPS, iStability and iMutants modules. Each module addresses different facets of effective rational engineering of proteins aiming towards enhanced stability. While iCAPS aids in selection of target protein based on factors contributing to structural stability, iStability uniquely offers in silico implementation of known thermostabilization strategies in proteins for identification and stability prediction of potential stabilizing mutation sites. iMutants aims to assess mutants based on changes in local interaction network and degree of residue conservation at the mutation sites. Each module was validated using an extensively diverse dataset. The server is freely accessible at http://irdp.ncl.res.in and has no login requirements.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0139486}, author = {Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Sule, Manas and Ghanate, Avinash and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000356201700008, title = {EOMIP-CCSD(2)*: an efficient method for the calculation of ionization potentials}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {11}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2461-2472}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new approximation within the domain of EOMIP-CC method is proposed. The proposed scheme is based on the perturbative truncation of the similarity transformed effective Hamiltonian matrix. We call it the EOMIP-CCSD(2)* method, which scales as noniterative N-6 and its storage requirement is very less, compared to the conventional EOMIP-CCSD method. The existing EOMIP-CCSD(2) method has a tendency to overestimate the ionization potential (IP) values. On the other hand, our new strategy corrects for the problem of such an overestimation, which is evident from the excellent agreement achieved with the experimental values. Furthermore, not only the ionization potential but also geometry and IR frequencies of problematic double radicals are estimated correctly, and the results are comparable to the CCSD(T) method, obviously at lesser computational cost. The EOMIP-CCSD(2)* method works even for the core ionization and satellite IP, where the earlier EOMIP-CCSD(2) approximation dramatically fails.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct500927h}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000361120000056, title = {Evaluation of imidazolium-based ionic liquids towards vermicidal activity: in vitro \& in silico studies}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {92}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {75415-75424}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of six different ionic liquids (ILs) of the kind 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide/hydroxide (IL-Br and IL-OH) tailored with different N-alkyl side chains (ethyl, butyl, octyl) were synthesized and evaluated for their vermicidal activity against the Indian earthworm, Pheretima posthuma. The percentage of paralysis and mortality of earthworms against ILs were recorded in a dose dependent (at different concentrations 2, 4, 8 and 16 mM) and time dependent manner. The ILs with hydroxide as the counter anion (IL-OH) showed higher vermicidal activity compared to their bromide counterparts (IL-Br). Moreover, the ILs with the longest alkyl chain (octyl) were observed to have significant vermicidal activity compared to the rest (ethyl and butyl) as well as the standard drug, Albendazole. Furthermore, theoretical modeling was carried out to visualize the preferential docking positions of these ILs into the active site of beta-tubulin. Fascinatingly, it was found that the ILs with longest alkyl side chain showed remarkable vermicidal activity compared to the rest, and the molecular docking studies not only validated the experimental results, but also showed per-residue interaction analysis between the ILs and the different components of beta-tubulin.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra13469b}, author = {Charan, K. T. Prabhu and Ranjan, Prabodh and Manojkumar, Kasina and Pothanagandhi, Nellepalli and Jha, Prakash C. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Sivaramakrishna, Akella and Vijayakrishna, Kari} } @article { ISI:000363839500017, title = {Exploring microstructural changes in structural analogues of ibuprofen-hosted in situ gelling system and its influence on pharmaceutical performance}, journal = {AAPS Pharmscitech}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1153-1159}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The present work explores inner structuration of in situ gelling system consisting of glyceryl monooleate (GMO) and oleic acid (OA). The system under study involves investigation of microstructural changes which are believed to govern the pharmaceutical performance of final formulation. The changes which are often termed mesophasic transformation were analysed by small angle Xray scattering (SAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology and plane polarised light (PPL) microscopy. The current work revealed transformation of blank system from W/O emulsion to reverse hexagonal structure upon addition of structural analogues of ibuprofen. Such transformations are believed to occur due to increased hydrophobic volume within system as probed by SAXS analysis. The findings of SAXS studies were well supported by DSC, rheology and PPL microscopy. The study established inverse relationship between log P value of structural analogues of ibuprofen and the degree of binding of water molecules to surfactant chains. Such relationship had pronounced effect on sol-gel transformation process. The prepared in situ gelling system showed sustained drug release which followed Higuchi model.

}, keywords = {flurbiprofen, hexagonal phase, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, liquid crystal, sustained drug release}, issn = {1530-9932}, doi = {10.1208/s12249-015-0308-y}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000359867300004, title = {Extrusion film casting of long chain branched polypropylene}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {55}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1977-1987}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Extrusion film casting (EFC) is an important melt processing operation which is extensively used to make polypropylene (PP) films. Linear PP shows significant amount of necking and draw resonance during EFC. One of the ways to reduce necking is to introduce long chain branches (LCB) on the polymer backbone. The long branches impart extensional strain hardening behavior thereby stabilizing the melt flow. In this work, we investigate the influence of long chain branching in polypropylene on the extent of necking in the EFC process. Laboratory scale EFC experiments were performed on homopolymer PP of linear and long chain branched architectures. Simulations of the EFC process were carried out using the one-dimensional flow model of Silagy et al., Polym. Eng. Sci.,36, 2614 (1996) into which we incorporate two different multi-mode molecular constitutive equations namely, the eXtended Pom-Pom{\textquoteright} equation (XPP, for long chain branched PP) and the Rolie-Poly{\textquoteright} equation (RP-S, for linear PP). Our experimental data confirm that presence of long chain branching in PP reduces the extent of necking and our numerical predictions show qualitative agreement with experimental data, thereby elucidating the role of chain architecture on the extent of necking. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1977-1987, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.24039}, author = {Chikhalikar, Kalyani and Banik, Sourya and Azad, Lal Busher and Jadhav, Kishor and Mahajan, Sunil and Ahmad, Zubair and Kulkarni, Surendra and Gupta, Surendra and Doshi, Pankaj and Pol, Harshawardhan and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article { ISI:000353097100022, title = {Facile biological approach for immobilization, physicochemical characterization and antibacterial activity of noble metals nanocomposites}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {148}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {86-90}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The use of biopolymer as template to regulate metallic nanoparticles is promising field in green nanotechnology. We have designed a facile biological way for rapid synthesis and immobilization of gold and silver nanoparticles on alginate films using leaf extract of Cassia auriculata. The prepared gold bio-nanocomposite (Au-BNC) and silver bio-nanocomposite (Ag-BNC) were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy and Thermal analysis. The bio-nanocomposites exhibited good antibacterial activity against both gram positive (Bacillus subtilis) and gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The metal nanoparticle embedded films have number of applications in catalysis, optical biosensors, electronic, biomedical devices and environmental remediation. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alginate, Antibacterial, Bio-nanocomposites, Cassia auriculata, Characterization, Nanoparticles}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2015.02.059}, author = {Parveen, Asra and Ali, Tayyab and Wahid, Malik and Rao, Srinath} } @article { ISI:000351969900008, title = {First naphthosemiquinone complex of K+ with vitamin K3 analog: experiment and density functional theory}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1088}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {56-63}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Synthesis and characterization of potassium complex of 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (phthiocol), the vitamin K3 analog, has been carried out using FT-IR, UV-Vis, H-1 and C-13 NMR, EPR, cyclic voltammetry and single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments combined with the density functional theory. It has been observed that naphthosemiquinone binds to two K+ ions extending the polymeric chain through bridging oxygens O(2) and O(3). The crystal network possesses hydrogen bonding interactions from coordinated water molecules showing water channels along the c-axis. C-13 NMR spectra revealed that the complexation of phthiocol with potassium ion engenders deshielding of C(2) signals, which appear at delta = similar to 14.6 ppm whereas those of C(3) exhibit up-field signals near delta similar to 6.9 ppm. These inferences are supported by the M06-2x based density functional theory. Electrochemical experiments further suggest that reduction of naphthosemiquinone results in only a cathodic peak from catechol. A triplet state arising from interactions between neighboring phthiocol anion lead to a half field signal at g = 4.1 in the polycrystalline X-band EPR spectra at 133 K. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {C-13 NMR, DFT, hydrogen bonding, Naphthosemiquinone, Phthiocol, Vitamin K3}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2015.01.053}, author = {Kathawate, Laxmi and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Yeole, Sachin D. and Verma, Prakash L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article { ISI:000350528300019, title = {First synthesis of nitrosporeusines, alkaloids with multiple biological activities}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {56}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1252-1254}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Synthesis of nitrosporeusines A and B, thioester-bearing alkaloids from the Arctic Streptomyces nitrosporeus with exceptional biological activity is disclosed for the first time. In addition, we have prepared another biologically important natural product, maleimycin, in optically pure form using a gram-scale enzymatic resolution method. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Enzymatic resolution, Influenza H1N1 virus, Maleimycin, Michael reaction, Nitrosporeusine}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.01.143}, author = {Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Jachak, Gorakhnath R. and Gunjal, Vidya B. and Dhage, Nagsen M. and Bansode, Ajay H. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article { ISI:000362615700025, title = {Flow in vortex diodes}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Research \& Design}, volume = {102}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {274-285}, publisher = {INST CHEMICAL ENGINEERS}, address = {165-189 RAILWAY TERRACE, DAVIS BLDG, RUGBY CV21 3HQ, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A vortex diode is used as a cavitation device for treatment of industrial waste water and also, as a leaky non-return valve in nuclear applications. It consists of a vortex chamber with an axial and tangential port. When the fluid is injected through the tangential port, a strong vortex flow is set up in the diode chamber. This flow is characterized by phenomena such as vortex transition, precessing vortex core, toroidal recirculation zone, reverse flow core and recirculation zone in the axial port. Although studies have been conducted on the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}confined vortex{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} class of flows (and some of them on vortex diodes), none of them provides a collective account of key nuances of the flow in a vortex diode. The flow in the diode differs from other confined-vortex flows on account of the axial-velocity deficit, due to which, direct correlations from other confined vortex flows cannot be applied to the diode. This work attempts to address the aforementioned flow characteristics in the diode using results primarily from CFD simulations. The reported methodology, computational model and results will be useful to gain better understanding of flows in vortex diodes and to optimize designs of vortex diodes for variety of applications. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Institution of Chemical Engineers.

}, keywords = {CFD, Confined vortex, Diode, Precessing vortex core, Recirculation}, issn = {0263-8762}, doi = {10.1016/j.cherd.2015.05.028}, author = {Pandare, Aditya and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {45934, title = {Fluorescent cadmium telluride quantum dots embedded chitosan nanoparticles: a stable, biocompatible preparation for bio-imaging}, journal = {Journal of Biomaterials Science-Polymer Edition}, volume = {26}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN }, pages = {42-56}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fluorescent cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) are an optically attractive option for bioimaging, but are known to display high cytotoxicity. Nanoparticles synthesized from chitosan, a natural biopolymer of beta 1-4 linked glucosamine, display good biocompatibility and cellular uptake. A facile, green synthetic strategy has been developed to embed green fluorescent cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) in biocompatible CNPs to obtain a safer preparation than {\textquoteleft}as is{\textquoteright} QDs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed the crystal lattice corresponding to CdTe QDs embedded in CNPs while thermogravimetry confirmed their polymeric composition. Electrostatic interactions between thiol-capped QDs (4nm, -57mV) and CNPs (\~300nm, +38mV) generated CdTe QDs-embedded CNPs that were stable up to three months. Further, viability of NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells in vitro increased in presence of QDs-embedded CNPs as compared to bare QDs. At the highest concentration (10 mu g/ml), the former shows 34 and 39\% increase in viability at 24 and 48h, respectively, as compared to the latter. This shows that chitosan nanoparticles do not release the QDs up to 48h and do not cause extended toxicity. Furthermore, hydrolytic enzymes such as lysozyme and chitinase did not degrade chitosan nanoparticles. Moreover, QDs-embedded CNPs show enhanced internalization in NIH3T3 cells as compared to bare QDs. This method offers ease of synthesis and handling of stable, luminescent, biocompatible CdTe QDs-embedded CNPs with a favorable toxicity profile and better cellular uptake with potential for bioimaging and targeted detection of cellular components.

}, keywords = {Biocompatible, bioimaging, CdTe quantum dots, chitosan nanoparticles, Toxicity}, issn = {0920-5063}, doi = {10.1080/09205063.2014.982240}, author = {Ghormade, Vandana and Gholap, Haribhau and Kale, Sonia and Kulkarni, Vaishnavi and Bhat, Suresh and Paknikar, Kishore} } @article { ISI:000349061500011, title = {Formal syntheses of (2R,3R)-3-hydroxy pipecolic acid and (2R,3S)-3-hydroxy pipecolic acid from L-ascorbic acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {56}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {805-807}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Formal syntheses of both cis and trans 3-hydroxy pipecolic acids is achieved from L-ascorbic acid. Present synthesis describes use of chiral pool approach in which epimerization, Staudinger reaction and Cyclization reactions were employed as key steps. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3-Hydroxy pipecolic acid, cyclization, Epimerization, L-Ascorbic acid}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.12.103}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Dumare, Nilesh B. and Pawar, Kailash P.} } @article { ISI:000361697400005, title = {Fractional photo-current dependence of graphene quantum dots prepared from carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {38}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {24566-24569}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report on the photo-conductivity studies of chemically synthesized graphene quantum dots (GQDs) of average size 12 nm obtained by the oxidative acid treatment of MWCNTs. The dependence of photocurrent I-ph (I-ph = I-ill - I-dark) on the laser intensity P under a wide range of laser intensities (5 mW \<= P \<= 60 mW) shows a fractional power dependence of I-ph on light intensity. The temperature dependence (300 K \< T \< 50 K) of I-ph observed in thin films of these GQDs indicates that in the higher temperature region (T \> similar to 100 K), as the temperature increases, the number of thermally generated carriers increase resulting in increased I-ph. At sufficiently low temperatures (T \<= 100 K), a constant I-ph is observed, indicating a constant photocarrier density. Such a behavior is typically observed in many photoactive disordered semiconductors, which are often used in a variety of applications. We believe that the investigations presented here will enhance our understanding of the photocurrent generation phenomenon in chemically obtained GQDs.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp03306c}, author = {Kundu, Sumana and Ghosh, Sujoy and Fralaide, Michael and Narayanan, T. N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Talapatra, Saikat} } @article { ISI:000354964900096, title = {Freezing tendency towards 4-coordinated amorphous networks causes an increase in the heat capacity of supercooled Stillinger-Weber silicon}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {55}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {44679-44686}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Supercooled liquid silicon (Si), modeled by the Stillinger-Weber (SW) potential, has been shown to undergo transition to low density amorphous phases at 1060 K in previous studies. Furthermore, the constant pressure heat capacity C-p has been found to exhibit a large increase as the liquid is cooled to 1060 K. In this work, we examine the nature of the equilibrium and the relaxation process of supercooled SW Si in the temperature range of 1060 K to 1070 K at zero pressure. We find that the relaxation of the supercooled liquid leads to a sharp irreversible decrease in the fluctuation of the two body energy of the largest connected network of 4-coordinated particles. Such a process implies a tightening of the bonds (i.e. freezing or jamming) of the network, and is accompanied by a sharp increase in the fraction of the 4-coordinated particles in the system. We find that the jamming (or freezing) process shows a sudden acceleration across a dynamical instability point that occurs at a unique potential energy state of the network. Further, we find that the occurrence of the dynamical instability is associated with the appearance of a straight line region in the cumulative potential energy distributions with a configurational temperature close to 1060 K. We conclude that the supercooled liquid state must be regarded as a constrained equilibrium state, since the accessible microstates are constrained by the inherent tendency of the system to approach the dynamical instability point. Thus all properties of supercooled liquid SW-Si, including the rise in C-p at 1060 K, can be attributed to the freezing tendency of the 4-coordinated particle network.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra04892c}, author = {Apte, Pankaj A. and Pingua, Nandlal and Gautam, Arvind Kumar and Kumar, Uday and Willow, Soohaeng Yoo and Zeng, Xiao Cheng and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000350222400077, title = {From micron to nano-curcumin by sophorolipid co-processing: highly enhanced bioavailability, fluorescence, and anti-cancer efficacy (vol 4, pg 60334, 2014)}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {28}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {22075}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra90018b}, author = {Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Wani, Kirtee and Kaul-Ghanekar, Ruchika and Prabhune, Asmita and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000358610200004, title = {Fruit peel waste as a novel low-cost bio adsorbent}, journal = {Reviews in Chemical Engineering}, volume = {31}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {361-381}, publisher = {WALTER DE GRUYTER GMBH}, address = {GENTHINER STRASSE 13, D-10785 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Fruit peel waste (FPW) is abundantly available from the agricultural and food processing industry and has been studied in recent past as an adsorbent. This paper critically reviews the reported work and investigates various FPW-pollutant systems. The study includes statistics of FPW generation, modification, characterization, adsorption ability, recovery/regeneration, and modeling (isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics) of batch adsorption. It is found that orange and banana peels are the most extensively studied adsorbents, whereas Pb2+ and methylene blue are the most efficiently removed pollutants, the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms provide the best fit in most of the cases, and in general, pseudo-second-order kinetics is followed. There are very limited column studies and no report on commercial plant. Though the reproducibility of the results is poor, FPW has a great potential in the wastewater treatment due to its abundant and cheap availability. FPW can be used for removal of heavy metals and dyes; however, removal of organic and gaseous impurities needs further investigation.

}, keywords = {adsorbent, Adsorption, fruit peel waste, organic and inorganic pollutants, wastewater}, issn = {0167-8299}, doi = {10.1515/revce-2014-0041}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000355247900001, title = {Functional characterization of novel sesquiterpene synthases from Indian sandalwood, santalum album}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {Article Number: 10095}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album L. is highly valued for its fragrant heartwood oil and is dominated by a blend of sesquiterpenes. Sesquiterpenes are formed through cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), catalyzed by metal dependent terpene cyclases. This report describes the cloning and functional characterization of five genes, which encode two sesquisabinene synthases (SaSQS1, SaSQS2), bisabolene synthase (SaBS), santalene synthase (SaSS) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (SaFDS) using the transcriptome sequencing of S. album. Using Illumina next generation sequencing, 33.32 million high quality raw reads were generated, which were assembled into 84,094 unigenes with an average length of 494.17 bp. Based on the transcriptome sequencing, five sesquiterpene synthases SaFDS, SaSQS1, SaSQS2, SaBS and SaSS involved in the biosynthesis of FPP, sesquisabinene, beta-bisabolene and santalenes, respectively, were cloned and functionally characterized. Novel sesquiterpene synthases (SaSQS1 and SaSQS2) were characterized as isoforms of sesquisabinene synthase with varying kinetic parameters and expression levels. Furthermore, the feasibility of microbial production of sesquisabinene from both the unigenes, SaSQS1 and SaSQS2 in non-optimized bacterial cell for the preparative scale production of sesquisabinene has been demonstrated. These results may pave the way for in vivo production of sandalwood sesquiterpenes in genetically tractable heterologous systems.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep10095}, author = {Srivastava, Prabhakar Lal and Daramwar, Pankaj P. and Krithika, Ramakrishnan and Pandreka, Avinash and Shankar, S. Shiva and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000363184600027, title = {Gedunin and azadiradione: human pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibiting limonoids from neem (azadirachta indica) as anti-diabetic agents}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {10}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e0140113}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Human pancreatic alpha-amylase (HPA) inhibitors offer an effective strategy to lower postprandial hyperglycemia via control of starch breakdown. Limonoids from Azadirachta indica known for their therapeutic potential were screened for pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibition, a known anti-diabetic target. Studies were carried out to reveal their mode of action so as to justify their hypoglycemic potential. Of the nine limonoids isolated/semi-synthesized from A. indica and screened for alpha-amylase inhibition, azadiradione and exhibited potential inhibition with an IC50 value of 74.17 and 68.38 mu M, respectively against HPA under in vitro conditions. Further screening on AR42J alpha-amylase secretory cell line for cytotoxicity and bioactivity revealed that azadiradione and gedunin exhibited cytotoxicity with IC50 of 11.1 and 13.4 mu M. Maximal secreted alpha-amylase inhibition of 41.8\% and 53.4\% was seen at 3.5 and 3.3 mu M, respectively. Michaelis-Menten kinetics suggested a mixed mode of inhibition with maltopentaose (K-i 42.2, 18.6 mu M) and starch (K-i{\textquoteright} 75.8, 37.4 mu M) as substrate with a stiochiometry of 1: 1 for both azadiradione and gedunin, respectively. The molecular docking simulation indicated plausible p-alkyl and alkyl-alkyl interactions between the aromatic amino acids and inhibitors. Fluorescence and CD confirmed the involvement of tryptophan and tyrosine in ligand binding to HPA. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that binding is enthalpically and entropically driven with Delta G degrees of -21.25 kJ mol(-1) and -21.16 kJ mol(-1) for azadiradione and gedunin, respectively. Thus, the limonoids azadiradione and gedunin could bind and inactivate HPA (anti-diabetic target) and may prove to be lead drug candidates to reduce/control post-prandial hyperglycemia.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0140113}, author = {Ponnusamy, Sudha and Haldar, Saikat and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Smita S. Zinjarde and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu and RaviKumar, Ameeta} } @article { ISI:000365148500002, title = {Gelation landscape engineering using a multi-reaction supramolecular hydrogelator system}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {137}, number = {45}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {14236-14239}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Simultaneous control of the kinetics and thermodynamics of two different types of covalent chemistry allows pathway selectivity in the formation of hydrogelating molecules from a complex reaction network. This can lead to a range of hydrogel materials with vastly different properties, starting from a set of simple starting compounds and reaction conditions. Chemical reaction between a trialdehyde and the tuberculosis drug isoniazid can form one, two, or three hydrazone connectivity products, meaning kinetic gelation pathways can be addressed. Simultaneously, thermodynamics control the formation of either a keto or an enol tautomer of the products, again resulting in vastly different materials. Overall, this shows that careful navigation of a reaction landscape using both kinetic and thermodynamic selectivity can be used to control material selection from a complex reaction network.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5b06988}, author = {Foster, Jamie S. and Zurek, Justyna M. and Almeida, Nuno M. S. and Hendriksen, Wouter E. and le Sage, Vincent A. A. and Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan and Thompson, Amber L. and Banerjee, Rahul and Eelkema, Rienk and Mulvana, Helen and Paterson, Martin J. and van Esch, Jan H. and Lloyd, Gareth O.} } @article { ISI:000363917000038, title = {Generic framework for crystallization processes using the population balance model and its applicability}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {54}, number = {42}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10539-10548}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A generic modeling framework for batch cooling crystallization processes has been developed to understand the crystallization process from operational and modeling point of view. The generic framework for crystallization process modeling incorporates the characteristic dimensions of crystals and polymorphic transformation, as well as the hydrodynamic mixing effects in the crystallizer. This Polyhedral Polymorphic Multizonal Population Balance (PPMPBM) model considers bottom-up and top-down approaches for specific systems with specific targets. The PPMPBM framework allows switching between complex and simple models to study different crystallization systems with different scenarios and combination thereof. This framework uses gPROMS software (PSE, UK) and the Microsoft Excel front-end, along with the Polytope module in Matlab, to predict the crystal size and shape evolution as well as supersaturation profiles inside the crystallizer, which can be implemented for various crystallization systems.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.5b01421}, author = {Shaikh, Latif J. and Bari, Atul H. and Ranade, Vivek V. and Pandit, Aniruddha B.} } @article { ISI:000358630800013, title = {Genotype x environment interactions and QTL clusters underlying dough rheology traits in triticum aestivum L.}, journal = {Journal of Cereal Science}, volume = {64}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {82-91}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {24-28 OVAL RD, LONDON NW1 7DX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Genetic dissection of dough rheology traits (DRT) in hexaploid wheat was carried out using nine mixograph characters evaluated in two consecutive years in three agro-climatic zones in India in an RIL population (HI977 x HD2329). Pearson correlations determined in each year-location indicated 15 stable trait inter-relationships among them but inconsistent correlations with loaf volume (LV) were observed. Using AMMI analysis we derived patterns in G x E interactions (GEI) indicating 6-47\% contribution for the DRT. Composite interval mapping using a linkage map of 202 SSR markers identified 144 DRT QTLs of which, 96 were detected in single- and the rest in two to five year-locations. Sixteen QTL clusters located on ten chromosomes were identified and only three of them on chromosomes 1B, 5B and 6D involved LV QTLs. For each trait, majority of the DRT QTLs detected in single as well as multiple environments showed location-specificity and suggested that owing to GEI, breeding for wheat dough quality might need careful selection of QTLs targeted for individual agro-climatic zones. The inconsistent correlations of DRT and LV and differential locations of their QTLs in this population corroborated that using dough rheological traits alone to predict LV might pose challenges during wheat improvement. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {AMMI analysis, Dough rheology, Mixograph, QTL}, issn = {0733-5210}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcs.2015.05.002}, author = {Prashant, Ramya and Mani, Elangovan and Rai, Richa and Gupta, R. K. and Tiwari, Ratan and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Oak, Manoj and Roeder, Marion and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, Vidya} } @article {42859, title = {Gold(I)/chiral br{\o}nsted acid catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination-hydroarylation of alkynes: effect of remote hydroxyl group in the reactivity and enantioselectivity}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {21}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {975-979}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201405061}, author = {Shinde, Valmik S. and Mane, Manoj V. and Vanka, Kumar and Mallick, Arijit and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {42919, title = {Graphene nanoribbons as prospective field emitter}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {106}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article Number: 023111}, abstract = {

Field emission characteristics of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) synthesized by unzipping of multiwall carbon nanotubes using a facile hydrothermal route have been investigated at a base pressure of 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The values of turn-on field, required to draw an emission current densities of 1 and 10 mu A/cm(2), are found to be 2.8 and 5.8 V/mu m, respectively, and a maximum emission current density of 500 mu A/cm(2) has been drawn at an applied field of 9.8 V/mu m. The emission current stability of the GNRs emitter was studied at preset values of 1 and 10 mu A over a period of 3 h, and is found to be excellent. The field emission results demonstrated herein suggest that GNRs based field emitters can open up many opportunities for their potential utilization as large area field emitters in various vacuum micro-nanoelectronic devices such as flexible field emission displays, portable X-ray, and microwave tubes. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, doi = {10.1063/1.4905473}, author = {Khare, Ruchita T. and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Bansode, Sanjeewani and More, Mahendra A. and Majumder, Mainak and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000352343600011, title = {Green synthesis of silver nanoribbons from waste X-ray films using alkaline protease}, journal = {Materials Express}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {165-170}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

This work illustrates a facile approach to synthesize silver nanoribbons from waste X-ray films using alkaline protease from Beauveria sp. MTCC 5184 (BAP). The green synthesized nanoribbons have been characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, and FTIR. The UV-visible spectra gave maximum absorbance at 400 nm. TEM micrograph showed well-dispersed silver nanoribbons with an average length of 200-400 nm. FTIR result demonstrated the respective bands of the silver nanoribbons and proteins. XRD data revealed crystalline nature of silver nanoribbons dominated with (111) facets. In vitro antibacterial activity in terms of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) showed 8/16 mu g/mL (MIC/MBC) against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and 4/8 mu g/mL (MIC/MBC) against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. The green synthesized silver nanoribbons showed excellent biocompatibility up to 40 mu g/mL concentrations on mouse fibroblast cell line (L929).

}, keywords = {Alkaline Protease, Characterization, Cytotoxicity, Silver Nanoribbons, Waste X-ray Film}, issn = {2158-5849}, doi = {10.1166/mex.2015.1221}, author = {Shankar, Shiv and Prasad, R. G. S. V. and Selvakannan, P. R. and Jaiswal, Lily and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article { ISI:000349434300057, title = {Hierarchical CdS nanostructure by Lawesson{\textquoteright}s reagent and its enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {18}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {13715-13721}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Lawesson{\textquoteright}s reagent (LR) has been effectively exploited for the synthesis of hierarchical architectures of cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanostructures for the first time. The X-ray diffractograms of the as synthesised CdS nanostructures confirm the formation of hexagonal CdS. The broadness of the XRD peaks clearly indicates the nanocrystalline nature of CdS with average crystallite size of 4 nm. A FESEM study revealed the formation of hierarchical nanostructures, whereas a TEM study showed that the hierarchical arrangement is composed of nanosized CdS particles. A band-gap i.e. 2.4 eV was derived from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photoluminescence spectrum showed an emission peak at 535 and 568 nm which can be attributed to band-edge emission and surface emissions or possible metal vacancies, respectively. Considering the band-gap within the visible region, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of these CdS nanostructures was performed under visible light irradiation from hydrogen sulphide and water, respectively. Utmost hydrogen evolution i.e. 14 136 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) and 2065 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) was observed over a naked CdS nanostructure via H2S and water decomposition, respectively. The amount of hydrogen obtained by H2S splitting is much higher as compared to earlier reports.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra15138k}, author = {Pandit, Vikram U. and Arbuj, Sudhir S. and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Kshirsagar, Pradnya V. and Deshmukh, Amarsinh J. and Ambekar, Jalindar D. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000365525900102, title = {High performance single crystalline PbWO4 nanorod field effect transistor}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {26}, number = {12, SI}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10044-10048}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The highly crystalline PbWO4 nanorods were synthesized using simple co-precipitation method which has application in field effect transistor. The synthesized PbWO4 nanorods were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TEM and HRTEM indicating highly crystalline nature. Field effect transistor was fabricated on pre-patterned 300 nm SiO2/Si substrates using photolithography technique with channel length 1 A mu m and width 20 A mu m. Thin film (similar to 100 nm) was made up of PbWO4 nanorods by spin coating on the pre-patterned device used as channel layer. The field effect mobility was observed to be 4.7 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and I-ON/OFF ratio similar to 10(3) which is far better than the organic molecules due to single crystalline nature and rod like morphology of the PbWO4 providing direct path for charges to transport towards channel.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-015-3685-9}, author = {Walke, Pravin S. and Patil, Vandana B. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {42996, title = {High surface area porous carbon for ultracapacitor application by pyrolysis of polystyrene containing pendant carboxylic acid groups prepared via click chemistry}, journal = {Materials Today Communications}, volume = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {166-175}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtcomm.2015.07.002}, author = {Chhatre, Shraddha and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Banerjee, Abhik and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000363666000023, title = {Highly emissive organic solids with remarkably broad color tunability based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organoborons}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {89}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {16115-16118}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Molecular fluorophores based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organo-borons exhibit tunable solid-state emission colors that cover the whole visible region from blue to red. The emission color can be tuned through the substituents on either quinolines or the boron center.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc06351e}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Ranade, Dnyanesh S. and Thorat, Shridhar and Maity, Arunava and Kulkarni, Prasad P. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Munshi, Parthapratim and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000348753400054, title = {Highly loaded well dispersed stable Ni species in NiXMg2AlOY nanocomposites: application to hydrogen production from bioethanol}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {166}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {485-496}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Inexpensive NiXMg2AlOY nanocomposites with high Ni content (Ni wt\% \> 40\%) are developed as efficient catalysts for the sustainable hydrogen production from a mixture of ethanol and water at low temperature. The NiXMg2AlOY nanocomposites are composed of small and uniform nanoparticles (4-6 nm) of NiO, Ni-Mg-(Al)-O and/or MgO. The strong interactions existing between Ni2+ cations and Mg2+ and/or Al3+ cations either in the Ni-Mg-(Al)-O solid solution and/or at the interface of nanoparticles of NiO and/or Ni-Mg-(Al)-O make the catalyst highly active and stable. The behavior of the solids is analyzed in the presence of low and high concentrations of ethanol while maintaining a H2O/EtOH molar ratio of 3. The NiXMg2AlOY catalysts are shown to be efficient toward H-2 production between 250 and 650 degrees C. In the presence of low concentration of ethanol, on the highly loaded Ni compound (Ni12Mg2AlOY), total conversion of ethanol is obtained at 250 degrees C without formation of CO and carbon, and at 300 degrees C a H-2 yield of 3 mol moletEtOH(-1) is obtained without the formation of CO, exhibiting a remarkable stability with the time on stream even if some carbon is formed. In high concentration of ethanol, total conversion of ethanol is obtained at 450 degrees C on the highly loaded Ni compound (Ni12Mg2AlOY). In such conditions, a stable co-generation of carbon nanofibrous materials which amount increases with Ni content is also obtained. The catalytic stability is related to the type and morphology of the carbon species formed. The correlations among the catalyst properties, the catalytic performances and the characterizations are thoroughly discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ethanol, Hydrogen, Nanofibrous carbon, nickel oxide, Steam reforming}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.11.052}, author = {Fang, Wenhao and Paul, Sebastien and Capron, Mickael and Biradar, Ankush V. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Dongare, Mohan K. and Dumeignil, Franck and Jalowiecki-Duhamel, Louise} } @article { ISI:000364330600008, title = {Highly regioselective isomerizing hydroformylation of long-chain internal olefins catalyzed by a rhodium bis(phosphite) complex}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {7}, number = {21}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3468-3471}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The single-step synthesis, coordination behavior, and application of a bis(phosphite) ligand in the isomerizing hydroformylation of internal olefins was investigated. Interestingly, high-pressure NMR spectroscopy investigations revealed unexpected inequivalency of the two phosphorus nuclei, which display bisequatorial coordination of the bis(phosphite) ligand in a trigonal bipyramidal rhodium complex. Upon employment in the isomerizing hydroformylation of the exceedingly challenging plant oil derived substrate methyl oleate, the bis(phosphite) rhodium complex revealed an unprecedented linear selectivity of 75\%.

}, keywords = {alkenes, bis(phosphite)s, Hydroformylation, isomerization, Rhodium}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201500743}, author = {Pandey, Swechchha and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article { ISI:000354578900029, title = {High-throughput simulations of dimer and trimer assembly of membrane proteins. the DAFT approach}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {11}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2278-2291}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Interactions between membrane proteins are of great biological significance and are consequently an important target for pharmacological intervention. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to obtain detailed views on such interactions, both experimentally, where the environment hampers atomic resolution investigation, and computationally, where the time and length scales are problematic. Coarse grain simulations have alleviated the later issue, but the slow movement through the bilayer, coupled to the long life times of nonoptimal dimers, still stands in the way of characterizing binding distributions. In this work, we present DAFT, a Docking Assay For Transmembrane components, developed to identify preferred binding orientations. The method builds on a program developed recently for generating custom membranes, called insane (INSert membrANE). The key feature of DAFT is the setup of starting structures, for which optimal periodic boundary conditions are devised. The purpose of DAFT is to perform a large number of simulations with different components, starting from unbiased noninteracting initial states, such that the simulations evolve collectively, in a manner reflecting the underlying energy landscape of interaction. The implementation and characteristic features of DAFT are explained, and the efficacy and relaxation properties of the method are explored for oligomerization of glycophorin A dimers, polyleucine dimers and trimers, MS1 trimers, and rhodopsin dimers. The results suggest that, for simple helices, such as GpA and polyleucine, in POPC/DOPC membranes series of 500 simulations of 500 ns each allow characterization of the helix dimer orientations and allow comparing associating and nonassociating components. However, the results also demonstrate that short simulations may suffer significantly from nonconvergence of the ensemble and that using too few simulations may obscure or distort features of the interaction distribution. For trimers, simulation times exceeding several microseconds appear needed, due to the increased complexity. Similarly, characterization of larger proteins, such as rhodopsin, takes longer time scales due to the slower diffusion and the increased complexity of binding interfaces. DAFT and its auxiliary programs have been made available from http://cgmartini.nl/, together with a working example.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct5010092}, author = {Wassenaar, Tsjerk A. and Pluhackova, Kristyna and Moussatova, Anastassiia and Sengupta, Durba and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Tieleman, D. Peter and Boeckmann, Rainer A.} } @article { ISI:000357618200043, title = {Hollow tubular porous covalent organic framework (COF) nanostructures}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {58}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {11717-11720}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Hollow and tubular TpPa-COF structures have been synthesized by template-assisted replication of nanometer sized ZnO-nanorods. The hollow structures composed of microporous TpPa shells have high periodicity, moderate porosity, chemical stability and capsule shaped morphology as revealed by X-ray diffraction, porosity measurements, and SEM and TEM analyses.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc04130a}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Kandmabeth, Sharath and Mallick, Arijit and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000352329300007, title = {Human telomeric RNA G-quadruplex response to point mutation in the G-quartets}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {119}, number = {13}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {4617-4627}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Many putative G-quadruplex forming sequences have been predicted to exist in the human genome and transcriptome. As these sequences are subject to point mutations or SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) during the course of evolution, we attempt to understand impact of these mutations in context of RNA G-quadruplex formation using human telomeric RNA (TERRA) as a model sequence. Our studies suggest that G-quadruplex stability is sensitive to substitution of the guanines comprising G-quartets. While central G-quartet plays a crucial role in maintaining the DNA G-quadruplex stability as evident in literature, there is equal importance of three G-quartets in the stability of RNA quadruplex structure. The work here highlights the alterations in the G-quartet are detrimental to the integrity of overall RNA G-quadruplex structure. Furthermore, TmPyP4 molecules are shown to exhibit similar binding behavior toward telomeric RNA G-quadruplex harboring base substitutions employing CD titrations and isothermal titration calorimetry; well indicating that mutation does not influence TmPyP4 recognition ability as it affects the stability of RNA G-quadruplex. Thus, our study implicates that mutation in G-quartets causes destabilization of RNA G-quadruplex without affecting its trans factor binding ability.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b00619}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Kumar, Santosh and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000357961800065, title = {Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of carbon nanospheres: a mechanistic insight}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {73}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {59491-59494}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanospheres (CNS) follow a process of early nucleation followed by growth during synthesis. Here we report that growth occurs precisely after 5 min and prior to it nucleation occurs. The nucleation is a brief step in nanoparticle formation followed by growth of the nanoparticle depending on the reaction parameters.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra10194h}, author = {Bhagat, P. N. and Patil, K. R. and Bodas, Dhananjay S. and Paknikar, K. M.} } @article { ISI:000354199900081, title = {Hyperhydrophilic three-dimensional crosslinked beads as an effective drug carrier in acidic medium: adsorption isotherm and kinetics appraisal}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {3835-3844}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conventional drug delivery materials are known to provide slow and low drug loading in aqueous medium due to the hydrophobic or less hydrophilic properties of the carrier. However, the present study explored the synthesis of cheaply available metals modified with a hyperhydrophilic polymer. Hyperhydrophilic three-dimensional crosslinked beads as a drug carrier were synthesized with desirable properties that substantially influence the polymer efficiency. These synthesized polymers were characterized for surface area, particle size, acid content and morphology, and the metal modification was evaluated to obtain an efficient polymer for drug adsorption in an acidic medium. Contact time, which significantly affects drug adsorption was comparatively evaluated using the cheaply available metals, cobalt and nickel. Interestingly, an adsorption study revealed that gradual drug loading occurs during the initial 12 h. Afterwards, adsorption increases steadily and then stabilizes. Furthermore, theoretical predictions of adsorption, including Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo order kinetics, were also evaluated. Remarkably, polymer supported Co/Ni demonstrated 85 and 78\% metoprolol drug adsorption, respectively, at an optimum pH of 3 after 24 h. Langmuir adsorption isotherm revealed monolayer adsorption on the polymer supported Co/Ni. Pseudo first and second order kinetics were also evaluated and demonstrated the adsorption mechanism and equilibrium adsorption capacity, respectively.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c4nj01999g}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000358370700007, title = {Identifying solid luminogens through gold-catalysed intramolecular hydroarylation of alkynes}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {22}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4860-4867}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The identification of a new class of luminogens based on pyrrolo-quinoxaline embedded coumarin (PQC) structures is reported. The reaction relies on the gold-catalyzed hydroarylation reaction of appropriately substituted aryl alkynoates that produces molecules that exhibit solvatochromism and aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) phenomena. The application of PQCs for live cell imaging has also been demonstrated.

}, keywords = {Cell imaging, Dyes/pigments, fluorescence, Gold, Luminescence, Solvatochromism}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201500503}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Shalini, S. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan and Mane, Manoj V. and Barui, Ayan Kumar and Patra, Chitta Ranjan and Venkatesh, Yeduru and Bangal, Prakriti Ranjan and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {42930, title = {Impedimetric humidity sensor based on ?-Fe2O3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Advanced Device Materials}, volume = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {88-92}, abstract = {

Humidity sensing characteristics of thick-film sensors based on α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles synthesized by hydrothermal method have been reported. The as-synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were characterized by using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TEM and HRTEM. Our TEM result depicts that the size of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were in the range of 20{\textendash}30 nm with highly crystalline nature. For humidity sensing experiment, the sensitivity of our α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles-based sensor device was found to be \~{}99\% and the fastest response times were noted, which indicate that the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle-based humidity sensor device has more future prospects and demand. The humidity sensing properties of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles seem to be associated to the sorption sites for the water molecules at the nanoparticles interfaces.

}, author = {Patil, U. V. and Rout, C. S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000352195500001, title = {Implementation of the Z-vector method in the relativistic-coupled-cluster framework to calculate first-order energy derivatives: Application to the SrF molecule}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {91}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {030503}, publisher = {AMER PHYSICAL SOC}, address = {ONE PHYSICS ELLIPSE, COLLEGE PK, MD 20740-3844 USA}, abstract = {

The molecular dipole moment and magnetic hyperfine-structure constant demand an accurate wave function far from the nucleus and in the near nuclear region, respectively. We, therefore, employ the so-called Z-vector method in the domain of relativistic-coupled-cluster theory to calculate the first-order property of molecular systems in their open-shell ground-state configuration. The implemented method is applied to calculate the molecular dipole moment and parallel component of the magnetic hyperfine-structure constant of the SrF molecule. The results of our calculation are compared with the experimental and other available theoretically calculated values. We are successful in achieving good accordance with the experimental results. The result of our calculation of the molecular dipole moment is in the accuracy of similar to 0.5\%, which is clearly an improvement over the previous calculation based on the expectation value method in the four-component coupled-cluster framework [V. S. Prasannaa et al., Phys. Rev. A 90, 052507 (2014)]. Thus, it can be inferred that the Z-vector method can provide an accurate wave function in both the near and far nuclear region, which is evident from our calculated results.

}, issn = {2469-9926}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.91.030503}, author = {Sasmal, Sudip and Pathak, Himadri and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000357458400018, title = {In silico ligand binding studies of cyanogenic beta-glucosidase, dhurrinase-2 from Sorghum bicolor}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {21}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {184}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Dhurrinase, a cyanogenic beta-glucosidase from Sorghum bicolor is the key enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of dhurrin to produce toxic hydrogen cyanide, as a part of plant defence mechanism. Dhurrinase 1 (SbDhr1) and dhurrinase 2 (SbDhr2), two isozymes have been isolated and characterized from S. bicolor. However, there is no information in the literature about the three dimensional (3D) structure of SbDhr2 and molecular interactions involved between the protein and ligand. In this study, the three dimensional structure of SbDhr2 was built based on homology modeling by using the X-ray crystallographic structure of its close homologue SbDhr1 as the template. The generated 3D model was energy minimized and the quality was validated by Ramachndran plot, various bioinformatic tools and their relevant parameters. Stability, folding-unfolding and flexibility of the modeled SbDhr2 was evaluated on the basis of RMSD, radius of gyration (R-g) and RMSF values respectively, obtained through molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. Further, molecular docking was performed with its natural substrate dhurrin, one substrate analogue, three un-natural substrates, and one inhibitor. Analysis of molecular interactions in the SbDhr2-ligand complexes revealed the key amino acid residues responsible to stabilize the ligands within the binding pocket through non-bonded interactions and some of them were found to be conserved (Glu239, Tyr381, Trp426, Glu454, Trp511). Reasonably broader substrate specificity of SbDhr2 was explained through the wider entrance passage observed in comparison to SbDhr1.

}, keywords = {beta-Glucosidase, Dhurrinase, Molecular docking, Molecular dynamic simulation, Sorghum bicolor}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-015-2730-1}, author = {Mahajan, Chavi and Patel, Krunal and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Rawal, Shuban S.} } @article {43025, title = {Influence of carbon and nitrogen source on growth, DON and NIV production by two species of fusarium isolated from finger millets}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {136-139}, abstract = {

Objective: Influence of different carbon [C] and nitrogen [N] source on the growth and Deoxynivalenol [DON] and Nivalenol [NIV] production by Fusarium aethiopicum and Fusarium culmorum was investigated. Methods: Seven days old monosporic cultures of F. aethiopicum strain GSKUMB [KJ21085] and F. culmorum strain GSKUMB [KJ190159] were grown in CYA broth and incubated at 27{\textpm}2{\textdegree}C on the rotary shaker at 120 rpm for 21 days. At the end of incubation period, cultures were harvested for determination of fungal growth (biomass). The resultant culture filtrates were extracted twice with ethyl acetate and concentrated. One ml of final concentrate in methanol was employed for detection of DON and NIV with the help of RP-HPLC. Results: The highest amount of DON and NIV were produced by F. aethiopicum in the presence of D-mannose and D-galactose as C source, while the highest amount of biomass was recorded on maltose and succinic acid. F. culmorum produced maximum amount of toxins in the presence of D-glucose, D-mannitol and D-fructose. Sodium nitrate was most favorable nitrogen source as it induced maximum amount of toxins by F. aethiopicum, while L-methionine, L-asparatic acid and L-tryptophan were next preferred N source. In contrast, highest biomass of fungus was obtained with L-lysine, L-glutamine and L-tyrosine. F. culmorum produced maximum amount of toxin and biomass with potassium nitrate and L-tyrosine respectively. Conclusion: Present species of Fusarium differed varied both in toxins (DON, and NIV) and biomass production. Their response of fungi under investigation towards C and N sources is also varied.

}, author = {Penugonda, Shilpa and Rao, Vankudoth Koteswara and Rao, K. Narasimha and Sivadevuni, Girisham and Reddy, Solipuram Madhusudhan} } @article {43023, title = {Influence of different fusarium species on seed germination and seedlings growth of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.)}, journal = {Indian Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {81-89}, abstract = {

Effect of agriculturally important Fusariumspecies on the seed germination and seedling growth of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) was investigated. Species of Fusarium caused significant seed germination inhibition and seedling growth which varied with the species and age of the culture. Culture filtrates of F. moniliforme, F. proliferatum, F. chlamydosporum, F. aethiopicum, F. heterosporum and F. sporotrichoides were comparatively more toxic. The correlation coefficients between polished and unpolished variety of fingermillet seed germination inhibition (0.574, P=0.005), shoot elongation inhibition (0.893, P=0.0000) and root elongation inhibition (0.175, P=0.1770) with culture filtrates of different species of Fusarium was recorded. Pathogenicity studies revealed that F. roseum, F.sporotrichoides, F. proliferatum and F.oxysporum caused seedrot and seedling death. The maximumroot elongation inhibition (52.20\%), mean (36.39\%) andminimum(14.73\%)were recorded toward the toxicity of different species of Fusarium. Significant and positive correlation (0.802, P=0.0026) between the root and shoot, (0.393, P=0.130) between shoot and leaf, (0.121, P=0.369) between root and leaf elongation inhibition of finger millet could be observed. The culture filtrates ofmajormycotoxigenic strains of Fusariumrevealed production of Zearalenone (ZEA), T2 toxin, nivalenol (NIV), Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Deoxyscripenol (DAS). Toxicity of Fusarium species to its seed germination and seedling growth may be attributed to their secondary metabolites including mycotoxins.

}, author = {Penugonda, Shilpa and Rao, Vankudoth Koteswara and Sivadevuni, Girisham and Reddy, Solipuram Madhusudhan} } @proceedings {43399, title = {Influence of macromolecular architecture on necking in polymer extrusion film casting process}, volume = {1664}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {Article Number: 080006}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics, 2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1No1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, address = {Cleveland, OH}, abstract = {

Extrusion film casting (EFC) is an important polymer processing technique that is used to produce several thousand tons of polymer films/coatings on an industrial scale. In this research, we are interested in understanding quantitatively how macromolecular chain architecture (for example long chain branching (LCB) or molecular weight distribution (MWD or PDI)) influences the necking and thickness distribution of extrusion cast films. We have used different polymer resins of linear and branched molecular architecture to produce extrusion cast films under controlled experimental conditions. The necking profiles of the films were imaged and the velocity profiles during EFC were monitored using particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique. Additionally, the temperature profiles were captured using an IR thermography and thickness profiles were calculated. The experimental results are compared with predictions of one-dimensional flow model of Silagy et al(1) wherein the polymer resin rheology is modeled using molecular constitutive equations such as the Rolie-Poly (RP) and extended Pom Pom (XPP). We demonstrate that the 1-D flow model containing the molecular constitutive equations provides new insights into the role of macromolecular chain architecture on film necking. D-1. Silagy, Y. Demay, and J-F. Agassant, Polym. Eng. Sci., 36, 2614 (1996).

}, doi = {10.1063/1.4918462}, author = {Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Banik, Sourya and Azad, Lal Busher and Thete, Sumeet and Doshi, Pankaj and Lele, Ashish} } @article { ISI:000355953200012, title = {Insights into the unfolding pathway and identification of thermally sensitive regions of phytase from aspergillus niger by molecular dynamics simulations}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {21}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {UNSP 163}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Thermal stability is of great importance in the application of commercial phytases. Phytase A (PhyA) is a monomeric protein comprising twelve alpha-helices and ten beta-sheets. Comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (at 310, 350, 400, and 500 K) revealed that the thermal stability of PhyA from Aspergillus niger (A. niger) is associated with its conformational rigidity. The most thermally sensitive regions were identified as loops 8 (residues 83-106), 10 (161174), 14 (224-230), 17 (306-331), and 24 (442-444), which are present on the surface of the protein. It was observed that solvent-exposed loops denature before or show higher flexibility than buried residues. We observed that PhyA begins to unfold at loops 8 and 14, which further extends to loop 24 at the C-terminus. The intense movement of loop 8 causes the helix H2 and beta-sheet B3 to fluctuate at high temperature. The high flexibility of the H2, H10, and H12 helices at high temperature resulted in complete denaturation. The high mobility of loop 14 easily transfers to the adjacent helices H7, H8, and H9, which fluctuate and partially unfold at high temperature (500 K). It was also observed that the salt bridges Asp110-Lys149, Asp205-Lys277, Asp335-Arg136, Asp416-Arg420, and Glu387-Arg400 are important influences on the structural stability but not the thermostability, as the lengths of these salt bridges did not increase with rising temperature. The salt bridges Glu125-Arg163, Asp299-Arg136, Asp266-Arg219, Asp339-Lys278, Asp335-Arg136, and Asp424-Arg428 are all important for thermostability, as the lengths of these bridges increased dramatically with increasing temperature. Here, for the first time, we have computationally identified the thermolabile regions of PhyA, and this information could be used to engineer novel thermostable phytases. Numerous homologous phytases of fungal as well as bacterial origin are known, and these homologs show high sequence similarity. Our findings could prove useful in attempts to increase the thermostability of homologous phytases via protein engineering.

}, keywords = {Conformational dynamics, Molecular dynamics simulations, PhytaseA, Structurally weak regions, Thermostability}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-015-2696-z}, author = {Kumar, Kapil and Patel, Krunal and Agrawal, Dinesh C. and Khire, Jayant Malhar} } @article { ISI:000347895500008, title = {Investigation of phosphoproteome in RAGE signaling}, journal = {Proteomics}, volume = {15}, number = {2-3, SI}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {245-259}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is one of the most important proteins implicated in diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. It is a pattern recognition receptor by virtue of its ability to interact with multiple ligands, RAGE activates several signal transduction pathways through involvement of various kinases that phosphorylate their respective substrates. Only few substrates have been known to be phosphorylated in response to activation by RAGE (e.g., nuclear factor kappa B); however, it is possible that these kinases can phosphorylate multiple substrates depending upon their expression and localization, leading to altered cellular responses in different cell types and conditions. One such example is, glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta which is known to phosphorylate glycogen synthase, acts downstream to RAGE, and hyperphosphorylates microtubule-associated protein tau causing neuronal damage. Thus, it is important to understand the role of various RAGE-activated kinases and their substrates. Therefore, we have reviewed here the details of RAGE-activated kinases in response to different ligands and their respective phosphoproteome. Furthermore, we discuss the analysis of the data mined for known substrates of these kinases from the PhosphoSitePlus (http://www.phosphosite.org) database, and the role of some of the important substrates involved in cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. In summary, this review provides information on RAGE-activated kinases and their phosphoproteome, which will be helpful in understanding the possible role of RAGE and its ligands in progression of diseases.

}, keywords = {Cell biology, Disease, Glycation, Kinase, Phosphoproteome, RAGE}, issn = {1615-9853}, doi = {10.1002/pmic.201400169}, author = {Batkulwar, Kedar B. and Bansode, Sneha B. and Patil, Gouri V. and Godbole, Rashmi K. and Kazi, Rubina S. and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000354378200018, title = {Iron superoxide dismutases in eukaryotic pathogens: new insights from apicomplexa and trypanosoma structures}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology Communications}, volume = {71}, number = {5, SI}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {615-621}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Prior studies have highlighted the potential of superoxide dismutases as drug targets in eukaryotic pathogens. This report presents the structures of three iron-dependent superoxide dismutases (FeSODs) from Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania major and Babesia bovis. Comparison with existing structures from Plasmodium and other trypanosome isoforms shows a very conserved overall fold with subtle differences. In particular, structural data suggest that B. bovis FeSOD may display similar resistance to peroxynitrite-mediated inactivation via an intramolecular electron-transfer pathway as previously described in T. cruzi FeSOD isoform B, thus providing valuable information for structure-based drug design. Furthermore, lysine-acetylation results in T. cruzi indicate that acetylation occurs at a position close to that responsible for the regulation of acetylation-mediated activity in the human enzyme.

}, keywords = {Apicomplexa, iron superoxide dismutase, Trypanosoma}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S2053230X15004185}, author = {Phan, Isabelle Q. H. and Davies, Douglas R. and Moretti, Nilmar Silvio and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Cestari, Igor and Anupama, Atashi and Fairman, James W. and Edwards, Thomas E. and Stuart, Kenneth and Schenkman, Sergio and Myler, Peter J.} } @article { ISI:000357723600001, title = {Isolation, characterization and antifungal docking studies of wortmannin isolated from penicillium radicum}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article Number: 11948}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

During the search for a potent antifungal drug, a cell-permeable metabolite was isolated from a soil isolate taxonomically identified as Penicillium radicum. The strain was found to be a potent antifungal agent. Production conditions of the active compound were optimized and the active compound was isolated, purified, characterized and identified as a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, commonly known as wortmannin (Wtmn). This is very first time we are reporting the production of Wtmn from P. radicum. In addition to its previously discovered anticancer properties, the broad spectrum antifungal property of Wtmn was re-confirmed using various fungal strains. Virtual screening was performed through molecular docking studies against potential antifungal targets, and it was found that Wtmn was predicted to impede the actions of these targets more efficiently than known antifungal compounds such as voriconazole and nikkomycin i.e. 1) mevalonate-5-diphosphate decarboxylase (1FI4), responsible for sterol/isoprenoid biosynthesis; 2) exocyst complex component SEC3 (3A58) where Rho-and phosphoinositide-dependent localization is present and 3) Kre2p/Mnt1p a Golgi alpha1,2-mannosyltransferase (1S4N) involved in the biosynthesis of yeast cell wall glycoproteins). We conclude that Wtmn produced from P. radicum is a promising lead compound which could be potentially used as an efficient antifungal drug in the near future after appropriate structural modifications to reduce toxicity and improve stability.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep11948}, author = {Singh, Vineeta and Praveen, Vandana and Tripathi, Divya and Haque, Shafiul and Somvanshi, Pallavi and Katti, S. B. and Tripathi, C. K. M.} } @article { ISI:000362849600271, title = {Landscapes of membrane protein interactions from high-throughput MD simulations using the daft approach}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {108}, number = {2, 1}, year = {2015}, note = {59th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, Baltimore, MD, FEB 07-11, 2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {526A-526A}, publisher = {Biophys Soc}, address = {600 TECHNOLOGY SQUARE, 5TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA}, issn = {0006-3495}, author = {Wassenaar, Tsjerk A. and Pluhackova, Kristyna and Moussatova, Anastassiia and Sengupta, Durba and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Tieleman, D. Peter and Boeckmann, Rainer A.} } @article {42627, title = {Lifetime of inner-shell hole states of Ar (2p) and Kr (3d) using equation-of-motion coupled cluster method}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {143}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article No. 024305}, doi = {10.1063/1.4926396}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article { ISI:000351236300080, title = {Ligand-, base-, co-catalyst-free copper fluorapatite (CuFAP) as a versatile, ecofriendly, heterogeneous and reusable catalyst for an efficient homocoupling of arylboronic acid at ambient reaction conditions}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {31}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {24675-24680}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra16760k}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Chavan, Santosh S. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y.} } @article { ISI:000356515600001, title = {Long chain branched impact copolymer of polypropylene: microstructure and rheology}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {55}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1463-1474}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A biphasic impact copolymer of polypropylene (ICP) was modified with peroxide by reactive extrusion process resulting in reduced melt flow index, improved melt strength, and higher die swell. The polymers were for the first time subjected to systematic rheological and microstructural characterization in an effort to understand their structure-property relations. In shear rheological tests, the modified ICP displayed higher flow activation energy, reduced values of loss tangent and nearly equal frequency dependence of storage and loss modulli. The modified ICP also showed strain hardening behaviour in uniaxial extensional rheology and higher crystallization temperature in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All these are definitive indications of the presence of long chain branches (LCB). Fitting the rheological data of modified ICPs with the eXtended Pom Pom (XPP) model indicated the presence of LCB on the higher molecular weight fraction in the polymer, a result which was corroborated with multi-detector high temperature gel permeation chromatography (HT-GPC). More importantly, the matrix and rubber phases of the ICP were separately characterized for presence of long chain branching by rheology, DSC and HT-GPC. The results indicate that while LCB existed in the matrix phase, microgels were present in both phases indicating that the reaction with peroxide occurred in both phases. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1463-1474, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.23993}, author = {Chikhalikar, Kalyani and Deshpande, Anushree and Pol, Harshawardhan and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Jha, Saroj and Jadhav, Kishor and Mahajan, Sunil and Ahmad, Zubair and Kulkarni, Surendra and Gupta, Surendra and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article { ISI:000355656000013, title = {Low-temperature sintering and microwave dielectric properties of Zn2SiO4 ceramic added with crystalline zinc borate}, journal = {Journal of Electronic Materials}, volume = {44}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2312-2320}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The physical and dielectric properties of composites of known microwave materials, Zn2SiO4 and Zn3B2O6, prepared by solid-state reaction, were investigated with the purpose of developing a low-loss dielectric material for low-temperature co-fired ceramic applications. An off-stoichiometric phase of Zn2SiO4 with extra SiO2 was used to avoid the occurrence of unreacted ZnO. During sintering, zinc borate was found to partially react with residual SiO2 to form Zn2SiO4. The residual zinc borate was converted to a boron-rich glassy phase which helped to reduce the sintering temperature of the composite. Good relative sintering density (\> 90\%) at temperatures below the melting temperature of zinc borate is indicative of a sintering mechanism of diffusion-based mass transfer. Composites containing 15 wt.\% zinc borate, 2.5 wt.\% lithium carbonate and 20 wt.\% zinc borate in zinc silicate had dielectric constants of 6.8 and 6.1, quality factors (Qxf) of 48,800 and 94,300 GHz when sintered at 900A degrees C and 950A degrees C, respectively. These quality factor results are close to the best values reported for zinc silicate at these sintering temperatures.

}, keywords = {dielectric constant, LTCC, quality factor, sintering density, zinc borate, zinc silicate}, issn = {0361-5235}, doi = {10.1007/s11664-015-3762-0}, author = {Chaware, Varsha and Deshmukh, Ravindra and Sarode, Chetan and Gokhale, Suresh and Phatak, Girish} } @article { ISI:000364057000083, title = {Mechanistic insight into the biomilling of goethite (alpha-FeO(OH)) nanorods using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {111}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {91785-91794}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Since the last decade, eco-friendly routes for the synthesis of nanostructured materials of various types and functionalities have been a topic of enormous interest in the field of nanotechnology. The primary work in this field started with the {\textquoteleft}bottom-up{\textquoteright} microbial synthesis of nanoparticles, however, the bioleaching potential of microbes was initially overlooked in this research. The bioleaching process is useful especially where the synthesis of particles with size \< 10 nm is challenging. In the present work, the mechanistic insight of biomilling for a gradual transformation of anisotropic alpha-FeO(OH) rod-shaped particles into isotropic nanoparticles below 10 nm size has been explored using detailed UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies which suggest that the aquo group present at the alpha-FeO(OH) surface may provide the site for interaction with carboxyl ions of protein molecules which results in the formation of a stable coordination compound with Fe3+ ions. This will create a new Fe3+ ion on the surface of the lattice which leads to the repetition of the process of protein complexation with Fe3+ ions and dissociation of the complex from the lattice that causes the fragmentation of bigger nanoparticles into protein functionalized smaller nanoparticles.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra16951h}, author = {Sharan, Chandrashekhar and Khandelwal, Puneet and Poddar, Pankaj} } @conference {42970, title = {Mechanistic understanding of rapid gelation of silk fibroin using a biosurfactant {\textendash} sophorolipid}, booktitle = {National Science Day, At CSIR-NCL}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, address = {National Chemical Laboratory, Pune India}, abstract = {

3D polymeric hydrogels find use in biomedical applications as scaffolds and drug delivery vehicle {\textbullet} Silk fibroin a structural protein is a promising candidate (excellent thermo-mechanicals, biocompatibility, biodegradability) {\textbullet} Sophorolipid (SL)-a biosurfactant is known to exhibit antimicrobial, anti cancerous and cell differentiating. {\textbullet} Use of SL as gelling agent can enhance the applicability of SF hydrogels {\textbullet} SF-SL scaffolds obtained by lyophilization of hydrogels can find application in tissue regeneration

}, author = {Dubey, Parul and Nawale, Laxman and Sarkar, Dhiman and Nisal, Anuya and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000360934400006, title = {MegaMiner: a tool for lead identification through text mining using chemoinformatics tools and cloud computing environment}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {591-603}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

Virtual screening is an indispensable tool to cope with the massive amount of data being tossed by the high throughput omics technologies. With the objective of enhancing the automation capability of virtual screening process a robust portal termed MegaMiner has been built using the cloud computing platform wherein the user submits a text query and directly accesses the proposed lead molecules along with their drug-like, lead-like and docking scores. Textual chemical structural data representation is fraught with ambiguity in the absence of a global identifier. We have used a combination of statistical models, chemical dictionary and regular expression for building a disease specific dictionary. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, a case study on malaria has been carried out in the present work. MegaMiner offered superior results compared to other text mining search engines, as established by F score analysis. A single query term {\textquoteleft}malaria{\textquoteright} in the portlet led to retrieval of related PubMed records, protein classes, drug classes and 8000 scaffolds which were internally processed and filtered to suggest new molecules as potential anti-malarials. The results obtained were validated by docking the virtual molecules into relevant protein targets. It is hoped that MegaMiner will serve as an indispensable tool for not only identifying hidden relationships between various biological and chemical entities but also for building better corpus and ontologies.

}, keywords = {Chemoinformatics, cloud computing, malaria, text mining, virtual screening}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207318666150703113525}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Pandit, Yogesh and Pandit, Deepak and Vyas, Renu} } @article { ISI:000355702900052, title = {Mesoporous TUD-1 supported indium oxide nanoparticles for epoxidation of styrene using molecular O-2}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {58}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {46850-46860}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Activation of molecular O-2 by metal or metal oxide nanoparticles is an area of recent research interest. In this work, for the first time, we report that indium oxide nanoparticles of \<3 nm size dispersed on mesoporous silica (TUD-1) can activate molecular O-2 and produce styrene epoxide with a selectivity of 60\% and styrene conversion around 25\% under mild conditions. It is found that neither indium oxide nor TUD-1 themselves respond to the styrene epoxidation reaction. The computational studies provide evidence that an oxygen molecule is highly polarized when it is located near the interface of both surfaces. The kinetic study shows that the reaction is of pseudo-first order and that the activation energy for styrene conversion is 12.138 kJ mol(-1). The catalysts are recyclable for up to four regeneration steps, with the styrene conversion and styrene epoxide selectivity almost unchanged.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra03400k}, author = {Rahman, Sumbul and Farooqui, Saleem A. and Rai, Aditya and Kumar, Rawesh and Santra, Chiranjit and Prabhakaran, Vinod C. and Bhadu, Gopala Ram and Sen, Debasis and Mazumder, S. and Maity, Sudip and Sinha, Anil K. and Chowdhury, Biswajit} } @article { ISI:000357438200013, title = {Metabolic profiling of chickpea-Fusarium interaction identifies differential modulation of disease resistance pathways}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {116}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {120-129}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Chickpea is the third most widely grown legume in the world and mainly used as a vegetarian source of human dietary protein. Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (Foc), is one of the major threats to global chickpea production. Host resistance is the best way to protect crops from diseases; however, in spite of using various approaches, the mechanism of Foc resistance in chickpea remains largely obscure. In the present study, non-targeted metabolic profiling at several time points of resistant and susceptible chickpea cultivars using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to better understand the mechanistic basis of wilt resistance or susceptibility. Multivariate analysis of the data (OPLS-DA) revealed discriminating metabolites in chickpea root tissue after Foc inoculation such as flavonoids, isoflavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids and sugars. Foc inoculated resistant plants had more flavonoids and isoflavonoids along with their malonyl conjugates. Many antifungal metabolites that were induced after Foc infection viz, aurantion-obstine beta-glucosides and querecitin were elevated in resistant cultivar. Overall, diverse genetic and biochemical mechanisms were operational in the resistant cultivar for Foc defense as compared to the susceptible plant. The resistant chickpea plants employed the above-mentioned metabolic pathways as potential defense strategy against Foc. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chickpea, Fusarium wilt, LC-MS, Metabolomics, OPLS-DA, Phytoalexin}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2015.04.001}, author = {Kumar, Yashwant and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000357805500028, title = {Metal-free regioselective C-3 acetoxylation of N-substituted indoles: crucial impact of nitrogen-substituent}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {71}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {57472-57481}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A metal-free method for the regioselective C-3 acetoxylation of the N-substituted indoles with PhI(OAc)(2) is described under mild reaction conditions. This method tolerates a broad range of functional groups with moderate to good yields. The pi-electron-deficient aryl-substituents on the N-atom of indoles and the acidic reaction medium remarkably favor C-3 acetoxylation.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra10428a}, author = {Soni, Vineeta and Patel, Ulhas N. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article { ISI:000346692500016, title = {Method to form semiconductor quantum dot (QD) thin films by igniting a flame at air-liquid interface: CdS and WO3}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {439}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {121-128}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

We reveal an easy, inexpensive, efficient one step flame synthesis of semiconductor/metal oxide thin films at air-liquid interface, subsequently, transferred on suitable substrate. The method has been illustrated by the formation of CdS and Wo(3) QDs thin films. The features of the present method are (1) Growth of thin films consisting of 0.5-2.0 nm sized Quantum Dots (QDs)/(ultra-small nanoparticles) in a short time, at the air-liquid interface which can be suitably transferred by a well-known Blodgett technique to an appropriate substrate, (2) The method is suitable to apply layer by layer (LbL) technique to increase the film thickness as well as forming various compositions as revealed by AFM measurements. The films are characterized for their structure (SAED), morphology (TEM), optical properties (UV-Vis.) and photoluminescence (PL). Possible mechanism of formation of QDs thin film and effect of capping in case of COS QDs is discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CdS, Flame synthesis, interface, Quantum Dots (QDs), thin film, WO3}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2014.10.029}, author = {Jadhav, Aarti H. and Patil, Sagar H. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000364521100015, title = {Microbial selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and their application as a sensitive hydrogen peroxide biosensor}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {177}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1386-1393}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

The cell-free extract, a crude enzyme (cytosolic and membrane fraction) obtained from an environmental isolate, Bacillus pumilus sp. BAB-3706 worked as excellent in reducing as well as stabilizing agent and facilitated the formation of stable colloidal selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). Resulting nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectrophotometer, TEM, EDAX, FT-IR and XRD, respectively. A working electrode was modified by coating the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) with colloidal SeNPs. Successive additions of H2O2 (100 to 600 mu M) in conventional three electrodes system, cyclic voltammeter with potential scan rate 25.0 mV/s, in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS) yielded increase in current. A perpetual amperometric response at fixed potential (-1.0 V) and at selected time interval of 100 s showed different magnitude of current at every addition of H2O2. The linear range of detection of H2O2 was from 5 to 600 mM (R (2) = 0.9965), while the calculated limit of detection was found to be 3.00 mu M. The current study suggested that microbial SeNPs can be used for fabrication of low cost, sensitive H2O2 biosensor.

}, keywords = {Biosensor, EDAX, Hydrogen peroxide, Selenium nanoparticles, TEM, UV-vis spectroscopy}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-015-1814-9}, author = {Prasad, Kumar Suranjit and Vaghasiya, Jayraj V. and Soni, Saurabh S. and Patel, Jitesh and Patel, Rinkesh and Kumari, Madhu and Jasmani, Falguni and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article { ISI:000363917000023, title = {Modeling hysteresis during crystallization and dissolution: application to a paracetamol-ethanol system}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {54}, number = {42}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10364-10382}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Crystallization and dissolution processes are of great scientific and commercial interest. Significant efforts have been made in the past to develop mathematical models to describe these processes. In this work, observed hysteresis in particle counts during the crystallization and dissolution processes was used to develop and to test the mathematical models of crystallization and dissolution. Crystallization and dissolution experiments were performed with a system of paracetamol and ethanol. An undersaturated solution was first cooled at a particular rate causing crystallization and crystal growth. The solution was then reheated at the same rate to completely dissolve the generated particles. The particle counts and particle size distribution were measured online using a focus beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) probe. A hysteresis was observed in particle counts with respect to the solution temperature. It was also observed that this hysteresis was affected by the applied heating/cooling rates (0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 K/min) for of the solution. A systematic modeling framework based on the population balance equation (PBE) is developed for quantitatively capturing this hysteresis and the influence of cooling/heating rate on the hysteresis curve. A two-level approach was developed to simulate hysteresis: (a) PBE was solved using computationally efficient method of moments for the crystallization stage. This step was used to efficiently estimate values of parameters appearing in the model equations. (b) PBEs describing crystallization and dissolution were then solved using high resolution finite volume (HRFV) scheme coupled with the moving pivot method. The simulated hysteresis curve showed good agreement with the experimental data. Though simulated results over predicted the average particle (by,similar to 131\%), the models were successful in qualitatively explaining the counterintuitive trends observed as the average particle size was tracked with time. The framework was thus shown to be a reliable and robust framework to model crystallization and dissolution processes. The developed approach, models, and results will be useful for simulating industrially relevant crystallization dissolution processes.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.5b01088}, author = {Pandit, Ajinkya V. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000362749100016, title = {Modular synthesis of biaryl-substituted phosphine ligands: application in microwave-assisted palladium-catalyzed C-N cross-coupling reactions}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {29}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6515-6525}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Biaryl-substituted monophosphine-based ligands have been synthesized by transition-metal-free ARYNE cross-coupling reaction of aryllithiums with 1,2-dibromobenzene and subsequent regioselective functionalization through bromine-lithium interconversion. These ligands were employed in palladium-catalyzed C-N bond-forming reactions. The reaction was found to be general with wide substrate applicability. A wide variety of both primary and secondary amines were successfully coupled with an array of differently substituted halobenzenes under microwave irradiation to give the expected products in good to excellent yields. A number of biaryl-substituted phosphine ligands screened for the coupling reaction showed that steric bulk and the electronic properties of substituents on phosphorus play a crucial role in governing the catalytic activity of C-N cross-coupling reactions.

}, keywords = {Biaryls, Cross-coupling, Homogeneous catalysis, Microwave chemistry, Palladium, Phosphines, synthetic methods}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201500962}, author = {Singh, Chandani and Rathod, Jayant and Jha, Vishwajeet and Panossian, Armen and Kumar, Pradeep and Leroux, Frederic R.} } @article { ISI:000363167000007, title = {Molecular Fe-complex as a catalyst probe for in-gel visual detection of proteins via signal amplification}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {83}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {15257-15260}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the use of a molecular peroxidase mimic biuret-Fe-TAML for chemoselective labeling of proteins and the subsequent visual detection (\<0.1 pmoles) of the conjugate in a polyacrylamide gel by catalytic signal amplification. Use of this probe in activity based protein profiling (ABPP) of serine proteases is also demonstrated.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc04399a}, author = {Kumari, Sushma and Panda, Chakadola and Mazumdar, Shyamalava and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000362436800075, title = {Mono- and binuclear palladacycles via regioselective C-H bond activation: syntheses, mechanistic insights and catalytic activity in direct arylation of azoles}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {99}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {81502-81514}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{Regioselective C-H bond palladation of the hybrid pincer-type ligands, 3-R2PO-C6H4-1-(CH2NPr2)-Pr-i [(POCNiPr2)-P-R2-H; R = Ph (1a)

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra18289a}, author = {Pandey, Dilip K. and Khake, Shrikant M. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article { ISI:000344474900030, title = {Multifunctional polyaniline-tin oxide (PANI-SnO2) nanocomposite: synthesis, electrochemical, and field emission investigations}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {132}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 41401}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis of PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite has been performed using a simple two step chemical oxidative polymerization route. The structural, morphological and chemical properties of the as-synthesized PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite have been revealed by various characterization techniques such as SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. Interestingly the as-synthesized PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite exhibits supercapacitance value of 721 F g(-1) with energy density 64 Wh kg(-1), which is noticed to be higher than that of pristine SnO2 and PANI nanostructures. Furthermore, the galvanostatic charge-discharge characteristics revealed pseudocapacitive nature of the PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite. The estimated values of charge transfer resistance and series resistance estimated from the Nyquist plot are found to be lower. Along with the supercapacitive nature, PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite showed promising field emission behavior. The threshold field, required to draw emission current density of 1 A/cm(2), is observed to be 0.90 V/m and emission current density of 1.2 mA/cm(2) has been drawn at applied field of approximate to 2.6 V/m. The emission current stability investigated at preset values of 0.02 and 0.1 mA/cm(2) is observed to be fairly stable over duration of more than 3 h. The enhanced supercapacitance values, as well as, the promising field emission characteristics are attributed to the synergic effect of SnO2 nanoparticles and PANI nanotubes. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41401.

}, keywords = {conducting polymers, Electrochemistry, nanostructured polymers, surfaces and interfaces}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.41401}, author = {Patil, Sandip S. and Harpale, Kashmira V. and Koiry, Shankar P. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Aswal, Dinesh K. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000363163200048, title = {Nanostructured 2D MoS2 honeycomb and hierarchical 3D CdMoS4 marigold nanoflowers for hydrogen production under solar light}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {3}, number = {42}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {21233-21243}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Unique two dimensional (2D) honeycomb layered MoS2 nanostructures and hierarchical 3D marigold nanoflowers of CdMoS4 were designed using a template free and facile solvothermal method. The MoS2 structure is depicted with a sheet like morphology with lateral dimensions of 5-10 mu m and a thickness of similar to 200 nm and a honeycomb nanostructure architecture produced via the self-assembling of vertically grown thin hexagonal nanosheets with a thickness of 2-3 nm. The 3D CdMoS4 marigold nanoflower architecture comprised thin nanopetals with lateral dimensions of 1-2 mu m and a thickness of a few nm. The CdMoS4 and MoS2 structures displayed hydrogen ( H-2) production rates of 25 445 and 12 555 mu mol h(-1) g(-1), respectively. The apparent quantum yields of hydrogen production were observed to be 35.34\% and 17.18\% for CdMoS4 and MoS2, respectively. The 3D nanostructured marigold flowers of CdMoS4 and honeycomb like 2D nanostructure of MoS2 were responsible for higher photocatalytic activity due to inhibition of the charge carrier recombination. The prima facie observation of H-2 production showed that the ternary semiconductor confers enhanced photocatalytic activity for H-2 generation due to its unique structure. Such structures can be designed and implemented in other transition metal dichalcogenide based ternary materials for enhanced photocatalytic and other applications.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c5ta04617c}, author = {Kadam, Sunil R. and Late, Dattatray J. and Panmand, Rajendra P. and Kulkarni, Milind V. and Nikam, Latesh K. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Park, Chan J. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000349401200012, title = {New atom transfer radical polymerization initiator based on phenolphthalein for the synthesis of bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene macromonomers}, journal = {Polymer International}, volume = {64}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {413-420}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A new atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator, namely 2-(1,1-bis(4-(allyloxy)phenyl)-3-oxoisoindolin-2-yl)ethyl 2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate, was synthesized starting from phenolphthalein, a commercially available and an inexpensive chemical. Well- defined bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene macromonomers (M-n,M-GPC 4800-11 700gmol(-1)) with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution (1.05-1.09) were synthesized using ATRP by varying the monomer to initiator feed ratio. The presence of allyloxy functionality on polystyrene was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and H-1 NMR spectroscopy. A kinetic study of polymerization revealed pseudo-first-order kinetics with respect to monomer consumption. Initiator efficiency was found to be in the range 0.80-0.95. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight spectra showed a narrow molecular weight distribution with control over the molecular weight. The reactivity of the allyloxy groups on polystyrene was successfully demonstrated by quantitative photochemical thiol-ene click reaction with benzyl mercaptan as the model thiol reagent. Furthermore, the thiol-ene click reaction was exploited to introduce other reactive functional groups such as hydroxyl and carboxyl by reaction of ,-bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene with 2-mercaptoethanol and 3-mercaptopropionic acid, respectively. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

}, keywords = {atom transfer radical polymerization, bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene, functional initiator, phenolphthalein, thiol-ene click reaction}, issn = {0959-8103}, doi = {10.1002/pi.4804}, author = {Patil, Sachin S. and Menon, Shamal K. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000354326000001, title = {New class of bacterial quorum sensing antagonists: glycomonoterpenols synthesized using linalool and alpha terpineol}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {31}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {841-849}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

With increasing burden of antibiotic resistant microorganism search for newer drug targets and potent drug molecules is a never ending scenario. Quorum sensing (QS), the phenomenon of bacterial cross-talk, is one such target that has captured the attention of many and has been touted as the future of new age antimicrobials. Quorum sensing has the potential to regulate a plethora of bacterial virulence phenotypes and search of molecules with powerful quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) capacity are underway. Monoterpene alcohols like linalool and alpha terpineol have been shown to possess antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity. However in this article we attempt to bring forth a new class of compounds, glycomonoterpenols, derived from monoterpenoids alcohols. These glycomonoterpenols have been synthesized using Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 by feeding the cells with linalool and alpha terpineol respectively as substrates in 10 \% glucose, production medium. The advantage of these molecules over their parent compound is their additional surfactant like property, increased solubility and enhanced QSI potential. A variety of gram-negative bacteria capable of elaborating quorum sensing mediated phenotypes have been selected and both these glycoterpenoid derivatives have been shown to possess strong anti-QS activity.

}, keywords = {Alpha-terpineol, Glycomonoterpenols, Linalool, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Quorum sensing inhibition}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-015-1822-5}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000367232900032, title = {New insights into in vitro amyloidogenic properties of human serum albumin suggest considerations for therapeutic precautions}, journal = {Febs Letters}, volume = {589}, number = {24, B}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4033-4038}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Amyloid aggregates display striking features of detergent stability and self-seeding. Human serum albumin (HSA), a preferred drug-carrier molecule, can also aggregate in vitro. So far, key amyloid properties of stability against ionic detergents and self-seeding, are unclear for HSA aggregates. Precautions against amyloid contamination would be required if HSA aggregates were self-seeding. Here, we show that HSA aggregates display detergent sarkosyl stability and have self-seeding potential. HSA dimer is preferable for clinical applications due to its longer retention in circulation and lesser oedema owing to its larger molecular size. Here, HSA was homodimerized via free cysteine-34, without any potentially immunogenic cross-linkers that are usually pre-requisite for homodimerization. Alike the monomer, HSA dimers also aggregated as amyloid, necessitating precautions while using for therapeutics. (C) 2015 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Drug carrier, HSA amyloid, Plasma expander, Sarkosyl, Self-seeding}, issn = {0014-5793}, doi = {10.1016/j.febslet.2015.11.004}, author = {Sharma, Neetu and Sivalingam, Vishwanath and Maurya, Sonalika and Prasad, Archana and Khandelwal, Puneet and Yadav, Subhash Chandra and Patel, Basant K.} } @article { ISI:000349018100016, title = {New scheme for perturbative triples correction to (0,1) sector of Fock space multi-reference coupled cluster method: Theory, implementation, and examples}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {142}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article No. 044113}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We propose a new elegant strategy to implement third order triples correction in the light of many-body perturbation theory to the Fock space multi-reference coupled cluster method for the ionization problem. The computational scaling as well as the storage requirement is of key concerns in any many-body calculations. Our proposed approach scales as N-6 does not require the storage of triples amplitudes and gives superior agreement over all the previous attempts made. This approach is capable of calculating multiple roots in a single calculation in contrast to the inclusion of perturbative triples in the equation of motion variant of the coupled cluster theory, where each root needs to be computed in a state-specific way and requires both the left and right state vectors together. The performance of the newly implemented scheme is tested by applying to methylene, boron nitride (B2N) anion, nitrogen, water, carbon monoxide, acetylene, formaldehyde, and thymine monomer, a DNA base. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4906233}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000367722500058, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene catalyzed oxidative coupling of alkenes/alpha-bromoacetophenones with aldehydes: a facile entry to alpha,beta-epoxy ketones}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {54}, number = {47}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {14150-14153}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{A novel, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed direct oxidative coupling of styrenes with aldehydes has been described for the synthesis of alpha,beta-epoxy ketones in good yields. This unprecedented regioselective oxidative coupling employs NBS/DBU/DMSO (DBU = 1,8-diazabicyclo [5.4. 0] undec-7-ene

}, keywords = {aldehydes, epoxidation, N-heterocyclic carbenes, Oxidation, synthetic methods}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201507363}, author = {Reddi, Rambabu N. and Prasad, Pragati K. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article {42434, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed diastereoselective synthesis of β-lactone-fused cyclopentanes using homoenolate annulation reaction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {9559-9562}, abstract = {

NHC-catalyzed annulation of enals with 2-enoylpyridines or 2-enoylpyridine\ N-oxides leading to the diastereoselective synthesis of β-lactone-fused cyclopentanes is reported. The reaction proceeds\ via\ the generation of homoenolate equivalent intermediates and tolerates a broad range of functional groups.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5CC02960K}, author = {Mukherjee, Subrata and Mondal, Santigopal and Patra, Atanu and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000361501700023, title = {NiS1.97: a new efficient water oxidation catalyst for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {36}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {20053-20060}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

NiS1.97, a sulfur-deficient dichalcogenide, in nanoscale form, is shown to be a unique and efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalyst for H-2 generation by water splitting. Phase pure NiS1.97 nanomaterial is obtained by converting nickel oxide into sulfide by controlled sulfurization method, which is otherwise difficult to establish. The defect states (sulfur vacancies) in this material increase the carrier density and in turn lead to favorable band line-up with respect to redox potential of water, rendering it to be an effective photoelectrochemical catalyst. The material exhibits a remarkable PEC performance of 1.25 mA/cm(2) vs NHE at 0.68 V in neutral pH, which is almost 1000 times superior as compared with that of the stoichiometric phase of NiS2. The latter is well-known to be a cocatalyst but not as a primary PEC catalyst.

}, keywords = {dichlacogenide, Faradaic efficiency, Hydrogen generation, NiS1.97, nonstoichiometric, photoelectrochemical catalyst, sulfurization}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b05077}, author = {Bhosale, Reshma and Kelkar, Sarika A. and Parte, Golu and Fernandes, Rohan and Kothari, Dushyant and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {45881, title = {Nitrogen-induced surface area and conductivity modulation of carbon nanohorn and its function as an efficient metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells}, journal = {SMALL}, volume = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN }, pages = {352-360}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.201303892}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Mutneja, Nisha and Patil, Kasinath R. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000362436800028, title = {Novel one-pot multi-component synthesis of 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindole and spirooxindole scaffolds via Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H functionalization of azaarenes by sequential Knoevenagel-Michael-cyclization reaction}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {99}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {81103-81107}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H bond functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes/2-(azaaryl)methanes has been achieved for the first time in a one-pot multi-component reaction with isatin and active methylene compounds via tandem sequential Knoevenagel-Michael-intramolecular C-N cyclization. This strategy provides new cost-effective access to potent and biologically/medicinally important spirooxindoles/3,3{\textquoteright}-disubstituted 2-oxindoles in good to excellent yields.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra16334j}, author = {Chavan, Santosh S. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Thorat, Shridhar H. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid} } @article {43056, title = {Nucleophilic fluorination using imidazolium based ionic liquid bearing tert-alcohol moiety}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4368-4374}, doi = {10.1039/C5NJ00481K}, author = {Shinde, Sandip S. and Patil, Sunil N. and Ghatge, Amruta and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article { ISI:000361834900002, title = {One step synthesis of ethyl levulinate biofuel by ethanolysis of renewable furfuryl alcohol over hierarchical zeolite catalyst}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {97}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {79224-79231}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Ethanolysis of renewable furfuryl alcohol (FAL) to ethyl levulinate (EL) biofuel over various zeolites viz. H-ZSM-5 (microporous, medium pore), Hierarchical-HZ-5 (combination of micro-and meso pore), H-Beta (microporous, large pore) and Ultra Stable Y (USY, microporous, large pore) was studied in detail. To the best of our knowledge, probably for the first time, Hierarchical-HZ-5 synthesized by desilication post-treatment has been employed as a heterogeneous catalyst for ethanolysis of FAL. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), temperature programmed NH3 desorption (TPAD), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), etc. Response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD) was used to investigate the influence of three crucial process variables of ethanolysis such as ethanol to FAL molar ratio, percent catalyst loading and reaction temperature on EL yield. The optimization tool of design expert software was employed to obtain the optimum reaction parameters for FAL ethanolysis over Hierarchical-HZ-5 catalyst. Three intermediates of FAL ethanolysis reaction such as, ethoxymethylfuran (EMF), 4,5,5-triethoxypentan-2-one and diethyl ether (DEE) have been identified and quantified from the product mixture with the aid of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Hierarchical-HZ-5 was found to be a potential catalyst for ethanolysis of FAL with 73\% EL yield and 26\% EMF yield at optimized process parameters.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra13520f}, author = {Nandiwale, Kakasaheb Y. and Pande, Ashwini M. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @conference {45948, title = {Optimisation of parameters affecting the performance of single compartment CEDI unit}, booktitle = {1ST International Conference on Computing Communication Control and Automation ICCUBEA 2015 }, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, publisher = {Savitribai Phule Pune University; Indian Society for Technical Education; Quality Circle Forum of India; Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering; IEEE Pune Section}, organization = {Savitribai Phule Pune University; Indian Society for Technical Education; Quality Circle Forum of India; Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering; IEEE Pune Section}, address = {345 E 47TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

The present work describes the production of the ultrapure water using Continuous Electro-deionization (CEDI) method. TheCEDI unit consist of ion exchange membranes, Mixed Bed-12 (MB-12) ion exchange resin and electrodes to remove ion impurities from feed water. The product water from the RO unit is supplied to the CEDI unit. The Quality of the ultra-pure water is determined by the amount of ions present in the water. Higher quality of Ultra-pure water is obtained when the maximum number of ions is transferred through the membranes. The Parameters affecting the performance of the CEDI unit are identified and optimized for maximum ions exchange. Inorder to reduce the number of experimentsTaguchi method was used for optimisation of operating parameters. An orthogonal L array (three factor and three level) was employed to evaluate the effect of feed concentration (35,40and 45 ppm), Flow rate (8, 9 and 10 LPH) and voltage (22, 23, 24 volts). Thus it was observed that increasing the applied voltage anddecreasing the waterflow rateincreases the number of ions transfers through the membrane. However, decreasing water flow rate has certain limits as it decreases the production capacity of the unit. Also it is observed that decreasing the ions in the feed water decreases the overall transfer of ions.

}, keywords = {Continuous Electro-deionization, Ion Exchange membranes, Optimisation, Taguchi method, Ultrapure Water}, isbn = {978-1-4799-6892-3}, doi = {10.1109/ICCUBEA.2015.101}, author = {Thorat, Prathamesh P. and Desale, G. R. and Gajjal, S. Y. and Patil, Sagar R.} } @article { ISI:000358167700015, title = {Overexpression of squalene synthase in withania somnifera leads to enhanced withanolide biosynthesis}, journal = {Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture}, volume = {122}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {409-420}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Genetic engineering of secondary metabolic pathways is an emerging area of research for production and improvement of natural products in plant biotechnology. Here, we describe a systematic approach to manipulate a key regulatory step of isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in Withania somnifera to study its effect on withanolide production. We generated T-0 W. somnifera plants overexpressing squalene synthase (WsSQS) by Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation, which were analyzed by Gus biochemical assay and PCR of hygromycin phosphotransferase (hptII) and WsSQS. qRT-PCR analyses of various transformed tissues indicated 2-5 fold increase in WsSQS transcripts in both T-0 and T-1 generations. The tissue specific protein expression studies revealed 2-3 fold increase in WsSQS, which was further confirmed by enzyme activity. These observations were corroborated with the 1.5-2 fold increase in total withanolide content of the transformed tissues. However, in leaf tissue, the levels of Withaferin A and Withanolide A increased significantly up to 4-4.5 fold. These findings demonstrate genetic engineering of isoprenoid pathway in W. somnifera resulting in enhanced production of withanolides, and also provide insights into such metabolic pathways for their manipulation to improve the pharmacological content of different medicinally important plants.

}, keywords = {Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Solanaceae, Squalene synthase, Withania somnifera, Withanolides}, issn = {0167-6857}, doi = {10.1007/s11240-015-0778-3}, author = {Patel, Neha and Patel, Parth and Kendurkar, Shuchishweta V. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Khan, Bashir Mohammad} } @article { ISI:000356054600003, title = {Oxidant controlled regio- and stereodivergent azidohydroxylation of alkenes via I-2 catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {51}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {10276-10279}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel, I-2 catalyzed regio-and stereodivergent vicinal azidohydroxylation of alkenes leading to 1,2-azidoalcohols in high yields (up to 92\%) and excellent dr (up to 98\%) has been developed. This unprecedented transformation employs NaN3 and DMF as N-and O-nucleophiles respectively. The role of DMF as the O-source in the reaction has been unequivocally proven by O-18 labelling studies.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc02374b}, author = {Prasad, P. K. and Reddi, R. N. and Sudalai, A.} } @article { ISI:000357805700036, title = {Oxidative addition of the C-I bond on aluminum nanoclusters}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {28}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {12109-12125}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Energetics and the in-depth reaction mechanism of the oxidative addition step of the cross-coupling reaction are studied in the framework of density functional theory (DFT) on aluminum nanoclusters. Aluminum metal in its bulk state is totally inactive towards carbon-halogen bond dissociation but selected Al nanoclusters (size ranging from 3 to 20 atoms) have shown a significantly lower activation barrier towards the oxidative addition reaction. The calculated energy barriers are lower than the gold clusters and within a comparable range with the conventional and most versatile Pd catalyst. Further investigations reveal that the activation energies and other reaction parameters are highly sensitive to the geometrical shapes and electronic structures of the clusters rather than their size, imposing the fact that comprehensive studies on aluminum clusters can be beneficial for nanoscience and nanotechnology. To understand the possible reaction mechanism in detail, the reaction pathway is investigated with the ab initio Born Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics (BOMD) simulation and the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis. In short, our theoretical study highlights the thermodynamic and kinetic details of C-I bond dissociation on aluminum clusters for future endeavors in cluster chemistry.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr02278a}, author = {Sengupta, Turbasu and Das, Susanta and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000353745900013, title = {Oxone-acetone mediated syn-dioxygenation of benzo-fused olefins}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {56}, number = {17}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {2183-2186}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The oxone-acetone combination well established for olefin epoxidation has been demonstrated to be a practical reagent for the syn-dioxygenation (resulting in 1,3-dioxolanes) of indenes and dihydronaphthalenes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dihydronaphthalene, Dioxygenation, Indene, Oxone}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.03.022}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000356549600005, title = {Oxone-acetone mediated wacker-type oxidation of benzo-fused olefins}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {56}, number = {25}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3868-3871}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein we disclose a novel application of the oxone-acetone combination for the Wacker-type oxidation of indenes and dihydronaphthalenes leading, respectively, to indan-2-ones and 2-tetralones. The amount of the base employed in the reaction seems to switch the reaction path from dioxygenation to Wacker-type oxidation. Control experiments suggest that the reaction is not proceeding via the epoxide route and also that there is no role of trace amounts of metals present in the reagents on the current oxidation. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dihydronaphthalene, Indene, Oxone, Wacker oxidation}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.04.102}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @conference { ISI:000354845400032, title = {Partial triples excitation to the fock space multi-reference singles and doubles: dipole moment of doublet radicals}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering 2010 (ICCMSE-2010)}, series = {AIP Conference Proceedings}, volume = {1642}, year = {2015}, note = {International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE), Kos, GREECE, OCT 03-08, 2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {223-226}, publisher = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, organization = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1NO1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We present the partial triples effect on the dipole moment of doublet radicals in Lagrangian formulation of Fockspace multi-reference coupled cluster response method(A FSMRCC). This specific scheme uses non-iterative triples, in addition to singles and doubles excitations(A FSMRCCSD(T*)), which accounts for the effects appearing at least at the third order in dipole moment. This method is applied to the ground states of small radicals.

}, keywords = {Dipole moment, Multi-reference, Triples}, isbn = {978-0-7354-1282-8}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.4906657}, author = {Ravichandran, Lalitha and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Simos, TE and Maroulis, G} } @article { ISI:000359166300001, title = {Penicillin V acylase from pectobacterium atrosepticum exhibits high specific activity and unique kinetics}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {79}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1-7}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Penicillin V acylases (PVAs, E.C.3.5.11) belong to the Ntn hydrolase super family of enzymes that catalyze the deacylation of the side chain from phenoxymethyl penicillin (penicillin V). Penicillin acylases find use in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of semi-synthetic antibiotics. PVAs employ the N-terminal cysteine residue as catalytic nucleophile and are structurally and evolutionarily related to bile salt hydrolases (BSHs). Here, we report the cloning and characterization of a PVA enzyme from the Gram-negative plant pathogen, Pectobacterium atrosepticum (PaPVA). The enzyme was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli attaining a very high yield (250 mg/l) and a comparatively high specific activity (430 IU/mg). The enzyme showed marginally better pH and thermo-stability over PVAs characterized from Gram-positive bacteria. The enzyme also showed enhanced activity in presence of organic solvents and detergents. The enzyme kinetics turned out to be significantly different from that of previously reported PVAs, displaying positive cooperativity and substrate inhibition. The presence of bile salts had a modulating effect on PaPVA activity. Sequence analysis and characterization reveal the distinctive nature of these enzymes and underscore the need to study PVAs from Gram-negative bacteria. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cooperative, Enzyme kinetics, Gram-negative, Penicillin V acylase, Substrate inhibition}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2015.04.036}, author = {Avinash, Vellore Sunder and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Suresh, C. G. and Pundle, Archana} } @article { ISI:000357933400054, title = {Perturbative order analysis of the similarity transformed hamiltonian in fock-space coupled cluster theory: difference energy and electric response properties}, journal = {Molecular Physics}, volume = {113}, number = {13-14, SI}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2046-2060}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A perturbative analysis of the ground-state similarity transformed Hamiltonian and its effect on the various Fock-space coupled cluster (FSCC) sectors is presented through calculation of ionisation potential, electron affinity, excitation energies and response properties. Various truncation schemes of the effective Hamiltonian are presented with explicit form of the defining equations. Based on such a truncation, the approximate methods are labelled as FSCC(n), where n represents the correlation energy of the ionised, electron attached or excited states corrected at least up to nth order within coupled cluster singles and doubles scheme (CCSD). A lower scaling CC2 type of approach (abbreviated as FS-CC2) is compared against the group of FSCC(n) methods for energies. Electric response properties have been compared and contrasted for the two lower scaling methods: FSCC(2) and FS-CC2. The various truncated methods are tested for a number of small molecules. The results obtained from a range of truncated methods are compared against full FSCCSD calculations.

}, keywords = {electric response properties, Fock space, perturbative order, similarity transformed Hamiltonian}, issn = {0026-8976}, doi = {10.1080/00268976.2015.1059509}, author = {Bhattacharya, Debarati and Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Gupta, Jitendra and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000354991500013, title = {Possible correlation between bile salt hydrolysis and ahl deamidation: staphylococcus epidermidis RM1, a potent quorum quencher and bile salt hydrolase producer}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {176}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {140-150}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

The aim of the present work was to isolate a bile salt hydrolase (BSH) producer from fermented soy curd and explore the ability of the BSH produced to cleave bacterial quorum sensing signals. Bacterial isolates with possible ability to deconjugate bile salts were enriched and isolated on De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) medium containing 0.2 \% bile salts. BSH-producing positive isolate with orange-pink-pigmented colonies was isolated and was identified as a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis using biochemical and phylogenetic tools. S. epidermidis RM1 was shown to possess both potent BSH and N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) cleavage activity. Genetic basis of this dual-enzyme activity was explored by means of specific primers designed using S. epidermidis ATCC 12228 genome as template. It was observed that a single enzyme was not responsible for both the activity. Two different genetic elements corresponding to each of the enzymatic activity were successfully amplified from the genomic DNA of the isolate.

}, keywords = {AHL acylase, Bile salt hydrolase, CV026, Quorum quenching, Staphylococcus epidermidis}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-015-1563-9}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000354028700005, title = {Preparation of Ag(Shell)-Au(Core) nanoparticles by anti-galvanic reactions: are capping agents the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}real heroes{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} of reduction?}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {478}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {30-35}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The formation of Ag(shell)-Au(core) nanoparticles by the reduction of Ag+ ions on preformed Au NPs, mediated by the capping agents like dodecylamine is described. We clearly established that while monodisperse Ag(shell)-Au(core) structures can be formed in presence of weak surface binding ligands such as amines, strong binding ligands such as thiols, lead to formation of separate monometallic Au and Ag particles. Apart from highlighting the influence of metal-ligand binding strength on the formation of core-shell nanoparticle architectures, our study also provides an easy means to produce Ag( shell)-Au( core) structures. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag(shell)-Au(core) nanoparticles, Anti-Galvanic reactions}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2015.03.028}, author = {Sahu, Puspanjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42673, title = {Preparation of Ni3S2 and Ni3S2-Ni nanosheets via solution based processes}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {15}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2584{\textendash}2588}, abstract = {

An easy and convenient preparation of nanometer-thick sheets of Ni3S2 and Ni3S2{\textendash}Ni from solution processed molecularly thin sheets of Ni-thiolates is described. Both the Ni3S2 and Ni3S2{\textendash}Ni possessed sheet-like morphologies and displayed room temperature ferromagnetic characteristics. The ferromagnetic nature of these samples was also confirmed by MFM studies, and AFM/TEM investigations substantiated the sheet-like morphology of the samples.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.5b00307}, author = {Busupalli, Balanagulu and Date, Kalyani S. and Datar, Suwarna and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000359031400006, title = {Propensity of self-assembled leucine-lysine diblock copolymeric alpha-helical peptides to remain in parallel and antiparallel alignments in water}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {119}, number = {30}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9520-9531}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Molecular dynamics Simulation study of alpha-helical diblock copolypeptides: preassembled in parallel and antiparallel alignments in water are presented. The assembled peptide lamellar structures were not disrupted even: after performing three step simulation protocols. Primarily hydrogen bonds between peptide are responsible for the stability: The analysis of the trajectory also suggests that Water plays a significant role in favoring self assembly We have detected continuous hydrogen bonded network structure, which is further responsible for the stability Of the lamellar structures. We have performed a detailed analysis of the hydrogen bonded network structure and its length. Further, free energy calculations revealed that the degree of stability for both lamellae are similar. The present study provides structural insight into the stability of self-assembled structures of block copolypeptides.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b02258}, author = {Sarkar, Sujit and Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000360934400005, title = {Protein ligand complex guided approach for virtual screening}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {577-590}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

The target ligand association data is a rich source of information which is not exploited enough for drug design efforts in virtual screening. A java based open-source toolkit for Protein Ligand Network Extraction (J-ProLiNE) focused on protein-ligand complex analysis with several features integrated in a distributed computing network has been developed. Sequence alignment and similarity search components have been automated to yield local, global alignment scores along with similarity and distance scores. 10000 proteins with co-crystallized ligands from pdb and MOAD databases were extracted and analyzed for revealing relationships between targets, ligands and scaffolds. Through this analysis, we could generate a protein ligand network to identify the promiscuous and selective scaffolds for multiple classes of proteins targets. Using J-ProLiNE we created a 507 x 507 matrix of protein targets and native ligands belonging to six enzyme classes and analyzed the results to elucidate the protein-protein, protein-ligand and ligand-ligand interactions. In yet another application of the J-ProLiNE software, we were able to process kinase related information stored in US patents to construct disease-gene-ligand-scaffold networks. It is hoped that the studies presented here will enable target ligand knowledge based virtual screening for inhibitor design.

}, keywords = {Complexes, ligand, protein, scaffolds, sequences, similarity score, virtual screening}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207318666150703112620}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Pandit, Deepak and Vyas, Renu} } @article { ISI:000364862000037, title = {Proton transport mechanism of imidazole, triazole and phosphoric acid mixtures from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {45}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {30551-30559}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We performed first principles molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the mechanism and role of 1,2,3-triazole in proton transport while it is mixed with phosphoric acid (PA) and a phosphoric acid imidazole mixture. PA doped imidazole based polymer acts as an efficient polyelectrolyte membrane for fuel cells. The conductivity of this membrane increases when triazole is added to the system. For the first time we performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of complex mixtures of PA, imidazole and triazole. We have quantitatively estimated the structural diffusion and vehicular motion of protons. We found that upon the addition of triazole in PA and the PA imidazole mixture, the structural diffusion of protons increases significantly. The mechanism of proton transport is different when triazole is added to the mixture. We have also identified two different paths for structural diffusion (constructive and non-constructive) that contribute to long and short range proton transport.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp05735c}, author = {Pahari, Swagata and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000367561500004, title = {p-type NiO hybrid visible photodetector}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {50}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {27597-27601}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A novel hybrid visible-light photodetector was created using a planar p-type inorganic NiO layer in a junction with an organic electron acceptor layer. The effect of different oxygen pressures on formation of the NiO layer by pulsed laser deposition shows that higher pressure increases the charge carrier density of the film and lowers the dark current in the device. The addition of a monolayer of small molecules containing conjugated pi systems and carboxyl groups at the device interface was also investigated and with correct alignment of the energy levels improves the device performance with respect to the quantum efficiency, responsivity, and photogeneration. The thickness of the Organic layer was also optimized for the device, giving a responsivity of 1.54 X 10(-2) A W-1 in 460 nm light.

}, keywords = {nickel oxide, organic, oxygen vacancies, photodetector, pulsed laser deposition, surface modifier}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b09291}, author = {Mallows, John and Planells, Miguel and Thakare, Vishal and Bhosale, Reshma and Ogale, Satishchandra and Robertson, Neil} } @article { ISI:000364314500010, title = {Pulsed laser-driven molecular self-assembly of cephalexin: aggregation-induced fluorescence and its utility as a mercury ion sensor}, journal = {Photochemistry and Photobiology}, volume = {91}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1340-1347}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A fluorescent self-assembly of cephalexin is obtained by pulsed laser irradiation process. An intense fluorescence emission is found in the self-assembled form due to occurrence of a typical aggregation-induced emission in cephalexin molecules. It is observed that fluorescence quenching of the self-assembled fluorescent nanostructures occurs in the presence of extremely low Hg++ ions concentrations (10(-7) M) as compared to other heavy metal ions e.g. Ferrous (Fe++), Manganese (Mn++), Magnesium (Mg++), Cobalt (Co++), Nickel (Ni++) and Zinc (Zn++) at the same concentrations.

}, issn = {0031-8655}, doi = {10.1111/php.12526}, author = {Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Prabhune, Asmita and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000362679300035, title = {Rapid conductometric sensor for the analysis of cyanide using imidazole based receptor}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {40}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {26790-26796}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A specific and efficient hydrogen bonding interaction between cyanide and the HN-H [imidazole] in an aqueous medium has been utilized for the selective recognition of cyanide under physiological conditions. The possibility of utilizing such an interaction for developing any practical device for the specific detection of cyanide in an aqueous environment has not been explored to date. We now report a simple dip and read conductometric sensor for cyanide ions using a tailored electrode in aqueous media. The purpose built reagent, 2-phenyl-1H-anthra-[2,3-d]-immidazole-5,10 dione was immobilized in a polyaniline matrix to fabricate this conductometric device. The homogeneous immobilization of the receptor in polyaniline was confirmed by FT-IR mapping. The proposed transduction mechanism is charge neutralization on the polyaniline moiety, which ultimately inhibits the protonation resulting in a decrease in the conductance of polyaniline. The sensor response was measured in three ranges of cyanide concentration (10(-10) M to 10(-8) M; 10(-8) M to 10(-6) M and 10(-6) M to 10(-3) M). Whereas the device is found insensitive in the first range, it acts as a detector in the second range and as a proportional sensor in the third range. The minimum detection limit of this device was found to be 10 nmol L-1 (2.6 ppt), which is significantly less than the WHO guideline values. The responses have been investigated under various conditions such as different pH and the electrochemical state of the polymer. The current device has been found to be better close to neutral pH and at a 400 mV vs. Ag/AgCl potential. The reproducibility and repeatability of the sensor was investigated and interference studies were performed.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp03773e}, author = {Paul, Anirban and Perween, Mosarrat and Saha, Sukdeb and Srivastava, Divesh N. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000356753600002, title = {Reactivity and catalytic activity of hydrogen atom chemisorbed silver clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {119}, number = {24}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6162-6170}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Metal clusters of silver have attracted recent interest of researchers as a result of their potential in different,catalytic applications and low Cost. However, due to the completely filled d orbital and very high first ionization potential of the silver atom, the silver-based catalysts interact very weakly with the reacting molecules. In the current work, density functional theory calculations were carried out to investigate the effect of hydrogen atom chemisorption. On the reactivity and catalytic properties of inert silver clusters Our results affirm that the hydrogen atom chemisorption leads to enhancement the binding energy of the adsorbed O-2 molecule on the inert silver clusters. The increase in the binding energy is also characterized by the decrease in the Ag-O and increase in the O-O bond lengths in the case of the AgnH Silver clusters. Pertinent to the increase in the O-O bond length, a. significant red shift in the O-O Stretching frequency is. also noted in the case,of the AgnH silver clusters. Moreover, the hydrogen atom chemisorbed silver clusters show low reaction barriers and heat Of formation of the final products for the,environmentally important CO oxidation reaction as compared to the parent catalytically inactive clusters The obtained results were compared with those of the corresponding gold and hydrogen atom chemisorbed gold clusters obtained at the same level of theory. It is expected the current computational study will provide key insights for future advances in the design of efficient nanosilver-based catalysts through the adsorption of a small atom or a ligand.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpca.5b01987}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000352508300032, title = {Reactivity and operational stability of N-Tailed TAMLs through kinetic studies of the catalyzed oxidation of orange II by H2O2: synthesis and x-ray structure of an N-Phenyl TAML}, journal = {Chemistry A-European Journal}, volume = {21}, number = {16}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {6226-6233}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{The catalytic activity of the N-tailed (biuret) TAML (tetraamido macrocyclic ligand) activators [Fe{4-XC6H3-1,2-(NCOCMe2NCO)(2)NR}Cl](2-) (3; N atoms in boldface are coordinated to the central iron atom; the same nomenclature is used in for compounds 1 and 2 below), [X

}, keywords = {Hydrogen peroxide, iron, kinetics, Oxidation, reaction mechanisms}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201406061}, author = {Warner, Genoa R. and Mills, Matthew R. and Enslin, Clarissa and Pattanayak, Shantanu and Panda, Chakadola and Panda, Tamas Kumar and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Ryabov, Alexander D. and Collins, Terrence J.} } @article {42436, title = {Recent advances in the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-organocatalyzed stetter reaction and related chemistry}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {47}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {1357-1378}, abstract = {

Recent developments in the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed umpolung of aldehydes followed by their interception with activated carbon{\textendash}carbon double bonds, namely the Stetter reaction, are presented. Advances in the inter- and intramolecular versions of this reaction, enantioselective transformations as well as the use of unactivated olefins in this type of reaction are discussed.

}, doi = {10.1055/s-0034-1378692}, author = {Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Patra, Atanu and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000357617800013, title = {Reduced graphene oxide composite with oxidizable manganese/cobalt mixed oxide for p-cresol oxidation by using molecular oxygen}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {80}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1164-1169}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A composite of graphene oxide (GO) with mixed oxide (MnCo) was prepared by using a solvothermal method. During the synthesis, both the reduction of GO and growth of metal oxides took place simultaneously. The as-prepared composite material was highly selective for the liquid-phase oxidation of p-cresol to form p-hydroxybenzaldehyde in 71\% yield within 1h. The composite material was characterised by SEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution TEM and cyclic voltammetry (CV). A CV study revealed that the increase in the redox potential of the mixed oxide after being supported on GO, led to its higher activity of the catalyst for the oxidation reaction. The stability of the catalyst under the reaction conditions was studied by its successful reuse in three cycles.

}, keywords = {cyclic voltammetry, graphene, Oxidation, supported catalysts, transition metals}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.201500053}, author = {Jha, Ajay and Patil, Sagar H. and Solanki, Bhanu P. and Ribeiro, Ana P. C. and Castro, Carlos A. N. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Coronas, Alberto and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000354188800009, title = {Relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster investigation of the trends of single and double ionization potentials in the He and Be isoelectronic systems}, journal = {Journal of Physics B-Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics}, volume = {48}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {115009}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We employ a four-component spinor relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOMCC) method within the single-and double-excitation approximation to calculate the single ionization potentials (IPs) and double ionization potentials (DIPs) of the He and Be isoelectronic sequences up to Ne. The obtained results are compared with the available results from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database to test the performance of the EOMCC method. We also present intermediate results at different levels of approximations in the EOMCC framework to gain insight of the effect of electron correlation. Furthermore, we investigate the dependence of the IPs and DIPs of these ions on the ionic charge and observe that these follow parabolic trends. Similarities between the trends of IPs and DIPs in both the classes of considered systems are categorically demonstrated.

}, keywords = {coupled-cluster method, double ionization potentials, equation-of-motion theory}, issn = {0953-4075}, doi = {10.1088/0953-4075/48/11/115009}, author = {Pathak, Himadri and Sahoo, B. K. and Sengupta, Turbasu and Das, B. P. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42629, title = {Relativistic extended coupled cluster method for magnetic hyperfine structure constant}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {91}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article No. 022512}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.91.022512}, author = {Sasmal, Sudip and Pathak, Himadri and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000356305300034, title = {Rhodium complex with unsymmetrical vicinal diamine ligand: excellent catalyst for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {64}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {51722-51729}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

New unsymmetrical vicinal diamine ligands with systematic variation in the regio and stereo positions in the amine and sulphonamide groups were synthesized from cheap starting material such as norephedrine. Catalytic Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation (ATH) of aromatic alkyl ketones has been investigated using transition metal complexes and new derivatives of monotosylated unsymmetrical vicinal diamine ligands using sodium formate as the hydrogen source, in water and methanol. Chiral secondary alcohols were obtained with excellent enantioselectivity (\>95\% ee) and conversion of ketones (\>95\%) with [Rh(Cp*)Cl-2](2) and ligand 4 as a catalyst. Enantioselectivity was found to be slightly higher with the use of methanol as a solvent for ATH of ketones with sodium formate as the hydrogen source compared to water as a solvent and was found to be consistent with all the ketones investigated. The reaction mixture is homogeneous in methanol unlike in water, where substrate and product are insoluble in water and form separate phase, sodium formate being soluble in water. The activity and enantioselectivity obtained for ATH of ketones using [Rh(Cp*)Cl-2](2) and unsymmetrical vicinal diamine ligand as catalyst was comparable with the C2 symmetric benchmark ligands like TsDPEN ((1R, 2R)-N-(p-tolylsulfonyl)-1,2-diphenylethylene- diamine), and TsCYDN ((1R, 2R)-N-(p-tolylsulfonyl)-1,2-cyclohexyl, diamine) under similar reaction conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is first example of the ATH of ketones with good activity and high enantioselectivity with [Rh(Cp*)Cl-2](2) and unsymmetrical vicinal diamine ligands as catalyst systems.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra08220j}, author = {Deshpande, Sudhindra H. and Shende, Vaishali S. and Shingote, Savita K. and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Chaudhari, Raghunath V. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A.} } @article { ISI:000353689400017, title = {Rifampicin reduces advanced glycation end products and activates DAF-16 to increase lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans}, journal = {Aging Cell}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {463-473}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formed when glucose reacts nonenzymatically with proteins; these modifications are implicated in aging and pathogenesis of many age-related diseases including type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, pharmaceutical interventions that can reduce AGEs may delay age-onset diseases and extend lifespan. Using LC-MSE, we show that rifampicin (RIF) reduces glycation of important cellular proteins in vivo and consequently increases lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans by up to 60\%. RIF analog rifamycin SV (RSV) possesses similar properties, while rifaximin (RMN) lacks antiglycation activity and therefore fails to affect lifespan positively. The efficacy of RIF and RSV as potent antiglycating agents may be attributed to the presence of a p-dihydroxyl moiety that can potentially undergo spontaneous oxidation to yield highly reactive p-quinone structures, a feature absent in RMN. We also show that supplementing rifampicin late in adulthood is sufficient to increase lifespan. For its effect on longevity, rifampicin requires DAF-18 (nematode PTEN) as well as JNK-1 and activates DAF-16, the FOXO homolog. Interestingly, the drug treatment modulates transcription of a different subset of DAF-16 target genes, those not controlled by the conserved Insulin-IGF-1-like signaling pathway. RIF failed to increase the lifespan of daf-16 null mutant despite reducing glycation, showing thereby that DAF-16 may not directly affect AGE formation. Together, our data suggest that the dual ability to reduce glycation in vivo and activate prolongevity processes through DAF-16 makes RIF and RSV effective lifespan-extending interventions.

}, keywords = {advanced glycation end products, aging, Caenorhabditis elegans, DAF-16, Glycation, lifespan, rifampicin}, issn = {1474-9718}, doi = {10.1111/acel.12327}, author = {Golegaonkar, Sandeep and Tabrez, Syed S. and Pandit, Awadhesh and Sethurathinam, Shalini and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Bansode, Sneha B. and Sampathkumar, Srinivasa-Gopalan and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Mukhopadhyay, Arnab} } @article { ISI:000366339300003, title = {RNA stem-loop to G-quadruplex equilibrium controls mature MicroRNA production inside the cell}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {48}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {7067-7078}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The biological role of the existence of overlapping structures in RNA is possible yet remains very unexplored. G-Rich tracts of RNA form G-quadruplexes, while GC-rich sequences prefer stem-loop structures. The equilibrium between alternate structures within RNA may occur and influence its functionality. We tested the equilibrium between G-quadruplex and stem-loop structure in RNA and its effect on biological processes using pre-miRNA as a model system. Dicer enzyme recognizes canonical stem-loop structures in pre-miRNA to produce mature miRNAs. Deviation from stem-loop leads to deregulated mature miRNA levels, providing readout of the existence of an alternate structure per se G-quadruplex-mediated structural interference in miRNA maturation. In vitro analysis using beacon and Dicer cleavage assays indicated that mature miRNA levels depend on relative amounts of K+: and Mg2+ ions, suggesting an ion-dependent structural shift. Further in cellulo studies with and without TmPyP4 (RNA G-quadruplex destabilizer) demonstrated that miRNA biogenesis is modulated by G-quadruplex to stem-loop equilibrium in a subset of pre-miRNAs. Our combined analysis thus provides evidence of the formation of noncanonical G-quaciruplexes in competition with canonical stem-loop structure inside the cell and its effect on miRNA maturation in a comprehensive manner.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00574}, author = {Pandey, Satyaprakash and Agarwala, Prachi and Jayaraj, Gopal Gunanathan and Gargallo, Raimundo and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000350116200014, title = {Robustness screen in enantioselective catalysis enabled generation of enantioenriched heterocyclic scaffolds in one pot}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {21}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3580-3584}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Enantioselective catalysis has emerged as a powerful synthetic paradigm and has accelerated the development of new methods to make diverse chiral molecules. Generally, these reactions are very sensitive to the steric and electronic environment present in the catalyst as well as the substrates. With this scenario, the presence of an additional component in the reaction mixture is expected to add complexity in achieving the enantioselective variants. Herein, we report that various enantioenriched molecules could be obtained from multiple starting materials in one pot. The reaction of aminoaromatics A with alkynols B-1, B-2, B-3...B-n with a Au-I/chiral BrOnsted acid catalyst afforded AB(1)*, AB(2)*, AB(3)*...AB(n)*; while, the reaction of alkynols B with aminoaromatics A(1), A(2), A(3)...A(n) under the same reaction conditions gave A(1)B*, A(2)B*, A(3)B*...A(n)B*.

}, keywords = {chiral Bronsted acid, Enantioselectivity, Gold, molecular scaffolds, robustness screen}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201406045}, author = {Bagle, Pradip N. and Shinde, Valmik S. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000358395100008, title = {Role of interfacial tension of solvating diluents and hydrophilic-hydrophobic cross-linkers in hyper-cross-linked solid supports}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {54}, number = {27}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6893-6901}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The properties of a hyper-cross-linked solid support are the outcome Of the interfacial tension created by solvating/nonsolvating diluents, the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the cross-linkers, and their concentrations. Interestingly, a More hydrophobic diluent and cross-linker as well as a higher concentration of cross-linker-containing copolymer revealed an increase In surface area. A high surface area and low cross-link density (CLD) polymer illustrated higher epoxy content. Importantly, maximum surface area (533 m(2)/g) Was obtained at high CLD; inversely, epoxy,content (1.83 mmol/g) was higher at low CLD polymer. Notably, greater rigidity of cross-linker and its higher concentration increased T-max and T-g; contrarily, greater flexibility of cross-linker and its concentration attenuated T-max and T-g. Thermal study demonstrated the thermostability (300 degrees C) and polymer safe temperature (220 degrees C). Indeed, a lower solubility parameter difference between polymer and swelling solvent produces a higher polymer-solvent interaction parameter, resulting in increased polymer swelling. Polymers with high surface area and low CLD demonstrated greater swelling behavior.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.5b01277}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @inbook { ISI:000350416600017, title = {Role of lipid-mediated effects in beta(2)-adrenergic receptor dimerization}, booktitle = {biochemical roles of eukaryotic cell surface macromolecules}, series = {Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology}, volume = {842}, year = {2015}, pages = {247-261}, publisher = {Springer-Verlag Berlin}, organization = {Springer-Verlag Berlin}, address = {Heidelberger Platz 3, D-14197 Berlin, Germany :}, isbn = {978-3-319-11280-0; 978-3-319-11279-4}, issn = {0065-2598}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-11280-0_16}, author = {Prasanna, Xavier and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha and Sengupta, Durba}, editor = {Chakrabarti, A. and Surolia, A.} } @article { ISI:000355985200027, title = {Role of the molecular structure of carboxylate-alumoxanes in the enhanced nucleation of polypropylene}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {49}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10026-10029}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We have reported the use of carboxylate-alumoxanes as efficient nucleating agents for isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with a possible structural correlation to the nucleation efficiency. The unique, butterfly-like structure of carboxylate-alumoxanes correlates well with the nucleation characteristics of iPP and, for the first time, the impact of a thermally induced, crystalline transition of carboxylate-alumoxanes, which alters neither the structural conformation nor the nucleation efficiency of the transformed material, is demonstrated.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc01327e}, author = {Mani, Mohan Raj and Chellaswamy, Ramesh and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000365462600036, title = {Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed C3 arylation of 2-aroylbenzofurans with arylboronic acids/aryltrifluoroborates via carbonyl-directed C-H bond activation}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {80}, number = {22}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11551-11558}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The Ru(II)-catalyzed carbonyl-directed C-H activation with (hetero)arylboron reagents has been executed for the synthesis of 2-aroyl-3-(hetero)arylbenzofurans. A hypothesis founded upon the involvement Of an active carbonatoruthenium(II) complex for a coordinative insertion and the aerobic oxidation of the in situ generated Ru(0) to Ru(II), to continue the catalytic cycle, has been extended.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.5b01932}, author = {Paymode, Dinesh J. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000359951700161, title = {RXR-carbamate - a novel molecular transporter for skin}, journal = {Molecular Therapy}, volume = {23}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, note = {18th Annual Meeting of the American-Society-of-Gene-and-Cell-Therapy (ASGCT), New Orleans, LA, MAY 13-16, 2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {S64-S64}, publisher = {Amer Soc Gene \& Cell Therapy}, address = {75 VARICK ST, 9TH FLR, NEW YORK, NY 10013-1917 USA}, issn = {1525-0016}, author = {Natarajan, Poornemaa and Patil, Kiran M. and Vij, Manika and Yadav, Amit K. and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Ganguli, Munia and Fernandes, Moneesha} } @article { ISI:000354255400032, title = {SBA-15-oxynitrides as a solid-base catalyst: effect of nitridation temperature on catalytic activity}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {54}, number = {20}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5985-5989}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Solid bases, such as SBA-15-oxynitrides, have attracted considerable interest for potential applications as catalysts in important industrial processes. Reported herein is that by simply tuning the temperature of nitridation (ammonolysis), the catalytic activity of these solid bases can be enhanced. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy and XPS studies provided the reasoning behind this change in activity.

}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalysis, Nanostructures, NMR spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, solid-state structures}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201501015}, author = {Singh, Baljeet and Mote, Kaustubh R. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Madhu, Perunthiruthy K. and Polshettiwar, Vivek} } @article { ISI:000352448800019, title = {Self-assembled vertically aligned gold nanorod super-lattices for ultra-high sensitive detection of molecules}, journal = {Nano Research}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {907-919}, publisher = {TSINGHUA UNIV PRESS}, address = {TSINGHUA UNIV, RM A703, XUEYAN BLDG, BEIJING, 10084, PEOPLES R CHINA}, abstract = {

We show that self-assembled vertically aligned gold nanorod (VA-GNRs) superlattices can serve as probes or substrates for ultra-high sensitive detection of various molecules. D-glucose and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) have been chosen as model systems due to their very low Raman cross-sections (5.6 x 10(-30) cm(2).molecule(-1).sr(-1) for D-glucose and 4.9 x 10(-31) cm(2). molecule(-1).sr(-1) for TNT) to show that the VA-GNR superlattice assembly offers as low as yoctomole sensitivity. Our experiment on mixed samples of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and D-glucose solutions demonstrate sensitivity for the latter, and the possible extension to real samples. Self-assembled superlattices of VA-GNRs were achieved on a silicon wafer by depositing a drop of solvent containing the GNRs and subsequent solvent evaporation in ambient conditions. An additional advantage of the VA-GNR monolayers is their extremely high reproducible morphology accompanied by ultrahigh sensitivity which will be useful in many fields where a very small amount of analyte is available. Moreover the assembly can be reused a number of times after removing the already present molecules. The method of obtaining VA-GNRs is simple, inexpensive and reproducible. With the help of simulations of monolayers and multilayers it has been shown that superlattices can achieve better sensitivity than monolayer assembly of VA-GNRs.

}, keywords = {Nanostructures, Raman spectroscopy, self-assemblies, sensors, superlattices}, issn = {1998-0124}, doi = {10.1007/s12274-014-0572-2}, author = {Apte, Amey and Bhaskar, Prashant and Das, Raja and Chaturvedi, Smita and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, Sulabha} } @article { ISI:000362964900007, title = {Sequence and structure-based comparative analysis to assess, identify and improve the thermostability of penicillin G acylases}, journal = {Journal of Industrial Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {42}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1493-1506}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Penicillin acylases are enzymes employed by the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of semi-synthetic penicillins. There is a continuous demand for thermostable and alkalophilic enzymes in such applications. We have carried out a computational analysis of known penicillin G acylases (PGAs) in terms of their thermostable nature using various protein-stabilizing factors. While the presence of disulfide bridges was considered initially to screen putative thermostable PGAs from the database, various other factors such as high arginine to lysine ratio, less content of thermolabile amino acids, presence of proline in beta-turns, more number of ion-pair and other non-bonded interactions were also considered for comparison. A modified consensus approach designed could further identify stabilizing residue positions by site-specific comparison between mesostable and thermostable PGAs. A most likely thermostable enzyme identified from the analysis was PGA from Paracoccus denitrificans (PdPGA). This was cloned, expressed and tested for its thermostable nature using biochemical and biophysical experiments. The consensus site-specific sequence-based approach predicted PdPGA to be more thermostable than Escherichia coli PGA, but not as thermostable as the PGA from Achromobacter xylosoxidans. Experimental data showed that PdPGA was comparatively less thermostable than Achromobacter xylosoxidans PGA, although thermostability factors favored a much higher stability. Despite being mesostable, PdPGA being active and stable at alkaline pH is an advantage. Finally, several residue positions could be identified in PdPGA, which upon mutation selectively could improve the thermostability of the enzyme.

}, keywords = {Alkalistable, beta-lactam antibiotics, Consensus approach, Disulfide bridge, Ion pairs, Penicillin acylase, Thermostability}, issn = {1367-5435}, doi = {10.1007/s10295-015-1690-x}, author = {Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Chand, Deepak and Mukherji, Ruchira and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000353931300023, title = {Shape-selective oriented cerium oxide nanocrystals permit assessment of the effect of the exposed facets on catalytic activity and oxygen storage capacity}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {16}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {8545-8555}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The catalytic performance of a range of nanocrystalline CeO2 samples, prepared to have different morphologies, was measured using two accepted indicators; oxygen storage and diesel soot combustion. The same powders were characterized hi detail by HR-TEM, XRD, XPS, and Raman methods. The study demonstrates that activity is determined by the relative fraction of the active crystallographic planes, not by the specific surface area of the powders. The physical study is a step toward quantitative evaluation of the relative contribution to activity of the different facets. The synthetic protocol permits fabrication of CeO2 nanostructures with preferentially grown active planes, and therefore has potential in developing catalytic applications and in nanocompositing.

}, keywords = {ceria, chemical activities, crystal facets, nanocrystals, texture coefficient}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b00298}, author = {Sreeremya, Thadathil S. and Krishnan, Asha and Remani, Kottayilpadi C. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Brougham, Dermot F. and Ghosh, Swapankumar} } @article { ISI:000347373500003, title = {Simple method for the preparation of ultra-small palladium nanoparticles and their utilization for the hydrogenation of terminal alkyne groups to alkanes}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {872-876}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and convenient method for the preparation of ultra-small palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NPs) by a modified digestive ripening method is described. These nanoparticles catalyse the hydrogenation of the terminal alkyne groups to alkanes selectively, and show no effect on other labile protecting and internal alkyne or internal/external alkene groups present in the molecule.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c4nr04239e}, author = {Seth, Jhumur and Kona, Chandrababu Naidu and Das, Shyamsundar and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000357808500016, title = {Single-layer graphene-assembled 3D porous carbon composites with PVA and Fe3O4 nano-fillers: an interface-mediated superior dielectric and EMI shielding performance}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {28}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {18353-18363}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this study, a novel composite of Fe3O4 nanofiller-decorated single-layer graphene-assembled porous carbon (SLGAPC) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) having flexibility and a density of 0.75 g cm(-3) is explored for its dielectric and electromagnetic interference (EMI) response properties. The composite is prepared by the solution casting method and its constituents are optimized as 15 wt\% SLGAPC and 20 wt\% Fe3O4 through a novel solvent relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance experiment. The PVA-SLGAPC-Fe3O4 composite shows high dielectric permittivity in the range of 1 Hz-10 MHz, enhanced by a factor of 4 as compared to that of the PVA-SLGAPC composite, with a reduced loss by a factor of 2. The temperature dependent dielectric properties reveal the activation energy behaviour with reference to the glass transition temperature (80 degrees C) of PVA. The dielectric hysteresis with the temperature cycle reveals a remnant polarization. The enhanced dielectric properties are suggested to be the result of improvement in the localized polarization of the integrated interface system (Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) polarization) formed by the uniform adsorption of Fe3O4 on the surface of SLGAPC conjugated with PVA. The EMI shielding property of the composite with a low thickness of 0.3 mm in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz) shows a very impressive shielding efficiency of similar to 15 dB and a specific shielding effectiveness of 20 dB (g cm(-3))(-1), indicating the promising character of this material for flexible EMI shielding applications.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp02476e}, author = {Rao, B. V. Bhaskara and Yadav, Prasad and Aepuru, Radhamanohar and Panda, H. S. and Ogale, Satishchandra and Kale, S. N.} } @article { ISI:000351061700025, title = {Situ preparation of N-TiO2/graphene nanocomposite and its enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production by H2S splitting under solar light}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {5023-5034}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Highly monodispersed nitrogen doped TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully deposited on graphene (N-TiO2/Gr) by a facile in-situ wet chemical method for the first time. N-TiO2/Gr has been further used for photocatalytic hydrogen production using a naturally occurring abundant source of energy i.e. solar light. The N-TiO2/Gr nanocomposite composition was optimized by varying the concentrations of dopant nitrogen and graphene (using various concentrations of graphene) for utmost hydrogen production. The structural, optical and morphological aspects of nanocomposites were studied using XRD, UV-DRS, Raman, XPS, FESEM, and TEM. The structural study of the nanocomposite shows existence of anatase N-TiO2. Further, the details of the components present in the composition were confirmed with Raman and XPS. The morphological study shows that very tiny, 7-10 nm sized, N-TiO2 nanoparticles are deposited on the graphene sheet. The optical study reveals a drastic change in absorption edge and consequent total absorption due to nitrogen doping and presence of graphene. Considering the extended absorption edge to the visible region, these nanocomposites were further used as a photocatalyst to transform hazardous H2S waste into eco-friendly hydrogen using solar light. The N-TiO2/Gr nanocomposite with 2\% graphene exhibits enhanced photocatalytic stable hydrogen production i.e. similar to 5941 mu mol h(-1) under solar light irradiation using just 0.2 gm nanocomposite, which is much higher as compared to P25, undoped TiO2 and TiO2/Gr nanocomposite. The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity is attributed to {\textquoteleft}N{\textquoteright} doping as well as high specific surface area and charge carrier ability of graphene. The recycling of the photocatalyst shows a good stability of the nanocomposites. This work may provide new insights to design other semiconductor deposited graphene novel nanocomposites as a visible light active photocatalyst.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c4nr06435f}, author = {Bhirud, Ashwini P. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Waichal, Rupali P. and Ambekar, Jalindar D. and Park, Chan-J. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000359459900017, title = {Situ preparation of N-ZnO/graphene nanocomposites: excellent candidate as a photocatalyst for enhanced solar hydrogen generation and high performance supercapacitor electrode}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {3}, number = {33}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {17050-17063}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We have demonstrated a facile in situ wet chemical method to synthesize nanostructured nitrogen doped ZnO/Graphene (N-ZnO/GR) nanocomposites for the first time. Nitrogen doped ZnO over graphene (N-ZnO/GR) was studied using various concentrations of graphene. During the synthesis of N-ZnO/GR nanocomposites, in situ formation of graphene via GO reduction and formation of 4-9 nm N-ZnO have been demonstrated. The composite N-ZnO/GR absorbs in the visible region and this property is used for the photocatalytic reaction to transform hazardous H2S waste into eco-friendly hydrogen using solar light. The N-ZnO/GR nanocomposite with 0.3\% graphene exhibits an enhanced photocatalytic stable hydrogen production rate i.e. similar to 5072 mu mol h(-1) under visible light irradiation. It is noteworthy that the N-ZnO/GR electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 555 F g(-1) and excellent cyclic performance with nearly 96.20\% capacity retention after 2000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g(-1). These results indicate great potential applications of N-ZnO/GR in developing high hydrogen production and supercapacitors with high energy and power densities.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c5ta03955j}, author = {Bhirud, Ashwini P. and Sathaye, Shivaram and Waichal, Rupali and Park, Chan-Jin and Kale, Bharat} } @article { ISI:000348147100072, title = {Solid state organic amine detection in a photochromic porous metal organic framework}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {6}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1420-1425}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new Mg(II) based photochromic porous metal-organic framework (MOF) has been synthesized bearing naphthalenediimide (NDI) chromophoric unit. This MOF (Mg-NDI) shows instant and reversible solvatochromic behavior in presence of solvents with different polarity. Mg-NDI also exhibits fast and reversible photochromism via radical formation. Due to the presence of electron deficient NDI moiety, this MOF exhibits selective organic amine (electron rich) sensing in solid state. The organic amine detection has been confirmed by photoluminescence quenching experiment and visual color change.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/c4sc03224a}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Garai, Bikash and Addicoat, Matthew A. and Petkov, Petko St. and Heine, Thomas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {45945, title = {Solvent free one-pot multi-component synthesis of beta-azaarene substituted ketones via a Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H functionalization of 2-alkylazaarenes}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {103091-103094}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A tin-catalyzed solvent free one-pot multi-component cascade reaction strategy for the direct Michael addition/C(sp(3))-H functionalization of 2-alkylazaarenes with aldehydes and ketones via an aldol reaction has been developed. This is the first report and provides cost effective new access to potent biologically/medicinally important azaarene derivatives with high atom economy.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra20728b}, author = {Chavan, Santosh S. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Mulla, Shafeek A. R.} } @article {45929, title = {Solvent-free carbonylation of glycerol with urea using metal loaded MCM-41 catalysts}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {16452-16460}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Reacting glycerol with urea is the most attractive option for the production of glycerol carbonate (GC) as it utilizes two inexpensive chemicals readily available in the chemical cycle. The overall result is the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide. A Zn/MCM-41(im) catalyst prepared by a wet impregnation method exhibited excellent activity for the reaction of glycerol and urea with 75\% glycerol conversion and 98\% selectivity to GC. Such excellent activity of the catalyst is explained based on the presence of both basic and acidic sites on the same catalyst which activates the glycerol and urea molecules, respectively.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra11590b}, author = {Kondawar, S. E. and Potdar, A. S. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000353167500032, title = {Sophorolipid assisted tunable and rapid gelation of silk fibroin to form porous biomedical scaffolds}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {43}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {33955-33962}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Three dimensional polymer hydrogels, based on both natural and synthetic polymers, are increasingly being used as scaffolds and drug delivery vehicles for biomedical applications. Fibrous protein, silk fibroin (SF), obtained from the Bombyx mori silkworm is a promising candidate in this area. However, SF has a long gelation time of about a few weeks that can only be reduced by non-physiological treatments (e. g. high temperature, ultrasonication and low pH) or by addition of a chemical and non-biodegradable polymer and/or surfactant. We report here accelerated gelation of SF under physiological conditions using a biosurfactant, sophorolipid (SL) as a gelling agent. SL and SF are completely miscible and form a very clear solution upon mixing. Hence it is interesting to see that this clear solution gels in a time span of just a few hours. The hydrogels so formed have pore architecture, porosities and mechanical stability ideally suited for tissue culture applications. Here we also demonstrate that mouse fibroblast cells not only adhere to but also extensively proliferate on these SF-SL scaffolds.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra04317d}, author = {Dubey, Parul and Nawale, Laxman and Sarkar, Dhiman and Nisal, Anuya and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000346235600046, title = {Spectroscopic and ab initio investigation of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene-amine complexes: coexistence of C-H center dot center dot center dot N and lone-pair center dot center dot center dot pi complexes and intermolecular coulombic decay}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {434-443}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Binary complexes of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene with methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine and triethylamine were investigated using one colour resonant two photon ionization and infrared-optical double resonance spectroscopic techniques combined with high level ab initio calculations. All four amines form C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen-bonded complexes. Additionally trimethylamine and triethylamine form complexes characterized by Lp center dot center dot center dot pi interactions, due to the electron deficient nature of the phenyl ring of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene. The Lp center dot center dot center dot pi interacting structure of the 2,6-difluorophenylacetylenetrimethylamine complex is about 1.5 kJ mol(-1) higher in energy than the C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen-bonded structure, which is the global minimum. Energy decomposition analysis indicates that the electrostatics and dispersion interactions favour the formation of C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N and Lp center dot center dot center dot pi complexes, respectively. Interestingly the C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen-bonded complex of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene-triethylamine showed a smaller shift in the acetylenic C-H stretching frequency than the 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene-trimethylamine complex. The observed fragmentation of the binary complexes of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene with the four amines following resonant two-photon ionization can be explained on the basis of the intermolecular coulombic decay process.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c4cp03445g}, author = {Mondal, Sohidul Islam and Dey, Arghya and Sen, Saumik and Patwari, G. Naresh and Ghosh, Debashree} } @article { ISI:000363179900069, title = {Spin-coatable, photopatternable magnetic nanocomposite thin films for MEMS device applications}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {104}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {85741-85747}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Magnetic nanomaterials{\textquoteright} (especially metals) air stability and compatibility with standard micro-fabrication technologies are often a concern for development of MEMS-based magnetic devices. In this paper, we report an air-stable, photo-patternable and spin-coatable magnetic thin film preparation process for MEMS applications. This magnetic nanocomposite thin film was prepared by incorporating carbon capped ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles of dimension 20-80 nm into the SU-8 matrix. TEM, XRD and EDAX analyses were done, to investigate the crystal structure, dispersion and phase stability of the films. The SQUID magnetometry and MFM measurements of the film confirmed its magnetic response at room temperature and the retention of its magnetic properties over a period of time. The material compatibility for MEMS device applications was demonstrated through fabrication of a suspended circular membrane of radius similar to 250 mu m, having four U-shaped beams, of dimension similar to 270 x 50 mu m each. Three conventional lithography steps and a sacrificial release layer of similar to 1 mm thick oxide was used for the fabrication. The membrane was characterized by evaluating its spring constant and resonant frequency. The spring constant and resonant frequencies were estimated to be similar to 4.2 N m(-1) and similar to 29 kHz respectively. Finally, we demonstrated the actuation of the magnetic membrane by an off-chip generated magnetic field, for its possible use as a MEMS device.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra15706d}, author = {Kandpal, Manoj and Sharan, C. and Palaparthy, V. and Tiwary, N. and Poddar, P. and Rao, V. Ramgopal} } @article {43027, title = {Spirochromone-chalcone conjugates as antitubercular agents: synthesis, bio evaluation and molecular modeling studies}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, abstract = {

A new series of spirochromone annulated chalcone conjugates were synthesized and evaluated for their antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. These compounds were subjected to molecular modeling studies using docking and chemoinformatics based approaches. The docking simulations were performed against a range of known receptors for chalcone derived compounds to reveal MTB phosphotyrosine phosphatase B [MtbPtpB] protein as the most probable target based on the high binding affinity scores. Five compounds exhibit significant inhibition, showing minimum inhibitory concentration values i.e. MIC values ranging from 3.13{\textendash}12.5 μg mL-1. Further analysis of the synthesized compounds with known and in-house developed chemoinformatics tools unequivocally established their potential as anti-tubercular compounds. QSAR modeling revealed a quantitative relationship between biological activities and frontier molecular orbital energies of synthesized compounds. The predictive model can be employed further for virtual screening of new compounds in this series.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5RA21737G}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Perumal, Yogeeswari and Sriram, D. and Basavanag, U. M. V. and D{\i}az-Cervantes, Erik and Cordoba-Bahena, Luis and Robles, Juvencio and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Vyas, Renu and Krishnan, M. Muthu} } @article { ISI:000363727100011, title = {Structure mediation in substrate binding and post-translational processing of penicillin acylases: Information from mutant structures of Kluyvera citrophila penicillin G acylase}, journal = {Protein Science}, volume = {24}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1660-1670}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Penicillin acylases are industrially important enzymes for the production of 6-APA, which is used extensively in the synthesis of secondary antibiotics. The enzyme translates into an inactive single chain precursor that subsequently gets processed by the removal of a spacer peptide connecting the chains of the mature active heterodimer. We have cloned the penicillin G acylase from Kluyvera citrophila (KcPGA) and prepared two mutants by site-directed mutagenesis. Replacement of N-terminal serine of the beta-subunit with cysteine (Ser beta 1Cys) resulted in a fully processed but inactive enzyme. The second mutant in which this serine is replaced by glycine (Ser beta 1Gly) remained in the unprocessed and inactive form. The crystals of both mutants belonged to space group P1 with four molecules in the asymmetric unit. The three-dimensional structures of these mutants were refined at resolutions 2.8 and 2.5 angstrom, respectively. Comparison of these structures with similar structures of Escherichia coli PGA (EcPGA) revealed various conformational changes that lead to autocatalytic processing and consequent removal of the spacer peptide. The large displacements of residues such as Arg168 and Arg477 toward the N-terminal cleavage site of the spacer peptide or the conformational changes of Arg145 and Phe146 near the active site in these structures suggested probable steps in the processing dynamics. A comparison between the structures of the processed Serb1Cys mutant and that of the processed form of EcPGA showed conformational differences in residues Arg alpha 145, Phe alpha 146, and Phe beta 24 at the substrate binding pocket. Three conformational transitions of Arg alpha 145 and Phe alpha 146 residues were seen when processed and unprocessed forms of KcPGA were compared with the substrate bound structure of EcPGA. Structure mediation in activity difference between KcPGA and EcPGA toward acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) is elucidated.

}, keywords = {acyl homoserine lactone, autocatalytic processing, conformational changes, KcPGA_Ser beta 1Cys, KcPGA_Ser beta 1Gly, Ntn hydrolase}, issn = {0961-8368}, doi = {10.1002/pro.2761}, author = {Chand, Deepak and Varshney, NishantKumar and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Brannigan, James A. and Wilkinson, Anthony J. and Suresh, C. G.} } @conference { ISI:000354845400033, title = {Study of molecular vibration by coupled cluster method: bosonic approach}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering 2010 (ICCMSE-2010)}, series = {AIP Conference Proceedings}, volume = {1642}, year = {2015}, note = {International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE), Kos, GREECE, OCT 03-08, 2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {227-230}, publisher = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, organization = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1NO1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The vibrational coupled cluster method in bosonic representation is formulated to describe the molecular anharmonic vibrational spectra. The vibrational coupled cluster formalism is based on Watson Hamiltonian in normal coordinates. The vibrational excited states are described using coupled cluster linear response theory (CCLRT). The quality of the coupled cluster wave function is analyzed. Specifically, the mean displacement values of the normal coordinates and expectation values of the square of the normal coordinates of different vibrational states are calculated. A good agreement between the converged full CI results and coupled cluster results is found for the lower lying vibrational states.

}, keywords = {CCLRT, Expectation values, Watson Hamiltonian}, isbn = {978-0-7354-1282-8}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.4906658}, author = {Banik, Subrata and Pal, Sourav and Prasad, M. Durga}, editor = {Simos, TE and Maroulis, G} } @article { ISI:000365530700017, title = {Study of the nucleation and growth of antibiotic labeled Au NPs and blue luminescent Au-8 quantum clusters for Hg2+ ion sensing, cellular imaging and antibacterial applications}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {47}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {19985-20002}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a detailed experimental study supported by DFT calculations to understand the mechanism behind the synthesis of cefradine (CFD - an antibiotic) labeled gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) by employing CFD as both a mild reducing and capping agent. The analysis of the effect of growth conditions reveals that a higher concentration of HAuCl4 results in the formation of an increasing fraction of anisotropic structures, higher temperature leads to the formation of quasi-spherical particles instead of anisotropic ones, and larger pH leads to the formation of much smaller particles. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) results show that when the pH of the reaction medium increases from 4 to 6, the reduction potential of CFD increases which leads to the synthesis of nanoparticles (in a pH 4 reaction) to quantum clusters (in a pH 6 reaction). The MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry results of supernatant of the pH 6 reaction indicate the formation of [Au-8(CFD)(2)S-6] QCs which show fluorescence at ca. 432 nm with a Stokes shift of ca. 95 nm. The blue luminescence from Au-8 QCs was applied for sensing of Hg2+ ions on the basis of an aggregation-induced fluorescence quenching mechanism and offers good selectivity and a high sensitivity with a limit of detection ca. 2 nM which is lower than the detection requirement of 10 nM by the U.S. EPA and 30 nM by WHO for drinking water. We have also applied the sensing probe to detect Hg2+ ions in bacterial samples. Further, we have investigated the antibacterial property of as-synthesized Au NPs using MIC, growth curve and cell survival assay. The results show that Au NPs could reduce the cell survival very efficiently rather than the cell growth in comparison to the antibiotic itself. The scanning electron microscopy study shows the degradation and blebbing of the bacterial cell wall upon exposure with Au NPs which was further supported by fluorescence microscopy results. These Au NPs did not show reactive oxygen species generation. We believe that the bacterial cytotoxicity is due to the direct contact of the Au NPs with bacterial cells.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr05619e}, author = {Khandelwal, Puneet and Singh, Dheeraj K. and Sadhu, Subha and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000351843500020, title = {Supramolecular scaffolds on glass slides as sugar based rewritable sensors for bacteria}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {29}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {6346-6349}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We describe here the sugar functionalized beta-cyclodextrin-ferrocene glass slides as fully reversible bacterial biosensors under the influence of external adamantane carboxylic acid. The prototype D-mannose - E. coli ORN 178 and L-fucose - P. aeruginosa interactions serve as a model to illustrate the new approach.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc01019e}, author = {Gade, Madhuri and Paul, Ajay and Alex, Catherine and Choudhury, Devika and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kikkeri, Raghavendra} } @article { ISI:000354910500021, title = {Switching closed-shell to open-shell phenalenyl: toward designing electroactive materials}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {137}, number = {18}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5955-5960}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Open-shell phenalenyl chemistry started more than half a century back, and the first solid-state phenalenyl radical was realized only 15 years ago highlighting the synthetic challenges associated in stabilizing carbon-based radical chemistry, though it has great promise as building blocks for molecular electronics and multifunctional materials. Alternatively; stable closed-shell phenalenyl has tremendous potential as it can be utilized, to create an in situ open-shell state by external spin injection. In the present study, we have designed a closed-shell phenalenyl-based iron(III) complex, Fe-III(PLY)(3) (PLY-H = 9-hydroxyphenalenone) displaying an excellent electrocatalytic property as cathode material for one compartment membraneless H2O2 fuel cell. The power density output Of Fe-III(PLY)(3) is nearly 15-fold higher than the structurally related model compound Fe-III(acac)(3) (acac = acetylacetonate) and nearly 140-fold higher than an earlier reported mononuclear Fe(III) complex; Fe-III(Pc)Cl (Pc = pthalocyaninate), highlighting the role of switchable closed-shell phenalenyl moiety for electron-transfer process in designing electroactive materials.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5b00272}, author = {Pariyar, Anand and Vijaykumar, Gonela and Bhunia, Mrinal and Dey, Suman Kr. and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Mandal, Swadhin K.} } @article { ISI:000363841700011, title = {Synthesis and characterization of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyimides}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1553-1559}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Non-symmetrical and linear dyad-based mesogens were synthesised containing imine or ester bridging group. In the present work, due to the absence of branching in diamine-based mesogen, the structure has-rigidity inversely imine/ester bridging groups between two benzene rings imparts-flexible property to the mesogen and consequently rigid-flexible property has been balanced. The synthesised mesogens were characterized by different techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) were synthesised using pyromellitic dianhydride and 4-[(4-aminobenzylidene)amino]aniline or 4-aminophenyl-4-aminobenzoate. Subsequently, thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs) have also been evaluated to obtain optical microscopy textures at different temperatures which demonstrated interesting and notable changes. It is worth noting that marble-like textures were observed upto 200A degrees C.

}, keywords = {Diamine, liquid crystalline polymer, mesogen, optical microscopy textures, pyromellitic dianhydride}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-015-0975-z}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article {45939, title = {Synthesis and evaluation of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as potential antitubercular agents}, journal = {MedChemComm}, volume = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2209-2215}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A number of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones were designed, synthesized and screened against Mycobacteria as a part of our program to develop new antitubercular agents. It was observed that some of the compounds have significant antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (ATCC 25177) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG (ATCC 35743). The active compounds were studied for cytotoxicity against four cell lines and were found to be non-cytotoxic. The results showed that compounds 13b and 29e were found to exhibit very good antimycobacterial activity (MIC in the range of 6-8 mu M) and the thienopyrimidinones as a class have potential to be developed as antitubercular agents.

}, issn = {2040-2503}, doi = {10.1039/c5md00404g}, author = {Borate, Hanumant B. and Annadate, Ritesh A. and Vagh, Sandip S. and Pisal, Mahesh M. and Deokate, Sagar B. and Arkile, Manisha A. and Jadhav, Nandadeep J. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000365710500009, title = {Synthesis, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial screening of newer thiophene-fused arylpyrazolyl 1,3,4-oxadiazoles}, journal = {Phosphorus Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements}, volume = {190}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1803-1813}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of newer 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives 3a-h, 5a-h containing a thiophene fused with pyrazole moiety of pharmacological significance have been synthesized. The compounds were characterized by H-1 NMR, IR, and mass spectral techniques. The compounds were screened for their in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Among them, Compounds 3b (EC50-14.98) and 3f (EC50-12.21) showed significant antioxidant activity. Compound 3a (EC50-15.23) showed good anti-inflammatory activity. Compound 3d was found as the most active derivative against bacterial and fungal strains.

}, keywords = {1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole, Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, EC50, Thiophene-fused pyrazole}, issn = {1042-6507}, doi = {10.1080/10426507.2015.1024784}, author = {Mahajan, Pravin S. and Nikam, Mukesh and Chate, Asha and Nimbalkar, Urja and Patil, Vrushali and Bobade, Anil and Chaudhari, Abhay and Deolankar, Dattatray and Javale, Balasaheb and Gill, Charansingh H.} } @article { ISI:000351584500007, title = {Synthesis of 3-ethyl-4-metyl-1h,5-dihydro-2h-pyrrol-2-one by novel palladium(ii)-catalyzed cyclization and ring-closing metathesis}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {47}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {955-960}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Synthesis of 3-ethyl-4-methyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one is described starting from commercially available allylamine and 4-methoxybenzylamine employing palladium-catalyzed cyclization or ring-closing metathesis as the key steps.

}, keywords = {antidiabetic, cyclization, glimepiride, lactams, metabolite, pyrrolinone, Ring-closing metathesis}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0034-1379985}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pathak, Ashok B. and Pawar, Kailash P.} } @article {43035, title = {Synthesis of N, F and S co-doped graphene quantum dots}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {11515-11519}, abstract = {

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are a promising category of materials with remarkable size dependent properties like tunable bandgap and photoluminescence along with the possibility of effective chemical functionalization. Doping of GQDs with heteroatoms is an interesting way of regulating their properties. Herein, we report a facile and scalable one-step synthesis of luminescent GQDs, substitutionally co-doped with N, F and S, of similar to 2 nm average size by a microwave treatment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a customized ionic liquid medium. The use of an ionic liquid coupled with the use of a microwave technique enables not only an ultrafast process for the synthesis of co-doped GQDs, but also provides excellent photoluminescence quantum yield (70\%), perhaps due to the interaction of defect clusters and dopants.

}, author = {Kundu, Sumana and Yadav, Ram Manohar and Narayanan, T. N. and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Vajtai, Robert and Ajayan, Pulickel M. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000350698600007, title = {Synthesis of novel silica-polyimide nanocomposite films using aromatic-amino modified silica nanoparticles: mechanical, thermal and morphological investigations}, journal = {Express Polymer Letters}, volume = {9}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {469-479}, publisher = {BUDAPEST UNIV TECHNOL \& ECON}, address = {DEPT POLYMER ENG, MUEGYETEM RKP 3, BUDAPEST, H-1111, HUNGARY}, abstract = {

Silica nanoparticles were modified with aromatic amino groups and modified-silica/polyimide composite films were prepared using them. 3,3!, 4,4!-Benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 4,4!-oxydianiline (ODA) were used as precursors for polyimide matrix. The structures of the modified nanoparticles and hybrid nanocomposites were identified using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. The hybrid composite films were evaluated for mechanical, thermal and morphological characteristics. Morphological results describe a uniform dispersion of silica particles in the polymer matrix. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of polyimide composite were improved, and the decomposition temperature was increased when the amount of silica nanoparticles was increased.

}, keywords = {hybrid polyimide composites, mechanical properties, Nanocomposites, nanoparticle modification, Thermal properties}, issn = {1788-618X}, doi = {10.3144/expresspolymlett.2015.44}, author = {Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Rajan, C. R. and Chavan, Nayaku and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article { ISI:000362239300030, title = {Systematic comparison of DFT and CCSD dipole moments, polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {635}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {168-173}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A comparative study of dipole moments, polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities of 16 different molecules is performed employing two completely different theoretical approaches namely, density functional theory (DFT) and coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD). Both methods include electron correlation. The CCSD method is more accurate but highly expensive. DFT with auxiliary density allows non-iterative solutions which is computational advantage and useful for large molecules. Dipole moments and polarizability calculations from DFT are in very good agreement with CCSD calculations. However, negative hyperpolarizability values from DFT differ significantly from their CCSD counterparts, whereas positive hyperpolarizabilities show reasonable agreement between these methodologies. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2015.06.046}, author = {Karne, Anagha S. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav and Vasquez-Perez, Jose M. and Koester, Andreas M. and Calaminici, Patrizia} } @article { ISI:000361649900037, title = {Systematic comparison of DFT and CCSD dipole moments, polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities (vol 635, pg 168, 2015)}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {636}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {228-229}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2015.08.034}, author = {Karne, Anagha S. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav and Vasquez-Perez, Jose M. and Koester, Andreas M. and Calaminici, Patrizia} } @article { ISI:000354438400001, title = {Tale of RNA G-quadruplex}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {20}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {5570-5585}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

G-quadruplexes are non-canonical secondary structures found in guanine rich regions of DNA and RNA. Reports have indicated the wide occurrence of RNA G-quadruplexes across the transcriptome in various regions of mRNAs and non-coding RNAs. RNA G-quadruplexes have been implicated in playing an important role in translational regulation, mRNA processing events and maintenance of chromosomal end integrity. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional aspects of RNA G-quadruplexes with emphasis on recent progress to understand the protein/trans factors binding these motifs. With the revelation of the importance of these secondary structures as regulatory modules in biology, we have also evaluated the various advancements towards targeting these structures and the challenges associated with them. Apart from this, numerous potential applications of this secondary motif have also been discussed.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c4ob02681k}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000362437900092, title = {Targeting a chemorefractory COLO205 (BRAF V600E) cell line using substituted benzo[alpha]phenoxazines}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {100}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {82549-82563}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Mutational activations of the oncogene BRAF (especially BRAF V600E) result in a poor prognosis for colon cancer patients and are associated with chemoresistance rendering them refractory to treatment. The development of novel bioactive compounds with specific targeting abilities under such conditions is an urgent need in drug discovery. In this report we synthesize and characterize three fluorescent benzo[alpha]phenoxazine compounds (10R-benzo[alpha]phenoxazine-5-one, 1B; R = Cl, 2B; R = CH3, 3B; R = H) and their anticancer activities are evaluated in a COLO205 cell line. All three compounds with a log P value around 2 were cell permeable. However, 2B and 3B showed specific cytotoxicity in a malignant COLO205 cell line with a BRAF mutation (V600E) in comparison to a non-malignant wild-type BRAF HEK293T cell line. From further cell-based assays (cell cycle analysis, DNA fragmentation and caspase activation), we conclude that 2B and 3B treatment-induced selective cell death by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and caspase-mediated apoptosis (activation of the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways) are present only in BRAF V600E COLO205 cells. Further studies in the drug discovery pipeline might help develop these benzo[alpha]phenoxazines as promising chemotherapeutics for such refractory mutated cancers.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra14949e}, author = {Pal, Sanjima and Konkimalla, V. Badireenath and Kathawate, Laxmi and Rao, Soniya S. and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Weyhermueller, Thomas and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article { ISI:000347890900011, title = {Targeting dormant tuberculosis bacilli: results for molecules with a novel pyrimidone scaffold}, journal = {Chemical Biology \& Drug Design}, volume = {85}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {201-207}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Our inability to completely control TB has been due in part to the presence of dormant mycobacteria. This also renders drug regimens ineffective and is the prime cause of the appearance of drug-resistant strains. In continuation of our efforts to develop novel antitubercular agents that especially target dormant mycobacteria, a set of 55 new compounds belonging to the pyrimidone class were designed on the basis of CoMFA and CoMSIA studies, and these were synthesized and subsequently tested against both the dormant and virulent BCG strain of M.tuberculosis. Some novel compounds have been identified which selectively inhibit the dormant tuberculosis bacilli with significantly low IC50 values. This study reports the second molecule after TMC-207, having the ability to inhibit tuberculosis bacilli exclusively in its dormant phase. The synthesis was accomplished by a modified multicomponent Biginelli reaction. A classification model was generated using the binary QSAR approach - recursive partitioning (RP) to identify structural characteristics related to the activity. Physicochemical, structural, topological, connectivity indices, and E-state key descriptors were used for generation of the decision tree. The decision tree could provide insights into structure-activity relationships that will guide the design of more potent inhibitors.

}, keywords = {Antitubercular activity, dormant tuberculosis bacilli, pyrimidones, recursive partitioning}, issn = {1747-0277}, doi = {10.1111/cbdd.12373}, author = {Joshi, Rohit R. and Barchha, Avinash and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Pissurlenkar, Raghuvir R. S. and Sarkar, Sampa and Sarkar, Dhiman and Joshi, Rohini R. and Joshi, Ramesh A. and Shah, Anamik K. and Coutinho, Evans C.} } @article { ISI:000362460800031, title = {Temperature and magnetic field-assisted switching of magnetization and observation of exchange bias in YbCrO3 nanocrystals}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {19}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9509-9516}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we demonstrate an interesting feature in YbCrO3 (YCO) nanocrystals, in which the material shows temperature and external magnetic field-assisted switching (a complete sign reversal) of zero field cooled magnetization (M-ZFC) and observation of exchange bias (EB) as a result of competing spin interaction at low temperature. This feature can be applied in nonvolatile memories, where, simply by changing the magnitude of the H-ext and T, the polarity of the magnetization can be switched between negative and positive. We also observed negative magnetization in YCO. Our results showed that, below its Neel temperature (T-N approximate to 119 K), the M-ZFC crosses over to negative sign for H \< 1000 Oe. At 60 K, YCO showed a significant negative M-ZFC approximate to -0.05 emu/g (at 100 Oe) due to the competing effects of Yb3+, Cr3+ spins, thermal activation energy, and Hext. At further lower temperatures, the M-ZFC showed a crossover to positive values, and the crossover temperature showed the dependence on H-ext (similar to 19 K for 100 Oe curve). The YCO also showed H-ext T-dependent H-EB, which changed its sign with T. The observed T-dependent sign reversal in the EB was closely associated with the sign reversal of M-ZFC. The symmetric shift in field-cooled isothermal hysteresis curves confirmed that the observed EB was not due to the unsaturated minor loop. The training cycle further confirmed that the H-EB value decreased to similar to 2\% of the initial value of observed EB, which was very small compared to the observed H-EB in YCO, which indicated stable spin configuration at the locally formed ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interface.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b01448}, author = {Gupta, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000364355500044, title = {Temperature-dependent raman spectroscopy of titanium trisulfide (TiS3) nanoribbons and nanosheets}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {43}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {24185-24190}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {2D semiconductors, layered materials, Raman spectroscopy, thermal effect, TiS3 nanoribbons, TiS3 nanosheets}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b07492}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Island, Joshua O. and Flores, Eduardo and Ramon Ares, Jose and Sanchez, Carlos and Ferrer, Isabel J. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and van der Zant, Herre S. J. and Castellanos-Gomez, Andres and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000358624200005, title = {Terahertz spectroscopy and solid-state density functional theory calculations of cyanobenzaldehyde isomers}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {119}, number = {29}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7991-7999}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Spectral signatures in the terahertz (THz) frequency region are mainly due to bulk vibrations of the molecules. These resonances are highly sensitive to the relative position of atoms in a molecule as well as the crystal packing arrangement. To understand the variation of THz resonances, THz spectra (2-10 THz) of three structural isomers: 2-, 3-, and 4-cyanobenzaldehyde have been studied. THz spectra obtained from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry of these isomers show that the resonances are distinctly different especially below 5 THz. For understanding the intermolecular interactions due to hydrogen bonds, four molecule cluster simulations of each of the isomers have been carried out using the B3LYP density functional with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set in Gaussian09 software and the compliance constants are obtained. However, to understand the exact reason behind the observed resonances, simulation of each isomer considering the full crystal structure is essential. The crystal structure of each isomer has been determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis for carrying out crystal structure simulations. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations using CRYSTAL14 software, utilizing the hybrid density functional B3LYP, have been carried out to understand the vibrational modes. The bond lengths and bond angles from the optimized structures are compared with the XRD results in terms of root-mean-square-deviation (RMSD) values. Very low RMSD values confirm the overall accuracy of the results. The simulations are able to predict most of the spectral features exhibited by the isomers. The results show that low frequency modes (\<3 THz) are mediated through hydrogen bonds and are dominated by intermolecular vibrations.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpca.5b01942}, author = {Dash, Jyotirmayee and Ray, Shaurnik and Nallappan, Kathirvel and Kaware, Vaibhav and Basutkar, Nitin B. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Ambade, Ashootosh V. and Joshi, Kavita and Pesala, Bala} } @article { ISI:000346236000077, title = {Thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of transmembrane helix association}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1390-1398}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The transient dimerization of transmembrane proteins is an important event in several cellular processes and computational methods are being increasingly used to quantify their underlying energetics. Here, we probe the thermodynamics and kinetics of a simple transmembrane dimer to understand membrane protein association. A multi-step framework has been developed in which the dimerization profiles are calculated from coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations, followed by meso-scale simulations using parameters calculated from the coarse-grain model. The calculated value of Delta G(assoc) is approx. -20 kJ mol(-1) and is consistent between three methods. Interestingly, the meso-scale stochastic model reveals low dimer percentages at physiologically-relevant concentrations, despite a favorable Delta G(assoc). We identify generic driving forces arising from the protein backbone and lipid bilayer and complementary factors, such as protein density, that govern self-interactions in membranes. Our results provide an important contribution in understanding membrane protein organization and linking molecular, nano-scale computational studies to meso-scale experimental data.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c4cp03732d}, author = {Pawar, Aiswarya B. and Deshpande, Sneha A. and Gopal, Srinivasa M. and Wassenaar, Tsjerk A. and Athale, Chaitanya A. and Sengupta, Durba} } @article { ISI:000352671600006, title = {Total synthesis of (R)-lipoic acid and (S)-lipoic acid via an Mn (III)-salen-catalyzed oxidative kinetic resolution}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {26}, number = {5-6}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {281-287}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The asymmetric synthesis of both the antipodes of alpha-lipoic acid is described. The total synthesis of racemic and asymmetric lipoic acid is achieved from propane 1,3-diol. This work reports the use of Mn (III)-salen-catalyzed oxidative kinetic resolution as the key step to obtain enantiomerically pure (R)- and (S)-lipoic acid. The undesired product formed during the resolution can be recycled to achieve the desired isomer. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2015.02.001}, author = {Purude, Abhijeet N. and Pawar, Kailash P. and Patil, Niteen B. and Kalkote, Uttam R. and Chavan, Subhash P.} } @article { ISI:000354043200025, title = {Trifunctional mesoporous silica-based, highly active catalyst for one-pot, three-step cascade reactions}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {40}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {8496-8499}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the synthesis of a trifunctional catalyst containing amine, sulphonic acid and Pd nanoparticle catalytic groups anchored on the pore walls of SBA-15. The catalyst efficiently catalyzes one-pot three-step cascade reactions comprising deacetylation, Henry reaction and hydrogenation, giving up to similar to 100\% conversion and 92\% selectivity to the final product.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc01694k}, author = {Biradar, Ankush V. and Patil, Vijayshinha S. and Chandra, Prakash and Doke, Dhananjay S. and Asefa, Tewodros} } @article { ISI:000355856200034, title = {Tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane (THAM): a novel organocatalyst for a environmentally benign synthesis of medicinally important tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans and pyran-annulated heterocycles}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4452-4463}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

simple, efficient and environmentally benign protocol has been developed for the one-pot, multicomponent synthesis of medicinally important tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans and pyran-annulated heterocycles using a commercially available, inexpensive, non-toxic, and biodegradable tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane (THAM) as a novel organocatalyst. Ambient reaction conditions, wide scope, avoidance of conventional isolation as well as purification techniques and the reusability of the catalyst for five consecutive runs have improved the practical utility of this multicomponent reaction protocol manifold.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c4nj02346c}, author = {Pandit, Kapil S. and Chavan, Pramod V. and Desai, Uday V. and Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000360677400002, title = {Triterpenoid profiling and functional characterization of the initial genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis in neem (Azadirachta indica)}, journal = {BMC Plant Biology}, volume = {15}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article Number: 214}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is one of the richest sources of skeletally diverse triterpenoids and they are well-known for their broad-spectrum pharmacological and insecticidal properties. However, the abundance of Neem triterpenoids varies among the tissues. Here, we delineate quantitative profiling of fifteen major triterpenoids across various tissues including developmental stages of kernel and pericarp, flower, leaf, stem and bark using UPLC-ESI (+)-HRMS based profiling. Transcriptome analysis was used to identify the initial genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. Based on transcriptome analysis, two short-chain prenyltransferases and squalene synthase (AiSQS) were cloned and functionally characterized. Results: Quantitative profiling revealed differential abundance of both total and individual triterpenoid content across various tissues. RNA from tissues with high triterpenoid content (fruit, flower and leaf) were pooled to generate 79.08 million paired-end reads using Illumina GA.. platform. 41,140 transcripts were generated by d e novo assembly. Transcriptome annotation led to the identification of the putative genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. Two short-chain prenyltransferases, geranyl diphosphate synthase (AiGDS) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AiFDS) and squalene synthase (AiSQS) were cloned and functionally characterized using transcriptome data. RT-PCR studies indicated five-fold and ten-fold higher relative expression level of AiSQS in fruits as compared to leaves and flowers, respectively. Conclusions: Triterpenoid profiling indicated that there is tissue specific variation in their abundance. The mature seed kernel and initial stages of pericarp were found to contain the highest amount of limonoids. Furthermore, a wide diversity of triterpenoids, especially C-seco triterpenoids were observed in kernel as compared to the other tissues. Pericarp, flower and leaf contained mainly ring-intact triterpenoids. The initial genes such as AiGDS, AiFDS and AiSQS involved in the isoprenoids biosynthesis have been functionally characterized. The expression levels of AiFDS and AiSQS were found to be in correlation with the total triterpenoid content in individual tissues.

}, keywords = {Azadirachta indica, Quantitative profiling, Transcriptome, Triterpenoids}, issn = {1471-2229}, doi = {10.1186/s12870-015-0593-3}, author = {Pandreka, Avinash and Dandekar, Devdutta S. and Haldar, Saikat and Uttara, Vairagkar and Vijayshree, Shinde G. and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000351235800053, title = {Tunable band gap and coercivity of bismuth ferrite-polyaniline core-shell nanoparticles: the role of shell thickness}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {30}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {23563-23568}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a tunable band gap of bismuth ferrite-polyaniline core-shell nanoparticles from 2.24 to 1.98 eV and the variation of coercivity from 118 to 100 Oe, by varying the thickness of the polyaniline shell. Bismuth ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized via a chemical route and coating of polyaniline was achieved by a double surfactant layer technique. Coating of polyaniline introduced oxygen vacancies, local distortions and microstrains in the bismuth ferrite lattice which resulted in a change in the Fe-O-Fe bond angle of the bismuth ferrite lattice. This is confirmed with structural analysis tools i.e. X-ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the absorption of light around 600 nm is increased and photoluminescence emission around 430 nm is decreased, as the thickness of shell is increased, which also indicates the changes in optical properties due to variation in shell thickness. Thus tunability of the band gap and coercivity is achieved as a function of shell thickness in bismuth ferrite-polyaniline core-shell nanoparticles.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra00933b}, author = {Chaturvedi, Smita and Das, Raja and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, Sulabha} } @article { ISI:000363417900029, title = {Ultra-thin V2O5 nanosheet based humidity sensor, photodetector and its enhanced field emission properties}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {108}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {88796-88804}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the synthesis of V2O5 nanosheets by a simple hydrothermal method. The as synthesized V2O5 nanosheets were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The humidity sensing behaviors were investigated in the range of 11-97\% relative humidity (RH) at room temperature. The maximum sensitivity of 45.3\%, response time of similar to 4 min and recovery time of similar to 5 min were observed for the V2O5 nanosheet based sensor. We also demonstrated the V2O5 nanosheets as an ultra-violet photodetector with a sensing response time of similar to 65 s and recovery time of similar to 75 s with a maximum photoresponsivity of similar to 6.2\%. Further, we have also carried out field emission (FE) investigations of V2O5 nanosheets under a planar {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Diode{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} assembly in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber at a base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The turn on fields required to draw field emission current densities of 1 mu A cm(-2) and 10 mu A cm(-2) are found to be 1.15 V mu m(-1) and 1.72 V mu m(-1), respectively. We achieved a maximum field emission current density of 1.532 mA cm(-2) at an applied electric field of 3.2 V mu m(-1). The field enhancement factors calculated from the slope of the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plot are found to be 8530 and 3530 at low field and high field regions, respectively. Our results open up several avenues towards the successful utilization of V2O5 nanosheets and other metal oxide nanosheets for various nanoelectronics device applications including sensors, photodetector and flat panel displays.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra17253e}, author = {Pawar, Mahendra S. and Bankar, Prashant K. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000349435000092, title = {Unprecedented ferrocene-quinoline conjugates: facile proton conduction via 1D helical water chains and a selective chemosensor for Zn(II) ions in water}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {20}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {15690-15694}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two novel ferrocene-quinoline derivatives 3 (C22H19O2N3Fe) and 4 (C34H28O4N6Fe) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 3 exhibits good proton conductivity through 1D helical water chains. In addition, both compounds 3 and 4 selectively detect Zn2+ ions in water with a detection limit of 2 ppb through multiple channels.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra13877e}, author = {Ponniah, Joseph S. and Barik, Subrat Kumar and Borthakur, Rosmita and Thakur, Arunabha and Garai, Bikash and Janaa, Sourita and Ghosh, Sundargopal} } @article { ISI:000348144100002, title = {Using Raman and dielectric spectroscopy to elucidate the spin phonon and magnetoelectric coupling in DyCrO3 nanoplatelets}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {14}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {10094-10101}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this study, we report the phonon-mode assignment of DyCrO3 nanoplatelets by Raman spectroscopy. The temperature dependent Raman studies indicate the shift in the phonon frequency of most intense modes of DyCrO3 and the observed change in Raman line-width is correlated with the spin-phonon coupling. The impedance spectroscopy reveals anomalies in the dielectric constant vs. temperature curve in the proximity of the magnetic transitions, thereby hinting towards possible weak magnetoelectric coupling in DyCrO3 nanoplatelets. For the first time, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and photocatalytic activity of DyCrO3 nanoplatelets have been reported. The optical absorption spectrum gives the band gap similar to 2.8 eV for DyCrO3 nanoplatelets suggesting them as a good candidate for studying photocatalytic activity. The DyCrO3 nanoplatelets showed an efficient photocatalytic activity by degrading 65\% methyl orange after 8 h irradiation.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra11022f}, author = {Gupta, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000351236300059, title = {UV-assisted size sampling and antibacterial screening of lantana camara leaf extract synthesized silver nanoparticles}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {31}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {24513-24520}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Green route synthesized silver nanoparticles are extremely toxic to multidrug resistant bacteria and have widespread applications in biomedical science. If the silver reducing weed extract possesses antimicrobial properties then it can additionally contribute to the medicinal activity. Herein, we present a synthesis of silver nanoparticles by using the weed plant Lantana camara{\textquoteright}s leaf extract. This study shows an easy, quick and cost-effective route to silver nanoparticle synthesis. Size controlled synthesis of Ag-0 nanoparticles is studied and discussed based on optical absorption, photoluminescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction measurements, FE-SEM and TEM analysis. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles via this green approach shows very high antibacterial activity against E coli (Gram -ve) and S. aureus (Gram +ve) bacteria at a very low concentration (50 ppm Ag nanoparticles). Use of such eco-friendly nanoparticles may open a door for a new range of bactericidal agents.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra17233g}, author = {Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Bhardwaj, Kirti and Dubey, Parul and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article {43033, title = {Viridians group streptococci in patients undergoing tooth extraction}, journal = {European Journal of General Medicine}, volume = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {227-233}, abstract = {

The aerobic microflora of the oral cavity consists of viridians group of streptococci (VGS). The present study was carried out with an objective to evaluate the prevalence of VGS in patients undergoing tooth extraction and to study their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Samples of subgingival dental plaques for microbiological studies were collected from 80 patients undergoing tooth extraction. The isolated streptococci were identified along with their antibacterial susceptibilities by automated Vitek 2 (bioM{\'e}rieux) system in accordance with CLSI standards. A total of 260 VGS strains belonging to 05 phenotypic groups, namely mutans, salivarius, anginosus, sanguinus and mitis groups; along with few strains of Granulicatella like G. adiacens and G. elegans. Altogether a total of 15 species were isolated from the subgingival plaque of 80 patients undergoing tooth extraction. Among the 15 antibiotics tested, highest resistance was observed to lincosamides (36.2\%) followed by macrolides (29.7\%), tetracyclines (17.7\%), cephems (15.1\%), fluoroquinolones (14.4\%), oxazolidinones (13.5\%), streptogramins (12.7 \%) and penicillins (7.9\%). However, all the 260 VGS strains were found susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid. In the subgingival plaque of patients undergoing tooth extraction, approximately 70\% of streptococci belonged to three VGS groups, i.e. mitis, sanguinis and mutans groups. Streptococci of salivarus and anginosus groups were isolated sporadically (5\%). Highest resistance was observed to lincosamides and macrolides (29.7\%). Multiple antibiotic resistance was observed in mitis and salivarius group.

}, doi = {10.15197/sabad.1.12.48}, author = {Dhotre, Shree V. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Potdar, S. and Suklikar, J. and Suryawanshi, Namdev and Nagoba, Basavraj} } @article {42477, title = {Visible light-triggered disruption of micelles of an amphiphilic block copolymer with BODIPY at the junction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {17708-17711}, abstract = {

A visible light-cleavable polymer is synthesised to overcome the limitations of UV-sensitive polymers. Photocleavable BODIPY functionalized with an ATRP initiator and alkyne was used to obtain an amphiphilic block copolymer by conducting the click reaction and polymerization simultaneously. Micellar assembly of the polymer was disintegrated under visible light irradiation with controlled release of cargo.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5CC06820G}, author = {Patil, Naganath G. and Basutkar, Nitin B. and Ambade, Ashootosh V.} } @article { ISI:000379967000006, title = {3D interconnected porous graphene sheets loaded with cobalt oxide nanoparticles for lithium-ion battery anodes}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {4}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {816-822}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Nanomaterials with high surface-to-volume ratio and tunable electronic and optical properties have expanded their use in variety of applications, especially energy conversion and storage. Here we report on the synthesis of a cobalt oxide (Co3O4)/3D-interconnected porous graphene (PG) nanocomposite by using a simple solvothermal route and its application as a Li-ion battery anode. Among the different compositions investigated, the composite PG-600 (with 50\% PG) showed a discharge capacity of 700mAhg(-1) at a current density of 500mAg(-1) and maintained 90\% retention after 80cycles. The high surface area of the 3DPG sheets helps the Co3O4 nanoparticles to form a uniform dispersion on the surfaces. The increased surface area (accessibility) and electrical conductivity of the composite result in significant enhancement in the capacity, cycling stability, and rate capability than the native Co3O4 phase.

}, keywords = {Cobalt oxide, Energy storage, graphene, lithium-ion batteries, Nanocomposites}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.201500497}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {45819, title = {4 {\textquoteleft}-Epi-DNA: A DNA Mimic Containing 4 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxymethyl-alpha-l-Xylo-thymidine with compact backbone like RNA}, journal = {Nucleosides Nucleotides \& Nucleic Acids}, volume = {35}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {445-458}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthesis of C4-epi-DNA containing 3 5 linkages is reported for the first time. Crystal structure study of the monomer indicated that though the dihedral angle O3-C3-C4-C5 in this case would be like in RNA, the sugar conformation would remain like that in DNA. The study of the effect of this backbone configuration in DNA with respect to its binding to cDNA and RNA is reported in this note.

}, keywords = {4 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxymethyl nucleosides C4 {\textquoteleft}-epi-DNA, Antisense Oligonucleotide}, issn = {1525-7770}, doi = {10.1080/15257770.2016.1202963}, author = {Bagmare, Seema and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Fernandes, Moneesha and Kumar, Vaijayanti A.} } @article { ISI:000373747700077, title = {Additive mediated syn-anti conformational tuning at nucleation to capture elusive polymorphs: remarkable role of extended pi-stacking interactions in driving the self-assembly}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {16}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {2416-2428}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Understanding the process of prenucleation clustering at supersaturating stage is of significant importance to envisage the polymorphism in crystalline materials. Preferential formation of a thermodynamically stable crystal form suggests energetically favored patterns of interactions which control molecular aggregation during nucleation. Introduction of additives during crystallization is sometimes used as a suitable strategy to obtain metastable polymorphs in cases where it is not easy to capture the same by conventional crystallization methods. Comparative analysis of energy relationships and intermolecular interactions between thermodynamically stable and metastable crystal forms provides valuable clues about the nature of growth synthons at prenucleation clustering and preferential crystallization of the thermodynamic form. Conformationally flexible sulfonamide/sulfoester derivatives constituting electron rich and electron deficient aromatic rings were synthesized to study the interplay between pi-stacking and hydrogen bonding synthons. We have identified and characterized the thermodynamically stable and metastable elusive polymorphs of aromatic sulfonamides 1 and 2 and sulfoesters 3 and 4. However, these compounds eluded polymorphism during crystallisation from various common solvents/conditions and only produced thermodynamically stable crystals forms (form I crystals). Surprisingly, exploitation of pyrazinamide as an additive in different stoichiometric ratios during crystallization gave elusive polymorphs [three for 1 (form 1II, form 1III, and form 1IV) and one each for 2 (form 2II), 3 (form 3II), and 4 (form 4II)]. Molecules in stable crystal forms of these compounds are linked via extended chains of parallel displaced pi...pi stacking interactions that seem to play a vital role in driving the self-assembly of molecules and subsequently governing the nucleation process. In contrast, molecules in metastable polymorphs are devoid of such extended pi-stacking assemblies. Interestingly, differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage microscopy, and X-ray crystallographic studies confirmed the thermal crystal-to-crystal transition of all three metastable polymorphs of 1 (form 1II, form 1III, and form 1IV) to its thermodynamically stable crystal form (form 1I). Conformational analysis of molecule 1 using density functional theory calculations also validated higher stability for syn conformation (observed in Form 1I crystals) over anti and midway conformations (seen in metastable polymorphs). Melt crystallization of form 1I crystals of 1 on the larger face (001) of delta-pyrazinamide and lattice matching analysis (GRACE) revealed that the layered arrangement of molecules of delta-pyrazinamide (on 001 face) during heterogeneous nucleation acts as a template (heteroepitaxy) to provide a preferential site for the nucleation of new metastable polymorphs by selectively inhibiting the most preferred crystal form from growing into the nucleus. Solution state one- and two-dimensional (NOESY) H-1 NMR, scanning electron microscopy, and a Cambridge Structural Database survey were conducted to substantiate the role of additives during crystallization.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.6b00204}, author = {Gawade, Rupesh L. and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Kotmale, Amol and Sangtani, Ekta and Joshi, Pranaya V. and Ahmed, Awais and Mane, Manoj V. and Das, Susanta and Vanka, Kumar and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {43588, title = {Adsorption of strontium (II) metal ions using phosphonate-functionalized polymer}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {39}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1541-1556}, abstract = {Diethyl[3-(methoxydimethylsilyl)propyl]phosphonate (DMPP) polymer was synthesized for the strontium (II) metal ion recovery using diethylallylphosphonate as staring material. Diethylallylphosphonate was reacted with poly(methylhydro)siloxane (MW 1900-2000 g mol (-1) ) in the presence of Speier{\textquoteright}s catalyst. The synthesized monomer was characterized by IR, (1) H NMR, (1 3) C NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques, and the synthesized polymers were characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and solubility. The synthesized polymer was used for sequestering strontium metal from the aqueous solution. The metal binding was examined by the energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy for the adsorbed Sr(II). Batch adsorption studies were performed by varying three parameters, namely initial pH, adsorbent dose and the contact time. The reaction kinetics was determined by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and pseudo-first- and second-order models. Results of this study indicate that the synthesized polymer DMPP has been effective in removing Sr(II) from the aqueous solution.}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-016-1295-7}, author = {Bhosle, S. M. and Ponrathnam, S. and Tambe, S. S. and Chavan, N. N.} } @article { ISI:000372759100036, title = {Amelioration of excision wounds by topical application of green synthesized, formulated silver and gold nanoparticles in albino Wistar rats}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {62}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {293-300}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Wound healing, a complex biological process, has attained a lot of attention as dermatologists are primarily interested in stimulated wound closure without formation of scar or a faint scar. The recent upsurgence of nanotechnology has provided novel therapeutic materials in the form of silver and gold nanoparticles which accelerate the wound healing process. The effect of formulated nanoparticles using Coleus forskohlii root extract (green synthesized) has been tried out for ameliorating full thickness excision wounds in albino Wistar male rats. The evaluation of in vivo activity of nanoparticles in wound healing was carried out on open wounds made by excision on the dorsal sides of albino Wistar rats under anesthesia, and the healing of the wounds was assessed. Histological aspects of the healing process were studied by a HE (Hematoxylin and Eosin) staining method to assess various degrees of re-epithelialization and the linear alignment of the granulation tissue whereas Van Gieson{\textquoteright}s histochemical staining was performed to observe collagen fibers. The healing action shown by the formulated nanoparticles was remarkable during the early stages of wound healing, which resulted in the substantial reduction of the whole healing period. Topical application of formulated gold nanoparticles was found to be more effective in suppressing inflammation and stimulating re-epithelialization compared to silver nanoparticles during the healing process. The results throw light on the amelioration of excision wounds using nanoparticles which could be a novel therapeutic way of improving wound healing in clinical practice. The mechanism of advanced healing action of both types of nanoparticles could be due to their antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {collagen, Gold, green synthesis, Nanopraticles, wound Healing}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2016.01.069}, author = {Naraginti, Saraschandra and Kumari, P. Lakshmi and Das, Raunak Kumar and Sivakumar, A. and Patil, Sagar Hindurao and Andhalkar, Vaibhav Vilas} } @article { ISI:000369572000024, title = {Angiotensin II analogs comprised of pro-amb (gamma-turn scaffold) as angiotensin II type 2 (AT(2)) receptor agonists}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1645-1648}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We describe herein the design, synthesis and conformational investigation of Pro-Amb (proline-3-amino-2-methoxybenzoic acid) incorporated Angiotensin II and its truncated analogues. Solution-state NMR and CD studies suggest gamma-turn-like conformation in Pro-Amb analogs in aqueous solution. Furthermore, Pro-Amb analogs have been shown to act as AT(2) receptor agonists.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc09687a}, author = {Jedhe, Ganesh S. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Pasha, Santosh and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000378790600010, title = {Anti-oxidant properties of ficus religiosa L. Bark extract on human keratinocytes}, journal = {Science of Advanced Materials}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1221-1226}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Ficus religiosa (Sacred Fig) is a medicinally important tree, native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been extensively pharmacologically researched species having wide spectrum of medicinal properties. All parts of F. religiosa tree are known to possess important medicinal properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and skin diseases etc. However, effects of F. religiosa on skin cells line HaCaT was not studied for its antioxidant properties. In this report we have investigated F. religiosa bark aqueous extract for its antioxidant properties on human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell line using DPPH, superoxide dismutase 1, superoxide dismutase 2 and catalase assay. We observed that F. religiosa bark aqueous extract efficiently scavenged (80\%) DPPH radicals. Superoxide dismutase1 assay of F. religiosa bark aqueous extract effectively scavenged superoxide radicals (O-2(-)) and showed dose dependent activity. Reactive oxygen species were trapped by superoxide dismutase 2 assay of F. religiosa bark aqueous extract and form hydrogen peroxide. Catalase assay results revelled that hydrogen peroxide was further decomposed to give water and oxygen. Thus various anti-oxidant assays of F. religiosa bark aqueous extract indicate that it efficiently reduced the reactive oxygen species in skin cells.

}, keywords = {Anti-Oxidant, Catalase Assay, DPPH Assay, Ficus religiosa, Keratinocyte HaCaT Cell Line, Moraceae, SOD Assay}, issn = {1947-2935}, doi = {10.1166/sam.2016.2740}, author = {Dixit, Shailesh S. and Kulkarni, Atul and Seo, Hyo Hyun and Gadgil, Jayant and Dingre, Medini and Umar, Ahmad and Moh, Sang Hyun and Parasharami, Varsha A.} } @article { ISI:000377464900011, title = {Antioxidative metabolites synthesized by marine pigmented vibrio sp and its protection on oxidative deterioration of membrane lipids}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {179}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {155-167}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Bacterial strain Vibrio sp. (PIGB 184) isolated from water samples of the Arabian Sea and identified through 16S rRNA demonstrated the production of pigmentary antioxidants with higher ABTS activities 90.9 +/- 0.42 \% in comparison with the standard commercial pigmented antioxidant, quercetin 88.8 +/- 1.4 \%. Antioxidative metabolites of this strain substantially inhibit the lipid peroxidation (LPO) reactions tested in sheep liver and brain. The antioxidant compounds produced by the Vibrio sp. (PIGB 184), analysed by GC-MS, reveals that it is composed mostly of phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) and pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione,hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl). The interrelationship assessed between LPO and the phenolic compounds showed significant correlation with anti-LPO properties (R (2) = 0.9698 to 0.9861). These compounds are responsible for obstruction of harmful radical associated biochemical reactions in biological systems. Pigmented metabolites also tested for attributive biological properties against pathogenic bacteria showed prominent inhibition towards Gram-positive organisms (31.25 to 62.5 mu g ml(-1)). From this study, it may be suggested that the marine bacterium PIGB 184 could be used as a potential bio-resource for antioxidants and needs to be worked out for mass production.

}, keywords = {Antioxidants, Lipid peroxidation, Marine pigmented bacteria, Pathogen inhibition, Phenolics}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-016-1985-z}, author = {Pawar, Ravindra and Mohandass, Chellandi and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Kolekar, Yogesh M. and Malwankar, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000373421700065, title = {Architecture of 2D MoS2 nanosheets and 3D CdMoS4 marigold flowers: consequence of annealing on field emission performance}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {225}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {573-579}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the field electron emission investigations on template free solvothermally synthesized layered MoS2 nanosheets as well as novel phase of CdMoS4 nanoflowers at the base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The turn-on field, threshold field and maximum emission current densities for both MoS2 and CdMoS4 are strongly influenced by thermal annealing in inert atmosphere. The turn on field, required to draw emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be 5.8 and 3.2 V/mu m for pristine and annealed MoS2 at 400 degrees C. In case of as prepared and annealed CdMoS4 sample the turn on field values are found to be similar to 6.2 and 5.0 V/mu m, respectively. The emission current versus time (I-t) plot measured at the preset current values of similar to 1 mu A for pristine and annealed sample indicates stable operation of the emitter. The emission current fluctuations for annealed sample are observed to be less as compared with the pristine sample due to conditioning of the emitter, thereby showing highly stable nature of emitter. Thus, the present result demonstrates the potential of annealed MoS2 nanosheets and CdMoS4 nanoflowers as an emerging materials for micro/nanoelectronics and flat panel field emission display applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {field emission, MoS2 and CdMoS4, Nanoflowers, nanosheets}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2016.01.033}, author = {Kadam, Sunil R. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Panmand, Rajendra P. and Mate, Vivek R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000377612300010, title = {Asymmetric total synthesis of L-allo-1-deoxynojirimycin}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {137-147}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

Asymmetric total synthesis of L-allo-1-deoxynojirimycin (L-allo-DNJ) was achieved from cis-butene-1,4-diol by employing Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, stereoselective flash dihydroxylation and ring enlargement reactions as key steps.

}, keywords = {diastereoselective flash dihydroxylation, ring-enlargement reaction, sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation}, issn = {1551-7004}, doi = {10.3998/ark.5550190.p009.295}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Dumare, Nilesh B. and Pawar, Kailash P. and Chavan, Prakash N. and Khairnar, Lalit B.} } @article {42844, title = {Au(I)/Ag(I) co-operative catalysis: interception of Ag-bound carbocations with α-gold(I) enals in the imino-alkyne cyclizations with N-allenamides}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {14462-14465}, doi = {10.1039/C6CC08385D}, author = {Bagle, Pradip N. and Mane, Manoj V. and Vanka, Kumar and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Shaikh, Samir R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {43614, title = {Bilayer cryogel wound dressing and skin regeneration grafts for the treatment of acute skinwounds}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {15145-15159}, abstract = {In this study, the potential of cryogel bilayer wound dressing and skin regenerating graft for the treatment of surgically created full thickness wounds was evaluated. The top layer was composed of polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine (PVP-I) and served as the antiseptic layer, while the bottom regenerative layer was made using gelatin cryogel. Both components of the bilayer showed typical features of a cryogel interconnected macropore network, rapid swelling, high water uptake capacity of about 90\%. Both PVP and gelatin cryogel showed high tensile strength of 45 and 10 kPa, respectively. Gelatin cryogel sheets were essentially elastic and could be stretched without any visible deformation. The antiseptic PVP-I layer cryogel sheet showed sustained iodine release and suppressed microbial growth when tested with skin pathogens (zone of inhibition cm for sheet of 0.9 cm diameter). The gelatin cryogel sheet degraded in vitro in weeks. The gelatin cryogel sheet supported cell infiltration, attachment, and proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Microparticles loaded with bioactive molecules (mannose-6-phosphate and human fibrinogen) were also incorporated in the gelatin cryogel sheets for their role in enhancing skin regeneration and scar free wound healing. In vivo evaluation of healing capacity of the bilayer cryogel was checked in rabbits by creating full thickness wound, defect (diameter 2 cm). Macroscopic and microscopic observation at regular time intervals for 4 weeks demonstrated better and faster skin regeneration in the wound treated with cryogel bilayer as compared to untreated defect and the repair was comparable to commercial skin regeneration scaffold Neuskin-F. Complete skin regeneration was observed after 4 weeks{\textquoteright} of implantation with no sign of inflammatory response. Defects implanted with cryogel having mannose-6-phosphate showed no scar formation,, while the wound treated with bilayer incorporated with human fibrinogen microparticles showed early signs of skin regeneration; epidermis formation occurred at 2 weeks after implantation.}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.6b04711}, author = {Priya, S. Geetha and Gupta, Ankur and Jain, Era and Sarkar, Joyita and Damania, Apeksha and Jagdale, Pankaj R. and Chaudhari, Bhushan P. and Gupta, Kailash C. and Kumar, Ashok} } @article {42832, title = {Bimetallic and plasmonic Ag-Au on TiO2 for solar water splitting : an active nanocomposite for entire visible light region absorption}, journal = {Chemcatchem}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3294-3301}, abstract = {

The current study demonstrates a potential method for maximum utilization of the entire visible light region of the solar spectrum by designing a plasmonic-metals semiconductor composite. A combination of Ag+Au nanoclusters would broaden the visible-light absorption at least between 400 and 650nm. This hypothesis was evaluated through solar water splitting (SWS) activity of Au-TiO2, Ag-TiO2, and Ag on Au-TiO2 (AgAuT) composites. AgAuT bimetallic nanocomposite shows the maximum apparent quantum yield of 3.3\% with hydrogen generation (718molh.g(-1)) from aqueous methanol, and overall water splitting activity (7molg.h(-1), AQY=0.04\%) under one sun conditions. Enhanced photocatalytic activity of AgAuT is partly attributed to the formation of hot electrons. A thin layer of Ag coating on Au particles leads to a core-shell morphology with Au in the core. Fermi level equilibration between metal and titania, and Schottky junction formation are directly demonstrated. The strong electronic interaction between Ag and Au, and with TiO2 is evident from its electron rich character and confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and high-resolution TEM measurements. Electronic factors seem to be responsible for the high rate of hydrogen production.

}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201600937}, author = {Patra, Kshirodra K. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000380362700119, title = {Bioavailability studies of curcumin-sophorolipid nano-conjugates in the aqueous phase: role in the synthesis of uniform gold nanoparticles}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {72}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {68504-68514}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The major limiting factors for curcumin to be accepted as a modern drug, despite its widespread applications, are its low aqueous solubility, low retention time and poor bioavailability. When subjected to a mild physical stress, curcumin is observed to internalize within the micellar hydrophobic core of oleic acid sophorolipid resulting in the formation of curcumin-sophorolipid nanoconjugates (CurSL). These bio-composites show enhanced retention time and increased bioavailability of curcumin in rat models. In the presence of gold salts, CurSL act as potent reducing and capping agents, resulting in the synthesis of monodispersed, spherical gold nanoparticles (CurSL-GNPs) of 8-10 nm in size. Physicochemical, morphological and optical characteristics of both the nanoparticles are discussed based on spectroscopic absorption, photoluminescence (PL), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, SEM and TEM measurements. FTIR spectroscopy signatures of these nanoparticles confirm the retention of functional groups in the end products. A retention time of 2 hours in blood plasma and an increase in curcumin recovery by about 150 times that previously reported were observed in the pharmacokinetic (pK(a)) studies performed on Wistar rats. The bio-distribution of gold nanoparticles in rats was studied using EDX, which revealed their presence in different vital organs. The absence of unusual legions or necrosis in histopathological analysis of vital organs in all the rat models suggests the use of curcuminsophorolipid nano-conjugates enhances curcumin bioavailability and the Cur-SL based nano-gold formulation is a good drug delivery carrier.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra13469f}, author = {Darne, Priti A. and Mehta, Mihir R. and Agawane, Sachin B. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000367601200011, title = {Biological activity of sophorolipids and their possible use as antiviral agents}, journal = {Folia Microbiologica}, volume = {61}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {85-89}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids are surface active glycolipids consisting of a hydrophilic sophorose unit and a hydrophobic portion composed of a fatty acid tail. Crude sophorolipid sample contains both acidic and lactonic forms of sophorolipid with different degrees of acetylation and varying lengths of the fatty acid chains depending on the substrates used in the production process. Carboxylic end in the acidic form of the fatty acid is free, whereas in the lactonic form, it is internally esterified. Sophorolipids show different physicochemical properties with wide range of applications for each structural compound. Lactonic form of sophorolipids shows surface tension reducing ability and biological activity, whereas the acidic form possesses better foam forming ability and higher solubility. Presence of acetyl groups gives hydrophilic nature to the sophorolipids which promotes its antiviral and cytokine-stimulating properties. The aim of this review is to explore and suggest the plausibility of sophorolipids as therapeutic and prophylactic agents for the treatment of viral diseases.

}, issn = {0015-5632}, doi = {10.1007/s12223-015-0413-z}, author = {Borsanyiova, Maria and Patil, Amrita and Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita and Bopegamage, Shubhada} } @article { ISI:000371117900016, title = {Bioresponsive carbon nano-gated multifunctional mesoporous silica for cancer theranostics}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {8}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4537-4546}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Designing bioresponsive nanocarriers for controlled and efficient intracellular drug release for cancer therapy is a major thrust area in nanomedicine. With recent recognition by the US FDA as a safe material for human trials, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are being extensively explored as promising theranostic agents. Green fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs), though known as possible alternatives for their more toxic and relatively less efficient predecessors, are less known as gate keepers for drug release control. We report for the first time an efficient bioresponse of CQDs when judiciously designed using glutathione cleavable (redox responsive) disulphide bonds. When the anticancer drug doxorubicin loaded MSNPs are capped with these CQDs, they display promising drug release control on exposure to a mimicked intracellular cancer environment. Their dual functionality is well established with good control on preventing the premature release and exceptional bio-imaging of HeLa cancer cells. Fluorescence images prove selective targeting of HeLa cells by overexpression of folate receptors from the surface functionalised folic acid ligand. Extensive characterisation using XRD, TEM, BET analysis, drug loading tests, drug release kinetics, MTT assay and fluoroscence cell imaging helps in understanding the multi-functionalities of the successful design, extending its scope with exciting prospects towards non-invasive targeted drug delivery and bio-imaging for effective cancer diagnosis and treatment.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr06756a}, author = {Prasad, Rajendra and Aiyer, Sandhya and Chauhan, Deepak S. and Srivastava, Rohit and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {42555, title = {Biosynthesis of anti-proliferative gold using endophytic fusarium oxysporum strain isolated from neem (A-indica) leaves}, journal = {Current topics in medicinal chemistry}, volume = {16}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2036-2042}, abstract = {

Here we report a simple, rapid, environment friendly approach for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) fungal endophyte, which based upon morphological and cultural characteristics was eventually identified as Fusarium oxysporum. The aqueous precursor (HAuCl4) solution when reacted with endophytic fungus resulted in the biosynthesis of abundant amounts of well dispersed gold nanoparticles of 10-40 nm with an average size of 22nm. These biosynthesized gold nanoparticles were then characterized by standard analytical techniques such as UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Cytotoxic activity of these nanoparticles was checked against three different cell types including breast cancer (ZR-75-1), Daudi (Human Burkitt{\textquoteright}s lymphoma cancer) and normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), where it was found that our gold nanoparticles are anti-proliferative against cancer cells but completely safe toward normal cells. In addition to this, assessment of toxicity toward human RBC revealed less than 0.1 \% hemolysis as compared to Triton X-100 suggesting safe nature of our biosynthesized gold nanoparticles on human cells. Also, our nanoparticles exhibited no anti-fungal (against Aspergillus niger) or anti-bacterial [against Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis \& Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli \& Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria] activity thus suggesting their non-toxic, biocompatible nature. The present investigation opens up avenues for eco-friendly, biocompatible nanomaterials to be used in a wide variety of application such as drug delivery, therapeutics, theranostics and so on.

}, doi = {10.2174/1568026616666160215160644}, author = {Siddiqui, Ejaz Ahmad and Ahmad, Absar and Julius, Anju and Syed, Asad and Khan, Shadab and Kharat, Mahesh and Pai, Kalpana and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, Vidya} } @article { ISI:000378563200115, title = {Broad spectrum photon responsive, paramagnetic beta-NaGdF4: Yb3+, Er3+ - mesoporous anatase titania nanocomposite}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {58}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {53504-53518}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a novel single multifunctional platform based on broad-spectrum photoactive beta-NaGdF4:18\% Yb3+, 2\% Er3+ and mesoporous anatase TiO2 for enhanced energy and simultaneous biomedical applications. Currently, the photoactive materials for solar energy harvesting applications have limitations in their efficiency due to their narrow photon absorption spectrum. The upconversion phosphor beta-NaGdF4: 18\% Yb3+, 2\% Er3+ nanorods collect and harvest the NIR photons (similar to 980 nm) of sunlight and transform them into visible light via anti-Stokes emission (lambda(em) similar to 521 and similar to 540 nm), and the photoactive mesoporous anatase TiO2 (mTiO(2)) utilizes UV and weak visible photons, thus the composite forms a broad spectrum photon-capture system and improved power conversion efficiency for enhanced applications in photocatalysis, and dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite showed an improvement in comparison to the mTiO(2) for the degradation of various dyes. In addition, the photocurrent density and solar cell efficiency of the nanocomposites showed an improvement by similar to 24\% and similar to 17\% respectively, over mTiO(2). The beta-NaGdF4: Yb3+, Er3+/mTiO(2) nanocomposite exhibits a strong paramagnetic signal (chi similar to 6.45 x 10(-5) emu g(-1) Oe(-1)). The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements showed large longitudinal T1 relaxivity (r(1) = 7.09 s(-1) mM(-1)) and magnetic resonance imaging showed enhanced T-1-weighted MRI images with increased concentrations of beta-NaGdF4: Yb3+, Er3+/mTiO(2) nanocomposite making them suitable for simultaneous magnetoresonance imaging. In addition, this composite system can also be used as a NIR triggered drug delivery system and in biomedical applications. Moreover, mesoporous TiO2 is expected to increase the photocatalytic active sites, dye, and absorption, and drug loading capacity. The as-designed multifunctional beta-NaGdF4:Yb3+, Er3+/mTiO(2) nanocomposite possessed simultaneous multiple discrete functionalities with excellent luminescence properties, intrinsic paramagnetism, biocompatibility, improved photocatalytic activity, and solar cell efficiency. This work provides a promising system to utilize NIR light, which will contribute to efficient photon harvesting and biological applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra06813h}, author = {Padhye, Preeti and Sadhu, Subha and Malik, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {42668, title = {Bromide ion mediated modification to digestive ripening process: preparation of ultra-small Pd, Pt, Rh and Ru nanoparticles}, journal = {Nano Research}, volume = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2007{\textendash}2017}, abstract = {

Nanoparticles of catalytically important transition metals, such as Pd, Pt, Rh, and Ru have been prepared by the well-known {\textquotedblleft}digestive ripening{\textquotedblright} (DR) and {\textquotedblleft}modified digestive ripening{\textquotedblright} (mDR) methods. In the traditional DR process, a polydisperse colloidal dispersion is refluxed in the presence of a surface-active molecule, such as alkanethiol. The mDR method involved a small modification in the procedure, wherein refluxing was performed with an alkanethiol and a tetra-alkylammonium bromide surfactant. This minor modification led to a dramatic change in the final particle size distributions, giving access to nanoparticles in the \<3 nm size regime; this was not possible with the traditional DR process. Bromide ions, which are present during refluxing, proved to be an important ingredient in the modification process. These bromide ions are revealed to act as etchants, resulting in ultra-small nanoparticles. All transition metal nanoparticles investigated displayed catalytic activity in the reduction reaction of p-nitro phenol. Pd nanoparticles, synthesized by a modified digestive ripening method, exhibited the best catalytic activity among the systems investigated.

}, doi = {10.1007/s12274-016-1091-0}, author = {Seth, Jhumur and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000380138100025, title = {Bronsted-acid-mediated divergent reactions of betti bases with indoles: an approach to chromeno[2,3-b]indoles through intramolecular dehydrogenative C2-alkoxylation of indole}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {20}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3441-3448}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Divergent reactions of various 1-(aminoalkyl) naphthols and 2-(aminoalkyl) phenols (commonly known as Betti bases) with indoles under Bronsted acid catalysis is reported. With the reaction strategies, one can efficiently synthesize important indole derivatives such as 3-(alpha,alpha-diarylmethyl)indoles and chromeno[2,3-b]indoles. Furthermore, we disclose here a new C-C bond-cleavage reaction, in which naphthol and phenol behave as leaving groups to produce diarylmethanes. Inexpensive reagents such as p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate and molecular iodine are used to catalyze the reactions. No metal catalyst is required. The starting material of the reactions, Betti bases, are easily prepared from a three-component reaction of naphthol/phenol, aldehydes, and secondary amines. The mechanisms for the reactions are established through some control experiments. Quinone methide is the key intermediate for all the reactions reported herein.

}, keywords = {Betti bases, C-O bond formation, Dearylation, Fused-ring systems, nitrogen heterocycles}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201600546}, author = {Deb, Mohit L. and Pegu, Choitanya Dev and Deka, Bhaskar and Dutta, Prantu and Kotmale, Amol S. and Baruah, Pranjal K.} } @article {43584, title = {Calculation of hyperfine structure constants of small molecules using Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {128}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1671-1675}, abstract = {The Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework is employed to calculate the parallel and perpendicular components of the magnetic hyperfine structure constant of a few small alkaline earth hydrides (BeH, MgH, and CaH) and fluorides (MgF and CaF). We have compared our Z-vector results with the values calculated by the extended coupled-cluster (ECC) method reported in Phys. Rev. A 91 022512 (2015). All these results are compared with the available experimental values. The Z-vector results are found to be in better agreement with the experimental values than those of the ECC values.}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-016-1174-1}, author = {Sasmal, Sudip and Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45845, title = {Cetyl alcohol and oleic acid sophorolipids exhibit anticancer activity}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {399-402}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Objective: Sophorolipids (SLs) are glycolipid biosurfactants that have been shown to have anticancer activity. We investigated the anti-cancer activity of cetyl alcohol sophorolipids (CAS) and oleic acid sophorolipids (OAS) in breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), cervical cancer (SiHa, HeLa) and non-cancerous (HaCaT and RAW264.7) cell lines. Methods: For cell viability assay, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, SiHa, HeLa, HaCaT and RAW264.7 cell lines were treated with different concentrations (0-160 μg/ml) of OAS and CAS for 24h. The cell viability was determined by MTT dye uptake method. Cell proliferation assay was determined by using trypan blue dye exclusion method. Results: Our preliminary data shows that compared to OAS, CAS exhibited more significant reduction in the viability of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and SiHa. However, compared to CAS, OAS induced more decrease in viability in HeLa cells. Interestingly, both the types of SLs did not affect the viability of non-cancerous cells. Moreover, CAS, when used as a coating material, induced proliferation in macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. Conclusion: The present study provides an important clue towards the anti-cancer potential of OAS and CAS derived from Candida bombicola. Interestingly, the ability of CAS to promote the proliferation of non-cancerous cells suggests its future application as a scaffold for enhancing the adhesion and proliferation of normal cells.}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84959564023\&partnerID=40\&md5=54a0f06b61b63c66744a7580e4e091d6}, author = {Dubey, P. and Raina, P. and Prabhune, A. and Kaul-Ghanekar, R.} } @article { ISI:000378450800001, title = {Characterization of two coleopteran alpha-amylases and molecular insights into their differential inhibition by synthetic alpha-amylase inhibitor, acarbose}, journal = {Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology}, volume = {74}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1-11}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Post-harvest insect infestation of stored grains makes them unfit for human consumption and leads to severe economic loss. Here, we report functional and structural characterization of two coleopteran alpha-amylases viz. Callosobruchus chinensis alpha-amylase (CcAmy) and Tribolium castaneum alpha-amylase (TcAmy) along with their interactions with proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous alpha-amylase inhibitors. Secondary structural alignment of CcAmy and TcAmy with other coleopteran alpha-amylases revealed conserved motifs, active sites, di-sulfide bonds and two point mutations at spatially conserved substrate or inhibitor binding sites. Homology modeling and molecular docking showed structural differences between these two enzymes. Both the enzymes had similar optimum pH values but differed in their optimum temperature. Overall, pattern of enzyme stabilities were similar under various temperature and pH conditions. Further, CcAmy and TcAmy differed in their substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency towards starch and amylopectin. HPLC analysis detected common amylolytic products like maltose and maltotriose while glucose and malto-tetrose were unique in CcAmy and TcAmy catalyzed reactions respectively. At very low concentrations, wheat alpha-amylase inhibitor was found to be superior over the acarbose as far as complete inhibition of amylolytic activities of CcAmy and TcAmy was concerned. Mechanism underlying differential amylolytic reaction inhibition by acarbose was discussed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acarbose, alpha-amylase, alpha-amylase inhibitor, Callosobruchus chinensis, Coleoptera, Tribolium castaneum}, issn = {0965-1748}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2016.04.009}, author = {Channale, Sonal M. and Bhide, Amey J. and Yadav, Yashpal and Kashyap, Garima and Pawar, Pankaj K. and Maheshwari, V. L. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Giri, Ashok P.} } @conference {45847, title = {Characterizing flow and solid suspension in optimax crystallization workstation}, booktitle = {North American Mixing Forum 2016 - Core Programming Area at the 2016 AIChE Annual Meeting}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, publisher = {AIChE}, organization = {AIChE}, address = {San Francisco; United States}, isbn = {978-151083442-2}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85019102692\&origin=inward\&txGid=820eae9eac7a8eac5ea31078647c0e4f}, author = {Sardeshpande, M. and Pandit, A. and Vedantam, S. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article { ISI:000377768200017, title = {Characterizing fruit and vegetable peels as bioadsorbents}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {110}, number = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2114-2123}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Fruit and vegetable peel (FVP) wastes are a commonly generated organic waste from both households and food-processing industries. However, FVPs are low-cost lignocellulosic materials that have some potential for reutilization. For its particular reutilization, the characterization of FVP is essential. In this regard, the present study provides a detailed physico-chemical characterization of commonly used FVPs such as pomegranate, pineapple, watermelon, garlic, green pea and pigeon pea. The materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR and TGA/DTG. Various properties of these materials, such as porosity, particle density, bulk density, surface charges, point of zero charge, surface pH, water absorption capacity and BET surface area were determined. The BET surface area of FVP was found in the range 1.0-1.4 m(2)/g. Water absorption capacity was highest for watermelon peel (11.5 ml/g), while it was lowest for pigeon pea peel (5.5 ml/g). Point of zero charge and surface pH of all FVPs were in the acidic range 3-6. The surface of FVP was irregular and rough with some pores. Thermal analysis showed that FVPs are thermally stable below 150 degrees C. The results of this study provide an understanding of the properties of FVPs and suggest that the materials can be used as a low-cost adsorbent.

}, keywords = {Bioadsorbent, fruit and vegetable peels, organic waste, physico-chemical characterization}, issn = {0011-3891}, doi = {10.18520/cs/v110/i11/2114-2123}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000369482100014, title = {Characterizing the nanoclay induced constrained amorphous region in model segmented polyurethane-urea/clay nanocomposites and its implications on gas barrier properties}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1487-1499}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

There has been an increasing recognition of the fact that purely geometric factors associated with clay platelet dispersion in a polymer matrix cannot adequately explain the barrier properties of polymer/clay nanocomposites. The objective of the present work is to understand the nanoclay induced structural changes in a polyurethane-urea matrix and clay dispersion at different length scales using segment-specific characterization techniques and implications of the same in gas barrier properties using He, N-2 and CO2 as probe molecules. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and positron annihilation life time spectroscopy (PALS) studies revealed nanoclay induced alterations in the chain packing of the amorphous soft segments of the polyurethane matrix at a molecular scale of a few Angstroms. The hard segment organization and the phase morphology of the nanocomposites, spanning length scales of several nanometers, were investigated by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, the presence of a constrained amorphous region surrounding the nanoclay was confirmed from AFM, WAXD and PALS results. Several pertinent structural variables from the gas transport point of view were deduced from these characterization techniques to understand the effect of the barrier properties in tandem with the clay dispersion morphology.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp05260b}, author = {Rath, Sangram K. and Sudarshan, Kathi and Bhavsar, Rupesh S. and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Pujari, Pradeep K. and Patri, Manoranjan and Khakhar, Devang V.} } @article { ISI:000381562500001, title = {Cholesterol-dependent conformational plasticity in GPCR dimers}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {31858}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The organization and function of the serotonin1A receptor, an important member of the GPCR family, have been shown to be cholesterol-dependent, although the molecular mechanism is not clear. We performed a comprehensive structural and dynamic analysis of dimerization of the serotonin1A receptor by coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations totaling 3.6 ms to explore the molecular details of its cholesterol-dependent association. A major finding is that the plasticity and flexibility of the receptor dimers increase with increased cholesterol concentration. In particular, a dimer interface formed by transmembrane helices I-I was found to be sensitive to cholesterol. The modulation of dimer interface appears to arise from a combination of direct cholesterol occupancy and indirect membrane effects. Interestingly, the presence of cholesterol at the dimer interface is correlated with increased dimer plasticity and flexibility. These results represent an important step in characterizing the molecular interactions in GPCR organization with potential relevance to therapeutic interventions.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep31858}, author = {Prasanna, Xavier and Sengupta, Durba and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article {43423, title = {Chord length distribution to particle size distribution}, journal = {AICHE Journal}, volume = {62}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4215-4228}, abstract = {A simple model is presented to extract the particle size distribution (PSD) from the chord length distribution measured using a focused beam reflectance measurement probe. The model can be implemented using simple spread sheeting tools and does not require the description of additional parameters as opposed to previous models. The model was validated for two systems consisting of spherical ceramic beads by comparing model predicted PSD against the PSD obtained through image analysis (IA). Then, the model was evaluated by considering various systems consisting of irregularly shaped particles (sand/zinc dust/plasma alumina). Model predictions accurately predicted the mean but over-predicted the variance of the PSD in comparison with the PSD obtained from IA. However, overall, a reasonable agreement was observed. Finally, the model was shown to be accurate in predicting PSD in comparison with the measured PSD for systems of practical relevance such as for paracetamol and p-aminophenol crystals. (c) 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 4215-4228, 2016}, doi = {10.1002/aic.15338}, author = {Pandit, Ajinkya V. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {42999, title = {Comparative functional characterization of eugenol synthase from four different ocimum species: implications on eugenol accumulation}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Proteins and Proteomics}, volume = {1864}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1539-1547}, abstract = {

Isoprenoids and phenylpropanoids are the major secondary metabolite constituents in Ocimum genus. Though enzymes from phenylpropanoid pathway have been characterized from few plants, limited information exists on how they modulate levels of secondary metabolites. Here, we performed phenylpropanoid profiling in different tissues from five Ocimum species, which revealed significant variations in secondary metabolites including eugenol, eugenol methyl ether, estragole and methyl cinnamate levels. Expression analysis of eugenol synthase (EGS) gene showed higher transcript levels especially in young leaves and inflorescence; and were positively correlated with eugenol contents. Additionally, transcript levels of coniferyl alcohol acyl transferase, a key enzyme diverting pool of substrate to phenylpropanoids, were in accordance with their abundance in respective species. In particular, eugenol methyl transferase expression positively correlated with higher levels of eugenol methyl ether in Ocimum tenuiflorum. Further, EGSs were functionally characterized from four Ocimum species varying in their eugenol contents. Kinetic and expression analyses indicated, higher enzyme turnover and transcripts levels, in species accumulating more eugenol. Moreover, biochemical and bioinformatics studies demonstrated that coniferyl acetate was the preferred substrate over coumaryl acetate when used, individually or together, in the enzyme assay. Overall, this study revealed the preliminary evidence for varied accumulation of eugenol and its abundance over chavicol in these Ocimum species. Current findings could potentially provide novel insights for metabolic modulations in medicinal and aromatic plants. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbapap.2016.08.004}, author = {Anand, Atul and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Beedkar, Supriya D. and Singh, Priyanka A. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Gade, Wasudeo N. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000368941700025, title = {Comparative study of dG affinity vs. DNA methylation modulating properties of side chain derivatives of procainamide: insight into its DNA hypomethylating effect}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {5350-5358}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Procainamide derivatives have been synthesized to investigate the role of side chains in modulating the DNA methylation level in cancer cells and gain insight into its mechanism of action. The synthesized derivatives comprised of flexible (dimethyl), constrained (pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine) and planar aromatic (pyridine, phenyl) side chain motifs. The affinity of procainamide and its derivatives towards the deoxyguanosine (dG) base in neutral form has been assessed by performing Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) under physiological conditions. Further, molecular docking with hemimethylated CpG rich DNA acquired from an active mDNMT-1-DNA (PDB ID-4DA4) crystal structure, reveals their preferential non-covalent interaction with dG nucleobase in the intercalation cavity of the minor groove. Differential affinity of the derivatives to dG base in neutral and bound forms (DNA) is correlated with their DNA methylation modulating properties at sub-lethal concentrations. Among all the derivatives, a compound with an aromatic phenyl side chain (1) has shown a highest binding affinity for dG nucleobase in neutral form as well as for partially denatured CpG rich DNA which is attributed to the formation of p/p stacking interaction in addition to N-H/O hydrogen bonding with the pyrimidine ring of dG base. It also shows the highest cytotoxicity and global hypomethylation at a sub-lethal level in the MCF-7 cancer cell line compared to other derivatives and procainamide. A docking study has also illustrated the plausible structural basis of DNA methylation modulating a property of procainamide. Strong association of procainamide with dG bases of partially denatured CpG rich DNA via H-bonding and other non-covalent interactions may alter the active topology of DNA required by the DNA-binding regulatory proteins (e. g. DNMT-1) which is validated by a DNMT-1 inhibition assay. This systematic investigation leads to a new potent alternative to procainamide being found and gives a plausible insight into the DNA hypomethylating effect of procainamide.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra20012a}, author = {Gawade, Rupesh L. and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Debgupta, Joyashish and Sangtani, E. and Narwade, S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deobagkar, D. D.} } @article {43031, title = {Complete metagenome sequencing based bacterial diversity and functional insights from basaltic hot spring of Unkeshwar, Maharashtra, India}, journal = {Genomics Data}, volume = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {140-143}, abstract = {

Unkeshwar hot springs are located at geographical South East Deccan Continental basalt of India. Here, we report the microbial community analysis of this hot spring using whole metagenome shotgun sequencing approach. The analysis revealed a total of 848,096 reads with 212.87Mbps with 50.87\% G+C content. Metagenomic sequences were deposited in SRA database with accession number (SUB1242219). Community analysis revealed 99.98\% sequences belonging to bacteria and 0.01\% to archaea and 0.01\% to Viruses. The data obtained revealed 41 phyla including bacteria and Archaea and including 719 different species. In taxonomic analysis, the dominant phyla were found as, Actinobacteria (56\%), Verrucomicrobia (24\%), Bacteriodes (13\%), Deinococcus-Thermus (3\%) and firmicutes (2\%) and Viruses (2\%). Furthermore, functional annotation using pathway information revealed dynamic potential of hot spring community in terms of metabolism, environmental information processing, cellular processes and other important aspects. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of each contig sequence by assigning KEGG Orthology (KO) numbers revealed contig sequences that were assigned to metabolism, organismal system, Environmental Information Processing, cellular processes and human diseases with some unclassified sequences. The Unkeshwar hot springs offer rich phylogenetic diversity and metabolic potential for biotechnological applications.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.031}, author = {Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Paranjpe, Aditi S. and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article { ISI:000375142200228, title = {Conformational dynamics of GPCR dimers is dependent on membrane cholesterol}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {110}, number = {3, 1}, year = {2016}, note = {60th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, Los Angeles, CA, FEB 27-MAR 02, 2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {356A-356A}, publisher = {Biophys Soc}, address = {600 TECHNOLOGY SQUARE, 5TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA}, issn = {0006-3495}, author = {Sengupta, Durba and Prasanna, Xavier and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article {43596, title = {Contriving a catalytically active structure from an inert conformation: a density functionalinvestigation of Al, Hf, and Ge doping of Au-20 tetrahedral clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {120}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {19636-19641}, abstract = {

The transformation of an inert structure into a catalytically active conformation has immense potential from a structural engineering point of view. In the present work, we explored methods of achieving such a transformation through a density-functional-based study. Au-20 is known be one of the most stable and catalytically inert gold clusters, with a well-known tetrahedral structure. We demonstrate the transformation of the inert Au-20 conformation into a highly active catalytic cluster through selective doping with Hf and Ge atoms. Depending on the dopant, the inert tetrahedral Au-20 cluster evolves into either an endohedral or a hollow-cage-like conformation. The structural changes are manifested in the catalytic properties as well, with the result that the transformed doped cages exhibit extremely low activation barriers for the environmentally important CO oxidation reaction as compared to reported inert Au-20 cluster. The activation barriers for CO oxidation are particularly low (\<0.12 eV) when germanium is directly involved in the CO oxidation. Thus, the current work highlights the importance of engineering structural properties of metal nanoclusters with the help of heteroatom dopants for future applications in efficient catalysis.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b04305}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43640, title = {Controllable synthesis of SnO2 photocatalyst with superior photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue dye solution}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Nanoscience}, volume = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1138-1155}, abstract = {SnO2 photocatalyst was successfully synthesised by novel chemical route in hydrothermal environment and annealed at two different temperatures viz 550 and 600 degrees C, respectively. The crystal structure, optical properties, surface and bulk morphology have been characterised using various tools like X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Cubic, spheres and porous like morphology of SnO2 photocatalyst was successfully confirmed using SEM micrographs and TEM. In addition to this the photocatalytic activity was evaluated towards the degradation of methylene blue dye solution. SnO2 photocatalyst annealed at 600 degrees C exhibits excellent photocatalytic efficiency which may be attributed to the unique morphology, high crystalline nature and charge separation. The photocatalyst efficiency was further tested towards the concentration of dye, catalyst dosage and pH of the dye. The involvement of center dot OH in the photocatalytic reaction was evidenced using trapping experiment by employing different scavengers. The photocatalyst was moderately active, stable upto its fifth usage and stability of the photocatalyst before and after the photocatalytic reaction was also been studied using XRD and SEM.}, doi = {10.1080/17458080.2016.1188222}, author = {Prakash, K. and Kumar, P. Senthil and Pandiaraj, S. and Saravanakumar, K. and Karuthapandian, S.} } @article { ISI:000380296000007, title = {Controlled synthesis of end-functionalized mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptides for lysosome targeting}, journal = {ACS Macro Letters}, volume = {5}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {809-813}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The ubiquitous expression of the mannose-6-phosphate receptor on the majority of human cells makes it a valid target in the quest to deliver therapeutics selectively to the lysosome. In this work end-functionalized polyvalent mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptides (M6P-GPs) with high molecular weights (up to 22 kDa) have been synthesized via NCA polymerization. These synthetic M6P-GPs were found to display minimal toxicity to cells in vitro and show exceptional selectivity for trafficking into lysosomes in various cell lines. Comparison of the cellular uptake behavior of M6P-GP and the corresponding mannose-GP polymer reveals that incorporation of the phosphate moiety at the 6-position of mannose completely alters its trafficking behavior and becomes exclusively lysosome specific. We also demonstrate that trafficking of M6P-GPs in mammalian cells is likely associated with the CI-MPR receptor pathway.

}, issn = {2161-1653}, doi = {10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00297}, author = {Das, Soumen and Parekh, Nimisha and Mondal, Basudeb and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000370005300013, title = {Convenient synthesis of alpha,alpha {\textquoteleft}- homo- and alpha,alpha {\textquoteleft}-hetero-bifunctionalized poly(epsilon-caprolactone)s by ring opening polymerization: the potentially valuable precursors for miktoarm star copolymers}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {844-860}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Two new ring opening polymerization (ROP) initiators, namely, (3-allyl-2-(allyloxy)phenyl)methanol and (3-allyl-2-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)phenyl)methanol each containing two reactive functionalities viz. allyl, allyloxy and allyl, propargyloxy, respectively, were synthesized from 3-allylsalicyaldehyde as a starting material. Well defined -allyl, -allyloxy and -allyl, -propargyloxy bifunctionalized poly(epsilon-caprolactone)s with molecular weights in the range 4200-9500 and 3600-10,900 g/mol and molecular weight distributions in the range 1.16-1.18 and 1.15-1.16, respectively, were synthesized by ROP of epsilon-caprolactone employing these initiators. The presence of -allyl, -allyloxy and -allyl, -propargyloxy functionalities on poly(epsilon-caprolactone)s was confirmed by FT-IR, H-1, C-13 NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI-TOF analysis. The kinetic study of ROP of epsilon-caprolactone with both the initiators revealed the pseudo first order kinetics with respect to epsilon-caprolactone consumption and controlled behavior of polymerization reactions. The usefulness of -allyl, -allyloxy functionalities on poly(epsilon-caprolactone) was demonstrated by performing the thiol-ene reaction with poly(ethylene glycol) thiol to obtain (mPEG)(2)-PCL miktoarm star copolymer. -Allyl, -propargyloxy functionalities on poly(epsilon-caprolactone) were utilized in orthogonal reactions i.e copper catalyzed alkyne-azide click (CuAAC) with azido functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) followed by thiol-ene reaction with poly(ethylene glycol) thiol to synthesize PCL-PNIPAAm-mPEG miktoarm star terpolymer. The preliminary characterization of A(2)B and ABC miktoarm star copolymers was carried out by H-1 NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 844-860

}, keywords = {3-allylsalicyaldehyde, alpha {\textquoteleft}-allyloxy and alpha-allyl, alpha {\textquoteleft}-propargyloxy bifunctionalized poly (epsilon-caprolactone)s, alpha-allyl, atom transfer radical polymerization, orthogonal reactions, ring-opening polymerization, star copolymers}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.27924}, author = {Patil, Sachin S. and Tawade, Bhausaheb V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000367840400003, title = {Crosslinked polymer embedded Cu/Ag for comparative drug adsorption and kinetics evaluation}, journal = {International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials}, volume = {65}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {285-293}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS AS}, address = {KARL JOHANS GATE 5, NO-0154 OSLO, NORWAY}, abstract = {

Two-dimensional crosslinked polymer (2-DCP) was synthesized for evaluation of drug adsorption and kinetics thereof. Further, polymer properties were evaluated and parameters such as contact time and adsorption isotherm were also studied. Herein, contact time demonstrated 83\% and 85\% of drug loading in an acidic medium for two-dimensional crosslinked polymer embedded copper and silver (2-DCP-Cu/Ag), respectively in 24h. Initial 4h is the exponential drug loading period whereas drug loading was increased gradually after 4h. Salbutamol loading was well-fitted to Langmuir adsorption isotherm, which indicated a monolayer drug adsorption with respect to 2-DCP-Cu/Ag. Pseudo first- and pseudo second-order kinetics was evaluated to perceive the drug adsorption mechanism and equilibrium adsorption capacity. Monolayer drug adsorption with chemisorption mechanism was observed for 2-DCP-Cu/Ag. In addition to this, decomposition temperature of polymer was 440 and 325 degrees C while glass transition temperature of polymer was 280 and 200 degrees C before and after metal modification, respectively. (A=aqueous phase; B=organic phase; C=drug solution; D=drug loaded polymer; E=enlarged drug loaded polymer.) [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {Adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, crosslink polymer, drug loading, langmuir adsorption isotherm, salbutamol}, issn = {0091-4037}, doi = {10.1080/00914037.2015.1119684}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000381052600004, title = {Crystal structure, computational studies, and stereoselectivity in the synthesis of 2-aryl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids via insitu imine intermediate}, journal = {Journal of Sulfur Chemistry}, volume = {37}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {401-425}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {2-4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OR14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This article presents the synthesis of (2R/2S,4R)-2-aryl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids via nucleophilic addition of L-Cysteine on aromatic aldehydes involving a yield and time-effective room temperature reaction in an aqueous DMSO medium in the presence of NaHCO3 as a base. The synthesized diastereomers were spectroscopically characterized and quantified for diastereomeric excess by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The impact of the type and position of substituent in aromatic aldehydes on reaction time, \% yield, H-1 NMR shift at newly formed chiral center [C(2)-H], and diastereomeric excess (de\%) have been investigated. A plausible mechanism for stereoselectivity via an in situ imine intermediate is proposed using real-time IR monitoring of the synthetic reaction based on the significant signals at 1597, 1593cm(-1) for imine (C=N) stretching. The imine mechanism for stereoselectivity was further supported by NMR studies of azomethine C-13 NMR signals at 159, 160ppm and by the single crystal structure of hitherto unknown (2S,4R)-3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)thiazolidine-4-carbox ylic acid (3a) obtained as a major diastereomer in the synthesis of the butyloxy carbonyl (BOC) derivative of (2R/2S,4R)-2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid. The significant ortho-OH effect of phenolic hydroxyl group leading to strong hydrogen bondings plays a vital role in the formation of 2S,4R BOC derivative stereoselectively. The frontier molecular orbitals, possible electronic excitations, IR band characterizations, and reactivity parameters of newly reported compound (3a) have been predicted using quantum chemical descriptors from density functional theory. The theoretical exploration of experimental spectra using time-dependent DFT indicated a (-*) transition between HOMO and LUMO in the ultraviolet region.

}, keywords = {2-aryl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids, density function theory, frontier molecular orbitals, imine intermediate, X-ray crystal structure}, issn = {1741-5993}, doi = {10.1080/17415993.2016.1156116}, author = {Jagtap, Rohidas M. and Rizvi, Masood A. and Dangat, Yuvraj B. and Pardeshi, Satish K.} } @article {45850, title = {Data on changes in the fatty acid composition during fruit development and ripening of three mango cultivars (Alphonso, Pairi and Kent) varying in lactone content}, journal = {Data in Brief}, volume = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {480-491}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Data in this article presents fatty acid composition of three mango cultivars; Alphonso, Pairi and Kent through fruit development and ripening. Change in the ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids level during mango fruit development and ripening is depicted. Also, data on aroma volatile {\textquoteleft}lactones{\textquoteright} composition from pulp and skin tissues of these cultivars at their ripe stage, respectively is provided. Statistical data is also shown, which correlates modulation in lactone content with that of fatty acid composition and content during fruit development and ripening in all the three mango cultivars.}, doi = {10.1016/j.dib.2016.09.018}, author = {Deshpande, A. B. and Chidley, H. G. and Oak, P. S. and Pujari, K. H. and Giri, A. P. and Gupta, V. S.} } @article {43613, title = {Diethylamine-catalyzed environmentally benign synthesis of 1-oxo-hexahydroxanthenes and bis-coumarins at ambient temperature}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {42}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6313-6325}, abstract = {An extremely simple, economical and environmentally benign protocol has been described for one-pot synthesis of 1-oxo-hexahydroxanthenes by pseudo three-component condensation between salicylaldehydes and dimedone, cyclohexane-1,3dione or 5-methyl cyclohexane-1,3-dione using diethylamine as the catalyst. Based upon the mechanism of the reaction, the protocol has been extended towards the synthesis of tetraketones and bis-coumarins.}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-016-2464-4}, author = {Kupwade, Ravindra V. and Pandit, Kapil S. and Desai, Uday V. and Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000371228200017, title = {Differentiating process performance of various coagulants in removal of congo red and orange G dyes}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {195-211}, publisher = {WALTER DE GRUYTER GMBH}, address = {GENTHINER STRASSE 13, D-10785 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Two refractory azo dyes-Congo red and Orange G, especially at high concentrations were subjected to coagulation with different conventional coagulants and newer formulations developed from Aluminum sulfate, Iron (III) chloride, Aluminium chloride, Poly diallydimethylammonium chloride (Poly DADMAC) and Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC). The highest COD reduction of 99 \% was obtained with PAC SAB 18 (Powder Grade PAC) for Congo red at pH 4.5 while the color removal of 99 \% was achieved with almost all the coagulants in the present study at specific pH within 3-8. The optimum dose for the iron-based coagulant is 200 mg/L while that of aluminum-based coagulants and PAC is 150-200 mg/L. Results showed that Orange G was more difficult to remove with a maximum COD removal of 65 \% and 35 \% color removal using various formulations. The combinational formulations of inorganic-inorganic and inorganic- organic produced a substantial enhancement in COD and color removal and reduced sludge. PAC-Fe30/70 produces the minimum sludge of 50 mL/g on Congo red. pH in the range 3-9 showed high reductions in COD and color (90-99 \%) for Congo red while jerky rise in COD and color reduction was observed in the case of Orange G after pH 9. An attempt to understand the dye coagulation mechanism has been made based on the specific difference in dye structure and cation speciation.

}, keywords = {coagulation, Congo red, dye removal, Orange G, Wastewater treatment}, issn = {2194-5748}, doi = {10.1515/ijcre-2015-0083}, author = {Prajapati, Kavita and Sorokhaibam, Laxmi Gayatri and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Killedar, D. J. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @conference {45852, title = {Diversity of arsenic resistant bacteria from Lonar lake: A meteorite impact alkaline crater lake in Indi}, booktitle = {Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability - Proceedings of the 6th International Congress on Arsenic in the Environment, AS 2016}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, publisher = {CRC Press/Balkema}, organization = {CRC Press/Balkema}, address = {Stockholm; Sweden}, abstract = {Lonar lake known for its meteorite impact origin and highly alkaline environment harbors a plethora of diverse organisms. Arsenic transforming microbe diversity from Lonar remains unexplored. We attempted to explore the microorganisms causing arsenic transformation using culture-dependent and independent approaches. Amongst the 67 microbes isolated, Bacillus infantis L4-18 and Bacillus solimangrovi L4-7b could oxidise 15 mM arsenite in 8 days. None of the cultures could reduce arsenate. All the other isolates resisted 2 mM arsenic. In the culture independent approach, microbial diversity revealed Bacteroides (41.9\%), followed by Proteobacteria (17.9\%), Firmicutes (14.2\%), Actinobacteria (13.9\%), occurring in the Lonar sediment sample. This study provides foundation to study microbial arsenic biogeochemical cycle along with other biochemical cycles and microbial function in Lonar lake eco system.}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85017026744\&origin=inward\&txGid=63266bcb17f730d2678898ea486dffa6}, author = {Bagade, A. V. and Paul, D. and Rikame, T. and Giri, A. P. and Dhotre, D. and Pawar, S. and Kodam, K.} } @article {43389, title = {Dynamic, reversible oxidative addition of highly polar bonds to a transition metal}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {138}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {16140-16147}, abstract = {The combination of Pt complexes and indium trihalides leads to compounds that form equilibria in solution between their In X oxidative addition (OA) products (Pt indyl complexes) and their metal-only Lewis pair (MOLP) isomers (LnPt -> InX3). The position of the equilibria can be altered reversibly by changing the solvent, while the equilibria can be reversibly and irreversibly driven toward the MOLP products by addition of further donor ligands. The results mark the first observation of an equilibrium between MOLP and OA isomers, as well as the most polar bond ever observed to undergo reversible oxidative addition to a metal complex. In addition, we present the first structural characterization of MOLP and oxidative addition isomers of the same compound. The relative energies of the MOLP and OA isomers were calculated by DFT methods, and the possibility of solvent-mediated isomerization is discussed.}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.6b10609}, author = {Bertermann, Ruediger and Boehnke, Julian and Braunschweig, Holger and Dewhurst, Rian D. and Kupfer, Thomas and Muessig, Jonas H. and Pentecost, Leanne and Radacki, Krzysztof and Sen, Sakya S. and Vargas, Alfredo} } @article {43394, title = {Effect of mixed acid catalysis on pretreatment and enzymatic digestibility of sugar cane bagasse}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {30}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7310-7318}, abstract = {Aqueous pretreatment using homogeneous acid catalyst is considered as a low-cost technology in the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol. To establish the synergism of mixed acids, pilot-level aqueous pretreatments of bagasse covering a wide range of combined severity (CS) were carried out. To investigate the effect of application of mixture of acids on xylose hydrolysis as well as glucose hydrolysis via pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, the following three combinations of acids were explored: (1) oxalic acid + sulfuric acid (organic + mineral acid), (2) phosphoric + sulfuric acid (mineral acids), and (3) ferric chloride + sulfuric acid (Lewis acid with a mineral acid). Of the pretreatments evaluated, the synergism was most pronounced for the combination of sulfuric and phosphoric acid, which resulted in more than 90\% conversion of hemicellulose to xylose and 70\% conversion of cellulose to glucose through enzymatic hydrolysis. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies of pretreated samples showed higher syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio for sulfuric and phosphoric acid combination pretreatment, leading to higher enzymatic conversion. FTIR and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments conducted on pretreated sugar cane bagasse provided useful correlation with regard to the pretreatment type, particle size, and enzymatic hydrolysis.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01011}, author = {Pal, Siddhartha and Joy, Shereena and Kumbhar, Pramod and Trimukhe, K. D. and Varma, Anjanikumar and Padmanabhan, Sasisanker} } @article { ISI:000377257000076, title = {Effect of plasma treatment on multilayer graphene: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface morphology investigations and work function measurements}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {54}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {48843-48850}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report here the effect of plasma treatment on multilayer graphene samples as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and surface morphology studies with atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The plasma treatment was modified to introduce controlled levels of defects and functionalities to the graphene samples to give tunable properties. The elemental composition and structure were investigated by XPS and micro Raman spectroscopy. The XPS study showed that there was a slight variation in the sp(2)/sp(3) hybridization ratio between the plasma-treated samples and the pristine sample. Kelvin probe measurements were carried out on all the multilayer graphene samples and indicated a slight variation in the work function of the graphene samples after plasma treatment.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra03046g}, author = {Patil, Urmila V. and Pawbake, Amit S. and Machuno, Luis G. B. and Gelamo, Rogerio V. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000362919800035, title = {Effect of process intensifying parameters on the hydrodynamic cavitation based degradation of commercial pesticide (methomyl) in the aqueous solution}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {28}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {283-293}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Methomyl, a carbamate pesticide, is classified as a pesticide of category-1 toxicity and hence shows harmful effects on both human and aquatic life. In the present work, the degradation of methomyl has been studied by using hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (HC) and its combination with intensifying agents such as H2O2, fenton reagent and ozone (hybrid processes). Initially, the optimization of operating parameters such pH and inlet pressure to the cavitating device (circular venturi) has been carried out for maximizing the efficacy of hydrodynamic cavitation. Further degradation study of methomyl by the application of hybrid processes was carried out at an optimal pH of 2.5 and the optimal inlet pressure of 5 bar. Significant synergetic effect has been observed in case of all the hybrid processes studied. Synergetic coefficient of 5.8, 13.41 and 47.6 has been obtained by combining hydrodynamic cavitation with H2O2, fenton process and ozone respectively. Efficacy of individual and hybrid processes has also been obtained in terms of energy efficiency and extent of mineralization. HC + Ozone process has proved to be the most effective process having highest synergetic coefficient, energy efficiency and the extent of mineralization. The study has also encompassed the identification of intermediate by-products generated during the degradation and has proposed the probable degradation pathway. It has been conclusively established that hydrodynamic cavitation in the presence of intensifying agents can effectively be used for complete degradation of methomyl. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), Hydrodynamic cavitation, Methomyl, Synergetic coefficient, Venturi}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2015.08.004}, author = {Raut-Jadhav, Sunita and Saini, Daulat and Sonawane, Shirish and Pandit, Aniruddha} } @article {42853, title = {Effective and selective oxidation of 2-butanol over Mn supported catalyst systems}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {525}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {237-246}, abstract = {

Oxidation of alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes/ketones is an important reaction in industries as well as in academic perspective. Selective oxidation (Selox) of alcohols like methanol, ethanol and propanol are well studied in literature; however, alcohols like butanol, pentanol, octanol is a challenging task. Selective oxidation of 2-butanol to methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is an important reaction due to its wide range of applications. Herein, we demonstrated the selective oxidation of 2-butanol to MEK over Mn supported on different oxide supports. A series of MnxOy-Al2O3 (MA), MnxOy-CeO2 (MC), MnxOy-ZrO2 (MZ) and MnxOy-SiO2 (MS) catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation followed by hydrothermal method. As synthesised catalysts were characterised by various physico-chemical characterisation techniques. It was found that the presence of Mn3O4 species in MA and MZ catalysts is responsible for maximum catalytic activity towards 2-butanol oxidation. MA catalyst conferred a maximum 2-butanol conversion of 51\% and 88\% selectivity towards MEK. XPS analysis revealed that Mn in MA catalyst exists in +2 and +3 oxidation states and responsible for 2-butanol oxidation. Moreover it was found that the acidity of the catalyst also plays an important role in catalytic activity. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2016.08.005}, author = {Prabu, Kandasamy and Prabu, Marimuthu and Venugopal, Ashok Kumar and Venugopalan, Aswathy Thareparambil and Sandilya, W. V. Y. Sai and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {43620, title = {Effective noncovalent functionalization of poly(ethylene glycol) to reduced graphene oxidenanosheets through gamma-radiolysis for enhanced lubrication}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {120}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2139-2148}, abstract = {High-quality reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (NSs) were synthesized by the oxidation of graphite followed by hydrazine treatment for the reduction of the oxygen functionalities. gamma-Radiolysis was then used for the functionalization of the rGO-NSs with poly(ethylene glycol) 200 (PEG200). The functionalization resulted in the intercalation of PEG200 molecules in rGO through hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups of rGO and the oxygen atoms of PEG200 molecules. This resulted in an increase in the d spacing of the graphene sheets and a decrease in the defect density of the carbon network in the rGO. The friction coefficient and wear of sliding steel surfaces were reduced by 38\% and 55\%, respectively, when 0.03 mg mL(-1) PEG200-functionalized rGO dispersed in PEG200 was used. The lubrication properties can be described by bipolar interactions between PEG200 and rGO, leading to effective dispersion. Chemical analysis of wear particles showed decomposition of rGO into nanosized graphite domains, as exhibited by mechanical energy produced in tribo-contact. Moreover, these domains formed effective and stable tribofilms on the steel wear tracks that easily sheared under the action of contact stress. This significantly enhanced the antifriction and antiwear properties, resulting in improved oxidation resistance of PEG200 under the tribo-contact. It was found that, at high rGO concentrations, the lubrication efficiency decreased as a result of graphene-graphene intersheet collisions, producing mechanical energy and chemical defects at contact interfaces.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b08762}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Kumar, Niranjan and Panda, Kalpataru and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Joshi, Shailesh and Dash, Sitaram and Tyagi, Ashok Kumar} } @article {43395, title = {Effects of thermal treatment of ZnO-ZnCr2O4 catalyst on the particle size and product selectivity in dehydrocyclization of crude glycerol and ethylenediamine}, journal = {Kinetics and Catalysis}, volume = {57}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {602-609}, abstract = {The ZnO-ZnCr2O4 (Zn-Cr-O) sample obtained by decomposition of Zn-Cr hydrotalcite precursor was subjected to the thermal treatment at different temperatures and the physico-chemical properties of the Zn-Cr-O system were compared with its catalytic behavior in dehydrocyclization of crude glycerol and ethylenediamine (EDA). Upon high temperature treatment of Zn-Cr-O the Cr6+ ions underwent autoreduction to form stable Cr3+ species and the particle size of both ZnO and ZnCr2O4 increased dramatically. Thermal effect did not influence the intermolecular cyclisation of EDA to form pyrazine. By contrast, an inversely proportional dependence was found between the rate of formation of 2-methylpyrazine and the particle size of Zn-Cr-O whereas the rate of 2-pyrazinylmethanol was directly proportional to the particle size.}, doi = {10.1134/S0023158416050177}, author = {Sarkari, Reema and Krishna, Vankudoth and Sudhakar, Medak and Rao, Tumula Venkateshwar and Padmasri, Aytam Hari and Srinivas, Darbha and Venugopal, Akula} } @article { ISI:000378390300022, title = {Efficient access to alkynylated quinalizinones via the gold(I)-catalyzed aminoalkynylation of alkynes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {52}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {8152-8155}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The gold-catalyzed aminoalkynylation of alkynes for the synthesis of quinalizinones is reported. For instance, the reaction of pyridinoalkynes with 1-[(triisopropylsilyl)-ethynyl]-1,2-benziodoxol-3(1H)-one (TIPS-EBX) in the presence of a catalytic amount of AuCl at 50 8C afforded alkynylated quinalizinones in 57-87\% yields.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc03414d}, author = {Shinde, Popat S. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000377424600004, title = {Efficient cellular entry of (r-x-r)-type carbamate-plasmid DNA complexes and its implication for noninvasive topical DNA delivery to skin}, journal = {Molecular Pharmaceutics}, volume = {13}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1779-1790}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Arginine-rich cell penetrating peptides are powerful tools for in vitro as well as in vivo delivery of a wide plethora of biomolecules. However, presence of consecutive arginine residues leads to enhanced amenability for proteolytic degradation as well as steric hindrances for membrane interactions which compromise its bioavailability. In order to overcome these limitations we previously reported a safe and stable octaarginine based oligomer, i.e., (r-x-r)4-carbamate, where the backbone amide linkages were replaced by carbamate linkages and 6-aminohexanoic acid based spacer moieties were incorporated for better flexibility, hydrophobicity, optimal spacing of guanidinium groups, and protection against proteolytic cleavage; resulting in improved transfection efficiency over its amide counterpart. In the present work we have investigated the mechanism behind this enhanced transfection efficiency and, based on our observations, demonstrate how the synergistic effect of rationalized oligomer designing, complex characteristics, and cell type contributes to overall effective intracellular delivery. Our results indicate that the (r-x-r)4-carbamate plasmid DNA complexes primarily utilize lipid raft dependent pathway of cellular entry more than other pathways, and this possibly facilitates their increased entry in the lipid raft rich milieu of skin cells. We also emphasize the utility of oligomer (r-x-r)4-carbamate as an efficient carrier for topical delivery of nucleic acids in skin tissue. This carrier can be utilized for safe, efficient, and noninvasive delivery of therapeutically relevant macromolecular hydrophilic cargo like nucleic acids to skin.

}, keywords = {Cell penetrating peptides, endocytosis, nucleic acid delivery, skin penetration, transfection}, issn = {1543-8384}, doi = {10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00915}, author = {Vij, Manika and Natarajan, Poornemaa and Yadav, Amit K. and Patil, Kiran M. and Pandey, Tanuja and Gupta, Nidhi and Santhiya, Deenan and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Fernandes, Moneesha and Ganguli, Munia} } @article { ISI:000373519600016, title = {Efficient strategy for the construction of both enantiomers of the octahydropyrroloquinolinone ring system: total synthesis of (+)-aspidospermidine}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {1558-1561}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient and highly stereoselective intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition of nonstabilized azomethine ylide generated from a designed bicyclic aminal precursor is reported for the synthesis of both (-)- and (+)-octahy-dropyrroloquinolinone. One of the enantiomers is further advanced to accomplish the total synthesis of (+)-aspidospermidine.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b00374}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Burugu, Shiva Kumar and Singh, Pushpendra} } @article {45835, title = {Efficient synthesis of potent anti-tubercular drug candidate BM212}, journal = {Rasayan Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {806-811}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel five step total synthesis route for an anti-tubercular drug BM212 starting from 4-chlorophenacyl bromide was developed with 48\% overall yield. The synthesis is amiable for the synthesis of biologically active derivatives of BM 212.

}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85006821396\&origin=inward\&txGid=dd9ebfd9dd46604a8f7c425b110c73d0}, author = {More, N. A. and Patil, M. D. and Garud, D. R. and Gajbhiye, J. M.} } @article {43638, title = {Electrocatalytic water oxidation by a molecular cobalt complex through a high valent cobalt oxo intermediate}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {11787-11790}, abstract = {Biuret-modified tetraamidomacrocyclic cobalt complex [Co-III-bTAML]- is shown to catalyze electrochemical water oxidation at basic pH leading to the formation of O-2. Electrochemical and spectroscopic studies indicate a high valent cobalt oxo intermediate isoelectronic to Co-V(O) as the active oxidant. The kinetic isotope effect of 8.63 indicates an atom proton transfer mechanism.}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc05773j}, author = {Das, Debasree and Pattanayak, Santanu and Singh, Kundan K. and Garai, Bikash and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000371103000013, title = {Electron detachment and subsequent structural changes of water clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {120}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1065-1073}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A cost-effective equation of motion coupled cluster method, EOMIP-CCSD(2), is used to investigate vertical and adiabatic ionization potential as well as ionization-induced structural changes of water clusters and compared with CCSD(T), CASPT2, and MP2 methods. The moderate N-5 scaling and low storage requirement yields EOMIP-CCSD (2) calculation feasible even for reasonably large molecules and clusters with accuracy comparable to CCSD(T) method at much cheaper computational cost. Our calculations shed light on the authenticity of EOMIP-CCSD(2) results and establish a reliable method to study of ionization energy of molecular clusters. We have further investigated the performance of several classes of DFT functionals for ionization energies of water clusters to benchmark the results and to get a reliable functionals for the same.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpca.5b09389}, author = {Das, Susanta and Sengupta, Turbasu and Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000371608600013, title = {Endohedrally doped gold nanocages: efficient catalysts for O-2 activation and CO oxidation}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {18}, number = {10}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {7068-7074}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Gold nanocages are the most attractive catalytic materials as all the atoms in the cage type clusters reside on the surface, making them available for chemisorption by reacting molecules. Due to a hollow space at the center, their chemical and catalytic properties can be tuned effectively and easily by endohedral doping. While a significant experimental and theoretical understanding is currently available on the structural and electronic properties of doped gold cages, very little information is available on their reactivity and catalytic behavior. In the present work, with the help of density functional theory calculations we demonstrate that endohedral doping leads to a notable increase in the binding energy of molecular oxygen on the gold nanocages. The enhancement in the O-2 binding energy on the doped gold cages is also confirmed by a significant decrease in the Au-O and an increase in the O-O bond lengths, corroborated by a red shift (similar to 250 cm(-1)) in the O-O stretching frequency as compared to the pristine cage. Furthermore, interestingly, the doped gold cages show very low activation barriers for the environmentally important CO oxidation reaction as compared to the pristine gold cage. Importantly, the decrease in the barrier height is comparatively greater for the rate limiting step of O-O-C-O intermediate formation and as a result the CO oxidation is expected to be more facile on the doped gold cages. Thus, the current study highlights the role of heteroatom doping in imparting new chemical and catalytic properties to gold cages and is expected to spur further research in the design of efficient gold nanocatalysts.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp05624a}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000377811100004, title = {Enhanced field emission behavior of layered MoSe2}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {3}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 035003}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report one step facile chemical vapor deposition method for synthesis of single-layer MoSe2 nanosheets with average lateral dimension similar to 60 mu m on 300 nm SiO2/Si and n-type silicon substrates and field emission investigation of MoSe2/Si at the base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The morphological and structural analyses of the as-deposited single-layer MoSe2 nanosheets were carried out using an optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the values of turn-on and threshold fields required to extract an emission current densities of 1 and 10 mu A cm(-2), are found to be similar to 1.9 and similar to 2.3 V mu m(-1), respectively. Interestingly, the MoSe2 nanosheet emitter delivers maximum field emission current density of similar to 1.5 mA cm(-2) at a relatively lower applied electric field of similar to 3.9 V mu m(-1). The long term operational current stability recorded at the preset values of 35 mu A over 3 hr duration and is found to be very good. The observed results demonstrates that the layered MoSe2 nanosheet based field emitter can open up many opportunities for their potential application as an electron source in flat panel display, transmission electron microscope, and x-ray generation. Thus, the facile one step synthesis approach and robust nature of single-layer MoSe2 nanosheets emitter can provide prospects for the future development of practical electron sources.

}, keywords = {atomically thin nanosheets, chemical vapor deposition, field emission, layered MoSe2}, issn = {2053-1591}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/3/3/035003}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Pawbake, Amit S. and Pawar, Mahendra S. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000368191100026, title = {Enhanced nucleation of polypropylene by metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on aluminium dicarboxylates: influence of structural features}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1907-1912}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on aluminium dicarboxylates provide a new platform for the enhanced nucleation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). For instance, aluminium dicarboxylates exhibit a unique butterfly-like structure similar to that of carboxylate-alumoxanes and correlates well with the nucleation characteristics of iPP. A subtle change in the structure of the ligand backbone (fumarate/succinate) does not alter the framework structure despite changing the hydrophilic/hydrophobic character and its subsequent nucleation characteristics. This suggests that the nucleating agent should facilitate favourable interaction with hydrophobic iPP for efficient nucleation. Further, a systematic variation of the alkyl chain length in the Al-dicarboxylate does not change the nucleation efficiency considerably, even though it increases the distance between the octahedral alumina chains in the metal-organic framework, suggesting that the butterfly-like structure present in the framework is a key aspect for nucleation. Finally, the significance of the orientational conformation of the dicarboxylate around the metal centre for the nucleation is confirmed by the poor nucleation efficiency of chromium and zirconium suberate MOFs where the orientation of suberate would be different from that of aluminium suberate due to the difference in the ligation of the carboxylate group. The present work thus provides valuable pathways for developing new nucleating agents based on MOFs with appropriate selection and orientation of the organic linkers around the metal centre.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra22764j}, author = {Mani, Mohan Raj and Chellaswamy, Ramesh and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {43436, title = {Evaluating the anticancer activity and nanoparticulate nature of homeopathic preparations of Terminalia chebula}, journal = {Homeopathy}, volume = {105}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {318-326}, abstract = {Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women and is the second leading cause of cancer death. Homeopathic medicines are part of the alternative medicines that are given as a supportive therapy in breast cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of commercially available homeopathic preparations of Terminalia chebula (TC) and evaluate their nanoparticulate nature. Methods: Mother tincture (MT) and other homeopathic preparations (3X, 6C and 30C) of TC were tested for their effect on the viability of breast cancer (MDAMB231 and MCF7) and non-cancerous (HEK 293) cell lines by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell growth assay was performed to analyze the effect of the different potencies on the growth kinetics of breast cancer cells. MT and 6C were evaluated for the presence of nanoparticles by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: MT decreased the viability of breast cancer (MDAMB231 and MCF7) and non-cancerous (HEK 293) cells. However, the other potencies (3X, 6C and 30C) decreased the viability of only breast cancer cells without affecting the viability of the non-cancerous cells. All the potencies, MT, 3X, 6C and 30C, reduced growth kinetics of breast cancer cells, more specifically at 1:10 dilution at 24, 48 and 72 h. Under SEM, MT appeared as a mesh-like structure whereas under TEM, it showed presence of nanoclusters. On the other hand, 6C potency contained 20 nm sized nanoparticles. Conclusion: The current study reports the anticancer activity of homeopathic preparations of TC against breast cancer and reveals their nanoparticulate nature. These preliminary results warrant further mechanistic studies at both in vitro and in vivo levels to evaluate the potential of TC as nanomedicine in breast cancer.}, doi = {10.1016/j.homp.2016.02.004}, author = {Wani, Kirtee and Shah, Nilesh and Prabhune, Asmita and Jadhav, Arun and Ranjekar, Prabhakar and Kaul-Ghanekar, Ruchika} } @article { ISI:000378508900020, title = {Experimental and computational analysis of supramolecular motifs involving C-sp2(aromatic)-F and CF3 groups in organic solids}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {40}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4981-5001}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A detailed experimental (SCXRD) and theoretical (PIXEL and QTAIM) investigation of the evolution of different supramolecular motifs formed via the presence of both C(sp(2))/(sp(3))-F groups in the crystal packing has been performed in a series of newly synthesized substituted benzanilides (containing {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}both{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} the fluorine and the trifluoromethyl group in the same molecule) along with previously reported similarly related crystal structures [CrystEngComm, 2008, 10, 54-67; CrystEngComm, 2012, 14, 1972-1989, CrystEngComm, 2013, 15, 3711-3733]. It was observed that the highest stabilized molecular motifs primarily consist of C(sp(2))-H center dot center dot center dot F-C(sp(2)) H-bonds in preference to C(sp(2))-H center dot center dot center dot F-C(sp(3)) H-bonds in the crystal. The motifs involving C(sp(2))-H center dot center dot center dot F-C(sp(2))/(sp(3)) H bonds were observed to be present over the entire distance range between 2.2 and 2.7 angstrom, albeit the difference in energies of stabilization involving fluorine atoms attached to sp(2) and sp(3) carbon is not significant in molecular crystals. From QTAIM analysis, the C(sp(2))/(sp(3))-F center dot center dot center dot F-C(sp(2))/(sp(3)) interactions were observed to be a closed shell in nature and provide local stabilization, indicating the formation of bonds, similar to weak hydrogen bonds observed in crystals.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c5nj03211c}, author = {Panini, Piyush and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Chopra, Deepak} } @article { ISI:000366590300006, title = {Exploring activity differences between the hydroformylation catalysts: Insights from theory}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {801}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {30-41}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Hydroformylation catalysis is the most important homogeneous catalysis process of the current day. The current computational investigation aims to understand the nature of the hydroformylation process when monodentate ligands are employed. The complete catalytic cycle for different monodentate ligands bound to the rhodium center has been studied with full quantum chemical calculations, with density functional theory (DFT). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic investigation of the relative free energy surfaces for mono-coordinate monodentate and bi-coordinated monodentate ligands in hydroformylation catalysis. The results indicate that the barriers are lower for the mono-coordinate monodentate species in comparison to the bi-coordinate monodentate, for all the ligand cases studied, indicating higher activity for the mono-coordinate monodentate active species. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, Hydroformylation, Monodentate, Rhodium}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2015.10.015}, author = {Dangat, Yuvraj B. and Rizvi, Masood Ahmad and Pandey, Pippalad and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000378295200030, title = {Facile access to a Ge(II) dication stabilized by isocyanides}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {50}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7890-7892}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we introduce isocyanide as a ligand in main group chemistry and describe the facile isolation of a Ge(II) dication. The reaction of 2,6-dimethylphenylisocyanide with GeCl2 leads to the formation of a Ge(II) dication with two [GeCl3](-) molecules as counter anions. The dicationic Ge(II) center is bound to four isocyanide ligands and also holds a lone pair of electrons. DFT calculations reveal that the dication is stabilized only by sigma-donation from the four isocyanide ligands. Natural population analysis gives a charge of +0.74 on the Ge(II) center, indicating that the positive charge is shared by the isocyanide substituents.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc03789e}, author = {Swamy, V. S. V. S. N. and Yadav, Sandeep and Pal, Shiv and Das, Tamal and Vanka, Kumar and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {43604, title = {Facile approach towards fabrication of GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture as high currentdensity cold cathode}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3723-3729}, abstract = {Three dimensional (3D) GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture comprised of thin coating of GdB6 on self aligned ZnO urchins with pointed apex has been synthesized employing optimized Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique. The self aligned ZnO urchins on Zn substrate were obtained using hydrothermal route. The as-synthesized GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture was characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM XPS, and UPS in order to reveal its structural, morphological, chemical, and electronic properties. Interestingly, the GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture exhibits superior field emission (FE) behviour in contrast to the pristine ZnO urchins envisaged by extraction of very high emission current density of similar to 4.6 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 4.5 V/mm, against similar to 1.5 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 5.6 V/mm from the pristine ZnO urchins emitter. Furthermore, the GdB6-ZnOemitter exhibits good emission stability at pre-set value of similar to 5 mA over duration of more than 3 hours. The superior FE behaviour of the GdB6-ZnO is attributed to low work-function of GdB6 and presence of nanometric protrusions on the emitter surface, further enhancing the aspect ratio provided by the ZnO urchins. The present results demonstrate a facile approach towards fabrication of high current density cold cathodes due to rare earth hexaborides via designing hetero-architectures comprised of their well adherent ultrathin coating on high aspect ratio metal oxide nanostructures.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201600956}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Mistari, Chetan D. and Singh, Anil K. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sinha, Sucharita and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000377604100021, title = {Facile green synthesis of BCN nanosheets as high-performance electrode material for electrochemical energy storage}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {22}, number = {21}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7134-7140}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Two-dimensional hexagonal boron carbon nitride (BCN) nanosheets (NSs) were synthesized by new approach in which a mixture of glucose and an adduct of boric acid (H3BO3) and urea (NH2CONH2) is heated at 900 degrees C. The method is green, scalable and gives a high yield of BCN NSs with average size of about 1 mm and thickness of about 13 nm. Structural characterization of the as-synthesized material was carried out by several techniques, and its energy-storage properties were evaluated electrochemically. The material showed excellent capacitive behaviour with a specific capacitance as high as 244 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1). The material retains up to 96\% of its initial capacity after 3000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g(-1).

}, keywords = {boron, Doping, Electrochemistry, Nanoparticles, nitrides}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201505225}, author = {Karbhal, Indrapal and Devarapalli, Rami Reddy and Debgupta, Joyashish and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Ajayan, Pulickel M. and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {42847, title = {Facile strategy for accessing 3-alkynylchromones through gold-catalyzed alkynylation/cyclization of o-hydroxyarylenaminones}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {12306-12309}, abstract = {

A strategy based on tandem alkynylation of o-hydroxyarylenaminones followed by intramolecular cyclization has been developed to generate a diverse array of 3-alkynyl chromones. The functionality embedded in these key intermediates enables their facile elaboration into more diverse structures by a variety of functionalizations and ring-forming processes.

}, doi = {10.1039/C6CC07119H}, author = {Akram, Manjur O. and Bera, Saibal and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45858, title = {Fate of inorganic nanoparticles in agriculture}, journal = {Advanced Materials Letters}, volume = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {3-12}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

In modern world, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are increasingly becoming an important component of daily life. They are becoming an integral part of a wide range of man-made products including electronics, paints, biomedical products, sunscreens, clothing, automobiles, etc. Rapid progress in the manufacturing of ENPs and the subsequent increase in its commercial applications always have had an impact on agriculture due to the exposure of living things to these ENPs. Also, human beings are directly dependent on the plants because of their nutritional values. Hence, the impact of nanoparticles on agricultural soil and plants is always of topical interest. It is imperative to be aware of the effects of nanoparticles on soil as well as on the soil ecosystem it supports especially the soil microbes and plants; or more specifically whether they have an influence on the agricultural yield and agri-economy. It is also important to study the effects of man-made nanomaterials on the properties of agricultural soil. This work reviews some of the key features of the impact of ENPs on the environment and the fate of ENPs in agriculture.

}, doi = {10.5185/amlett.2016.6048}, author = {Phogat, N. and Khan, S. A. and Shankar, S. and Ansary, A. A. and Uddin, I.} } @article {45647, title = {Fluorescent carbon nanodots for targeted in vitro cancer cell imaging}, journal = {Applied Materials Today}, volume = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {71-77}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs or C-dots, \<= 10nm in size) are tiny carbon nanoparticles being envisaged in biosensing, bio-imaging and biomolecular/drug delivery. In the present investigation, green fluorescent carbon quantum/nano dots (GCQDs, similar to 3 nm in size) were synthesized through facile chemical slicing method. Further, folic acid (FA) functionalized GCQDs (GCQDs-FA) were obtained to enhance their targeting ability. FA is known to positively influence the binding potential and penetration into the cancer cells because of high abundance of folate receptors (FR) on various cancer cell membranes. We report high biocompatibility, photoluminescence stability and excellent in vitro cancer cell cytoplasm and nucleus targeting performance of GCQDs-FA on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cancer cell bio-imaging, Carbon quantum/nano dots, Cell cytoplasm and nucleus targeting, Green fluorescence, Photoluminescence stability, Targeting ability}, issn = {2352-9407}, doi = {10.1016/j.apmt.2016.07.001}, author = {Aiyer, Sandhya and Prasad, Rajendra and Kumar, Manoj and Niryikar, K. and Jain, Bhanprakash and Kushwaha, Omkar S.} } @article {43402, title = {Fluorescent probe for bisulfite ions: its application to two-photon tissue imaging}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {7888-7894}, abstract = {A benzoxazinone based fluorescent probe for the specific and efficient detection of bisulfite ions in aqueous medium is described. The probe formed a bisulfite/sulphite adduct with an associated turn-on fluorescence response in the red wavelength region. No interference was observed in the detection process from all possible competing anions and molecules, including cyanide ion, cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione. In addition, the probe showed a fast response time, low detection limit, and cell membrane permeability. Furthermore, the probe was two-photon excitable, enabling imaging of endogenous bisulfite ions in HeLa cells as well as in deep tissues from different organs of mouse.}, doi = {10.1039/c6tb02637k}, author = {Agarwalla, Hridesh and Pal, Suman and Paul, Anirban and Jun, Yong Woong and Bae, Juryang and Ahn, Kyo Han and Srivastava, Divesh N. and Das, Amitava} } @article {43166, title = {Fluoride-mediated dephosphonylation of α-diazo-β-carbonyl phosphonates}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {372 - 375}, abstract = {The possibility of fluoride-mediated selective dephosphonylation of α-diazo-β-carbonyl phosphonates such as the Ohira-Bestmann reagent has been proposed and executed. The resulting α-diazocarbonyl intermediates undergo a (3 + 2)-cycloaddition at room temperature with conjugated olefins and benzynes. Interestingly, under the current conditions, the resulting cycloaddition products underwent either N-acylation (with excess α-diazo-β-carbonyl phosphonates) or Michael addition (with conjugated olefins).}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Mullapudi, Venkanna Babu and Wakchaure, Vivek Chandrakant and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000369200500019, title = {Functional and conformational transitions of mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase from Bacopa monniera}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {83}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {160-170}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Functional and conformational transitions of mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD), a key enzyme of mevalonate pathway in isoprenoid biosynthesis, from Bacopa monniera (BmMDD), cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli were studied under thermal, chemical and pH-mediated denaturation conditions using fluorescence and Circular dichroism spectroscopy. Native BmMDD is a helix dominant structure with 45\% helix and 11\% sheets and possesses seven tryptophan residues with two residues exposed on surface, three residues partially exposed and two situated in the interior of the protein. Thermal denaturation of BmMDD causes rapid structural transitions at and above 40 degrees C and transient exposure of hydrophobic residues at 50 degrees C, leading to aggregation of the protein. An acid induced molten globule like structure was observed at pH 4, exhibiting altered but compact secondary structure, distorted tertiary structure and exposed hydrophobic residues. The molten globule displayed different response at higher temperature and similar response to chemical denaturation as compared to the native protein. The surface tryptophans have predominantly positively charged amino acids around them, as indicated by higher K-SV for IC as compared to that for CsCl. The native enzyme displayed two different lifetimes, vi (1.203 +/- 0.036 ns) and tau 2 (3.473 +/- 0.12 ns) indicating two populations of tryptophan. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aggregation, CD spectroscopy, Fluorescence quenching, Mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase, Unfolding}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2015.11.067}, author = {Shakeel, Abbassi and Patel, Krunal and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Bhosale, Siddharth H. and Gaikwad, Sushama M.} } @article { ISI:000374800700041, title = {Functional characterization and transient expression manipulation of a new sesquiterpene synthase involved in beta-caryophyllene accumulation in Ocimum}, journal = {Biochemical And Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {473}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {265-271}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The genus Ocimum has a unique blend of diverse secondary metabolites, with major proportion of terpenoids including mono- and sesquiterpenes. Although, beta-Caryophyllene, bicyclic sesquiterpene, is one of the major terpene found in Ocimum species and known to possess several biological activities, not much is known about its biosynthesis in Ocimum. Here, we describe isolation and characterization of beta-caryophyllene synthase gene from Ocimum kilimandscharicum Gurke (OkBCS- GenBank accession no. KP226502). The open reading frame of 1629 bp encoded a protein of 542 amino acids with molecular mass of 63.6 kDa and pl value of 5.66. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed 50-70\% similarity with known sesquiterpene synthases from angiosperms. Recombinant OkBCS converted farnesyl diphosphate to beta-caryophyllene as a major product (94\%) and 6\% alpha-humulene. Expression variation of OkBCS well corroborated with beta-caryophyllene levels in different tissues from five Ocimum species. OkBCS transcript revealed higher expression in leaves and flowers. Further, agro-infiltration based transient expression manipulation with OkBCS over-expression and silencing confirmed its role in beta-caryophyllene biosynthesis. These findings may potentially be further utilized to improve plant defense against insect pests. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {beta-Caryophyllene, Natural product biosynthesis, Ocimum, Terpene synthase, Transient expression}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.03.090}, author = {Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Anand, Atul and Beedkar, Supriya D. and Dholakia, Shushan B. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Kalunke, Raviraj M. and Gade, Wasudeo N. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000380864900003, title = {Functionalization and isoreticulation in a series of metal-organic frameworks derived from pyridinecarboxylates}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {55}, number = {15}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7200-7205}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The partially fluorinated metal-organic frameworks (F-MOFs) have been constructed from 3-fltoro-4-pyridinecarboxylic acid and trans-3-fluoro-4-pyridineacrylic acid linkers using Mn2+, Co2+, and, Cd2+ metals via the solvothetrnal method, which show isostructural isomerism with their nonfluorinated counterparts synthesized using 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid and trans-4-pyridineacrylic acid, respectively. The simultaneous effect of partial fluorination and isoreticulation on structure and H-2 adsorption has been studied systematically in isostructural nonfluorinated and partially fluorinated MOFs, which shows that the increment in the hydrogen uptake properties in F-MOFs is not a universal phenomenon but is rather system-specific and changes from one system to another.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b00758}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Garai, Bikash and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {42998, title = {Fungal mediated kinetic resolution of racemic acetates to (R)-alcohols using fusarium proliferatum}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {57}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4563-4567}, abstract = {

Fungal mediated kinetic resolution of seven acyclic/aromatic acetates was achieved using Fusarium proliferatum to furnish (R)-alcohols in high enantiomeric excess (\>95\%). The kinetic resolution was established as one-pot two-step de-esterification/oxidation biocatalytic process. Further, the preparative scale synthesis of (R)-(+)-1-phenylethanol was accomplished through de-esterification/oxidation of (+/-)-1-phenylethyl acetate using the whole cell of F. proliferatum NCIM 1105. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2016.08.084}, author = {Jadhav, Dipesh D. and Patil, Harshal S. and Chaya, Patil S. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000378741200010, title = {Fusarium oxysporum mediates systems metabolic reprogramming of chickpea roots as revealed by a combination of proteomics and metabolomics}, journal = {Plant Biotechnology Journal}, volume = {14}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1589-1603}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Molecular changes elicited by plants in response to fungal attack and how this affects plant-pathogen interaction, including susceptibility or resistance, remain elusive. We studied the dynamics in root metabolism during compatible and incompatible interactions between chickpea and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (Foc), using quantitative label-free proteomics and NMR-based metabolomics. Results demonstrated differential expression of proteins and metabolites upon Foc inoculations in the resistant plants compared with the susceptible ones. Additionally, expression analysis of candidate genes supported the proteomic and metabolic variations in the chickpea roots upon Foc inoculation. In particular, we found that the resistant plants revealed significant increase in the carbon and nitrogen metabolism; generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lignification and phytoalexins. The levels of some of the pathogenesis-related proteins were significantly higher upon Foc inoculation in the resistant plant. Interestingly, results also exhibited the crucial role of altered Yang cycle, which contributed in different methylation reactions and unfolded protein response in the chickpea roots against Foc. Overall, the observed modulations in the metabolic flux as outcome of several orchestrated molecular events are determinant of plant{\textquoteright}s role in chickpea-Foc interactions.

}, keywords = {Chickpea, fusarium oxysporum, Metabolomics, NMR, plant-pathogen interaction, proteomics}, issn = {1467-7644}, doi = {10.1111/pbi.12522}, author = {Kumar, Yashwant and Zhang, Limin and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Dewangan, Veena and Chavan, Sachin G. and Kunjir, Shrikant M. and Wu, Xiangyu and Li, Ning and Rajmohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Giri, Ashok P. and Tang, Huiru and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000371021000006, title = {GAME9 regulates the biosynthesis of steroidal alkaloids and upstream isoprenoids in the plant mevalonate pathway}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 10654}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are cholesterol-derived molecules produced by solanaceous species. They contribute to pathogen defence but are toxic to humans and considered as anti-nutritional compounds. Here we show that GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM 9 (GAME9), an APETALA2/Ethylene Response Factor, related to regulators of alkaloid production in tobacco and Catharanthus roseus, controls SGA biosynthesis. GAME9 knockdown and overexpression in tomato and potato alters expression of SGAs and upstream mevalonate pathway genes including the cholesterol biosynthesis gene STEROL SIDE CHAIN REDUCTASE 2 (SSR2). Levels of SGAs, C24-alkylsterols and the upstream mevalonate and cholesterol pathways intermediates are modified in these plants. Delta(7)-STEROL-C5(6)-DESATURASE (C5-SD) in the hitherto unresolved cholesterol pathway is a direct target of GAME9. Transactivation and promoter-binding assays show that GAME9 exerts its activity either directly or cooperatively with the SlMYC2 transcription factor as in the case of the C5-SD gene promoter. Our findings provide insight into the regulation of SGA biosynthesis and means for manipulating these metabolites in crops.

}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms10654}, author = {Cardenas, Pablo D. and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Pollier, Jacob and Vanden Bossche, Robin and Dewangan, Veena and Weithorn, Efrat and Tal, Lior and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Malitsky, Sergey and Giri, Ashok P. and Goossens, Alain and Burdman, Saul and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {42992, title = {Ganglioside GM1 interacts with the serotonin1A receptor via the sphingolipid binding domain}, journal = {Biochimica et Biophysica Acta}, volume = {1858}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2818-2826}, abstract = {

Glycosphingolipids are minor yet essential components of eukaryotic cell membranes and are involved in a variety of cellular processes. Although glycosphingolipids such as GM1 have been previously reported to influence the function of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the molecular mechanism remains elusive. In this paper, we have explored the interaction of GM1 with the serotonin1A receptor, an important neurotransmitter receptor that belongs to the GPCR family. To examine the molecular basis of the interaction of GM1 with the serotonin1A receptor, we performed a series of coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations of the receptor embedded in membrane bilayers containing GM1. Our results show that GM1 interacts with the serotonin1A receptor predominantly at the extracellular loop 1 and specifically at the sphingolipid binding domain (SBD). The SBD motif consists of a characteristic combination of aromatic, basic and turn-inducing residues, and is evolutionarily conserved in case of the serotonin1A receptor. The interaction of the SBD site with GM1 appears to stabilize a {\textquoteright}flip-out{\textquoteright} conformation in which W102 of the extracellular loop 1 flips out from the central lumen of the receptor toward the membrane. The population of the {\textquoteright}flip-out{\textquoteright} conformation is increased in the presence of cholesterol. Our data strongly suggest that a direct interaction between GM1 and the SBD site of the serotonin1A receptor may occur in vivo. In view of the reported role of GM1 and the serotonin1A receptor in neurodegenerative diseases, GM1-receptor interaction assumes significance in the context of malfunctioning of neuronal GPCRs under such conditions.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.08.009}, author = {Prasanna, X. and Jafurulla, M. and Sengupta, Durba and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article {45639, title = {Glycopolypeptide-grafted bioactive polyionic complex vesicles (PICsomes) and their specific polyvalent interactions}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {600-612}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glycopolypeptide-based self-assembled nano-/microstructures with surface-tethered carbohydrates are excellent mimics of glycoproteins on the cell surface. To expand the broad repertoire of glycopolypeptide-based supramolecular soft structures such as polymersomes formed via self-assembly of amphiphilic polymers, we have developed a new class of polyionic complex vesicles (PICsomes) with glycopolypeptides grafted on the external surface. Oppositely charged hydrophilic block copolymers of glycopolypeptide(20)-b-poly-L-lysine(100) and PEG(2k)-b-poly-L-glutamate(100) [PEG = poly(ethylene glycol)] were synthesized using a combination of ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} chemistry. Under physiological conditions, the catiomer and aniomer self-assemble to form glycopolypeptide-conjugated PICsomes (GP-PICsomes) of micrometer dimensions. Electron and atomic force microscopy suggests a hollow morphology of the PICsomes, with inner aqueous pool (core) and peripheral PIC (shell) regions. Owing to their relatively large (similar to micrometers) size, the hollowness of the supramolecular structure could be established via fluorescence microscopy of single GP-PICsomes, both in solution and under dry conditions, using spatially distributed fluorescent probes. Furthermore, the dynamics of single PICsomes in solution could be imaged in real time, which also allowed us to test for multivalent interactions between PICsomes mediated by a carbohydrate (mannose)-binding protein (lectin, Con-A). The immediate association of several GP-PICsomes in the presence of Con-A and their eventual aggregation to form large insoluble aggregate clusters reveal that upon self-assembly carbohydrate moieties protrude on the outer surface which retains their biochemical activity. Challenge experiments with excess mannose reveal fast deaggregation of GP-PICsomes as opposed to that in the presence of excess galactose, which further establishes the specificity of lectin-mediated polyvalent interactions of the GP-PICsomes.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6b00142}, author = {Pandey, Bhawana and Mahato, Jaladhar and Cotta, Karishma Berta and Das, Soumen and Sharma, Dharmendar Kumar and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Chowdhury, Arindam} } @article { ISI:000371754000043, title = {Gold vs rhodium catalysis: tuning reactivity through catalyst control in the C-H alkynylation of isoquinolones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1056-1059}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A site-selective C-4/C-8 alkynylation of isoquinolones catalyzed by gold and rhodium complexes is reported. A broad range of synthetically useful functional groups (-F, -Cl, -Br, -CF3, -OMe, alkyl, etc.) were tolerated, providing an efficient and robust protocol for the synthesis either C-4- or C-8-alkynylated isoquinolones.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b00175}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000373636800006, title = {Gold(I) catalyzed [1,3] O -> C rearrangement of benzylvinyl ethers}, journal = {Organic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {3}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {453-456}, publisher = {CHINESE CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {PO BOX 1-18, NANKANG, TAIPEI 115, TAIWAN}, abstract = {

A simple procedure for the preparation of 3-(hetero) arylpropionaldehydes has been developed employing a gold-catalyzed [1,3]-rearrangement of vinyl ethers. Using this protocol, Canthoxal, an aromatic aldehyde used in perfumery, has been prepared on a gram scale.

}, issn = {2052-4129}, doi = {10.1039/c5qo00397k}, author = {Kona, Chandrababu Naidu and Patil, Mahesh N. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000374436800034, title = {Gold(I)-catalyzed hydroaminaloxylation and petasis-ferrier rearrangement cascade of aminaloalkynes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {1844-1847}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient method has been developed to generate a diverse array of indolizidines and quinolizidines from readily available aminaloalkynes via a gold(I)-catalyzed hydroaminaloxylation and Petasis-Ferrier rearrangement cascade. The method enabled a formal synthesis of (+/-)-antofine.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b00585}, author = {Gade, Amol B. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000365857100003, title = {Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from purple acid phosphatase apoenzyme isolated from a new source limonia acidissima}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Nanoscience}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {28-37}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is regarded as a safe and non-toxic process whereas conventional synthesis using chemical methods produces toxic substance. This study provides a novel insight for enzymatic synthesis method of silver nanoparticles using purple acid phosphatase, isolated from Limonia acidissima (wood apple) as a new source and used in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Stable silver nanoparticles were produced by sonochemical method using apoenzyme as a stabilising and capping agent and were characterised by various physicochemical techniques like UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray study shows that nanoparticles are composed of silver and silver oxide. The synthesised nanoparticles exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.

}, keywords = {green synthesis, Limonia acidissima, purple acid phosphatase, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {1745-8080}, doi = {10.1080/17458080.2015.1025300}, author = {Pawar, Omkar and Deshpande, Neelima and Dagade, Sharda and Waghmode, Shobha and Joshi, Preeti Nigam} } @article {42940, title = {GSH Induced controlled release of levofloxacin from a purpose-built prodrug: luminescence response for probing the drug release in escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus}, journal = {Bioconjugate Chemistry}, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2062-2070}, abstract = {

Fluoroquinolones are third-generation broad spectrum bactericidal antibiotics and work against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Levofloxacin (L), a fluoroquinolone, is widely used in anti-infective chemotherapy and treatment of urinary tract infection and pneumonia. The main pathogen for urinary tract infections is Escherichia colt, and Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for pneumonia, predominantly a lower respiratory tract infection. Poor permeability of L leads to the use of higher dose of this drug and excess drug in the outer cellular fluid leads to central nervous system (CNS) abnormality. One way to counter this is to improve the lipophilicity of the drug molecule, and accordingly, we have synthesized two new Levofloxacin derivatives, which participated in the spatiotemporal release of drug via disulfide bond cleavage induced by glutathione (GSH). Recent studies with Streptococcus mutants suggest that it is localized in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the normal lower respiratory tract and the effective [GSH] in ELF is similar to 430 mu M. E. coli typically cause urinary tract infections and the concentration of GSH in porcine bladder epithelium is reported as 0.6 mM for a healthy human. Thus, for the present study we have chosen two important bacteria (Gram + ve and Gram - ve), which are operational in regions having high extracellular GSH concentration. Interestingly, this supports our design of new lipophilic Levofloxacin based prodrugs, which released effective drug on reaction with GSH. Higher lipophilicity favored improved uptake of the prodrugs. Site specific release of the drug (L) could be achieved following a glutathione mediated biochemical transformation process through cleavage of a disulfide bond of these purpose-built prodrugs. Further, appropriate design helped us to demonstrate that it is possible also to control the kinetics of the drug release from respective prodrugs. Associated luminescence enhancement helps in probing the release of the drug from the prodrug in bacteria and helps in elucidating the mechanistic pathway of the transformation. Such an example is scarce in the contemporary literature.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00324}, author = {Pal, Suman and Ramu, Vadde and Taye, Nandaraj and Mogare, Devraj G. and Yeware, Amar M. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000380823400047, title = {H2S detection using low-cost SnO2 nano-particle Bi-layer OFETs}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {235}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {378-385}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

In this article, a unique platform with an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) integrated with metal oxide nanoparticles for sensing of H2S gas is presented. Metal oxide nanoparticles such as SnO2 and ZnO synthesized using herbal techniques were used in the fabrication of OFETs using a bi-layer technique. The as -synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Field Effect Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis Spectroscopy (UV-vis) to establish the material properties. We showed that the SnO2 based OFETs displayed better response for H2S at room temperature (25 degrees C) compared to the OFETs fabricated with ZnO. The characterization of the sensors by using extracted electrical parameters like field-effect mobility ([1), On -Current (Ion), threshold voltage (VT) and saturation current (ID]) establish the fact that the SnO2 based OFETs detect H2S gas at room temperature. Plausible mechanisms explaining the H2S gas detection by bi-layer film were discussed. On the other hand, the sensitivity of these OFETs against other reducing gases was less. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {bi-layer, H2S detection, Metal-oxide, OFETs, Sensor}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2016.05.096}, author = {Surya, Sandeep G. and Ashwath, B. S. Narayan and Mishra, Sushma and Karthik, A. R. B. and Sastry, A. B. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Rangappa, Dinesh and Rao, V. Ramgopal} } @article {43597, title = {Heat and mass transfer analysis of a pot-in-pot refrigerator using reynolds flow model}, journal = {Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article Number: 031006}, abstract = {Heat and mass transfer analysis of evaporative cooling process in a pot-in-pot cooling system is done based on Reynolds flow hypotheses. The model proposed herein assumes that the heat transfer due to natural convection is coupled with an imaginary ambient air mass flow rate (gAo) which is an essential assumption in order to arrive at the solution for the rate of water evaporation. Effect of several parameters on the pot-in-pot system performance has been studied. The equations are iteratively solved and detailed results are presented to evaluate the cooling performance with respect to various parameters: ambient temperature, relative humidity (RH), pot height, pot radius, total heat load, thermal and hydraulic conductivity, and radiation heat transfer. It was found that pot height, pot radius, total heat load, and radiation heat transfer play a critical role in the performance of the system. The model predicts that at an ambient temperature of 50 degrees C and RH of 40\%, the system achieves a maximum efficiency of 73.44\% resulting in a temperature difference of nearly 20 degrees C. Similarly, for a temperature of 30 degrees C and RH of 80\%, the system efficiency was minimum at 14.79\%, thereby verifying the usual concept that the pot-in-pot system is best suited for hot and dry ambient conditions.}, doi = {10.1115/1.4033010}, author = {Pandey, Ramendra and Pesala, Bala} } @article { ISI:000379250900005, title = {High ash char gasification in thermo-gravimetric analyzer and prediction of gasification performance parameters using computational intelligence formalisms}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Communications}, volume = {203}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1029-1044}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

The coal gasification is a cleaner and more efficient process than the coal combustion. Although high ash coals are commonly utilized in the energy generation, systematic gasification kinetic studies using chars derived from these coals are scarce. Accordingly, this paper reports the development of the data-driven models for the gasification of chars derived from the high ash coals. Specifically, the models predict two important gasification performance parameters, viz. gasification rate constant and reactivity index. These models have been constructed using three computational intelligence (CI) methods, namely genetic programming (GP), multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network (NN), and support vector regression (SVR). The inputs to the CI-based models consist of seven parameters representing the gasification reaction conditions and properties of high ash coals and chars. The data used in the modeling were collected by performing extensive gasification experiments in the CO2 atmosphere in a thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA) using char samples derived from the Indian coals containing high ash content. Values of the two gasification performance parameters were obtained by fitting the experimental data to the shrinking unreacted core (SUC) model. It has been observed that all the CI-based models possess an excellent prediction accuracy and generalization capability. Accordingly, these models can be gainfully employed in the design and operation of the fixed and fluidized bed gasifiers using high ash coals.

}, keywords = {Char gasification kinetic modeling, Data-driven modeling, genetic programming, Multilayer perceptron neural network, support vector regression, Thermo-gravimetric analyzer}, issn = {0098-6445}, doi = {10.1080/00986445.2015.1135795}, author = {Patil-Shinde, Veena and Saha, Sujan and Sharma, Bijay K. and Tambe, Sanjeev S. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {43585, title = {High performance humidity sensor and photodetector based on SnSe nanorods}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 105038}, abstract = {Tin selenide (SnSe) nanorods were synthesized using a. one-step solvothermal route and. their. humidity sensing and photodetection performance at room temperature were investigated. The results depict. that SnSe nanorod-based humidity and photosensors have. good long-term stability, are. highly sensitive and have. fast response and recovery times. In the. case of the. humidity sensor it was observed that the resistance of the films decreased. with increasing relative humidity (RH). The humidity sensing behaviors were investigated in the range. 11-97\% RHat room temperature. A. response time of similar to 68 s and recovery time of similar to 149 s were observed for. the humidity sensor. The photosensing behavior showed. typical response/recovery times of similar to 3 s with highly reproducible behavior.}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/3/10/105038}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000370211400055, title = {Highly transparent wafer-scale synthesis of crystalline WS2 nanoparticle thin film for photodetector and humidity-sensing applications}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3359-3365}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In the present investigation, we report a one-step synthesis method of wafer-scale highly crystalline tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanoparticle thin film by using a modified hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HW-CVD) technique. The average size of WS2 nanoparticle is found to be 25-40 nm over an entire 4 in. wafer of quartz substrate. The low-angle XRD data of WS2 nanoparticle shows the highly crystalline nature of sample along with orientation (002) direction. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy shows two prominent phonon vibration modes of E12g and A1g at similar to 356 and similar to 420 cm(-1), respectively, indicating high purity of material. The TEM analysis shows good crystalline quality of sample. The synthesized WS2 nanoparticle thin film based device shows good response to humidity and good photosensitivity along with good long-term stability of the device. It was found that the resistance of the films decreases with increasing relative humidity (RH). The maximum humidity sensitivity of 469\% along with response time of similar to 12 s and recovery time of similar to 13 s were observed for the WS2 thin film humidity sensor device. In the case of photodetection, the response time of similar to 51 s and recovery time of similar to 88 s were observed with sensitivity similar to 137\% under white light illumination. Our results open up several avenues to grow other transition metal dichalcogenide nanoparticle thin film for large-area nanoelectronics as well as industrial applications.

}, keywords = {chemical vapor deposition, humidity sensor, nanoparticle, photosensor, thin film, tungsten disulfide}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b11325}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Waykar, Ravindra G. and Late, Dattatray J. and Jadkar, Sandesh R.} } @article { ISI:000375521000042, title = {Humidity sensing and photodetection behavior of electrochemically exfoliated atomically thin-layered black phosphorus nanosheets}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {8}, number = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {11548-11556}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Recent investigations on two-dimensional black phosphorus material mainly highlight work on few atomic layers and multilayers. It is still unknown if the black phosphorus atomically thin sheet is an ideal structure for the enhanced gas solid interactions due to its large surface area. To further investigate this concern, we have synthesized few atomic layer thick nanosheets of black phosphorus using an electrochemical exfoliation method. The surface morphology and thickness of the nanosheet were identified using AFM, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy. The black phosphorus nanosheet thick film device was used for the gas sensing application with exposure to different humidites. Further, the few layer black phosphorus nanosheet based transistor shows good mobility and on/off ratio. The UV light irradiation on the black phosphorus nanosheet shows good response time. The overall results show that the few layer thick film of black phosphorus nanosheets sample exhibits creditable sensitivity and better recovery time to be used in humidity sensor and photodetector applications.

}, keywords = {black phosphorus, electrochemical exfoliation, humidity sensor, photodetector}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b10247}, author = {Erande, Manisha B. and Pawar, Mahendra S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000368563000102, title = {Hybrid perovskite quantum nanostructures synthesized by electrospray antisolvent-solvent extraction and intercalation}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {854-861}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Perovskites based on organometal lead halides have attracted great deal of scientific attention recently in the context of solar cells and optoelectronic devices due to their unique and tunable electronic and optical properties. Herein, we show that the use of electrospray technique in conjunction with the antisolventsolvent extraction leads to novel low-dimensional quantum structures (especially 2-D nanosheets) of CH3NH3PbI3- and CH3NH3PbBr3-based layered perovskites with unusual luminescence properties. We also show that the optical bandgaps and emission characteristics of these colloidal nanomaterials can be tuned over a broad range of visible spectral region by compositional tailoring of mixed-halide (I- and Br-based) perovskites.

}, keywords = {2D nanostructure systems, antisolvent-solvent extraction, bandgap tuning, electrospray, nanosheets, perovskite, quantum dots}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b10208}, author = {Naphade, Rounak and Nagane, Satyawan and Shanker, G. Shiva and Fernandes, Rohan and Kothari, Dushyant and Zhou, Yuanyuan and Padture, Nitin P. and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000377203300035, title = {Hydrogen adsorption in ZIF-7: A DFT and ab-initio molecular dynamics study}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {651}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {178-182}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Primary H-2 adsorption sites in a zeolitic imidazolate framework, ZIF-7, are identified using ab-initio density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamics annealing simulations. The simulations suggest several low energy adsorption sites. The effect of light transition metal decoration on hydrogen storage properties was studied. Our ab-intio DFT calculations illustrate that decorating the ZIF with Sc increases both the number of H-2 molecules, as well as the H-2 binding energy. The binding energy (similar to 25 kJ/mol per H-2) at 8H(2) loading in the pore, suggests that Sc-ZIFs can be potential candidates for hydrogen storage. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2016.03.030}, author = {Dixit, Mudit and Major, Dan Thomas and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000372175300004, title = {I-2-mediated regioselective C-3 azidation of indoles}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3027-3030}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An unprecedented synthesis of novel 3-azido indoles has been developed using I-2 and NaN3 in high yields and excellent regio-selectivity. The reaction proceeds under metal-free conditions at room temperature. Essentially, an umpolung in reactivity at the C-3 position of indole has been achieved by the activation of indoles with I-2.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c6ob00295a}, author = {Prasad, Pragati K. and Kalshetti, Rupali G. and Reddi, Rambabu N. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000375602300007, title = {Identification of unintuitive features of sumoylation through mathematical modeling}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {291}, number = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {9458-+}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, abstract = {

Sumoylation is a multistep, multienzymatic post-translational modification in which a small ubiquitin-like modifier protein (SUMO) is attached to the target. We present the first mathematical model for sumoylation including enzyme mechanism details such as autosumoylation of E2 and multifunctional nature of SENP. Simulations and analysis reveal three nonobvious properties for the long term response, modeled as an open system: (i) the steady state sumoylation level is robust to variation in several enzyme properties; (ii) even when autosumoylation of E2 results in equal or higher activity, the target sumoylation levels are lower; and (iii) there is an optimal SENP concentration at which steady state target sumoylation level is maximum. These results are qualitatively different for a short term response modeled as a closed system, where e.g. sumoylation always decreases with increasing SENP levels. Simulations with multiple targets suggest that the available SUMO is limiting, indicating a possible explanation for the experimentally observed low fractional sumoylation. We predict qualitative differences in system responses at short post-translational and longer transcriptional time scales. We thus use this mechanism-based model to explain system properties and generate testable hypotheses for existence and mechanism of unexpected responses.

}, issn = {0021-9258}, doi = {10.1074/jbc.M115.676122}, author = {Puntambekar, Shraddha S. and Nyayanit, Dimpal and Saxena, Priyanka and Gadgil, Chetan J.} } @article { ISI:000372657900015, title = {Immobilization of multivalent glycoprobes on gold surfaces for sensing proteins and macrophages}, journal = {Analyst}, volume = {141}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2250-2258}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The multivalent display of carbohydrates on the cell surface provides cooperative binding to improve the specific biological events. In addition to multivalency, the spatial arrangement and orientation of sugars with respect to external stimuli also trigger carbohydrate-protein interactions. Herein, we report a non-covalent host-guest strategy to immobilize heptavalent glyco-beta-cyclodextrin on gold-coated glass slides to study multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions. We have found that the localization of sugar entities on surfaces using beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) chemistry increased the avidity of carbohydrate-protein and carbohydrate-macrophage interactions compared to monovalent-beta-CD sugar coated surfaces. This platform is expected to be a promising tool to amplify the avidity of sugar-mediated interactions on surfaces and contribute to the development of next generation bio-medical products.

}, issn = {0003-2654}, doi = {10.1039/c5an02336j}, author = {Gade, Madhuri and Khandelwal, Puneet and Sangabathuni, Sivakoti and Bavireddi, Harikrishna and Murthy, Raghavendra Vasudeva and Poddar, Pankaj and Kikkeri, Raghavendra} } @article {43570, title = {In situ electrochemical transformation of Ni3S2 and Ni3S2-Ni from sheets to nanodisks: towards efficient electrocatalysis for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6708-6712}, abstract = {Transition metal sulphides have been viewed as alternatives to platinum based electrocatalysts for HER. Herein, we report the preparation of Ni3S2 in conjunction with Ni in a novel nanosheet morphology and verified its performance for HER. During cyclic polarization, exotic morphological transformation of Ni-3 S-2-Ni from nanosheets to nanodisks has been noted. This change is accompanied with initial increase in over-potential that passed through maxima (similar to 100mV above the starting potential) and decreased to similar to 50mV below the starting value. Enhanced electrocatalytic activity due to the morphological changes from sheets to nanodisks has been attributed to the formation of more number of exposed edge-planes known to promote HER. Kinetic analysis based on Tafel slope displayed by this composite is comparable to that of Pt based catalysts.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201601567}, author = {Busupalli, Balanagulu and Battu, Shateesh and Haram, Santosh K. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42908, title = {In situ fabrication of highly crystalline CdS decorated Bi2S3 nanowires (nano-heterostructure) for visible light photocatalyst application}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {23508-23517}, abstract = {

In situ synthesis of the orthorhombic Bi2S3 nanowires decorated with hexagonal CdS nanoparticles (nano-heterostructure) has been demonstrated by a facile solvothermal method. The tiny 5-7 nm CdS spherical nanoparticles are decorated on the surfaces of 30-40 nm Bi2S3 nanowires, successfully. Structural, morphological and optical studies clearly show the existence of CdS on the nanowires. A possible sequential deposition growth mechanism is proposed on the basis of experimental results to reveal the formation of the nano heterostructure. The heterostructures have been used as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production as well as degradation of methylene blue under solar light. The maximum hydrogen evolution i.e. 4560 and 2340 mu mol h(-1) 0.5 g was obtained from H2S splitting and glycerol degradation for Bi2S3 NWs decorated with CdS nanoparticles (nano-heterostructure) which is higher than that of the Bi2S3 NWs (3000 and 1170 mu mol h(-1) 0.5 g, respectively). The enhanced photocatalytical hydrogen evolution efficiency of the heterostructures is mainly attributed to its nanostructure. In the nano heterostructure, the CdS nanoparticles control the charge carrier transition, recombination, and separation, while the Bi2S3 nanowire serves as a support for the CdS nanoparticles. The photogenerated electron{\textquoteright}s migration is faster than the holes from the inside of a CdS nanoparticle to its surface or to the phase interface, resulting in a relatively higher hole density inside the CdS nanoparticle leaving electron density at surface of the Bi2S3 NWs. This influences the photocatalytic activity under solar light. Such nano-heterostructures may have potential in other photocatalytic reactions.

}, author = {Panmand, Rajendra P. and Sethi, Yogesh A. and Deokar, Rajashree S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Gholap, Haribhau M. and Baeg, Jin-Ook and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article {43419, title = {Influence of carbon and phosphorus doping on electronic properties of ZnO}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12318-12322}, abstract = {ZnO is one of the most promising candidate for photoelectrochemical splitting of water for hydrogen production. To increase the efficiency of ZnO based photoelectrochemical cell, its band-gap and band edges should be tailored to match visible light spectra and water redox potential respectively. In this paper, First-principles density functional theory calculations have been performed to evaluate the effect of non-metal dopants on electronic properties of ZnO. The model structures of X-doped ZnO were constructed using 32-atom 2 x 2 x 2 supercell of wurtzite ZnO with one O atom replaced with X (carbon C, phosphorus P). With respect to the electronic band structure, C (2p), P (3p) states are located above the valence band maximum of ZnO and mixing of these states is feeble to produce significant band gap narrowing. Doping of these non-metals dopants helps in the creation of isolated states which enhances visible light absorption of ZnO. Our theoretical calculations are consistent with the experimental results of C (P) doped ZnO and fully explains its visible light activity on non-metal doping.}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-016-5192-z}, author = {Sharma, Vidhika and Prasad, Mohit and Jadkar, Sandesh and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43599, title = {Inhibition of quorum-sensing-mediated biofilm formation in Cronobacter sakazakii strains}, journal = {Microbiology-SGM}, volume = {162}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1708-1714}, abstract = {The present study investigated plant extracts for their anti-quorum-sensing (QS) potential to inhibit the biofilm formation in Cronobacter sakazakii strains. The bioassay based on loss of pigment production by Chromobacterium violaceum 026 and Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL4 (pZLR4) was used for initial screening of the extracts. Further, the effect of extracts on the inhibition of QS-mediated biofilm in C. sakazakii isolates was evaluated using standard crystal violet assay. The effect on biofilm texture was studied using SYTO9 staining and light and scanning electron microscopy. Among the tested extracts, Piper nigrum and Cinnamomum verum at 100 ppm resulted in 78 and 68\% reduction in the production of violacein as well as blue-green colour in both biosensor strains. A higher inhibitory activity (>50 \%) on biofilm formation in C. sakazakii was observed for Pip. nigrum and Cin. verum, whereas the other extracts possessed moderate (25-50 \%) and minimal (<25 \%) inhibitory activities. Further, the fluorescent and scanning electron microscopic images indicated a major disruption in the architecture of biofilms of tested strains by Pip. nigrum. This study points to the possibility of using Pip. nigrum and Cin. verum as inhibitor of QS-mediated biofilm formation by C. sakazakii that could be further explored for novel bioactive molecules to limit the emerging infections of C. sakazakii}, doi = {10.1099/mic.0.000342}, author = {Singh, Niharika and Patil, Amrita and Prabhune, Asmita and Goel, Gunjan} } @article { ISI:000373419900016, title = {Intensification of degradation of methomyl (carbamate group pesticide) by using the combination of ultrasonic cavitation and process intensifying additives}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {31}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {135-142}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In the present work, the degradation of methomyl has been carried out by using the ultrasound cavitation (US) and its combination with H2O2, Fenton and photo-Fenton process. The study of effect of operating pH and ultrasound power density has indicated that maximum extent of degradation of 28.57\% could be obtained at the optimal pH of 2.5 and power density of 0.155 W/mL. Application of US in combination with H2O2, Fenton and photo-Fenton process has further accelerated the rate of degradation of methomyl with complete degradation of methomyl in 27 min, 18 min and 9 min respectively. Mineralization study has proved that a combination of US and photo -Fenton process is the most effective process with maximum extent of mineralization of 78.8\%. Comparison of energy efficiency and cost effectiveness of various processes has indicated that the electrical cost of 79892.34 Rs./m(3) for ultrasonic degradation of methomyl has drastically reduced to 2277.00 Rs./m(3), 1518.00 Rs./m(3) and 807.58 Rs./m(3) by using US in combination with H2O2, Fenton and photo-Fenton process respectively. The cost analysis has also indicated that the combination of US and photo-Fenton process is the most energy efficient and cost effective process. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Fenton, Hydrogen peroxide, Methomyl, Photo-Fenton, Synergistic coefficient, Ultrasound cavitation}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2015.12.015}, author = {Raut-Jadhav, Sunita and Pinjari, Dipak V. and Saini, Daulat R. and Sonawane, Shirish H. and Pandit, Aniruddha B.} } @article { ISI:000381924900029, title = {Interfacial precipitation and clogging in straight capillaries}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {153}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {344-353}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Clogging of straight capillaries during interfacial precipitation (of common salt from saturated salt solution and acetone) was studied for a range of conditions that result in different flow regimes. The particle formation and clogging was explored using the images obtained by tracking a moving slug in real time. The flow regimes varied along the capillary length due to continuous mass transfer of acetone to water resulting in elongation of continuous phase slugs. In the slug flow regime, the precipitated particles formed solid shells/hemi spherical caps at the rear of acetone slugs, which eventually get detached from the interface. In the wavy parallel flow regime, where the interface is not flat, salting out was almost instantaneous and it led to faster clogging of the channels. Smaller Ca, i.e. lower flow rates or the use of smaller capillary length or using continuous fluid of relatively higher viscosity or lower interfacial tension can help to avoid or delay clogging. Formation of cohesive shells at the rear of a slug delayed clogging in the capillaries by delaying settling of individual particles. Parallel flow regime with a flat interface delayed the clogging significantly due to poor mass transfer as well as higher superficial velocities. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Clogging time, Flow regime, Interfacial precipitation, Micro-capillary, Porous shells, slug flow}, issn = {0009-2509}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2016.07.012}, author = {Pal, Sayan and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article { ISI:000367840900002, title = {Interfacial tension approach toward drug loading with two-dimensional crosslinked polymer embedded gold: adsorption kinetics evaluation}, journal = {International Journal Of Polymeric Materials And Polymeric Biomaterials}, volume = {65}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {168-175}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS AS}, address = {KARL JOHANS GATE 5, NO-0154 OSLO, NORWAY}, abstract = {

Interfacial tension of drugs with hydrophilic polymer (A) embedded gold resulting into selective drug adsorption, which also affected the drug adsorption kinetics. Two-dimensional crosslinked polymer embedded gold was synthesized for drug loading application in an acidic buffer. Lower interfacial tension of pantoprazole sodium (B) revealed the exponential loading inversely loading was gradual for chloroquine (C) having more interfacial tension with adsorbent. Initial 2 h was the exponential adsorption period for a pantoprazole sodium whereas exponential adsorption begins after 12 h for a chloroquine. Monolayer drug adsorption was obtained because Langmuir adsorption isotherm was obeyed by both drugs. Moreover, pseudo first-and pseudo second-order kinetics was also evaluated which demonstrated that reactive sites of the adsorbent are homogeneous and drug adsorption mechanism is chemisorption and not the physisorption. Thermal analysis was evaluated to confirm the polymer thermostability and glass transition temperature during catalytic applications in thermal reactions.

}, keywords = {Adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, drug loading, drug polarity, Interfacial tension}, issn = {0091-4037}, doi = {10.1080/00914037.2015.1074911}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000367940900010, title = {Inverse high internal phase emulsion polymerization (i-HIPE) of GMMA, HEMA and GDMA for the preparation of superporous hydrogels as a tissue engineering scaffold}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {4}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {450-460}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of novel superporous hydrogels for regenerative medicine were prepared by oil-in-water (o/w) or inverse high internal phase emulsion (i-HIPE) copolymerization of glycerol monomethacrylate (GMMA), 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and glycerol dimethacrylate (GDMA) as a cross-linker using a non toxic solvent and a redox initiator system at the physiological temperature (37 degrees C). The monomer GMMA was synthesized from glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) by an alternative facile method using Amberlyst-15. The described i-HIPEs showed a significantly wider stability window. The polyHIPE hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, BET method for surface area, mercury porosimetry, SEM, DSC, TGA, XRD, compressive strain and strain recovery. The swelling ratio of the hydrogels and their degradation in 0.007 M NaOH and lipase B (Candida antarctica) solutions were determined gravimetrically and the rate of degradation was explained in terms of the molecular structure of the hydrogels. The morphological studies showed that the pore diameter varied between 20 and 30 mu m and the pore throats (interconnecting windows) diameter was in the range of 4-8 mu m. The described polyHIPE hydrogels were found to have an open cell morphology and interconnected pore architecture, which are important characteristics for scaffold applications. The initial cytotoxicity study performed according to ISO-10993-5 indicated cytocompatibility (97\% cell viability) and the subsequent cell seeding and proliferation study exhibited 55-88\% cell viability (increased monotonously from GHG-1 to GHG-5), which could be attributed to modulation of the physical and chemical properties of the hydrogels. The described super porous hydrogels are considered as potential candidates for scaffold materials in tissue engineering applications.

}, issn = {2050-750X}, doi = {10.1039/c5tb01873k}, author = {Nalawade, Archana C. and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Shadbar, Sadiqua and Qureshi, Mohammed Shadbar and Chavan, Nayaku and Khan, Ayesha A. and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article {43032, title = {Investigation of microbial diversity in geothermal hot springs in Unkeshwar, India, based on 16S rRNA amplicon metagenome sequencing}, journal = {Genome Announcements}, volume = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, abstract = {

Microbial diversity in geothermal waters of the Unkeshwar hot springs in Maharashtra, India, was studied using 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomic sequencing. Taxonomic analysis revealed the presence of Bacteroidetes , Proteobacteria , Cyanobacteria , Actinobacteria , Archeae , and OD1 phyla. Metabolic function prediction analysis indicated a battery of biological information systems indicating rich and novel microbial diversity, with potential biotechnological applications in this niche.

}, doi = {10.1128/genomeA.01766-15}, author = {Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Paranjpe, Aditi and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article { ISI:000378303400010, title = {Ir(III)-catalyzed carbenoid functionalization of benzamides: synthesis of N-methoxyisoquinolinediones and N-methoxyisoquinolinones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {12}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2828-2831}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A mild and efficient Ir(III)-catalyzed C-H carbenoid functionalization strategy has been developed to access. N-methoxyisoquinolinediones and N-methoxyisoquinolinones. The reaction proceeds efficiently in high yield at room temperature over a broad range of substrates without requirement of any additional oxidants or a base.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01072}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Patel, Pitambar and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000368563200037, title = {Ir(III)-catalyzed synthesis of isoquinoline N-oxides from aryloxime and alpha-diazocarbonyl compounds}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {292-295}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient Ir(III)-catalyzed C-H activation and annulations of aryloxime with a-diazocarbonyl compounds has been developed for the synthesis of substituted isoquinoline N-oxides. The reaction proceeds under mild atmospheric conditions, without any external oxidants and releases N-2 and H2O as the byproducts. In addition, synthetic applications of the N-oxide products have been established by performing further functionalization. An interesting dimeric iridacyclic complex allied through a bis-silver carboxylate bridge has been isolated that efficiently catalyzed the reaction.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.5b03462}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Patel, Pitambar and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000369591400061, title = {Large area chemical vapor deposition of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides and their temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy studies}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {3008-3018}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We investigate the growth mechanism and temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy of chemical vapor deposited large area monolayer of MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2 nanosheets up to 70 mu m in lateral size. Further, our temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy investigation shows that softening of Raman modes as temperature increases from 80 K to 593 K is due to the negative temperature coefficient and anharmonicity. The temperature dependent softening modes of chemical vapor deposited mono-layers of all TMDCs were explained on the basis of a double resonance phonon process which is more active in an atomically thin sample. This process can also be fundamentally pertinent in other emerging two-dimensional layered and heterostructured materials.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr07401k}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Pawar, Mahendra S. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {42663, title = {Large reduction in the magnitude and thermal variation of Frank elastic constants in a gold nanorod/nematic composite}, journal = {Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics}, volume = {49}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, abstract = {

We report measurements of splay and bend Frank elastic constants in a composite comprising a nematic liquid crystal doped with a small concentration of sterically stabilized gold nanorods. The composite exhibits not only a large reduction in the magnitude of the threshold voltage for switching (Vth, 20\%), as well as of the splay (K11, 40\%) and bend (K33, 40\%) elastic constants, but also presents an unprecedented feature: a substantial diminution in the temperature dependence of these parameters, almost to the point of becoming thermally invariant. This observation is significant because the electro-optic switching of liquid-crystal devices is largely controlled by the K11 and K33 elastic constants. Electrical conductivity measurements also show interesting behavior upon the inclusion of nanorods. Whereas the intrinsic Arrhenius behavior governing the temperature dependence is enhanced, the frequency dependence shows qualitative features of Jonscher{\textquoteright}s universal model, albeit with a higher exponent. Further, photoisomerization of an azobenzene guest component provides an additional influence on the elastic constants. The results are discussed in terms of (a) the effect of the order parameter dependence seen from the viewpoint of an extended mean-field model,and (b) local order. The advantage of incorporating nanorods with photofunctionality is also pointed out.

}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/49/42/425304}, author = {Madhuri, P. Lakshmi and Prasad, S.~Krishna and Shinde, Pravin~ and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {43408, title = {Low temperature synthesis of metal doped perovskites catalyst for hydrogen production by autothermal reforming of methane (vol 41, pg 14605, 2016)}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {41}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {21571-21571}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.10.008}, author = {Pradhan, Sivaram} } @article {42913, title = {Low turn-on field and high field emission current density from Ag/TiO 2 nanocomposite}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {657}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {167{\textendash}171}, abstract = {

High current density of 1.24 mA/cm2 was drawn at an applied field of 4.4 V/μm from Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite. Also the turn-on field has been reduced from 3.9 V/μm to 2.7 V/μm for the emission current density of 10 μA/cm2. Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized by using UV-switchable reducing agent. TiO2 nanotube wall was decorated by Ag nanoparticles with average diameter of 17 nm. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on the field emission studies of Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite. Simple synthesis route coupled with superior field emission properties indicate the possible use of Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite for micro/nanoelectronic devices.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2016.06.003}, author = {Patil, Girish P. and Deore, Amol B. and Bagal, Vivekanand S. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Chavan, Padmakar G.} } @article { ISI:000377003800038, title = {M. V. Bhatt (1924-2016)}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {110}, number = {10}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2026-2028}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Shashidhar, M. S. and Periasamy, M.} } @article {42739, title = {Mechanistic insights into pincer-ligated palladium-catalyzed arylation of azoles with aryl Iodides: evidence of a Pd-II-Pd-IV-Pd-II pathway}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {35}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {875{\textendash}886}, abstract = {

Pincer-based (R2POCNR'2)PdCl complexes along with CuI cocatalyst catalyze the arylation of azoles with aryl iodides to give the 2-arylated azole products. Herein, we report an extensive mechanistic investigation for the direct arylation of azoles involving a well-defined and highly efficient (iPr2POCNEt2)PdCl (2a) catalyst, which emphasizes a rare PdII{\textendash}PdIV{\textendash}PdII redox catalytic pathway. Kinetic studies and deuterium labeling experiments indicate that the C{\textendash}H bond cleavage on azoles occurs via two distinct routes in a reversible manner. Controlled reactivity of the catalyst 2a underlines the iodo derivative (iPr2POCNEt2)PdI (3a) to be the resting state of the catalyst. The intermediate species (iPr2POCNEt2)Pd-benzothiazolyl (4a) has been isolated and structurally characterized. A determination of reaction rates of compound 4a with electronically different aryl iodides has revealed the kinetic significance of the oxidative addition of the C(sp2){\textendash}X electrophile, aryl iodide, to complex 4a. Furthermore, the reactivity behavior of 4a suggests that the arylation of benzothiazole proceeds via an oxidative addition/reductive elimination pathway involving a (iPr2POCNEt2)PdIV(benzothiazolyl)(Ar)I species, which is strongly supported by DFT calculations.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.6b00003}, author = {Khake, Shrikant M. and Jagtap, Rahul A. and Dangat, Yuvraj B. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Vanka, Kumar and Punji, Benudhar} } @inbook {45866, title = {Metabolic engineering: achieving new insights to ameliorate metabolic profiles in Withania somnifera}, booktitle = {Medicinal plants - recent advances in research and development}, year = {2016}, pages = {191-214}, publisher = {Springer }, organization = {Springer }, address = {Singapore}, abstract = {Withania somnifera, commonly known as Indian ginseng, has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic system of medicine for its antitumor, antioxidant, antiaging, antiserotogenic, and antistress activities. The various medicinal properties of the plant are accredited to the steroidal lactones (withanolides) present in the plant. Withanolides are synthesized by diverting the metabolite flux away from the isoprenoid pathway by the reductive condensation of farnesyl diphosphate to squalene through the activity of the enzyme squalene synthase. This enzyme squalene synthase is a major branch point involved in the regulation of withanolides. Owing to low concentrations of these bioactive compounds in plant, large biomass is utilized for the preparation of medicinal formulations in pharmaceutical industries to fulfill the growing commercial demand. To protect Withania spp. from becoming an endangered species, the activity of squalene synthase has been well exploited. This chapter is focused on the engineering of isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in W. somnifera by the introduction of squalene synthase gene to improve the yield of desired product. }, issn = {978-981101085-9;978-981101084-2}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-10-1085-9_7}, author = {Patel, N. and Patel, P. and Khan, B. M.} } @article {43637, title = {Micropropagation of Semecarpus anacardium L. from mature tree-derived nodal explants}, journal = {Plant Biosystems}, volume = {150}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {942-952}, abstract = {A protocol was established for micropropagation of Semecarpus anacardium L. from mature tree-derived twigs. Sixty percent of aseptic cultures were obtained by surface sterilization with Bavistin, liquid detergent, and cefotaxime. Elongated twigs collected before flowering were optimum for in vitro culture initiation. Meristematic activity was triggered at all concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) incorporated into Woody Plant Medium. TDZ suppressed elongation of axillary buds, resulting into swollen meristems and upon its elimination multiple shoot primordia formation and differentiation were noted. Differentiation and shoot elongation were slower in explants pre-cultured with higher concentrations of TDZ. Swollen axillary meristems pre-cultured on TDZ (9.08 and 13.62 mu M) failed to differentiate, whereas TDZ at 2.27 mu M was optimal for shoot differentiation and elongation. Multiple bud induction was favored by 4.45 mu M of TDZ. Differentiation of multiple shoot primordia by repeated subculturing on growth regulator-free medium and rooting was 100\% in filter-paper supported half-strength liquid medium containing 7.38mM IBA. Rooting was 90\% in shoots placed directly in half-strength liquid medium with 2.46 mu M IBA. Rooted plantlets hardened in soil: sand mixture (1:1) were transferred to green house. Genetic uniformity of in vitro raised clones with mother plant was confirmed by Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat markers.}, doi = {10.1080/11263504.2014.993741}, author = {Panda, B. M. and Mehta, U. J. and Hazra, S.} } @article { ISI:000374286500004, title = {Molecular cloning and characterization of O-methyltransferase from mango fruit (mangifera indica cv. alphonso)}, journal = {Molecular Biotechnology}, volume = {58}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {340-350}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Flavour of ripe Alphonso mango is invariably dominated by the de novo appearance of lactones and furanones during ripening. Of these, furanones comprising furaneol (4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone) and mesifuran (2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)-furanone) are of particular importance due to their sweet, fruity caramel-like flavour characters and low odour detection thresholds. We isolated a 1056 bp complete open reading frame of a cDNA encoding S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent O-methyltransferase from Alphonso mango. The recombinantly expressed enzyme, MiOMTS showed substrate specificity towards furaneol and protocatechuic aldehyde synthesizing mesifuran and vanillin, respectively, in an in vitro assay reaction. A semi-quantitative PCR analysis showed fruit-specific expression of MiOMTS transcripts. Quantitative real-time PCR displayed ripening-related expression pattern of MiOMTS in both pulp and skin of Alphonso mango. Also, early and significantly enhanced accumulation of its transcripts was detected in pulp and skin of ethylene-treated fruits. Ripening-related and fruit-specific expression profile of MiOMTS and substrate specificity towards furaneol is a suggestive of its involvement in the synthesis of mesifuran in Alphonso mango. Moreover, a significant trigger in the expression of MiOMTS transcripts in ethylene-treated fruits point towards the transcriptional regulation of mesifuran biosynthesis by ethylene.

}, keywords = {Ethylene, expression, Flavour, Mango, Mesifuran, Ripening}, issn = {1073-6085}, doi = {10.1007/s12033-016-9933-2}, author = {Chidley, Hemangi G. and Oak, Pranjali S. and Deshpande, Ashish B. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {43444, title = {Molecular cloning and in silico studies of physiologically significant trehalase from drosophila melanogaster}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {92}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {282-292}, abstract = {Trehalase, a physiologically important glycosidase is known for its crucial role in insect glycometabolism and stress recovery. The present study describes the molecular cloning of a gene fragment, encoding the catalytically active trehalase from Drosophila melanogaster (DmTre) and its heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. The 1275 bp gene was overexpressed in two different vectors viz., pET28a and pCOLD TF and investigated for variable soluble expression, purification and activity of the recombinant enzyme with optimum pH and temperature of enzyme as 6 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The sequence was characterized in silico by subjecting it to homology search, multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction revealing its identity to other trehalases which belong to glycoside hydrolase family 37. The deduced amino acid sequence and modeled 3D structure of DmTre possessed all features of trehalase superfamily, including signature motifs and catalytic domain. The active site pocket of recombinant DmTre was compared with the crystal structure of E. coli trehalase identifying Glu424 and Asp226 as the putative catalytic residues. Additionally, enzyme-substrate docking suggests possible involvement of other residues in the catalysis along with Asp226. The present study holds significance in understanding the structural aspects of Drosophila trehalase in spite of unavailabilty of eukaryotic trehalase crystal structure. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.06.097}, author = {Shukla, Ekta and Thorat, Leena and Bhavnani, Varsha and Bendre, Ameya D. and Pal, J. K. and Nath, B. B. and Gaikwad, Sushama M.} } @article { ISI:000368702300006, title = {Molecular interaction of selected phytochemicals under the charged environment of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) model}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {290-303}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Phytochemicals of Catharanthus roseus Linn. and Tylophora indica have been known for their inhibition of malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum in cell culture. Resistance to chloroquine (CQ), a widely used antimalarial drug, is due to the CQ resistance transporter (CRT) system. The present study deals with computational modeling of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) protein and development of charged environment to mimic a condition of resistance. The model of PfCRT was developed using Protein homology/analogy engine (PHYRE ver 0.2) and was validated based on the results obtained using PSI-PRED. Subsequently, molecular interactions of selected phytochemicals extracted from C. roseus Linn. and T. indica were studied using multiple-iterated genetic algorithm-based docking protocol in order to investigate the translocation of these legends across the PfCRT protein. Further, molecular dynamics studies exhibiting interaction energy estimates of these compounds within the active site of the protein showed that compounds are more selective toward PfCRT. Clusters of conformations with the free energy of binding were estimated which clearly demonstrated the potential channel and by this means the translocation across the PfCRT is anticipated.

}, keywords = {homology modeling, molecular dynamics, Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine, resistance transporter model}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2015.1028449}, author = {Patel, Saumya K. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Jha, Prakash C. and Jasrai, Yogesh T. and Pandya, Himanshu A. and George, Linz-Buoy and Highland, Hyacinth N. and Skelton, Adam A.} } @article { ISI:000380054400005, title = {Molecular-Pillar-supported functionalized reduced graphene-oxide for energy efficient lubrication}, journal = {Advanced Materials Interfaces}, volume = {3}, number = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1600161}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Molecular-pillar-supported basal plane of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is fabricated by polymerizing polyaniline (PANI). In the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG200), the gamma-radiolysis is used for modifying the functionalization and improving the structural symmetry of PANI and PEG grafted rGO (PANI-PEG-g-rGO). The PANI is covalently and noncovalently grafted onto the surface of the graphene sheets. Carboxyl groups of rGO are linked to the nitrogen atoms in the PANI backbone and an accompanying noncovalent interaction between alkyl chains of grafted PANI and hydrooxylated rGO is formed. Raman and Fourier transform infra-red results confirm existence of stretching vibrations of benzenoid and quinonoid rings in PANI-PEG-g-rGO-functionalized composite, indicating grafting between PANI and rGO through pi-pi interaction. Furthermore, PEG-functionalization through hydrogen bonding with rGO is confirmed when hydroxyl group from the rGO combines with oxygen of PEG. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals significant increase in carbon, while loading PANI network with rGO followed by gamma-irradiation. Antifriction and antiwear properties of graphene nanocomposite are considerably enhanced to 68.4\% and 48\%, respectively, as compared to pristine PEG. The unique lubrication properties are explained by PEG functionalized molecular PANI-pillar structure across basal plane of rGO.

}, issn = {2196-7350}, doi = {10.1002/admi.201600161}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Kumar, Niranjan and Panda, Kalpataru and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Joshi, Shailesh and Dash, Sitaram} } @article {43446, title = {N-2 activation on Al metal clusters: catalyzing role of BN-doped graphene support}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {27721-27727}, abstract = {The successful sustenance of life demands an ambient abiotic process for N-2 activation and dissociation. The Bosch-Haber process remains the only abiotic and synthetic means for N-2 activation and its fixation. Metal nanoclusters have been recently reported for activating molecular nitrogen. Interestingly, the metal clusters explored so far for N-2 activation are free clusters and, hence, are practically not applicable by experimental chemists. Using density functional theory (DFT) based methodology, we propose a potential catalytic system for di-nitrogen activation, viz. supported Al clusters. Al clusters supported on BN doped graphene sheets are seen to activate N-2 molecule with a red shift in the N-N stretching frequency up to 874 cm(-1) with activation barriers as low as 1.14 eV.}, doi = {10.1039/c6cp03342c}, author = {Kumar, Deepak and Pal, Sourav and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article { ISI:000373738000011, title = {Nanoporous graphene enriched with Fe/Co-N active sites as a promising oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for anion exchange membrane fuel cells}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials}, volume = {26}, number = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {2150-2162}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Here, a simple but efficient way is demonstrated for the preparation of nanoporous graphene enriched with Fe/Co-nitrogen-doped active sites (Fe/Co-NpGr) as a potential electrocatalyst for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) applications. Once graphene is converted into porous graphene (pGr) by a controlled oxidative etching process, pGr can be converted into a potential electrocatalyst for ORR by utilizing the created edge sites of pGr for doping nitrogen and subsequently to utilize the doped nitrogens to build Fe/Co coordinated centers (Fe/Co-NpGr). The structural information elucidated using both XPS and TOF-SIMS study indicates the presence of coordination of the M-N (M = Fe and Co)-doped carbon active sites. Creation of this bimetallic coordination assisted by the nitrogen locked at the pore openings is found to be helping the system to substantially reduce the overpotential for ORR. A 30 mV difference in the overpotential () with respect to the standard Pt/C catalyst and high retention in half wave potential after 10 000 cycles in ORR can be attained. A single cell of an anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) by using Fe/Co-NpGr as the cathode delivers a maximum power density of approximate to 35 mWcm(-2) compared to 60 mWcm(-2) displayed by the Pt-based system.

}, keywords = {electrocatalyst, nitrogen doping, oxygen reduction reaction, porous grapheme, quantum dots}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.201504765}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Kashyap, Varchaswal and Bhange, Siddeswar N. and Baek, Jong-Beom and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000374073800014, title = {Naphthoquinone based chemosensor 2-(2 {\textquoteleft}-aminoethylpyridine)-3-chloro-1,4-naphthoquinone: detection of metal ions, X-ray -crystal structures and DFT studies}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1114}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {132-143}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Naphthoquinone based Chemosensor 2; 2-(2{\textquoteright}-aminoethylpyridine)-3-chloro-1,4-napthoquinone have been synthesized and characterized. Chemosensor 2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn and shows extensive intramolecular as well as intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. Each molecule of Chemosensor 2 showed interaction with five neighboring molecules via C-H center dot center dot center dot N, N-H center dot center dot center dot N, C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl and C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions. Slipped pi-pi stacking interaction was observed in adjacent quinonoid and benzenoid rings. Chemosensor abilities of Chemosensor 2 ligand have been evaluated with metal ions viz. Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Fe3+, Mn2+, Cr3+, Hg2+, La3+ and Cd2+ in methanol, methanol-water mixture and in presence of mild base triethylamine. Stoichiometry of Chemosensor 2 with metal ions such as Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+ and Co2+ ions was determined by Jobs method in methanol and were found as 1:1 for Cu2+ and 2:1 for Ni2+, Zn2+ Co2+. The variation in the metal ligand ratio is observed in aqueous media for Cu2+. Chemosensor 2 can be used selectively for naked eye detection of Cu2+ ions. The association constant obtained in methanol shows the trend Cu2+\>Ni2+\>Co2+. Cu2+ and two (Ni-1 and Ni-2) Ni2+ complexes were synthesized. Ni-2 complex showed coordination of Chemosensor 2 ligands was through pyridine nitrogen{\textquoteright}s only. The Chemosensor 2 and its deprotonated forms in methanol, water and triethylamine were also studied by TD-DFT studies. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aminonaphthoquinone, Chemosensor, hydrogen bonding, Naphthoquinone, pi-pi stacking, TD-DFT}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2016.02.065}, author = {Patil, Amit and Ware, Anuja P. and Bhand, Sujit and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Pingale, Subhash S. and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article {43398, title = {Necking in extrusion film casting: numerical predictions of the maxwell model and comparison with experiments}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part B-Physics}, volume = {55}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {984-1006}, abstract = {The role of viscoelasticity in determining the extent of necking of a web of molten polymer extruded in an isothermal steady state extrusion film casting (EFC) process is considered. Following a brief review of experimental and theoretical efforts on this problem, analytical and numerical solutions to a well-established model for extrusion film casting using the Maxwell constitutive equation is presented. The extent of film necking was found to either increase or decrease with draw ratio (DR) depending on the Deborah number (De). The locus of points on the draw ratio-Deborah number diagram at which the draw ratio dependence of the necking width inverts was calculated and compared with the locus that separates the unattainable regime from the experimentally accessible regime. Predicted trends were found to be in qualitative agreement with experimental data for various polyethylene grades.}, doi = {10.1080/00222348.2016.1225556}, author = {Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Thete, Sumeet S.} } @article { ISI:000368583100006, title = {New pimarane diterpenes and other antimycobacterial metabolites from anisochilus verticillatus}, journal = {Natural Product Research}, volume = {30}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {675-681}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Phytochemical investigation of the acetone extract of the aerial parts of Anisochilus verticillatus afforded a new 8,9-secopimarane diterpene (1), two new isopimarane diterpenes (2, 3) and the known ursolic acid (4), beta-amyrin (5), -amyrin (6), stigmast-5-en-3-one (7) and hydroxychavicol (8). Structures of the new compounds were elucidated with the help of 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data, and single crystal X-ray crystallography of compound 3. Compounds 2 and 8 inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra with an IC50 of 11.3 (IC90 of 20.0g/mL) and 12.5g/mL, respectively. Correspondingly, molecular docking studies with Extra Precision Glide revealed a correlation between score and biological activity for these compounds to describe the molecular basis for the most significant SAR results.

}, keywords = {alanine racemase, Anisochilus verticillatus, antimycobacterial activity, diterpenes, Lamiaceae}, issn = {1478-6419}, doi = {10.1080/14786419.2015.1040990}, author = {Kulkarni, Roshan R. and Shurpali, Ketaki and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Joshi, Swati P.} } @article { ISI:000372856300024, title = {New understanding on regulating the crystallization and morphology of the beta-polymorph of isotactic polypropylene based on carboxylate-alumoxane nucleating agents}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {49}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2197-2205}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Carboxylate alumoxane derived from p-n-alkylbenzoic acids, where n-alkyl group changes from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, exhibits dual nucleating ability and nucleates isotactic polypropylene (iPP) into predominantly in the beta-phase under specific conditions. The selectivity of the beta-phase nucleation depends on the concentration of the nucleating agent, end melting temperature and cooling rate. The beta-phase obtained from p-n-alkylbenzoate-alumoxanes is compared with the beta-phase obtained from calcium pimelate (CaP), an efficient beta-phase selective, nucleating agent, using the results from DSC, WAXS, and SAXS analysis. The lamellar morphology of iPP nucleated with different nucleating agents crystallized at different crystallization temperatures (T-C) under controlled nonisothermal conditions are evaluated using SAXS analysis. The long period increases with increasing crystallization temperature and the long period of the beta-phase is always larger than that of the alpha-phase for a given crystallization temperature. Furthermore, the variation of long period with crystallization temperature clearly brings out two crystallization temperature ranges; the low temperature range and the high temperature range. However, the beta-phase shows a lower changeover temperature compared to that of the alpha-phase. The one-dimensional correlation analysis of the beta-phase shows that the thickness of the crystal lamellae (lc) increases with T-C and exhibits the low and high crystallization temperature ranges, while the thickness, of the amorphous layer (la) more or less remains constant. In-situ high temperature WAXS studies capture the beta-phase to the a-phase transition and the transformed material con-elates well with the lamellar thickness of the beta-phase. The morphological difference between the alpha- and the beta-phases are discussed and attributed to the differences in the impact properties and the melting temperature. This study clearly demonstrates that the lamellar morphology mainly depends on the T-C and not on the nature of the nucleating agents.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02466}, author = {Mani, Mohan Raj and Chellaswamy, Ramesh and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000374351200005, title = {Next-generation ammonia pretreatment enhances cellulosic biofuel production}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1215-1223}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new liquid ammonia pretreatment methodology called Extractive Ammonia (EA) was developed to simultaneously convert native crystalline cellulose I-beta (CI) to a highly digestible cellulose IIII (CIII) allomorph and selectively extract up to B45\% of the lignin from lignocellulosic biomass with near-quantitative retention of all polysaccharides. EA pretreated corn stover yielded a higher fermentable sugar yield compared to the older Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) process while using 60\% lower enzyme loading. The EA process preserves extracted lignin functionalities, offering the potential to co-produce lignin-derived fuels and chemicals in the biorefinery. The single-stage EA fractionation process achieves high biofuel yields (18.2 kg ethanol per 100 kg untreated corn stover, dry weight basis), comparable to those achieved using ionic liquid pretreatments. The EA process achieves these ethanol yields at industrially-relevant conditions using low enzyme loading (7.5 mg protein per g glucan) and high solids loading (8\% glucan, w/v).

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/c5ee03051j}, author = {Sousa, Leonardo da Costa and Jin, Mingjie and Chundawat, Shishir P. S. and Bokade, Vijay V. and Tang, Xiaoyu and Azarpira, Ali and Lu, Fachuang and Avci, Utku and Humpula, James and Uppugundla, Nirmal and Gunawan, Christa and Pattathil, Sivakumar and Cheh, Albert M. and Kothari, Ninad and Kumar, Rajeev and Ralph, John and Hahn, Michael G. and Wyman, Charles E. and Singh, Seema and Simmons, Blake A. and Dale, Bruce E. and Balan, Venkatesh} } @article { ISI:000369072900005, title = {N-heterocyclic-carbene-catalyzed regioselective oxidative ring-opening of epoxides with aromatic aldehydes: a facile entry to alpha-acyloxyketones}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {48-51}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A high-yielding synthesis of -acyloxyketones using a N-heterocyclic-carbene (NHC)-catalyzed, oxidative ring-opening of epoxides with aromatic aldehydes is described. This regioselective, oxidative process utilizes a N-bromosuccinimide (NBS)/DMSO combination as the oxidant system and Et3N as the base under mild reaction conditions.

}, keywords = {aldehydes, epoxides, halogen oxidants, N-heterocyclic carbenes, oxygen}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201500355}, author = {Reddi, Rambabu N. and Gontala, Arjun and Prasad, Pragati K. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article {43000, title = {Notch1-MAPK signaling axis regulates CD133+ cancer stem cell-mediated melanoma growth and angiogenesis}, journal = {Journal of Investigative Dermatology}, volume = {136}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2462-2474}, abstract = {

Functional characterization and understanding of the intricate signaling mechanisms in stem-like cells is crucial for the development of effective therapies in melanoma. We have studied whether melanoma cells are phenotypically distinct and hierarchically organized according to their tumorigenic nature. We report that melanoma-specific CD133(+) cancer stem cells exhibit increased tumor-initiating potential, tumor-endothelial cell interaction, and lung metastasis. These cells are able to transdifferentiate into an endothelial-like phenotype when cultured under endothelial differentiation-promoting conditions. Mechanistically, Notch1 upregulates mitogen-activated protein kinase activation through CD133, which ultimately controls vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase expression in CD133(+) stem cells leading to melanoma growth, angiogenesis, and lung metastasis. Blockade or genetic ablation of Notch1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways abolishes melanoma cell migration and angiogenesis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and reporter assays revealed that Notch1 intracellular domain regulates CD133 expression at the transcriptional level. Andrographolide inhibits Notch1 intracellular domain expression, Notch1 intracellular domaindependent CD133-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase and activator protein-1 activation, and epithelial to mesenchymal-specific gene expression, ultimately attenuating melanoma growth and lung metastasis. Human malignant melanoma specimen analyses revealed a strong correlation between Notch1 intracellular domain, CD133, and p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression and malignant melanoma progression. Thus, targeting Notch1 and its regulated signaling network may have potential therapeutic implications for the management of cancer stem cell-mediated melanoma progression.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jid.2016.07.024}, author = {Kumar, Dhiraj and Kumar, Santosh and Gorain, Mahadeo and Tomar, Deepti and Patil, Harshal S. and Radharani, Nalukurthi N. V. and Kumar, Totakura V. S. and Patil, Tushar V. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kundu, Gopal C.} } @article { ISI:000375445700073, title = {Observation of enhanced field emission properties of Au/TiO2 nanocomposite}, journal = {Applied Physics A-Materials Science \& Processing}, volume = {122}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {560}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Simple and low-cost method of thermal annealing was used to decorate Gold (Au) nanoparticles on aligned TiO2 nanotubes. The aligned TiO2 nanotubes were decorated by Au nanoparticles with an average diameter of 9, 18 and 28 nm (aligned TiO2 nanotubes referred as specimen A and TiO2 nanotubes decorated by Au nanoparticles with average diameter of 9, 18 and 28 nm are referred as specimen B, C and D, respectively). The detailed characterization such as structural, morphological and elemental analysis of TiO2 and Au/TiO2 nanocomposite have been carried out using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the meticulous comparative field emission characteristics of the aligned TiO2 nanotubes and Au/TiO2 nanocomposite have been performed. The turn-on field defined for the current density of 10 mu A/cm(2) has been found to be 3.9, 2.8, 3.2 and 3.7 V/mu m for specimen A, B, C and D, respectively. The observed low turn-on field of specimen B has been found to be superior than the other semiconducting nanocomposites reported in the literature. The emission current stability over a period of 3 h is found to be better for all the specimens. To the best of our knowledge, a systematic field emission study of Au/TiO2 nanocomposite has not been explored. The observed superior field emission study of Au/TiO2 nanocomposite indicates their possible use in micro/nanoelectronic devices.

}, issn = {0947-8396}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-016-0090-z}, author = {Patil, Girish P. and Bagal, Vivekanand S. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Chavan, Padmakar G.} } @article { ISI:000367335200014, title = {Orientation effect induced selective chelation of Fe2+ to a glutamic acid appended conjugated polymer for sensing and live cell imaging}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {299-308}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Intracellular detection and imaging of labile iron(II) pools is very important in tracking physiological processes that demand new and rapid sensing probes. In this report, we present a water soluble polymer based probe for the fluorescence sensing and live cell imaging of labile Fe2+ ions with high selectivity for the first time. The polymer probe was based on conjugated polyfluorene which was appended with amino acid (L-glutamic acid). The biocompatibility of the polymer was confirmed from an MTT assay which demonstrated \>90\% cell viability even at 300 mu g ml(-1) loading of polymers. Simple glutamic acid did not show selectivity towards any of the divalent ions. However, glutamic acid appended polyfluorene exhibited selective chelation to Fe2+ ions resulting in immediate sensing activity for Fe2+ ions in water and living cells with fluorescence turn-off response. The limit of detection of the PF-Ph-GA polymer probe was 46 (+/- 2) nM which indicated high sensitivity for Fe2+ over other ions reported in the literature. The polymer also exhibited improved sensing activity in the range of intracellular pH (5-9) which is advantageous in differentiating endogenous changes. The probe was successfully applied for the fluorescence imaging of intracellular and supplemented labile iron(II) pools in living HeLa cells.

}, issn = {2050-750X}, doi = {10.1039/c5tb02293b}, author = {Senthilkumar, T. and Parekh, Nimisha and Nikama, Shrikant B. and Asha, S. K.} } @article {42843, title = {Oxidative intramolecular 1,2-amino-oxygenation of alkynes under Au(I)/Au(III)-catalysis: discovery of pyridinium-oxazole dyad as novel lonic fluorophore}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201609335R1}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Ranade, Dnyanesh S. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Kulkarni, Prasad P. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000380182400035, title = {Palladium-catalyzed internal nucleophile-assisted hydration-olefin insertion cascade: diastereoselective synthesis of 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3442-3445}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A novel palladium-catalyzed hydration-olefin insertion cascade assisted by internal nucleophiles was developed for the synthesis of biologically significant 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones under mild conditions. A detailed mechanistic study revealed that the assistance of the internal nucleophiles is crucial to trigger the cascade reaction via nucleopalladation of the alkyne moiety. The overall reaction is equivalent to regioselective hydration of alkynes followed by intramolecular Michael addition. This highly efficient and 100\% atom-economical domino sequence afforded cis-2,3-disubstituted 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones in excellent yields (up to 99\%) with complete diastereoselectivity.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01623}, author = {Vinoth, Perumal and Nagarajan, Subbiah and Maheswari, C. Uma and Sudalai, Arumugam and Pace, Vittorio and Sridharan, Vellaisamy} } @article {43619, title = {Parasitism by Chelonus blackburni (Hymenoptera) affects food consumption and development of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera) and cellular architecture of the midgut}, journal = {Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology}, volume = {19}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {65-70}, abstract = {Biological control agents are vital components of an integrated pest management strategy, and this is frequently referred to as natural control. Natural enemies of insect pests include predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. Among them, a parasitoid, Chelonus blackburni (Cameron), was found to be the best biological control agent for the polyphagous pest, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner). C. blackburni alters the feeding performance of H. annigera larvae upon parasitism and as a result severely affects growth and development. Moreover, it shortens the feeding period of H. armigera and increases mortality. Furthermore, total hemocyte count (THC) was significantly decreased in parasitized larvae than control. Parasitized H. armigera had 26\% less number of blood cells compared to healthy larvae. Histological studies showed that the structure of midgut of H. annigera is drastically affected by C. blackburni leading to reduced food consumption, which ultimately led to larval death. The present study provides an insight to changes involved in H. annigera due to parasitism by C blackburni, a parasite that could be used as an effective biocontrol agent to manage H. armigera. (C) 2015 Korean Society of Applied Entomology, Taiwan Entomological Society and Malaysian Plant Protection Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.aspen.2015.11.005}, author = {Sanap, Yogita and Dawkar, Vishal V. and Giri, Ashok P. and Sen, Avalokiteswar and Pandit, Radhakrishna S.} } @article {45868, title = {Peeping into genomic architecture by re-sequencing of Ochrobactrum intermedium M86 strain during laboratory adapted conditions}, journal = {Genomics Data}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = { 72-76}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Advances in de novo sequencing technologies allow us to track deeper insights into microbial genomes for restructuring events during the course of their evolution inside and outside the host. Bacterial species belonging to Ochrobactrum genus are being reported as emerging, and opportunistic pathogens in this technology driven era probably due to insertion and deletion of genes. The Ochrobactrum intermedium M86 was isolated in 2005 from a case of non-ulcer dyspeptic human stomach followed by its first draft genome sequence in 2009. Here we report re-sequencing of O. intermedium M86 laboratory adapted strain in terms of gain and loss of genes. We also attempted for finer scale genome sequence with 10 times more genome coverage than earlier one followed by comparative evaluation on Ion PGM and Illumina MiSeq. Despite their similarities at genomic level, lab-adapted strain mainly lacked genes encoding for transposase protein, insertion elements family, phage tail-proteins that were not detected in original strain on both chromosomes. Interestingly, a 5 kb indel was detected in chromosome 2 that was absent in original strain mapped with phage integrase gene of Rhizobium spp. and may be acquired and integrated through horizontal gene transfer indicating the gene loss and gene gain phenomenon in this genus. Majority of indel fragments did not match with known genes indicating more bioinformatic dissection of this fragment. Additionally we report genes related to antibiotic resistance, heavy metal tolerance in earlier and re-sequenced strain. Though SNPs detected, there did not span urease and flagellar genes. We also conclude that third generation sequencing technologies might be useful for understanding genomic architecture and re-arrangement of genes in the genome due to their ability of larger coverage that can be used to trace evolutionary aspects in microbial system. }, doi = {10.1016/j.gdata.2016.04.003}, author = {Gohil, K. N. and Neurgaonkar, P. S. and Paranjpe, A. and Dastager, S. G. and Dharne, M. S.} } @article { ISI:000367612000010, title = {Penicillin acylases revisited: importance beyond their industrial utility}, journal = {Critical Reviews In Biotechnology}, volume = {36}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {303-316}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

It is of great importance to study the physiological roles of enzymes in nature; however, in some cases, it is not easily apparent. Penicillin acylases are pharmaceutically important enzymes that cleave the acyl side chains of penicillins, thus paving the way for production of newer semi-synthetic antibiotics. They are classified according to the type of penicillin (G or V) that they preferentially hydrolyze. Penicillin acylases are also used in the resolution of racemic mixtures and peptide synthesis. However, it is rather unfortunate that the focus on the use of penicillin acylases for industrial applications has stolen the spotlight from the study of the importance of these enzymes in natural metabolism. The penicillin acylases, so far characterized from different organisms, show differences in their structural nature and substrate spectrum. These enzymes are also closely related to the bacterial signalling phenomenon, quorum sensing, as detailed in this review. This review details studies on biochemical and structural characteristics of recently discovered penicillin acylases. We also attempt to organize the available insights into the possible in vivo role of penicillin acylases and related enzymes and emphasize the need to refocus research efforts in this direction.

}, keywords = {beta-lactam, choloyl glycine, in vivo role, Ntn hydrolases, pathogenicity, quorum sensing, regulation, signalling}, issn = {0738-8551}, doi = {10.3109/07388551.2014.960359}, author = {Avinash, Vellore Sunder and Pundle, Archana Vishnu and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Suresh, Cheravakkattu Gopalan} } @article { ISI:000369603400016, title = {Phenothiazine and carbazole substituted pyrene based electroluminescent organic semiconductors for OLED devices}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {4}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1009-1018}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Due to their easy availability, low cost and opportunities for exploiting reactions of bromo substituents, 1,3,6,8-tetrabromopyrene has attracted major attention in the organic electronics community for designing and constructing novel classes of pyrene based organic semiconducting functional materials. In the present work, 1,3,6,8-tetrabromo pyrene was transformed into the corresponding tetrasubstituted carbazole and phenothiazine derivatives using the classical Suzuki coupling reaction. These newly synthesized materials with a carbazole substituent (PY-CA) and a phenothiazine substituent (PY-PH) were characterised thoroughly and were successfully used as an active light-emitting layer in organic light emitting diodes which resulted in blue and green emission with promising device performance. PY-CA exhibited the maximum brightness at around 2500 cd m(-2) and the power efficiency of 1.5 lm W-1 while that of PY-PH exhibited 2116 cd m(-2) and 0.45 lm W-1 respectively.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/c5tc03690a}, author = {Salunke, Jagadish K. and Wong, F. L. and Feron, Krishna and Manzhos, Sergei and Lo, Ming Fai and Shinde, Durgaprasad and Patil, Abhijeet and Lee, C. S. and Roy, V. A. L. and Sonar, Prashant and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000370900600019, title = {Photoluminescent tetrahedral d(10)-metal Schiff base complexes exhibiting highly ordered mesomorphism}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {105}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {150-158}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of four-coordinate d(10)-metal complexes of the type [ML2] {M = Zn, Cd, Hg; L = 4-nitro-2-((octadecylimino)methyl)phenol}, incorporating a new N-alkylated bidentate [N,O]-donor salicylaldimine Schiff base ligand, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, UV-Vis, H-1 NMR and FAB-mass spectroscopies. The ligand is non-mesomorphic and devoid of any photoluminescence. The zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes displayed highly ordered mesophases reminiscent of soft crystals. The phases have been characterized by polarizing optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies. The complex of mercury(II) decomposed prior to melting. An orthogonal symmetry with a {\textquoteleft}herringbone{\textquoteright} array for the zinc complex and a primitive triclinic symmetry (p(1)) for the cadmium complex, respectively, has been proposed. The complexes exhibited fluorescence at room temperature, both in the solution and in the solid state, with emission maxima in the blue region. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations carried out using the GAUSSIAN 09 program at the B3LYP level revealed a distorted tetrahedral geometry around the metal center in all the complexes. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis suggested appreciable charge transfer from the ligand to the metal center in the complexes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, Luminescence, Mesophase, Schiff base, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2015.11.053}, author = {Chakraborty, Sutapa and Purkayastha, Debraj Dhar and Das, Gobinda and Bhattacharjee, Chira R. and Mondal, Paritosh and Prasad, S. Krishna and Rao, D. S. Shankar} } @article {43572, title = {PolyHIPE derived freestanding 3D carbon foam for cobalt hydroxide nanorods based highperformance supercapacitor}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 35490}, abstract = {The current paper describes enhanced electrochemical capacitive performance of chemically grown Cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)(2)) nanorods (NRs) decorated porous three dimensional graphitic carbon foam (Co(OH)(2)/3D GCF) as a supercapacitor electrode. Freestanding 3D porous GCF is prepared by carbonizing, high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerized styrene and divinylbenzene. The PolyHIPE was sulfonated and carbonized at temperature up to 850 degrees C to obtain graphitic 3D carbon foam with high surface area (389 m(2) g(-1)) having open voids (14 mu m) interconnected by windows (4 mu m) in monolithic form. Moreover, entangled Co(OH)(2) NRs are anchored on 3D GCF electrodes by using a facile chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The wide porous structure with high specific surface area (520 m(2) g(-1)) access offered by the interconnected 3D GCF along with Co(OH)(2) NRs morphology, displays ultrahigh specific capacitance, specific energy and power. The Co(OH)(2)/3D GCF electrode exhibits maximum specific capacitance about similar to 1235 F g(-1) at similar to 1 Ag-1 charge-discharge current density, in 1 M aqueous KOH solution. These results endorse potential applicability of Co(OH)(2)/3D GCF electrode in supercapacitors and signifies that, the porous GCF is a proficient 3D freestanding framework for loading pseudocapacitive nanostructured materials.}, doi = {10.1038/srep35490}, author = {Patil, Umakant M. and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Nam, Min Sik and Nalawade, Archana C. and Lee, Sangrae and Han, Haksoo and Jun, Seong Chan} } @article { ISI:000371228200032, title = {Prediction of reactivity ratios in free radical copolymerization from monomer resonance-polarity (Q-e) parameters: genetic programming-based models}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {361-372}, publisher = {WALTER DE GRUYTER GMBH}, address = {GENTHINER STRASSE 13, D-10785 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The principal deficiency of the widely utilized Alfrey-Price (AP) scheme for computing reactivity ratios in the widely used free radical copolymerization is that it ignores important factors, such as the steric effects. This often leads to inaccurate reactivity ratio predictions by AP model. Accordingly, in this study, exclusively data-driven, Q-e parameter-based new models have been developed for the reactivity ratio prediction in free radical copolymerization. In the model development, a novel artificial intelligence formalism known as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}genetic programming (GP){\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} that performs symbolic regression has been employed. The GP-based models possess a different functional form than AP model. Further, parameters of GP-based models were fine-tuned using Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) nonlinear regression method. A comparison of AP, GP and GP-LM as well as artificial neural network (ANN)-based models indicates that GP and GP-LM models exhibit superior reactivity ratio prediction accuracy and generalization performance (with correlation coefficient magnitudes close to or greater than 0.9) when compared with AP and ANN models. The GPbased reactivity ratio prediction models developed here due to their higher accuracy and generalization capability have the potential of replacing the widely used AP models.

}, keywords = {Alfrey-Price scheme, free radical copolymerization, genetic programming, reactivity ratio, symbolic regression}, issn = {2194-5748}, doi = {10.1515/ijcre-2014-0039}, author = {Shrinivas, K. and Kulkarni, Rahul P. and Shaikh, Saif and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Vyas, Renu and Tambe, Sanjeev S. and Ponrathnam, S. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000378935400002, title = {Pretreatment and enzymatic process modification strategies to improve efficiency of sugar production from sugarcane bagasse}, journal = {3 Biotech}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {Article Number: 126}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis play a critical role in the economic production of sugars and fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we evaluated diverse pilot-scale pretreatments and different post-pretreatment strategies for the production of fermentable sugars from sugarcane bagasse. For the pretreatment of bagasse at pilot-scale level, steam explosion without catalyst and combination of sulfuric and oxalic acids at low and high loadings were used. Subsequently, to enhance the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated bagasse, three different post-pretreatment process schemes were investigated. In the first scheme (Scheme 1), enzymatic hydrolysis was conducted on the whole pretreated slurry, without treatments such as washing or solid-liquid separation. In the second scheme (Scheme 2), the pretreated slurry was first pressure filtered to yield a solid and liquid phase. Following filtration, the separated liquid phase was remixed with the solid wet cake to generate slurry, which was then subsequently used for enzymatic hydrolysis. In the third scheme (Scheme 3), the pretreated slurry was washed with more water and filtered to obtain a solid and liquid phase, in which only the former was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. A 10 \% higher enzymatic conversion was obtained in Scheme 2 than Scheme 1, while Scheme 3 resulted in only a 5-7 \% increase due to additional washing unit operation and solid-liquid separation. Dynamic light scattering experiments conducted on post-pretreated bagasse indicate decrease of particle size due to solid-liquid separation involving pressure filtration provided increased the yield of C6 sugars. It is anticipated that different process modification methods used in this study before the enzymatic hydrolysis step can make the overall cellulosic ethanol process effective and possibly cost effective.

}, keywords = {Dilute acid treatment, High-solid enzymatic hydrolysis, Pilot-scale pretreatment, Pressure filtration, Solid-liquid separation}, issn = {2190-5738}, doi = {10.1007/s13205-016-0446-2}, author = {Pal, Siddhartha and Joy, Shereena and Trimukhe, Kalpana D. and Kumbhar, Pramod S. and Varma, Anjani J. and Padmanabhan, Sasisanker} } @article { ISI:000377425900059, title = {Problem solving and environmentally benign approach toward diversity oriented synthesis of novel 2-amino-3-phenyl (or Alkyl) sulfonyl-4H-chromenes at ambient temperature}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {4}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3450-3464}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A problem solving, environmentally benign, and diversity oriented protocol has been described for multi component synthesis of medicinally privileged 2-amino-3-phenyl (or methyl) sulfonyl-4H-chromenes by one-pot, three component condensation among aldehydes, phenyl (or methyl) sulphonyl acetonitrile, and alpha-naphthol, 3-dimethylamino phenol, 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-quinoline-2-one as well as 4-hydroxycarbazole, using diethylamine as an efficient organo catalyst. The catalyst employed is commercially available, inexpensive, and nontoxic. Ambient reaction conditions, very high yields, wide scope, and avoidance of conventional isolation as well as chromatographic purification have improved the practical utility of this protocol manifold.

}, keywords = {2-Amino-3-methylsulfonyl-4H-chromenes, 2-Amino-3-phenylsulfonyl-4H-chromenes, diethylamine, green chemistry, Multicomponent synthesis, organocatalyst}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b00484}, author = {Pandit, Kapil S. and Kupwade, Ravindra V. and Chavan, Pramod V. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Kodam, Kisan M.} } @article {43038, title = {Product distribution in hydrogenation of styrene oxide over Pd/chitosan catalyst}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {42}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7581-7595}, abstract = {

Palladium-decorated chitosan catalyst was synthesized by an impregnation method by varying the Pd loading in the range of 1-6 \%, and was evaluated for the regioselective hydrogenation of styrene oxide. In order to correlate the chemical and textural properties with the catalytic activity, all the prepared catalysts were characterized by techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, temperature-programmed desorption of NH3, and CO2 and N-2 physisorption. The synthesized catalysts were utilized for the efficient and regioselective ring opening of styrene oxide by hydrogenation under different conditions. The complete conversion of styrene oxide with 65 \% selectivity for 2-phenyl ethanol and 33 \% for 1-phenyl ethanol were obtained using 4 \% Pd/CS catalyst at 70 degrees C temperature and 3 MPa pressure. The mechanism for the regio selective ring opening of styrene oxide to 1- and 2-phenyl ethanol was also proposed on the basis of properties of the catalyst support, catalytic activity and selectivity. These results indicated that the catalytic activity and selectivity of the catalysts were affected by the nature of support. Further, the basic properties of the support play an important role in the selectivity of the styrene oxide hydrogenation reaction.

}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-016-2554-3}, author = {Viswanadhan, Maya and Potdar, Aparna and Divakaran, Anumon V. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {43633, title = {Promising field electron emission performance of vertically aligned one dimensional (1D) brookite (beta) TiO2 nanorods}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {98722-98729}, abstract = {We evidence field-electron emission (FE) studies on the large-area array of one-dimensional (1D) brookite (beta) TiO2 nanorods. The pure 1D beta-TiO2 nanorods of 10 nm width and 760 nm long were synthesized on Si substrate utilizing hot-filament metal vapor deposition technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis evidenced the beta-TiO2 nanorods to be composed of orthorhombic crystals in brookite (beta) phase. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the formation of pure stoichiometric (i.e. 1 : 1.98) 1D TiO2 nanorods. The values of turn-on field, required to draw current density of 10 mA cm(-2), was observed 3.9 V mu m(-1) for pristine 1D beta-TiO2 nanorods emitters, which were found significantly lower than doped/undoped 1D TiO2 nanostructures (i.e. nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods) based field emitters. The enhanced FE behavior of the TiO2/Si emitter can be attributed to modulation of electronic properties due to the high aspect ratio of vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods. Furthermore, the orthodox emission situation of pristine TiO2/Si emitters exhibit good emission stability and reveal their potentials as promising FE material.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra20747b}, author = {Devan, Rupesh S. and Ma, Yuan-Ron and More, Mahendra A. and Khare, Ruchita T. and Antad, Vivek V. and Patil, Ranjit A. and Thakare, Vishal P. and Dhayal, Rajendra S. and Schmidt-Mende, Lukas} } @article {42993, title = {Protein-dependent membrane interaction of a partially disordered protein complex with oleic acid : Implications for cancer lipidomics}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, abstract = {

Bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA) forms cytotoxic complexes with oleic acid (OA) that perturbs tumor cell membranes, but molecular determinants of these membrane-interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we aim to obtain molecular insights into the interaction of BLA/BLA-OA complex with model membranes. We characterized the folding state of BLA-OA complex using tryptophan fluorescence and resolved residue-specific interactions of BLA with OA using molecular dynamics simulation. We integrated membrane-binding data using a voltage-sensitive probe and molecular dynamics (MD) to demonstrate the preferential interaction of the BLA-OA complex with negatively charged membranes. We identified amino acid residues of BLA and BLA-OA complex as determinants of these membrane interactions using MD, functionally corroborated by uptake of the corresponding α-LA peptides across tumor cell membranes. The results suggest that the α-LA component of these cytotoxic complexes confers specificity for tumor cell membranes through protein interactions that are maintained even in the lipid complex, in the presence of OA.

}, doi = {10.1038/srep35015}, author = {Chaudhuri, Arunima and Prasanna, Xavier and Agiru, Priyanka and Chakraborty, Hirak and Rydstrom, Anna and Ho, James C. S. and Svanborg, Catharina and Sengupta, Durba and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article { ISI:000377822900018, title = {Proteomic insight reveals elevated levels of albumin in circulating immunecomplexes in diabetic plasma}, journal = {Molecular \& Cellular Proteomics}, volume = {15}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2011-2020}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, abstract = {

A Hyperglycemic condition in diabetes promotes formation of advanced glycation end products, which are known to elicit immune response and form complexes with immunoglobulins called circulating immune complexes. To investigate the involvement of advanced glycation end product (AGE)-modified proteins in the elicitation of an immune response, circulating immune complexes were isolated and proteins associated were identified and characterized. Label-free-based mass spectrometric analysis of circulating immune complexes in clinical plasma of prediabetic, newly diagnosed diabetes, and diabetic microalbuminurea revealed elevated levels of serum albumin in the circulating immune complexes, which were also observed to be AGE modified. Further, to examine the role of glycation, circulating immune complexeswere analyzed in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice treated with or without aminoguanidine, a prototype glycation inhibitor. Mass spectrometric analysis of circulating immune complexes showed elevated levels of serum albumin in plasma from diabetic mice over that of control animals. Aminoguanidine-treated diabetic mice displayed decreased AGE modification of plasma albumin, accompanied by a reduced level of albumin in the circulating immune complexes. In addition, elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1b, IL-2, and TNF-alpha were observed in diabetes, which were reduced with aminoguanidine treatment, suggesting the involvement of glycation in the immune response.

}, issn = {1535-9476}, doi = {10.1074/mcp.M116.058008}, author = {Bhat, Shweta and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Patil, Yugendra R. and Shaikh, Mahemud L. and Regin, Bhaskaran S. and Mohan, Viswanathan and Giri, Ashok P. and Balasubramanyam, Muthuswamy and Boppana, Ramanamurthy and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000380943900048, title = {Proton play in the formation of low molecular weight chitosan (LWCS) by hydrolyzing chitosan with a carbon based solid acid}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {151}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {417-425}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Low molecular weight chitosan (LWCS) constitute a special class of value added chemicals that are primarily obtained from crustacean shells, which are the main water pollutants from crabs and shrimp processing centers. Unlike chitin and chitosan, LWCS possess improved solubility in water and aqueous solutions, making them widely applicable in numerous fields ranging from drug delivery to waste water treatment. Among the methods employed for their production, chemical breakdown by strong liquid acids has yielded good success. However, this method is met with severe concerns arising from the harsh nature of liquid acids, which may corrode the reactors for commercial synthesis, and their limited reusability. The physical methods like ultrasound and microwave are energy intensive in nature, while the enzymatic methods are expensive and offers limited scope for reuse. We have attempted to overcome these problems by employing carbon based solid acid (CSA) for hydrolyzing chitosan to LWCS. CSA can be easily produced using activated carbon, a cost-effective and easily available raw material. Reactions were carried out between chitosan and CSA in a hydrothermal glass reactor and the products, separated by cold centrifugation, were purified and dried. The dried products were characterized for their molecular weight and solubility. Results indicated more than ten-fold decrease in the molecular weight of chitosan and the product exhibited water solubility. The CSA could be used upto four times, without regeneration, to give a consistent quality product. The aqueous solution of resulting LWCS exhibited a pH of 6.03 +/- 0.11, as against the acidic pH range of solutions of commercially available LWCS, indicating its suitability for biomedical applications. Our investigation facilitates a {\textquoteleft}green approach{\textquoteright} that may be employed for commercial production of value added chemicals from waste products of marine industry. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Carbon based solid acid, Chitosan, green synthesis, Hydrolysis, Low molecular weight chitosan}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.05.082}, author = {Krishnan, R. Akhil and Deshmukh, Pranjal and Agarwal, Siddharth and Purohit, Poorvi and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Waske, Prashant and Khandekar, Dileep and Jain, Ratnesh and Dandekar, Prajakta} } @article {43590, title = {Pulsed laser-deposited nanocrystalline GdB6 thin films on W and Re as field emitters}, journal = {Applied Physics A-Materials Science \& Processing}, volume = {122}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 899}, abstract = {Gadolinium hexaboride (GdB6) nanocrystalline thin films were grown on tungsten (W), rhenium (Re) tips and foil substrates using optimized pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The X-ray diffraction analysis reveals formation of pure, crystalline cubic phase of GdB6 on W and Re substrates, under the prevailing PLD conditions. The field emission (FE) studies of GdB6/W and GdB6/Re emitters were performed in a planar diode configuration at the base pressure similar to 10(-8) mbar. The GdB6/W and GdB6/Re tip emitters deliver high emission current densities of similar to 1.4 and 0.811 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 6.0 and 7.0 V/mu m, respectively. The Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots were found to be nearly linear showing metallic nature of the emitters. The noticeably high values of field enhancement factor (beta) estimated using the slopes of the F-N plots indicate that the PLD GdB6 coating on Wand Re substrates comprises of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures. Interestingly, the GdB6/W and GdB6/Re planar emitters exhibit excellent current stability at the preset values over a long-term operation, as compared to the tip emitters. Furthermore, the values of workfunction of the GdB6/W and GdB6/Re emitters, experimentally measured using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, are found to be same, similar to 1.6 +/- 0.1 eV. Despite possessing same workfunction value, the FE characteristics of the GdB6/W emitter are markedly different from that of GdB6/Re emitter, which can be attributed to the growth of GdB6 films on W and Re substrates.}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-016-0423-y}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Singh, Anil K. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sinha, Sucharita and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000382535600016, title = {Purification and partial characterization of novel penicillin V acylase from Acinetobacter sp AP24 isolated from loktak lake, an indo-burma biodiversity hotspot}, journal = {Preparative Biochemistry \& Biotechnology}, volume = {46}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {524-530}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Members of the bacterial genus Acinetobacter have attracted great attention over the past few decades, on account of their various biotechnological applications and clinical implications. In this study, we are reporting the first experimental penicillin V acylase (PVA) activity from this genus. Penicillin acylases are pharmaceutically important enzymes widely used in the synthesis of semisynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics. The bacterium, identified as Acinetobacter sp. AP24, was isolated from the water of Loktak Lake (Manipur, India), an Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. PVA production was increased threefold in an optimized medium with 0.2\% sodium glutamate and 1\% glucose as nitrogen and carbon sources respectively, after 24hr of fermentation at 28 degrees C and pH 7.0 with shaking at 180rpm. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by cation-exchange chromatography using SP-sepharose resin. The PVA is a homotetramer with subunit molecular mass of 34 kD. The enzyme was highly specific toward penicillin V with optimal hydrolytic activity at 40 degrees C and pH 7.5. The enzyme was stable from pH 5.0 to 9.0 at 25 degrees C for 2hr. The enzyme retained 75\% activity after 1hr of incubation at 40 degrees C at pH 7.5.

}, keywords = {6-APA, Acinetobacter, Loktak Lake, Penicillin V acylase}, issn = {1082-6068}, doi = {10.1080/10826068.2015.1084636}, author = {Philem, Pushparani Devi and Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000381418000084, title = {Radical attached aluminum nanoclusters: an alternative way of cluster stabilization}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {18}, number = {31}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {21746-21759}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The stability and electronic structure of radical attached aluminum nanoclusters are investigated using density functional theory (DFT). A detailed investigation shows good correlation between the thermodynamic stability of radical attached clusters and the stability of the attached radical anions. All other calculated parameters like HOMO-LUMO gap and charge transfer are also found to be consistent with the observed thermodynamic stabilities of the complexes. Investigation of the electronic structure of radical attached complexes further shows the presence of jellium structures within the core similar to the ligated clusters. Comparison with available experimental and theoretical data also proves the validity of superatomic complex theory for the radical attached clusters as well. Based on the evaluated thermodynamic parameters, selected radical attached clusters are observed to be more thermodynamically stable in comparison with experimentally synthesized ligated clusters. Stabilization of small metal clusters is one of the greatest challenges in current cluster science and the present investigation confirms the fact that radical attached clusters can provide a viable alternative to ligated clusters in the future.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c6cp03601e}, author = {Sengupta, Turbasu and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43601, title = {Radio-frequency triggered heating and drug release using doxorubicin-loaded LSMO nanoparticles for bimodal treatment of breast cancer}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {145}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {878-890}, abstract = {Radio-frequency responsive nanomaterials combined with drugs for simultaneous hyperthermia and drug delivery are potential anti-cancer agents. In this study, chitosan coated La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 nanoparticles (C-LSMO NPs) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, Under low radio-frequency (365 kHz, RF), C-LSMO NPs (90 nm) showed good colloidal stability (+22 mV), superparamagnetic nature (15.4 emu/g) and heating capacity (57.4W/g SAR value). Chitosan facilitated doxorubicin entrapment (76\%) resulted in DC-LSMO NPs that showed drug release upon a 5 min RF exposure. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells responded to a 5 min RF exposure in the presence of bimodal DC-LSMO NPs with a significant decrease in viability to 73\% and 88\% (Pearson correlation, r = 1, P<0.01) respectively, as compared to hyperthermia alone. Internalization of DC-LSMO NPs via the endosomal pathway led to an efficient localization of doxorubicin within the cell nucleus. The ensuing DNA damage, heat shock protein induction, and caspase production triggered apoptotic cell death. Moreover, DC-LSMO NPs successfully restricted the migration of metastatic MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. These data suggest that DC-LSMO NPs are potential bimodal therapeutic agents for cancer treatment and hold promise against disease recurrence and drug resistance. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.06.010}, author = {Kulkarni, Vaishnavi M. and Bodas, Dhananjay and Dhoble, Deepa and Ghormade, Vandana and Paknikar, Kishore} } @article { ISI:000369545400074, title = {Re-engineering of PIP3-antagonist triazole PITENIN{\textquoteright}s chemical scaffold: development of novel antifungal leads}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {11691-11701}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel 4-(1-phenyl-1-hydroxyethyl)-1-(o-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole was designed by integrating the structural features of triazole PITENIN anticancer agents and the azole class of antifungal drugs. A two-step protocol comprising the Barbier propargylation and Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition was established to synthesise a diverse set of compounds of this class. Their screening against a wide range of human fungal pathogens led to identification of several potential antifungal hits and some of them displayed better antifungal activity than fluconazole against Candida glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger. Mode of action studies revealed that their antifungal activity was resulting either from the inhibition of lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase enzyme (leading to ergosterol depletion) or by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra25145a}, author = {Pulya, Sravani and Kommagalla, Yadagiri and Sant, Duhita G. and Jorwekar, Shweta U. and Tupe, Santosh G. and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000369771800040, title = {Regioselective oxo-amination of alkenes and enol ethers with N-bromosuccinimide-dimethyl sulfoxide combination: a facile synthesis of alpha-amino-ketones and esters}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {500-503}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An unprecedented conversion of alkenes and enol ethers to the corresponding a-imido carbonyl compounds with excellent regioselectivity and yields has been developed. This oxo-amination process employs readily available N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and secondary amines as N-sources and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the oxidant and also leads to the production of amino alcohols in a single step on reduction, thus broadening the scope of this operationally simple reaction. For the first time, the formation of reactive Me2S+-O-Br species generated by the interaction of NBS with DMSO has been proven.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.5b03540}, author = {Prasad, Pragati K. and Reddi, Rambabu N. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000377497000004, title = {Relativistic coupled-cluster study of RaF as a candidate for the parity- and time-reversal-violating interaction}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {93}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {062506}, publisher = {AMER PHYSICAL SOC}, address = {ONE PHYSICS ELLIPSE, COLLEGE PK, MD 20740-3844 USA}, abstract = {

We have employed both the Z-vector method and the expectation-value approach in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework to calculate the scalar-pseudoscalar (S-PS) P, T-odd interaction constant W-s and the effective electric field E-eff experienced by the unpaired electron in the ground electronic state of RaF. Further, the magnetic hyperfine structure constants of Ra-223 in RaF and Ra-223(+) are also calculated and compared with the experimental values wherever available to judge the extent of the accuracy obtained with the employed methods. The outcome of our study reveals that the Z-vector method is superior to the expectation-value approach in terms of accuracy obtained for the calculation of ground-state property. The Z-vector calculation shows that RaF has a high Eeff (52.5 GV/cm) and W-s (141.2 kHz), which makes it a potential candidate for the electric dipole moment of the electron (eEDM) experiment. An estimation of uncertainty associated with our final results is made, and it is found that it lies below 10\%.

}, issn = {2469-9926}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.93.062506}, author = {Sasmal, Sudip and Pathak, Himadri and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42619, title = {Relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method for the electron attachment problem}, journal = {Computational and Theoretical Chemistry}, volume = {1076}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {94-100}, abstract = {

The article considers the successful implementation of relativistic equation-of-motion coupled cluster method for the electron attachment problem (EA-EOMCC) at the level of single- and double- excitation approximation. The implemented relativistic EA-EOMCC method is employed to calculate ionization potential values of alkali metal atoms (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr) and the vertical electron affinity values of LiX (X = H, F, Cl, Br), NaY (Y = H, F, Cl) starting from their closed-shell configuration. Both four component and exact two-component calculations are done for all the opted systems. Further, we have shown the effect of spin-orbit interaction considering the atomic systems. The results of our atomic calculations are compared with the values from the NIST database and the results are found to be very accurate (\<1\%). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.comptc.2015.12.015}, author = {Pathak, Himadri and Sasmal, Sudip and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45870, title = {Relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method using open-shell reference wavefunction: application to ionization potential}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {145}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, chapter = {074110}, abstract = {The open-shell reference relativistic equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method within its four-component description is successfully implemented with the consideration of single- and double- excitation approximations using the Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian. At the first attempt, the implemented method is employed to calculate ionization potential value of heavy atomic (Ag, Cs, Au, Fr, and Lr) and molecular (HgH and PbF) systems, where the effect of relativity does really matter to obtain highly accurate results. Not only the relativistic effect but also the effect of electron correlation is crucial in these heavy atomic and molecular systems. To justify the fact, we have taken two further approximations in the four-component relativistic equation-of-motion framework to quantify how the effect of electron correlation plays a role in the calculated values at different levels of theory. All these calculated results are compared with the available experimental data as well as with other theoretically calculated values to judge the extent of accuracy obtained in our calculations. }, doi = {10.1063/1.4960954}, author = {Pathak, H. and Sasmal, S. and Nayak, M. K. and Vaval, N. and Pal, S.} } @article {45871, title = {Relevance of small laboratory animals as models in translational research: challenges and road ahead}, journal = {Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {198-209}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Translational research using small laboratory animals is being done to demonstrate proof of concept, to study pharmacokinetics as well as to understand efficacy and safety of new drug molecules. During the evaluation of a drug candidate, the assessment of efficacy and safety is normally performed in different experiments using various animal models. In such experiments, efficacy is assessed by mimicking the disease state in animal model while safety is investigated in healthy animals. Inventing new drugs using biotechnological and nanotechnological approaches is becoming a major thrust area in drug research. Apart from this, the development of medicine from traditional knowledge like Ayurveda has emerged as major area for drug industry. Use of conventional in-vivo approaches may not prove useful to answer many questions. Transgenic/knock-out/knock-in animals are now getting space in pharmaceutical research for target identification and validation. Predictability of in-vivo research depends on scientific protocols and methods adopted for model selection and development. Various alternative approaches for in-vivo research are being followed. It is a fact that no animal model is 100 \% capable of mimicking the complex human body but still, researchers have not yet found any alternative model which can completely replace in-vivo models. This review is a holistic approach explaining the various animal models being used for translational research, animal ethical issues, alternative approaches available and provides a critical analysis of major issues/challenges faced in translational research using in-vivo approaches. }, doi = {10.7324/JAPS.2016.60531}, author = {Siddiqui, E. A. and Jagdale, P. and Ahire, K. and Jadhav, S. and Khan, S. A. and Bhosle, S. and Pal, A. and Jamdagni, P. and Chaudhari, B.} } @article {45877, title = {Removal of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] ions from wastewater using TFA and TAFA resins: computational intelligence based reaction modeling and optimization}, journal = {Journal of environmental chemical engineering}, volume = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4275-4286}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Being significantly toxic, removal of arsenic forms an important part of the drinking- and waste-water treatment. Tannin is a polyphenol-rich substrate that efficiently and adsorptively binds to the multivalent metal ions. In this study, tannin-formaldehyde (TFA) and tannin-aniline-formaldehyde (TAFA) resins were synthesized and employed successfully for an adsorptive removal of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] ions from the contaminated water. Next, a computational intelligence (CI) based hybrid strategy was used to model and optimize the resin-based adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions for securing optimal reaction conditions. This strategy first uses an exclusively reaction data driven modeling strategy, namely, genetic programming (GP) to predict the extent (\%) of As(III)/As(V) adsorbed on TFA and TAFA resins. Next, the input space of the GP-based models consisting of the reaction condition variables/parameters was optimized using genetic algorithm (GA) method; the objective of this optimization was to maximize the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions on the two resins. Finally, the sets of optimal reaction conditions provided by GP-GA hybrid method were verified experimentally the results of which indicate that the optimized conditions have lead to 0.3\% and 1.3\% increase in the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions on TFA resin. More significantly, the optimized conditions have increased the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) on TAFA resin by 3.02\% and 12.77\%, respectively. The GP-GA based strategy introduced here can be gainfully utilized for modeling and optimization of similar type of contaminant-removal processes. }, doi = {10.1016/j.jece.2016.09.030}, author = {Patil-Shinde, V. and Mulani, K. B. and Donde, K. and Chavan, N. N. and Ponrathnam, S. and Tambe, S. S.} } @article {43592, title = {Role of aliasing and interacting factors in the enhanced production of dehalogenase from Yarrowia lipolytica for degradation of brominated compounds}, journal = {Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {114-121}, abstract = {Use of persistent organobromines for industrial applications has led to their accumulation in environment. Yarrowia lipolytica NCIM 3589, a tropical marine yeast, degrades and detoxifies bromocompounds by an initial hydrolytic step. By optimizing culture conditions with 1-bromodecane as reference compound, the dehalogenase involved was remarkably enhanced 13-fold (384.13 U/ml) by a hybrid statistical Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken design of experiments. Studies bring out in a novel way the role of aliasing and other masked interactions in growth media factors. Importantly, the enzyme acted on C3-C16 bromoalkanes and bromoaromatics, thereby generalizing the {\textquoteright}green chemistry{\textquoteright} applicability of optimized media formulation for biotechnological applications. (C) 2016 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jiec.2016.07.015}, author = {Vatsal, Aakanksha and Potdar, Chirag and Smita S. Zinjarde and Kumar, V. Ravi and Kulkarni, Bhasker D. and RaviKumar, Ameeta} } @article { ISI:000370489600002, title = {Role of aliphatic hydrocarbon content in non-solvating porogens toward porosity of cross-linked microbeads}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {86}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {8-14}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Megaporous spherical acrylate copolymer beads were synthesized by suspension polymerization using non-solvating porogens. Non-solvating porogens with higher aliphatic hydrocarbon content generated megaporous morphology with lower surface area. Surface area increased and inversely megaporosity was decreased with decrease in the aliphatic hydrocarbon content of porogen. Megaporosity (5.47 mu m) and pore volume of 5.52 cm(3)/g was obtained with n-decanol. Thermal property of copolymer is a function of type (rigidity/flexibility/elemental composition) and concentration (cross-link density) of monomer and cross-linker. Copolymer containing rigid cross-linker (divinylbenzene) had better thermal stability over copolymer with flexible cross-linker (ethylene dimethacrylate). Further, higher concentration of rigid cross-linker or lower concentration of flexible cross-linker enhanced the thermal stability. Porous polymers are potentially recognized as a solid support for solid-phase synthesis. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cross-linked microbeads, Interfacial tension, Megaporosity, Non-solvating porogens, Thermal properties}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2016.01.022}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Badiger, Manohar V. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000374626200020, title = {Role of surface synergistic effect on the performance of Ni-based hydrotalcite catalyst for highly efficient hydrogenation of furfural}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {417}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {153-162}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The selective vapor phase hydrogenation of furfural at ambient pressure has been investigated using a facile and robust hydrotalcite derived Ni containing mixed oxide catalyst. The systematic characterization results conferred that the difficulty in the reduction of Ni species due to the strong interaction between Ni and support, which facilitated from the homogeneous distribution of hydrotalcite structure. It was also found that the structure and catalytic performance of the catalysts were greatly influenced by Ni loading. Through fine-tuned surface elemental sites and reaction conditions, furfural conversion of 98\% with 95\% of furfuryl alcohol selectivity was achieved over a MAN-2 catalyst containing two molar ratio of Ni. The results have demonstrated that the incorporation of Mg significantly enhances the Ni-support interaction, Ni dispersion and catalytic performance. The high efficiency of the Ni-based hydrotalcite derived catalyst was mainly attributed to the surface synergistic interaction between the catalytically active metallic Ni sites and the strong basic sites, which furnished an eco-benign and sustainable catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of furfural. Furthermore, the spent catalyst analysis substantiated that no significant difference in the catalyst phase was observed even after 48 h of reaction stream. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alcohol-hydrotalcites-selective, Biomass-frurfural-furfuryl, Hydrogenation}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2016.03.019}, author = {Manikandan, Marimuthu and Venugopal, Ashok Kumar and Prabu, Kandasamy and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Thirumalaiswamy, Raja} } @article { ISI:000377612300015, title = {Scandium triflate catalyzed unexpected cleavage of C-C bonds in ynones}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {223-232}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

An unexpected C-C bond cleavage in ynones in the presence of catalytic amounts of Sc(OTf)(3) in methanol under microwave irradiation has been discussed. The effect of substituent on the regioselectivity of C-C bond cleavage has carefully been addressed by employing various ynones derivatives. The mechanism has been proposed for the observed regioselectivity.

}, keywords = {C-C bond cleavage, Esters, Ketones, scandium triflate, ynones}, issn = {1551-7004}, doi = {10.3998/ark.5550190.p009.244}, author = {Kavthe, Rahul D. and Bansode, Avinash H. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {42621, title = {Search for parity and time reversal violating effects in HgH: relativistic coupled-cluster study}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {144}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article No. 124307}, abstract = {

The high effective electric field (E-eff) experienced by the unpaired electron in an atom or a molecule is one of the key ingredients in the success of electron electric dipole moment (eEDM) experiment and its precise calculation requires a very accurate theory. We, therefore, employed the Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework and found that HgH has a very large E-eff value (123.2 GV/cm) which makes it a potential candidate for the next generation eEDM experiment. Our study also reveals that it has a large scalar-pseudoscalar (S-PS) P, T-violating interaction constant, W-s = 284.2 kHz. To judge the accuracy of the obtained results, we have calculated parallel and perpendicular magnetic hyperfine structure (HFS) constants and compared with the available experimental values. The results of our calculation are found to be in nice agreement with the experimental values. Therefore, by looking at the HFS results, we can say that both E-eff and W-s values are also very accurate. Further, We have derived the relationship between these quantities and the ratio which will help to get model independent value of eEDM and S-PS interaction constant. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, doi = {10.1063/1.4944673}, author = {Sasmal, Sudip and Pathak, Himadri and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000362736300014, title = {Selective solid-phase extraction of metal for water decontamination}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {133}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {42849}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Metal-contaminated industrial effluent is a major concern for human health. Therefore, the removal of metal is of primary importance. In this study, metals were selectively extracted from water. Selective metal recovery was studied with a crown-ether-based polymer, wherein the selectivity was observed for strontium over lead. Parameters influencing the metal recovery, such as the contact time, adsorbent dosage, and metal-ion concentration, were evaluated. Interestingly, the adsorption rate of strontium was exponentially increased for the initial 4 h, and lead was adsorbed exponentially after 6 h. Notably, 98\% strontium adsorption and 64\% lead adsorption were obtained in 24 h. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was in good agreement and demonstrated that the reactive sites of the adsorbent were homogeneous with monolayer metal adsorption with an adsorbent. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm was not obeyed by both metals. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics indicated that strontium was adsorbed by chemisorption and lead was adsorbed by physisorption. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 132, 42849.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, copolymers, crosslinking, kinetics, radical polymerization}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.42849}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article {42665, title = {Self- assembly of isomannide-based monoesters of C18-fatty acids and their cellular uptake studies}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = { 72074-72079}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The self-assembling behavior of oleic, elaidic and stearic acid-isomannide glycolipids is revealed. Amongst these, oleic and elaidic acid-based isomannide lipids self-assembled to form microspheres which were efficiently taken up by cancer cell lines enabling their usage for drug delivery applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/C6RA05608C}, author = {Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Parekh, Nimisha and Reddy, T. Vijai Kumar and Rani, G. Sandhya and Devi, B. L. A. Prabhavathi and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @inbook {43302, title = {Self-assembly of biohybrid polymers}, booktitle = {Macromolecular self-assembly}, year = {2016}, pages = {193-229}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, organization = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, chapter = {7}, address = {New York :}, abstract = {

Self-assembly is considered to be the process through which building blocks spontaneously organize into well-defined frequently functional structures. The tailoring of properties of such structures has drawn attention in various fields, in particular, in enzymatic cascade reactions, drug delivery, amphiphilic copolymer nanocontainers, and nanoreactors. Polymer-DNA hybrid self-assemblies, in addition to responsiveness to ionic strength, are sensitive to hybridization, which renders the establishment of a theoretical framework challenging when both specific hydrogen bonding between complementary sequences and association are to be taken into consideration. Numerous various highly characterized self-assemblies are recognized to organize through nucleation dependent polymerization, including microtubule formation, sickle-cell fibril formation, flagellum assembly, among others. Interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) have attracted attention due to the large number of emerging and potential applications. Environmental factors such as the medium also play a role in the complex formation process, especially pH and ionic strength.

}, doi = {10.1002/9781118887813.ch7 }, author = {Kedracki, Dawid and Abraham, Jancy Nixon and Prado, Enora and Nardin, Corinne} } @article {45642, title = {Silk fibroin-sophorolipid gelation: deciphering the underlying mechanism}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {17}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3318-3327}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Silk fibroin (SF) protein, produced by silkworm Bombyx mori, is a promising biomaterial, while sophorolipid (SL) is an amphiphilic functional biosurfactant synthesized by nonpathogenic yeast Candida bombicola. SL is a mixture of two forms, acidic (ASL) and lactonic (LSL), which when added to SF results in accelerated gelation of silk fibroin. LSL is known to have multiple biological functionalities and hence hydrogels of these green molecules have promising applications in the biomedical sector. In this work, SANS, NMR, and rheology are employed to examine the assembling properties of individual and mixed SLs and their interactions with SF to understand the mechanism that leads to rapid gelation. SANS and NMR studies show that ASL assembles to form charged micelles, while LSL forms micellar assemblies and aggregates of a mass fractal nature. ASL and LSL together form larger mixed micelles, all of which interact differently with SF. It is shown that preferential binding of LSL to SF causes rapid unfolding of the SF chain leading to the formation of intermolecular beta sheets, which trigger fast gelation. Based on the observations, a mechanism for gelation of SF in the presence of different sophorolipids is proposed.

}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01069}, author = {Dubey, Parul and Kumar, Sugam and Aswal, Vinod K. and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Prabhune, Asmita and Nisal, Anuya} } @article {42669, title = {Silver nanoparticles: a new perspective in endodontic therapy}, journal = {OAB Journal}, volume = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = { 77-81}, abstract = {

Silver has been in use in medicine since time immemorial because of its antimicrobial properties. But due to the emergence of antibiotics the use of silver has been declined. Several pathogenic bacteria have developed resistance against various antibiotics. This has led to reemergence of silver. Recently nano science and nanotechnology are gaining tremendous popularity. The small size of nanoparticles provides larger surface area and hence increases the effectiveness of nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles are used in medical and dental applications ranging from silver based wound dressings, silver coated medicinal devices like catheters, endotrachial tubes, bone cements, in gels, lotions, cosmetics, in dental restorative materials, endodontic cements, dental implants caries inhibitory agents, and in prosthesis. The purpose of this article is to discuss briefly the potential role of silver nano particles in endodontic therapy.

}, author = {Jadhav, Rajashree and Bhide, Shrinivas and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kunchiraman, Bipinraj and Shimpi, Jayesh and Nandhini, Usha} } @article { ISI:000372253200047, title = {Situ fabrication of highly crystalline CdS decorated Bi2S3 nanowires (nano-heterostructure) for visible light photocatalyst application}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {28}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {23508-23517}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In situ synthesis of the orthorhombic Bi2S3 nanowires decorated with hexagonal CdS nanoparticles (nano-heterostructure) has been demonstrated by a facile solvothermal method. The tiny 5-7 nm CdS spherical nanoparticles are decorated on the surfaces of 30-40 nm Bi2S3 nanowires, successfully. Structural, morphological and optical studies clearly show the existence of CdS on the nanowires. A possible sequential deposition growth mechanism is proposed on the basis of experimental results to reveal the formation of the nano heterostructure. The heterostructures have been used as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production as well as degradation of methylene blue under solar light. The maximum hydrogen evolution i.e. 4560 and 2340 mu mol h(-1) 0.5 g was obtained from H2S splitting and glycerol degradation for Bi2S3 NWs decorated with CdS nanoparticles (nano-heterostructure) which is higher than that of the Bi2S3 NWs (3000 and 1170 mu mol h(-1) 0.5 g, respectively). The enhanced photocatalytical hydrogen evolution efficiency of the heterostructures is mainly attributed to its nanostructure. In the nano heterostructure, the CdS nanoparticles control the charge carrier transition, recombination, and separation, while the Bi2S3 nanowire serves as a support for the CdS nanoparticles. The photogenerated electron{\textquoteright}s migration is faster than the holes from the inside of a CdS nanoparticle to its surface or to the phase interface, resulting in a relatively higher hole density inside the CdS nanoparticle leaving electron density at surface of the Bi2S3 NWs. This influences the photocatalytic activity under solar light. Such nano-heterostructures may have potential in other photocatalytic reactions.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra01488g}, author = {Panmand, Rajendra P. and Sethi, Yogesh A. and Deokar, Rajashree S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Gholap, Haribhau M. and Baeg, Jin-Ook and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000369211700025, title = {Small molecule activation by constrained phosphorus compounds: insights from theory}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {55}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {558-565}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An exciting new development in main group chemistry has been the use of a constrained, flat, phosphorus-based complex to mediate in reactions such as the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB), and the activation of the NH bond in primary amines. Its importance is based on the fact that it shows that main group compounds, when properly designed, can be as effective as transition metal complexes for doing significant chemical transformations. What the current computational study, employing density functional theory (DFT), reveals is that a common, general mechanism exists that accounts for the behavior of the flat phosphorus compound in the different reactions that have been experimentally reported to date. This mechanism, which involves the mediation by a base as a proton transfer agent, is simpler and energetically more favorable than the previous mechanisms that have been proposed for the same reactions in the literature. It is likely that the knowledge gained from the current work about the chemical behavior of this phosphorus compound can be utilized to design new constrained phosphorus-based compounds.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b01074}, author = {Pal, Amrita and Vanka, Kumar} } @article {43632, title = {Spatially branched CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture: single step hydrothermal synthesis approach with enhanced field emission performance and highly responsive broadband photodetection}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {95092-95100}, abstract = {This report explores the controlled hierarchical synthesis of CdS nanostructure branches on Bi2S3 nanorod cores via a facile single step hydrothermal route. Morphological and structural studies reveal the formation of CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture with excellent stoichiometry between the constituent elements. The growth of CdS over Bi2S3 strongly depends on optimization of the reaction conditions, especially low PVP concentration. Furthermore, the as-synthesized CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture demonstrates multifunctionality in field emission and photoresponse. Interestingly, the CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture shows enhanced field emission properties such as low turn-on field (similar to 1.8 V mu m(-1) for 10 mu A cm(2)), high emission current density and better current stability in comparison to Bi2S3 and other nanostructures. The as-synthesized CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture exhibits considerable response and recovery times, similar to 207 ms and 315 ms, respectively in comparison to bare Bi2S3 nanostructures (similar to 655 ms and 678 ms). The present results demonstrate CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture as a potential candidate for future optoelectronic device applications.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra21085f}, author = {Bankar, Prashant K. and Pawar, Mahendra S. and Pawbake, Amit S. and Warule, Sambhaji S. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {45638, title = {Strategic Preparation of Efficient and Durable NiCo Alloy Supported N-Doped Porous Graphene as an Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalyst: A Theoretical and Experimental Investigation}, journal = {Advanced Materials Interfaces}, volume = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT }, pages = {1600532}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Development of an efficient and durable water splitting electrocatalyst holds a great commitment for the future energy devices. The real application of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts mainly suffers from sluggish kinetics and high overpotential except for the Ir and Ru-based systems. However, the high cost and vulnerability of the Ir and Ru metals are the main hostiles to use them for marketization. Herein, a high-performance OER electrocatalyst consisting of NiCo alloy nanoparticles supported on high surface area N-doped porous graphene (NiCo/pNGr(75: 25)) is reported. The importance of the doped-N for achieving the uniform dispersion-cum-effective interaction of the size controlled NiCo alloy nanoparticles has been explicitly investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy, Raman, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, etc. The electrochemical analysis of NiCo/pNGr(75: 25) shows an overpotential of approximate to 260 mV at 10 mA cm(-2) with a smaller Tafel slope of approximate to 87 mV dec(-1) and long catalytic durability. DFT calculations are done to check the interaction between the NiCo alloy nanoparticles and the defective sites of pNGr and also with the doped-N, which could be attained for maintaining long catalytic durability. Furthermore, NiCo/pNGr(75: 25) is used as an OER catalyst to fabricate an electrolyzer, which works at very low potential of 1.5 V in 1 M KOH.

}, issn = {2196-7350}, doi = {10.1002/admi.201600532}, author = {Singh, Santosh K. and Kumar, Deepak and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Pal, Sourav and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000368973000001, title = {Structural analysis of a penicillin V acylase from pectobacterium atrosepticum confirms the importance of two Trp residues for activity and specificity}, journal = {Journal of Structural Biology}, volume = {193}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {85-94}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Penicillin V acylases (PVA) catalyze the deacylation of the beta-lactam antibiotic phenoxymethylpenicillin (Pen V). They are members of the Ntn hydrolase family and possess an N-terminal cysteine as the main catalytic nucleophile residue. They form the evolutionarily related cholylglycine hydrolase (CGH) group which includes bile salt hydrolases (BSH) responsible for bile deconjugation. Even though a few PVA and BSH structures have been reported, no structure of a functional PVA from Gram-negative bacteria is available. Here, we report the crystal structure of a highly active PVA from Gram-negative Pectobacterium atrosepticum (PaPVA) at 2.5 angstrom resolution. Structural comparison with PVAs from Gram-positive bacteria revealed that PaPVA had a distinctive tetrameric structure and active site organization. In addition, mutagenesis of key active site residues and biochemical characterization of the resultant variants elucidated the role of these residues in substrate binding and catalysis. The importance of residue Trp23 and Trp87 side chains in binding and correct positioning of Pen V by PVAs was confirmed using mutagenesis and substrate docking with a 15 ns molecular dynamics simulation. These results establish the unique nature of Gram-negative CGHs and necessitate further research about their substrate spectrum. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aromatic stacking, Cholylglycine hydrolase, molecular dynamics, Mutagenesis, Oligomeric interactions}, issn = {1047-8477}, doi = {10.1016/j.jsb.2015.12.008}, author = {Avinash, Vellore Sunder and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Chand, Deepak and Pundle, Archana and Suresh, Cheravakattu Gopalan and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar} } @article { ISI:000369515700061, title = {Structural and conformational properties of polybenzimidazoles in melt and phosphoric acid solution: a polyelectrolyte membrane for fuel cells}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {10}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8211-8221}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Poly[2,2{\textquoteright}-(p-phenylene)-5,5{\textquoteright}-bibenzimidazole (PBI) and poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) doped with phosphoric acid (PA) are considered as potential polymer electrolyte membranes for high temperature fuel cells. Conformational and structural properties of polymer chains in the presence of PA govern the function of the membrane. Therefore, in this work, a single chain conformational analysis of ABPBI and PBI in melt as well as in PA was performed using classical molecular dynamics simulations. End-to-end distance and the radius of gyration reveal significant changes in the conformations of PBI and ABPBI in PA. The structural changes are analyzed locally segment-wise as well as globally in these polymers. The shape and nature of the curvature along the chain is found to be significantly different for ABPBI and PBI. The role of the solvent (PA) on the chain backbone structure is explored for PA doped ABPBI and PBI chains. The PA arrangement along the backbone confirms that benzimidazole density in the case of both of the polymers determines the PA absorbing capacity. The H-bonding interactions between various atoms of the polymer backbone and the atoms of the PA molecules are evaluated along the polymer chain which relates to the arrangement of PA along the backbone. The reasons for the varying number of H-bonds along ABPBI and PBI which in turn has a significant effect on the stiffness of the chains are investigated.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra22159e}, author = {Pahari, Swagata and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000375723900014, title = {Structural insight into self assembly of sophorolipids: a molecular dynamics simulation study}, journal = {Zeitschrift Fur Physikalische Chemie-International Journal of Research in Physical Chemistry \& Chemical Physics}, volume = {230}, number = {5-7, SI}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {819-836}, publisher = {WALTER DE GRUYTER GMBH}, address = {GENTHINER STRASSE 13, D-10785 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids contain hydrophilic head groups at the ends of a long hydrophobic tail. As a result, sophorolipids can self assemble into variety of structures in water. Atomistic self assembly simulations of sophorolipids are performed in water. Two sophorolipids, oleic acid sophorolipid and linolenic acid sophorolipid, differing in number of double bonds in the hydrophobic tail are considered for this study. Long time self assembly simulations are performed considering 1 :3 lipid to water ratio by weight for both oleic and linolenic acid sophorolipids. In addition to 1 : 3 ratio, long time self assembly simulations are also performed with 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 ratios for linolenic acid sophorolipids. Distinctions in structural arrangements of sophorolipid molecules in the self assembled configuration for all the systems are investigated. The present study aims to provide structural insight into the different self assembled configurations of sophorolipids in water.

}, keywords = {MD Simulation, self assembly, sophorolipids, United Atom Force Field}, issn = {0942-9352}, doi = {10.1515/zpch-2015-0719}, author = {Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Roy, Sudip} } @article {43643, title = {Study of magnetic and thermal properties of SmCrO3 polycrystallites}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {82014-82023}, abstract = {In the present work, we have studied the magnetic and thermal properties of sol gel derived samarium chromite (SCO) polycrystallites. The magnetic measurements of SCO polycrystallites show a characteristic antiferromagnetic transition T-N similar to 190 K and spin reorientation temperature T-SR similar to 33 K, which is in the region of interest to study a possible magnetocaloric effect (MCE). The isothermal magnetic entropy change (Delta S-M) is estimated by an indirect method from the isothermal magnetization curves measured in this temperature range. The SCO polycrystallites possesses both inverse (positive) and normal (negative) MCE at and above around the spin reorientation transition (TSR) with Delta S-M(max) M values of similar to -24 x 10(-2) \& 13 x 10(-2) J kg(-1) K-1, respectively. The SCO also shows another normal (negative) MCE peak around its Neel transition (T-N) with -Delta S-M(max) M similar to 11 x 10(-2) J kg(-1) K-1. The presence of two successive MCE peaks in SCO in the temperature range of 3-50 K, leads to an similar to 47 K operating temperature window with one thermodynamic cycle. In addition, the low temperature heat capacity (C-P) measurements of SCO polycrystallites reveal a lambda-shaped peak at T-N which is associated with a conventional second- order, paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic (AFM), phase transition. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the specific heat capacity was studied and analyzed to estimate the adiabatic temperature change (Delta T-ad). In addition the C-P vs. T curve in SCO also shows a weak anomaly around the similar to T-SR along with a Schottky anomaly below 10 K.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra17203b}, author = {Gupta, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000375255500006, title = {Study of magnetic entropy and heat capacity in ferrimagnetic Fe3Se4 nanorods}, journal = {Journal Of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {49}, number = {19}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {195003}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Change in the magnetic entropy and specific heat capacity in Fe3Se4 nanorods synthesized by a wet-chemical method in a broad temperature (215-340 K) and magnetic field range (0-60 k Oe) was studied. The isothermal magnetic entropy change (Delta S-M) is estimated by an indirect method from the isothermal magnetization curves measured in this temperature range. S-M(max) of -46 x 10(-2) J kg(-1).K-1 was obtained at similar to 317 K when the field was changed from 0 to 60 kOe. The maximum in the isothermal magnetic entropy change (Delta S-M) is observed in close proximity to TC (similar to 323 K), which is linked to the order-disorder transition. The nature of this transition was analyzed by universal curve behavior. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of specific heat capacity was studied and analyzed to estimate the adiabatic temperature change (Delta T-ad). The magnetic entropy change of Fe3Se4 nanoparticles is found to be comparable with similar ferrite and manganite nanoparticle systems and a broad operating temperature window of similar to 30 K was observed around room temperature.

}, keywords = {heat capacity, iron selenide, Magnetic anisotropy, magnetic entropy, order-disorder phase transition}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/49/19/195003}, author = {Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000369537900099, title = {Sunlight assisted degradation of dye molecules and reduction of toxic Cr(VI) in aqueous medium using magnetically recoverable Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {11049-11063}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In view of the significant impact of magnetically recoverable catalysts in photocatalytic applications, Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesized by adopting an eco-friendly solution chemistry approach and has been characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Fe3O4/rGO nanocomposite is efficiently utilized towards photocatalytic degradation of carcinogenic and mutagenic cationic as well as anionic dye molecules namely methyl green (MG), methyl blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) under direct sunlight irradiation. The Fe3O4/rGO nanocomposite also demonstrated excellent photocatalytic reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) solution to nontoxic aqueous Cr(III) solution of more than 96\% within 25 min under sunlight irradiation. Moreover, reusability of the magnetically recovered photocatalyst was studied efficiently up to 10 cycles in the degradation process. The catalyst was also characterized after the degradation of the dye molecule and the particle size of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the rGO sheets remained unchanged. The present investigation focuses on the importance of the use of Fe3O4/rGO nanocomposite towards photocatalytic degradation of waste water containing organic dye pollutants and toxic Cr(VI), as an easily recoverable and reusable photocatalyst with potential for many environmental remediation applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra25035h}, author = {Boruah, Purna K. and Borthakur, Priyakshree and Darabdhara, Gitashree and Kamaja, Chaitanya Krishna and Karbhal, Indrapal and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Phukan, Pallabi and Saikia, Dulen and Das, Manash R.} } @article {43404, title = {Surface chemical bonds, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and dielectric constant of SiO2 nanospheres in-situ decorated with Ag-nanoparticles by electron-irradiation}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {120}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article Number: 234901}, abstract = {Nanostructures of dielectric materials decorated with metal nanoparticles are of great scientific interest; however, the involved synthesis methods are complicated and require multistep chemical processing, including functionalization of the dielectric surfaces. In the present work, without chemical processes, silver nanoparticles of average sizes in the range of 11 to 15 nm were in-situ synthesized and decorated on SiO2 nanospheres in a single step process by irradiating a solution (AgNO3-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-SiO2 nanospheres) with 6 MeV electrons at 1.5 x 10(15) e(-)/cm(2), 3.0 x 10(15) e(-)/cm(2), and 4.5 x 10(15) e(-)/cm(2) fluences. The electron irradiated solutions were characterized with different surface and other techniques. The results revealed that the SiO2 nanospheres were uniformly decorated with Ag nanoparticles, and the prominent chemical bonds involved were Ag-O, Si-O-Ag, and Si-Ag. Moreover, the sizes and the decoration density of Ag nanoparticles could be tailored by varying electron fluence. The Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) solutions was studied using substrates in the form of thin coatings of the solutions of Ag-decorated SiO2 nanospheres. The appearance of the characteristic SERS peaks of both 4-ATP and 4, 4{\textquoteright}-dimercaptoazobenzene (4, 4{\textquoteright}-DMAB) in Raman spectra confirmed the conversion of a fraction of 4-ATP into 4, 4{\textquoteright}-DMAB in the presence of Ag nanoparticles. Composites in the form of thin films were synthesized from the mixture solutions of PVP and Ag-decorated SiO2 nanospheres. The dielectric constant of each thin film was higher as compared to polymers, and could be tailored by varying electron fluence used for decorating Ag nanoparticles. Published by AIP Publishing.}, doi = {10.1063/1.4971866}, author = {Phatangare, A. B. and Dhole, S. D. and Dahiwale, S. S. and Mathe, V. L. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Late, Dattatray J. and Bhoraskar, V. N.} } @article { ISI:000375270600080, title = {Surface modification of aligned CdO nanosheets and their enhanced field emission properties}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {47}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {41261-41267}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Porous aligned CdO nanosheets were grown on a cadmium (Cd) substrate by the simple and cost effective method of thermal annealing. Further, decoration of gold (Au) nanoparticles on the porous aligned CdO nanosheets (specimen A) was achieved by coating with a Au thin film and subsequent annealing treatment. The average diameters of decorated Au nanoparticles were found to be 15 nm, 21 nm and 28 nm for the Au thin films with 20 s, 40 s and 60 s (specimens B, C, and D) coating times. Detailed characterizations, such as structural and morphological analysis of porous CdO nanosheets and Au/CdO nanocomposite (Au decorated porous CdO nanosheets), have been carried out using a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Field emission studies of specimens A, B, C and D were carried out in the planar diode configuration. Turn-on fields of 1.9 V mu m(-1), 1.1 V mu m(-1), 2.4 V mu m(-1) and 2.8 V mu m(-1) have been found for the emission current density of 10 RA cm(-2) for specimens A, B, C and D, respectively. The observed low turn -on field of specimen B (Au diameter of 15 nm) was found to be superior to other semiconducting nanostructures reported in the literature. The field emission current stability over a period of 3 h at the preset current density of 1 RA cm(-2) is found to be excellent for all specimens. To the best of our knowledge, field emission studies along with surface modification of porous aligned CdO nanosheets have not been reported in the literature. The simple synthesis route, facile surface modification and the superior field emission results make the present emitter very suitable for micro/nano electronic devices.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra28000a}, author = {Bagal, Vivekanand S. and Patil, Girish P. and Deore, Amol B. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Chavan, Padmakar G.} } @article { ISI:000372766400005, title = {Surface tailored PS/TiO2 composite nanofiber membrane for copper removal from water}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {469}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {31-37}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Polystyrene (PS)/TiO2 composite nanofiber membranes have been fabricated by electrospinning process for Cu2+ ions removal from water. The surface properties of the polystyrene nanofibers were modulated by introducing TiO2 nanoparticles. The contact angle of the PS nanofiber membrane was found to be decreased with increasing concentration of TiO2, depicted enhanced hydrophilicity. These membranes were highly effective in adsorbing Cu2+ ions from water. The adsorption capacity of these membranes was found to be 522 mg/g, which is significantly higher than the results reported by other researchers. This was attributed to enhanced hydrophilicity of the PS/TiO2 composite nanofiber membranes and effective adsorption property of TiO2 nanoparticles. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {electrospinning, Metal ion adsorption, Nanofiber, TiO2, Water treatment/purification}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2016.01.054}, author = {Wanjale, Santosh and Birajdar, Mallinath S. and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Neppalli, Ramesh and Causin, Valerio and Karger-Kocsis, Jozsef and Lee, Jonghwi and Panzade, Prasad} } @article {42896, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of palmyrolide a macrocycles as sodium channel blockers towards neuroprotection}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8457-8473}, abstract = {

Palmyrolide A is a neuroprotective macrolide isolated by Gerwick and coworkers in 2010. This natural product is known to suppress neuronal spontaneous calcium ion oscillations through its voltage-gated sodium channel blocking ability which is of significant interest in CNS drug discovery. Herein, we give a detailed account on total synthesis of (+)-palmyrolide A and synthesis of a focused library of macrocycles around the scaffold, followed by their biological evaluation. Use of the chiral pool approach, Zhu{\textquoteright}s oxidative homologation, access to unnatural cis-palmyrolide A, preparation of 18 new analogues and identification of macrolides with improved sodium channel blocking activity are the important features of the present paper. As a measure of potency as voltage-gated sodium channel blockers, all the synthesized analogues were profiled for their ability to inhibit the veratridine-stimulated Na+ influx in murine primary neuronal cultures. Four macrocycles were found to be more potent or comparable to that of the natural product (-)-palmyrolide A. The most potent compound from this series 20 was structurally simplified and readily accessible in good quantities for further biological profiling.

}, author = {Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Mehrotra, Suneet and Murray, Thomas F. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {45646, title = {Synthesis and characterization of FeTiO3 ceramics}, journal = {Arabian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {S429-S432}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline FeTiO3 ceramics powders were prepared by the sol-gel process combined with a surfactant-assisted template method. The resulting powders were calcined at different temperatures ranging from 150 degrees C to 600 degrees C for 2 h in an air. The results revealed that a pure hexagonal phase of FeTiO3 could be obtained at low temperature, 600 degrees C. The phase evolution of FeTiO3 was investigated by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (C) 2011 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.

}, keywords = {Electron microscopy, hexagonal phase, Nanoparticles, sol-gel process, Ti-O bond}, issn = {1878-5352}, doi = {10.1016/j.arabjc.2011.05.012}, author = {Gambhire, Anil B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Rathod, Sandip B. and Arbad, Balasaheb R. and Vidhate, Kaluram N. and Gholap, Ramakrishna S. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000374104500001, title = {Synthesis and characterization of superhydrophobic-superoleophilic surface}, journal = {Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology}, volume = {78}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {475-481}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The binary superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic surface has been successfully achieved by a combination of nanoscale texture roughness on micro-textured cotton thread network by layer-by-layer deposition method through the single-step sol-gel route. Furthermore, microstructures with improved wettability were produced, in which silica nanotextures were grown without modifying the chemical method to form superoleophilic and superhydrophobic networks. A superoleophilic surface (oil contact angle 0A degrees) and a superhydrophobic coated cotton fabric with surface free energy of gamma (total) = 13. 23 +/- A 0.37 mJ m(-2) (water contact angle of 167 +/- A 1A degrees and a small sliding angle of 4 +/- A 1A degrees) were successfully obtained. The results were exemplified here by the creation of immiscible oils separation membranes, and the innumerable applications of this technology also include self-cleaning fabrics, antistaining fabrics, water purification, and antiwetting fabrics for military applications.

}, keywords = {contact angle, Layer-by-layer deposition method, sol-gel processing, Superhydrophobic-superoleophilic surface}, issn = {0928-0707}, doi = {10.1007/s10971-016-3974-7}, author = {Mahadik, Satish A. and Pedraza, Fernado D. and Relekar, Brahmanand P. and Parale, Vinayak. G. and Lohar, Gaurav M. and Thorat, Sagar S.} } @article { ISI:000370420000003, title = {Synthesis and characterization of thermally stable polyimides with a pendent phenothiazine unit based on new diamine 10-(3,5-diaminobenzoyl)phenothiazine}, journal = {High Performance Polymers}, volume = {28}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {26-33}, publisher = {SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON EC1Y 1SP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel diamine 10-(3,5-diaminobenzoyl)phenothiazine (DBPT) with a side chain containing phenothiazine unit was synthesized. A new family of polyimides (PIs) containing phenothiazine unit in the side chains has been successfully synthesized by direct polycondensation of DBPT with pyromellitic dianhydride, 3,3{\textquoteright},4,4{\textquoteright}-benzophenone tertacarboxylic dianhydride, and 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODA) via a conventional two-step chemical imidization process. The yield of polymers was good enough, which were soluble in most organic solvents. The molecular orbital energy gaps, thermal stability, and crystallinity of PIs were investigated by molecular modeling, thermogravimetric analysis, and wide-angle X-ray scattering, respectively. Thermal properties of polymers were good enough to permit the use of these PIs in various applications; only 49\% weight loss is detected at 900 degrees C in nitrogen atmosphere. X-Ray diffraction clearly reveals the amorphous nature of PIs. A quantum modeling study (density functional theory) has shown the influence of dianhydride structure on the energy difference of highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels.

}, keywords = {phenothiazine-containing diamine, Polyimide, thermally stable polymer}, issn = {0954-0083}, doi = {10.1177/0954008314568877}, author = {Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Thorave, Asmita K. and Rajan, C. R. and Chavan, Nayaku and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article { ISI:000370693900022, title = {Synthesis and evaluation of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as potential antitubercular agents (vol 6, pg 2209, 2015)}, journal = {Medchemcomm}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {379}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, issn = {2040-2503}, doi = {10.1039/c5md90062j}, author = {Borate, Hanumant B. and Annadate, Ritesh A. and Vagh, Sandip S. and Pisal, Mahesh M. and Deokate, Sagar B. and Arkile, Manisha A. and Jadhav, Nandadeep J. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {43636, title = {Synthesis and structural characterization of twin liquid crystalline perylenebisimides}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {40}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8471-8478}, abstract = {A series of twin perylenebisimide (PBI) molecules were synthesized and characterized having the structure PBI-(methylene spacer)-n-PBI where the length of the central polymethylene spacer segment was varied from n = 1 to 12. The PBI unit was imidized with an ethyl hexyl branched alkyl segment at the terminal and pentadecyl phenol at the other end which was linked through the polymethylene spacer to form the twin molecules. The differential packing afforded by the odd and even spacer central methylene segments resulted in an odd-even oscillation of the melting transitions as well as their enthalpies with higher values observed for the even twins. The odd-even oscillation was quite prominent for the spacers up to n < 7 after which it tapered off. PBI-T1 and PBI-T3 exhibited tendencies to form smectic liquid crystalline (LC) phases while most of the higher membered twin molecules exhibited tendencies for high temperature nematic phases. The ability to control the crystalline or mesogenic nature of the PBI molecules, which constitute an important member of the n type rylenebisimide family that finds application as electron transporters in field effect transistors (FETs) and organic solar cells, is promising as it provides a handle to design systems whose bulk packing is pre-defined to suit the requirements of the application.}, doi = {10.1039/c6nj00524a}, author = {Prajitha, K. P. and Asha, S. K.} } @article {43621, title = {Synthesis and study of calixarene-doped polypyrrole-TiO2/ZnO composites: antimicrobial activity and electrochemical sensors}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {23}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {The present communication describes the synthesis of an electroactive nanocomposite of calixarene- doped polypyrrole ( PPY) containing an oxide of Ti/ Zn. The additive TiO2/ ZnO serves as an oxidizing agent for the polymerization, thus avoiding the use of hazardous organic solvents while calixarene doping stabilizes the polymer. The materials synthesized herein were characterized by UV- visible spectroscopy, FT- IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy ( SEM), transmission electron microscopy ( TEM), energy- dispersive X- ray spectroscopy ( EDX), X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS), and cyclic voltammetry ( CV) of synthesized nanocomposites. It was revealed that the resulting calixarene- doped polypyrrole- TiO2/ ZnO nanocomposite has ( 1) long- time stability, ( 2) significant electrochemical activity for sensing formaldehyde, and ( 3) good antimicrobial activity.}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-016-0921-9}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Husain, Zahid and Joshi, Meenal and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article { ISI:000379253100009, title = {Synthesis of 2-phenoxy-2-phenylethyl acrylate and copolymerization with 2-phenylethyl acrylate: estimation of monomer reactivity ratios, thermal and optical properties}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {457-464}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A new aromatic based monomer 2-phenoxy-2-phenylethyl acrylate (PPEA) was synthesized. Copolymers of PPEA with 2-phenylethyl acrylate (PEA) were prepared by free radical polymerization. The reactivity ratios were estimated using various graphical methods. Structural parameters of the copolymers were obtained by calculating the dyad monomer sequence fractions and the mean sequence length. Optical properties of polymers such as refractive indices and UV-Visible absorption were investigated. The glass transition temperature and thermal degradation behavior of the copolymers were studied. Combined with the RI, transparency and thermal properties, prepared copolymers hold great promise as materials for intraocular lens applications.

}, keywords = {2-Phenoxy-2-phenylethyl acrylate, 2-phenylethyl acrylate, copolymerization, Optical properties, reactivity ratios, Thermal properties}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601325.2016.1176447}, author = {Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article {43417, title = {Synthesis of polyhydroxylated conidine alkaloid as a conformationally restricted azasugar}, journal = {Synlett}, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2799-2802}, abstract = {A conformationally restricted polyhydroxylated 1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]octane core has been synthesized in search for a potent selective glycosidase inhibitor. The key feature of the synthesis involves the high stereoselective photoelectron-transfer-promoted cyclization of the strained alpha-trimethylsilylmethylazetidine moiety to the tethered pi functionality.}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1588312}, author = {Pal, Sujit and Dumbre, Shrinivas G.} } @article {42735, title = {Synthesis of quinoline-based NNN-pincer nickel(II) complexes: a robust and improved catalyst system for C{\textendash}H bond alkylation of azoles with alkyl halides}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {35}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1785{\textendash}1793}, abstract = {

The quinoline-based pincer nickel(II) complexes κN,κN,κN-{R2N-C6H4-(μ-N)-C9H6N}NiX ((R2NNNQ)NiCl: R = Me, 2a; R = Et, 2b) were synthesized by the reaction of the ligand precursors (R2NNNQ)H (R = Me, 1a; R = Et, 1b) with (DME)NiCl2 in the presence of Et3N. Similarly, the pincer nickel(II) derivatives (R2NNNQ)NiX (R = Me, X = Br, 3a; R = Et, X = Br, 3b; R = Me, X = OAc, 4a) were obtained by treatment of the ligands (R2NNNQ)H with the nickel precursor (THF)2NiBr2 or Ni(OAc)2. All of these complexes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy as well as by elemental analysis. Further, the molecular structures of 2a and 3a,b were elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Complex 2a is found to be an efficient catalyst for the direct C{\textendash}H bond alkylation of substituted benzothiazoles and oxazoles with various unactivated alkyl halides containing β-hydrogens under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst 2a is very robust and was recycled and reused five times for the alkylation reaction without a decrease in its catalytic activity. Preliminary studies reveal that the catalyst 2a acts as an active catalyst and the alkylation reaction appears to operate via a radical pathway.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.6b00201}, author = {Patel, Ulhas N. and Pandey, Dilip K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {43580, title = {Temperature dependent raman spectroscopy and sensing behavior of few layer SnSe2nanosheets}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5380-5387}, abstract = {Two- dimensional (2D) tin diselenide (SnSe2) nanosheets were synthesized using solvothermal route in one step and perform its humidity sensing, photo sensing and temperature dependant Raman spectroscopy studies. The sensor devices based on few layer SnSe2 nanosheets were prepared and which shows fast response as well as recovery time along with good long-term stability and high sensitivity. The photo sensing behavior shows the typical response time and recovery time to be similar to 310 ms and similar to 340 ms respectively for visible light illumination. The room temperature humidity sensing behaviors were studied in the range of 11-97\% relative humidity (RH). The ob-served sensitivity of similar to 81\% with response time of similar to 74 sec and recovery time of similar to 30 sec were calculated for the few layer SnSe2 nanosheets based humidity sensor. The humidity sensing results confirms the high stability of the device even after six months of time. The temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy investigation in the range of 80 K to 593 K were carried out which shows the negative temperature coefficient and softening of Raman modes as we increases the temperature. The softening modes of SnSe2 nanosheets due to temperature were explained on the basis of a double resonance process which is more active in an atomically thin sample.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201601347}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Date, Abhijit and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {43635, title = {Temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy of electrochemically exfoliated few layer black phosphorus nanosheets}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, abstract = {The present investigation deals with temperature dependant Raman spectroscopy of electrochemically exfoliated few layer black phosphorus nanosheets. The temperature dependent study illustrates that softening of the A(g)(1), B-2g and A(g)(2) modes occurs as the temperature increases from 78 K to 573 K. The calculated temperature coefficients for the A(g)(1), B-2g and A(g)(2) modes were found to be -0.028 cm(-1) K-1, -0.028 cm(-1) K-1 and -0.018 cm(-1) K-1 respectively. The observed phenomenon can be utilized for characterizing other emerging two-dimensional inorganic layered materials with atomic thickness.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra15996f}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Erande, Manisha B. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {42997, title = {Template determines whether chemically identical nanoparticle scaffolds show elastic recovery or plastic failure}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {32}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11623-11630}, abstract = {

Subtle variations in the preparation of ice-templated nanoparticle assemblies yield monoliths that are chemically identical but exhibit qualitatively different mechanical behavior. We ice template aqueous dispersions to prepare macroporous monoliths largely comprising silica nanoparticles held together by a crosslinked polymer mesh. When the polymer is crosslinked in the presence of ice crystals, we obtain an elastic sponge that is capable of recovery after imposition of large compressive strains (up to 80\%). If, however, the ice is lyophilized before the polymer is crosslinked, we obtain a plastic monolith that fails even for modest strains (less than 10\%). The elastic sponge and the plastic monolith are chemically identical; they have the same organic content, the same ratio of polymer to crosslinker, and the same average crosslink density. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to probe the local mechanical properties of the crosslinked polymer mesh. These measurements indicate that plastic monoliths dissipate significantly more energy and have a larger spatial variation in local mechanical response relative to the elastic sponges. We believe that this behavior might correlate with a wider spatial distribution of crosslinks in plastic scaffolds relative to elastic scaffolds.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b03173}, author = {Suresh, Karthika and Patil, Shivprasad and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil Ramanpillai and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {42630, title = {Tracing the architecture of caffeic acid phenethyl ester cocrystals: studies on crystal structure, solubility, and bioavailability implications}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {16}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5710-5716}, abstract = {

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a polyphenolic active compound present in popular apiproduct, "propolis", obtained from beehives, Though it has broad therapeutic capability, the bioavailability of CAPE is limited due to poor solubility. In this study, we report novel cocrystals of CAPE engineered using coformers such as caffeine (CAP), isonicotinamide (INIC), and nicotinamide (NIC) with enhanced solubility and bioavailability of CAPE. The cocrystals were prepared by microwave-assisted cocrystallization and characterized using PXRD, DSC, and Raman spectroscopy. PXRD and DSC confirm the successful formation and phase purity of CAPE-CAF, CAPE-INIC, and CAPE-NIC cocrystals. Raman spectra of CAPE cocrystals complement these results in confirming the formation of novel crystalline phases. CAPE-NIC cocrystal was further subjected X-ray crystallography to understand its molecular arrangement and hydrogen bonding in the crystal structure. The CAPE-NIC cocrystal structure is found to be stabilized by a rare 1,2-benzenediol-amide heterosynthon. Cocrystallization of CAPE with NIC improved its aqueous solubility and pharmacokinetic profile, thereby demonstrating a 2.76-fold escalation in bioavailability.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.6b00759}, author = {Ketkar, Sameer and Pagire, Sudhir K. and Goud, N. Rajesh and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Nangia, Ashwini and Paradkar, Anant} } @article { ISI:000370421500054, title = {Transferability of different classical force fields for right and left handed alpha-helices constructed from enantiomeric amino acids}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {18}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {5550-5563}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Amino acids can form D and L enantiomers, of which the L enantiomer is abundant in nature. The naturally occurring L enantiomer has a greater preference for a right handed helical conformation, and the D enantiomer for a left handed helical conformation. The other conformations, that is, left handed helical conformations of the L enantiomers and right handed helical conformations of the D enantiomers, are not common. The energetic differences between left and right handed alpha helical peptide chains constructed from enantiomeric amino acids are investigated using quantum chemical calculations (using the M06/6-311g(d,p) level of theory). Further, the performances of commonly used biomolecular force fields (OPLS/AA, CHARMM27/CMAP and AMBER) to represent the different helical conformations (left and right handed) constructed from enantiomeric (D and L) amino acids are evaluated. 5- and 10-mer chains from D and L enantiomers of alanine, leucine, lysine, and glutamic acid, in right and left handed helical conformations, are considered in the study. Thus, in total, 32 a-helical polypeptides (4 amino acids x 4 conformations of 5-mer and 10-mer) are studied. Conclusions, with regards to the performance of the force fields, are derived keeping the quantum optimized geometry as the benchmark, and on the basis of phi and psi angle calculations, hydrogen bond analysis, and different long range helical order parameters.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp06715d}, author = {Biswas, Santu and Sarkar, Sujit and Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000375969000054, title = {Transition metal doped aluminum clusters: an account of spin}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {120}, number = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10027-10040}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The influence of spin on the properties of small sized transition metal doped aluminum clusters are investigated in the framework of density functional theory (DFT). Detailed analysis on minimum spin doped aluminum clusters has shown prominent indication of odd even oscillation in various calculated properties, supporting the presence of jellium shell structures within them. However, optimized high spin ground state counterparts, on the other hand, show rather smooth trends consistent with the properties of bulk materials. Resemblance to the bulk transition metals is further reflected in the gradual declining trends of heat of adsorption of CO2 molecule on cluster surface by sequentially changing the dopant atom from scandium to zinc. All the observations are also compared and found to be consistent with the earlier theoretical and experimental findings as obtained in the current literature. The similarities in the properties between atomic clusters and the bulk material is of utter importance and indeed precious considering the promising influence of the acquired information in understanding the process of evolution of nanoparticles from constituent atoms.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b00510}, author = {Sengupta, Turbasu and Das, Susanta and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000375507300036, title = {Treatment of the pesticide industry effluent using hydrodynamic cavitation and its combination with process intensifying additives (H2O2 and ozone)}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {295}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {326-335}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and its combination with H2O2 and ozone have been applied in the present work for the treatment of industrial pesticide effluent. Initially, the effect of dilution of the effluent on the efficacy of hydrodynamic cavitation has been studied using circular venturi as a cavitator. Although an increase in the extent of dilution has not shown any beneficial effect on the actual moles of pollutant degraded, hybrid processes have been studied using 1:5 dilution due to very high TDS content of the effluent. Treatment of the industrial pesticide effluent using HC + ozone (3 gbh) process has demonstrated that the biodegradability index (BI) of the effluent increases from 0.123 to 0.324 after 2 h of operation. The rate of COD and TOC reduction has also increased by many folds by using HC in combination with ozone. In addition this, the treatment of industrial pesticide effluent using HC + H2O2 has also indicated that the rate of COD and TOC reduction increases significantly by using HC in combination with various loadings of H2O2. The study of interference of added H2O2 on the COD analysis has exhibited that the COD equivalence is 0.441 mg/L for 1 mg/L of H2O2. The energy efficiency and operating cost of various hybrid processes have been compared based on the cavitational yield and the cost of electricity. The combined process of HC and H2O2 has observed to be the most cost-effective one due to its higher cavitational yield and lower power consumption. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biodegradability index, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Hydrogen peroxide, Industrial pesticide effluent, Ozone, Venturi}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2016.03.019}, author = {Raut-Jadhav, Sunita and Badve, Mandar P. and Pinjari, Dipak V. and Saini, Daulat R. and Sonawane, Shirish H. and Pandit, Aniruddha B.} } @article { ISI:000369875900008, title = {Tunable nanocarrier morphologies from glycopolypeptide-based amphiphilic biocompatible star copolymers and their carbohydrate specific intracellular delivery}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {17}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {466-475}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Nanocarriers with carbohydrates on the surface represent a very interesting class of drug-delivery vehicles because carbohydrates are involved in biomolecular recognition events in vivo. We have synthesized biocompatible miktoarm star copolymers comprising glycopolypeptide and poly(e-caprolactone) chains using ring-opening polymerization and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click chemistry{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. The amphiphilic copolymers were self-assembled in water into morphologies such as nanorods, polymersomes, and micelles with carbohydrates displayed on the surface. We demonstrate that the formation of nanostructure could be tuned by chain length of the blocks and was not affected by the type of sugar residue. These nanostructures were characterized in detail using a variety of techniques such as TEM, AFM, cryogenic electron microscopy, spectrally resolved fluorescence imaging, and dye encapsulation techniques. We show that it is possible to sequester both hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic dyes within the nanostructures. Finally, we show that these noncytotoxic mannosylated rods and polymersomes were selectively and efficiently taken up by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, demonstrating their potential as nanocarriers for drug delivery.

}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biomac.5b01354}, author = {Pati, Debasis and Das, Soumen and Patil, Naganath G. and Parekh, Nimisha and Anjum, Dalaver H. and Dhaware, Vinita and Ambade, Ashootosh V. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000374049700040, title = {Unified approach to pyrrole-embedded aza-heterocyclic scaffolds based on the RCM/isomerization/cyclization cascade catalyzed by a Ru/B-H binary catalyst system}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {41}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {34428-34433}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra05646f}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Chakrabarty, Indradweep and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {42738, title = {Unified strategy for nickel-catalyzed C-2 Alkylation of indoles through chelation assistance}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5666{\textendash}5672}, abstract = {

A nickel-catalyzed direct C-2 alkylation of indoles through monodentate-chelation assistance has been described. This reaction proceeds via an unusual strategy by the use of a well-designed and defined (quinolinyl)amido{\textendash}nickel catalyst, [{κN,κN,κN-Et2NCH2C(O)(μ-N)C9H6N}Ni(OAc)], providing a solution to the limitations associated with bidentate-chelate auxiliaries. The method allows coupling of indoles with various unactivated primary and secondary alkyl halides with ample substrate scope. This uniquely strategized alkylation proceeded through crucial C{\textendash}H activation and via an alkyl radical intermediate. The reaction by this approach represents a rare example of Ni-catalyzed monodentate-chelate-assisted C{\textendash}H functionalization.

}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.6b02003}, author = {Soni, Vineeta and Jagtap, Rahul A. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @conference { ISI:000382147300037, title = {Use genetic programming for selecting predictor variables and modeling in process identification}, booktitle = {2016 Indian Control Conference (ICC)}, year = {2016}, note = {2nd Indian Control Conference (ICC), Indian Inst Technol, Hyderabad, INDIA, JAN 04-06, 2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {230-237}, publisher = {IEEE Control Syst Soc; Honeywell; Mathworks; ABB R \& D Div; GE; Mahindra Ecole Centrale}, organization = {IEEE Control Syst Soc; Honeywell; Mathworks; ABB R \& D Div; GE; Mahindra Ecole Centrale}, address = {345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

Availability of an accurate and robust dynamic model is essential for implementing the model dependent process control. When first principles based modeling becomes difficult, tedious and/or costly, a dynamic model in the black-box form is obtained (process identification) by using the measured input-output process data. Such a dynamic model frequently contains a number of time delayed inputs and outputs as predictor variables. The determination of the specific predictor variables is usually done via a trial and error approach that requires an extensive computational effort. The computational intelligence (CI) based data-driven modeling technique, namely, genetic programming (GP) can search and optimize both the structure and parameters of a linear/nonlinear dynamic process model. It is also capable of choosing those predictor variables that significantly influence the model output. Thus usage of GP for process identification helps in avoiding the extensive time and efforts involved in the selection of the time delayed input-output variables. This advantageous GP feature has been illustrated in this study by conducting process identification of two chemical engineering systems. The results of the GP-based identification when compared with those obtained using the transfer function based identification clearly indicates the outperformance by the former method.

}, keywords = {dynamic model, genetic programming, predictor variable, process identification, Sensitivity analysis}, isbn = {978-1-4673-7993-9}, author = {Verma, Devendra and Goel, Purva and Patil-Shinde, Veena and Tambe, Sanjeev S.} } @article { ISI:000371799000029, title = {Utilization of banana peel for the removal of benzoic and salicylic acid from aqueous solutions and its potential reuse}, journal = {Desalination and Water Treatment}, volume = {57}, number = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {12717-12729}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

We report on the adsorptive removal of benzoic acid (BA) and salicylic acid (SA) using banana peel (BP), an abundantly available agricultural waste material, for the first time. BP was characterized by proximate analysis, FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy, BET surface area, and XRF. The number of basic sites on BP (4.9mmolg(-1)) is relatively more than acidic sites (0.75mmolg(-1)). The Langmuir uptake capacity values obtained are 6.62mgg(-1) for BA and 9.80mgg(-1) for SA. A mechanism for binding acid molecule to the BP surface is proposed.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Banana peel, Benzoic acids, Salicylic acid, Wastewater treatment}, issn = {1944-3994}, doi = {10.1080/19443994.2015.1051589}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {43414, title = {Valorization of banana peel: a biorefinery approach}, journal = {Reviews in Chemical Engineering}, volume = {32}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {651-666}, abstract = {Banana peel (BP) is an agrowaste produced in large volumes annually, especially by food-processing industries; however, its disposal is of significant concern. However, recent research suggests that BP is a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which can be converted into value-added products. This article reviews the conversion process of value-added products from BP and provides an outline on the chemical composition of BP and its possible applications. In addition, we also discuss the - utilization of BP as a substrate to produce animal feed, biofertilizer, dietary fibers, clean energy, industrial enzymes, as well as its use in the synthesis of nanomaterials. Based on the research conducted so far, it is obvious that BP has a wide variety of applications, and thus, developing a biorefinery approach to adequately utilize BP will help realize its economic benefits to the fullest. Based on the valorization of BP, a scheme for BP biorefinery has been proposed. A material balance for BP biorefinery for 1-ton bone-dry BP is presented and our results show that 432 kg of protein or 170 kg of citric acid, 170 kg of pectin, 325 m(3) of ethanol, and 220 m(3) of methane can be produced.}, doi = {10.1515/revce-2015-0063}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000371419200030, title = {Versatile Cu-II metal-organic framework exhibiting high gas storage capacity with selectivity for CO2: conversion of CO2 to cyclic carbonate and other catalytic abilities}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {22}, number = {10}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3387-3396}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A linear tetracarboxylic acid ligand, H4L, with a pendent amine moiety solvothermally forms two isostructural metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) L-M (M=Zn-II, Cu-II). Framework L-Cu can also be obtained from L-Zn by post- synthetic metathesis without losing crystallinity. Compared with L-Zn, the L-Cu framework exhibits high thermal stability and allows removal of guest solvent and metal-bound water molecules to afford the highly porous, L-Cu. At 77K, L-Cu absorbs 2.57wt\% of H-2 at 1bar, which increases significantly to 4.67wt\% at 36bar. The framework absorbs substantially high amounts of methane (238.38cm(3)g(-1), 17.03wt\%) at 303K and 60bar. The CH4 absorption at 303K gives a total volumetric capacity of 166cm(3)(STP)cm(-3) at 35bar (223.25cm(3)g(-1), 15.95wt\%). Interestingly, the NH2 groups in the linker, which decorate the channel surface, allow a remarkable 39.0wt\% of CO2 to be absorbed at 1bar and 273K, which comes within the dominion of the most famous MOFs for CO2 absorption. Also, L-Cu shows pronounced selectivity for CO2 absorption over CH4, N-2, and H-2 at 273K. The absorbed CO2 can be converted to value-added cyclic carbonates under relatively mild reaction conditions (20bar, 120 degrees C). Finally, L-Cu is found to be an excellent heterogeneous catalyst in regioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions (click reactions) and provides an efficient, economic route for the one-pot synthesis of structurally divergent propargylamines through three-component coupling of alkynes, amines, and aldehydes.

}, keywords = {click reactions, CO2 absorption, cyclic carbonate, heterogeneous catalysis, metal-organic frameworks}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201504747}, author = {De, Dinesh and Pal, Tapan K. and Neogi, Subhadip and Senthilkumar, S. and Das, Debasree and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Bharadwaj, Parimal K.} } @article { ISI:000368032100012, title = {Vitro and in silico antifungal efficacy of nitrogen- doped carbon nanohorn ( NCNH) against rhizoctonia solani}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {34}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {152-162}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

We have investigated in vitro antifungal efficiency of nitrogen-doped carbon nanohorn (NCNH) against Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani) plant pathogenic fungi. NCNH with size of 50-60nm and concentrations of 10, 50, 100, and 150gmL(-1) were used. The results showed that growth of fungi in the presence of NCNH was significantly (p\>.05) inhibited at 150gmL(-1) (85.13 +/-.97) after 72h. The results were validated through computational approaches. Molecular docking analysis of NCNH with endochitinase protein of R. solani was performed to validate the potential of antifungal activity of NCNH. Docking results showed different conformations of interaction of NCNH with endochitinase enzyme. The conformation with least binding energy -13.54kcal/mol was considered further. It is likely that NCNH interacts with the pathogens by mechanically wrapping, which may be one of the major toxicity actions of NCNH against R. solani. The analysis showed that NCNH might interwinds to endochitinase of R. solani leading to the deactivation of the enzyme. To best of our knowledge, this is the first report of antifungal efficacy of NCNH against R. solani and provides useful information about the application of NCNH in resisting crop disease.

}, keywords = {docking, endochitinase, nitrogen-doped carbon nanohorn, Rhizoctonia solani}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2015.1018841}, author = {Dharni, Seema and Sanchita and Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Samad, Abdul and Sharma, Ashok and Patra, Dharani Dhar} } @article {43430, title = {Wide band gap and conducting tungsten carbide(WC) thin films prepared by hot wire chemical vapor deposition(HW-CVD) method}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {183}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {315-317}, abstract = {

In this letter, we report synthesis of tungsten carbide (WC) thin films having wide band gap(3.22-3.3 eV) with high electrical conductivity (80-1260 S/cm) by HW-CVD using heated using heated W filament and Tetra-fluoro-methane (CF4) gas. Formation of WC was confirmed by low angle XRD, Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. UV-Visible spectroscopy analysis revealed that the synthesized films have high transmission at wavelength 500 nm. Electrical properties measured using Hall measurement show that these films are semiconductor. The obtained results imply that the growth of WC thin films is mainly from the atomic species(W and C) evaporated from the hot filament. The HW-CVD opens a novel route to synthesize wide band gap and conducting WC at a cost-efficient way for DSSCs and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). (C) 2016 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2016.07.132}, author = {Pawbake, Amit and Waykar, Ravindra and Jadhavar, Ashok and Kulkarni, Rupali and Waman, Vaishali and Date, Abhijit and Late, Dattatray J. and Pathan, Habib and Jadkar, Sandesh} } @article {42825, title = {[3+2]-Annulation of platinum-bound azomethine ylides with distal C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds of N-allenamides}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {196-199}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc07874e}, author = {Chakrabarty, Indradweep and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Akram, Manjur O. and Gade, Amol B. and Banerjee, Subhrashis and Bera, Saibal and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {43801, title = {4-Phenyl quinoline derivatives as potential serotonin receptor ligands with antiproliferative activity}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {136}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {246-258}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Antagonists of signaling receptors are often effective non-toxic therapeutic agents. Over the years, there have been evidences describing the role of serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in development of cancer. Although there are reports on the antiproliferative effects of some serotonin receptor antagonists, there are very few investigations related to understanding their structure-activity relationships. In this study, we report the screening of a library of 4-phenyl quinoline derivatives for their antiproliferative activities. Preliminary docking studies indicated that these ligands had the ability to bind to two of the serotonin. receptors, 5-HT1B and 5-HT2B. The results of the in silico experiments were validated by performing in vitro studies on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. The ethylpiperazine derivatives showed maximum toxicity against this cancer cell line. The compounds inhibited Calcium ion efflux (induced by serotonin) and ERK activation. One of the most active 4-phenyl quinoline derivatives (H3a) also induced apoptosis, thereby, suggesting the use of this scaffold as a potential anticancer drug. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.05.002}, author = {Joshi, Pranaya V. and Sayed, Alim A. and RaviKumar, Ameeta and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Zinjarde, Smita S.} } @article {43825, title = {Amphi-functional mesoporous silica nanoparticles for dye separation}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {14914-14921}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Synthesis of amphi-functional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (similar to 80 nm) by stepwise chemical modifications of outer and inner pore surfaces is reported. These materials display a clear "Janus" like character and are able to selectively and completely separate hydrophobic dyes form a mixture of dyes. Our results clearly suggest a clear partition of more hydrophobic dyes into the pores from a mixture of two dyes. In addition this material displays a remarkable recycling ability for 10 cycles with up to similar to 99\% dye removal from water.}, doi = {10.1039/c7ta03904b}, author = {Shinde, Pravin and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Singh, Baljeet and Polshettiwar, Vivek and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {45677, title = {Anti-proliferative effect of novel primary cetyl alcohol derived sophorolipids against human cervical cancer cells HeLa}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {12 }, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {e0174241}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Sophorolipids (SLs) are glycolipid biosurfactants that have been shown to display anticancer activity. In the present study, we report anti-proliferative studies on purified forms of novel SLs synthesized using cetyl alcohol as the substrate (referred as SLCA) and their anticancer mechanism in human cervical cancer cells. Antiproliferative effect of column purified SLCA fractions (A, B, C, D, E and F) was examined in panel of human cancer cell lines as well as primary cells. Among these fractions, SLCA B and C significantly inhibited the survival of HeLa and HCT 116 cells without affecting the viability of normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The two fractions were identified as cetyl alcohol sophorolipids with non-hydroxylated tail differing in the degree of acetylation on sophorose head group. At an IC50 concentration SLCA B (16.32 mu g ml(-1)) and SLCA C (14.14 mu g ml(-1)) blocked the cell cycle progression of HeLa cells at G1/S phase in time-dependent manner. Moreover, SLCA B and SLCA C induced apoptosis in HeLa cells through an increase in intracellular Ca2+ leading to depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential and increase in the caspase-3, -8 and -9 activity. All these findings suggest that these SLCAs could be explored for their chemopreventive potential in cervical cancer.}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0174241}, author = {Nawale, Laxman and Dubey, Parul and Chaudhari, Bhushan and Sarkar, Dhiman and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article {43949, title = {Assessing therapeutic potential of molecules: molecular property diagnostic suite for tuberculosis}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {515-531}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Abstract: Molecular Property Diagnostic Suite (MPDS TB) is a web tool (http://mpds.osdd.net) designed to assist the in silico drug discovery attempts towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). MPDS TB tool has nine modules which are classified into data library (1{\textendash}3), data processing (4{\textendash}5) and data analysis (6{\textendash}9). Module 1 is a repository of literature and related information available on the Mtb. Module 2 deals with the protein target analysis of the chosen disease area. Module 3 is the compound library consisting of 110.31 million unique molecules generated from public domain databases and custom designed search tools. Module 4 contains tools for chemical file format conversions and 2D to 3D coordinate conversions. Module 5 helps in calculating the molecular descriptors. Module 6 specifically handles QSAR model development tools using descriptors generated in the Module 5. Module 7 integrates the AutoDock Vina algorithm for docking, while module 8 provides screening filters. Module 9 provides the necessary visualization tools for both small and large molecules. The workflow-based open source web portal, MPDS TB 1.0.1 can be a potential enabler for scientists engaged in drug discovery in general and in anti-TB research in particular. Graphical Abstract: SYNOPSIS: A web-based MPDS TB Galaxy tool is developed for assessing therapeutic potential of molecules. MPDS TB is categorized into Data Library, Data Processing and Data Analysis. It can be a potential enabler for scientists engaged in drug discovery in general and in anti-TB research in particular. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] {\textcopyright} 2017, Indian Academy of Sciences.

}, keywords = {chemical analysis, Chemoinformatics, computational chemistry, Diagnosis, Drug discovery portal, Information analysis, Libraries, Molecular graphics, Molecules, Neglected diseases, Open science, Portals, tuberculosis, Web-based technology, Websites}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1268-4}, author = {Gaur, A. S. and Bhardwaj, A. and Sharma, A. and John, L. and Vivek, M. R. and Tripathi, N. and Bharatam, P. V. and Kumar, R. and Janardhan, S. and Mori, A. and Banerji, A. and Lynn, A. M. and Hemrom, A. J. and Passi, A. and Singh, A. and Kumar, A. and Muvva, C. and Madhuri, C. and Choudhury, C. and Kumar, D. A. and Pandit, D. and Bharti, D. R. and Kumar, D. and Singam, E. A. and Raghava, G. P. and Sailaja, H. and Jangra, H. and Raithatha, K. and Tanneeru, K. and Chaudhary, K. and Karthikeyan, M. and Prasanthi, M. and Kumar, N. and Yedukondalu, N. and Rajput, N. K. and Saranya, P. S. and Narang, P. and Dutta, Prantu and Krishnan, R.} } @article {45660, title = {Auger decay rates of core hole states using equation of motion coupled cluster method}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {482 }, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {160-164}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The recent development of Linac coherent light source high intense X-ray laser makes it possible to create double core ionization in the molecule. The generation of double core hole state and its decay is identified by Auger spectroscopy. The decay of this double core hole (DCH) states can be used as a powerful spectroscopic tool in chemical analysis. In the present work, we have implemented a promising approach, known as CAP-EOMCC method, which is a combination of complex absorbing potential (CAP) and equation -of-motion coupled cluster (EOMCC) approach to calculate the lifetime of single and double core hole states. We have applied this method to calculate the lifetime of the single core hole (K-LL) and double core hole (KK-KLL) states of CH4, NH3 and HF molecules. The predicted lifetime is found to be extremely short. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2016.09.038}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43771, title = {Band alignment and charge transfer pathway in three phase anatase-rutile-brookite TiO2 nanotubes: an efficient photocatalyst for water splitting}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {128}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9-19}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The study reports electrochemical synthesis, phase evolution and hydrogen generation efficiency of anatase, anatase-rutile and anatase-rutile-brookite (ARB) TiO2 nanotubes for the first time. The SEM and TEM micrographs confirm the tubular morphology of the samples. The presence of anatase, rutile and brookite phases in a single nanotube is confirmed from high resolution TEM analysis. The water splitting efficiency of the three systems are studied under one sun illumination. It is observed that the anatase-rutile-brookite TiO2 nanotubes are highly efficient compared to anatase-rutile or anatase TiO2 nanotubes. The hydrogen generated by ARB composites, after four hours of one sun illumination, is found to be nearly twice that of anatase TiO2 nanotubes and 1.6 times that of anatase-rutile TiO2 nanotubes. The results suggest that the ARB in single nanotube having two junction interfaces, highly facilitate interparticle charge transfer compared to single junction anatase-rutile or bare anatase TiO2 nanotubes. From the deconvolution of PL spectra and the synchrotron radiation assisted valence band edge analysis, the band diagram for the anatase-rutile-brookite phase is constructed. The charge separation and its transfer pathway for efficient photo-assisted water splitting are delineated. This opens a new route for the simple synthesis and study of tri-phase TiO2 for efficient photocatalytic water splitting compared to the widely studied two phase TiO2. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.}, keywords = {Anatase-Rutile-Brookite, Hydrogen generation, nanotubes, Photocatalysis, photoluminescence, Valence band edge}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2017.06.033}, author = {Preethi, L. K. and Mathews, Tom and Nand, Mangla and Jha, S. N. and Chinnakonda, Gopinath S. and Dash, Sitaram} } @article {45666, title = {Benz-amidinato calcium iodide catalyzed aldehyde and ketone hydroboration with unprecedented functional group tolerance}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {4562-4564}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A benz-amidinato calcium compound, [PhC(NiPr)(2)Cal] (1), catalyzed hydroboration of a wide range of aldehydes and ketones using pinacolborane (HBpin) at room temperature is reported. The catalyst shows functional group tolerance even towards OH and NH groups. The strategy was further extended to imines.}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc02311a}, author = {Yadav, S. and Pahar, S. and Sen, S. S.} } @article {43904, title = {Binding selectivity of vitamin K3 based chemosensors towards nickel(II) and copper(II) metal ions}, journal = {Journal of molecular Structure}, volume = {1143}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {495-514}, abstract = {

The vitamin K3 derivatives 2-methyl-3-[(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-amino]-1,4-naphthoquinone (M-1), 2-methyl-3-[(pyridin-2-ylethyl)-amino]-1,4-naphthoquinone (M-2), 2-methyl-3-((2-(thiophen-2-yl) methyl)amino)naphthalene-1,4-dione (M-3) and 2-methyl-3-((2-(thiophen-2-yl)ethyl)amino)naphthalene-1,4-dione (M-4) have been synthesized, characterized and studied for their chemosensor abilities towards transition metal ions. Crystal structures of M-1 to M-4 revealed a variety of N-H center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot pi and pi center dot center dot center dot pi interactions. Minor variations in such interactions by chemical stimuli such as metal ions, results in change in color that can be visualized by naked eyes. It has been shown that electronic structure and H-1 NMR, vibrational as well as electronic spectra from the density functional theory agree well with the experiments. The metal ion binding in ethanol, ethanol-water and in mild base triethylamine brings forth recognizing ability of M-1 toward Ni2+ whereas M-2 exhibits large sensing ability for Cu2+ ion. Interestingly M-1 display varying metal ion binding specificity in different solvents with the association constant in ethanol being 11,786 M-1 for Ni2+ compared to 9462 M-1 for the Cu2+. A reversal in preferential binding of M-2 with the respective association constants being 4190 M-1 and 6370 M-1 is discernible. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aminonaphthoquinone Molecular-structures, Anthraquinone, Aqueous-solution, Chemosensor, Crystal-structures, Cu(II), Derivatives, DFT, Fluorometric Chemosensors, hydrogen bonding, Naphthoquinone, pi-pi stacking, Recognition, sensors}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2017.04.094}, author = {Patil, Amit and Lande, Dipali N. and Nalkar, Archana and (Gejji, Shridhar P. and Chakrovorty, Debamitra and Gonnade, Rajesh and Moniz, Tania and Rangel, Maria and Pereira, Eulalia and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article {43558, title = {Biocompatible superhydrophobic coating material for biomedical applications}, journal = {Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology}, volume = {81}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {791-796}, abstract = {Biomaterials and wettability have played a crucial role in the biocompatibility with a host matrix of body fluid and cells. We discuss designing superhydrophobic biomaterials for novel applications such as temporally implant, contact lenses, controlled drug release coatings, coating on medical instruments, etc. Such Superhydrophobic coating surfaces were created with the simple dip coating method by single step base catalyst sol-gel method. Methyltriethoxysilane/trimethoxymethylsilane-based deposition at different dip periods introduces interesting properties in the region, including superhydrophobicity, biocompatibility and transparency. This works reveal the impact of interaction bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and surface free energy on the biocompatibility of superhydrophobic biomaterial.}, doi = {10.1007/s10971-016-4244-4}, author = {Mahadik, Satish A. and Pedraza, F. and Mahadik, Sarika S. and Relekar, Brahmanand P. and Thorat, Sagar S.} } @article {43978, title = {Biosurfactant surfactin as a kinetic promoter for methane hydrate formation}, journal = {Energy Procedia}, volume = {105}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5011-5017}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present study, the effect of the biosurfactant Surfactin on methane hydrate formation kinetics was studied. Initially, several marine derived species were screened for the presence of Surfactin. The polymerase chain reaction technique was used as the preliminary screening step for Surfactin which was then followed up by a couple of different assays to provide conclusive evidence of the same. Based on these tests, the D-9 bacterial strain was identified as a producer of Surfactin. Once the presence of Surfactin had been proven, its effect on methane hydrate formation kinetics was investigated upon by carrying out hydrate formation experiments in a stirred tank reactor. The cell free supernatant containing Surfactin was itself used as the hydrate forming solution without any further processing. It was found that the presence of Surfactin in the system greatly enhances hydrate formation kinetics as compared to pure water. In fact the kinetics in presence of Surfactin also surpassed that obtained with 1 wt\% SDS, the most commonly used synthetic kinetic hydrate promoter. This basic study can pave the way for more sophisticated research on the use of biosurfactants as kinetic promoters with a view on rapid methane hydrate formation kinetics for applications such as methane separation, storage and transport.}, doi = {10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.1050}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Gaurav and Barmecha, Vivek and Pradhan, Darshan and Naik, Rajesh and Zare, Kirti and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Kushwaha, Omkar Singh and Kumar, Rajnish} } @article {45674, title = {Biosynthesis of glycomonoterpenes to attenuate quorum sensing associated virulence in bacteria}, journal = {Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry}, volume = {181 }, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1533-1548}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The acquisition of multidrug resistance in bacteria has become a bigger threat of late, mainly due to the bacterial signaling phenomenon, quorum sensing (QS). QS, among a population of bacteria, initiates the formation of biofilms and offers myriad advantages to bacteria. Burgeoning antibiotic resistance in biofilm-producing bacteria has motivated efforts toward finding new alternatives to these traditional antimicrobials. In the present study, we report the increased solubility and additional quorum quenching as well as biofilm disruption activity of glyco-derivatives of monoterpenes (citral and citronellal). Glycomonoterpenes of citral and citronellal were synthesized via conjugation of the monoterpenes with glucose by the non-pathogenic yeast Candida bombicola (ATCC 22214). Structural elucidation of newly synthesized glycomonoterpenes showed that one synthesized using citronellal contains three major lactonic forms with molecular weight 492.43, 473.47, and 330.39 Da whereas the one produced using citral has an acidic form with molecular weight 389.33 and 346.23 Da. The glycomonoterpenes were able to individually inhibit QS, mediated through various medium-chain and long-chain N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). These new compounds are interesting additions to the known range of quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) and could be further explored for potential clinical applications.}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-016-2300-8}, author = {Patil, Amrita and Joshi-Navre, Kasturi and Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @inbook {45774, title = {Biotechnological interventions to modulate terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway in catharanthus roseus using in vitro tools and approaches}, booktitle = {Catharanthus Roseus: Current Research and Future Prospects}, year = {2017}, pages = {247-275}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, organization = {Springer International Publishing}, chapter = {18}, address = { Switzerland}, abstract = {

Catharanthus roseus plant is valued for harboring more than 130 bioactive terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) including the two of its leaf derived bisindole alkaloids-vinblastine and vincristine which are indispensible constituents of antineoplastic drugs used in metastatic malignancy associated with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia{\textquoteright}s and Hodgkin{\textquoteright}s/Non-Hodgkin{\textquoteright}s lymphomas. The extremely low in planta occurrence of TIAs in C. roseus plants resulting in high commercial demand and exorbitant price have brought this herb in focus of an intense scientific scrutiny in last 30 years. Research efforts have so far advanced in two major directions: towards understanding the enzymology and genetic regulation of the concerned metabolic pathway(s) leading to TIAs biosynthesis in plant and, secondly, exploring the possibility of developing cell/tissue culture based platforms for in vitro TIAs production to meet the industry{\textquoteright}s demand. Designing plants, free from such metabolic constraints, can be a possible approach to enhance the production of plant based medicines. This subject of plant metabolic engineering is gaining lot of attention these days. Pathway manipulation using the modern tools of genetic engineering to over-express a limiting enzyme or to suppress the expression of an enzyme using a shared substrate of a branched pathway are attractive options of metabolic engineering for diverting the metabolic flux towards the synthesis of a desired end product. Knowledge, thus gained, indicates that TIAs biogenetic route is characterized by extensive metabolic cross-talk and shuttling of at least 35 intermediates synthesized via 30 enzymatic reactions occurring in four different types of tissues (epidermis, internal phloem parenchyma, idioblasts and leticifers) and five different sub-cellular compartments (cytosol, vacuole, thyllakoid membrane, nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum). The complexity is further compounded by extremely high level of recalcitrancy of C. roseus plant for regeneration and Agrobacterium- mediated genetic transformation for pathway engineering. As a consequence, all genetic modulation efforts so far made in C. roseus are confined to cell suspension and transformed hairy root cultures that lack the required level of cyto- and tissue- differentiation essential for the expression of entire TIAs pathway genes and enzymes. A perusal of published work in C. roseus clearly suggests that inspite of several pathway manipulation/engineering attempts, the level of TIAs production in cell/tissue/hairy root cultures of this herb could never be enhanced to the level of expectations. The enzymatic, developmental and environmental rigidity/complexi- ties associated with the biosynthetic pathway of these alkaloids have often been cited as possible reasons for these disappointing outcomes Therefore, three major areas of investigation are in focused attention of Catharanthus researchers{\textquoteright} the world over are: (1) how to select or design the starting cells or tissue(s) to realize the full potential of applying metabolic engineering tools for up-regulating the TIAs pathway in them; (2) how to overcome the strong recalcitrancy of Catharanthus plant tissues for de novo organogenesis and in vitro plant regeneration for whole plant-level expression of a transgene coding either for a limiting pathway enzyme or a transcription factor that can control the global expression of several pathway genes and, (3) how to overcome the inability of non-differentiated cell cultures to execute those pathway steps that are expressed only in specialized tissues/cells of C. roseus plants. Various biotechnological approaches and generation of novel tissue types have been discussed in the present chapter for the modulation and increased TIAs flux in C. Roseus.

}, isbn = {978-331951619-6}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-51620-2_10}, author = {Verma, P. and Khan, S. A. and Parasharami, V. and Mathur, A. K.} } @article {43507, title = {Biotransformation of penicillin V to 6-aminopenicillanic acid using immobilized whole cells of E. coli expressing a highly active penicillin V acylase}, journal = {Preparative Biochemistry \& Biotechnology}, volume = {47}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {52-57}, abstract = {The production of 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) is a key step in the manufacture of semisynthetic antibiotics in the pharmaceutical industry. The penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli has long been utilized for this purpose. However, the use of penicillin V acylases (PVA) presents some advantages including better stability and higher conversion rates. The industrial application of PVAs has so far been limited due to the nonavailability of suitable bacterial strains and cost issues. In this study, whole-cell immobilization of a recombinant PVA enzyme from Pectobacterium atrosepticum expressed in E. coli was performed. Membrane permeabilization with detergent was used to enhance the cell-bound PVA activity, and the cells were encapsulated in calcium alginate beads and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Optimization of parameters for the biotransformation by immobilized cells showed that full conversion of pen V to 6-APA could be achieved within 1 hr at pH 5.0 and 35 degrees C, till 4\% (w/v) concentration of the substrate. The beads could be stored for 28 days at 4 degrees C with minimal loss in activity and were reusable up to 10 cycles with 1-hr hardening in CaCl2 between each cycle. The high enzyme productivity of the PVA enzyme system makes a promising case for its application for 6-APA production in the industry.}, doi = {10.1080/10826068.2016.1163580}, author = {Avinash, Vellore Sunder and Chauhan, Palna Dinesh and Gaikwad, Shraddha and Pundle, Archana} } @article {43973, title = {Calixarene based nanocomposite materials for high performance supercapacitor electrode}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A functionalised calixarene {4-Sulphatocalix [6] arene Hydrate (SC6)} stabilises MoS2/partially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheet. Such stabilised SC6-rGO/SC6-MoS2 and SC6 doped polyaniline (PANI) together forms a nanocomposite hybrid material for supercapacitor electrode. It was fabricated by an in situ polymerization method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results suggest that PANI nanostructures grow homogeneously onto the surfaces of SC6 functionalised MoS2. Calixarene acts as a dopant for PANI as well as a stabiliser for the 2D nanosheets of rGO/MoS2. The characterisation of composites together with basic components was done by using various techniques namely, solid-state FT-IRspectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical performance was analysed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS). It was found that the SC6 functionalised MoS2 and SC6 doped PANI formed a uniform nanocomposite. The synthesised composites show high specific capacitance (691 F/g) and good cycling stability during the charge-discharge process when used as supercapacitor electrodes. The improvement in electrochemical performance of composites is assigned to synergistic effect of SC6 stabilised MoS2 and doped PANI. Our investigation highlighted the importance of use of calixarene in composites for above stated supercapacitor performance. The role of calixarene in the present study opens a way for the application of alike materials in the composite supercapacitors for energy storage applications.}, doi = {10.1039/C7NJ01125C}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Soni, Roby and Patil, Kashinath Rangu and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article {43967, title = {Can fungi compete with marine sources for chitosan production?}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {104}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1415-1421}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Chitosan, a β-1,4-linked glucosamine polymer is formed by deacetylation of chitin. It has a wide range of applications from agriculture to human health care products. Chitosan is commercially produced from shellfish, shrimp waste, crab and lobster processing using strong alkalis at high temperatures for long time periods. The production of chitin and chitosan from fungal sources has gained increased attention in recent years due to potential advantages in terms of homogenous polymer length, high degree of deacetylation and solubility over the current marine source. Zygomycetous fungi such as Absidia coerulea, Benjaminiella poitrasii, Cunninghamella elegans, Gongrenella butleri, Mucor rouxii, Mucor racemosus and Rhizopus oryzae have been studied extensively. Isolation of chitosan are reported from few edible basidiomycetous fungi like Agaricus bisporus, Lentinula edodes and Pleurotus sajor-caju. Other organisms from mycotech industries explored for chitosan production are Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other wine yeasts. Number of aspects such as value addition to the existing applications of fungi, utilization of waste from agriculture sector, and issues and challenges for the production of fungal chitosan to compete with existing sources, metabolic engineering and novel applications have been discussed to adjudge the potential of fungal sources for commercial chitosan production.

}, keywords = {Cell wall, Chitin/chitosan, Waste Mycelial Biomass, Zygomycetous Fungi}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.01.112}, author = {Ghormade, V.}, editor = {Pathan, E.K.} } @article {42850, title = {Catalytic branching cascades in diversity oriented synthesis}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = { 30-40}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Diversity oriented synthesis (DOS) aims to generate small molecules with great structural diversity in an efficient manner. Recent years have witnessed significant achievements in the field, which help to validate the usefulness of DOS as a tool for the discovery of novel, biologically interesting small molecules. Catalytic branching cascades have emerged as a promising strategy because of their potential to transform a common type of substrate into diverse and distinct molecular frameworks. The details of the concept are presented herein.

}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201600766}, author = {Bansode, Avinash H. and Chimala, Prathyusha and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {43359, title = {Catalytic enantioselective aza-piancatelli rearrangement}, journal = {Synlett}, volume = {28}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1096-1100}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The design and development of an enantioselective aza-Piancatelli rearrangement reaction are described. In the presence of a chiral phosphoric acid catalyst, furylcarbinols react with anilines to afford highly functionalized cyclopentenones with excellent diastereo-and enantioselectivities. The process was shown to be scalable, and up to 1 gram of starting material could be employed under mild reaction conditions.}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1558952}, author = {Gade, Amol B. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @inbook {43964, title = {Chapter 5: Experimental and computational approaches to study membranes and lipid-protein interactions}, booktitle = {Computational biophysics of membrane proteins}, year = {2017}, pages = {137-160}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, organization = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, chapter = {Experimental and computational approaches to study membranes and lipid-protein interactions}, abstract = {

Biological membranes are complex two-dimensional, non-covalent assemblies of a diverse variety of lipids and proteins. A hallmark of membrane organization is varying degrees of spatiotemporal heterogeneity spanning a wide range. Membrane proteins are implicated in a wide variety of cellular functions, and comprise \~{}30\% of the human proteome and \~{}50\% of the current drug targets. Their interactions with membrane lipids are recognized as crucial elements in their function. In this article, we provide an overview of experimental and theoretical approaches to analyze membrane organization, dynamics, and lipid-protein interactions. In this context, we highlight the wide range of time scales that membrane events span, and approaches that are suitable for a given time scale. We discuss representative fluorescence-based approaches (FRET and FRAP) that help to address questions on lipid-protein and protein-cytoskeleton interactions in membranes. In a complimentary fashion, we discuss computational methods, atomistic and coarse-grain, that are required to address a given membrane problem at an appropriate scale. We believe that the synthesis of knowledge gained from experimental and computational approaches will enable us to probe membrane organization, dynamics, and interactions at increasing spatiotemporal resolution, thereby providing a robust model for the membrane in health and disease.

}, doi = {10.1039/9781782626695-00137}, author = {Sengupta, Durba and Kumar, G. Aditya and Prasanna, Xavier and Chattopadhyay, A.} } @article {43952, title = {CHO Cells Adapted to Inorganic Phosphate Limitation Show Higher Growth and Higher Pyruvate Carboxylase Flux in Phosphate Replete Conditions}, journal = {Biotechnology progress}, volume = {33}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {749-758}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Inorganic phosphate (P-i) is an essential ion involved in diverse cellular processes including metabolism. Changes in cellular metabolism upon long term adaptation to P-i limitation have been reported in E. coli. Given the essential role of P-i, adaptation to P-i limitation may also result in metabolic changes in animal cells. In this study, we have adapted CHO cells producing recombinant IgG to limiting P-i conditions for 75 days. Not surprisingly, adapted cells showed better survival under P-i limitation. Here, we report the finding that such cells also showed better growth characteristics compared to control in batch culture replete with P-i ( higher peak density and integral viable cell density), accompanied by a lower specific oxygen uptake rate and cytochrome oxidase activity towards the end of exponential phase. Surprisingly, the adapted cells grew to a lower peak density under glucose limitation. This suggests long term P-i limitation may lead to selection for an altered metabolism with higher dependence on glucose availability for biomass assimilation compared to control. Steady state U-C-13 glucose labeling experiments suggest that adapted cells have a higher pyruvate carboxylase flux. Consistent with this observation, supplementation with aspartate abolished the peak density difference whereas supplementation with serine did not abolish the difference. This supports the hypothesis that cell growth in the adapted culture might be higher due to a higher pyruvate carboxylase flux. Decreased fitness under carbon limitation and mutations in the sucABCD operon has been previously reported in E. coli upon long term adaptation to P-i limitation, suggestive of a similarity in cellular response among such diverse species. (C) 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.2450}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda; and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Pant, Tejal and Gadgil, Chetan and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {43781, title = {Click-chemistry-based multicomponent condensation approach for design and synthesis of spirochromene-tethered 1,2,3-triazoles as potential antitubercular agents}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {43}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5675-5690}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-017-2955-y}, author = {Chavan, Pramod V. and Pandit, Kapil S. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Nawale, Laxman and Bhansali, Sujit and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {44173, title = {Clues from crystal structures pave the way to access chiral myo-inositol derived versatile synthons: resolution of racemic 4-o-allyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoesters via corresponding dicamphanates by crystallization}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5432-5440}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Racemic 4-O-allyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoesters were resolved as the corresponding diastereomeric dicamphanates by crystallization from alcoholic solvents. Crystals of the two diastereomers of myo-inositol orthoacetate and one diastereomer each of myo-inositol orthoformate and myo-inositol orthobenzoate were obtained in \>99\% purity, on gram scale. The configuration of all these diastereomers was established by conversion to known chiral myo-inositol derivatives as well as by single crystal structure analysis. It is interesting to note that the procedures for the separation of diastereomeric myo-inositol orthoesters could be evolved due to the knowledge of crystal growth and crystal structures of inositol derivatives of comparable molecular structures. Due to the synthetic versatility of myo-inositol orthoesters, the methods described provide rapid and convenient access to a variety of chiral inositol derivatives with high synthetic potential.}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.7b00895}, author = {Patil, Nivedita T. and Shashidhar, Mysore S. and Tamboli, Majid I. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {45667, title = {Compositional dependence of electrical conduction in solution grown Zn1-xCrxSe thin films: a correlation}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics}, volume = {28 }, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {5070-5074}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Zinc selenide (ZnSe) has a typical band gap of 2.7 eV suitable for window application and can easily be synthesized using a liquid phase chemical bath deposition. An attempt is made to tune its band gap and other characteristics to cope with a maxima of the solar spectrum by deliberate addition of Cr3+. ZnSe and Zn1-xCrxSe (0 <= x <= 0.35) thin films were obtained under the controlled deposition conditions (temperature = 70 A degrees C, time = 210 min, pH = 10, etc). The compositional analysis showed Zn2+ replacement by Cr3+. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed chemical states of the constituents Zn, Cr and Se as 2(+), 3(+) and 2(-) respectively. The electrical conductivity and thermo-power measurements in the 300-550 K temperature range showed semiconducting nature of the material and that the electrical conduction is of the n-type. The electrical conductivity is found to be increased continuously up to x = 0.05 and then decreased for further increase in x. The Hall-probe measurements also confirmed n-type conduction. The average Hall coefficient for pure ZnSe is -1.03 x 10(7) cm(3)/C whereas, it is -4.55 x 10(6) cm(3)/C for a sample with x = 0.35.}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-016-6144-3}, author = {Deshmukh, S. L. and Pingale, P. C. and Chavan, G. T. and Pawar, S. T. and Prakshale, V. M. and Kamble, S. S. and Jadkar, S. R. and Chaure, N. B. and Gopinath, C. S. and Maldar, N. N. and Deshmukh, L. P.} } @article {45730, title = {Computational survey of ligand properties on iron(III)-iron(II) redox potential: exploring natural attenuation of nitroaromatic compounds}, journal = {Monatshefte Fur Chemie}, volume = {148}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {655-668}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study is a computational investigation of the ligand effect on the redox potential of iron redox couple aimed at screening these systems for novel applications. The influence of common and naturally available organic compounds with diverse ligand characteristics (nature of donor site, chelation, pre-organization, degree of back acceptance) on the redox potential of iron(III)-iron(II) redox couple has been theoretically calculated using an appropriate level of density functional theory (DFT). The DFT calculated redox potentials of iron complexes are explored to supplement, corroborate, and predict the experimental behavior of the studied systems towards environmental reduction of nitroaromatic compounds to corresponding anilines. The comparative avidity of iron complexes with cysteine derivatives for the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds has been theoretically explored and based on structure-activity relationship; new iron complexes with a range of reactivity and enhanced ability towards nitroaromatic reduction have been predicted.

}, keywords = {Catechol derivatives, computational chemistry, Density functional theory, Iron complexes, Ligand effect on redox potential, Natural attenuation, Nitroaromatic compounds}, issn = {0026-9247}, doi = {10.1007/s00706-016-1813-8}, author = {Rizvi, Masood Ahmad and Mane, Manoj and Khuroo, Mohammad Akbar and Peerzada, Ghulam Mustafa} } @article {43484, title = {Concise enantioselective synthesis of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol using Co(III)(salen)-catalyzed hydrolytic kinetic resolution of a two-stereocentered anti-azido epoxide}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {28}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {162-165}, abstract = {A concise enantioselective synthesis of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol, (+)-DAB-1, has been described in good overall yield (18.1\%) and with high enantiomeric purity (up to 98\% ee) starting from a simple raw material, cis-2-butene-1,4-diol. The Co-catalyzed hydrolytic kinetic resolution of a two-stereocentered racemic azido epoxide followed by asymmetric dihydroxylation of the alkene and {\textquoteright}one pot{\textquoteright} reductive cyclisation of the azido diol are key reactions in the synthetic sequence. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2016.10.013}, author = {Reddi, Rambabu N. and Prasad, Pragati K. and Kalshetti, Rupali G. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article {45744, title = {Concurrent synthesis of SnO/SnO2 nanocomposites and their enhanced photocatalytic activity}, journal = {Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry}, volume = {21}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9-17}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The SnO/SnO2 nanocomposites were synthesized using semisolvothermal reaction technique. These nanocomposites were prepared using different combination of solvents viz., ethanol, water, and ethylene glycol at 180 A degrees C for 24 h. The synthesized nanocomposites were analyzed with various characterization techniques. Structural analysis indicates the formation of tetragonal phase of SnO2 for the sample prepared in ethanol, whereas for other solvent combinations, the mixture of SnO and SnO2 having tetragonal crystal structures were observed. The optical study shows enhanced absorbance in the visible region for all the prepared SnO/SnO2 nanocomposites. The observed band gap was found to be in the range of 3.0 to 3.25 eV. Microstructural determinations confirm the formation of nanostructures having spherical as well as rod-like morphology. The size of nanoparticles in ethanol-mediated solvent was found to be in the range of 5 to 7 nm. Thermogravimetric analysis indicate the weight gain around 1.3 wt\% confirming the conversion of SnO to SnO2 material. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized nanocomposites was evaluated by following the aqueous methylene blue (MB) degradation. The sample prepared in ethylene glycol-mediated solvent showed highest photoactivity having apparent rate constant (K-app) 0.62 x 10(-2) min(-1).

}, keywords = {Dye-degradation, Nanocomposite, Photocatalysis, tin oxide}, issn = {1432-8488}, doi = {10.1007/s10008-016-3328-y}, author = {Roy, Animesh and Arbuj, Sudhir and Waghadkar, Yogesh and Shinde, Manish and Umarji, Govind and Rane, Sunit and Patil, Kashinath and Gosavi, Suresh and Chauhan, Ratna} } @article {45661, title = {Constructing ultraporous covalent organic fameworks in seconds via an organic terracotta process}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society }, volume = {139}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1856-1862}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Research on covalent organic frameworks (COFs) has recently gathered significant momentum by the virtue of their predictive design, controllable porosity, and long-range ordering. However, the lack of solvent-free and easy-to-perform synthesis processes appears to be the bottleneck toward their greener fabrication, thereby limiting their possible potential applications. To alleviate such shortcomings, we demonstrate a simple route toward the rapid synthesis of highly crystalline and ultraporous COFs in seconds using a novel salt-mediated crystallization approach. A high degree of synthetic control in interlayer stacking and layer planarity renders an ordered network with a surface area as high as 3000 m(2) g-(1). Further, this approach has been extrapolated for the continuous synthesis of COFs by means of a twin screw extruder and in situ processes of COFs into different shapes mimicking the ancient terracotta process. Finally, the regular COF beads are shown to outperform the leading zeolites in water sorption performance, with notably facile regeneration ability and structural integrity.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.6b08815}, author = {Karak, S. and Kandambeth, S. and Biswal, B. P. and Sasmal, H. S. and Kumar, S. and Pachfule, P. and Banerjee, R.} } @article {43561, title = {Controlling necking in extrusion film casting using polymer nanocomposites}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part B-Physics}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {213-233}, abstract = {The research described was concerned with the effect of layered-silicate-based organically modified nanoclay fillers on controlling the extent of necking in a polymer melt extrusion film casting (EFC) process. We show that a linear polythylene resin (such as a linear low-density polyethylene-LLDPE) filled with a very low percentage of well-dispersed (or intercalated) nanoclay displays an enhanced resistance to the necking phenomenon. In general, melt-compounded nanoclay-filled LLDPE resin formulations displayed a higher final film width (less necking), thus a lower final film thickness (greater draw down for the same draw ratio), and cooled down faster when compared to the base LLDPE resin. Incorporation of nanoclay filler in the mainly linear chain LLDPE resin led to significant modification of the melt rheological properties that, in turn, affected the melt processability of these formulations. Primarily, the intercalated nanoclay-filled LLDPE formulations displayed the presence of strain-hardening in unaxial extensional rheology. Additionally, the presence of well-dispersed nanoclay in the LLDPE resin led to a display of prominent extrudate swell indicating the presence of melt elasticity in such formulations. The presence of melt elasticity, as shown by shear rheology and strain-hardening, observed by uniaxial extensional rheology, contributed to the LLDPE nanoclay formulations displaying an enhanced resistance to necking for these films. It can be concluded that linear chain polymers susceptible to necking in an EFC process can be made more resistant to such necking by using nanoclay fillers at very low levels of loading.}, doi = {10.1080/00222348.2017.1289797}, author = {Rokade, Dhammaraj and Azad, Lal B. and Poddar, Suparna and Mishra, Satyendra and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Shukla, Rishab} } @article {43653, title = {Copper and silver nanoparticles stabilized by bistriazole-based dendritic amphiphile micelles for 4-nitrophenol reduction}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4546-4554}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Copper and silver nanoparticles were fabricated in aqueous solution using micellar assemblies of dendritic amphiphiles containing triazole rings. Dendritic amphiphiles displaying a bistriazole unit between a hydrophobic benzyl ether dendron and two oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) chains were synthesized using click chemistry. Micelles were characterized by DLS, TEM, CMC determination, and dye encapsulation. Micellar size was dependent on the dendron backbone structure and OEG chain length. Metal nanoparticles were characterized by TEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The Cu NPs had a smaller average particle diameter than the Ag NPs. The micelle-stabilized nanoparticles, at a concentration of 7.5 ppm, were shown to efficiently catalyze the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4 in aqueous solution without stirring, using up to 1 ppm of substrate. The reaction catalyzed by Cu NPs followed zero order kinetics (k = 3.48 x 10(-3) M s(-1)), while the Ag NP-catalyzed reaction followed pseudo-first order kinetics (k = 1.28 x 10(-3) s(-1)).}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj00605e}, author = {Patil, Naganath G. and Basutkar, Nitin B. and Ambade, Ashootosh V.} } @article {43877, title = {Cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with allylsilanes under merged gold/visible-light photoredox catalysis}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3075-3078}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A method for the cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with trialkylallylsilanes via merged gold/photoredox catalysis is described. The reaction is proposed to proceed through a photoredox-promoted generation of an electrophilic arylgold(III) intermediate that undergoes transmetalation with allyltrimethylsilane to form allylarenes.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b01148}, author = {Akram, Manjur O. and Mali, Pramod S. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45768, title = {Crystallisation-enhanced bulk hole mobility in phenothiazine-based organic semiconductors}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {APR }, pages = {46268}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of three novel donor-acceptor systems based on C(3)-malononitrile-substituted phenothiazines was synthesised in good overall yields and their thermal, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties were characterised. The compounds were prepared through a sequence of Ullmann-coupling, Vilsmeier-Haack formylation and Knoevenagel-condensation, followed by Suzuki-coupling reactions for introduction of aryl substitutents at C(7) position of the phenothiazine. The introduction of a donor unit at the C(7) position exhibited a weak impact on the optical and electrochemical characteristics of the compounds and led to amorphous films with bulk hole mobilities in the typical range reported for phenothiazines, despite the higher charge delocalisation as attested by computational studies. In contrast, highly ordered films were formed when using the C(7)-unsubstituted 3-malononitrile phenothiazine, exhibiting an outstanding mobility of 1 x 10(-3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1), the highest reported for this class of compounds. Computational conformational analysis of the new phenothizanes suggested that free rotation of the substitutents at the C(7) position suppresses the ordering of the system, thereby hampering suitable packing of the new materials needed for high charge carrier mobility.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep46268}, author = {Shinde, D. B. and Salunke, Jagadish K. and Candeias, Nuno R. and Tinti, Francesca and Gazzano, Massimo and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Priimagi, Arri and Camaioni, Nadia and Vivo, Paola} } @article {43862, title = {C(sp(3))-F, C(sp(2))-F and C(sp(3))-H bond activation at silicon(II) centers}, journal = {Chemical Communication}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {9850-9853}, abstract = {

Silylene [PhC(NtBu)(2)SiN(SiMe3)(2)] (1) cleaves the C(sp(3))-H and C-F bonds of acetophenone and 1,1,1-trifluoroacetophenone, respectively, under mild conditions. The reaction is initiated via a nucleophilic attack from the oxygen to the silicon atom followed by C-F/H bond cleavage. The scope of C-F bond activation has further been extended with C6F6 and C6F5CF3.

}, keywords = {Boron triple bond, C-F Bond, Fluorinated Building-Block, H Activation, Ketones, N-heterocyclic carbenes, Oxodative Addition, Perfluorinated Arenes, Selective Activation, Transition-Metal Centers}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc05145j}, author = {Swamy, V. S. V. S. N. and Parvin, Nasrina and Raj, K. Vipin and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {43854, title = {Description of Lysinibacillus telephonicus sp nov., isolated from the screen of a cellular phone}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {67}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2289-2295}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A novel bacterial strain, designate dS5H2222(T), was isolated form the screen of a cellular phone. The cells were Gram-stainpositive, rod-shaped, aerobic and motile, and endospores are formed. S5H2222(T) grew as pale white colonies on trypticase soy agar and the best growth was observed at 37 degrees C (10- 55 degrees C) and at pH 7.0 (5.0-9.0). S5H2222(T) could tolerate up to 10\% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed this strain within the genus Lysinibacillus and it exhibited high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Lysinibacillus halotolerans LAM612(T) (97.8 \%), Lysinibacillus chungkukjangi2RL3-2(T) (97.4 \%) and Lysinibacillus sinduriensis BLB-1(T) (97.2 \%). TheDNA- DNA relatedness of the strain with L. halotolerans JCM 19611(T), L. chungkukjangi KACC 16626(T) and L. sinduriensis KACC 16611(T) was 57, 64 and 55\% respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content was 39.8 mol\%. The major fatty acids of S5H2222(T) were iso-C-15:0, anteiso-C-15:0, iso-C-16:0 and anteiso-C-17:0. MK-7 was the only menaquinone and the main polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified polar lipids were also present. The diagnostic amino acids in the cell wall peptidoglycan contained Lys-Asp (type A4 alpha). On the basis of the results of the phenotypic and genotypic characterizations, it was concluded that S5H2222(T) represents a novel species of the genus Lysinibacillus, for which the name Lysinibacillus telephonicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S5H2222(T) (=MCC 3065 T =KACC 18714(T)=LMG 29294(T)).}, doi = {10.1099/ijsem.0.001943}, author = {Rahi, Praveen and Kurli, Rashmi and Khairnar, Mitesh and Jagtap, Shubhangi and Pansare, Aabeejjeet N. and Dastager, Syed G. and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article {43702, title = {Determination of triazines and triazoles in grapes using atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry}, journal = {Journal of Aoac International}, volume = {100}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {640-646}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A chromatography-free atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (AP-MALDI HRMS) method is described for the simultaneous and quantitative detection of triazines and triazoles in grapes. The analytes were detected reproducibly with high mass accuracy (mass error within 5 ppm) and further confirmed by collision-induced dissociation fragmentation in tandem MS. The LODs and LOQs for all the analytes were found to be in the nanogram per gram level (15-20 ng/g LOQ). Internal standard normalized high-resolution accurate mass extracted (HR-AM) peak intensities of the detected ions were used to generate the concentration response curves. Linearity (with R-2 values around 0.99) was obtained for these curves within a concentration range of 20-200 ng/g of the individual analytes. The accuracy and precision of the method were further established using QC samples. Validation and performance comparison of the AP-MALDI HRMS method with an existing standard method using LC with :triple quadrupole MS was carried out (evaluating sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and analysis time) using 20 table-grape field samples after QuEChERS extraction.}, doi = {10.5740/jaoacint.17-0047}, author = {Mahale, Vishal and Singh, Ajeet and Phadke, Gayatri S. and Ghanate, Avinash D. and Oulkar, Dasharath P. and Banerjee, Kaushik and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu} } @article {43853, title = {Development of metarhizium anisopliae as a mycoinsecticide: from isolation to field performance}, journal = {Jove-Journal of Visualized Experiments}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article Number: e55272}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A major concern when developing commercial mycoinsecticides is the kill speed compared to that of chemical insecticides. Therefore, isolation and screening for the selection of a fast-acting, highly virulent entomopathogenic fungus are important steps. Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium, Beauveria, and Nomurea, which act by contact, are better suited than Bacillus thuringiensis or nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV), which must be ingested by the insect pest. In the present work, we isolated 68 Metarhizium strains from infected insects using a soil dilution and bait method. The isolates were identified by the amplification and sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and 26S rDNA region. The most virulent strain of Metarhizium anisopliae was selected based on the median lethal concentration (LC50) and time (LT50) obtained in insect bioassays against III-instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera. The mass production of spores by the selected strain was carried out with solid-state fermentation (SSF) using rice as a substrate for 14 days. Spores were extracted from the sporulated biomass using 0.1\% tween-80, and different formulations of the spores were prepared. Field trials of the formulations for the control of an H. armigera infestation in pigeon peas were carried out by randomized block design. The infestation control levels obtained with oil and aqueous formulations (78.0\% and 70.9\%, respectively) were better than the 63.4\% obtained with chemical pesticide.}, doi = {10.3791/55272}, author = {Tupe, Santosh G. and Pathan, Ejaj K. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article {43567, title = {Development of (quinolinyl)amido-based pincer palladium complexes: a robust and phosphine-free catalyst system for C{\textendash}H arylation of benzothiazoles}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, abstract = {(Quinolinyl)amido-ligated palladium(II) complexes have been synthesized and applied in the catalytic C{\textendash}H bond arylation of benzothiazoles. The tridentate ligand precursors R2N-C(O)CH2-(NH)-C9H6N [(R2NNN8-Q){\textendash}H; R2N = morpholinyl, Me-N-piperazinyl] and the pincer palladium complexes [κN,κN,κN-{R2N-C(O)CH2-(μ-N)-C9H6N}]PdX [(R2NNN8-Q)PdX {R2N = Et2N, morpholinyl, Me-N-piperazinyl; X = OAc or Cl}] were efficiently synthesized, and characterized by various analytical techniques. The iodo derivative (Et2NNN8-Q)PdI was obtained in excellent yield by the treatment of the complex (Et2NNN8-Q)PdCl with KI. The molecular structures of complexes (Et2NNN8-Q)Pd(OAc) (2a), (Et2NNN8-Q)PdCl (3a) and (Et2NNN8-Q)PdI (4a) were elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Complex 3a was found to be the most efficient catalyst for direct C{\textendash}H bond arylation of substituted benzothiazoles with diverse aryl iodides using a mild base, K2CO3. The working catalyst system 3a is highly robust and can be recycled and reused several times for the arylation of benzothiazole without loss of catalytic activity. Preliminary mechanistic investigations using controlled studies and kinetic analysis have been performed, which greatly support a molecular mechanism for the arylation.}, doi = {10.1039/C7NJ00452D}, author = {Pandiri, Hanumanprasad and Soni, Vineeta and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {43504, title = {Diastase induced green synthesis of bilayered reduced graphene oxide and its decoration with gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-Biology}, volume = {166}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {252-258}, abstract = {In this paper, we report an enzyme dependent, green one-pot deoxygenation cum decoration method to synthesize diastase-conjugated reduced graphene oxide (DRG) nanosheets, DRG/gold nanoparticles (DRG/Au) composite. The DRG synthesis was completed in 7 h under heating at 90 degrees C on water bath. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) study has revealed the formation of bilayered reduced graphene oxide sheets. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of DRG/Au composite have shown the uniform decoration of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the DRG nanosheet surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman results additionally have shown the functionalization of enzyme molecules onto the DRG nanosheet surface after reduction making it as an effective platform towards the efficient binding of gold nanoparticles. In vitro cytotoxicity studies by MIT assay on A549 and HCT116 cell lines exhibited that the cytotoxicity of the prepared graphene oxide (GO), DRG and DRG/Au is dose dependant. These results have shown that this synthetic method is effective for the production of large scale graphene in a low cost, simple and green method. Since this process avoids the use of hazardous and toxic substances, the produced DRG/Au composites are likely to offer various potential applications in biology and medicine. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2016.12.008}, author = {Maddinedi, Sireesh Babu and Mandal, Badal Kumar and Patil, Sagar Hindurao and Andhalkar, Vaibhav Vilas and Ranjan, Shivendu and Dasgupta, Nandita} } @article {43914, title = {Digestive ripening: a fine chemical machining process on the nanoscale}, journal = {Langmuir }, volume = {33}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A comprehensive over view of the process named as {\textquoteright}digestive ripening{\textquoteright} that is known to convert polydisperse nanocrystals to monodisperse ones is presented. Apart from highlighting the role of organic molecules (ligands) in achieving size control the role of other parameters like the nanocrystal-ligand binding strength and the temperature at which the reaction is carried out in accomplishing size control is also delineated. The generality of the procedure is illustrated by providing examples of how it is used to prepare monodispersed nanocrystals of different metals, alloy systems, ultra small nanocrystals and also to narrow the size distribution in complex binary and ternary nanocrystal systems. Finally, the current status as far as the theoretical understanding of how the size control is being achieved by digestive ripening is laid out, emphasizing at the same time the necessity to undertake more systematic studies to completely realize the full potential of this practically very useful procedure.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b00193}, author = {Shimpi, Jayesh Ramesh and Sidhaye, Deepti S. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L V} } @article {43355, title = {Digestive ripening of Au nanoparticles by multidentate ligands}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {33}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1943-1950}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The efficiency of multidentate ligands as digestive ripening agents for the preparation of monodisperse Au nanoparticles was investigated. This systematic investigation was performed using ligands possessing one, two, or three thiol moieties as ligands/digestive ripening agents. Our results clearly establish that among the different ligands, those that are monodentate and the use of temperatures in the range of 60 {\textdegree}C and 120 {\textdegree}C offer the best conditions for digestive ripening. In addition, when digestive ripening was carried out at lower temperatures (e.g., 60 {\textdegree}C), the nanoparticle size increased as the number of thiol groups per ligand increased. However, in the case of ligands possessing two and three thiol moieties when they are heated with polydispersed particles at higher temperatures (120 {\textdegree}C or 180 {\textdegree}C), the etching process dominates, which affects the quality of the nanoparticles in terms of their monodispersity. We conclude that the temperature-dependent strength of the interaction between the ligand headgroup and the nanoparticle surface plays a vital role in controlling the final particle sizes.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b03998}, author = {Sahu, Puspanjali and Shimpi, Jayesh and Lee, Han Ju and Lee, T. Randall and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V} } @article {45745, title = {Dihydropyrimidinone-isatin hybrids as novel non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors}, journal = {Bioorganic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {256-266}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A novel series of substituted N-(2-( 2,3-dioxoindolin-1-yl) acetyl)-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5carboxamide was designed, synthesized and evaluated for in vitro Reverse Transcriptase (RT) inhibitory activity. This series is a combination of peculiar structural features from leading scaffolds of [(2-hydroxye thoxy) methyl]-6-(phenylthio) thymine (HEPT) and oxyindole. In vitro screening led to identification of two hybrids (9c and 9d) possessing higher RT inhibitory activity than the standard rilpivirine. Docking study was performed to study the binding orientations of synthesized hybrids towards RT enzyme. }, doi = {10.1016/j.bioorg.2017.01.006}, author = {Devale, T. L. and Parikh, J. and Miniyar, P. and Sharma, P. and Shrivastava, B. and Murumkar, P.} } @article {44123, title = {Dissociative adsorption of molecular hydrogen on BN-doped graphene-supported aluminum clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {121}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {26493-26498}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present work demonstrates dissociative adsorption of molecular hydrogen on supported and unsupported aluminum Wclusters (Al-n, n = 4-8, 13) using density functional theory based calculations. The studies reveal that the presence of a BN-doped graphene surface support reduces the dissociative adsorption barrier of the bond in molecular hydrogen on even atom clusters. In particular, supported Al-6 demonstrates a barrier-less dissociative adsorption toward the H-2 molecule. These results demonstrate the excellent potential of supported Al nanoparticles for hydrogen storage and also the potential of doped graphene systems are catalyzing supports.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b07789}, author = {Kumar, Deepak and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43926, title = {Diverse profiles of N-acyl-homoserine lactones in biofilm forming isolates of Cronobacter sakazakii}, journal = {Virulence}, volume = {8}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {275-281}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study investigates the role of quorum sensing (QS) molecules expressed by C. sakazakii in biofilm formation and extracellular polysaccharide expression. The QS signaling was detected using Chromobacterium violaceum 026 and Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL4(pZLR4) based bioassay. Long chain N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) with C6- C18 chain length were identified using High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry. A higher Specific Biofilm Formation (SBF) index (p \< 0.05) with the presence of genes associated with cellulose biosynthesis (bcsA, bcsC and bcsG) was observed in the strains. AHLs and their mechanisms can serve as novel targets for developing technologies to eradicate and prevent biofilm formation by C. sakazakii.

}, doi = {10.1080/21505594.2016.1226713}, author = {Singh, Niharika and Patil, Amrita and Prabhune, Asmita Ashutosh and Raghav, Mamta and Goel, Gunjan} } @article {43478, title = {Draft genome sequence of lactobacillus plantarum strains E2C2 and E2C5 isolated from human stool culture}, journal = {Standards in Genomic Sciences}, volume = {12}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article Number: 15}, abstract = {Probiotic Lactobacillus species offer various health benefits, thus have been employed in treatment and prevention of various diseases. Due to the differences in the isolation source and the site of action, most of the lactobacilli tested in-vitro for probiotics properties fail to extend similar effects in-vivo. Consequently, the search of autochthonous, efficacious and probably population specific probiotics is a high priority in the probiotics research. In this regards, whole genome sequencing of as many Lactobacillus as possible will help to deepen our understanding of biology and their health effects. Here, we provide the genomic insights of two coherent oxalic acid tolerant Lactobacillus species (E2C2 and E2C5) isolated from two different healthy human gut flora. These two isolates were found to have higher tolerance towards oxalic acid (300 mM sodium oxalate). The draft genome of strain E2C2 consists of 3,603,563 bp with 3289 protein-coding genes, 94 RNA genes, and 43.99\% GC content, while E2C5 contained 3,615,168 bp, 3293 coding genes (93.4\% of the total genes), 95 RNA genes and 43.97\% GC content. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis followed by in silico DNA-DNA hybridization studies, both the strains were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum belonging to family Lactobacillaceae within the phylum Firmicutes. Both the strains were genomically identical, sharing 99.99\% CDS that showed 112 SNPs. Both the strains also exhibited deconjugation activity for the bile salts while genome analysis revealed that the L. plantarum strains E2C2 and E2C5 also have the ability to produce vitamins, biotin, alpha-and beta-glucosidase suggesting potential probiotic activities of the isolates. The description presented here is based on the draft genomes of strains E2C2 and E2C5 which are submitted to GenBank under the accession numbers LSST00000000.1 and LTCD00000000.1, respectively.}, doi = {10.1186/s40793-017-0222-x}, author = {Suryavanshi, Mangesh V. and Paul, Dhiraj and Doijad, Swapnil P. and Bhute, Shrikant S. and Hingamire, Tejashri B. and Gune, Rahul P. and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article {45759, title = {Drug-triggered self-assembly of linear polymer into nanoparticles for simultaneous delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs in breast cancer cells}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8730-8740}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Breast cancer is the most devastating disease among females globally. Conventional chemotherapeutic regimen relies on the use of highly cytotoxic drugs as monotherapy and combination therapy leading to severe side effects to the patients as collateral damage. Moreover, combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs create erratic biodistribution and suboptimal medicinal outcome. Hence, packaging multiple drugs of diverse mechanisms of action and biodistribution for safe delivery into tumor tissues with optimal dosages is indispensable for next-generation breast cancer therapy. To address these, in this report, we describe a unique cisplatin-triggered self-assembly of linear polymer into 3D-spherical sub 200 nm particles. These nano-particles comprise a hydrophobic (paclitaxel) and hydrophilic drug (cisplatin) simultaneously in a single particle. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed hydrophilic-hydrophilic interaction and interchain H-bonding as underlying mechanisms of self-assembly. Confocal microscopy studies evidently demonstrated that these novel nanoparticles can home into lysosomes in breast cancer cells, fragment subcellular nuclei, and prevent cell division, leading to improved breast cancer cell death compared to free drug combination. Moreover, 3D-breast tumor spheroids were reduced remarkably by the treatment of these nanoparticles within 24 h. These dual-drug-loaded self-assembled polymeric nanoparticles have prospective to be translated into a clinical strategy for breast cancer patients.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b01400}, author = {Palvai, Sandeep and Anandi, Libi and Sarkar, Sujit and Augustus, Meera and Roy, Sudip and Lahiri, Mayurika and Basu, Sudipta} } @article {44135, title = { Dynamic metabolic reprogramming of steroidal glycol-alkaloid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis may impart early blight resistance in wild tomato (Solanum arcanum Peralta)}, journal = {Plant Molecular Biology}, volume = {95}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {411-423}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Alternaria solani severely affects tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) yield causing early blight (EB) disease in tropical environment. Wild relative, Solanum arcanum Peralta could be a potential source of EB resistance; however, its underlying molecular mechanism largely remains unexplored. Hence, non-targeted metabolomics was applied on resistant and susceptible S. arcanum accessions upon A. solani inoculation to unravel metabolic dynamics during different stages of disease progression. Total 2047 potential metabolite peaks (mass signals) were detected of which 681 and 684 metabolites revealed significant modulation and clear differentiation in resistant and susceptible accessions, respectively. Majority of the EB-triggered metabolic changes were active from steroidal glycol-alkaloid (SGA), lignin and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. Further, biochemical and gene expression analyses of key enzymes from these pathways positively correlated with phenotypic variation in the S. arcanum accessions indicating their potential role in EB. Additionally, transcription factors regulating lignin biosynthesis were also up-regulated in resistant plants and electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed sequence-specific binding of rSaWRKY1 with MYB20 promoter. Moreover, transcript accumulation of key genes from phenylpropanoid and SGA pathways along with WRKY and MYB in WRKY1 transgenic tomato lines supported above findings. Overall, this study highlights vital roles of SGAs as phytoalexins and phenylpropanoids along with lignin accumulation unrevealing possible mechanistic basis of EB resistance in wild tomato.}, doi = {10.1007/s11103-017-0660-2}, author = {Shinde, Balkrishna A. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Hussain, Khalid and Panda, Sayantan and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Aharoni, Asaph and Giri, Ashok P. and Kamble, Avinash C.} } @article {43802, title = {Effect of ligand attachment on the C-I bond dissociation process on aluminum nanoclusters: a DFT investigation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {121}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {17354-17364}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The influence of the ligand attachment on the activation process of carbon halogen bond on small sized aluminum nanoclusters are investigated using density functional theory. Attaching suitable ligand to metal clusters is among the widely popular techniques often used by experimentalists in order to stabilize metastable clusters. In depth theoretical investigations have shown that based on the jellium configuration of the cluster, attaching an electron withdrawing ligand can either make a cluster more reactive toward the C-I dissociation or may convert the cluster relatively inert. The alteration of the activation barriers and other associated parameters due to ligand attachment are included in this paper along with additional calculations and explanations. The study also shows that even the reaction parameters of specific magic clusters can be significantly altered via ligand attachment. The activation process of small molecules on metal clusters are of crucial importance for the development of material science and cluster chemistry. The present investigation will therefore be useful for better understanding of the properties of the ligated clusters as well as may also aid the experimentalists toward controlling the reactivity of a specific cluster as required.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jocc.7b05470}, author = {Sengupta, Turbasu and Samanta, Bipasa and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45810, title = {Effect of phytase and FYM on soil enzyme activities, microbial population and nutrient availability of non-calcareous soil}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science}, volume = {65}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {222-229}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A pot culture experiment was conducted to assess the effect of phytase and FYM levels on soil enzyme activities and nutrient availability of non-calcareous soil under soybean cultivation. The treatment consisted of four levels of phytase (0, 1200, 2400 and 3600 IU) and FYM (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 t ha-1). Enzyme activities and nutrient availability in soil was assessed at 50\% flowering and harvest of soybean. It was observed that application of phytase @ 3600 IU recorded significantly higher acid and alkaline phosphatase and dehydrogenase activity at both the growth stages of soybean. Results revealed that significant interaction effect with combine application of phytase @ 3600IU and FYM @ 7.5 t ha-1 recorded higher bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes population. Combined application of phytase @ 3600 IU and FYM @ 7.5 t ha-1 recorded significantly higher available nitrogen (289.3 and 213.6 kg ha-1) and potassium (295.0 and 270.6 kg ha-1) at 50\% flowering and at harvest of soybean, respectively. However, in case of phosphorus (P), at 50\% flowering significantly higher available P was recorded with phytase @ 3600 IU + 7.5 t ha-1 (23.9 kg ha-1). Reduction trend obtained for calcium carbonate content from 4.24 to 3.68\% at 50\% flowering and from 4.20 to 3.60\% at harvest stage was obtained with the application of phytase @ 3600 IU. This study suggest that application of phytase in combination with manure substantially improves soil biological activities as well as better nutrient supply to crop.}, issn = {0019638X}, doi = {10.5958/0974-0228.2017.00025.1}, author = {Jadhav, A.B. and Suradkar, R. and Taggu, B. and Tamboli, B.D. and Priyanka, B.} } @article {45669, title = {Effect of postharvest ethylene treatment on sugar content, glycosidase activity and its gene expression in mango fruit}, journal = {Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture}, volume = {97 }, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1630-1639}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Ripening-associated softening is one of the important attributes that largely determines the shelf-life of mango (Mangifera indica Linn.) fruits. To reveal the effect of pre-climacteric ethylene treatment on ripening-related softening of Alphonso mango, ethylene treatment was given to mature, raw Alphonso fruits. Changes in the pool of reducing and non-reducing sugars, enzymatic activity of three glycosidases: ss-D-galactosidase, alpha-D-mannosidase and ss-D-glucosidase and their relative transcript abundance were analysed for control and ethylene treated fruits during ripening. RESULTS: Early activity of all the three glycosidases and accelerated accumulation of reducing and non-reducing sugars on ethylene treatment was evident. ss-D-Galactosidase showed the highest activity among three glycosidases in control fruits and marked increase in activity upon ethylene treatment. This was confirmed by the histochemical assay of its activity in control and ethylene treated ripe fruits. Relative transcript abundance revealed high transcript levels of ss-D-galactosidase in control fruits. Ethylene-treated fruits showed early and remarkable increase in the ss-D-galactosidase transcriptswhile alpha-D-mannosidase transcript variants displayed early accumulation. CONCLUSION: Thefindings suggest reduction in the shelf-life of Alphonso mango upon pre-climacteric ethylene treatment, a significant role of ss-D-galactosidase and alpha-D-mannosidase in the ripening related softening of Alphonso fruits and transcriptional regulation of their expression by ethylene. (C) 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

}, doi = {10.1002/jsfa.7912}, author = {Chidley, Hemangi G. and Deshpande, Ashish B. and Oak, Pranjali S. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {45811, title = {Effect of Ru precursors and reduction conditions on catalyst performance in glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1734-1745}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Catalyst precursors, their reduction protocols and reaction conditions integrally influenced the activity and selectivity pattern in glycerol hydrogenolysis. Ru prepared from chloride precursor (Ru(Cl)/C-B) showed the maximum selectivity to C-C cleavage products EG (56 \%) and methanol (17 \%) with 23 \% selectivity to 1,2-PDO. While, that prepared from nitrosyl precursor (Ru(n)/C-B) showed higher selectivity to 1,2-PDO (44 \%) and lower to EG (42 \%). The catalysts prepared either with chloride or nitrosyl precursors but reduced by H2 showed lower glycerol conversion (10-11 \%) than NaBH4 reduced catalysts. For these catalysts, 1,2-PDO selectivity increased to 40{\textendash}43 \% along with the major formation of 2-propanol (48-49 \%) and very less selectivities to C-C cleavage products. The lower activity of the H2 reduced catalysts can be related to their lower acidity and the bigger Ru metal particle size (3-5 nm). For Ru(Cl)/C-B catalyst, glycerol conversion increased from 28{\textendash}97 \% with a rise in temperature from 180 to 250 oC also favoring 1,2-PDO selectivity; indicating that C-O bond cleavage was favoured in comparison to C-C scission, at higher temperature. }, issn = {23656549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700049}, author = {Mane, R.B. and Patil, S.T. and Gurav, H. and Rayalu, S.S. and Rode, C.V.} } @article {43779, title = {Effect of shape of protrusions and roughness on the hydrophilicity of a surface}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {658}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {34-39}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We have investigated wetting of model rough surfaces made up of hydrophilic triangular and hexagonal pillars (protrusions). The surface roughnesses are altered by varying the area of the rough surface, the height of the pillars, and the surface interactions to the water. We have established a correlation between structure i.e., the shape of a pillar, which actually depends on the number of edges (due to shape), and the wetting phenomena. We have found that surface with higher number of edges repels water at lower roughness value. We explain the correlation by analyzing the variation of interactions energy components and density profiles of water on the structured surfaces. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2017.07.015}, author = {Chowdhury, Sheelan Sengupta and Pandey, Prithvi Raj and Kumar, Rajnish and Roy, Sudip} } @article {43860, title = {Effect of viscoelastic relaxation modes on stability of extrusion film casting process modeled using multi-mode Phan-Thien-Tanner constitutive equation}, journal = {Applied Mathematical Modelling}, volume = {47}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {487-500}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Extrusion film casting (EFC) is a commercially important process that is used to produce a significant quantity of polymer films, sheets and coatings for both industrial and household applications. Recently, we have demonstrated the influence of polymer chain architecture on the extent of necking under isothermal as well as non-isothermal film casting operation for commercially relevant polyolefin based materials [1-4]. In the present research, we focus on another instability that frequently occurs in high-speed EFC process called as draw resonance. Draw resonance manifests itself as an instability that causes periodic fluctuations in both the width as well as thickness of the extruded molten film above a critical draw ratio (DR). In this work, we have carried out a linear stability analysis of the isothermal EFC process using a multi-mode Phan-Thien-Tanner (PTT) constitutive equation to determine the onset of draw resonance. We show that as the number of relaxation modes is increased there is a dramatic change in the stability regions. In particular, there is a marked variation in the stability regions obtained by Simulating the multi-mode model and those obtained by taking averaged relaxation time of the modes. Additionally, as the number of faster-relaxing modes in a multi-mode spectrum is progressively increased, the process becomes increasingly stable as the level of elasticity in the melt decreases. Finally, the addition of a long relaxation mode in a multi-mode spectrum is akin to adding a long chain branch to a linear polymer that leads to a reduction in film necking and in many cases to enhanced process stability. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apm.2017.03.010}, author = {Dhadwal, Renu and Banik, Sourya and Doshi, Pankaj and Pol, Harshawardhan} } @article {43738, title = {Effects of micellization on growth kinetics of methane hydrate}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {3687-3698}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Surfactants are Specific functional materials, that form various types of self-assemblies and affect local water ordering alongside solution properties. Such surface active agents are used extensively in gas hydrate based applications as kinetic hydrate promoters. To understand the effect of surfactant micelles on hydrate formation kinetics, a novel surfactant system capable of producing micelles at hydrate forming temperature was developed. The presence of surfactant micelles in this new system (a combination of anionic surfactant SDS and zwitterionic surfactant CAPB) was determined through DLS measurements. Pure methane and a coal bed methane mixture were individually used to assess the efficacy of the surfactant mixture for hydrate formation. This study conclusively proves for the first time that the presence of surfactant micelles enhances hydrate formation kinetics. The findings reported here can contribute significantly toward improving the utility of surfactants in gas hydrate based technological applications such as gas separation and methane storage.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.7b00328}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Gaurav and Kushwaha, Omkar Singh and Kumar, Asheesh and Khan, Muzammil Yusuf and Patel, Jay Narayan and Kumar, Rajnish} } @article {45767, title = {Efficient organic photovoltaics with improved charge extraction and high short-circuit current}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {121}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR }, pages = {5523-5530}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Exciton generation, dissociation, free carrier transport, and charge extraction play an important role in the short-circuit current (J(sc)) and power conversion efficiency of an organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell (SC). Here we study the impact of band offset at the interfacial layer and the morphology of active layer on the extraction of free carriers. The effects are evaluated on an inverted BHJ SC using zinc oxide (ZnO) as a buffer layer, prepared via two different methods: ZnO nanoparticle dispersed in mixed solvents (ZnO A) and sol-gel method (ZnO B). The device with ZnO A buffer layer improves the charge extraction and J(sc),. The improvement is due to the better band offset and morphology of the blend near the ZnO A/active layer interface. Further, the numerical analysis of current-voltage characteristics illustrates that the morphology at the ZnO A/active layer interface has a more dominant role in improving the performance of the organic photovoltaic than the band offset.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b01314}, author = {Mohan, Minu and Nandal, Vikas and Paramadam, Sanish and Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Ramkumar, Sekar and Agarwal, Sumanshu and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Nair, Pradeep R. and Namboothiry, Manoj A. G.} } @article {43916, title = {Efficient valorisation of palm shell powder to bio-sorbents for copper remediation from aqueous solutions}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Alternative bio-sorbents, prepared from cost effective pre-treatment of biomass have been used to remediate toxic heavy metals. Palm shell powder (PSP) and acid treated palm shell powder (APSP) provide an attractive approach for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions and further use of the copper loaded adsorbents as catalysts. PSP was charred with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to oxidize ligno-cellulosic groups present in PSP, resulted in acid treated palm shell powder (APSP). Structure property relationship was explored with the help of sophisticated spectroscopic tools ({\textonesuperior}{\textthreesuperior}C nuclear magnetic resonance ({\textonesuperior}{\textthreesuperior}C NMR), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy). Pretreatment lead to conversion of ligno-cellulosic content to more valuable and easily process-able polysaccharide content.APSP and PSP displayed a maximum adsorption capacity of 125 and 36 mg/g respectively for copper. Copper adsorption was found to be more in APSP due to presence of COOH groups which rendered the surface more hydrophilic and amenable to enhanced Cu{\texttwosuperior}$^{+}$ sorption. Furthermore the adsorbents loaded with copper could be used as catalysts for oxidation of styrene. The developed adsorbents promise advantages such as low cost, high adsorption capacity, environmental friendliness as well as zero sludge. }, doi = {10.1016/j.jece.2017.04.033}, author = {Kushwaha, Shilpi and Soni, Harnish and Bojja, Sreedhar and Padmaja, P.} } @article {43549, title = {Electrochemical formation of Fe-V (O) and mechanism of its reaction with water during O-O bond formation}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {23 }, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3414-3424}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {A detailed electrochemical investigation of a series of iron complexes (biuret-modified tetraamido iron macrocycles FeIII-bTAML), including the first electrochemical generation of Fe-V(O), and demonstration of their efficacy as homogeneous catalysts for electrochemical water oxidation (WO) in aqueous medium are reported. Spectroelectrochemical and mass spectral studies indicated FeV(O) as the active oxidant, formed due to two redox transitions, which were assigned as Fe-IV(O)/Fe-III(OH2)and Fe-V(O)/Fe-IV(O). The spectral properties of both of these high-valent iron oxo species perfectly match those of their chemically synthesised versions, which were thoroughly characterised by several spectroscopic techniques. The O-O bond-formation step occurs by nucleophilic attack of H2O on FeV(O). A kinetic isotope effect of 3.2 indicates an atom-proton transfer (APT) mechanism. The reaction of chemically synthesised Fe-V(O) in CH3CN and water was directly probed by electrochemistry and was found to be first-order in water. The pK(a) value of the buffer base plays a critical role in the rate-determining step by increasing the reaction rate several-fold. The electronic effect on redox potential, WO rates, and onset overpotential was studied by employing a series of iron complexes. The catalytic activity was enhanced by the presence of electron-withdrawing groups on the bTAML framework. Changing the substituents from OMe to NO2 resulted in an eightfold increase in reaction rate, while the overpotential increased threefold.}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201605061}, author = {Pattanayak, Santanu and Chowdhury, Debarati Roy and Garai, Bikash and Singh, Kundan K. and Paul, Amit and Dhar, Basab B. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {44004, title = {Electron{\textendash}nucleus scalar{\textendash}pseudoscalar interaction in PbF: Z-vector study in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework}, journal = {Molecular Physics}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, chapter = {1-6}, abstract = {

The scalar{\textendash}pseudoscalar interaction constant of PbF in its ground state electronic configuration is calculated using the Z-vector method in the relativistic coupled-cluster framework. The precise calculated value is very important to set upper bound limit on (Formula presented.)-odd scalar{\textendash}pseudoscalar interaction constant, ks, from the experimentally observed (Formula presented.)-odd frequency shift. Further, the ratio of the effective electric field to the scalar{\textendash}pseudoscalar interaction constant is also calculated which is required to get an independent upper bound limit of electric dipole moment of electron, de, and ks and how these (de and ks) are interrelated is also presented here. {\textcopyright} 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor \& Francis Group

}, author = {Sasmal, S. and Talukdar, K. and Nayak, M.K. and Vaval, N. and Pal, S.} } @article {44005, title = {Elucidation of molecular mechanism of stability of the heme-regulated eIF2α kinase upon binding of its ligand, hemin in its catalytic kinase domain}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics }, volume = {35}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1-17}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The eIF2α kinase activity of the heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI) is regulated by heme which makes it a unique member of the family of eIF2α kinases. Since heme concentrations create an equilibrium for the kinase to be active/inactive, it becomes important to study the heme binding effects upon the kinase and understanding its mechanism of functionality. In the present study, we report the thermostability achieved by the catalytic kinase domain of HRI (HRI.CKD) upon ligand (heme) binding. Our CD data demonstrates that the HRI.CKD retains its secondary structure at higher temperatures when it is in ligand bound state. HRI.CKD when incubated with hemin loses its monomeric state and attains a higher order oligomeric form resulting in its stability. The HRI.CKD fails to refold into its native conformation upon mutation of H377A/H381A, thereby confirming the necessity of these His residues for correct folding, stability, and activity of the kinase. Though our in silico study demonstrated these His being the ligand binding sites in the kinase insert region, the spectra-based study did not show significant difference in heme affinity for the wild type and His mutant HRI.CKD.}, keywords = {Heme Regulated Inhibitor (HRI), HRI-eIF2α Complex, Protein{\textendash}Ligand Modeling, Thermostability}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2017.1368417}, author = {Bhavnani, V.}, editor = {Kaviraj, S.} } @article {45715, title = {Estimating the lipophobic contributions in model membranes}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {121}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2111-2120}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The insertion and association of membrane proteins is critical in several cellular processes. These processes were thought to be protein-driven, but increasing evidence points toward an important role of the lipid bilayer. The lipid-mediated contribution has been shown to be important in the association of membrane peptides, but the corresponding {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}lipophobic{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} component has not been directly estimated. Here, we calculate the free energy of insertion for transmembrane peptides and estimate the lipophobic component from the cost of cavity formation. The free-energy calculations were performed using the coarse-grain Martini force field, which has been successful in predicting membrane protein interactions. As expected, the charged moieties have the least favorable free energy of insertion and the highest cost of cavity formation. A length dependence was observed in polyalanine peptides with the lipid-mediated component increasing nonlinearly with peptide length. Membrane fluidity was tested by varying the temperature, and opposing effects were observed for short and long peptides. The dependence of the lipid-mediated effects on peptide length and temperature was not uniform and gives valuable insight into the anisotropic nature of the membrane. The results are an important step in estimating membrane effects in protein insertion and association.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b09863}, author = {Dubey, Vikas and Prasanna, Xavier and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {44021, title = {Estimation of gas induction in jet loop reactors: influence of nozzle designs}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Research and Design}, volume = {125}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {24-34}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Jet loop reactors are used widely for conducting gas liquid reactions because of the high mass transfer achieved in the gas{\textendash}liquid ejector. Studies have shown that the mass transfer has a very strong correlation to the amount of gas induced in the ejector, and hence it is important to understand gas induction to enhance the performance of any gas{\textendash}liquid nozzle. In this work, we used a single phase CFD model of the ejector with one adjustable parameter for estimating gas induction rates. After establishing that the model adequately describes the experimental data, the model was used for a quick evaluation of ejector geometries. Influence of key geometric parameters of gas{\textendash}liquid ejectors like nozzle diameter, mixing tube length, distance between the nozzle outlet and mixing tube, suction chamber geometry and diffuser angle was investigated. It was found that dependence of gas induction on geometric parameters like distance between nozzle{\textemdash}mixing tube, suction chamber geometry, diffuser angle was either weak or had a clear maxima at or beyond a certain value of the geometric parameter. Other parameters like mixing tube length and nozzle diameter have a more complex impact on gas induction. The presented approach and results will be useful for quantifying influence of nozzle designs on gas induction rate in jet loop reactors.

}, keywords = {CFD, Gas Induction, Jet Loop Reactors, Nozzle Geometry}, doi = {10.1016/j.cherd.2017.06.027}, author = {Sharma, D.V.}, editor = {Patwardhan, A.W.} } @article {43961, title = {Examination into the taxonomic position of Bacillus thermotolerans Yang et al., 2013, proposal for its reclassification into a new genus and species Quasibacillus thermotolerans gen. nov., comb. nov. and reclassification of B. encimensis Dastager et al., }, journal = {Systematic and Applied Microbiology}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Two novel Gram-staining positive, rod-shaped, moderately halotolerant, endospore forming bacterial strains 5.5LF 38TD and 5.5LF 48TD were isolated and taxonomically characterized from a landfill in Chandigarh, India. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains confirmed their closest identity to Bacillus thermotolerans SgZ-8T with 99.9\% sequence similarity. A comparative phylogenetic analysis of strains 5.5LF 38TD, 5.5LF 48TD and B. thermotolerans SgZ-8(T) confirmed their separation into a novel genus with B. badius and genus Domibacillus as the closest phylogenetic relatives. The major fatty acids of the strains are iso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0 and MK-7 is the only quinone. The major polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) and ortho average nucleotide identity (ANI) values calculated through whole genome sequences indicated that the three strains showed low relatedness with their phylogenetic neighbours. Based on evidences from phylogenomic analyses and polyphasic taxonomic characterization we propose reclassification of the species B. thermotolerans into a novel genus named Quasibacillus thermotolerans gen. nov., comb. nov with the type strain SgZ-8(T) (=CCTCC AB2012108(T)=KACC 16706(T)). Further our analyses also revealed that B. encimensis SGD-V-25(T) is a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus badius DSM 23(T).}, doi = {10.1016/j.syapm.2017.07.010}, author = {Verma, Ashish and Pal, Yash and Khatri, Indu and Ojha, Anup Kumar and Gruber-Vodicka, Harald and Schumann, Peter and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Subramanian, Srikrishna and Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan} } @article {43568, title = {Expeditious and solvent-free nickel-catalyzed C-H arylation of arenes and indoles}, journal = {ChemSusChem}, volume = {10}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {2242-2248}, type = {Article}, abstract = {An efficient solvent-free nickel-catalyzed method for C-H bond arylation of arenes and indoles has been developed, which proceeds expeditiously through chelation assistance. The reaction is highly selective for mono-arylation and tolerates sensitive and structurally diverse functionalities, such as halides, ethers, amines, indole, pyrrole and carbazole. This reaction represents the first example of a nickel-catalyzed C-H arylation by monochelate assistance and symbolizes a rare precedent in solvent-free C-H arylation. Mechanistic investigations by various controlled reactions, kinetic studies, and deuterium labeling experiments suggest that the arylation follows a single electron transfer (SET) pathway involving the turnover-limiting C-H nickelation process.}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.201700321}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Soni, Vineeta and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {45706, title = {Exploiting phosphate-starved cells of scenedesmus SP for the treatment of raw sewage}, journal = {Indian Journal of Microbiology}, volume = {57}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {241-249}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Phosphate depletion is one of the favorable ways to enhance the sewage water treatment with the algae, however, detailed information is essential with respect to internal phosphate concentration and physiology of the algae. The growth rate of the phosphate-starved Scenedesmus cells was reduced drastically after 48 h. Indicating cells entered in the stationary phase of the growth cycle. Fourier Transform Infrared analysis of phosphate-starved Scenedesmus cells showed the reduction in internal phosphate concentration and an increase in carbohydrate/phosphate and carbohydrate/lipid ratio. The phosphate-starved Scenedesmus cells, with an initial cell density of, 1 x 10(6) cells mL(-1) shows 87\% phosphate and 100 \% nitrogen removal in 24 h. The normal Scenedesmus cells need approximately 48 h to trim down the nutrients from wastewater up to this extent. Other microalgae, Ankistrodesmus, growth pattern was not affected due to phosphate starvation. The cells of Ankistrodesmus was able to reduce 71\% phosphate and 73\% nitrogen within 24 h, with an initial cell density of, 1 x 10(6) cells mL(-1).

}, keywords = {Ankistrodesmus, Fourier Transform Infrared, Phosphate starvation, Scenedesmus, Sewage treatment}, issn = {0046-8991}, doi = {10.1007/s12088-016-0626-0}, author = {Yewalkar-Kulkarni, Swati and Gera, Gayatri and Nene, Sanjay and Pandare, Kiran and Kulkarni, Bhaskar and Kamble, Sanjay} } @article {43842, title = {Exploiting the dual role of ethynylbenziodoxolones in gold-catalyzed C(sp)-C(sp) cross-coupling reactions}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7937-7940}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Reported herein is the gold-catalyzed alkynylation of terminal alkynes using ethynylbenziodoxolones (EBXs), where EBXs serve a dual role as oxidants as well as alkyne transfer agents to access unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes. Hence, the catalytic system requires no external oxidants and is compatible with a broad range of substrates, including those with polar functional groups such as NH, OHand B(OH)(2).}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc04283c}, author = {Banerjee, Somsuvra and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {43886, title = {Exploring the effect of hydroxylic and non-hydroxylic solvents on the reaction of [(VO)-O-IV(beta-diketonate)2] with 2-aminobenzoyl-hydrazide in aerobic and anaerobic conditions}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Refluxing [(VO)-O-IV(beta-diketonate)(2)], namely [(VO)-O-IV(acetylacetonate)(2)] and [(VO)-O-IV(benzoylacetonate)(2)], separately with an equivalent or excess amount of 2-aminobenzoylhydrazide (ah) in laboratory grade (LG) CH3OH in aerobic conditions afforded non-oxidovanadium(IV) and oxidovanadium(V) complexes of the type [V-IV(L-1)(2)] (1), [(VO)-O-V(L-1)(OCH3)](2) (3) and [V-IV(L-2)(2)] (2), and [(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OCH3)] (4), respectively. (L-1)(2-) and (L-2)(2-) represent the dianionic forms of 2-aminobenzoylhydrazone of acetylacetone (H2L1) and benzoylacetone (H2L2), respectively, (general abbreviation, H2L), which was formed by the in situ condensation of ah with the respective coordinated [beta-diketonate] in medium-to-good yield. The yield of different resulting products was dependent upon the ratio of ah to [(VO)-O-IV(beta-diketonate)(2)]. For example, the yield of 1 and 2 complexes increased significantly associated with a decrease in the amount of 3 and 4 with an increase in the molar ratio of ah. Upon replacing CH3OH by a non-hydroxylic solvent, LG CHCl3, the above reaction yielded only oxidovanadium(V) complexes of the type [(VO)-O-V(L-1)(OH)](2) (5), [(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OH)] (6) and [(V2O3)-O-V(L)(2)] (7, 8) whereas, upon replacing CHCl3 by another non-hydroxylic solvent, namely LG CH3CN, only the respective [(V2O3)-O-V(L)(2)] (7, 8) complex was isolated in 72-78\% yield. However, upon performing the above reactions in the absence of air using dry CH3OH or dry CHCl3, only the respective [V-IV(L)(2)] complex was obtained, suggesting that aerial oxygen was the oxidising agent and the type of pentavalent product formed was dependent upon the nature of solvent used. Complexes 3 and 4 were converted, respectively, to 7 and 8 on refluxing in LG CHCl3 via the respective unstable complex 5 and 6. The DFT calculated change in internal energy (Delta E) for the reactions 2[(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OCH3)] + 2H(2)O -\> 2[(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OH)] + 2CH(3)OH and 2[(VO)-O-V (L-2)(OH)] -\> [(V2O3)-O-V(L-2)(2)] + H2O was, respectively, +3.61 and -7.42 kcal mol(-1), suggesting that the [(VO)-O-V(L-2) (OH)] species was unstable and readily transformed to the stable [(V2O3)-O-V(L-2)(2)] complex. Upon one-electron reduction at an appropriate potential, each of 7 and 8 generated mixed-valence [(L) (VO)-O-V-(mu-O)-OVIV(L)]species, which showed valence-delocalisation at room temperature and localisation at 77 K. Some of the complexes showed a wide range of toxicity in a dose-dependent manner against lung cancer cells comparable with that observed with cis-platin.

}, keywords = {Effective Core Potentials, Lung-cancer cells, Molecular-Orbital Methods, Non-oxido vanadium(iv), Non-Oxo, Oxovanadium(iv) Complexes, Tridentate ono ligand; Ray crystal-structure, Trigonal-prismatic Co-ordination, V-IV complex}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c7dt01776f}, author = {Biswas, Nirmalendu and Patra, Debashis and Mondal, Bipul and Bera, Sachinath and Acharyya, Swarnali and Biswas, Anup Kumar and Mukhopadhyay, Titas Kumar and Pal, Amrita and Drew, Michael G. B. and Ghosh, Tapas} } @article {45698, title = {Extraction of the very high tunneling current and extremely stable emission current from GdB6/W-tip source synthesized using arc plasma}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {562-566}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the one step arc plasma synthesis of the GdB6 (Gadolinium hexaboride) nanoparticles and its field emission (FE) characteristics on tungsten point substrate (GdB6/ W). The SEM /TEM analysis revealed the GdB6 nanoparticles on W point substrate exhibit irregular shaped, grainy, dense, course morphology, i.e. uniformly covering the entire tip substrate surface. For GdB6/W point source, the values of the turn-on and threshold fields, defined as field required to draw an emission current density similar to 1 mA/cm(2) and similar to 100 mA/cm(2), respectively are found to be similar to 2.2 and similar to 2.7 V/mm, for anodecathode separation of similar to 1 mm. Interestingly, a very high emission current density of similar to 3.5 A/cm(2) has been drawn from the GdB6/W point emitter at relatively lower applied field of similar to 6.4 V/mm. The field enhancement factor found to be similar to 10,250. The GdB6/W point electron source exhibits a good emission current stability at similar to 10 mA for a period of 6 hr. The emission current stability is enumerated in terms of standard deviation and its magnitude has been measured to be only 1.72\% with respect to the average value. The superlative field emission characteristics signify the GdB6/W point electron source as potential candidates for vacuum micro/nanoelectronics device applications.

}, keywords = {Arc Plasma, field emission, Thin films}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201601587}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Kanhe, Nilesh and Mathe, Vikas L. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {44177, title = {Facile one-pot multi-component synthesis of spirooxindoles and 3, 3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindoles via sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization of azaarenes}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9147-9152}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) protocol has been demonstrated for the first time for sustainable and facile synthesis of spirooxindoles and 3, 3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindoles in an excellent yield via sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes with isatin, active methylene compounds using eco-friendly heterogeneous, reusable silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyst.

}, keywords = {3, 3{\textquoteright}-disubstituted oxindoles, azaarenes, silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyst, sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization, spirooxindoles}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701507}, author = {Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S. and Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y. and Thorat, Shridhar H. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mulla, Shafeek A. R.} } @article {43353, title = {Facile synthesis of N-acyl 2-aminobenzothiazoles by NHC-catalyzed direct oxidative amidation of aldehydes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1478 - 1481}, abstract = {A mild, general, and high yielding synthesis of N-acyl 2-aminobenzothiazoles has been demonstrated by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-organocatalyzed direct amidation of aldehydes with 2-aminobenzothiazoles proceeding via acyl azolium intermediates. The carbene generated from the triazolium salt under oxidative conditions was the key for the success of this reaction. The method was subsequently applied to the synthesis of various biologically important N-acyl 2-aminobenzothiazoles.}, doi = {10.1039/C6CC08640C}, author = {Premaletha, Sethulekshmi and Ghosh, Arghya and Joseph, Sumi and Reddy, Santhi Vardhan and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {43956, title = {Facile synthesis of β-functionalized {\textquotedblleft}push-pull{\textquotedblright} Zn(II) porphyrins for DSSC applications}, journal = {Dyes and Pigments}, volume = {147}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {56-66}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Three new β-substituted {\textquotedblleft}push-pull{\textquotedblright} Zn(II) porphyrin dyes with various electron donors at meso-positions and cyanoacetic acid as acceptor at β-position have been designed and synthesized. These porphyrins have been characterized by UV-Vis, Fluorescence, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic techniques and cyclic voltammetric studies. The Soret and Q band of Zn(II) porphyrin dyes were found to be red-shifted (30{\textendash}35 nm) as compared to ZnTPP. The fluorescence quenching and the decrement in quantum yield and lifetime suggest intramolecular charge transfer from donor to acceptor. Zn porphyrins exhibited anodic shift in their first redox potentials (0.03{\textendash}0.11 V) as compared to ZnTPP. The HOMO-LUMO energy levels of Zn porphyrin dyes were compared with the conduction band of TiO2 and the electrolyte I-/I3 -. The HOMO levels of all the dyes are sufficiently higher than the energy level of electrolyte I-/I3 - and LUMO levels significantly lower than the conduction band of TiO2 which reflect the feasibility of facile electron-transfer. ZnT(Mes)P(CN-COOH) has been co-sensitized with N719 dye to further improve the PCE efficiency. These dyes displayed power conversion efficiency (PCE) of η = 1.72{\textendash}3.13\% where co-sensitized ZnT(Mes)P(CN-COOH) (N719) dye demonstrated maximum PCE efficiency up to 5.35\%, with a Jsc of 11.8 mA cm-2, a Voc of 630 mV and a fill factor (FF) of 72\% due to better light harvesting capacity.

}, keywords = {charge transfer, Conduction Bands, Cyanoacetic Acid, Electrolytes, Floorescence, Redox Reaction, zinc compounds}, doi = {10.1016/j.dyepig.2017.07.053}, author = {Prakash, K.}, editor = {Manchanda, S.} } @article {44086, title = {Fluorescent metal quantum clusters: an updated overview of the synthesis, properties, and biological applications}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9055-9084}, abstract = {Metal quantum clusters are evolving as excellent systems for a wide range of biological applications due to their small size (similar to 2 nm), tunable optical properties, including optical absorption, photoluminescence (UV to NIR), nonlinear optical properties (two-photon absorption, two-photon fluorescence, and second/third harmonic generation), ultrafast dynamics (relaxation kinetics, electron-phonon coupling, and radiative emission), and magnetism. These excellent properties have resulted in their use in a broad range of applications, including the sensing of ions (heavy metal ions, anions), biomolecules (proteins, DNA, miRNA, and enzymes), biological cells, diagnosis, and therapy. This article presents an introduction to metal quantum clusters, including a brief history of research in this system and an overview of the existing theories to understand their properties. We also discuss the synthesis methods, the various properties of quantum clusters and present a broad and updated overview of the applications of metal quantum clusters in biology.}, doi = {10.1039/c7tb02320k}, author = {Khandelwal, Puneet and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {43481, title = {Fluoride-mediated dephosphonylation of alpha-diazo-beta-carbonyl phosphonates}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {372-375}, abstract = {The possibility of fluoride-mediated selective dephosphonylation of alpha-diazo-beta-carbonyl phosphonates such as the Ohira-Bestmann reagent has been proposed and executed. The resulting alpha-diazocarbonyl intermediates undergo a (3 + 2)pcycloaddition at room temperature with conjugated olefins and benzynes. Interestingly, under the current conditions, the resulting cycloaddition products underwent either N-acylation (with excess alpha-diazo-beta-carbonyl phosphonates) or Michael addition (with conjugated olefins).}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b03573}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Mullapudi, Venkannababu and Wakchaure, Vivek C. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {43834, title = {Formal [2+1] annulation (Spiro-Cyclopropanation) reaction between sulfur ylides derived from baylis-hillman bromides and arylidene indane-1,3-dione}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6159-6162}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The sulfonium salts derived from the Baylis-Hillman bromides have been successfully employed for the selective cycloproporanation of arylidene indane-1,3-diones to synthesize densely substituted spiro-cyclopropanes in good to excellent yields (upto 94\%). Products were obtained mostly in 1:1 diastereomeric ratio and were isolated in pure form. Diastereoselectivity has been improved by using suitably substituted starting materials. In this case a formal [2+1] annulation reaction competes over a probable [3+2] cycloaddition reaction. The reaction proceeds through a Michael initiated ring closure process of S-ylides to the activated olefins for the formation of structurally strained spiro-cyclopropanes.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701221}, author = {Roy, Suparna and Piradhi, Venkatesh} } @article {43808, title = {Fruit peel waste: characterization and its potential uses}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {113}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {444-454}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Globally, India is the leading producer of fruits. Fruits after consumption leave a peel which is a nuisance to the environment as a solid waste. In this article, commonly available large volume-fruit peels (FP) (viz. banana, orange, citrus, lemon and jackfruit) were investigated for surface, physical and chemical characteristics with a view to propose their valorization in detail. Each FP was characterized by proximate and ultimate analysis, porosity, particle density, bulk density, point of zero charge (pH(pzc)), surface pH, surface charges, water absorption capacity, BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and TGA/derivative of thermogravimetric. The BET surface area of FP is very less, between 0.60 and 1.2 m(2)/g. The pH(pzc) and surface pH values of orange peel (OP), citrus peel (CP), lemon peel (LP) and jackfruit peels (JFP) are in the range of 3-4. The pH(pzc) value and surface pH of banana peel (BP) is closer to 7. The order of surface acidity is OP > LP > CP > JFP > BP. From TG curves it is clear that FPs are stable below 150 degrees C. The results will be useful for rational design, when FP is used as a substrate for bioactive compounds, phenolic antioxidants, organic acids, enzymes, biofertilizer, production of energy and as adsorbents.}, doi = {10.18520/cs/v113/i03/444-454}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @inbook {45817, title = {Fungal differentiation: a model phenomenon to screen antifungal drugs}, booktitle = {Developments in Fungal Biology and Applied Mycology}, year = {2017}, pages = { 227-246}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, chapter = {Fungal differentiation: A model phenomenon to screen antifungal drugs}, address = {Singapore}, abstract = {Pathogenic fungi change the morphology to a suitable vegetative form such as unicellular yeast or filamentous mycelium for the survival and proliferation in the host as well as to defeat cellular and physiological defences of the host. The microenvironment of the pathogen triggers different biochemical processes finally leading to differentiation. These biochemical processes, which correlate with morphological change from saprophytic/less virulent to pathogenic form, can be targeted for the development of novel antifungal agents. The present chapter deals with the role of differentiation in fungal pathogenesis and discusses different biochemical events as target for the antifungal strategies.}, isbn = {978-981-10-4767-1}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-10-4768-8_12}, author = {Pathan, E.K. and Tupe, S.G. and Deshpande, M.V.} } @article {43357, title = {General nickel-catalyzed method for C-H bond alkynylation of heteroarenes through chelation assistance}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {23}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2907-2914}, abstract = {

A general nickel-catalyzed method for the alkynylation of heteroarenes through monodentate chelation assistance is described. Many heterocycles, including indoles, pyrroles, imidazoles and pyrazole, efficiently coupled with (triisopropylsilyl)alkynyl bromide, and synthetically important functional groups, such as halides, ether, nitrile, nitro were tolerated. Synthetic applicability of this Ni-catalyzed method is demonstrated by the removal of triisopropylsilyl (-SiiPr$_{3}$) group, and further functionalization into triazolyl, benzofuranyl and alkynyl arene derivatives. Preliminary mechanistic investigations on the alkynylation of indole suggest that the reaction proceeds through kinetically relevant C-H activation and follows the two-electron redox pathway. A catalytically competent Ni-species, [(Phen)$_{3}$Ni].NiBr$_{4}$ has been isolated and structurally characterized.

}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201605306}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Khake, Shrikant manmathappa and Soni, Vineeta and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam} } @article {43918, title = {Genetic programming based drag model with improved prediction accuracy for fluidization systems}, journal = {International journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering}, volume = {15}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, issn = {2016-0210}, doi = {10.1515/ijcre-2016-0210}, author = {Sonolikar, R. R. and Patil, M. P. and Mankar, R. B. and Tambe, S. S. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {43896, title = {Genetic variability in Indian populations of banana corm weevil [Cosmopolites sordidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)] assessed by RAPDs and AFLPs}, journal = {International Journal of Tropical Insect Science}, volume = {37}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {149-162}, abstract = {

Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar), commonly known as banana corm weevil, is an important economic pest in Asia that can cause severe yield loss depending upon the stage at which infestation occurs. In spite of its economic importance, little is known about the population structure of this pest in India. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to characterize the population genetic structure of C. sordidus collected from five hot spot locations in India. Nineteen RAPD primers and five selective AFLP primer combinations generated 147 and 304 amplification products, respectively. UPGMA dendrograms generated with both marker systems failed to reveal populations clustered based on geographic distance, which was confirmed by the Mantel test, which did not show a strong correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance. Values of indices of genetic identity showed that the populations were closely related. Though the gene flow estimate (Nm) between the populations was 0.469, suggesting restricted gene flow, the populations are not genetically distinct. These observations suggest that the range expansion of this banana pest in India has taken place through transport of infested corms and plant material, resulting in genetically close populations that are geographically distinct. These results provide important information on the population structure of this pest in India, which will aid in designing suitable strategies for its control and management, especially with respect to insecticide resistance.

}, keywords = {Aflps, Arbitrary Primers, Bemisia-tabaci, Cosmopolites Sordidus, diversity, Genetic diversity, Germar Coleoptera, insecticide resistance, Markers, Musa Spp., Pcr, Rapds, Restricted Gene Flow Natural-populations, Scirpophaga-incertulas}, doi = {10.1017/S1742758417000108}, author = {Yadav, Sweta Kumari U. and Singh, Jyotsna and Padmanaban, B. and Kumar, Lalitha Sunil} } @article {45682, title = {Genomic and functional characterization of coleopteran insect-specific alpha-amylase inhibitor gene from amaranthus species}, journal = {Plant Molecular Biology}, volume = { 94 }, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {319-332}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The smallest 32 amino acid alpha-amylase inhibitor from Amaranthus hypochondriacus (AAI) is reported. The complete gene of pre-protein (AhAI) encoding a 26 amino acid (aa) signal peptide followed by the 43 aa region and the previously identified 32 aa peptide was cloned successfully. Three cysteine residues and one disulfide bond conserved within known alpha-amylase inhibitors were present in AhAI. Identical genomic and open reading frame was found to be present in close relatives of A. hypochondriacus namely Amaranthus paniculatus, Achyranthes aspera and Celosia argentea. Interestingly, the 3{\textquoteright}UTR of AhAI varied in these species. The highest expression of AhAI was observed in A. hypochondriacus inflorescence; however, it was not detected in the seed. We hypothesized that the inhibitor expressed in leaves and inflorescence might be transported to the seeds. Sub-cellular localization studies clearly indicated the involvement of AhAI signal peptide in extracellular secretion. Full length rAhAI showed differential inhibition against alpha-amylases from human, insects, fungi and bacteria. Particularly, alpha-amylases from Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera) were not inhibited by AhAI while Tribolium castaneum and Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera) alpha-amylases were completely inhibited. Molecular docking of AhAI revealed tighter interactions with active site residues of T. castaneum alpha-amylase compared to C. chinensis alpha-amylase, which could be the rationale behind the disparity in their IC50. Normal growth, development and adult emergence of C. chinensis were hampered after feeding on rAhAI. Altogether, the ability of AhAI to affect the growth of C. chinensis demonstrated its potential as an efficient bio-control agent, especially against stored grain pests.}, doi = {10.1007/s11103-017-0609-5}, author = {Bhide, Amey J. and Channale, Sonal M. and Yadav, Yashpal and Bhattacharjee, Kabita and Pawar, Pankaj K. and Maheshwari, V. L. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Giri, Ashok P.} } @inbook {45821, title = {Global conformation of Tau protein mapped by Raman spectroscopy}, booktitle = {Methods in Molecular Biology}, volume = {1523}, year = {2017}, pages = {21-31}, publisher = {Humana Press Inc.}, organization = {Humana Press Inc.}, chapter = {Global conformation of Tau protein mapped by Raman spectroscopy}, address = {New York}, abstract = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) is one of the neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive neuronal loss in the brain. Its two major hallmarks are extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), formed by aggregation of amyloid β-42 (Aβ-42) and Tau protein respectively. Aβ-42 is a transmembrane protein, which is produced after the sequential action of β- and γ-secretases, thus obtained peptide is released extracellularly and gets deposited on the neuron forming senile plaques. NFTs are composed of microtubule-associated protein-Tau (MAPT). Tau protein{\textquoteright}s major function is to stabilize the microtubule that provides a track on which the cargo proteins are shuttled and the stabilized microtubule also maintains shape and integrity of the neuronal cell. Tau protein is subjected to various modifications such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, glycation, acetylation, truncation, glycosylation, deamination, and oxidation; these modifications ultimately lead to its aggregation. Phosphorylation is the major modification and is extensively studied with respect to Tau protein. Tau protein, however, undergoes certain level of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, which regulates its affinity for microtubule and ultimately leading to microtubule assembly and disassembly. Our main aim was to study the native state of longest isoform of Tau (hTau40WT-4R2N) and its shortest isoform, (hTau23WT-3R0N), at various temperatures such as 10, 25, and 37 {\textdegree}C. Raman spectroscopic results suggested that the proportion of random coils or unordered structure depends on the temperature of the protein environment. Upon increase in the temperature from 10 to 37 {\textdegree}C, the proportion of random coils or unordered structures increased in the case of hTau40WT. However, we did not find a significant effect of temperature on the structure of hTau23WT. This current approach enables one to analyze the global conformation of soluble Tau in solution. }, doi = {10.1007/978-1-4939-6598-4_2}, author = {Gorantla, N.V. and Khandelwal, P. and Poddar, P. and Chinnathambi, S.} } @article {43543, title = {Glycation inhibitors extend yeast chronological lifespan by reducing advanced glycation end products and by back regulation of proteins involved in mitochondrial respiration}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {156}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {104-112}, abstract = {Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) are implicated in aging process. Thus, reducing AGEs by using glycation inhibitors may help in attenuating the aging process. In this study using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast system, we show that Aminoguanidine (AMG), a well-known glycation inhibitor, decreases the AGE modification of proteins in non-calorie restriction (NR) (2\% glucose) and extends chronological lifespan (CLS) similar to that of calorie restriction (CR) condition (0.5\% glucose). Proteomic analysis revealed that AMG back regulates the expression of differentially expressed proteins especially those involved in mitochondrial respiration in NR condition, suggesting that it switches metabolism from fermentation to respiration, mimicking CR. AMG induced back regulation of differentially expressed proteins could be possibly due to its chemical effect or indirectly by glycation inhibition. To delineate this, Metformin (MET), a structural analog of AMG and a mild glycation inhibitor and Hydralazine (HYD), another potent glycation inhibitor but not structural analog of AMG were used. HYD was more effective than MET in mimicking AMG suggesting that glycation inhibition was responsible for restoration of differentially expressed proteins. Thus glycation inhibitors particularly AMG, HYD and MET extend yeast CLS by reducing AGEs, modulating the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial respiration and possibly by scavenging glucose. Significance: This study reports the role of glycation in aging process. In the non-caloric restriction condition, carbohydrates such as glucose promote protein glycation and reduce CLS. While, the inhibitors of glycation such as AMC, HYD, MET mimic the caloric restriction condition by back regulating deregulated proteins involved in mitochondria( respiration which could facilitate shift of metabolism from fermentation to respiration and extend yeast CLS. These findings suggest that glycation inhibitors can be potential molecules that can be used in management of aging. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2017.01.015}, author = {Kazi, Rubina S. and Banarjee, Reema M. and Deshmukh, Arati B. and Patil, Gouri V. and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {43865, title = {Glycoprotein alpha-amylase inhibitor from Withania somnifera differentially inhibits various alpha-amylases and affects the growth and development of Tribolium castaneum}, journal = {PEST Management Science}, volume = {73}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1382-1390}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Identification and characterisation of plant defensive molecules enrich our resources to design crop protection strategies. In particular, plant-derived proteinaceous inhibitor(s) of insect digestive enzymes appear to be a safe, sustainable and attractive option. RESULTS: A glycoprotein having non-competitive alpha-amylase inhibitory activity with a molecular weight of 8.3 kDa was isolated and purified from seeds of Withania somnifera alpha-amylase inhibitor (WSAI). Its mass spectrometry analysis revealed 59\% sequence coverage with Wrightide II-type alpha-amylase inhibitor from Wrightia religiosa. A dose-dependent inhibition of alpha-amylases from Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus subtilis, Helicoverpa armigera and Tribolium castaneumwas recorded. Interestingly, WSAI did not inhibit human salivary alpha-amylase significantly. When adults of T. castaneum were fed with WSAI (1.6mg g(-1)), decrease inconsumption, growthandefficiency of conversion of ingested foodwas evident, along withover fourfold increases in feedingdeterrence index. Adecline inlarval residual alpha-amylase activity after feedingofWSAI resulted ina reduction in longevity of T. castaneum. CONCLUSION: The study reflects the significance of WSAI in affecting the overall growth and development of T. castaneum. Pre-and post-harvest pest resistive capability makes WSAI a potential candidate for insect pest management. Further, the effectiveness of this inhibitor could be explored either in formulations or through a transgenic approach. (C) 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

}, doi = {10.1002/ps.4467}, author = {Kasar, Sainath S. and Marathe, Kiran R. and Bhide, Amey J. and Herwade, Abhijeet P. and Giri, Ashok P. and Maheshwari, Vijay L. and Pawar, Pankaj K.} } @article {43867, title = {Gold-catalyzed dehydrazinative C(sp)-S coupling reactions of arylsulfonyl hydrazides with ethynylbenziodoxolones for accessing alkynyl sulfones}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3512-3515}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A gold(III)-catalyzed dehydrazinative coupling reaction between arylsulfonyl hydrazides and ethynylbenziodoxolone reagents was realized for the synthesis of alkynyl sulfones. The scope and versatility of the reaction were demonstrated by the efficient synthesis of 23 derivatives with diverse structural features.}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201700524}, author = {Shinde, Popat S. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @proceedings {45658, title = {Growth of flower-like patterns of TiO2 nanorods over FTO substrate}, volume = { 184 }, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {166-171}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis Group 2\&4 Park Square Milton Park Abingdon OX14 4RN}, address = { Univ Delhi, New Delhi, India}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1080/10584587.2017.1368640}, author = {Issar, Sheetal and Poddar, Pankaj and Mehra, N. C. and Mahapatro, Ajit K.} } @article {44154, title = {H-Bonding assisted self-assembly of anionic and neutral ligand on metal: a comprehensive strategy to mimic ditopic ligands in olefin polymerization}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12448-12456}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Self-assembly of two neutral ligands on a metal to mimic bidentate ligand coordination has been frequently encountered in the recent past, but self-assembly of an anionic ligand on a metal template alongside a neutral ligand remains an elusive target. Such a self-assembly is hampered by additional complexity, wherein a highly negatively charged anion can form intermolecular hydrogen bonding with the supramolecular motif, leaving no scope for self-assembly with neutral ligand. Presented here is the self-association of anionic ligand 3-ureidobenzoic acid (2a) and neutral ligand 1-(3-(diphenylphosphanyl)phenyl)urea (1a) on a metal template to yield metal complex [{COOC6H4-NH(CO)NH2}{Ph2PC6H4NH(CO)NH2}PdMeDMSO] (4a). The identity of 4a was established by NMR and mass spectroscopy. Along the same lines, 3-(3-phenylureido)benzoic acid (2b) and 1-(3-(diphenylphosphanyl)phenyl)-3-phenylurea (1b) self-assemble on a metal template to produce palladium complex [{COOC6H4NH(CO)NHPh}{Ph2PC6H4NH(CO)NHPh}PdMePy] (5c). The existence of 5c was confirmed by Job plot, 1-2D NMR spectroscopy, deuterium labeling, IR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, model complex synthesis, and DFT calculations. These solution and gas phase investigations authenticated the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between hydrogen{\textquoteright}s of 1b and carbonyl oxygen of 2b. The generality of the supramolecular approach has been validated by preparing six complexes from four monodentate ligands, and their synthetic utility was demonstrated in ethylene polymerization. Complex 4a was found to be the most active, leading to the production of highly branched polyethylene with a molecular weight of 55700 g/mol and melting temperature of 112 degrees C.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b01923}, author = {Mote, Nilesh R. and Patel, Ketan and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Koshti, Vijay S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {43804, title = {Healable network polymers bearing flexible poly(Lauryl Methacrylate) chains via thermo-reversible furan-maleimide diels-alder reaction}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {55}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2700-2712}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A new ATRP initiator containing two furyl rings, namely, bis(furan-2-ylmethyl) 2-bromopentanedioate was synthesized starting from commercially available L-glutamic acid as a precursor. Well-defined bisfuryl-terminated poly(lauryl methacrylate) macromonomers with molecular weight and dispersity in the range 5000-12,000 g mol(-1) and 1.30-1.37, respectively, were synthesized employing the initiator by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Independently, 1,1{\textquoteright},1"(nitrilotris(ethane-2,1-diyl)) tris(1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione) was synthesized as a tris-maleimide counterpart for furan-maleimide click reaction. Thermo-reversible network polymer bearing flexible poly(lauryl methacrylate; (PLMA) chains was obtained by furan-maleimide Diels-Alder click reaction of bisfurylterminated PLMA with 1,1{\textquoteright},1"-(nitrilotris(ethane-2,1-diyl)) tris(1Hpyrrole-2,5-dione). The prepared network polymer showed retro-Diels-Alder reaction in the temperature range 110-170 degrees C as determined from DSC analysis. The presence of low Tg (-40 degrees C) PLMA chains induced chain mobility to the network structure which led to the complete scratch healing of the coating at 60 degrees C in five days due to furan-maleimide adduct formation. The storage modulus of the network polymer was found to be 3.7 x 10(4) Pa at the constant angular frequency of 5 rad/ sec and strain of 0.5\%. The regular reversal of storage (G0) and loss modulus (G") was observed with repeated heating (40 to 110 degrees C) and cooling cycles (110 to 40 degrees C) at constant angular frequency and strain. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, keywords = {ethane, Monomers, polymerization}, doi = {10.1002/pola.28677}, author = {Patil, Sachin S. and Torris, Arun and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {43778, title = {Heterogeneous route for transfer hydrogenation reactions of ketones using Ru(II)Cymene complex over modified benzene-organosilica (PMOB)}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {440}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {66-74}, type = {Article}, abstract = {An inorganic-organic hybrid catalyst, Ru(II)Cym@PMOB, was synthesized by anchoring of [Ru(II)Cl-2(Pcymene)](2) complex which is derived from a reaction between hydrated ruthenium(III) trichloride and ocphellandrene over aminofunctionalized benzene-organosilica (PMOB). In the context of secondary alcohol synthesis from ketones, transfer hydrogenation (TH) reactions are convenient compared to conventional hydrogenation reactions owing to its lower activation energy and ambient pressure and mild temperature reaction" conditions. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by CHN analysis, XRD, ICP, N-2-sorption analysis, TG \& DTA, FFIR,C-13 \& 29Si solid NMR, UV-vis, TEM, SEM and XPS. The catalytic activities of neat [Ru(II)C-12(p-cymene)]2 complex and Ru(II)Cym@PMOB were evaluated in transfer hydrogenation (TH) of ketones (-97\%) and compared with conventional hydrogenation reactions (-5\%) where molecular H-2 was used. The results showed Ru(II)Cym@PMOB as highly active catalyst towards transfer hydrogenation (TH) reaction of acetophenones compared to neat [Ru(II)Cl-2(p-cymene)(12) complex. The heterogeneity of Ru(II)Cym@PMOB was confirmed by Sheldon{\textquoteright}s test. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Conventional Hydrogenation Reactions, Ru(II)Cym@PMOB, Transfer Hydrogenation Reaction, [Ru(II)Cl2(p-cymene)]2 complex}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2017.07.018}, author = {Lazar, Anish and Silpa, S. and Prabhakaran, Vinod C. and Singh, A. P.} } @article {43822, title = {Highly active recyclable SBA-15-EDTA-Pd catalyst for Mizoroki-Heck, Stille and Kumada C-C coupling reactions}, journal = {Journal of Porous Materials}, volume = {24}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {837-846}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Highly efficient SBA-15-EDTA-Pd(11) heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized by covalent anchoring Pd-EDTA complex over organo-modified surface of SBA-15. SBA-15-EDTA-Pd(11) catalyst was found to exhibit excellent catalytic activity in appreciable yield for Heck, Stille and Kumada cross-coupling reactions. Catalytic system exhibited excellent activity for completion of reaction, isolation, Pd loading (0.87 mmol\%) and yields of products as compared to earlier reported heterogeneous supported Pd catalysts. Covalently anchored heterogeneous SBA-15-EDTA-Pd(11) catalyst can be recycled for more than five times without noticeable loss in activity and selectivity.}, doi = {10.1007/s10934-016-0323-8}, author = {Rathod, Jayant and Sharma, Priti and Pandey, Punam and Singh, A. P. and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article {43943, title = {High-Performance Sensing Behavior Using Electronic Ink of 2D SnSe2 Nanosheets.}, journal = {Chemistry Select}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, chapter = {4068-4075}, abstract = {

Most of the recent research work on layered chalcogenides is understandably focused on single atomic layers. However, it is uncertain if the single layer units are most ideal structures for enhanced gas-solid interactions. To probe this concern, we have synthesized few layer thick SnSe2\ nanosheets ink using liquid exfoliation method. The morphology, thickness / layering and elemental analysis of the sheets were characterized by using SEM, TEM, AFM, Raman spectroscopy and by XPS. The two dimensional (2D) SnSe2\ nanosheets sensor device with different thicknesses was assessed for the humidity and gas sensing performances with exposure to humidity in different conditions. The results show that compared to the bulk / thicker counterpart, sensor device of few SnSe2\ layers exhibit excellent sensitivity, recovery and ability to be tune the sensing performance with thickness and can be used in lab on chip devices.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700261}, author = {Pawar, Mahendra and Kadam, Sunil and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {45695, title = {Hyaluronic acid layered chimeric nanoparticles: targeting MAPK-P13K signaling hub in colon cancer cells}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {7868-7880}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Colon cancer has emerged as one of the most devastating diseases in the whole world. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-phosphatidylinsitol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling hub has gained lots of attention due to its deregulation in colon cancer cells. However, selective targeting of oncogenic MAPK-PI3K hub in colon cancer has remained highly challenging, hence it has mostly been unexplored. To address this, we have engineered a hyaluronic acid layered lipid-based chimeric nanoparticle (HA-CNP) consisting of AZD6244 (MAPK inhibitor), PI103 (PI3K inhibitor), and cisplatin (DNA impairing drug) ratiometrically in a single particle. Electron microscopy (field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy) and dynamic light scattering were utilized to characterize the size, shape, morphology, and surface charge of the HA-CNPs. Fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry analysis confirmed that HA-CNPs were taken up by HCT-116 colon cancer cells by merging of clathrin and CD44 receptor-mediated endocytosis along with macropinocytosis to home into acidic organelles (lysosomes) within 1 h. A gel electrophoresis study evidently established that HA-CNPs simultaneously inhibited MAPK-PI3K signaling hub with DNA damage in HCT-116 cells. These HA-CNPs stalled the cell cycle into G0/G1 phase, leading to induction of apoptosis (early and late) in colon cancer cells. Finally, these HA-CNPs exerted remarkable cytotoxicity in HCT-116 colon cancer cells at 24 h compared to that of the free triple drug cocktail as well as HA-coated dual drug-loaded nanoparticles without showing any cell death in healthy L929 fibroblast cells. These HA-coated CNPs have potential to be translated into clinics as a novel platform to perturb various oncogenic signaling hubs concomitantly toward next-generation targeted colon cancer therapy.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b01315}, author = {Palvai, Sandeep and Kuman, Meenu Mahesh and Sengupta, Poulonu and Basu, Sudipta} } @article {43264, title = {Hybrids of thienopyrimidinones and thiouracils as anti-tubercular agents: SAR and docking studies}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {127}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {

A number of hybrid molecules containing thienopyrimidinones and thiouracil moieties were designed, synthesized and tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra wherein it was observed that the compounds 11-1514 exhibited antitubercular activity in vitro (MIC 7.6{\textendash}19.1 μg/ml, 12{\textendash}35 μM) against dormant stage while compound 15 exhibited antitubercular activity in vitro against dormant (MIC 23.4 μg/ml, 41 μM) as well as active (MIC 25.4 μg/ml, 45 μM) stage. Structural modifications of compound 15 were carried out to study the structure-activity relationship and it was observed that compound 18 exhibited antitubercular activity comparable to compound 15. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that these molecules were non-toxic. The docking study of compound 15 showed that there was binding with the active site of mycobacterial pantothenate synthetase. Further docking studies led to the synthesis of the compounds 16 and 17 and the antitubercular activity screening results showed that these compounds have significant antitubercular activity. The compounds 15-18 (MIC 11{\textendash}29 μg/ml, 19{\textendash}51 μM) can be used as starting points for further optimization. The synthetic strategies used in the present work have potential to prepare a large number of compounds for further refinement of structures and the present results will be very useful in the development of a new class of antimycobacterial agents.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.01.009}, author = {Pisal, Mahesh M. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Patil, Manoj and Bhansali, Sujit G. and Gajbhiye, Jayant M. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Chavan, Subhash P. and Borate, Hanumant B.} } @article {43556, title = {Identification of biomolecules involved in the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles from living peanut seedlings}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1787-1795}, abstract = {In present work, we have fabricated gold nanoparticles by treating an aqueous solution of 10(-4) M HAuCl4 with the proteins extracted from roots of in vitro raised peanut seedlings and purified them by FPLC at room temperature. These proteins which tested positive for the reduction of 10(-4) M HAuCl4 were identified as Mannose glucose binding lectin and Ara h 8 allergen isoforms by ESI MS/MS. It is a well known fact that aromatic amino acids possess delocalized pi electrons in their ring structures, rendering them as the best electron donors which can transfer electrons and reduce the acceptor. These results suggest that the aromatic amino acids present in the proteins from the peanut seedlings are the primary biomolecules involved in the reduction of Au (III) to Au (0). We isolated different protein of molecular weight 16.4, 28.3 and 30 kDa involved in the formation of nanoparticles. The protein with molecular weight 16.4 kDa (allergens) yielded NPs of 25-60 nm whereas, the proteins with molecular weight 28.3 kDa and 30 kDa (lectins) yielded highly monodispersed NPs of 5-20 nm in size. The results clearly indicate that the size of nanoparticles can be controlled by different proteins.}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2017.12879}, author = {Raju, D. and Siddiqui, Ejaz Ahmad and Prasanth, S. and Khan, Bashir M. and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {43826, title = {Identification of new anti-inflammatory agents based on nitrosporeusine natural products of marine origin}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {135}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {89-109}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Nitrosporeusines A and B are two recently isolated marine natural products with novel skeleton and exceptional biological profile. Interesting antiviral activity of nitrosporeusines and promising potential in curing various diseases, evident from positive data from various animal models, led us to investigate their anti-inflammatory potential. Accordingly, we planned and synthesized nitrosporeusines A and B in racemic as well as enantiopure forms. The natural product synthesis was followed by preparation of several analogues, and all the synthesized compounds were evaluated for in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory potential. Among them, compounds 25, 29 and 40 significantly reduced levels of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, these compounds suppressed several pro-inflammatory mediators including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF -kappa B), and thereby can be emerged as potent anti-inflammatory compounds. Furthermore, all possible isomers of lead compound 25 were synthesized, characterized and profiled in same set of assays and found that one of the enantiomer (-)-25a was superior among them. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.04.015}, author = {Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Verma, Abhishek Kumar and Jachak, Gorakhnath R. and Hazra, Bibhabasu and Basu, Anirban and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {44401, title = {In situ grown nickel nanoparticles in a calixarene nanoreactor on a graphene-MoS2 support for efficient water electrolysis}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {1}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1329-1338}, abstract = {Electrochemical production of hydrogen, facilitated in electrolysers, holds great promise for energy storage and solar fuel production. Catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a bottleneck of this process. However, the sluggish OER kinetics and the utilization of precious metal catalysts are key obstacles in the broad deployment of this energy technology. We report the preparation and use of an inexpensive GrMoS(2)SC(8)Ni nanocomposite material as a highly effective OER catalyst in an alkaline electrolyte. Experimental investigations have shown that improvements can be realized in the catalytic performance of Ni metal if it is a component of the composite material. We propose an explanation for these enhancements based on a hydrogen acceptor concept. This concept comprises the stabilization of an *-OOH intermediate, which effectively lowers the potential needed for breaking bonds on the surface. Herein, an inexpensive immobilized SC8 layer was used as the nanoreactor to synthesize metallic Ni nanoparticles (NPs) through an in situ redox process. The process was applied to form immobilized NPs on flat and curved 2D surfaces. The outstanding OER performance of Ni NPs could be attributed to their large surface area, efficient mass and charge transport, and high structural stability arising from the unique SC8 cage structure, built on the GrMoS(2) substrate. The GrMoS(2)SC(8)Ni nanocomposite shows the highest activity, exhibiting a 214 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm(-2) (equivalent to 10\% efficiency of solarto-fuel conversion) and a Tafel slope of 31 mV dec(-1) in 1 M KOH solution. It further demonstrates high stability as there is no apparent OER activity loss (based on a chronoamperometry test) or particle aggregation (based on SEM image observation) after a 10 h anodization test. The facile preparation method and high efficiency and durability enable this electrocatalyst to be a promising candidate for future large-scale applications in water splitting. Thus, this work opens a new avenue toward the development of highly efficient, inexpensive OER catalysts.}, doi = {10.1039/c7se00190h}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article {44014, title = {Influence of carbon based supports on selectivity behavior of diols and propanol in Ru catalyzed glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B: Environmental}, volume = {204}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, chapter = {134-146}, abstract = {

Activated carbon (AC) and three graphite materials were studied as supports for Ru catalyzed glycerol hydrogenolysis to propanediols and 1-propanol. Structural characteristics of AC and graphite materials were found to greatly affect the reducibility and particle size of supported Ru and hence, the activity and product distribution in glycerol hydrogenolysis. XRD of graphite materials showed distinctly (002) plane having highly organized layered structure and the peak intensity decreased in the order of Ru/KS150 \> Ru/HSAG100 \> Ru/KS6 due to decrease in the graphite sheet thickness. In Raman, the intense D band in HSAG100 compared to that in KS6 and KS150 samples indicated its highly amorphous nature or mixed carbon hybridization. Glycerol conversion for Ru on AC was higher than that on graphite and among different graphites, it showed a descending activity order of Ru/KS6 \> Ru/HSAG100 \> Ru/KS150. The product distribution for AC and HSAG100 supported Ru was similar, giving 1-propanol (45\%) alongwith 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) (37\%) and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) (9{\textendash}11\%). For graphite supports, availability of Ru although bigger in size (4{\textendash}5 nm), would be higher on the surface than in case of AC which formed deep hydrogenolysis products like 1-, 2- propanol, ethanol etc.

}, keywords = {activated carbon, Amorphous carbon, catalysis, Glycerol, Glycerol conversions, Glycerol hydrogenolysis, graphite composites, Graphite supports, Hydrogenolysis, Hydrolysis, layered structures, Particle size, Product distributions, Propanediols, Propanol, Selectivity behavior, Structural characteristics, Structural effect, Structural effects}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.11.032}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Patil, S. and Shirai, Masayuki and Rayalu, Sadhana S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @inbook {45809, title = {Insertion or ziegler-natta polymerization of olefins: science and technology}, booktitle = {Metal-catalyzed polymerization: fundamentals to applications}, year = {2017}, pages = {31-116}, publisher = {CRC Press}, organization = {CRC Press}, abstract = {

One of the most disruptive discoveries of twentieth century has been metal-catalyzed polymerization of ethylene to polyethylene by Prof. Karl Ziegler from the Max Plank Institut Fuer Kohlenforschung, Mulheim, Germany. This discovery marked the beginning of an era, which revolutionized the field of chemistry, in particular, the field of polymer chemistry in many aspects and saw an avalanche of patents and publications. Unlike typical academic discoveries, this invention did not stop at the academic labs, but led to the development of a large-scale process that produces about 180 million tons of polyolefins (annually) today. 1 But the very obvious question that comes to our mind is what prompted Prof. Ziegler to react ethylene with the two components (that we will discuss later in this chapter)? It was not an overnight realization, but instead, it was rational analysis of a serendipitous observation and systematic experimentation by Prof. Ziegler.

}, isbn = {978-149876758-3}, issn = {978-149876757-6}, doi = {10.1201/b19905}, author = {Chikkali, S. H. and Patel, K., and Netalkar, S.} } @article {44121, title = {Interfacial-active polymer nanoparticles, their assemblies, and SERS application}, journal = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {218}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article Number: 1700261}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this work, surface-active polymer nanoparticles as well as polymer-polymer and polymer-metal nanoassembly particles are synthesized, and different parameters such as their size, morphologies, and assembling strength are studied. Nanoassembly particles are attractive because of the coupled properties with a large surface to volume ratio. A key challenge is to produce the core-shell polymer nanoparticles via single-step processes. To address this concern, here, microfluidics approach and precise interfacial reaction strategies are used, and hence different types of surface layered polymer nanoparticles are obtained in one-step processes. An inner core material is hydrophobic, whereas a hydrophilic surface layer (in situ formed during the polymerization process) swells in the aqueous environment. Moreover, three different reaction setups (batch, flow, and in situ) are applied in order to architect the nanoassembling hierarchical structures via layer-by-layer strategy. On the other side, polymer-metal nanoassembly particles as well as metal catalyzed metal deposited four layered nanoassembly particles of tuned size and compositions are produced. It is shown that these particles can be used as nanosensor particles for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.}, doi = {10.1002/macp.201700261}, author = {Visaveliya, Nikunjkumar R. and Li, Xiang and Knauer, Andrea and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Kohler, Johann Michael} } @article {44178, title = {Interplay between pi-bridges and positions of branched alkyl groups of unsymmetrical D-A-D-pi-A squaraines in dye-sensitized solar cells: mode of dye anchoring and the charge transfer process at the TiO2/Dye/electrolyte interface}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {32698-32712}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Far-red-absorbing squaraines possessing high molar absorptivity (\>10(5) M-1 cm(-1)) are being attracted as high-efficiency chromophores in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A series of donor acceptor -donor-pi spacer-acceptor (D-A-D-pi-A) unsymmetrical squaraines, PSQ1-5, with indoline donor and squaric/cyanoacetic acid acceptor units, were designed for sensitized solar cells. For extending the absorption toward the near-infrared region (NIR) and controlling the orientation on the TiO2 surface, benzene (PSQ1 and PSQ2) and thiophene (PSQ3-5) 7r-spacers and out-of-plane branched alkyl groups at the indoline that are away (PSQ1, PSQ3, and PSQS) or near (PSQ2 and PSQ4) the anchoring group, respectively, were introduced. Dynamic aggregation tendency of PSQ1 and PSQ3 than that of their isomers systematically modulates the orientation on the TiO2 surface, which in turn enhances photovoltaic performance. Absorptance on a thin transparent TiO2 film shows a visible-to-NIR response with an onset around 800 nm for PSQ3-5. Although there is resemblance in electrochemical redox levels, their high injection efficiency and recombination resistance differentiated impact on the way of anchoring and the dihedral angle between D-A-D units and g-spacers. DSSCs sensitized with PSQS achieved a PCE of 8.15\% under simulated AM 1.5G illumination (100 mW cm(-2)), with the current density (j) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 19.73 mA cm(-2) and 630 mV, respectively. A clear comparison of the incident-photon-to-current conversion efficiency versus the light-harvesting efficiency correlates the structure-property relationship with J obtained for PSQ dyes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was carried out to examine the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface for further confirmation of the enhanced PCE of top-se-alkylated PSQS over that of other dyes.

}, keywords = {D-A-D-pi-A framework, dye-sensitized solar cell, H- and J-type aggregation, orientation of dyes, static/dynamic aggregates, unsymmetrical squaraine}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.7b08346}, author = {Punitharasu, Vellimalai and Kavungathodi, Munavvar Fairoos Mele and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {43797, title = {Intramolecular ipso-arylative cyclization of aryl-alkynoates and N-arylpropiolamides with aryldiazonium salts through merged gold/visible light photoredox catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9081-9084}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A visible-light-promoted merged gold/photoredox catalyzed ipsoarylative cyclization has been reported. For instance, the reaction of aryl-alkynoates and N-arylpropiolamides with aryldiazonium salts in the presence of catalytic amounts of [(4-OCH3)C6H4](3)PAuCl and Ru(bpy)(3)(PF6)(2) under irradiation using a 32WCFL bulb gave arylated spirocarbocycles in moderate to good yields.}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc04010e}, author = {Bansode, Avinash H. and Shaikh, Samir R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {43942, title = {Investigation into the taxonomy of {\textquotedblleft} B. aminovorans{\textquotedblright} and its reclassification to the genus Domibacillus as Domibacillus aminovorans sp. nov.}, journal = {Systematic and Applied Microbiology}, volume = {40 }, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {458-467}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The species "Bacillus aminovorans" was categorized as species Incertae Sedis meaning taxa with uncertain taxonomic position because of insufficient description of phenotypic properties and lack of understanding of its phylogenetic relationship (Claus and Berkeley [5]). In this study two strains "B. aminovorans" DSM 1314T and DSM 4337 were phenotypically and phylogenomically analyzed. The strains are Gram-staining-positive, spore forming rods and unable to utilize/ferment most of the sugars tested except glucose. The major fatty acids are anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C15:0. The major polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and an aminophosphoglycolipid. The cell wall peptidoglycan is of A1γ type with meso-Dpm as the diamino acid. The menaquinone type present is MK-6. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of the type strain is 40.8mol\%. These characteristics were found to be in line with description of the genus Domibacillus. Moreover phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence retrieved "B. aminovorans" within the genus Domibacillus with D. antri XD 80T as the closest relative. Additionally genome sequencing of the strains and their comparison with whole genome sequences of other Domibacillus spp. confirmed their distinctiveness and separate species status within the genus based on parameters of genome to genome distance calculator (GGDC) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values. Therefore a novel species Domibacillus aminovorans sp. nov. (DSM 1314T =LMG 16796T) is proposed.}, keywords = {16S rRNA, Domibacillus aminovorans, MALDI-TOF, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Bacillus aminovorans{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}}, issn = {0723-2020}, doi = {10.1016/j.syapm.2017.07.003}, author = {Verma, Ashish and Ojha, Anup Kumar and Pal, Yash and Kumari, Parveen and Schumann, Peter and Gruber-Vodicka, Harald and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Natarajan, Ramesh Kumar and Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan} } @article {43459, title = {Investigation of the biocompatibility and cytotoxicity associated with ROP initiator and its role in bulk polymerization of L-lactide}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {111}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {244-251}, abstract = {Poly (L-lactide) (PLLA) is one of the most attractive polymers for use in biomedical applications. In such applications it is necessary to reduce the use of toxic chemicals and catalysts used in PLLA synthesis, to minimize any adverse effects. In view of this, we have performed ring opening polymerization (ROP) of Llactide (LA) using biocompatible initiator, namely, Zinc L-Proline (ZnP) in bulk. High molecular weight PLLA (Mw up to 1.45 x 10(5) Da) was obtained using the ZnP complex. The ZnP complex is safe, easy to prepare, store and handle. H-1 and C-13 NMR spectra of PLLA were used to determine the extent of monomer conversion and stereo sequence respectively. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) were used to determine thermal properties, Mn, Mw and polydispersity index respectively. The mechanism of ROP of LA in the presence of ZnP was studied using Density Functional Theory (DFf) which was in good agreement with results from H-1 NMR and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). Biocompatibility/non toxicity of PLLA prepared using ZnP was studied in-vitro using MTT assay by examining the proliferation rate of mouse myoblast C2C12 cell line. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for the study of antibacterial activity of PLLA. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2017.01.058}, author = {Parwe, Sharad P. and Warkad, Shrikant D. and Mane, Manoj V. and Shedage, Pranita S. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article {43847, title = {Ionic strength-dependent changes in tentacular ion exchangers with variable ligand density. II. functional properties}, journal = {Journal of Chromatography A}, volume = {1506}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {55-64}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The effect of ligand density was studied on protein adsorption and transport behavior in tentacular cation-exchange sorbents at different ionic strengths. Results were obtained for lysozyme, lactoferrin and a monoclonal antibody (mAb) in order to examine the effects of protein size and charge. The combination of ligand density and ionic strength results in extensive variability of the static and dynamic binding capacities, transport rate and binding affinity of the proteins. Uptake and elution experiments were performed to quantify the transport behavior of selected proteins, specifically to estimate intraparticle protein diffusivities. The observed trend of decreasing uptake diffusivities with an increase in ligand density was correlated to structural properties of the ligand-density variants, particularly the accessible porosity. Increasing the ionic strength of the equilibration buffer led to enhanced mass transfer during uptake, independent of the transport model used, and specifically for larger proteins like lactoferrin and mAb, the most significant effects were evident in the sorbent of the highest ligand density. For lysozyme, higher ligand density leads to higher static and dynamic binding capacities whereas for lactoferrin and the mAb, the binding capacity is a complex function of accessible porosity due to ionic strength-dependent changes. Ligand density has a less pronounced effect on the elution rate, presumably due to ionic strength dependent changes in the pore architecture of the sorbents. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.chroma.2017.05.021}, author = {Shambure, Rahul and Angelo, James M. and Gillespie, Christopher M. and Phillips, Michael and Graalfs, Heiner and Lenhoff, Abraham M.} } @article {43660, title = {Isolation and characterization of 9-lipoxygenase and epoxide hydrolase 2 genes: insight into lactone biosynthesis in mango fruit (Mangifera indica L.)}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {138}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {65-75}, abstract = {Uniqueness and diversity of mango flavour across various cultivars are well known. Among various flavour metabolites lactones form an important class of aroma volatiles in certain mango varieties due to their ripening specific appearance and lower odour detection threshold. In spite of their biological and biochemical importance, lactone biosynthetic pathway in plants remains elusive. Present study encompasses quantitative real-time analysis of 9-lipoxygenase (Mi9LOX), epoxide hydrolase 2 (MiEH2), peroxygenase, hydroperoxide lyase and acyl-CoA-oxidase genes during various developmental and ripening stages in fruit of Alphonso, Paid and Kent cultivars with high, low and no lactone content and explains their variable lactone content. Study also covers isolation, recombinant protein characterization and transient over-expression of Mi9LOX and MiEH2 genes in mango fruits. Recombinant Mi9LOX utilized linoleic and linolenic acids, while MiEH2 utilized aromatic and fatty acid epoxides as their respective substrates depicting their role in fatty acid metabolism. Significant increase in concentration of delta-valerolactone and gamma-decalactone upon Mi9LOX over-expression and that of delta-valerolactone, gamma-hexalactone and delta-hexalactone upon MiEH2 over-expression further suggested probable involvement of these genes in lactone biosynthesis in mango. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2017.03.002}, author = {Deshpande, Ashish B. and Chidley, Hemangi G. and Oak, Pranjali S. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {44146, title = {Isomerizing hydroformylation of cashew nut shell liquid}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3997-4004}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A small library of bisphosphorus ligands was evaluated in the rhodium-catalyzed isomerizing hydroformylation (I-HF) of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). The rhodium complex of 1,2-bis((di-tert-butylphosphanyl)methyl)benzene (BDTBPMB; L4) outperformed the other bisphosphite and bisphosphine ligands and unveiled a moderate selectivity of 28\% and 50\% in the I-HF of CNSL monoene and methoxy-protected monoene, respectively. The resultant aldehyde 16-(3-methoxyphenyl)hexadecanal P1 was isolated and its identity was fully established. Application of bis-phosphine ligand L4 in the I-HF of highly challenging CNSL cardanol (S3) and methoxy-protected CNSL cardanol yielded a linear selectivity of 74\%, although with reduced conversion. To demonstrate the synthetic utility of our strategy, the obtained aldehyde (derived from S3) was subjected to hydrogenation and the resultant 3-(16-hydroxyhexadecyl) phenol (P8) was isolated in 89\% isolated yield. High-pressure NMR investigation revealed selective formation of a bis-equatorial BDTBPMB-rhodium complex, which might be responsible for the excellent linear selectivity.}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201700717}, author = {Pandey, Swechchha and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {45687, title = {Kinetics and thermodynamics of transpeptidation catalysed by Bacillus subtilis gamma glutamyl transferase}, journal = {Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics }, volume = {54 }, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {109-113}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Gamma glutamyl transferases (GGT) catalyse the removal (deglutamylation) of the terminal gamma-glutamate residue from compounds such as glutathione and poly-gamma-glutamic acid and its transfer either to a water molecule (hydrolysis) or to a peptide/amino acid (transpeptidation). We analysed the kinetics of Bacillus subtilis GGT (BsGGT) catalysed transpeptidation using gamma-glutamyl-(3-carboxyl)-4-nitroaniline as the gamma-glutamate-donor and glycylglycine (Gly-Gly) as the gamma-glutamate acceptor. Addition of Gly-Gly improved the affinity (Km) of the enzyme for gamma-glutamyl-(3-carboxyl)-4-nitroaniline by nearly 25 times with negligible impact on the rate of deglutamylation (V-max). The asymmetric changes in the kinetic parameters improved the specificity constant (K-cat/K-m.) by about 43 times. BsGGT catalysed transpeptidation was pronounced in conditions that are unfavorable for hydrolysis. Maximum transpeptidation occurred near neutral pH and when the concentration of the gamma-glutamate-donor substrate is lower. The effect of Gly-Gly on the kinetics of BsGGT is contrastingly different from that observed for eukaryotic GGTs. In the case of mammalian GGTs, the addition of Gly-Gly increases both Km and k(cat); and, the specificity constant (K-cat/K-m) remains unaltered}, author = {Balakrishna, Sharath and Prabhune, Asmita A.} } @article {43875, title = {Lewis acid catalyzed cascade annulation of alkynols with alpha-ketoesters: a facile access to gamma-spiroketal-gamma-lactones}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6641-6644}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A novel Lewis acid catalyzed intermolecular cascade annulation of alkynols with alpha-ketoesters has been developed. This simple and efficient cascade annulation proceeds through a 5-exo-dig cyclization of alkynols followed by annulation with alpha-ketoester to provide a wide variety of unsaturated gamma-spiroketal-gamma-lactones (1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]non-3-en-2-ones) related to many natural products.}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc03668j}, author = {Kambale, Digambar A. and Thorat, Sagar S. and Pratapure, Madhukar S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kontham, Ravindar} } @article {44120, title = {Ln(8) (Ln = Gd, Ho, Er, Yb) Butterfly core-exhibiting magnetocaloric effect and field-induced SMM behavior for Er analouge}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {11341-11345}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this article, we report four pyridyl-pyrazolyl based poly-nuclear cluster complexes with Ln(8) {Ln = [Gd-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](DMF)(2)(MeOH)(1), [Ho-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](2), [Er-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](DMF)(MeOH)(H2O)(3), [Yb-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](DMF)(MeOH)(4) [DEA = Diethanolamine] cores. The impetus for this study was to explore the magnetic behaviour of lanthanide ions which are often ignored or overlooked. X-ray crystal analysis show that these complexes are isostructural and exhibit an interesting butterfly like topology. The semi-rigidity and asymmetric nature of the ligand led to different coordination environment around the metal centres. The lanthanide ions adopt two types of geometry, a bicapped trigonal prism and a distorted square antiprismatic geometry around the metal center. Such dissimilar coordination environments around the lanthanide centre can have profound effects on their magnetic behaviour. Indeed, the magnetic measurements revealed significant magnetocaloric effect for octanuclear gadolinium complex 1 with magnetic entropy change (-Delta S-m ) of 31.4 J kg(-1) K-1 for Delta H = 9 T at T = 3 K whereas Er analogue complex 3 displayed SMM behavior.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701905}, author = {Bala, Sukhen and Adhikary, Amit and Bhattacharya, Sudeshna and Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Poddar, Pankaj and Mondal, Raju} } @article {43823, title = {Low-dimensional hybrid perovskites as high performance anodes for alkali-ion batteries}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {18634-18642}, abstract = {

State-of-the-art Li (or Na) ion batteries work by insertion/extraction of the alkali metal ions into a porous electrode material, where the overall capacity is strongly dependent on the accessibility of the host material interior to the ions. On the other hand, the performance stability depends on various factors governed by the specific constitution of the electrode. Here we show that molecularly engineered low-dimensional hybrid perovskites can work as excellent anode materials for alkali-ion batteries. We measure a high reversible capacity of 646 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) with good stability tested up to 250 cycles for the benzidine mediated lead iodide based 1D system. An ex situ analysis of the electrodes reveals that the storage primarily occurs via the Li-x(or Na-x)Pb alloying/de-alloying process. We anticipate that these results open a new direction for the use of low-dimensional hybrid perovskites for energy storage applications.

}, keywords = {Generation, Inorganic-Organic Hybrid, Lead Iodide, lithiation-intramolecular electrophilic reaction, Na-Air Battery, Negative Electrodes, Organometal Halide perovskites, PB, Sequential Deposition, Solar-cells}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c7ta04529h}, author = {Tathavadekar, Mukta and Krishnamurthy, Shrreya and Banerjee, Aparna and Nagane, Satyawan and Gawli, Yogesh and Suryawanshi, Anil and Bhat, Suresh and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Mohite, Aditya D. and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {43969, title = {Magnetic studies of SiO2 coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {441}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = { 683-690}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Oleic acid capped CoFe2O4 nanoparticles which exhibit a high coercivity of \~{}9.47 kOe at room temperature were coated with a robust coating of SiO2. We have used chemical synthesis method to obtain SiO2 coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with different weight percentages of CoFe2O4 in SiO2 (1.5, 3.1 and 4.8 wt.\%). The morphological investigation of the coated nanoparticles by transmission electron microscopy shows that the particles are spherical with average size \~{}160 nm. Infrared spectroscopy reveals that oleic acid capping on the surface of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles is retained after silica coating process. The complete coating of SiO2 on CoFe2O4 nanoparticles is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as there is no signature of cobalt or iron ions on the surface. Magnetic measurements show that coercivity of SiO2 coated CoFe2O4 particles remains more or less unaffected as in CoFe2O4 nanoparticles at room temperature. In addition, the temperature dependent magnetic measurements show that at 5 K the CoFe2O4 and SiO2 coated 1.5 wt.\% CoFe2O4 samples exhibit a very high value of coercivity (\~{}20 kOe) which is more than twice as compared to room temperature coercivity value (\~{}9.47 kOe). We conclude that silica coating in our study does not significantly affect the coercivity of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles.}, keywords = {Coatings, coercive force, High Resolution Transmission Elctron Microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, Magnetic materials}, doi = { 10.1016/j.jmmm.2017.06.061}, author = {Limaye, M.V.}, editor = {Singh, S.B.} } @article {45694, title = {Mechanistic investigation of the carbon-iodine bond activation on the niobium-carbon cluster}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2 }, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5335-5347}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The activation process of carbon-iodine (C-I) bond on neutral and cationic niobium metcars (Nb8C12) is investigated using density functional theory and related computational techniques. Metallocarbohedrenes or metcars are a class of stable metal-carbide clusters of specific stoichiometry and of great interest to cluster chemists since their first discovery. The detailed reaction mechanism along with the overall energy profile of the C-I dissociation reaction on niobium metcar and its cations is presented in this paper. The tunneling-corrected rate constants and their related reaction parameters such as the pre-exponential factor are also included alongside. The major differences between the reaction mechanism of the neutral and cationic metcars are also highlighted as well. Despite the available experimental results, the C-I bond dissociation on metcars has remained an unexplored problem in the theoretical and computational domains. Thus, the present investigation can fill in the gap and may also provide new insights provoking further developments in cluster and materials chemistry in future.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b00894}, author = {Sengupta, Turbasu and Khan, Muntazir S. and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45740, title = {Mechanochemical synthesis of N-salicylideneaniline: thermosalient effect of polymorphic crystals}, journal = {IUCRJ}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {243-250}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polymorphs of the dichloro derivative of N-salicylideneaniline exhibit mechanical responses such as jumping (Forms I and III) and exploding (Form II) in its three polymorphs. The molecules are connected via the amide N-H center dot center dot center dot O dimer synthon and C-Cl center dot center dot center dot O halogen bond in the three crystal structures. A fourth high-temperature Form IV was confirmed by variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 180 degrees C. The behaviour of jumping exhibited by the polymorphic crystals of Forms I and III is due to the layered sheet morphology and the transmission of thermal stress in a single direction, compared with the corrugated sheet structure of Form II such that heat dissipation is more isotropic causing blasting. The role of weak C-Cl center dot center dot center dot O interactions in the thermal response of molecular crystals is discussed.

}, keywords = {crystal design, crystal engineering, Halogen bonding, hydrogen bonding, intermolecular interactions, materials science, mechanochemistry, polymorphism}, issn = {2052-2525}, doi = {10.1107/S2052252517004043}, author = {Mittapalli, Sudhir and Perumalla, D. Sravanakumar and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {43356, title = {Micelles versus Ribbons: how congeners drive the self-assembly of acidic sophorolipid biosurfactants}, journal = {ChemPhysChem}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {643-652}, type = {Journal }, abstract = {

Sophorolipids (SLs), a class of microbially derived biosurfactants, are reported by different research groups to have different self-assembled structures (either micelles or giant ribbons) under the same conditions. Here we explore the reasons behind these contradictory results and attribute these differences to the role of specific congeners that are present in minute quantities. We show that a sample composed of a majority of oleic acid (C18:1) sophorolipid in the presence of only 0.5 \% (or more) of congeners with stearic acid (C18:0) or linoleic acid (C18:2) results in the formation of micelles that are stable over long periods of time. Conversely, the presence of only 10 to 15 \% of congeners with a stearic acid chain gives fibrillar structures instead of micelles. To study the mechanisms responsible, oleic acid SLs devoid of any other congeners were prepared. Very interestingly, this sample can self-assemble into either micelles or fibers depending on minute modifications to the self-assembly conditions. The findings are supported by light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy under cryogenic conditions, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and NMR spectroscopy.

}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.201601323}, author = {Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Griel, Patrick Le and Roelants, Sophie and Redant, Emile and Bogaert, Inge N. A. Van and Prevost, Sylvain Francois and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Baccile, Niki} } @article {43911, title = {Microwave assisted batch and continuous flow synthesis of palladium supported on magnetic nickel nanocrystals and their evaluation as reusable catalyst}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5163{\textendash}5169}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Palladium nanocrystals (NCs) supported on nickel NCs (Pd/Ni) were synthesized in a continuous flow manner by the microwave-assisted method in the presence and absence of oleylamine. Parameters optimized for batch experiments were considered while performing continuous flow synthesis. The Pd/Ni NCs synthesized in the presence of oleylamine displayed good catalytic activity for hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds, and those bearing alkene, and alkyne moieties. The ferromagnetic character of the supporting nickel NCs allowed the recovery of the catalyst and these recovered catalysts could be reused several times.}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.7b00639}, author = {Nikam, Arun V. and Kulkarni, Amol A. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {43794, title = {Microwave-assisted synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles via [3+2] cycloaddition over a heterogeneous Cu-based catalyst: application to the preparation of N-13-labelled tetrazoles}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8084-8091}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The [3+2] cycloaddition between various nitriles and sodium azide proceeds smoothly in the presence of a new Cu-II catalyst in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) to give the corresponding 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles. The desired tetrazoles were obtained in high yields within 3-30 min by employing controlled microwave heating. The reaction most probably proceeds through the activation of the nitrile groups by the Cu-II species, followed by a successive [3+2] cycloaddition with the sodium azide. The good performance of the catalyst enabled the preparation of selected tetrazoles labelled with the positron emitter nitrogen-13 even under conventional heating. The short reaction time, simple work-up procedure, and recyclability of the catalyst are advantages of the method reported here.}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj00568g}, author = {Joshi, Sameer M. and Mane, Rasika B. and Pulagam, Krishna R. and Gomez-Vallejo, Vanessa and Llop, Jordi and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {43468, title = {Modeling G-L-L-S reactor: a case of hydrogenation of nitrobenzene}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1404-1415}, abstract = {Gas-liquid liquid solid (GLLS) reaction systems are often encountered in manufacturing of fine and specialty chemicals. More often than not, such reaction systems involve multiple reactions, and selectivity toward the desired component always poses challenges. An adequate understanding of various parameters affecting GLLS reactor performance is essential to develop strategies for realizing desired selectivity. In this work, a comprehensive reaction engineering model for simulating four phase hydrogenation reactions has been developed. A generalized mixing cell based framework for a reaction system with four interacting phases (gas [G], aqueous [L], organic [L], and solid catalyst [S]) was developed. The model is written in a general way so as to specify one of the liquid phases as a continuous phase, and the other three phases are dispersed into it. In each cell, vapor space is included. The model includes the possibility of evaporation of solvent and internal condensation (in vapor space). The model can also be applied for a dead end (from a perspective of reacting gas) reactor. Model equations were solved using MATLAB. The equations and solution methodology were verified by comparing numerical solutions with available solutions of various limiting cases. A case of four phase hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to para amino phenol and aniline was considered to illustrate the application of the developed model. Key findings from the model were validated by comparing with laboratory scale experimental data. The model was then used to develop insights and guidelines for enhancing selectivity toward desired product. The developed model and presented results will be useful to develop general guidelines for design and optimization of GLLS reactors.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.6b03744}, author = {Sharma, Deepankar V. and Patwardhan, Ashwin W. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {45748, title = {Molecular features of bile salt hydrolases and relevance in human health}, journal = {Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects}, volume = {1861}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2981-2991}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Background: Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) enzyme is responsible for the de-conjugation of bile salts by commensal bacteria, thus playing a vital role in their colonization and survival in the mammalian intestine and determination of their probiotic potential. Further, bile deconjugation also leads to lowering of cholesterol and alterations in energy homeostasis, thus making BSH a clinically important enzyme. Scope of the review: Many recent observations have indicated that BSH may be involved in a multifaceted array of roles, directly or indirectly in the host and microbial physiology. BSH paralogues have now been found to occur in different microbes including free-living and pathogenic bacteria and Archaea. BSHs from various sources also show differential activity and substrate spectrum. Certain bacteria are known to possess multiple genes for BSH enzymes. BSHs have been reported to influence different metabolic phenomena, including bacterial pathogenesis and the maintenance of lipid and glucose homeostasis in the host. These observations necessitate an intense study into the biochemical, structural and regulatory features of BSH enzymes to better understand their role in regulating bacterial and host metabolism. Major conclusions: In this review, the available information on the characteristics of BSH enzymes have been organized in order to understand their interactions with a wide range of substrates and their myriad physiological roles, from bile resistance to signalling mechanisms. General significance: A detailed exploration of BSH architecture and regulation could provide insights into its evolution and a deeper appreciation of the multiple functions of this enzyme relevant to healthcare.}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.09.024}, author = {Chand, D. and Avinash, V. S. and Yadav, Y. and Pundle, A. V. and Suresh, C. G. and Ramasamy, S.} } @article {45664, title = {Molecular level control of the capacitance of two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks: role of hydrogen bonding in energy storage materials}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {29}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2074-2080}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Two-dimensional redox-active covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are ideal materials for energy storage applications due to their high surface area, extended pi conjugated structure, tunable pore size, and adjustable functionalities. Herein, we report the synthesis and super capacitor application of two redox active COFs [TpPa-(OH)(2) and TpBD-(OH)(2)] along with the role of their redox active functional groups for the enrichment of specific capacitance. Of these COFs, TpPa-(OH)2 exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 416 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1) current density in three electrode configuration while the highest specific capacitance was 214 F g(-1) at 0.2 A g(-1) current density in two electrode configuration. Superior specific capacitance was due to emergence of excellent pseudocapacitance by virtue of precise molecular level control over redox functionalities present in the COF backbone. This COF also demonstrated 66\% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles along with 43\% accessibility of the redox-active hydroquinone (H2Q) moieties in three electrode configuration while the capacitance retention was 88\% after 10 000 cycles in two electrode configuration. Exceptionally high specific capacitance of TpPa-(OH)(2) was due to the reversible proton-coupled electron transfer (2H(+)/2(e-)) of hydroquinone/benzoquinone (H(2)Q/Q) moieties wherein H(2)Q and Qhad comparable chemical stabilities during redox cycling that originated from H-bonding, which was supported by calculated structures.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b04178}, author = {Chandra, S. and Chowdhury, D.R and Addicoat, M. and Heine, T. and Paul, A. and Banerjee, R.} } @inbook {45782, title = {Molecular tools for controlling nanoparticle size/morphologies}, booktitle = {Molecular materials: preparation, characterization, and applications}, year = {2017}, pages = {189-212}, publisher = {CRC Press}, organization = {CRC Press}, chapter = {Molecular tools for controlling nanoparticle size/morphologies}, abstract = {The preparation of nanoparticles (especially those of noble metals) predates the coinage of the term nano itself by several centuries. The earliest example of the preparation of nanoparticles has been linked to Roman artisans who created colored glass by probably mixing gold chloride and other salts of noble metals while making glass. Many artistic marvels such as the Lycurgus cup and the glass panels in many European cathedrals were created by this simple procedure. Furthermore, many believe that medicinal preparation such as {\textquotedblleft}aurum potabile{\textquotedblright} and formulations injected for treating rheumatic arthritis were made of colloidal gold. Several people such as the fourteenth-century Bolognese painters, the alchemists Paracelsus, Andreus Cassius, and Johannes Kunckel are all believed to have made the colloidal form of gold, which is the most studied form among the metallic nanoparticles. However, none of these methods of preparations or people were really interested to see in what form the metals existed in composite/solution or whether these existed 190as small ({\textquotedblleft}nano{\textquotedblright}) particles. Actually, it was Michael Faraday who first conjectured that the ruby red color imparted to the glass/ceramics could be due to the reduction of gold salts to metallic state. 1 He in fact prepared a {\textquotedblleft}sol{\textquotedblright} of gold by reacting a gold chloride solution with red phosphorous, thus causing the reduction of gold (III) ions to metallic gold. He was also the first person who inferred that the color imparted to the glass/ceramics could be due to the existence of gold in a {\textquotedblleft}finely divided metallic state.{\textquotedblright} Several systematic studies by Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, Theodor Svedberg, and Gustav Mie 2-5 on gold nanoparticles followed. However, the preparations in all these studies have been mainly curiosity driven and practical applications, if any, have been rather limited. One of the causes for this limitation could be related to the difficult preparative procedures. This major hurdle has been crossed thanks to the pioneering works first by Turkevich et al. 6 and later by Frens 7, 8 that provided the first major breakthrough as far as the simplification of gold colloid preparation was concerned. Procedures developed by these people were also the first ones where an organic molecule, trisodium citrate, was used for nanoparticle synthesis}, isbn = {978-148224595-0}, issn = {978-148224596-7}, doi = {10.1201/9781315118697}, author = {Sahu, P. and Shimpi, J. and Prasad, B.L.V.} } @article {43941, title = {Multilocus sequence typing of Ochrobactrum spp. isolated from gastric niche}, journal = {Journal of Infection and Public Health }, volume = {10}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR-APR}, pages = {201-210}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The human stomach is colonized by diverse bacterial species. The presence of non-Helicobacter pylori bacteria in urease-positive biopsies of individuals has been reported. Bacteria belonging to the Ochrobactrum genus have been documented in the human gastric niche. The co-occurrence of Ochrobactrum spp. with H. pylori was previously reported in an antral biopsy of a non-ulcer dyspeptic (NUD) subject from Northern India. There is no information on the genetic diversity of Ochrobactrum spp. isolated from the gastric niche in the stomach. We aimed to study the species distribution and diversity of Ochrobactrum spp. with and without H. pylori in urease-positive biopsies across three different geographical regions in India. Sixty-two Ochrobactrum isolates recovered from patients with an upper gastric disorder (n=218) were subjected to molecular identification and multilocus sequence typing. H. pylori DNA was found in the majority of biopsies, which had a variable degree of Ochrobactrum spp present. Interestingly, some of the urease-positive biopsies only had Ochrobactrum without any H. pylori DNA. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the Ochrobactrum isolates were distributed into the O. intermedium, O. anthropi and O. oryzae groups. This indicates there are multiple species in the gastric niche irrespective of the presence or absence of H. pylori. Antibiotyping based on colistin and polymyxin B could differentiate between O. intermedium and O. anthropi without revealing the resistance-driven diversity. Considering the prevalence of multiple Ochrobactrum spp. in the human gastric niche, it is important to evaluate the commensal and/or pathogenic nature of non-H. pylori bacteria with respect to their geographical distribution, lifestyle and nutrition needs.}, keywords = {Helicobater Pyroli, MLST, Non-Ulcer Dyspepsia, Ochrobactrum}, doi = {10.1016/j.jiph.2016.04.013}, author = {Kulkarni, Girish}, editor = {Gohil, Kushal} } @article {43352, title = {N - heterocyclic - carbene - catalyzed umpolung of imines}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2730 - 2734}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis has been widely used for the umpolung of aldehydes, and recently for the umpolung of Michael acceptors. Described herein is the umpolung of aldimines catalyzed by NHCs, and the reaction likely proceeds via aza-Breslow intermediates. The NHC-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of aldimines bearing a Michael acceptor resulted in the formation of biologically important 2-(hetero)aryl indole 3-acetic-acid derivatives in moderate to good yields. The carbene generated from the bicyclic triazolium salt was found to be efficient for this transformation.

}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201611268}, author = {Patra, Atanu and Mukherjee, Subrata and Das, Tamal Kanti and Jain, Shailja and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {44030, title = {Nano-heteroarchitectures of two-dimensional MoS 2 @ one-dimensional brookite TiO 2 nanorods: prominent electron emitters for displays}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2925-2934}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report comparative field electron emission (FE) studies on a large-area array of two-dimensional MoS2-coated @ one-dimensional (1D) brookite (β) TiO2 nanorods synthesized on Si substrate utilizing hot-filament metal vapor deposition technique and pulsed laser deposition method, independently. The 10 nm wide and 760 nm long 1D β-TiO2 nanorods were coated with MoS2 layers of thickness \~{}4 ({\textpm}2), 20 ({\textpm}3), and 40 ({\textpm}3) nm. The turn-on field (Eon) of 2.5 V/μm required to a draw current density of 10 μA/cm{\texttwosuperior} observed for MoS2-coated 1D β-TiO2 nanorods emitters is significantly lower than that of doped/undoped 1D TiO2 nanostructures, pristine MoS2 sheets, MoS2@SnO2, and TiO2@MoS2 heterostructure-based field emitters. The orthodoxy test confirms the viability of the field emission measurements, specifically field enhancement factor (βFE) of the MoS2@TiO2/Si emitters. The enhanced FE behavior of the MoS2@TiO2/Si emitter can be attributed to the modulation of the electronic properties due to heterostructure and interface effects, in addition to the high aspect ratio of the vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods. Furthermore, these MoS2@TiO2/Si emitters exhibit better emission stability. The results obtained herein suggest that the heteroarchitecture of MoS2@β-TiO2 nanorods holds the potential for their applications in FE-based nanoelectronic devices such as displays and electron sources. Moreover, the strategy employed here to enhance the FE behavior via rational design of heteroarchitecture structure can be further extended to improve other functionalities of various nanomaterials.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b00345}, author = {Devan, Rupesh S. and Thakare, Vishal P. and Antad, Vivek V. and Chikate, Parameshwar R. and Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra and Dhayal, Rajendra S. and Patil, Shankar I. and Ma, Yuan-Ron and Schmidt-Mende, Lukas} } @article {43718, title = {Nanoparticle assembly: a perspective and some unanswered questions}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {112}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1635-1641}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In early 2016, the Royal Society of Chemistry arranged a meeting on the topic {\textquoteright}Nanoparticle Assemblies: from Fundamentals to Applications{\textquoteright} which was hosted at IIT-Bombay, Mumbai. The meeting brought several leading nanoscience and nanotechnology researchers to India and is only the second Faraday Discussions meeting to have been held in the country. The papers presented at the meeting and the resulting active discussions have been summarized in a Faraday Discussion issue(1). The broad range of topics discussed at the meeting led to an understanding on where we stand in the field of nanoparticle assembly, and also enunciated some of the outstanding fundamental and practical issues that remain to be resolved before these ideas can be applied to practical situations. Driven by these ideas, here we focus on four topics/questions: (i) Can we achieve function-driven design of nanoparticle assemblies? (ii) What is the minimal information needed to build a desired assembly? (iii) How complex a structure can one build? How can one make it responsive? What are the relative roles of equilibrium versus dynamics in the assembly process, and are we at a point where we can now pursue active assembly as a viable mode for creating complex assemblies? (iv) What are the applications that are being targeted and what are the barriers to implementation? In this perspective, we do not present an exhaustive survey of the vast literature in this area, but indicate overarching themes/questions that require immediate attention, largely based on the discussions at the Mumbai meeting.}, author = {Kumar, Sanat K. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Bandyopadhyaya, Rajdip and Granick, Steve and Gang, Oleg and Manoharan, Vinothan N. and Frenkel, Daan and Kotov, Nicholas A.} } @article {43397, title = {New insights into the use of multi-mode phenomenological constitutive equations to model extrusion film casting process}, journal = {Journal of Plastic Film \& Sheeting}, volume = {33}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {35-71}, abstract = {This article is concerned with the effect of the individual viscoelastic relaxation modes of a polymer melt on its behavior in polymer melt extrusion film casting process. We compare the predicted versus experimentally obtained film necking or neck-in profile as a function of draw ratio. The predicted necking profile was obtained using well-established one-dimensional isothermal flow kinematics and consisted of using two different phenomenological constitutive equations, upper convected Maxwell and Phan-Thien-Tanner, with a discrete spectrum of relaxation times. The numerical simulations, containing the two different phenomenological constitutive equations, provided an insight into the effect of the slow and the fast relaxing modes on the stresses, strains, and strain/extensional rates that develop in the molten polymer film as it is stretched from the die exit to the chill-roll. The slow relaxing modes follow trends that are directly proportional to strain (similar to Hookean solids), whereas the fast relaxing modes follow trends that are directly proportional to the stretch rate (in accordance with Newton{\textquoteright}s law of viscosity). Comparing the numerical predictions with the experiments showed that predictions using the upper convected Maxwell constitutive equation best described the long-chain branched polymers (like low-density polyethylene, which shows extensional strain hardening) in the extrusion film casting process. On the other hand, predictions using the Phan-Thien-Tanner constitutive equation best described the linear polymers (like linear low-density polyethylene, which does not show noticeable extensional strain hardening) in the extrusion film casting process.}, doi = {10.1177/8756087915627843}, author = {Thete, Sumeet S. and Doshi, Pankaj and Pol, Harshawardhan V.} } @article {45692, title = {Nickel-catalyzed C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H oxidative coupling of indoles with toluene derivatives}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4202-4208}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Nickel-catalyzed oxidative C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H coupling of indoles with toluene derivatives is successfully achieved in the presence of 2-iodobutane as the oxidant. This method allows the selective C-2 benzylation of indoles with toluene derivatives over the alkylation with 2-iodobutane and permits the coupling of diversified indoles via the monochelation assistance. The reaction proceeded through a single-electron-transfer (SET) process, wherein both the C-H nickelation of indole and the C-H activation of toluene derivatives have a significant effect on the entire reaction rate. The synthetic utility of this nickel-catalyzed protocol is demonstrated by the facile removal of the directing group and by the convenient synthesis of the melatonin receptor antagonist Luzindole derivatives.}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.7b01044}, author = {Soni, V. and Khake, S. M. and Punji, B.} } @article {44403, title = {Nickel-catalyzed direct synthesis of dialkoxymethane ethers}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1153-1159}, abstract = {A simple and efficient method for the preparation of dialkoxymethane ethers (oxymethylene ethers) from alcohols and paraformaldehyde in the presence of commercially available nickel(II) salt is described. The reaction proceeds readily under neutral, solvent-free conditions using paraformaldehyde as a C-1 source. The present strategy has a broad substrate scope including aliphatic (both primary and secondary) and aromatic alcohols and provides a benign method for the preparation of symmetrical dialkoxymethanes in good yields (up to 89\%).}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1339-6}, author = {Subaramanian, Murugan and Bera, Abhijit and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {43947, title = {NIR light-triggered shrinkable thermoresponsive PNVCL nanoshells for cancer theranostics}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {44026-44034}, type = {Article}, abstract = {For the localized treatment of a tumor in a more controlled fashion, several stimuli-responsive nanocarriers and minimally or non-invasive techniques like photothermal therapy (PTT) have emerged. However, PTT is limited to only treatment of small and superficial tumors due to the inability of NIR light to penetrate more and kill the core cells of large and deep-seated tumors. As a preliminary step towards addressing the problem, NIR light-triggered thermoresponsive theranostic nanoshell consisting of chitosan-grafted poly(N-vinyl caprolactam) as core and biocompatible gold as shell (Au PNVCL NS) are synthesized and well characterized by various techniques. PNVCL is polymerized from N-vinyl caprolactam using free radical polymerization method, and chitosan is grafted to raise its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) to hyperthermic temperature (\~{}43 {\textdegree}C). Surface plasmon resonant gold shell over PNVCL NPs core is assembled by ascorbic acid-driven in situ reduction. Core to shell diameter ratio is controlled to tune the peak in NIR region (750 nm). Therapeutic potential of Au PNVCL NS is determined over breast cancer cells MCF-7, while diagnostic potential is compared with the commercial contrast agent-Omnipaque.}, doi = {10.1039/C7RA07485A}, author = {Chauhan, Deepak S. and Singaravelu, Indulekha and Gottipalli, Rupesh and Reddy, B. Pradeep K. and Chikate, Tanmayee and Gupta, Ramkrishn and Jahagirdar, Dushyant N. and Prasad, Rajendra and De, Abhijit and Srivastava, Rohit} } @article {43800, title = {Norepinephrine alkaloids as antiplasmodial agents: Synthesis of syncarpamide and insight into the structure-activity relationships of its analogues as antiplasmodial agents}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {138}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1089-1105}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Syncarpamide 1, a norepinephrine alkaloid isolated from the leaves of Zanthoxylum syncarpum (Rutaceae) exhibited promising antiplasmodial activities against Plasmodium falciparum with reported IC50 values of 2.04 mu M (D6 clone), 3.06 mu M (W2 clone) and observed by us 3.90 mu M (3D7 clone) and 2.56 mu M (K1 clone). In continuation of our work on naturally occurring antimalarial compounds, synthesis of syncarpamide 1 and its enantiomer, (R)-2 using Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation as a key step has been accomplished. In order to study structure-activity-relationship (SAR) in detail, a library of 55 compounds (3-57), which are analogues/homologues of syncarpamide 1 were synthesized by varying the substituents on the aromatic ring, by changing the stereocentre at the C-7 and/or by varying the acid groups in the ester and/or amide side chain based on the natural product lead molecule and further assayed in vitro against 3D7 and K1 strains of P. falciparum to evaluate their antiplasmodial activities. In order to study the effect of position of functional groups on antiplasmodial activity profile, a regioisomer (S)-58 of syncarpamide 1 was synthesized however, it turned out to be inactive against both the strains. Two compounds, (S)-41 and its enantiomer, (R)-42 having 3,4,5-trimethoxy cinnamoyl groups as side chains showed better antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values of 3.16, 2.28 mu M (3D7) and 1.78, 2.07 mu M (I(1), respectively than the natural product, syncarpamide 1. Three compounds (S)-13, (S)-17, (S)-21 exhibited antiplasmodial activities with IC50 values of 6.39, 6.82, 6.41 mu M against 3D7 strain, 4.27, 7.26, 2.71 mu M against K1 strain and with CC50 values of 147.72, 153.0, \>200 mu M respectively. The in vitro antiplasmodial activity data of synthesized library suggests that the electron density and possibility of resonance in both the ester and amide side chains increases the antiplasmodial activity as compared to the parent natural product 1: The natural product syncarpamide 1 and four analogues/homologues out of the synthesized library of 55, (S)-41, (R)-42, (S)-55 and (S)-57 were assayed in vivo assay against chioroquine-resistant P. yoelii (N-67) strain of Plasmodium. However, none of the five molecules, 1, (S)-41, (R)-42, (S)-55 and (S)-57 exhibited any promising in vivo antimalarial activity against P. yoelii (N-67) strain. Compounds 4, 6, 7 and 11 showed high cytotoxicities with CC50 values of 5.87, 5.08, 6.44 and 14.04 mu M, respectively. Compound 6 was found to be the most cytotoxic as compared to the standard drug, podophyllotoxin whereas compounds 4 and 7 showed comparable cytotoxicities to podophyllotoxin. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0223-5234}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.07.052}, author = {Aratikatla, Eswar K. and Valkute, Tushar R. and Puri, Sunil K. and Srivastava, Kumkum and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {44042, title = {Nutty carbon: morphology replicating hard carbon from walnut shell for na ion battery anode}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, chapter = {3601{\textendash}3609}, abstract = {
Abstract Image

Efficient Na ion intercalation/deintercalation in the semigraphitic lattice of a hard carbon derived from the walnut shell is demonstrated. High-temperature (1000 {\textdegree}C) pyrolysis of walnut shells under an inert atmosphere yields a hard carbon with a low surface area (59 m2\ g{\textendash}1) and a large interplanar\ c\ axis separation of 0.39{\textendash}0.36 nm as compared to 0.32 nm for graphite, suitable for Na ion intercalation/deintercalation. A stable reversible capacity of 257 mAh g{\textendash}1\ is observed at a current density of 50 mA g{\textendash}1\ for such nutshell-derived carbon (NDC) with an impressive rate performance. No loss of electrochemical performance is observed for high current cycling (100 mA g{\textendash}1\ {\textrightarrow} 2 A g{\textendash}1\ {\textrightarrow} 100 mA g{\textendash}1). Additionally, the NDC shows remarkably stable electrochemical performance up to 300 charge{\textendash}discharge cycles at 100 mA g{\textendash}1\ with a minimal drop in capacity.

}, keywords = {Batteries, Biological and Medicinal chemistry, Biological materials, diffraction, Electric Properties, Electrode-electrolyte interface, spectra, Surface structure, Thermal properties}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b00633}, author = {Wahid, M. and Gawli, Y. and Puthusseri, D. and Kumar, A. and Shelke, M. V. and Ogale, S.} } @conference {45797, title = {OFET based H2S gas sensing among reducing and mining gases using green synthesis SnO2}, booktitle = {2016 3rd International Conference on Emerging Electronics, ICEE 2016}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, publisher = {IEEE}, organization = {IEEE}, address = {Mumbai, India}, abstract = {In this paper we present detection of H2S gas using an organic field effect transistor (OFET) based sensor. A low-cost green synthesis process for SnO2 nanoparticles and bi-layer approach for device fabrication have been adopted to come up with the sensor. With the help of multiparameteric analysis, selectivity towards H2S gas was proved among other reducing and mining gases. }, doi = {10.1109/ICEmElec.2016.8074608}, author = {Surya, S. G. and Roy, S. and Ganne, B. S. P. and Pasam, D. and Sastry, A. B. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {43938, title = {Optimization for the production of mycelial biomass from Benjaminiella poitrasii to isolate highly deacetylated chitosan}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Materials}, volume = {34}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {145-156}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Benjaminiella poitrasii, a dimorphic zygomycetous fungus contains more chitosan in the mycelial cell wall than the cell wall of its yeast form. The optimized medium containing yeast extract, peptone, MgSO4, KH2PO4, trace metals (Fe2+, Mn2+ Zn2+ and Co2+ ) solution and 1\% starch produced 10-12 g/L(dry wt.) of mycelial biomass in 48 h in a 2L fermenter. Using 1N NaOH treatment from 1 g of dried biomass 51.00 {\textpm} 0.52 mg of chitosan of 42.82 KDa molecular weight and 94.24 \% degree of deacetylation was extracted. With Metarhizium anisopliae chitin deacetylase (CDA), chitosan yield was 59.00 {\textpm} 0.84 mg while treatment with CDA of B. poitrasii it was 78.05 {\textpm} 0.58 mg/g of dry wt. of biomass. The chitosan dissolved in 2\% acetic acid showed higher antifungal activity against Candida albicans (MIC90 0.025 mg/mL) and Candida glabrata (MIC90 0.2 mg/mL) than chitosan extracted from marine source (MIC90 \>1.6 mg/mL) suggesting use of fungal chitosan in healthcare.

}, author = {Mane, S. R. and Pathan, Ejaj K. and Kale, D. and Ghormade, Vandana and Gadre, Ramchandra V. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil Ramanpillai and Badiger, Manohar V. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article {45749, title = {Optimizing culture conditions for establishment of hairy root culture of semecarpus anacardium L.}, journal = {3 Biotech}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {APR }, pages = {21}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Semecarpus anacardium L. is a tree species which produces secondary metabolites of medicinal importance. Roots of the plant have been traditionally used in folk medicines. Different strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (A4, ATCC15834 and LBA 9402) were used for induction of hairy roots in in vitro grown tissues of the plant. Hairy root initiation was observed after 25-30 days of infection. Optimum transformation frequency of 61\% was achieved on leaf explants with ATCC15834 strain. Infection time of 30 min resulted in greater transformation frequency compared to 10 and 20 min, respectively. The hairy roots cultured in growth regulator-free semi-solid woody plant medium differentiated into callus. Whole shoots infected with ATCC 15834 were found to produce more transformants upon co-cultivation for 4 (65\%) and 5 (67\%) days. Induction of hairy roots in stem explants infected with ATCC 15834 was lower (52\%) compared to leaves (62\%) after 4 days of co-cultivation. In A4 and LBA9402 strains transformation efficiency was 49 +/- 2.8\% and 36 +/- 5.7\% in shoots after 4 days of co-cultivation. Transformation frequency was higher in ATCC15834 strain, irrespective of explants. The hairy roots of S. anacardium elongated slowly upon transfer to half-strength liquid medium. After 3-4 passages in liquid medium slender hairy roots started differentiating which were separated from the original explants. Visible growth of the roots was observed in hormone-free liquid medium after 2-3 months of culturing. Polymerase chain reaction with gene-specific primers from rol A, B and C genes confirms the positive transformation events.

}, keywords = {Hairy root culture, In vitro culture, rol genes, Semecarpus anacardium, Transformation}, issn = {2190-572X}, doi = {10.1007/s13205-017-0608-x}, author = {Panda, Bhuban Mohan and Mehta, Urmil J. and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article {44159, title = {Orthogonally functionalized donor/acceptor homo- and heterodimeric dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: an approach to introduce panchromaticity and control the charge recombination}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {34875-34890}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Organic dyes possessing conjugated pi-framework forms closely packed monolayers on photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), because of the limitation to control the orientation and the extend of intermolecular pi-pi interaction, self-aggregation of dyes leads to reduced cell performance. In this report, a series of homodimeric (D-1-D-1, and D-2,-D-2) and heterodimeric (D-1-D-2 and D-2-D-4) donor/acceptor (D/A) dyes containing spiroBiProDOT pi-spacer were designed and synthesized by utilizing Pd-catalyzed direct arylation reaction and correlates the device performance with monomeric dyes (D-1 and D-2). Both the thiophenes (pi-spacer) of spiroBiProDOT were functionalized with same or different donor groups which led to homodimeric and heterodimeric chromophores in a single sensitizer. The homodimeric spirodye D-1-D-1 showed higher power conversion efficiency (PCE), of 7.6\% with a V-oc and J(sc) of 0.672 V and 16.16 mA/cm(2), respectively. On the other hand, the monomeric D-1 exhibited a PCE of 3.2\% (V-oc of 0.64 V and J(sc) of 7.2 mA/cm(2)); which is lower by 2.4 fold compared to dimeric analogue. The spiro-unit 20 provides flexibility between the incorporated chromophores to orient on TiO2 due to four sp(3)-centers, which arrest the molecular motions after chemisorption. This study shows a new molecular approach to incorporate two chromophores in the dimeric dye possessing complementary absorption characteristics toward panchromatic absorption. The attenuated charge recombination at TiO2/Dye/redox couple interface in case of D-1-D-1, owing to better passivation of TiO2 surface, was elucidated through impedance analysis. The FT-IR spectrum of D,-D, adsorbed on TiO2 film indicated both the carboxylic units were involved in chemisorption which makes strong coupling between dye and TiO2.}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.7b09010}, author = {Sil, Manik Chandra and Sudhakar, Vediappan and Kavungathodi, Munavvar Fairoos Mele and Punitharasu, Vellimalai and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {43492, title = {Oxidant mediated one-step complete conversion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes to graphene quantum dots and their bioactivity against mammalian and bacterial cells}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {785-796}, abstract = {It is essential for any antibacterial agent (for clinical applications) that it should have high and selective toxicity towards bacterial cells only, and should not affect the human cells at the concentration used. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have emerged as a potential candidate for biomedical applications. However, a simple, low cost, safe, easy to execute, one-step synthesis of uniform and monodispersed GQDs with selective toxicity towards bacterial cells rather than mammalian cells is difficult to achieve. Herein, we have reported a one-step, low-cost, aqueous-phase, simple approach for the complete conversion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes into water-dispersible GQDs with an average size of similar to 3 nm using sodium bismuthate (NaBiO3) as a strong oxidant. The cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that the as-synthesized GQDs suspension possess almost negligible amounts of metallic impurities. The cytotoxicity studies of GQDs against mammalian NIH 3T3 (mouse embryo fibroblast cells) and HEK 293T (human embryonic kidney cells) cells showed that the as-synthesized GQDs were non-cytotoxic up to the concentration of similar to 200 mu g mL(-1). The antimicrobial study shows that the synthesized GQDs have high and selective toxicity towards bacterial cells with a minimum inhibitory concentration of similar to 256 mu g mL(-1) for E. coli and B. subtilis and similar to 512 mu g mL(-1) for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images show extensive cell damage via the perturbation of bacterial cell walls, which was consistent with the enhancement of reactive oxygen species production by almost two times in the bacterial cells upon incubation with similar to 256 mu g mL(-1) GQDs. Our study suggested that the as-synthesized GQDs can be used as a potential candidate for clinical applications as they possess high toxicity to bacterial cells and low toxicity to mammalian cells.}, doi = {10.1039/c6tb02446g}, author = {Biswas, Anupam and Khandelwal, Puneet and Das, Raja and Salunke, Gayatri and Alam, Aftab and Ghorai, Suvankar and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {43360, title = {Oxidative intramolecular 1,2-amino-oxygenation of alkynes under Au I /Au III catalysis: discovery of a pyridinium-oxazole dyad as an ionic fluorophore}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {757 - 761}, doi = {10.1002/ange.201609335}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Ranade, Dnyanesh Sadanand and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Kulkarni, Prasad Padmakar and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {43482, title = {Oxidative intramolecular 1,2-amino-oxygenation of alkynes under Au-I/Au-III catalysis: discovery of a pyridinium-oxazole dyad as an ionic fluorophore}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {757-761}, abstract = {Oxidative intramolecular 1,2-amino-oxygenation reactions, combining gold(I)/gold(III) catalysis, is reported. The reaction provides efficient access to a structurally unique ionic pyridinium-oxazole dyad with tunable emission wavelengths. The application of these fluorophores as potential biomarkers has been investigated.}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201609335}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Ranade, Dnyanesh S. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Kulkarni, Prasad P. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @inbook {45798, title = {Palladacycles for directed and nondirected C H bond functionalization of (Hetero)arenes}, booktitle = {Strategies for palladium-catalyzed non-directed and directed C-H bond functionalization}, year = {2017}, pages = {357-415}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, chapter = {Chapter 10 - palladacycles for directed and nondirected CH nond functionalization of (Hetero)arenes}, address = {Mumbai}, abstract = {Application of palladacycle complexes in catalytic organic transformation is rapidly expanding. This chapter is mainly focused on the use of palladacycle precatalysts in CH bond functionalizations, as well as an overview of palladacycle intermediates in directed CH bond functionalization reactions. The described palladacycle precatalysts are more efficient and more selective than the traditional palladium complexes for CH bond functionalization processes. The second part of the chapter summarizes the involvement of palladacycle intermediates in various directed CH bond functionalizations that are proposed with experimental evidence. Some of the palladacycle intermediates described are shown to be competent as catalyst precursors. It has been demonstrated that the formation of palladacycle (precatalyst or intermediate) makes the CH functionalization process more facile, because of the high stability associated with palladacycles.}, issn = {978-0-12-805254-9}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-805254-9.00010-4}, author = {Soni, Vineeta and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {43832, title = {PbS nanostar-like structures as field emitters}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5175-5179}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The crystalline PbS nanostars were synthesized by thermal decomposition of thioacetamide (TAA) in aqueous solutions of lead acetate and acetic acid at 80 8 degrees C. The structure and morphology of the PbS nanostars have been characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The optical properties of the PbS nanostars have been studied using UV-Visible absorption Spectroscopy (UVVis). The field emission investigations have been carried out on the as synthesized PbS nanostars at the base pressure of similar to 13 10(-8) mbar. The turn on field required to draw an emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be 1.8 V/mm. The emission current-time plots show good emission current stability of the PbS nanostar emitter over a period of 4 hrs. The results in terms of low turn-on field and long term emission current stability of the PbS nanostars emitter reveals that it can be used in field emission based vacuum microelectronics / nanoelectronic devices.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700350}, author = {Pawar, Mahendra S. and Bankar, Prashant K. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {45766, title = {Penicillin V acylases from gram-negative bacteria degrade N-acylhomoserine lactones and attenuate virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa}, journal = {Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology}, volume = {101}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2383-2395}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Virulence pathways in gram-negative pathogenic bacteria are regulated by quorum sensing mechanisms, through the production and sensing of N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) signal molecules. Enzymatic degradation of AHLs leading to attenuation of virulence (quorum quenching) could pave the way for the development of new antibacterials. Penicillin V acylases (PVAs) belong to the Ntn hydrolase superfamily, together with AHL acylases. PVAs are exploited widely in the pharmaceutical industry, but their role in the natural physiology of their native microbes is not clearly understood. This report details the characterization of AHL degradation activity by homotetrameric PVAs from two gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria, Pectobacterium atrosepticum (PaPVA) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens (AtPVA). Both the PVAs exhibited substrate specificity for degrading long-chain AHLs. Exogenous addition of these enzymes into Pseudomonas aeruginosa greatly diminished the production of elastase and pyocyanin and biofilm formation and increased the survival rate in an insect model of acute infection. Subtle structural differences in the PVA active site that regulate specificity for acyl chain length have been characterized, which could reflect the evolution of AHL-degrading acylases in relation to the environment of the bacteria that produce them and also provide strategies for enzyme engineering. The potential for using these enzymes as therapeutic agents in clinical applications and a few ideas about their possible significance in microbial physiology have also been discussed.

}, keywords = {N-acylhomoserine lactone acylase, Ntn hydrolase, pathogenesis, Penicillin Vacylase, Quorum quenching}, issn = {0175-7598}, doi = {10.1007/s00253-016-8031-5}, author = {Sunder, Avinash Vellore and Utari, Putri Dwi and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and van Merkerk, Ronald and Quax, Wim and Pundle, Archana} } @article {43666, title = {Photo-induced cytotoxicity and anti-metastatic activity of ruthenium(II)-polypyridyl complexes functionalized with tyrosine or tryptophan}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6634-6644}, abstract = {The synergistic effect of oxygen, light, and photosensitizer (PS) has found applications in medicine for the treatment of cancer through photodynamic therapy (PDT). Induction of apoptosis to cancerous cells will prevent tumor metastasis that spreads cancer cells to the neighboring organs/tissues. Herein, we report the two apoptotic Ru(II)-polypyridyl complexes that are functionalized with pendant amino acid moieties tyrosine (1) and tryptophan (2), respectively. These two water soluble complexes were found to interact strongly (K-a(1) = (1.18 +/- 0.28) x 10(5) M-1 and K-a(2) = (1.57 +/- 0.77) x 10(5) M-1) with CT-DNA. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies revealed that these complexes bind to CT-DNA through an entropically driven process. Both the complexes showed photo-induced cytotoxicity and exhibit apoptotic activity under photo-irradiation conditions. The comet assay indicated that these complexes can damage cellular DNA, which is attributed to the significant build-up of O-1(2) level even on irradiation with low intensity light (10 J cm(-2), lambda(Range) 450-480 nm). This photoinduced DNA damage and apoptosis in A549 cells was induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and occurred through up-regulation of apoptotic marker caspase-3. Control experiments under dark conditions revealed an insignificant cytotoxicity towards these cells for two photosensitive molecules.}, doi = {10.1039/c7dt00670e}, author = {Ramu, Vadde and Aute, Sunil and Taye, Nandaraj and Guha, Rweetuparna and Walker, Michael G. and Mogare, Devaraj and Parulekar, Apoorva and Thomas, Jim A. and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Das, Amitava} } @article {43529, title = {Physical mechanism behind enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties of superhydrophilic assemblies of 3D-TiO2 microspheres with arrays of oriented, single-crystalline TiO2 nanowires as building blocks deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxid}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {11202-11211}, abstract = {In comparison to the one-dimensional (1D) semiconductor nanostructures, the hierarchical, three-dimensional (3D) microstructures, composed of the arrays of 1D nanostructures as building blocks, show quite unique physicochemical properties due to efficient photon capture and enhanced surface to volume ratio, which aid in advancing the performance of various optoelectronic devices. In this contribution, we report the fabrication of surfactant-free, radially assembled, 3D titania (rutile-phase) microsphere arrays (3D-TMSAs) composed of bundles of single-crystalline titania nanowires (NWs) directly on fluorine-doped conducting oxide (FTO) substrates with tunable architecture. The effects of growth parameters on the morphology of the 3D-TMSAs have been studied thoroughly. The 3D-TMSAs grown on the FTO-substrate showed superior photon-harvesting owing to the increase in light-scattering. The photocatalytic and photon to electron conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC), where the optimized 3D-TMSAs were used as an anode, showed around 44\% increase in the photoconversion efficiency compared to that of Degussa P-25 as a result of the synergistic effect of higher surface area and enhanced photon scattering probability. The TMSA film showed superhydrophilicity without any prior UV irradiation. In addition, the presence of bundles of almost parallel NWs led to the formation of arrays of microcapacitors, which showed stable dielectric performance. The fabrication of single-crystalline, oriented, self-assembled TMSAs with bundles of titania nanowires as their building blocks deposited on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrates has vast potential in the area of photoelectrochemical research.}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.6b15420}, author = {Sadhu, Subha and Gupta, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {43922, title = {Pilot-scale pretreatments of sugarcane bagasse with steam explosion and mineral acid, organic acid, and mixed acids: synergies, enzymatic hydrolysis efficiencies, and structure-morphology correlations}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {179-189}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In lignocellulosic (LC) ethanol processes, to facilitate enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, a physical chemical pretreatment is vital. In this study, we explored a single as well as a two-step physical-chemical pretreatment involving steam and mixed acid on unwashed sugarcane bagasse at pilot-scale level in a continuous horizontal reactor. To serve as a large-scale model, pretreatments were carried out at high solid levels of 18{\textendash}20 \% w/w. For the pretreatment, partial replacement of corrosive sulfuric acid with a milder acid-like oxalic acid was explored to derive possible advantages and synergies accruing by using a mixture of mineral acid and organic acid. The results of this work showed that first-step pretreatment carried out by the mixing of sulfuric acid (1.5 \% w/w) and oxalic acid (1.5 \% w/w) at 150 {\textdegree}C followed by a second-step steam explosion pretreatment at 180 {\textdegree}C gave significant synergies and advantages over other variants of pretreatments investigated, such as lower inhibitor levels and lower reaction severity. On post-pretreated bagasse, this study conducted comparative enzymatic hydrolysis study using a simple lab enzyme and a robust commercial enzyme. It was found that the addition of Tween 80 to the lab enzyme improved its performance to match the performance of the commercial enzyme. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies were further carried out to correlate the morphology of pretreated samples with efficiency of enzyme hydrolysis. Besides morphological study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies of pretreated samples showed higher syringyl/guaiacyl ratio for all pretreatments, indicating lower levels of pseudo-lignins, which is beneficial for improved enzyme hydrolysis.}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-016-0220-z}, author = {Pal, Siddhartha and Joy, Shereena and Kumbhar, Pramod S. and Trimukhe, Kalpana D. and Gupta, Rishi and Kuhad, Ramesh Chander and Varma, Anjani J. and Shankar, Sasi} } @article {42543, title = {Pinched tube flow reactor: hydrodynamics and suitability for exothermic multiphase reactions}, journal = {AIChE Journal}, volume = {63}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {358{\textendash}365}, abstract = {

A novel tubular flow reactor where a straight tube is modified by pinching it periodically at a fixed pitch and at different angles is presented. Pinched tubes (straight tube as well as helical coils) with different pitch and angles between successive pinching are studied. This work reports a detailed hydrodynamic study involving single and two-phase flow. Mixing experiments showed that having an angle of 90{\textdegree} between successive pinchs achieves the shortest mixing length when compared to lower angles. Pressure recovery along with sequence of high and low shear zones and change of flow direction imposed better mixing. Residence time distribution studies showed that higher number of pinch sections decreases the extent of dispersion, yet it deviates from plug flow. The performance is evaluated by carrying a homogeneous and two-phase aromatic nitration and also liquid-liquid extraction. Pinched tube presents an economical option as a flow reactor for conducting exothermic reactions. {\textcopyright} 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2016

}, keywords = {pinched tube flow reactor; pressure drop; residence time distribution; mass transfer; reactions}, doi = {10.1002/aic.15498}, author = {Sharma, Mrityunjay K. and Potdar, Shital B. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {45673, title = {Plant cholesterol biosynthetic pathway overlaps with phytosterol metabolism}, journal = {Nature Plants}, volume = {3}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The amount of cholesterol made by many plants is not negligible. Whereas cholesterogenesis in animals was elucidated decades ago, the plant pathway has remained enigmatic. Among other roles, cholesterol is a key precursor for thousands of bioactive plant metabolites, including the well-known Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids. Integrating tomato transcript and protein co-expression data revealed candidate genes putatively associated with cholesterol biosynthesis. A combination of functional assays including gene silencing, examination of recombinant enzyme activity and yeast mutant complementation suggests the cholesterol pathway comprises 12 enzymes acting in 10 steps. It appears that half of the cholesterogenesis-specific enzymes evolved through gene duplication and divergence from phytosterol biosynthetic enzymes, whereas others act reciprocally in both cholesterol and phytosterol metabolism. Our findings provide a unique example of nature{\textquoteright}s capacity to exploit existing protein folds and catalytic machineries from primary metabolism to assemble a new, multi-step metabolic pathway. Finally, the engineering of a {\textquoteright}high-cholesterol{\textquoteright} model plant underscores the future value of our gene toolbox to produce high-value steroidal compounds via synthetic biology.}, doi = {10.1038/nplants.2016.205}, author = {Sonawane, P. D. and Pollier, J. and Panda, S. and Szymanski, J. and Massalha, H. and Yona, M. and Unger, T. and Malitsky, S. and Arendt, P. and Pauwels, L. and Almekias-Siegl, E. and Rogachev, I. and Meir, S. and Cardenas, P.D. and Masri, A. and Petrikov, M. and Schaller, H. and Schaffer, A. A. and Kamble, A. and Giri, A. P. and Goossens, A. and Aharoni, A.} } @article {43827, title = {Possibly scalable solar hydrogen generation with quasi-artificial leaf approach}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article Number: 6515}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Any solar energy harvesting technology must provide a net positive energy balance, and artificial leaf concept provided a platform for solar water splitting (SWS) towards that. However, device stability, high photocurrent generation, and scalability are the major challenges. A wireless device based on quasi-artificial leaf concept (QuAL), comprising Au on porous TiO2 electrode sensitized by PbS and CdS quantum dots (QD), was demonstrated to show sustainable solar hydrogen (490 +/- 25 mu mol/h (corresponds to 12 ml H-2 h(-1)) from similar to 2mg of photoanode material coated over 1 cm(2) area with aqueous hole (S2-/SO32-) scavenger. A linear extrapolation of the above results could lead to hydrogen production of 6 L/h.g over an area of similar to 23 x 23 cm(2). Under one sun conditions, 4.3 mA/cm(2) photocurrent generation, 5.6\% power conversion efficiency, and spontaneous H-2 generation were observed at no applied potential (see S1). A direct coupling of all components within themselves enhances the light absorption in the entire visible and NIR region and charge utilization. Thin film approach, as in DSSC, combined with porous titania enables networking of all the components of the device, and efficiently converts solar to chemical energy in a sustainable manner.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-06849-x}, author = {Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Bhuskute, Bela D. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {43732, title = {Predesigned metal-anchored building block for in situ generation of Pd nanoparticles in porous covalent organic framework: application in heterogeneous tandem catalysis}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {13785-13792}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The development of nanoparticle-polymer-hybrid-based heterogeneous catalysts with high reactivity and good recyclability is highly desired for their applications in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries: Herein, we have developed a novel synthetic strategy by choosing a predesigned metal-anchored building block for in situ generation of metal (Pd) nanoparticles in the stable, porous, and crystalline covalent organic framework (COF), without using conventional reducing agents. In situ generation of Pd nanoparticles in the COF Skeleton is explicitly confirmed{\textquoteright} from PXRD, XPS, TEM images, and N-15 NMR spectral analysis. This hybrid material is found to be an excellent reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of biologically and pharmaceutically important 2-substituted benzofurans from 2-bromophencils and terminal alkynes via a tandem process with the turnover number up to 1101. The heterogeneity of the catalytic process is unambiguously verified by a mercury poisoning experiment and leaching test. This hybrid material shows superior catalytic performance compared to commercially available homogeneous as well as heterogeneous Pd catalysts.}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.7b02355}, author = {Bhadra, Mohitosh and Sasmal, Himadri Sekhar and Basu, Arghya and Midya, Siba P. and Kandambeth, Sharath and Pachfule, Pradip and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {43889, title = {Prediction of degrees API values of crude oils by use of saturates/aromatics/resins/ asphaltenes analysis: computational-intelligence-based models}, journal = {SPE Journal}, volume = {22}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {817-853}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The degrees API value is an important physicochemical characteristic of crude oils often used in determining their properties and quality. There exist models-predominantly linear ones-for predicting the degrees API magnitude from the molecular composition of a crude oil. This approach is tedious and time-consuming because it requires quantitative determination of numerous crude-oil components. Usually, the hydrocarbons present in a crude oil are grouped according to their molecular average structures into saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes (SARA) fractions. An degrees API-value prediction model dependent on these four fractions is relatively easier to develop, although this approach has been rarely used. A rigorous scrutiny suggests that some of the dependencies between the individual SARA fractions and the corresponding degrees API value could be nonlinear. Accordingly, in this study, SARA-fraction-based nonlinear models have been developed for the prediction of values using three computational-intelligence (CI) formalisms: genetic programming (GP), artificialneural networks (ANNs), and support-vector regression (SVR). The SARA analyses and degrees API values of 403 crude-oil samples covering wide ranges have been used in developing these models. A comparison of the CI-based models with an existing linear model indicates that all the former class of models possess a significantly better degrees API-value prediction and generalization performance than those exhibited by the linear model. Also, the SVR-based model has been found to be the most accurate degrees API-value predictor. Because of their better prediction accuracy, CI-based models can be gainfully used to predict degrees API values of crude oils.}, doi = {10.2118/184391-PA}, author = {Goel, Purva and Saurabh, Kumar and Patil-Shinde, Veena and Tambe, Sanjeev S.} } @article {43972, title = {Preparation of MgO supported platinum nanoparticle catalyst using toluene dispersed platinum sol}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {418}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {874-91}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

An effective way of anchoring Pt nanoparticles on MgO using toluene dispersed platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) as one of the ingredient is demonstrated. The usage of particles dispersed in toluene allows the retention of size and size distribution of preformed Pt-NPs even after deposition on MgO support with high active surface area, which is crucial for heterogeneous catalysis. The catalyst thus prepared, displayed selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol with high turn on frequency (TOF - 105 h-1) with respect to the total Pt content. We attribute this efficient catalytic performance to the uniform distribution and deposition of Pt on the active MgO support and its better accessible surface as evidenced by the cyclic-voltammetry results.

}, keywords = {catalysis, Catalysts, cyclic voltammetry, Deposition, Magnesia, Nanoparticles, sol-gel process}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2016.12.058}, author = {Seth, J. and Nepak, D. and Chaudhari, V. R. and Prasad, B.L.V.} } @article {43654, title = {Proton conduction in a hydrogen-bonded complex of copper(II)-bipyridine glycoluril nitrate}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6968-6974}, abstract = {Bipyridine glycoluril (BPG), a urea-fused bipyridine tecton, forms a square-pyramidal secondary building unit with copper(II) which further self-assembles to give a porous hydrogen-bonded complex. This complex displays a high proton conductivity of 4.45 x 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 90 degrees C and 95\% relative humidity (RH). Chains consisting of coordinated water, solvent water and nitrate anions embedded in the complex are responsible for high proton conduction. The proton conduction pathway was corroborated by ab initio electronic structure calculations with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method. The theoretical activation energy estimated to be 0.18 eV is in close agreement with the experimental value of 0.15 eV which evidences a Grotthuss proton hopping mechanism. We thus demonstrate that the hydrogen-bonded complex encapsulating appropriate counter ions, coordinated water and solvent water molecules exhibts superprotonic conductivity.}, doi = {10.1039/c7dt00425g}, author = {Tayade, Sakharam B. and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Loennecke, Peter and Hey-Hawkins, Evamarie and Pujari, Bhalchandra} } @article {44124, title = { p-Selective (sp(2))-C-H functionalization for an acylation/alkylation reaction using organic photoredox catalysis}, journal = { Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {12337-12340}, type = {Article}, abstract = {p-Selective (sp(2))-C-H functionalization of electron rich arenes has been achieved for acylation and alkylation reactions, respectively, with acyl/alkylselenides by organic photoredox catalysis involving an interesting mechanistic pathway.}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc07529d}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Tiwari, Sandip Kumar and Singh, Bhawana and Vanka, Kumar and Jain, Shailja} } @article {43775, title = {Rapid synthesis of highly monodispersed silver nanoparticles from the leaves of Salvadora persica}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {205}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {226-229}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We have demonstrated a one pot green protocol for the synthesis of highly monodispersed silver nanoparticles using leaves of Salvadora persica plant. When the leaf extract of Salvadora persica plant reacted with silver nitrate (AgNO3) solution it resulted in the synthesis of highly monodispersed silver nanoparticles with an average size of 3 nm. These nanoparticles were then completely characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-Rays, X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier Transform Infrared analysis. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2017.06.089}, author = {Khan, Mamatha R. Shadab and Salunkhe, Pooja and Satpute, Shruti and Kendurkar, Shuchishweta and Prabhune, Asmita and Deval, Animesh and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @article {43810, title = {Reactivity of difunctional polar monomers and ethylene copolymerization: a comprehensive account}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {50}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5748-5758}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A comprehensive picture of insertion of 1,1-disubstituted difunctional olefins, their ability to double the functional group density at the same level of incorporation as that of monofunctional olefin, and copolymerization with ethylene has been demonstrated. Exposure of a palladium complex [{P boolean AND O}PdMe(L)] (P boolean AND O = kappa(2)-P,O-Ar2PC6H4SO2O with Ar = 2-MeOC6H4.; L = C2H6OS) to methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (MAAA) revealed slight preference for 1,2-insertion over 2,1-insertion (1.0:0.7). In contrast, insertion of electron-deficient 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid (TFMAA) unveiled selective 2,1-insertion {via [(P boolean AND O)PdC5H6F3O2] (11)1. The unstable intermediate 11 undergoes beta-hydride and beta-fluoride elimination to produce subsequent insertion and elimination products. The identity of elimination products (E/Z)-2-trifluoromethyl)but-2-enoic acid [17(E/Z)] and 2-(difluoromethylene)butanoic acid (13) was fully established by 1-2D NMR spectroscopy. These insertion experiments, taken together with insertion rates, suggest that MAAA and TFMAA. are amenable to insertion. Polymerization of ethylene with MAAA, TFMAA, acetamidoacrylic acid, 2-bromoacrylic acid, dimethyl allylmalonate, and allylmalonic acid was catalyzed by [{P boolean AND O}PdMe(L)] (L = C2H3N) (S.ACN), and the highest incorporation of 11.8\% was observed for dimethyl allylmalonate (DMAM). The changes in the surface properties of the copolymers after incorporation of difunctional olefins were evaluated by measuring the water contact angle. Copolymer with highest (11.8\% of DMAM) incorporation revealed a reduced water contact angle of 76 degrees. These findings demonstrate that 1,1-disubstituted difunctional olefins are amenable to polymerization, and incorporation of difunctional olefins In polyethylene backbone leads to the production of relatively hydrophilic polyethylene copolymers.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01356}, author = {Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Deshmukh, Satej S. and Koshti, Vijay S. and Poddar, Suparna and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {45670, title = {Revisiting HOPG superlattices: structure and conductance properties}, journal = {Surface Science}, volume = { 658 }, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {55-60}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Superlattices observed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) have been studied extensively by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The interest in the study of graphite superlattices has seen a resurgence since the discovery of graphene. Single layer graphene, bilayer graphene, and few layer graphene can now be grown on different substrates. The adherence of graphene to various substrates often leads to a periodic out-of-plane modulation and superlattices due to lattice mismatch. In this paper, we report STM imaging and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) of different kinds of superlattices on HOPG characterized by a variation in lattice periodicities. Our study also shows evidence of the displacement of the topmost HOPG layer by scanning different areas of the same superlattice. A correlation between the lattice periodicity with its conductance properties is derived. The results of this work are important for understanding the origin of the superlattice structure on HOPG. Investigation of such superlattices may open up possible ways to modify two dimensional electron systems to create materials with tailored electronic properties.}, doi = {10.1016/j.susc.2016.12.002}, author = {Patil, Sumati and Kolekar, Sadhu and Deshpande, Aparna} } @article {43725, title = {Rigid peptide scaffold-incorporated structural analogs of the potent antidepressant peptide drug rapastinel (GLYX-13)}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {3594-3596}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rapastinel (GLYX-13) is a natural amidated tetrapeptide (Thr-Pro-Pro-Thr-NH2)endowed with strong antidepressant property. Rapastinel shows considerable promise for treating drug-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD), and is under clinical phase III development. Herein, we report the synthesis of a novel class of analogues of the potent antidepressant peptide drug rapastinel featuring rigid dipeptide scaffolds comprising proline (L/D) and amino thiophene carboxylates (Atc). Amino thiophene carboxylate is a conformationally constrained aromatic beta-amino acid, known to rigidify peptide backbones thereby limiting the conformational flexibility of peptides and improving proteolytic stability.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700605}, author = {Nadimpally, Krishna Chaitanya and Chakrapani, Aswathi and Prabhu, Priyanka J. and Madica, Krishnaprasad and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {45685, title = {Role of spatial inhomogenity in GPCR dimerisation predicted by receptor association-diffusion models}, journal = {Physical Biology}, volume = {14 }, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {036002}, type = {Article}, abstract = {G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) association is an emerging paradigm with far reaching implications in the regulation of signalling pathways and therapeutic interventions. Recent super resolution microscopy studies have revealed that receptor dimer steady state exhibits sub-second dynamics. In particular the GPCRs, muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M-1 (M1MR) and formyl peptide receptor (FPR), have been demonstrated to exhibit a fast association/dissociation kinetics, independent of ligand binding. In this work, we have developed a spatial kinetic Monte Carlo model to investigate receptor homo-dimerisation at a single receptor resolution. Experimentally measured association/dissociation kinetic parameters and diffusion coefficients were used as inputs to the model. To test the effect of membrane spatial heterogeneity on the simulated steady state, simulations were compared to experimental statistics of dimerisation. In the simplest case the receptors are assumed to be diffusing in a spatially homogeneous environment, while spatial heterogeneity is modelled to result from crowding, membrane micro-domains and cytoskeletal compartmentalisation or {\textquoteright}corrals{\textquoteright}. We show that a simple association-diffusion model is sufficient to reproduce M1MR association statistics, but fails to reproduce FPR statistics despite comparable kinetic constants. A parameter sensitivity analysis is required to reproduce the association statistics of FPR. The model reveals the complex interplay between cytoskeletal components and their influence on receptor association kinetics within the features of the membrane landscape. These results constitute an important step towards understanding the factors modulating GPCR organisation.}, doi = {10.1088/1478-3975/aa6b68}, author = {Deshpande, Sneha A. and Pawar, Aiswarya B. and Dighe, Anish and Athale, Chaitanya A. and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {43934, title = {Scalable metabolite supplementation strategy against antibiotic resistant pathogen Chromobacterium violaceum induced by NAD(+)/NADH(+) imbalanceA scalable metabolite supplementation strategy against antibiotic resistant pathogen Chromobacterium violaceu}, journal = {BMC Syst Biol. }, volume = {11}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The leading edge of the global problem of antibiotic resistance necessitates novel therapeutic strategies. This study develops a novel systems biology driven approach for killing antibiotic resistant pathogens using benign metabolites. RESULTS: Controlled laboratory evolutions established chloramphenicol and streptomycin resistant pathogens of Chromobacterium. These resistant pathogens showed higher growth rates and required higher lethal doses of antibiotic. Growth and viability testing identified malate, maleate, succinate, pyruvate and oxoadipate as resensitising agents for antibiotic therapy. Resistant genes were catalogued through whole genome sequencing. Intracellular metabolomic profiling identified violacein as a potential biomarker for resistance. The temporal variance of metabolites captured the linearized dynamics around the steady state and correlated to growth rate. A constraints-based flux balance model of the core metabolism was used to predict the metabolic basis of antibiotic susceptibility and resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The model predicts electron imbalance and skewed NAD/NADH ratios as a result of antibiotics - chloramphenicol and streptomycin. The resistant pathogen rewired its metabolic networks to compensate for disruption of redox homeostasis. We foresee the utility of such scalable workflows in identifying metabolites for clinical isolates as inevitable solutions to mitigate antibiotic resistance.

}, keywords = {Antibiotic resistance; Flux balance analysis; Flux variability analysis; Metabolism; Metabolomic; NAD; NADH; Redox homeostasis}, doi = {10.1186/s12918-017-0427-z}, author = {Banerjee, Deepanwita and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Bhattacharya, Nivedita and Ghanate, Avinash D. and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Raghunathan, Anu} } @article {43726, title = {Secondary interactions arrest the hemiaminal intermediate to invert the modus operandi of schiff base reaction: a route to benzoxazinones}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {4342-4351}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Discovered by Hugo Schiff, condensation between amine and aldehyde represents one of the most ubiquitous reactions in chemistry. This classical reaction is widely used to manufacture pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. However, the rapid and reversible formation of Schiff base prohibits formation of alternative products, of which benzoxazinones are an important class. Therefore, manipulating the reactivity of two partners to invert the course of this reaction is an elusive target. Presented here is a synthetic strategy that regulates the sequence of Schiff base reaction via weak secondary interactions. Guided by the computational models, reaction between 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluoro-benzaldehyde with 2-amino-6methylbenzoic acid revealed quantitative (99\%) formation of 5-methyl-2-(perfluoropheny01,2-dihydro-4H-benzo[d][1,3]oxazin-4-one (15). Electron donating and electron withdrawing ortho-substituents on 2-aminobenzoic acid resulted in the production of benzoxazinones 936. The mode of action was tracked using low temperature NMR, IN vis spectroscopy, and isotopic (O-18) labeling experiments. These spectroscopic mechanistic investigations revealed that the hemiaminal intermediate is arrested by the hydrogen-bonding motif to yield benzoxazinone. Thus, the mechanistic investigations and DFT calculations categorically rule out the possibility of in situ imine formation followed by ring-closing, but support instead hydrogen-bond assisted ring-closing to prodrugs. This unprecedented reaction represents an interesting and competitive alternative to metal catalyzed and classical methods of preparing benzoxazinone.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.7b00352}, author = {Patel, Ketan and Deshmukh, Satej S. and Bodkhe, Dnyaneshwar and Mane, Manoj and Vanka, Kumar and Shinde, Dinesh and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Nandi, Shyamapada and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {43652, title = {Selection of reference genes for quantitative real-time RT-PCR assays in different morphological forms of dimorphic zygomycetous fungus Benjaminiella poitrasii}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {12}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {Article Number: e0179454}, abstract = {

Benjaminiella poitrasii, a dimorphic non-pathogenic zygomycetous fungus, exhibits a morphological yeast (Y) to hypha (H) reversible transition in the vegetative phase, sporangiospores (S) in the asexual phase and zygospores (Z) in the sexual phase. To study the gene expression across these diverse morphological forms, suitable reference genes are required. In the present study, 13 genes viz. ACT, 18S rRNA, eEF1a, eEF-Tu, eIF-1A, Tuba, Tub-b, Ubc, GAPDH, Try, WS-21, NADGDH and NADPGDH were evaluated for their potential as a reference, particularly for studying gene expression during the Y-H reversible transition and also for other asexual and sexual life stages of B. poitrasii. Analysis of RT-qPCR data using geNorm, normFinder and BestKeeper software revealed that genes such as Ubc, 18S rRNA and WS-21 were expressed at constant levels in each given subset of RNA samples from all the morphological phases of B. poitrasii. Therefore, these reference genes can be used to elucidate the role of morpho-genes in B. poitrasii. Further, use of the two most stably expressed genes (Ubc and WS-21) to normalize the expression of the ornithine decarboxylase gene (Bpodc) in different morphological forms of B. poitrasii, generated more reliable results, indicating that our selection of reference genes was appropriate.

}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0179454}, author = {Pathan, Ejaj K. and Ghormade, Vandana and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article {43997, title = {Selective C-H bond oxidation catalyzed by the Fe-bTAML complex: mechanistic implications}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10852-10860}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Nonheme iron complexes bearing tetradentate N-atom-donor ligands with cis labile sites show great promise for chemoselective aliphatic C-H hydroxylation. However, several challenges still limit their widespread application. We report a mechanism-guided development of a peroxidase mimicking iron complex based on the bTAML macrocyclic ligand framework (Fe-bTAML: biuret-modified tetraamido macrocyclic ligand) as a catalyst to perform selective oxidation of unactivated 3{\textdegree} bonds with unprecedented regioselectivity (3{\textdegree}:2{\textdegree} of 110:1 for adamantane oxidation), high stereoretention (99\%), and turnover numbers (TONs) up to 300 using mCPBA as the oxidant. Ligand decomposition pathways involving acid-induced demetalation were identified, and this led to the development of more robust and efficient Fe-bTAML complexes that catalyzed chemoselective C-H oxidation. Mechanistic studies, which include correlation of the product formed with the FeV(O) reactive intermediates generated during the reaction, indicate that the major pathway involves the cleavage of C-H bonds by FeV(O). When these oxidations were performed in the presence of air, the yield of the oxidized product doubled, but the stereoretention remained unchanged. On the basis of 18O labeling and other mechanistic studies, we propose a mechanism that involves the dual activation of mCPBA and O2 by Fe-bTAML, leading to formation of the FeV(O) intermediate. This high-valent iron oxo remains the active intermediate for most of the reaction, resulting in high regio- and stereoselectivity during product formation. }, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b00453}, author = {Ghosh, M.}, editor = {Pattanayak, S.} } @article {43995, title = {Selective molecular separation by interfacially crystallized covalent organic framework thin films}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {139}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13083-13091}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Exponential interest in the field of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) stems from the direct correlation between their modular design principle and various interesting properties. However, existing synthetic approaches to realize this goal mainly result in insoluble and unprocessable powders, which severely restrict their widespread applicability. Therefore, developing a methodology for easy fabrication of these materials remains an alluring goal and a much desired objective. Herein, we have demonstrated a bottom-up interfacial crystallization strategy to fabricate these microcrystalline powders as large-scale thin films under ambient conditions. This unique design principle exploits liquid-liquid interface as a platform, allowing simultaneous control over crystallization and morphology of the framework structure. The thin films are grown without any support in free-standing form and can be transferred onto any desirable substrate. The porous (with Tp-Bpy showing highest SBET of 1a151 m2 g-1) and crystalline thin films, having high chemical as well as thermal stability, also hold the merit to tune the thickness as low as sub-100 nm. These nanostructured thin COF films demonstrate remarkable solvent-permeance and solute-rejection performance. A prominent instance is the Tp-Bpy thin film, which displays an unprecedented acetonitrile permeance of 339 L m-2 h-1 bar-1.}, doi = { 10.1021/jacs.7b06640}, author = {Dey, K. and Das, A and Mukherjee, R. and Kharul, U. K. and Banerjee, R.}, editor = {Pal, M.} } @article {42660, title = {Self - assemblies of bolaamphiphilic molecules}, journal = {Chemical Record}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1-15}, type = {Article}, chapter = {597-610}, abstract = {

The current buzzword in science and technology is self-assembly and molecular self-assembly is one of the most prominent fields as far as research in chemical and biological sciences is concerned. Generally, self-assembly of molecules occurs through weak non-covalent interactions like hydrogen bonding, π{\textendash}π stacking, hydrophobic effects, etc. Inspired by many natural systems consisting of self-assembled structures, scientists have been trying to understand their formation and mimic such processes in the laboratory to create functional {\textquotedblleft}smart{\textquotedblright} materials, which respond to temperature, light, pH, electromagnetic field, mechanical stress, and/or chemical stimuli. These responses are usually manifested as remarkable changes from the molecular (e. g., conformational state, hierarchical order) to the macroscopic level (e. g., shape, surface properties). Many molecules such as peptides, viruses, and surfactants are known to self-assemble into different structures. Among them, glycolipids are the new entries in the area of molecules that are being investigated for their self-assembly characteristics. Among the different classes of glycolipids like rhamnolipids and trehalose lipids, owing to their biological preparations and their structural novelty, sophorolipids (SLs) are evoking greater interest among researchers. Sophorolipids are a class of asymmetric bolas bearing COOH groups at one end and sophorose (dimeric glucose linked by an unusual β(1{\textrightarrow}2) linkage). The extreme membrane stability of Archaea, attributed to the membrane-spanning bolas (tetraether glycolipids), has inspired chemists to unravel the molecular designs that underpin the self-assembly of bolaamphiphilic molecules. Apart from these self-assembled structures, bolaamphiphiles find applications in many fields such as drug delivery, membrane mimicking, siRNA therapies, etc. The first part of this Personal Account presents some possible self-assembled structures of bolaamphiphiles and their mechanism of formation. The later part covers our work on one of the typical bolaamphiphiles known as sophorolipids.

}, keywords = {Bolaamphiphiles; gels; self-assembly; sophorolipids; vesicles}, issn = {1527-8999}, doi = {10.1002/tcr.201600085}, author = {Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000371453700057, title = {Self-exfoliated guanidinium-based ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs)}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {138}, number = {8}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2823-2828}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) have emerged as functional two-dimensional materials for versatile applications. Although pi-pi stacking between layers, hydrolytic instability, possible restacking prevents their exfoliation on to few thin layered CONs from crystalline porous polymers. We anticipated rational designing of a structure by intrinsic ionic linker could be the solution to produce self-exfoliated CONs without external stimuli. In an attempt to address this issue, we have synthesized three self-exfoliated guanidinium halide based ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs) with antimicrobial property. Self-exfoliation phenomenon has been supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as well. Intrinsic ionic guanidinium unit plays the pivotal role for both self-exfoliation and antibacterial property against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Using such iCONs, we have devised a Mixed matrix membrane which could be useful for antimicrobial coatings with plausible medical benefits.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5b13533}, author = {Mitra, Shouvik and Kandambeth, Sharath and Biswal, Bishnu P. and Khayum, Abdul M. and Choudhury, Chandan Kumar and Mehta, Mihir R. and Kaur, Gagandeep and Banerjee, Subhrashis and Prabhune, Asmita and Verma, Sandeep and Roy, Sudip and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {44035, title = {Silk degumming and utilization of silk sericin by hydrolysis using alkaline protease from beauveria Sp. (MTCC 5184): a green approach}, journal = {Journal of Natural Fibers}, volume = {15}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1-11}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Conventionally, degumming is carried out at 90{\textdegree}C--110{\textdegree}C temperature by boiling the raw silk with Marseilles soap and sodium bicarbonate which eventually requires a lot of water and energy. In this study, degumming of Chinese bivoltine raw silk fibres with alkaline protease produced by Beauveria sp. (MTCC 5184) is studied. Complete degumming was obtained in 45 min with 75 units of enzyme per gram of silk. Degumming was found to be optimal at 50{\textdegree}C and pH 9.0. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the sericin deposits were removed and the obtained fibres were clean, separated, had smooth feel with shine as compared to untreated fibres. Sericin isolated from silk cocoon (by-product which goes waste) was hydrolyzed with the same alkaline protease obtained from Beauveria sp. to get small molecular weight peptides. These peptides can be utilized further for cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and various industrial applications.}, keywords = {Alkaline Protease, bivoltine, degumming, Silk, weight loss}, issn = {1544-0478}, doi = {10.1080/15440478.2017.1330718}, author = {More, Snehal V. and Chavan, Sakalya and Prabhune, Asmita Ashutosh} } @article {44571, title = {Silver sequestration of halides for the activation of Pd(OAc) 2 catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck reaction of 1,1 and 1,2 - Disubstituted alkenes: Ag Sequestration for Pd catalyzed Heck reaction- disubstituted alkenes}, journal = {Applied Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {32}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {e4159}, abstract = {A ligand free catalytic system consisting of Pd(OAc)2 (cat) and stoichiometric quantities of silver salts, AgOAc or AgBF4, exhibit high efficiency in the Mizoroki-Heck arylation, transforming aryl iodides and 1,1 as well as 1,2 disubstituted alkenes into 1,1,2 {\textendash} trisubstituted aryl alkenes in excellent yields in very short reaction times.}, keywords = {1, 1-disubstituted alkenes, 2-disubstituted alkenes, AgBF4, AgOAc, Mizoroki-Heck reaction}, issn = {0268-2605}, doi = {10.1002/aoc.4159}, author = {Bangar, Pronnoy G. and Jawalkar, Priyanka R. and Dumbre, Swapnil and Patil, Dharmaraj and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {43895, title = {Solution processed cellulose/melanin films and fibres}, journal = {Green Materials }, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Melanins constitute a class of biomacromolecules that are abundant in nature. Although they exhibit a unique range of physical and chemical properties, their intractable nature has precluded their dissolution in common solvents and facile processing into functional materials. The authors found that commercially available 40 wt\% tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (Tbah) solution could yield stable solutions of synthetic and natural melanins at ambient conditions and the dissolution rate could be accelerated by microwave radiation. Transmission electron microscopy images clearly show the disruption of the aggregated structure of melanins in Tbah. Scanning electron microscopy images of melanin/Tbah solutions precipitated in acetone revealed that melanins are dissolved and regenerated and not merely dispersed. To the best of the authors{\textquoteright} knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating a facile approach to solution processing melanins with other biopolymers, which allows leverage of many unique properties of melanins. As an illustrative example, the authors demonstrate here the successful fabrication of cellulose/melanin composite films and fibers and their significant dye absorption capacity (62\% reduction) with methylene blue.}, doi = {10.1680/jgrma.17.00003}, author = {Farsa, Ram and Pimpalkar, Nikhil and Shete, Abhijit P. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {43885, title = {Spectroscopic and reactivity comparisons of a pair of bTAML complexes with Fe-V=O and Fe-IV=O units}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6352-6361}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this report we compare the geometric and electronic structures and reactivities of [Fe-V(O)](-) and [Fe-IV(O)](2-) species supported by the same ancillary nonheme biuret tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (bTAML). Resonance Raman studies show that the Fe-O vibration of the [Fe-IV(O)](2-) complex 2 is at 798 cm(-1), compared to 862 cm(-1) for the corresponding [Fe-V(O)](-) species 3, a 64 cm(-1) frequency difference reasonably reproduced by density functional theory calculations. These values are, respectively, the lowest and the highest frequencies observed thus far for nonheme high-valent Fe-O complexes. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of 3 reveals an Fe-O bond length of 1.59 angstrom, which is 0.05 angstrom shorter than that found in complex 2. The redox potentials of 2 and 3 are 0.44 V (measured at pH 12) and 1.19 V (measured at pH 7) versus normal hydrogen electrode, respectively, corresponding to the [Fe-IV(O)](2-)/[Fe-III(OH)](2-) and [Fe-V(O)](-)/[Fe-IV(O)](2-) couples. Consistent with its higher potential (even after correcting for the pH difference), 3 oxidizes benzyl alcohol at pH 7 with a second-order rate constant that is 2500-fold bigger than that for 2 at pH 12. Furthermore, 2 exhibits a classical kinteic isotope effect (KIE) of 3 in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde versus a nonclassical KIE of 12 for 3, emphasizing the reactivity differences between 2 and 3.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b00448}, author = {Pattanayak, Santanu and Jasniewsk, Andrew J. and Rana, Atanu and Draksharapu, Apparao and Singh, Kundan K. and Weitz, Andrew and Hendrich, Michael and Que, Lawrence, Jr. and Dey, Abhishek and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {43664, title = {Strikingly diverse reactivity of structurally identical silylene and stannylene}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6528-6532}, abstract = {The reactivity of structurally identical silylene and stannylene [PhC(NtBu)(2)EN(SiMe3)(2)] (E = Si (1) and Sn (2)) towards coinage metals has been explored. While 1 has the propensity to form an adduct with coinage metals (4 and 5), 2 undergoes a ligand exchange reaction with copper halides and silver triflate leading to PhC(NtBu) 2SnX (X = Br (6), Cl (7), and OSO2CF3 (8)) with concomitant formation of [M{N(SiMe3) (2)}] (M = Cu, Ag). However, with AgSbF6 both 1 and 2 led to ion pairs, 9(+) .SbF(6)(-)and 10(+) . SbF(6)(-)displaying weaker Ag center dot center dot center dot center dot F interactions in the latter.}, doi = {10.1039/c7dt01055a}, author = {Parvin, Nasrina and Dasgupta, Rajarshi and Pal, Shiv and Sen, Sakya S. and Khan, Shabana} } @article {43858, title = {Structural phases, magnetic properties and Maxwell-Wagner type relaxation of CoFe2O4/Sr2Co2Fe12O22 ferrite composites}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article Number: 076105}, type = {Article}, abstract = {CoFe2O4 (S:Y-1:0) and Sr2Co2Fe12O22 (S:Y-0:1) ferrites were synthesized separately by using chemical coprecipitation technique and calcined at 1000 degrees C for 5 h. The mixed ferrite composites (S:Y-3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4 and 7:3) were prepared by physical mixing of individual ferrite powders in required weight proportions. The prepared composites were heated at 1150 degrees C for 5 h in a muffle furnace and then slowly cooled to room temperature. The prepared ferrites were characterized using various instrumental techniques like FTIR, XRD, SEM, VSM and dielectric measurements. The x-ray diffraction studies of pure Sr2Co2Fe12O22 ferrite sample show the presence of M and Y-type hexagonal phases, while the composites consist of spinel and Y-type phases. FTIR spectra of all samples show two bands of Fe-O stretching vibrations. VSM results of composites reveal that the values of the saturation magnetization (M-s) vary from 50.44 emu g(-1) to 31.21 emu g(-1), while remanent magnetization values found from 11.18 emu g(-1) to 3.70 emu g(-1). A higher value of coercivity (H-c = 562 emu g(-1)) is observed in the composite S:Y-3:7 but Mr/Ms ratio of pure and composites is found to be less than 0.5. The dielectric behavior is explained using Maxwell-Wegner type interfacial polarization and N. Rezlescu{\textquoteright}s model.}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/aa7699}, author = {Patel, Chirag K. and Solanki, Neha P. and Singh, Charanjeet and Jotania, Rajshree B. and Chauhan, Chetna C. and Kulkarni, Shailja D. and Shirsath, Sagar E.} } @article {44142, title = {Study on doped heterojunctions in TiO2 nanotubes: an efficient photocatalyst for solar water splitting}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 14314}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The two important factors that affect sunlight assisted water splitting ability of TiO2 are its charge recombination and large band gap. We report the first demonstration of nitrogen doped triphase (anatase-rutile-brookite) TiO2 nanotubes as sun light active photocatalyst for water splitting with high quantum efficiency. Nitrogen doped triphase TiO2 nanotubes, corresponding to different nitrogen concentrations, are synthesized electrochemically. Increase in nitrogen concentration in triphase TiO2 nanotubes is found to induce brookite to anatase phase transformation. The variation in density of intra-band states (Ti3+ and N 2p states) with increase in nitrogen doping are found to be critical in tuning the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotubes. The presence of bulk heterojunctions in single nanotube of different nitrogen doped TiO2 samples is confirmed from HRTEM analysis. The most active nitrogen doped triphase TiO2 nanotubes are found to be 12 times efficient compared to pristine triphase TiO2, for solar hydrogen generation. The band alignment and charge transfer pathways in nitrogen doped TiO2 with triphase heterojunctions are delineated. Bulk heterojunctions among the three phases present in the nanotubes with intra-band defect states is shown to enhance the photocatalytic activity tremendously. Our study also confirms the theory that three phase system is efficient in photocatalysis compared to two phase system.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-14463-0}, author = {Preethi, L. K. and Antony, Rajini P. and Mathews, Tom and Walczak, Lukasz and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {43500, title = {Sulfamic acid-catalyzed, environmentally benign synthesis of bis-tetronic acids at ambient temperature}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {43}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {141-152}, abstract = {An enviro-economic protocol has been described for the synthesis of bis-tetronic acids by pseudo-three-component condensation between aldehydes/isatins and tetronic acid using sulfamic acid as a solid acid catalyst. Easy commercial availability of the catalyst at extremely low cost, excellent yields and avoidance of conventional purification procedures are the main merits of this energy efficient protocol.}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-016-2611-y}, author = {Pandit, Kapil S. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Kodam, Kisan M.} } @article {45753, title = {Surface disordered rutile TiO2-graphene quantum dot hybrids: a new multifunctional material with superior photocatalytic and biofilm eradication properties}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {2642-2657}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The controlled introduction of defects in semiconductors has contributed to the development of electronic devices and technologies. Recently, chemical control over defects, formation of new hybrid materials and multifunctional nanostructures have been sought in energy, health, and environment related technologies. Surface-disordered anatase-TiO2 has received wide attention due to its exceptional photocatalytic performance. Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, a one-step aqueous-phase synthesis of a surface-disordered rutile TiO2-graphene quantum dot (TG) hybrid material. The TG-hybrid is a rutile-TiO2 matrix in which homogeneous in situ insertion of GQDs occurs during the growth of the TiO2 particles. The TG-hybrid material showed superior photocatalytic performance with similar to 98\% solar light driven photo-degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye within 6 min and similar to 86\% of rhodamine-B (RhB) within 4 min which is much better than the photocatalytic performance shown by the rutile-TiO2 (similar to 30\% and similar to 20\%, respectively) and GQDs (similar to 15\% and similar to 8\%, respectively), themselves. Moreover, the TG-hybrid also showed enhanced toxicity to Gram-positive (S. aureus) as well as Gram-negative (E. coli, P. aeruginosa) bacterial cells. The growth-curves of E. coli cells, after incubating them with increasing concentrations of the TG-hybrid, showed that the TG-hybrid could effectively inhibit the growth of E. coli cells at a concentration of 60 mu g mL(-1). The effect of UV-light exposure on the bacterial-biofilm disruption by the TG-hybrid material was also investigated. It was observed that in the presence of UV-light, the biofilm disruption done by the TG-hybrid was larger in comparison to the TiO2 and GQDs alone, under the same conditions. The increase in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the presence of sunlight for the TG-hybrid may be the reason behind its superior antibacterial and biofilm eradication properties. We believe that the TG-hybrid material will have applications in energy, health and environment related technologies.}, doi = { 10.1039/c6nj03607d}, author = {Biswas, A. and Salunke, G. and Khandelwal, P. and Das, R. and Poddar, P.} } @article {44008, title = {Syntheses and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies of hydroxynicotinic acid based complexes involving supramolecular interactions}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {133}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {222-230}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Aqua-bridged coordination polymers of Cu(II) and Cd(II) and a mononuclear complex of Cu(II) were solvothermally synthesized with hydroxy-decorated ligands such as 2-hydroxynicotinic acid (2-OHNAH) and 6-hydroxynicotinic acid (6-OHNAH) in aqueous-nonaqueous mixed media. All these complexes were characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N), FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), powder XRD and single crystal X-ray crystallography. They are formulated as [Cu(2-OHNA)2] 1, [Cu(6-OHNA)2(μ-H2O)2]n 2 and [Cd(6-OHNA)2(μ-H2O)2]n 3. Complex 1 is mononuclear 0D square planar complex which extends its dimensionality by weak supramolecular interactions such as π{\textendash}π stacking interactions and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Complexes 2 and 3 are polymeric aqua-bridged 1D infinite chain of Cu(II) and Cd(II), respectively. The central metal ions in these two complexes are in octahedral coordination environment. These two complexes are also assembled by π{\textendash}π stacking interactions, inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. }, keywords = {2-Hydroxynicotinic Acid, 6-Hydroxynicotinic Acid, Coordination polymer, Polymeric Aqua-Bridged, X-ray diffraction}, doi = { 10.1016/j.poly.2017.05.041}, author = {Singh, S.K.}, editor = {Srivastava, K.} } @article {42938, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of new fluconazole β-lactam conjugates linked via 1,2,3-triazole}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {470-479}, abstract = {

Novel 1,2,3-triazole-linked β-lactam{\textendash}fluconazole conjugates 12(a{\textendash}l) were designed and synthesized. The compounds showed potent antifungal activity against two pathogenic Candida strains; Candida albicans ATCC 24433 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 with MIC values in the range of 0.0625{\textendash}2 μg mL-1. Compounds 12h, 12j and 12k showed promising antifungal activity against all the tested fungal pathogens except C. neoformans ATCC 34554 compared to fluconazole. Compound 12j in which the β-lactam ring was formed using para-anisidine and benzaldehyde was found to be more potent than fluconazole against all the fungal strains with an IC50 value of \<0.015 μg mL-1 for Candida albicans (ATCC 24433). Mechanistic studies for active compounds revealed that the antifungal action was due to ergosterol inhibition. Compounds 12h and 12j at a concentration of 0.125 μg mL-1 caused 91.5 and 96.8\% ergosterol depletion, respectively, compared to fluconazole which at the same concentration caused 49\% ergosterol depletion. The molecular docking study revealed that all the fluconazole β-lactam conjugates 12(a{\textendash}l) could snugly fit into the active site of lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) with varying degrees of affinities. As anticipated, the binding energy for compound 12j (-58.961 kcal mol-1) was much smaller than that for fluconazole (-52.92 kcal mol-1). The synthesized compounds have therapeutic potential for the control of candidemia.

}, doi = {10.1039/C6NJ03117J}, author = {Divse, Jaisingh M. and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Charolkar, Chaitanya R. and Sant, Duhita G. and Tupe, Santosh G. and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article {43261, title = {Synthesis and cell imaging applications of fluorescent mono/di/tri-heterocycl- yl-2,6-dicyanoanilines}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {27}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {979-988}, abstract = {

Synthesis of 3,4,5-triheterocyclyl-2,6-dicyanoanilines, starting from heterocyclic aldehydes and 1,2-diheterocycle-substituted ethanones, is described. 2,6-Dicyanoanilines with one or two heterocyclic substituents have also been synthesized. It was found that some of these molecules have selective cell-staining properties useful for cell imaging applications. The compounds 1g, 10f and 11 were found to stain cytoplasm of the cells in contact but not the nucleus while the compound 12 showed affinity to apoptotic cells resulting in blue fluorescence. The cell imaging results with compound 12 were similar to Annexin V-FITC, a known reagent containing recombinant Annexin V conjugated to green-fluorescent FITC dye, used for detection of apoptotic cells. These compounds were found to be non-cytotoxic and have potential application as cell imaging agents.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.12.074}, author = {Pisal, Mahesh M. and Annadate, Ritesh A. and Athalye, Meghana C. and Kumar, Dipak and Chavan, Subhash P. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Borate, Hanumant B.} } @article {45761, title = {Synthesis and characterization of D-2PA-Pd(II)@SBA-15 catalyst via {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click chemistry{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}: highly active catalyst for Suzuki coupling reactions}, journal = {Journal of Porous Materials}, volume = {24}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {327-340}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Copper catalysed cycloaddition reaction between azide and terminal alkyne, called as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click reaction{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, was found to be modular approach for the synthesis of facile, highly efficient and recoverable D-2PA-Pd(II)@SBA-15 catalyst. In efforts to synthesize the catalyst, the cycloaddition reaction between azido-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 and N,N-dimethyl-2-propynylamine (D-2PA) has been carried out, followed by the complexation with PdCl2. To analyze physiochemical properties of synthesized materials, various characterization techniques such as CHN elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, solid state C-13 and Si-29 NMR spectra, FT-IR, XPS, SEM, TEM and N-2 sorption analysis, TGA and DTA, UV-Vis spectroscopy have been carried out. The synthesized catalyst, D-2PA-Pd(II)@SBA-15, exhibited excellent catalytic activities with good product yield and high TON towards Suzuki coupling reaction of various aryl halides with phenylboronic acid. The effect of solvent, base and temperature on coupling reactions has also been described. The developed protocol offers recyclability of catalyst for multiple (four) times without any appreciable loss in stability and catalytic reactivity.

}, keywords = {Click reaction, Cycloaddition, mesoporous materials, SBA-15, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {1380-2224}, doi = {10.1007/s10934-016-0266-0}, author = {Pathak, Aruna and Singh, A. P.} } @article {44045, title = {Synthesis and characterization of six-membered pincer nickelacycles and application in alkylation of benzothiazole}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1161-1169}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Six-membered pincer nickelacycle complexes have been synthesized and employed for the catalytic C{\textendash}H bond alkylation of benzothiazole. The pincer nickelacycle, {κP, κC, κP- (2 - iPr 2POCH 2-C 6H 3- 6 -CH 2OP iPr 2)} NiBr , [(iPr4-POCCCOP)NiBr(2)] was synthesized by the reaction of 1,3 - iPr 2POCH 2-C 6H 4-CH 2OP iPr 2[(iPr4-POCCCOP)-H(1)] with (CH3CN)2NiBr2 in the presence of Et 3N via the C(2){\textendash}H activation on ligand 1. Treatment of [(iPr4-POCCCOP)NiBr](2) with AgOAc afforded the complex [(iPr 4-POCCCOP) Ni (OAc)] (3) in good yield. Both the complexes 2 and 3 were characterized by 1H , 13C and 31P -NMR spectral analysis. Further, the molecular structures of complexes 2 and 3 were established by X-ray crystallography. The complex 2 was found to be an active catalyst for the C{\textendash}H bond alkylation of benzothiazole with alkyl halides containing β{\textendash}hydrogen atoms. Graphical abstract: Synopsis. Six-membered pincer nickelacycles have been synthesized and structurally characterized, which show catalytic activity for the C{\textendash}H bond alkylation of benzothiazole with alkyl halides containing β{\textendash}hydrogen atoms.[Figure not available: see fulltext.].

}, keywords = {Active catalyst, Alkyl halides, Alkylation, Atoms, Benzothiazole, Benzothiazoles, Catalyst activity, Chemical activation, Crystallography, C{\textendash}H activation, Hydrogen atoms, Nickelacycles, Pincer complex, Pincer complexessix-membered nickelacycle, six-membered nickelacycle, Spectrum analysis, Synthesis (chemical), Synthesis and characterizations, X ray crystallography}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1338-7}, author = {Pandiri, H. and Sharma, D.M. and Gonnade, R.G. and Punji, B.} } @article {43792, title = {Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical investigations of mixed-ligand copper(II)-organic supramolecular frameworks}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1147}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {549-557}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Two mixed-ligand copper(II)-organic coordination compounds with 5,5{\textquoteright}-dimethyl-2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine (5,5{\textquoteright}-Me(2)bpy) as a primary ligand while aliphatic malonate (Hmal) and aromatic 2-hydroxynicotinate (2-OHNA) as secondary ligands, were synthesized. These complexes are formulated as: [Cu(Hmal)(5,5{\textquoteright}-Me(2)bPY)(H2O)](ClO4) 1 and [Cu-2(2-OHNA)(2)(5,5{\textquoteright}-Me(2)bpy)(2)(NO3)KNO3) 2. These two complexes were structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Characterization was further supported by powder X-ray diffraction analysis, elemental analyses, FT-IR, FAB-MASS and TGA, DSC studies. Cyclic voltammetric and UV-visible spectral studies of these two complexes have also been done. The electrochemical studies of complex 1 in DMSO and DMF have shown that this complex undergoes quasi reversible diffusion-controlled one-electron transfer reaction without any chemical complication while complex 2 in DMSO undergoes quasi-reversible diffusion-controlled one electron transfer reaction, following EC mechanism. The electrochemical behaviour of complex 2 in DMF is complicated probably due to presence of more than one species in solution phase. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2 {\textquoteright}-bipyridine, 3, 5, 5 {\textquoteright}-dimethyl-2, 5-Tricarboxylic acid, Benzene-1, classification, Co-ordination-Compounds, Crystal-structures, cyclic voltammetry, magnetic properties, metal organic framework, Mixed-ligand complex, pi-pi stacking interaction, Polymers, Secondery Building Unit, Structural data, Supramolecular framework, Ternare Komplexe, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2017.06.128}, author = {Singh, Sandeep K. and Srivastava, Ashish Kumar and Srivastava, Krishna and Banerjee, Rahul and Prasad, Jagdish} } @article {43361, title = {Synthesis of annulated bis-indoles through Au(I)/br{\o}nsted acid-catalyzed reactions of (1H-indol-3-yl)(aryl)methanols with 2-(arylethynyl)-1H-indoles}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {15}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {863 - 869}, abstract = {A general method to access annulated bis-indoles from (1H-indol-3-yl)(aryl)methanols and 2-(arylethynyl)-1H-indoles under the catalysis of the Ph3PAuOTf/Br{\o}nsted acid binary catalyst system has been developed. The reaction was found to proceed in a highly efficient manner and benefit from easy-to-make starting materials, broad substrate scope and operational simplicity. The potential of this method has also been exemplified for the synthesis of pyrrole-annulated indoles using 2-(phenylethynyl)-1H-indoles and phenyl(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methanols. Furthermore, the use of a ternary catalyst system, involving PdCl2/Br{\o}nsted acid/Ph3PAuOTf catalysts, has been realized for the synthesis of annulated bis-indoles starting directly from 2-(phenylbuta-1,3-diyn-1-yl)aniline and (1H-indol-3-yl)(aryl)methanol. Mechanistically, this reaction is very interesting since the overall process involves three different catalytic cycles catalyzed by three different catalysts in a relay fashion.}, doi = {10.1039/C6OB02595A}, author = {Patil, Nitin T. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam} } @inbook {45775, title = {Synthesis of fluorinated heterocycles via multicomponent reactions}, booktitle = {Multicomponent reactions: synthesis of bioactive heterocycles}, year = {2017}, pages = {183-199}, publisher = {CRC Press}, organization = {CRC Press}, chapter = {Synthesis of fluorinated heterocycles via multicomponent reactions}, abstract = {Fluorine is one of the most important elements in the periodic table because it is the most electronegative element, makes the strongest C-F bond, and is more polarized in organic synthesis. These unique and distinctive properties of fluorine make it very useful and widely applicable in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Hydrogen replaced with the fluorine of an organic compound can tune the pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties of the molecule, which improve solubility, membrane permeability, 184metabolic stability, and receptor-binding properties compared with nonfluorinated analogs.1 Due to these unique properties of fluorine, organofluorine compounds are very applicative in medicinal, pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and material chemistry. This wide applicability of fluorine and organofluorine compounds attracts the attention of researchers and chemists. Labeled fluorine-18 is one of the most commonly used positron emitting radioisotopes in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging technology, which can detect presymptomatic biochemical changes in body tissues. In addition to its use in PET-CT, fluorine is used in preparation of chemically resistant polymer materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) or polarity to piezoelectric material such as polyvinylidene fluoride and organic liquid crystals for displays. Because of these many advantages of fluorine, organic chemists have developed various methods to introduce fluorine in organic molecules. During the last two decades, numerous organofluorine heterocyclics have been developed; in this chapter, we have summarized synthesis of multicomponent reactions (MCRs) in application of fluorine compound synthesis.}, issn = { 978-149873419-6}, doi = {10.1201/9781315369754}, author = {Shinde, S. S. and Thore, S. N. and Pawar, R. P. and Ameta, K. L. and Patil, S. N.} } @article {43686, title = {Synthesis of gamma-WO3 thin films by hot wire-CVD and investigation of its humidity sensing properties}, journal = {Physica Status Solidi A-Applications and Materials Science}, volume = {214}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {Article Number: 1600717}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this study, monoclinic tungsten oxide (gamma-WO3) have been grown in a single step using HW-CVD method by resistively heating W filaments in a constant O-2 pressure. The formation of gamma-WO3 was confirmed using low angle-XRD and Raman spectroscopy analysis. Low angle-XRD analysis revealed that as-deposited WO3 film are highly crystalline and the crystallites have preferred orientation along the (002) direction. HRTEM analysis and SAED pattern also show the highly crystalline nature of WO3 with d spacing of similar to 0.38 nm, having an orientation along the (002) direction. Surface topography investigated by SEM analysis shows the formation of a uniform and homogeneous cauliflower like morphology throughout the substrate surface without flaws and cracks. A humidity sensing device incorporating WO3 is also fabricated, which shows a maximum humidity sensitivity factor of similar to 3954\% along with a response time of similar to 14 s and a recovery time of similar to 25 s. The obtained results demonstrate that it is possible to synthesize WO3 in a single step by HW-CVD method and to fabricate a humidity sensor by using it. (C) 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, Weinheim}, doi = {10.1002/pssa.201600717}, author = {Jadkar, Vijaya and Pawbake, Amit and Waykar, Ravindra and Jadhavar, Ashok and Date, Abhijit and Late, Dattatray and Pathan, Habib and Gosavi, Suresh and Jadkar, Sandesh} } @article {43815, title = {Synthesis of meta-substituted monodentate phosphinite ligands and implication in hydroformylation}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1143-1152}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Synthesis of meta-substituted phosphinite ligands 3,3{\textquoteright}-(methoxyphosphanediyl) bis(N, N-diethylaniline) (4a) and methoxybis(3-methoxyphenyl) phosphane (4b), in high yields, has been demonstrated. Typical phosphorus chemical shift between 110-120 ppm, appearance of methoxy protons and corresponding carbon, as well as ESI-MS spectra unambiguously confirmed the existence of phosphinite ligands 4a and 4b. To demonstrate the synthetic usefulness of 4a and 4b, these ligands were tested in the rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-octene. The diethylamine substituted ligand 4a was found to be highly active, whereas 4bwas less reactive but revealed slightly better regioselectivity of 62\% under optimized conditions. Additionally, 4a and 4b were found to catalyze the hydroformylation of styrene, 1-undecenol and 1,1-disubstituted functional olefin, methyl methacrylate. Both the ligands displayed excellent conversion of styrene, and 4b revealed an excellent branch selectivity of 75\%. Although 1-undecenol proved to be amenable to hydroformylation (85-90\% conversion to aldehyde), both the ligands failed to discriminate between the linear and branched products. Substrate methyl methacrylate proved to be highly challenging and reduced conversion (between 33-42\%) was observed under optimized conditions. Ligand 4a was found to be highly selective towards linear aldehyde (81\% linear selectivity).}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1341-z}, author = {Deshmukh, Satej S. and Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Pandey, Swechchha and Mali, Pramod S. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {44033, title = {Synthesis of orthorhombic-molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO3) thin films by hot wire-CVD and investigations of its humidity sensing properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science Materials in Electronics}, volume = {1}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In present work, we report synthesis of orthorhombic-molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO 3) thin films using home-build hot wire-CVD (HW-CVD) method simply by heating the Mo filament in a controlled O 2 atmosphere. The formation of α-MoO 3 was confirmed by low angle-XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Low angle-XRD analysis revealed that α-MoO 3 crystallites have orientations along (110), (101) and (111) directions while Raman spectroscopy analysis shows two prominent vibrational modes ~819 and ~994 cm -1 associated with Mo 2{\textendash}O and Mo=O respectively. SEM and TEM analysis show the formation of nano-sheets like morphology of α-MoO 3 thin films. The SAED pattern shows highly crystalline nature of α-MoO 3. The humidity-sensing properties were investigated at room temperature by fabricating the two probe device. The humidity sensing results showed n-type behavior of α-MoO 3. The maximum humidity sensitivity of ~6957\% along with response time of ~66 s and recovery time of ~5 s were observed for α-MoO 3 thin film humidity sensor device. Our results have opened up a new avenue to grow α-MoO 3 for humidity sensor applications.}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-017-7473-6}, author = {Jadkar, Vijaya and Pawbake, Amit S. and Waykar,Ravindra G. and Jadhavar, Ashok Arjun and Mayabadi, Azam and Date, Abhijit and Late, Dattatray J. and Pathan, Habib M. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Jadkar, Sandesh R.} } @article {44019, title = {Synthesis of water soluble CdS nanoparticles and study of their DNA damage activity}, journal = {Arabian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {10}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3929-S3935}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study reports a novel method for preparation of water soluble CdS nanoparticles using leaf extract of a plant, Asparagus racemosus. The extract of the leaf tissue which worked as a stabilizing and capping agent, assisted the formation of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were characterized using a UV{\textendash}vis spectrophotometer, Photoluminescence, TEM, EDAX, XRD and FT-IR. Transmission electron microscopy followed by selected area electron diffraction pattern analysis indicated the formation of spherical, polydispersed, crystalline, CdS of diameter ranging from 2 to 8 nm. X-ray diffraction studies showed the formation of 1 1 1, 2 2 0 and 3 1 1 planes of face-centered cubic (fcc) CdS. EDAX analysis confirmed the presence of Cd and S in nanosphere. The cytotoxicity test using MTT assay as well as DNA damage analysis using comet assay revealed that synthesized nano CdS quantum dots (QDs) caused less DNA damage and cell death of lymphocytes than pure CdS nanoparticles.

}, issn = {1878-5352}, doi = {10.1016/j.arabjc.2014.05.033}, author = {Prasad, K. S. and Amin, T. and Katuva, S. and Kumari, Madhu and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {45683, title = {Systematic comparison of the response properties of protein and RNA mediated gene regulatory motifs}, journal = {Molecular BioSystems}, volume = {13 }, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1235-1245}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We present a framework enabling the dissection of the effects of motif structure (feedback or feedforward), the nature of the controller (RNA or protein), and the regulation mode (transcriptional, post-transcriptional or translational) on the response to a step change in the input. We have used a common model framework for gene expression where both motif structures have an activating input and repressing regulator, with the same set of parameters, to enable a comparison of the responses. We studied the global sensitivity of the system properties, such as steady-state gain, overshoot, peak time, and peak duration, to parameters. We find that, in all motifs, overshoot correlated negatively whereas peak duration varied concavely with peak time. Differences in the other system properties were found to be mainly dependent on the nature of the controller rather than the motif structure. Protein mediated motifs showed a higher degree of adaptation i.e. a tendency to return to baseline levels; in particular, feedforward motifs exhibited perfect adaptation. RNA mediated motifs had a mild regulatory effect; they also exhibited a lower peaking tendency and mean overshoot. Protein mediated feedforward motifs showed higher overshoot and lower peak time compared to the corresponding feedback motifs.}, doi = {10.1039/c6mb00808a}, author = {Iyengar, Bharat Ravi and Pillai, Beena and Venkatesh, K. V. and Gadgil, Chetan J.} } @article {45746, title = {Tandem synthesis of glycidol via transesterification of glycerol with DMC over Ba-mixed metal oxide catalysts}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1763-1774}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Glycerol carbonate (GC) and glycidol (GD) are commercial products possible from glycerol transformation, which has become a subject of great importance. Among several basic catalysts screened in this work, BaO showed the highest glycerol conversion of 71\% with almost complete selectivity to GC. A tandem synthesis of GD with a selectivity as high as 80\% with 98\% glycerol conversion could be achieved with mixed oxides of Ba and lanthanides (La and Ce) prepared by the coprecipitation method. Although BaO alone showed the highest basicity as measured by CO2 TPD, tuning of basicity by incorporation of CeO2 resulted in the formation of GD. Incorporation of Ba into the ceria matrix induced oxygen vacancies in the cerium oxide material. The presence of u"/v" doublets at 888.7 and 903.2 eV, respectively, in XPS of the Ba-Ce sample also confirmed the oxygen vacancies in the lattice. In this tandem approach to GD, the subsequent decarboxylation of initially formed GC was due to the presence of a CeO2 lattice with defects, which is known to be the best for CO2 adsorption. Increase in both catalyst loading and temperature showed a dramatic enhancement in GD selectivity. A plausible reaction pathway for the transesterification of glycerol with DMC to give GC followed by its decarboxylation to GD is also proposed based on the structural characterization and activity studies.}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b02520}, author = {Kondawar, S. E. and Patil, C. R. and Rode, C. V.} } @inbook {44491, title = {Targeting RNA G-Quadruplexes for potential therapeutic applications}, booktitle = {Topics in Medicinal Chemistry}, year = {2017}, pages = {177-206}, publisher = {Springer Verlag}, organization = {Springer Verlag}, abstract = {

RNA G-quadruplexes are non-canonical structures formed in G-rich regions of transcriptome. Considerable research points towards the potential role for these dynamic structures in various genes involved in multiple pathways. The ability of these structures to influence important biological processes has been demonstrated in few selected important genes and more recently in a global manner across the transcriptome. RNA G-quadruplexes are implicated in fundamental processes such as translational regulation, alternative splicing, mRNA transport and telomere homeostasis to name a few. The involvement of these structures in key biological processes makes them attractive targets for therapeutic interventions. Here we discuss the structural features of RNA G-quadruplex that make it more monomorphic to develop ligands unlike the polymorphic DNA G-quadruplexes. Furthermore, the role of RNA G-quadruplexes in important genes involved in diseases and disorders such as neurodegeneration, cancer and viral infections has been highlighted. A summary of ligands and their established roles in targeting RNA G-quadruplex structures has been discussed in context of important processes. Moreover, we highlight the need to develop ligands that are highly specific in targeting RNA G-quadruplexes, a new target to restore homeostasis in dysregulated conditions.

}, doi = {10.1007/7355_2016_22}, author = {Pandey,Satyaprakash and Agarwala, Prachi and Maiti,Souvik} } @article {43375, title = {Temperature and pH dual stimuli responsive PCL- b -PNIPAAm block copolymer assemblies and the cargo release studies}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {55}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1383-1396}, type = {Article}, chapter = {1383-1396}, abstract = {A new atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator, namely, 2-(1-(2-azidoethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl 2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate containing both {\textquotedblleft}cleavable{\textquotedblright} acetal linkage and {\textquotedblleft}clickable{\textquotedblright} azido group was synthesized. Well-defined azido-terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s (PNIPAAm-N3)s with molecular weights and dispersity in the range 11,000{\textendash}19,000 g mol-1 and 1.20{\textendash}1.28, respectively, were synthesized employing the initiator by ATRP. Acetal containing PCL-b-PNIPAAm block copolymer was obtained by alkyne{\textendash}azide click reaction of azido-terminated PNIPAAm-N3 with propargyl-terminated PCL. Critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of PCL-b-PNIPAAm copolymer in aqueous solution was found to be 8.99 {\texttimes} 10-6 M. Lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PCL-b-PNIPAAm copolymer was found to be 32 {\textdegree}C which was lower than that of the precursor PNIPAAm-N3 (36.4 {\textdegree}C). The effect of dual stimuli viz. temperature and pH on size and morphology of the assemblies of PCL-b-PNIPAAm block copolymer revealed that the copolymer below LCST assembled in spherical micelles which subsequently transformed to unstable vesicles above the LCST. Heating these assemblies above 40 {\textdegree}C led to the precipitation of PCL-b-PNIPAAm block copolymer. Whereas, at decreased pH, micelles of PCL-b-PNIPAAm copolymer disintegrate due to the cleavage of acetal linkage and precipitation of hydrophobic hydroxyl-terminated PCL. The encapsulated pyrene release kinetics from the micelles of synthesized PCL-b-PNIPAAm copolymer was found to be faster at higher temperature and at lower pH. {\textcopyright} 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017}, doi = {10.1002/pola.28508}, author = {Patil, Sachin S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash} } @article {43645, title = {Thermally conductive thin films derived from defect free graphene-natural rubber latex nanocomposite: preparation and properties}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {119}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {527-534}, abstract = {Commercially useful rubber products viz. gloves, condoms, tyres, and rubber hoses used in high temperature environments, etc., require efficient thermal conductivity, which increases the lifetime of these products. Graphene can fetch this property, if it is effectively incorporated into the rubber matrix. The great challenge in preparing graphene-rubber nanocomposites is formulating a scalable method to produce defect free graphene and its homogeneous dispersion into polymer matrices through an aqueous medium. Here, we used a simple method to produce defect free few layer (2-5) graphene, which can be easily dispersed into natural rubber (NR) latex without adversely affecting its colloidal stability. The resulting new composite showed large increase in thermal conductivity (480-980\%) along with 40\% increase in tensile properties and 60\% improvement in electrical conductivity. This study provides a novel and generalized approach for the preparation of graphene based thermally conductive rubber nanocomposites. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2017.04.068}, author = {George, Gejo and Sisupal, Suja Bhargavan and Tomy, Teenu and Pottammal, Bincy Akkoli and Kumaran, Alaganandam and Suvekbala, Vemparthan and Gopimohan, Rajmohan and Sivaram, Swaminathan and Ragupathy, Lakshminarayanan} } @article {44137, title = {Thermomechanical effect in molecular crystals: the role of halogen-bonding interactions}, journal = {IUCRJ}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {812-823}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The design and synthesis of mechanically responsive materials is interesting because they are potential candidates to convert thermal energy into mechanical work. Reported in this paper are thermosalient effects in a series of halogen derivatives of salinazids. The chloro derivative, with higher electronegativity and a weaker inter-halogen bond strength (Cl center dot center dot center dot Cl) exhibits an excellent thermal response, whereas the response is weaker in the iodo derivative with stronger I center dot center dot center dot I halogen bonding. 3,5-Dichlorosalinazid (Compound-A) exists in three polymorphic forms, two room-temperature polymorphs (Forms I and II) and one high-temperature modification (Form III). The transformation of Form I to Form III upon heating at 328-333 K is a reversible thermosalient transition, whereas the transformation of Form II to Form III is irreversible and nonthermosalient. 3,5-Dibromo- (Compound-B) and 3-bromo-5-chloro(Compound-C) salinazid are both dimorphic: the Form I to Form II transition in Compound-B is irreversible, whereas Compound-C shows a reversible thermosalient effect (362-365 K). In the case of 3,5-diiodosalinazid (CompoundD) and 3,5-difluorosalinazid (Compound-E), no phase transitions or thermal effects were observed. The thermosalient behaviour of these halosalinazid molecular crystals is understood from the anisotropy in the cell parameters (an increase in the a axis and a decrease in the b and c axes upon heating) and the sudden release of accumulated strain during the phase transition. The dihalogen salinazid derivatives (chlorine to iodine) show a decrease in thermal effects with an increase in halogen-bond strength. Interestingly, Compound-B shows solid-state photochromism in its polymorphs along with the thermosalient effect, wherein Form I is cyan and Form II is light orange.}, doi = {10.1107/S2052252517014658}, author = {Mittapalli, Sudhir and Perumalla, D. Sravanakumar and Nanubolu, Jagadeesh Babu and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {43774, title = {Thermo-responsive PNIPAM-metal hybrids: an efficient nanocatalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {420}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {753-763}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Micron size thermoresponsive cross-linked polymeric microgels of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) are used as "microreactor" for embedding metal nanoparticles of different shapes. Using a simple and robust method, we have synthesized various polymer-metal hybrid nanostructures incorporated with Au nanorods (AuNR), Au nanospheres (AuNS) and Ag nanospheres (AgNS). These hybrid nanostructures have been characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS) followed by their catalytic activity. TEM studies directly confirmed the mondispersity of synthesized hybrid microgels and stability of the embedded metal nanoparticles within the microgels. Optical studies confirmed the presence of respective absorption bands that correspond to AuNS, AgNS and AuNR respectively. Extensive DLS studies demonstrated that although these hybrid microgels preserve their thermoresponsive properties, i.e their hydrodynamic radius decreased with increasing temperature, their thermosensitivity were comparatively lesser than pure PNIPAM microgels. Combining with studies using static light scattering, we further found that AuNS and AgNS were inhomogeneously distributed within microgels where the majority of the nanoparticles present within the loosely cross-linked shell. On the other hand AuNR were distributed more homogeneously within the microgels. Catalytic performance of various nanostructures loaded onto PNIPAM microgel beads were evaluated by studying the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Complete catalytic conversion using AgNS occurred in similar to 30 min with a first-order rate constant of 0.159 min(-1) having a 7 min induction period. On the other hand no induction period was observed for AuNS and AuNR and the reaction completed in 3-4 min with a first-order rate constant of 1.607 min(-1) and 1.627 min(-1) respectively. Further, PNIPAM-AuNS and PNIPAM-AuNR possess better catalytic activity as well as recyclability compared to that of PNIPAM-AgNS. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.05.172}, author = {Satapathy, Smith Sagar and Bhol, Prachi and Chakkarambath, Aswathy and Mohanta, Jagdeep and Samantaray, Kunal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Panda, Subhendu K. and Mohanty, Priti S. and Si, Satyabrata} } @article {43342, title = {Thermo-reversible sol-gel transition of aqueous solutions of patchy polymers}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {5101-5110}, abstract = {While aqueous solutions of several amphiphilic thermo-reversible polymers show gelation upon heating, there are fewer examples of polymer solutions that exhibit gelation when cooled. This paper reports an interesting phenomenon of abrupt thermoreversible gelation of aqueous solutions of a hydrophobically modified polymer upon cooling. A high molecular weight precursor copolymer (PCP, (M-w) over bar approximate to 5 x 10(6) g mol(-1)) of N, N-dimethylacrylamide (70 mol\%) and acrylic acid (30 mol\%) was modified by reacting 10 mol\% of the acrylic acid groups with n-dodecyl amine to form a hydrophobically modified copolymer (HMCP). The composition of the copolymer was ascertained using NMR spectroscopy. Cooling the solution of PCP at a controlled rate resulted in a gradual increase in its low shear viscosity as dictated by the flow activation energy. In contrast, cooling the solution of HMCP under identical conditions resulted in an abrupt and large non-Arrhenius increase in viscosity at a specific transition temperature, which decreased with decrease in polymer concentration. Fluorescence measurements and dynamic light scattering data showed that abrupt gelation happened upon cooling, when polymer coils percolate accompanied with concomitant transition in chain conformation from compact micellar coils formed by intra-chain hydrophobic associations to swollen polymer coils connected by inter-chain hydrophobic interactions.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra27030a}, author = {Parmar, Indravadan A. and Shedge, Aarti S. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article {45751, title = {Total synthesis of (+/-)-allocolchicine and its analogues using Co-catalyzed alkyne [2}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5591-5600}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of (+/-)-allocolchicine has been completed by employing cobalt-catalyzed alkyne [2 + 2 + 2]-cyclotrimerization as the key reaction. The essential diyne has been synthesized from easily available 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde following simple chemical transformations. In general, the cycloaddition gave a mixture of C(9) and C(10) isomers thus allowing the synthesis of both allocolchicine and its C(10)-carboxylate. Because this cycloaddition was employed at the penultimate stage, it allowed the synthesis of various analogues having the diverse functionality at C(9) and/or C(10) of ring C.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b00980}, author = {Paymode, Dinesh J. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {43531, title = {Total synthesis of natural fregenedadiol and its diacetate, rearranged labdanes with aromatized B ring}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {58}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1262-1264}, abstract = {Labdane based natural products are most abundant and widely distributed in nature with many compounds exhibiting exceptional biological properties. Fregenedadiol is a bicyclic diterpene isolated from Halimium viscosum and represents a new carbon skeleton fregenedane with its B ring aromatized. Here, we report a total synthesis of this interesting natural product using one-pot Diels-Alder/aromatization sequence and selective hydrogenolysis as key steps. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2017.02.010}, author = {Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {43799, title = {Transcriptional transitions in alphonso mango (Mangifera indica L.) during fruit development and ripening explain its distinct aroma and shelf life characteristics}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Alphonso is known as the "King of mangos" due to its unique flavor, attractive color, low fiber pulp and long shelf life. We analyzed the transcriptome of Alphonso mango through Illumina sequencing from seven stages of fruit development and ripening as well as flower. Total transcriptome data from these stages ranged between 65 and 143 Mb. Importantly, 20,755 unique transcripts were annotated and 4,611 were assigned enzyme commission numbers, which encoded 142 biological pathways. These included ethylene and flavor related secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways, as well as those involved in metabolism of starch, sucrose, amino acids and fatty acids. Differential regulation ( p-value <= 0.05) of thousands of transcripts was evident in various stages of fruit development and ripening. Novel transcripts for biosynthesis of mono-terpenes, sesqui-terpenes, di-terpenes, lactones and furanones involved in flavor formation were identified. Large number of transcripts encoding cell wall modifying enzymes was found to be steady in their expression, while few were differentially regulated through these stages. Novel 79 transcripts of inhibitors of cell wall modifying enzymes were simultaneously detected throughout Alphonso fruit development and ripening, suggesting controlled activity of these enzymes involved in fruit softening.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-08499-5}, author = {Deshpande, Ashish B. and Anamika, Krishanpal and Jha, Vineet and Chidley, Hemangi G. and Oak, Pranjali S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {43734, title = {Transition metal, azide, and oxidant-free homo- and heterocoupling of ambiphilic tosylhydrazones to the regioselective triazoles and pyrazoles}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1534-1537}, type = {Article}, abstract = {With N-tosylhydrazone as an ambiphilic reagent, an unprecedented cyclization reaction of two identical or different tosylhydrazones has been developed to access various 4,5-disubstituted-2H-triazoles under transition metal, azide, and oxidant-free conditions. A mechanistic.rationalization study led to the identification of several electronically diverse unsaturated systems for regioselective synthesis of 1- and 2-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles and pyrazoles.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b00313}, author = {Panda, Subhankar and Maity, Pradip and Manna, Debasis} } @article {43388, title = {Transition metal free catalytic hydroboration of aldehydes and aldimines by amidinato silane}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2420 - 2424}, abstract = {The transition metal free catalytic hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones is very limited and has not been reported with a well-defined silicon(iv) compound. Therefore, we chose to evaluate the previously reported silicon(iv) hydride [PhC(NtBu)2SiHCl2], (1) as a single component catalyst and found that it catalyzes the reductive hydroboration of a range of aldehydes with pinacolborane (HBpin) under ambient conditions. In addition, compound 1 can catalyze imine hydroboration. DFT calculation was carried out to understand the mechanism.}, doi = {10.1039/C6DT04893E}, author = {Bisai, Milan and Pahar, Sanjukta and Das, Tamal and Sen, Sakya S.} } @conference {45758, title = {Unraveling structure sensitivity in phenol hydrogenaton on Pd nanostructures}, booktitle = {253rd National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) on Advanced Materials, Technologies, Systems, and Processes}, year = {2017}, month = {APR }, publisher = {Amer Chemical Soc, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, organization = {Amer Chemical Soc, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, author = {Haider, M. Ali and Seshadri, Sreedhala and Gupta, Shelaka and Khan, Tuhin and Prabhakaran, Vinod} } @article {44001, title = {Valorization of pomegranate peels: a biorefinery approach}, journal = {Waste and Biomass Valorization}, volume = {8}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, chapter = {1127-1137}, abstract = {

Recent studies have shown that pomegranate peels (PP) is a valuable source of valuable bioactive compounds, most of which can be converted into value-added products. We herein review this conversion process and provide an outline on the chemical composition of PP and the possible value-added products that can be produced from this commonly discarded agro-waste. We have also discussed its use as a substrate to produce medicinal compounds and bioactive phenolic compounds (e.g., phenolic acids, flavonoids, vitamin C, fertilizers, dietary fibers, and tannins) as well as its use in nanomaterial synthesis. Based on available evidence, it is obvious that PP has a wide variety of applications, and thus, developing an efficient system to utilize PP adequately will help to completely utilize its potential benefits. The biorefinery approach shows promising potential for efficient utilization of PP; however, additional studies should be conducted in this area. {\textcopyright} 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

}, issn = {1877-2641}, doi = {10.1007/s12649-016-9668-0}, author = {Pathak, P. D. and Mandavgane, S. A. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {44006, title = {Valorization of potato peel: a biorefinery approach}, journal = {Critical Reviews in Biotechnology}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, chapter = {1-13}, abstract = {

Potato is the fourth main crop consumed worldwide and is an important constituent in the human diet. Consequently, potato is widely used in food-processing industries. However, these industries generate massive amounts of potato peel (PP) as a by-product, which is usually considered a waste, and is discarded. Interestingly, recent research suggests that PP is a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which can be converted into value-added products. In this study, we review the physicochemical composition and valorization of PP. In addition to being used as a dietary fiber or medicine, the value-added products obtained by the fermentation of PP have multiple uses, including their use as adsorbents, biocomposites and packaging materials. These products can also be used in energy production, biopolymer film development, corrosion inhibition and the synthesis of cellulose nanocrystals. The biorefinery approach for PP will increase the value of this waste by producing an array of value-added products and reducing extensive waste generation.

}, keywords = {Bioactive compounds, Biorefinery, Potato peel, Valorization, Value-added products}, doi = {10.1080/07388551.2017.1331337}, author = {Pathak, P. D. and Mandavgane, S. A. and Puranik, N. M. and Jambhulkar, S. J and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {43551, title = {Vapor-liquid equilibrium data for binary mixtures of acetic acid plus anisole, acetone plus anisole, and isopropanol plus anisole at pressure 96.15 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {62}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {947-953}, abstract = {In this work, the vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data have been generated at the local atmospheric pressure of 96.15 kPa for the binary systems acetic acid + anisole, acetone + anisole, and isopropanol + anisole. A circulation type apparatus was designed and developed with few modifications in one of the stills proposed in the literature. For the validation of the new apparatus, VLE data were generated for the known system of N,N-DMF + aniline and compared with the literature data. The VLE data, generated in Txy form for all pairs, were found to be consistent through the point-to-point consistency test. Activity coefficient models, Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC, were fitted to these data using an objective function of minimizing the sum of deviation between experimental and calculated total pressures to estimate the binary interaction parameters. The model predictions with estimated parameters were compared with the experimental data and found appropriate.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.6b00700}, author = {Mali, Nilesh A. and Mali, Pawan K. and Patil, Asmita P. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {44029, title = {Viable alternative in vitro system and comparative metabolite profiling of different tissues for the conservation of ceropegia karulensis}, journal = {Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1-15}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Abstract: Ceropegia karulensis is an endemic and critically endangered plant of the Western Ghats from India. Exploitation of the tubers and poor regeneration from seed has narrowed distribution and propagation of the species. There is a need to develop in vitro propagation methods for C. karulensis to alleviate these problems. Here, we optimized callus induction, somatic embryogenesis and microtuberization from different seedling explants viz. cotyledonary leaf and root. The environmental scanning electron microscopy was used to observe somatic embryonic origin and their developmental stages. Highest callus proliferation was recorded with 2 {\textmu}M 6-benzylaminopurine and 1 {\textmu}M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Somatic embryos derived from cotyledonary leaf explants were more proliferative than root explants. The combination of 2 {\textmu}M 6-benzylaminopurine, 2 {\textmu}M naphthalene acetic acid and 7\% sucrose in MS media resulted in highest microtuberization. Further, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based metabolic profiling was carried out from native wild plants and in vitro callus tissues which identified various phytochemicals such as alkaloids, fatty acids, esters alcohols, etc. Multivariate analysis revealed the chemical disparities, where considerable variations were observed between native wild type and in vitro tissues, but no significant differences were found among in vitro callus from both root and cotyledonary explants. Overall, our results suggested that the production of various secondary metabolites found in C. karulensis was not affected by in vitro propagation and could be utilized in the conservation strategies for this plant. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]}, keywords = {alkaloids, Metabolites}, doi = {10.1007/s11240-017-1292-6}, author = {Pandey, M. and Jayaramaiah, R.H. and Dholakia, B.B and Punekar, S.A. and Giri, A.P.} } @conference {45757, title = {VIMAL: A chemoinformatics toolkit for design of novel antiviral agents through textmining of scientific literature}, booktitle = {253rd National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) on Advanced Materials, Technologies, Systems, and Processes}, year = {2017}, month = {APR }, publisher = {Amer Chemical Soc, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, organization = {Amer Chemical Soc, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, author = {Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Pahujani, Rakhi and Vyas, Renu} } @article {43936, title = {Vitro study of novel microparticle based silk fibroin scaffold with osteoblast-like cells for load-bearing osteo-regenerative applications}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {26551 - 26558}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Silk Fibroin (SF) is today considered to be one of the most favorable materials for bone tissue engineering. We have prepared novel SF microparticle based 3D scaffolds, with appropriate pore size, pore interconnectivity and porosity, excellent mechanical properties and tunable bioresorption, while retaining the inherent biocompatibility of SF. These properties make them ideal candidates for osteoregenerative applications. Here, we report the in vitro cell viability, cell adhesion and proliferation with osetoblastic differentiation of MG 63 osteoblast-like cell line on these scaffolds. In addition, we have also modified the surface of these scaffolds using collagen type I and chitosan biopolymers. Our results show that although the SF scaffold does support in vitro cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation, this performance can be further enhanced using the surface coating approach. Also, the ALP activity and bone mineralization was found to be particularly superior in the chitosan modified scaffolds.}, doi = {10.1039/c7ra03288a}, author = {Parekh, Nimisha Anant and Hushye, Chandni and Warunkar, Saniya and Gupta, Sayam Sen and Nisal, Anuya} } @article {45505, title = {2D layered transition metal dichalcogenides (MoS2): Synthesis, applications and theoretical aspects}, journal = {Applied Materials Today}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {242-270}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Recently, graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been widely explored due to their unique optical, mechanical, electrical and sensing properties for versatile electronic and optoelectronic applications. The atomically thin layers of TMDC materials have shown potential to replace state-of-the-art silicon-based technology. Graphene has already revealed an excess of new physics and multifaceted applications in several areas. Similarly, mono-layers of TMDCs such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) have also shown excellent electrical and optical properties possessing a direct band-gap of \~{}1.8 eV combined with high mechanical flexibility. In contrast to semi-metallic graphene, the semiconducting behavior of MoS2 allows it to overcome the deficiencies of zero-band-gap graphene. This review summarizes the synthesis of 2D MoS2 by several techniques, i.e., mechanical and chemical exfoliation, RF-sputtering, atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etc. Furthermore, extensive studies based on potential applications of MoS2 such as the sensor, solar cells, field emission and as an efficient catalyst for hydrogen generation has been included. Theoretical aspects combined with the experimental observations to provide more insights on the dielectric, optical and topological behavior of MoS2 was highlighted. }, issn = {23529407}, doi = {10.1016/j.apmt.2018.09.003}, author = {Singh, A.K. and Kumar, P. and Late, D.J. and Kumar, A. and Patel, S. and Singh, J.} } @article {45453, title = {2D molecular precursor for a one-pot synthesis of semiconducting metal sulphide nanocrystals}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {41}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {2D molecular materials, namely, metal alkyl thiolates, have been used as a single-source precursor for the synthesis of semiconducting metal sulphide nanocrystals (NCs) by thermal decomposition. These 2D molecular precursors have all the ingredients required for metal sulphide synthesis (metal source, sulphur source and protecting ligand). In this study, we demonstrate a simple and general solvothermal decomposition{\textquoteright} approach for the synthesis of high-quality , PbS, CdS, MnS and ZnS NCs. The size of the NC can also be controlled by changing the decomposition temperature. Furthermore, the optical properties of the NCs have also been studied. }, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-018-1639-6}, author = {Bera, Abhijit and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {44416, title = {Accelerated in vitro model for occlusion of biliary stents: investigating the role played by dietary fibre}, journal = {BMJ Innovations}, volume = {4}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, abstract = {ackground To develop a new accelerated in vitro model that has implications for investigating the mechanism of biliary stent occlusion and help in the development of new materials that can alleviate this problem. Methods We employ a combination of reconstituted animal bile, bacteria and cellulose fibres optimised to reproducibly generate accelerated occlusion of stents, and produce occlusions that closely mimic those found in clinical studies. Results Our model affords repeatable, highly accelerated occlusion (within 2{\textendash}3 days, compared with between about a week to 2 months in previous models). Our results highlight the role of dietary fibre in blockage of stents and demonstrate their importance in the onset of occlusion. Conclusions This accelerated model may have implications for developing biliary stents with enhanced patency.}, doi = {dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjinnov-2017-000209}, author = {Surwase, Sachin and Balakrishnan, Harishankar and Acharya, Subrat K. and Makharia, Govind K. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {44417, title = {Access to silicon(II)- and germanium(II)-indium compounds}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {1206-1213}, abstract = {Despite the remarkable ability of N-heterocyclic silylene to act as a Lewis base and form stable Lewis adducts with group 13 elements such as boron, aluminum, and gallium, there has been no such comparable investigation with indium and the realization of a stable silylene-indium complex has still remained elusive. Similarly, a germylene-indium complex is also presently unknown. We describe herein the reactions of [PhC(NtBu)(2)SiN-(SiMe3)(2)] (1) and [PhC(NtBu)(2)GeN(SiMe3)(2)] (4) with InCl3 and InBr3 that have resulted in the first silylene-indium complexes, [PhC(NtBu)(2)Si{N(SiMe3)(2)}-> InCl3] (2) and [PhC(NtBu)(2)Si{N(SiMe3)(2)}-> InBr3] (3), as well as the first germylene-indium complexes, [PhC(NtBu)(2)Ge{N(SiMe3)(2)}-> InCl3] (5) and [PhC(NtBu)(2)Ge{N(SiMe3)(2)}-> InBr3] (6). The solid-state structures of all species have been validated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Note that 5 and 6 are the first structurally characterized organometallic compounds that feature a Ge-In single bond (apart from the compounds in Zintl phases). Theoretical calculations reveal that the Si(II)-> In bonds in 2 and 3 and the Ge(II)-> In bonds in 5 and 6 are dative bonds.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.8b00093}, author = {Pahar, Sanjukta and Karak, Suvendu and Pait, Moumita and Raj, K. Vipin and Vanka, Kumar and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {44418, title = {Acid modified H-USY zeolite for efficient catalytic transformation of fructose to 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (biofuel precursor) in methyl isobutyl ketone-water biphasic system}, journal = {Energy Fuels}, volume = {32}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3783{\textendash}3791}, abstract = {Sustainable process and efficient heterogeneous acid catalyst for the preparation of platform chemicals like 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) from renewable source is much in demand in the context of heterogeneous catalysis. Commercially available solid acid catalyst, H-USY zeolite was modified by treating with aqueous solution of H3PO4 and H2SO4 (10{\textendash}30 wt \%). Modified H-USY was completely characterized by XRD, NH3-TPD, energy dispersive analysis X-ray (EDAX), FT-IR, pyridine-IR, and NMR. Its catalytic performance was evaluated for the fructose conversion to 5-HMF in methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK){\textendash}water system. Modified H-USY zeolite was identified to have potential in enhancement of 5-HMF yield up to 65\% from 32\% (parent H-USY) with minimum formation of furfural (8\%). H-USY modified with 10 wt \% H3PO4 (10P{\textendash}Y) was found to be the best compared to other studied catalysts, namely, H-USY modified with 20 and 30 wt \% H3PO4 (20 and 30P{\textendash}Y) or 10{\textendash}30 wt \% H2SO4 (10- to 30S{\textendash}Y). Best performance of 10P{\textendash}Y is associated with the optimum combination of moderate acidity (both weak as well as strong), moderate dealumination of Al from extra-framework sites as well as from framework sites of H-USY, formation of new Al{\textendash}O{\textendash}P bonds between framework Al and elemental monomeric phosphorus, presence of Br{\o}nsted as well as Lewis acidity, and creation of mesopores. This gives new insight on a potential heterogeneous acid catalyst for the synthesis of 5-HMF.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b03684}, author = {Pande, Ashwini and Niphadkar, Prashant and Pandare, Kiran and Bokade, Vijay} } @article {45416, title = {Activation of HRI is mediated by Hsp90 during stress through modulation of the HRI-Hsp90 complex}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {118}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1604-1613}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Heme Regulated Inhibitor (HRI) is known to get activated in various stresses such as heme deficiency, heat shock, heavy metal toxicity etc. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a ubiquitous cytoplasmic protein interacts with HRI in order to regulate protein synthesis. However, it still remains to establish this interaction of HRI and Hsp90 at cellular levels and how this modulation of HRI activity is mediated by Hsp90 during stress. In the present report, using co-immunoprecipitation analysis we show that HRI interacts with Hsp90 and this association is independent of other co-chaperones in in vitro conditions. Further, analysis using truncated domains of HRI revealed that the K1 subdomain is essential for HRI - Hsp90 complex formation. Our in silico protein - protein interaction studies also indicated interaction of Hsp90 with K1 subdomain of HRI. Mammalian two hybrid assay validated this HRI - Hsp90 interaction at cellular levels. When the in vitro kinase assay was carried out with the co-immunoprecipitated complex of HRI - Hsp90, an increase in the kinase activity was observed resulting elevated levels of eIF2 alpha phosphorylation upon heavy metal stress and heat shock. Thus, our results clearly indicate modulation of HRI kinase activity with simultaneous Hsp90 association under stress conditions. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, issn = { 0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.06.204}, author = {Berwal, Sunil K. and Bhatia, Varsha and Bendre, Arneya and Suresh, C. G. and Chatterjee, Sangeeta and Pal, Jayanta K.} } @article {44382, title = {Bismuth(III)-catalyzed cycloisomerization and (hetero)arylation of alkynols: simple access to 2-(hetero)aryl tetrahydrofurans and tetrahydropyrans}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3229-3240}, abstract = {2-(Hetero)aryl tetrahydrofurans and tetrahydropyrans were successfully synthesized using Bi(OTf)(3)-catalyzed hydroalkoxylation (cycloisomerization) of alkynols (via 5 or 6 exo-dig cyclization) and intermolecular (hetero)arylation. This reaction involves a highly efficient cascade process, where initially the alkynol undergoes a cycloisomerization step via activation of the triple bond and generates the oxocarbenium ion, which subsequently participates in the (hetero)hydroarylation step with electron-rich arenes. Simple to complex suitably functionalized alkynols (4-pentyn-1-ols and 5-hexyn-1-ols) and electron-rich aromatic compounds were found to be reliable substrates in this cascade transformation and furnished a wide range of oxygen heterocycles. This practical tandem process provides a means to build libraries related to pharmacologically active molecules and natural product like scaffolds.}, doi = {10.1039/c8ob00368h}, author = {Nakate, Ashwini K. and Pratapure, Madhukar S. and Kontham, Ravindar} } @article {45468, title = { Bubble size prediction in gas-solid fluidized beds using genetic programming }, journal = {Current Science }, volume = {115}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV }, pages = {1904-1912}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The hydrodynamics of a gas-solid fluidized bed (FB) is affected by the bubble diameter, which in turn strongly influences the performance of a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). Thus, determining the bubble diameter accurately is of crucial importance in the design and operation of an FBR. Various equations are available for calculating the bubble diameter in an FBR. It has been found in this study that these models show a large variation while predicting the experimentally measured bubble diameters. Accordingly, the present study proposes a new equation for computing the bubble diameter in a fluidized bed. This equation has been developed using an efficient, yet infrequently employed computational intelligence (CI)-based data-driven modelling method termed genetic programming (GP). The prediction and generalization performance of the GP-based equation has been compared with that of a number of currently available equations for computing the bubble diameter in a fluidized bed and the results obtained show a good performance by the newly developed equation.}, issn = {0011-3891}, doi = {10.18520/cs/v115/i10/1904-1912}, author = {Sonolikar, R. R. and Patil, M. P. and Mankar, R. B. and Tambe, S. S. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {44646, title = {Calixarene intercalated NiCo layered double hydroxide for enhanced oxygen evolution catalysis}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9649-9660}, abstract = {

Water splitting provides a promising, sustainable way to resolve problems arising due to depleting fossil fuels. The success needs development of low-cost and high-performance electrode materials. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a crucial reaction in water splitting. The combined Ni and Co oxide developed nanostructures having a small overpotential and fast kinetics of OER. They have drawn considerable attention, because of their theoretically high efficiency, high abundance, low cost, and environmental benignity in comparison with precious metal oxides, such as RuO2 and IrO2. However, the desired efficiency needs the developments of enhanced specific active area and conductivity. In the present communication, we address these issues. Specifically, exfoliation of layer double hydroxide (LDH) is applied to enhance the active surface area. The study reveals that intercalation by calixarene in NiCo LDH affords a multifunctional interlayer to deliver a large active surface area and fast electron transport toward the carbon nano-onion (CNO) support. It favorably lowers the overpotentials in OER (290 mV) and attains Tafel slope of 31 mV/decade. Enhanced conductivity is achieved using CNO as a support for the calixarene intercalated NiCo LDH. These developments offer a synergistic effect in achieving superior electrocatalytic activity for OER. This work gives insight into designing binder-free electrodes in alkaline media with good stability for advanced OER activity.

}, keywords = {Calixarene, electrocatalyst, Exfoliation, NiCo LDH, Oxygen Evolution Reaction}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b04788}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Gaikwad, Aarti P. and Rode, V, Chandrashekhar and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article {44428, title = {Cascade dehydrative amination of glycerol to oxazoline}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2954-2965}, abstract = {Transformation of biomass into valuable nitrogen-containing compounds is highly desired, yet less explored. Here, we report a simple and efficient method for the direct conversion of bioglycerol to oxazoline involving glycerol dehydration to acetol followed by its amination using an aqueous solution of ammonia. For the two-step strategy a non-noble metal Cu-Zr catalyst was developed, giving a glycerol to acetol conversion of 78\% followed by amination separately with 95\% selectivity to oxazoline. Moreover, we have demonstrated a single-pot oxazoline synthesis using Ru/C as the most stable catalyst to achieve 95\% selectivity to oxazoline without any leaching. XPS studies revealed the co-existence of multivalent Ru species in different percentages depending on the nature and structure of the support. These multivalent species (RuO2 and RuO3) have a synergistic effect on the activation of the carbonyl group, whereas Ru-0 is an active site for ammonia dissociation. NH3-TPD and Py-IR spectroscopy results also suggest that the presence of relatively moderate acid sites and a higher BrOnsted/Lewis acid ratio in the catalyst promote the selective production of oxazoline. The reaction pathway involves first glycerol dehydration to acetol. In the subsequent step, NH3 is dissociatively adsorbed on the catalyst surface and the imine thus formed is condensed with a second molecule of acetol to obtain oxazoline. The studied catalyst could be recycled successfully without any significant loss of catalytic activity.}, doi = {10.1039/c8cy00185e}, author = {Pandya, R. and Mane, R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article {45603, title = {Catalytic and efficient synthesis of optically active terminal epoxides and 1,2-diols using a new lanthanum triflate assisted C1-symmetric bimetallic chiral salen cobalt complex}, journal = {Letters in Organic Chemistry}, volume = {15 }, year = {2018}, pages = {960 - 966}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The catalytic asymmetric synthesis of terminal epoxides and 1,2-diols via a hydrolytic kinetic resolution of racemic terminal epoxides using a new bimetallic chiral salen CoIII complex incorporated with La(OTf)3 as a catalyst is reported. The new bimetallic chiral salen CoIII complex bearing La(OTf)3 was prepared in a one-pot procedure by activation and bimetallic complex formation from the inactive Jacobsen chiral salen CoII complex (salen = N, N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2- cyclohexane-diamine). We observed that C1-symmetric chiral bimetallic Co-complex coordinated with La(OTf)3 works as a chiral catalyst and remarkably increased the reactivity and enantioselectivity in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of terminal epoxides compared to its monometallic analogues. La(OTf)3 plays a crucial role as an achiral Lewis acid in this process, which is supported by the experimental observation presented. To explore the absolute configuration of glycidyl butyrate a vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra was calculated using density functional theory.}, doi = {10.2174/1570178615666171212144938}, author = {Patel, D. and Thakur, S. S. and Shinde, S. S. and Kumar, P.} } @article {44374, title = {Catalytic enantioselective 1,3-alkyl shift in alkyl aryl ethers: efficient synthesis of optically active 3,3 {\textquoteright}-diaryloxindoles}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5735-5739}, abstract = {Reported is the first organocatalytic asymmetric 1,3-alkyl shift in alkyl aryl ethers for the synthesis of chiral 3,3{\textquoteright}-diaryloxindoles using a chiral Bronsted acid catalyst. Preliminary results showed that each enantiomer of the 3,3{\textquoteright}-diaryloxindole, and a racemic mixture, showed different antiproliferative activities against HeLa cell lines by using an MTT assay.}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201801650}, author = {Gade, Amol B. and Bagle, Pradip N. and Shinde, Popat S. and Bhardwaj, Vipin and Banerjee, Subhrashis and Chande, Ajit and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45444, title = { Chitosan-thiobarbituric acid: a superadsorbent for mercury}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = { 13183-13194}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present investigation, chitosan (CH) as supramolecularly cross-linked with thiobarbituric acid to form CT. CT was well characterized by UV, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier trans form infrared, NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray difTraction analyses, and its adsorption potential for elemental mercury (Hg-0), inorganic mercury (Hg2+), and methyl mercury (CH3Hg+) was investigated. Adsorption experiments were conducted to optimize the parameters for removal of the mercury species under study, and the data were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich, an Temkin adsorption isotherm models. CT was found to have high adsorption capacities of 1357.69, 2504.86, and 2475.38 rng/g for Hg-0, Hg2+, and CH3Hg+, respectively. The adsorbent CT could be reused up elemental mercury using 0.01 N thiourea, inorganic mercury using 0.01 N perchloric acid, and methyl to three cycles by eluting mercury with 0.2 N NaCl.}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b01837}, author = {Bhatt, Rahul and Kushwaha, Shilpi and Bojja, Sreedhar and Padmaja, P.} } @article {44651, title = {Cloning and characterization of trehalase: a conserved glycosidase from oriental midge, Chironomus ramosus}, journal = {3 Biotech}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {352}, abstract = {

Insect trehalase is a multiferous enzyme, crucial for normal physiological functions as well as under stress conditions. In this report, we present a fundamental study of the trehalase gene segment (1587 bp) from Chironomus ramosus (CrTre) encoding for 529 amino acids, using appropriate bioinformatics tools. C. ramosus, a tropical midge is an emerging animal model to investigate the consequences of environmental stresses. We observed that CrTre belongs to GH family 37 in the CAZy database and possess 57-92\% identity to dipteran trehalases. In silico characterization provided information regarding the structural, functional and evolutionary aspects of midge trehalase. In the phylogenetic tree, CrTre clustered with the soluble dipteran trehalases. Moreover, domain functional characterization of the deduced protein sequence by InterProScan (IPR001661), ProSite (PS00927 and PS00928) and Pfam (PF01204) indicated presence of highly conserved signature motifs which are important for the identification of trehalase superfamily. Furthermore, the instability index of CrTre was predicted to be \< 40 suggesting its in vivo stability while, the high aliphatic index indicated towards its thermal stability (index value 71-81). The modelled 3D tertiary structure of CrTre depicts a (alpha/alpha)(6) barrel toroidal core. The catalytic domain of the enzyme comprised Glu424 and Asp226 as the putative active site residues. Interestingly, the conserved motifs were observed to be formed by the flexible loopy regions in the tertiary structure. This study revealed essential sequence features of the midge trehalase and offers better insights into the structural aspects of this enzyme which can be correlated with its function.

}, keywords = {Conserved motifs, Homology modelling, Midges, Secondary structure, trehalose}, issn = {2190-572X}, doi = {10.1007/s13205-018-1376-y}, author = {Shukla, Ekta and Thorat, Leena and Bendre, Ameya D. and Jadhav, Santosh and Pal, Jayanta K. and Nath, Bimalendu B. and Gaikwad, Sushama M.} } @article {44347, title = {Close loop separation process for the recovery of Co, Cu, Mn, Fe and Li from spent lithium-ion batteries}, journal = {Separation and Purification Technology}, volume = {200}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {327-334}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are essential energy source used in advanced electronic gadgets for getting constant and continuous power supply. Huge amount of spent LIBs are generated after their end use. LIBs contain metals, organics and plastics which require proper treatment before disposal. Keeping in view of stringent environmental regulations, limited natural resources and energy crisis, adopting recycling will not only protect the environment and pacify the gap between demand and supply but also conserve the natural resources. Present paper reports a complete process for the recycling of LIBs to recover metals and materials as value added products fulfilling zero waste concept. Initially, the spent LIBs were crushed and beneficiated by wet scrubbing process to separate cathodic material, plastic and metallic fractions. The cathodic material contained 20\% Co and 2.4\% Li along with other impurities (Mn, Fe, Cu). The cathodic material obtained from different LIBs were homogenized and put to leaching studies to optimize various process parameters viz. effect of leachant concentration, temperature, time, etc. About 97\% Co and 99.99\% Li were leached using 2 M H2SO4 and 10\% H2O2 at room temperature, in 2 h maintaining pulp density 75 g/L. Kinetics for leaching of Co fitted well with Chemical reaction control dense constant size cylindrical particles model, i.e. 1 - (1 - X)(1/2) = Kct. The leach liquor obtained was further processed to recover Mn and Fe using (NH4)(2)S2O8 as a precipitant whereas 99.99\% Cu was extracted using LIX 84 IC at eq. pH 2, O/A ratio 1/1 and mixing time 5 min. Further, from the leach liquor depleted with Mn, Fe and Cu, similar to 98\% Co was extracted using 20\% Cyanex 272 at pH 4.8 in 10 min maintaining phase ratio (O/A) 1/1 in two stages, leaving Li in the raffinate. From the pure Co solution, value added products as metal and salt were produced using electrowinning/evaporation/precipitation techniques. The TCLP test of leached residue shows the presence of metals within permissible limit and the effluent generated was treated in an effluent treatment plant (ETP) with standard procedure and recycled to the system. The developed clean process is economical as well as environment friendly and has potential to be translated in industry after scale-up studies.}, doi = {10.1016/j.seppur.2018.02.022}, author = {Dutta, Deblina and Kumari, Archana and Panda, Rekha and Jha, Soni and Gupta, Divika and Goel, Sudha and Jha, Manis Kumar} } @article {45597, title = {Cobalt-doped Ba2In2O5 brownmillerites: an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in alkaline medium}, journal = {ACS omega }, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1710{\textendash}1717}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of compounds with cobalt doping in the indium site of Ba2In2O5 brownmillerites exhibited excellent oxygen reduction activity under alkaline conditions. Doping (25\%) retains the brownmillerite structure with disorder in the O3 site in the two-dimensional alternate layer along the ab plane. Further substitution of cobalt in the indium site leads to the loss of a brownmillerite structure, and the compound attains a perovskite structure. Cobalt-doped samples exhibited far better oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity when compared to the parent Ba2In2O5 brownmillerite. Among the series of compounds, BaIn0.25Co0.75O3-δ with the highest Co doping and oxygen vacancies randomly distributed in the lattice exhibited the best ORR activity. BaIn0.25Co0.75O3-δ showed a 40 mV positive shift in the onset potential with better limiting current density and a nearly four-electron-transfer reduction pathway when compared to the parent Ba2In2O5 brownmillerite.}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = { 10.1021/acsomega.7b01655}, author = {Jijil, C. P. and Patil, I. M. and Kakade, B. and Nandini Devi, R.} } @article {44436, title = {Composite thin film of simultaneously formed carbon and SnO2 QDs for supercapacitance application}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {42}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = { 8823-8830}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Composite material with uniform size and structure is a critical asset that decides its properties like charge transfer, thermal, photoluminescence, mechanical, etc. and consequently the applications. Here for the first time, we report the concept of flame/combustion at liquid-liquid interface to synthesize in situ, thin film formation of composite consisting of two or more quantum dots. Synthesis of thin films of a composite containing C and SnO2 QDs having particle sizes below 3 nm was successfully done. As compared to a single quantum dots system, the formed composite showed significantly improved specific capacitance due to the synergistic effect arising from strong interaction between C and SnO2 QDs. This was confirmed by XPS, UV visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra. Moreover, it was confirmed that even after 1000 charge/discharge cycles, the interaction between C and Sn remained unaltered; indicating significant stability of capacitance. Some of the advantages of this method include one step, eco-friendly process at ambient conditions. The generality of the method was established by synthesizing C-ZnO and C-TiO2 composite thin film. This new approach can be extended to form many other valuable composite thin films for various applications.}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/C8NJ00375K}, author = {Jadhav, Aarti and Patil, Sagar and Patil, Kashinath Rangu and Sathaye, Shivaram Dattatray and Rode, Chandrashekhar Vasant} } @conference {45435, title = {Controlled release nanocomposite microcapsules for agricultural applications}, booktitle = {256th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Beyond}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, publisher = {American-Chemical-Society (ACS) }, organization = {American-Chemical-Society (ACS) }, address = {Boston, MA}, author = {Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Shukla, Parshuram and Jagtap, Siddheshwar and Patil, Vishal and Sapre, Aditya} } @article {45462, title = {Controlled surface/interface structure and spin enabled superior properties and biocompatibility of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles}, journal = {Allied Surface Science }, volume = {459}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {788-801}, type = {Article }, abstract = {High quality, crystalline, well-dispersed, and stable magnetic oxide nanoparticles (NPs) of inverse spinel cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4; CFO) were prepared by a facile, reproducible, and simple hydrothermal route. The transmission electron microscopy, small-angle scattering and X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate the structural quality of CFO NPs with a controlled size of similar to 12 nm. Small-angle scattering experiments demonstrate that the pristine CFO NPs have the individual size similar to 8.5 nm and spherical shape. The Raman and infrared spectroscopic measurements further confirm their high chemical quality and cubic symmetry. CFO NPs exhibit a remarkable, maximum coercivity (H-c) value of 18.92 kOe, which is the highest value achieved to date. Surface spins and spins canting along with a weak dipolar interaction accounts for the giant H-c and large effective anisotropy (11.45 x 10(6) erg/cm(3)) of these CFO NPs. The magnetic grain size of NPs reveals that the canted surface spins exist around the magnetic particles. Reorientation of surface spins and interparticle interaction causes the jumping behaviour in M-H hysteresis loops at H = 0. The cell viability of CFO NPs against the cancer (cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer - A2780/CP70) was evaluated to determine their potential application in biomedicine and health science. The mild response of CFO NPs in terms of their anti-proliferative nature against cancer cells and negligible cytotoxicity suggests their human-safe-and-friendly nature which makes them suitable for biomedical/health-related applications. Assessment of toxicity toward human red blood cells (RBC) revealed that hemolysis is less than 5\% compared to the positive control confirming the potential applications of CFO NPs targeting human cells and making relevant for adopting them in biomedicine.}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = { 10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.08.063}, author = {Ansari, Sumayya M. and Sinha, Bhavesh B. and Pai, Kalpana R. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Ma, Yuan-Ron and Sen, Debasis and Kolekar, Yesh D. and Ramana, C., V.} } @article {44627, title = {Copper- and phosphine-free nickel(II)-catalyzed method for C-H bond alkynylation of benzothiazoles and related azoles}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {7}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1390-1395}, abstract = {

A phosphine-free nickel(II)-catalyzed method for the C(2)-H bond alkynylation of (benzo)thiazoles, (benz)imidazoles, and oxazoles is described. Well-defined and air-stable (Phen)NiCl2 catalyst efficiently catalyzes the coupling of diverse azoles with alkynyl bromides without the use of a copper co-catalyst, and the method tolerates synthetically important functional groups. Preliminary mechanistic studies on this Ni-II-catalyzed alkynylation emphasize the homogeneous nature of the catalyst, and rule out a radical manifold for the reaction. The synthetic utility of this Ni-catalyzed method is demonstrated by further functionalizing the alkynylated benzothiazoles to 3-methyl-2-(alkynyl)benzo[d]thiazolium salts that are known DNA cleaving agents.

}, keywords = {alkynylation, azoles, C-H activation, heterocycles, Nickel}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201800243}, author = {Patel, Ulhas N. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {44640, title = {Correlation trends in the magnetic hyperfine structure of atoms: a relativistic coupled-cluster case study}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {98}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The role of electron correlation in the hyperfine structure of alkali metals and alkaline earth metal monopositive ions in their ground electronic configuration is investigated using the Z-vector method in a relativistic coupled-cluster regime within the singles and doubles approximation. The systematic effects of core-correlating functions, polarization of core electrons, and high-lying virtual functions on core electrons correlation are studied. The study reveals that the core-correlating function plays a significant role in core polarization and thus is very important for precise calculation of the wave function near the nuclear region. The inner-core electrons (1s-2p) require very high virtual energy functions for proper correlation. Therefore, the all-electron correlation treatment and the inclusion of higher-energy virtual functions are the key factors for precise calculation of the hyperfine structure constant of atoms. Our calculated values are in excellent agreement with the available experimental values, which also implies that the wave function produced by the Z-vector method is accurate enough for further calculation of the parity- and time-reversal symmetry-violating properties in atoms and molecules.

}, issn = {2469-9926}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.98.022507}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Sasmal, Sudip and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45502, title = {De novo transcriptome analysis of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma chilonis Ishii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae): a biological control agent}, journal = {Gene Reports}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {115-129}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Trichogramma chilonis Ishii is an endoparasitic wasp widely used as a biological control agent of economically important pests. However, absence of genetic information on T. chilonis hampers further research, especially at the molecular level. Here, we performed the first RNA-Seq of the adult T. chilonis. A total of 18,372,639 high-quality reads were generated using Illumina pair-ended sequencing platform. De novo assembly resulted into 24,488 transcripts, with mean length and N50 values of 1444.2 bp and 2667 bp, respectively. Of the transcripts, 14,643 exhibited putative homology with class Insecta proteins from UniPROT database. To understand the contig functions, gene descriptions, gene ontology and cluster of orthologous group annotations were analyzed. Following functional annotation, a number of transcripts encoding detoxification, target receptor action and olfaction- related proteins were identified and analyzed. In addition, 4520 transcripts containing simple sequence repeats, ranging from dinucleotide to hexanucleotide repeats were discovered, with trinucleotide being the most enriched repeats. This new sequence resource will shed light on various molecular mechanisms in T. chilonis and related species.}, issn = {24520144}, doi = {10.1016/j.genrep.2018.08.009}, author = {Kerima, O.Z. and Niranjana, P. and Vinay Kumar, B.S. and Ramachandrappa, R. and Puttappa, S. and Lalitha, Y. and Jalali, S.K. and Ballal, C.R. and H. V. Thulasiram} } @article {44448, title = {Dephytinizing and probiotic potentials of saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCIM 3662) strain for amelioration of nutritional quality of functional foods}, journal = {Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins}, volume = {11}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {604-617}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Increase of undigested complexes of phytic acid in food is gaining serious attention to overcome nutritional challenges due to chelation effects. We investigated soil-borne yeast phytase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCIM 3662) for dephytinization of foods, probiotic properties, and process development. The strain produced 45 IU/DCG by cell-bound phytase in an unoptimized medium was increased fourfold (164 IU/DCG) in 12 h using statistical media optimization. The process was scaled-up up to 10-L fermenter scale with increased phytase productivity of 6.4 IU/DCG/h as compared to the lab scale. The strain displayed probiotic characteristics like tolerance to artificial gastric acid conditions, hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, coaggregation, and bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity. Further, it could dephytinize (removal of phytic acid; an anti-nutritional factor) functional foods like ragi (finger millet) flour, soya flour, chickpea flour, and poultry animal feed. A combination of cell-bound dephytinizing phytase and nutrition-ameliorating probiotic traits of S. cerevisiae (NCIM 3662) presents profound applications in food technology sector.}, doi = {10.1007/s12602-018-9394-y}, author = {Kumar Raja Puppala and Kumar , V. Ravi and Khire, Jayant and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {45359, title = {Design, synthesis and biological screening of novel 1,3,4-oxadiazoles as antitubercular agents}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = { DEC}, pages = { 13304-13310}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of novel 2,5-disubstitued 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives bearing 2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran scaffold has been synthesized and screened for antitubercular activity. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, H-1 NMR, C-13-NMR and Mass spectral study. The in vitro antitubercular activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra(ATCC 25177) strain. Among the synthesized compounds, four compound displayed good antitubercular activity IC50 values in low micro-gram range (<10 mu g/mL). The antitubercular data suggested that growth inhibition MTB can be imparted by the introduction of a 4- trifluoromethyl phenyl acetylene substituent. Specificity of these compounds was checked by screening them for their anti-bacterial activity against four bacterial strains (Gram-negative strains: E. coli, S. aureus; Gram-positive strains: P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis). None of the compound displayed antibacterial activity against any of the seleted strain. Molecular docking studies were carried out on InhA (FabI/ENR) which shows that the synthesized compounds bind at the catalytic site in a most favourable manner suggesting their potential as anti-mycobacterial agents. The research presented here was found to be adventitious for the development of new therapeutic agents against Mycobacterium infection.}, issn = { 2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201802227}, author = {Tambe, Macchindra S. and Choudhari, Amit and Sarkar, Dhiman and Sangshetti, Jaiprakash and Patil, Rajesh and Gholap, Somnath S.} } @article {45398, title = {Determination of the effect of polyamines on an oil-degrading strain of Yarrowia lipolytica using an odc minus mutant}, journal = {Fems Yeast Research }, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10.1093/femsyr/foy073}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Yarrowia lipolytica is an ascomycetous dimorphic yeast with immense potential for industrial applications, including bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated environments. It has been shown that a dimorphic marine isolate of Y. lipolytica (var. indica) has significant capacity to degrade fatty acids and alkanes, when in its yeast morphology. It has also been demonstrated that polyamines play an important role in the yeast-to-mycelium transition of different strains of Y. lipolytica that are unable to utilize those carbon sources. To determine the role of polyamines on their capacity to utilize oils and hydrocarbons, on the dimorphic transition, and also on other characteristics of the var. indica strain of Y. lipolytica, we proceeded to obtain ornithine decarboxylase minus (odc(-)) mutants. These mutants behaved as yeasts independently of the concentrations of putrescine added. Further, they conserved the oil-degrading capacity of the parent strain. The odc(-) mutant can thus be used in fatty acid degradation, and oil spill remediation with distinct advantages.}, issn = { 1567-1356}, doi = { 10.1093/femsyr/foy073}, author = {Campos-Gongora, E. and Palande, A. S. and Leon-Ramirez, C. and Pathan, E. K. and Ruiz-Herrera, J. and Deshpande, M. V.} } @article {44237, title = {Development of enhanced hypericin yielding transgenic plants and somaclones: high throughput direct organogenesis from leaf and callus explants of Hypericum perforatum}, journal = {Industrial Crops and Products}, volume = {111}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {544-554}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hypericum perforatum is well known for its anti-depressent properties due to the presence of hypericins and hyperforins. The direct regeneration protocol from leaf explants and Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated genetic transformation is a prerequisite for gene transfer studies in this valuable plant system as H. perforatum has shown its recalcitrance to these studies previously. The aim of generating transgenic shoots or somaclones in the present study is to select high hypericine yielding H. perforatum plants. High throughput direct bud organogenesis from leaf explants has been achieved for the first time in this plant system on media combination of MS + 5.0 mg/l BAP + 1.0 mg/l. This medium interestingly also worked as the indirect regeneration media for generation of somaclones from callus cultures. Thus far optimized single media can be used for direct and indirect regeneration in H. perforatum. The direct regeneration frequency of plantlets from leaf explants was found to be 80\% while 100\% was the regeneration frequency noted for indirect plantlet regeneration from callus cultures. The optimized direct regeneration protocol from leaf explants was utilized for A. tumefaciens (harbouring pCAMBIA 1301) mediated genetic transformation studies with the aim of establishing transgenic lines of H. perforatum. The resultant study successfully gave rise to kanamycin resistant GUS positive shoots with transformation efficiency of 3136 +/- 3.6. A total of four transgenic H. perforatum clones namely T2, T3, T5 and T8 with different growth parameters were established, where highest of fivefold increase in hypericin content was recorded by T5 (276.8 +/- 9.2 mu g/g dry wt.) in comparison to control non transformed plants (35.6 +/- 2.7 mu g/g dry wt.). Interestingly the presence of serotonin and melatonin was also detected in transgenic plants on TLC basis. The transgenic nature of the plants was confirmed by PCR with amplification of uidA gene. Apart from it, from indirect regeneration from callus, total of ten somaclones were generated. The ISSR profiling of somaclones scored a total of 156 bands, among which 118 were polymorphic in nature. The glasshouse established soma clones showed up to twofold increase in hypericin content on HPLC analysis.

}, keywords = {Direct regeneration, Hypericin, Hypericum perforation, Indirect regeneration, ISSR, Somaclones, Transgenic plants}, issn = {0926-6690}, doi = {10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.11.032}, author = {Khan, Shamshad A. and Verma, Priyanka and Arbat, Akshata and Gaikwad, Sushma and Parasharami, Varsha A.} } @conference {44600, title = {Differential responses of CHO cells adapted to limitation of inorganic phosphate, glucose or glutamine}, booktitle = {255th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR }, publisher = {American-Chemical-Society, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, organization = {American-Chemical-Society, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, address = {New Orleans, LA}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Pant, Tejal and Gadgil, Chetan and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {44615, title = {Direct access to N-alkylated amines and imines via acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling catalyzed by a cobalt(ii)-NNN pincer complex}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3469-3473}, abstract = {

A simple, phosphine-free Co(ii)-NNN pincer complex catalyzed direct N-alkylation of anilines with alcohols via hydrogen auto-transfer (HA) and selective acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) of benzylamines with alcohols affording imines with the liberation of molecular hydrogen and water is reported.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c8cy00859k}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Pitchaimani, Jayaraman and Landge, Vinod G. and Madhu, Vedichi and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44386, title = {Disintegrable NIR light triggered gold nanorods supported liposomal nanohybrids for cancer theranostics}, journal = {Bioconjugate Chemistry}, volume = {29}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1510-1518}, abstract = {In this work, facile synthesis and application of targeted, dual therapeutic gold nanorods-liposome (GNR-Lipos) nanohybrid for imaging guided photothermal therapy and chemotherapy is investigated. The dual therapeutic GNR-Lipos nanohybrid consists of GNR supported, and doxorubicin (DOX) loaded liposome. GNRs not only serve as a photothermal agent and increase the drug release in intracellular environment of cancer cells, but also provide mechanical strength to liposomes by being decorated both inside and outside of bilayer surfaces. The designed nanohybrid shows a remarkable response for synergistic chemophotothermal therapy compared to only chemotherapy or photothermal therapy. The NIR response, efficient uptake by the cells, disintegration of GNR-Lipos nanohybrid, and synergistic therapeutic effect of photothermal and chemotherapy over breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 are studied for the better development of a biocompatible nanomaterial based multifunctional cancer theranostic agent.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.7b00801}, author = {Chauhan, Deepak S. and Prasad, Rajendra and Devrukhkar, Janhavi and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal and Srivastava, Rohit} } @article {45371, title = {Dissociative chemisorption of hydrogen molecules on defective graphene-supported aluminium clusters: a computational study}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics }, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {26506-26512}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Using periodic density functional theory-based calculations, in the present study, we address the chemical bonding between aluminium clusters (Al-n, n = 4-8 and 13) and monovacant defective graphene. The adsorption strength of the above-mentioned aluminium clusters is fivefold (approximate to 3 to 5 eV) higher on defective graphene as compared to the earlier reported values on non-defective graphene and BN-doped graphene. The Bader charge analysis and different charge densities reveal that this adsorption is driven by significant charge transfer from the Al clusters to defective graphene. Thus, chemisorbed Al clusters demonstrate high activity towards dissociative adsorption of molecular hydrogen.

}, issn = { 1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c8cp05711g}, author = {Kumar, Deepak and Govindaraja, Thillai and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Kaliaperumal, Selvaraj and Pal, Sourav} } @article {44454, title = {Divergent synthesis of oxindolylidene acetates and spirooxindolopyrrolidones from arynes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1483-1486}, abstract = {A novel process for the preparation of various (E)-oxindolylidene acetates using arynes and carbamoylpropiolates has been developed. The utility of this protocol is also further extended to the one-pot synthesis of complex spirooxindolopyrrolidones. This method provides a milder and transition-metal-free access to both of the target scaffolds in moderate to good yields.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b03661}, author = {Pandya, Virat G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44460, title = {Effect of membrane composition on receptor association: implications of cancer lipidomics on ErbB receptors}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, volume = {251}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {359-368}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The association of single transmembrane receptors, such as the ErbB receptors is a key event in initiating cell signaling networks. The interactions between these receptors have been well characterized for both ligand-driven and pre-formed dimers. However, the role of the membrane in modulating association is less well understood and assumes greater importance in light of altered membrane composition in diseased states. Here, we discuss how membrane composition has been observed to induce both structural and dynamic differences in receptor association. Computational studies, especially those using coarse-grain simulations have been successful in predicting the role of the membrane and calculating the related free energy landscapes. Membrane perturbations and differences in lipid chain order, related to the lipophobic effect, have been shown to play a large role in driving membrane protein association. Further, we review lipid compositions reported in diseased conditions and its effect on transmembrane receptor association, focusing on the ErbB growth factor receptor dimers in cancer. Understanding the role of the membrane in receptor association will provide general design principles driving receptor organization, as well as help to identify novel therapeutic strategies.

}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-018-0015-1}, author = {Pawar, Aiswarya and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {45432, title = {Effect of turbulent dispersion on hydrodynamic characteristics in a liquid jet ejector}, journal = {Energy}, volume = {164}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10-20}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Gas induction using a liquid jet is an extensively studied phenomenon. Many studies have been published detailing various hydrodynamic and mass transport aspects of gas induction in ejectors. Conversely, multiple studies have been published detailing jet dynamics, jet break up, nozzle geometry, effects of turbulence etc. In the modelling of the jet ejector systems CFD framework is used as the flow of gas is coupled with the liquid flow and the flow parameters like volume fraction, pressure drop/profile and velocity profiles both local and average are highly interdependent. Hence, it becomes important to capture all the flow physics in the simulations in order to understand the hydrodynamics. In the previous models the effect of turbulent dispersion was not included which led to incorrect calculation of phase profile, and other related parametric values. In the present work, the turbulence effects and its impact on the jet dynamics and gas induction rate in an ejector have been studied. Capturing the correct phase as well as velocity profile is imperative for the extension of the model to mass transfer and reactions. Lastly, other hydrodynamic properties like pressure drop, phase hold up and pressure profile help better the design correlations for jet ejectors.}, issn = {0360-5442}, doi = {10.1016/j.energy.2018.08.171}, author = {Sharma, Deepankar and Patwardhan, Ashwin and Ranade, Vivek} } @article {44465, title = {Electron transfer rate analysis of a site-specifically wired copper oxidase}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {6159-6166}, abstract = {Electron transfer kinetic parameters of site-specifically wired copper oxidase were investigated. The enzyme{\textquoteright}s orientation towards the electrode was controlled by incorporation of propargyl-L-lysine as a site-specific anchoring point. Herein, we demonstrate the importance of immobilization orientation and how it affects electron transfer efficiency and kinetics to each of the enzyme{\textquoteright}s two active sites.}, doi = {10.1039/c8cp00041g}, author = {Schlesinger, Orr and Pasi, Mor and Dandela, Rambabu and Meijler, Michael M. and Alfonta, Lital} } @article {45481, title = {Enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed cascade reaction for the synthesis of pyrroloquinolines via N-H functionalization of indoles}, journal = {Organic letters }, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6998-7002}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Functionalization of the indole N-H bond for enantioselective synthesis of biologically important pyrroloquinoline derivatives has been reported under oxidative N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis conditions. The interception of catalytically generated chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated acylazoliums with the indole derivatives proceeds in an aza-Michael/Michael/lactonization sequence to deliver the pyrroloquinoline derivatives in good yields, diastereoselectivities, and enantioselectivities. The simultaneous enhancement of reactivity and selectivity observed in polar aprotic solvents is noteworthy.}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = { 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b02820}, author = {Mukherjee, Subrata and Shee, Sayan and Poisson, Thomas and Besset, Tatiana and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {45450, title = { Enhanced activity of Withania somnifera family-1 glycosyltransferase (UGT73A16) via mutagenesis}, journal = {World Journal Of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {34}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article }, abstract = {This work used an approach of enzyme engineering towards the improved production of baicalin as well as alteration of acceptor and donor substrate preferences in UGT73A16. The 3D model of Withania somnifera family-1 glycosyltransferase (UGT73A16) was constructed based on the known crystal structures of plant UGTs. Structural and functional properties of UGT73A16 were investigated using docking and mutagenesis. The docking studies were performed to understand the key residues involved in substrate recognition. In the molecular model of UGT73A16, substrates binding pockets are located between N- and C-terminal domains. Modeled UGT73A16 was docked with UDP-glucose, UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA), kaempferol, isorhamnetin, 3-hydroxy flavones, naringenin, genistein and baicalein. The protein-ligand interactions showed that His 16, Asp 246, Lys 255, Ala 337, Gln 339, Val 340, Asn 358 and Glu 362 amino acid residues may be important for catalytic activity. The kinetic parameters indicated that mutants A337C and Q339A exhibited 2-3 fold and 6-7 fold more catalytic efficiency, respectively than wild type, and shifted the sugar donor specificity from UDP-glucose to UDPGA. The mutant Q379H displayed large loss of activity with UDP-glucose and UDPGA strongly suggested that last amino acid residue of PSPG box is important for glucuronosylation and glucosylation and highly specific to sugar binding sites. The information obtained from docking and mutational studies could be beneficial in future to engineer this biocatalyst for development of better ones.}, issn = { 0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-018-2534-4}, author = {Singh, Somesh and Patel, Krunal A. and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Vishwakarma, Rishi K. and Khan, Bashir M.} } @article {44471, title = {Evaluation of Candida tropicalis (NCIM 3321) extracellular phytase having plant growth promoting potential and process development}, journal = {Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {

Phytase is known to provide a solution for depletion of phosphorus (P). It helps it by hydrolyzing the insoluble P source in soil which is phytate. In this study, provides insight on yeast Candida tropicalis (NCIM 3321) which produces cell bound and extracellular thermostable phytase. The media components were optimized to enhance the enzyme production and checked for plant growth promoting activity. On optimization the isolate exhibited enhanced cell bound and extracellular phytase activity by four folds (from 236 to 1024 IU DCG$^{-}${\textonesuperior}) and by five folds (from 0.46 to 1.95 IU ml$^{-}${\textonesuperior}) respectively in 36 h. The production time decreased to 24 h compare to shake flask on Up-scaling the production process upto 10 L scale, thus increasing the productivity of cell bound (1810 IU DCG$^{-}${\textonesuperior}day$^{-}${\textonesuperior}) and extracellular phytase (6.08 IU ml$^{-}${\textonesuperior} day$^{-}${\textonesuperior}). The crude phytase (12 IU) from NCIM 3321 strain was studied for plant growth promotion activity in lab scale and field level experiments with maize crop. Findings of the study revealed that the extracellular phytase derived from non pathogenic C. tropicalis (NCIM 3321) was found to be plant growth stimulating by increasing the available P in soil. Our findings of phytase isolated from non-pathogenic yeast C. tropicalis NCIM 3321 exhibited dephytinization potential. Therefore, current study may have profound application in sustainable agriculture.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bcab.2017.12.013}, author = {Puppala, Kumar Raja and Naik, Tejali and Shaik, Alfina and Dastager, Syed and Kumar, V. Ravi and Khire, Jayant and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {44243, title = {Excited state intramolecular proton transfer in 1,8-Dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone dye: Revealing microstructures in [C(n)mIm][NTf2] and [C(n)mIm][BF4] series of ionic liquid solvents}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry}, volume = {350}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN }, pages = {111-121}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in 18-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (18DHAQ) dye has been investigated in two series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ([C(n)mIm](+)) based ionic liquid (IL) solvents, [C(n)mlm][NTf2] and [C(n)mlm][BF4], with n = 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, using steady-state (SS) and time resolved (TR) fluorescence studies. In both the IL series, fluorescence intensity for tautomer (T*) form gradually decreases relative to normal (N*) form with increasing n value for [C(n)mlm](+) cations. Observed results suggest microstructure formation and its consequent effect on the ESIPT process of the dye in these IL solvents. Since more extensive microstructures are likely with larger n values of [C(n)mIm](+) cations, the dye is expectedly solubilized more in the polar microdomains of the solvent microstructures, resulting better stabilization for the more dipolar N* state and hence a higher emission intensity from this state. This proposition is clearly supported by ultrafast (sub-picosecond) fluorescence kinetics for both N* and T* states, though sub-nanosecond TR results indicate very similar fluoresce decays for both N* and T*, suggesting an eventual kinetic equilibrium between two states subsequent to the initial ultrafast and fast forward and backward ESIPT processes. Small differences between the results in the [C(n)mIm][NTf2] and [C(n)mIm][BE4] series of ILs are attributed to dissimilar size, shape and basicity of [NTf2]- and [BF4]- anions, responsible for some characteristic changes in the microstructures formed in the respective solvent series. To the best of our knowledge, present study is the only report demonstrating modulations in the ESIPT process through microstructure formations in neat [C(n)mIm](+) based IL solvents. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 1-Alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids, 8-Dihydroxyanthraquinone, Emission modulations of tautomeric forms, ESIPT process, Microstructure formation}, issn = {1010-6030}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotochem.2017.09.073}, author = {Beniwal, Vijay and Kumar, Anil and Pal, Haridas} } @article {45410, title = { Excited-state prototropism of 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin in [C(n)mim][BF4] series of ionic liquid-water mixtures: insights on reverse micelle-like water nanocluster formation}, journal = {Photochemical \& Photobiological Sciences}, volume = {17}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1256-1266}, type = {Article}, abstract = {This study explores the excited state prototropic behavior of the fluorophore, 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (7H4MC), in the [C(n)mim][BF4] (n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) series of ionic liquid (IL)-water mixtures at low water contents. In pure IL media, 7H4MC exists in the neutral form in both ground and excited states. However, on addition of water to the ILs, the excited neutral form of the dye is gradually converted to the anionic and the tautomeric species, leading to characteristic changes in the emission spectra. The similarity in the spectral features of 7H4MC in the IL-water system with that in a conventional reverse micelle system rather than with organic solvent-water mixtures, suggests that in the presence of water, the ILs are organized into reverse micelle-like structures with the consequent formation of confined water pockets. The results further suggest that formation of water nanoclusters and the ensuing changes in excited state prototropic behavior of the dye, is facilitated by increase in the alkyl chain length of the IL cation. These propositions are supported by time-resolved fluorescence studies. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on proton transfer reaction in IL-water mixtures at low water contents. Considering that ILs are useful as solvents and surfactants, and IL-water mixtures in particular have applications in chemical extractions and biocatalysis, an understanding of the structural organization and water pool formation in these systems is quite important. The insights obtained from the prototropic transformations of 7H4MC are significant not only for fundamental self-assembly studies, but also for the development of ILs as chemical reaction media.}, doi = {10.1039/c8pp00132d}, author = {Beniwal, Vijay and Kumar, Anil and Pal, Haridas and Choudhury, Sharmistha Dutta} } @article {44474, title = {Exploring GPCR lipid interactions by molecular dynamics simulations: excitements, challenges, and the way forward}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5727-5737}, abstract = {Gprotein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are seven transmembrane receptors that mediate a large number of cellular responses and are important drug targets. One of the current challenges in GPCR biology is to analyze the molecular signatures of receptor-lipid interactions and their subsequent effects on GPCR structure, organization, and function. Molecular dynamics simulation studies have been successful in predicting molecular determinants of receptor-lipid interactions. In particular, predicted cholesterol interaction sites appear to correspond well with experimentally determined binding sites and estimated time scales of association. In spite of several success stories, the methodologies in molecular dynamics simulations are still emerging. In this Feature Article, we provide a comprehensive overview of coarse-grain and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of GPCR-lipid interaction in the context of experimental observations. In addition, we discuss the effect of secondary and tertiary structural constraints in coarse-grain simulations in the context of functional dynamics and structural plasticity of GPCRs. We envision that this comprehensive overview will help resolve differences in computational studies and provide a way forward.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b01657}, author = {Sengupta, Durba and Prasanna, Xavier and Mohole, Madhura and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article {44645, title = {Exploring the biological roles of Dothideomycetes ABC proteins: leads from their phylogenetic relationships with functionally-characterized Ascomycetes homologs}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG }, abstract = {

Background The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily is one of the largest, ubiquitous and diverse protein families in nature. Categorized into nine subfamilies, its members are important to most organisms including fungi, where they play varied roles in fundamental cellular processes, plant pathogenesis or fungicide tolerance. However, these proteins are not yet well-understood in the class Dothideomycetes, which includes several phytopathogens that infect a wide range of food crops including wheat, barley and maize and cause major economic losses. Results We analyzed the genomes of 14 Dothideomycetes fungi (Test set) and seven well-known Ascomycetes fungi (Model set-that possessed gene expression/functional analysis data about the ABC genes) and predicted 578 and 338 ABC proteins from each set respectively. These proteins were classified into subfamilies A to I, which revealed the distribution of the subfamily members across the Dothideomycetes and Ascomycetes genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of Dothideomycetes ABC proteins indicated evolutionary relationships among the subfamilies within this class. Further, phylogenetic relationships among the ABC proteins from the Model and the Test fungi within each subfamily were analyzed, which aided in classifying these proteins into subgroups. We compiled and curated functional and gene expression information from the previous literature for 118 ABC genes and mapped them on the phylogenetic trees, which suggested possible roles in pathogenesis and/or fungicide tolerance for the newly identified Dothideomycetes ABC proteins. Conclusions The present analysis is one of the firsts to extensively analyze ABC proteins from Dothideomycetes fungi. Their phylogenetic analysis and annotating the clades with functional information indicated a subset of Dothideomycetes ABC genes that could be considered for experimental validation for their roles in plant pathogenesis and/or fungicide tolerance.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0197447}, author = {Dube, Gaurav and Kadoo, Narendra and Prashant, Ramya} } @article {45403, title = { Facilitated lithium storage in hierarchical microsphere of Cu2S-MoS2 ultrathin nanosheets}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11020-11026}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Considering the high energy density Lithium ion batteries have become one of the best option for next-generation energystorage technologies. Transition metal chalcogenide nanomaterials are promising electrodes for Lithium-ion batteries. Molybdenum based layered chalcogenide materials wisely studied for rechargeable Li-ion batteries, due to its two-dimensional (2D) layered structure and better specific capacity. The three-dimensional (3D) synthesis of microsphere by ultrathin nanosheets is necessary for practical applications. Herein, the fabrication of a unique hierarchical 2D layered Cu2S-MoS2 nanostructure was (ultrathin nanosheets) demonstrated via in situ assembling of two-dimensional (2D) growths in facile solvothermal technique. The structural study reveals the existence of Cubic Cu2S and Rhombohedral MoS2 phase. Morphological study by FESEM and TEM shows unique ultrathin nanosheets of similar to 10 nm thickness self-assembled in the form of layered microsphere. In Li- ion storage testing, Cu2S-MoS2 electrode exhibited good specific discharge capacity of 651 mAhg(-1) at 50 mAg(-1) applied current and maintained 320 mAhg(-1) after 100 cycles. The facilitated advanced electrochemical performance attributed to layered ultrathin Cu2S-MoS2 composite nanosheets.}, issn = { 2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201802470}, author = {Kadam, Sunil R. and Kalubarme, Ramchandra S. and Deshmukh, Shrutika P. and Panmand, Rajendra P. and Kawade, Ujjwala, V. and Kulkarni, Milind, V. and Deo, Shriniwas S. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article {44199, title = {First total synthesis of (+/-)-rhodoconferimide}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {50}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {658-662}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Starting from vanillin and dimethyl maleate, a concise and efficient racemic total synthesis of the potent antioxidant marine natural product (+/-)-rhodoconferimide has been carried out via the Wittig reaction, catalytic hydrogenation, selective brominations, and imide formation. An appropriate regioselective double bromination of the aromatic ring was a key step in the synthesis.

}, keywords = {(+/-)-rhodoconferimide, Antioxidants, Bromination, Natural products, Total synthesis, Vanillin}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1590944}, author = {Pandhade, Kailas R. and N. P. Argade} } @article {44616, title = {Flexible composite mechanical energy harvester from a ferroelectric organoamino phosphonium salt}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9054-9058}, abstract = {

A new binary organic salt diphenyl diisopropylamino phosphonium hexaflurophosphate (DPDPPF6) was shown to exhibit a good ferroelectric response and employed for mechanical energy harvesting application. The phosphonium salt crystallizes in the monoclinic noncentrosymmetric space group Cc and exhibits an H-bonded 1D chain structure due to N-HF interactions. Ferroelectric measurements on the single crystals of DPDPPF6 gave a well-saturated rectangular hysteresis loop with a remnant (P-r) polarization value of 6Ccm(-2). Further, composite devices based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films for various weight percentages (3, 5, 7, 10 and 20wt\%) of DPDPPF6 were prepared and examined for power generation by using an impact test setup. A maximum output peak-to-peak voltage (V-PP) of 8.5V and an output peak-to-peak current (I-PP) of 0.5A was obtained for the non-poled composite film with 10wt\% of DPDPPF6. These results show the efficacy of organic ferroelectric substances as potential micropower generators.

}, keywords = {binary phosphonium salts, energy conversion, ferroelectricity, hydrogen bonding, polymer composites}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201805479}, author = {Vijayakanth, Thangavel and Srivastava, Anant Kumar and Ram, Farsa and Kulkarni, Priyangi and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Praveenkumar, Balu and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {44608, title = {Fluorescent chemodosimeter for quantification of Cystathionine-y-synthase activity in plant extracts and imaging of endogenous biothiols}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9079-9082}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new reagent for quantification of CgS in plant extracts using a generalized methodology suitable for recognition of homocysteine (Hcy) with luminescence ON response.

}, doi = {10.1039/C8CC04296A}, author = {Agarwalla, Hridesh and Hoskere, Anila A. and Ali, Firoj and Pradhan, Swaraj Rashmi and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Pramanik, Sumit kumar and Das, Amitava} } @article {44631, title = {Four-step total synthesis of (+)-yaoshanenolides A and B}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7036-7045}, abstract = {

A highly concise bioinspired four-step total synthesis of yaoshanenolides A and B possessing tricyclic spirolactone with an unusual 5{\textquoteright}H-spiro-[bicyclo[2.2.2]-oct[2] ene-7,2{\textquoteright}-furan]-5{\textquoteright}-one scaffold is reported. This synthesis features high-yielding aldol-type addition of gamma-butyrolactone on to the aldehyde, exocyclic olefination of lactone derivative using Eschenmoser{\textquoteright}s salt, and highly facial-and endo-selective [4 + 2]-cycloaddition of fully functionalized 5-methylene-2(5H)-furanone with natural R-(-)-alpha-phellandrene. The approach allows access to yaoshanenolides A and B in four linear steps in 11 and 13\% overall yield.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b00701}, author = {Thorat, Sagar S. and Palange, Megha N. and Kontham, Ravindar} } @article {44345, title = { Functionalized carbon nanotube reinforced polymer nanocomposite microcapsules with enhanced stiffness}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {550}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {82-89}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Microcapsules with tunable mechanical properties are highly desirable in pressure sensitive applications. We report here a facile approach to prepare polyurea/multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) nanocomposite microcapsules (MICs) with enhanced stiffness. A model compound dimethyl phthalate (DMP) was used as core material. MWCNTs were modified with reactive functional groups namely carboxyl (-COOH), amines (-NH2), and isocyanates (-NCO) to ensure a stronger interface between polymer wall and MWCNTs. Functionalization of MWCNTs was corroborated by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to study the surface morphology of MICs. The presence of MWCNTs in the microcapsule wall was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). MICs with functionalized MWCNTs show almost 100\% increase in stiffness with respect to pristine capsules. All MICs show 92-97 +/- 1\% encapsulation efficiency. The approach used in this paper can be broadly utilized to tune the mechanical properties of the microcapsules.}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.04.028}, author = {Jagtap, Siddheshwar B. and Patil, Vishal D. and Suresh, Karthika and Ram, Farsa and Mohan, Muthu Subramanian and Rajput, Shatruhan S. and Patil, Shivprasad and Shukla, Parshuram G. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {44482, title = {Generic and scalable method for the preparation of monodispersed metal sulfide nanocrystals with tunable optical properties}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {34}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5788-5797}, abstract = {

A rational synthetic method that produces monodisperse and air-stable metal sulfide colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) in organic nonpolar solvents using octyl dithiocarbamic acid (C(8)DTCA) as a sulfur source, is reported. The fast decomposition of metal-C(8)DTCA complexes in presence of primary amines is exploited to achieve this purpose. This novel technique is generic and can be applied to prepare diverse CQDs, like CdS, MnS, ZnS, SnS, and In2S3, including more useful and in-demand PbS CQDs and plasmonic nanocrystals of Cu2S. Based on several control reactions, it is postulated that the reaction involves the in situ formation of a metal-C(8)DTCA complex, which then reacts in situ with oleylamine at slightly elevated temperature to decompose into metal sulfide CQDs at a controlled rate, leading to the formation of the materials with good optical characteristics. Controlled sulfur precursor{\textquoteright}s reactivity and stoichiometric reaction between C(8)DTCA and metal salts affords high conversion yield and large-scale production of monodisperse CQDs. Tunable and desired crystal size could be achieved by controlling the precursor reactivity by changing the reaction temperature and reagent ratios. Finally, the photovoltaic devices fabricated from PbS CQDs displayed a power conversion efficiency of 4.64\% that is comparable with the reported values of devices prepared with PbS CQDs synthesized by the standard methods.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00741}, author = {Bera, Abhijit and Mandal, Debranjan and Goswami, Prasenjit N. and Rath, Arup K. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {45422, title = {Genetic and phytochemical investigations for understanding population variability of the medicinally important tree Saraca asoca to help develop conservation strategies}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {156}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {43-54}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Saraca asoca (Roxb.) De Wilde (Caesalpiniaceae) is a highly traded IUCN red listed tree species used in Ayurvedic medicines for the treatment of various disorders, especially gynaecological problems. However, information about the genetic variations between populations and corresponding variation in specialized metabolites of S. asoca remains unclear. To address this issue, we analysed 11 populations of S. asoca with 106 accessions collected from Western Ghats of India using ISSR markers along with selected phytocompounds using RP-HPLC. Twenty primers were screened, out of which seven were selected for further analysis based on generation of clear polymorphic banding patterns. These seven ISSR primers produced 74 polymorphic loci. AMOVA showed 43\% genetic variation within populations and 57\% among the populations of S. asoca. To estimate the genetic relationships among S. asoca populations, UPGMA and Bayesian Models were constructed, which revealed two clusters of similar grouping patterns. However, excluding minor deviations, UPGMA and dissimilarity analysis showed close association of genotypes according to their geographical locations. Catechin (CAT), epicatechin (EPI) and gallic acid (GA) were quantified from bark and leaf samples of corresponding genotypes collected from 106 accessions. ROC plots depicted the sensitivity and specificity of the concentrations of tested phytocompounds at various cut-off points. Although, multiple logistic regression analysis predicted some association between few loci with GA, EPI and CAT, but PCA for phytochemical data failed to distinguish the populations. Overall, there were no significant trends observed to distinguish the populations based on these phytocompounds. Furthermore, the study advocates the delineate provenance regions of S. asoca genotypes/chemotype snapshots for in-situ conservation and ex-situ cultivation.}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.08.016}, author = {Hegde, Satisha and Pai, Sandeep Ramchandra and Bhagwat, Rasika M. and Saini, Archana and Rathore, Poonam Kanwar and Jalalpure, Sunil Satyappa and Hegde, Harsha Vasudev and Sugunan, Attayoor Purushottaman and Gupta, Vidya S. and Kholkute, Sanjiva D. and Roy, Subarna} } @article {44483, title = {Genetic programming based models for prediction of vapor-liquid equilibrium}, journal = {Calphad-Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry}, volume = {60}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {68-80}, abstract = {The design, operation, and control of chemical separation processes heavily rely on the knowledge of the vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE). Often, conducting experiments to gain an insight into the separation behavior becomes tedious and expensive. Thus, standard thermodynamic models are used in the VLE prediction. Sometimes, exclusively data-driven models are also used in VLE prediction although this method too possesses drawbacks such as a trial and error approach in specifying the data-fitting function. For overcoming these difficulties, this paper employs a machine learning (ML) formalism namely "genetic programming (GP)" possessing certain attractive features for the VLE prediction. Specifically, three case studies have been performed wherein GP-based models have been developed using experimental data, for predicting the vapor phase composition of a ternary, and a group of non ideal binary systems. The inputs to models consists of three pure component attributes (acentric factor, critical temperature, and critical pressure), and as many intensive thermodynamic parameters (liquid phase composition, pressure, and temperature). A comparison of the VLE prediction and generalization performance of the GP-based models with the corresponding standard thermodynamic models reveals that the former class of models possess either superior or closely comparable performance vis-a-vis thermodynamic models. Noteworthy features of this study are: (i) a single GP-based model can predict VLE of a group of binary systems, and (ii) applicability of a GP-based model trained on an alcohol-acetate series data for its higher homolog. The VLE modeling approach exemplified here can be gainfully extended to other ternary and non-ideal binary systems, and for designing corresponding experiments in different pressure and temperature ranges.}, doi = {10.1016/j.calphad.2017.11.002}, author = {Patil-Shinde, Veena and Tambe, Sanjeev S.} } @inbook {45577, title = {Genomic roadmaps for augmenting salinity stress tolerance in crop plants}, booktitle = {Salinity Responses and Tolerance in Plants}, volume = {2}, year = {2018}, pages = {189-216}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, chapter = {8}, abstract = {Serious antagonistic impacts of saline environment on plant growth, development, and yield are well established. In this regard, researchers and breeders have been utilizing many conventional as well as modern approaches to aid the pro- cess of developing salt-tolerant crops. Biotechnological tools have made the task of engineering salinity tolerance in plants easier. Currently, two major annexes are effectively employed to develop salt-tolerant crops, first, investigation of genetic variation via marker-assisted selection (MAS) and second the transgenic technology. Sustenance of plants under dynamically growth-limiting saline environment depends on alterations and/or switching between multiple biochemical pathways involved in response. A number of key regulatory genes have been successfully identified and characterized in this context which can be explored to serve the purpose of alleviation in salt-tolerant nature of plants. Several genomics-abetted approaches have been reported aiming toward improvement in growth and yield of crops under saline envi- ronment. Present chapter focuses on genomic roadmaps for augmentation of crop salt tolerance by various methods including MAS, transgenic breeding, manipulations in small non-coding RNAs, and genome editing. These approaches utilize key players involved in salinity-mediated plant defense mechanisms, such as ion transporters, osmolytes, antioxidants, transcription factors, signaling proteins, and microRNA. The chapter attempts to summarize the effective targets and exploration of these key entities to raise salt-tolerant plants through various genomics-related tools. }, isbn = {978-3319903170}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-90318-7_8}, author = {Suprasanna, P. and Ghuge, S. A. and Patade, V. Y. and Mirajkar, S. J. and Nikalje, G. C.} } @article {44487, title = {Gold(I)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with organostannanes}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {2865-2869}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gold(I)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with organostannanes are described. This redox neutral strategy offers an efficient approach to diverse biaryls, vinyl arenes and arylacetylenes. Monitoring the reaction with NMR and ESI-MS provided strong evidence for the in situ formation of Ph3PAuIR (R = aryl, vinyl and alkynyl) species which is crucial for the activation of aryldiazonium salts.

}, doi = {10.1039/C8OB00630J}, author = {Akram, Manjur O. and Shinde, Popat S. and Chintawar, Chetan C. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45587, title = {Graphene quantum dots-driven multiform morphologies of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphors: the underlying mechanism and their optical properties}, journal = {ACS omega }, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1834 -1849}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Dimension and shape tunable architectures of inorganic crystals are of extreme interest because of morphology-dependent modulation of the properties of the materials. Herein, for the first time, we present a novel impurity-driven strategy where we studied the influence of in situ incorporation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on the growth of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphor crystals via a hydrothermal route. The GQDs function as a nucleation site and by changing the concentration of GQDs, the morphology of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphors was changed from rod to flowerlike structure to disklike structure, without phase transformation. The influence of size and functionalization of GQDs on the size and shape of phosphor crystals were also systematically studied and discussed. Plausible mechanisms of formation of multiform morphologies are proposed based on the heterogeneous nucleation and growth. Most interestingly, the experimental results indicate that the photoluminescence properties of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphor crystals are strongly dependent on the crystallite size and morphology. This study would be suggestive for the precisely controlled growth of inorganic crystals; consequently, it will open new avenues and thus may possess potential applications in the field of materials and biological sciences.}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b01947}, author = {Malik, M. and Padhye, P. and Poddar, P.} } @article {44212, title = {Harnessing visible-light and limited near-IR photons through plasmon effect of gold nanorod with AgTiO2}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN }, pages = {1206-1214}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The utilization of the red-green-blue (RGB) and limited near-IR photons for solar hydrogen evolution (SHE) has been reported in a single plasmonic nanocomposite. Present study describes the use of AgTiO2 (AgT) decorated with Au nanorods (AgT-AuNR) to enhance the absorption of entire visible-light and limited near-IR wavelength range in the sunlight for SHE from photocatalytic water splitting reaction. It is demonstrated that the longitudinal plasmon resonance of AuNR in AgT-AuNR induces SHE between 550 and 800 nm, whereas TiO2-AuNR or AgT shows no activity in this wavelength range. The key aspect of achieving the high photocatalytic activity of AgT-AuNR in the solar spectrum is the electronic integration among metal NPs as well as with TiO2, and the heterojunctions among them. Presence of such heterojunctions has been supported by different characterization studies. However, gold nanorod exhibits field effect and further enhances light harvesting. Although the absolute amount of energy harvested only from near-IR photons is low, when combined with high-energy visible-light photons within one sun conditions, it shows a multiplier effect rather than a simple additive effect. Likely, this is the first report, where SHE has been achieved with significant amount of light absorption at lambda \>= 550 nm with a plasmonic nanocomposite.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b10289}, author = {Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {44493, title = {High and reversible lithium ion storage in self-exfoliated triazole-triformyl phloroglucinol-basedcovalent organic nanosheets}, journal = {Advanced Energy Materials}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 1702170}, abstract = {Covalent organic framework (COF) can grow into self-exfoliated nanosheets. Their graphene/graphite resembling microtexture and nanostructure suits electrochemical applications. Here, covalent organic nanosheets (CON) with nanopores lined with triazole and phloroglucinol units, neither of which binds lithium strongly, and its potential as an anode in Li-ion battery are presented. Their fibrous texture enables facile amalgamation as a coin-cell anode, which exhibits exceptionally high specific capacity of approximate to 720 mA h g(-1) (@100 mA g(-1)). Its capacity is retained even after 1000 cycles. Increasing the current density from 100 mA g(-1) to 1 A g(-1) causes the specific capacity to drop only by 20\%, which is the lowest among all high-performing anodic COFs. The majority of the lithium insertion follows an ultrafast diffusion-controlled intercalation (diffusion coefficient, D-Li(+) = 5.48 x 10(-11) cm(2) s(-1)). The absence of strong Li-framework bonds in the density functional theory (DFT) optimized structure supports this reversible intercalation. The discrete monomer of the CON shows a specific capacity of only 140 mA h g(-1) @50 mA g(-1) and no sign of lithium intercalation reveals the crucial role played by the polymeric structure of the CON in this intercalation-assisted conductivity. The potentials mapped using DFT suggest a substantial electronic driving-force for the lithium intercalation. The findings underscore the potential of the designer CON as anode material for Li-ion batteries.}, doi = {10.1002/aenm.201702170}, author = {Haldar, Sattwick and Roy, Kingshuk and Nandi, Shyamapada and Chakraborty, Debanjan and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Gawli, Yogesh and Ogale, Satishchandra and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {44655, title = {Highly diverged novel subunit composition of apicomplexan F-type ATP synthase identified from Toxoplasma gondii}, journal = {Plos Biology}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e2006128}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The mitochondrial F-type ATP synthase, a multisubunit nanomotor, is critical for maintaining cellular ATP levels. In T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites, many subunit components necessary for proper assembly and functioning of this enzyme appear to be missing. Here, we report the identification of 20 novel subunits of T. gondii F-type ATP synthase from mass spectrometry analysis of partially purified monomeric (approximately 600 kDa) and dimeric (\> 1 MDa) forms of the enzyme. Despite extreme sequence diversification, key F-O subunits a, b, and d can be identified from conserved structural features. Orthologs for these proteins are restricted to apicomplexan, chromerid, and dinoflagellate species. Interestingly, their absence in ciliates indicates a major diversion, with respect to subunit composition of this enzyme, within the alveolate clade. Discovery of these highly diversified novel components of the apicomplexan F-type ATP synthase complex could facilitate the development of novel antiparasitic agents. Structural and functional characterization of this unusual enzyme complex will advance our fundamental understanding of energy metabolism in apicomplexan species.

}, issn = {1545-7885}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.2006128}, author = {Salunke, Rahul and Mourier, Tobias and Banerjee, Manidipa and Pain, Arnab and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran} } @article {45517, title = {Highly efficient field emission properties of radially aligned carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6584-6590}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Here, we report extraordinary field emission properties from one pot synthesized aligned carbon nanotubes endowed with related Fe nanoparticles (NPs). The CNT configuration is in the form of a carbon hollow cylinder (CHC) with CNTs radially aligned towards the CHC axis. The structure generates electron field emission properties such as an ultralow turn on field (0.35 V μm-1 at 10 μA cm-2), a low threshold field (0.41 V μm-1 at 100 μA cm-2) and a high field emission current density (7.71 mA cm-2 at 0.78 V μm-1). It also exhibits multi-fold improvement in the field enhancement factor (1.34 {\texttimes} 104) with highly stable current emission at 100 μA measured for 14 h. No post synthesis treatment is required for enhanced field emission characteristics. The growth related Fe NPs assist in lowering the work function and hence enhancing the field emission properties. The possibility of assembling nano-structured field emitters into macroscale architectures suggests new prospects for next generation three dimensional electron sources.}, doi = {10.1039/c8tc00814k}, author = {Tripathi, P. and Gupta, B.K. and Bhatnagar, A and Patel, C.R.P and Banker, P.K. and Late, D.J. and More, M.A. and Lalla, N.P. and Phase, D.M., and Choudhary, R.J. and Shaz, M.A. and Ajayan, P.M. and Srivastava, O.N.} } @article {45385, title = {Highly stable COF-supported Co/Co(OH)(2) nanoparticles heterogeneous catalyst for reduction of nitrile/nitro compounds under mild conditions}, journal = {Small}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Ordered nanoporosity in covalent organic framework (COF) offers excellent opportunity for property development. Loading nanoparticles (nPs) onto them is one approach to introducing tailor-made properties into a COF. Here, a COF-Co/Co(OH)(2) composite containing about 16 wt\% of <6 nm sized Co/Co(OH)(2) nPs is prepared on a N-rich COF support that catalyzes the release of theoretical equivalence of H-2 from readily available, safe, and cheap NaBH4. Furthermore, the released H-2 is utilized for the hydrogenation of nitrile and nitro compounds to amines under ambient conditions in a facile one-pot reaction. The COF "by choice" is built from "methoxy" functionalized dialdehydes which is crucial in enabling the complete retention of the COF structure under the conditions of the catalysis, where the regular Schiff bonds would have hydrolyzed. The N-rich binding pockets in the COF ensure strong nP-COF interactions, which provides stability and enables catalyst recycling. Modeling studies reveal the crucial role played by the COF in exposing the active facets and thereby in controlling the activation of the reducing agent. Additionally, via density functional theory, we provide a rational explanation for how these COFs can stabilize nanoparticles which grow beyond the limiting pore size of the COF and yet result in a truly stable heterogeneous catalyst - a ubiquitous observation. The study underscores the versatility of COF as a heterogeneous support for developing cheap and highly active nonnoble metal catalysts.}, doi = {10.1002/smll.201801233}, author = {Mullangi, Dinesh and Chakraborty, Debanjan and Pradeep, Anu and Koshti, Vijay and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Panja, Soumendranath and Nair, Sunil and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {45404, title = { HPW anchored Meso-HZ-5, a novel catalyst for selective synthesis of ethyl levulinate biofuel by alcoholysis of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol}, journal = {Environmental Progress \& Sustainable Energy}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1736-1742}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Ethanolysis of biomass derived furfuryl alcohol (FA) produces ethyl levulinate (EL), a biofuel additive and precursor for -valerolactone synthesis. The present study is devoted to develop an efficient and an environmentally benign catalytic system for one-pot conversion of FA to EL biofuel, by revealing an insight of the catalytic mechanism. The catalytic activity of H-ZSM-5, Meso-HZ-5 (desilicated H-ZSM-5) and different percentage H3PW12O40(HPW) anchored to Meso-HZ-5 catalysts have been evaluated for the FA ethanolysis. As per our knowledge, this is the first research reporting the application of HPW anchored to Meso-HZ-5 catalysts for the conversion of FA into EL in biomass utilization. These catalysts were synthesized and characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N-2 physisorption and temperature programmed NH3 desorption (TPAD). Products of FA ethanolysis viz., 4,5,5-triethoxypentan-2-one (TEP), ethoxy-methyl- furan (EMF), diethyl ether (DEE), EL were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and quantified by flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The physicochemical properties of catalysts were found to correlate to the product distribution matrix. Moreover, influences of several process parameters such as catalyst amount, reactant molar ratio, temperature and time on the extent of FA ethanolysis were systematically investigated. Under optimized conditions, 15\% (w/w) HPW/Meso-HZ-5 exhibited a remarkable catalytic performance with complete FA conversion (100\%) along with 97\% yield of EL, these activity values are superior than the previously reported studies. The present study provides an insight of the catalytic mechanism along with a potential environmental benign and the economic catalyst for the efficient synthesis of EL biofuel from the biomass-derived FA}, doi = { 10.1002/ep.12822}, author = {Nandiwale, Kakasaheb Y. and Pande, Ashwini M. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article {45534, title = {HPW anchored Meso-HZ-5, a novel catalyst for selective synthesis of ethyl levulinate biofuel by alcoholysis of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol}, journal = {Environmental progress and sustainable energy}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1736-1742}, type = {Article}, abstract = {thanolysis of biomass derived furfuryl alcohol (FA) produces ethyl levulinate (EL), a biofuel additive and precursor for γ-valerolactone synthesis. The present study is devoted to develop an efficient and an environmentally benign catalytic system for one-pot conversion of FA to EL biofuel, by revealing an insight of the catalytic mechanism. The catalytic activity of H-ZSM-5, Meso-HZ-5 (desilicated H-ZSM-5) and different percentage H3PW12O40(HPW) anchored to Meso-HZ-5 catalysts have been evaluated for the FA ethanolysis. As per our knowledge, this is the first research reporting the application of HPW anchored to Meso-HZ-5 catalysts for the conversion of FA into EL in biomass utilization. These catalysts were synthesized and characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption and temperature programmed NH3 desorption (TPAD). Products of FA ethanolysis viz., 4,5,5-triethoxypentan-2-one (TEP), ethoxy-methyl- furan (EMF), diethyl ether (DEE), EL were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and quantified by flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The physicochemical properties of catalysts were found to correlate to the product distribution matrix. Moreover, influences of several process parameters such as catalyst amount, reactant molar ratio, temperature and time on the extent of FA ethanolysis were systematically investigated. Under optimized conditions, 15\% (w/w) HPW/Meso-HZ-5 exhibited a remarkable catalytic performance with complete FA conversion (100\%) along with 97\% yield of EL, these activity values are superior than the previously reported studies. The present study provides an insight of the catalytic mechanism along with a potential environmental benign and the economic catalyst for the efficient synthesis of EL biofuel from the biomass-derived FA.}, issn = {1944-7450}, doi = {10.1002/ep.12822}, author = {Nandiwale, Kakasaheb Y. and Pande, Ashwini M. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article {44213, title = {HxZr3-xPW12O40 as an insoluble and reusable heteropolyacid for highly selective dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethyl fufural in DMSO system}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {832-836}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Dehydration of fructose is a way to produce an important platform chemical such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) which is widely used to synthesize variety of renewable chemicals and fuel. Heteropoly acid, H3PW12O40 is highly soluble strong acidic catalyst with well-defined structure. This study reports the modification of soluble heteropoly acid to insoluble and reusable heteropolyacid (HxZr3-xPW12O40 ) by exchanging with Zr and investigation of its catalytic performance in selective transformation of renewable fructose to 5-HMF in Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) system. The physico-chemical properties of H(x)Zr(3-x)PW(12)O(40)were derived from Powder-XRD, NH3-TPAD and FT-IR technique. The characterization of HxZr3-xPW12O40 revealed that the Keggin structure of HPA remained intact as proton replaced by Zr. The partial exchange of Zr in H2Zr1PW12O40 catalyst resulted in an increase in acidity, however further increase of Zr above 1, acidity was found to be decreased. At optimized reaction condition, 5-HMF yield of 85\% with 100\% selectivity was achieved with H1Zr2 PW12O40 catalyst at much lower reaction time of 10 min than reported. The catalyst was observed to be recoverable, reusable as compared to parent H3PW12O40.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201702669}, author = {Mulik, Nagesh L. and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Pandhare, Kiran V. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article {44356, title = {Hydrothermal synthesis of rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite and investigation of its structural, chemical and field emission properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {29}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {10494-10503}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present study we report the one step facile synthesis of pristine lead bismuth selenide (PbBi2Se4) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and its composites with PbBi2Se4. Formation of pristine PbBi2Se4 and rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology and topography investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of nano-flowers pristine PbBi2Se4. After coupling pristine PbBi2Se4 with rGO the surface morphology shows the formation of sharp vertically protruded nano-sheets/nano-flaks originated from the nano-flowers. Finally, the field emission properties of pristine PbBi2Se4 and rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite have been investigated. It has been observed that the rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite emitter exhibited excellent field emission properties with low turn-on field (similar to 2.8 V/A mu m for 10 A mu A/cm(2)), high emission current density (similar to 1288 A mu A/cm(2) at 3.9 V/A mu m) and superior current stability (similar to 4.5 h for similar to 1 A mu A) compare to pristine PbBi2Se4 emitter. Thus, the facile one step synthesis approach and robust nature of rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite emitter can provide prospects for the future development of large-area emitter applications such as flat-panel-display and vacuum micro/nanoelectronics devices.}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-018-9114-0}, author = {Aher, Rahul and Bhorde, Ajinkya and Sharma, Priyanka and Nair, Shruthi and Borate, Haribhau and Pandharkar, Subhash and Rondiya, Sachin and Chaudhary, Minakshi and Gopinath, Chinnakonda and Suryawanshi, Sachin and More, Mahendra and Jadkar, Sandesh} } @article {44209, title = {Hydroxyl directed C-arylation: synthesis of 3-hydroxyflavones and 2-phenyl-3-hydroxy pyran-4-ones under transition-metal free conditions}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {444-451}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient, transition-metal free and direct C-arylation of 3-hydroxychromone moieties in the presence of a base, air as an oxidant and arylhydrazines as arylating agents to furnish highly biologically active flavonols or 3-hydroxyflavones has been developed. We have further extended our methodology for the C-arylation of the 5-hydroxy pyran-4-one moiety. The role of the free hydroxyl group towards C-arylation has been delineated.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c7ob01929g}, author = {Paula, Sayantan and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {44184, title = {Imido-P(V) trianion supported enantiopure neutral tetrahedral Pd(II) cages}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1873-1876}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Charge-neutral chiral hosts are attractive due to their ability to recognize a wide range of guest functionalities and support enantio-selective processes. However, reports on such charge-neutral cages are very scarce in the literature. Here, we report an enantiomeric pair of tetrahedral Pd(II) cages built from chiral tris(imido) phosphate trianions and oxalate linkers, which exhibit enantioselective separation capabilities for epichlorohydrin, beta-butyrolactone, and 3-methyl- and 3-ethyl cyclopentanone.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c8cc00207j}, author = {Rajasekar, Prabhakaran and Pandey, Swechchha and Paithankar, Harshad and Chugh, Jeetender and Steiner, Alexander and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {45590, title = {Impairing powerhouse in colon cancer cells by hydrazide{\textendash}hydrazone-based small molecule}, journal = {ACS omega }, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1470{\textendash}1481}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Mitochondrion has emerged as one of the unconventional targets in next-generation cancer therapy. Hence, small molecules targeting mitochondria in cancer cells have immense potential in the next-generation anticancer therapeutics. In this report, we have synthesized a library of hydrazide{\textendash}hydrazone-based small molecules and identified a novel compound that induces mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization by inhibiting antiapoptotic B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins followed by sequestration of proapoptotic cytochrome c. The new small molecule triggered programmed cell death (early and late apoptosis) through cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and caspase-9/3 cleavage in HCT-116 colon cancer cells, confirmed by an array of fluorescence confocal microscopy, cell sorting, and immunoblotting analysis. Furthermore, cell viability studies have verified that the small molecule rendered toxicity to a panel of colon cancer cells (HCT-116, DLD-1, and SW-620), keeping healthy L929 fibroblast cells unharmed. The novel small molecule has the potential to form a new understudied class of mitochondria targeting anticancer agent.}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b01512}, author = {Patil, S. and Kuman, M. M. and Palvai, S. and Sengupta, P. and Basu, S.} } @article {44641, title = {Improved nonenzymatic glucose sensing properties of Pd/MnO2 nanosheets: synthesis by facile microwave-assisted route and theoretical insight from quantum simulations}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7636-7646}, abstract = {

The electrocatalytic properties of manganese oxide (MnO2) can be improved significantly by making hybrids/composites with noble metals (Au, Pd). Here, efforts have been made to synthesize the MnO2/Au and MnO2/Pd nanocomposites by a facile, rapid microwave irradiation method. The products characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy exhibited their tetragonal phase and nanosheet morphology. The efficiency of the prepared composite materials as glucose sensor was tested by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements, and the results are discussed. The study revealed that successful modification of MnO2 by Pd led to excellent sensing performance by the reduction of size and the synergistic effect between MnO2 and PdO, which expedites the electron transfer. Besides, the wide detection range, good selectivity, and stability demonstrate its robustness in the design of electrochemical sensor platform. To get theoretical insight into the excellent sensing performance of MnO2/Pd, we have performed detailed density functional theory simulations to explore the charge transfer and bonding mechanism of glucose on MnO2 and Pd/Au-doped MnO2 surface. Pd is bonded strongly on MnO2 and makes MnO2/Pd more conducting due to the enhancement of density of states near Fermi level. The higher binding energy of glucose and enhanced charge transfer from glucose to Pd-doped MnO2 compared to bare MnO2 infer that Pd-doped MnO2 possess superior charge-transfer kinetics, resulting in higher glucose sensing performance, which supports our experimental observations.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b01611}, author = {Ponnusamy, Rajeswari and Gangan, Abhijeet and Chakraborty, Brahmananda and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article {45452, title = { In situ base release for pH maintenance can allow shake flasks to better mimic bioreactor performance for CHO cell culture}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Technology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {93}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2842-2850}, type = {Article}, abstract = {BACKGROUNDShake flasks are widely used for evaluating mammalian cells in suspension. Lack of pH control can contribute to differences in culture performance between them and bioreactors. This study evaluates whether a previously reported in situ base releasing hydrogel (pHmH) to counter pH decrease can enable shake flask cultures to better mimic bioreactor cultures. RESULTSCompared with bioreactor culture, fed-batch cultures of a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-line in shake flasks without pHmH showed a decrease in pH to 6.6, accompanied by 40, 60 and 22\% lower peak cell density, lactate accumulation, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer, respectively. Use of pHmH allowed shake flasks to maintain pH above 6.8 and reduced this difference to 20, 30, and 15\%, respectively, thus enabling culture performance in shake flasks to better mimic the bioreactor. IgG glycosylation profiles were similar in identically fed cultures across all three platforms. Application of pHmH hydrogel during clone screening was evaluated by comparing correlation between titers for five recombinant CHO clones in bioreactors and shake flasks with and without pHmH; a higher correlation was found in shake flasks with pHmH than without. CONCLUSIONIn situ base release through hydrogel can allow identically fed fed-batch cultures in shake flasks to better mimic cell growth, lactate accumulation and IgG titers in bioreactors, without additional infrastructure. (c) 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1002/jctb.5635}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda and Shenoy, Bharath R. and Hazarika, Jahnabi and Unnikrishnan, Divya and Prabhu, Anuja and Maity, Sunit and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {44635, title = {In situ nanoparticle embedding for authentication of epoxy composites}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {30}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1801523}, abstract = {

In situ reduction of chloroauric acid inside an amine-cured epoxy matrix leads to formation of gold nanoparticles which are embedded inside the part. This phenomenon is leveraged to design an authentication system for composites wherein the particles are embedded spatially and are invisible to the naked eye. Under UV light, the particles diffract light and create an easily visible path. The particles penetrate inside the part and create a permanent, cost-effective, tamper-proof code. The advantage of this technique is that this authentication system can be built in composite parts after fabrication of the composite structure. As very small amount (nanograms) of particles are present in the part, negligible change in the thermal characteristics of the parent matrix is observed. The particles can be embedded easily in carbon fiber as well as glass fiber reinforced epoxy structures.

}, keywords = {authentication, barcoding, composites, embedded nanoparticles, Epoxy}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.201801523}, author = {Pansare, Amol V. and Khairkar, Shyam R. and Shedge, Amol A. and Chhatre, Shraddha Y. and Patil, Vishwanath R. and Nagarkar, Amit A.} } @article {45411, title = {In vivo examination of folic acid-conjugated gold-silica nanohybrids as contrast agents for localized tumor diagnosis and biodistribution}, journal = {Bioconjugate Chemistry}, volume = { 29}, year = {2018}, pages = {4012-4019}, type = {DEC}, abstract = {Enhanced biocompatibility of nanosized contrast agent with high radiodensity and specific biodistribution is an important parameter for localized tumor imaging and organ safety. Various nanoparticles, especially gold nanorods (GNRs), have been applied for tumor diagnosis. However, their toxicity, nonspecific biodistribution, and easy aggregation are critical issues in cancer medicine. To avoid these issues, encapsulation of the GNRs in the core of nanoscopic mesoporous silica (MS) under ambient conditions, yielding multifunctional nanomaterials for cancer nanomedicine, is a recent and active development. Interestingly, GNR embedded MS nanohybrid (GNR-MS), though a promising material in nanomedicine, is rarely examined for tumor diagnosis, in vivo toxicity, organ safety, contrast ability, and excretion. Herein, we report a systematic in vivo examination of folic acid functionalized GNR-MS (GNR-MS-FA) for localized 4T1 breast tumor diagnosis, organ safety, and excretion using a one-time dose administration. The nanomaterials show good aqueous dispersibility, biocompatibility, high radiodensity, and tumor specific targeting ability (in vitro as well as in vivo). The in vivo tumor diagnosis and specific biodistribution of injected nanomaterials clearly demonstrates their potential for the visualization of tumors deep in the body of mice. In addition, all organs including the healthy glomerulus of the kidney are observed to be free of tissue injuries thereby indicating the superior biocompatibility of the nanomaterials.}, issn = {1043-1802}, doi = {10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00522}, author = {Prasad, Rajendra and Agawane, Sachin B. and Chauhan, Deepak S. and Srivastava, Rohit and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {44504, title = {Influence of silver nanoparticles morphologies on density, viscosity and thermal conductivity of silver nanofluids and silver ionanofluids}, journal = {Journal of Nanofluids}, volume = {7}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {246-257}, abstract = {This paper explores the consequence of silver nanoparticles morphology (nanowires, nanoplates, and nanospheres) on density, viscosity and thermal conductivity of nanofluids and IoNanoFluids. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy results reveal that hydroxyl group in cation relates to silver nanoparticle surface of silver IoNanoFluid. Effect on bonding of silver nanoparticles after solvation in an ionic liquid was investigated with Infrared spectroscopy. UV-Visible spectroscopy analysis observed variations in color and optical properties of silver IoNanoFluids compared with nanofluids. Structural and morphological characterization of silver nanofluids and silver IoNanoFluids were carried out with Scanning electron microscopy and Transmission electron microscopy techniques. The presence of silver nanoparticles from the aqueous phase of nanofluids to viscous ionic liquid phase was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Energy dispersive analysis. The thermal stability study unveils that Choline bis(trifluromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid, and its derived silver IoNanoFluids, are more stable than silver nanofluids. There was no considerable impact was observed for the silver nanoparticles morphology on the density of IoNanofluids. Moreover, two-dimensional silver structures raise the viscosity further compare to other two morphologies of silver nanoparticles in a base ionic liquid. Among all three studied morphologies, silver nanowires influence additional in the enhancement of thermal conductivity for silver nanofluids and IoNanoFluids. Enhanced thermal conductivity and reduced viscosity of silver nanowires based IoNanoFluid sorts this fluid as a potential heat transfer fluid.}, doi = {10.1166/jon.2018.1451}, author = {Patil, Virendra Sudam and Andry, Cera-Manjarres and Salavera, Daniel and Rode, Chandrashekhar Vasant and Patil, Kashinath R and Coronas, Alberto} } @article {44220, title = {Integrative analysis of rewired central metabolism in temozolomide resistant cells}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {495}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2010-2016}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Glutamine, Metabolic rewiring, Metabolite profiling, mRNA abundances, Temozolomide resistance, U87MG}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.12.073}, author = {Immanuel, Selva Rupa C. and Ghanate, Avinash D. and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar S. and Marriage, Fiona and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Day, Nap J. and Raghunathan, Anu} } @article {44510, title = {Integrative approaches to understand the Mastery in manipulation of host cytokine networks by protozoan parasites with emphasis on Plasmodium and Leishmania species}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 296}, abstract = {cDiseases by protozoan pathogens pose a significant public health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries, where these are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Protozoan pathogens tend to establish chronic infections underscoring their competence at subversion of host immune processes, an important component of disease pathogenesis and of their virulence. Modulation of cytokine and chemokine levels, their crosstalks and downstream signaling pathways, and thereby influencing recruitment and activation of immune cells is crucial to immune evasion and subversion. Many protozoans are now known to secrete effector molecules that actively modulate host immune transcriptome and bring about alterations in host epigenome to alter cytokine levels and signaling. The complexity of multi-dimensional events during interaction of hosts and protozoan parasites ranges from microscopic molecular levels to macroscopic ecological and epidemiological levels that includes disrupting metabolic pathways, cell cycle (Toxoplasma and Theileria sp.), respiratory burst, and antigen presentation (Leishmania spp.) to manipulation of signaling hubs. This requires an integrative systems biology approach to combine the knowledge from all these levels to identify the complex mechanisms of protozoan evolution via immune escape during host-parasite coevolution. Considering the diversity of protozoan parasites, in this review, we have focused on Leishmania and Plasmodium infections. Along with the biological understanding, we further elucidate the current efforts in generating, integrating, and modeling of multi-dimensional data to explain the modulation of cytokine networks by these two protozoan parasites to achieve their persistence in host via immune escape during host-parasite coevolution.}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2018.00296}, author = {Mahanta, Anusree and Ganguli, Piyali and Barah, Pankaj and Sarkar, Ram Rup and Sarmah, Neelanjana and Phukan, Saurav and Bora, Mayuri and Baruah, Shashi} } @article {44595, title = {Investigation of disorder in mixed phase, sp(2)-sp(3) bonded graphene-like nanocarbon}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {2504-2512}, abstract = {

Disorder in a mixed phase, sp(2)-sp(3) bonded graphene-like nanocarbon (GNC) lattice has been extensively studied for its electronic and field emission properties. Morphological investigations are performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which depicts microstructures comprising of atomically flat terraces (c-planes) with an abundance of edges (ab planes which are orthogonal to c-planes). Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is used to observe the atomic structure of basal planes whereas field emission microscopy (FEM) is found to be suitable for resolving nanotopography of edges. STM images revealed the hexagonal and non-hexagonal atomic arrangements in addition to a variety of defect structures. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy is carried out to study the effect of this short-range disorder on the local density of states. Current versus voltage (I-V) characteristics have been recorded at different defect sites and are compared with respect to the extent of the defect. As sharp edges of GNC are expected to be excellent field emitters, because of low work function and high electric field, enhancement in current is observed particularly when applied electric field is along basal planes. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate field emission from these samples. The FEM images show a cluster of bright spots at low voltages which later transformed into an array resembling ledges of ab-planes with increasing voltage. Reproducible I-V curves yield linear Fowler-Nordheim plots supporting field emission as the dominant mechanism of electron emission. Turn on field for 10 mu A current is estimated to be similar to 3 V/mu m.

}, keywords = {Field emission microscopy, Graphene-Like Nanocarbon, Scanning tunneling microscopy, Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2018.14312}, author = {Patil, Sumati and Kolekar, Sadhu and Kumar, Arvind and Alegaonkar, Prashant and Datar, Suwarna and Dharmadhikari, C. V.} } @article {44383, title = { Investigations on optical properties of ZnO decorated graphene oxide (ZnO@GO) and reduced graphene oxide (ZnO@r-GO)}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {744}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {64-74}, abstract = {The present investigation is based on the production of reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) from the graphene oxide using Hummer{\textquoteright}s (GO) and improved Hummer{\textquoteright}s methods (IGO) at elaborated conditions, named as GO and IGO, respectively hereafter. In contrast to previously known techniques, the presented process does not generate toxic gas. Meanwhile, the reduction temperature can be easily controlled. This approach provides a more significant amount of hydrophilic oxidized graphene as compared to GO and IGO with the use of additional KMnO4. Thus synthesized IGO was used to produce r-GO by thermal treatment. The morphological characteristics show that the obtained samples have a wrinkled paper-like morphology with severely folded lines. However, r-GO has double layers and multilayer at the edges. All the products (GO, IGO, and r-GO) have been decorated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). The XRD patterns of ZnO@GO composites have confirmed the characteristic peaks of wurtzite ZnO indicating the formation of ZnO nanoparticles onto the surface of graphene. The microscopic studies confirm the random growth/decoration of ZnO NPs on the surface of GO/IGO/r-GO sheets. However, in IGO and r-GO, loading/growth of ZnO NPs are less as compared to ZnO@GO. Overall structural studies indicate the oxidation of graphite and reduction of graphene oxide into r-GO sheets and ZnO decoration. Upon UV excitations, a bright blue emission has been exhibited by the GO that originates from geminate recombination of localized e-h pairs in sp(2) clusters those primarily act as the luminescent centers. The noteworthy enhancement in the emission intensities after the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of GO is observed. The improved synthesis method and low-temperature reduction technique of GO may be essential for the large-scale production of r-GO as well as the construction of devices composed of ZnO@GO/IGO/r-GO. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2018.02.057}, author = {Kumar, Pushpendra and Som, Sudipta and Pandey, Mukesh K. and Das, Subrata and Chanda, Anupama and Singh, Jai} } @article {44511, title = {Iron Catalyzed Hydroformylation of Alkenes under Mild Conditions: Evidence of an Fe(II) Catalyzed Process}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {140}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR }, pages = {4430-4439}, abstract = {

Earth abundant, first row transition metals offer a cheap and sustainable alternative to the rare and precious metals. However, utilization of first row metals in catalysis requires harsh reaction conditions, suffers from limited activity, and fails to tolerate functional groups. Reported here is a highly efficient iron catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes under mild conditions. This protocol operates at 10-30 bar syngas pressure below 100 degrees C, utilizes readily available ligands, and applies to an array of olefins. Thus, the iron precursor [HFe(CO)(4)](-)[Ph3PNPPh3](+) (1) in the presence of triphenyl phosphine catalyzes the hydroformylation of 1-hexene (S2), 1-octene (S1), 1-decene (S3), 1-dodecene (S4), 1-octadecene (S5), trimethoxy(vinyl)silane (S6), trimethyl(vinyl)silane (S7), cardanol (S8), 2,3-dihydrofuran (S9), allyl malonic acid (S10), styrene (S11), 4-methylstyrene (S12), 4-iBu-styrene (S13), 4-tBu-styrene (S14), 4-methoxy styrene (S15), 4-acetoxy styrene (S16), 4-bromo styrene (S17), 4-chloro styrene (S18), 4-vinylbenzonitrile (S19), 4-vinylbenzoic acid (S20), and allyl benzene (S21) to corresponding aldehydes in good to excellent yields. Both electron donating and electron withdrawing substituents could be tolerated and excellent conversions were obtained for S11-S20. Remarkably, the addition of 1 mol \% acetic acid promotes the reaction to completion within 16-24 h. Detailed mechanistic investigations revealed in situ formation of an iron-dihydride complex [H2Fe(CO)(2)(PPh3)(2)] (A) as an active catalytic species. This finding was further supported by cyclic voltammetry investigations and intermediacy of an Fe(0)-Fe(II) species was established. Combined experimental and computational investigations support the existence of an iron-dihydride as the catalyst resting state, which then follows a Fe(II) based catalytic cycle to produce aldehyde.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.8b01286}, author = {Pandey, Swechchha and Raj, K. Vipin and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Vanka, Kumar and Kashyap, Varchaswal and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Vinod, C. P. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {44589, title = {Judicious reduction of supported Ti catalyst enables access to disentangled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {51}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN }, pages = {4541-4552}, abstract = {

Heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta and homogeneous metallocene catalysts are known to produce ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in the entangled state. On the other hand, only (two) homogeneous single-site catalysts are reported to yield disentangled UHMWPE (dis-UHMWPE). This disparity between the two types of catalysts and the two states of polyethylene can be bridged if a heterogeneous single-site catalyst that can yield dis-UHMWPE is made accessible. Here, one-pot two-step synthesis of a MgCl2 supported [Ti(OEt)(4)] derived catalyst 1 with a two-stage activation strategy is reported to produce dis-UHMWPE. Second activation of catalyst 1 was performed by adding excess modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO12), and XPS analysis indicated that the catalyst existed in only Ti(III) state at [A1]/[Ti] ratio of 600. Catalyst 1 after second activation with MMAO12 was found to be highly active in ethylene polymerization and produced dis-UHMWPE. Polymerization conditions were tailored to obtain molecular weight (M-w) as high as 13 million g/mol PE. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a heterogeneous catalyst (catalyst 1) that displays pseudosingle site nature is able to produce dis-UHMWPE. The thus-prepared nascent polyethylene revealed a melting temperature of 141-144 degrees C, which is a characteristic melting transition for a dis-UHMVVPE. The disentangled state of the nascent PE and its M-w and MVVD were further authenticated by rheological investigations. Isothermal time, sweep oscillatory experiments in linear viscoelastic limit revealed a rapid rise in elastic modulus followed by equilibration to plateau modulus, which are characteristic features of the disentangled state. Thus, a pseudo-singlesite heterogeneous catalyst has been accessed, which upon second activation with excess MMAO12 led to the production of dis-UHMWPE.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/acs.macromol.8b00590}, author = {Gote, Ravindra P. and Mandal, Dipa and Patel, Ketan and Chaudhuri, Krishnaroop and Vinod, C. P. and Lele, Ashish K. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {44372, title = {Kitchen grinder: a tool for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks towards size selective dye adsorption}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2486-2490}, abstract = {In this report, we present a simple, swift mechanochemical synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) using a kitchen grinder. By adopting this tool, we could synthesize ZIF-8, CuBTC, and MIL-100(Fe) in multi gram-scale and successfully employ MIL-100(Fe)-KG for the efficient (ca. 98\%) removal of an organic dye (methylene blue) from aqueous solution. In particular, we demonstrated the significance of pore aperture for effective dye adsorption by comparing the adsorption behaviours of ZIF-8-KG and MIL-100(Fe)-KG. We believe that this approach could be of economic interest towards the green synthesis of porous adsorbents for waste-water treatment.}, doi = {10.1039/c8ce00333e}, author = {Samal, Mahalaxmi and Panda, Jagannath and Biswal, Bishnu P. and Sahu, Rojalin} } @article {44513, title = {Large PAMAM dendron induces formation of unusual P4332 mesophase in monoolein/water system}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {34}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6827-6834}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Compact macromolecular dendrons have been shown to induce the formation of discontinuous inverse micellar assemblies with Fd3m symmetry in monoolein/water systems. Here, we demonstrate that a large PAMAM dendron (G5: fifth generation) induces the formation a very unusual mesophase with P4332 symmetry. This mesophase had previously been observed in monoolein/water systems only on addition of cytochrome C. The P4332 mesophase can be considered an intermediate phase between the bicontinuous Ia3d and discontinuous micellar mesophases. In this unusual phase, every third rod junction of the Ia3d mesophase is replaced with a spherical micelle. We present a detailed investigation of the phase behaviour of monoolein/water as a function of G5 concentration and temperature. Addition of 1\% G5 in 85/15 monoolein/water system induces a transition from the L to Ia3d phase. Further increase in G5 concentration to above 2\% induces the formation of the P4332 phase. Thus, incorporation of G5 yields a qualitatively different phase diagram when compared with incorporation of lower generation PAMAM dendrons (G2 {\textendash} G4) in monoolein/water, where the reverse micellar Fd3m phase forms. PAMAM dendrons of all generations, G2 {\textendash} G5, bear terminal amine groups that interact with the monoolein head group. The compact molecular architecture of the dendrons and these attractive interactions induce bending of the monoolein bilayer structure. For smaller dendrons, G2 {\textendash} G4, this results in the formation of the Fd3m phase. However, the large size of the G5 dendron precludes this and a rare intermediate phase between the Ia3d and discontinuous micellar phase, the P4332 mesophase forms instead.}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00551}, author = {Kumar, Manoj and Patil, Naganath Ganapatarao and Ambade, Ashootosh V. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {45386, title = {The Leishmania donovani IMPACT-like protein possesses non-specific nuclease activity}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {119}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {962-973}, type = {Article}, abstract = {IMPACT (Imprinted and Ancient)-like proteins are known to be regulators of GCN2 (General control non-derepressible 2) kinases involved in translation regulation. Here, we report on cloning and characterization of an IMPACT-like protein, LdIMPACT from Leishmania donovani which harbours two domains. {\textquoteright}RWD domain{\textquoteright} at the N-terminal end that mediates GCN2 regulation, while a conserved {\textquoteright}ancient domain{\textquoteright} lies at the C-terminal end whose function remains elusive. Interestingly, our observations indicated that LdIMPACT has a novel nonspecific nuclease activity. In silico analysis further revealed the resemblance of ancient domain of LdIMPACT to RNase PH domain (known to bind to nucleic acids). The recombinant LdIMPACT exhibited a Mg2+-dependent nuclease activity. Moreover, thermostability and pH stability assays of the protein suggest it to be a stress responsive protein. Circular dichroism studies elucidated the conformational transitions of the enzyme in response to various temperature and pH conditions which correlated well with the activity profiles. Thus, the current study highlights the structural and functional characteristics of LdIMPACT which interestingly also possesses a novel nuclease activity. With its physiological relevance unresolved, the multifaceted LdIMPACT might therefore lie in a hitherto unknown network, whose perturbation could be an attractive therapeutic approach for treating leishmaniasis. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, issn = { 0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.07.175}, author = {Rao, Shilpa J. and Shukla, Ekta and Bhatia, Varsha and Lohiya, Bharat and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Kar, Anita and Pal, Jayanta K.} } @article {45357, title = { Ligand-solvent compatibility: the unsung hero in the digestive ripening story}, journal = {Langmuir }, volume = {34}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {13680-13689}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Digestive ripening (DR) is a process where a polydisperse nanocrystal (NC) system is converted into a monodisperse one with the aid of thermal heating of NCs in the presence of an excess surface-active organic ligand called digestive ripening agent (DRA) and a solvent. Here, we demonstrate that the solvent-DRA compatibility influences the final size and size distribution of the NCs in a significant manner. Accordingly, in this study, using the DR of gold NCs as the test case with alkanethiol (decanethiol/C10HT) and fluorinated thiol (1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol/C10FT) as DRA{\textquoteright}s and toluene and alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoro-toluene (TFT) and their combination as solvents, we clearly establish that alkanethiols result in best-quality NCs after DR in toluene while the fluorinated thiols provide reasonably monodispersed NCs in TFT. Our results also ascertain that even when DR is carried out in a mixture of solvents, as long as the compatible solvent is the major component, the DR process results in reasonably monodisperse NCs. As soon as the amount of uncompatible solvent exceeds a threshold limit, there is perceptible increase in the polydispersity of the NCs. We conclude that the polarity of the solvent, which affects the buildup of ligated atoms/clusters, plays a key role in controlling the size distributions of the NCs.

}, issn = { 0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02699}, author = {Shimpi, Jayesh R. and Chaudhari, Vijay Raman and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {45472, title = {Limonene inhibits Candida albicans growth by inducing apoptosis}, journal = {Medical Mycology}, volume = {56}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = { 565-578}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Anti-Candida potential of limonene was evaluated against planktonic growth, biofilm (adhesion, development and maturation) and morphogenesis of Candida albicans in this study. Limonene is a major constituent of citrus oil and most frequently used terpene in food and beverage industry due to its pleasant fragrance, nontoxic, and is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) flavoring agent as well as treatment option in many gastrointestinal diseases. Limonene exhibited excellent anti-Candida activity and was equally effective against planktonic growth of C. albicans isolates differentially susceptible to FLC (N = 35). Limonene inhibited morphogenesis significantly at low concentration. However, it showed stage dependent activity against biofilm formation, that is, it was more effective against adhesion followed by development and maturation. Limonene also exhibited excellent synergy with FLC against planktonic and biofilm growth. SWATH-MS analysis led to identification of limonene responsive proteins that provided molecular insight of its anti-Candida activity. Proteomic analysis revealed upregulation of proteins involved in cell wall glucan synthesis (Kre6); oxidative stress (Rhr2, Adh7 and Ebp1); DNA damage stress (Mbf1 and Npl3); nucleolar stress (Rpl11, Rpl7, Rpl29, Rpl15) and down regulation of cytoskeleton organization (Crn1, Pin3, Cct8, Rbl2), and so forth, in response to limonene. Limonene mediated down regulation of Tps3 indicates activation of caspase (CaMca1) and induction of apoptosis in C. albicans. These results suggest that limonene inhibits C. albicans growth by cell wall/membrane damage induced oxidative stress that leads to DNA damage resulting into modulation of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis through nucleolar stress and metacaspase dependent pathway.

}, issn = {1369-3786}, doi = {10.1093/mmy/myx074}, author = {Thakre, Archana and Zore, Gajanan and Kodgire, Santosh and Kazi, Rubina and Mulange, Shradha and Patil, Rajendra and Shelar, Amruta and Santhakumari, Bayitigeri and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Kharat, Kiran and Karuppayil, Sankunny Mohan} } @article {44514, title = {Lipase catalyzed synthesis of antimicrobial andrographolide derivatives}, journal = {Data in Brief}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1134-1141}, abstract = {In this data article we describe screening of various lipases for the regioselective acylation of Andrographolide. Each lipase was screened with seven acyl donors. Amano lipase AK from Pseudomonas fluorescens was used for the synthesis of two new acylated andrographolide derivatives. Two new compounds, andrographolide-14-propionate and andrographolide-14-caproate were characterized by various spectral studies. These two derivatives showed more antimicrobial activity than andrographolide.}, doi = {10.1016/j.dib.2018.03.103}, author = {Patil, Harshal S. and Jadhav, Dipesh and Paul, Ajay and Mulani, Fayaj Alam and Karegaonkar, Shrikant J. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {44617, title = {Lower scaling approximation to EOM-CCSD: a critical assessment of the ionization problem}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {118}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e25594}, abstract = {

In this article, we investigate the performance of different approximate variants of the EOM-CCSD method for calculation of ionization potential (IP), as compared to EOM-CCSDT reference values. None of the lower scaling approximations to the EOM-CCSD method give a consistent performance for valence, inner valence, and core ionization, favoring one, or the other depending on the nature of the approximation used. The parent EOMIP-CCSD method gives superior performance for valence IP but can show large errors for inner valence and core ionization. The problem is particularly severe for core-ionization, where even the EOMIP-CCSDT method cannot provide quantitative accuracy.

}, keywords = {EOM-CCSD, Ionization potential, lower scaling}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.25594}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {44194, title = {Marginally hydrogenated triphasic titania nanotubes for effective visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen generation}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {280-288}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the first demonstration of hydrogen-annealed triphase TiO nanotubes (anatase-rutile-brookite) (T-ARB) as a visible-light-active photocatalyst for water splitting with high quantum efficiency. As-synthesized T-ARB was annealed under hydrogen atmosphere at 250 and 4508 degrees C for 2 h. We found that the tubular structures were retained in the hydrogenated TiO2 samples. It was observed that the concentrations of Ti3+ and the oxygen vacancies and their distribution significantly increased with respect to the hydrogen annealing temperature. Such changes in defects were found to be critical in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the hydrogen-annealed triphase TiO2 nanotubes. The triphase TiO2 nanotubes hydrogen annealed at 450 degrees C were 16 times more efficient than pristine TiO2. Such an increase in the photocatalytic activity was explained by a triphase band diagram with defect states below the conduction band of each phase, which facilitated visible-light activity and easy transfer of charge carriers from one phase to another. Our study showed that the well-designed multiphase construction with oxygen vacancies enhanced the photocatalytic activity tremendously owing to the presence of a higher number of phase junctions.

}, keywords = {charge transfer, Defects, Hydrogenation, titania, water splitting}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.201700406}, author = {Preethi, Laguduva K. and Mathews, Tom and Walczak, Lukasz and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {44232, title = {Mechanical activation in reduced graphite oxide/boron nitride nanocomposite electrocatalysts for significant improvement in dioxygen reduction}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {2}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {252-261}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A nanocomposite of reduced graphite oxide (rGO) with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is prepared using a simple hydrothermal method. Significant enhancement in the surface area of the composite is mainly due to the pre-mechanical activation of pristine GO. The structural and morphological study reveals the formation of a homogeneous nanocomposite and masking of rGO sheets over micron sized h-BN particles respectively. Interestingly, the as-synthesized GOBN2-BM composite (nanocomposite of 2 wt\% h-BN with mechanically activated GO) catalyst exhibits significant oxygen electroreduction kinetics in terms of onset potential (E-onset = 0.89 V), half-wave potential (E-1/2 = 0.74 V) and limiting current density (J(L) = 4.4 mA cm(-2)) with a single step similar to 4-electron transfer pathway in alkaline medium. Though the composite catalysts exhibit higher overpotential (110 mV) than state-of-the-art Pt/C catalysts, they are much superior to previously reported carbon or h-BN based nanocomposite electrocatalysts. Importantly, the GOBN2-BM nanocomposite shows excellent tolerance towards both methanol oxidation and CO poisoning. Moreover, the nanocomposite catalysts show substantially higher stability than Pt/C catalysts even after 5000 cycles under similar conditions. Additionally, they show a better relative current stability (95\% retention) than that of a Pt/C catalyst, signifying immense selectivity and durability towards oxygen electroreduction kinetics. The electrocatalytic oxygen reduction activity of the nanocomposite is mainly attributed to the high surface area (thanks to mechanical activation of GO, leading to increased pore distribution) as well as the synergistic mechanism between the h-BN and carbon network of rGO. Hence, it could be a potential cathode catalyst to replace precious-metal based catalysts in alkaline fuel cells.

}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/c7se00461c}, author = {Patil, Indrajit M. and Jijil, Chamundi P. and Lokanathan, Moorthi and Swami, Anita and Kakade, Bhalchandra} } @article {44620, title = {Mechanism of nickel(II)-catalyzed C(2)-H alkynylation of indoles with alkynyl bromide}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2037-2045}, abstract = {

The nickel system (THF)(2)NiBr2/phen has recently been shown as an efficient catalyst for the C-H bond alkynylation of diverse heteroarenes with (triisopropylsilyl)alkynyl bromide via monodentate chelation assistance. Herein, we report an extensive mechanistic investigation for the direct alkynylation of indoles involving the well-defined nickel catalyst, which features a coordinative insertion pathway of alkynyl bromide with the Ni(II) catalyst. Catalytic relevant nickel complexes, (phen)NiCl2 (5), (phen)(2)NiCl2 (6) and [(phen)(3)Ni].NiCl4 (7) were isolated, and the complexes 6 and 7 were structurally characterized. Well-defined complexes were as competent as the in situ generated catalyst system (THF)(2)NiBr2/phen for the alkynylation of indoles. Various controlled studies and reactivity experiments were performed to understand the probable pathway for the alkynylation reaction. Kinetics analysis highlights that the complex (phen)NiX2 acts as a precatalyst, and the involvement of substrate indole and LiO{\textquoteright}Bu are essential for the generation of the active catalyst. Deuterium labeling and kinetic studies suggest that the process involving C-H cleavage and carbo-nickelation of indole is a crucial rate influencing step. Reactivity study of various alkynyl compounds with nickel-species highlights a migratory insertion route for the reaction. DFT calculations firmly support the experimental findings and suggest the coordinative insertion pathway of alkynyl bromide rather than oxidative addition toward the nickel(II) center.

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.8b00177}, author = {Khake, Shrikant M. and Jain, Shailja and Patel, Ulhas N. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Vanka, Kumar and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {44516, title = {Mechanism of the formation of microphase separated water clusters in a water-mediated physical network of perfluoropolyether tetraol}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2339-2345}, abstract = {

Perfluoropolyether tetraol (PFPE tetraol) possesses a hydrophobic perfluoropolyether chain in the backbone and two hydroxyl groups at each chain terminal, which facilitates the formation of hydrogen bonds with water molecules resulting in the formation an extended physical network. About 3 wt\% water was required for the formation of the microphase separated physical network of PFPE tetraol. The mechanism responsible for the microphase separation of water clusters in the physical network was studied using a combination of techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and DSC. MD simulation studies provided evidence for the formation of clusters in the PFPE tetraol physical network and the size of these clusters increased gradually with an increase in the extent of hydration. Both MD simulations and NMR spectroscopy studies revealed that these clusters position themselves away from the hydrophobic backbone or vice versa. The presence of intra-and inter-chain aggregation possibility among hydrophilic groups was evident. DSC results demonstrated the presence of tightly and loosely bound water molecules to the terminal hydroxyl groups of PFPE tetraol through hydrogen bonding. The data from all the three techniques established the formation of a physical network driven by hydrogen bonding between the hydrophilic end groups of PFPE tetraol and water molecules. The flexible nature of the PFPE tetraol backbone and its low solubility parameter favour clustering of water molecules at the terminal groups and result in the formation of a gel.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c7sm02181j}, author = {Deshpande, Ashwini A. and Torris, Arun A. T. and Pahari, Swagata and Menon, Shamal K. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Roy, Sudip and Tonelli, Claudio} } @article {44517, title = {Mechanistic aspects of pincer nickel(II)-catalyzed C-H bond alkylation of azoles with alkyl halides}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1017-1025}, abstract = {

The quinolinyl-based pincer nickel complex, kappa(N),kappa(N),kappa(N)-{C9H6N-(mu-N)-C6H4-NMe2}NiCl [((NNNMe2)-N-Q)-NiCl; (1)] has recently been demonstrated to be an efficient and robust catalyst for the alkylation of azoles with alkyl halides under copper-free conditions. Herein, we report the detailed mechanistic investigation for the alkylation of azoles catalyzed by ((NNNMe2)-N-Q)NiCl (1), which highlights an iodine atom transfer (IAT) mechanism for the reaction involving a Ni-II/Ni-III process. Deuterium labeling experiments indicate reversible cleavage of the benzothiazole C-H bond, and kinetic studies underline a fractional negative rate order with the substrate benzothiazole. The involvement of an alkyl radical during the alkylation is validated by radical clock and external additive experiments. An active intermediate species ((NNNMe2)-N-Q)Ni(benzothiazolyl) (5a) has been isolated and structurally characterized. The complex ((NNNMe2)-N-Q)Ni(benzothiazoly1) (5a) is found to be the resting state of catalyst 1. Kinetic analysis of electronically different intermediates suggests that the step involving the reaction of 5a with alkyl iodide is crucial and a rate-influencing step. DFT calculations strongly support the experimental findings and corroborate an IAT process for the alkylation reaction.

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.8b00025}, author = {Patel, Ulhas N. and Jain, Shailja and Pandey, Dilip K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Vanka, Kumar and Punji, Benudhar} } @conference {45433, title = {Melanin-based composite materials for multifunctional applications}, booktitle = {256th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Beyond}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, publisher = {American-Chemical-Society}, organization = {American-Chemical-Society}, address = {Boston, MA}, abstract = {256th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Beyond}, author = {Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Ram, Farsa and Pimpalkar, Nikhil} } @article {45451, title = {Methanol oxidation reaction on Pt based electrocatalysts modified ultramicroelectrode (UME): Novel electrochemical method for monitoring rate of CO adsorption}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {286}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {287-295}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Novel fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) based method has been developed to study methanol oxidation reaction on Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) based catalysts. To support the cyclic voltammetry measurements at higher scan rates, micron-sized electrode geometries viz. PtNPs loaded on the single strand of carbon fiber (SSCF) and PtNPs decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), loaded on commercial ultramicroelectrode (UME) have been employed. Deconvolution of the voltammograms obtained during methanol oxidation revealed three major anodic peaks. These peaks have been plausibly attributed to the electron transfer processes viz. methanol oxidation into CO/other intermediates, oxidation of these intermediates into CO2 and adsorption of un-oxidized CO on the catalyst surface. The peaks due to CO adsorption have been elucidated as a function of scan rates. The area under the peak as a function of time has been correlated to the rate of CO adsorption on these catalysts. The average rate of CO adsorption in methanol oxidation at Pt-SSCF and Pt-MWCNTs/UME are estimated to be 1.08 x 10(-8) mol cm(-2) s(-1) and 13.5 x 10(-8) mol cm(-2) s(-1) respectively. This novel method is proposed to generalize to any electrocatalysts of interest. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2018.08.014}, author = {Joshi, Vrushali S. and Poudyal, Durgasha C. and Satpati, Ashis K. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Haram, Santosh K.} } @article {44196, title = {Method for identification of sensitive nodes in boolean models of biological networks}, journal = {IET Systems Biology}, volume = {12}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1-6}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biological systems are often represented as Boolean networks and analysed to identify sensitive nodes which on perturbation disproportionately change a predefined output. There exist different kinds of perturbation methods: perturbation of function, perturbation of state and perturbation in update scheme. Nodes may have defects in interpretation of the inputs from other nodes and calculation of the node output. To simulate these defects and systematically assess their effect on the system output, two new function perturbations, referred to as not of function{\textquoteright} and function of not{\textquoteright}, are introduced. In the former, the inputs are assumed to be correctly interpreted but the output of the update rule is perturbed; and in the latter, each input is perturbed but the correct update rule is applied. These and previously used perturbation methods were applied to two existing Boolean models, namely the human melanogenesis signalling network and the fly segment polarity network. Through mathematical simulations, it was found that these methods successfully identified nodes earlier found to be sensitive using other methods, and were also able to identify sensitive nodes which were previously unreported.

}, keywords = {biological networks, Boolean functions, Boolean models, fly segment polarity network, human melanogenesis signalling network, perturbation methods, Perturbation theory, physiological models}, issn = {1751-8849}, doi = {10.1049/iet-syb.2017.0039}, author = {Dnyane, Pooja A. and Puntambekar, Shraddha S. and Gadgil, Chetan J.} } @article {44526, title = {Microbacterium telephonicum sp nov., isolated from the screen of a cellular phone}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {68}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {1052-1058}, abstract = {

A cultivation-based study of the microbial diversity of cellular phone screens led to the isolation of a Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped and non-endospore-forming bacterium, designated S2T63(T), exhibiting phenotypic and genotypic characteristics unique to the type strains of closely related species. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain is a member of Microbacterium, and most closely related to Microbacterium aurantiacum IFO 15234(T) and Microbacterium kitamiense Kitami C2(T). The DNA-DNA relatedness values of the strain S2T63(T) to M. aurantiacum KACC 20510(T), M. kitamiense KACC 20514(T) and Microbacterium laevaniformans KACC 14463(T) were 65\% (+/- 4), 29.5\% (+/- 3) and 55.9\% (+/- 4), respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content was 71.8 mol\%. The major fatty acids were anteiso C-15:0, iso-C-16 : 0, C-16 : 0 and anteiso-C-17 : 0. The main polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and two unidentified polar lipids. The peptidoglycan contained the amino acids glycine, lysine, alanine and glutamic acid, with substantial amounts of hydroxy glutamic acid detected, which is characteristic of peptidoglycan type B1 alpha. The predominant menaquinones were MK-12 and MK-13. Rhamnose, fucose and galactose were the whole-cell sugars detected. The strain also showed biofilm production, estimated by using crystal violet assay. Based on the results of the phenotypic and genotypic characterizations, it was concluded that the new strain represents a novel species of the genus Microbacterium, for which the name Microbacterium telephonicum is proposed, with S2T63(T) (=MCC 2967 T = KACC 18715 T = LMG 29293(T)) as the type strain.

}, keywords = {actinobacteria, bio-film, MALDI-TOF MS, mobile phone}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijsem.0.002622}, author = {Rahi, Praveen and Kurli, Rashmi and Pansare, Aabeejjeet N. and Khairnar, Mitesh and Jagtap, Shubhangi and Patel, Nisha B. and Dastager, Syed G. and Lawson, Paul A. and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article {44527, title = {Microbial synthesis of mammalian metabolites of spironolactone by thermophilic fungus thermomyces lanuginosus}, journal = {Steroids}, volume = {136}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, abstract = {Mesophilic fungi are well recognized as models of mammalian drug metabolism. Thermophilic fungi remained unexplored despite having a unique mechanism of growing at higher temperatures and performing wide diverse reactions. The present investigation is directed to isolate a promising thermophilic fungal strain capable of biotransformation using spironolactone as a model drug. Two-stage fermentation protocol was followed for the process. The transformation of spironolactone was identified by HPLC and structure elucidation of the metabolites was done with the help of LC-MS/MS analysis and previous reports. A strain of Thermomyces lanuginosus isolated from decomposed banana peel waste was found to be most promising in transforming spironolactone to 4 metabolites viz.7α-thiospironolactone (M1) canrenone (M2), 7α-thiomethylspironolactone (M3) and 6β-OH-7α-thiomethylspironolactone (M4), the major mammalian metabolites reported previously. The synthesis of metabolites of spironolactone by T.lanuginosus similar to mammals clearly states that this fungus possess enzyme system similar to mammals. Hence, this fungus has the potential to use as a model organism for studying drug metabolism.}, doi = {10.1016/j.steroids.2018.05.011}, author = {Sreelatha, B. and Prasad, G. Shyam and Vankudoth, Koteswara Rao and Sivadevuni, Girisham} } @article {44528, title = {Mixed bacterial culture mediated direct conversion of bio-glycerol to diols}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {250}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {86-93}, abstract = {

Direct and economic transformation of biodiesel derived crude glycerol is gaining more significance. During screening of bacterial cultures Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes were able to convert crude bio-glycerol to 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), as major compounds, ethanol and acetoin as minor compounds, with a conversion of 69\% and 79\% respectively. Process optimization could achieve maximum conversion at pH 7.0, 37 degrees C, 30-40 g/L glycerol and 1.5 g of inoculum until 120 h. Mixed cultures led to complete glycerol conversion with optimal yield and productivity. An innovative approach of using crude glycerol for sustained growth and tolerance of bacteria as source of carbon and energy makes this study more significant. In addition to this, a mixed culture concept introduced here is expected to make impact in process economics for industrial scale synthesis for direct transformation of glycerol into C3 and specifically, C4 diols.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Butanediol, 3-Propanediol, Bioconversion, Bioglycerol, Mixed culture}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2017.11.019}, author = {Parate, Roopa and Mane, Rasika and Dharne, Mahesh and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {45347, title = {Modelling of water-to-gas hollow fiber membrane humidifier}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science }, volume = {192}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {955-971}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

A microscopic mathematical model is developed for membrane based water-to-gas humidification by rigorously accounting for phase equilibrium between the membrane and water phases as well as membrane and gas phases in addition to the coupled heat and mass transfer occurring across the membrane. The model is then integrated along the length of a hollow fiber membrane humidifier in order to predict humidifier performance as a function of design variables, operating variables and operational strategies. For realistic values of membrane thickness and flow parameters, the model suggests that while membrane-gas interfacial resistance alone is crucial for heat transfer, the vapor transfer is governed by the combined resistances of diffusion within the membrane and membrane-gas interface. The model is validated against experimental data obtained using a commercial hollow fiber

}, keywords = {Coupled Heat and Mass, Fuel Cell Applications, Humidification, Phase equilibrium, Proton exchange membrane, Water-to-gas}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2018.08.015}, author = {Pandey, R. and Lele, A.} } @article {45588, title = {Modification of porous polyethylene scaffolds for cell attachment and proliferation}, journal = {International journal of nanomedicine}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {87-90}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthetic polymers are widely researched for their use in tissue engineering. Control in size, surface area, pore size, and elasticity are the biggest advantages of using a man-made polymer. However, often the polymers are hydrophobic (do not encourage cell attachment); hence, it is hugely challenging to integrate them with the normal tissues. Herein, we have tried to overcome this disadvantage of polymers by coating them with citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles and arginine. High-density polyethylene, upon multiple treatments, shows low water contact angle, which encourages cell attachment and proliferation in comparison to the untreated polymers.

}, doi = {10.2147/IJN.S125000}, author = {Sengupta, P. and Surwase, S. S. and Prasad, B. L.} } @article {44531, title = {Molecular modeling studies and in vitro screening of dihydrorugosaflavonoid and its derivatives against mycobacterium tuberculosis}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10634-10643}, abstract = {

Novel drug regimens against tuberculosis (TB) are urgently needed and may be developed by targeting essential enzymes of Mtb that sustain the pathogenicity of tuberculosis. In the present investigation, series of compounds (5a-f and 6a-f) based on a naturally occurring rugosaflavonoid moiety were evaluated by in silico molecular modeling studies against -ketoacyl-ACP reductase (MabA) (PDB ID: IUZN) and pantothenate kinase (PanK) (PDB ID: ; 3AF3). Compounds 5a, 5c, 5d, and 6c, which had docking scores of -8.29, -8.36, -8.17 and -7.39 kcal mol(-1), respectively, displayed interactions with MabA that were better than those of isoniazid (-6.81 kcal mol(-1)). Similarly, compounds 5a, 5c, 5d, and 6c, which had docking scores of -7.55, -7.64, -7.40 and -6.7 kcal mol(-1), respectively, displayed interactions with PanK that were comparable to those of isoniazid (-7.64 kcal mol(-1)). Because of their docking scores, these compounds were screened in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (Mtb) using an XRMA protocol. Among the screened compounds, the dihydrorugosaflavonoid derivatives 5a, 5c, and 5d had IC50 values of 12.93, 8.43 and 11.3 g mL(-1), respectively, and exhibited better inhibitory activity than the parent rugosaflavonoid derivatives. The rugosaflavonoid derivative 6c had an IC50 value of 17.57 g mL(-1). The synthesized compounds also displayed inhibitory activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. The present study will be helpful for the further development of these molecules into antitubercular lead candidates.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c8ra00636a}, author = {Puranik, Ninad V. and Srivastava, Pratibha and Swami, Sagar and Choudhari, Amit and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {44632, title = {Morphology and thermophysical properties of non-aqueous titania nanofluids}, journal = {Heat and Mass Transfer}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2645-2650}, abstract = {

This work deals with the experimental investigation on thermophysical properties of TiO2-nanofluids and characterization of morphology and structure of TiO2 nanoparticles. Non-aqueous liquids like silicone oil and ethylene glycol are used as base fluids to prepare the nanofluids. Thermophysical properties including viscosity and thermal conductivity of these nanofluids are measured at different concentrations and temperatures. Results showed that silicone oil-based TiO2 nanofluid is Newtonian and the viscosity of this nanofluid increases with the loading of nanoparticles but it decreases nonlinearly with increasing temperature. Existing viscosity models are found unable to predict the viscosity of nanofluids. Although the effective thermal conductivities of both the silicone oil and ethylene glycol-based nanofluids increased with the TiO2 concentration, their enhanced thermal conductivity was found to decrease with increasing temperature.

}, issn = {0947-7411}, doi = {10.1007/s00231-018-2308-4}, author = {Murshed, S. M. S. and Santos, F. J. V. and Nieto de Castro, C. A. and Patil, V. S. and Patil, K. R.} } @article {45399, title = { A new class of N-doped ionic PAHs via intramolecular [4+2]-cycloaddition between arylpyridines and alkynes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11909-11912}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Reported herein, for the first time, is a copper-promoted intramolecular [4+2]-cycloaddition cascade to access ionic N-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with tunable emission wavelengths. It is shown that the reaction can be made catalytic with respect to Cu(OTf)(2) when an external oxidant, Selectfluor, was used.}, issn = { 1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c8cc05743e}, author = {Mule, Ravindra D. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Gade, Amol B. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {44365, title = {New insights towards strikingly improved room temperature ethanol sensing properties of p-type Ce-doped SnO2 sensors}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {Article Number: 8079}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this article, room temperature ethanol sensing behavior of p-type Ce doped SnO2 nanostructures are investigated successfully. Interestingly, it is examined that the abnormal n to p-type transition behavior is caused by Ce doping in SnO2 lattice. In p-type Ce doped SnO2, Ce ion substituting the Sn is in favor of generating excess holes as oxygen vacancies, which is associated with the improved sensing performance. Although, p-type SnO2 is one of the important materials for practical applications, it is less studied as compared to n-type SnO2. Pure and Ce doped SnO2 nanostructures were successfully synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. The structure, surface morphology, unpaired electrons (such as free radicals), and chemical composition of obtained nanoparticleswere studied by various kinds of characterization techniques. The 9\% Ce doped SnO2 sensors exhibit maximum sensor response of similar to 382 for 400 ppm of ethanol exposure with fast response time of similar to 5 to 25 sec respectively. Moreover, it is quite interesting that such enhancement of ethanol sensing is unveiled at room temperature, which plays a key role in the quest for better ethanol sensors. These remarkably improved sensing results are attributed to uniformly distributed nanoparticles, lattice strain, complex defect chemistry and presence of large number of unpaired electrons on the surface.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-26504-3}, author = {Kumar, Manjeet and Bhatt, Vishwa and Abhyankar, A. C. and Kim, Joondong and Kumar, Akshay and Patil, Sagar H. and Yun, Ju-Hyung} } @article {44621, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed synthesis of alpha-trifluoromethyl esters}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3897-3901}, abstract = {

The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed trifluoromethylation of alpha-chloro aldehydes was developed, allowing straightforward access to valuable alpha-trifluoromethyl ester derivatives. The unique combination of an electrophilic trifluoromethylation reagent with NHC catalysis was the key for the functionalization of a broad range of alpha-chloro aldehydes, and the products are formed in moderate to good yields. Investigations of the enantioselective version of this reaction afforded the enantioenriched products in moderate yields with good ee values.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b01482}, author = {Gelat, Fabien and Patra, Atanu and Pannecoucke, Xavier and Biju, Akkattu T. and Poisson, Thomas and Besset, Tatiana} } @article {45471, title = { Ni-catalyzed alpha-alkylation of unactivated amides and esters with alcohols by hydrogen auto-transfer strategy }, journal = {CHEMSUSCHEM}, volume = {11}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3911-3916}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A transition-metal-catalyzed borrowing hydrogen/hydrogen auto-transfer strategy allows the utilization of feedstock alcohols as an alkylating partner, which avoids the formation of stoichiometric salt waste and enables a direct and benign approach for the construction of C-N and C-C bonds. In this study, a nickel-catalyzed alpha-alkylation of unactivated amides and ester (tert-butyl acetate) is carried out by using primary alcohols under mild conditions. This C-C bond-forming reaction is catalyzed by a new, molecularly defined nickel(II) NNN-pincer complex (0.1-1 mol \%) and proceeds through hydrogen auto-transfer, thereby releasing water as the sole byproduct. In addition, N-alkylation of cyclic amides under Ni-catalytic conditions is demonstrated.}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.201801443}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Rana, Jagannath and Pitchaimani, Jayaraman and Nandakumar, Avanashiappan and Madhu, Vedichi and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {45396, title = { Nickel-catalyzed regioselective C(2)-H difluoroalkylation of indoles with difluoroalkyl bromides}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2516-2521}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Regioselective C(2)-H difluoroalkylation of C-3 unsubstituted indoles with commonly available fluoroalkyl bromides is successfully achieved employing a simple nickel catalyst system, (DME)NiCl2/Xantphos. This methodology shows excellent regioselectivity and exhibits a broad substrate scope. Various functional groups, such as -OMe, -F, and -Br, are tolerated on the indole backbone to give the difluoroalkylated products in moderate to good yields. Preliminary mechanistic findings demonstrate that the reaction is homogeneous in nature and involves a radical manifold. Synthetic utility of this nickel-catalyzed method is demonstrated by synthesizing melatonin receptor antagonist Luzindole derivative.}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201800504}, author = {Soni, Vineeta and Sharma, Dipesh M. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {45474, title = { Nitrosporeusine analogue ameliorates Chandipura virus induced inflammatory response in CNS via NF kappa b inactivation in microglia}, journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases}, volume = {12}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Chandipura Virus (CHPV), a negative-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Rhabdoviridae family, has been previously reported to bring neuronal apoptosis by activating several factors leading to neurodegeneration. Following virus infection of the central nervous system, microglia, the ontogenetic and functional equivalents of macrophages in somatic tissues gets activated and starts secreting chemokines, thereby recruiting peripheral leukocytes into the brain parenchyma. In the present study, we have systemically examined the effect of CHPV on microglia and the activation of cellular signalling pathways leading to chemokine expression upon CHPV infection. Protein and mRNA expression profiles of chemokine genes revealed that CHPV infection strongly induces the expression of CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) and CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) in microglia. CHPV infection triggered the activation of signalling pathways mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinases, including p38, JNK 1 and 2, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). CHPV-induced expression of CXCL10 and CCL5 was achieved by the activation of p38 and NF-kappaB pathways. Considering the important role of inflammation in neurodegeneration, we have targeted NF-kappaB using a newly synthesised natural product nitrosporeusine analogue and showed incapability of microglial supernatant of inducing apoptosis in neurons after treatment.}, issn = {1935-2735}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0006648}, author = {Verma, Abhishek Kumar and Waghmare, Trushnal S. and Jachak, Gorakhnath R. and Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Basu, Anirban} } @article {44538, title = {Non-isothermal analysis of extrusion film casting using multi-mode Phan-Thien Tanner constitutive equation and comparison with experiments}, journal = {Rheologica Acta}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {493-503}, abstract = {

Extrusion film casting (EFC) is an industrially important process which produces thousands of tons of polymer films, sheets, and coating used for various industrial as well as household applications. In this paper, we focus on an instability which occurs during certain polymer processing operations operating under predominantly elongational flow, such as extrusion film casting and fiber spinning. This instability, called the draw resonance, occurs in the form of sustained periodic fluctuations in the film dimensions. It appears when the process goes beyond the critical line speed of the EFC process. In this work, a conventional linear stability analysis is carried out for nonisothermal EFC process to determine the onset of the draw resonance. The polymer rheology is modeled by the Phan-Thien Tanner (PTT) multi-mode constitutive equation. For the implementation, a conventional shooting method approach is used. Extrusion film casting experiments were also carried out using a conventional linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) by varying process parameters such as draw ratio and aspect ratio, to observe the effect on the stability of the process. Linear stability analysis results under non-isothermal conditions are compared and validated with existing results from literature and with our own experimental data. This work displays the effect of multiple relaxation modes as well as the temperature influence on the stability of EFC process. Finally, results also indicate that the temperature highly affects the stability of the EFC process and cannot be ignored from modeling of EFC process.

}, keywords = {Deborah number, Draw resonance, Film extrusion, Multi-mode, Nonisothermal, stability}, issn = {0035-4511}, doi = {10.1007/s00397-018-1095-7}, author = {Chougale, Sanket and Rokade, Dhammaraj and Bhattacharjee, Tanushree and Pol, Harshawardhan and Dhadwal, Renu} } @article {44219, title = {Novel pentadecyl phenol-tagged L-tryptophan molecules: synthesis, self- assembly and liquid crystalline properties}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {108-115}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The paper describes the self-assembly and liquid crystalline properties of pentadecylphenol tagged L-tryptophan molecules having ester and amide functionality. We have synthesized a series of molecules having mono and ditryptophan moieties attached to pentadecylphenol through amide or ester linkage. The fluorescence properties of the Boc-L-tryptophan-pentadecylphenol molecules were measured in methanol and found to aggregate beyond the critical aggregation concentration and self-assembled to give spherical structures. Upon deprotection of Boc group, the amine end group got involved in extended hydrogen bonding and fibril like structures were developed. These molecules also showed liquid crystalline behavior in hydrogen bonding solvents such as benzyl alcohol and showed needle like crystals in tert-butanol, as analyzed by polarized optical light microscopy.

}, keywords = {Cardanol, liquid crystalline, pentadecylphenol, Self-assembly, Tryptophan}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201702171}, author = {Parappurath, Akhil and Abraham, Jancy Nixon} } @article {44649, title = {Nutritional quality and antioxidant activity of wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) unwrap by proteome profiling and DPPH and FRAP assays}, journal = {Journal of Food Science}, volume = {83}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2127-2139}, abstract = {

Precious contribution of plants in the field of medicine is very well known. Wheat (Triticum aestivum) seeds and seedlings are an important source of food and feed due to the presence of various health-promoting compounds. Proteomic analysis of three seed developmental stages (0, 8, and 16 days after germination [DAG]) of wheat was carried out using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 297 proteins were identified and their functional annotation revealed that a majority of them were involved in preventing many diseases, oxidative stress, primary metabolism, storage, and energy related mechanisms. Particularly to mention, peroxidases, superoxide dismutases, and cytochromes are abundantly present in wheatgrass. In the ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay, antioxidant activity was increased by 1.55 times after 16 DAG as compared to 0 DAG, however it was decreased after 8 DAG. The antioxidant activity of the plant extracts by DPPH had an increasing trend after all the three time points. The percent radical scavenging activity of extract by DPPH was 15, 22, and 30 after 0, 8, and 16 DAG, respectively. Observations obtained revealed that antioxidant power of the plants is directly proportional to the age of seedlings. Data attained on wheatgrass showing that it can be a strong antioxidant agent due to its free radical scavenging activity and could be used in stress and nourishing human health. Practical ApplicationWheatgrass contains minerals, phytochemicals, active enzymes, and vitamins that can be easily absorbed. The consumption of wheatgrass juice can give better health benefits. Information about beneficial properties of wheat grass juice is clearly mentioned in this work.Proteins found in wheatgrass are known to be involved in preventing many diseases, oxidative stress, primary metabolism, storage, and energy-related mechanisms. Results of this work revealed that Triticum aestivum seedlings can act as an antioxidant agent due to their free radical scavenging activity and can be constructive to control or treat many health complications. From all these results we believed that wheatgrass can be used for the nourishment of humans.

}, keywords = {Antioxidant, LC-MSE, peroxidase, proteomics, Triticum aestivum, wheatgrass}, issn = {0022-1147}, doi = {10.1111/1750-3841.14224}, author = {Parit, Santosh B. and Dawkar, Vishal V. and Tanpure, Rahul S. and Pai, Sandeep R. and Chougale, Ashok D.} } @article {45424, title = { Oxidant-free oxidative gold catalysis: the new paradigm in cross-coupling reactions}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11069-11083}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The construction of C-C and C-X (X = hetero atom) bonds is the core aspect for the assembly of molecules. In this regard, late transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions have retained their dominance for decades. Lately, gold catalysts have been emerging as a reliable contender for such transformations owing to the recent findings that reveal gold{\textquoteright}s potential beyond carbophilic -Lewis acid. The newfound ability of gold to undergo redox transformations under certain circumstances has allowed us to explore gold catalysts as a viable alternative to other late transition-metals for efficient construction of cross-coupled products. This feature article critically presents an overview of all the redox neutral cross-coupling reactions enabled by gold catalysis, which we believe would stimulate further research activities in this promising area.

}, isbn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c8cc05601c}, author = {Akram, Manjur O. and Banerjee, Somsuvra and Saswade, Sagar S. and Bedi, Vaibhav and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45384, title = { Oxidative NHC catalysis for the generation of imidoyl azoliums: synthesis of benzoxazoles }, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry }, volume = {83}, year = {2018}, month = { DEC}, pages = {14820-14826}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

N-Fleterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of aldimines generated from 2-amino phenols and aromatic aldehydes leading to the synthesis of 2-arylbenzoxazoles under mild conditions is presented. The reaction proceeds via the generation of the aza-Breslow intermediates from imines and NHC, which under oxidative conditions form the key imidoyl azoliums and a subsequent intramolecular cyclization furnishes the product. The reaction tolerates a broad range of functional groups, and the products are formed in generally good yields.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02598}, author = {Patra, Atanu and James, Anjima and Das, Tamal Kanti and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {44603, title = {Pd(II)-Catalyzed gamma-C(sp(3))-H alkynylation of amides: selective functionalization of R chains of amides (RC)-C-1(O)NHR}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7483-7486}, abstract = {

The gamma C(sp(3))-H bond alkynylation of R chains of amides (RC)-C-1(O)NHR, a fundamental class of synthetic substrates, has not been accomplished to date. Here, the first example of palladium(ii)-catalyzed alkynylation of an unactivated gamma C(sp(3))-H bond of alkyl amides (cyclic, linear, and amino acids) is reported. The kinetic experiment shows that the rate of the reaction depends on the coupling partners and the amides. Late-stage diversification of alkynylated amides was developed by utilizing amine and alkyne functionalities.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c8cc03445a}, author = {Landge, Vinod G. and Parveen, Ayisha and Nandakumar, Avanashiappan and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44187, title = {pH- and time-resolved in situ SAXS study of self-assembled twisted ribbons formed by elaidic acid sophorolipids}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {34}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {2121-2131}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Conditions that favor the helical structure formation in structurally similar sophorolipids (SLs), that is, elaidic acid SLs (having a trans double bond between the C9 and C10 positions of the alkyl chain) and stearic acid SLs (no double bond), are presented here. The helical self-assembled structures formed by elaidic acid SLs were independent of pH and also were mediated by a micellar intermediate. On the other hand, the stearic acid SLs formed helical structures under low pH condition only. Astonishingly, the formation routes were found to be different, albeit the molecular geometry of both SLs is similar. Even if a conclusive mechanistic understanding must await further work, our studies strongly point out that the noncovalent weak interactions in elaidic acid SLs are able to overcome the electrostatic repulsions of the sophorolipid carboxylate groups at basic pH and facilitating the formation of helical structures. On the other hand, the hydrophobic interactions in stearic acid SLs endow the helical structures with extra stability, making them less vulnerable to dissolution upon heating.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03164}, author = {Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Prevost, Sylvain and Baccile, Niki and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {44242, title = {pH dependent sophorolipid assemblies and their influence on gelation of silk fibroin protein}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {203}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN }, pages = {9-16}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Sophorolipid (SL), a bio-derived surfactant is an excellent gelling agent for natural fibrous protein, silk fibroin (SF) leading to potential biomedical applications. Interaction of SF with SL has been shown to accelerate the formation of hydrogel with the rate being dependent on the form of SL used. Here, we examine the effect of pH on SL-SF interaction and gel formation by employing rheology, fluorescence spectroscopy, SANS and NMR. The results indicate that the size of SL assemblies decrease as pH increases from acidic to alkaline and significantly impacts the association of SL and SF. The association of SF and SL is mainly via hydrophobic interactions, with the SL molecules forming bead like structures along the SF chain. The increased charge on the acidic form of SL at higher pH results in greater repulsion between acidic SL molecules, which are bound to the hydrophobic sites of SF, leading to rapid chain unfolding and subsequent gelation. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Assemblies, Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, pH, Silk fibroin, Small angle neutron scattering, Sophorolipid}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2017.09.045}, author = {Dubey, Parul and Kumar, Sugam and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Vasudevan, Sahana and Aswal, Vinod K. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Nisal, Anuya and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article {44548, title = {Phenazine-containing poly(phenylenevinylene): a new polymer with impressive field emission properties}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {25}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 61}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {field emission, Phenazine, Poly(phenylenevinylene)}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-017-1428-8}, author = {Chhatre, Shraddha and Ichake, Amol and Harpale, Kashmira and Patil, Sumati and Deshpande, Aparna and More, Mahendra and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {44205, title = {Phosphine-free cobalt pincer complex catalyzed Z-selective semi-hydrogenation of unbiased alkynes}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {428-433}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a novel, molecularly defined NNN-type cobalt pincer complex catalyzed transfer semi-hydrogenation of unbiased alkynes to Z-selective alkenes. This unified process is highly stereo-and chemo-selective and exhibits a broad scope as well as wide functional group tolerance. Ammonia-borane (AB), a bench-stable substrate with high gravimetric hydrogen capacity, was used as a safe and practical transfer hydrogenating source.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c7cy01994g}, author = {Landge, Vinod G. and Pitchaimani, Jayaraman and Midya, Siba P. and Subaramanian, Murugan and Madhu, Vedichi and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44606, title = {Photophysical studies on curcumin-sophorolipid nanostructures: applications in quorum quenching and imaging}, journal = {Royal Society Open Science}, volume = {5}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {170865}, abstract = {

Sophorolipid biosurfactants are biodegradable, less toxic and FDA approved. The purified acidic form of sophorolipid is stimuli-responsive with self-assembling properties and used for solubilizing hydrophobic drugs. This study encapsulated curcumin (CU) with acidic sophorolipid (ASL) micelles and analysed using photophysical studies like UV-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and timecorrelated single photon counting (TCSPC). TEM images have revealed ellipsoid micelles of approximately 100nm size and were confirmed by dynamic light scattering. The bacterial fluorescence uptake studies showed the uptake of formed CUASL nanostructures into both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. They also showed quorum quenching activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results have demonstrated this system has potential theranostic applications.

}, keywords = {curcumin, photophysical, Quorum quenching, Sophorolipid}, issn = {2054-5703}, doi = {10.1098/rsos.170865}, author = {Vasudevan, Sahana and Prabhune, Asmita A.} } @article {44348, title = {Polycrystalline MnGe2 thin films on InAs(001) substrates}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {657}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {38-41}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We report on the growth of MnGe2 thin films on InAs(001) substrates using radio frequency-magnetron cosputtering. Polycrystalline thin films were obtained at a substrate temperature of 353 K. X-ray diffractometry was used to identify the tetragonal MnGe2 phase (space group 14/mcm). Measurements of the magnetic field and temperature dependence of the magnetization revealed that the MnGe2 thin films are ferromagnetic with a magnetization of 280 kAm(-1) and a Curie temperature of 62 K. Additionally, an antiferromagnetic component is observed at low temperatures, which may arise atomic disorder at the grain boundaries between MnGe2 crystallites.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2018.05.007}, author = {Gutierrez-Naranjo, David and Holguin-Momaca, Jose T. and Solis-Canto, Oscar O. and Gupta, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj and Espinosa Magana, Francisco and Olive-Mendez, Sion F.} } @article {44399, title = {Porosity prediction through hydrogen bonding in covalent organic frameworks}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {140}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {5138-5145}, abstract = {Easy and bulk-scale syntheses of two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represent an enduring challenge in material science. Concomitantly, the most critical aspect is to precisely control the porosity and crystallinity of these robust structures. Disparate complementary approaches such as solvothermal synthesis have emerged recently and are fueled in part by the usage of different modulators and acids that have enriched the COF library. Yet, the fundamental understanding of the integral processes of 2D COF assembly, induding their growth from nucleating sites and the origin of periodicity, is an intriguing chemical question that needs to be answered. To address these cardinal questions, a green and easy-to-perform approach of COF formation has been delineated involving acid-diamine salt precursors. The role of hydrogen bonding [d(av)(N-amine-H center dot center dot center dot O-acid); d(av) signifies the average N-amine-H center dot center dot center dot O-acid distances, i.e., the average distance from the H atom of the amine to the O atom of the acid] present in the acid-diamine salts in improving the COFs{\textquoteright} crystallinity and porosity has further been decoded by thorough crystallographic analyses of the salt molecules. What is particularly noteworthy is that we have established the hydrogen-bonding distances d(av)(N-amine-H center dot center dot center dot O-acid) in the acid-diamine salts that are pivotal in maintaining the reversibility of the reaction, which mainly facilitates highly crystalline and porous COF formation. Moreover, this reactant-structure to the product-quality relationship has further been utilized for the synthesis of highly crystalline and porous COFs that are unattainable by other synthetic means.}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.7b13558}, author = {Karak, Suvendu and Kumar, Sushil and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {44663, title = {Preparation of macroporous scaffolds with holes in pore walls and pressure driven flows through them}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {24731-24739}, abstract = {

Controlling the pore architecture in macroporous scaffolds has important implications for their use as reactor packings and as catalyst supports. We report the preparation of a macroporous structure, where the pore walls are perforated by holes. These materials are prepared by modification of the ice-templating protocol developed in our group. We freeze a dispersion of colloidal silica, polymer and cross-linker in a water/acetonitrile medium and allow crosslinking to proceed in the frozen state. The presence of a small fraction of acetonitrile (varying between 1.6\% to 6.4\%) results in the formation of holes in the pore walls. Increasing the acetonitrile concentration changes the pore size distribution, and produces smaller pores on average. This also results in an increasing fraction of the wall area being covered by small pores, of the order of a few microns in size. Perforation of the walls by pores does not change the overall porosity or modulus of the scaffolds. However, the introduction of pores leads to a drastic reduction in the pressure drop required to pump liquid through the scaffolds. The observed residence time distribution (RTD) in the scaffolds is represented by two plug flow reactors (PFRs) in parallel. The RTD results indicate that increasing the hole fraction in the pore walls results in increased channelling which explains the aforementioned decreased pressure drop during pressure driven flow.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c8ra03867h}, author = {Chatterjee, Soumyajyoti and Potdar, Aditi and Kuhn, Simon and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {44225, title = {Preparation of metal oxide supported catalysts and their utilization for understanding the effect of a support on the catalytic activity}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {42}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {402-410}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A convenient way of anchoring transition metal nanoparticles (palladium, platinum, rhodium and ruthenium) onto metal oxide supports (magnesium oxide and zirconium oxide) by means of a modified sol-gel technique is demonstrated. Use of toluene dispersed, ligand protected pre-synthesized nanoparticles during sol-gel synthesis delivered size-controlled, spatially distributed, well-adhered transition metal nanoparticles (MNPs) on metal oxide supports. The catalytic activities of these supported nanoparticles were tested for the p-nitro phenol reduction reaction. It was observed that the reaction kinetics were crucially dependent on the catalyst support and MNP size. The influence of the magnesium oxide and zirconium oxide supports towards the catalytic performance of the anchored transition MNPs was probed using cyclic voltammetry and the differences in the same were attributed to the support-induced modification in the electronic properties of the MNPs. Our results indicated that magnesium oxide is a better support than zirconium oxide.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj03753h}, author = {Seth, Jhumur and Dubey, Prashant and Chaudhari, Vijay R. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {45547, title = {Real-Time monitoring of biopharmaceutical crystallization: chord length distribution to crystal size distribution for lysozyme, rHu insulin, and vitamin B12}, journal = {Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {This investigation is focused on designing an effective strategy for the real-time monitoring of biopharmaceutical crystallization using focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM). Lysozyme, rHu insulin, and vitamin B12 were selected as model biopharmaceutical molecules for the study. Under selected experimental conditions, lysozyme exhibits polymorphism with tetragonal and needle-shaped crystals, rHu insulin forms rhombohedral crystals, and vitamin B12 forms polyhedral-shaped crystals. Focused beam reflectance measurements were performed to obtain the real time chord length distribution (CLD) of crystals obtained using static and dynamic conditions. Mathematical models were developed for converting CLD data obtained using FBRM measurements into the useful crystal size distribution (CSD) data for low (tetragonal, rhombohedral and polyhedral) and high aspect ratio crystals (needle). For high-aspect-ratio crystals, both width-based and length-based models were developed for capturing the CSD. The model validation was performed by comparing the model CSD with the CSD obtained using microscopic image analysis. Developed models effectively capture the CSD for variable shape crystals of lysozyme, rHu insulin, and vitamin B12. It was demonstrated that in the case of high-aspect-ratio crystals, there is an intrinsic limitation in using FBRM for length-based crystal size measurement.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.8b04613}, author = {Pandit, A. and Katkar, V. and Ranade, V. and Bhambure, R.} } @article {45608, title = {Recent methods for the synthesis of α-acyloxy ketones }, journal = {Organic and biomolecular chemistry}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9334-9348 }, type = {Article }, abstract = {The present review provides a broad description of the methods reported for the synthesis of α-acyloxy ketones and some of their derivatives. α-Acyloxy ketones and their derivatives are vital synthetic intermediates and are ubiquitous as biochemical constituents of living organisms, biologically active natural products and pharmaceuticals. Due to their biological importance, new methods for their synthesis are being continuously developed and documented in the recent past. However, the chemical literature lacks a comprehensive summary on the synthetic methodologies targeting α-acyloxy ketones. In an attempt to fill this void, this review discusses their synthetic procedures developed over time. The synthetic approaches are systematically classified based on the substrates used. The mechanistic details for certain critical cases are also discussed. In the past, preparation of α-acyloxy ketones was reported from functionalized ketones like α-haloketones and diazo esters. Later on, among the reactions that formed the acyloxy ketones, oxidative coupling of ketones with carboxylic acids both under metal and metal-free conditions made their synthesis simple and versatile. Specifically, in the last decade, many oxidative coupling reactions emerged as a powerful tool for the synthesis of α-acyloxy ketones. Quite recently, acyloxy ketones{\textquoteright} synthesis has been reported from commercially available alkenes and alkynes through oxidative addition reactions. Subsequently, the mechanistic details for these coupling reactions became interesting to many organic chemists. The asymmetric version of the title compounds hails from their enzymatic resolution to metal catalysed chiral synthesis. Besides, the synthesis of acyloxy ketones from epoxides, alcohols and enamides using various oxidative reagents has also been documented.}, doi = { 10.1039/C8OB02881H}, author = {Prasad, P. K. and Reddi, R. N. and Arumugam, S.} } @article {44556, title = {Regioselective and efficient enzymatic synthesis of antimicrobial andrographolide derivatives}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {28}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {1132-1137}, abstract = {

Labdane diterpene andrographolide (1) is a major constituent of Andrographis paniculata and known to exhibit wide spectrum of biological activities. In this study, regioselective monoesters of (1) have been synthesized by using Amano lipase AK (Pseudomonas fluorescens) as a biocatalyst. Amano lipase AK was able to execute highly efficient esterification of hydroxyl group attached to C-14 carbon of (1) in presence of acyl donors. Among the various synthesized derivatives including two novel compounds such as andrographolide-14-propionate (3) and andrographolide-14-caproate (5) displayed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with low minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 4 mu g/mL and 16 mu g/mL respectively. Furthermore, they have shown low hemolysis activity at their respective MIC and increase in the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane as delineated by FITC uptake and SEM imaging studies. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acylation, Andrographolide, Antimicrobial activity, biocatalysis, Hemolysis, Lipase, Natural product}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.01.007}, author = {Patil, Harshal S. and Jadhav, Dipesh D. and Paul, Ajay and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Karegaonkar, Shrikant J. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {44643, title = {Repeated photoporation with graphene quantum dots enables homogeneous labeling of live cells with extrinsic markers for fluorescence microscopy}, journal = {Light-Science \& Applications}, volume = {7}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {47}, abstract = {

In the replacement of genetic probes, there is increasing interest in labeling living cells with high-quality extrinsic labels, which avoid over-expression artifacts and are available in a wide spectral range. This calls for a broadly applicable technology that can deliver such labels unambiguously to the cytosol of living cells. Here, we demonstrate that nanoparticle-sensitized photoporation can be used to this end as an emerging intracellular delivery technique. We replace the traditionally used gold nanoparticles with graphene nanoparticles as photothermal sensitizers to permeabilize the cell membrane upon laser irradiation. We demonstrate that the enhanced thermal stability of graphene quantum dots allows the formation of multiple vapor nanobubbles upon irradiation with short laser pulses, allowing the delivery of a variety of extrinsic cell labels efficiently and homogeneously into live cells. We demonstrate high-quality time-lapse imaging with confocal, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), and Airyscan super-resolution microscopy. As the entire procedure is readily compatible with fluorescence (super resolution) microscopy, photoporation with graphene quantum dots has the potential to become the long-awaited generic platform for controlled intracellular delivery of fluorescent labels for live-cell imaging.

}, issn = {2047-7538}, doi = {10.1038/s41377-018-0048-3}, author = {Liu, Jing and Xiong, Ranhua and Brans, Toon and Lippens, Saskia and Parthoens, Eef and Zanacchi, Francesca Cella and Magrassi, Raffaella and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Szunerits, Sabine and Bove, Hannelore and Ameloot, Marcel and Fraire, Juan C. and Teirlinck, Eline and Samal, Sangram Keshari and De Rycke, Riet and Houthaeve, Gaelle and De Smedt, Stefaan C. and Boukherroub, Rabah and Braeckmans, Kevin} } @article {44559, title = {Retention of anticancer activity of curcumin after conjugation with fluorescent gold quantum clusters: an in vitro and in vivo xenograft study}, journal = {ACS Omega}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, abstract = {Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have been thoroughly investigated for anti-cancer therapy. However, their undesired high gold content remains a problem when injected into the body for drug delivery applications. In this report, we made an effort to conjugate the curcumin molecules on the surface of gold quantum clusters (Au QCs) by a novel in situ synthesis method which provides an alternative route to not only reduce the metallic content but also increase the water solubility of curcumin and the loading efficiency. Here, curcumin itself acts as a reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of Au QCs. The UV-vis absorption, fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry results confirmed the synthesis of fluorescent Au QCs. Curcumin-conjugated Au NPs (C-Au NPs) and glutathione (GSH)-conjugated Au QCs (GSH-Au QCs) were also synthesized to visualize the effect of particle size and the capping agent, respectively, on the cytotoxicity to normal and cancer cells. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay showed that the curcumin-conjugated Au QCs (C-Au QCs) were less cytotoxic to normal cells while almost the same cytotoxic to cancer cells in comparison to curcumin itself, which indicates that curcumin preserves its anticancer property even after binding to the Au QCs. However, C-Au NPs and GSH-Au QCs did not show any cytotoxicity against the normal and cancer cells at the concentration used. The western blot assay indicated that C-Au QCs promote apoptosis in cancer cells. Further, the in vivo study on severe combined immunodeficiency mice showed that C-Au QCs also inhibited the tumor growth efficiently without showing significant toxicity to internal organs.}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b00113}, author = {Khandelwal, Puneet and Alam, Aftab and Choksi, Arpankumar and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {44562, title = {Reversible phase transformation phenomenon in titanium dioxide films: evidence beyond interface-nucleation and dissolution-precipitation kinetics}, journal = {Acta Materialia}, volume = {146}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {253-264}, abstract = {

The re-crystallization kinetics and rutile to anatase reversible phase transformation (PT) in nano crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) are reported. Initially, an amorphous TiO2 film is used for the present study and in situ isothermal annealing dependent nucleation and growth kinetics of anatase and rutile phase is studied at low temperature (similar to 523 K) and well explained using Johnson Mehl AvramiKolmogorov (JMAK) model. The anatase nanocrystallite (NCs) transformation into rutile phase is reported with isothermal annealing for longer time and temperature dependent annealing in lower temperature range 523 K-673 K and explained using interface-nucleation mechanism. Furthermore, the thermodynamic stability of rutile NCs and lattice stress-induced reversible PT in nano-sized rutile TiO2 are confirmed in moderate temperature range (623 K- 973 K) and well explained using x-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy studies. However, annealing at higher temperature (1123 K- 1323 K) induces the growth of anatase NCs and their natural transform into rutile phase are explained by well-known dissolution precipitation mechanism. Activation energy of rutile PT is quantified and found higher for dissolution-precipitation mechanism than that for interface nucleation at earlier stage. Thus, overall PT kinetics at different temperature range is well understood by invoking in three step mechanism: 1) early stage anatase-to-rutile transformation is dominated by interface-nucleation, II) then intermediate stage reversible rutile-to-anatase PT and, Ill) at later stages, anatase-to-rutile PT is controlled by dissolution precipitation mechanism. (C) 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dissolution-precipitation kinetics, Interface-nucleation mechanism, Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) approach, Reversible phase transformation}, issn = {1359-6454}, doi = {10.1016/j.actamat.2017.12.050}, author = {Gautam, Subodh K. and Singh, Jitendra and Shukla, D. K. and Pippel, E. and Poddar, P. and Singh, Fouran} } @article {44392, title = {Selective N-acetylation with concurrent S-oxidation of o-amino thiol at ambient conditions over Ce doped ZnO composite nanocrystallites}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {450}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {19-28}, abstract = {The oxidative S-S coupling of thiol to disulfide is an imperative chemical transformation in the domain of biological processes and also finds numerous chemical applications. The CeO2 and ZnO are significant catalysts for oxidation of thiol to disulfide and N-acetylation of amines respectively. Dithiobis(phenylene)bis(benzyldeneimine) moiety containing N-acetyl and disulfide functional groups is a potential antimicrobial agent with Leishmanicidal and antihyperlipidemic activities. Herein, we report a synchronized catalytic application of Ce doped ZnO (Ce-ZnO) and CeO2-Ce-ZnO composites for selective synthesis of Dithiobis(phenylene)bis(benzyldeneimine) from o-amino thiol. The Ce-ZnO samples were synthesized by simple co precipitation method by calcination of hydroxide precursors at 400 degrees C to get 0-10\% Ce-ZnO nanocrystallites. The formation of CeO2-Ce-ZnO composite material was observed beyond 1.5\% Ce concentration. The synthesized materials were well characterized by IR, XRD, DRS spectroscopy and SEM-EDS analysis. The application of Ce doped ZnO as an efficient catalyst towards the selective N-acetylation and concurrent S-oxidation of o-amino thiol to afford Dithiobis(phenylene)bis(benzyldeneimine) at ambient temperature in acetonitrile was deliberated. Among all screened catalysts, the maximum selectivity was found for 7.5\% Ce-ZnO as CeO2-Ce-ZnO composite catalyst. Lewis acidic property of catalyst supported probable mechanism for achieved dual transformations. Also, the 7.5\% Ce-ZnO catalyst has demonstrated a versatile S-S coupling ability for variety of thiol substrates with excellent stability.}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2018.03.007}, author = {Jagtap, Rohidas and Sakate, Sachin and Pardeshi, Satish} } @article {45460, title = {Selective production of furanic ethers from lignocellulosic biomass over mesoporous Zr-incorporated SBA-15 catalyst}, journal = {ChemistrySelect }, volume = { 3}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {12504-12511}, type = { Article }, abstract = {Etherification of furanic compounds such as furfuryl alcohol (FA) and 5-(Hydroxymethyl) furfural (5-HMF) to the corresponding ethers was successfully achieved over Zr-SBA-15 catalyst. For this purpose, various Zr-SBA-15 catalysts with different Zr/Si molar ratios in self-generated acidic environment were prepared by one-pot strategy in self-generated acidic environment. XRD analysis revealed the increase in the d-spacing from 9.021 nm for parent SBA-15 to 11.66 nm for Zr-SBA-15, confirming the incorporation of Zr into the framework without disturbing the mesoporous structure of SBA-15. For the lowest Zr concentration of 0.09 M, hexagonally ordered porous structure was found to be retained as confirmed by TEM while, increase in Zr/Si molar ratio to 0.14, resulted in loss of long range order mesoporosity. The presence of both Lewis and Bronsted acid sites in Zr-SBA-15 catalyst as evidenced by py-IR, were due to the introduction of Zr in the frame work of SBA-15. The co-existence of Lewis and Bronsted acid sites in Zr-SBA-15 was responsible to catalyze etherification of FA and esterification of levulinic acid producing 2-(Ethoxymethyl) furan and ethyl levulinate selectively, both of which are bio-derived fuel additives.}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = { 10.1002/slct.201801939}, author = {Patil, Chetana R. and Rode, Chandrashekhar, V.} } @article {44368, title = {Self-assembly of Cis-configured squaraine dyes at the TiO2-dye interface: far-red active dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {16541-16551}, type = {Article}, abstract = {To synergize both steric and electronic factors in designing the dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells, a series of cis-configured unsymmetrical squaraine dyes P11-P15 with suitably functionalized alkyl groups and squaric acid units containing the electron-withdrawing groups were synthesized, respectively. These dyes capture the importance of (i) the effect and position of branched alkyl groups, (ii) mono- and di-anchoring groups containing dyes, and (iii) further appending the alkyl groups through the cyanoester vinyl unit on the central squaric acid units of DAD-based cis-configured squaraine dyes. All the above factors govern the controlled self-assembly of the dyes on the TiO2 surface which helps to broaden the absorption profile of the dyes with an increased energy-harvesting process. With respect to the position of the branched alkyl groups, dye P11 with the sp(3)-C and N-alkyl groups away from the TiO2 surface showed a better device efficiency of 5.98\% (J(sc) of 14.46 mA cm(-2), V-oc of 0.576 V, and ff of 71.8\%) than its positional isomer P12 with 3.45\% (J(sc) of 8.78 mA cm(-2), V-oc of 0.554 V, and ff of 70.9\%). However, with respect to the dyes containing mono- and di-anchoring groups, P13 with two anchoring units exhibited a superior device performance of 7.58\% (J(sc) of 17.12 mA cm(-2), V-oc of 0.618 V, and ff of 71.7\%) in the presence of optically transparent co-adsorbent CDCA (3 alpha,7 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholanic acid) than dyes P11 and P12.}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.8b03106}, author = {Punitharasu, Vellimalai and Kavungathodi, Munavvar Fairoos Mele and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {44636, title = {Serum responsive proteome reveals correlation between oxidative phosphorylation and morphogenesis in Candida albicans ATCC10231}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {185}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {25-38}, abstract = {

To understand the impact of fetal bovine serum (FBS) on metabolism and cellular architecture in addition to morphogenesis, we have identified FBS responsive proteome of Candida albicans. FBS induced 34\% hyphae and 60\% pseudohyphae in C. albicans at 30 C while 98\% hyphae at 37 C. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that 285 proteins modulated significantly in response to FBS at 30 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Out of which 152 were upregulated and 62 were downregulated at 30 degrees C while 18 were up and 53 were downregulated at 37 degrees C. Functional annotation suggests that FBS may inhibit glycolysis and fermentative pathway and enhance oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos), TCA cycle, amino acid and fatty acid metabolism indicating a use of alternative energy source by C. albicans. OxPhos inhibition assay using sodium azide corroborated the correlation between inhibition of glycolysis and enhanced OxPhos with pseudohyphae formation. C. albicans induced hyphae in response to FBS irrespective of down regulation of Rasl,Asrl/Asr2, indicates the possible involvement of MAPK and cAMP-PKA independent pathway. The Cell wall of cells grown in presence of FBS at 30 degrees C was rich in mannan, Beta 1,3glucan and chitin while membranes were rich in ergosterol compared to those grown at 37 degrees C. Significance of the study: This is the first study suggesting a correlation between OxPhos and morphogenesis especially pseudohyphae formation in C. albicans. Our data also indicate that fetal bovine serum (FBS) induced morphogenesis is multifactorial and may involve MAPK and cAMP-PKA independent pathway. In addition to morphogenesis, our study provides an insight in to the modulation of metabolism and cellular architecture of C. albicans in response to FBS.

}, keywords = {analysis, Candida albicans, Fetal bovin serum, Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, morphogenesis, Oxidative phosphorylation, pathogenicity}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2018.06.018}, author = {Ahmed, Radfan and Kodgire, Santosh and Santhakumari, B. and Patil, Rajendra and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Zore, Gajanan} } @article {44182, title = {Single step, phase controlled, large scale synthesis of ferrimagnetic iron oxide polymorph nanoparticles by thermal plasma route and their rheological properties}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {449}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR 1}, pages = {232-242}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper we report single step large scale synthesis of highly crystalline iron oxide nanoparticles viz. magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) via gas phase condensation process, where micron sized iron metal powder was used as a precursor. Selective phases of iron oxide were obtained by variation of gas flow rate of oxygen and hence partial pressure of oxygen inside the plasma reactor. Most of the particles were found to possesses average crystallite size of about 20-30 nm. The DC magnetization curves recorded indicate almost super-paramagnetic nature of the iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. Further, iron oxide nanoparticles were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mossbauer spectroscopy. In order to explore the feasibility of these nanoparticles for magnetic damper application, rheological studies have been carried out and compared with commercially available Carbonyl Iron (CI) particles. The nanoparticles obtained by thermal plasma route show improved dispersion which is useful for rheological applications. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Iron oxide, magnetic properties, Nano-crystalline materials, Rheological properties, Thermal plasma}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2017.09.056}, author = {Raut, Suyog A. and Mutadak, Pallavi R. and Kumar, Shiv and Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Huprikar, Sameer and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Bhoraskar, Sudha V. and Mathe, Vikas L.} } @article {45513, title = {Solvent-less solid state synthesis of dispersible metal and semiconducting metal sulfide nanocrystals}, journal = {ACS sustainable chem. eng}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12006{\textendash}12016}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Monolayer protected metal and metal sulfide nanocrystals (NCs) have mainly two constituents; the inorganic metal or metal chalcogenide complex as core and organic molecule as shell. Noticing that metal thiolates have these ingredients inbuilt in their structure, we investigated them as possible precursors for the preparation of monolayer protected metal and metal sulfide NCs via solid state grinding method. Accordingly silver and gold NCs have been prepared using a solvent less green approach, by the simple and convenient solid state grinding of the corresponding metal thiolate with sodium borohydride. Similarly, a large variety of uniform-sized semiconducting NCs of metal sulfides including PbS, CdS, ZnS, MnS, Ag2S, and CuS could also be synthesized by the same solid state route by grinding the metal thiolates with octyl dithiocarbamic acid (C8DTCA) and in some cases C8DTCA plus small amount of oleylamine as sulfur source. Interestingly, this simple technique could be used to prepare sub-3 nm NCs like Ag2S, PbS, and CuS which are otherwise difficult to prepare by the conventional high temperature solution routes also. Most gratifyingly, all these NCs, though were prepared by a solvent less grinding method, could be easily dispersed in nonpolar solvents as the preparation method ensued the formation of organic molecule capped NCs.}, doi = { 10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b02292}, author = {Bera, Abhijit and Busupalli, B. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {45402, title = {Spatial-temporal spectroscopy characterizations and electronic structure of methylammonium perovskites}, journal = {MRS Communications}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {961-969}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Using time-resolved laser-scanning confocal microscopy and ultrafast optical pump/THz probe spectroscopy, we measure photoluminescence (PL) and THz-conductivity in perovskite micro-crystals and films. PL quenching and lifetime variations occur from local heterogeneity. Ultrafast THz-spectra measure sharp quantum transitions from excitonic Rydberg states, providing weakly bound excitons with a binding energy of similar to 13.5 meV at low temperatures. Ab-initio electronic structure calculations give a direct band gap of 1.64 eV, a dielectric constant of similar to 18, heavy electrons, and light holes, resulting in weakly bound excitons, consistent with the binding energies from the experiment. The complementary spectroscopy and simulations reveal fundamental insights into perovskite light-matter interactions.

}, doi = {10.1557/mrc.2018.114}, author = {Liu, Zhaoyu and Bhamu, K. C. and Luo, Liang and Shah, Satvik and Park, Joong-Mok and Cheng, Di and Long, Men and Biswas, Rana and Fungara, F. and Shiner, Ruth and Shiner, Joseph and Vela, Javier and Wang, Jigang} } @article {45378, title = {Specificity of amino acid-aluminum cluster interaction and subsequent oxygen activation by the above complex}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {28310-28323}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Amino acid aluminum cluster complex has been shown to be a promising oxygen molecule activator and has the potential to dissociate O-O bond on the cluster surface. The study of the complex also reveals specificity of amino acid to aluminum cluster in the above complex, which can be used in the detection of amino acid. The results have been obtained by the density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311++g(d,p) level of calculation.}, issn = { 1932-7447}, doi = { 10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b08396}, author = {Samanta, Bipasa and Sengupta, Turbasu and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45369, title = { Spin state engineered ZnxCo3-xO4 as an efficient oxygen evolution electrocatalyst }, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemuical Physics}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {29452-29461}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Oxygen evolution is the key step in the oxidation of water in electrolyzers and photoelectrochemical cells for the production of hydrogen. Developing a non-precious metal oxide catalyst with good electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is very challenging. In this work, nanostructured ZnxCo3-xO4 has been shown as an efficient catalyst with a low overpotential for the OER in 0.1 M KOH solution. Substitution of Co2+ in the spinel oxide Co3O4 with Zn2+ creates a higher number of high-spin Co3+, which is found to be directly correlated with the OER activity of ZnxCo3-xO4. Zn0.8Co2.2O4 (x = 0.8) with the optimum amount of Co2+/Co3+ and high-spin Co3+ content showed a very low overpotential of approximate to 250 mV, at 10 mA cm(-2), with a turnover frequency of approximate to 3 x 10(-3) s(-1) for the OER. The high Faradaic efficiency along with the stability of Zn0.8Co2.2O4 and electrocatalytic activity comparable with that of precious metal oxides indicate that this composition is a promising catalyst for water oxidation.}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c8cp06641h}, author = {Ramsundar, Rani Mohan and Pillai, Vijayamohanan Kunjukrishna and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @conference {45431, title = { Strategies to reduce necking and drawdown defects in polymer melt extrusion film casting process}, booktitle = {256th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Beyond}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC.}, organization = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC.}, address = {Boston, MA}, abstract = {256th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Beyond}, author = {Rokade, Dhammaraj and Chougale, Sanket and Pol, Harshawardhan} } @article {44186, title = {Streptomyces sp metabolite(s) promotes Bax mediated intrinsic apoptosis and autophagy involving inhibition of mTOR pathway in cervical cancer cell lines}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2810}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In cervical cancer, the association between HPV infection and dysregulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway (PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway) places mTOR as an attractive therapeutic target. The failure of current treatment modalities in advanced stages of this cancer and drawbacks of already available mTOR inhibitors demand for novel drug candidates. In the present study we identified the presence of a mTOR inhibitor in an active fraction of the ethyl acetate extract of Streptomyces sp OA293. The metabolites(s) in the active fraction completely inhibited mTORC1 and thereby suppressed activation of both of its downstream targets, 4E-BP1 and P70S6k, in cervical cancer cells. In addition, it also stalled Akt activation via inhibition of mTORC2. The mechanism of mTOR inhibition detailed in our study overcomes significant drawbacks of well known mTOR inhibitors such as rapamycin and rapalogs. The active fraction induced autophagy and Bax mediated apoptosis suggesting that mTOR inhibition resulted in programmed cell death of cancer cells. The molecular weight determination of the components in active fraction confirmed the absence of any previously known natural mTOR inhibitor. This is the first report of complete mTOR complex inhibition by a product derived from microbial source.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-21249-5}, author = {Dan, Vipin Mohan and Muralikrishnan, Balaji and Sanawar, Rahul and Vinodh, J. S. and Burkul, Bhushan Bapusaheb and Srinivas, Kalanghad Puthankalam and Lekshmi, Asha and Pradeep, N. S. and Dastager, Syed G. and Santhakumari, B. and Santhoshkumar, Thankayyan R. and Kumar, R. Ajay and Pillai, Madhavan Radhakrishna} } @article {44360, title = {Structural and magnetic properties of La2Ni1-xCoxMnO6 compounds}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {102}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {248-256}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Single phase monoclinic La2Ni1-xMnO6 (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.8) compounds, henceforth, referred as LNCxMO (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.8) have been prepared by Sol-gel technique. The structural study and redox titration suggest that the samples are both La and O deficient. The generated atomic models using Rietveld refined structural parameters show octahedral distortion In the double perovskite structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study has been used to determine the predominant valence states of Ni, Mn and Co ions. LNCxMO (x = 0.2, 0.4) are found to be Heisenberg ferromagnets whereas LNC0.8MO is a phase segregated system. In LNC0.4MO and LNO0.8MO, at temperatures above T-c, chi(-1)(T) curve shows the characteristics of Griffiths phase. The study of ac susceptibility and Isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) discard the possibility of any glassy state at low temperatures. The antiphase boundaries (APBs), antisite disorders (ASDs) and oxygen vacancies play important roles in this system.}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2018.01.040}, author = {Pramanik, Debabrata and Mukherjee, S. and Dan, Shovan and Nandy, A. and Pradhan, S. K. and Dasgupta, Papri and Poddar, Asok and Mukherjee, Manabendra and Manjunath, B. and Joy, P. A.} } @article {44551, title = {Structure and function of a highly active Bile Salt Hydrolase (BSH) from Enterococcus faecalis and post-translational processing of BSH enzymes}, journal = {Biochim Biophys Acta.}, volume = {1866}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {507-518}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Bile Salt Hydrolase (BSH), a member of Cholylglycine hydrolase family, catalyzes the de-conjugation of bile acids and is evolutionarily related to penicillin V acylase (PVA) that hydrolyses a different substrate such as penicillin V. We report the three-dimensional structure of a BSH enzyme from the Gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis (EfBSH) which has manifold higher hydrolase activity compared to other known BSHs and displays unique allosteric catalytic property. The structural analysis revealed reduced secondary structure content compared to other known BSH structures, particularly devoid of an anti-parallel β-sheet in the assembly loop and part of a β-strand is converted to increase the length of a substrate binding loop 2. The analysis of the substrate binding pocket showed reduced volume owing to altered loop conformations and increased hydrophobicity contributed by a higher ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic groups present. The aromatic residues F18, Y20 and F65 participate in substrate binding. Thus, their mutation affects enzyme activity. Docking and Molecular Dynamics simulation studies showed effective polar complementarity present for the three hydroxyl (-OH) groups of GCA substrate in the binding site contributing to higher substrate specificity and efficient catalysis. These are unique features characteristics of this BSH enzyme and thought to contribute to its higher activity and specificity towards bile salts as well as allosteric effects. Further, mechanism of autocatalytic processing of Cholylglycine Hydrolases by the excision of an N-terminal Pre-peptide was examined by inserting different N-terminal pre-peptides in EfBSH sequence. The results suggest that two serine residues next to nucleophile cysteine are essential for autocalytic processing to remove precursor peptide. Since pre-peptide is absent in EfBSH the mutation of these serines is tolerated. This suggests that an evolution-mediated subordination of the pre-peptide excision site resulted in loss of pre-peptide in EfBSH and other related Cholylglycine hydrolases.}, keywords = {autocatalytic processing, Bile salt hydrolase, molecular dynamics, Mutagenesis, Polar complementarity, X-ray crystallography}, issn = {15709639}, doi = {0.1016/j.bbapap.2018.01.003.}, author = {Chand, D.}, editor = {Panigrahi, P.} } @article {44604, title = {Supramolecular reassembly of self-exfoliated ionic covalent organic nanosheets for label-free detection of double-stranded DNA}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL }, pages = {8443-8447}, abstract = {

Ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs), a member of the two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials family, offer a unique functional platform for a wide range of applications. Herein, we explore the potential of an ethidium bromide (EB)-based covalent organic framework (EB-TFP) that self-exfoliates in water resulting in 2D ionic covalent organic nanosheets (EB-TFP-iCONs) for the selective detection of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In an aqueous medium, the self-exfoliated EB-TFP-iCONs reassemble in the presence of dsDNA resulting in hybrid EB-TFP-iCONs-DNA crystalline nanosheets with enhanced fluorescence at 600 nm. Detailed steady-state and time-resolved emission studies revealed that the reassembly phenomenon was highly selective for dsDNA when compared to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which allowed us to use the EB-TFP-iCONs as a 2D fluorescent platform for the label-free detection of complementary DNA strands.

}, keywords = {Covalent organic framework, DNA, ionic assembly, ionic covalent organic nanosheets, label-free detection}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201801352}, author = {Mal, Arindam and Mishra, Rakesh K. and Praveen, Vakayil K. and Khayum, M. Abdul and Banerjee, Rahul and Ajayaghosh, Ayyappanpillai} } @article {44529, title = {Surface colonized silver nano particles over chitosan poly-electrolyte micro-spheres and their multi-functional behavior}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {5}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = { 025032}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {hitosan/tripolyphosphate polyelectrolyte (TPP) microspheres, decorated and surface functionalized with silver nanoparticles (NPs) of average diameter of 15 nm, were synthesized following a simple two-step procedure. These Ag NP-functionalized polyelectrolyte microspheres (Ag-CSPMs) are found to be biocompatible and enhancing the reactive oxygen species in curcumin with excellent anti-bacterial activity for selected Gram-positive and negative bacterial strains, making them much attractive relative to bare surface counterparts; the well-stabilized silver NPs do not form any agglomerations on the surface of the chitosan microspheres. They also show excellent cytotoxic behavior towards MCF7 cell lines, showing a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 32 μg ml-1. Therefore, Ag-CSPMs exhibit multi-functional ability having potential towards theranostics applications.}, keywords = {antibacterial properties, Chitosan, Cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species, silver nanoparticles, theranostics}, issn = {20531591}, doi = { 10.1088/2053-1591/aaa3c6}, author = {Prakash, B.}, editor = {Asha, S.} } @article {44519, title = {Surface modification of polymers for tissue engineering applications: arginine acts as a sticky protein equivalent for viable cell accommodation}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {4242{\textendash}4251}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Hydrophobic polymers, for their favorable mechanical properties, are a popular choice as permanent bioimplants. These materials remain absolutely bioinert for years, but throw up challenges when it comes to fast integration with healthy tissue. Addressing this, herein, we present a surface-modification technique of converting the hydrophobic surface of a polymeric film into a hydrophilic one using a layer-by-layer assembly process involving gold nanoparticles and small molecules like amino acids. These films showed much improved animal cell (murine fibroblast) adherence properties compared to commercially available tissue culture plates. Moreover, arginine-modified films exhibited a nearly equivalent cell viability compared to the films modified with the natural extracellular matrix component fibronectin. The surface hydrophilicity and roughness of our novel film were characterized by contact angle measurement and atomic force microscopy. Cell counting, fluorescence microscopy, cell viability, and collagen estimation assay were employed to demonstrate that our film favored a much improved cell adherence, and accommodation in comparison to the commercially available tissue culture plates.

}, keywords = {Cell and Molecular biology, Extracellular matrix proteins, Nanoparticles, Physical and chemical properties, Polymers, Proteins, Surface structure, Surface treatment, Thin films, tissue engineering}, issn = {24701343}, doi = { 10.1021/acsomega.8b00215}, author = {Sengupta, Poulomi}, editor = {Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {44358, title = {Syntheses and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of five isostructural 2D MOCCs}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {147}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {49-54}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Five two-dimensional metal-organic coordination compounds (MOCCs) have been solvothermally synthesized by the combination of 2-aminonicotinic acid (ANA) and transition metal ions, viz. Co(II), Ni (II), Cu(Il), Zn(II) and Cd(II), in water-ethanol mixed solvent. They are formulated as [CoC6H5N2O2)(2)], (Co-ANA); [Ni(C6H5N2O2)(2)], (Ni-ANA) [Cu(C6H5N2O2)(2)], (Cu-ANA), [Zn(C6H5N2O2)(2)], (Zn-ANA) and [Cd(C6H5N2O2)(2)], (Cd-ANA). Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies for the complexes Co-ANA, Ni-ANA and Cd-ANA have also been carried out. These three complexes crystallize in the tetragonal crystal system with the space group P4(1)2(1)2. The metal ions in all these complexes have an octahedral coordination environment. The six coordinations are satisfied by two pyridine N-atoms from two different ANA ligands and four oxygen atoms from two chelating carboxylate groups of another two ANA ligands. The topological motif of the coordination network is defined as 2-periodic net or square lattice (sql). These complexes were further characterized by elemental, FT-IR spectral, thermal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2018.02.031}, author = {Singh, Sandeep K. and Srivastava, Krishna and Banerjee, Rahul and Prasad, Jagdish} } @article {45366, title = {Synthesis and anticancer activity of conformationally constrained Smac mimetics containing pseudo beta turns}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters }, volume = {59}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3473-3476}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Herein, we report synthesis and in vitro anticancer activity of conformationally constrained Smac mimetics containing reverse turn inducing motifs "Ant-Pro" and "sAnt-Pro". The synthesis of Smac analogs with diverse hydrophobic groups at the C-terminus was carried out using solution phase peptide synthesis. The synthesis of Ant-Pro containing analogs 3a-j was carried out by ring opening of benzoxazinones 7a-c, whereas, their sulfonamide counterparts 4a-h were synthesized by using routine acid-amine coupling reaction. In vitro anticancer studies against breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 revealed that some of the new analogs had better anticancer activity than the standard AVPI Smac tetrapeptide. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.08.016}, author = {Baravkar, Sachin B. and Wagh, Mahendra A. and Paul, Debasish and Santra, Manas and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {44509, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of some bicyclic [2-(2,4-dimethylphenylthio)phenyl] aniline and its amide derivatives as potential antitubercular agents}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {130}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {22}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

In the present investigation, a series of bicyclic [2-(2,4-dimethylphenylthio)phenyl] aniline analogues were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR (1H and 13C) and mass spectra. All newly synthesized 15 compounds were inspected for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Ra in both active and dormant state using an established XTT Reduction Menadione assay (XRMA). The titled compounds exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) ranging from 0.05 to \>30 (μg/mL). The potent four compounds were further evaluated in THP-1 infection model where they demonstrated significant antitubercular activity. All the ex vivo active were further evaluated for cytotoxic activity against THP-1, MCK7 and HeLa cell lines in order to check selectivity index. All compounds were further screened against four different bacteria to assess their selectivity towards MTB. These derivatives could be considered as a precursor structure for further design of antituberculosis agent.

}, keywords = {4-dimethylphenylthio)phenyl] aniline, antituberculosis activity, Cytotoxicity, [2-(2}, issn = {9743626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-018-1424-5}, author = {Patil, Yogesh and Shingare, Ramesh} } @article {44650, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of some new tricyclic pyrrolo[3,2-e]tetrazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives as potential antitubercular agents}, journal = {Archiv Der Pharmazie}, volume = {351}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {e1800040}, abstract = {

A series of new tricyclic pyrrolo[3,2-e]tetrazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines 8a-l were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR (H-1 and C-13), and mass spectral analysis. The newly synthesized compounds 8a-l were inspected for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Ra using an established XTT reduction menadione assay (XRMA). The title compounds exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC90) ranging from 0.09 to \>30g/mL. Five compounds (8c, 8i-l) were further confirmed for their dose-dependent effect against MTB. These compounds were evaluated in the THP-1 infection model, where 8i (MIC90=0.35g/mL), 8j (MIC90=1.17g/mL), 8k (MIC90=2.38g/mL), and 8l (MIC90=1.17g/mL) demonstrated significant antitubercular activity. All the ex vivo active compounds showed insignificant cytotoxicity against the human cancer cell lines, HeLa, MCF-7, and THP-1. Inactivity of all these compounds against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria indicates their specificity. Molecular docking studies in the active site of the sterol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51) enzyme revealed a similar binding mode to the native ligand in the crystal structure, thereby helping to understand the ligand-protein interactions and to establish a structural basis for inhibition of MTB. The results suggest novel pharmacophores as selective and specific inhibitors against MTB that can be explored further to synthesize lead compounds against tuberculosis. In summary, the results clearly indicate the identification of some novel, selective, and specific inhibitors against MTB that can be explored further for potential antitubercular drugs.

}, keywords = {2-e]tetrazolo[1, 5-c]pyrimidine, Antituberculosis, Cytotoxicity, Molecular docking, tricyclic pyrrolo[3}, issn = {0365-6233}, doi = {10.1002/ardp.201800040}, author = {Patil, Yogesh and Shingare, Ramesh and Choudhari, Amit and Borkute, Rachana and Sarkar, Dhiman and Madje, Balaji R.} } @article {44507, title = {Synthesis of 4-difluoromethylquinolines by NHC-catalyzed umpolung of imines}, journal = { Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1086{\textendash}1089}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed umpolung of aldimines for the synthesis of 4-difluoromethylquinoline derivatives is reported. In the presence of NHCs, the intramolecular cyclization of aldimines bearing a moderately electron-poor double bond due to the presence of the -CF3 group likely proceeds via the intermediacy of the aza-Breslow intermediate. The key to the success of this aza-Stetter type transformation is the NHC generated from the bicyclic triazolium salt using DBU as the base.}, issn = {15237060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b04055}, author = {Patra, Atanu}, editor = {Gelat, Fabien} } @article {44505, title = {Synthesis of diesel additives from fructose over PWA/SBA-15 catalyst}, journal = {Fuel }, volume = {217}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {38-44}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {A series of composites of phosphotungstic acid (PWA) H3PW12O40 with SBA-15 were prepared by varying PWA amount from 5\% to 30\% by one-step sol-gel hydrothermal as well as by impregnation methods. Successful incorporation of PWA into the SBA-15 framework by sol-gel method was confirmed by 31P NMR in which a shifting of the peak due to tetrahedral {\textquoteleft}P{\textquoteright} atom of PWA from -14.32 and -14.49 ppm was observed. The composites exhibited both Br{\o}nsted and Lewis acidity, large and well distributed three dimensional interconnected pores with high surface areas exhibiting excellent activity for one pot synthesis of 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural (5-HMF) and 5-(ethoxymethyl) furfural (EMF) from fructose. The minimum loading of 5\% of PWA in SBA-15, gave 78\% fructose conversion with the highest yield of 70\% towards 5-HMF. Increase in PWA loading up to 20\% resulted in the enhanced fructose conversion of 95\% accompanied by further etherification of 5-HMF to 67 and 12\% yield towards EMF and ethyl levulinate (EL), respectively. Increasing the \% of PWA in SBA-15 matrix resulted in increase in the acidity of the composites giving the yield trend as 5-HMF < EMF < EL. Catalyst prepared by sol-gel method showed excellent recyclability up to 3 reuses}, keywords = {5-(Ethoxymethyl) furfural, 5-(Hydroxymethyl) furfural, Phosphotungstic acid, SBA-15}, issn = {162361}, doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2017.12.027}, author = {Patil, Chetana R.}, editor = {Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {44500, title = {Synthesis of novel alpha-aminophosphonate derivatives, biological evaluation as potent antiproliferative agents and molecular docking}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5552-5558}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

A series of novel fluorine containing α-aminophosphonate derivatives (4 a{\textendash}4 q) were synthesized in excellent yield and high purity. All these novel Fluorinated α-aminophosphonate compounds were screened for antiproliferative and apoptosis activity on human non small cell lung carcinoma cells (A549) and human skin melanoma cells (SK-MEL-2). Compounds 4 a, 4 b, 4 c, 4 f, 4 i, 4 j and 4 m were found to be more active antiproliferative agent against A549 and SK-MEL-2 cells with IC50 value 0.22 to 1.25 μM. Molecular docking study related to binding affinity and binding mode analysis showed that synthesized compounds had potential to inhibit human Topoisomerase IIa enzyme system. Flow cytometric study showed some of these derivatives also induced cell apoptosis and arrest cell cycle at G1 and at G2/M phase. Overall, this study provides future perspective of lead candidate for the future anticancer drug discovery initiatives.

}, issn = {23656549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201800798}, author = {Deshmukh, Satish U.}, editor = {Kharat, Kiran R.} } @article {45370, title = {Synthesis of quinolinyl based pincer copper (II) complexes: an efficient catalyst system for Kumada coupling of alkyl chlorides and bromides with alkyl Grignard reagents }, journal = {Dalton Transactions }, volume = {47}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {16747-16754}, type = {Article }, abstract = {

Quinolinamide-based pincer copper(ii) complexes, (N),(N),(N)-{C9H6N-(-N)-C(O)CH2NEt2}CuX [((NNN2Et)-N-Q)CuX (X = Cl, 2; X = Br, 3; X = OAc, 4)], were synthesized by the reaction of ligand ((NNN2Et)-N-Q)-H (1) with CuX2 (X = Cl, Br or OAc) in the presence of Et3N. The reaction of ((NNN2Et)-N-Q)-H with CuX (X = Cl, Br or OAc) also afforded the Cu(ii) complexes 2, 3 and 4, respectively, instead of the expected Cu(i) pincer complexes. The formation of Cu(ii) complexes from Cu(i) precursors most likely occurred via the disproportionation reaction of Cu(i) into Cu(0) and Cu(ii). A cationic complex [((NNN2Et)-N-Q)Cu(CH3CN)]OTf (5) was synthesized by the treatment of neutral complex 2 with AgOTf. On the other hand, the reaction of ((NNN2Et)-N-Q)-H (1) with [Cu(MeCN)(4)]ClO4 produced cationic Cu(i) complex, [((NN)-N-Q(H)N-2(Et))Cu(CH3CN)]ClO4 (6), in good yield. All complexes 2-5 were characterized by elemental analysis and HRMS measurements. Furthermore, the molecular structures of 2, 3 and 4 were elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Complex 4 crystallizes in a dimeric and catemeric pattern. The cationic complex 5 was found to be an efficient catalyst for the Kumada coupling reaction of diverse nonactivated alkyl chlorides and bromides with alkyl magnesium chloride under mild reaction conditions.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, author = {Pandiri, Hanumanprasad and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {44494, title = {Targeted phenotypic screening in plasmodium falciparum and toxoplasma gondii reveals novel modes of action of medicines for malaria venture malaria box molecules}, journal = {mSphere}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = { e00534-17}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The Malaria Box collection includes 400 chemically diverse small molecules with documented potency against malaria parasite growth, but the underlying modes of action are largely unknown. Using complementary phenotypic screens against Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii, we report phenotype-specific hits based on inhibition of overall parasite growth, apicoplast segregation, and egress or host invasion, providing hitherto unavailable insights into the possible mechanisms affected. First, the Malaria Box library was screened against tachyzoite stage T. gondii and the half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50s) of molecules showing >=80\% growth inhibition at 10 {\textmu}M were determined. Comparison of the EC50s for T. gondii and P. falciparum identified a subset of 24 molecules with nanomolar potency against both parasites. Thirty molecules that failed to induce acute growth inhibition in T. gondii tachyzoites in a 2-day assay caused delayed parasite death upon extended exposure, with at least three molecules interfering with apicoplast segregation during daughter cell formation. Using flow cytometry and microscopy-based examinations, we prioritized 26 molecules with the potential to inhibit host cell egress/invasion during asexual developmental stages of P. falciparum. None of the inhibitors affected digestive vacuole integrity, ruling out a mechanism mediated by broadly specific protease inhibitor activity. Interestingly, five of the plasmodial egress inhibitors inhibited ionophore-induced egress of T. gondii tachyzoites. These findings highlight the advantage of comparative and targeted phenotypic screens in related species as a means to identify lead molecules with a conserved mode of action. Further work on target identification and mechanism analysis will facilitate the development of antiparasitic compounds with cross-species efficacy.}, issn = {23795042}, doi = {10.1128/mSphere.00534-17}, author = {Subramanian, Gowtham}, editor = {Belekar, Meenakshi A.} } @article {44488, title = {Temperature and pressure dependent Raman spectroscopy of plasma treated multilayer graphene nanosheets}, journal = {Diamond and Related Materials}, volume = {84}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {146-156}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Understanding of the fine structure at the atomic level and properties of graphene by creating defects is important from the point of view of thermal and stress management. Here we report Raman spectroscopic studies on pristine and plasma treated multilayer graphene to explore the remarkable structure and phonon properties with temperature and pressure. Temperature dependent studies illustrate monotonic softening of G and G' bands in the temperature range 78 to 573 K. This process can be of fundamental importance in other promising and emerging nano and heterostructured materials. The pressure dependent Raman spectroscopic investigations on G-band of these samples were carried out up to 25 GPa using a diamond anvil cell. Comparatively weak and more compressible nature of the G band (E2g in-plane mode) as a function of applied pressure is found in plasma treated graphene. After pressure release, the samples recover to their original ordered structure. The present study is important for further understanding of the fine structure, properties and effect of defects in graphene, which can affect the atomic bonds, thermal expansion, specific heat, and thermal conductivity as well.

}, keywords = {graphene, high pressure, Phonon, Plasma treated graphene, Raman spectroscopy}, issn = {9259635}, doi = {10.1016/j.diamond.2018.03.021}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Mishra, K. K. and Machuno, Luis G. B. and Gelamo, Rogerio V. and Ravindranathan, T. R. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {44179, title = {To form layer by layer composite film in view of its application as supercapacitor electrode by exploiting the techniques of thin films formation just around the corner}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {265}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR }, pages = {556-568}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A method is described to form robust composite supercapacitor electrodes consisting of polyaniline (PANI)-graphene (GNS) and PANI-MoS2 nanosheets wherein composites are formed by Layer by Layer (LbL) deposition. PANI layer consisting of 10-15 nm particle size was formed by LLIRT, while GNS and MoS2 layers were formed by modified LLIRT. A special feature of the development is the architecture which is rarely found in the literature wherein singular components are stacked over each other to form a composite. The architecture is found to show strong synergistic effects suitable for high performance supercapacitor applications. The composites were characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) etc. The characterization indicates the formation of composites having uniform distribution of PANI nanoparticles over the 2D nanosheets of GNS and MoS2 respectively. The electrochemical performance of the composites was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Galvanostatic Charge Discharge (GCD). The composite layer consisting of PANI-GNS alternate layers, showed an excellent specific capacitance (C-sp) of 549 Fg(-1) while PANI-MoS2 alternate layers and PANI layers showed C-sp to be (413 F g(-1)) and (185 F g(-1)) respectively. It is proposed that C-sp stability of the composites is greatly enhanced by the architecture of composite formation through LbL deposition approach. PANI-GNS showed high stability (95\% retention of C-sp), PANI-MoS2 (94\% retention of C-sp) as against single component capacitance of PANI (67\% retention of C-sp). The results reveal the importance of the architecture of composite formation. The architecture of depositing alternate layers of components to form a composite would have special properties leading to synergistic effect in the applications. The present communication is a proof of this concept. It shows the boost in the charge storage resulting in stable robust supercapacitors formation. We predict similar advantages in other applications such as solar energy conversion, sensors, catalysis, etc. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {GNS, Layer-by-Layer deposition, MoS2 nanosheets, polyaniline, Supercapacitors}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2018.01.165}, author = {Patil, Sagar H. and Gaikwad, Aarti P. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article {45351, title = {Total synthesis of (+)-trans- dihydronarciclasine from (+)-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanone}, journal = {Tetrahedron }, volume = {74}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5752-5757}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A concise asymmetric total synthesis of Amaryllidaceae alkaloid (+)-trans-dihydronarciclasine is accomplished starting from optically pure 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanone scaffold in 13 linear steps. Key features of the strategy include substrate-directed stereoselective installation of the trans B-C ring junction and regioselective Wacker-type internal olefin oxidation to provide a rapid access to all hydroxyl functionalities over the key cyclohexane ring in a stereocontrolled manner. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2018.08.016}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Fernandes, Rushil and Dey, Debasis and Majumder, Binoy} } @article {45420, title = { Tracing the biosynthetic origin of limonoids and their functional groups through stable isotope labeling and inhibition in neem tree (Azadirachta indica) cell suspension}, journal = {BMC Plant Biology}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Background Neem tree serves as a cornucopia for triterpenoids called limonoids that are of profound interest to humans due to their diverse biological activities. However, the biosynthetic pathway that plant employs for the production of limonoids remains unexplored for this wonder tree. Results Herein, we report the tracing of limonoid biosynthetic pathway through feeding experiments using C-13 isotopologues of glucose in neem cell suspension. Growth and development specific limonoid spectrum of neem seedling and time dependent limonoid biosynthetic characteristics of cell lines were established. Further to understand the role of mevalonic acid (MVA) and methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways in limonoid biosynthesis, Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC)- tandem mass spectrometry based structure-fragment relationship developed for limonoids and their isotopologues have been utilized. Analyses of labeled limonoid extract lead to the identification of signature isoprenoid units involved in azadirachtin and other limonoid biosynthesis, which are found to be formed through mevalonate pathway. This was further confirmed by treatment of cell suspension with mevinolin, a specific inhibitor for MVA pathway, which resulted in drastic decrease in limonoid levels whereas their biosynthesis was unaffected with fosmidomycin mediated plastidial methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway inhibition. This was also conspicuous, as the expression level of genes encoding for the rate-limiting enzyme of MVA pathway, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) was comparatively higher to that of deoxyxylulose-phosphate synthase (DXS) of MEP pathway in different tissues and also in the in vitro grown cells. Thus, this study will give a comprehensive understanding of limonoid biosynthetic pathway with differential contribution of MVA and MEP pathways. Conclusions Limonoid biosynthesis of neem tree and cell lines have been unraveled through comparative quantification of limonoids with that of neem tree and through C-13 limonoid isotopologues analysis. The undifferentiated cell lines of neem suspension produced a spectrum of C-seco limonoids, similar to parental tissue, kernel. Azadirachtin, a C-seco limonoid is produced in young tender leaves of plant whereas in the hard mature leaves of tree, ring intact limonoid nimocinol accumulates in high level. Furthermore, mevalonate pathway exclusively contributes for isoprene units of limonoids as evidenced through stable isotope labeling and no complementation of MEP pathway was observed with mevalonate pathway dysfunction, using chemical inhibitors.}, isbn = {1471-2229}, doi = {10.1186/s12870-018-1447-6}, author = {Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Pandreka, Avinash and Kumar, Ashish and Nandikol, Sharvani S. and Haldar, Saikat and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {45467, title = {Tuning controlled release behavior of starch granules using nanofibrillated cellulose derived from waste sugarcane bagasse}, journal = { ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering }, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = { 9208-9217}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Controlled release formulations help to encapsulate agrochemicals and deliver at a sustained rate. Growing environmental challenges have increased the need for controlled release systems based on sustainable feed-stocks. To this end, we report here the preparation and properties of a monolith-type controlled release granular formulation based on two ubiquitous biopolymers, starch and cellulose. Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) derived from waste sugarcane bagasse were mixed with gelatinized maize starch and urea formaldehyde to yield nanocomposite granular formulation. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) was used as model encapsulant. The morphology of CNFs and CNFreinforced starch granules was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, BET porosimetry, and X-ray tomography. Incorporation of only 2-4 wt \% CNFs led to a significant reduction in porosity as compared to that for neat starch granules, while the water uptake was enhanced by 20-30\%. Reinforcing starch with CNFs led to a significant reduction in initial release rate and yet higher overall release of DMP, thereby allowing effective utilization of entrapped chemicals. This interesting release behavior could be attributed to two competing factors, water uptake-induced diffusion and barrier effects rendered by nanocellulose network.}, issn = { 2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b01545}, author = {Patil, Mayur D. and Patil, Vishal D. and Sapre, Aditya A. and Ambone, Tushar S. and Torris, Arun A. T. and Shukla, Parshuram G. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {45437, title = {Tuning the basicity of Cu-based mixed oxide catalysts towards the efficient conversion of glycerol to glycerol carbonate}, journal = {Molecular catalysis}, volume = {460}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {53-62}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of efficient and robust Cu based mixed oxides were synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method and utilized for the production of glycerol carbonate (GC) via transesterification of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate (DMC). The synthesized materials were characterized using XRD, UV-vis spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, N-2 sorption, CO2-TPD, and XPS. The addition of Cu on Mg/Al mixed oxides exhibits significant changes in its physicochemical properties and catalytic activity. The obtained mixed oxides showed remarkably high transesterification activity towards the efficient conversion of glycerol to GC under economical reaction conditions without using any solvent. Among all the catalysts employed, highest catalytic activity was observed over MAC-0.6 catalyst with glycerol conversion of 96.4\% and GC yield of 91.2\%. The improved catalytic performance was observed mainly due to the optimized catalyst molar ratio and strong surface basicity. The strong surface basic sites were greatly attributed to the incorporation of Cu2+ cations in the MgAl (O) periclase that efficiently catalyzed the transesterification of glycerol with DMC. Furthermore, the reported catalyst was robust and could be recycled for more than five times without any significant loss in its catalytic activity.}, issn = {2468-8231}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2018.09.002}, author = {Manikandan, Marimuthu and Prabu, Marimuthu and Kumar, S. K. Ashok and Sangeetha, Palanivelu and Vijayaraghavan, Rajagopalan} } @article {44375, title = {Ultrastable imine-based covalent organic frameworks for sulfuric acid recovery: an effect of interlayer hydrogen bonding}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5797-5802}, abstract = {A rapid and scalable synthesis of six new imine-linked highly porous and crystalline COFs is presented that feature exceptionally high chemical stability in harsh environments including conc. H2SO4 (18M), conc. HCl (12M), and NaOH (9M). This is because of the presence of strong interlayer C-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen bonding among the individual layers, which provides significant steric hindrance and a hydrophobic environment around the imine (-C=N-) bonds, thus preventing their hydrolysis in such an abrasive environment. These COFs were further converted into porous, crystalline, self-standing, and crack-free COF membranes (COFMs) with extremely high chemical stability for their potential applications for sulfuric acid recovery. The as-synthesized COFMs exhibit unprecedented permeance for acetonitrile (280 Lm(-2) h(-1) bar(-1)) and acetone (260 Lm(-2) h(-1) bar(-1)).}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201802220}, author = {Halder, Arjun and Karak, Suvendu and Addicoat, Matthew and Bera, Saibal and Chakraborty, Amit and Kunjattu, Shebeeb H. and Pachfule, Pradip and Heine, Thomas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {45429, title = {Understanding conformational dynamics of complex lipid mixtures relevant to biology}, journal = {Journal of membrane biology}, volume = {251}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {609-631}, type = {Article}, abstract = {This is a perspective article entitled "Frontiers in computational biophysics: understanding conformational dynamics of complex lipid mixtures relevant to biology" which is following a CECAM meeting with the same name.}, issn = {0022-2631 }, doi = {10.1007/s00232-018-0050-y}, author = {Friedman, Ran and Khalid, Syma and Aponte-Santamaria, Camilo and Arutyunova, Elena and Becker, Marlon and Boyd, Kevin J. and Christensen, Mikkel and Coimbra, Joao T. S. and Concilio, Simona and Daday, Csaba and van Eerden, Floris J. and Fernandes, Pedro A. and Graeter, Frauke and Hakobyan, Davit and Heuer, Andreas and Karathanou, Konstantina and Keller, Fabian and Lemieux, M. Joanne and Marrink, Siewert J. and May, Eric R. and Mazumdar, Antara and Naftalin, Richard and Pickholz, Monica and Piotto, Stefano and Pohl, Peter and Quinn, Peter and Ramos, Maria J. and Schiott, Birgit and Sengupta, Durba and Sessa, Lucia and Vanni, Stefano and Zeppelin, Talia and Zoni, Valeria and Bondar, Ana-Nicoleta and Domene, Carmen} } @article {44434, title = {Vanadium-based polyoxometalate complex as a new and efficient catalyst for phenol hydroxylation under mild conditions}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {42}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {5142-5152}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {11440546}, doi = { 10.1039/c7nj04433j}, author = {Sharma, Mitu and Saikia, Gangutri and Ahmed, Kabirun and Gogoi, Sandhya Rani and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Islam, Nashreen S.} } @article {44623, title = {Visible light mediated desilylative C(sp(2))-C(sp(2)) cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanes with aryldiazonium salts under Au(i)/Au(iii) catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7223-7226}, abstract = {

Desilylative C(sp(2))-C(sp(2)) cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanes with aryldiazonium salts under Au(i)/photoredox catalysis have been reported. The addition of Cu-salts as catalysts was found to be crucial for the success of this transformation.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c8cc03925a}, author = {Chakrabarty, Indradweep and Akram, Manjur O. and Biswas, Suprakash and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45461, title = { Wet chemical synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles: a review}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = { 20 }, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5091-5107}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Metal oxide nanoparticles are an important class of nanomaterials that have found several applications in science and technology. Through wet chemical synthesis, it is possible to achieve selective surface structures, phases, shapes, and sizes of metal oxide nanoparticles, leading to a set of desired properties. Wet chemical synthesis routes allow fine tuning of the reaction conditions (temperature, concentration of substrate, additives or surfactants, pH, etc.) to afford the desired nanomaterials. In this review article, we highlight recent developments in the wet chemical synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles to provide great control over the quality of the obtained nanomaterials. The review critically evaluates the different wet chemical methods for scalable production of metal oxide nanoparticles to satisfy the growing industrial demand for nanomaterials. Special attention is paid to continuous flow synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles.}, doi = {10.1039/c8ce00487k}, author = {Nikam, A. V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kulkarni, A. A.} } @article {44558, title = {What drives the H-abstraction reaction in bio-mimetic oxoiron-bTAML complexes? A computational investigation}, journal = {Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {13845-13850 }, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Monomeric iron-oxo units have been confirmed as intermediates involved in the C{\textendash}H bond activation in various metallo-enzymes. Biomimetic oxoiron complexes of the biuret modified tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand (bTAML) have been demonstrated to oxidize a wide variety of unactivated C{\textendash}H bonds. In the current work, density functional theory (DFT) has been employed to investigate the hydrogen abstraction (HAT) reactivity differences across a series of bTAML complexes. The cause for the differences in the HAT energy barriers has been found to be the relative changes in the energy of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) induced by electronic perturbation.}, issn = {14639076}, doi = {10.1039/C8CP01333K}, author = {Mukherjee, Anagh}, editor = {Pattanayak, Santanu} } @article {44210, title = {X-ray crystal structures and anti-breast cancer property of 3-tert-butoxycarbonyl-2-arylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {42}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1078-1086}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Diastereomeric {\textquoteleft}2RS, 4R{\textquoteright}-2-arylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids (ATCAs) were synthesized and their resolution to chiraly pure N-BOC derivatives was attempted by column chromatography. The absolute stereochemistry of the resolved compounds was ascertained by X-ray single crystal structures. Further application of the synthesized compounds was studied for their in vitro anti-breast cancer activity against MCF7 cell line using DOX as a standard by MTT assay method. Cell morphology analysis was carried out by fluorescence microscopy. The compounds containing {\textquoteleft}2S{\textquoteright} absolute configuration in thiazolidine ring and presence of 2-NO2, 2,6-Cl groups on {\textquoteleft}2R{\textquoteright}-aryl substituent showed significant antibreast cancer activity where some of the compounds were found to be more active than DOX in terms of induced apoptosis mode of MCF7 cell death.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj02961f}, author = {Jagtap, Rohidas M. and Thorat, Shridhar H. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Khan, Ayesha A. and Pardeshi, Satish K.} } @article {44180, title = {ZIF-8@DBzPBI-BuI composite membranes for olefin/paraffin separation}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Science}, volume = {549}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR }, pages = {38-45}, type = {Article}, abstract = {ZIF-8 is a member of Zeolitic Imidazole Framework family having high internal surface area, the high thermo-chemical stability and ease of synthesis gained immense attention for its highly selective sieving ability. Transforming it into a membrane form and practical utility remains a challenge. Any success towards this direction would radically reduce the cost of propylene/propane separation. Present study reports use of substituted polybenzimidazole (DBzPBI-BuI) for fabrication of flexible, thus scalable composite membranes with ZIF-8 (ZIF8@DBzPBI-BuI) possessing host-guest compatibility. The membrane with 30\% ZIF-8 loading showed promising propylene-propane separation (ideal selectivity of 32.7), coupled with propylene permeability of 12.13 Barrer. Analysis of sorption shed light on the high contribution of diffusivity on governing permeation properties of the composite membranes. The mixed gas analysis offered highly encouraging results in comparison to known composite membranes of different polymers with ZIF-8. Placement of present data on {\textquoteleft}upper-bound{\textquoteright} showed a rapid enhancement in selectivity by the addition of ZIF-8 in the polymer matrix, which seems to be a result of the elimination of inter-phase defects. It was made possible due to the functionality of host polymer.}, keywords = {Gas permeation, Olefin/paraffin separation, Polybenzimidazole (PBI), ZIF-8}, issn = {0376-7388}, doi = {10.1016/j.memsci.2017.11.069}, author = {Kunjattu, Shebeeb H. and Ashok, Varsha and Bhaskar, Anand and Pandare, Kiran and Banerjee, Rahul and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article {44421, title = {Zinc supplementation decreases galactosylation of recombinant IgG in CHO cells}, journal = {Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1-11}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Trace element composition of culture medium can be altered to modulate glycoform of recombinant glycoproteins. In this study, we show that Zn2+ supplementation at or above 100 μM decreases galactosylation of recombinant IgG expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. This decrease in galactosylation is not due to reduced galactosyltransferase expression. This effect persists upon supplementation of galactose and uridine to the culture, indicating that it may not be due to reduced UDP-Gal availability. Measurements of galactosyltransferase activity in the cell lysate show that activity decreases with increasing Zn2+/Mn2+ ratio. This suggests that one possible explanation of the effect of Zn2+ may be reduced intracellular galactosyltransferase activity due to increase in Zn2+/Mn2+ ratio. Consistent with this, the decrease in galactosylation of IgG could be reversed by supplementation of Mn2+ (a cofactor of galactosyltransferase) which increases intracellular Mn2+ content. Measurement of total intracellular Zn2+ content, however, indicates no significant upregulation of total intracellular Zn2+ content and no significant downregulation of intracellular Mn2+ content with Zn2+ supplementation. One possible explanation could be that cellular detoxification response to higher extracellular Zn2+ concentration might lead to changes in intracellular distribution of Mn2+. In this case, Zn2+ supplementation would be expected to interfere with other known effects of Mn2+. Indeed, the previously reported increase in high mannose glycans upon Mn2+ supplementation in the absence of glucose is reversed by Zn2+ supplementation. This study also suggests the use of Mn2+ supplementation as a strategy to overcome the effect of lot-to-lot variability in trace element concentrations on galactosylation.

}, keywords = {CHO cells, glycosylation, manganese, Trace metals, zinc}, issn = {1757598}, doi = {10.1007/s00253-018-9064-8}, author = {Prabhu, Anuja}, editor = {Gadre, Ramchandra} } @article {46347, title = {Acidic handle assemble heterogeneous carbocatalyst for facile aliphatic nucleophilic fluorination}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP }, pages = {10960-10964}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Acidic handle (-SO3H) assemble carbonaceous catalyst synthesized from glucose acts as a modulator for the nucleophilic fluorination reaction. The heterogeneous catalyst works with various alkyl sulfonate, halide and metal fluoride (MF), to offer a high yield of fluorinated products up to 93\%. This carbonaceous catalyst is recyclable for more than five times, with no major loss of activity.

}, keywords = {fluorination, heterogeneous catalysis}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201902771}, author = {Said, Madhukar S. and Pandole, Satish and Suryavanshi, Amol and Kumar, Pradeep and Gajbhiye, Jayan M.} } @article {47169, title = {Actin cytoskeleton and membrane interactions: role in GPCR function and organization}, journal = {Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy}, volume = {85}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cell signaling networks are generally initiated at the cell membrane and mediated by receptors such as the G proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs). Adjacent to the cell membrane lies a complex network of proteins - the actin cytoskeleton to which several structural and physiological roles have been attributed. An emerging role of the cytoskeleton is to modulate GPCR function and organization, either directly or indirectly. The GPCR-cytoskeleton cross-talk is a complex hierarchical process where each step has its own set of rules and combinations. Due to the inherent complexity involved at each step and the multiple spatio-temporal levels, a complete picture is yet to emerge. In this review article, we provide an overview of actin-membrane interactions and how they modulate GPCR function and organization.

}, author = {Prakash, Shikha and Krishna, Anjali and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {45508, title = {Adsorptive removal of chromium(VI) using spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde beads prepared by inverse suspension polymerization}, journal = { Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {26}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {41}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The spherical cross-linked beaded polymers were prepared by condensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde in presence of tri-ethylamine by inverse suspension polymerization technique. The m-cresol, aniline, urea and thiourea were used as co-monomer and polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) was used as porogen. Paraffin oil was used as non-aqueous suspension agent. The polymeric spherical beads were prepared using various types of comonomers exhibiting range of particle size 77.62 to 158.84m at 90 degrees C and 300rpm for 4h. The resulting beads were analyzed by elemental analysis, particle size analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The synthesized beads were used for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. A simple and sensitive solid phase extraction procedure was used for the determination of chromium at trace level by spectrophotometric method using 1,5-diphenylcarbazide reagent. The adsorption of Cr(VI) on the resorcinol-formaldehyde beads was monitored by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. The metal adsorption parameters such as contact time, pH, metal ion concentration and adsorbent dose were investigated. For Cr(VI), the maximum adsorption capacity was about 99\% at pH2 for the resorcinol-formaldehyde beads obtained.

}, keywords = {adsorption kinetics, Beads, Chromium (VI), Formaldehyde, Inverse suspension, Resorcinol}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-019-1705-9}, author = {Mulani, Khudbudin and Patil, Vishwanath and Chavan, Nayaku and Donde, Kamini} } @article {46155, title = {Adsorptive removal of strontium(II) using macroporous poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads modified with resorcin[4]arene}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {42}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {UNSP 82}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Adsorption behaviour of strontium(II) on macroporous poly(allyl glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [poly(AGE-co-EGDMA)] beads modified with resorcin[4]arene was studied using macroporous cross-linked [poly(AGE-co-EGDMA)] beads. The macroporous crosslinked [poly(AGE-co-EGDMA)] beads were synthesized by suspension polymerization techniques, followed by functionalization with amino derivatives of resorcin[4]arene. The poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads were characterized by FTIR, 1H and 13C-NMR, elemental analysis and particle-size analysis. The surface morphology of beads was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The functionalized poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads were used as adsorbents for strontium removal. The crucial factors including the effect of pH, time, initial concentration of metal ions and adsorbent dose were investigated to optimize the maximum adsorption efficiency of Sr(II). The equilibrium data of strontium(II) ions adsorbed on functionalized poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads were analysed by pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model indicated that strontium was adsorbed by chemisorption.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, AGE-EGDMA beads, resorcin[4]arene, Sr(II)}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-019-1786-4}, author = {Mulani, K. and Patil, V. and Chavan, N. and Donde, K.} } @article {46083, title = {Advances in the experimental and theoretical understandings of antibiotic conjugated gold nanoparticles for antibacterial applications}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN }, pages = {6719-6738}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

The worldwide bacterial resistance to a wide range of antibiotics originates a global health concern and calls for the development of new antibacterial agents. Over the recent years, nanomaterials-based agents have been proven to be useful for the effective antibacterial applications. Notably, the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) draw particular attention due to their biological inertness and easy surface functionalization. It is now established that the antibiotic functionalization on the AuNPs surfaces increases the antibacterial efficacy even towards the antibiotic-resistant bacterial cells. Moreover, the antibacterial efficacy can be further enhanced by photothermal therapy using antibiotic conjugated AuNPs. In this review article, we have reviewed the advances in the development of the synthesis methods of antibiotic conjugated AuNPs and gold nanoclusters, and their antibacterial efficacy. We have also discussed the developments in the theoretical understandings behind the interaction of antibiotic molecules with gold surface and its relation to the antibacterial activity. We believe that few parameters including the selection of antibiotic molecules, the method of its attachment to AuNPs, the purification of antibiotic conjugated AuNPs, and the quantification of conjugated antibiotic are crucial and needs to be properly addressed. Moreover, there are many other future directions discussed, for using antibiotic conjugated AuNPs more effectively for antibacterial therapy.

}, keywords = {Antibacterial, antibiotic, DFT calculations, gold nanocluster, Gold nanoparticle, multi-drug resistance, photo-thermal therapy}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201900083}, author = {Khandelwal, Puneet and Singh, Dheeraj K. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {46050, title = {AgQDs employing black box synthetic strategy: photocatalytic and biological behavior}, journal = {Journal of Luminescence}, volume = {212}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {133-140}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This investigation relates FRET, photocatalytic and a biological study of AgQDs which found to be dependent on particle size and capping agent used. Surface of AgQDs was one of the most important factors that govern its activity. AgQDs with BSA binding was systematically studied by fluorescence quenching and electrostatic interaction. AgQDs mainly interacted to site II of BSA, binding distance r evaluated according to the FRET theory and was 4.6 nm for AgQDs, which suggested transfer of energy (non-radioactive) between surface modified AgQDs and biological molecule BSA. The photocatalytic activity of AgQDs for the appreciable degradation of erythrosine dye using Ultraviolet-B light was investigated. AgQDs showed specific antibacterial activity against E. coli bacterial stain. Quantum dots displayed a pronounced and specific activity causing \> 50\% growth of COLO-205 and MCF-7 human cancer Cells at concentrations \< 10(-7 )M. Hence, present black box synthetic protocol of AgQDs could be life science application.

}, keywords = {AgQDs, Black box, COLO-205, Photocatalytic}, issn = {0022-2313}, doi = {10.1016/j.jlumin.2019.04.014}, author = {Pansare, Amol V. and Shedge, Amol A. and Chhatre, Shraddha Y. and Das, Debabrata and Murkute, Punam and Pansare, Shubham V. and Nagarkar, Amit A. and Patil, Vishwnath R. and Chakrabarti, S.} } @article {46205, title = {All-organic composites of ferro- and piezoelectric phosphonium salts for mechanical energy harvesting application}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {31}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = { 5964-5972}, type = {A}, abstract = {

Molecular ferroelectrics owing to their lightweight, flexibility, and phase stability are drawing attention in the fields of flexible electronics, optical devices, and energy materials. In this paper, we report a series of binary organoamino phosphonium salts containing triphenyl isopropylaminophosphonium (TPAP), diphenyl diisopropylaminophosphonium (DPDP), phenyl triisopropylaminophosphonium (PTAP), and tetraisopropylaminophosphonium (TIAP) cations supported by lower symmetric tetrahedral BF4-, ClO4-, and IO4- anions. The P-E hysteresis loop measurements on these polar organic salts gave high remnant polarization (P-r) values of 35.36, 21.83, and 21.12 mu C cm(-2) for the DPDP center dot BF4, DPDP center dot ClO4, and DPDP center dot IO4 salts, respectively, having 1D hydrogen-bonded chain structures built from strong N-H center dot center dot center dot X (X = F or 0) interactions. For the first time, highly flexible composite devices have been prepared for the piezoelectric salts TPAP center dot BF4, DPDP center dot BF4, and TIAR center dot BF4 using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the matrix. The observed maximum peak-to-peak output voltages (V-pp) for the 10 wt \% composite devices of TPAP center dot BF4/TPU, DPDP center dot BF4/TPU, and TIAP center dot BF4/TPU are found to be 7.37, 8.95, and 4.75 V, respectively. These composite devices exhibit excellent durability, cycling stability, and viscoelastic properties. They also show the capacitor charging capabilities reaching their maximum charging points within 60 s.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b02409}, author = {Vijayakanth, Thangavel and Ram, Farsa and Praveenkumar, Balu and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {45538, title = {Aluminum cluster for CO and O-2 adsorption}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {25}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Low temperature oxidation of CO to CO2 is an important process for the environment. Similarly adsorption of CO from the releasing sources is also of major concern today. Whereas the potential of gold and silver clusters is well proven for thecatalysis of the above mentioned reaction, the potential of aluminum (Al) clusters remains unexplored. The present study proves that, similar to the transition metals, Al clusters can also be used for adsorption of gases. We first tested the potential of Al cluster as adsorbents for CO. The high binding energy (BE) values prove that Al clusters can be used for adsorbing both CO and O-2. Since oxygen binding is more facile, we adsorbed oxygen on Al and then checked the effect of this O-2 on the BE of CO. The results were obtained by DFT calculations at M062X/TZVP level of theory.

}, keywords = {Aluminum clusters, Charge decomposition analysis, CO adsorption, DFT, O-2 adsorption, Wiberg bond indices}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-018-3869-3}, author = {Samanta, Bipasa and Sengupta, Turbasu and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45623, title = {Amphiphilic glycopolypeptide star copolymer-based cross-linked nanocarriers for targeted and dual-stimuli-responsive drug delivery}, journal = {Bioconjugate Chemistry}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Glycopolypeptide-based nanocarriers are an attractive class of drug delivery vehicles because of the involvement of carbohydrates in the receptor-mediated endocytosis process. To enhance their efficacy toward controlled and programmable drug delivery, we have prepared stable glycopolypeptide-based bioactive dual-stimuli-responsive (redox and enzyme) micelles for delivery of anticancer drugs specifically to the cancer cells. The amphiphilic biocompatible miktoarm star copolymer, which comprises two hydrophobic poly(ε-caprolactone) blocks, a short poly(propargyl glycine) middle block, and a hydrophilic galactose glycopolypeptide block, was designed and synthesized. The star copolymer is initially self-assembled into un-cross-linked (UCL) micelles, and free alkyne groups at the core{\textendash}shell interface of the UCL micelles, which were cross-linked by bis(azidoethyl) disulfide (BADS) via click chemistry to form interface cross-linked (ICL) micelles. ICL micelles were found to be stable against dilution. BADS imparted redox-responsive properties to the micelles, while PCL rendered them enzyme-degradable. Dual-stimuli-responsive release behavior with Dox as model drug was studied individually as well as synergistically by applying two stimuli in different sequences. The galactose-containing UCL and ICL micelles were shown to be nontoxic. Intracellular Dox release from UCL and ICL micelles was demonstrated in liver cancer cells (HepG2) by time-dependent cellular uptake studies, and controlled release from ICL micelles compared to UCL micelles was observed. The present report opens a new approach toward targeted and programmable drug delivery in tumor tissues via a specifically targeted (receptor-mediated), dual-responsive, and stable cross-linked nanocarrier system.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00831}, author = {Pandey, B. and Patil, N. G. and Bhosle, G. S. and Ambade, A. V. and Gupta, S. S.} } @article {46106, title = {Amphiphilic polypyridyl ruthenium complexes: synthesis, characterization and aggregation studies}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {164}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY }, pages = {96-107}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{Synthesis and characterization of five amphiphilic ruthenium(11) complexes of the type [Ru(Cn)(3)]center dot(PF6)(2) (Cn = 4,4{\textquoteright}-dialkyl-2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine

}, keywords = {2, 2 {\textquoteleft}-bipyridine, Aggregation, Amphiphilic ligand, Metallosurfactant, Ruthenium complexes}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2019.02.035}, author = {Bhand, Sujit and Lande, Dipali N. and Pereira, Eulalia and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Weyhermueller, Thomas and Chakravarty, Debamitra and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article {46003, title = {Antisolvent based precipitation: batch, capillary flow reactor and impinging jet reactor}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {369}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG }, pages = {1161-1171}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A method for continuous antisolvent precipitation of ammonium perchlorate (AP) using a confined impinging jet reactor (CIJR) is studied. The geometry of the CIJR was optimized to achieve excellent mixing with a significant reduction in the particle deposition on walls. Initially, the experimental conditions were optimized in a batch system and then in a continuous capillary reactor. Later those conditions extended for antisolvent precipitation of AP in an impinging jet reactor using water and n-butyl alcohol as a solvent and antisolvent, respectively for optimum performance. The performance was compared with the experiments in batch mode as well as and in a continuous capillary reactor. Over a range of inlet jet velocity that corresponded to 1792 \< Re \< 7193 for the saturated aqueous solution of AP and 1135 \< Re \< 4553 for the antisolvent butanol phase, 8.98-16.98 mu m Ammonium perchlorate particles were attained.

}, keywords = {Ammonium perchlorate, Antisolvent precipitation, CFD, continuous flow, Impinging jet reactor, microparticles}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2019.03.107}, author = {Pal, Sayan and Madane, Ketan and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {46357, title = {Beneficial effects of Stevioside on AGEs, blood glucose, lipid profile and renal status in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats}, journal = {Journal of Applied Biomedicine}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {190-197}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The advanced glycated end products (AGEs) are formed in the diabetic patients; it is a major cause of macrovascular and microvascular complications in diabetes. Clinically there is no treatment available for the AGEs. Stveoside (Stv), a sweetener has potent anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant activity. Hence, we investigated its use in prevention of AGEs formation using in vitro and in vivo models. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ). These rats were kept without treatment till blood HbA1c was markedly increased. They were then divided into 5 groups and treated orally with vehicle or Metformin (MET) or Stv respectively for 28 days. Every 7th day, animals were tested for body weight and blood glucose (BG). On the last day of treatment, all the groups were evaluated for physiological and biochemical parameters, histopathology and AGEs; N-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) estimation. Stv showed inhibition of AGEs in in vitro as well as in in vivo respectively. Positive effects were seen on the BG, lipid profile and urine parameters as well it showed reduced formation of CML. It also showed antihyperglycaemic, antihyperlipedemic and nephroprotective activities. The present study provides scientific rationale for the use of Stv as a sweetener with additional benefits in diabetes.

}, keywords = {AGEs, Diabetes, Diabetes complications, N-carboxymethyl-lysine, Stevioside, Streptozotocin}, issn = {1214-021X}, doi = {10.32725/jab.2019.013}, author = {Aswar, Urmila and Gogawale, Vinayak and Miniyar, Pankaj and Patil, Yugendra} } @inbook {47471, title = {Biochemical and molecular aspects of dimorphism in fungi}, booktitle = {Advancing Frontiers in Mycology \& Mycotechnology}, year = {2019}, pages = {69-94}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, abstract = {Most of the eukaryotic differentiation processes are unidirectional. However, fungi have the ability to grow reversibly as unicellular yeast (Y) or as filamentous hypha (H) in response to the specific strain-dependent environmental stimuli. Such a phenomenon known as {\textquotedblleft}dimorphism{\textquotedblright} is not limited to a specific class of fungi. Most of the plant, human, and insect pathogenic fungi show Y-H and reversible morphogenesis, associated with their saprophytic to pathogenic change, for survival and proliferation in the host. In this chapter, we have described the factors stimulating dimorphism, the signal transduction pathways induced by these stimuli, changes in the gene/protein expression patterns due to a cascade of these signals, and, finally, translation of this genotypic effect into phenotypic change, i.e., the morphological outcome. The process of fungal differentiation and formation of tumor cells follow the same regulatory series of events, involving cAMP, MAP, and RAS kinase cascades. Therefore, the molecules inhibiting Y-H transition in fungi can be explored for their anticancer potential.}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-13-9349-5_3}, author = {Pathan, Ejaj K. and Ghormade, Vandana and Panmei, Redeemson and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @inbook {47470, title = {Bioprospecting of fungal entomo- and myco-pathogens}, booktitle = {Advancing Frontiers in Mycology \& Mycotechnology}, year = {2019}, pages = {497-513}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, abstract = {The pest and pathogen control in the field using fungi and their metabolites has indeed gone beyond {\textquoteleft}proof of concept{\textquoteright}. However, in view of the performances of these biocontrol fungi in the fields, moreover, acceptability by the end users regarding cost-effectiveness, shelf life, intellectual property rights (IPR), the additional roles, and possible applications are being explored. Dual pathogenicity, viz. entomopathogenesis and mycoparasitism, has added the advantage of wide-spectrum biocontrol in single-crop system. In addition to plant protection, these fungi can promote plant growth. Further, in integrated pest management, the bioremediation of pesticide residues, if any, can also be achieved by these organisms. For value addition, use of cuticle-degrading and mycolytic enzymes produced as killing components can be explored in food, detergent, organic synthesis, and pharmaceutical industries. While exploring the additional applications, the safety to beneficial insects and fungi, biodiversity, and humans, in general, is also addressed.}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-13-9349-5_20}, author = {Pathan, E. K. and Patil, A. V. and Deshpande, M. V.} } @article {46051, title = {Cadmium sulfide nanostructures: influence of morphology on the photocatalytic degradation of erioglaucine and hydrogen generation}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {483}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL}, pages = {696-705}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Size and shape of inorganic materials are known to have great effects on their physical and chemical properties. Here, for the first time we report the visible light driven photocatalytic degradation of erioglaucine - a stable organic dye molecule in the presence of chemically synthesized nanoscale CdS with 1D (nanorods), 2D (nanosheets) and 3D (hierarchical) morphology. Visible light driven photocatalytic degradation efficiency of both 1D and 3D CdS in the removal of erioglaucine are identical. Surprisingly, with 5 min of sonication, the highly crystalline 3D CdS stacked with many thin nanowires containing numerous active surface sites exhibited fourfold enhanced photodegradation efficiency in comparison to 1D and 2D CdS. Scavenger studies revealed that electrons and superoxide radicals are primary reactive species involved in the photodegradation of erioglaucine, while cyclic photodegradation studies revealed the good stability of 3D CdS against photocorrosion. Further, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution studies also revealed the excellent activity of 3D CdS in comparison to 1D and 2D CdS. Thus, we find that the morphology indeed influences the photocatalytic activity. These results reveal that 3D CdS nanostructures investigated in the present work are efficient photocatalysts that could be fine-tuned for both environmental remediation and hydrogen generation applications.

}, keywords = {Cadmium sulfide, Erioglaucine, Hydrogen evolution, Nanostructures, Photocatalysis}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.04.018}, author = {Shenoy, Sulakshana and Jang, Eunyong and Park, Tae Joo and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Sridharan, Kishore} } @article {46415, title = {C-H functionalization of indoles by 3d transition-metal catalysis}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, type = {Review; Early Access}, abstract = {

Over the past decade, the use of 3d transition metal for the regioselective C-H bond functionalization of indoles has significantly increased. Particularly, advances in manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper catalysis have demonstrated the selective C(2)-H and C(3)-H arylation, alkenylation, alkynylation and alkylation to a greater extent. Similarly, the C-O and C-N bond-forming reactions are manifested via direct C-H bond activation by these earth-abundant metals. The emergence of 3d metals in selective functionalization of the biologically relevant indoles and related heteroarenes would make this protocol more attractive for practical applications. Herein, we provide a brief overview of 3d transition metal-catalyzed (mostly Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) C-H functionalization of indoles and related heteroarenes.

}, keywords = {3d transition metal, C-H functionalization, Indole, indoline}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201900554}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {45568, title = {Characterization of novel acidic and thermostable phytase secreting Streptomyces sp. (NCIM 5533) for plant growth promoting characteristics}, journal = {Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology}, volume = {18}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article No: 101020}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Successful agricultural practices in acidic and arid region soils are still challenging worldwide. We investigated Actinomycete strain obtained from soil, which was found to produce extracellular phytase having the optimum pH, temperature of 2.5 and 70 {\textdegree}C, respectively and Plant growth promoting (PGP) attributes. These abilities of the phytase make it novel as compared to other Streptomyces derived phytases. Strain was also evaluated for physiological traits such as salinity, temperature, and pH followed by morphological and molecular identification. The Streptomyces sp. strain (NCIM 5533) displayed additional PGP traits such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ammonia and phosphate solubilization activity. A significant increment in Tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) root, shoot and as well as total height in bioassays at laboratory scale and green house level and its ability to colonize roots substantiated its potency as a true plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). To our knowledge this is the first report of Streptomyces sp. having the ability to produce acidic and thermostable phytase as well as PGP traits showing enhanced plant growth could have implications in soils having acidic nature and also in arid region.}, doi = {10.1016/j.bcab.2019.101020}, author = {Puppala, K. R. and Bhavsar, K. and Sonalkar, V. and Khire, J. M. and Dharne, M. S.} } @article {46434, title = {Chiral separation of styrene oxides supported by enantiomeric tetrahedral neutral Pd(II) cages}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {15017-15020}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The separation of enantiomers is of considerable importance in the preparation of the compounds of biological interests, catalysis, and drug development. Here, we report a novel enantioseparation of styrene epoxides (SOs) resolved in the presence of a pair of enantio-enriched tetrahedral cages. Chiral neutral cages of formula [(Pd3X*)(4)(C6O4Cl2)(6)] ([X*](3-) = RRR-or SSS-[PO(N(*CH(CH3)Ph)(3)](3)) are constructed from Pcl, building units supported by tris(imido)phosphate trianions and chloranilate linkers. These cages exhibit considerable enantioselective separation capabilities toward a series of styrene epoxides via a crystallization inclusion method. A highest enantiomeric excess (ee) value of up to 80\% is achieved for the (R)-4-fluorostyrene oxide.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b02389}, author = {Rajasekar, Prabhakaran and Pandey, Swechchha and Ferrara, Joseph D. and Del Campo, Mark and Le Magueres, Pierre and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {46208, title = {A copper(ii)-coordination polymer based on a sulfonic-carboxylic ligand exhibits high water-facilitated proton conductivity}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {48}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {11034-11044}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1039/c9dt01983a}, author = {Tayade, Sakharam B. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Lapalikar, Vaidehi and Markad, Datta and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pujari, Bhatchandra and Kumbhar, Avinash S.} } @article {46118, title = {Crystalline acylhydrazone photoswitches with multiple mechanical responses}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3039-3044}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The advancement of our understanding of stimuli responsive molecular crystals has led to the realization that they hold great yet unexplored potential as adaptive materials. Although molecular crystals that exhibit a single mechanical response to a single input stimulus are now abundant, crystals that are capable of response to multiple stimuli are rather scarce. Here we report two photoswitchable acylhydrazone derivatives, Ac-1 and Ac-2, which respond to light as well as to mechanical force. Upon application of localized mechanical stress, the anhydrous (Ac-1a) and monohydrate (Ac-1h) crystals of Ac-1 undergo plastic shearing deformation and bending, whereas monohydrate crystals of Ac-2 undergo elastic deformation. When they are exposed to UV light, crystals of Ac-1h and Ac-2 undergo photoinduced bending; on the other hand, crystals of Ac-1a and thicker crystals of Ac-2 exhibit photosalient effect (light-induced leaping). It is demonstrated that the synergistic action of multiple stimuli (UV light and force) elicits enhanced mechanical response, and this strategy could be employed in the future to increase the efficacy of single crystal actuators.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.8b01860}, author = {Gupta, Poonam and Panda, Tamas and Allu, Suryanarayana and Borah, Silpisikha and Baishya, Anamika and Gunnam, Anilkumar and Nangia, Ashwini and Naumov, Pance and Nath, Naba K.} } @article {46273, title = {Crystalline LaCoO3 perovskite as a novel catalyst for glycerol transesterification}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {475}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

LaCoO3 perovskite was synthesized using sol-gel method by nitrate and acetate precursors of La and Co with varying molar ratios of La and Co (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1). This was found to be an unique strategy to obtain highly crystalline LaCoO3 perovskite material without using any chelating agent. The variation of precursors was found to influence their crystallinity however, variation in molar ratio in the range of 0.5-2, did not affect the formation of perovskite framework. The formation of pure perovskite phase (around or \> 80\%) could be achieved by combination of acetate and nitrate precursors while, the combination of acetate- acetate or nitrate- nitrate precursors resulted in low phase purity for the perovskite due to the formation of secondary phases like La2O3 and Co3O4. Very interestingly, such combination of perovskite and pure oxide phases contributed to enhancement of basic sites which catalyzed the glycerol transestrifiaction with DMC (dimethyl carbonate) to GC (glycerol carbonate) and GD (glycidol). Among all the catalysts studied, NAP-2 showed highest efficiency in terms of 98\% glycerol conversion and 77\% GC and 22\% GD selectivities. The highlight of this work is that first step glycerol transesterification with DMC required basic sites of either metal oxide or perovskite but for cascade reaction involving decarboxylation required both metal oxide as well as LaCoO3 perovskite phase.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2019.110496}, author = {Phadtare, Deepshree and Kondawar, Sharda and Athawale, Anjali and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {46428, title = {Cyanuric-chloride-mediated synthesis of 2-Aryl-3-tert-butoxycarbonyl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid anilides: mechanistic, X-ray crystal structures and cytotoxicity studies}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV }, pages = {12534-12546}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The {\textquoteleft}2R,4R{\textquoteright}-2-aryl thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid anilides (ATCAAs) were synthesized using cyanuric chloride (CC) as a clean and substoichiometric acid-amine coupling agent under optimized reaction conditions. The diesterphenol intermediate based mechanism is proposed and supported by spectral characterization of the intermediate. The single crystal X-ray structures of acid substrate (2R,4R)-3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)thiazolidine-4-carbox ylic acid (3 a) and anilides (R)-tert-butyl 4-(2-fluorophenylcarbamoyl)thiazolidine-3-carboxylate (4 b), (2R,4R)-tert-butyl 2-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-4-(m-tolylcarbamoyl)thiazolidine-3-carboxylate (6 b) confirmed the formation of chiral anilides. The synthesized library of anilides [(R)-tert-butyl 4-Aryl thiazolidine-3-carboxylate and (2R,4R)-tert-butyl 2-Aryl-4-Aryl thiazolidine-3-carboxylate] 4 a-6 f was screened for their in vitro anti cancer, neuronal and neuroprotective studies. The anilides 4 b, 4 g, 5 d, 5 h, 6 c and 6 f (where the aryl=2-fluorophenylcarbamoyl, 4-chlorophenylcarbamoyl, 2-methoxyphenyl, 2,5-dichlorophenylcarbamoyl, 2,6-dichlorophenyl, 4-chlorophenylcarbamoyl respectively)were found to be less cytotoxic towards N2 A, SHSY-5Y neuronal cell lines in their differentiated and undifferentiated forms, and also exhibited dose dependant anti-inflammatory properties for a possible identification towards neurodegenerative and inflammatory disorders.

}, keywords = {Acid-amine coupling, Cyanuric chloride, Cytotoxicity, Mechanistic investigations, Single crystal x-ray structure}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201903000}, author = {Jagtap, Rohidas M. and Shaikh, Samir R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Raheem, Shabnam and Rizvi, Masood A. and Pardeshi, Satish K.} } @article {45609, title = {C-F bond activation by saturated NHC: mesoionic compound formation and its unprecedented adduct with B(C6F5)3}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie - International Edition}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2804-2808}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The reaction of SIPr, [1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene] (1), with C6F6 led to the formation of an unprecedented mesoionic compound (2). The formation of 2 is made accessible by deprotonation of the SIPr backbone with simultaneous elimination of HF. The C-F bond para to the imidazolium ring in 2 is only of 1.258(4) {\r A}, which is the one of the shortest structurally authenticated C-F bonds known to date. The liberation of HF during the reaction is unequivocally proved by the addition of one more equivalent of SIPr, which leads to the imidazolium salt with the HF2- anion. To functionalize 2, the latter reacted with B(C6F5)3 to give an unusual donor{\textendash}acceptor compound, where the fluoride atom from the C6F5 moiety coordinates to B(C6F5)3 and the carbanion moiety remains unaffected. Such coordination susceptibility of the fluoride atom of a nonmetallic system to a main-group Lewis acid (Fnon-metal{\textrightarrow}BR3) is quite unprecedented.

}, keywords = {C-F activation, carbanions, N-heterocyclic carbenes, structure elucidation, Ylides}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201814616}, author = {Pait, M. and Kundu, G. and Tothadi, S. and Karak, S. and Jain, S. and Vanka, K. and Sen, S. S.} } @article {45582, title = {Data on metabolic profiling of spongy tissue disorder in Mangifera indica cv. Alphonso}, journal = {Data in Brief}, volume = {22}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {145-157}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Data in this article presents aroma volatiles and fatty acids composition of mesocarp specific malady namely spongy tissue disorder in Mangifera indica cv. Alphonso. Quantitative changes in various aroma volatile compound classes as well as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in spongy tissue vis-{\`a}-vis healthy mesocarp have been analyzed throughout the development of the disorder. Statistical data analysis correlates the dynamic changes in the aroma volatiles composition to that of the modulation in the fatty acids profile.}, doi = {10.1016/j.dib.2018.11.140}, author = {Oak, P. S. and Deshpande, A. B. and Pujari, K. H. and Prabhudesai, S. S. and Giri, A. P. and Gupta, V. S.} } @article {45612, title = {Designing multifunctional MOFs using an inorganic motif [Cu3(μ3-OH)(μ-Pyz)] as SBU and their properties}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {992-1004}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In a continuation of our interest in pyrazole-based multifunctional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), we report herein the construction of a series of Cu(II) MOFs using pyrazole and various 5-substituted isophthalic acids. The central theme is to generate MOFs using the crystal engineering strategy of spacer and node; however, for the node we have introduced a well-known inorganic motif, a [Cu-3(mu(3)-OH)(mu-Pyz)(3)] unit. The appearance of the SBU in five MOFs confirms the robustness and reproducibility of the motif with some interesting structures of various dimensionality ranging from 1D helical and 2D herringbone grid to a complex 3D framework. The deployment of bent acids brings chirality via helicity in the system, as further confirmed by solid-state CD spectra. A detailed investigation of the porous MOFs reveals their importance as zeolite analogues for environment remediation. MOF-1-MOF-5 show some interesting photodegradation of harmful organic dyes. MOF-4 and MOF-5 show impressive selective CO2 gas sorption properties. Furthermore, magnetic properties associated with the trinuclear and hexanuclear SBUs of MOF-1 and MOF-3-MOF-5 have also been investigated.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.8b01540}, author = {Akhtar, S. and Bala, S. and De, A. and Das, K. S. and Adhikary, A. and Jyotsna, S. and Poddar, P. and Mondal, R.} } @article {46234, title = {Detection of toxic metal ions Pb2+ in water using SiO2@Au core-shell nanostructures: A simple technique for water quality monitoring}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {732}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present paper demonstrates a development of simple, sensitive and selective optical probe for detection of Pb2+ ions in water using monodispersed silica-gold core-shell nanostructures (SiO2@Au NSs). Structural and elemental analysis confirms the phase purity of nanostructures. The SPR studies for SiO2 @Au NSs reveals, linear dynamic range for Pb2+ ions detection, in the concentration range of 100 ppb to 2 ppm, with detection limit of 100 ppb, which is 5 times higher than AuNPs. Cross sensitivity study confirm its selectivity towards Pb2+ ions over other metal ions. XPS analysis shows the interaction of Pb2+ ions with core-shell NPs.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2019.136635}, author = {Daware, Krishna and Kasture, Manasi and Kalubarme, Ramchandra and Shinde, Rakesh and Patil, Kashinath and Suzuki, Norihiro and Terashima, Chiaki and Gosavi, Suresh and Fujishim, Akira} } @article {46254, title = { Development of a nano-gold immunodiagnostic assay for rapid on-site detection of invasive aspergillosis }, journal = {Journal of Medical Microbiology}, volume = {68}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1341-1352}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Introduction. Timely detection of invasive aspergillosis (IA) caused by fungal pathogens, i.e. Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus, in immunocompromised patients is crucial in preventing high mortality.

Aim. To develop a simple immunoassay for the detection of galactomannan (GM), an IA biomarker.

Methodology. GM from A. fumigatus and A. flavus clinical strains was purified and characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy and C-13/H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for polyclonal antibody (pAb) production in rabbits. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was standardized using concanavalin A to capture Aspergillus GM and pAbs to detect it. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized and conjugated to pAbs for the development of a dot-blot immunoassay. The developed dot-blot was evaluated with 109 clinical serum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples.

Results. Spectroscopy studies characterized the D-galactofuranosyl groups of GM responsible for the immune response and generation of pAbs. The ELISA employing pAbs showed a sensitivity of 1 ng ml(-1) for Aspergillus GM. Furthermore, a sensitive, visual, rapid dot-blot assay developed by the conjugation of pAbs to AuNPs (similar to 24 +/- 5 nm size, -36 +/- 2 mV zeta potential) had a detection limit of 1 pg ml(-1) in serum. The pAbs interacted with Aspergillus spp. but did not cross-react with other fungal pathogen genera such as Penicillium and Candida. Evaluation of the dot-blot with 109 clinical samples showed high sensitivity (80\%) and specificity (93.2 \%), with an overall assay accuracy of 89\%.

Conclusion. The developed nano-gold immunodiagnostic assay has immense potential for practical use in rapid, specific and sensitive on-site diagnosis of IA, even under resource-limited settings.

}, doi = {10.1099/jmm.0.001040}, author = {Raval, Komal M. and Ghormade, Vandana and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Choudhary, Hansraj and Rudramurthy, Shivaprakash M. and Chakrabarti, Arunaloke and Paknikar, Kishore} } @article {46333, title = {Development of pristine and Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites for supercapacitor electrodes}, journal = {RSC Advances }, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT }, pages = {32573-32580}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pristine and Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. Characterization techniques such as XRD, FESEM, HRTEM and XPS were used to explore the structural, morphological and electronic properties. Furthermore, electrochemical characterizations including cyclic voltammetry (CV), the galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) method, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were performed to investigate the supercapacitance behaviour of the synthesized materials. Interestingly, the Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposite showed a higher capacitance of 495.05 F g(-1) (1 M aqueous KOH electrolyte) with improved cycling stability (99.26\%) over 2000 cycles, measured at a current density of 1 A g(-1), when compared to the pristine Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 composite (capacitance of 148.81 F g(-1) and good cycling stability (95.99\%) over 2000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g(-1)). The results clearly reveal that the decoration of the Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 composite with Au nanoparticles enhances its supercapacitance behaviour, which can be attributed to an increase in electrical conductivity, good electrical contact between the electrode and electrolyte, and an increase in effective area. The Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposite can be considered as an electrode material for supercapacitor application.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ra06112f}, author = {Gote, Gorkshnath H. and Pathak, Mansi and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article {46190, title = {Direct solar-to-hydrogen generation by quasi-artificial leaf approach: possibly scalable and economical device}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {7}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3179-3189}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Often, a disadvantage in one area of science may become an advantage in another area. In contrast, a successful concept in one area could work for a complementary area of research too. These two philosophies have been successfully used for solar hydrogen generation and they underscore the necessity to connect relevant concepts. We, herein, report a quasi-artificial leaf (QuAL) device in a wireless configuration with a TiO2/Mn-CdS composite and NiCu as a co-catalyst for possibly scalable as well as commercially viable solar hydrogen production under one sun conditions. The device works at no applied potential and generates 10.5 mL h(-1) (16 mL h(-1)) H-2 with Ni5Cu2.5 alloy (Pt) as a co-catalyst, which corresponds to a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.8\% (7.3\%). The significant resemblance of NiCu alloy to Pt in terms of its electrochemical activity and electronic structure makes the device more economical. While the millisecond lifetime of electrons in Mn-CdS is known to help for white light emission, the same factor helps to greatly improve charge utilization for H-2 production in the QuAL device. In contrast, the reabsorption of emitted light is a vexing problem in emission applications; however in the present work, reabsorption is successfully utilized to enhance hydrogen yield. Spectroscopy techniques combined with electrocatalytic studies were employed and the results correlated with solar hydrogen generation, demonstrating this as a new pathway to design better solar-light-harvesting architectures.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c8ta11307f}, author = {Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Bharad, Pradnya Arunrao and Jain, Vanshika and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {47495, title = {Disruptive innovation at the interfaces of the drug industry}, journal = {Indian Drugs}, volume = {56}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {5-6}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Dr V. Premnath is currently the Head, NCL Innovations {\textendash} the group within National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) charged with the responsibility of championing the cause of technology innovation within NCL. Dr Premnath is also the Director of the Venture Center {\textendash} a technology business incubator on the NCL campus. Dr Premnath is also a Scientist, Polymer Science \& Engineering Division at NCL with an interest in technology development for medical products. Dr. V. Premnath holds a B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. He has also been a Chevening Technology Enterprise Fellow with the Centre for Scientific Enterprises, London Business School and Cambridge University, UK. Dr Premnath{\textquoteright}s experience with medical products development is focused on polymeric implants and has resulted in two families of commercial products and two startups.}, author = {Premnath, V.} } @inbook {47468, title = {Distribution and bioprospecting potential of actinobacteria from Indian mangrove ecosystems}, booktitle = {Microbial Diversity in Ecosystem Sustainability and Biotechnological Applications}, year = {2019}, pages = {319-353}, publisher = {Springer, Singapore}, organization = {Springer, Singapore}, abstract = {Actinobacteria are the ecologically and economically important prokaryotes with the unprecedented ability to produce novel metabolites. They are widely distributed in nature due to their physiological and metabolic versatility. Actinobacteria from marine ecosystem are recognized as a promising source for novel bioactive metabolites. Notably, mangroves are the most fertile and productive marine ecosystem due to their ecophysiological conditions and vast microbial diversity. At the global level, there are many novel actinobacteria which have been reported from mangrove ecosystems and also explored for their bioprospecting potential. However, in India, microbiologists have explored actinobacteria from selected mangrove ecosystems for the past five decades with special reference to culturable diversity and antimicrobial, antimycobacterial, anticancer, and enzymatic activities. So far, around 22 rare actinobacterial genera have been reported from the Indian mangrove ecosystems. However, several other novel actinobacteria with promising bioprospecting potential are yet to be explored. Hence, research on actinobacteria in the Indian mangrove ecosystem is still in its infancy. This chapter will describe the exploratory research work carried out on the importance, diversity, antimicrobial and enzymatic activity, biodegradation, and nanotechnological potency of actinobacteria from the Indian mangrove ecosystems. This chapter will enable researchers to identify the gaps to be bridged for further research on Indian mangrove actinobacteria and exploit their potential to the maximum benefit to mankind.}, isbn = {978-981-13-8315-1}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-13-8315-1_11}, author = {Manikkam, Radhakrishnan and Pati, Premalata and Thangavel, Shanmugasundaram and Venugopal, Gopikrishnan and Joseph, Jerrine and Ramasamy, Balagurunathan and Dastager, Syed G.} } @article {46129, title = {Does stoichiometry matter? cocrystals of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids with isonicotinamide: odd-even alternation in melting points}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {APR }, pages = {2481-2484}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{This study outlines the synthesis of four cocrystals of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids {pimelic acid to sebacic acid (HOOC-(CH2) nCOOH

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c9ce00299e}, author = {Tothadi, Srinu and Phadkule, Amala} } @article {46221, title = { Downconversion luminescence-based nanosensor for label-free detection of explosives }, journal = {Acs Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4259-4268}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report a selective and sensitive nanosensor probe based on polyethylenimine (PEI)-capped downconverting nanophosphors beta-NaYF4:Gd3+, Tb3+@PEI for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), both in water and buffer media. These downconverting phosphors were synthesized via a hydrothermal route and are known to show excellent chemical, thermal, and photostability. They emit sharp emission peaks centered at similar to 488, 544, 584, and 619 nm, among which the peak at similar to 544 nm was remarkably quenched (similar to 90\%) by the addition of TNT without giving any new emission peak. The sensing mechanism is based on the formation of a Meisenheimer complex between the electron-rich amine-functionalized beta-NaYF4:Gd3+, Tb3+ nanophosphors and electron-deficient TNT molecule, which was prominently visualized by the change in the color of the solution from whitish to brownish yellow, enabling visual detection, followed by luminescence resonance energy transfer between the nanophosphors and the complex. A linear range for TNT detection was obtained from 0.1 to 300 mu M with a limit of detection as low as 119.9 nM. This method displayed excellent selectivity toward TNT over other nitroaromatic compounds, which had no influence on the detection. Moreover, various other classes of analytes, viz., amino acids, pesticides, and sugars, did not quench the luminescence intensity of the nanophosphors. This developed nanosensor probe possesses high, stable fluorescence brightness and capability for the selective and sensitive on-site recognition of TNT molecules in aqueous media, avoiding complicated strategies and instruments. Thus, this work promises to pave ways to many applications in the detection of ultratrace analytes.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b03491}, author = {Malik, Monika and Padhye, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {47167, title = {Draft genome sequence of freshwater-derived streptomyces sp. strain BPSDS2, isolated from damte stream, northeast India}, journal = {American Society for Microbiology}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain BPSDS2, isolated from freshwater sediments in Northeast India. The draft genome has a size of 8.27 Mb and 7,559 protein-coding sequences.

}, doi = {10.1128/MRA.00874-19}, author = {Zothanpuia and Passari, Ajit Kumar and Deka, Vinay and Rajput, Lakshmi P. M. and Priya, Purbajyoti and Dharne, Mahesh and Dastager, Syed and Mathew, Oommen K. and Hashem, Abeer and Abd_ Allah, Elsayed Fathi and Singh, Bhim Pratap} } @article {46210, title = {Effect of media components and growth conditions for improved linoleic acid production by beauveria species}, journal = {Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society}, volume = {96}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {945-954}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Beauveria species are well-known insect pathogenic fungi, and Beauveria bassiana is used as a biopesticide against various pests in agriculture. However, the Beauveria species has not been reported as producers of microbial oils. In this study, Beauveria spp. MTCC 5184 was used to produce microbial oil with high linoleic acid (LA) content. Ten experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of several media parameters, such as carbon and nitrogen sources, pH, various concentrations of carbon and nitrogen, growth duration, and oleic acid (OLA) supplementation for maximum LA and dry biomass production by the fungus. Several of these parameters had a significant impact on the production of LA, as well as dry biomass. The glucose yeast extract (GYE) medium supplemented with 1.5\% (w/v) peptone yielded maximum LA (0.32 +/- 0.01 g L-1) and biomass (5.51 +/- 0.26 g L-1). However, through the addition of 1.0\% (w/v) OLA, the precursor of LA, LA production was enhanced 12-fold (1.24 +/- 0.03 g L-1), and the biomass production increased by 5-fold (11.05 +/- 0.46 g L-1) in comparison to those in the basal (GYE) medium. Using lactose as the sole carbon source produced the lowest LA (0.05 +/- 0.00 g L-1) and biomass (1.04 +/- 0.10 g L-1). The results of this study will be useful for the commercial exploitation of this fungus for the production of LA-rich microbial oil for use in the production of lubricants, greases, paints, cosmetics, etc.

}, doi = {10.1002/aocs.12252}, author = {Sanghi, Smrati and Chirmade, Tejas and More, Snehal and Prabhune, Asmita and Gupta, Vidya and Kadoo, Narendra} } @article {45532, title = {Effect of processing conditions on the rheological properties of blends of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene with high-density polyethylene}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {59}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {821-829}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with small amounts of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were prepared by melt mixing in a twin-screw microcompounder. Two types of UHMWPE differing in their states of chain entanglement were used. The blend composition, time of mixing, and rotation speed of the screws were varied. Rheological properties of the blends were studied in oscillatory shear and uniaxial elongational tests. Reduction in phase angle measured in dynamic shear rheology and increase in extensional strain hardening were found to be useful indicators for quantifying the extent of mixing of the two components. Although the disentangled UHMWPE showed reasonable mixing with HDPE during typical residence times of melt compounding operations, the entangled UHMWPE remained essentially undissolved. The extent of mixing increased with mixing time and screw speed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2018. {\textcopyright} 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.25016}, author = {Chaudhuri, K. and Poddar, S. and Pol, H. and Lele, A. and Mathur, A. and Srinivasa Rao, G.S. and Jasra, R.} } @article {45576, title = {Enhanced energy density and stability of self-assembled cauliflower of Pd doped monoclinic WO3 nanostructure supercapacitor}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {225}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {192-199}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Enhanced electrochemical performance of WO3 nanostructures by engineering their morphology, structural and surface defect at nanoscale is feasible. Herein we report the effect of Pd doping on the morphological and electrochemical properties of WO3 at nanoscale prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The synthesized pristine WO3 (cabbage like morphology) and Pd doped WO3 (cauliflower like morphology) are examined by using XRD, XPS, Raman spectra, BET, FE-SEM, TEM. The morphological investigation shows the effective rebuilding of nanosheets assembled cabbage shaped pristine WO3 into nanobricks assembled cauliflower shaped Pd doped WO3 with improvement in crystallinity, surface area and conductivity. As a result, the enhancement in the electrochemical performance of cauliflower shaped Pd-WO3 is recorded four times higher specific capacitance than pristine WO3. Additionally, the excellent cyclic stability (almost ten times higher than pristine WO3) up to 1100 cycles with nearly 86.95\% capacity retention is observed in Pd-WO3 attributed to Pd content and highly modified structural arrangement.}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2018.12.077}, author = {Gupta, S. P. and Patil, V. B. and Tarwal, N. L. and Bhame, S. D. and Gosavi, S. W. and Mulla, I. S. and Late, D. J. and Suryavanshi, S. S. and Walke, P. S.} } @article {46147, title = {Epoxidation of karanja (Millettia pinnata) oil methyl esters in the presence of hydrogen peroxide over a simple niobium-containing catalyst}, journal = {Catalysts}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {344}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance of a conceptually simple, novel NbOx-SiO2 catalyst are here described. The niobium(V)-silica catalyst was prepared starting from cheap and viable reactants, by alkaline deposition of NH4Nb(C2O4)(2)H2O in the presence of fructose as a stabilizer and subsequent calcination. The NbOx-SiO2 solid (0.95 Nb wt.\%) was tested in the liquid-phase epoxidation with aqueous hydrogen peroxide of methyl oleate, as a model substrate. It was then tested in the epoxidation of a mixture of methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained by transesterification with methanol and purification of karanja oil, extracted from the autochthonous Indian variety of Millettia pinnata tree. The catalyst showed a promising performance in terms of methyl oleate conversion (up to 75\%) and selectivity to epoxide (up to 82\%). It was then tested on the FAME mixture from karanja oil, where interesting conversion values were attained (up to 70\%), although with lower selectivities and yields to the mixture of desired epoxidized FAMEs. The solid withstood four catalytic cycles overall, during which a non-negligible surface reorganization of the Nb(V) sites was observed. However, this restructuring did not negatively affect the performance of the catalysts in terms of conversion or selectivity.

}, keywords = {epoxidation, fatty acid methyl esters, heterogeneous catalysis, Hydrogen peroxide, karanja oil, mesoporous silica catalyst, Millettia pinnata, niobium catalysts}, issn = {2073-4344}, doi = {10.3390/catal9040344}, author = {Scotti, Nicola and Ravasio, Nicoletta and Evangelisti, Claudio and Psaro, Rinaldo and Penso, Michele and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Bokade, Vijay V. and Guidotti, Matteo} } @article {45478, title = {Evolution of ZnO nanostructures as hexagonal disk: Implementation as photoanode material and efficiency enhancement in Al: ZnO based dye sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {470}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1130-1138}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hexagon shaped pristine and Al doped ZnO nanodisks (NDs) with exposed +/- [0001] polar facets were successfully synthesized using modified sol-gel method without the involvement of any structural directing or capping agents. It was investigated that OH- ions in mixed solvent system is responsible for pore formation and inhibit the growth of ZnO along the direction of c-axis leading to a high percentage exposure of active +/- [0001] polar facets and encourage the formation of ZnO NDs. Crystallographic analysis revealed that crystallite size and lattice constants are decreased, with the addition of Al3+ ions. The results obtained from Raman, and XPS analysis further corroborated with the XRD results, revealed the successful incorporation of Al3+ ions into ZnO lattice. Optical study revealed the band gap tunability with the incorporation of Al ion as dopant. Enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.96\% (J(sc) similar to 7.69 +/- 0.23 mA/cm(2)) was observed for Al: ZnO hexagonal NDs based DSSC. The increased PCE in Al: ZnO based DSSC can be attributed to the higher inner surface area for dye anchoring by the interconnected network of the disk-like structure. The obtained results were satisfactory and most importantly the synthesis procedure proposed in present work is excellent for the synthesis of perfectly hexagonal shaped disks under precised synthesis parameters. The device interface study was further conducted using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy which revealed better charge transport process and charge storage ability with the incorporation of Al3+ ions into ZnO lattice.

}, keywords = {dye sensitized solar cells, Hexagonal disks, Sol-gel method, ZnO}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.11.077}, author = {Parra, Mohammad Ramzan and Pandey, Padmini and Siddiqui, Hafsa and Sudhakar, Vediappan and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Haque, Fozia Z.} } @article {46266, title = {Experimental and density functional theory investigations of catechol sensing properties of ZnO/RGO nanocomposites}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Catechol, an essential industrial feedstock is one of the major environmental pollutant which causes several health issues including skin irritation, eye damage and genetic defects. In this work, we have investigated the catechol sensing performance of ZnO/RGO composites for its quantitative detection. ZnO/RGO composite showed superior electron transfer kinetics, sensitivity (162.04 mu A mM cm(-2)) and lower detection limit (47 nM) than that of bare ZnO nanoparticles. Further, the change in the zeta potential towards the lower negative demonstrated the strong electrostatic interaction between ZnO-RGO and catechol where it is converted as 1, 2 Benzoquinone through redox reactions. By using state of the art of Density Functional Theory simulations, we have demonstrated the interaction of catechol molecule on various ZnO clusters and RGO supported ZnO clusters. The strong bonding between p orbital of O atom of catechol and d orbital of Zn atom and its charge transfer facilitate the oxidation of catechol molecule. In the presence of RGO, the binding energy of catechol and charge transfer increases which qualitatively infer that RGO/ZnO exhibits higher sensitivity compared to bare ZnO and in consistency with the experimental observations.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.143588}, author = {Ponnusamy, Rajeswari and Venkatesan, Rajiu and Gangan, Abhijeet and Samal, Rutuparna and Chakraborty, Brahmananda and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article {47159, title = {Experimental and theoretical charge density, intermolecular interactions and electrostatic properties of metronidazole}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section B-Structural Science Crystal Engineering and Materials}, volume = {75}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {942-953}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Metronidazole is a radiosensitizer; it crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group P2(1)/c. The crystal structure of metronidazole has been determined from high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements at 90 K with a resolution of (sin 0/lambda) max = 1.12 angstrom(-1). To understand the charge-density distribution and the electrostatic properties of metronidazole, a multipole model refinement was carried out using the Hansen-Coppens multipole formalism. The topological analysis of the electron density of metronidazole was performed using Bader{\textquoteright}s quantum theory of atoms in molecules to determine the electron density and the Laplacian of the electron density at the bond critical point of the molecule. The experimental results have been compared with the corresponding periodic theoretical calculation performed at the B3LYP/6-31G** level using CRYSTAL09. The topological analysis reveals that the N-O and C-NO2 exhibit less electron density as well as negative Laplacian of electron density. The molecular packing of crystal is stabilized by weak and strong inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding and H center dot center dot center dot H interactions. The topological analysis of O-H center dot center dot center dot N, C-H center dot center dot center dot O and H center dot center dot center dot H intra- and intermolecular interactions was also carried out. The electrostatic potential of metronidazole, calculated from the experiment, predicts the possible electrophilic and nucleophilic sites of the molecule; notably, the hydroxyl and the nitro groups exhibit large electronegative regions. The results have been compared with the corresponding theoretical results.

}, keywords = {atomic valence index, Electron density, Electrostatic potential, intermolecular interactions, metronidazole, radiosensitizer}, doi = {10.1107/S2052520619011272}, author = {Kalaiarasi, Chinnasamy and George, Christy and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Hathwar, Venkatesha R. and Poomani, Kumaradhas} } @article {46142, title = {External oxidant-dependent reactivity switch in copper-mediated intramolecular carboamination of alkynes: access to a different class of fluorescent ionic nitrogen-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {APR }, pages = {4120-4130}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An interesting case of external oxidant-controlled reactivity switch leading to a divergent set of ionic nitrogen-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (N-doped PAHs), is presented here, which is quite unrecognized in copper-mediated reactions. In the current scenario, from the same pyridino-alkyne substrates, the use of the external oxidant Ph1(0Ac)2, in combination with Cu(OTf)(2), gave N-doped spiro-PAHs via a dearomative 1,2-carboamination process; whereas, without the use of oxidant, an alkyne/azadiene [4 + 2]-cycloaddition cascade occurred to exclusively afford ionic N-doped PAHs. These newly synthesized N-doped PAHs further exhibit tunable emissions, as well as excellent quantum efficiencies.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.9b00120}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Banerjee, Somsuvra and Mule, Ravindra D. and Bera, Saibal and Patil, Nitin T.} } @inbook {47466, title = {Facile process for ammonia sensing using electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride/polyaniline (PVDF/PANI) nanofibers chemiresister}, booktitle = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {224}, year = {2019}, pages = {3-15}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, abstract = {Electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride/polyaniline (PVDF/PANI) nanofibers chemiresister was fabricated by electrospinning and polymerization. As-fabricated PVDF/PANI nanofibers chemiresister was characterized by SEM, FTIR, TGA and DTG analyses. Cost effective with high accuracy microcontroller based sensor set up was designed for the measurement of change in resistance of chemiresister with respect to different concentrations of ammonia gas at various temperatures. The semiconducting behavior of the chemiresister was found to respond quickly towards ammonia gas. High sensitivity, fast response and recovery of PVDF/PANI nanofibers for ammonia gas at room temperature confirmed the chemiresister as potential candidate for ammonia sensing in environmental monitoring safety systems, chemical and automotive industries.}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-19894-7_1}, author = {Kondawar, Sanchit and Late, Dattatray J. and Anwane, Rajashree S. and Kondawar, Subhash B. and Koinkar, Pankaj and Parinov, Ivan A.} } @article {45595, title = {Facile tuning of Ag@AgCl cubical hollow nanoframes with efficient sunlight-driven photocatalytic activity}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {465}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {413-419}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this work, a facile controlled synthesis of plasmonic photocatalyst, Ag@AgCl hollow cubic cage with the tuning of nanoframe structures was reported. AgCl cubical hollow nanoframes were primarily prepared using sacrificial NaCl template protocol. Ion exchange reaction between Ag+ in the solution and NaCl, in presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) led to continuous nucleation followed by growth of AgCl on the surface of sacrificial NaCl template. The tuning of AgCl nanoframe structures was obtained by changing the AgNO3 concentration in the reactions. Afterwards, ethylene glycol assisted reduction of AgCl, produced Ag@AgCl, the metal@semiconductor composite with the homogeneous distribution of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of the AgCl hollow nanoframes. Efficient sunlight-driven photocatalytic activity to degrade Methylene blue (MB) (50 mL; 10 mg/L) with these Ag@AgCl hollow frames was also demonstrated. The plasmonic photocatalysts were exhibited photodegradation rates about 0.098{\textendash}0.184 min-1 with high catalytic activity and recyclability for five cycles. Additionally, active species entrapping experiments were performed and a possible mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the synthesized plasmonic photocatalyst was also proposed.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.09.163}, author = {Hanmant Gaikwad S. and Koratti, A. and Porel, Mukherjee S.} } @article {46183, title = {Fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor: an efficient and fast approach for ammonia gas sensing}, journal = {Journal of the Optical Society of America B-Optical Physics}, volume = {36}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {684-689}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we propose and demonstrate a Fabry-Perot-interferometer-based polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-composite-coated optical sensor for ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection at room temperature. The principle of sensing is based on change in the cavity length of the FP cavity in the presence of varied concentrations of gases, which results in changes in the total reflectance due to the shift in wavelength of an interference pattern. The sensing composite material was coated on a single-mode optical fiber by using a simple dip-coating technique and explored it for sensing. The ammonia and VOCs measurements were performed for concentrations ranging from 5 to 500 ppm. The corresponding sensitivity and limit of detection of the developed sensor for ammonia gas detection was observed of the order of around 4.16 pm/ppm and 4.8 ppm, respectively. The response and recovery times of the sensor were found to be of the order of 50 s and 10 s, respectively, for the ammonia gas. This sensor provides a simple, cost-effective, highly sensitive, and repeatable approach to measure ammonia gas and other VOCs at room temperature and could fulfill the demands of industrial applications. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America

}, issn = {0740-3224}, doi = {10.1364/JOSAB.36.000684}, author = {Kanawade, Rajesh and Kumar, Ajay and Pawar, Dnyandeo and Late, Dattatray and Mondal, Samir and Sinha, Ravindra K.} } @article {46017, title = {Fine-tuning of Terahertz resonances in hydrogen-bonded organic molecular complexes}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1184}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {495-502}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Novel organic molecular complexes have been designed and synthesized to obtain prominent Terahertz (THz) resonances in the low-frequency region. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds give rise to low-frequency THz resonances and hence binary organic molecular complexes of pyridyl alkylamide/benzamide (DAP) and hexyl thymine (C6THY) with multiple strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds (N-H{\textendash}-O and N-H{\textendash}-N) are designed and synthesized. THz resonances of the complexes are fine-tuned by varying the number of benzene rings in the DAP moiety (PrDAP + C6THY, PrPhDAP + C6THY and PhDAP + C6THY). DFT simulation studies of two molecule clusters have been carried out to understand the origin of low-frequency THz resonances. It has been observed that the lowest THz resonances (\< 2 THz) originate due to translation/rotation of the whole crystal structure and the resonances from 2 to 4 THz are mainly due to intermolecular hydrogen bond bending/stretching vibrations. In order to understand the individual hydrogen bond strengths, compliance constants, which are inverse of the force constants are calculated and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis has been carried out. Comparison of the experimental THz spectra of different complexes shows that there is a small but tunable variation in THz resonances from one complex to another. Tuning of THz resonances has potential applications in designing THz tags, which can be used in various anti-counterfeiting applications such as currency notes, pharmaceutical tablets. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Compliance constant, Natural bond orbital analysis, Organic molecular complex, Terahertz spectroscopy}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.02.002}, author = {Dash, Jyotirmayee and Ray, Shaumik and Devi, Nirmala and Basutkar, Nitin and Ambade, Ashootosh V. and Pesala, Bala} } @article {45486, title = {Flow, mixing, and heat transfer in fluidic oscillators}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {97}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {542-559}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

There is an increasing emphasis on process intensification and development of compact, intensified reactors and separators in recent years. Significant efforts are being made to develop such intensified reactors and separators without any moving parts. Some of the recent research studies have proven that a liquid-liquid extractor based on the Coanda effect and feedback oscillations exhibit excellent mixing and liquid-liquid contacting. These fluidic oscillators can potentially be used for a variety of other multiphase reactions and systems demanding enhanced mixing and heat and mass transfer. In this work, we have computationally investigated flow, mixing, and heat transfer in fluidic oscillators based on the Coanda effect. Available information on flow and mixing in fluidic oscillators was critically reviewed and key gaps in the available knowledge with respect to the design and optimization of fluidic oscillators were identified. Computational flow models were developed to characterize key flow features like unsteady flows, secondary vortices, and internal recirculation over a range of Reynolds number (Re = 90-1538) for three different oscillator designs. Systematic numerical studies were carried out to quantify different flow regimes, oscillations, and the influence of key geometric parameters on flow, mixing, and heat transfer. Simulated results were critically analyzed and are presented in the form of dimensionless numbers. The approach and results presented in this work will provide useful insights and a systematic basis for extending the applications of the Coanda-based feedback oscillatory devices for a wide range of engineering applications.

}, keywords = {CFD, Coanda effect, fluidic oscillators, heat transfer, mixing}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.23377}, author = {Khalde, Chirag M. and Pandit, Ajinkya V. and Sangwai, Jitendra S. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {46423, title = {Fluorescent carbon nanodots for targeted in vitro cancer cell imaging (vol 4, pg 71, 2016)}, journal = {Applied Materials Today}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {236-240}, type = {Correction}, issn = {2352-9407}, doi = {10.1016/j.apmt.2019.07.014}, author = {Aiyer, Sandhya and Prasad, Rajendra and Kumar, Manoj and Nirvikar, K. and Jain, Bhanprakash and Kushwaha, Omkar S.} } @article {47153, title = {Fluorescent carbon-dots thin film for fungal detection and bio-labeling applications}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5829{\textendash}5840}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The fluorescence properties of CDs, such as high quantum yield, tunability of emission color, and so on, make a strong potential material in various fields. These applications are mainly derived from in situ formation of surface functional groups, high chemical stability, biocompatibility, and easy interaction with substrates, etc. Mostly, the research applications of CDs concentrate on the labeling of biological species, drug delivery, and sensing in consequent biomedical applications. However, the detection of the fungal species/spores present in the environment by using CDs is rarely reported. Herein, we demonstrate CDs-based thin film as a sensor for detection of fungal spores from the environment. The procedure of detection is based on fluorescence, observed in the film of carbon dots deposited on quartz plates by using the Blodgett technique. It is observed that the CDs film shows quenching in the fluorescence intensity by the substrate, namely, fungal spores{\textquoteright} (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Alternaria alternata). The effective features of the present detector system are easy fabrication, low cost, high stability, and a green and economical procedure of synthesis. The process of detecting fungal spores even at low concentration from the atmosphere is relatively fast when compared to presently used methods. Finally, real-world feasibility of the sensor film is tested by its successful application for the determination of the presence fungal spores in the environment. Furthermore, CDs have been also successfully applied for the bio-labeling of Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) bacterial systems.

}, author = {Gaikwad, Aarti and Joshi, Meenal and Patil, Kashinath and Sathaye, Shivaram and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {46199, title = {Folding and aggregation energy landscapes of tethered RRM domains of human TDP-43 are coupled via a metastable molten globule-like oligomer}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {608-620}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Stress-induced misfolding and intraneuronal aggregation of the highly conserved nucleic acid binding protein TDP-43 (transactive response DNA binding protein 43 kDa) and its fragments have been implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and several other neurodegenerative diseases. However, the physicochemical mechanism of its misfolding from the functional folded state is poorly understood. TDP-43 is a four-domain protein and performs the essential nucleic acid binding function with the help of its two tandem RNA recognition motif domains naturally tethered by a linker (called here the tethered RRM domain of TDP-43 or TDP-43(tRRM)). Here, we show that the monomeric native form of TDP-43(tRRM) remains in a pH-dependent and reversible thermodynamic equilibrium with a protonated, nanosized, 40-merit form (the A form). Under the stress-like low-pH condition, the A form becomes predominantly populated. In the A form, protein molecules have restricted dynamics of surface side-chain residues but native-like secondary structure. This self-assembled form possesses a loosely packed core in which the intrinsically disordered and aggregation-prone regions are in the proximity. The A form is metastable and swiftly aggregates into a highly stable amyloid-like protofibrillar form (beta form) mediated by the disorder-to-order transition of intrinsically disordered regions upon small environmental perturbations. Interestingly, the A form and the beta form are not formed when TDP-43(tRRM) is bound to DNA, indicating that the nucleic acid binding regions of the protein participate in their formation. Our results reveal how the energy landscapes of folding and aggregation of TDP-43(tRRM) are coupled by a metastable molten-globule like oligomeric form and modulated by stress-like conditions.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01013}, author = {Pillai, Meenakshi and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {46150, title = {Formulation and evaluation of wound healing activity of sophorolipid-sericin gel in wistar rats}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Magazine}, volume = {15}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {123-127}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Sericin is a useful by-product of silk processing and is resistant to oxidation and ultraviolet and can absorb and release moisture easily. Sericin has biological activities such as antibacterial, antioxidant, and tyrosinase inhibition. Sophorolipids are microbial extracellular glycolipids produced by resting cells of Candida bombicola. Sophorolipids show excellent skin compatibility and also have antibacterial property. In this study, we have developed a novel formulation consisting of sericin and sophorolipid with calcium alginate as a binding agent. Since both the ingredients are biocompatible and biodegradable, the formulation was tested for wound healing in Wistar rats. A commercial ointment povidone was used as control. The animal group, treated with sericin and sophorolipid cream, showed fast contraction, rapid closure, and healing when compared with control and commercial ointment. These observations were validated with histopathological studies where more fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, and keratinization were observed. This is a green, cost-effective formulation for fast wound healing.

}, keywords = {Biocompatibility, formulation, sericin, Sophorolipid, wound Healing}, issn = {0973-1296}, doi = {10.4103/pm.pm_392_18}, author = {More, V. Snehal and Koratkar, Santosh S. and Kadam, Navnath and Agawane, Sachin and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article {46331, title = {Francisella novicida Cas9 interrogates genomic DNA with very high specificity and can be used for mammalian genome editing}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20959-20968}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used to make precise heritable changes in the DNA of organisms. Although the widely used Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and its engineered variants have been efficiently harnessed for numerous gene-editing applications across different platforms, concerns remain regarding their putative off-targeting at multiple loci across the genome. Here we report that Francisella novicida Cas9 (FnCas9) shows a very high specificity of binding to its intended targets and negligible binding to off-target loci. The specificity is determined by its minimal binding affinity with DNA when mismatches to the target single-guide RNA (sgRNA) are present in the sgRNA:DNA heteroduplex. FnCas9 produces staggered cleavage, higher homology-directed repair rates, and very low nonspecific genome editing compared to SpCas9. We demonstrate FnCas9-mediated correction of the sickle cell mutation in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and propose that it can be used for precise therapeutic genome editing for a wide variety of genetic disorders.

}, keywords = {CRISPR Cas9, gene therapy, Genome editing, iPSCs, sickle cell anemia}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1818461116}, author = {Acharya, Sundaram and Mishra, Arpit and Paul, Deepanjan and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Azhar, Mohd and Kumar, Manoj and Rauthan, Riya and Sharma, Namrata and Aich, Meghali and Sinha, Dipanjali and Sharma, Saumya and Jain, Shivani and Ray, Arjun and Jain, Suman and Ramalingam, Sivaprakash and Maiti, Souvik and Chakraborty, Debojyoti} } @article {47484, title = {Global study of MFS superfamily transporters in arabidopsis and grapes reveals their functional diversity in plants}, journal = {Plant Gene}, volume = {18}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN }, type = {Article}, abstract = {The Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) is the largest superfamily of secondary transporters present in all organisms, from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes, that facilitates transport of diverse molecules like sugars, vitamins, amino-acids, hormones, etc. across cell membranes. The superfamily was further expanded to MFS Superfamily (MFSS) to integrate MFS with nine more families. The present study revealed their land plant specific diversity through identification across six species from unicellular alga to higher flowering plants. We identified 71, 131, 254, 260, 213 and 203 MFSS transporters in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Physcomitrella patens, Selaginella moellendorffii, Oryza sativa (var. Japonica), Arabidopsis thaliana and Vitis vinifera, respectively and classified them into MFSS families and subfamilies based on their transporter classification identifiers (TCIDs). Detailed analysis of 20 land plant specific subfamilies was conducted in A. thaliana and V. vinifera. Phylogenetic and gene duplication studies revealed the expansion of sugar porter and proton dependent oligopeptide transporter families in Arabidopsis and grape. The subcellular localization of the majority of the transporters was predicted to be in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the microarray expression analysis of MFSS transporters from Arabidopsis and grapes revealed their multi-tissue-specificity and differential regulation under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Studies of the transmembrane topology highlighted the presence of central cytoplasmic loop along with family specific topological variations that were evident from phylogenetic analysis. Overall, this study adds to the knowledge of functional and structural diversity and evolution of MFSS transporters in plants and opens the scope for detailed physiological and functional studies on these proteins.}, doi = {10.1016/j.plgene.2019.100179}, author = {Patil, Sucheta S. and Prashant, Ramya and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Upadhyay, Anuradha and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {46048, title = {Glycerol acetylation considering competing dimerization}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {51}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {634-640}, type = {Editorial Material}, abstract = {

Glycerol acetylation is a very interesting reaction for studies of consecutive kinetics. In this short communication, we present a pseudo-homogeneous model for the synthesis of triacetyl glycerol from the reaction of glycerol and acetic acid over strongly acidic Amberlyst-15 and Amberlyst-70 catalysts, considering a dimerization of diacetyl glycerol (DAG) into diglycerol tetraacetate as a parallel reaction and compare the results with a model without side reactions. The best fits were obtained for apparent zeroth-order dimerization and first-order consecutive reactions in the presence of acetic acid in excess and with removal of water. An adaptation was made for DAG. The proposed model shows that the formation of DAG is faster than the consumption of glycerol, which could be an explanation for the occurrence of DAG dimerization instead of other parallel reactions in acetylation.

}, keywords = {apparent kinetics, diacetyl glycerol dimerization, glycerol acetylation}, issn = {0538-8066}, doi = {10.1002/kin.21282}, author = {Soares, Andre V. -H. and Kale, Sumeet S. and Armbruster, Udo and Passos, Fabio B. and Umbarkar, Shubhangi B. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Martin, Andreas} } @article {45518, title = {Gold-catalyzed 1,2-oxyalkynylation of N-Allenamides with ethylnylbenziodoxolones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {180-184}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A gold-catalyzed 1,2-oxyalkynylation of N-allenamides with ethylnylbenziodoxolones (EBXs) has been achieved for the first time. The reaction, which follows a redox-neutral Au(I)/Au(III) catalytic pathway, was enabled in an attempt to exhaust the EBX reagents atom-economically by putting the nucleophilic carboxylate part of EBXs to appropriate use. This constitutes the first example for gold-catalyzed beta-alkynylation of N-allenamides to construct highly valuable 1,3-enynes. The potential of the sequence is further documented by some follow-up transformations.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b03651}, author = {Banerjee, Somsuvra and Senthilkumar, Beeran and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46282, title = {Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of pyridine-bridged 1,8-Diynes: An expedient access to luminescent cycl[3.2.2]azines}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7109-7113}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gold-catalyzed diyne cycloisomerizations involving carbene/alkyne metathesis have been the focal point of attention for the past few years as it offers great potential to build complex polycyclic architectures. However, the design of novel cycloisomerizations has been mostly limited to 1,5/1,6-diynes and has remained very challenging to apply for higher 1,n-diynes. Herein, we disclose an unprecedented cycloisomerization of pyridine-bridged 1,8-diynes involving carbene/alkyne metathesis to access luminescent cycl[3.2.2]azines.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.9b02677}, author = {Chintawar, Chetan C. and Mane, Manoj V. and Tathe, Akash G. and Biswas, Suprakash and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45519, title = {Gold(I)-catalyzed hydroxy group assisted C(sp(2))-H alkylation of enaminones with diazo compounds to access 3-alkyl chromones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {335-339}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A strategy for expedient synthesis of 3-substituted chromones from easily available o-hydroxyarylenaminones and diazo compounds has been developed. Carefully conducted experimental and computational studies led us to propose an uncommon mechanistic pathway involving the hydroxyl group assisted alkylation of enaminones with in situ generated gold carbenes.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b03989}, author = {Bagle, Pradip N. and Mane, Manoj V. and Sancheti, Shashank P. and Gade, Amol B. and Shaikh, Samir R. and Baik, Mu-Hyun and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {47171, title = {Graphene oxide supported liposomes as red emissive theranostics for phototriggered tissue visualization and tumor regression}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3312{\textendash}3320}, abstract = {

Selective tissue visualization and localized tumor regression without affecting the surrounding healthy tissues are critical concerns in cancer nanomedicine. Importantly, the complete wrapping of a flimsy matrix like liposome by multifunctional graphene oxide is an interesting engineering idea for nanomedicine design. Moreover, designing a safe and biodegradable nanohybrid with significant theranostic ability is a current need for targeted combined therapies. Here, we report a comprehensive result of in vivo tumor diagnosis and phototriggered tumor regression using a biodegradable red emissive nanotheranostic system, viz., graphene oxide flakes fortified liposome (GOF-Lipo), functionalized with folic acid (FA): GOF-Lipo-FA. Graphene oxide support enhances the stability of drug-loaded liposomes in an extracellular environment that prevents the premature release of loaded anticancer drug from the liposomal cavity. Promising outcomes of tumor regression (\~{}300 to 25 mm3) from organized cellular and animal studies are demonstrated in this work. These studies reveal superior biocompatibility, deep intracellular localization, 4T1 breast tumor diagnosis, and long time tumor binding ability of an injected emissive nanohybrid. Overall, a single dose of designed multifunctional systems demonstrates the best tumor regression.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsabm.9b00335}, author = {Prasad, Rajendra and Yadav, Amit S. and Gorain, Mahadeo and Chauhan, Deepak S. and Kundu, Gopal C. and Srivastava, Rohit and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {45567, title = {Hierarchical K/LTL zeolite as solid base for aqueous phase hydrogenation of xylose to xylitol}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials }, volume = {278}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {70-80}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Post-synthesis modification by alkali treatment was employed for the synthesis of hierarchical K/LTL zeolites with varying degree of mesoporosity. For the alkali treatment, the concentration of aqueous KOH solution was changed from 0.3 to 2.8 M keeping the quantity per gram of zeolite fixed. The influence of the alkali concentration on the chemical composition, powder XRD crystallinity, morphology, basicity, and the textural properties of resultant hierarchical zeolites was investigated. Variation in the concentration of KOH solution was found to control the degree of preferential desilication with the preserved structural fingerprint of K/LTL zeolite. As a result, the generation of mesoporosity was observed along with 1) the decrease in the Si/Al ratio and percentage relative crystallinity, and 2) an increase in BET surface area and mesopore volume. 27Al MAS-NMR results showed that all the aluminum atoms present in the tetrahedral coordination after alkali treatment, which provides an elegant approach for significantly increasing the basic sites in the hierarchical zeolites. As a heterogeneous catalyst, the hierarchical K/LTL zeolites demonstrated the improved performance in the hydrogenation of xylose to xylitol as compared to the parent K/LTL zeolite. The different process parameters were assessed in order to maximize the hydrogenation activity. Among all the hierarchical zeolites, the enhanced catalytic activity was shown by the hierarchical K/LTL prepared by using 1.5 M KOH solution when it is used along with the 3.5 wt\% platinum loaded γ-Al2O3 catalyst. This optimum activity may be attributed to the higher surface area, accessible basic sites, nano-sized Pt on γ-Al2O3, and the development of substantial intracrystalline mesoporosity for the enhanced molecular diffusion of reactant to and from the hierarchical zeolite with better-preserved crystallinity.}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2018.11.017}, author = {Tangale N. P. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Joshi, P. N. and Dhepe, P. L.} } @article {45619, title = {Highly efficient rhodium-phosphite catalyzed hydroformylation of camphene and other terpenes}, journal = {Asian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {31}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {213-219}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.14233/ajchem.2019.21656}, author = {Pagar, N. S. and Deshpande, R. M.} } @article {46177, title = {High-performing PGM-free AEMFC cathodes from carbon-supported cobalt ferrite nanoparticles}, journal = {Catalysts}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {264}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Efficient and durable non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are highly desirable for several electrochemical devices, including anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Here, cobalt ferrite (CF) nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon (CF-VC) were created through a facile, scalable solvothermal method. The nano-sized CF particles were spherical with a narrow particle size distribution. The CF-VC catalyst showed good ORR activity, possessing a half-wave potential of 0.71 V. Although the intrinsic activity of the CF-VC catalyst was not as high as some other platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalysts in the literature, where this catalyst really shined was in operating AEMFCs. When used as the cathode in a single cell 5 cm(-2) AEMFC, the CF-VC containing electrode was able to achieve a peak power density of 1350 mW cm(-2) (iR-corrected: 1660 mW cm(-2)) and a mass transport limited current density of more than 4 A cm(-2) operating on H-2/O-2. Operating on H-2/Air (CO2-free), the same cathode was able to achieve a peak power density of 670 mW cm(-2) (iR-corrected: 730 mW cm(-2)) and a mass transport limited current density of more than 2 A cm(-2). These peak power and achievable current densities are among the highest reported values in the literature to date.

}, keywords = {AEMFC, cobalt, Ferrite, high-performing, non-PGM, vulcan}, issn = {2073-4344}, doi = {10.3390/catal9030264}, author = {Peng, Xiong and Kashyap, Varchaswal and Ng, Benjamin and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Wang, Lianqin and Varcoe, John R. and Mustain, William E.} } @article {46414, title = {Hydrodynamics and selectivity engineering of a multipoint dosing flow reactor}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {22874}, type = {Article}, chapter = {22866}, abstract = {

This paper reports the suitability of a multipoint injection continuous flow reactor for carrying out a sequential reaction, while taking into account the associated hydrodynamics of such systems. Pressure drop was measured for different fluid injection patterns, viz., equal fluid dosing, decreasing dosing, and increasing dosing flow rates from the first to the last inlet. Moreover, residence time distribution was also explored. The data were compared with a conventional single-point injection. The extent of dispersion was found to be higher in the decreasing dosing profile compared to equally distributed dosing. Taking into account of these features, the suitability of such a reactor system for competitive-consecutive homogeneous nitration reaction was evaluated. The analysis was done on the basis of the Damkohler number (Da) for mixing and reaction. The rate-controlling phenomena were used to simulate the performance of the reactor for a range of a number of inlets, the mole ratio of reactants, and relative values of Da. The observations indicate that the multipoint injection is not beneficial for mixing controlled reactions. However, for reactions in the transient regime (i.e., 0.001 \< t(m)/t(R) \< 1000), it gives higher selectivity of the desired product.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.9b04431}, author = {Shukla, Chinmay A. and Pal, Sayan and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {46348, title = {Imidazole-linked crystalline two-dimensional polymer with ultrahigh proton-conductivity}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {141}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {14950-14954}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.9b06080}, author = {Ranjeesh, Kayaramkodath Chandran and Ilathvalappil, Rajith and Veer, Sairam Dnyaneshwar and Peter, Joseph and Wakchaure, Vivek Chandrakant and Goudappagouda and Raj, K. Vipin and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh} } @article {47489, title = {Importance of conserving fragmented forest patches with high diversity of flowering plants in the northern Western Ghats: an example from Maharashtra, India}, journal = {Journal of Threatened Taxa }, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {13833-13849}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The northern Western Ghats (NWG) comprises of a patchy continuum of forests that have been severely fragmented mainly due to anthropogenic activities. We documented tree diversity within a representative fragmented forest patch of the NWG to study the effects of fragmentation on forest structure and composition. The floristic survey was conducted by replicated strip transect sampling method leading to a total sampling area of 0.3ha. A total of 444 individual trees (Girth>10cm) were sampled, which represented 49 tree species belonging to 42 genera and 23 families. Species richness per unit area and tree density were higher than previously reported values from similar forest type in various regions of NWG. These variations, however, could have resulted due to differences in the sampling area, sampling method, and girth classes used across different studies. Nevertheless, various diversity parameters such as N/S ratio, Simpson{\^a}{\texteuro}{\texttrademark}s index, Shannon{\^a}{\texteuro}{\texttrademark}s index, and Fisher{\^a}{\texteuro}{\texttrademark}s {\^I}{\textpm} index were comparable with those reported in previous studies in the Western Ghats. The observed species richness was close to species richness estimates such as abundance-based coverage estimate, Chao-1, and Jackknife estimators. The present study also enumerates 108 species of understory flowering plants, which is provided as a checklist. While access restrictions are imposed in protected areas having high conservation priority, such restrictions are not imposed in non-protected areas, which make them much more vulnerable to anthropogenic activities. Hence, this study recommends that owing to their high diversity, the fragmented forest patches of NWG should also be given high conservation priority.}, doi = {10.11609/jott.3296.11.7.13833-13849}, author = {Kasodekar, Amol and Jadhav, Amol Dilip and Bhagat, Rani and Pawar, Rakesh Mahadev and Gupta, Vidya Shrikant and Kadoo, Narendra} } @article {45537, title = {Improved efficiency of DSSC using combustion synthesized TiO2}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {109}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {222-226}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Combustion synthesis method is an economic, one step and an effective method for the synthesis of nanomaterials. In this work, titanium dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized by combustion method. The synthesized material was characterized by XRD, SEM and BET. Dye sensitized solar cell was fabricated using the synthesized material and its performance was compared with the solar cell fabricated using commercial TiO2. In order to evaluate the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs, photocurrent density to photovoltage (J-V) characteristic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were carried out. The DSSC fabricated using combustion synthesized and commercial TiO2 exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 6.11\% and 6.62\%, respectively. Combustion synthesized TiO2 which displayed similar efficiency to that of commercial material is least studied in the literature for solar cell applications.

}, keywords = {Combustion synthesis, Dye sensitized solar cell, TiO2}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2018.09.044}, author = {Umale, Sanjivani and Sudhakar, V. and Sontakke, Sharad M. and Krishnamoorthy, K. and Pandit, Aniruddha B.} } @article {45552, title = {Influence of nanocellulose on mechanics and morphology of polyvinyl alcohol xerogels}, journal = {Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials}, volume = {90}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {275-283}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Xerogels are porous networks of crosslinked polymers that are useful for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, scaffold engineering, tissue regeneration, cell culture and wound dressing. However, inferior mechanical properties curtail their applications to a considerable extent. Nanocellulose fibers and crystals are often added into the polymer matrix to improve their mechanical strength. Here, nanocellulose in the mass ratios of 7\%, 13\% and 18\% are loaded into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix followed by thermo-morpho-mechanical characterization. With increase in nanocellulose content, thermal degradation occurs at a lower temperature. It is observed that addition of higher quantity of nanocellulose crystals leads to the formation of weak cellulose rich regions causing xerogel rupture. This is predominantly observed for xerogel loaded with 18\% nanocellulose crystals. Similarly, addition of higher quantity of nanocellulose fibers increase brittleness of the xerogels causing fracture. This is predominantly observed for xerogel loaded with 18\% nanocellulose fibers. Creep strain and stress relaxation is observed to decrease with addition of nanocellulose loading owing to molecular chain restriction and polymer chain immobility.

}, keywords = {Mechanics, Morphology, Nanocellulose, Xerogels}, issn = {1751-6161}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmbbm.2018.10.024}, author = {Pramanik, R. and Ganivada, B. and Ram, Farsa and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Arockiarajan, A.} } @article {45594, title = {Insect-repellent and mosquitocidal effects of noreremophilane- and nardoaristolone-based compounds}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2188{\textendash}2195}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here, we disclose novel mosquito-repellent synthetic hydrindanes based on noreremophilanes and nardoaristolone B which show increased activity against adult females of Aedes aegypti. The noreremophilanes and nardoaristolone B with hydrindane skeleton are structurally related to nootkatone with decalin skeleton, a well-studied natural product extracted from a grape fruit. Out of our library of compounds synthesized based on the noreremophilanes and nardoaristolone B scaffolds, NDS-100598 (compound 20) exhibits higher repellent and knock-down effects at a very low concentration (0.25 mg/cm2), while a few analogues showed considerably enhanced activity compared to racemic nootkatone. This is the first report documenting insect-repellent and knock-down activity of the noreremophilanes class of compounds.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b03652}, author = {Handore, K. L. and Kalmode, H. P. and Sayyad, S. and Seetharamsingh, B. and Gathalkar, G. and Padole, S. and Pawar, P. V. and Joseph, M. and Sen, A. and Reddy, D. S.} } @article {46192, title = {Ionic pyridinium-oxazole dyads: design, synthesis, and application in mitochondrial imaging}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1766-1777}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We recently developed an oxidative intramolecular 1,2-amino-oxygenation reaction, combining gold(I)/gold(III) catalysis, for accessing structurally unique ionic pyridinium-oxazole dyads (PODs) with tunable emission wavelengths. On further investigation, these fluorophores turned out to be potential biomarkers; in particular, the one containing -NMe2 functionality (NMe2-POD) was highly selective for mitochondrial imaging. Of note, because of mitochondria{\textquoteright}s involvement in early-stage apoptosis and degenerative conditions, tracking the dynamics of mitochondrial morphology with such imaging technology has attracted much interest. Along this line, we wanted to build a library of such PODs which are potential mitochondria trackers. However, Au/Selecfluor, our first-generation catalyst system, suffers from undesired fluorination of electronically rich PODs resulting in an inseparable mixture (1:1) of the PODs and their fluorinated derivatives. In our attempt to search for a better alternative to circumvent this issue, we developed a second-generation approach for the synthesis of PODs by employing Cu(II)/PhI(OAC)(2)-mediated oxidative 1,2-amino-oxygenation of alkynes. Thes newly synthesized PODs exhibit tunable emissions as well as excellent quantum efficiency up to 0.96. Further, this powerful process gives rapid access to a library of NMe2-PODs which are potential mitochondrial imaging agents. Out of the library, the randomly chosen POD-3g was studied for cell-imaging experiments which showed high mitochondrial specificity, superior photostability, and appreciable tolerance to microenvironment changes with respect to commercially available MitoTracker green.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02528}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Varma, Mokshada E. and Mule, Ravindra D. and Banerjee, Somsuvra and Kulkarni, Prasad P. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45489, title = {Kinetics of hydroformylation of 1-decene using carbon-supported ossified HRh(CO)(TPPTS)(3) catalyst}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {51}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {112-122}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The kinetics of hydroformylation of 1-decene has been investigated using a carbon-supported ossified HRh(CO)(TPPTS)(3)/Ba catalyst in a temperature range of 343-363 K. The effect of concentration of 1-decene, catalyst loading, partial pressure of H-2 and CO, and stirring speed on the reaction rate has been investigated. A first-order dependence was observed for catalyst concentration and hydrogen partial pressure. The rate showed a typical case of substrate inhibition for high 1-decene concentration. The rate varied with a linear dependence on P-CO up to a CO partial pressure of 5-6 MPa in contrast to the general trends; for most of the rhodium-phosphine catalyzed hydroformylation reactions, severe inhibition of rate is observed with an increase in CO pressure. A rate equation has been proposed, which was found to be in good agreement with the observed rate data within the limit of experimental errors. The kinetic parameters and activation energy values have been reported.

}, keywords = {1-decene, Hydroformylation, kinetics, ossification, supported ossified}, issn = {0538-8066}, doi = {10.1002/kin.21234}, author = {Pagar, Nitin S. and Deshpande, Raj M.} } @article {46338, title = {Ligand-enabled gold-catalyzed C(sp(2))-n cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides with amines}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT }, pages = {8101-8105}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The first example of ancillary (P,N)-ligand-enabled gold-catalyzed C-N cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides with amines is reported. The high generality of the reaction in de novo synthesis, late-stage modifications, and cascade processes to access functionalized indolinones and carbazoles underscores the synthetic potential of the presented strategy. Monitoring the reaction with ESI-HRMS and NMR provided strong evidence for the in situ formation of putative high valent Au(III) intermediates.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.9b03082}, author = {Akram, Manjur O. and Das, Avishek and Chakrabarty, Indradweep and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46124, title = {Lipid composition and salt concentration as regulatory factors of the anion selectivity of VDAC studied by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations}, journal = {Chemistry and Physics of Lipids}, volume = {220}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {66-76}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) is a mitochondrial outer membrane protein whose fundamental function is to facilitate and regulate the flow of metabolites between the cytosol and the mitochondrial inter membrane space. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the dependence of VDAC selectivity towards small inorganic anions on two factors: the ionic strength and the lipid composition. In agreement with experimental data we found that VDAC becomes less anion selective with increasing salt concentration due to the screening of a few basic residues that point into the pore lumen. The molecular dynamics simulations provide insight into the regulation mechanism of VDAC selectivity by the composition in the lipid membrane and suggest that the ion distribution is differently modulated by POPE compared to the POPC bilayer. This occurs through the more persistent interactions of acidic residues located at both rims of the beta-barrel with head groups of POPE which in turn impact the electrostatic potential and thereby the selectivity of the pore. This mechanism occurs not only in POPE single component membranes but also in a mixed POPE/POPC bilayer by an enrichment of POPE over POPC lipids on the surface of VDAC. Thus we show here that computationally-in-expensive coarse-grained simulations are able to capture, in a semi-quantitative way, essential features of VDAC anion selectivity and could pave the way toward a molecular level understanding of metabolite transport in natural membranes.

}, keywords = {Coarse-grained molecular, Membrane channel, Protein-lipid interactions, VDAC}, issn = {0009-3084}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2018.11.002}, author = {Van Liefferinge, F. and Krammer, E. -M. and Sengupta, D. and Prevost, M.} } @article {46006, title = {Mapping fusogenicity of ciprofloxacin-loaded liposomes with bacterial cells}, journal = {AAPS Pharmscitech}, volume = {20}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL}, pages = {180}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The process of liposome fusion with cellular membrane plays key role in delivering encapsulated drug molecule into the cell. This process becomes very important for molecules having low permeability as they fail to reach the site of action located inside the cell. Ciprofloxacin (CIP), a broad-spectrum BCS class IV antibiotic, has poor permeability. In the present work, CIP-loaded liposomes were prepared using solvent evaporation method and optimized by 3(2) factorial design approach. The optimized batch of CIP-loaded liposomes was characterized for size, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, FTIR, and microbial susceptibility study on Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli (gram-negative bacteria). Confocal microscopy was used to study the fusogenicity process of CIP-loaded liposomes with bacterial cells. Additionally, the kinetics of fusogenicity process was studied using SAXS for the first time. Surprisingly, the rate of fusion of CIP-loaded liposomes with cell wall of S. aureus was twice when compared to the cell wall of E. coli. It is believed that the current work can act as a roadmap in selection of proper excipients while developing formulations which would expedite the fusogenicity and may execute pharmacological activity of poorly penetrable drug molecules at lower dose.

}, keywords = {ciprofloxacin, confocal microscopy, fusion, liposomes, SAXS}, issn = {1530-9932}, doi = {10.1208/s12249-019-1381-4}, author = {Patil, Runali and Torris, Arun and Bhat, Suresh and Patil, Sharvil} } @article {46320, title = {Mechanistic insights into the pathways of phenol hydrogenation on Pd nanostructures}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {7}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {17126-17136}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, facet-dependent reactivity, phenol hydrogenation}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b03392}, author = {Porwa, Govind and Gupta, Shelaka and Sreedhala, S. and Elizabeth, Joes and Ithan, Tuhin Suvra and Haider, M. Ali and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {46224, title = {Methane hydrate dissociation in the presence of novel benign additives}, journal = {Energy Procedia}, volume = {158}, year = {2019}, pages = {5856 - 5865}, abstract = {

The apparent drawbacks of the classical approaches towards dissociation of natural gas hydrates have resulted in a paradigm shift into the development of new hybrid hydrate dissociation practices combining the various basic hydrate dissociation techniques. Another approach that can be followed to maximize the efficiency of gas production from natural gas hydrate reserves is the identification of benign additives which when used even in sparingly small concentrations may enhance the kinetics of hydrate dissociation. In the present work, a class of such additives, never reported before, have been unveiled and christened as Low Dosage Hydrate Dissociation Promoters (LHDPs). The additives were first short listed from a wide potential pool using a lab scale ( 250 ml) stirred tank reactor setup and then further studied using a bench scale ( 2.35 l) reactor setup where they were injected in the form of a water-additive stream to dissociate hydrates. The dissociation approach followed in the case of the bench scale reactor experiments was a combination of the thermal stimulation and depressurization processes along with the element of injection of additives. For both sets of experiments (lab and bench scale), the newly identified LHDPs were found to enhance the kinetics of methane hydrate dissociation as compared to pure water. It was observed that concentration of additive and its flow rate also affect the kinetics of methane hydrate dissociation. An energy and efficiency analysis for the hydrate dissociation method in the case of bench scale rector revealed that additive presence enhanced the energy ratio and thermal efficiency four fold as compared to pure water.

}, keywords = {Depressurization, Dissociation, Energy Ratio, kinetics, LHDP, methane hydrate, Thermal Efficiency, thermal stimulation}, issn = {1876-6102}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2019.01.540}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610219305648}, author = {Gaurav Bhattacharjee and Vivek Barmecha and Nilesh Choudhary and Nawal K. Pande and Parivesh Chugh and Rajnish Kumar} } @article {46444, title = {Methane recovery from marine gas hydrates: a bench scale study in presence of low dosage benign additives}, journal = {Applied Energy}, volume = {253}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV }, pages = {113566}, type = {Article; Proceedings Paper}, abstract = {

De-pressurization is one approach which has been found to be economically feasible for methane recovery from marine hydrates. Hydrate dissociation being an endothermic process suggests that de-pressurization alone would not be sufficient and some additional stimulation would be required for sustained production from one such reservoir. Thermal stimulation may overcome the challenge posed by the endothermic dissociation process; however, economically it may not be ideal. A possible way out is to use thermal stimulation, but at relatively low temperatures as compared to conventional practice. This would be economical and can be accomplished in the presence of small doses of additives mixed in with the water stream used for thermal stimulation. In the present study, a number of benign additives were identified which when used in low concentrations enhance the kinetics of methane hydrate dissociation compared to pure water. Additives were first shortlisted from a wide potential pool using quantum mechanical calculations. These additives were later tested for their efficacy in stirred tank reactor to quickly identify the best additives for the job and few selected additives were then studied in a larger bench scale setup (fixed bed configuration) where they were injected in the form of an additive-water stream to dissociate already formed hydrates. Factors such as toxicity of the additive, fluidity of additive-water stream, foam formation on mixing of additive with water, etc. were also taken into account. An energy and efficiency analysis revealed that reported additives enhance the energy ratio and thermal efficiency of the process as compared to pure water stimulation.

}, keywords = {Bench scale, kinetics, Marine hydrate, methane hydrate, Methane recovery, Natural gas hydrate, Process}, issn = {0306-2619}, doi = {10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.113566}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Gaurav and Choudhary, Nilesh and Barmecha, Vivek and Kushwaha, Omkar S. and Pande, Nawal K. and Chugh, Parivesh and Roy, Sudip and Kumar, Rajnish} } @article {45610, title = {Microwave-assisted synthesis and antituberculosis screening of Some 4-((3-(trifluoromethyl)-5,6-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrazin-7(8H)-l)methyl)benzenamine hybrids}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {434-442}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present investigation, a series of 4-((3-(trifluoromethyl)-5,6-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrazin-7(8H)-yl)methyl)benzenamine analogs 6a{\textendash}o were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR (1H and 13C), and mass spectra. All newly synthesized compounds 6a{\textendash}o were prepared under conventional and microwave irradiation methods. These compounds obtained in higher yields and in shorter reaction times in the microwave irradiation method when compared with the conventional method. Synthesized compounds 6a{\textendash}o were inspected for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra using an established XTT reduction menadione assay. Among the screened compounds, 6i (IC50: 1.82 μg/mL), 6j (IC50: 1.02 μg/mL), and 6k (IC50: 1.59 μg/mL) showed excellent activity. Furthermore, compound 6i showed MIC90 value of 16.02 μg/mL. In summary, the results indicate the identification of some novel, selective, and specific inhibitors against M. tuberculosis that can be explored further for the potential antitubercular drug.

}, issn = {0022-152X}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.3416}, author = {Patil, Y. and Shingare, R. and Choudhari, A. and Sarkar, D. and Madje, B.} } @article {46313, title = {Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase C subunit III (cox3) gene as a sensitive and specific target for molecular detection of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs}, journal = {Experimental Parasitology}, volume = {206}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {107771}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A PCR targeting mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit III (cox3) for molecular detection of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs has been developed in this study. Fifty blood samples from suspected clinical cases from dogs, brought to the veterinary college clinics, were examined for presence of B. gibsoni using conventional diagnosis by microscopic examination of Giemsa stained thin blood smears. In addition, species specific PCRs targeting ITS-1 region (BgITS-1 PCR) and nested PCR targeting 18S ribosomal RNA gene (Bg18SnPCR) were carried out. A 634 bp PCR fragment of B. gibsoni cox3 gene was amplified in positive samples from three geographical locations of Satara, Wai and Pune in Maharashtra state of India. From analysis of the sequence of the B. gibsoni cox3 gene, we found that the Indian isolate had 96-98\% similarity to the isolate from Japan and China. Post sequencing, de-novo diagnostic primer pair for species specific amplification of 164 bp fragment of B. gibsoni cox3 was designed and the PCR was standardized. The diagnostic results of de-novo Bgcox3 PCR were compared with BgITS-1 PCR and Bg18S nPCR. Thin blood smears detected 22\% (11/50) samples positive for small form of Babesia species. The BgITS-1 PCR detected 25\% samples (15/50) as positive and Bg18S nPCR detected 80\% (40/50) B. gibsoni positive samples. The de-novo Bgcox3 PCR detected 66\% (33/50) samples positive for B. gibsoni (at 95\% CI). The analytical sensitivity of cox3 PCR was evaluated as 0.000003\% parasitaemia or 09 parasites in 100 mu l of blood. The de-novo diagnostic cox3 PCR did not cross react with control positive DNA from other haemoprotozoa and rickettsia like B. vogeli, Hepatozoon canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Ehrlichia cants and Anaplasma platys. Statistically, cox3 PCR had better diagnostic efficiency than ITS-1 PCR in terms of sensitivity (p = 0.0006). No statistically significant difference between results of cox3 PCR and 18S nPCR was observed (p = 0.1760). Kappa values estimated for each test pair showed fair to moderate agreement between the observations. Specificity of Bgcox3 PCR was 100\% when compared with microscopy or BgITS-1 PCR. Sensitivity of Bgcox3 PCR was 100\% when compared with that of Bg18S nPCR.

}, keywords = {Babesia gibsoni, cox3, Diagnosis, Dog, mitochondria, molecular}, issn = {0014-4894}, doi = {10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107771}, author = {Betgiri, Aishwarya A. and Jadhav, Sameer N. and Pawde, Mrunalini and Shukla, Anurag and Mote, Chandrashekhar and Pawar, Prashant D. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Kundu, Krishnendu} } @article {46278, title = {MnO2@Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles as Efficient and Recyclable Heterogeneous Catalyst for Benzylic sp(3) C-H Oxidation}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a highly chemoselective and efficient heterogeneous MnO2@Fe3O4 MNP catalyst for the oxidation of benzylic sp(3) C-H group of ethers using TBHP as a green oxidant to afford ester derivatives in high yield under batch/continuous flow module. This catalyst was also effective for the benzylic sp(3) C-H group of methylene derivatives to furnish the ketone in high yield which can be easily integrated into continuous flow condition for scale up. The catalyst is fully characterized by spectroscopic techniques and it was found that 0.424 \% MnO2@Fe3O4 catalyzes the reaction; the magnetic nanoparticles of this catalyst could be easily recovered from the reaction mixture. The recovered catalyst was recycled for twelve cycles without any loss of the catalytic activity. The advantages of MnO2@Fe3O4 MNP are its catalytic activity, easy preparation, recovery, and recyclability, gram scale synthesis with a TOF of up to 14.93 h(-1) and low metal leaching during the reaction.

}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201900810}, author = {Pandey, Akanksha M. and Agalave, Sandip G. and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy} } @article {46330, title = {Molecular cobalt(II) complexes for tau polymerization in Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, journal = {ACS Omega }, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {16702-16714}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tau is an axonal protein known to form abnormal aggregates and is the biomarker of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease. Metal-based therapeutics for inhibition of Tau aggregation is limited and rarely reported in contemporary science. Here, we report the first example of rationally designed molecular cobalt(II)-complexes for effective inhibition of Tau and disaggregation of preformed Tau fibrils. The mechanistic studies reveal that prevention of Tau aggregation by cobalt-based metal complexes (CBMCs) is concentration-dependent and Tau seldom exhibits conformational changes. Interestingly, CBMCs play dual role in causing disassembly of preformed aggregates as well as inhibition of complete Tau aggregation. Furthermore, CBMCs were nontoxic and maintained the tubulin network intact. CBMCs also prevented okadaic acid-induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells thus, preventing hyperphosphorylation of Tau. We believe that this unprecedented finding by the newly developed molecular complexes has a potential toward metal-based therapeutics for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b00692}, author = {Gorantla, Nalini Vijay and Landge, Vinod G. and Nagaraju, Pramod Gudigenahally and Priyadarshini, Poornima C. G. and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose} } @article {47160, title = {Molecular studies of NAD- and NADP-glutamate dehydrogenases decipher the conundrum of yeast-hypha dimorphism in zygomycete Benjaminiella poitrasii}, journal = {Fems Yeast Research}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {foz074}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Benjaminiella poitrasii, a zygomycete, shows glucose- and temperature-dependent yeast (Y)-hypha (H) dimorphic transition. Earlier, we reported the biochemical correlation of relative proportion of NAD- and NADP-glutamate dehydrogenases (GDHs) with Y-H transition. Further, we observed the presence of one NAD-GDH and two form-specific NADP-GDH isoenzymes in B. poitrasii. However, molecular studies are necessary to elucidate the explicit role of GDHs in regulating Y-H reversible transition. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of one NAD (BpNADGDH, 2.643 kb) and two separate genes, BpNADPGDH I (Y-form specific, 1.365 kb) and BpNADPGDH II (H-form specific, 1.368 kb) coding for NADP-GDH isoenzymes in B. poitrasii. The transcriptional profiling during Y-H transition showed higher BpNADPGDH I expression in Y cells while expression of BpNADPGDH II was higher in H cells. Moreover, the yeast-form monomorphic mutant (Y-5) did not show BpNADPGDH II expression under normal dimorphism triggering conditions. Transformation with H-form specific BpNADPGDH II induced the germ tube formation in Y-5, which confirmed the cause-effect relationship between BpNADPGDH genes and morphological outcome in B. poitrasii. Interestingly, expression of H-form specific BpNADPGDH II also induced germ tube formation in human pathogenic, non-dimorphic yeast Candida glabrata, which further corroborated our findings.

}, keywords = {Benjaminiella poitrasii, Candida glabrata, differential gene expression, dimorphism, monomorphic mutant, NAD/NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase, yeast-hypha transition}, issn = {1567-1356}, doi = {10.1093/femsyr/foz074}, author = {Pathan, Ejaj K. and Ghormade, Vandana and Panwar, Sneh Lata and Prasad, Rajendra and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article {46038, title = {MWCNTs-ZnO-SiO2 mesoporous nano-hybrid materials for CO2 capture}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {800}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {279-285}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Carbon nanostructures and metal nanoparticles based nanohybrid materials have been established as one of advantageous materials for various applications. Here, we present hydrothermal and sol-gel process at low temperature for the synthesis of (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES)-ZnO-multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) mesoporous nanohybrid materials. TEM and XPS measurements show that uniform size and quasi-spherical ZnO nanoparticles were anchored to the surface of the MWCNTs. SEM observation exhibits that the aggregation of ZnO nanoparticles is greatly reduced due to the steric repulsion of grafted organic groups. The maximum CO2 adsorption capacity at 273 K was 1.32 mmol/g for MWCNTs-APTES-ZnO-B nanohybrid. An increase in the density of ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of MWCNTs resulted in a higher affinity towards CO2 at low pressure. This work provides new research directions for making further advances toward practical utilization of MWCNTs-based CO2 adsorbents. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {CO2 capture, Mesoporous, MWCNTs, Nanohybrid, TEM, XPS}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.06.011}, author = {Jena, Kishore K. and Panda, Amulya Prasad and Verma, Savita and Mani, Ganesh Kumar and Swain, S. K. and Alhassan, Saeed M.} } @article {45615, title = {Nanoparticles based adsorbent for removal of arsenic from aqueous solution}, journal = {Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution}, volume = {16}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {97-103}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Arsenic is a metalloid which poses a risk on water quality, a severe health problem for human and serious impact on environment. Occurrence of arsenic in natural environment may be due to natural processes or due to anthropogenic activities. Removal of arsenic can be done by many different techniques like adsorption, precipitation, flotation, ion exchange etc. Among them adsorption is widely used for removal of heavy metals from water due to its simplicity; also it{\textquoteright}s cost effective. The aim of the study is to evaluate the potential of nanoadsorbent for arsenic removal. A number of potent adsorbent have been developed from metal, carbon and oxide based nanoparticle for enhancing the adsorption capacity and removal capacity of arsenic from aqueous solution. A short overview of nanoadsorbent for arsenic removal from aqueous solution has been discussed in this review article.}, doi = {10.3233/AJW190011}, author = {Srivastava, A. and Selvaraj, K. and Prasad, K. S.} } @article {45535, title = {Nature of electrophilic oxygen: insights from periodic density functional theory investigations}, journal = {Surface Science}, volume = {679}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {188-195}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Increasing demand of ethylene oxide and the cost of versatile chemical ethene has been a driving force for understanding mechanism of epoxidation to develop highly selective catalytic process. Direct epoxidation is a proposed mechanism which in theory provides 100\% selectivity. A key aspect of this mechanism is an electrophilic oxygen (O-ele) species forming on the Ag surface. In the past two and half decades, large number of theoretical and experimental investigations have tried to elucidate formation of O-ele, on Ag surface with little success. Equipped with this rich literature on Ag-O interactions, we investigate the same using periodic DFT calculations to further understand how silver surface and oxygen interact with each other from a chemical standpoint. Based on energetics, Lowdin charges, topologies and pdos data described in this study, we scrutinize the established notions of O-ele. Our study provides no evidence in support of O-ele, being an atomic species nor a diatomic molecular species. In fact, a triatomic molecular species described in this work bears multiple signatures which are very convincing evidence for considering it as the most sought for electrophilic entity.

}, keywords = {Ag(100), DFT, Electrophilic, epoxidation, Nucleophilic oxygen}, issn = {0039-6028}, doi = {10.1016/j.susc.2018.09.009}, author = {Kenge, Nivedita and Pitale, Sameer and Joshi, Kavita} } @article {46173, title = {Negative axicon tip-based fiber optic interferometer cavity sensor for volatile gas sensing}, journal = {Optics Express}, volume = {27}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {7277-7290}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this research work we demonstrated negative axicon optical fiber tip filled with Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a sensor platform for volatile organic gases detection at room temperature. The response of the sensor was measured with various Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as Chloroform, Hexane, Isopropanol, Acetone, Toluene and Methanol in the concentration ranging from 5 to 200 ppm. The corresponding sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) of the developed sensor for the measured VOCs were observed between the order of around 23.7 to 3.2 pm/ppm and 0.84 to 6.10 ppm, respectively. The response and recovery time of sensor were found between the order of 30 to 57 seconds and 8 to 25 seconds respectively for the measured VOCs. Thermal stability of the developed sensor was also studied at 30-70 degrees C with intervals of 10 degrees C. The principle of sensing is based on change in the length of the Fabry-Perot Interferometric (FPI) cavity in the presence of varied concentrations of VOCs, which results in changes in the shift in wavelength of an interference pattern attributed to the change in PDMS filling the cavity length (swelling). The experimentally observed trends in the relative swelling of PDMS with VOCs are found in agreement with the theoretically calculated values obtained from the Hansen solubility parameter (HSP). The developed gas sensor has the potential to fulfill the demands of industrial applications.

}, issn = {1094-4087}, doi = {10.1364/OE.27.007277}, author = {Kanavvade, Rajesh and Kumar, Ajay and Pawar, Dnyandeo and Vairagi, Kaushal and Late, Dattatray and Sarkar, Sudipta and Sinha, Ravindra K. and Mondal, Samir} } @article {46137, title = {Neural anti-inflammatory natural product periconianone A: total synthesis and biological evaluation}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, year = {2019}, month = {APR }, pages = {2376-2381}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Total synthesis of periconianone A, an eremophilane-type sesquiterpenoid with impressive neural anti-inflammatory potential, has been accomplished. Diels-Alder/aldol strategy to construct tetrahydro-naphthalene-2,6-dione scaffold, allylic oxidation of dienone using DBU/O-2 and postulated biomimetic aldol reaction to construct 6/6/6 tricyclic system are the highlights of the present synthesis. Furthermore, the synthesized (+/-)-periconianone A and two close analogs were tested for their neural anti-inflammatory activity using various assays. In the course of our study we found a structurally simplified analog is superior to (+/-)-periconianone A.

}, keywords = {Aldol, Allylic oxidation, Biological evaluation, Cytotoxicity, Diels-Alder, Periconianone A}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201900048}, author = {Kalmode, Hanuman P. and Patil, Suhag S. and Handore, Kishor L. and Athawale, Paresh R. and Dandela, Rambabu and Verma, Abhishek Kumar and Basu, Anirban and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {45593, title = {Nickel and cobalt affect galactosylation of recombinant IgG expressed in CHO cells.}, journal = {BioMetals}, volume = {32}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11-19}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glycosylation is an important product quality attribute of antibody biopharmaceuticals. It involves enzymatic addition of oligosaccharides on proteins by sequential action of glycosyltransferases and glycosidases in the endoplasmic reticulum and golgi. Some of these enzymes like galactosyltransferase and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I require trace metal cofactors. Variations in trace metal availability during production can thus affect glycosylation of recombinant glycoproteins such as monoclonal antibodies. Variability in trace metal concentrations can be introduced at multiple stages during production such as due to impurities in raw materials for culture medium and leachables from bioreactors. Knowledge of the effect of various trace metals on glycosylation can help in root-cause analysis of unintended variability in glycosylation. In this study, we investigated the effect of nickel and cobalt on glycosylation of recombinant IgG expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Nickel concentrations below 500 {\textmu}M did not affect glycosylation, but above 500 {\textmu}M it significantly decreases galactosylation of IgG. Cobalt at 50 {\textmu}M concentration causes slight increase in G1F glycans (mono galactosylated) as previously reported. However, higher concentrations result in a small increase in G0F (non galactosylated) glycans. This effect of nickel and cobalt on galactosylation of recombinant IgG can be reversed by supplementation of uridine and galactose which are precursors to UDP-Galactose, a substrate for the enzymatic galactosylation reaction.

}, keywords = {cobalt, Galactosylation, glycosylation, Nickel, Process variability, Trace metals}, issn = {0966-0844}, doi = {10.1007/s10534-018-0152-0}, author = {Prabhu, A. and Gadgil, M.} } @article {46323, title = {Nickel-catalyzed C(2)-H arylation of indoles with aryl chlorides under neat conditions}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12800-12808}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nickel-catalyzed regioselective C(2)-H arylation of indoles and pyrroles with aryl chlorides is achieved under neat conditions. This method allows the efficient coupling of diverse aryl chlorides employing a user-friendly and inexpensive Ni(OAc)(2)/dppf catalyst system at 80 degrees C. Numerous functionalities, such as halides, alkyl ether, fluoro-alkyl ether, and thioether, and substituted amines, including heteroarenes like benzothiazolyl, pyrrolyl, indolyl, and carbazolyl, are well tolerated under the reaction conditions. The preliminary mechanistic study highlights a single-electron transfer (SET) pathway for the arylation reaction.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.9b01375}, author = {Pandey, Dilip K. and Vijaykumar, Muniyappa and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46311, title = {Nickel-catalyzed C-H alkylation of indoles with unactivated alkyl chlorides: evidence of a Ni(i)/Ni(iii) pathway}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9493-9500}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A mild and efficient nickel-catalyzed method for the coupling of unactivated primary and secondary alkyl chlorides with the C-H bond of indoles and pyrroles is described which demonstrates a high level of chemo and regioselectivity. The reaction tolerates numerous functionalities, such as halide, alkenyl, alkynyl, ether, thioether, furanyl, pyrrolyl, indolyl and carbazolyl groups including acyclic and cyclic alkyls under the reaction conditions. Mechanistic investigation highlights that the alkylation proceeds through a single-electron transfer (SET) process with Ni(i)-species being the active catalyst. Overall, the alkylation follows a Ni(i)/Ni(iii) pathway involving the rate-influencing two-step single-electron oxidative addition of alkyl chlorides.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/c9sc01446b}, author = {Pandey, Dilip K. and Ankade, Shidheshwar B. and Ali, Abad and Vinod, C. P. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {45528, title = {Nickel-catalyzed straightforward and regioselective C-H alkenylation of indoles with alkenyl bromides: scope and mechanistic aspect}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {431-441}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nickel-catalyzed regioselective C-H bond alkenylation of indoles and related heteroarenes with alkenyl bromides is accomplished under relatively mild conditions. This method allows the straightforward synthesis of C-2 alkenylated indoles employing an air-stable and well-defined nickel catalyst, (bpy)NiBr2, providing a solution to the limitations associated with hydroindolation and oxidative alkenylation. The reaction conceded the coupling of indole derivatives with various alkenyl bromides, such as aromatic and heteroaromatics, alpha- and beta-substituted as well as exo- and endo-cyclic alkenyl compounds. An extensive mechanistic investigation, including controlled study, reactivity experiments, kinetics and labeling studies, and EPR and XPS analyses, highlights that the alkenylation proceeds through a single-electron transfer process comprising an odd-electron oxidative addition of alkenyl bromide. Furthermore, the alkenylation operates via a probable Ni(I)/Ni(III) pathway involving the rate-limiting C-H nickelation of indole.

}, keywords = {alkenylation, C-H activation, indoles, Mechanism, Nickel, single-electron transfer}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.8b04267}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Vinod, C. P. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46359, title = {Non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, molecular docking studies and antitubercular activity of thiazolidin-4-one derivatives}, journal = {Current Computer-Aided Drug Design}, volume = {15}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {433-444}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Management of Co-existence of Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and Tuberculosis has become a global challenge due to the emergence of resistant strains and pill burden. Objective: Hence the aim of the present work was to design and evaluate compounds for their dual activity on HIV-1 and Tuberculosis (TB). Methods: A series of seven, novel Thiazolidin-4-one derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-HIV and anti-tubercular activity along with Molecular docking studies. All the seven compounds displayed promising activity against the replication of HIV-1 in cell-based assays. The four most active compounds were further evaluated against X4 tropic HIV-1(UG)(070) and R5 tropic HIV-1(vB59) primary isolates. The binding affinity of all the designed compounds for HIV-RT and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Enol Reductase (MTB InhA) was gauged by molecular docking studies which revealed crucial thermodynamic interactions governing their binding. Results: The CC50 values for the test compounds were in the range of, 15.08-34.9 mu g/ml, while the IC50 values were in the range of 16.1-27.13(UG(070); X4) and 12.03-23.64 (VB59; R5) mu g/ml. The control drug Nevirapine (NVP) exhibited CC50 value of 77.13 mu g/ml and IC50 value of 0.03 mu g/ml. Amongst all these compounds, compound number 3 showed significant activity with a TI value of 2.167 and 2.678 against the HIV-1 X4 and the R5 tropic virus respectively. In anti-mycobacterial screening, the compounds proved effective in inhibiting the growth of both log phase and starved MTB cultures. Conclusion: Compound 3 has been found to be active against HIV-1 as well as MTB.

}, keywords = {anti-HIV-1 activity, Antitubercular activity, human immunodeficiency virus-1, Molecular docking, Non nucleoside reverse transcriptase, thiazolidin-4-ones}, issn = {1573-4099}, doi = {10.2174/1573409915666181221102903}, author = {Chitre, Trupti S. and Patil, Shital M. and Sujalegaonkar, Anagha G. and Asgaonkar, Kalyani D. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Garud, Dinesh R. and Jha, Prakash C. and Gaikwad, Sharddha Y. and Kulkarni, Smita and Choudhari, Amit and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {46270, title = {Novel synthetic approach for designing metal-free, redox-active quinoxaline-benzimidazole-based organic polymers with high energy storage capacity}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {14806-14817}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

New organic framework materials, namely, polyphenylquinoxaline (QOP) and polyphenylquinoxaline-benzimidazole (QOP-BOP) were designed using a high-temperature (\>100 degrees C) polymerization reaction with different monomers, i.e., 2,5-bis-[(4-benzoylcarbonyl)phenyl]-3-4 diphenyl thiophene (BbcPDT), aromatic tetraamines and biphenyl dicarboxylic acid. The QOP-BOP copolymer exhibited specific capacitance (SC) of 305 F g(-1) at the current density of 2 A g(-1) and 88\% retention of its initial specific capacitance after 1000 cycles, which resulted in good cyclic stability. This work establishes the first use of thiophene integrated with quinoxaline-benzimidazole units for energy storage applications and provides strategies for further developments in the performance of such conjugated materials. Cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance techniques were used to evaluate the electrochemical parameters, which demonstrated their potential in future energy storage devices.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9nj02877c}, author = {Salunkhe, Pravin S. and Patil, Yuvraj S. and Dhole, Indrajeet A. and Kalshetti, Basavraj S. and Patil, Vikas B. and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Ghanwat, Anil A.} } @article {46172, title = {Nuclear parity- and time-reversal-symmetry violation in the (HgH)-Hg-201 molecule}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {99}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {032503}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Investigation of the nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment (MQM) is an excellent way to reveal the new physics in the hadron sector of matter. Therefore, we investigate the violation of parity (P) and time-reversal (T) invariance induced by the MQM of the( 201) Hg nucleus in the HgH molecule, which has been proposed as a very promising candidate for the experimental search of the electric dipole moment of electron [M. G. Kozlov and A. Derevianko, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 063001 (2006)]. We report the precise value of the molecular parameter, W-M, associated with the P, T-odd nuclear MQM-electron interaction in (HgH)-Hg-201 using the four-component relativistic coupled-cluster method. This parameter is required to interpret the experimental P, T-odd frequency shift in terms of the MQM of nuclei. Furthermore, the magnetic hyperfine structure (HFS) constants of the molecule are computed at the same level of theory. We also study the role of core-correlating functions and the virtual energy functions in the calculations of the HFS constant and W-M. The most reliable value of W(M )in HgH is obtained as 3.22 x 10 (33) Hz/e cm (2) with an uncertainty of around 6\%.

}, issn = {2469-9926}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.99.032503}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {45589, title = {One-pot three-component synthesis and photophysical properties of highly fluorescent novel 4-alkyl-3-aryl-2,6-dicyanoanilines by using tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane as a catalyst}, journal = {Chemical Data Collections}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article No: 100172}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Novel 4-alkyl-3-aryl-2,6-dicyanoanilines were synthesized by a multi-component one-step reaction of aromatic aldehyde, malononitrile and aliphatic aldehyde using tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM) as a catalyst under microwave (MW) irradiation or conventional heating. The optimized reaction condition involved use of 2.5 equivalents of THAM under MW irradiation at 140 W using 20\% MW power for 5 min or conventional heating at 80 {\textdegree}C for 8 h in dimethylformamide. The photophysical properties including λmax, quantum yield and Stokes{\textquoteright} shifts of newly synthesized molecules were studied. All compounds exhibited quantum yield in the range of 0.04{\textendash}0.52 with respect to standard quinine sulphate having quantum yield 0.54. The Stokes{\textquoteright} shifts of all compounds were found in the range of 41{\textendash}105 nm. The current strategy provides operationally simple protocol using THAM as a catalyst to synthesize 4-alkyl-3-aryl-2,6-dicyanoanilines with diverse structural features to make them available for exploration of their photophysical as well as biological applications.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cdc.2018.100172}, author = {Kudale, A. S. and Kamble, S. B. and Gore, A. H. and Pisal, M. M. and Salokhe, A. T. and Kolekar, G. B. and Helavi, V. B.} } @article {46317, title = {Ortho-oxygenative 1,2-difunctionalization of diarylalkynes under merged gold/organophotoredox relay catalysis}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Reported herein is an ortho-oxygenative 1,2-difunctionalization of diarylalkynes under merged gold/organophotoredox catalysis to access highly functionalized 2-(2-hydroxyaryl)-2-alkoxy-1-arylethan-1-ones. Detailed mechanistic studies suggested a relay process, initiating with gold-catalyzed hydroalkoxylation of alkynes, to generate enol-ether followed by a key formal [4+2]-cycloaddition reaction. The successful application of the present methodology was also shown for the synthesis of benzofurans.

}, keywords = {binary catalyst system, Gold catalysis, organocatalyst, photoredox, synthetic methodology}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201901275}, author = {Sancheti, Shashank P. and Akram, Manjur O. and Roy, Rupam and Bedi, Vaibhav and Kundu, Shubhankar and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46237, title = {Oxidative disproportionation of MoS2/GO to MoS2/MoO3-x/RGO : integrated and plasmonic 2D-multifunctional nanocomposites for solar hydrogen generation from near-infrared and visible regions}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {123}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = { 21685-21693}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Two dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials have been recently demonstrated to be effective plasmonic materials and alternatives to costly noble metals. However, tuning the plasmon resonance of 2D semiconductors and integrating with another material or semiconductor for various applications, such as solar light harvesting, remains a challenge. Herein, we designed a simple and attractive method, which facilitates the diffusion of oxygen from the graphene oxide (GO) layers of the MoS2/GO (MG) composite to oxidize the MoS2 layers significantly due to thermal treatment under inert atmosphere. This is the key step in the formation of MoS2/MoO3-x/RGO (MMR) (x = 0, 0.5, and 1, and all stoichiometries co-exist), due to disproportionation of MoS2/GO, with bulk heterojunctions among the components. The observed behavior is attributed to the oxidation of Mo4+ cations (of MoS2) to higher oxidation states in MMR (Mo(5+ )and Mo6+ of MoO3-x), which also alters the valence-band electronic structure and work function of the resulting composite. The 2D MoO3-x layers with a large amount of Mo5+ oxidation states enables facile charge carrier generation due to plasmonic effect, whereas MoS2 provides active sites for catalysis. The solar H-2 generation was demonstrated in the visible and near-infrared region by combining both the plasmonic and catalytic effects in one composite. These results demonstrate the important role of RGO to provide energy-level alignment, charge carrier diffusion, and help to generate plasmonic effect in the composite.

}, author = {Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Ghosalya, Manoj Kumar and Bajpai, Himanshu and Raj, Sreeya and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {46139, title = {Palladium impregnated amine Co-condensed hexagonal mesoporous silica: a novel catalyst in tailoring suzuki and heck coupling reactions in base free condition}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {APR }, pages = {3823-3832}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Palladium impregnated amine co-condensed hexagonal mesoporous silicas (HMS-X) were synthesized (sol-gel process) using different amines (Ethylene diamine and pyridine) of various concentrations (0.25 equiv. and 2 equiv.). The effect of amine concentration on the local structure of hexagonal mesoporous silica was studied. The catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity and high TOF towards both Suzuki and Heck coupling reactions without using any base in reaction medium with the solvent DMF:water in (1:1) ratio. The catalyst was reused and it was recyclable up to three cycle without any appreciable loss of activity and the kinetics of the reaction varying different parameters also have been studied thoroughly.

}, keywords = {Amine functionalized silica, Base free, Heck reaction, Palladium supported catalysts, Suzuki reaction}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201803485}, author = {Das, Prangya Paramita and Prabhakaran, Vinod C. and Nanda, Samik and Sen, Debasis and Chowdhury, Biswajit} } @article {46438, title = {Pathways to defense metabolites and evading fruit bitterness in genus Solanum evolved through 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5169}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The genus Solanum comprises three food crops (potato, tomato, and eggplant), which are consumed on daily basis worldwide and also producers of notorious anti-nutritional steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs). Hydroxylated SGAs (i.e. leptinines) serve as precursors for leptines that act as defenses against Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say), an important pest of potato worldwide. However, SGA hydroxylating enzymes remain unknown. Here, we discover that 2-OXOGLUTARATE-DEPENDENT-DIOXYGENASE (2-ODD) enzymes catalyze SGA-hydroxylation across various Solanum species. In contrast to cultivated potato, Solanum chacoense, a widespread wild potato species, has evolved a 2-ODD enzyme leading to the formation of leptinines. Furthermore, we find a related 2-ODD in tomato that catalyzes the hydroxylation of the bitter a-tomatine to hydroxytomatine, the first committed step in the chemical shift towards downstream ripening-associated non-bitter SGAs (e.g. esculeoside A). This 2-ODD enzyme prevents bitterness in ripe tomato fruit consumed today which otherwise would remain unpleasant in taste and more toxic.

}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-13211-4}, author = {Cardenas, Pablo D. and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Heinig, Uwe and Jozwiak, Adam and Panda, Sayantan and Abebie, Bekele and Kazachkova, Yana and Pliner, Margarita and Unger, Tamar and Wolf, Dalia and Ofner, Itai and Vilaprinyo, Ester and Meir, Sagit and Davydov, Olga and Gal-On, Amit and Burdman, Saul and Giri, Ashok and Zamir, Dani and Scherf, Tali and Szymanski, Jedrzej and Rogachev, Ilana and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {46343, title = {Phase transfer ceria-supported nanocatalyst for nitrile hydration reaction}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT }, pages = {16037-16044}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study elaborates the catalytic effect of rare-earth metal oxides (Sm2O3 and La2O3) over ceria as a support phase transfer catalyst. The synthesized catalysts have been subjected to different characterization techniques, such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, N-2 adsorption-desorption (BET surface analysis), temperature-programmed desorption study (NH3/CO2-TPD), Fourier transform infrared, Raman analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to get better insights into the catalytic activity of the catalysts for hydration of nitrile.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b02173}, author = {Gupta, Nikitra N. and Punekar, Amrin S. and Raj, Karthik Raja E. K. and Ghodekar, Medha M. and Patil, Vipul S. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {47165, title = {pH-responsive {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphilic{\textquotedblright} nanoparticles based on homoarginine polypeptides}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4162{\textendash}4172}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

pH-responsive {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphiles{\textquotedblright} based on double hydrophilic, positively charged block copolypeptides such as PEG-b-poly-l-lysine together with low molecular weight stimuli-sensitive partners that contain phosphate and carboxylate groups have been widely studied. In contrast, the other widely used cationic polypeptide poly-l-arginine whose cell-penetrating properties are well-known has been much less explored for the synthesis of supra-amphiphile-based nanomaterials. It is also known that the guanidine side chain of arginine binds to carboxylate anions with binding constants that are 2.5 times higher than the corresponding amines of poly-l-lysine. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of pH-sensitive supra-amphiphilic nanoparticles by simple mixing of PEG2k-b-poly(homoarginine) block copolymer and carboxylic acid containing functional low molecular weight organic compounds. A high yielding three-step methodology was developed for the synthesis of ε-N,N'-di-Boc-l-homoarginine-α-N-carboxyanhydride which was polymerized using amine-terminated PEG (2000 MW) to yield 100\% guanine-functionalized polypeptide (PEG2k-b-PHR30) with controlled molecular weights and low PDIs. Incubation of PEG2k-b-PHR30 with four different carboxylic acids (including dexamethasone a glucocorticoid receptor used in cancer therapy) in water leads to the formation of {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphilic{\textquotedblright} nanoparticles (\<200 nm size) due to the charge neutralization resulting from the strong interaction between the guanidine group and the carboxylate group. All these nanoparticles were able to encapsulate the hydrophobic dye Nile red with varying efficiency. Although these assemblies were stable at neutral pH, upon lowering the pH of the solution between 4 and 5, the protonation of the carboxylic acids leads to disassembly of these nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of all four {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphilic{\textquotedblright} nanoparticles varied depending on the carboxylic acid used for their fabrication. While the nanoparticle formed using dioctylbenzoic acid displayed 80\% cell viability at concentration of 60 μg/mL, those formed with the steroid deoxycholic acid or dexamethasone showed only 40\% cell viability at similar concentrations. Colocalization studies performed using epifluorescence microscopy demonstrate the successful uptake of intact dye-encapsulated nanoparticle inside the cell.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsabm.9b00432}, author = {Praveen, Korra and Das, Soumen and Dhaware, Vinita and Pandey, Bhawana and Mondal, Basudeb and Sengupta, Sayam} } @article {46421, title = {pi-Extended cis-configured unsynimetrical squaraine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: panchromatic response}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8464-8472}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{Light absorbing sensitizer is the heart of the third generation photovoltaic technologies such as dye sensitized solar cells. Despite possessing large extinction coefficients for the metal-free organic dyes, the light harvesting efficiency is limited with the narrow absorption 20 profile in either visible or NIR regions of the solar spectrum. Though monolayer formation of organic sensitizers on semiconducting metal oxide surface leads to dye-dye interaction that leads to broadening the absorption profile, the contribution of the aggregated state to the power conversion process is found out to be poor. Here, we have engineered far-red active pi-extended cis-configured unsymmetrical squaraine dyes with carboxylic acid and cycnoacetic acid as anchoring groups with controlled aggregation and panchromatic light absorption by including the steric and electronic factors. The presence of sp(3)-C (out-of-plane) and N-alkyl (in-plane) groups played an important role in modulating the assembly of the dyes on the TiO2 electrode; the cis-squaraine unit helps to extend the conjugation in the NIR region besides enhancing the visible transition and the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency profile that showed the importance of anchoring groups for the panchromatic response. Dye PSQ10 showed solar-to electric conversion with an onset of 850 nm with the device performance of 7.0\% (V-oc = 0.581 V, J(sc) = 17.06 mA/cm(2)

}, keywords = {cis-squaraine dyes, Dye aggregation, Dye-sensitized solar cells, extended far-red absorption, panchromatic response}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.9b01341}, author = {Punitharasu, Vellimalai and Kavungathodi, Munavvar Fairoos Mele and Singh, Ambarish Kumar and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {47172, title = {Polyesteramide of neem oil and its blends as an active nanomaterial for tissue regeneration}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3341{\textendash}3351}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Neem oil gained importance due to its antibacterial properties. Therefore, it is extensively being used for various applications. Oils can be polymerized as a polyesteramide to extend their utility as biomaterials. In our studies, we synthesized polyesteramide from neem oil and various compositions of blends were prepared with the drug, chlorohexidine digluconate (CH) to develop a nanomaterial for tissue regeneration. The studies such as cytotoxicity, biodegradable, antibacterial, in vitro drug release, in vivo wound healing, and histopathological studies were performed to identify their potential for tissue regeneration. In vivo wound healing studies of the nanofiber mats with and without CH recorded a faster healing rate as compared to the commercial cream (povidone{\textendash}iodine). Most importantly, there was no requirement of repeated application of nanofiber mats during the treatment. The histopathology studies also suggested the re-epithelialization of the wounds. Hence, these nanomaterials are considered to be environmentally safe scaffolds for efficient tissue regeneration applications.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsabm.9b00354}, author = {Killi, Naresh and Pawar, Anil Tukaram and Gundloori, Rathna V. N.} } @inbook {47465, title = {Population balance-enabled model for batch and continuous crystallization processes}, booktitle = {Chemical Engineering in the Pharmaceutical Industry}, year = {2019}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, organization = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, chapter = {28}, abstract = {

Crystallization is a critical unit operation in manufacturing of various active pharmaceutical ingredients and drugs. Irrespective of the large-scale use of crystallization in pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, crystallization is still considered as an art. Recently, quality by design (QbD) is gaining industry acceptance as an approach toward development and commercialization of the pharmaceutical drug molecules. In QbD, the unit operations and the process are designed and controlled to deliver specified quality attributes consistently. The proposed chapter is motivated by the necessity of the prediction of crystallization events like onset of the crystallization, nucleation, and growth during crystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The chapter demonstrates the integrated use of population balance modeling framework for developing a fundamental understanding of the kinetic aspects of crystallization and correlating the developed understanding for scale-up and design for the crystallization processes. Efforts are made to discuss the impact of various critical process parameters like metastable zone width, scale effects, and residence time on crystal size during batch and continuous modes with the help of couple of case studies. The presented model and approach will be useful for implementing QbD for crystallizers.

}, doi = {10.1002/9781119600800.ch28}, author = {Pandit, Ajinkya and Bhambure, Rahul and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {47174, title = {Population genetic and phytochemical dataset of Saraca asoca: a traditionally important medicinal tree}, journal = {Data in Brief}, volume = {25}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {104173}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The data presented in this article is in support of the research paper {\textquotedblleft}Genetic and phytochemical investigations for understanding population variability of the medicinally important tree Saraca asoca to help develop conservation strategies{\textquotedblright} Hegde et\ al., 2018. This article provides PCR based Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and HPLC datasets of 106 individual samples of Saraca asoca collected from various geographical ranges of the Western Ghats of India. The ISSR data includes information on genetic diversity and images of population structures generated through amplified DNA products from samples of Saraca asoca leaf. Phytochemical data obtained from HPLC includes concentration (mg/g) of gallic acid (GA), catechin (CAT), and epicatechin (EPI). The data also presents information obtained from various statistical analysis viz. standard error of the mean values, distribution variables, prediction accuracy, and multiple logistic regression analysis.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.dib.2019.104173}, author = {Hegde, Satisha and Pai, Sandeep Ramchandra and Bhagwat, Rasika M. and Sainia, Archana and Rathore, Poonam Kanwar and Jalalpure, Sunil Satyappa and Hegde, Harsha Vasudev and Sugunan, Attayoor Purushottaman and Gupta, Vidya S. and Kholkute, Sanjiva D. and Roy, Subarna} } @article {46162, title = {Porosity switching in polymorphic porous organic cages with exceptional chemical stability}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4243-4247}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Porous solids that can be switched between different forms with distinct physical properties are appealing candidates for separation, catalysis, and host-guest chemistry. In this regard, porous organic cages (POCs) are of profound interest because of their solution-state accessibility. However, the application of POCs is limited by poor chemical stability. Synthesis of an exceptionally stable imine-linked (4+6) porous organic cage (TpOMe-CDA) is reported using 2,4,6-trimethoxy-1,3,5-triformyl benzene (TpOMe) as a precursor aldehyde. Introduction of the -OMe functional group to the aldehyde creates significant steric and hydrophobic characteristics in the environment around the imine bonds that protects the cage molecules from hydrolysis in the presence of acids or bases. The electronic effect of the -OMe group also plays an important role in enhancing the stability of the reported POCs. As a consequence, TpOMe-CDA reveals exceptional chemical stability in neutral, acidic and basic conditions, even in 12m NaOH. Interestingly, TpOMe-CDA exists in three different porous and non-porous polymorphic forms (, , and ) with respect to differences in crystallographic packing and the orientation of the flexible methoxy groups. All of the polymorphs retain their crystallinity even after treatment with acids and bases. All the polymorphs of TpOMe-CDA differ significantly in their properties as well as morphology and could be reversibly switched in the presence of an external stimulus.

}, keywords = {chemical stability, Morphology, organic cages, polymorphism, porosity switching}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201813773}, author = {Bera, Saibal and Dey, Kaushik and Pal, Tapan K. and Halder, Arjun and Tothadi, Srinu and Karak, Suvendu and Addicoat, Matthew and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {46140, title = {Pressure-induced phase transitions in germanium telluride: raman signatures of anharmonicity and oxidation}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, volume = {122}, year = {2019}, month = {APR }, pages = {145701}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pressure-induced phase transitions in GeTe, a prototype phase change material, have been studied to date with diffraction which is not sensitive to anharmonicity-induced dynamical effects. GeTe is also prone to surface oxidation which may compromise surface sensitive measurements. These factors could be responsible for the lack of clarity about the phases and transitions intervening in the phase diagram of GeTe. We have used high-pressure Raman scattering and ab initio pseudopotential density functional calculations to unambiguously establish the high-pressure phase diagram and identify three phases up to 57 GPa, a low-pressure rhombohedral phase, an intermediate pressure cubic phase, and a high-pressure orthorhombic phase. We detect substantial broadening and softening of Raman modes at low pressure and identify the transition regions and possible intermediate phases.

}, issn = {0031-9007}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.145701}, author = {Pawbake, Amit and Bellin, Christophe and Paulatto, Lorenzo and Beneut, Keevin and Biscaras, Johan and Narayana, Chandrabhas and Late, Dattatray J. and Shukla, Abhay} } @article {46209, title = {Probing the effect of selenium substitution in kesterite-Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals prepared by hot injection method}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics }, volume = {30}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {14781-14790}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper, we report the effect of sulfur (S) substitution with selenium (Se) in CZTS nanocrystals prepared by hot injection method. The formation of kesterite-copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu2ZnSnS4, CZTS) and copper zinc tin selenide (Cu2ZnSnSe4, CZTSe) nanocrystals is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The XRD, TEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis shows an overall increase in average crystallite size upon Se substitution. AFM images revealed an increase in root mean square surface roughness (S-q) and average surface roughness (S-a) when S in CZTS is replaced by Se. The substitution of S by Se in host CZTS narrows the optical band gap from 1.56 to 1.03 eV. The ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) analysis shows shift in valence band and conduction band edge in CZTSe compared to CZTS. The photocurrent density measurement in synthesized CZTSe thin films is similar to 4 to 5 times higher than CZTS thin films. The obtained results show that CZTSe can be a promising candidate as absorber material in photovoltaic applications.

}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-019-01851-7}, author = {Pandharkar, Subhash and Rondiya, Sachin and Bhorde, Ajinkya and Nair, Shruthi and Aher, Rahul and Vairale, Priti and Waghmare, Ashish and Naik, Dhirsing and Waykar, Ravindra and Jadhav, Yogesh} } @article {45618, title = {Process of fruit peel waste biorefinery: a case study of citrus waste biorefinery, its environmental impacts and recommendations}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-10}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fruit peels are a rich source of cellulose, hemicellulose, phenolic compounds, and terpenic compounds. Thus, they have the potential to be a novel renewable, sustainable, and low-cost raw material (source) for the production of several value-added products based on framework and concepts such as waste hierarchy that includes biofertilizers, dietary fiber, animal feed, industrial enzymes, substrate for the bioactive compounds production, synthesis of nanomaterials, and clean energy (from residual biomass). With a view of evaluating the environmental burden of biorefinery, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed for a representative citrus waste (CW) biorefinery. The functional unit used for LCA was set as 2500 kg of CW processed. The overall GWP was observed to be 937.3 kg CO2 equivalent per 2500 kg of CW processed. On further analysis of the environmental impact, it was found that different steps contributed significantly, as shown by the various environmental indicator values. Alternative advanced process intensification technologies like microwave and ultrasound-assisted steps replacing the conventional steps when implemented show considerable reduction in environmental indicator values. The variations in the contribution to environmental indicators should be considered during the design and process selection of biorefineries.

}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-019-04196-0}, author = {Joglekar S.N., , , and Pathak, P. D. and Mandavgane, S. A. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {45625, title = {Protein α-amylase inhibitor from withania somnifera and its role in overall quality and nutritional value improvement of potato chips during processing}, journal = {Food and Bioprocess Technology }, volume = {12}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {636-644}, type = {Article}, chapter = {636-644}, abstract = {

Cold storage and processing increase the reducing sugar level in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) which is responsible for browning and acrylamide formation that adversely affect sensory and nutrient quality of chips. Effect of α-amylase inhibitor from Withania somnifera (WSAI) treatment on the overall quality improvement of potato chips during processing was studied. WSAI treatment to potato slices at 200 ppm for 30 min was found to reduce browning (60\%), residual amylase, and polyphenol oxidase activities (~ 40\%) and reduce sugar level by 25\%, respectively, over control. Color match analysis indicated an improvement in whiteness and brightness indices and a significant reduction in yellowness index of potato chips. The treatment proved to be superior over blanching and reduction in acrylamide generation during frying was which also observed in chips treated with it. Furthermore, our results were comparable to that of treatment with α-amylase inhibitor of Triticum aestivum and better than synthetic inhibitor, acarbose.

}, keywords = {Acrylamide, alpha-amylase inhibitor, Browning of potato, Reducing sugars, Sensory and nutrient quality}, issn = {1935-5130}, doi = {10.1007/s11947-019-2233-7 }, author = {Kasar, S. S. and Giri, A. P. and Pawar, P. K. and Maheshwari, V. L.} } @article {46146, title = {Proteins as nanocarriers to regulate parenteral delivery of tramadol}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {6301-6310}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tramadol (Td) is a centrally acting opioid analgesic drug used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. However, the half-life of Td is about 6-8 h, which is a major drawback. To increase the half-life of Td, it needs to be entrapped in a suitable substrate with the capability to release the drug for an extended period of time. Accordingly, in our studies, new protein blends in various compositions were prepared using hydrophilic (egg albumin) and hydrophobic (zein) proteins and fabricated them as nanoparticles with Td by the desolvation method. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized using analytical techniques. The morphology and diameter of the nanoparticles were determined by an environmental scanning electron microscope. The interactions between Td and proteins were confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy, and the secondary structural changes were evaluated by circular dichroism. The hemolysis test and MTT assay indicated that the nanoparticles were nontoxic, and drug release studies showed an extended duration of release of Td for more than 48 h. The mechanism of the drug release followed the zero order. The overall studies inferred that these protein based nanoparticles have potential to release Td at a slow rate for an extended period of time. Further manipulation of the protein composition may regulate the duration of Td release for an effective therapy.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b02060}, author = {Agrawal, Shubhang and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga} } @article {46153, title = {Puzzle of highly virulent Metarhizium anisopliae strains from Annona squamosa fields against Helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {Journal of Basic Microbiology}, volume = {59}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {392-401}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In our search for indigenous virulent strains of the entomopathogenic fungi, we observed that Metarhizium isolates from soils associated with Annona squamosa (custard apple) have higher virulence (\>90\% mortality of Helicoverpa armigera larvae at 1/10(th) spore concentration) than strains isolated from Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) fields. Proteomic analysis revealed two insecticidal cyclopeptides of A. squamosa origin in the M. anisopliae strains that led to higher virulence against H. armigera. Transcriptomic and genomic data indicated that M. anisopliae strains and A. squamosa had more than 20 genes in common, including those for cyclic hexapeptide synthase, non-ribosomal peptide synthetase, and plant cyclotide genes, which are involved in the biosynthesis of insecticidal cyclopeptides. These genes were absent in M. anisopliae strains isolated from the S. lycopersicum fields. Further, these strains can establish an endophytic relationship with A. squamosa suggesting that these rhizospheric strains originally could be endophytes, which were eventually released into the soil. Further, Metarhizium strains associated with Capsicum annuum (chili), Azadirachta indica (neem), and Carica papaya (papaya) - plants with insecticidal properties - also had higher virulence against H. armigera. Thus exploration of rhizospheres of plants producing insecticidal metabolites to isolate entomopathogenic fungi, per se, could be a viable strategy in agricultural for crop protection.

}, keywords = {Annona squamosa, Biocontrol, endophyte, entomopathogen, Helicoverpa armigera, horizontal gene transfer, insecticidal peptides, Metarhizium, natural transformation}, issn = {0233-111X}, doi = {10.1002/jobm.201800631}, author = {Pathan, Ejaj K. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article {45565, title = {Quantitative comparison of strategies to delay clogging in straight capillaries}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {199}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {88-99}, type = {Article}, abstract = {It is challenging to achieve non-stop flow of a liquid-solid suspension through small channels as it eventually leads to clogging. This paper presents a quantitative comparison of four different techniques for enhancement of solid handling processes in microchannels of two different diameters. These techniques include dosing of the inert gas phase, dosing of the inert and immiscible liquid phase, and changing the wall wettability and multi-point injection, which, in principle, individually follow different mechanisms to delay clogging. An antisolvent based method for precipitation of salt was used to generate solid particles during flow. Clogging time at various flow rates from all the methods was measured and analysed. Irrespective of the method of delaying clogging, the scaling law of clogging time as a function of residence time was seen to remain unchanged. Among these methods, dosing of an inert, immiscible liquid has been identified as the most effective and robust method to delay clogging while enhancing transport of particles in segmented flow.}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2019.01.015}, author = {Pal, S. and Kulkarni, A. A.} } @article {45569, title = {Rapid and greener method for utilization of plaster of paris (POP) waste generated from biomedical samples}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology}, volume = {16}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2475-2480}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Plaster of Paris (POP) is one of the recalcitrant wastes generated from dentistry and orthopaedic materials used in healthcare sector. The current practice of disposal of POP waste-harbouring biomedical material by incineration is very critical and environmentally unfriendly. The eco-friendly and rapid disintegration of such biomedical-related POP waste was done by treating with ammonium bicarbonate solution (20\% w/v ABC) to form non-hazardous products like ammonium sulphate and calcium carbonate in the form of sludge. The ammonium sulphate (NH4)2SO4 is generally used in agriculture as a chemical fertilizer and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as an additive in construction sector making this process cost-effective and value addition. Interestingly, 20\% ABC solution also had significant antibiofilm, antimicrobial activity against fungi, yeast and bacterial strains probably due to its high pH-driven osmotic effect. Therefore, 20\% ABC solution finds dual eco-friendly application in disinfection of used POP, especially arising from biomedical waste from patients.

}, keywords = {Biomedical waste, Eco-friendly disintegration, Plaster of Paris waste}, issn = {1735-1472}, doi = {10.1007/s13762-018-2070-7}, author = {Navale, G.R. and Gohil, K.N. and Puppala, K.R. and Shinde, S.S. and Umbarkar, S. and Dharne, M.S.} } @article {46332, title = {Regioselective one-pot synthesis of 3-fluoro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines from styrene}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

A one-pot synthesis of C-3 fluorinated imidazopyridines (F-IMPY) is reported under the additive-free conditions from commercially available styrene and 1-fluoropyridinium tetrafluoroborate as a fluorine source. The substrate styrene undergoes keto-bromination/condensation/fluorination transformation in three sequential steps to furnish F-IMPY. This one-pot synthesis method exhibits broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance with a good yield (up to 82\%).

}, keywords = {fluorination, imidazopyridines (F-IMPY), One-pot synthesis}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201900521}, author = {Said, Madhukar S. and Mishra, Ankita and Pandole, Satish and Nayak, Rashmi A. and Kumar, Pradeep and Gajbhiye, Jayant M.} } @article {46240, title = {Relativistic coupled-cluster investigation of parity (P) and time-reversal (T) symmetry violations in HgF}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {150}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We employ the Z-vector method in the four-component relativistic coupled-cluster framework to calculate the parity (P) and time-reversal (T) symmetry violating scalar-pseudoscalar nucleus-electron interaction constant (W-s), the effective electric field (E-eff) experienced by the unpaired electron, and the nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment-electron interaction constant (W-M) in the open-shell ground electronic state of HgF. The molecular frame dipole moment and the magnetic hyperfine structure (HFS) constant of the molecule are also calculated at the same level of theory. The outcome of our study is that HgF has a high value of E-eff (115.9 GV/cm), W-s (266.4 kHz), and W-M (3.59 x 10(33) Hz/e cm(2)), which shows that it can be a possible candidate for the search of new physics beyond the standard model. Our results are in good agreement with the available literature values. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of the basis set and the virtual energy functions on the computed properties. The role of the high-energy virtual spinors is found to be significant in the calculation of the HFS constant and the P,T-odd interaction coefficients. Published under license by AIP Publishing.

}, doi = {10.1063/1.5083000}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {46045, title = {Resolving the conformational dynamics of ErbB growth factor receptor dimers}, journal = {Journal of Structural Biology}, volume = {207}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG }, pages = {225-233}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The combinatorial dimerization of the ErbB growth factor receptors (ErbB(1) - ErbB(4)) are critical for their function. Here, we have characterized the conformational dynamics of ErbB transmembrane homo-dimers and hetero-dimers by using a coarse-grain simulation framework. All dimers, except ErbB (4-4) and ErbB(1-4), exhibit at least two conformations. The reported NMR structures correspond to one of these conformations, representing the N-terminal active state in ErbB(1-1) (RH2), ErbB(2-2) (RH1) and ErbB(4-4) (RH) homo-dimers and the LH dimer in ErbB(3-3) homo-dimer, validating the computational approach. Further, we predict a right-handed ErbB(4) dimer conformer that warrants experimental testing. The five hetero-dimers that have not yet been experimentally resolved display prominent right-handed dimers associating by the SmXXXSm motif. Our results provide insights into the constitutive signaling of ErbB(4) after cleavage of the extracellular region. The presence of the inactive-like dimer conformers leading to symmetric kinase domains gives clues on the autoinhibition of the receptor dimers. The dimer states characterized here represent an important step towards understanding the combinatorial cross associations in the ErbB family.

}, keywords = {Martini coarse-grained simulations, Membrane protein structure, Transmembrane dimer}, issn = {1047-8477}, doi = {10.1016/j.jsb.2019.05.013}, author = {Pawar, Aiswarya B. and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {45604, title = {Retraction: a highly concise and practical route to clavaminols, sphinganine and (+)-spisulosine via indium mediated allylation of α-hydrazino aldehyde and a theoretical insight into the stereochemical aspects of the reaction}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3336-3336 }, type = {Article}, abstract = {A conceptually different approach has been employed for the synthesis of 1,2-amino alcohols by proline-catalyzed α-amination of aldehyde and one-pot indium mediated allylation of the crude α-hydrazino aldehydes. DFT based quantum chemical calculations have been performed to obtain a quantitative explanation of the stereoselectivity of the reaction.}, doi = {10.1039/C9RA90005E}, author = {Pandey, M. and Chowdhury, P. S. and Dutta, A. K. and Kumar, P. and Pal, S.} } @article {46186, title = {Retraction: organocatalytic stereoselective synthesis of passifloricin A (Retraction of Vol 10, Pg 1820, 2012)}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2289}, type = {Retraction}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c9ob90027f}, author = {Kumar, Pradeep and Pandey, Menaka and Gupta, Priti and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article {46169, title = {Role of structural distortion in stabilizing electrosynthesized blue emitting phosphorene quantum dots}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {973-980}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Luminescent phosphorene quantum dots (PQDs) have emerged as fascinating nanomaterials for potential applications in optoelectronics, catalysis, and sensing. Herein, we investigate the structural distortion of black phosphorus (BP) under an applied electric field to yield blue luminescent PQDs [average diameter 8 +/- 1.5 nm (N = 60)]. The electrosynthesized PQDs exhibit photoluminescence emission independent of excitation wavelength with 84\% quantum efficiency. Structural distortion that occurred during the transformation of BP to PQDs is confirmed by results obtained during transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Further, using first-principles-based density functional theory, calculations on oxygenated and nonoxygenated PQDs augment the experimental observations that an optimum oxygen content maintains the structural integrity of PQDs, above which the structural robustness of PQDs is drastically diminished.

}, issn = {1948-7185}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b03600}, author = {Valappil, Manila Ozhukil and Joshi, Krati and John, Lisa and Krishnamurthy, Sailaja and Jana, Bikash and Patra, Amitava and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Alwarappan, Subbiah} } @article {46079, title = {Scope and mechanistic aspect of nickel-catalyzed alkenylation of benzothiazoles and related azoles with styryl bromides}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {38}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN }, pages = {2422-2430}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Alkenylation of benzothiazoles and related azoles with alkenyl bromides is achieved employing the well-defined and air-stable nickel complexes, (bpy)NiBr2 and [Ni(bpy)(3)] [NiBr4], as catalysts. Numerous electronically distinct alkenyl bromides efficiently coupled with substituted benzothiazoles, oxazoles, and benzimidazoles under the catalytic conditions to afford 2-alkenylated azoles. An extensive mechanistic study of the alkenylation of benzothiazole using (bpy)NiBr2 highlights a single-electron transfer process for the reaction involving the two-step one-electron oxidative addition of alkenyl bromide. The substrate benzothiazole plays a significant and diverse role in the reaction, and C-H bond cleavage is reversible in nature. Detailed kinetic analysis and control reactivity studies are indicative of a Ni(I)/Ni(III) pathway for the alkenylation comprising the rate-influencing reductive elimination step.

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.9b00060}, author = {Patel, Ulhas N. and Jagtap, Rahul A. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46283, title = {Selective synthesis of secondary amines from nitriles by a user-friendly cobalt catalyst}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {361}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3930-3936}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Selective hydrogenation/reductive amination of nitriles to secondary amines catalyzed by an inexpensive and user-friendly cobalt complex, (Xantphos)CoCl2, is reported. The use of (Xantphos)CoCl2 and ammonia borane (NH3-BH3) combination affords the selective reduction of nitriles to symmetrical secondary amines, whereas the employment of (Xantphos)CoCl2 and dimethylamine borane (Me2NH-BH3) along with external amines produce unsymmetrical secondary amines and tertiary amines. The general applicability of this methodology is demonstrated by the synthesis of 43 symmetrical and unsymmetrical secondary and tertiary amines bearing diverse functionalities.

}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.201900586}, author = {Sharma, Dipesh M. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47155, title = {Self-assembly of Di-guanine peptide nucleic acid amphiphiles into fractal patterns}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC }, pages = {13525-13532}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) amphiphiles have been reported to assemble into different nanostructures; however, there is immense untapped potential to control their supramolecular assemblies by altering their lipid chain. Here, we functionalized di-guanine PNA with various hydrophobic appendages, namely dodecyl, p-dodecylbenzoyl and pentadecyl phenol groups, to investigate the effect of aromatic linkers, long alkyl and alkoxyl substituents on hierarchical self-assembly of di-guanine PNA. Systematic electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies revealed that while all three derivatives of di-guanine-PNA formed nanospheres, only nanospheres of dodecylamide and pentadecyl phenol derivatives matured into nanorods, these later formed higher order fractal assemblies. Furthermore, we observed that inclusion of a positively charged lysine at the C-terminus prevented fractal assembly, possibly due to electrostatic repulsion between the head groups. Thus, the findings of the present work might guide rational design of PNA amphiphiles to obtain specific self-assembled morphology.

}, keywords = {Fractal pattern, Guanine, pentadecylphenol, Peptide nucleic acid, Self-assembly}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201902677}, author = {Abraham, Jancy N. and Pawar, Prabhakar and Kootteri, Dilna K.} } @article {46432, title = {Silk fibroin-sodium dodecyl sulfate gelation: molecular, structural, and rheological insights}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {35}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {14870-14878}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A gelling agent is necessary to accelerate sol to gel transition in an aqueous solution of silk fibroin (SF), which otherwise takes several days to complete. In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of gelation of Bornbyx mori SF by a model anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SOS). Even though interactions between SDS and proteins have been extensively investigated, most of these studies have focused on globular proteins, which undergo denaturation. The interaction with a fibrous protein such as SF is different and results in an altered secondary structure leading to gelation. In this work, the concentration-dependent gelation process of the SF-SDS system is examined using rheology, SANS, FTIR, and NMR. We observed preferential binding of SDS to specific regions on the SF chain, which aids structural changes favoring beta-sheet formation. We propose a mechanism for the accelerated sol-gel transition in the SF-SDS system.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02402}, author = {Hirlekar, Swarali and Ray, Debes and Aswal, Vinod K. and Prabhune, Asmita and Nisal, Anuya and Ravindranathan, Sapna} } @article {46089, title = {Size-controlled cobalt ferrite nanocrystals: magnetically separable reusable nanocatalysts for selective oxidation of styrene}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN }, pages = {6524-6531}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Superparamagnetic cobalt ferrite (CFO) nanocrystals (NCs) with sizes similar to 6 nm and similar to 4 nm were synthesized using a facile solvothermal method using fatty acids, lauric acid and stearic acid, as the capping agents. The synthesized nanocrystals were well characterized by XRD, FT-IR, XPS, SEM and TEM. The formation mechanism was explored and it was shown that the fatty acid was actually chemisorbed as a carboxylate onto the surface of CFO NCs. The experimental results specify that the size and size distribution of the CFO NCs were highly dependent on the length of fatty acid hydrophobic chain. Corresponding changes of the magnetic properties were investigated by measuring magnetization as a function of field and temperature, which suggest that the CFO NCs were superparamagnetic in nature. The catalytic properties for the oxidation of styrene in organic medium were examined by using the synthesized CFO NCs with sizes similar to 6 nm and similar to 4 nm. The synthesized CFO NCs, well dispersible in organic media, were demonstrated to be highly catalytically active, reached 100\% conversion of styrene in 12 h with similar to 77\% and similar to 82\% selectivity for styrene oxide respectively. The magnetic CFO nanocatalysts were easily separated and recovered from the reaction medium by an external magnet, and reused for several cycles without losing catalytic selectivity for styrene oxide.

}, keywords = {Cobalt ferrite, epoxidation, Fatty acids, magnetic properties, nanocrystals}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201900714}, author = {Jeyavani, Vijayakrishnan and Pawar, Sayali and Dadwal, Arun and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {46097, title = {Solvothermal growth of PbBi2Se4 nano-flowers: a material for humidity sensor and photodetector applications}, journal = {Physica Status Solidi A-Applications and Materials Science}, volume = {216}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1900065}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present work, lead bismuth selenide (PbBi2Se4) nano-flowers are synthesized by using a simple solvothermal method. Humidity sensor and photodetector based on PbBi2Se4 nano-flowers are fabricated on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates and their sensing properties are investigated. Formation of PbBi2Se4 is confirmed by XRD, EDS, and XPS whereas formation of nano-flowers is confirmed by SEM and TEM analysis. XRD analysis reveals the hexagonal crystal structure of PbBi2Se4 phase with a = b = 4.22 angstrom, and c= 17.42 angstrom. The surface morphology of PbBi2Se4 clearly shows the formation of well-organized flower-like nanostructures which closely resembles the shape of Dahlia. The elemental mapping of chemical constituents obtained from SEM-EDS analysis shows uniform distribution of chemical constituents for the Pb, Bi, and Se in PbBi2Se4 nano-flowers. The PbBi2Se4 nano-flowers based humidity sensor has a typical response time of approximate to 65s and recovery time of approximate to 75 s. In case of PbBi2Se4 nano-flowers-based photodetector, the response and recovery time are observed approximate to 121 and approximate to 123 s, respectively, under visible light illumination with photoresponsivity (5 x 10(-6)), photosensitivity (2.16\%), and quantum efficiency (1.5 x 10(4)). The obtained results demonstrate the potential applications of solvothermally grown PbBi2Se4 nano-flowers-based devices for humidity sensors and photodetectors. The ease of the present work is to develop novel material to obtain device quality humidity sensors and photodetectors.

}, keywords = {humidity sensor, PbBi2Se4, photodetector, XPS, XRD}, issn = {1862-6300}, doi = {10.1002/pssa.201900065}, author = {Aher, Rahul and Bhorde, Ajinkya and Nair, Shruthi and Borate, Haribhau and Pandharkar, Subhash and Naik, Dhirsing and Vairale, Priti and Karpe, Smita and Late, Dattatray and Prasad, Mohit and Jadkar, Sandesh} } @article {46339, title = {Special issue: membrane and receptor dynamics}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, volume = {252}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {207-211}, type = {Editorial Material}, issn = {0022-2631}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-019-00096-z, Early Access Date = OCT 2019}, author = {Prakash, Shikha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {46211, title = {Stereoselective construction of deoxy-cruciferane alkaloids by NHC-catalyzed intramolecular annulation of homoenolate with quinazolinone}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7135-7139}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intramolecular [3 + 2] annulation of enals with an unactivated imine moiety of quinazolinone via formal homoenolate cycloaddition has been demonstrated. It is an excellent approach for stereoselective syntheses of deoxy-cruciferane alkaloids comprising a biologically important pyrroloindoline scaffold. Notably, this is the first report on the NHC-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular homoenolate annulation with cyclic N-acyl amidine.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ob01243e}, author = {Ahire, Milind M. and Pol, Mahesh D. and Kavale, Dattatry S and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {45601, title = {Studies toward the total synthesis of parvifolals A/B: an intramolecular o-quinone methide [4 + 2]-cycloaddition to construct the central tetracyclic core}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {810{\textendash}818}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Two different approaches funded upon the intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition of in situ generated o-quinone methides have been explored to construct the central tetracyclic core of parvifolals A/B. At the outset, a cross-pinacol coupling of 2-formyl tri-O-methyl resveratrol with 4-methoxysalicylaldehyde followed by acid treatment was found to provide the desired tetracyclic core with an internal olefin. The requisite pendant aryl group has been introduced by a Pd-catalyzed direct coupling of corresponding diazonium salt.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b02777}, author = {Paymode, D. J. and Ramana, C. V.} } @article {46354, title = {Superfluous glutamine synthetase activity in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells selected under glutamine limitation is growth limiting in glutamine-replete conditions and can be inhibited by serine}, journal = {Biotechnology Progress}, volume = {35}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP-OCT}, pages = {UNSP e2856}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Passaging and expansion of animal cells in lean maintenance medium could result in periods of limitation of some nutrients. Over time, such stresses could possibly result in selection of cells with metabolic changes and contribute to heterogeneity. Here, we investigate whether selection of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells under glutamine limitation results in changes in growth under glutamine-replete conditions. In glutamine-limiting medium, compared to control cells passaged in glutamine-rich medium, the selected cells showed higher glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and attained a higher peak viable cell density (PVCD). Surprisingly, in glutamine-replete conditions, selected cells still showed a higher GS activity but a lower PVCD. We show that in glutamine-replete medium, PVCD of selected cells was restored on (a) inhibition of GS activity with methionine sulfoximine, (b) supplementation of aspartate-without affecting GS activity, and (c) supplementation of serine, which is reported to inhibit GS in vitro. Consistent with the reported effect of serine, inhibition of GS activity was observed upon serine supplementation along with reduced growth of cells under glutamine-limiting conditions. The latter observation is important for the design of glutamine-free culture medium and feed used for GS-CHO and GS-NS0. In summary, we show that CHO cells selected under glutamine limitation have superfluous GS activity in glutamine-replete medium, which negatively affects their PVCD. This may be due to its effect on availability of aspartate which was the limiting nutrient for the growth of selected cells in glutamine-replete conditions.

}, keywords = {C-13 tracer analysis, CHO cells, glutamine limitation, Glutamine synthetase, GS-CHO, GS-NS0, selection under nutrient limitation, serine}, issn = {8756-7938}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.2856}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {46044, title = {Superior humidity sensor and photodetector of mesoporous ZnO nanosheets at room temperature}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {293}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {83-92}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Miniaturized sensor technology is vastly demanding multifunctional materials to fulfill many requirements simultaneously; instead of integrating various sensors into a single device. Efficient operation of these miniaturized sensors at room temperature is highly feasible and cost-effective. The humidity sensing and photodetection is precise merit of sensing in special usage like artificial skin. Sensitivity enhancement in both humidity and photodetection required the high surface area for adsorption as well as a high charge transfer mechanism. The two dimensional (2D) zinc oxide nanosheets (ZnO NS) is the ultimate structure for dimensionally confined transport properties owing to the specific surface atomic configuration that results in high sensitivity, low operating temperature, fast response and recovery, and improved selectivity. Furthermore, introducing porosity into 2D nanostructures has opened new opportunities to enhance the efficiency of sensors and detectors via increasing large surface area and tunable physical and chemical properties. Here we report preparation of mesoporous and highly crystalline 2D ZnO NS by a single step, template free, cost-effective chemical method. The structural and morphological characterizations of ZnO NS are carried out using XRD, FESEM, XPS, TEM respectively. The high-resolution TEM images emphasize sheet-like morphology with a thickness of around 18-22 nm. Further the mesoporous ZnO NS (MZNS) with the pore size between 5-10 nm are achieved by simple heat-treatment. XPS and PL study is confirming the oxygen deficiency in MZNS. The MZNS exhibits an excellent responsivity than PZNS with a fast response and rapid recovery time of 25 s and 5 s respectively along with good cyclic stability which is highly crucial for smart humidity sensor. Furthermore, it considerably enhances photo-sensor performance than pristine ZnO NS (PZNS) with (similar to)1 s response time as well as (similar to)1 s recovery time along with better stability. These promising results illustrate the great potential of MZNS for next-generation humidity sensors and photodetectors.

}, keywords = {humidity sensor, Mesoporous, nanosheets, Photo-detector}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2019.04.086}, author = {Gupta, Shobhnath P. and Pawbake, Amit S. and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Late, Dattatray J. and Walke, Pravin S.} } @article {46304, title = {Sustained release insect repellent microcapsules using modified cellulose nanofibers (mCNF) as pickering emulsifier}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {582}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC }, pages = {Article Number:123883}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report here an approach to encapsulate N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), an insect repellent, through interfacial polycondensation using modified cellulose nanofiber (CNF) as pickering emulsifier. We found that stearic acid functionalized CNF (mCNF) can be used to form stable pickering emulsions (oil-in-oil and water-in-oil), and further encapsulate DEET using interfacial polycondensation with very high encapsulation efficiency of about 98\%. Another major advantage of this approach is that mCNF can act both as pickering emulsifier and also strengthen the barrier properties of microcapsules resulting in significant reduction in release rate of DEET. Interpretation of the release profiles using standard mathematical models proposed by Ritger-Peppas show a factor of three reduction in release rate constant for the microcapsules reinforced with mCNF.

}, keywords = {Cellulose nanofiber, Controlled release, Microcapsules, Nanocomposite, nanoparticle, Pickering emulsion}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.123883}, author = {Kadam, Sandip L. and Yadav, Prashant and Bhutkar, Siddhant and Patil, Vishal D. and Shukla, Parshuram G. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {46012, title = {Synthesis and antimycobacterial evaluation of new 5-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-4-methyl-2-arylthiazole derivatives}, journal = {Medicinal Chemistry Research}, volume = {28}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {805-819}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new series of 5-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-4-methyl-2-arylthiazole derivatives, 6a-w have been synthesized by click reaction of substituted benzylazide, 5a-d with 5-ethynyl-4-methyl-2-substituted phenylthiazole, 4a-f. The starting compounds 4-ethynyl-2-substituted phenylthiazole (4a-f) were synthesized from the corresponding thiazole aldehyde by using the Ohira-Bestmann reagent. The structure of the synthesized compounds was determined by spectral analysis. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their preliminary antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB, ATCC 25177). Most of the synthesized compounds reported good activity against M. tuberculosis H37Ra strain with IC50 range of 0.58-8.23 mu g/mL. Compounds 6g and 6k reported good antitubercular activity with MIC90 values of 4.71 and 2.22 mu g/mL, respectively. Potential antimycobacterial activity suggested that these compounds could serve as good lead compounds for further optimization and development of a newer antitubercular candidate. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Triazole, Antitubercular activity, Molecular docking, Ohira-Bestmann reagent, Thiazole}, issn = {1054-2523}, doi = {10.1007/s00044-019-02310-y}, author = {Shinde, Vikas and Mahulikar, Pramod and Mhaske, Pravin C. and Chakraborty, Shakti and Choudhari, Amit and Phalle, Siddharth and Choudhari, Prafulla and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {45575, title = {Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles by using polyol chemistry for their antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity}, journal = {Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports }, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {71-80}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present investigation deals with facile polyol mediated synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activities against pathogenic microorganisms. The synthesis process was carried out by refluxing zinc acetate precursor in diethylene glycol(DEG) and triethylene glycol(TEG) in the presence and in the absence of sodium acetate for 2 h and 3 h. All synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV visible spectroscopy (UV), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) technique. All nanoparticles showed different degree of antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM 2654)and Gram-negative Proteus vulgaris (NCIM 2613). The antibacterial and antibiofilm activity was inversely proportional to the size of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. Among all prepared particles, ZnO nanoparticles with least size (~ 15 nm) prepared by refluxing zinc acetate dihydrate in diethylene glycol for 3 h exhibited remarkable antibacterial and antibiofilm activity which may serve as potential alternatives in biomedical application.}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrep.2018.11.007}, author = {Mahamuni, P. P. and Patil, P. M. and Dhanavade, M. J. and Badiger, M. V. and Shadija, P. G. and Lokhande, A. C. and Bohara, R. A.} } @article {46223, title = {Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling studies of novel chromone/Aza-Chromone fused alpha-aminophosphonates as src kinase inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Scientific \& Industrial Research}, volume = {78}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111-117}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of novel chromone/aza-chromone fused alpha-aminophosphonate derivatives were synthesized in good yields using silica chloride as the catalyst. All the synthesized compounds were tested for their c-Src kinase inhibitory activity. Aza-chromone compound showed Src kinase inhibition with an IC50 value of 15.8 mu M. The compounds were subjected to molecular docking and dynamics simulations to study the atomic level interactions with an unphosphorylated proto-oncogenic tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 1Y57) as well as phosphorylated tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 2H8H). Docking and molecular dynamic results revealed phosphorylated Src tyrosine kinase protein better results than unphosphorylated tyrosine Src kinase protein. Chemoinformatics study revealed the compounds had lead like properties. Machine learning (SVR) models were built to study the structure activity correlations. A CC of 0.835 was obtained when the SVR model was applied to the 17 synthesized compounds. It is envisaged that the work will provide guidelines for future drug design efforts for Src kinase inhibitors.

}, author = {Bapat, S. and Viswanadh, N. and Mujahid, M. and Shirazi, A. N. and Tiwari, R. K. and Parang, K. and Karthikeyan, M. and Muthukrishnan, M. and Vyas, Renu} } @article {47493, title = {Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling studies of novel chromone/Aza-chromone fused α-aminophosphonates as Src kinase inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research}, volume = {78}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111-117}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of novel chromone/aza-chromone fused α-aminophosphonate derivatives were synthesized in good yields using silica chloride as the catalyst. All the synthesized compounds were tested for their c-Src kinase inhibitory activity. Aza-chromone compound showed Src kinase inhibition with an IC50 value of 15.8 {\textmu}M. The compounds were subjected to molecular docking and dynamics simulations to study the atomic level interactions with an unphosphorylated proto-oncogenic tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 1Y57) as well as phosphorylated tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 2H8H). Docking and molecular dynamic results revealed phosphorylated Src tyrosine kinase protein better results than unphosphorylated tyrosine Src kinase protein. Chemoinformatics study revealed the compounds had lead like properties. Machine learning (SVR) models were built to study the structure activity correlations. A CC of 0.835 was obtained when the SVR model was applied to the 17 synthesized compounds. It is envisaged that the work will provide guidelines for future drug design efforts for Src kinase inhibitors.}, author = {Bapat, Sanket and Viswanadh, N. and Mujahid, M. and Shirazi, Amir Nasrolahi and Tiwari, Rakesh and Parang, Keykavous and Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Muthukrishnan, M. and Vyas, Renu} } @article {46009, title = {Synthesis, characterization, Hirshfeld surface, cytotoxicity, DNA damage and cell cycle arrest studies of N, N-diphenyl-N {\textquoteleft}-(biphenyl-4-carbonyl/4-chlorobenzoyl) thiocarbamides}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1186}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {333-344}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The condensation reaction of biphenyl-4-carbonyl isothiocyanate/4-chlorobenzoyl isothiocyanate with diphenylamine yielded two new compounds; N-diphenyl-N{\textquoteright}-(biphenyl-4-carbonyl) thiocarbamide (1) and N, N-diphenyl-N{\textquoteright}-(4-chlorobenzoyl) thiocarbamide (2). Structure of the compounds were determined by analytical, spectroscopic (UV-Visible, FT-IR, H-1, \& C-13 NMR), powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Hirshfeld surface analysis and their associated two dimensional fingerprint plots of compounds were used as theoretical approach to assess driving force for crystal structure formation via the intermolecular interactions in their crystal lattices. The compounds were screened for their in vitro cytotoxicity activity against a panel of five human cancer cell lines namely; cervical (2008 and C13*) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780, A2780/CP and IGROV-1). Both the compounds exhibited promising activity against cervical and IGROV-1 cancer cells whereas for the other two cell lines appreciable activities were observed. The cell cycle arrest at G(0)/G(1) phase is supported by the DNA damage and apoptosis studies of the compounds against 2008, C13* and IGROV-1 cell lines. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, Hirshfeld surface analysis, In vitro cytotoxicity, Thiocarbamide, X-ray crystal structure}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.03.057}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Pratap, Seema and Rai, Sunil K. and Marverti, Gaetano and Kaur, Manpreet and Jasinski, Jerry P.} } @article {45507, title = {Synthesis of 2-Aryl naphthoquinones by the cross-dehydrogenative coupling involving an NHC-catalyzed endo-stetter reaction}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {1103-1110}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intramolecular Stetter reaction proceeding via the endo-fashion was the key step for the transition-metal-free and mild cross-dehydrogenative coupling of 2-cinnamoyl benzal-dehydes allowing for the synthesis of 2-aryl naphthoquinones. In this transformation, the carbene generated from the triazolium salt using Na2CO3 catalyzes the intramolecular Stetter reaction, which was followed by air oxidation to reinstall the C-C double bond.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02931}, author = {Ghosh, Arghya and Patra, Atanu and Mukherjee, Subrata and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {46165, title = {Synthesis of artemisinin derived glycoconjugates inspired by click chemistry}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {43}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {4017-4021}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein we describe the synthesis of artemisinin based glycoconjugates (9a-i) through employing a Cu(i)-catalysed reaction between -propargylated dihydroartemisinin (7a) and azido sugars (8a-i), with moderate to excellent yields. Our synthesized artemisinin based glycoconjugates (9a-i) could prove to be an interesting class of bioactive molecules, suitable for the study of their various biological activities.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c8nj05737k}, author = {Goswami, Lakshmi and Paul, Sayantan and Kotammagari, Tharun K. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {46220, title = { Synthesis of biodiesel using the Mg/Al/Zn hydrotalcite/SBA-15 nanocomposite catalyst }, journal = {Acs Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3500-3507}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biodiesel production is an enchanting and eccentric pathway for the reduction of use of fossil fuels and is procured from biologically available renewable sources such as oils and fats. A novel Mg/Al/Zn-based hydrotalcite/SBA-15 composite material having a high catalytic activity was developed and investigated for the transesterification of vegetable oil. The rationally developed composites were systematically characterized and assessed in the transesterification of soybean oil in the presence of methanol. The physicochemical evaluation of the nanocomposites demonstrated the influence of Zn in the textural characteristics, density of the basic sites, and successively the catalytic activity. The catalytic efficiency of the MAZ-x/SBA-15 composite could be linked with the basic site density determined by the temperature-programmed desorption of CO2. Among all the composites used, the MAZ-1/SBA-15 nanocomposite showed the highest activity for biodiesels, with a yield of around 90\% under economical reaction conditions. The catalytic studies conferred that the fatty acid methyl ester yield is significantly influenced by various experimental conditions such as the catalyst molar ratio, reaction temperature, pressure, and contact time. It was also found that the incorporation of hydrotalcite into SBA-15 pore channels can enhance the catalyst efficiency and stability of the nanocomposite. Moreover, under mild reaction conditions, a remarkably stable catalytic performance was achieved for more than 200 h of time on stream with no catalyst deactivation.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b02547}, author = {Prabu, Marimuthu and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Kandasamy, Prabu and Kalaivani, P. R. and Rajendiran, Nagappan and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {47483, title = {Synthesis of biphasic nanomaterials based on ZnO and SnO2: application towards photocatalytic degradation of acid red dye}, journal = {Nano-Structures \& Nano-Objects}, volume = {18}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Zn2SnO4/SnO2 and ZnO/SnO2 biphasic nanocatalysts have been synthesized by a facile solvothermal method using ethylene glycol (EG) as solvent in three different ways maintaining the pH of the solution at either 3 or 9 followed by calcination at 700 {\textdegree}C. The nanocatalysts are characterized by different techniques to investigate their structure, composition, morphology and optical properties. The XRD results indicate the formation of pristine biphasic composites. The UV-absorbance and photoluminescence spectra confirms the formation of biphasic composites as well as presence of large number of defects in the prepared nanocatalysts. The biphasic nanocomposites possess better photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of Acid Red-183 (AR-183) dye than pristine SnO2 and ZnO nanoparticles. This is mainly due to better charge separation, minimal recombination rate of charge carriers and defect-riched structures of nanocatalysts.}, doi = {10.1016/j.nanoso.2019.100292}, author = {Kudale, Ananada S. and Kamble, Santosh B. and Gore, Anil H. and Pisal, Mahesh M. and Salokhe, Anil T. and Kolekar, Govind B. and Helavi, Vasant B.} } @article {46175, title = {Targeted phenotypic screening in plasmodium falciparum and toxoplasma gondii reveals novel modes of action of medicines for malaria venture malaria box molecules (vol 3, e00534-17, 2018)}, journal = {MSphere}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {e00159-19}, type = {Correction}, issn = {2379-5042}, doi = {10.1128/mSphere.00159-19}, author = {Subramanian, Gowtham and Belekar, Meenakshi A. and Shukla, Anurag and Tong, Jie Xin and Sinha, Ameya and Chu, Trang T. T. and Kulkarni, Akshay S. and Preiser, Peter R. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Tan, Kevin S. W. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Chandramohanadas, Rajesh} } @article {46116, title = {Taxonomic insights into the phylogeny of Bacillus badius and proposal for its reclassification to the genus Pseudobacillus as Pseudobacillus badius comb. nov. and reclassification of Bacillus wudalianchiensis Liu et al.}, journal = {Systematic and Applied Microbiology}, volume = {42}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {360-372}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The species Bacillus badius is one of the oldest members of the genus Bacillus isolated from faeces of children and was classified based on its ability to form endospores [8]. In 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic analysis, Bacillus badius DSM 23(T) shared low similarity (93.0\%) and distant relationship with B. subtilis, the type species of the genus Bacillus indicating that it does not belong to this genus. Additional strains of the species, B. badius DSM 5610, DSM 30822 and B. encimensis SGD-V-25 (which has been recently reclassified as a member of this species) were included in the study to consider intraspecies diversity. Detailed molecular phylogenetic and comparative genome analysis clearly showed that the strains of B. badius were consistently retrieved outside the cluster of Bacillus sensu stricto and also distantly related to the genera Domibacillus and Quasibacillus. Further, the data from biochemical reactions (inability to ferment most carbohydrates), polar lipids profile (presence of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an aminophosphoglycolipid) and fatty acids supported the molecular analysis. Thus the four B. badius strains; DSM 23(T), DSM 5610, DSM 30822 and SGD-V-25 displayed sufficient demarcating phenotypic characteristics that warrant their classification as members of a novel genus and single species, for which the name Pseudobacillus badius gen. nov. comb. nov. is proposed with Pseudobacillus badius DSM 23(T) (= ATCC 14574(T)) as the type strain. Additionally, based on our findings from phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic parameters, Bacillus wudalianchiensis DSM 100757(T) was reclassified as Pseudobacillus wudalianchiensis comb. nov. (C) 2019 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {16S rRNA, Bacillus, Bacillus wudalianchiensis, Fatty acids, polar lipids, Pseudobacillus}, issn = {0723-2020}, doi = {10.1016/j.syapm.2019.03.003}, author = {Verma, Ashish and Pal, Yash and Ojha, Anup Kumar and Kumari, Munesh and Khatri, Indu and Rameshkumar, N. and Schumann, Peter and Dastager, Syed G. and Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Subramanian, Srikrishna and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan} } @article {46198, title = {Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy and sensor applications of PtSe2 nanosheets synthesized by wet chemistry}, journal = {Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {467-474}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report on a wet chemistry method used to grow PtSe2 nanosheets followed by thermal annealing. The SEM and TEM analysis confirms the formation of PtSe2 nanosheets. Furthermore, XRD, Raman, XPS and SAED patterns were used to analyze the crystal structure and to confirm the formation of the PtSe2 phase. The temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy investigations were carried out on PtSe2 nanosheets deposited on Si substrates in the temperature range 100-506 K. The shifts in Raman active E-g and A(1g) modes as a function of temperature were monitored. The temperature coefficient for both modes was calculated and was found to match well with the reported 2D transition metal dichalcogenides. A PtSe2 nanosheet-based sensor device was tested for its applicability as a humidity sensor and photodetector. The humidity sensor based on PtSe2 nanosheets showed an excellent recovery time of approximate to 5 s, indicating the great potential of PtSe2 for future sensor devices.

}, keywords = {nanosheets, PtSe2, Raman spectroscopy, Sensor, thermal effect}, issn = {2190-4286}, doi = {10.3762/bjnano.10.46}, author = {Pawar, Mahendra S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {45524, title = {Terpene profiling, transcriptome analysis and characterization of cis{\textendash}terpineol synthase from Ocimum}, journal = {Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants}, volume = {25}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {47-57}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ocimum species produces a varied mix of different metabolites that imparts immense medicinal properties. To explore this chemo-diversity, we initially carried out metabolite profiling of different tissues of five Ocimum species and identified the major terpenes. This analysis broadly classified these five Ocimum species into two distinct chemotypes namely, phenylpropanoid-rich and terpene-rich. In particular, -caryophyllene, myrcene, limonene, camphor, borneol and selinene were major terpenes present in these Ocimum species. Subsequently, transcriptomic analysis of pooled RNA samples from different tissues of Ocimum gratissimum, O. tenuiflorum and O. kilimandscharicum identified 38 unique transcripts of terpene synthase (TPS) gene family. Full-length gene cloning, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of three TPS transcripts were carried out along with their expression in various tissues. Terpenoid metabolite and expression profiling of candidate TPS genes in various tissues of Ocimum species revealed spatial variances. Further, putative TPS contig 19414 (TPS1) was selected to corroborate its role in terpene biosynthesis. Agrobacterium-mediated transient over-expression assay of TPS1 in the leaves of O. kilimandscharicum and subsequent metabolic and gene expression analyses indicated it as a cis{\textendash}terpineol synthase. Overall, present study provided deeper understanding of terpene diversity in Ocimum species and might help in the enhancement of their terpene content through advanced biotechnological approaches.

}, keywords = {Agro-infiltration assay, Metabolite profiling, Ocimum, Terpene synthase, Terpenes, Transcriptome}, issn = {0971-5894}, doi = {10.1007/s12298-018-0612-6}, author = {Anand, Atul and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Beedkar, Supriya D. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Lavhale, Santosh G. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Gade, Wasudeo N. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {46081, title = {TiCl4-n-Bu3N-mediated cascade annulation of ketones with alpha-ketoesters: a facile synthesis of highly substituted fused gamma-alkylidene-butenolides}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5749-5759}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A facile protocol for the synthesis of highly substituted fused gamma-alkylidene butenolides using direct annulation of ketones with alpha-ketoesters, which proceeds through TiCl4-n-Bu3N mediated aldol addition followed by an intramolecular enol-lactonization/cyclization cascade, is reported. Diverse 6-5, 7-5 and 8-5 fused bicyclic gamma-ylidene butenolides and highly substituted monocyclic analogs related to biologically relevant natural products were prepared from readily accessible ketone and alpha-ketoester building blocks. The highly step-economic cascade nature, good substrate scope, easy access to complex products with good to excellent yields, gram-scalability, demonstration of synthetic utility, and unambiguous structural confirmation through X-ray crystallography analyses and analogy are the salient features of this work.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c9ob00649d}, author = {Palange, Megha N. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kontham, Ravindar} } @article {45540, title = {Trans-A(2)B(2) Zn(II) porphyrin dyes with various donor groups and their Co-sensitization for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Dyes and Pigments}, volume = {160}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {386-394}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{We have designed and synthesized four donor-acceptor based trans-A(2)B(2) Zn(II) porphyrin dyes with various donor moieties and phenylcarboxy as acceptor group in three steps. Two strong electron-donating groups (carbazole, phenothiazine, pyrene and bisthiophene) were attached to porphyrin core to enhance the light absorption of dye molecules and phenylcarboxy acted as acceptor group on TiO2 surface. The alkyl chains present in KP-Zn-CBZ and KP-Zn-PTZ dyes are helpful to suppress the aggregation of dyes at the semiconductor surface. The synthetic route of these dyes was facile, high yield and three steps procedure which involved MacDonald condensation followed by hydrolysis and Zn insertion. The absorption and emission bands of all four dyes were broadened and red shifted due to the charge transfer from donor groups to porphyrin moiety. A wide range of power conversion efficiency was shown by dyes and the order of eta was as followed KP-Zn-PTZ (5.48\%) \> KP-Zn-PYR (3.38\%) \> KP-Zn-CBZ (2.64\%) \> KP-Zn-BTP (1.71\%). Co-sensitization of porphyrin dyes with N719 dye promoted the complementary absorption in the visible region and put a restriction on dye aggregation also which improved the cell performance. Co-sensitized KP-Zn-PTZ with N719 dye showed the highest PCE efficiency up to 8.80\% with a J(SC) = 17.4 mA cm(-2)

}, issn = {0143-7208}, doi = {10.1016/j.dyepig.2018.08.029}, author = {Prakash, Kamal and Sudhakar, Vediappan and Sankar, Muniappan and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article {46123, title = {Transcriptomics analysis of propiconazole-treated Cochliobolus sativus reveals new putative azole targets in the plant pathogen}, journal = {Functional \& Integrative Genomics}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {453-465}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cochliobolus sativus (anamorph: Bipolaris sorokiniana) is a filamentous fungus from the class Dothideomycetes. It is a pathogen of cereals including wheat and barley, and causes foliar spot blotch, root rot, black point on grains, head blight, leaf blight, and seedling blight diseases. Annual yields of these economically important cereals are severely reduced due to this pathogen attack. Evolution of fungicide resistant pathogen strains, availability of a limited number of potent antifungal compounds, and their efficacy are the acute issues in field management of phytopathogenic fungi. Propiconazole is a widely used azole fungicide to control the disease in fields. The known targets of azoles are the demethylase enzymes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis. Nonetheless, azoles have multiple modes of action, some of which have not been explored yet. Identifying the off-target effects of fungicides by dissecting gene expression profiles in response to them can provide insights into their modes of action and possible mechanisms of fungicide resistance. Moreover it can also reveal additional targets for development of new fungicides. Hence, we analyzed the global gene expression profile of C. sativus on exposure to sub-lethal doses of propiconazole in a time series. The gene expression patterns were confirmed using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). This study revealed overexpression of target genes from the sterol biosynthesis pathway supporting the reported mode of resistance against azoles. In addition, some new potential targets have also been identified, which could be explored to develop new fungicides and plant protection strategies.

}, keywords = {Bipolaris sorokiniana, Cochliobolus sativus, Fungicide resistance, Propiconazole, RNA-seq, Transcriptomics analysis}, issn = {1438-793X}, doi = {10.1007/s10142-019-00660-9}, author = {Somani, Deepika and Adhav, Ragini and Prashant, Ramya and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article {46243, title = {Two-step sequence of acetalization and hydrogenation for synthesis of diesel fuel additives from furfural and diols.}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {33}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7466-7472}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Acetalization of diols with furfural and subsequent hydrogenation of acetal products provided potential fuel additives that could be blended into commercial diesel. Glycerol could be an interesting polyol for acetalization with furfural due to its low cost, and it is produced as a byproduct in very large amount in the process of biodiesel production. In this work, glycerol acetalization with furfural has been selected as a model reaction. Acetalization reaction was performed under neat conditions (solventless) with 1:1 molar ratio of furfural and glycerol at room temperature over various acid catalysts, including homogeneous and heterogeneous acids. Among several catalysts, Zr-Mont, a heterogeneous solid acid having controlled acidity, gave as high as 78\% isolated yield of acetal products. Interestingly, acetal products can be isolated in pure form by performing extraction using cyclohexane that enables selective extraction of product, and unreacted glycerol and furfural were left in aqueous phase, which can be recycled. Further, to make fuel components from isolated acetal product of glycerol and furfural, hydrogenation was performed over a series of supported noble-metal catalysts under low H-2 pressure at room temperature. Among them, 5\% Pd/C showed very high activity for ring hydrogenation that resulted in high yield of hydrogenation products. However, hydrogenated product contains free hydroxyl group that needs to be subsequently etherified or acetylated. Interestingly, etherified derivative was obtained in high yield compared to acetylated derivative. In addition, several other diols were treated with furfural and their products were subsequently hydrogenated over 5\% Pd/C under very low H-2 pressure. The properties of resulting compounds were investigated so as to find most suitable candidates as additives to commercial diesel.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b01640}, author = {Patil, Anil and Shinde, Suhas and Kamble, Sanjay and Rode, Chandrashekhar, V} } @article {46410, title = {Unusual epimerization in styryllactones: synthesis of (-)-5-hydroxygoniothalamin, (-)-5-acetylgoniothalamin, and O-TBS-goniopypyrone}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {22549-22556}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

(-)-5-Hydroxygoniothalamin, (-)-5-acetylgoniothalamin, and (+)-5-hydroxygoniothalamin, isolated from the Goniothalamus genus, are synthesized from triacetyl-O-D-glucal by employing the Ferrier reaction, Mitsunobu reaction, and Jones oxidation as key steps. The synthetic procedure also yields the epimers of (-)-5-hydroxygoniothalamin and (+)-5-hydroxygoniothalamin employing acid-mediated transition-metal-free epimerization at C-5 of styryllactones. Further studies reveal that the epimerization is facilitated by the phenyl group present on the styryllactones. Also, depending on the dihydroxylation reaction conditions, various analogues of saturated styryllactones are synthesized utilizing oxa-Michael reaction conditions.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b03263}, author = {Kotammagari, Tharun K. and Paul, Sayantan and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {46098, title = {Use of Plackett-Burman design for enhanced phytase production by Williopsis saturnus NCIM 3298 for applications in animal feed and ethanol production}, journal = {3 Biotech}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {237}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Distiller-dried grain solid (DDGS), a co-product of alcohol production, contains cereal grain residues, proteins, and yeast metabolites, which make it suitable in poultry feeding. However, high phytate content of DDGS limits its applicability in poultry feed. In this study, Plackett-Burman design was used to improve cell-bound phytase production by Williopsis saturnus NCIM 3298, and we achieved an enzyme activity of 269IU/g of dry-wet biomass. The effect of this enhanced phytase-displaying yeast strain on hydrolysis of corn phytate and subsequently on ethanol production and DDGS quality was then investigated. Results of saccharification in the presence of phytase showed that reducing sugar content of liquefied mash increased by 11\%, which subsequently improved the ethanol production by 18\% (w/v) (p\<0.01) compared with the control. Notably, phytase treatment decreased the phytate content of corn by 70\% (p\<0.01) compared with the control, thereby improving the availability of free phosphate in fermentation broth and DDGS. Thus, the results obtained suggest that the addition of W. saturnus NCIM 3298 strain has the potential of providing a new source of phytase that would be useful in the feed and ethanol industries.

}, keywords = {DDGS, Ethanol, Phytase, Plackett-Burman Design, Williopsis saturnus NCIM 3298}, issn = {2190-572X}, doi = {10.1007/s13205-019-1764-y}, author = {Pable, Anupama A. and Shah, Sarah and Kumar, V. Ravi and Khire, Jayant M.} } @article {46230, title = {Vanadium-based highly active and selective catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethyl lactate to ethyl pyruvate}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A: General}, volume = {587}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pyruvates are important intermediates for various bioactive and pharmaceutical molecules. Synthesis of pyruvates is challenging due to low selectivity, as the pyruvates are prone to polymerisation. In the present work, oxidative dehydrogenation of ethyl lactate to ethyl pyruvate was carried out under very mild conditions using vanadium-based homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts in the presence of aqueous\ t-butyl hydroperoxide as an oxidant. Homogenous vanadium-based catalyst, VO(acac)2\ in acetonitrile solvent, gave excellent conversion (upto 83\%) with 100\% selectivity to ethyl pyruvate at room temperature. However, the heterogeneous catalyst, V2O5\ exhibited very high activity for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethyl lactate only at higher temperature (80 {\textdegree}C). At higher temperature, significant TBHP decomposition was observed if all TBHP was added in one lot. In case of ethyl lactate dehydrogenation using V2O5\ catalyst at 80 {\textdegree}C with two equivalents TBHP, 60\% ethyl lactate conversion with 100\% TBHP conversions were observed after 5 h when all TBHP was added initially in the reaction mixture. However, the ethyl lactate conversion at 80 {\textdegree}C, after 5 h increased to 72\% when the same amount of TBHP was added batch wise over a period of 4 h, indicating improved conversion of TBHP to ethyl pyruvate. The heterogeneous catalyst, V2O5\ exhibited up to 98\% conversion with 100\% ethyl pyruvate selectivity at 80 {\textdegree}C after 10 h with 3 equivalent TBHP added batch wise. The homogeneous catalyst could not be reused while V2O5\ could be successfully recycled five times without catalytic performances loss. Oxidation proceeds by radical mechanism, as proved by experiment with radical scavenger.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2019.117246}, author = {Doke, Dhananjay and Khomane, Sonali B. and Pandhare, Swati and Dongare, Mohan K. and Dumeignil, Franck and Umbarkar, Shubhangi} } @article {44557, title = {Waste to wealth: a Case study of papaya peel}, journal = {Waste and Biomass Valorization}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1755-1766}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Papaya is a popular fruit consumed worldwide and well-known for its food and nutritional values. It is used in food industries for the production of jams, jellies, etc. As a result, these industries generate huge amounts of papaya peel (PP) and seeds as by-products, which are typically considered a waste, and thus discarded. However, our current investigation indicates that PP is a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which can be converted into many value-added products. In this article, we review the physicochemical composition and valorization of PP. PP can be utilized to obtain many value-added products by fermentation (e.g., biofuels, adsorbents, dietary fibers, biomedicine, biomaterials). The biorefinery approach for PP will definitely increase the value of this waste by producing an array of value-added products and achieving zero waste generation.

}, keywords = {Bioactive compounds, Biorefinery, Papaya peel, Valorization, Value-added products}, issn = {18772641}, doi = {10.1007/s12649-017-0181-x}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D.}, editor = {Mandavgane, Sachin A.} } @article {46325, title = {Whole proteome analysis of GA(3) response at panicle stage in Grape (Vitis vinifera) CV. Thompson seedless}, journal = {Journal of Plant Growth Regulation}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Rachis elongation is a crucial process in producing good quality table grapes. In compact clustered grape variety like Thompson Seedless, treating the flower panicles with a mild dose of GA(3) results in loose clusters. We sprayed GA(3) on Thompson Seedless panicles immediately after emergence, and the samples were collected at 6 h and 24 h after application. Whole proteome analysis revealed significant differential expression of 530 proteins of the total 1288 expressed proteins at two time-points. GO term enrichment analysis revealed enrichment of GO terms related to translation, biosynthetic processes, and photosynthesis in GA(3)-treated samples. As the process of rachis elongation requires enhanced carbon metabolism and accumulation of sugars through the expansion of phloem area, we attribute this to the overexpression of several proteins involved in these processes. Significantly highly expressed proteins also belonged to biological processes like the generation of precursor metabolites, cellular protein metabolic processes, response to abiotic stimulus, and protein metabolic processes. This study might be the first of its kind in deciphering the contribution of a different group of proteins during rachis elongation as an early response to GA(3) application in seedless grapes. These results provide quality information on various physiological and biochemical changes occurring during early stages of rachis elongation.

}, keywords = {Bunch architecture, Gibberellic acid, Proteome, Rachis elongation, Vitis vinifera}, issn = {0721-7595}, doi = {10.1007/s00344-019-10041-y}, author = {Maske, Smita and Upadhyay, Anuradha and Jogaiha, Satisha and Patil, Sucheta S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {46189, title = {Why the thin film form of a photocatalyst is better than the particulate form for direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion: a poor man{\textquoteright}s approach}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {6094-6100}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We demonstrated an easy method to improve the efficiency of photocatalysts by an order of magnitude by maximizing light absorption and charge carrier diffusion. Degussa titania (P25) and Pd/P25 composite photocatalyst thin films coated over regular glass plates were prepared and evaluated for solar hydrogen production in direct sunlight with aqueous methanol. It is worth noting that only UV light present in direct sunlight (similar to 4\%) was absorbed by the catalysts. The hydrogen production activities of catalysts were compared for thin film and particulate forms at 1 and 25 mg levels. The hydrogen yield values suggested that 1 mg thin film form of Pd/P25 provided 11-12 times higher activity than 25 mg powder form. Comparable light absorption throughout the entire thickness of photocatalyst device and better contact of nanostructures that enabled the charge diffusion and charge utilization at redox sites are the reasons for high efficiency. While solar cells require charge carriers to diffuse through long distances of microns, they are utilized locally in an ensemble of particles (of nanometres) for hydrogen generation in photocatalyst thin films; this concept was used effectively in the present work.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c8ra09982k}, author = {Nalajala, Naresh and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Bharad, Pradnya A. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {46907, title = {2-D to 3-D conversion of WO3 nanostructures using structure directing agent for enhanced NO2 gas sensing performance}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators A-Physical}, volume = {304}, year = {2020}, month = {APR }, pages = {111882}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An exotic 3-D tungsten oxide (WO3) microflower was synthesized via low-cost and environmental-friendly hydrothermal strategy. The effect of structure-directing agent on the formation of 3-D microflowers from a 2-D nanosheets of WO3 and its gas sensing behavior are investigated. The assynthesized WO3 powder was used in morphological, structural and phase studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The WO3 samples were found to be polycrystalline with monoclinic crystal structure. The SEM micrographs revealed the formation of 3-D microflowers made up of two-dimensional (2-D) multi-directional dendritic nanoplates. The potassium hydroxide (KOH) acts as a structure-directing agent in the formation of 3-D microflowers of WO3 sample. To further understand the formation of 3-D microflowers of WO3 sample, concentration-dependent experiments were carried out by varying KOH concentration and the formation mechanism was investigated. The synthesized WO3 microstructures were subjected to detailed gas sensing tests for different gases at an optimized temperature. A selective, sensitive gas response was obtained for WO3 gas sensor. The lower detection limit is about 1 ppm at 150 degrees C working temperature for an optimized WO3 gas sensor. The gas sensing results indicate that the 3-D microflower-like WO3 nanostructures are highly promising for applications as gas sensors. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Microflowers, NO2 detection, WO3}, issn = {0924-4247}, doi = {10.1016/j.sna.2020.111882}, author = {Beknalkar, S. A. and Patil, V. L. and Harale, N. S. and Suryawanshi, M. P. and Patil, A. P. and Patil, V. B. and Kim, J. H. and Patil, P. S.} } @article {47290, title = {3 d transition metal-catalyzed hydrogenation of nitriles and alkynes}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {690-708}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Selective hydrogenation of nitriles and alkynes is crucial considering the vast applications of reduced products in industries and in the synthesis of bioactive compounds. Particularly, the late 3d transition metal catalysts (manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper) have shown promising activity for the hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines, secondary amines and imines. Similarly, semihydrogenation of alkynes to E- and Z-alkenes by 3d metals is adequately successful both via the transfer hydrogenation and by using molecular hydrogen. The emergence of 3d transition metals in the selective synthesis of industrially relevant amines, imines and alkenes makes this protocol more attractive. Herein, we provide a concise overview on the late 3d transition metal-catalyzed hydrogenation of nitriles to amines and imines as well as semihydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes.

}, keywords = {3d transition metal, Alkynes, Hydrogenation, nitriles, Semihydrogenation}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201901762, Early Access Date = FEB 2020}, author = {Sharma, Dipesh M. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46680, title = {Access to diverse germylenes and a six-membered dialane with a flexible beta-diketiminate}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {56}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11871-11874}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A nacnac-based tridentate ligand containing a picolyl group (L) was employed to isolate chlorogermylene (1). The reaction of1with another equivalent of GeCl2 center dot dioxane surprisingly gave pyridylpyrrolide-based chlorogermylene (2)viaC-N bond cleavage and C-C coupling, while with AlCl3, it afforded a transmetalated product,4. The reaction of L with AlH3 center dot NMe2Et led to an unusual cyclohexane type six-membered dialane heterocycle (5).

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d0cc05202g}, author = {Pahar, Sanjukta and Swamy, V. S. V. S. N. and Das, Tamal and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Vanka, Kumar and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {46750, title = {AIE emission of SDS capped diphenylanthracene nanoparticles for selective recognition and estimation of Al(3+)ion in aqueous medium based on enhancement effect and analytical application}, journal = {Macromolecular Symposia}, volume = {392}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2000082}, type = {Proceedings Paper}, abstract = {

The sodium dodecyl sulfate capped 9,10 Diphenylanthracene nanoparticles is prepared by using reprecipitation method. The average particle size of NPs obtained from DLS examination is 67 nm. The aqueous suspension of NPs exhibits red shifted aggregation induces enhanced emission. The zeta potential value-42.9 mV indicates stability of NPs and generation of expected negative surface charge over the NPs to attract and adsorb cations from the solution on the surface. The cation recognition test based on fluorescence shows that the presence of Al(3+)ion significantly enhances the fluorescence of NPs. Furthermore, the proposed system is successfully applied for the detection of Al(3+)ion from environmental water samples and Digene table available in the market. The advantage of developed analytical method is lower value of LOD and even in presence of interfering ion Mg(2+)the Al(3+)is estimated with no need of their separation prior to analysis.

}, keywords = {10-Diphenyl anthracene nanoparticles, aggregation induced enhanced emission, Al(3+)detection, fluorescence enhancement, SDS capped 9}, issn = {1022-1360}, doi = {10.1002/masy.202000082}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sonali B. and Deshmukh, Gunvant R. and Bodake, Anita J. and Patil, Shivajirao R.} } @article {46629, title = {Amphiphilic mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptide-based bioactive and responsive self-assembled nanostructures for controlled and targeted lysosomal cargo delivery}, journal = {Biomaterials Science}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {6322-6336}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Receptors of carbohydrate mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) are overexpressed in specific cancer cells (such as breast cancer) and are also involved in the trafficking of mannose-6-phosphate labeled proteins exclusively onto lysosomes via cell surface M6P receptor (CI-MPR) mediated endocytosis. Herein, for the first time, mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptide ((M6P)GP)-based bioactive and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers are reported. They are selectively taken up via receptor-mediated endocytosis, and trafficked to lysosomes where they are subsequently degraded by pH or enzymes, leading to the release of the cargo inside the lysosomes. Two different amphiphilic M6P block copolymers (M6P)GP(15)-(PPO44)-P-A and (M6P)GP(15)-(PCL25)(2) were synthesized by click reaction of the alkyne end-functionalized (M6P)GP(15) with pH-responsive biocompatible azide end-functionalized acetal PPO and azide end-functionalized branched PCL, respectively. In water, the amphiphilic M6P-glycopolypeptide block copolymers self-assembled into micellar nanostructures, as was evidenced by DLS, TEM, AFM, and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. These micellar systems were competent to encapsulate the hydrophobic dye rhodamine-B-octadecyl ester, which was used as the model drug. They were stable at physiological pH but were found to disassemble at acidic pH (for (M6P)GP(15)-(PPO44)-P-A) or in the presence of esterase (for (M6P)GP(15)-(PCL25)(2)). These (M6P)GP based micellar nanoparticles can selectively target lysosomes in cancerous cells such as MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Finally, we demonstrate the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway of the native FL-(M6P)GP polymer and RBOE loaded (M6P)GP micellar-nanocarriers, and selective trafficking of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lysosomes, demonstrating their potential applicability toward receptor-mediated lysosomal cargo delivery.

}, issn = {2047-4830}, doi = {10.1039/d0bm01469a}, author = {Mondal, Basudeb and Pandey, Bhawana and Parekh, Nimisha and Panda, Sidharth and Dutta, Tahiti and Padhy, Abinash and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {46752, title = {Antibacterial properties of glycosylated surfaces: variation of the glucosidal moiety and fatty acid conformation of grafted microbial glycolipids}, journal = {Molecular Systems Design \& Engineering}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1307-1316}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glycosylated surfaces can display antimicrobial properties. It has been shown that sophorolipids can be used to develop biocidal coatings against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but with a limited efficiency so far. Therefore, it appears necessary to further investigate the surface antibacterial activity of a broader set of structurally related glycolipids. The present work explores the influence of the glucosidic moiety (gluco-, sophoro-, cellobio-) and the fatty acid backbone (saturated,cisortransmonounsaturated). We show that the fatty acid backbone plays an important role:cisderivative of sophorolipids (SL) grafted onto model gold surfaces has better biocidal properties than saturated (SL0) andtransmonounsaturated (SLt) molecules, which appear to be inefficient. The number of glucose units is also a key factor: a one-third decrease in antibacterial activity is observed when having one glucose unit (GL) compared to two (SL). Sugar acetylation (SLa) does not seem to have an impact on the biocidal properties of surfaces. These results are not limited to sophorolipids, with cellobioselipids (CL) leading to similar antibacterial observations.

}, issn = {2058-9689}, doi = {10.1039/d0me00059k}, author = {Valotteau, Claire and Roelants, Sophie L. K. V. and Dhasaiyan, Prabhu and Zibek, Susanne and Guenther, Michael and Soetaert, Wim and Everaert, Bernd and Pradier, Claire-Marie and Babonneau, Florence and Baccile, Niki and Humblot, Vincent} } @article {46617, title = {Anticancer potential of AgNPs synthesized using acinetobacter sp. and curcuma aromatica against HeLa cell lines: a comparative study}, journal = {Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology}, volume = {62}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {126630}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Biogenic nanoparticles are gaining attention due to their low toxicity and numerous biomedical applications. Present study aimed to compare the potential anticancer activity of two biogenic silver nanoparticles (bAgNPs and pAgNPs) against human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa). Methods: bAgNPs were synthesized using Acinetobacter sp. whereas pAgNPs were synthesized using aqueous root extract of Curcuma aromatica. Effect of these nanoparticles on HeLa cells viability was studied using MTT assay and colony formation assay. Anticancer potential was determined using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry studies. Bio-compatibility studies were performed against peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results: Both the nanoparticles showed 50 \% viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) when used at high concentration (200 mu g/mL). IC50 for bAgNPs and pAgNPs against HeLa cells were 17.4 and 14 mu g/mL respectively. Colony formation ability of Hela cells was reduced on treatment with both nanoparticles. Acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining demonstrated that bAgNPs were cytostatic whereas pAgNPs were apoptotic. JC-1 dye staining revealed that the mitochondrial membrane potential was affected on treatment with pAgNPs while it remained unchanged on bAgNPs treatment. Flow cytometry confirmed cell cycle arrest in HeLa cells on treatment with nanoparticles further leading to apoptosis in case of pAgNPs. About 77 and 58 \% HeLa cells were found in subG1 phase on treatment with bAgNPs and pAgNPs respectively. bAgNPs showed cytostatic effect on HeLa cells arresting the cell growth in subG1 phase, whereas, pAgNPs triggered death of HeLa cells through mitochondrial membrane potential impairment and apoptosis. Conclusion: Overall, bAgNPs and pAgNPs could be safe and showed potential to be used as anticancer nanoantibiotics against human cervical cancer cells.

}, keywords = {Acinetobacter sp., AgNPs, Anticancer, Curcuma aromatica, HeLa cells, PBMCs}, issn = {0946-672X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtemb.2020.126630}, author = {Nadhe, Shradhda B. and Tawre, Madhumita S. and Agrawal, Sonia and Chopade, Balu A. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Pardesi, Karishma} } @article {46614, title = {Bacterial biofilm formation using PCL/curcumin electrospun fibers and its potential use for biotechnological applications}, journal = {Materials}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5556}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Bacteria, curcumin, electrospinning, Escherichia coli, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus}, doi = {10.3390/ma13235556}, author = {Pompa-Monroy, Daniella Alejandra and Figueroa-Marchant, Paulina Guadalupe and Dastager, Syed G. and Thorat, Meghana Namdeo and Iglesias, Ana Leticia and Miranda-Soto, Valentin and Perez-Gonzalez, Graciela Lizeth and Villarreal-Gomez, Luis Jesus} } @article {46947, title = {Biofilm formation to inhibition: role of zinc oxide-based nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {108}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {110319}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have received much attention worldwide as they possess unique properties like varied morphology, large surface area to volume ratio, potent antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility. Biofilm contains homogenous or heterogeneous microorganisms that remain enclosed in a matrix of an extracellular polymeric substance on biotic or abiotic surfaces. Bacterial biofilm formed on medical devices such as central venous catheters, urinary catheters, prosthetic joints, cardiovascular implantable devices, dental implants, contact lenses, intrauterine contraceptive devices and breast implants cause persistent infections. Such biofilm-associated infections in medical implants cause serious problems for public health and affect the function of medical implants. So, there is an urgent need for the use of an antimicrobial agent that will inhibit biofilm, including such antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains as bacteria, to develop multiple drug-resistances resulting in failure of the antibiotic{\textquoteright}s action. The antimicrobial agent used should be ideal in terms of biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, stability at different environmental conditions, with less sensitivity to the development of resistance towards micro-organisms, safe for in vivo and in vitro use, and remain non-hazardous to the environment, etc. The first objective of the review discusses the insights into the formation of biofilm on a medical device with the current strategies to inhibit. The second purpose is to review the recent progress in ZnO- based nanostructure including composites for antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities. This will offer a new opportunity for the application of Zinc oxide-based material in the prevention of biofilm on the medical devices.

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, Antibiofilm agent, Biocompatibility, Biofilm, Nanocomposites, ZnO nanoparticles}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2019.110319}, author = {Mahamuni-Badiger, Pranjali P. and Patil, Pooja M. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Thorat-Gadgil, Bhagyashi S. and Pandit, Abhay and Bohara, Raghvendra A.} } @article {46721, title = {Bioinspired synthesis of multifunctional silver nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial and catalytic applications with tailored SPR properties}, journal = {Materials Today Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {100285}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the developing nanotechnology world, numerous attempts have been made to prepare the nobel metallic nanoparticles (NPs), which can improve their applicability in diverse fields. In the present work, the biosynthesis of silver (Ag) NPs has been successfully achieved through the medicinal plant extract (PE) of G. resinifera and effectively used for the catalytic and antibacterial applications. The size dependant tuneable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties attained through altering precursor concentrations. The X-ray and selected area diffraction pattern for Ag NPs revealed the high crystalline nature of pure Ag NPs with dominant (111) phase. The high-resolution TEM images show the nonspherical shape of NPs shifting from spherical, hexagonal to triangular, with wide particle size distribution ranging from 13 to 44 nm. Accordingly, the dual-band SPR spectrum is situated in the UV-Vis spectra validating the non-spherical shape of Ag NPs. The functional group present on the Ag NPs surface was analysed by FT-IR confirms the capping and reducing ability of methanolic PE G. resinifera. Further, the mechanism of antimicrobial activity studied using electron microscope showed the morphological changes with destructed cell walls of E. coli NCIM 2931 and S. aureus NCIM 5021 cells, when they treated with Ag NPs. The Ag NPs were more effective against S. aureus and E. coli with MIC 128 mu g/ml as compared to P. aeruginosa NCIM 5029 with MIC 256 mu g/ml. Apart from this, the reduction of toxic organic pollutant 4-NP to 4-AP within 20 min reveals the excellent catalytic activity of Ag NPs with rate constant k = 15.69 s(-1). (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag NPs, Antibacterial, Catalytic activity, Gardenia resinifera, surface plasmon resonance}, issn = {2468-5194}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtchem.2020.100285}, author = {Parit, S. B. and Karade, V. C. and Patil, R. B. and Pawar, V. N. and Dhavale, R. P. and Tawre, M. and Pardesi, K. and Jadhav, U. U. and Dawkar, V. V. and Tanpure, R. S. and Kim, J. H. and Jadhav, J. P. and Chougale, A. D.} } @article {46825, title = {Bio-surfactant: a green and environmentally benign reaction medium for ligand-free Pd-catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling reaction in water}, journal = {Transition Metal Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {403-411}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient protocol for the ligand-free Mizoroki-Heck coupling reaction of various aryl bromides with different olefins has been reported by using in situ generated PdNPs of size 5-10 nm in aqueous solution of bio-surfactant. The bio-surfactant used in this study is a saponin extract of the seeds of pericarps (pods) of theAcacia concinnaplant. The in situ generated PdNPs have been characterized by various techniques such as HRTEM, EDS and XPS. The influence of various parameters such as the nature and amount of bases, the nature of Pd precatalysts as well as the effect of temperature has been investigated on Mizoroki-Heck coupling reaction. The generated PdNPs significantly coupled the various aryl bromides with different olefins in aqueous extract of the seeds of pericarps (pods) of theAcacia concinnaplant at 100 degrees C. [GRAPHICS] .

}, issn = {0340-4285}, doi = {10.1007/s11243-020-00392-x, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Patil, Seema P. and Jadhav, Sanjay N. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Shejwal, Rajendra V. and Kumbhar, Arjun S.} } @article {46606, title = {Bis(silanetellurone) with C-H center dot center dot center dot Te Interaction}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {59}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC }, pages = {17811-17821}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of bis(silanechalcogenones) [Ch = Te (2), S (3), or Se (4)] using an N-heterocyclic silylene-based SiCSi pincer ligand (1). 2 is the first example of a bis(silanetellurone) derivative. The bonding patterns of 2-4 were extensively studied by natural bond orbital, quantum theory of atoms in molecules, and noncovalent interaction index analyses, and these exhibit weak C-H center dot center dot center dot Ch interaction. The analogous reaction of 1 with trimethyl N-oxide produced a novel bis(cyclosiloxane) derivative (5). All of the complexes are duly characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1, C-13, and Si-29) spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c03098}, author = {Ghosh, Moushakhi and Panwaria, Prakash and Tothadi, Srinu and Das, Aloke and Khan, Shabana} } @article {47319, title = {Boron nitride and oxide supported on dendritic fibrous nanosilica for catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of propane}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {16124-16135}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we were able to significantly increase the activity of boron nitride (BN) catalysts used for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane by designing and synthesizing BN supported on dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS). DFNS/BN showed a markedly increased catalytic efficiency, accompanied by exceptional stability and selectivity. Textural characterization, together with solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses, indicates the presence of a combination of unique fibrous morphology of DFNS and various boron sites connected to silica to be the reason for this increase in the catalytic performance. Notably, DFNS/B2O3 also showed catalytic activity, although with more moderate selectivity compared to that of DFNS/BN. Solid-state NMR spectra indicate that the higher selectivity of DFNS/BN might stem from a larger amount of hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups attached to B atoms. This study indicates that both boron nitride and oxide are active catalysts and by using high surface area support (DFNS), conversion from propane to propene as well as productivity of olefins was significantly increased.

}, keywords = {Electron microscopy, heterogeneous catalysis, Nanostructures, NMR spectroscopy, propane dehydrogenation, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04148}, author = {Belgamwar, Rajesh and Rankin, Andrew G. M. and Maity, Ayan and Mishra, Amit Kumar and Gomez, Jennifer S. and Trebosc, Julien and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Lafon, Olivier and Polshettiwar, Vivek} } @article {46792, title = {Can half-a-monolayer of pt simulate activity like that of bulk pt? solar hydrogen activity demonstration with quasi-artificial leaf device}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {12}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {30420-30430}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pt is the best cocatalyst for hydrogen production. It is also well-known that the surface atomic layer is critical for catalysis. To minimize the Pt content as cocatalyst, herein we report on half-a-monolayer of Pt (0.5 theta(Pt)) decorated on earth-abundant Ni-Cu cocatalyst, which is integrated with a quasiartificial leaf (QuAL) device (TiO2/ZnS/CdS) and demonstrated for efficient solar hydrogen production. For the QuAL, TiO2 is sensitized with ZnS and CdS quantum dots by the SILAR method. The 0.5 theta(Pt)-decorated Ni-Cu shows an onset potential of 0.05 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode for the hydrogen evolution reaction, which is almost similar to that of commercial Pt/C. Photoactivity of the present QuAL device with either bulk Pt or 0.5 theta(Pt)-coated Ni-Cu cocatalyst is, surprisingly, equal. Our findings underscore that a fraction of a monolayer of Pt can enhance the activity of the cocatalyst, and it is worth exploring further for the high activity associated with atomic Pt and other noble metals.

}, keywords = {artificial leaf, nickel-copper, Photocatalysis, platinum, Solar hydrogen}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.0c07431}, author = {Bajpai, Himanshu and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Ranjan, Ravi and Nalajala, Naresh and Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {45546, title = {Carbon quantum dots functionalized agarose gel matrix for in solution detection of nonylphenol}, journal = {Environmental Technology}, volume = {41}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {322-328}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nonylphenol, an endocrine disrupter, is widely released to the aquatic environment, which is accumulative and extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. Here, we report a simple and cost-effective large-scale green synthesis of water-soluble highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from marine biowaste (offshore washed algae) which gets quenched strongly in the presence of nonylphenol. These CQDs were around 20-40 nm in size and exhibit fluorescence constantly at 360 nm. The XRD profile depicted the interlayer spacing in the particle as 0.284 nm with a humped peak around 14 degrees showing the amorphous nature of the CQDs. FTIR spectra showed the stretching vibration of the hydroxyl groups (OH), asymmetric and symmetric stretching vibrations of the carboxylate anions (COO-). The fluorescence quantum yield of the CQDs is up to 68\% and nonyl phenol detection limit is less than 0.1 {\textmu}M. Furthermore, the CQDs were found to be stable at a wide pH range which makes it a suitable nonylphenol sensor for a variety of environmental samples. We functionalized these CQDs on an agarose gel matrix to develop a convenient sensor for the rapid detection of nonylphenol.

}, keywords = {Carbon quantum dots, endocrine disrupter, marine algae, nonylphenol, pollutant}, issn = {0959-3330}, doi = {10.1080/09593330.2018.1498133}, author = {Singh, S. and Nigam, P. and Pednekar, A. and Mukherjee, S. and Mishra, A.} } @article {46682, title = {Cascade dehydrative amination of glycerol to oxazoline (vol 8, pg 2954, 2018)}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {6740}, type = {Correction}, abstract = {

Correction for {\textquoteleft}Cascade dehydrative amination of glycerol to oxazoline{\textquoteright} by R. Pandyaet al.,Catal. Sci. Technol., 2018,8, 2954-2965, DOI: ;10.1039/C8CY00185E.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d0cy90089c}, author = {Pandya, R. and Mane, R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article {46952, title = {Catalyst-free regioselective [3+2] cycloadditions of alpha,beta-unsaturated N-arylnitrones with alkenes to access functionalized isoxazolidines: a DFT study}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {899-903}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The catalyst-free regioselective [3+2]-cycloaddition of alpha,beta-unsaturated N-arylnitrones with alkenes are developed. The series of synthetically important functionalized isoxazolidines are prepared in good to excellent yields by step economic pathway under ligand and transition-metal-free conditions. The regioselective cycloaddition pathway supported by control experiment and computational study.

}, keywords = {DFT study, isoxazolidines, metal and ligand free, nitrone cycloaddition, Regioselective}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201901754, Early Access Date = FEB 2020}, author = {Ghosh, Arnab and Mane, Manoj V. and Rode, Haridas B. and Patil, Siddappa A. and Sridhar, Balasubramanian and Dateer, Ramesh B.} } @inbook {47833, title = {Chapter 18 - Advances in agrochemical remediation using nanoparticles}, booktitle = {Agrochemicals Detection, Treatment and Remediation}, year = {2020}, pages = {465-485}, publisher = {Butterworth-Heinemann}, organization = {Butterworth-Heinemann}, abstract = {Agrochemical pollution is a serious threat to environmental safety. Exposure to agrochemicals had deleterious health effects such as nervous system damage and cancer. Biological magnification of persistent agrochemicals also occurred. Hence, remediation approaches for agrochemical pollution must be a holistic approach, including environment and crop produces. The advent of nanotechnology helped to formulate highly efficient methods for the remediation of agrochemicals. High reactive surface area and very small packing space requirements made usage of nanoparticles as a popular agent in agrochemical remediation. Growing interests in surface-engineered nanoparticles promise complete removal of agrochemicals from the environment. Nanosorbents immobilized agrochemicals in the soil and helped microbial degradation of these compounds. However, many of the agrochemicals are persistent, and hence complete removal of these residues practice via photocatalysis. Photocatalytic degradation of persistent agrochemicals using bimetallic nanocomposites widely adopted. Large-scale environmental remediation of agrochemicals in soil, water, and agriculture products achieved via nanoparticles-based agrochemical cleaning systems such as thin-film fixed-bed reactors and nano-phytoremediation.}, keywords = {agrochemical cleaning systems, nanosorbents, Pesticides, Photocatalysis, surface engineering}, isbn = {978-0-08-103017-2}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-08-103017-2.00018-0}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081030172000180}, author = {Abin Sebastian and Ashwini Nangia and Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad}, editor = {Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad} } @article {46844, title = {Characterisation of hyper tolerant Bacillus firmus L-148 for arsenic oxidation}, journal = {Environmental Pollution}, volume = {261}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {114124}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Groundwater arsenic pollution causes millions of deaths worldwide. Long term natural and anthropogenic activities have increased arsenic levels in groundwater causing higher threats of arsenic exposure. Arsenic hyper-tolerant Firmicute Bacillus firmus L-148 was isolated from arsenic limiting Lonar lake soil, which tolerated more than 3 M arsenic and could oxidize 75 mM arsenite [As(III)] in 14 days. It oxidized As(III) in presence of heavy metals and had unusual pH optima at 9.2. B. firmus L-148 was studied at the biochemical, protein, genomic and transcript level for understanding its arsenic oxidizing machinery. The proteomic and transcript analysis exhibited the presence of ars and aio operon and supported the inducible nature of ars operon. Robust, hyper-tolerant, fast As(III) oxidizing, least nutrient requiring and multi-metal resistance qualities of the strain were used in microcosm studies for bioremediation. Artificial groundwater mimicking microcosm with 75 mM As(III) was developed. Modulation of carbon source, iron and multi metals affected growth and As(III) oxidation rate. The As(III) oxidation was recorded to be 77\% in 15 days in presence of sodium acetate and Fe ions. This microcosm study can be explored for bioremediation of arsenic contaminated water and followed by precipitation using other methods. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Arsenic hyper-tolerance, Lonar lake, Microcosm studies, Multi-metal resistance, Next generation sequencing}, issn = {0269-7491}, doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114124}, author = {Bagade, Aditi and Nandre, Vinod and Paul, Dhiraj and Patil, Yugendra and Sharma, Nisha and Giri, Ashok and Kodam, Kisan} } @article {46699, title = {Characterization of multidrug resistance in Vibriospecies isolated from marine invertebrates from Andaman Sea}, journal = {3 Biotech}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {456}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study describes the abundance of multidrug-resistantVibriosassociated with marine invertebrate hosts from the Andaman Sea, India. Thirty-eightVibriostrains were isolated from surface mucus layers of coralPorites,Goniastrea, Pocillopora, Fungia, and eggs of spiny lobster (Panulirus penicillatus). Phenotypically, the majority of strains exhibited growth at a wide range of temperatures, salt tolerance, and diverse nutritional requirements. All the strains had more than 97\% 16S rRNA sequence similarity with type species of the genusVibriowhereVibrio fortis, andVibrio alginolyticuswere predominant. Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) using eight housekeeping genes namelyftsZ,gapA,gyrB,mreB,pyrH,recA,rpoA,andtopAdistributed the strains into 6 reported clades i.e.,Harveyi, Ponticus, Nereis, Orientalis, Splendidus,andMediterraneiwhere nearly half of the total strains represented the cladeHarveyi, followed by the cladeSplendidus.Likewise, the PFGE profile indicated genomic heterogeneity among the strains resulting in their distribution in five major clusters. Resistance to different antimicrobials was tested following the disc diffusion method where all strains were found susceptible to chloramphenicol (30 mu g) and resistant to streptomycin (10 mu g), vancomycin (30 mu g), sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (25 mu g). Moreover, the resistant phenotype to other antimicrobials confirmed the abundance of multidrug resistance strains in this marine environment.

}, keywords = {Drug-resistant, Genetic diversity, marine invertebrate, Multilocus sequence analysis, Vibrio}, issn = {2190-572X}, doi = {10.1007/s13205-020-02445-5}, author = {Kumari, Prabla and Poddar, Abhijit and Das, Subrata K.} } @article {47000, title = {Chemoselective ring closure of 4-(3-Methyl-2-oxo-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)butanal leading to pandalizine A}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN }, pages = {859-863}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Starting from methylmaleic anhydride, a facile total synthesis of pandalizine A alkaloid is described via the regioselective reduction of methylmaleimide and acid-catalyzed enolization of 4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)butanal followed by chemoselective intramolecular dehydrative cyclization as the key steps. It is noteworthy that the analogous model system with an additional beta-methyl group followed an alternative chemoselective intermolecular aldol condensation pathway.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b03760}, author = {Yadav, Mahesh B. and Pandhade, Kailas R. and Argade, Narshinha P.} } @article {46688, title = {CO2 hydrogenation to formate by palladium nanoparticles supported on N-incorporated periodic mesoporous organosilica}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {14765-14774}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Development of a heterogeneous catalyst capable of selective transformation of CO2 to valuable products still remains a challenge. In this article, we account for the surfactant-directed synthesis of a new framework-incorporated nitrogen-containing periodic mesoporous organosilica nanosphere (NPMO). A thoroughly characterized N-incorporated hybrid PMO was utilized as a platform for stabilizing well-dispersed and easily accessible Pd nanoparticles (Pd-NPMO) without using any stabilizing agents or expensive dendrimers. Further, this bifunctional hybrid catalyst has been demonstrated to heterogeneously catalyze aqueous phase CO2 hydrogenation (CO2/H-2 ratio 1:3) for the direct synthesis of formate under 4 MPa pressure and at 100 degrees C. To validate the superior performance of the Pd-NPMO catalyst, we compared the activity with Pd-SBA-15 catalysts, and the results showed a 10-fold increase in turnover frequency of 108 h(-1) using Pd on NPMO which envisaged the crucial role of nitrogen sites in this catalyst to boost the CO2 valorization to formate.

}, keywords = {CO2 hydrogenation, Formic acid synthesis, Hybrid silica, Pd nanoparticles, PMO}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c03860}, author = {Betsy, K. J. and Lazar, Anish and Pavithran, Anjuna and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {46816, title = {Combinatorial approach through in vitro regeneration and phytochemical profiling of ceropegia media (huber) ans.: a potential way forward in the conservation of an endangered medicinal plant from the western ghats in India}, journal = {Journal of Plant Growth Regulation}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, type = {Article; Early Access 2020}, abstract = {

Ceropegia mediais an endemic and endangered plant as its propagation through seeds is unreliable due to low germination, slow growth and seedling decay under natural conditions. Also, tubers of this plant are edible serving as carbohydrate source with medicinal values leading to severe population decline in the natural habitat. To provide a sustainable solution, an efficient in vitro propagation protocol along with phytochemical profiling was developed forC. media. Callus cultures were induced from seedling and wild leaf tissues using the most effective Murashige and Skoog{\textquoteright}s (MS) medium with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 2 mu M) and sucrose (3\%). Somatic embryos were acquired on MS medium with 1 mu M 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1 mu M 2,4-D. Conversion into plantlets was attained only from tissue culture-derived seedling leaf (TCDSL) explant. Further, in vitro tuberization was achieved from TCDSL callus with BAP and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). AgNO(3)as an elicitor had a positive effect on both fresh and dry weights of callus. Successful acclimatization (58\%) was attained after two months resulting in normal phenotype in pots. Further, metabolite profiles of ten different tissues from wild and in vitro plants were compared. Total 82 compounds comprising alkaloids, fatty acids, fatty acid ester, steroids, terpenes and hydrocarbons were identified. Overall, results suggested enhanced production of selected metabolites with in vitro propagation and AgNO3, alleviating the problem of unavailability of planting materials. Thus, the current study might offer potential ways for the conservation of such RED enlisted species asC. media. [GRAHICS]

}, keywords = {Ceropegia media, GC-MS, Microtuberization, Secondary metabolites, Silver nitrate, somatic embryogenesis}, issn = {0721-7595}, doi = {10.1007/s00344-020-10173-6, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Pandey, Meena and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {46979, title = {Comparative proteomics unravels the differences in salt stress response of own-rooted and 110R-grafted thompson seedless grapevines}, journal = {Journal of Proteome Research}, volume = {19}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {583-599}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Thompson Seedless, a commonly grown table grape variety, is sensitive to salinity when grown on its own roots, and therefore, it is frequently grafted onto salinity-tolerant wild grapevine rootstocks. Rising soil salinity is a growing concern in irrigated agricultural systems. The accumulation of salts near the root zone severely hampers plant growth, leading to a decrease in the productive lifespan of grapevine and causing heavy yield losses to the farmer. In the present study, we investigated the differences in response to salinity between own-rooted Thompson Seedless (TSOR) and 110R-grafted Thompson Seedless (TS110R) grapevines, wherein 110R is reported to be a salt-tolerant rootstock. The grapevines were subjected to salt stress by treating them with a 150 mM NaCl solution. The stress-induced changes in protein abundance were investigated using a label-free shotgun proteomics approach at three time points viz. 6 h, 48 h, and 7 days of salt treatment. A total of 2793 proteins were identified, of which 246 were differentially abundant at various time-points in TSOR and TS110R vines. The abundance of proteins involved in several biological processes such as photosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, translation, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and generation of precursor metabolites was significantly affected by salt stress in both the vines but at different stages of stress. The results revealed that TSOR vines responded fervently to salt stress, while TS110R vines adopted a preventive approach. The findings of this study add to the knowledge of salinity response in woody and grafted plants and hence open the scope for further studies on salt stress-specific differences induced by grafting.

}, keywords = {110R rootstock, gene ontology, grafting, label-free proteomics, salt stress, Vitis vinifera}, issn = {1535-3893}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00420}, author = {Patil, Sucheta and Shinde, Manisha and Prashant, Ramya and Kadoo, Narendra and Upadhyay, Anuradha and Gupta, Vidya} } @article {46824, title = {Conjunctive photoluminescence enhancement through plasmonic and photonic band-gap pathways in a chiral self-assembled system}, journal = {ChemPhotoChem}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {582-591}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We describe two parallel pathways for enhancing the intrinsic photoluminescence of an organic emitter dispersed in a liquid crystal (LC) medium. The pathways have independent origins: (i) Metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) incorporating gold nanoparticles having an organic shell of pro-mesogenic cholesterol esters; and (ii) Matching the photonic band gap (PBG) due to the helical structure in a self-assembled chiral system with the excitation wavelength. This unprecedented combination of both pathways achieves a level of photoluminescence exceeding the sum of the contribution from the individual methods. This conjunctive protocol results in an overall enhancement by a factor of 37 between the emitter dispersed in a non-chiral LC and that appealing to both MEF and PBG pathways. Circular polarized luminescence measurements also show that this protocol helps in effective discrimination of chiral light achieving a large dissymmetry factor whose magnitude (+0.33) is comparable to the highest recorded to date. Electric field switching between two states is also shown to result in appreciable fluorescence modulation. Being generic in nature the protocol employed can be adapted to a variety of situations with the large magnitude as well the modulation level suitable for applications such as biosensors, various analyte detection, and other photonic devices.

}, keywords = {chirality, circularly polarized luminescence, liquid crystals, photonic band-gap, plasmonics}, issn = {2367-0932}, doi = {10.1002/cptc.202000077, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Baral, Marlin and Krishna Prasad, S. and Bhat, Sachin A. and Nayak, Rashmi A. and Yelamaggad, C. V.} } @article {46921, title = {Construction of unique SCF3-containing building blocks via allylic alkylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {18}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2085-2093}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lewis base-catalyzed allylic alkylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts with alpha-SCF3 ketones has been demonstrated. The developed strategy provides efficient access to a series of highly functionalized scaffolds featuring trifluoromethanesufinyl motif on a stereogenic carbon.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d0ob00104j}, author = {Halder, Priyanka and Pol, Mahesh D. and Ahire, Milind M. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {46662, title = {Cooperative acid-base sites of solid Ba-Zr mixed oxide catalyst for efficient isomerization of glucose to fructose in aqueous medium}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12505-12513}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Efficient and highly selective isomerization of glucose to fructose was achieved by using the inexpensive Ba-Zr mixed metal oxide catalyst. Catalyst was prepared by varying Ba-Zr ratios using co-precipitation method. Various phases formed, planes exposed, morphology, elemental composition and particle size, basic site density and strength, oxidation state of elements were well studied by using various characterization techniques. The XRD analysis clearly indicates the presence of Ba+2 and Zr+4 in the form of BaO, ZrO2 and BaZrO3 phases. The SEM and HR-TEM images indicate that, Ba-Zr (2 : 1) catalyst prepared showed uniform morphology with spherical and rod-shaped particles ranging from 300 to 600 nm. Under the optimized reaction conditions Ba-Zr (2 : 1) catalyst exhibited excellent results in terms of 57 \% of glucose conversion with 89 \% selective formation of glucose. The presence of both acidic as well as basic sites play vital roles in activating the substrate molecules to selectively yield fructose. Ba-Zr (2 : 1) catalyst showed excellent recyclability performance up to four recycles.

}, keywords = {Co-precipitation, fructose, glucose, isomerization, mixed metal oxide}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202003071}, author = {Shaikh, Samrin S. and Patil, Chetana R. and Kondawar, Sharda E. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {46884, title = {Copper-catalyzed direct arylation of indoles and related (hetero)arenes: a ligandless and solvent-free approach}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {362}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {2534-2540}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A ligandless and solvent-free copper-catalyzed method for the regioselective C-H bond arylation of indoles and related heteroarenes is reported. The use of CuCl efficiently catalyzes the direct coupling of diverse heteroarenes with aryl iodides via chelation-assistance. This reaction could tolerate sensitive and structurally diverse functionalities, including halides, ethers, thioethers, amines, indolyl, pyrrolyl and carbazolyl groups. The directing group, 2-pyridinyl can be smoothly removed to generate C-2 arylated free-NH indoles, and the arylated indoles can further be functionalized into Tryptamine derivatives. Preliminary mechanistic study revealed a radical pathway for the arylation reaction.

}, keywords = {Arylation, C-H activation, Chelation-assistance, Copper, Indole, Solvent-free}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.202000312, Early Access Date = APR 2020}, author = {Pandey, Dilip K. and Shabade, Anand B. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46760, title = {Correlation between multifunctional properties of lead free Iron doped BCT perovskite ceramics}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {46}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG }, pages = {17495-17507}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Present study investigates the effect of Fe doping on structural, microstructural, dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and magnetic properties of Barium calcium titanate (BCT) ceramics synthesized by solid state reaction route. The polycrystalline tetragonal structure of prepared ceramics was confirmed from XRD study. Analysis done using Rietveld refinement reveals reduction in lattice parameters as well as unit cell volume on substitution of Fe3+ ions in BCT lattice. Occurrence of four distinct Raman bands viz. 297 cm(-1) -302 cm(-1), 473 cm(-1)-475 cm(-1), 516 cm(-1) -524 cm(-1) and 729 cm(-1) -733 cm(-1) in Raman spectroscopic studies confirms the tetragonal phase of prepared ceramic compositions which are in accordance with XRD study. The Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis revealed polyhedral shaped grains whose average grain size decreased with increase in Fe content (x) in BCT ceramics. A diffused frequency independent phase transition was observed in temperature dependent dielectric measurements. Dielectric properties improved significantly, with shifting of transition temperature, T c close to room temperature with Fe doping. These studiessuggest applications of these ceramics in the development of environment friendly dielectric materials meeting X7R MLCCs specifications. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of these ceramic compositions were found to decrease with increase in Fe concentration. Feeble room temperature ferromagnetism was observed for composition x = 0.020.

}, keywords = {BCT, dielectric response, Fe doping, ferroelectric properties, Lead free ceramics, Magnetic measurements}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.04.045}, author = {Redhu, Preeti and Punia, Rajesh and Hooda, Ashima and Malik, B. P. and Sharma, Geeta and Sharma, Preeti} } @article {46679, title = {Cyanosilylation by compounds with main-group elements: an odyssey}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {25477-25484}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

The past few decades have seen remarkable headways in the structural and reaction chemistry of compounds with heavier main-group elements. In recent years, there is an ongoing effort to derive catalytic chemistry involving main-group compounds, driven by their lower costs and higher terrestrial abundances. Here, a survey on the state-of-the-art in the development of cyanosilylation methodology by compounds with heavier main-group elements has been given. Once dominated by transition metals, the field has matured to embrace the majority of the main-group elements including aluminum, silicon, and calcium. Of particular focus will be how the mechanism of cyanosilylation involving compounds with main-group elements differs from those of transition metals.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.0c03293}, author = {Pahar, Sanjukta and Kundu, Gargi and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {46841, title = {Design, expression, and evaluation of novel multiepitope chimeric antigen of Wuchereria bancrofti for the diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis - A structure-based strategy}, journal = {International Immunopharmacology}, volume = {83}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {106431}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Global Program for Elimination Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is in an advanced stage and requires tools for diagnosing infection, assessing transmission and certification. This study was aimed at developing an antibody-based assay using a chiemric antigen containing multi-B-cell epitopes from antigens highly expressed in different stages of Wuchereria bancrofti to detect LF infection and its transmission. The antigen was express cloned and two indirect ELISA based (IgG1 \& IgG4 based) antibody assays were developed using the recombinant antigen. The chimeric antigen displayed 1 and 3-fold reactivity with IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies, respectively in microfilaraial (mf) positive sera when compared to that in sera samples of Non-endemic normal sera (NEN) (O.D, 0.13 +/- 0.20 and 0.18 +/- 0.07), thus differentiating infected from uninfected individuals. In IgG1 and IgG4 antibody assays, the multiepitope antigen also showed reactivity (O.D, 0.27 +/- 0.18 and 0.16 +/- 0.03) in a small proportion (18 and 30, respectively out of 156) endemic normal individuals and in IgG1 antibody in a few (4) chronic patients (CP). The antigen did not react with IgG1 or IgG4 antibodies in the sera samples of malaria, scrub typhus, dengue, hookworm, and roundworm helminth cases (0.139 +/- 0.018, 0.144 +/- 0.007 0.17804 +/- 0.007 and 0.162 +/- 0.006), thus showing its high specificity. The sensitivity (\%) and specificity (\%) of the multi-epitope antigen-based IgG1 and IgG4 antibody assays are 100, 98.1 and 100, 99.52, respectively. Thus, the recombinant multiepitope antigen appears to have good potential in detecting active LF infection and in assessing its transmission in endemic communities.

}, keywords = {Filariasis, Multi-epitope antigen, Serodiagnosis, Transmission}, issn = {1567-5769}, doi = {10.1016/j.intimp.2020.106431}, author = {Yasin, Nazeer and Laxmanappa, Hoti Sugerappa and Muddapur, Uday M. and Cheruvathur, Jennifer and Prakash, S. M. Uday and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu Venkataramaiah} } @article {46733, title = {Development of a smart scaffold for sequential cancer chemotherapy and tissue engineering}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {20724-20733}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The fabrication of a dual-functional drug-containing porous polymeric scaffold by layer-by-layer surface modification involving citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles and cisplatin molecules is being reported. These scaffolds were characterized by electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The capability of the scaffolds to release hydrated cisplatin in a slow and sustained manner over two days is established. Most importantly, the scaffolds turn nontoxic and cell-friendly after drug release, thus allowing the noncancerous fibroblast cells to adhere and proliferate (from 5000 cells to 16,000 cells in 6 days), becoming a potential solution toward an effective drug-carrying scaffold for volume-filling applications. The scaffold-mediated cancer cell killing and fibroblast cell proliferation were confirmed by fluorescence microscopy imaging, flow cytometry, and cell proliferation assays. We surmise that such a dual-purpose (drug-delivery and volume-filler) scaffold could help avoid the multiple surgical interventions needed for tumor surgery and cosmetic corrections. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of scaffolds with such a dual functionality which gets manifested in a sequential manner.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b03694}, author = {Sengupta, Poulomi and Agrawal, Vinay and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {47009, title = {Development of multiple reaction monitoring assay for quantification of carnosine in human plasma}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN }, pages = {763-769}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Carnosine, a histidine containing dipeptide, exerts beneficial effects by scavenging reactive carbonyl compounds (RCCs) that are implicated in pathogenesis of diabetes. However, the reduced carnosine levels may aggravate the severity of diabetes. The precise quantification of carnosine levels may serve as an indicator of pathophysiological state of diabetes. Therefore, we have developed a highly sensitive targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) method for quantification of carnosine in human plasma samples. Various mass spectrometry parameters such as ionization of precursor, fragment abundance and stability, collision energy, tube lens offset voltage were optimized to develop a sensitive and robust assay. Using the optimized MRM assay, the lower limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for carnosine were found to be 0.4 nM and 1.0 nM respectively. Standard curves were constructed ranging from 1.0 nM to 15.0 mu M and the levels of carnosine in mice and human plasma were determined. Further, the MRM assay was extended to study carnosine hydrolyzing activity of human carnosinases, the serum carnosinase (CN1) and the cytosolic carnosinase (CN2). CN1 showed three folds higher activity than CN2. The MRM assay developed in this study is highly sensitive and can be used for basal plasma carnosine quantification, which can be developed as a novel marker for scavenging of RCCs in diabetes.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ra08532g}, author = {Pandya, Vaibhav Kumar and Sonwane, Babasaheb and Rathore, Rajeshwari and Unnikrishnan, A. G. and Kumaran, Sangaralingam and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {46694, title = {Discovery of 3-(benzofuran-2-ylmethyl)-1H-indole derivatives as potential autophagy inducers in cervical cancer cells}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {30}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {127431}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this manuscript we have documented the identification of a novel anticancer scaffold 3-(benzofuran-2-yl-methyl)-1H-indole. This scaffold has been designed by tweaking the known bisindolylmethane scaffold of natural products that display a wide range of biological activities. A series of 24 new conjugates have been synthesized and among them 5 derivatives exhibited IC50 values less than 40 mu M against two cervical cancer cell lines SiHa and C33a. Further mechanistic studies of two compounds 3eb and 3ec revealed that the toxicity of these compounds was due to the effective induction of autophagy mediated cell death. The autophagy induction was confirmed by the progressive conversion of LC3I to LC3II and downregulation of p62 in cervical cancer cells.

}, keywords = {Autophagy, Benzofuran, Bisindolylmethane, Cervical cancer, Friedel-Crafts alkylation}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127431}, author = {Siddiqui, Shaziyaparveen K. and SahayaSheela, Vinodh J. and Kolluru, Srinivas and Pandian, Ganesh N. and Santhoshkumar, Thankayyan R. and Dan, Vipin M. and Ramana, V, Chepuri} } @article {46869, title = {Discovery of potential multi-target-directed ligands by targeting host-specific SARS-CoV-2 structurally conserved main protease}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article; Early Access 2020}, abstract = {

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has resulted in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide this disease has infected over 2.5 million individuals with a mortality rate ranging from 5 to 10\%. There are several efforts going on in the drug discovery to control the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. The main protease (M-Pro) plays a critical role in viral replication and maturation, thus can serve as the primary drug target. To understand the structural evolution of M-Pro, we have performed phylogenetic and Sequence Similarity Network analysis, that depicted divergence of Coronaviridae M-Pro in five clusters specific to viral hosts. This clustering was corroborated with the comparison of M-Pro structures. Furthermore, it has been observed that backbone and binding site conformations are conserved despite variation in some of the residues. These attributes can be exploited to repurpose available viral protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 M-Pro. In agreement with this, we performed screening of similar to 7100 molecules including active ingredients present in the Ayurvedic anti-tussive medicines, anti-viral phytochemicals and synthetic anti-virals against SARS-CoV-2 M-Pro as the primary target. We identified several natural molecules like delta-viniferin, myricitrin, taiwanhomoflavone A, lactucopicrin 15-oxalate, nympholide A, afzelin, biorobin, hesperidin and phyllaemblicin B that strongly binds to SARS-CoV-2 M-Pro. Intrestingly, these molecules also showed strong binding with other potential targets of SARS-CoV-2 infection like viral receptor human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE-2) and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). We anticipate that our approach for identification of multi-target-directed ligand will provide new avenues for drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

}, keywords = {Coronavirus, COVID-19, hACE-2, MPro, multi-target-directed ligand, protease inhibitor, RdRp, SARS-CoV-2 virus}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2020.1760137, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Joshi, Rakesh S. and Jagdale, Shounak S. and Bansode, Sneha B. and Shankar, S. Shiva and Tellis, Meenakshi B. and Pandya, Vaibhav Kumar and Chugh, Anita and Giri, Ashok P. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {46831, title = {Dual mode selective detection and differentiation of TNT from other nitroaromatic compounds}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {10767-10771}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Selective detection of explosives, especially TNT, is a highly desirable area of research and various explosives detection devices including fluorescent sensors are already in place. However, multi-mode sensors will be more useful and reliable than conventional fluorescent {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Turn Off{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} sensors. One of the challenges is the development of selective sensors to prevent illegal transport of commonly used explosive TNT through on-the-spot analysis. In this context, we report a fluorescent polymer-based selective detection of TNT using both fluorometric and colorimetric signals. In addition, colorimetric differentiation of TNT from other nitroaromatic compounds is made possible by complexing with various amines. Even though many other sensors are available for TNT, the current demonstration is unique in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, reliability, portability, and rapidity of results. The as-developed explosive detection kit can be useful in both civilian and military operations to trace the illegal transport of TNT as well as for post-explosion analysis.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d0ta02091e}, author = {Patil, Goudappagouda and Dongre, Sangram D. and Das, Tamal and Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh} } @article {46887, title = {Dual responsive cellulose microspheres with high solid-state fluorescence emission}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {591}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {124510}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Materials that respond to multiple stimuli such as magnetic field and light are attractive for security and medical diagnostic applications. One of the major challenges in dual functional microspheres is that the presence of magnetic nanoparticles can quench fluorescence emission. Also, there is a probability of solid-state quenching due to the proximity of the fluorophore. We report here a facile approach to prepare cellulose microspheres with high solid-state fluorescence using 40 \% tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH). The fluorescence quenching effect due to the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and solid-state quenching due to aggregation of fluorophore was systematically investigated. Microspheres with the detectable magnetic response and fluorescence quantum yield as high as 0.57 (FMB 414) was obtained by optimizing the reaction conditions. Such a high quantum yield has not been reported before for dual stimuli-responsive fluorescent microspheres. The magnetic and fluorescent properties were found to be durable even after multiple washing cycles. These dual responsive cellulose microspheres can be added as security features to authenticate documents such as passports, degree certificates, currency notes, financial documents etc.

}, keywords = {Fluorescent, Magnetic, Microcrystalline cellulose, microspheres, Stimuli responsive microspheres, Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.124510}, author = {Yadav, Prashant and Prajitha, K. P. and Dhaware, Vinita and Subramani, Mohan and Joy, Pattayil and Asha, S. K. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {46988, title = {Early metastable assembly during the stress-induced formation of worm-like amyloid fibrils of nucleic acid binding domains of TDP-43}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {59}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {315-328}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

TDP-43 protein travels between the cytosol and the nucleus to perform its nucleic acid binding functions through its two tandem RNA recognition motif domains (TDP-43(tRRM)). When exposed to various environmental stresses, it forms abnormal aggregates in the cytosol of neurons, which are the hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other TDP-43 proteinopathies. However, the nature of early structural changes upon stress sensing and the consequent steps during the course of aggregation are not well understood. In this study, we show that under low-pH conditions, mimicking starvation stress, TDP-43(tRRm) undergoes a conformational opening reaction linked to the protonation of buried ionizable residues and grows into a metastable oligomeric assembly (called the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}low-pH form{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} or the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}L form{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}). In the L form, the protein molecules have disrupted tertiary structure, solvent-exposed hydrophobic patches, and mobile side chains but the native-like secondary structure remains intact. The L form structure is held by weak interactions and has a steep dependence on ionic strength. In the presence of as little as 15 mM KCl, it fully misfolds and further oligomerizes to form a beta-sheet rich {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}beta form{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} in at least two distinct steps. The beta form has an ordered, stable structure that resembles worm-like amyloid fibrils. The unstructured regions of the protein gain structure during L (sic) beta conversion. Our results suggest that TDP-43(tRRm) could function as a stress sensor and support a recent model in which stress sensing during neurodegeneration occurs by assembly of proteins into metastable assemblies that are precursors to the solid aggregates.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00780}, author = {Pillai, Meenakshi and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {46713, title = {Efficient method for the synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives catalyzed by titanium silicate-1}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {46}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5219-5230}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of quinoxaline derivatives were efficiently synthesized by convenient and simple procedure in excellent yields using 1 wt.\% of titanium silicate (TS-1) catalyzed reaction of 1,2-diamines and 1,2-diketones in methanol at room temperature. This reaction is scalable to multigram scale and the catalyst is recyclable. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {2-Diketones, Aromatic 1, o-Phenylenediamine, Quinoxaline, Room temperature, Titanium silicate-1}, issn = {0922-6168}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-020-04258-w, Early Access Date = SEP 2020}, author = {Chandrachood, Pranav S. and Jadhav, Amol R. and Garud, Dinesh R. and Deshpande, Nirmala R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kashalkar, Rajashree V.} } @article {46748, title = {Electrochemical evaluation of the stability and capacity of r-GO-wrapped copper antimony chalcogenide anode for Li-ion battery}, journal = {ChemElectroChem}, volume = {7}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG }, pages = {3291-3300}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Poor cycling stability and capacity fade are primary concerns for next-generation anode materials for Li-ion batteries. In non-carbonaceous anode materials, alloying with Li leads to volume increase that affects practical applications, and increase in particle size, amorphization and reduced conductivity can all lead to a loss of performance. In this work, binary antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) and ternary copper antimony sulfide (CuSbS2) are synthesized by a convenient solvothermal process. These materials are used to study the Li-active/inactive concept, by incorporating Cu into Sb(2)S(3)forming CuSbS(2)wherein Cu is Li inactive whereas Sb is Li active. By direct comparison, we have shown that incorporating Cu into binary antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) resulting into ternary copper antimony sulfide (CuSbS2) addresses the problem of poor conductivity and capacity loss, as Cu provides conductivity leading to enhanced charge transfer and prevents Sb particle aggregation while charge-discharge by exhibiting spectator or diluent ion effect. The better performance of CuSbS(2)is associated with the better Li(+)ion diffusion in the CuSbS2(D=8.97x10(-15) cm(2) s(-1)) compared to Sb2S3(D=2.76x10(-15) cm(2) s(-1)) and lower series resistance of CuSbS2(R=4.70x10(5) omega) compared to Sb2S3(R=5.81x10(8) omega). We have also investigated the composite with the addition of rGO. The CuSbS2-rGO delivered a reversible capacity of 672 mAh g(-1)after 1000 cycles at 200 mA g(-1)which has shown best performance.

}, keywords = {Batteries, chalcogenides, Diffusion coefficient, lithium, Ternary sulfides}, issn = {2196-0216}, doi = {10.1002/celc.202000625}, author = {Yadav, Poonam and Sharma, Neha and Patrike, Apurva and Sabri, Ylias M. and Jones, Lathe A. and Shelke, V. Manjusha} } @article {46799, title = {Electrochemical performance of pre-lithiated ZnMoO4 and r-GO@ZnMoO4 composite anode for lithium-ion battery application}, journal = {Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers}, volume = {112}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {60-66}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Exploring a safer replacement of Li metal anode is crucial for technological, and fundamental importance. Li-metal is a preferred choice as anode material for lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications. However, parasitic dendritic growth on the Li metal surface during cycling causes instability and safety dreads. In the present study, we have investigated that the pre-lithiated ZnMoO4 is superior to its carbon-based counterparts (r-GO@ZnMoO4), moreover safer and sustainable than Li metal anode. The pre-lithiated ZnMoO4 delivers a better reversible capacity (similar to 1000 mAhg(-1) at 0.1 Ag-1), superior rate capability (similar to 400 mAh g(-1) at 2 Ag-1), and excellent cycling stability over 300 cycles at 0.1 Ag-1, as compared to bare ZnMoO4 and r-GO@ZnMoO4 composite. The present investigation is an attempt to provide a substitute for commonly used Li-metal/carbon anodes with better performance. (C) 2020 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cycling stability, Electrochemistry, Li-ion battery, Nyquist plot, Rate performance, ZnMoO4 nanocomposites}, issn = {1876-1070}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtice.2020.07.009}, author = {Bin Masood, Khalid and Parte, Golu and Jain, Neha and Dwivedi, Pravin K. and Kumar, Pushpendra and Shelke, V, Manjusha and Patel, Rp and Singh, Jai} } @article {46641, title = {Electronic structure parameter of nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment interaction in metal monofluorides}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {153}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {184306}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The electronic structure parameter (W-M) of the nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment (MQM) interaction in numerous open-shell metal monofluorides (viz., MgF, CaF, SrF, BaF, RaF, and PbF) is computed in the fully relativistic coupled-cluster framework. The electron-correlation effects are found to be very important for the precise calculation of W-M in the studied molecular systems. The molecular MQM interaction parameter scales nearly as Z(2) in the alkaline earth metal monofluorides, where Z is the nuclear charge of metal. Our study identifies (RaF)-Ra-223 as a good candidate for the experimental search of the nuclear MQM, which can help unravel the physics beyond the standard model in the hadron sector of matter.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0028669}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {46900, title = {Electrospun fibers and sorbents as a possible basis for effective composite wound dressings}, journal = {Micromachines}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {441}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Skin burns and ulcers are considered hard-to-heal wounds due to their high infection risk. For this reason, designing new options for wound dressings is a growing need. The objective of this work is to investigate the properties of poly (epsilon-caprolactone)/poly (vinyl-pyrrolidone) (PCL/PVP) microfibers produced via electrospinning along with sorbents loaded with Argovit (TM) silver nanoparticles (Ag-Si/Al2O3) as constituent components for composite wound dressings. The physicochemical properties of the fibers and sorbents were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The mechanical properties of the fibers were also evaluated. The results of this work showed that the tested fibrous scaffolds have melting temperatures suitable for wound dressings design (58-60 degrees C). In addition, they demonstrated to be stable even after seven days in physiological solution, showing no macroscopic damage due to PVP release at the microscopic scale. Pelletized sorbents with the higher particle size demonstrated to have the best water uptake capabilities. Both, fibers and sorbents showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomona aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Candida albicans. The best physicochemical properties were obtained with a scaffold produced with a PCL/PVP ratio of 85:15, this polymeric scaffold demonstrated the most antimicrobial activity without affecting the cell viability of human fibroblast. Pelletized Ag/Si-Al2O3-3 sorbent possessed the best water uptake capability and the higher antimicrobial activity, over time between all the sorbents tested. The combination of PCL/PVP 85:15 microfibers with the chosen Ag/Si-Al2O3-3 sorbent will be used in the following work for creation of wound dressings possessing exudate retention, biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity.

}, keywords = {electrospinning, poly (epsilon-caprolactone), poly (vinyl pyrrolidone), silver sorbents, wound dressings}, doi = {10.3390/mi11040441}, author = {Saul Alvarez-Suarez, Alan and Dastager, Syed G. and Bogdanchikova, Nina and Grande, Daniel and Pestryakov, Alexey and Carlos Garcia-Ramos, Juan and Lizeth Perez-Gonzalez, Graciela and Juarez-Moreno, Karla and Toledano-Magana, Yanis and Smolentseva, Elena and Antonio Paz-Gonzalez, Juan and Popova, Tatiana and Rachkovskaya, Lyubov and Nimaev, Vadim and Kotlyarova, Anastasia and Korolev, Maksim and Letyagin, Andrey and Jesus Villarreal-Gomez, Luis} } @article {46817, title = {Electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) microfibers reinforced with ZnO nanocrystals for antibacterial and antibiofilm wound dressing applications}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {9754-9766}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biocompatible and biodegradable polymers are extensively used in designing wound dressing materials. The present investigation deals with the preparation of a unique blend of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles incorporated in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) microfibersviaan electrospinning technique for antibacterial, antibiofilm and wound dressing applications. This composite was prepared by incorporating previously synthesized ZnO NPs with better antibacterial and antibiofilm activity in PHBV-PEO (4 : 1) polymers in chloroform solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed that ZnO NPs were incorporated in the PHBV-PEO microfibers. The synthesized microfibers exhibited enhanced mechanical properties after the incorporation of ZnO NPs. The results of antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of the prepared microfibers revealed that the incorporated ZnO NPs in different concentrations (1\%, 3\%, and 5\%) showed different degrees of antibacterial activity against pathogenic Gram-positiveStaphylococcus aureus(NCIM 2654) and Gram-negativePseudomonas aeruginosa(NCIM 5032), which are the main bacteria found in wound infections. The PHBV-PEO-ZnO microfibers exhibited excellent hemocompatibility with improved swelling behavior after the incorporation of ZnO NPs.In vitrocytotoxicity assays revealed the non-toxic nature of the prepared PHBV-PEO-ZnO microfibers. The current work confirms that utilizing a unique blend of the biodegradable, biocompatible, thermoplastic and hydrophobic natural polymer PHBV with hydrophobic, biodegradable, non-toxic and synthetic polymer PEO with ZnO NPs holds great potential for use as an antibacterial and antibiofilm material for wound dressing applications.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj01384f}, author = {Mahamuni-Badiger, Pranjali P. and Patil, Pooja M. and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Dhanavade, Maruti J. and Badiger, V. Manohar and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Bohara, Raghvendra A.} } @article {46747, title = {Elucidating the effect of CaF 2 on structure, biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of S53P4 glass}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {831}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG }, pages = {154704}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Fluoride bioactive glasses, In~vitro apatite formation and bactericidal action, MAS-NMR spectroscopy, MD simulations}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.154704}, author = {Prasad, Sakthi and Ganisetti, Sudheer and Jana, Anuradha and Kant, Shashi and Sinha, P. K. and Tripathy, Sucheta and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Annapurna, K. and Allu, Amarnath R. and Biswas, Kaushik} } @article {47307, title = {Enhanced anti-ageing and wound healing properties of Ficus religiosa L. bark, leaf and aerial root extract in human keratinocytes cell line (HaCaT)}, journal = {Vegetos}, volume = {33}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {158-165}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Plants have played a vital role in curative and preventive healthcare.\ Ficus religiosa\ L., a medicinally important tree has been used as a traditional medicine to treat various ailments and skin diseases. However, its skin anti-ageing properties are not yet scientifically evaluated. Here we report the comparison of\ F. religiosa\ bark (FRAqB), leaf (FRAqL) and aerial-roots (FRAqAR) extracts for skin anti-ageing and wound healing properties. FRAqB, FRAqL and FRAqAR extracts preparation, cell culture, RNA isolation, real time PCR, astringent activity and wound healing assay were carried out using standard methods. Axio Observer FL-microscope and ImageJ software were used for wound healing assay analysis. The real time PCR study reveals that matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP) RNA was downregulated to 75\% and 95\% for FRAqB and FRAqAR, respectively. For procollagen C-endopeptidase enhancer 1 (PCOLCE), FRAqB and FRAqL enhanced RNA levels by 500\% and 300\%, respectively. FRAqB and FRAqL increased wound healing area to about 60\% and FRAqAR by 50\%. All three extracts demonstrated astringent activity which is significant for skin tightening. The study proves that extracts of\ F. religiosa\ are prominent candidates for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications such as skin anti-ageing and wound healing.

}, doi = {10.1007/s42535-019-00094-5}, author = {Pandey, Prem and Seo, Hyo Hyun and Kim, Hye-In and Ryu, Seung Hwan and Dingre, Medini and Moh, Sang Hyun and Kulkarni, Atul and Parasharami, Varsha A.} } @article {46929, title = {Enhancing titers and productivity of rCHO clones with a combination of an optimized fed-batch process and ER-stress adaptation}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {311}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {49-58}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To increase the productivity of rCHO cells, many cell engineering approaches have been demonstrated that over-express or knockout a specific gene to achieve increased titers. In this work, we present an alternate approach, based on the concept of evolutionary adaptation, to achieve cells with higher titers. rCHO cells, producing a monoclonal antibody, are adapted to ER-stress, by continuous culturing under increasing concentration of tunicamycin. A sustained higher productivity of at-least 2-fold was achieved in all the clones, in a concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, a 1.5-2 fold increase in final titers was also achieved in the batch culture. Based on metabolic analysis of the adapted cells, a fed-batch process was designed where significantly higher titersare achieved as compared to control. Metabolic flux analysis is employed in addition with gene expression analysis of key genes to understand the basis of increased performance of the adapted cells. Overall, this work illustrates how process modifications and cellular adaptation can be used in synergy to drive up product titers.

}, keywords = {Adaptive laboratory evolution, CHO cells, ER-stress, Fed-batch, Increased productivity and titers, Recombinant protein production, UPR pathway}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.02.008}, author = {Chandrawanshi, Vikas and Kulkarni, Rohan and Prabhu, Anuja and Mehra, Sarika} } @article {46919, title = {Enteric pH responsive cargo release from PDA and PEG coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles: a comparative study in Drosophila melanogaster}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR }, pages = {11716-11726}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Physiological stimulus-specific cargo release from nanoparticle carriers is a holy grail of drug delivery research. While the majority of such work is carried out in vitro with cell lines, widespread use of common mammalian model systems - mice and rats - is difficult due to the associated cost and regulatory restrictions. Here we use the inexpensive, easily reared, excellent genetic model system Drosophila melanogaster to test pH responsive cargo release from widely used mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) coated with pH sensitive polydopamine (PDA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers. We synthesized 650 +/- 75 nm diameter PDA or PEG coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with a fluorescent dye and fed to individual adult flies. Subsequently, the passage of the particles were monitored through the fly gut. As in mammals, the fly intestine has multiple pH specific zones that are easily accessible for imaging and also genetic, biochemical or physiological manipulations. We observed that both the species of MSNs ruptured around the acidic (pH \< 4.0) middle midgut of the flies. PEG coated particles showed sharper specificity of release in the acidic middle midgut of flies than the PDA coated ones and had less tendency to clump together. Our results clearly show that the Drosophila gut can be used as a model to test pH responsive biocompatible materials in vivo. Our work paves the way for greater use of Drosophila as an in vivo complete systemic model in drug delivery and smart materials research. It also suggests that such specific delivery of chemical/biological cargo can be exploited to study basic biology of the gut cells and their communication with other organs.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ra11019d}, author = {Sapre, Nidhi and Chakraborty, Rusha and Purohit, Poorvi and Bhat, Suresh and Das, Gaurav and Bajpe, Sneha R.} } @article {46673, title = {Expeditious and solvent-free nickel-catalyzed c-h arylation of arenes and indoles (vol 10, pg 2242, 2017)}, journal = {ChemSusChem}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {5771}, type = {Correction}, keywords = {Arylation, C-H activation, heterocycles, Homogeneous catalysis, Nickel}, issn = {1864-5631}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.202002313, Early Access Date = OCT 2020}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Soni, Vineeta and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46689, title = {Five concomitant polymorphs of a green fluorescent protein chromophore (GFPc) analogue: understanding variations in photoluminescence with pi-stacking interactions}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section B-Structural Science Crystal Engineering and Materials}, volume = {76}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {850-864}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The synthetically modified green fluorescent protein chromophore analogue 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene imidazolinone (1) yielded five polymorphs (I, II, III, IV, V) concomitantly irrespective of the solvent used for crystallization. The pentamorphic modification of 1 is solely due to the interplay of iso-energetic weak intermolecular interactions in molecular associations as well as the conformational flexibility offered by a C-C single bond, which connects the electron-deficient moiety imidazolinone with the electron-rich trimethoxybenzylidene group. A common structural feature observed in all the polymorphs is the formation of a {\textquoteleft}zero-dimensional{\textquoteright} centrosymmetric dimeric unit through a short and linear C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bond engaging phenyl C-H and imidazolinone carbonyl oxygen. However, the networking of these dimeric units showed a subtle difference in all the polymorphs. The 2D isostructurality was observed between polymorphs I, II and III, while the other two polymorphs IV and V revealed only {\textquoteleft}zero-dimensional{\textquoteright} isostructurality. The different fluorescence emissions of Form I (blue) and Forms II to V (yellow) were attributed to the differences in pi-stacking interactions. It shows that one can modulate the photophysical properties of these smart materials by slightly altering their crystal structure. Such an approach will aid in developing new multi-colour organic fluorescent materials of varying crystal structures for live-cell imaging and fluorescent sensing applications.

}, keywords = {green fluorescent protein, hydrogen bonds, isostructurality, photoluminescence, pi-stacking, Polymorphs}, doi = {10.1107/S2052520620010343}, author = {Mali, Bhupendra P. and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Nikam, Shrikant B. and Puthuvakkal, Anisha and Vanka, Kumar and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {47338, title = {Fluoride release and fluoride-recharging ability of three different sealants}, journal = {Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry}, volume = {38}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {247-252}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: We aimed to determine the fluoride release and fluoride-recharging ability of a sealant containing surface pre-reacted glass (S-PRG) ionomer filler particles (BeautiSealant) with a fluoride-releasing resin sealant (Helioseal F), and a glass-ionomer sealant (Fuji VII). Materials: And: Methodology: Forty-eight disc-shaped specimens of each material were immersed in deionized water to determine the fluoride release utilizing a fluoride ion-selective electrode. After 21 days, 8 specimens were soaked in 0.22\% Sodium Fluoride solution for 2 min; 8 specimens were coated with 1.23\% Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride (APF) gel for 4 min, and the fluoride-recharging ability was evaluated for 40 days. Data were analyzed using one way-ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Results: Total fluoride release over the 21-day period was: Fuji VII \> BeautiSealant \> Helioseal F, (P = 0.000). After refluoridation of the specimens with 0.22\% Sodium Fluoride solution, the cumulative fluoride release during the 40-day period for each material was: BeautiSealant \> Fuji VII \> Helioseal (P = 0.000). After exposure to 1.23\% APF gel, the cumulative fluoride release during the 40-day period for each material was: BeautiSealant \> Fuji VII \> Helioseal F (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Glass ionomer-based sealants (Fuji VII) exhibited higher initial fluoride release whilst the surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer filler containing sealant (BeautiSealant) demonstrated superior fluoride recharging properties.

}, doi = {10.4103/JISPPD.JISPPD_345_19}, author = {Patil, Sneha and Kontham, Ujwal R. and Kontham, Rakesh K. and Patil, Smita S. and Kamble, Sanjay P.} } @article {46780, title = {General and concise asymmetric synthesis of sphingosine, safingol and phytosphingosines via tethered aminohydroxylation (vol 8, pg 5074, 2010)}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {18}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5265}, type = {Correction}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d0ob90089c}, author = {Kumar, Pradeep and Dubey, Abhishek and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article {46638, title = {Generation of novelties in the genus Ocimum as a result of natural hybridization: a morphological, genetical and chemical appraisal}, journal = {Industrial Crops and Products}, volume = {156}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {112859}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The genus Ocimum is a boutique of a diverse set of specialized metabolites such as terpenoids and phenylpropanoids. Each Ocimum species and its cultivars represent a characteristic chemical profile. The present study explored the two interspecific Ocimum hybrids originating through a serendipitous natural cross between O. kilimandscharicum and O. basilicum. These two novel Ocimum hybrids exhibited intermediate morphological features of two parental species. Inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) analysis and DNA barcoding with the plastid non-coding trnH-psbA intergenic spacer region reaffirmed unambiguous parental identification and differentiation of these natural hybrids from other available Ocimum species. Consequently, gas chromatographymass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling of two hybrids identified them as specific chemotypes with the presence of a unique blend of specialized metabolites from the parental species, which are either rich in terpenes or phenylpropanoids. Additionally, expression analysis of key genes from terpenoid and phenylpropanoid pathways corroborated with differential metabolite accumulation. Thus, these two Ocimum hybrids represented the novel chemotypes, which could be useful in commercial cultivation to produce novel essential oil and bioactive constituents. Further, the resulting metabolite diversity could have potential industrial applications in the areas of healthcare, bioremediation, and crop protection.

}, keywords = {Chemotype, DNA barcoding, Inter Simple Sequence Repeats, Interspecific hybrid, O. basilicum, O. kilimandscharicum, Ocimum}, issn = {0926-6690}, doi = {10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112859}, author = {Gurav, Tanuja P. and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {46934, title = {Gold and hypervalent iodine(iii): liaisons over a decade for electrophilic functional group transfer reactions}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {56}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2677-2690}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Over the last two decades, hypervalent iodine(iii) reagents have evolved from being {\textquoteleft}bonding curiosities{\textquoteright} to mainstream reagents in organic synthesis, in particular, electrophilic functional group transfer reactions. In this context, gold catalysts have not only emerged as a unique toolbox to facilitate such reactions (especially alkynylations) but also opened new possibilities with their different modes of reactivities for other functional group transfer reactions (acetoxylations and arylations). This feature article critically summarizes hitherto all such Au-catalyzed electrophilic functional group transfer reactions with hypervalent iodine(iii) reagents, emphasizing their mechanistic aspects.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d0cc00106f}, author = {Banerjee, Somsuvra and Bhoyare, Vivek W. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46819, title = {Gold-catalyzed alkynylative meyer-schuster rearrangement}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4792-4796}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

By applying the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}interplay{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} mode, which consolidates two key reactivity modes of gold catalysis, namely pi-activation mode and cross-coupling mode, the first alkynylative Meyer-Schuster rearrangement is designed and successfully implemented. The current protocol gives straightforward access to enynones, a highly valuable building block, from easily available propargyl alcohol feedstocks. Control experiments suggest an Au(III) catalyst triggers the Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, whereas monitoring the reaction with ESI-HRMS provided strong evidence in favor of a key alkynylgold(III) intermediate which supports the proposed {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}interplay{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} scenario.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.0c01596}, author = {Banerjee, Somsuvra and Ambegave, Shivhar B. and Mule, Ravindra D. and Senthilkumar, Beeran and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46863, title = {Graphene-MnO2 composite supercapacitor material accomplished tactically using liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interface reaction techniques}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6853-6861}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel methodology is described to grow architectures of 3-dimensional graphene nanosheet (GNS)-manganese oxide (MnO2) composite materials to be used in supercapacitors. The in situ growth of the three-dimensional MnO2 fiber-network over the surface of graphene layers is achieved at the solid-liquid interface. The composite electrode shows good electron and charge transfer, rapid plus reversible faradaic reactions and excellent cyclic ability in electrochemical studies. The electrochemical properties of the as-prepared GNS-MnO2/FTO electrode material were assessed by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The specific capacitance of GNS-MnO2 reaches 683 F g(-1) at a current density of 2.2 A g(-1) and shows excellent cycle stability, retaining 96.9\% of its initial capacitance up to 5000 cycles. A coulomb efficiency of about 99\% displayed by the GNS-MnO2/FTO electrode is an excellent performance for a desired supercapacitor material. Herein, the charge storage mechanism in 3-dimensional graphene nanosheet (GNS)-manganese oxide (MnO2) composite is discussed in detail. Furthermore, at an elevated current density of similar to 10.86 A g(-1), a power density of similar to 6.235 kW kg(-1) is achieved, maintaining an energy density of similar to 7.99 kW h kg(-1); thus, it demonstrates promising potential as an electrode material for supercapacitor application.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c9nj05898b}, author = {Patil, Sagar H. and Gaikwad, Aarti P. and Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article {46995, title = {Highly enantioselective synthesis of sitagliptin}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {9}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {189-191}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A highly enantioselective synthesis of sitagliptin, a potent DPP-4 inhibitor, is reported. Explicitly identified chiral FerroLANE ligands in the presence of rhodium catalyze the asymmetric hydrogenation of an enamine to yield sitagliptin with excellent enantioselectivity (98\% ee). The process was scaled up to 5 g and the final product was isolated as a phosphate salt with \>99\% ee.

}, keywords = {asymmetric hydrogenation, catalysis, FerroLANE ligands, Rhodium, sitagliptin}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201900709, Early Access Date = JAN 2020}, author = {Khopade, V. Kishor and Sen, Anirban and Birajdar, Rajkumar S. and Paulbudhe, Uday P. and Kavale, Dattatry S. and Shinde, Prashant S. and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {47021, title = {High-throughput metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses vet the potential route of cerpegin biosynthesis in two varieties of Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb.}, journal = {Planta}, volume = {251}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {28}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ceropegia bulbosa is an important medicinal plant, used in the treatment of various ailments including diarrhea, dysentery, and syphilis. This is primarily attributed to the presence of pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, especially cerpegin. As this plant belongs to an endemic threatened category, genomic resources are not available hampering exploration on the molecular basis of cerpegin accumulation till now. Therefore, we undertook high-throughput metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses using different tissues from two varieties namely, C. bulbosa var. bulbosa and C. bulbosa var. lushii. Metabolomic analysis revealed spatial and differential accumulation of various metabolites. We chemically synthesized and characterized the cerpegin and its derivatives by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Importantly, these comparisons suggested the presence of cerpegin and 5-allyl cerpegin in all C. bulbosa tissues. Further, de novo transcriptome analysis indicated the presence of significant transcripts for secondary metabolic pathways through the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes database. Tissue-specific profiling of transcripts and metabolites showed a significant correlation, suggesting the intricate mechanism of cerpegin biosynthesis. The expression of potential candidate genes from the proposed cerpegin biosynthetic pathway was further validated by qRT-PCR and NanoString nCounter. Overall, our findings propose a potential route of cerpegin biosynthesis. Identified transcripts and metabolites have built a foundation as new molecular resources that could facilitate future research on biosynthesis, regulation, and engineering of cerpegin or other important metabolites in such non-model plants.

}, keywords = {5-Allyl cerpegin, Ceropegia, Cerpegin, LC-MS, metabolite, Transcriptome}, issn = {0032-0935}, doi = {10.1007/s00425-019-03319-8}, author = {Gharat, Sachin A. and Shinde, Balkrishna A. and Mule, Ravindra D. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Ramaswamy, Gopalakrishna and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {46658, title = {Hydrophobic interpenetrating polyamide-PDMS membranes for desalination, pesticides removal and enhanced chlorine tolerance}, journal = {Chemosphere}, volume = {258}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {127179}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrophobic membranes for desalination and toxic organic pollutant removal have been fabricated using polyamide - PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) chemistries in a one-step protocol. The curing of polyamide and PDMS are orthogonal and co-curing both networks imparts hydrophobicity to the thin film composite membranes. The membranes exhibit increased adsorption of pesticides from the feed water along with maintaining excellent salt rejection capability (97\% NaCl rejection), thus giving the membranes a multifunctional character. Three toxic pesticides have been used in this study to demonstrate the viability of combining osmosis desalination technology with organic matter adsorption. The membranes also show excellent resistance to fouling by toxic pesticides (85\% salt rejection vs 67\% for commercial membranes in the presence of pesticides) and significantly improved chlorine tolerance (93.8\% salt rejection vs 86.5\% for commercial membranes after 20 h of exposure to sodium hypochlorite solution). (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane), Pesticide rejection, Salt rejection, Water purification membranes}, issn = {0045-6535}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127179}, author = {Khairkar, Shyam R. and Pansare, V, Amol and Shedge, Amol A. and Chhatre, Shraddha Y. and Suresh, A. K. and Chakrabarti, Subhananda and Patil, Vishwanath R. and Nagarkar, Amit A.} } @article {46891, title = {Identification and expression analysis of miRNAs and elucidation of their role in salt tolerance in rice varieties susceptible and tolerant to salinity}, journal = {PloS One}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {e0230958}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Soil salinization is a serious problem for cultivation of rice, as among cereals rice is the most salt sensitive crop, and more than 40\% of the total agricultural land amounting to approximately 80 million ha the world over is salt affected. Salinity affects a plant in a varieties of ways, including ion toxicity, osmotic stress and oxidative damage. Since miRNAs occupy the top place in biochemical events determining a trait, understanding their role in salt tolerance is highly desirable, which may allow introduction of the trait in the rice cultivars of choice through biotechnological interventions. High throughput sequencing of sRNAs in the root and shoot tissues of the seedlings of the control and NaCl treated Pokkali, a salt-tolerant rice variety, identified 75 conserved miRNAs and mapped 200 sRNAs to the rice genome as novel miRNAs. Expression of nine novel miRNAs and two conserved miRNAs were confirmed by Northern blotting. Several of both conserved and novel miRNAs that expressed differentially in root and/or shoot tissues targeted transcription factors like AP2/EREBP domain protein, ARF, NAC, MYB, NF-YA, HD-Zip III, TCP and SBP reported to be involved in salt tolerance or in abiotic stress tolerance in general. Most of the novel miRNAs expressed in the salt tolerant wild rice Oryza coarctata, suggesting conservation of miRNAs in taxonomically related species. One of the novel miRNAs, osa-miR12477, also targeted L- upon salt treatment, which was confirmed by DAB staining. Thus, salt tolerance might involve miRNA-mediated regulation of 1) cellular abundance of the hormone signaling components like EREBP and ARF, 2) synthesis of abiotic stress related transcription factors, and 3) antioxidative component like LAO for mitigation of oxidative damage. The study clearly indicated importance of osa-miR12477 regulated expression of LAO in salt tolerance in the plant.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0230958}, author = {Parmar, Shaifaly and Gharat, Sachin Ashruba and Tagirasa, Ravichandra and Chandra, Tilak and Behera, Lambodar and Dash, Sushant Kumar and Shaw, Birendra Prasad} } @article {46977, title = {Influence of gold nanorods on the structure and photonic bandgap in a twist grain boundary phase with smectic C* blocks}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Liquids}, volume = {299}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB }, pages = {112117}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We describe the first report of the influence of gold nanorods (GNR) on the induced twist grain boundary smectic C* (TGBC*) phase in a binary mixture of achiral bent-core and chiral linear liquid crystals. The GNR concentration-dependent phase diagram of these nanocomposites shows that the thermal range of this twist grain boundary phase having smectic C* blocks phase increases by 50\% for an intermediate composition compared to that for the host binary mixture without nanorods. The inclusion of the nanorods is seen to have substantial effect on the structural and photonic bandgap features of the TGBC* phase. For example, the helical periodidty gets altered in all the three dimensions: while those within the block undergo a huge increase, the one which is orthogonal to the blocks, shrinks. The spacing of the square grid pattern arising normal to the TGB helix direction increases for the nanocomposites getting even doubled for a certain composition, a feature evidenced by optical microscopy as well as optical diffraction. Xray diffraction clearly brings out the feature that the presence of GNR alters the thermal character of the transition between the TGBC* and the cholesteric phase. Quantitative analysis of the data indicates that the system would remain in the vicinity of a possible tricritical point, a behavior having wider ramifications to understand the underlying critical phenomenon. Based on the experimental observations, and capturing the essence of the reported adaptive defect core targeting mechanism we propose a model wherein GNRs get confined in the grain boundary region. This feature offers a potential to have periodic and anisotropic plasmonic structure arising out of the synergetic interactions between the metal nanorod and the twisted grain boundary structure. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3D photonic bandgap, Gold nanorods, Induced phase, TGBC* phase, Tricritical phenomena}, issn = {0167-7322}, doi = {10.1016/j.molliq.2019.112117}, author = {Sahoo, Rajalaxmi and Rao, D. S. Shankar and Hiremath, Uma S. and Yelamaggad, V. C. and Shinde, Pravin and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Prasad, S. Krishna} } @article {46672, title = {Inhibition of quorum sensing, motility and biofilm formation ofpseudomonas aeruginosaby copper oxide nanostructures}, journal = {Journal of Cluster Science}, volume = {32}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1531 - 1541}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Quorum sensing (QS) is the communication between bacterial cells governed by their population density and regulated by the genes controlling virulence factors and biofilm formation. Multiple mechanisms of biofilms are resistive to antimicrobial chemotherapy; therefore novel strategies are required to overcome its limitations. Here, we report the effect of various copper oxide nanostructures (CuO-NSs) on quorum sensing inhibition. The two-dimensional CuO-NSs such as interlaced nanodiscs, nanodiscs and leaf-shaped nanosheets are prepared via a simple chemical method. The Quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) activity of all the CuO-NS are examined using reporter strainChromobacterium violaceumCV026 andEscherichia colipSB1142. We found that the CuO-interlaced nanodisc structures exhibit better QSI activity than nanodiscs and leaf-shaped sheets. The interlaced nanodisc structures are inhibited various long-chainN-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) mediated QS individually and confirmed by other QS-associated phenomena forPseudomonas aeruginosa, including biofilm inhibition, inhibition of virulence factors such as pyocyanin, protease production and swarming motility. Thus QSI activity of CuO-NSs is solely dependent on specific shape offering large surface area and more active sites. The CuO-NS is effective quorum sensing inhibitors, which has potential clinical applications in the management ofP. aeruginosaassociated infections.

}, keywords = {aeruginosa, Biofilm, Nanostructures, P, quorum sensing, Virulence factors}, isbn = {1572-8862}, issn = {1040-7278}, doi = {10.1007/s10876-020-01916-2}, author = {Desai, Dnyanada G. and Swarali, H. and Navale, Govinda R. and Prabhune, A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Walke, Pravin S.} } @article {46828, title = {Insights of Bipolaris sorokinianasecretome-anin silicoapproach}, journal = {Biologia}, volume = {75}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2367-2381}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The plant pathogen,Bipolaris sorokiniana(teleomorph:Cochliobolus sativus), is of global concern as it attacks many economically important cereals and grasses. During the infection process, phytopathogenic fungi are known to secrete a variety of proteins collectively known as the secretome, analyzing which can help in deciphering the mechanism of fungal pathogenesis. In this study, we performedin silicosecretome analysis ofC. sativusstrain ND90Pr using established secretome prediction pipeline involving software tools such as SignalP, TargetP, TMHMM, big-PI Fungal Predictor, ProtComp, and WoLF PSORT. Using these software and other prediction criteria, we identified 196 probable secretory proteins from theB. sorokinianaproteome. Characterization of the predicted secretome revealed proteins that may have probable functions in degradation of the plant cell wall, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, as well as in pathogenesis and metabolism. Further, the PHI-base analysis identified 38 proteins having a possible role in pathogenicity and virulence. This study helped to predict the composition of the secretome ofB. sorokinianaand extrapolate its role in plant infection and pathogen survival. It may provide clues for developing new control strategies targeting the vital fungal secretory proteins.

}, keywords = {Cochliobolus sativus, pathogenesis, Phytopathogenic fungi, Secretory proteins, Virulence}, issn = {0006-3088}, doi = {10.2478/s11756-020-00537-4, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Pathak, Gauri M. and Gurjar, Gayatri S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article {46798, title = {Iron-catalyzed C(sp(2))-H alkylation of indolines and benzo[h]quinoline with unactivated alkyl chlorides through chelation assistance}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {7312-7321}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Regioselective C-H bond alkylation of indolines and benzo[h]quinoline with a wide range of unactivated and highly demanded primary and secondary alkyl chlorides is accomplished using a low-cost iron catalyst. This reaction tolerates diverse functionalities, such as C(sp(2))-Cl, fluoro, alkenyl, silyl, ether, thioether, pyrrolyl, and carbazolyl groups including cyclic and acyclic alkyls as well as alkyl-bearing fatty-alcohol and polycyclic-steroid moieties. The demonstrated iron-catalyzed protocol proceeded via either a five-membered or a six-membered metallacycle. Intriguingly, the C-7-alkylated indolines can be readily functionalized into free-NH indolines/indoles and tryptamine derivatives. A detailed mechanistic investigation highlights the participation of an active Fe(I) catalyst and the involvement of a halogen-atom transfer process via a single-electron-based mechanism. Deuterium labeling and kinetics analysis indicate that the C-H metalation of indoline is the probable turnover-limiting step. Overall, the experimental and theoretical studies supported an Fe(I)/Fe(III) pathway for the alkylation reaction comprising the two-step, one-electron oxidative addition of alkyl chloride.

}, keywords = {alkyl chlorides, Alkylation, C-H activation, chelation assistance, indolines, iron}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.0c02030}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Vinod, C. P. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46889, title = {Kinetics of hydroformylation of camphene using rhodium-phosphite catalyst}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {52}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {485-495}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Kinetics of hydroformylation of camphene was investigated in the presence of [Rh(CO)(2)(acac)]/P(OPh)(3) catalyst in a temperature range of 363-383 K. The influence of parameters such as stirring speed, camphene, catalyst, ligand concentrations, and partial pressures of H-2 and CO on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst has been studied. The rate showed a first-order dependence with respect to catalyst and camphene concentrations. The effect of partial pressure of hydrogen showed fractional order dependence. The plots of rate versus excess ligand, that is, (P(OPh)(3)) concentration and rate versus CO partial pressure passed through maxima and showed typical substrate/ligand inhibited kinetics. An empirical rate equation has been proposed and found to be in good agreement with the observed rate data. The kinetic parameters and activation energy were also evaluated.

}, keywords = {camphene, homogeneous, Hydroformylation, kinetics, rhodium-phosphite}, issn = {0538-8066}, doi = {10.1002/kin.21364, Early Access Date = APR 2020}, author = {Pagar, Nitin S. and Rajurkar, Kalpendra B. and Deshpande, Raj M.} } @article {46645, title = {Lauric acid sophorolipid: accelerating the gelation of silk fibroin}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {28571-28578}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels find wide applications in tissue engineering. However, their scope has been limited due to the long gelation time in ambient conditions. This paper shows the reduction in gelation time of silk fibroin to minutes upon doping with a newly synthesized lauric acid sophorolipid (LASL). LASL comprises a fatty acid, lauric acid (with a 12-carbon aliphatic chain), that is derivatized by glucose molecules using a non-pathogenic yeast Candida bombicola. LASL was characterized using spectroscopic (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and chromatographic (high-performance liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and high-resolution mass spectrometry) methods. This gelation of SF is comparable to the effect of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The microstructure of SF-LASL hydrogels was investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements and exhibited the beads-on-a-necklace model. The rheological properties of these hydrogels show similarity to SF-SDS hydrogels, therefore presenting a greener alternative for tissue engineering applications.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.0c03411}, author = {Hirlekar, Swarali and Ray, Debes and Aswal, Vinod K. and Prabhune, Asmita A. and Nisal, Anuya} } @article {46757, title = {Lipid-dependent conformational landscape of the ErbB2 growth factor receptor dimers}, journal = {Chemistry and Physics of Lipids}, volume = {230}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {104911}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Altered lipid metabolism has been linked to cancer development and progression. Several roles have been attributed to the increased saturation and length of lipid acyl tails observed in tumors, but its effect on signaling receptors is still emerging. In this work, we have analyzed the lipid dependence of the ErbB2 growth factor receptor dimerization that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. We have performed coarse-grain ensemble molecular dynamics simulations to comprehensively sample the ErbB2 monomer-dimer association. Our results indicate a dynamic dimer state with a complex conformational landscape that is modulated with increasing lipid tail length. We resolve the native N-terminal {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}active{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and C-terminal {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}inactive{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} conformations in all membrane compositions. However, the relative population of the N-terminal and C-terminal conformers is dependent on length of the saturated lipid tails. In short-tail membranes, additional non-specific dimers are observed which are reduced or absent in long-tailed bilayers. Our results indicate that the relative population as well as the structure of the dimer state is modulated by membrane composition. We have correlated these differences to local perturbations of the membrane around the receptor. Our work is an important step in characterizing ErbB dimers in healthy and diseased states and emphasize the importance of sampling lipid dynamics in understanding receptor association.

}, keywords = {ErbB2 dimer, Lipid effects, Martini coarse-grained simulations, Membrane protein structure, Transmembrane association}, issn = {0009-3084}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2020.104911}, author = {Gopal, Srinivasa M. and Pawar, Aiswarya B. and Wassenaar, Tsjerk A. and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {46874, title = {Mechanistic aspects of methanol electro-oxidation reaction through cyclic voltammetry: is it correct to blame carbon monoxide for catalyst poisoning?}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1900955}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The mechanism of the methanol oxidation reaction is revisited using systematic cyclic voltammetric studies. These studies clearly indicate that the peak during the cathodic scan belongs mainly to electro-oxidation of the carbon monoxide, and that only a fraction of this carbon monoxide remains adsorbed on the electrode, contrary to what previous reports suggested. More details can be found in article number by Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and co-workers.

}, keywords = {carbon monoxide, cyclic voltammetry, electrocatalysts, electrode poisoning, Methanol oxidation}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.201900955}, author = {Deshpande, Pooja S. and Chaudhari, Vijay R. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {46595, title = {Mixed metal oxide: a new class of catalyst for methanol activation}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {534}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {147449}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we propose a mixed metal oxide as a catalyst and demonstrate it{\textquoteright}s ability to not only activate the MeOH molecule upon adsorption but also dissociate O-H and one of it{\textquoteright}s C-H bonds. MeOH activation is compared on two prominent facets of ZnAl(2)O(4 )viz. (2 2 0) and (31 1). While spontaneous O-H bond dissociation is observed on both facets, C-H bond dissociates only on the (3 1 1) surface. Multiple factors like atomic arrangement and steps on the surface, coordination of surface atoms, and their effective charges have a combined effect on MeOH activation. The (3 1 1) surface offers higher catalytic activity in comparison with (2 2 0) surface. Having a stepped surface, availability of multiple sites, and variation in the charge distribution are some of the reasons for better catalytic performance of (3 1 1) facet. Effect of orientation of MeOH with respect to the surface adds both, information and complexity to the problem. Observations pertinent to understanding this effect are also reported. A detailed analysis of atomic arrangement on the two surfaces provides a rationale as to why MeOH gets dissociated spontaneously on the mixed metal oxide. The promising results reported here opens up a new class of catalyst for research.

}, keywords = {DFT, MeOH, Spontaneous dissociation, ZnAl2O4}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.147449}, author = {Mehta, Shweta and Agarwal, Sheena and Kenge, Nivedita and Mekala, Siva Prasad and Patil, Vipul and Raja, T. and Joshi, Kavita} } @article {46732, title = {Mizoroki-Heck reaction of 1,2-disubstituted aryl alkenes: variables of synthesis, solvent and ligand modulation of reactivity}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {50}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC }, pages = {3796-3803}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {12-Disubstituted aryl alkenes, 400, ligand effect, Mizoroki-Heck reaction, PEG 200, TBABr}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2020.1811986, Early Access Date = AUG 2020}, author = {Bangar, Pronnoy G. and Jawalkar, Priyanka R. and Dumbre, Swapnil R. and Raut, Pallavi K. and Patil, Dharmaraj J. and Tv, Neethu and Sudhakaran, Shana and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {46818, title = {MnBr2-catalyzed direct and site-selective alkylation of indoles and benzo[h]quinoline}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4643-4647}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Manganese-catalyzed regioselective C-H alkylation of indoles and benzo[h]quinoline with a variety of unactivated alkyl iodides is reported. Unlike other Mn-catalyzed C-H functionalization, this protocol does not require a Grignard reagent base and employs a simple and inexpensive MnBr2 as a catalyst. This method tolerates diverse functionalities, including fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo, alkenyl, alkynyl, pyrrolyl, and carbazolyl groups. The alkylation proceeds through a single-electron transfer pathway comprising reversible C-H manganesation and involving an alkyl radical intermediate.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.0c01398}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Verma, Suryadev K. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {46922, title = {Molecular networking and whole-genome analysis aid discovery of an angucycline that inactivates mTORC1/C2 and induces programmed cell death}, journal = {ACS Chemical Biology}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {780-788}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rediscovery of known compounds and time consumed in identification, especially high molecular weight compounds with complex structure, have let down interest in drug discovery. In this study, whole-genome analysis of microbe and Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking helped in initial understanding of possible compounds produced by the microbe. Genome data revealed 10 biosythethic gene clusters that encode for secondary metabolites with anticancer potential. NMR analysis of the pure compound revealed the presence of a four-ringed benz[a]anthracene, thus confirming angucycline; molecular networking further confirmed production of this class of compounds. The type II polyketide synthase gene identified in the microbial genome was matched with the urdamycin duster by BLAST analysis. This information led to ease in identification of urdamycin E and a novel natural derivative, urdamycin V, purified from Streptomyces sp. OA293. Urdamycin E (Urd E) induced apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cell lines. Urd E exerted anticancer action through inactivation of the mTOR complex by preventing phosphorylation at Ser 2448 and Ser 2481 of mTORC1 and mTORC2, respectively. Significant reduction in phosphorylation of the major downstream regulators of both mTORC1 (p70s6k and 4e-bp1) and mTORC2 (Akt) were observed, thus further confirming complete inhibition of the mTOR pathway. Urd E presents itself as a novel mTOR inhibitor that employs a novel mechanism in mTOR pathway inhibition.

}, issn = {1554-8929}, doi = {10.1021/acschembio.0c00026}, author = {Dan, Vipin Mohan and Vinodh, J. S. and Sandesh, C. J. and Sanawar, Rahul and Lekshmi, Asha and Kumar, R. Ajay and Kumar, T. R. Santhosh and Marelli, Uday Kiran and Dastager, Syed G. and Pillai, M. Radhakrishna} } @article {46659, title = {NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenases in a dimorphic zygomycete Benjaminiella poitrasii: purification, characterization and their evaluation as an antifungal drug target}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1864}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {129696}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: It has been reported that the genes coding for NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenases (NADP-GDHs) showed a cause-effect relationship with Yeast-Hypha (Y-H) reversible transition in a zygomycete Benjaminiella poitrasii. As Y-H transition is significant in human pathogenic fungi for their survival and proliferation in the host, the NADP-GDHs can be explored as antifungal drug targets. Methods: The yeast-form specific BpNADPGDH I and hyphal-form specific BpNADPGDH II of B. poitrasii were purified by heterologous expression in E. coll. BL-21 cells and characterized. The structural analogs of L-glutamate, dimethyl esters of isophthalic acid (DMIP) and its derivatives were designed, synthesized and screened for inhibition of NADP-GDH activity as well as Y-H transition in B. poitrasii, and also in human pathogenic Candida albicans strains. Results: The BpNADPGDH I and BpNADPGDH II were found to be homo-hexameric proteins with native molecular mass of 282 kDa and 298 kDa, respectively and subunit molecular weights of 47 kDa and 49 kDa, respectively. Besides the distinct kinetic properties, BpNADPGDH I and BpNADPGDH II were found to be regulated by cAMP-dependent- and Calmodulin (CaM) dependent- protein kinases, respectively. The DMIP compounds showed a more pronounced effect on H-form specific BpNADPGDH II and inhibited Y-H transition as well as growth in B. poitrasii and C. albicans strains. Conclusion: The present study will be useful to design and develop antifungal drugs against dimorphic human pathogens using glutamate dehydrogenase as a target. Significance: Glutamate dehydrogenases can be explored as a target against human pathogenic fungi.

}, keywords = {Antifungal compound, Benjaminiella poitrasii, Candida albicans, Dimethyl esters and amides of isophthalic acid, dimorphism, Enzyme inhibition, NADP-glutamate dehydrogenases}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129696}, author = {Pathan, Ejaj K. and Kulkarni, Anand M. and Prasanna, Nallaballe V. L. and Ramana, V, Chepuri and Deshpande, V, Mukund} } @article {46655, title = {Nanocomposite of functional silver metal containing curcumin biomolecule model systems: Protein BSA bioavailability}, journal = {Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry}, volume = {212}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {111210}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Curcumin, a constituent of Curcuma longa L-Zingiberaceae is used in traditional Indian and worldwide medicine and shows anticancer and antioxidant properties. Curcumin has numerous biological and pharmacological ac-tivities but due to its hydrophobic nature, the major drawback is poor absorption and rapid elimination, rendering curcumin with the tag of a poor biomaterial. Hence, there is a need to develop functional metal containing curcumin model systems (FMCCMS) as a metallo-biomolecule to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin. We designed the interaction of silver metal ion with curcumin to form curcumin-silver nanocomposite (CURC-AgNCP) via ultrasonic synthetic route. Formations of FMCCMS were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. The crystalline face-centered cubic pattern and particle size of the nanocomposite was evaluated using X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The bonding of silver metal to curcumin was confirmed by X-ray photon spectroscopy. Interaction of the nanocomposite with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein was performed using excitation, emission, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. In binding interaction of BSA, the negative value of Delta S degrees (-358.04 J mol(-1) K-1) and Delta H degrees (-129.42 KJ mol(-1)) demonstrates the hydrophilic nature of the nanocomposite. The binding distance r evaluated according to the Forster resonance energy transfer theory and was 4.69 nm for CURC-AgNCP, which suggested non-radiative transfer of energy between CURC-AgNCP and BSA. The role of FMCCMS metallo-biomolecule CURC-AgNCP in medicine for cancer activity can have immense importance and hence we performed Sulphorhodamine B based in-vitro cytotoxicity assay on human breast cancer Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 cell line.

}, keywords = {Ag-based CURC biomaterials, Breast cancer, Metal in medicine, Metallobiomolecules, Nanocomposite}, issn = {0162-0134}, doi = {10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2020.111210}, author = {Shedge, Amol A. and Pansare, Shubham V. and Khairkar, Shyam R. and Chhatre, Shraddha Y. and Chakrabarti, S. and Nagarkar, Amit A. and Pansare, Amol V. and Patil, Vishwanath R.} } @article {46600, title = {Negative ion resonance states: the fock-space coupled-cluster way}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10407-10421}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The negative ion resonance states, which are electron-molecule metastable compound states, play the most important role in free-electron controlled molecular reactions and low-energy free-electron-induced DNA damage. Their electronic structure is often only poorly described but crucial to an understanding of their reaction dynamics. One of the most important challenges to current electronic structure theory is the computation of negative ion resonance states. As a major step forward, coupled-cluster theories, which are well-known for their ability to produce the best approximate bound state electronic eigen solutions, are upgraded to offer the most accurate and effective approximations for negative ion resonance states. The existing Fock-space coupled-cluster (FSCC) and the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC) approaches that compute bound states are redesigned for the direct and simultaneous determination of both the kinetic energy of the free electron at which the electron-molecule compound states are resonantly formed and the corresponding autodetachment decay rate of the electron from the metastable compound state. This Feature Article reviews the computation of negative ion resonances using the FSCC approach and, in passing, provides the highlights of the equivalent EOM-CC approach.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpca.0c09148}, author = {Basumallick, Suhita and Sajeev, Y. and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article {46973, title = {One-pot synthesis of bimodal (macro-meso, micro-mesoporous) silica by polyHIPE: parameter studies}, journal = {Journal of Porous Materials}, volume = {27}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {263-275}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Porous silica with hierarchical organization of pore structure is desired for a variety of applications such as, chromatography, sensing, control release, scaffold for biomedical applications and catalysis. Highly porous polymers obtained from high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating route have attracted increasing attention of researchers due to their hierarchical porous and interconnected structure with high porosity and low density. The novel method adopted in our approach combines redox initiated polymerization using HIPE polymerization and an in-situ sol-gel processing technique followed by calcination to obtain highly porous materials. The obtained materials have reminiscent of polyHIPE morphology containing pores and interconnected pore throats in micrometer size range with mesopores on the wall of macropores. The effect of concentration of TEOS, volume of dispersed phase, crosslinker concentration, shear rate and surfactant concentration as well as variation in calcination temperatures on the properties of silica materials were examined.

}, keywords = {Mesoporous material, PolyHIPE, Polymer-silica hybrid, Porous silica}, issn = {1380-2224}, doi = {10.1007/s10934-019-00807-w}, author = {Wale, Apparav and Nalawade, Archana and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Rajan, C. R. and Badiger, Manohar} } @article {46958, title = {Organocatalytic cascade knoevenagel-michael addition reactions: direct synthesis of polysubstituted 2-amino-4H-chromene derivatives}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {150}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2331-2351}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this report, we documented novel strategy for the synthesis of bioactive polysubstituted 2-amino-4H-chromine derivatives under a heterogeneous Al-MCM-41-LDH@APTES (ALAM) catalysis. A synthetic procedure is developed to prepare Al-MCM-41-LDH@APTES (ALAM) heterogeneous basic catalysts. Mesoporous Al-MCM-41 is functionalized by known grafting chemistry via layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) moiety as a basic organocatalyst. The resulting catalysts contain amino group functionality on the external surface as well as inside the layers and the basicity can be tuned by the loading of APTES. The samples were fully characterized by Si-29 and C-13 CP/MAS NMR, infrared absorption spectroscopy, TEM, XPS, EDX, TGA, XRD, CO2-TPD, N-2 adsorption isotherms measurements, and they were successfully examined for the cascade type Knoevenagel-Michael addition reactions. The product yields associated with these substrates were optimized, and key reaction parameters affecting the yields were identified. The present catalytic method is simple and robust for diversity oriented synthesis which proceeds good to excellent yields without generating any hazards waste. The broad substrate scope, excellent functional group compatibility makes this protocol highly useful towards synthesis of polysubstituted alpha-cyanoacrylates, alpha-cyanoacrylonitriles and 2-amino-4H-chromenes with an electron-donating or electron-withdrawing group. We have also successfully established a flow reaction system, gram-scale synthesis as well as catalyst recyclability up to six catalytic cycles without appreciable loss of its activity. Graphic

}, keywords = {2-Amino-4H-chromines, Amine functionalized solid catalysts, cascade synthesis, Diversity oriented syntheses (DOS), flow chemistry}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-019-03089-8, Early Access Date = FEB 2020}, author = {Jadhav, Sanjay N. and Patil, Seema P. and Sahoo, Dipti Prava and Rath, Dharitri and Parida, Kulamani and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {46838, title = {Palladium-catalyzed insertion of ethylene and 1,1-disubstituted difunctional olefins: an experimental and computational study}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {85}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1200-1209}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Insertion or coordination copolymerization of ethylene with di-substituted olefins is challenging and the choice of di-substituted mono-functional olefin versus di-substituted di-functional olefin (DDO) appears to be decisive. Here we show that DDO-inserted species are amenable to ethylene insertion and polymerization. DDOs such as 2-acetamidoacrylic acid (AAA), methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (MAAA), and ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate (ECA) were treated with palladium complex [{P perpendicular to O}PdMe(L)] (P perpendicular to O=kappa(2)-P,O-Ar2PC6H4SO2O with Ar=2-MeOC6H4; L=C2H6OS) and the existence of respective insertion intermediates in moderate yield (up to 37 \%) was established. These intermediates were exposed to ethylene and corresponding ethylene-inserted products were isolated and characterized. A careful comparison with three model compounds confirmed ethylene insertion and polymerization. Thus, the combined experimental and computational investigations show that DDO-inserted species can undergo ethylene insertion and polymerization.

}, keywords = {Homogeneous catalysis, insertion copolymerization, Olefins, Palladium, Polyethylene}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.202000309}, author = {Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Patel, Ketan and Deshmukh, Satej S. and Mote, Nilesh R. and Birajdar, Rajkumar S. and Pandole, Satish P. and Chugh, Jeetender and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {46996, title = {Pd-iminocarboxylate complexes and their behavior in ethylene polymerization}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB }, pages = {398-405}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Designing co-catalyst-free late transition metal complexes for ethylene polymerization is a challenging task at the interface of organometallic and polymer chemistry. Herein, a set of new, co-catalyst-free, single-component catalytic systems for ethylene polymerization have been unraveled. Treatment of anthranilic acid with various aldehydes produced four iminocarboxylate ligands (L1-L4) in very good to excellent yield (75-92 \%). The existence of 2-((2-methoxybenzylidene)amino) benzoic acid (L1) has been unambiguously demonstrated using NMR spectroscopy, MS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A neutral Pd-iminocarboxylate complex [{N O}PdMe(L1)] (N O=kappa(2)-N,O-ArCHNC6H4CO2 with Ar=2-MeOC6H4) C1 was prepared by treating stoichiometric amount of L1.Na with palladium precursor. The identity of C1 was confirmed by 1-2D NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Along the same lines, palladium complexes C2-C4 were prepared from ligands L2-L4 respectively. In-situ high-pressure NMR investigations revealed that these Pd complexes are amenable to ethylene insertion and undergo facile beta-H elimination to produce propylene. These palladium complexes were then evaluated in ethylene polymerization reaction and various reaction parameters were screened. When C1-C4 were exposed to ethylene pressures of 10-50 bar, formation of low-molecular-weight polyethylene was observed.

}, keywords = {imine, Imine-carboxylate, Insertion polymerization, Pd complexes, Polyethylene}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201901501, Early Access Date = JAN 2020}, author = {Deshmukh, Satej S. and Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Pandole, Satish P. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {46616, title = {Penicillium janthinellum NCIM1366 shows improved biomass hydrolysis and a larger number of CAZymes with higher induction levels over Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30}, journal = {Biotechnology for Biofuels}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC }, pages = {196}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background Major cost of bioethanol is attributed to enzymes employed in biomass hydrolysis. Biomass hydrolyzing enzymes are predominantly produced from the hyper-cellulolytic mutant filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30. Several decades of research have failed to provide an industrial grade organism other than T. reesei, capable of producing higher titers of an effective synergistic biomass hydrolyzing enzyme cocktail. Penicillium janthinellum NCIM1366 was reported as a cellulase hyper producer and a potential alternative to T. reesei, but a comparison of their hydrolytic performance was seldom attempted. Results Hydrolysis of acid or alkali-pretreated rice straw using cellulase enzyme preparations from P. janthinellum and T. reesei indicated 37 and 43\% higher glucose release, respectively, with P. janthinellum enzymes. A comparison of these fungi with respect to their secreted enzymes indicated that the crude enzyme preparation from P. janthinellum showed 28\% higher overall cellulase activity. It also had an exceptional tenfold higher beta-glucosidase activity compared to that of T. reesei, leading to a lower cellobiose accumulation and thus alleviating the feedback inhibition. P. janthinellum secreted more number of proteins to the extracellular medium whose total concentration was 1.8-fold higher than T. reesei. Secretome analyses of the two fungi revealed higher number of CAZymes and a higher relative abundance of cellulases upon cellulose induction in the fungus. Conclusions The results revealed the ability of P. janthinellum for efficient biomass degradation through hyper cellulase production, and it outperformed the established industrial cellulase producer T. reesei in the hydrolysis experiments. A higher level of induction, larger number of secreted CAZymes and a high relative proportion of BGL to cellulases indicate the possible reasons for its performance advantage in biomass hydrolysis.

}, keywords = {Bioethanol, CAZymes, Cellulase, Penicillium janthinellum, Secretome, Trichoderma reesei}, doi = {10.1186/s13068-020-01830-9}, author = {Sreeja-Raju, Athiraraj and Christopher, Meera and Kooloth-Valappil, Prajeesh and Kuni-Parambil, Rajasree and Gokhale, Digambar Vittal and Sankar, Meena and Abraham, Amith and Pandey, Ashok and Sukumaran, Rajeev K.} } @article {46706, title = {Phase- and morphology-controlled synthesis of tunable plasmonic MoO3-x nanomaterials for ultrasensitive surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy detection}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP }, pages = {21082-21093}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The enhancement of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) property of the plasmonic metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures by controlling their phase, shape, size, and oxygen vacancy to detect trace amounts of organics is of significant interest. In this study, a simple surfactant-free hydrothermal strategy was proposed to fabricate crystalline h-MoO3-x and alpha-MoO3-x nanomaterials with tunable plasmonic properties. Herein, the crystal phase, morphology, and oxygen vacancy of MoO3-x nanostructures were precisely controlled under suitable synthetic conditions. The plasmonic properties of the as-synthesized h-MoO3-x and alpha-MoO3-x micro-/nanostructures were controlled by adjusting the residual volume in the autoclaving chamber. In addition, the plasmonic MoO3-x exhibited SERS activity with a detection limit as low as 1.0 x 10(-9) M and the maximum enhancement factor (EF) up to 6.99 x 10(5) for h-MoO3-x, while for alpha-MoO3-x, the detection limit was 1.0 x 10(-7) M with the corresponding EF up to 8.51 x 10(3), comparable with plasmonic noble metal nanomaterials without a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}hot spot{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06004}, author = {Patil, Manoj Krishnat and Gaikwad, Supriya Hanmant and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {46702, title = {Photocatalytic hydrogen generation and CO2 conversion using g-C3N4 decorated dendritic fibrous nanosilica: role of interfaces between silica and g-C3N4}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP }, pages = {8150-8158}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have synthesized g-C3N4 decorated over dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS). The generation of C-N-Si interfaces by coating each fiber of DFNS with g-C3N4 not only provided high surface area but also affected the optical and electronic properties of the composite. The catalyst synthesis reproducibility issue of g-C3N4 was resolved using a vacuum-sealed quartz tube. The extended light absorption in the visible region, enhanced lifetime of photogenerated charge carriers due to the formation of interfaces between silica and g-C3N4 (confirmed by solid-state NMR), and increased surface area result in the improved photocatalytic activity of DFNS/g-C(3)N(4)for hydrogen generation and CO2 conversion.

}, keywords = {CO2 conversion, DFNS, g-C3N4, Hydrogen generation, nanocatalysts, photocatalysts, Solid-state NMR}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.0c01265}, author = {Rawool, Sushma A. and Samanta, Anupam and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Kar, Yusuf and Polshettiwar, Vivek} } @proceedings {47332, title = {Photocatalytic hydrogen production from H2S using nanostructured CNT blended CdZnS/Fe2O3 thin film on glass substrate}, volume = {1495}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, publisher = {IOP Publishing Ltd}, abstract = {

A co-precipitation method was employed to prepare the CNT blended CdZnS/Fe2O3\ photocatalyst. Using the powder photocatalyst, the thin film of CNT blended CdZnS/Fe2O3\ photocatalyst over a glass substrate was prepared using the drop-casting method. The obtained thin film was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), photoluminescence (PL), and hydrogen production activity studies in order to obtain information on their structural, morphology, chemical composition, optical and hydrogen production efficiency. The hydrogen production activity of catalyst or effective conversion of H2S into hydrogen (H2) and sulfur (S) using thin-film photocatalyst was evaluated using a simulated sulfide solution. The results showed that 1 mg of CNT blended CdZnS/Fe2O3\ catalyst coated as thin film over glass substrate (4.69 cm2) showed the highest hydrogen production value of 3180 μmol h-1g-1; compared to that of 1 mg CNT blended CdZnS/Fe2O3\ powder of 2510 μmol h-1g-1. From the above results, it is concluded that the thin film form of photocatlyst produced more hydrogen than the powder form. This is attributed to the effective charge separation and increased specific surface area in thin film photocatalyst.

}, doi = {10.1088/1742-6596/1495/1/012035}, author = {Raja, M. Anthony and Vijayarengan, Preethi and Pal, Yash and Nalajala, Naresh and Gopinath, Chinnakonda} } @article {46986, title = {Phytochemicals in cancer treatment: from preclinical studies to clinical practice}, journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1614}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Cancer is a severe health problem that continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide. Increasing knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression has led to the development of a vast number of anticancer drugs. However, the use of chemically synthesized drugs has not significantly improved the overall survival rate over the past few decades. As a result, new strategies and novel chemoprevention agents are needed to complement current cancer therapies to improve efficiency. Naturally occurring compounds from plants known as phytochemicals, serve as vital resources for novel drugs and are also sources for cancer therapy. Some typical examples include taxol analogs, vinca alkaloids such as vincristine, vinblastine, and podophyllotoxin analogs. These phytochemicals often act via regulating molecular pathways which are implicated in growth and progression of cancer. The specific mechanisms include increasing antioxidant status, carcinogen inactivation, inhibiting proliferation, induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis; and regulation of the immune system. The primary objective of this review is to describe what we know to date of the active compounds in the natural products, along with their pharmacologic action and molecular or specific targets. Recent trends and gaps in phytochemical based anticancer drug discovery are also explored. The authors wish to expand the phytochemical research area not only for their scientific soundness but also for their potential druggability. Hence, the emphasis is given to information about anticancer phytochemicals which are evaluated at preclinical and clinical level.

}, keywords = {Anticancer, clinical, medicinal plants, phytochemicals, preclinical}, issn = {1663-9812}, doi = {10.3389/fphar.2019.01614}, author = {Choudhari, Amit S. and Mandave, Pallavi C. and Deshpande, Manasi and Ranjekar, Prabhakar and Prakash, Om} } @article {46949, title = {Phytochemicals in cancer treatment: from preclinical studies to clinical practice (vol 10, 1614, 2020)}, journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB }, pages = {175}, type = {Correction}, keywords = {Anticancer, clinical, medicinal plants, phytochemicals, preclinical}, issn = {1663-9812}, doi = {10.3389/fphar.2020.00175}, author = {Choudhari, Amit S. and Mandave, Pallavi C. and Deshpande, Manasi and Ranjekar, Prabhakar and Prakash, Om} } @article {46893, title = {Piezoelectric energy harvesting from a ferroelectric hybrid salt [Ph3MeP](4)[Ni(NCS)(6)] embedded in a polymer matrix}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {59}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {10368-10373}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Organic-inorganic hybrid ferroelectrics are an exciting class of molecular materials with promising applications in the area of energy and electronics. The synthesis, ferroelectric and piezoelectric energy harvesting behavior of a 3d metal ion-containing A(4)BX(6) type organic-inorganic hybrid salt [Ph3MeP](4)[Ni(NCS)(6)] (1) is now presented. P-E hysteresis loop studies on 1 show a remnant ferroelectric polarization value of 18.71 mu C cm(-2), at room temperature. Composite thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) devices with 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt \% compositions of 1 were prepared and employed for piezoelectric energy harvesting studies. A maximum output voltage of 19.29 V and a calculated power density value of 2.51 mW cm(-3) were observed for the 15 wt \% 1-TPU device. The capacitor charging experiments on the 15 wt \% 1-TPU composite device shows an excellent energy storage performance with the highest stored energies and measured charges of 198.8 mu J and 600 mu C, respectively.

}, keywords = {energy conversion, mechanical properties, non-covalent interactions, organic-inorganic hybrid composites, Phosphorus}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202001250, Early Access Date = APR 2020}, author = {Vijayakanth, Thangavel and Ram, Farsa and Praveenkumar, Balu and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {46955, title = {Plausible diagnostic value of urinary isomeric dimethylarginine ratio for diabetic nephropathy}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2970}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Altered circulatory asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginines have been independently reported in patients with end-stage renal failure suggesting their potential role as mediators and early biomarkers of nephropathy. These alterations can also be reflected in urine. Herein, we aimed to evaluate urinary asymmetric to symmetric dimethylarginine ratio (ASR) for early prediction of diabetic nephropathy (DN). In this cross-sectional study, individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), newly diagnosed diabetes (NDD), diabetic microalbuminuria (MIC), macroalbuminuria (MAC), and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) were recruited from Dr. Mohans{\textquoteright} Diabetes Specialties centre, India. Urinary ASR was measured using a validated high-throughput MALDI-MS/MS method. Significantly lower ASR was observed in MIC (0.909) and MAC (0.741) in comparison to the NGT and NDD groups. On regression models, ASR was associated with MIC [OR: 0.256; 95\% CI: 0.158-0.491] and MAC [OR 0.146; 95\% CI: 0.071-0.292] controlled for all the available confounding factors. ROC analysis revealed ASR cut-point of 0.95 had C-statistic of 0.691 (95\% CI: 0.627-0.755) to discriminate MIC from NDD with 72\% sensitivity. Whereas, an ASR cut-point of 0.82 had C-statistic of 0.846 (95\% CI: 0.800 - 0.893) had 91\% sensitivity for identifying MAC. Our results suggest ASR as a potential early diagnostic biomarker for DN among the Asian Indians.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-59897-1}, author = {Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Bhattacharya, Nivedita and Kannan, Shanthini and Vadivel, Sangeetha and Pandey, Gautam Kumar and Ghanate, Avinash and Ragi, Nagarjuna Chary and Prabu, Paramasivam and Pramodkumar, Thyparambil Aravindakshan and Manickam, Nagaraj and Mohan, Viswanathan and Sripadi, Prabhakar and Kuppan, Gokulakrishnan and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu} } @article {46723, title = {Possible role of glycation in the regulation of amyloid beta precursor protein processing leading to amyloid beta accumulation}, journal = {Medical Hypotheses}, volume = {142}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {109799}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of neurodegenerative diseases amongst the aged population. The disease is multifactorial, and diabetes has been considered as one of the major risk factors for the development of AD. Chronic hyperglycemic condition in diabetes promotes non-enzymatic protein modification by glucose termed as glycation, which affects protein structure and function. Previous studies have shown that many of the enzymes, including proteases, are affected by glycation. Conversely, glycated proteins are known to become resistant to protease action. In these hypotheses, we have extended these two concepts to the regulation of amyloid-beta protein precursor (A beta PP) by secretases leading to amyloid-beta (Af3) accumulation. The first hypothesis deals with the glycation of alpha-secretases leading to its reduced activity, while in the second hypothesis, A beta PP glycation may prevent a-secretases action, rendering its processing by beta secretase. As diabetes is a risk factor for the development of AD, either or both these pathways may operate, leading to the manifestation of AD.

}, keywords = {Alpha-secretase, Alzheimer {\textquoteleft}s disease, Amyloid-beta, Amyloid-beta protein precursor, Beta-secretase, Diabetes, glucose, Glycation, Type-3 diabetes}, issn = {0306-9877}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109799}, author = {Patil, Gouri V. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Kazi, Rubina S. and Kulsange, Shabda E. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {47339, title = {Potential of myo-inositol as a starting material for natural product synthesis}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Chemical Society}, volume = {97}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {177-185}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Phosphorylated derivatives of myo-inositol are involved in various cellular processes and they are crucial for the survival of cells. Discoveries related to these biological aspects revived the interest in the chemistry of inositols, since derivatives and analogs of phosphoinositols were required as molecular tools for the delineation of the myo-inositol cycle in eukaryotic cells. Extensive research on the chemistry of inositols in the last 3-4 decades encouraged organic chemists to explore the use of myo-inositol, the most abundantly available inositol, as a starting material for the synthesis of natural products. This article is an attempt to review the progress in this area of synthetic chemistry and identify aspects that need to be addressed to increase the potential of myo-inositol as a starting material for natural product synthesis.

}, author = {Shashidhar, Mysore and Patil, Nivedita} } @article {46632, title = {Process development for 6-aminopenicillanic acid production using lentikats-encapsulated escherichia coli cells expressing penicillin V acylase}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {28972-28976}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Penicillin V acylase (PVA, EC 3.5.1.11) hydrolyzes the side chain of phenoxymethylpenicillin (Pen V) and finds application in the manufacture of the pharmaceutical intermediate 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA). Here, we report the scale-up of cultivation of Escherichia coli whole cells expressing a highly active PVA from Pectobacterium atrosepticum and their encapsulation in polyvinyl alcohol-poly(ethylene glycol) Lentikats hydrogels. A biocatalytic process for the hydrolysis of 2\% (w/v) Pen V was set up in a 2 L reactor using the Lentikats-immobilized whole cells, with a customized setup to enable continuous downstream processing of the reaction products. The biocatalytic reaction afforded complete conversion of Pen V for 10 reaction cycles, with an overall 90\% conversion up to 50 cycles. The bioprocess was further scaled up to the pilot-scale at 10 L, enabling complete conversion of Pen V to 6-APA for 10 cycles. The 6-APA and phenoxy acetic acid products were recovered from downstream processing with isolated yields of 85-90 and 87-92\%, respectively. Immobilization in Lentikats beads improved the stability of the whole cells on storage, maintaining 90-100\% activity and similar conversion efficiency after 3 months at 4 degrees C. The robust PVA biocatalyst can be employed in a continuous process to provide a sustainable route for bulk 6-APA production from Pen V.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.0c02813}, author = {Sawant, Amol M. and Sunder, Avinash Vellore and Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Pundle, Archana} } @article {46855, title = {PVDF/BaTiO3 films with nanocellulose impregnation: investigation of structural, morphological and mechanical properties}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {823}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {153701}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite films have witnessed widespread applications in biomedical and flexible electronic devices in recent years. These applications require a material that has enhanced electrical properties, mechanical flexibility along with sufficient strength. A lot of research has been carried out to enhance the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the PVDF composite films. However, the improvements in the mechanical properties of nano filler reinforced PVDF composite films has not received due attention. In this regard, the present work focuses towards enhancing the mechanical strength and load-bearing capability of PVDF, by preparing composites of PVDF films impregnated with Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNC) and Barium Titanate (BTO) nanoparticles. Solution casting method was adapted to fabricate the PVDF/BTO/CNC films. X-ray diffractograms and FTIR (Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy) corroborate the presence of ferroelectric gamma phase in PVDF. Mechanical and viscoelastic measurements have been carried out to examine the influence of CNC and BTO nano fillers in the PVDF matrix. The addition of CNC and BTO in PVDF film has improved the mechanical strength significantly. The stress achieved for PVDF/5\% BTO and PVDF/5\% BTO with 0.9\% of CNC at 5\% strain was 17\% and 130\% higher than the pristine PVDF, respectively. This study can be helpful for the design engineers to meet custom/specific requirements for a myriad of end- user applications such as piezoelectric nanogenerators. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {BaTiO3, Composite films, Mechanics, Morphology, Nanocellulose, PVDF}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.153701}, author = {Ram, Farsa and Kaviraj, P. and Pramanik, R. and Krishnan, Amrutha and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Arockiarajan, A.} } @article {47017, title = {Recent advances in plant nanobionics and nanobiosensors for toxicology applications}, journal = {Current Nanoscience}, volume = {16}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {27-41}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Emerging applications in the field of nanotechnology are able to solve a gamut of problems surrounding the applications of agroecosystems and food technology. Nano Engineered Material (NEM) based nanosensors are important tools for monitoring plant signaling pathways and metabolism that arc nondestructive, minimally invasive, and can provide real-time analysis of biotic and abiotic threats for better plant health. These sensors can measure chemical flux even at the single molecule level. Therefore, plant health could be monitored through nutrient management, disease assessment, plant hormones level, environmental pollution, etc. This review provides a comprehensive account of the current trends and practices for the proposed NEM related research and its (i) structural aspect, (ii) experimental design and performance as well as (iii) mechanisms of field application in agriculture and food system. This review also discusses the possibility of integration of data from NEM based nanosensors in current and emerging trends of precision agriculture, urban farming, and plant nanobionics to adopt a sustainable approach in agriculture,

}, keywords = {agro-ecosystems, engineered nanomaterials, nanobionics, Nanosensors, nanotechnology, nanotoxicology}, issn = {1573-4137}, doi = {10.2174/1573413715666190409101305}, author = {Ansari, Mohammad Hasan Dad and Lavhale, Santosh and Kalunke, Raviraj M. and Srivastava, Prabhakar L. and Pandit, Vaibhav and Gade, Subodh and Yadav, Sanjay and Laux, Peter and Luch, Andreas and Gemmati, Donato and Zamboni, Paolo and Singh, Ajay Vikram} } @article {46788, title = {Relativistic coupled-cluster study of BaF in search of CP violation}, journal = {Journal of Physics B-Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics}, volume = {53}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {135102}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

BaF is one of the potential candidates for the experimental search of the electric dipole moment of the electron (eEDM). The NL-eEDM collaboration is building a new experimental set up to measure the eEDM using the BaF molecule (The NL-eEDM collaboration, 2018 Eur. Phys. J. D 72: 197). To analyze the results of such an experiment, one would require the accurate value of the molecular P, T-odd interaction parameters that cannot be measured from any experiment. In this work, we report the precise value of the P, T-odd interaction parameters of the BaF molecule obtained from the four-component relativistic coupled-cluster calculations. We also calculate the hyperfine structure (HFS) constants of the same molecule to assess the reliability of the reported molecular parameters. The calculated HFS constants show good agreement with the available experimental values. Further, the systematic effects of electron-correlation along with the roles of inner-core electrons and the virtual energy functions in the calculation of the studied properties of BaF are investigated.

}, keywords = {electric dipole moment of the electron, electron-correlation, Relativistic effects}, issn = {0953-4075}, doi = {10.1088/1361-6455/ab84c8}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {46927, title = {Relativistic double-ionization equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method: application to low-lying doubly ionized states}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {152}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {104302}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This article deals with the extension of the relativistic double-ionization equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (DI-EOMCC) method [H. Pathak et al. Phys. Rev. A 90, 010501(R) (2014)] for the molecular systems. The Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian with four-component spinors is considered to take care of the relativistic effects. The implemented method is employed to compute a few low-lying doubly ionized states of noble gas atoms (Ar, Kr, Xe, and Rn) and Cl-2, Br-2, HBr, and HI. Additionally, we presented results with two intermediate schemes in the four-component relativistic DI-EOMCC framework to understand the role of electron correlation. The computed double ionization spectra for the atomic systems are compared with the values from the non-relativistic DI-EOMCC method with spin-orbit coupling [Z. Wang et al. J. Chem. Phys. 142, 144109 (2015)] and the values from the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) database. Our atomic results are found to be in good agreement with the NIST values. Furthermore, the obtained results for the molecular systems agree well with the available experimental values.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.5140988}, author = {Pathak, Himadri and Sasmal, Sudip and Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Veval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {46857, title = {Removal of fluoride from aqueous solution by mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with chitosan derived from mushroom}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {57}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP }, pages = {619-627}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present study, chitosan functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles have been synthesized. Chitosan derived from an edible mushroom, Agaricus bisporus was used during synthesis of chitosan functionalized silica nanoparticles. The functionalized silica nanoparticles were subjected to fluoride sorption using a batch method which subsequently showed removal efficiency of 95\% with maximum sorption capacity, 58.8 mg/g. The characterization of nanoparticles was carried out by SEM, EDAX, XRD and FTIR analysis respectively. EDAX analysis suggested that oxygen, 51.83\% and silica 37.24\% was main constituent of the functionalized nanomaterials. XRD yielded characteristic diffraction pattern corresponding to the lattice planes (100), (110), (112), (120), (200) and (220) respectively. Sorption data was used to study equilibrium isotherm namely Langmuir and Freundlich model. The adsorption capacity increased with temperature while kinetics studies revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second-order rate equation. The enthalpy change (Delta H) and entropy change (Delta S) was found to be -31.36 kJmol(-1) and -7.75 Jmol(-1) K-1, showing endothermic and spontaneous nature of the fluoride adsorption. Data suggested that the nature of adsorption belonged to chemisorptions. The overall results suggested that the synthesized nanoparticles showed strong and specific affinity for fluoride and could be excellent adsorbents for defluoridation.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Chitosan, EDAX, Fluoride, SEM}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601325.2020.1738896, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Srivastava, Anushree and Kumari, Madhu and Ramanathan, Alagappan and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal and Prasad, Bablu and Prasad, Kumar Suranjit} } @article {46797, title = {Renewing polyethylene: insertion copolymerization of sugar derived hydrophilic monomers with ethylene}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {134}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {109775}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Although highly desirable, insertion copolymerization of renewable resource derived functional olefins with ethylene has been rarely investigated. Herein, we report insertion copolymerization of challenging sugar derived isohexide mono-enes with ethylene in the presence of Pd-phosphinesulfonate acetonitrile catalyst (C1). Thus, copolymerization of ethylene with isomannide mono-ene (2a), isosorbide mono-ene (2b{\textquoteright}), isoidide mono-ene (2c) and methacryl-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-D glucopyranoside (2d) afforded corresponding functionalized polyethylene (P2a-1 to P2d-1). High temperature proton NMR investigations revealed enchainment of 2a-2c in polyethylene backbone and the highest incorporation of 1.45\% was observed for 2c. The high temperature proton NMR results were further corroborated by solid state C-13 NMR and IR spectroscopy. Gel permeation chromatography analysis displayed weight average molecular weight in the range of 13.0-27.2 x 10(3) g/mol. The thus prepared copolymers revealed melting temperature in the range of 117-126 degrees C. Relatively reduced melting temperature compared to neat polyethylene may suggest an irregular arrangement of pendant functional group on polyethylene main chain.

}, keywords = {Hydrophilic polyethylene, insertion copolymerization, Isohexide mono-enes, Polyethylene, Sugar}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.109775}, author = {Rajput, Bhausaheb S. and Pawal, Sandip B. and Bodkhe, V. Dnyaneshwar and Rao, I. Nagamalleswara and Sainath, Annadanam V. Sesha and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {46943, title = {Role of cholesterol-mediated effects in GPCR heterodimers}, journal = {Chemistry and Physics of Lipids}, volume = {227}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {104852}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane receptors that mediate a large number of cellular responses. The organization of GPCRs into dimers and higher-order oligomers is known to allow a larger repertoire of downstream signaling events. In this context, a crosstalk between the adenosine and dopamine receptors has been reported, indicating the presence of heterodimers that are functionally relevant. In this paper, we explored the effect of membrane cholesterol on the adenosine(2A) (A(2A)) and dopamine D-3 (D-3) receptors using coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations. We analyzed cholesterol interaction sites on the A(2A) receptor and were able to reproduce the sites indicated by crystallography and previous atomistic simulations. We predict novel cholesterol interaction sites on the D-3 receptor that could be important in the reported cholesterol sensitivity in receptor function. Further, we analyzed the formation of heterodimers between the two receptors. Our results suggest that membrane cholesterol modulates the relative population of several co-existing heterodimer conformations. Both direct receptor-cholesterol interaction and indirect membrane effects contribute toward the modulation of heterodimer conformations. These results constitute one of the first examples of modulation of GPCR hetero-dimerization by membrane cholesterol, and could prove to be useful in designing better therapeutic strategies.

}, keywords = {Adenosine(2A) receptor, Cholesterol, Dopamine D-3 receptor, G protein-coupled receptors, Heterodimer, MARTINI coarse-grain simulation}, issn = {0009-3084}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2019.104852}, author = {Prasanna, Xavier and Mohole, Madhura and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {46932, title = {Role of electron correlation in the P, T-odd effects of CdH: a relativistic coupled-cluster investigation}, journal = {Physical Review A}, volume = {101}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR }, pages = {032505}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We investigate the parity (P) and time-reversal (T) symmetry violating effects in the CdH molecule and perform the relativistic coupled-cluster calculation of the molecular parameters-E-eff, W-s, and W-M-related to the electric dipole moment of electron (eEDM) interaction, the scalar-pseudoscalar (S-PS) nucleus-electron neutral current coupling, and the nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment (MQM) interaction with electrons, respectively. We also compute the molecular dipole moment and the magnetic hyperfine structure coupling constant of CdH. The values of E-eff, W-s, and W-M obtained by us in the said molecule are 12.2 GV/cm, 14.0 kHz, and 0.82 x 10(33) Hz/e cm(2), respectively, within an uncertainty of 10\%. Furthermore, we study the trend of electron-correlation in the computed properties of CdH and that of the P, T-odd parameters in the group-12 monohydrides (i.e., ZnH, CdH, and HgH).

}, issn = {2469-9926}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.101.032505}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {46881, title = {Room temperature processed in-situ carbon-coated vanadium carbide (VC@C) as a high capacity robust Li/Na battery anode material}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {161}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {108-116}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

3D carbide systems with their robust physical and mechanical properties have always attracted multiple application interests. In this report, we have synthesized a three-dimensional in-situ carbon coated cubic carbide, Vanadium Carbide (VC@C), by a very simple, scalable and cost-effective room temperature mechano-chemical ball-milling procedure and researched its promise as effective anode material for Li and Na ion batteries. We have demonstrated that VC@C shows an impressive initial discharge/lithiation capacity of 1165 mAh g(-1) with a high reversible capacity of 640 mAh g(-1) after 100 charge-discharge cycles at an applied current density of 0.1 A g(-1). We have also found that this material renders a very promising rate performance with significantly low capacity drop after exposing it to variable current densities ranging from 0.05 A g(-1) to 2 A g(-1) with an excellent stability up to 1000 cycles owing to its structural robustness, as verified by post-cycling characterizations. A Li-ion full cell study using LiCoO2 as cathode also showed excellent promise in terms of practical application demonstrating a reversible capacity of 95 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles. Even for Na insertion/de-insertion VC@C shows a clear promise in terms of capacity, cyclic stability and rate performance. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3D carbide, In-situ synthesis, Li-ion battery, Post cycling characterization, Room temperature ball milling, Williamson-Hall analysis}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2020.01.057}, author = {Mahajan, Mani and Roy, Kingshuk and Parmar, Swati and Singla, Gourav and Pandey, O. P. and Singh, K. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {46634, title = {Scalable synthesis of 3-Ethyl-4-methyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one: an important building block of the antidiabetic drug glimepiride}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {52}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3480-3484}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A four-step, practical, and easily scalable synthesis of 3-ethyl-4-methyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one, an important building block of the antidiabetic drug glimepiride, has been accomplished. Key features are the synthesis of 3-methyl-4-hydroxy-2-butenolide in water and triflic acid mediated N-benzyl lactam N-deprotection. The main advantages of this process are the scalable synthetic route and decreased number of reaction steps, which paves the way for the industrial-scale synthesis of 3-ethyl-4-methyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one.

}, keywords = {antidiabetic drug, Butenolide, glimepiride, lactams, scalable synthesis}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0040-1707344}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Pawar, Ambaji A. and Patil, Niteen B. and Kadam, Appasaheb L. and Shinde, Shrikrishna S.} } @article {46959, title = {Shape resonance of sulphur dioxide anion excited states using the CAP-CIP-FSMRCCSD method}, journal = {Molecular Physics}, volume = {118}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have studied the shape resonance of excited states of sulphur dioxide (SO2) anion by using the correlated independent particle Fock space multi-reference coupled cluster (CAP-CIP-FSMRCCSD) method augmented by complex absorption potential. These resonant states have been trapped experimentally in recent years by electron collision. In particular, we have investigated e(-)-SO2 scattering and computed the negative-ion resonance states of the anion responsible for the two resonances around 4.45 and 6.56 eV and compared the results with the existing experimental observations. From the computational results using the CAP-CIP-FSMRCCSD method, it has been observed that both the resonances near 4.45 and 6.56 eV result from A(1) symmetries. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {CAP augmented correlated independent particle (CAP-CIP-FSMRCCSD), complex absorption potential (CAP), coupled cluster, Fock space multireference coupled cluster (FSMRCCSD), shape resonance}, issn = {0026-8976}, doi = {10.1080/00268976.2020.1726521, Early Access Date = FEB 2020}, author = {Basumallick, Suhita and Bhattacharya, Sumantra and Jana, Irina and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {46749, title = {Silk fibroin 3D microparticle scaffolds with bioactive ceramics: chemical, mechanical, and osteoregenerative characteristics}, journal = {Advanced Engineering Materials}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2000458}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Preparation of 3D scaffolds for bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a challenging task as it requires appropriate pore size and porosities, mechanical properties, and controlled bioerosion rate. The focus of this work is the fabrication of silk fibroin (SF) 3D microparticle scaffolds with the incorporation of hydroxyapatite (HA) and calcium sulfate (CaS) as bioceramics. Physicochemical characterization shows approximate to 30\% filler loading and approximate to 40\% optimum porosity with \>100 mu m pore size for these filled/unfilled scaffolds. Nanoindentation studies show improved Young{\textquoteright}s modulus at microparticle level with the incorporation of bioceramics. SF-HA scaffolds showed three fold increase in Young{\textquoteright}s modulus, whereas SF-CaS showed two fold increase. In vitro bioerosion study results in early bioerosion with SF-CaS scaffold, whereas prolonged bioerosion with SF-HA scaffold. In vitro osteoregenerative potential is analyzed by estimating alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and osteocalcin (OCN). SF CaS supports early stage differentiation while SF 50\% HA predominantly supports late stage. The expression of TNF-alpha suggests a reduced risk of immune rejection. This work, therefore, concludes that although SF supports bone tissue regeneration, the choice of bioceramic enhances the applicability in various clinical scenarios by providing a controlled bioerosion rate, tunable speed of osteoregeneration, and improved load bearing capacities.

}, keywords = {bioceramics, bioerosion, osteogenic differentiation, Silk fibroin, stem cells}, issn = {1438-1656}, doi = {10.1002/adem.202000458, Early Access Date = AUG 2020}, author = {Parekh, Nimisha A. and Deshpande, V. Rucha and Shukla, Swati G. and Nisal, Anuya A.} } @article {47784, title = {Simultaneous determination of anthraquinone, flavonoids, and phenolic antidiabetic compounds from cassia auriculata seeds by validated UHPLC based MS/MS method}, journal = {Mass Spectrometry Letters}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {82-89}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A systematic isolation and characterization study for Cassia auriculata (CA) seeds resulted in identifying antidiabetic compounds 1,3,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone and quercetin, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and ellagic acid. The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography based triple quadrupole mass spectrometry methodology was developed and validated for simultaneous identification and confirmation of these compounds from CA seeds. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) based quantification method was developed with MRM optimizer software for MS1 and MS2 mass analysis. The method was optimized on precursor ions and product ions with the ion ratio of each compound. The calibration curves of seven bioactive analytes showed excellent linearity (r2 >= 0.99). The quantitation results found precise (RSD, < 10 \%) with good recoveries (84.58 to 101.42\%). The matrix effect and extraction recoveries were found within the range (91.66 to 102.11\%) for the CA seeds. This is the first MS/MS-based methodology applied to quantifying seven antidiabetic compounds in CA seeds and its extract for quality control purposes.}, doi = {10.5478/MSL.2020.11.4.82}, author = {Girme, Aboli and Saste, Ganesh and Chinchansure, Ashish and Joshi, Swati and Kunkulol, Rahul and Hingorani, Lal and Patwardhan, Bhushan} } @article {46701, title = {Site speci fic nitrogen incorporation in reduced graphene oxide using imidazole as a novel reducing agent for ef ficient oxygen reduction reaction and improved supercapacitive performance}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {166}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP }, pages = {361-373}, type = {Article}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2020.05.011}, author = {Roy, Dipayan and Sarkar, Saikat and Bhattacharjee, Kaustav and Panigrahi, Karamjyoti and Das, Bikram Kumar and Sardar, Kausik and Sarkar, Sourav and Chattopadhyay, Kalyan Kumar} } @article {46635, title = {Solvent-less solid state synthesis of dispersible metal and semiconducting metal sulfide nanocrystals (vol 6, pg 12006, 2018)}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {17000}, type = {Correction}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c07891}, author = {Bera, Abhijit and Busupalli, Balanagulu and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {46715, title = {Spectroscopic evidences for the size dependent generation of pd species responsible for the low temperature CO oxidation activity on Pd-SBA-15 nanocatalyst}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {272}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP }, pages = {118934}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A comprehensive size dependent CO oxidation activity has been demonstrated for Pd-SBA-15 catalysts with Pd NPs of varying sizes such as 1-2, 4-6 and 7-10 nm. Pd-SBA-15 catalyst with smallest sized NPs (Pd-S-N) has been synthesized by modified deposition precipitation method recently developed in our lab. Pd-S-N catalyst (reduced at 400 degrees C) demonstrated CO oxidation activity with lower light off temperature (50 degrees C), clearly one of the best reported for a Pd-silica system. A detailed XPS and in-situ DRIFTS analyses further supported by XAS and DFT calculations reveal the presence of easily decomposable highvalent Pd-oxide on co-ordinatively unsaturated Pd sites (Pdcus). Weak binding of CO on Pdcus sites in small Pd NPs leaving sites for oxygen activation is attributed to the low temperature activity of Pd-S-N for CO oxidation.

}, keywords = {CO oxidation, high-valent Pd species, Pd nanoparticles, SBA-15, under coordinated Pd atoms}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.118934}, author = {Soni, Yogita and Pradhan, Sumanta and Bamnia, Mahesh K. and Yadav, A. K. and Jha, S. N. and Bhattacharyya, D. and Khan, Tuhin Suvra and Haider, M. A. and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {46815, title = {Sphingomyelin effects in caveolin-1 mediated membrane curvature published as part of the journal of physical chemistry virtual special issue {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}computational and experimental advances in biomembranes{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5177-5185}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The caveolin-1 (cav-1) protein is an integral component of caveolae and has been reported to colocalize with cholesterol and sphingomyelin-rich curved membrane domains. Here, we analyze the molecular interactions between cav-1 and sphingomyelin containing bilayers using a series of coarse-grain simulations, focusing on lipid clustering and membrane curvature. We considered a palmitoylated-cav-1 construct interacting with phospholipid/cholesterol membranes with asymmetrically distributed sphingomyelin, varying between 5 and 15\% in total. We observe that cav-1 binds to the intracellular leaflet and induces a small positive curvature in the leaflet to which it is bound and an opposing negative curvature in the extracellular leaflet. Both cholesterol and sphingomyelin are observed to cluster in cav-1 bound membranes, mainly in the extracellular leaflet. Due to their negative spontaneous curvature, clustering of cholesterol and sphingomyelin facilitates membrane curvature such that the extent of either cholesterol or sphingomyelin clustering is dependent on the curvature induced. Our results suggest that cav-1 binding induces concentration-dependent curvature effects in sphingomyelin-rich membranes. Overall, our work is an important step in understanding the molecular basis of curvature and lipid clustering in cav1 bound cellular membranes.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c02962}, author = {Krishna, Anjali and Prakash, Shikha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {46599, title = {Stepwise nucleophilic substitution to access saturated N-heterocyclic carbene haloboranes with boron-methyl bonds}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {39}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4696-4703}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Compounds of boranes with N-heterocyclic carbenes are known, yet little attention has been paid to NHC compounds of boron bearing methyl and halogen moieties together. The reason can be attributed to the hazardous methyldichloroborane (MeBCl2), which ignites in air. We describe here convenient solution-phase access to SIDipp.MeBCl2 (SIDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene) (3) by a salt metathesis reaction of SIDipp.BCl3 (2) with MeLi. Replacement of the chlorine atoms of 3 with stepwise addition of AgOTf led to the formation of SIDipp.MeBCl(OTf) (4) and SIDipp.MeB(OTf)2 (5). In the case of 4, all of the substituents on the boron atom are different. Subsequently, we extended our synthetic approach to the amidinate system and prepared PhC(NtBu)2B(Me)Cl (7) from the reaction of PhC(NtBu)2BCl2 (6) with MeLi.

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.0c00691}, author = {Kundu, Gargi and Pahar, Sanjukta and Tothadi, Srinu and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {46675, title = {Stimuli-responsive biodegradable polyurethane nano-constructs as a potential triggered drug delivery vehicle for cancer therapy}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmaceutics}, volume = {588}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {119781}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Polyurethanes (PUs) constitute an essential class of stimuli-responsive and biodegradable material, which has significantly contributed to the advancement of polymers utilization in the biomedical field. The bio-erodible PUs construct an active corridor for facilitating drug into tumor cells, which has significantly impacted the progression of nano-micellar delivery systems. The self-assembled colloidal PUs pose distinctive features such as enhancing the solubility of hydrophobic chemotherapeutics, rapid cellular uptake, triggered erosion and drug release, bio-stimulus sensitivity, improvement in the targeting and proficiency of bioactive. Cationic PUs can easily be condensed with genetic material to form polyplexes and have shown excellent transfection efficiency for potential gene therapy against various cancers. Their modifiable chemistry offers a tool to impart the desired multifunctionality such as biocompatibility, sensitivity to pH, redox, temperature, enzyme, etc. and ligand conjugation for active targeting. These diverse exceptional properties make them excellent nano-carrier for a variety of bioactive, including chemotherapeutic drugs, DNA, RNA, and diagnostic moieties to the target tissue or cells. The PUs based nano-devices have certainly uncovered the path to achieve ideal systems for controlled personalized therapy. The literature discussed in this review shed light on the research innovations carried out in the last ten years for the development of multifunctional PUs for triggered delivery of bioactive to treat various cancers.

}, keywords = {Cancer nanomedicine, GSH, micelles, Polyurathanes, redox, Stimuli-responsive}, issn = {0378-5173}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119781}, author = {Gajbhiye, Kavita R. and Chaudhari, Bhushan P. and Pokharkar, Varsha B. and Pawar, Atmaram and Gajbhiye, Virendra} } @article {46969, title = {Stress-induced electronic structure modulation of manganese-incorporated Ni2P leading to enhanced activity for water splitting}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1271-1278}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The cornerstone of the emerging hydrogen economy is hydrogen production by water electrolysis with concomitant oxygen generation. Incorporating a third element in metal phosphides can tune the crystalline and electronic structure, hence improving the electrocatalytic properties. In this work, Mn-doped Ni2P with varying ratios of Mn and Ni has been explored as excellent catalysts for water splitting. A complete cell made of the best catalyst Ni1.5Mn0.5P electrodes showed low voltage of 1.75 V at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) due to enhanced electrical conductivity, induction of tensile stress, enhanced electrochemical surface area, and increased electric dipole upon Mn incorporation.

}, keywords = {Electronic Structure, hydrogen evolution reaction, Oxygen Evolution Reaction, phosphides, water splitting}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.9b02097}, author = {Sarkar, Shreya and Dheer, Lakshay and Vinod, C. P. and Thapa, Ranjit and Waghmare, V. Umesh and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {46712, title = {Structural and electrical characterization studies for ternary composite of polypyrrole}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {31}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {18400-18411}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, temperature dependence of alternate current (AC) and direct current (DC) conductivities of optimized polypyrrole/silver-tantalum oxide (PPy/Ag-Ta2O5), a ternary conducting polymer composite is comparatively studied with those of PPy and PPy/Ag. For the purpose, silver (Ag) nanoparticles were encapsulated with polypyrrole (PPy) by in situ oxidative polymerization to form core-shell structured PPy/Ag composite for which Ag nanoparticles were extracted from green tea. The PPy/Ag composite was then mechanically mixed with tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) to form PPy/Ag-Ta(2)O(5)ternary composite. Increase in depth of delocalization band of PPy in ternary composite as compared to those of PPy/Ag composite and PPy, indicating its increased AC conductivity confirmed from the comparative FTIR analyses. Interaction between PPy/Ag composite and Ta(2)O(5)in the ternary composite was confirmed from XRD studies. The formation of core-shell structured PPy/Ag composite and Ta(2)O(5)particles embedded in such PPy/Ag composite to form PPy/Ag-Ta(2)O(5)ternary composite confirmed from TEM and Raman studies. The frequency- and temperature-dependent electrical conductivity studies revealed increase in AC conductivity of the ternary composite as compared to those of PPy/Ag composite and pure PPy attributed mainly to interfacial effects. The charge transport in these samples predicted to be due to correlated barrier hopping of charges was confirmed by calculating their respective AC and DC activation energies.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-020-04386-4, Early Access Date = SEP 2020}, author = {Megha, R. and Ravikiran, Y. T. and Kumari, S. C. Vijaya and Prakash, H. G. Raj and Revanasiddappa, M. and Manjunatha, S. and Dastager, Syed G. and Thomas, S.} } @article {46693, title = {Structural and enzymatic analysis of a dimeric cholylglycine hydrolase like acylase active on N-acyl homoserine lactones}, journal = {Biochimie}, volume = {177}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {108-116}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The prevalence of substrate cross-reactivity between AHL acylases and beta-lactam acylases provides a glimpse of probable links between quorum sensing and antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Both these enzyme classes belong to the N-terminal nucleophile (Ntn)-hydrolase superfamily. Penicillin V acylases alongside bile salt hydrolases constitute the cholylglycine hydrolase (CGH) group of the Ntn-hydrolase superfamily. Here we report the ability of two acylases, Slac1 and Slac2, from the marine bacterium Shewanella loihica PV4 to hydrolyze AHLs. Three-dimensional structure of Slac1 reveals the conservation of the Ntn hydrolase fold and CGH active site, making it a unique CGH exclusively active on AHLs. Slac1homologs phylogenetically cluster separate from reported CGHs and AHL acylases, thereby representing a functionally distinct sub-class of CGH that might have evolved as an adaptation to the marine environment. We hypothesize that Slac1 could provide the structural framework for understanding this subclass, and further our understanding of the evolutionary link between AHL acylases and beta-lactam acylases. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. and Societe Francaise de Biochimie et Biologie Moleculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {AHL acylase, Cholyolglycine hydrolase, Homodimer, Ntn-fold, Shewanella loihica-PV4}, issn = {0300-9084}, doi = {10.1016/j.biochi.2020.07.017}, author = {Philem, Pushparani D. and Yadav, Yashpal and Sunder, Avinash Vellore and Ghosh, Deepanjan and Prabhune, Asmita and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar} } @article {47330, title = {Structural, Hirshfeld surface and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of five new N-aryl-N{\textquoteright}-alkoxycarbonyl thiocarbamide derivatives}, journal = {Phosphorus Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements}, volume = {195}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {812-820}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Five new compounds, N-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(methoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (1), N-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(ethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (2), N-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(2, 2, 2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (3), N-(2,4-dichlrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(pentoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (4) and N-(4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(pentoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (5), have been synthesized by the reaction of various alkoxy chloroformates with 2, 4-dichloroaniline/4-nitroaniline.The molecular structures of the compounds were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR) and single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of compounds 2 and 5. Antiperiplanar orientation of C = O and C = S group across C-N bonds of thiocarbamide core may be due to the presence of intramolecular (N-H center dot center dot center dot O-C) hydrogen bond in the crystal structure of both the compounds. The presence of intermolecular interactions (C-H center dot center dot center dot S, C-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot S) in the molecular structure of the compounds has been studied in detail using Hirshfeld surfaces and their associated twodimensional fingerprint plots. In vitro cytotoxicity screening of the synthesized compounds evaluated on a panel of seven human cancer cell lines (cervical carcinoma (2008, C13*), colorectal (HT29 and HCT116) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780, A2780/CP and IGROV-1)) demonstrated significant inhibitory properties.

}, keywords = {Hirshfeld surface analysis, In vitro cytotoxicity, Thiocarbamide, X-ray crystal structure determination}, issn = {1042-6507}, doi = {10.1080/10426507.2020.1756809, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Pratap, Seema and Rai, Sunil K. and Marverti, Gaetano} } @article {46879, title = {Structural, molecular, functional and immunological characterization of Wuchereria bancrofti-galectin}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {150}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {206-217}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Galectins regulate growth and differentiation of immune cells and inflammation through their carbohydrate-binding function in humans, while also play a role in parasite survival. This study focused on the galectin of lymphatic filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb-Gal). The multiple sequence alignment with other galectins showed that the Wb-Gal belonged to galactoside binding lectin family, particularly tandem repeat type galectin-9. A homology model of Wb-Gal was developed in the I-TASser server using high similarity 3D structures with a quality score of 89.5. Molecular docking and dynamics studies revealed that the CCRD and NCRD of Wb-Gal bind with galactose and lactose. Further, Wb-Gal was cloned into the pET28 vector, expressed in E. coli Rosetta strain and purified by affinity chromatography. In the hemagglutination assays, the rWb-Gal bound to lactose, galactose, and glucose. Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) using different clinical filarial sera showed that the IgG and IgM response was against Wb-Gal x very high in all filarial clinical groups, whereas the IgA and IgG2 response was minimum to negligible. There was an enhanced response of IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies in Microfilaremics (MF) cases compared to Chronic Pathology (CP) and Endemic Normal (EN) individuals. Interestingly, the IgE response was comparatively higher in EN than MF and CP. These studies show that Wb-Gal is a member of the lectin family of proteins binding to different carbohydrates and may have an important role in the pathophysiology of filarial infection which needs to be investigated in greater detail. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Filariasis, Hemagglutination assay, Immunomodulation, Wuchereria bancrofti galectin}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.024}, author = {Yasin, Nazeer and Laxmanappa, Hoti Sugerappa and Muddapur, Uday M. and Cheruvathur, Jennifer and Prakash, S. M. Udaya and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu Venkataramaiah} } @article {46938, title = {Study of interfacial adhesion between nickel-titanium shape memory alloy and a polymer matrix by laser surface pattern}, journal = {Applied Sciences-Basel}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2172}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The aim of this article is to investigate the interfacial adhesion of Ni-Ti shape memory alloy with a polymer matrix of Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The surface pattern on Ni-Ti plates was channeled by a solid state laser machine. The laser machine allows for creating channels on the Ni-Ti surface for infiltration of the PMMA matrix, which could be attached as an intra-surface locking pattern to the Ni-Ti surface. The influence of the PMMA matrix on the surface of the NiTi plate was evaluated by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The surface characterization was carried out by an optical microscope on the PMMA/NiTi composite after mechanical testing. During mechanical testing, the polymer displays the multiple cracks in the longitudinal direction that result in slipping and fracture. TMA and DMA analyses were performed on the Ni-Ti- and PMMA-coated Ni-Ti ribbon to observe elasticity and the storage modulus for both samples. Better adhesion than 80 \% was observed in the Ni-Ti surface, in the laser surface pattern, in comparison to the free plain surface. However, the polymer acts as mechanical backing that caused a reduction in the shape-memory properties of the composite material.

}, keywords = {adhesion, mechanical properties, NiTi composites, NiTi plate, PMMA, Polymer, surface features}, doi = {10.3390/app10062172}, author = {Samal, Sneha and Tyc, Ondrej and Heller, Ludek and Sittner, Petr and Malik, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj and Catauro, Michelina and Blanco, Ignazio} } @article {46935, title = {Study of the phase-evolution mechanism of an Fe-Se system at the nanoscale: optimization of synthesis conditions for the isolation of pure phases and their controlled growth}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {36}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2012-2022}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The iron selenide (Fe-Se) family of nanoparticles (FexSey-where x/y ranges from 1:2 to 1:1) has been fabricated by a thermal decomposition method. The control over solution chemistry has been developed by intensively investigating the effect of reaction parameters by means of wide-angle X-ray scattering, leading to the rich insights into the phase-evolution mechanism of the Fe-Se system. The phase transformation followed the FeSe2 -\> Fe3Se4 -\> Fe7Se8 -\> FeSe sequence in the temperature range of 110-300 degrees C. The deep mechanistic insight helped in the identification of optimized conditions needed to crystallize the individual phase of the Fe-Se system as well as control of the morphology, crystalline phase purity, and thermal stability of the obtained Fe-Se nanoparticles.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b03643}, author = {Ghalawat, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {46786, title = {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}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {223}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {103800}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study provides comprehensive proteomics analyses of the response of L. donovani parasite to pharamacological stress in vitro. Identification of differentially expressed proteins with associated molecular functions and metabolic pathways, clearly provides an insight into the potential mechanism of the antileishmanial effects as well as a comparative response of the parasite to Guggul and AmB. Treatment of parasite with AmB results in an enhanced modulatory mechanism to counteract the drug induced stress which may have contributed to relapse. In the case of Guggul treatment, an effective antipromastigote activity was observed, which is being reported for the first time. Thus, a deeper understanding of the molecular pathways in the Leishmania parasite in response to pharmacological stress would help in designing novel and effective strategies in targeting the key molecules essential for parasite survival. It will also help in screening of new lead molecules targeting these vital pathways which could be used as an adjunct therapy along with the limited repertoire of antileishmanial drugs.

}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103800}, author = {Bar Routaray, Chinmayee and Bhor, Renuka and Bai, Shakuntala and Kadam, Nitin Suryakant and Jagtap, Surabhi and Doshi, Pooja Jignesh and Sundar, Shyam and Sawant, Sangeeta and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Pai, Kalpana} } @article {46864, title = {Synthesis and biological activity of imidazole based 1,4-naphthoquinones}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {6889-6901}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Design and development of drugs in multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections have been of growing interest. We report the syntheses, and antibacterial and antifungal activities of imidazole-based 1,4-naphthoquinones (I-1 to I-4; 1-alkyl-2-methyl-1H-naphtho[2,3-d]imidazole-4,9-dione (alkyl = methyl to butyl)) and their precursors (B-3; N-(3-chloro-1,-dioxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)acetamide) and A-1 to A-4; N-(3-(alkylamino)-1,4-dioxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)acetamide (alkyl = methyl to butyl). Crystal structures of B-3, A-1 to A-3 and I-2 to I-4 were obtained through single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. Electronic structure and charge distribution have further been characterized with the use of Density Functional Theory. Seven of these derivatives display a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against few selected bacterial strains (Gram-positive and Gram-negative). As demonstrated MIC values with B-2 and B-3 against bacterial isolates were 8-64 mu g ml(-1) and those against pathogenic yeast, C. albicans, were observed in the range of 128-256 mu g ml(-1). MIC data of these derivatives suggest them to be promising against pathogens.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c9nj04339j}, author = {Choudhari, Dinkar and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita and Chakravarty, Debamitra and Shaikh, Samir R. and Lande, Dipali N. and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Rao, Pradeep Kumar and Satpute, Surekha and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gonnade, Rajesh} } @article {47138, title = {Synthesis and characterization of nylon 6 polymer nanocomposite using organically modified Indian bentonite}, journal = {SN Applied Sciences}, volume = {2}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article number: 1412}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1007/s42452-020-2579-5}, author = {Kumaresan, S. and Rokade, Dhammaraj S. and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Ingole, Pravin G. and Pawar, Radheshyam R. and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Bajaj, Hari C.} } @article {46960, title = {Synthesis, characterisation, Hirshfeld surface and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of new N-aryl-N {\textquoteleft}-Alkoxycarbonyl thiocarbamide derivatives}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1202}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {127269}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Four new compounds N-(4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(isobutoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (1), N-(2, 4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(isobutoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (2), N-(4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(ethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (3) and N-(2-Chloro- 4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(ethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (4) were prepared and their structures confirmed by using various spectroscopic (FT-IR, UV-Visible, H-1 and C-13 NMR) and single crystal X-ray studies of 1 and 3. The presence of intramolecular (N-H center dot center dot center dot O=C) hydrogen bond in the crystal structure of both the compounds causes planarity of carbonyl thiocarbamide unit and trans orientation of C=O and C=S group. The intermolecular contacts (C-H center dot center dot center dot S, C-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot S) present in crystal structures have been examined by Hirshfeld surface analysis and their associated 2D fingerprint plots. All the compounds were assessed for their in vitro cytotoxic properties against a panel of seven human cancer cells such as cervical carcinoma (2008, C13*), colorectal (HT29 and HCT116) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780, A2780/CP and IGROV-1). Among them, compounds 2 and 4 exhibited better activity than 1 and 3 against all the cell lines tested. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Hirshfeld surface analysis, In vitro cytotoxicity, Thiocarbamide, X-ray crystal structure}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.127269}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Pratap, Seema and Rai, Sunil K. and Marverti, Gaetano and Kaur, Manpreet and Jasinski, Jerry P.} } @article {46647, title = {Synthesis, characterization and catalytic study of mesoporous carbon materials prepared via mesoporous silica using non-surfactant templating agents}, journal = {Journal of Porous Materials}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Mesostructured silica materials with surface area in the range of similar to 700-900 m(2)/g have been prepared using hydroxy-carboxylic acid compounds such as tartaric acid, malic acid and citric acid (low cost non-surfactant template/pore forming agents) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as silica source by sol-gel reaction. The templates were removed by either soxhlet extraction or calcination method. Mesoporous carbon molecular sieves were then prepared by carbonizing sucrose inside the pores of the above prepared mesoporous silica using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The materials were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N-2-sorption studies, microanalysis, thermal analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The resulting carbon material shows relatively higher surface area (similar to 1100 m(2)/g), narrow pore size distribution and pore diameter of 4-5 nm. The mesoporosity of carbon material arises from interconnecting channels arrangements of mesoporous silica template. The mesoporous carbon material was used as a support for the immobilization of rhodium complex [HRhCO(TPPTS)(3)] by ossification method. The prepared catalyst has been tested for the hydroformylation of higher olefins. The activity of the catalyst was improved by 20-30\% as compared to the catalyst prepared from a conventional activated carbon support.

}, keywords = {Carbonization, Hydroformylation, Immobilization, Low cost templates, mesoporous carbon, Mesoporous silica}, issn = {1380-2224}, doi = {10.1007/s10934-020-01003-x}, author = {Pagar, Nitin S. and Karandikar, Prashant R. and Chandwadkar, Asha J. and Deshpande, Raj M.} } @article {46849, title = {Synthesis of 2-azabicyclo[m.n.0]-alkanes and their application towards the synthesis of strychnos and stemona classes of alkaloids}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2020}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {3883-3888}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

2-Azabicyclo[m.n.0]alkane ring systems, the conceptual precursors towards the synthesis of Strychnos and Stemona classes of alkaloids, were synthesized from tert-butyl 2-(phenylsulfonyl)-7-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-7-carboxylate by alkyl Grignard reaction and intramolecular cyclisation of the in situ generated ring opening product 2. The synthesized cis-hexahydroindole 3 and cis-octahydro-benzo[b]azepine 5 scaffolds were utilized to construct the advanced intermediates 25 and 35, respectively, towards the synthesis of the corresponding Strychnos and Stemona classes of alkaloids.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, amines, Grignard reaction, Michael addition, Natural products}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202000507, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Majumder, Binoy and Pandey, Ganesh} } @article {46912, title = {Synthesis of artemisinic acid derived glycoconjugates and their anticancer studies}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {18}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2252-2263}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glycoconjugates, due to their diverse functions, are widely regarded as biologically important molecules. Artemisinic acid 1 occurs naturally in the plant Artemisia annua and is considered to be the biogenetic precursor of the antimalarial drug, artemisinin 2. We report herein the design and synthesis of diverse artemisinic acid derived glycoconjugates. We have synthesized 12-O-artemisinic acid-glycoconjugates (7a-k) and 12-N-artemisinic acid-glycoconjugates (8a-k) by utilizing Cu(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions (Click chemistry) with various synthesized sugar azides (6a-k) in good to excellent yields along with two fluorescently labeled compounds, 12-O-artemisinic acid-glycoconjugate 11 and 12-N-artemisinic acid-glycoconjugate 12, to investigate the mode of action of these compounds in biological systems. All the synthesized artemisinic acid glycoconjugates were assayed for their efficacy against the MCF7 cell line. Our anticancer studies indicated that all the synthesized compounds inhibited the growth of MCF7 cells in a dose dependent manner, barring compounds 4 and 7d. However, these compounds exhibit moderate cytotoxicity, as is evident from their IC50 values.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d0ob00216j}, author = {Kotammagari, Tharun K. and Paul, Sayantan and Barik, Ganesh K. and Santra, Manas K. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {46873, title = {Synthesis of phospho-polypeptides via phosphate-containing N-carboxyanhydride: application in enzyme-induced self-assembly, and calcium carbonate mineralization}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {85}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1053-1064}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An easy synthetic strategy was developed to synthesize the phosphate-functionalized amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA), using simple primary amine initiators to obtain homo and block phospho-polypeptides with controlled molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. The methodology was extended to the synthesis of the end-functionalized homo polypeptides (15 to 50 repeat unit) and block co-polypeptides with PEG (0.7 K, 2 K, and 5 K) and glycopolypeptide (15-unit mannose glycopolypeptide) as one of the blocks. The deprotected fully water-soluble anionic phosphate-based polypeptides showed pH-dependent helical conformation with a helical content of 20 \%, which further changed to beta-sheets upon addition of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) due to dephosphorylation. The block co-polypeptide containing PEG as one of the blocks led to its self-assembly into colloidal structures, such as vesicles with a hydrodynamic diameter of similar to 250 nm, due to the formation of amphiphilic block co-polymer upon dephosphorylation. The nature of the colloidal structures formed can be temporally controlled by the extent of dephosphorylation. Finally, the phospho-polypeptides serve as a template for the mineralization of calcium carbonate with varying polymorphs and morphologies.

}, keywords = {Biomineralization, enzymes, phosphopolypeptides, Proteins, Self-assembly}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.202000322}, author = {Mondal, Basudeb and Das, Soumen and Panda, Sidharth and Dutta, Tahiti and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {46946, title = {Synthesis of silver nanoparticles colloids in imidazolium halide ionic liquids and their antibacterial activities for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria}, journal = {Chemosphere}, volume = {243}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {125302}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Four 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium halide ionic liquids were synthesized via metathesis and anion exchange reactions. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) colloids were synthesized in four ionic liquids in the pressurized reactor by reduction of silver nitrate with hydrogen gas, without adding solvents or stabilizing agents. Antibacterial activities of base ionic liquids and AgNPs colloids in ionic liquids were reviewed by well-diffusion method for gram-positive Bacillus cereus (NCIM-2155) and gram-negative Escherichia coli (NCIM-2931) bacteria. Antibacterial activities of ionic liquids and AgNPs colloids in ionic liquids were observed to be controlled by ionic liquids anions and AgNPs particle size. The 1 -butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ionic liquid exhibited higher antibacterial activities among the studied ionic liquids. Further, the presence of AgNPs in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide, ionic liquid enhanced its antibacterial activity for Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli bacteria. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anion effect, antibacterial activity, Imidazolium halides, ionic liquids, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {0045-6535}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125302}, author = {Patil, Virendra and Mahajan, Swapnil and Kulkarni, Mohan and Patil, Kashinath and Rode, Chandrashekhar and Coronas, Alberto and Yi, Gi-Ra} } @article {46886, title = {Triazine-based organic polymer-catalysed conversion of epoxide to cyclic carbonate under ambient CO2 pressure}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1683-1687}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work we have achieved epoxide to cyclic carbonate conversion using a metal-free polymeric catalyst under ambient CO2 pressure (1.02 atm) using a balloon setup. The triazine containing polymer (CYA-ANIS) was prepared from cyanuric chloride (CYA-Cl) and o-dianisidine (ANIS) in anhydrous DMF as solvent by refluxing under the N-2 gas environment. The presence of triazine and amine functional groups in the polymer results in the adsorption of CO2 up to 7 cc/g at 273 K. This inspired us to utilize the polymer for the conversion of a series of functionalised epoxides into their corresponding cyclic carbonates in the presence of tetrabutyl ammonium iodide (TBAI) as co-catalyst. The product has wide range of applications like solvent in lithium ion battery, precursor for polycarbonate, etc. The catalyst was efficient for the conversion of different mono and di-epoxides into their corresponding cyclic carbonates under atmospheric pressure in the presence of TBAI as co-catalyst. The study indicates that epoxide attached with electron withdrawing groups (like, CH2Cl, glycidyl ether, etc.) displayed better conversion compared to simple alkane chain attached epoxides. This is mainly due to the stabilization of electron rich intermediates produced during the reaction (e. g. epoxide ring opening or CO2 incorporation into the halo-alkoxide anion). This catalyst mixture was capable to maintain its reactivity up to five cycles without losing its activity. Post catalytic characterization clearly supports the heterogeneous and recyclable nature of the catalyst.

}, keywords = {CO2 fixation, cyclic carbonates, epoxides, Heterogeneouscatalyst, metal free catalyst, Triazinepolymer}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201901277, Early Access Date = APR 2020}, author = {Biswas, Tanmoy and Halder, Arjun and Paliwal, Khusboo S. and Mitra, Antarip and Tudu, Gouri and Banerjee, Rahul and Mahalingam, Venkataramanan} } @article {46811, title = {Triethyl phosphite/benzoyl peroxide mediated reductive dealkylation of O-benzoylhydroxylamines: a cascade synthesis of secondary amides}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2020}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4235-4238}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new triethyl phosphite/benzoyl peroxide (BPO) mediated system has been developed for the synthesis of secondary amides with good to excellent yields in a single step. This unprecedented cascade process involves sequential reduction of N-O bond and benzoylation followed by dealkylation of N-C bond ofO-benzoylhydroxylamines (O-BHA). The methodology is versatile as it tolerates a variety of aromatic and aliphaticO-BHA as substrates to access secondary amides.

}, keywords = {Amides, Cascade reactions, O-Benzoylhydroxylamines, Redox reactions, synthetic methods}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202000611, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Aegurla, Balakrishna and Mandle, Ram D. and Shinde, Prasad G. and Parit, Ratan S. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Sudalai, Arumugam and Senthilkumar, Beeran} } @article {46982, title = {Tris-heteroleptic ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes: Synthesis, structural characterization, photophysical, electrochemistry and biological properties}, journal = {Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry}, volume = {203}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {110903}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{Three water-soluble tris-heteroleptic ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes [Ru(bpy)(phen)(bpg)](2+) (1), [Ru (bpy)(dppz)(bpg)]2+ (2), and [Ru(phen)(dppz)(bpg)]2+ (3) (where bpy = 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine

}, keywords = {Circular dichroism, Cytotoxicity, fluorescence, Polypyridyl, ruthenium}, issn = {0162-0134}, doi = {10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.110903}, author = {Bhat, Satish S. and Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Purandare, Neeraja and Khan, Ayesha and Grampp, Gunter and Loennecke, Peter and Hey-Hawkins, Evamarie and Dixit, Ruchi and Vanka, Kumar} } @article {46708, title = {Triton X-114 fractionated subcellular proteome ofleptospira interrogansshows selective enrichment of pathogenic and outer membrane proteins in the detergent fraction}, journal = {Proteomics}, volume = {20}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2000170}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Triton X-114-based solubilization and temperature-dependent phase separation of proteins is used for subcellular fractionation where, aqueous, detergent, and pellet fractions represents cytoplasmic, outer membrane (OM), and inner membrane proteins, respectively. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of Triton X-114 fractions of proteomic analysis ofLeptospira interrogansidentified 2957 unique proteins distributed across the fractions. The results are compared with bioinformatics predictions on their subcellular localization and pathogenic nature. Analysis of the distribution of proteins across the Triton X-114 fractions with the predicted characteristics is performed based on {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}number{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} of unique type of proteins, and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}quantity{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} which represents the amount of unique protein. The highest number of predicted outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and pathogenic proteins are found in aqueous and pellet fractions, whereas detergent fraction representing the OM has the highest quantity of OMPs and pathogenic proteins though lower in number than the aqueous and pellet fractions. This leaves the possibility of an upsurge in pathogenic proteins and OMPs on the OM under pathogenic conditions suggesting their potential use to combat leptospirosis. Further, the Triton X-114 subcellular fractions are more correlated to enrichment of pathogenic proteins predicted by MP3 software than predicted localization.

}, keywords = {intensity-based absolute quantification, Leptospira, outer membrane protein, subcellular localization, Triton X-114}, issn = {1615-9853}, doi = {10.1002/pmic.202000170, Early Access Date = SEP 2020}, author = {Thoduvayil, Sikha and Dhandapani, Gunasekaran and Brahma, Rahul and Devasahayam Arokia Balaya, Rex and Mangalaparthi, Kiran K. and Patel, Krishna and Kumar, Manish and Tennyson, Jebasingh and Satheeshkumar, P. K. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Pinto, Sneha M. and Prasad, T. S. Keshava and Madanan, Madathiparambil G.} } @article {46771, title = {Tweaking palladium electronic structure to attain oxygen reduction activity superior to platinum/C}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6127-6132}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Enhancing oxygen reduction (ORR) activity through alloying is crucial to improve the performance of a fuel-cell catalysts. In this work, we have studied the alloying effects of 4f rare-earth (RE) metals with palladium. The modified catalyst exhibits better activity (E-onset = 1 V and E-1/2 = 0.88 V) and higher selectivity toward H2O (similar to 97\%) compared to the state-of-the-art catalysts due to complete dissociation of O-2. Hirshfeld charge analysis and 2D-electron localization function reveal improved adsorbate-adsorbent interaction on the catalyst surface. This work paves a strategy to design highly selective non-Pt-based catalysts for the ORR by controlling electronic structures and surface oxide formation.

}, keywords = {d-band center, DFT calculation, durability, EuPd, oxygen reduction reaction, YbPd}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.0c01241}, author = {Sarma, Saurav Ch. and Kaja, Sai Manoj and Mishra, Vidyanshu and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {46696, title = {Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene: catalysis, structure, properties, processing and applications}, journal = {Progress in Polymer Science}, volume = {109}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {101290}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) belongs to an emerging class of high-performance specialty polymers with a unique set of properties and applications. The field has witnessed many scientific and technological advances in recent years. However, synthesis of UHMWPE is not a trivial exercise and presents several challenges. This review addresses these fundamental challenges and provides an overview of recent developments in the field of UHMWPE. The nature of catalysts, reaction conditions that favor its formation, their physical properties, methods of processing them into products, and their applications are discussed. Recent developments in formation of UHMWPE in a disentangled state by use of appropriate catalysts and reaction conditions are also discussed. This has elicited considerable interest as a means of enabling melt processing of UHMWPE. This review provides a comprehensive source of information and understanding of the multifaceted aspects of UHMWPE with specific reference to chemistry, catalysis, processes for manufacturing, and an analysis of catalyst structure-polymer property relationships. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Catalysts for UHMWPE, Disentangled UHMWPE, Entangled UHMWPE, polyethylene (PE), Ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) PE}, issn = {0079-6700}, doi = {10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2020.101290}, author = {Patel, Ketan and Chikkali, Samir H. and Sivaram, Swaminathan} } @article {46648, title = {Ultrahigh sensitive carbon-based conducting rubbers for flexible and wearable human-machine intelligence sensing}, journal = {Advanced Materials Technologies}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2000690}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The wearable strain sensors with multifunctional applications can fuel the rapid development of human-machine intelligence for various sectors like healthcare, soft robotics, and Internet of Things applications. However, achieving the low-cost and mass production of wearable sensors with ultra-high performance remains challenging. Herein, a simple, cost-effective, and scalable methodology to fabricate the flexible and highly sensitive strain sensors using carbon black and latex rubbers (LR) is presented. The LR-based strain sensor demonstrates excellent flexibility, fast response (approximate to 600 ms), ultra-high sensitivity (maximum gauge factor of 1.2 x 10(4) at 250\% strain), and long-term stability over 1000 cycles. The LR-based strain sensors are sensitive to monitor subtle human motions such as heart pulse rate and voice recognition along with high-strain human joint operations. Additionally, the sensing mechanism of LR bands is investigated by surface topographies and electromechanical response under various strained/unstrained conditions. Further, a smart glove-based sensor module made of LR strain bands with an Arduino reader for the human-machine intelligence device for non-verbal communication in military applications is demonstrated.

}, keywords = {conducting rubbers, gauge factor, human\&\#8211, machine interfacing, voice recognition, wearable strain sensors}, issn = {2365-709X}, doi = {10.1002/admt.202000690, Early Access Date = NOV 2020}, author = {Ajeev, Arya and Javaregowda, Bharathkumar H. and Ali, Ashik and Modak, Mrudul and Patil, Shreya and Khatua, Saumyakanta and Ramadoss, Marimuthu and Kothavade, Premkumar Anil and Arulraj, Arul Kashmir} } @article {46667, title = {Unraveling the role of excess ligand in nanoparticle pattern formation from an evaporatively dewetting nanofluid droplet}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {23446-23453}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nanoparticle (NP) patterning on a solid surface via nanofluid droplet evaporation is one of the most fascinating topics of research. Quite intriguingly, though a dose of excess ligand has been invariably included in all of the experimental studies that resulted in large-area NP patterns, the role of this excess ligand has been addressed inadequately in the modeling studies carried out so far. Addressing this, we have conducted systematic studies by including excess ligand both in our experiments and modeling, and correlated the results with each other. For this, we prepared nearly monodispersed thiol-protected gold nanoparticle dispersion in toluene and added calculated amounts of excess thiol before drop-casting it onto a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid. Subsequently, upon solvent evaporation, the patterns formed were imaged using conventional electron microscopy and analyzed with customized image processing tools, to perform statistically significant measurements. Our study demonstrates the ability of soluble excess ligand to induce NP aggregation under nonequilibrium condition, leading to large-area monolayer formation. These experimental results were then rationalized by Monte Carlo simulations, based on a modified coarse-grained two-dimensional (2D) lattice-gas model. We found that excess ligand facilitates NP spinodal phase separation under nonequilibrium conditions, largely governed by the interplay between ligand-solvent and nanoparticle-ligand interactions. Using power spectrum density analysis, we clearly demonstrate that these spatial patterns have fractal surface characteristics due to persistent fractional Brownian motion within subdiffusion limit.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c07259}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Kaustav and Biswas, Korak and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {46878, title = {Whole-cell phenotypic screening of medicines for malaria venture pathogen box identifies specific inhibitors of plasmodium falciparum late-stage development and egress}, journal = {Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy}, volume = {64}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e01802-19}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report a systematic, cellular phenotype-based antimalarial screening of the Medicines for Malaria Venture Pathogen Box collection, which facilitated the identification of specific blockers of late-stage intraerythrocytic development of Plasmodium falciparum. First, from standard growth inhibition assays, we identified 173 molecules with antimalarial activity (50\% effective concentration [EC50] \<= 10 mu M), which included 62 additional molecules over previously known antimalarial candidates from the Pathogen Box. We identified 90 molecules with EC50 of \<= 1 mu M, which had significant effect on the ring-trophozoite transition, while 9 molecules inhibited the trophozoite-schizont transition and 21 molecules inhibited the schizontring transition (with \>= 50\% parasites failing to proceed to the next stage) at 1 mu M. We therefore rescreened all 173 molecules and validated hits in microscopy to prioritize 12 hits as selective blockers of the schizont-ring transition. Seven of these molecules inhibited the calcium ionophore-induced egress of Toxoplasma gondii, a related apicomplexan parasite, suggesting that the inhibitors may be acting via a conserved mechanism which could be further exploited for target identification studies. We demonstrate that two molecules, MMV020670 and MMV026356, identified as schizont inhibitors in our screens, induce the fragmentation of DNA in merozoites, thereby impairing their ability to egress and invade. Further mechanistic studies would facilitate the therapeutic exploitation of these molecules as broadly active inhibitors targeting late-stage development and egress of apicomplexan parasites relevant to human health.

}, keywords = {DNA fragmentation, egress, Medicines for Malaria Venture, MMV, Pathogen Box, phenotypic screening, Plasmodium falciparum, schizonts, stage-specific inhibition}, issn = {0066-4804}, doi = {10.1128/AAC.01802-19}, author = {Patra, Alok Tanala and Hingamire, Tejashri and Belekar, Meenakshi A. and Xiong, Aoli and Subramanian, Gowtham and Bozdech, Zbynek and Preiser, Peter and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Chandramohanadas, Rajesh} } @article {47079, title = {[1,3]-Claisen rearrangement via removable functional group mediated radical stabilization}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {23}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {890-895}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A thermal O-to-C [1,3]-rearrangement of alpha-hydroxy acid derived enol ethers was achieved under mild conditions. The 2-aminothiophenol protection of carboxylic acids facilitates formation of the [1,3] precursor and its thermal rearrangement via stabilization of a radical intermediate. Experimental and theoretical evidence for dissociative radical pair formation, its captodative stability via aminothiophenol, and a unique solvent effect are presented. The aminothiophenol was deprotected from rearrangement products as well as after derivatization to useful synthons.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.0c04109}, author = {Alam, Md Nirshad and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Mukherjee, Anirban and Pandole, Satish and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Vanka, Kumar and Maity, Pradip} } @article {47669, title = {Access to enantiomeric organic compounds with potential for synthesis via racemic conglomerates: inositol derivatives as a case in point}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {21}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3786-3797}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The crystal structure database was used to identify inositol derivatives that could be crystallizing as racemic conglomerates. Among the six racemic inositol derivatives identified, racemic 4-O-tosyl-6-O-benzyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate (A) was found to be a true conglomerate and was resolved on the multigram scale by the preferential crystallization technique. This resolution procedure does not require the use of any enantiomeric resolving agent. The resolved enantiomers of A are useful for the synthesis of natural and unnatural enantiomeric derivatives of inositol, since they carry orthogonal hydroxy protecting groups. Racemic 4-O-methanesulfonyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate (B) on crystallization from common organic solvents generally yielded racemic twin crystals, while in the presence of structural analogs as additives, they yielded true racemic crystals. A comparison of the crystal structures of the true racemate, twinned crystal and crystal of one of the enantiomers of B, revealed the reasons for the formation of polymorphic (twin) crystals. Such instances are relatively rarely encountered but nevertheless shed light on our understanding of polymorphism and twinning of crystals.}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.1c00126}, author = {Patil, Nivedita T. and Patil, Madhuri T. and Sarkar, Nitai and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article {47635, title = {Achiral and chiral NNN-pincer nickel complexes with oxazolinyl backbones: application in transfer hydrogenation of ketones}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {11927-11936}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We describe the synthesis of new NNN-oxazolinyl-pincer nickel complexes and their application in the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Achiral NNN-ligands, R {\textquoteleft}(2)-oxazolinyl-2-C6H4-NH-C(O)CH2NEt2 [((R {\textquoteleft} 2-OxNNNEt2))-H; R{\textquoteright} = H (3a), R {\textquoteleft} = Me (3b)], and chiral ligands, (R)-R {\textquoteleft}-oxazolinyl-2-C6H4-NH-C(O)CH2NEt2 [(R)-((R {\textquoteleft}-OxNNNEt2))-H; R {\textquoteleft} = Ph (3c), R {\textquoteleft} = CH2Ph (3d), R {\textquoteleft} = Pr-i (3e), R {\textquoteleft} = (CH2Pr)-Pr-i (3f)], were efficiently synthesized. Treatment of these ligands with (DME)NiCl2 afforded the desired amido-pincer nickel complexes, ((R {\textquoteleft} 2-OxNNNEt2))NiCl [R {\textquoteleft} = H (4a), R {\textquoteleft} = Me (4b)] and ((R {\textquoteleft}-OxNNNEt2))NiCl [R {\textquoteleft} = Ph (4c), R {\textquoteleft} = CH2Ph (4d), R {\textquoteleft} = Pr-i (4e), R {\textquoteleft} = (CH2Pr)-Pr-i (4f)], in good yields. All the ligand precursors and nickel complexes were thoroughly characterized by various analytical techniques. The molecular structures of 4a, 4d and 4f were established by X-ray crystallography. The developed nickel complexes were found to be efficient catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones using (PrOH)-Pr-i as a viable hydrogen source. Enantioselectivity in hydrogenation was not observed with the developed chiral catalysts.}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d1nj01698a}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Ankade, Shidheshwar B. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47585, title = {Active nickel hollow nanosphere supported over SiO2 catalyst for reduction of nitro compound}, journal = {Particulate Science and Technology}, volume = {40}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {325-335}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nickel hollow nanospheres (Ni HNSs) was prepared by solvothermal method using mixture of ethylenediamine (EN) and ethanol (ET), sodium borohydride as reducing agent and nickel chloride hexahydrate as precursor. The particle size of the Ni HNSs were tuned by varying several parameters including precursor concentrations, reaction temperatures (130-190 degrees C), and ET to EN volume ratios. The particle size and morphology of Ni HNSs were confirmed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscope, respectively. Spherical shape of Ni nanoparticles of 300 nm size having similar to 200 nm hollow space and 50 nm thickness was achieved at optimize condition of 4:6 volume ratio of ET/EN, 150 degrees C temperature, 0.1 M NaBH4 concentration, and 7 h. Ni HNSs supported over SiO2 (Ni HNSs/SiO2) with different loading of Ni HNSs (1-10 wt.\%) were prepared by impregnation method. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy. The catalytic performance of Ni HNSs/SiO2 was carried out in the reduction of 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4 - Aminophenol (4-AP). 5 wt.\% Ni HNSs/SiO2 exhibited 87\% reduction of 4-NP in 25 min and stable up to 6 catalyst cycles due to higher surface area of the catalyst.

}, keywords = {4-Aminophenol, 4-nitrophenol, Catalyst, hollow nanospheres, Nanoparticles, Nickel}, issn = {0272-6351}, doi = {10.1080/02726351.2021.1947424}, author = {Pawar, Priyanka S. and Lokhande, Aboli A. and Nandanwar, Sachin U. and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article {47042, title = {Advances in C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(2))-H oxidative coupling of (Hetero)arenes using 3d transition metal catalysts}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {363}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {1998-2022}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

C-H/C-H oxidative coupling has emerged as a straightforward and powerful technique for the construction of (hetero)biaryls, with substantial application to drug discovery, agrochemicals, biology, and material sciences. Mainly aryl-aryl, aryl-heteroaryl, and heteroaryl-heteroaryl couplings via double C(sp(2))-H activation using 4d or 5d noble transition metal catalysts have been extensively studied. Considering the earth-abundant and inexpensive nature of 3d transition metals, the sustainable development of C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(2))-H oxidative coupling employing such metal catalysts has gained significant attention. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(2))-H oxidative coupling of (hetero)arenes catalyzed by 3d transition metals.

}, keywords = {(hetero)biaryls, 3d transition metal, Biaryls, C-H activation, cross-dehydrogenative coupling}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.202001498, Early Access Date = MAR 2021}, author = {Bansal, Sadhna and Shabade, Anand B. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47398, title = {Advances in transition-metal-catalyzed C-H bond oxygenation of amides}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

C-O bond formation represents a fundamental chemical transformation in organic synthesis to develop valuably oxygenated (hetero)arenes. Particularly, the direct and regioselective C-H bond oxygenation of privileged amides, using a transition metal catalyst and a mild oxygenating source, is a step-economy and attractive approach. During the last decade, considerable progress has been realized in the direct C-H oxygenation of primary, secondary, and tertiary amides. This Short Review compiles the advances in transition-metal-catalyzed oxygenation of C(sp(2))-H and C(sp(3))-H bonds on various amides with diverse oxygenation sources. The review is categorized into two different major sections: (i) C(sp(2))-H oxygenation and (ii) C(sp(3))-H oxygenation. Each section is discussed based on the directing group (monodentate and bidentate) attached to the amide derivatives.

}, keywords = {Amides, C-H activation, directing group, Oxygenation, Transition Metal}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/a-1481-2584, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Vijaykumar, Muniyappa and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47367, title = {Amyloid-beta-derived peptidomimetics inhibits tau aggregation}, journal = {ACS Omega }, volume = {6}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY }, pages = {11131-11138}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The aggregation of tau protein is one of the hallmarks for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, resulting in neurodegeneration. The peptidomimetics strategy to prevent tau aggregation is more specific over other small molecules. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of amyloid-beta-derived peptidomimetics for inhibiting heparin-induced tau aggregation in vitro. These peptides and their derivatives were known to prevent aggregation of amyloid-beta. KLVFF is a hydrophobic sequence of the pentapeptide that prevented tau aggregation as observed by thioflavin S fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. P4 and P5 also prevented assembly of tau into aggregates and formed short fibrils. The beta-sheet breaker LPFFD was however ineffective in preventing tau aggregation. The peptides further demonstrated reversal of tau-induced cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggested that these peptides can also be used to inhibit tau aggregation and also, toxicity induced by tau could be considered as potential molecules that have an effect on tau as well as amyloid-beta.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b03497}, author = {Gorantla, V. Nalini and Sunny, Lisni P. and Rajasekhar, Kolla and Nagaraju, Pramod G. and Priyadarshini, Poornima C. G. and Govindaraju, Thimmaiah and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose} } @article {47651, title = {Annulation of enals with carbamoylpropiolates via NHC-catalyzed enolate pathway: access to functionalized maleimides/iso-maleimides and synthesis of aspergillus FH-X-213}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL }, pages = {9466-9477}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Herein we report the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed [3 + 2] annulation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with carbamoylpropiolates via an unusual enolate pathway leading to the construction of highly functionalized maleimides or isomaleimides. The electronic effect imposed by the alkyl/aryl group present on the amide nitrogen of carbamoylpropiolates plays a crucial role in the selective formation of these important five-membered heterocyclic building blocks. The developed protocol is mild and tolerates a wide range of substituents on both substrates. The application of this protocol in the synthesis of the antibacterial natural product Aspergillus FH-X-213 has also been demonstrated.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c00782}, author = {Viveki, Amol B. and Pol, Mahesh D. and Halder, Priyanka and Sonavane, Sameer R. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {47581, title = {Antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of a standardized ayurvedic formulation explains its clinical efficacy as gargles in post-radiotherapy oral cancer patients}, journal = {Journal of Herbal Medicine}, volume = {30}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {100510}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Introduction: Exploring the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of a standardized proprietary poly-herbal powder and evaluating its clinical efficacy as an Ayurvedic gargle (Gandush) for reducing oral microbial load and side effects of radiotherapy in oral cavity cancer patients was the aim of this pilot study. Methods: Formulation (Gandush Churna) comprising Terminalia chebula Retz., Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb., Phyllanthus emblica L. and Curcuma longa L. and its decoction (Gandush Kwath) were standardized. In-vitro antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity against selective bacterial and fungal strains were studied. Oral cavity cancer patients who had undergone radiotherapy were enrolled. The decoction was prepared by soaking Gandush Churna in water, boiling and reducing by 50 \%; and was used for gargling, twice a day, for 7 days. Total microbial count and identification of microbiota in the oral cavity as well as symptoms graded as per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, were noted before and after the treatment. Change in microbial load and shift in symptom gradations were analyzed. Results: A monograph with physicochemical, chromatography, safety and stability parameters was developed. The decoction possessed good in-vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Gargling therapy significantly reduced bacterial load while mildly controlled the fungal infection in oral cavity cancer patients. It significantly reduced the severity of symptoms viz. stomatitis and local pain, with considerably decreased xerostomia and dysphagia. Conclusions: Intervention of gargle therapy using poly-herbal formulation may serve as an effective complementary treatment to improve oral hygiene and reduce side effects of radiotherapy in oral cancer patients.}, keywords = {Anti-microbial, Antioxidant, Gandush, Gargle therapy, Oral cavity cancers, Radiotherapy side effects}, issn = {2210-8033}, doi = {10.1016/j.hermed.2021.100510}, author = {Chavan, Sandeep and Bhuvad, Sushama and Kumbhlakar, Bhagyashri and Auti, Jyoti and Walunj, Tanhaji and Pathak, Shridevi and Tanpure, Rahul and Gujar, Shweta and Shinde, Jagdish and Kulkarni, Arvind and Gupta, Vidya and Deshmukh, Vineeta and Sardeshmukh, Sadanand} } @article {47121, title = {Antisolvent based ultrasound-assisted batch and continuous flow precipitation of metformin hydrochloride particles}, journal = {Journal of Flow Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, pages = {181-192}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Small sized particles of the antidiabetic drug metformin hydrochloride (MET.HCl) were produced by antisolvent based precipitation using an ultrasound assisted inverted jet reactor (IJR). This novel approach was implemented as a small passive mixer in which intensified turbulent mixing of the solution and the antisolvent occurred under controlled conditions. The optimized conditions for antisolvent precipitation (ASP) were investigated by studying the effect of solute concentration, antisolvent to solvent ratio and antisolvent temperature in batch systems. The optimized batch precipitation conditions were successfully translated into continuous flow process for the ultrasound assisted inverted jet reactor. The ability of the proposed clogging free inverted jet reactor approach can provide a scaled up alternative pathway to micro and millifluidic devices for manufacturing of small sized API particles, such as, MET.HCl for the formulations and encapsulations on an industrial scale.

}, keywords = {Continuous antisolvent precipitation, Jet-reactor, Metformin, supersaturation, Ultrasound}, issn = {2062-249X}, doi = {10.1007/s41981-020-00137-y, Early Access Date = JAN 2021}, author = {Pal, Sayan and Nikam, Arun V. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47790, title = {Antitumor effects of Ir(III)-2H-indazole complexes for triple negative breast cancer}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {17593-17607}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this work, we have synthesized a series of novel C,N-cyclometalated 2H-indazole-ruthenium(II) and -iridium(III) complexes with varying substituents (H, CH3, isopropyl, and CF3) in the R4 position of the phenyl ring of the 2H-indazole chelating ligand. All of the complexes were characterized by 1H, 13C, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The methyl-substituted 2H-indazole-Ir(III) complex was further characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The cytotoxic activity of new ruthenium(II) and iridium(III) compounds has been evaluated in a panel of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) and colon cancer cell line HCT-116 to investigate their structure{\textendash}activity relationships. Most of these new complexes have shown appreciable activity, comparable to or significantly better than that of cisplatin in TNBC cell lines. R4 substitution of the phenyl ring of the 2H-indazole ligand with methyl and isopropyl substituents showed increased potency in ruthenium(II) and iridium(III) complexes compared to that of their parent compounds in all cell lines. These novel transition metal-based complexes exhibited high specificity toward cancer cells by inducing alterations in the metabolism and proliferation of cancer cells. In general, iridium complexes are more active than the corresponding ruthenium complexes. The new Ir(III)-2H-indazole complex with an isopropyl substituent induced mitochondrial damage by generating large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which triggered mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis in TNBC cell line MDA-MB-468. Moreover, this complex also induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and inhibited cellular migration of TNBC cells. Our findings reveal the key roles of the novel C{\textendash}N-cyclometalated 2H-indazole-Ir(III) complex to specifically induce toxicity in cancer cell lines through contributing effects of ROS-induced mitochondrial disruption along with chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA target inhibition.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02193}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02193}, author = {Panchangam, Rajeeva Lochana and Rao, Ramdas Nishanth and Balamurali, Musuvathi Motilal and Hingamire, Tejashri B. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Manickam, Venkatraman and Chanda, Kaushik} } @article {47349, title = {Application of allylic amine formation from aziridine-2-ol under appel reaction condition: synthesis of N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-D-vinyl glycine methyl ester}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {73}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {153119}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

PPh3/I-2/imidazolde mediated allyl amine formation from aziridine-2-alcohol was explored for the synthesis of N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-D-vinyl glycine methyl ester. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {Allyl amine, Aziridine-2-alcohol, Aziridinium ion, Birch reaction, Ring opening}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2021.153119}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Kawale, Sanket A. and Patil, Niteen B. and Kalbhor, Dinesh B.} } @article {47340, title = {Architecture of NaFe(MoO4)2 as a novel anode material for rechargeable lithium and sodium ion batteries}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {559}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP }, pages = {149903}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In recent decades, particular focus has been given to enhance the capacity of LIBs and SIBs either by developing new materials or by modifying existing materials. Hence, we have demonstrated a new anode material i.e. sodium iron molybdate [NaFe(MoO4)2] for both LIBs and SIBs. NaFe(MoO4)2 has been successfully synthesized by solid-state combustion technique and tested as a promising new anode material for both LIBs and SIBs. A detailed analysis of the crystal structure has been performed using DFT calculations. NaFe(MoO4)2 crystallizes in the monoclinic phase with the space group C2/c (\#15). FESEM also shows highly crystalline monoclinic shaped crystals of micron size. When evaluated as an anode material for LIBs, NaFe(MoO4)2 electrode exhibited electrochemical capacity of 920 mAhg- 1 in the second cycle at the current density of 50 mAg-1. Though capacity decreases on further cycling, the coulombic efficiency was maintained at 99\% for 50 cycles. Significantly, a high discharge capacity of 100 mAhg- 1 was maintained at a very high rate of 1 Ag-1. On the other hand, we have also tested NaFe(MoO4)2 for SIBs which shows excellent reversible specific capacity i.e. 100 mAhg- 1 at the current density of 100 mAg-1 even after 500 cycles. This novel system has shown good stability for LIBs and SIBs which is hitherto unattempted.

}, keywords = {Electrochemical study, lithium-ion battery, Morphology, NaFe(MoO4)2, Sodium-ion battery}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.149903}, author = {Tamboli, Asiya M. and Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Praveen, C. S. and Dwivedi, Pravin Kumari and Karbhal, Indrapal and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Shelke, V, Manjusha and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article {47374, title = {Auxin: an emerging regulator of tuber and storage root development}, journal = {Plant Science}, volume = {306}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {110854}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Many tuber and storage root crops owing to their high nutritional values offer high potential to overcome food security issues. The lack of information regarding molecular mechanisms that govern belowground storage organ development (except a tuber crop, potato) has limited the application of biotechnological strategies for improving storage crop yield. Phytohormones like gibberellin and cytokinin are known to play a crucial role in governing potato tuber development. Another phytohormone, auxin has been shown to induce tuber initiation and growth, and its crosstalk with gibberellin and strigolactone in a belowground modified stem (stolon) contributes to the overall potato tuber yield. In this review, we describe the crucial role of auxin biology in development of potato tubers. Considering the emerging reports from commercially important storage root crops (sweet potato, cassava, carrot, sugar beet and radish), we propose the function of auxin and related gene regulatory network in storage root development. The pattern of auxin content of stolon during various stages of potato tuber formation appears to be consistent with its level in various developmental stages of storage roots. We have also put-forward the potential of three-way interaction between auxin, strigolactone and mycorrhizal fungi in tuber and storage root development. Overall, we propose that auxin gene regulatory network and its crosstalk with other phytohormones in stolons/roots could govern belowground tuber and storage root development.

}, keywords = {Auxin, Potato, Storage root, Sweet potato, Tuber}, issn = {0168-9452}, doi = {10.1016/j.plantsci.2021.110854}, author = {Kondhare, Kirtikumar R. and Patil, Aruna B. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {47082, title = {Bimetallic nano alloy architecture on a special polymer: Ni or Cu merged with Pd for the promotion of the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {133}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {8}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

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

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

}, keywords = {Bimetallic catalysis, Mizoroki-Heck, Nickel complexes, Pd(OAc)2, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-020-03330-9, Early Access Date = AUG 2020}, author = {Kashid, Abhijit A. and Patil, Dharmaraj J. and Mali, Ramling D. and Patil, Vijay P. and Neethu, T. V. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {47794, title = {Bimetallic Ni{\textendash}Pd synergism{\textemdash}mixed metal catalysis of the mizoroki-heck reaction and the suzuki{\textendash}miyaura coupling of aryl bromides}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {151}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {353 - 358}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A combination of Pd and Ni complexes activated aryl bromides for the thermal Mizoroki-Heck reaction and Suzuki coupling giving high yields in short reaction times. A thermal redox mechanism probably occurs whereby Ni complex transfers electron and reduces the Pd (II) to Pd (0) which then takes the reactants through the standard protocol of oxidative-addition, migratory insertion and reductive elimination, typical for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Suzuki coupling.}, isbn = {1572-879X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-020-03330-9}, author = {Kashid, Abhijit A. and Patil, Dharmaraj J. and Mali, Ramling D. and Patil, Vijay P. and Neethu, T. V. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {47341, title = {Bimetallic ZnFe2O4 nanosheets prepared via electrodeposition as binder-free high-performance supercapacitor electrodes}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {559}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP }, pages = {149951}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Binder-free bimetallic ZnFe2O4 nanosheets were fabricated using one-step electrodeposition, which facilitated excellent electrical contact between the ZnFe2O4 nanosheets and the nickel substrate. The resultant numerous ZnFe2O4 nanosheets with their cubic spinel structures promote interfacial activity to enhance the electrochemical and Faradaic redox reactions. The metallic Zn and Fe from the cubic spinel structure of ZnFe2O4 attract electrolytic ions and increase the energy-storage capability, thus yielding a specific capacitance of 1093 F.g(-1) at a current rate of 1 A.g(-1). Different samples were prepared by varying the amount of metal salts in the electrodeposition solution while maintaining a constant ZnNt:FeSO4 concentration ratio of 1:2 for all cases. The optimal electrode composition, which yielded an energy density of 54 Wh.kg(-1) and a capacitance retention of 93.5\% at N = 5000 charge-discharge cycles, was identified.

}, keywords = {Bimetallic, Electrodeposition, Energy storage device, supercapacitor, ZnFe2O4 nanosheet}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.149951}, author = {Joshi, Bhavana and Samuel, Edmund and Park, Chanwoo and Kim, Yongil and Lee, Hae-Seok and Yoon, Sam S.} } @article {47114, title = {Bioglycerol (C3) upgrading to 2,3-butanediol (C4) by cell-free extracts of Enterobacter aerogenes NCIM 2695}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology}, volume = {96}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1316-1325}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND Production of biobased chemicals from renewable resources is a green starring approach that serves as a substitute to petroleum derivatives. Bioglycerol, with its growing production as a co-product of biodiesel, is an attractive low-cost feedstock for the synthesis of platform chemicals by microbial fermentation. 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) is amongst the top biorefinery platform chemicals that can be produced by glycerol fermentation. RESULTS The {\textquoteleft}Circular Economy{\textquoteright} concept is demonstrated by converting the by-product bioglycerol using a cell-free extract of Enterobacter aerogenes NCIM 2695 (National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms, NCIM), yielding 22 g L-1 2,3-BDO, in 96 h, 98\% atom economy and 0.4 g/g E factor. The cell-free bioglycerol conversion to 2,3-BDO was proved using a modified procedure for determining glycerol dehydrogenase enzyme assay by protein analysis and it was also shown to be cell-bounded. CONCLUSION Our study offers an effective utilization of the leftover material (i.e. cell-free extract) that biocatalysed C3 to C4 diol, which adds value to the overall economics of the process using only crude glycerol (C3) itself as a fermentative medium.

}, keywords = {2, 3-Butanediol, atom economy, circular economy, E factor, Glycerol, glycerol dehydrogenase}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1002/jctb.6650, Early Access Date = JAN 2021}, author = {Parate, Roopa and Borgave, Mrunal and Dharne, Mahesh and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {46671, title = {Biological process of lysine-tRNA charging is therapeutically targetable in liver cancer}, journal = {Liver International}, volume = {41}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {206-219}, type = {Article }, abstract = {

Background \& Aims Mature transfer RNAs (tRNA) charged with amino acids decode mRNA to synthesize proteins. Dysregulation of translational machineries has a fundamental impact on cancer biology. This study aims to map the tRNAome landscape in liver cancer patients and to explore potential therapeutic targets at the interface of charging amino acid with tRNA. Methods Resected tumour and paired tumour-free (TFL) tissues from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients (n = 69), and healthy liver tissues from organ transplant donors (n = 21), HCC cell lines, and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) patient-derived tumour organoids were used. Results The expression levels of different mature tRNAs were highly correlated and closely clustered within individual tissues, suggesting that different members of the tRNAome function cooperatively in protein translation. Interestingly, high expression of tRNA-Lys-CUU in HCC tumours was associated with more tumour recurrence (HR 1.1;P = .022) and worse patient survival (HR 1.1;P = .0037). The expression of Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase (KARS), the enzyme catalysing the charge of lysine to tRNA-Lys-CUU, was significantly upregulated in HCC tumour tissues compared to tumour-free liver tissues. In HCC cell lines, lysine deprivation, KARS knockdown or treatment with the KARS inhibitor cladosporin effectively inhibited overall cell growth, single cell-based colony formation and cell migration. This was mechanistically mediated by cell cycling arrest and induction of apoptosis. Finally, these inhibitory effects were confirmed in 3D cultured patient-derived CC organoids. Conclusions The biological process of charging tRNA-Lys-CUU with lysine sustains liver cancer cell growth and migration, and is clinically relevant in HCC patients. This process can be therapeutically targeted and represents an unexplored territory for developing novel treatment strategies against liver cancer.

}, keywords = {Cladosporin, liver cancer, lysine, Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase, tRNA-Lys-CUU, tRNAome}, issn = {1478-3223}, doi = {10.1111/liv.14692}, author = {Zhang, Ruyi and Noordam, Lisanne and Ou, Xumin and Ma, Buyun and Li, Yunlong and Das, Pronay and Shi, Shaojun and Liu, Jiaye and Wang, Ling and Li, Pengfei and Verstegen, Monique M. A. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and van Der Laan, Luc J. W. and Peppelenbosch, Maikel P. and Kwekkeboom, Jaap and Smits, Ron and Pan, Qiuwei} } @article {47745, title = {Biological synthesis of alpha-Ag2S composite nanoparticles using the fungus Humicola sp. and its biomedical applications}, journal = {Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology}, volume = {66}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {102770}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Synthesis of alpha-Ag2S (silver sulfide) is a highly challenging task, usually attempted using synthetic, hazardous chemical processes. This report puts efforts to exploring microbial-based eco-friendly alternatives. A facile, onepot biological method for the synthesis of alpha-Ag2S composite nanoparticles (NPs) in an aqueous medium at ambient conditions was established. As prepared alpha-Ag2S composite NPs were efficiently produced from precursors silver nitrate and sodium sulfite. The extracellular biomolecules produced by Humicola sp. reduced the precursor solution and at the same time it capped the formed Ag2S NPs. The characterization performed by different techniques revealed excellent optical, morphological, and structural properties (size, shape distribution, and crystallinity) of the alpha-Ag2S NPs. The change in color from colorless to dark brown indicated the formation of alpha-Ag2S, which was further confirmed by fluorescence and UV-Visible spectroscopy, showing a sharp peak at 410 nm. Morphological analysis of alpha-Ag2S NPs confirmed the spherical shape, and narrow size distribution. alpha-Ag2S NPs were found to be potent in antimicrobial applications owing to their high dispersibility in water and capping by extracellular biomolecules secreted by Humicola sp. The anti-cancer activity for alpha-Ag2S performed using human breast cancer cell line (ZR-75-1) and human Burkitt{\textquoteright}s lymphoma cancer (Daudi). The biocompatibility test was performed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for alpha-Ag2S NPs. The anti-leishmania activity was also determined for alpha Ag2S NPs in-vitro using the standard anti-promastigote protocol (Leishmania donovani promastigotes). This extracellular system is an economically and environmentally benign route for the biosynthesis of alpha-Ag2S NPs having desired surface, structure and biomedical properties.}, keywords = {Cytotoxicity, Fungus, Hemolysis, Humicolasp, Silver sulfide(alpha-Ag2S)}, issn = {1773-2247}, doi = {10.1016/j.jddst.2021.102770}, author = {Syed, Asad and Saedi, Marzouq Hussain Al and Bahkali, Ali H. and Elgorban, Abdallah M. and Kharat, Maheshkumar and Pai, Kalpana and Ghodake, Gajanan and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {47574, title = {Caveolin induced membrane curvature and lipid clustering: two sides of the same coin?}, journal = {Faraday Discussions}, volume = {232}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {218-235}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Caveolin-1 (cav-1) is a multi-domain membrane protein that is a key player in cell signaling, endocytosis and mechanoprotection. It is the principle component of cholesterol-rich caveolar domains and has been reported to induce membrane curvature. The molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions of cav-1 with complex membranes, leading to modulation of membrane topology and the formation of cholesterol-rich domains, remain elusive. In this study, we aim to understand the effect of lipid composition by analyzing the interactions of cav-1 with complex membrane bilayers comprised of about sixty lipid types. We have performed a series of coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations using the Martini force-field with a cav-1 protein construct (residue 82-136) that includes the membrane binding domains and a palmitoyl tail. We observe that cav-1 induces curvature in this complex membrane, though it is restricted to a nanometer length scale. Concurrently, we observe a clustering of cholesterol, sphingolipids and other lipid molecules leading to the formation of nanodomains. Direct microsecond timescale interactions are observed for specific lipids such as cholesterol, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipid types. The results indicate that there is an interplay between membrane topology and lipid species. Our work is a step toward understanding how lipid composition and organization regulate the formation of caveolae, in the context of endocytosis and cell signaling.}, issn = {1359-6640}, doi = {10.1039/d0fd00062k}, author = {Prakash, Shikha and Krishna, Anjali and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {47431, title = {Caveolin mediated curvature and clustering: from simple to complex membrane}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {120}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {232A-233A}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, issn = {0006-3495}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.1542}, author = {Prakash, Shikha and Krishna, Anjali and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {47060, title = {Conductive interface promoted bifunctional oxygen reduction/evolution activity in an ultra-low precious metal based hybrid catalyst}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {57}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1951-1954}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ultra low PtPd alloy deposited on Ni12P5 nanostructures (PtPd/Ni12P5) exhibited enhanced ORR activity (onset: 1.003 V and E-1/2:0.95 V) on par with commercial Pt/C and superior OER activity with 81\% reduction of the precious metal compared to the commercial catalyst.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d0cc08225b}, author = {Sarkar, Shreya and Varghese, Merin and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {47037, title = {Conductive interface promoted bifunctional oxygen reduction/evolution activity in an ultra-low precious metal based hybrid catalyst (vol 57, pg 1951, 2021)}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {57}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2824}, type = {Correction}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc90088a}, author = {Sarkar, Shreya and Varghese, Merin and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {47572, title = {Construction of beta-cyclodextrin linked glycidyl methacrylate polymers for stereoselective separation of chiral drug}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {28}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {287}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this present study, a series of cross-linked porous polymers based on Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) were synthesized by suspension polymerization using cyclohexanol and hexanol as pore generating solvents. beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) was covalently bonded to the polymers by using Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HMDI) and Sebacoyl Chloride (SC) as spacer arms. The effects of matrix properties such as pore volume, type of crosslinker, and spacer on the loading of beta-cyclodextrin were investigated. The stereoselective binding of enantiomers of the anti-depressant drug citalopram was studied using beta-cyclodextrin loaded polymers under batch adsorption mode. The capacity factor and selectivity of isomers were investigated also. This study reveals that these beta-cyclodextrin bonded Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) polymers are potentially suitable for chromatographic separation of citalopram.}, keywords = {beta-cyclodextrin, Citalopram, Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) beads, HPLC etc, Stereoslelctivity}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-021-02634-7}, author = {Wale, Apparav and Mulani, Khudbudin and Deshpande, Supriya and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article {47715, title = {Construction of IrO2@Mn3O4 core-shell heterostructured nanocomposites for high performance symmetric supercapacitor device}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {887}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC }, pages = {161328}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present work, we have designed and synthesized nanocomposite of IrO2@Mn3O4 with two-step simple and scalable chemical routes. In this route, nanofibers of IrO2 were synthesized by a single nozzle electrospinning technique onto which Mn3O4 was overlaid by a simple SILAR route. The ratio of Mn3O4 and IrO2 was varied by varying the SILAR cycles onto electrospun IrO2 thin film as 20, 40, 60, and 80 cycles. The structural, morphological, and energy storage performance of IrO2@Mn3O4 composite elec-trodes were investigated. A 2 V kinetic potential with a rectangular-shaped cyclic voltammogram was observed for the IrO2@Mn3O4 electrodes. Moreover, the specific capacitance of 1027 F/g at 1 mA/cm(2) was observed for the optimized electrode which is superior as compared with other electrodes. The opti-mized electrode showed better current and voltage than the individual compounds which might be due to the synergic effect of IrO2 and Mn3O4. Finally, a PVA-LiClO4 gel electrolyte-based solid-state IrO2@ Mn3O4//IrO2@Mn3O4 symmetric device was fabricated. The symmetric device possessed an energy density of 81 Wh/kg with a power delivery of 714 W/kg which was capable to light up a green LED. Hence, the 2D transition metal oxides laminated on 1D metal oxides with high conductivity can be promising electrodes for future research. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {And nanoflakes, Charge storage kinetics, Electrochemical properties, electrospinning, IrO2@Mn3O4 nanocomposite, nanofibers, SILAR}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.161328}, author = {Beknalkar, S. A. and Teli, A. M. and Harale, N. S. and Shin, J. C. and Patil, P. S.} } @article {47739, title = {Continuous citrate-capped gold nanoparticle synthesis in a two-phase flow reactor}, journal = {Journal of Flow Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {553-567}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A continuous manufacturing platform was developed for the synthesis of aqueous colloidal 10-20 nm gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in a flow reactor using chloroauric acid, sodium citrate and citric acid at 95 degrees C and 2.3 bar(a) pressure. The use of a twophase flow system - using heptane as the continuous phase - prevented fouling on the reactor walls, while improving the residence time distribution. Continuous syntheses for up to 2 h demonstrated its potential application for continuous manufacturing, while live quality control was established using online UV-Vis photospectrometry that monitored the particle size and process yield. The synthesis was stable and reproducible over time for gold precursor concentration above 0.23 mM (after mixing), resulting in average particle size between 12 and 15 nm. A hydrophobic membrane separator provided successful separation of the aqueous and organic phases and collection of colloidal Au NPs in flow. Process yield increased at higher inlet flow rates (from 70\% to almost 100 \%), due to lower residence time of the colloidal solution in the separator resulting in less fouling in the PTFE membrane. This study addresses the challenges for the translation of the synthesis from batch to flow and provides tools for the development of a continuous manufacturing platform for gold nanoparticles.}, keywords = {Continuous manufacturing, Nanomaterials, Online analysis, phase separation, segmented flow}, issn = {2062-249X}, doi = {10.1007/s41981-021-00172-3}, author = {Damilos, Spyridon and Alissandratos, Ioannis and Panariello, Luca and Radhakrishnan, Anand N. P. and Cao, Enhong and Wu, Gaowei and Besenhard, Maximilian O. and Kulkarni, Amol A. and Makatsoris, Charalampos and Gavriilidis, Asterios} } @article {46603, title = {Controlling draw resonance during extrusion film casting of nanoclay filled linear low-density polyethylene: an experimental study and numerical linear stability analysis}, journal = {Journal of Plastic Film \& Sheeting}, volume = {37}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8756087920978443}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Commercially important extrusion film casting (EFC) processes for manufacturing plastic films or sheets are hampered by several instabilities that severely limits their productivity. In this research we focussed on one important instability: the draw resonance that occurs during the EFC process mainly under extensional flow conditions. Draw resonance is the sustained periodic oscillations in the film dimensions, notably film width and thickness, when the process operates beyond a critical draw ratio (CDR). In this research our goal was to reduce this draw resonance instability by incorporating well dispersed nanoclay fillers in a base polymeric resin (such as a linear low density polyethylene - LLDPE) to determine how these nanocomposite (NC) formulations can prevent or reduce the draw resonance defect. EFC experiments were conducted on the base resin and on the NC formulations under non-isothermal conditions to determine the onset of the draw resonance experimentally. Conventional linear stability analysis was performed to determine the onset of the draw resonance defect numerically. Numerical predictions for the onset of draw resonance were in qualitative agreement with our experimental data. Our results showed that incorporating appropriate nanoclay concentrations in a base polymeric resin indeed enhanced the EFC process stability for those polymer formulations and thus can have important economic implications for processors.

}, keywords = {Draw resonance, extensional strain hardening, Extrusion, Film, hydrodynamic interactions, Nanoclay, Nanocomposites, Polyethylene, Rheology, stability}, issn = {8756-0879}, doi = {10.1177/8756087920978443}, author = {Rokade, Dhammaraj and Chougale, Sanket and Patil, Prashant and Bhattacharjee, Tanushree and Gawande, Dnyaneshwar and Pol, Harshawardhan and Dhadwal, Renu} } @article {47700, title = {Cotton fabric decorated with manganese oxide nanorods as a supercapacitive flexible electrode for wearable electronics}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {568}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC 1}, pages = {150968}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We present the fabrication (using a hydrothermal process) and the properties of wearable fabrics decorated with ultrathin manganese oxide (MnO2) nanorods for supercapacitor applications. The superior mechanical durability of the supercapacitor was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves, which showed little change during 1000 bending cycles. The pseudocapacitive properties of the ultrathin MnO2 nanorods were confirmed by recording the CV curves at various scan rates. The galvanostatic charge-discharge curves at various specific currents confirmed the pseudocapacitance of MnO2. The ultrathin MnO2 nanorods exhibited a superior capacitance of 508 F.g(-1) and an energy density of 35.3 Wh.kg(-1). The MnO2 electrode with optimal properties demonstrated stable long-term cycling performance with 90\% retention after 10,000 galvanostatic cycles.}, keywords = {Cotton fabric, Manganese oxide, Ultrafine nanostructures, Wearable supercapacitors}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.150968}, author = {Samuel, Edmund and Joshi, Bhavana and Kim, Yongil and Park, Chanwoo and Aldalbahi, Ali and El-Newehy, Mohamed and Lee, Hae-Seok and Yoon, Sam S.} } @article {47746, title = {CuO as a reactive and reusable reagent for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {297}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {120417}, type = {Article}, abstract = {{Copper oxide (CuO) is used as a reusable solid reagent for hydrogenation of nitroarenes to aminoarenes. The use of CuO resulted in 100 \% conversion of 2.9 mmol of nitrobenzene to aniline in 45 s at room temperature using hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent. During the reaction, CuO is converted to inactive metallic Cu which can be regenerated to active CuO by thermal oxidation. DFT simulations indicated facile formation of oxygen vacancies (EO}, keywords = {Copper vacancy, CuO, Hydrogenation, Nitroarene reduction, Oxygen defects, Reactive solids}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.120417}, author = {Rajendran, K. and Pandurangan, N. and Vinod, C. P. and Khan, Tuhin S. and Gupta, Shelaka and Haider, M. Ali and Jagadeesan, D.} } @article {47701, title = {DART: deep learning enabled topological interaction model for energy prediction of metal clusters and its application in identifying unique low energy isomers}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {23}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {21995-22003}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Recently, machine learning (ML) has proven to yield fast and accurate predictions of chemical properties to accelerate the discovery of novel molecules and materials. The majority of the work is on organic molecules, and much more work needs to be done for inorganic molecules, especially clusters. In the present work, we introduce a simple topological atomic descriptor called TAD, which encodes chemical environment information of each atom in the cluster. TAD is a simple and interpretable descriptor where each value represents the atom count in three shells. We also introduce the DART deep learning enabled topological interaction model, which uses TAD as a feature vector to predict energies of metal clusters, in our case gallium clusters with sizes ranging from 31 to 70 atoms. The DART model is designed based on the principle that the energy is a function of atomic interactions and allows us to model these complex atomic interactions to predict the energy. We further introduce a new dataset called GNC_31-70, which comprises structures and DFT optimized energies of gallium clusters with sizes ranging from 31 to 70 atoms. We show how DART can be used to accelerate the process of identification of low energy structures without geometry optimization. Albeit using a topological descriptor, DART achieves a mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.59 kcal mol(-1) (0.15 eV) on the test set. We also show that our model can distinguish core and surface atoms in the Ga-70 cluster, which the model has never encountered earlier. Finally, we demonstrate the transferability of the DART model by predicting energies for about 6k unseen configurations picked up from molecular dynamics (MD) data for three cluster sizes (46, 57, and 60) within seconds. The DART model was able to reduce the load on DFT optimizations while identifying unique low energy structures from MD data.}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d1cp02956h}, author = {Modee, Rohit and Agarwal, Sheena and Verma, Ashwini and Joshi, Kavita and Priyakumar, U. Deva} } @article {47591, title = {Design and scale-up of continuous di-nitration reaction using pinched tube flow reactor}, journal = {Journal of Flow Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {611-624}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Scale-up of the di-nitration reaction for synthesis of selective herbicide pendimethalin using only nitric acid in continuous flow is presented in this work. This work showcases an approach for smooth scale-up for an herbicide for a production capacity of 50 kg/day using a pinched tube reactor. The approach begins with the batch experiments followed by flow synthesis using a 1/8-inchSS316 helical coil tube where kinetics of the di-nitration was determined, and process optimization was done. Systematic approach was followed for quantification of heat transfer, mass transfer and residence time distribution and scale-up. Detailed scale-up methodology is presented with effect of relevant parameters for successful scale-up. Modular pilot plant with inline quenching, extraction and separation are some of the salient features presented in this work.}, keywords = {continuous flow, nitration, Pinched tube, RTD, scale-up}, issn = {2062-249X}, doi = {10.1007/s41981-021-00182-1}, author = {Hussain, Arshad and Sharma, Mrityunjay and Patil, Suneha and Acharya, Roopashree B. and Kute, Mahesh and Waghchaure, Aishwarya and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47087, title = {Design and synthesis of a new topical agent for halting blood loss rapidly: a multimodal chitosan-gelatin xerogel composite loaded with silica nanoparticles and calcium}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {198}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111454}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Uncontrolled hemorrhage often causes death during traumatic injuries and halting exsanguination topically is a challenge. Here, an efficient multimodal topical hemostat was developed by (i) ionically crosslinking chitosan and gelatin with sodium tripolyphosphate for (ii) fabricating a robust, highly porous xerogel by lyophilization having 86.7 \% porosity, by micro-CT and large pores similar to 30 mu m by SEM (iii) incorporating 0.5 mg synthesized silica nanoparticles (SiNPs, 120 nm size, -22 mV charge) and 2.5 mM calcium in xemgel composite that was confirmed by FTIR analysis with peaks at 3372, 986 and 788 cm(-1), respectively. XPS analysis displayed the presence of SiNPs (Si2p peak for silicon) and calcium (Ca2p1, Ca2p3 transition peaks) in the composite. Interestingly, in silico percolation simulation for composite revealed interlinked 800 mu m long-conduits predicting excellent absorption capacity and validated experimentally (640 \% of composite dry weight). The composite achieved \>16-fold improved blood clotting in vitro than commercial Celox and Gauze through multimodal interaction of its components with RBCs and platelets. The composite displayed good platelet activation and thrombin generation activities. It displayed high compressive strength (2.45 MPa) and withstood pressure during application. Moreover, xerogel composite showed high biocompatibility. In vivo application of xerogel composite to lethal femoral artery injury in rats achieved hemostasis (2.5 min) significantly faster than commercial Celox (3.3 min) and Gauze (4.6 min) and was easily removed from the wound. The gamma irradiated composite was stable till 1.5 yr. Therefore, the xerogel composite has potential for application as a rapid topical hemostatic agent.

}, keywords = {Hemostatic, Polymer, silica nanoparticles, Xerogel}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111454}, author = {Patil, Gokul and Torris, Arun and Suresha, P. R. and Jadhav, Sachin and Badiger, V. Manohar and Ghormade, Vandana} } @article {47457, title = {Design, synthesis, and structural analysis of cladosporin-based inhibitors of malaria parasites}, journal = {ACS Infectious Diseases}, volume = {7}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1777{\textendash}1794}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here we have described a systematic structure activity relationship (SAR) of a set of compounds inspired from cladosporin, a tool compound that targets parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) lysyl tRNA synthetase (KRS). Four sets of analogues, synthesized based on point changes in the chemical scaffold of cladosporin and other logical modifications and hybridizations, were assessed using high throughput enzymatic and parasitic assays along with\ in vitro\ pharmacokinetics. Co-crystallization of the most potent compound in our series (CL-2) with\ PfKRS revealed its structural basis of enzymatic binding and potency. Further, we report that\ CL-2\ has performed better than cladosporin in terms of metabolic stability. It thus represents a new lead for further optimization toward the development of antimalarial drugs. Collectively, along with a lead compound, the series offers insights on how even the slightest chemical modification might play an important role in enhancing or decreasing the potency of a chemical scaffold.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00092}, author = {Babbar, Palak and Das, Pronay and Manickam, Yogavel and Mankad, Yash and Yadav, Swati and Parvez, Suhel and Sharma, Amit and Reddy, Srinivasa} } @article {47707, title = {Development of aerial and belowground tubers in potato is governed by photoperiod and epigenetic mechanism}, journal = {Plant Physiology}, volume = {187}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1071-1086}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Plants exhibit diverse developmental plasticity and modulate growth responses under various environmental conditions. Potato (Solanum tuberosum), a modified stem and an important food crop, serves as a substantial portion of the world{\textquoteright}s subsistence food supply. In the past two decades, crucial molecular signals have been identified that govern the tuberization (potato development) mechanism. Interestingly, microRNA156 overexpression in potato provided the first evidence for induction of profuse aerial stolons and tubers from axillary meristems under short-day (SD) photoperiod. A similar phenotype was noticed for overexpression of epigenetic modifiers-MUTICOPY SUPRESSOR OF IRA1 (StMSI1) or ENAHNCER OF ZESTE 2 (StE[z]2), and knockdown of B-CELL-SPECIFIC MOLONEY MURINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS INTEGRATION SITE 1 (StBMI1). This striking phenotype represents a classic example of modulation of plant architecture and developmental plasticity. Differentiation of a stolon to a tuber or a shoot under in vitro or in vivo conditions symbolizes another example of organ-level plasticity and dual fate acquisition in potato. Stolon-to-tuber transition is governed by SD photoperiod, mobile RNAs/proteins, phytohormones, a plethora of small RNAs and their targets. Recent studies show that polycomb group proteins control microRNA156, phytohormone metabolism/transport/signaling and key tuberization genes through histone modifications to govern tuber development. Our comparative analysis of differentially expressed genes between the overexpression lines of StMSI1, StBEL5 (BEL1-LIKE transcription factor [TF]), and POTATO HOMEOBOX 15 TF revealed more than 1,000 common genes, indicative of a mutual gene regulatory network potentially involved in the formation of aerial and belowground tubers. In this review, in addition to key tuberization factors, we highlight the role of photoperiod and epigenetic mechanism that regulates the development of aerial and belowground tubers in potato.}, issn = {0032-0889}, doi = {10.1093/plphys/kiab409}, author = {Kondhare, Kirtikumar R. and Kumar, Amit and Patil, Nikita S. and Malankar, Nilam N. and Saha, Kishan and Banerjee, Anjan K.} } @article {47576, title = {Development of enhanced hypericin yielding transgenic plants and somaclones: high throughput direct organogenesis from leaf and callus explants of Hypericum perforatum (Retraction of Vol 111, Pg 544, 2018)}, journal = {Industrial Crops and Products}, volume = {171}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV }, pages = {113863}, type = {Retraction}, issn = {0926-6690}, doi = {10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113863}, author = {Khan, A. Shamshad and Verma, Priyanka and Arbat, Akshata and Gaikwad, Sushma and Parasharami, A. Varsha} } @article {47393, title = {Disordered but efficient: understanding the role of structure and composition of the Co-Pt alloy on the electrocatalytic methanol oxidation reaction}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {125}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {7611-7624}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A systematic investigation of the electrocatalytic Methanol Oxidation Reaction (MOR) was carried out using a model Co:Pt alloy system with different compositions and structural arrangements of the Co and Pt atoms. The structural variations with the same alloy composition included those with disordered arrangement of Co and Pt atoms in a face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice and ordered arrangements in face-centered tetragonal (fct) lattices. Our investigations clearly show that structures with disordered arrangements with Co:Pt atomic ratios near to 1:1 display better electrocatalytic efficiencies even when compared to pure Pt. These experimental findings were then rationalized by means of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Electronic level signatures in terms of charge transfer and relative shift in the peaks of the d band for surface metal atoms are proposed to be the reasons for the superior catalytic activity of a particular composition over the others. An increase in the number of inequivalent sites for methanol adsorption in disordered systems appears to result in better catalytic performance in comparison with ordered systems.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c10165}, author = {Dalavi, Shankar B. and Agarwal, Sheena and Deshpande, Pooja and Joshi, Kavita and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {47379, title = {Diverse reactivity of NOBF4 towards silylene, disilene, germylene and stannylene}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {57}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5008-5011}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{The reactivity of NOBF4 towards silylene, disilene, germylene, stannylenes has been described. Smooth syntheses of compounds of composition [PhC(NtBu)(2)E(= O -\> BF3)N(SiMe3)(2)

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc01034d, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Parvin, Nasrina and Sen, Nilanjana and Muhasina, Puthan Veetil and Tothadi, Srinu and Parameswaran, Pattiyil and Khan, Shabana} } @article {47370, title = {Effect of wettability on hydrodynamics and mass transfer in small capillaries}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Research \& Design}, volume = {169}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {265-274}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The wettability of the reactor wall has a significant effect on the interfacial liquid?liquid mass transfer rates in segmented flow. This work quantitatively demonstrates the importance of choosing the right material of construction of flow reactors to achieve the desired mass transfer performance. Glass and PTFE capillaries of identical diameter were used to study the effect of hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces on the hydrodynamics and mass transfer of the system. It was observed that for the overall mass transfer coefficient (kLa) changed by two orders of magnitude depending on the wettability of the continuous phase. The observations indicated that it is essential to achieve complete wetting of the capillary walls by the continuous phase for significant mass transfer enhancement. The observations are discussed on the basis of film thickness and slip velocity at the wall as well as the slip velocity at liquid?liquid interface. Predictions of the mass transfer coefficient using a model based on the interfacial and fluid properties showed excellent match with the experiments thereby allowing us to explore the effects of wettability on the overall mass transfer coefficient in greater detail. ? 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Liquid?liquid slug flow, Mass transfer, Slip velocity, Wettability}, issn = {0263-8762}, doi = {10.1016/j.cherd.2021.03.023}, author = {Sampat, Chaitanya and Pal, Sayan and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47100, title = {Effective structure of a system with continuous polydispersity}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {154}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {034503}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In a system of N particles, with continuous size polydispersity, there exists an N(N - 1) number of partial structure factors, making it analytically less tractable. A common practice is to treat the system as an effective one component system, which is known to exhibit an artificial softening of the structure. The aim of this study is to describe the system in terms of M pseudospecies such that we can avoid this artificial softening but, at the same time, have a value of M \<\< N. We use potential energy and pair excess entropy to estimate an optimum number of species, M-0. We then define the maximum width of polydispersity, Delta sigma (0), that can be treated as a monodisperse system. We show that M-0 depends on the degree and type of polydispersity and also on the nature of the interaction potential, whereas Delta sigma (0) weakly depends on the type of polydispersity but shows a stronger dependence on the type of interaction potential. Systems with a softer interaction potential have a higher tolerance with respect to polydispersity. Interestingly, M-0 is independent of system size, making this study more relevant for bigger systems. Our study reveals that even 1\% polydispersity cannot be treated as an effective monodisperse system. Thus, while studying the role of polydispersity by using the structure of an effective one component system, care must be taken in decoupling the role of polydispersity from that of the artificial softening of the structure.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0038812}, author = {Patel, Palak and Nandi, Manoj Kumar and Nandi, Ujjwal Kumar and Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra} } @article {47736, title = {Elucidating the effect of CaF2 on structure, biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of S53P4 glass (vol 831, 154704, 2020)}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {883}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {161253}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.161253}, author = {Prasad, Sakthi and Ganisetti, Sudheer and Jana, Anuradha and Kant, Shashi and Sinha, P. K. and Tripathy, Sucheta and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Annapurna, K. and Allu, Amarnath R. and Biswas, Kaushik} } @article {47408, title = {Enantioselective reduction of ketones and synthesis of 2-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran catalyzed by chiral spiroborate ester}, journal = {Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {57}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {611-618}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Asymmetric reduction of homobenzylic ketones was achieved through the use of chiral spiroborate ester catalyst. The catalyst is applicable for both analytical and industrial purposes since it is not sensitive to air and moisture. A rapid synthetic route has been developed for the preparation of (S)-2-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran via enantioselective reduction of homobenzylic ketone in the presence of a chiral spiroborate catalyst as the key step.

}, keywords = {2-methyl-2, 3-dihydro-1-benzofuran, asymmetric reduction, spiroborate ester}, issn = {1070-4280}, doi = {10.1134/S1070428021040163}, author = {Patil, H. S. and Nikalje, M. D. and Chopade, A. U. and Chopade, M. U.} } @article {47135, title = {Energy and life cycle impact assessment for xylitol production from corncob}, journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production}, volume = {278}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {123217}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The conversion of biobased feedstocks into energy and value-added chemicals is one main approach to address the current global challenge for waste mitigation through the biorefinery mode. Corncob biomass which is one of the most abundant agricultural residue in India with a high hemicellulose content, can serve as a potential low-cost raw material for food-grade xylitol production. The present study demonstrates a process for xylitol production from corncob biomass with detailed energy and life cycle analysis for viability assessment. The major highlight of the process is the use of microbial fermentation, where biomass-derived D-xylose is converted to xylitol with high selectivity. Overall, 0.502 kg of xylitol crystals could be produced from 3.5 kg of corncob biomass. Simulation analysis revealed that the evaporators are the primary consumers of energy, and the process of heat integration can significantly reduce the energy requirements of the overall process. Environmental impacts of the system evaluated showed emission results of 8.68 kg CO2 equivalent and revealed that marine aquatic and freshwater eco-toxicity are the only possible contributors to the environment. The results suggest that the process would have favourable energy balances, which can be used in pilot plant and heat exchanger network design and operation for xylitol production scale up to 500 L. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {biomass valorization, Life cycle impact assessment, simulation, xylitol}, issn = {0959-6526}, doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123217}, author = {Dasgupta, Diptarka and Sidana, Arushdeep and Ghosh, Prasenjit and Sharma, Tripti and Singh, Jasvinder and Prabhune, Asmita and More, Snehal and Bhaskar, Thallada and Ghosh, Debashish} } @article {47738, title = {Engineering microstructure of LiFe(MoO4)(2) as an advanced anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion battery}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials In Electronics}, volume = {32}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {24273-24284}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Graphite is considered as an ideal anode material for lithium-ion battery (LIB) due to its high stability, good conductivity and wide source of availability. However, the low energy density and theoretical capacity of graphite cannot meet the needs of high performance anode materials. To circumvent this issue, alternative materials have been sought for many years now. Herein, we report the synthesis of highly crystalline lithium iron molybdate LiFe(MoO4)(2) by combustion method and evaluated its performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Triclinic LiFe(MoO4)(2) crystals having particle size 2-5 mu m with good crystallinity were obtained. The material shows long cycle life and high rate performance than commercial graphite and exhibits first reversible discharge capacity of 931.6 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g which is three times higher than commercial graphite. The high specific capacity together with the outstanding rate and cycle performance makes LiFe(MoO4)(2) a promising anode material for LIB. A detailed analysis on the crystal structure and electronic properties of LiFe(MoO4)(2) is presented based on DFT studies to complement the experimental observations.}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-021-06892-5}, author = {Tamboli, Asiya M. and Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Dwivedi, Pravin Kumari and Praveen, C. S. and Karbhal, Indrapal and Shelke, V, Manjusha and Kim, Bomyung and Park, Chinho and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article {47029, title = {Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of PtRu/nitrogen and sulphur co-doped crumbled graphene in acid and alkaline media}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {590}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY }, pages = {154-163}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The low mass activity and high price of pure platinum (Pt)-based catalysts predominantly limit their large-scale utilization in electrocatalysis. Therefore, the reduction of Pt amount while preserving the electrocatalytic efficiency represents a viable alternative. In this work, we prepared new PtRu2 nanoparticles supported on sulphur and nitrogen co-doped crumbled graphene with trace amounts of iron (PtRu2/PF) electrocatalysts. The PtRu2/PF catalysts exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic performance and stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at pH = 0. Moreover, the prepared PtRu2/PF electrocatalyst displayed higher HER activity than commercial 20\% Pt/C. The PtRu2/PF catalyst achieved a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential value of only 22 mV for HER, performing better activity than many other Pt-based electrocatalysts. Besides, the PtRu2/PF revealed a good performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. The PtRu2/PF catalyst recorded a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential of only 270 mV for OER in KOH (1.0 M) solution and an onset potential of 0.96 V vs. RHE (at 1 mA cm(-2)) for ORR in KOH (0.1 M) solution. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HER, OER, ORR, PtRu2, Sulphur and nitrogen co-doped crumbled graphene}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2021.01.049}, author = {Pang, Liuqing and Miao, Yuanyuan and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Barras, Alexandre and Addad, Ahmed and Roussel, Pascal and Amin, Mohammed A. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Szunerits, Sabine and Boukherroub, Rabah} } @article {46660, title = {Estimation of reaction kinetics for aromatic and heterocycles nitration in mixed acids through computational chemistry approach}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {53}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {319-332}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nitration of aromatic compounds and heterocycles in mixed acid environment is one of the regularly performed large-scale reactions in the chemical industry. Although the reaction mechanism of nitration of aromatics in mixed acid is well established, the development of a methodology for the evaluation of kinetics of exothermic aromatic nitrations in a simplified and accurate way is necessary. Here we evaluate the applicability of a kinetic evaluation methodology based on Hammett{\textquoteright}s acidity function, acidity function, and empirical activity coefficient for the nitration reaction. The contributions from the functional groups on the aromatic ring and quantitative structure-activity relationships technique are considered for these evaluations. Natural bond orbital and magnetic index nucleus independent chemical shift analyses were carried out to obtain the substitution constants. The rate constant and activation energy values were evaluated at various temperatures and sulfuric acid strengths. The results were validated by comparing with the experimental data from the literature for several molecules. The effect of various functional groups (viz carbonyl, carboxyl, methyl, and amine) substituted on the benzene ring was also evaluated. For a few identified substrates, the data were used for estimation of residence time needed for complete conversion in continuous stirred tank reactor and in a plug flow reactor to quantify the effect of substitution constant and strength of sulfuric acid. The approach will help select a suitable reactor.

}, keywords = {Aromatic nitration, computational chemistry, Hammett analogy, mixed acids, Reaction kinetics, reactor selection}, issn = {0538-8066}, doi = {10.1002/kin.21445, Early Access Date = OCT 2020}, author = {Jadhav, Pandurang M. and Pandey, Raj K. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47111, title = {Expression, purification and crystallization of Asrij, A novel scaffold transmembrane protein}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, volume = {254}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {65-74}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Asrij/OCIAD1, Membrane protein crystallography, sophorolipids}, issn = {0022-2631}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-020-00166-7, Early Access Date = JAN 2021}, author = {Motiwala, Zenia and Darne, Priti and Prabhune, Asmita and Inamdar, Maneesha S. and Kulkarni, Kiran} } @article {47030, title = {Fabrication of high energy density supercapacitor device based on hollow iridium oxide nanofibers by single nozzle electrospinning}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {546}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {149102}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we have synthesized iridium oxide (IrO2) nanofibers using electrospinning technique and optimization of annealing temperature is undertaken in order to obtain high quality IrO2 nanofibers. The annealing temperature is varied as 200, 300, 400 and 500 degrees C. The synthesized material has hollow nanofibrous morphology with average diameter similar to 45 nm. The formed nanofibers are amorphous in nature. The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) result revealed that synthesized iridium is in +4 oxidation state. The electrochemical performance of IrO2 electrodes showed 2 V potential window in three electrode system using 1 M Sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) aqueous electrolyte. The maximum specific capacitance is obtained for sample annealed at 400 degrees C (705F/g at 1 mA/cm(2)) which is due to the well-developed morphology with complete removal of polymer content. Moreover, a novel solid state symmetric IrO2/IrO2 supercapacitor with a high operating voltage of 2 V is built. The symmetric supercapacitor exhibits an energy density of 59 Wh/kg at a power density of 714 W/kg and an excellent cycling stability. These results demonstrate the potentialities of using IrO2 for symmetric supercapacitor for building high energy and power density devices.

}, keywords = {Aqueous electrolyte, Hollow iridium oxide nanofibers, Symmetric supercapacitor}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.149102}, author = {Beknalkar, S. A. and Teli, A. M. and Harale, N. S. and Patil, D. S. and Pawar, S. A. and Shin, J. C. and Patil, P. S.} } @article {47441, title = {Flexible metallized carbon nanofibers decorated with two-dimensional NiGa2S4 nanosheets as supercapacitor electrodes}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal }, volume = {420}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP }, pages = {130497}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, high-power flexible supercapacitor electrodes were fabricated by decorating Ni-electroplated carbon nanofibers (Ni@CNF) with two-dimensional NiGa2S4\ nanosheets. The electrical conductivity of carbon nanofibers was enhanced by the addition of nickel, and the energy storage capability was enhanced by decoration with NiGa2S4. The impact of metal (Ni/Ga) ratio on the overall electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor was studied by varying the Ga concentration. The NiGa2S4\ nanosheets promoted diffusion of the electrolyte into the electrode, thereby improving the electrochemical activity. The nanosheets also intensified the charge transfer rate within the composite electrode, which contributed to the overall improvement in the electrochemical performance. The optimal Ga concentration was the concentration at which the specific capacitance was the highest at 488 F{\textperiodcentered}g-1\ with a potential window of 1.1\ V and current rate of 0.5 A{\textperiodcentered}g-1. The long-term stability test revealed that the capacitance retention of the electrode with this optimal Ni/Ga ratio was 109\% after 20,000 cycles. This flexible supercapacitor electrode was subjected to 2000 bending cycles, and the corresponding cyclic voltammetry performance was assessed. In combination, the outstanding electrochemical performance and durable mechanical properties render the NiGa2S4/Ni@CNF electrode highly suitable for flexible energy storage applications.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2021.130497}, author = {Kim, Yongil and Samuel, Edmund and Joshi, Bhavana and Park, Chanwoo and Lee, Hae-Seok and Yoon, Sam S.} } @article {47694, title = {FnCas9-based CRISPR diagnostic for rapid and accurate detection of major SARS-CoV-2 variants on a paper strip}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {e67130}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic originating in the Wuhan province of China in late 2019 has impacted global health, causing increased mortality among elderly patients and individuals with comorbid conditions. During the passage of the virus through affected populations, it has undergone mutations, some of which have recently been linked with increased viral load and prognostic complexities. Several of these variants are point mutations that are difficult to diagnose using the gold standard quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method and necessitates widespread sequencing which is expensive, has long turn-around times, and requires high viral load for calling mutations accurately. Here, we repurpose the high specificity of Francisella novicida Cas9 (FnCas9) to identify mismatches in the target for developing a lateral flow assay that can be successfully adapted for the simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as for detecting point mutations in the sequence of the virus obtained from patient samples. We report the detection of the S gene mutation N501Y (present across multiple variant lineages of SARS-CoV-2) within an hour using lateral flow paper strip chemistry. The results were corroborated using deep sequencing on multiple wild-type (n = 37) and mutant (n = 22) virus infected patient samples with a sensitivity of 87\% and specificity of 97\%. The design principle can be rapidly adapted for other mutations (as shown also for E484K and T716I) highlighting the advantages of quick optimization and roll-out of CRISPR diagnostics (CRISPRDx) for disease surveillance even beyond COVID-19. This study was funded by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, India.}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.67130}, author = {Kumar, Manoj and Gulati, Sneha and Ansari, Asgar H. and Phutela, Rhythm and Acharya, Sundaram and Azhar, Mohd and Murthy, Jayaram and Kathpalia, Poorti and Kanakan, Akshay and Maurya, Ranjeet and Vasudevan, Janani Srinivasa and Aparna, S. and Pandey, Rajesh and Maiti, Souvik and Chakraborty, Debojyoti} } @article {47664, title = {Formal synthesis of (-)-quinagolide: diastereoselective ring expansion via a bicyclic aziridinium ion strategy to access the octahydrobenzo[g]quinoline architecture}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL }, pages = {9344-9352}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The diastereoselective formal synthesis of (-)-quinagolide, a D-2 receptor agonist, has been achieved. The synthesis started from L-pyroglutamic acid and relied on utilization of (a) a stereospecific catalytic hydrogenation and diastereoselective Horner-Emmons-Michael cascade to obtain functionalized prolinate, (b) a Lewis acid mediated Pummerer cyclization to construct a tricyclic fused ring system, and (c) a diastereoselective ring expansion via a bicyclic aziridinium intermediate to access the required 3-substituted piperidine scaffold.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c00603}, author = {Chavan, Subhash P. and Kawale, Sanket A. and Pisal, Mahesh M. and Kadam, Appasaheb L. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {47399, title = {gamma-Al2O3/triflic acid as cooperative catalysts for the tandem Michael addition/carbocyclization: an easy access to 2-substituted pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines and 3-substituted pyrrolidine-2,5-diones}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {58}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1415-1428}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A tandem Michael addition/carbocyclization of 3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl maleimide with carbon and sulfur nucleophiles is accomplished via a relay catalysis using gamma-Al2O3/TfOH binary system. The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of binary system indicates the presence of AlF3, AlO(OH) species(.) This approach provides an easy access to 2-aryl or 2-thio aryl pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines in good yields in a tandem fashion. With suitable ratio of gamma-Al2O3/TfOH binary system, the Michael addition of N/C/S nucleophiles to N-benzyl maleimide is also achieved. A key to the success of these reactions would be the generation of AlF3, AlO(OH) species from gamma-Al2O3 and TfOH, which might have delineated the disadvantageous background reactions usually displayed by a strong Bronsted acid such as TfOH.

}, keywords = {1-a]isoquinolines, 3-substituted pyrrolidine-2, 5-diones, carbocyclization, gamma-Al2O3/TfOH binary system, Michael addition, pyrrolo[2}, issn = {0022-152X}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.4266, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Rao, Ramana Sreenivasa and Sahani, Anita and Ali, Sheikh Haider and Pradhan, Sumanta and Ramanathan, Chinnasamy Ramaraj} } @article {47653, title = {Glycerol-triazole conjugated rhodamine as colorimetric and fluorimetric sensor for Cu2+}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {6}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9288-9292}, type = {Article}, abstract = {{A glycerol-triazole tethered rhodamine based colorimetric and fluorimetric sensor 3 {\textquoteleft},6 {\textquoteleft}-bis(diethylamino)-2-(((1-(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4 -yl)methylene)aminospiro [isoindoline-1,9 {\textquoteleft}-xanthen]-3-one (L1) is designed and synthesized for the selective recognition of Cu2+ ion. The sensor L1 allows naked eye detection of Cu2+ ion with a fast response (<1 min). Among the various metal ions tested, the sensor L1 shows selective binding with Cu2+ through turn-on fluorescence mechanism. The sensor shows 1 : 2 binding stoichiometry with binding constant}, keywords = {Cu2+ Sensor, DFT, Glycerol, Rhodamine B, Triazole}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202102145}, author = {Verma, Abhishek and Gahlyan, Parveen and Bawa, Rashim and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Prasad, Ashok K. and Kumar, Rakesh} } @article {47804, title = {Green antibacterial molecules: sophorolipids with varying fatty acid chain}, journal = {Trends in Biomaterials and Artificial Organs}, volume = {35}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {431+}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Antibiotic resistance is a rising problem of over the last decade making it difficult to treat infections caused by various pathogenic bacteria. To tackle this problem, newer antimicrobial strategies are being explored. Sophorolipids (SLs) are a class of biomolecules produced by a non-pathogenic yeast Starmarella bombicola (S. bombicold) with surfactant as well as potent broad spectrum antibacterial activity. In this work, we have successfully synthesized sophorolipids using different fatty acids with increasing chain length of hydrophobic tail; Lauric acid (C12)-LASL, Myristic acid (C14)-MASL, Palmitic acid (C16)-PASL and Stearic acid (C18)-SASL. We have used various techniques like FTIR, HRMS to characterize the synthesized SL. Further, we have measured properties like the critical micellar concentration for these biosurfactants and the SL{\textquoteright}s showed CMC less than or equal to 100 mg/L indicating excellent surface-active property. We have studied the antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Interestingly, the antibacterial activity was found to be more potent as the chain length of the fatty acid in the SL decreased. This trend was found to be reverse for toxicity towards mammalian cells. The shorter chain fatty acid SL{\textquoteright}s were found to be less cytotoxic. These results indicate that the sophorolipid candidates with shorter chain lengths would be beneficial for various biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and wound healing. Keywords: sophorolipid, biosurfactant, short chain fatty acid, antibacterial}, keywords = {Antibacterial agents, Cells (Biology), Infection, Microbial drug resistance, Saturated fatty acids, Surface active agents}, isbn = {09711198}, url = {https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A684660702/AONE?u=anon~d0cd1b4e\&sid=googleScholar\&xid=1a6d61d9}, author = {Hirlekar, Swarali and Abhyankar, Isha and Kane, Kartiki and Trimukhe, Kalpana and Prabhune, Asmita and Nisal, Anuya} } @article {47093, title = {Herbicidal bio-assay of isocladosporin enantiomers and determination of its plausible absolute configuration}, journal = {Journal of Antibiotics}, volume = {74}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {280-284}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A fungal metabolite, isocladosporin was isolated from natural fungus, Cladosporium cladosporioides in the mid of 90s. Due to the lack of optical rotation of isolated natural product sample, the absolute configuration of the natural product remained undetermined for more than two decades. Herein, we demonstrated an SAR study of enantiomers of isocladosporin in herbicidal bio-assay against wheat coleoptile. Using this study as a comparative tool we further proposed the plausible absolute configuration of natural isocladosporin for the first time. The assigned configuration was also supported through biogenetic precursors.

}, issn = {0021-8820}, doi = {10.1038/s41429-020-00391-1, Early Access Date = FEB 2021}, author = {Mankad, Yash and Das, Pronay and Pathan, Ejaj and Deshpande, V. M. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {47716, title = {Hierarchical ITO nanofibers coated Mn3O(4) nanoplates core-shell nanocomposites for high performance all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitor device}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {47}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV }, pages = {29771-29785}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We have made a first attempt to build a novel Tin doped indium oxide@Manganese oxide (ITO@Mn3O4) nanocomposite electrode to overcome the detriments of Mn3O4 such as low conductivity and small potential window. Herein, we have synthesized the ITO@Mn3O4 nanocomposite by growing Mn3O4 nanoplates over ITO nanofibers synthesized by electrospinning technique. Benefitted from, the high conductivity and negative operating potential window of ITO exceptionally increased in the electrochemical performance of ITO@Mn3O4 was observed. The specific capacitance of optimized ITO@Mn3O4 nanocomposite reached up to 823 F/g at 1 mA/ cm2 in a wide potential window of 2 V using Na2SO4 electrolyte. To determine the practical feasibility an ITO@Mn3O4//ITO@Mn3O4 all-solid-state symmetric device was developed, which operated very well in a 2.2 V voltage window. It was found to deliver a maximum energy density of 88 Wh/kg and a power density of 550 W/ kg. This novel composite inferred the significance of using simple design to build a high-performance device.}, keywords = {electrospinning, ITO@Mn3O4 nanocomposite, PVA-LiClO4, SILAR, Solid-state symmetric device}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2021.07.149}, author = {Beknalkar, S. A. and Teli, A. M. and Harale, N. S. and Pawar, K. K. and Patil, D. S. and Shin, J. C. and Patil, P. S.} } @article {47131, title = {High efficiency lithium storage in 3D composite foam of Co3O4 nanoparticles integrated carbon nanohorns}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {263}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {114839}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A well-designed 3 dimensional (3D) nanocomposite foam of Co3O4 nanoparticles and functionalized carbon nano horns (CNH) is prepared by feasible wet chemistry followed by lyophilization. This 3D nanocomposite foam is evaluated electrochemically as anode material for lithium-ion battery (LIB). 3D hierarchical mesoporous hybrid of functionalized carbon nano horn-Co3O4 (CCO) shows excellent lithium storage properties with long cycle life due to high surface area, good conductivity, 3D interconnected mesoporous structure, mechanical and chemical stability and shortened diffusion path length for Li+ ions during lithiation-delithiation. The Co3O4 nanoparticles incorporated into interconnected CNH foam effectively increases the number of active sites of CCO nanocomposite and consequently increase in the reversible specific capacity and coulombic efficiency. Different compositions of CNH foam with Co3O4 nanoparticles are prepared, among which the CCO 1:1 foam displays reversible capacity of 797 mAhg1 at current density of 0.1 Ag-1 along with excellent rate performance. High specific capacity of around 702 mAhg(-1) is obtained even at the current density of 5 Ag-1.

}, keywords = {3D CCO foam, carbon nanohorns, Excellent rate capability, Li ion diffusion coefficient, Long Cycle life}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2020.114839}, author = {Dwivedi, Pravin K. and Parte, Golu and Thripuranthaka, M. and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {47611, title = {Historical overview of long-distance signalling in plants}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Botany}, volume = {72}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4218-4236}, type = {Review}, abstract = {Be it a small herb or a large tree, intra- and intercellular communication and long-distance signalling between distant organs are crucial for every aspect of plant development. The vascular system, comprising xylem and phloem, acts as a major conduit for the transmission of long-distance signals in plants. In addition to expanding our knowledge of vascular development, numerous reports in the past two decades revealed that selective populations of RNAs, proteins, and phytohormones function as mobile signals. Many of these signals were shown to regulate diverse physiological processes, such as flowering, leaf and root development, nutrient acquisition, crop yield, and biotic/abiotic stress responses. In this review, we summarize the significant discoveries made in the past 25 years, with emphasis on key mobile signalling molecules (mRNAs, proteins including RNA-binding proteins, and small RNAs) that have revolutionized our understanding of how plants integrate various intrinsic and external cues in orchestrating growth and development. Additionally, we provide detailed insights on the emerging molecular mechanisms that might control the selective trafficking and delivery of phloem-mobile RNAs to target tissues. We also highlight the cross-kingdom movement of mobile signals during plant-parasite relationships. Considering the dynamic functions of these signals, their implications in crop improvement are also discussed.}, keywords = {Long-distance signalling, mobile RNAs, phloem, plasmodesmata, RNA-binding proteins, small RNAs}, issn = {0022-0957}, doi = {10.1093/jxb/erab048}, author = {Kondhare, Kirtikumar R. and Patil, Nikita S. and Banerjee, Anjan K.} } @article {47455, title = {Hydrophilic 3D interconnected network of bacterial nanocellulose/black titania photothermal foams as an efficient interfacial solar evaporator}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {4373{\textendash}4383}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The design and development of scalable, efficient photothermal evaporator systems that reduce microplastic pollution are highly desirable. Herein, a sustainable bacterial nanocellulose (BNC)-based self-floating bilayer photothermal foam (PTFb) is designed that eases the effective confinement of solar light for efficient freshwater production via interfacial heating. The sandwich nanoarchitectured porous bilayer solar evaporator consists of a top solar-harvesting blackbody layer composed of broad-spectrum active black titania (BT) nanoparticles embedded in the BNC matrix and a thick bottom layer of pristine BNC for agile thermal management, the efficient wicking of bulk water, and staying afloat. A decisive advantage of the BNC network is that it enables the fabrication of a lightweight photothermal foam with reduced thermal conductivity and high wet strength. Additionally, the hydrophilic three-dimensional (3D) interconnected porous network of BNC contributes to the fast evaporation of water under ambient solar conditions with reduced vaporization enthalpy by virtue of intermediated water generated via a BNC{\textendash}water interaction. The fabricated PTFb\ is found to yield a water evaporation efficiency of 84.3\% (under 1054 W m{\textendash}2) with 4 wt \% BT loading. Furthermore, scalable PTFb\ realized a water production rate of 1.26 L m{\textendash}2\ h{\textendash}1\ under real-time conditions. The developed eco-friendly BNC-supported BT foams could be used in applications such as solar desalination, contaminated water purification, extraction of water from moisture, etc., and thus could address one of the major present-day global concerns of drinking water scarcity.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsabm.1c00143}, author = {Nabeela, Kallayi and Thorat, Meghana and Sumina, N. B. and Ramachandran, Animesh M. and Thomas, Reny Thankam and Preethikumar, Gopika and Mohamed, A. Peer and Asok, Adersh and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Pillai, Saju} } @article {47437, title = {Ice-colloidal templated carbon host for highly efficient, dendrite free Li metal anode}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {179}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {256-265}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

With its high theoretical specific capacity value, lithium metal itself would be an ideal anode material for rechargeable Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, practical application of lithium metal is obstructed due to lithium dendrite growth during cycling leads to unstable SEI formation, volume fluctuation and safety hazard. Herein, we have developed a novel high surface area carbon network with both meso (\~{}20 nm) and micron (\~{}1{\textendash}2 μm) size porosity, via ice-colloidal templating, as a scaffold for stable lithium metal anode mitigating lithium dendrite formation. The 3D porous nitrogen doped carbon (3D PNC) network is capable of lithium deposition equivalent to 10 mAhcm-2 at 2 mAcm-2 current density with 99.96\% coulombic efficiency for 100 cycles. Moreover, 3D PNC when subjected to 3000 h of continuous plating-stripping measurements (\~{}700 cycles) depicts the coulombic efficiency of 99.84\% with no observable dendrite growth at the current density of 2 mAcm-2 and lithium intake capacity of 5 mAhcm-2. A full cell of lithium plated 3D PNC anode with LiFePO4 shows an excellently stable performance up to 50 cycles at an input current density of 50 mAg-1, with a coulombic efficiency retention of 99.73\%.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2021.04.021}, author = {Patrike, Apurva and Kaniyamparambil, Karthika and Wahid, Malik and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Shelke, Manjusha} } @article {47355, title = {Imidazole/4,4 {\textquoteleft}-azopyridine bridging binuclear Ru(II) complexes: design, synthesis, bimolecular interactions and cytotoxicity against HeLa cell line}, journal = {Journal of the Iranian Chemical Society}, volume = {18}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Binuclear Ru(II)-arene complexes [(eta(6)-pcym)(Flq)Ru(mu-im/mu-azpy)Ru(Flq)(eta(6)-p-cym)]Cl (C1-C8) (cym = cymene; Flq = fluoroquinolones; im = imidazole; azpy = 4,4 {\textquoteleft} azo pyridine) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity and various spectral techniques (ESI-MS, IR, UV-Vis and H-1-NMR). The geometry of the complexes was optimized by DFT calculations, which revealed a pseudo-octahedral coordination around each metal centre. Binding of the synthesized complexes with CT-DNA and BSA was studied spectroscopically, and it has been established that the presence of two hydrophobic planar arene moieties enhances the binding efficacies of the binuclear complexes to the macromolecules, compared to their mononuclear analogues. The results of competitive binding between C1-C8 and ethidium bromide (EB) towards DNA have shown that the complexes are able to displace EB from DNA-EB adduct and interact with DNA via intercalation. The complexes display cytotoxicity against the HeLa human cervical cancer cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 30.1-120.9 mu M.

}, keywords = {Binuclear ruthenium (II) complexes, BSA binding interactions, DFT calculations, DNA, Fluoroquinolones (FQs), HeLa human cervical carcinoma}, issn = {1735-207X}, doi = {10.1007/s13738-021-02271-3, Early Access Date = MAY 2021}, author = {Khanvilkar, Priyanka and Dash, Soumya R. and Pulipaka, Ramadevi and Shirsath, Kavita and Devkar, Ranjitsinh and Chakraborty, Debjani} } @article {47103, title = {Impingement dynamics of jets in a confined impinging jet reactor}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {969-979}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The interaction of two impinging liquid jets in a confined impinging jet reactor (CUR) is explored. Multiphase flow simulations were performed using the volume of fluids (VOF) approach to investigate the impingement dynamics of liquid impinging jets, and single-phase CFD simulations have been performed to understand the turbulence and the mixing performance in the system. At identical inlet velocities, the liquid sheet formed on the impingement axis was found to move toward the liquid jet inlet of the lesser density fluid until reaching equilibrium. The formation and transient movement of liquid sheets are characterized for different jet velocities. An improved reactor geometry is proposed that reduces the wall effect on sheet formation and wall deposition on discharge points of jets. Upon breaking away from the impinging film, the two liquid phases are found to be intertwined in the form of ligaments and droplets after fragmentation of the sheet, providing a higher interfacial confirmed by performing high-throughput continuous antisolvent precipitation.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.0c04717}, author = {Pal, Sayan and Madane, Ketan and Mane, Mayur and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47133, title = {Improving efficiency for removal of ammoniacal nitrogen from wastewaters using hydrodynamic cavitation}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {70}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {105306}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study reports significant improvements in the removal of ammoniacal nitrogen from wastewater which is an important problem for many industries such as dyes and pigment, distilleries and fisheries. Pilot plant studies (capacity, 1 m(3)/h) on synthetic wastewater using 4-amino phenol as model nitrogen containing organic compound and two real industrial effluents of high ammoniacal nitrogen content were carried out using hydrodynamic cavitation. Two reactor geometries were evaluated for increased efficiency in removal-orifice and vortex diode. Effect of initial concentration (100-500 mg/L), effect of pressure drop (0.5-5 bar) and nature of cavitating device (linear and vortex flow for cavitation) were evaluated along with effect of salt content, effect of hydrogen peroxide addition and aeration. Initial concentration was found to have significant impact on the extent of removal: similar to 5 g/m(3) removal for initial concentration of 100 mg/L and up to 12 g/m(3) removal at high concentration of 500 mg/L. Interestingly, significant improvement of the order of magnitude (up to 8 times) in removal of ammoniacal nitrogen could be obtained by sparging air or oxygen in hydrodynamic cavitation and a very high removal of above 80\% could be achieved. The removal of ammoniacal nitrogen by vortex diode was also found to be effective in the industrial wastewaters and results on two different effluent samples of distillery industry indicated up to 75\% removal, though with longer time of treatment compared to that of synthetic wastewater. The developed methodology of hydrodynamic cavitation technology with aeration and vortex diode as a cavitating device was found to be highly effective for improving the efficiency of the conventional cavitation methods and hence can be highly useful in industrial wastewater treatment, specifically for the removal of ammoniacal nitrogen.

}, keywords = {Amino phenol, Cavitation, Oxidation, pollution, Wastewater treatment}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105306}, author = {Patil, Pravin B. and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {47072, title = {Improving the optical and thermoelectric properties of Cs2InAgCl6 with heavy substitutional doping: a DFT insight}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {5521-5528}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The next-generation indium-based lead-free halide material Cs2InAgCl6 is promising for photovoltaic applications due to its good air stability and non-toxic behavior. However, its wide bandgap (\>3 eV) is not suitable for the solar spectrum and hence reduces its photoelectronic efficiency for device applications. Here we report a significant bandgap reduction from 2.85 eV to 0.65 eV via substitutional doping and its effects on the optoelectronic and opto-thermoelectric properties from a first-principles study. The results predict that Sn/Pb and Ga and Cu co-doping will enhance the density of states significantly near the valence band maximum (VBM) and thus reduce the bandgap via shifting the VBM upward, while alkali metals (K/Rb) slightly increase the bandgap. A strong absorption peak near the Shockley-Queisser limit is observed in the co-doped case, while in the Sn/Pb-doped case, we notice a peak in the middle of the visible region of the solar spectrum. The nature of the bandgap is indirect with Cu-Ga/Pb/Sn doping, and a significant reduction in the bandgap, from 2.85 eV to 0.65 eV, is observed in the case of Ga-Cu co-doping. We observe a significant increase in the power factor (PF) (2.03 mW m(-1) K-2) for the n-type carrier after Pb-doping, which is similar to 3.5 times higher than in the pristine case (0.6 mW m (-1) K-2) at 500 K.

}, doi = {10.1039/d0ra01840f}, author = {Bhamu, K. C. and Haque, Enamul and Praveen, C. S. and Kumar, Nandha and Yumnam, G. and Hossain, Md. Anwar and Sharma, Gautam} } @article {47125, title = {In silico studies, synthesis and antitubercular activity of some novel quinoline - azitidinone derivatives}, journal = {Current Computer-Aided Drug Design}, volume = {17}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {134-143}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Diarylquinolines like Bedaquiline have shown promising antitubercular activity by their action of Mycobacterial ATPase. Objective: The structural features necessary for a good antitubercular activity for a series of quinoline derivatives were explored through computational chemistry tools like QSAR and combinatorial library generation. In the current study, 3-Chloro-4-(2-mercaptoquinoline-3-yl)-1-substitutedphenylazitidin-2-one derivatives have been designed and synthesized based on molecular modeling studies as anti-tubercular agents. Methods: 2D and 3D QSAR analyses were used to designed compounds having a quinoline scaffold. The synthesized compounds were evaluated against active and dormant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37 Ra and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The compounds were also tested for cytotoxicity against MCF-7, A549 and Panc-1 cell lines using MTT assay. The binding affinity of designed compounds was gauged by molecular docking studies. Results: Statistically significant QSAR models generated by the SA-MLR method for 2D QSAR exhibited r(2) = 0.852, q(2) = 0.811, whereas 3D QSAR with SA-kNN showed q(2) = 0.77. The synthesized compounds exhibited MIC in the range of 1.38-14.59(mu g/ml). These compounds showed some crucial interaction with MTB ATPase. Conclusion: The present study has shown some promising results which can be further explored for lead generation.

}, keywords = {combilib, Molecular docking, mycobacterial ATPase, QSAR, Quinoline}, issn = {1573-4099}, doi = {10.2174/1573409916666200129095952}, author = {Chitre, Trupti S. and Asgaonkar, Kalyani D. and Vikhe, Amrut B. and Patil, Shital M. and Garud, Dinesh R. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Nawale, Laxman U. and Yeware, Amar} } @article {47445, title = {Influence of sodium caseinate, maltodextrin, pectin and their Maillard conjugate on the stability, in vitro release, anti-oxidant property and cell viability of eugenol-olive oil nanoemulsions}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {183}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {158-170}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The influence of protein (sodium caseinate-SC), polysaccharide (maltodextrin-MD; pectin-PC) and their Maillard conjugates (sodium caseinate maltodextrin conjugate-SCMDC; sodium caseinate pectin conjugate-SCPCC) were studied on the physico-chemical and biological properties of eugenol nanoemulsions/powder. The chemical composition was optimized using Taguchi design. The particles size of eugenol nanoemulsions with SC, MD, PC, SCMDC and SCPCC were 104.6, 323.5, 1872, 181.7, and 454.4 nm, respectively while their zeta potentials were -31.2, -28.5, -21.4, -40.1 and -25.1 mV, respectively. Turbidity studies revealed higher stability of nanoemulsion prepared with Maillard conjugate (SCMDC) compared to protein or polysaccharides alone. The dispersion of SCMDC eugenol nanoparticles in buffer was prepared to study its stability at different pH (3.0, 5.0, and 7.0) and temperature (4{\textdegree}, 37{\textdegree}, 60 {\textdegree}C) range. In-vitro enzymatic release study showed 31 and 74\% release of eugenol after 6 h at pH 2.4 and 7.4, respectively. In vitro antioxidant capacity of SCMDC encapsulated eugenol was higher than native eugenol, as demonstrated by free radical scavenging assays. In comparison to native eugenol, E:SCMDC eugenol showed reduced toxicity. These findings suggested that nanoencapsulated eugenol (E:SCMDC) have a huge potential in nutraceutical and therapeutic applications.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.04.122}, author = {Nagaraju, Pramod G. and Sindhu, P. and Dubey, Tushar and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose and Priyadarshini, Poornima and Rao, Pooja J.} } @article {47117, title = {Inkjet printing of silver nanowires on flexible surfaces and methodologies to improve the conductivity and stability of the printed patterns}, journal = {Nanoscale Advances}, volume = {3}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {240-248}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are known to be used for printing on rigid as well as flexible surfaces. Here we have developed a systematic approach for using AgNWs synthesized by the polyol method for printing on flexible surfaces using a simple inkjet printing method. Optimized ink formulation used in this work comprises a mixture of Ag NWs suspended in ethylene glycol directly taken after synthesis and isopropyl alcohol. Using such formulation saves time and loss of material while transferring to other solvents, which is the usual practice. The printed patterns demonstrate high conductivity and stability over many months, which can revolutionize the applications of functional nanomaterials in low-cost printed electronics. The importance of fragmentation of nanowires only to achieve specific aspect ratios, to facilitate easy jetting and to prevent clogging is demonstrated. Varied concentrations (10 mg mL(-1) to 50 mg mL(-1)) of Ag NWs are used in ink formulations in order to print highly conductive patterns (resistance \< 50 Omega sq(-1)) in a minimal number of passes. The same composition was also seen to facilitate simple and time-efficient nano-welding at room temperature, which improves the conductivity and stability of the printed patterns.

}, issn = {2516-0230}, doi = {10.1039/d0na00684j}, author = {Patil, Prathamesh and Patil, Suneha and Kate, Prachi and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47390, title = {Insights from a pan India Sero-epidemiological survey (Phenome-India Cohort) for SARS-CoV2}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {e66537}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To understand the spread of SARS-CoV2, in August and September 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India) conducted a serosurvey across its constituent laboratories and centers across India. Of 10,427 volunteers, 1058 (10.14\%) tested positive for SARS-CoV2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NC) antibodies, 95\% of which had surrogate neutralization activity. Three-fourth of these recalled no symptoms. Repeat serology tests at 3 (n = 607) and 6 (n = 175) months showed stable anti-NC antibodies but declining neutralization activity. Local seropositivity was higher in densely populated cities and was inversely correlated with a 30-day change in regional test positivity rates (TPRs). Regional seropositivity above 10\% was associated with declining TPR. Personal factors associated with higher odds of seropositivity were high-exposure work (odds ratio, 95\% confidence interval, p value: 2.23, 1.92-2.59, \<0.0001), use of public transport (1.79, 1.43-2.24, \<0.0001), not smoking (1.52, 1.16-1.99, 0.0257), non-vegetarian diet (1.67, 1.41-1.99, \<0.0001), and B blood group (1.36, 1.15-1.61, 0.001).

}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.66537}, author = {Naushin, Salwa and Sardana, Viren and Ujjainiya, Rajat and Bhatheja, Nitin and Kutum, Rintu and Bhaskar, Akash Kumar and Pradhan, Shalini and Prakash, Satyartha and Khan, Raju and Rawat, Birendra Singh and Tallapaka, Karthik Bharadwaj and Anumalla, Mahesh and Chandak, Giriraj Ratan and Lahiri, Amit and Kar, Susanta and Mulay, Shrikant Ramesh and Mugale, Madhav Nilakanth and Srivastava, Mrigank and Khan, Shaziya and Srivastava, Anjali and Tomar, Bhawana and Veerapandian, Murugan and Venkatachalam, Ganesh and Vijayakumar, Selvamani Raja and Agarwal, Ajay and Gupta, Dinesh and Halami, Prakash M. and Peddha, Muthukumar Serva and Sundaram, Gopinath M. and Veeranna, Ravindra P. and Pal, Anirban and Agarwal, Vinay Kumar and Maurya, Anil Ku and Singh, Ranvijay Kumar and Raman, Ashok Kumar and Anandasadagopan, Suresh Kumar and Karuppanan, Parimala and Venkatesan, Subramanian and Sardana, Harish Kumar and Kothari, Anamika and Jain, Rishabh and Thakur, Anupama and Parihar, Devendra Singh and Saifi, Anas and Kaur, Jasleen and Kumar, Virendra and Mishra, Avinash and Gogeri, Iranna and Rayasam, Geethavani and Singh, Praveen and Chakraborty, Rahul and Chaturvedi, Gaura and Karunakar, Pinreddy and Yadav, Rohit and Singhmar, Sunanda and Singh, Dayanidhi and Sarkar, Sharmistha and Bhattacharya, Purbasha and Acharya, Sundaram and Singh, Vandana and Verma, Shweta and Soni, Drishti and Seth, Surabhi and Vashisht, Sakshi and Thakran, Sarita and Fatima, Firdaus and Singh, Akash Pratap and Sharma, Akanksha and Sharma, Babita and Subramanian, Manikandan and Padwad, Yogendra S. and Hallan, Vipin and Patial, Vikram and Singh, Damanpreet and Tripude, Narendra Vijay and Chakrabarti, Partha and Maity, Sujay Krishna and Ganguly, Dipyaman and Sarkar, Jit and Ramakrishna, Sistla and Kumar, Balthu Narender and Kumar, Kiran A. and Gandhi, Sumit G. and Jamwal, Piyush Singh and Chouhan, Rekha and Jamwal, Vijay Lakshmi and Kapoor, Nitika and Ghosh, Debashish and Thakkar, Ghanshyam and Subudhi, Umakanta and Sen, Pradip and Chaudhury, Saumya Ray and Kumar, Rashmi and Gupta, Pawan and Tuli, Amit and Sharma, Deepak and Ringe, Rajesh P. and Amarnarayan, D. and Kulkarni, Mahesh and Shanmugam, Dhansekaran and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Dastager, Sayed G. and Joshi, Rakesh and Patil, Amita P. and Mahajan, Sachin N. and Khan, Abujunaid Habib and Wagh, Vasudev and Yadav, Rakesh Kumar and Khilari, Ajinkya and Bhadange, Mayuri and Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H. and Kulsange, Shabda E. and Khairnar, Krishna and Paranjape, Shilpa and Kalita, Jatin and Sastry, Narahari G. and Phukan, Tridip and Manna, Prasenjit and Romi, Wahengbam and Bharali, Pankaj and Ozah, Dibyajyoti and Sahu, Ravi Kumar and Babu, Elapavalooru Vssk and Sukumaran, Rajeev and Nair, Aiswarya R. and Valappil, Prajeesh Kooloth and Puthiyamadam, Anoop and Velayudhanpillai, Adarsh and Chodankar, Kalpana and Damare, Samir and Madhavi, Yennapu and Aggarwal, Ved Varun and Dahiya, Sumit and Agrawal, Anurag and Dash, Debasis and Sengupta, Shantanu} } @article {47754, title = {In-situ experimental and computational approach to investigate the nature of active site in low-temperature CO-PROX over CuOx-CeO2 catalyst}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {624}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {118305}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Preferential oxidation (PROX) of carbon monoxide (CO) in presence of excess hydrogen is a necessity to prevent poisoning of the Pt-anode by CO in PEMFCs (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell). A highly active catalyst, 5 wt\% Cu-CeO2 showed 100 \% CO conversion at 65 degrees C without any undesirable oxidation of H-2. The catalyst showed no deactivation even after 100 h on stream, making it viable for practical fuel cell application. Operando EPR in the PROX reaction condition revealed highly dispersed mixed valent cations with oxygen vacancies, responsible for the low-temperature PROX activity. At the active site, both Cu and Ce ions were shown to reversibly change their valence states to facilitate the abstraction of bridging lattice oxygen for CO oxidation to CO2. This surface oxygen mediated CO oxidation was found to be much faster than that of H-2 to H2O, which could explain the complete selectivity of oxygen for CO2 formation.}, keywords = {CuOx-CeO2, interface, Oxygen vacancy, PROX, Synergistic}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2021.118305}, author = {Adak, Shubhadeep and Rabeah, Jabor and Ranjan, Ravi and Khan, Tuhin Suvra and Poddar, Mukesh Kumar and Gupta, Rishi Kumar and Sasaki, Takehiko and Kumar, Sagar and Bordoloi, Ankur and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bruckner, Angelika and Bal, Rajaram} } @article {47113, title = {Integrated genetic and metabolic landscapes predict vulnerabilities of temozolomide resistant glioblastoma cells}, journal = {npj Systems Biology and Applications}, volume = {7}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {2}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1038/s41540-020-00161-7}, author = {Immanuel, Selva Rupa Christinal and Ghanate, Avinash D. and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar S. and Yadav, Ritu and Uthup, Riya and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Raghunathan, Anu} } @article {47073, title = {Interatomic Coulombic decay in Neon-Helium cluster: a complex absorbing potential based equation-of-motion coupled cluster investigation}, journal = {Molecular Physics}, volume = {119}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e1884300}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) of the Ne(2s(-1)) and Ne(2s(-1)2p(-1)) states in neon-helium dimer is studied using highly accurate complex absorbing potential based equation-of-motion coupled cluster (CAP-EOMCC) method. The ICD decay process for the Ne(2s(-1)) state in neon-helium dimer is closed at its equilibrium bond distance. However, the decay channel is open at large bond distance of 6.2 angstrom. The decay channel for the double ionised Ne(2s(-1)2p(-1)) state is open at 3.46 angstrom. From our calculations, we have noticed that the decay rate of Ne(2s(-1)2p(-1)) state in neon-helium dimer is four times faster compared to the Ne(2s(-1)) state. We have also investigated how the decay rate of Ne(2s(-1)) state in neon-helium cluster varies in the presence of different helium environment. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {double ionised state, equation-of-motion coupled cluster (EOMCC), He droplet, interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD)}, issn = {0026-8976}, doi = {10.1080/00268976.2021.1884300, Early Access Date = FEB 2021}, author = {Ghosh, Aryya and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article {47625, title = {Intermolecular interception of alpha-oxo gold carbenes of nitroalkyne cycloisomerization with 1, 2-benzo[d]isoxazole: synthesis of functionalized quinazoline 1-oxides}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {10874-10882}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The known nitrogen-transfer reagent 1,2-benzo[d]isoxazole has been used to trap the postulated a-oxo gold carbene intermediate involved in the [Au]-catalyzed internal redox process of 2-alkynylnitrobenzenes. This process led us to develop a general convergent method for the synthesis of highly functionalized quinazoline 1-oxides.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c01221}, author = {Dhote, Pawan S. and Pund, Kishor A. and Ramana, V, Chepuri} } @article {46661, title = {Kinetics of 1-decene hydroformylation in an aqueous biphasic medium using a water-soluble Rh-sulfoxantphos catalyst in the presence of a cosolvent}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {53}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {333-344}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The kinetics of hydroformylation of 1-decene has been studied in an aqueous biphasic medium using a water-soluble Rh-sulfoxantphos catalyst in the presence of N-methyl pyrrolidone as a cosolvent at 383-403 K. The rate was found to be first order, with concentrations of catalyst and olefin and partial order, with concentrations of hydrogen in the liquid phase. The plot of rate versus excess ligand and CO concentrations passed through maxima, indicating negative order dependence at higher concentrations. These trends have been interpreted based on the established hydroformylation mechanism. High selectivity towards the linear aldehyde was maintained (n: iso ratio \> 30). An empirical rate equation has been proposed which was found to be in good agreement with the observed rate data within the experimental error. The activation energy was evaluated to be 74.76 kJ/mol.

}, keywords = {1\&\#8208, aqueous\&\#8208, biphasic, cosolvent, decene, Hydroformylation, kinetics, rh\&\#8208, sulfoxantphos}, issn = {0538-8066}, doi = {10.1002/kin.21446, Early Access Date = OCT 2020}, author = {Pagar, Nitin S. and Deshpande, Raj M.} } @article {47728, title = {Lamellar bimetallic thiolates: synthesis, characterization, and their utilization for the preparation of bimetallic chalcogenide nanocrystals through mechanochemical grinding}, journal = {Advanced Materials Interfaces}, volume = {8}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2100898}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {2196-7350}, doi = {10.1002/admi.202100898}, author = {Bera, Abhijit and Pathak, Sushil S. and Kotha, Vishal and Prasad, V, Bhagavatula L.} } @article {47775, title = {Laser cladding of PAC 718, tribaloy T-700 and METCO 41 C hard facing powders on AISI SS 304L substrate}, journal = { Materials Science}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present investigation aims to deposit the three different hard facing powder (Triboloy T-700 and PAC 718, and TETCO 41 C) on SS 304L using laser cladding technique. The single and overlapped clad track was deposited using 2 kW laser power system. The optimized laser process parameters and 50\% overlap clad track was used to deposit a large surface area. The optimum laser process parameters were finalised using single clad structure study. The cross-sections of the clad layers were used to obtain the microstructure and micro-hardness from different regions namely, clad layer, diffusion layer, and substrate. Throughout the study, the laser power was kept constant i.e. 1.2 kW. For single clad deposition, the scanning speed and powder feed rate varied from 0.3 to 0.5 m/min and 4 to 9 g/min, respectively. T-700 and PAC 718 shows uniform developing micro-structure while METCO 41 C shows the development of mixed dendritic and cellular type microstructure. The Triboloy shows the maximum surface hardness of 534 Hv, 321 Hv for PAC 718, and 294 Hv for METCO 41 C.}, doi = {10.5829/IJE.2021.34.02B.20}, author = {More, S. R. and Bhatt, D. V. and Menghani, J. and Paul, C. P. and Desale, G. R.} } @article {47130, title = {Laser patterning of boron carbon nitride electrodes for flexible micro-supercapacitor with remarkable electrochemical stability/capacity}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {171}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {750-757}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2020.09.053}, author = {Karbhal, Indrapal and Basu, Aniruddha and Patrike, Apurva and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {47343, title = {Limonoid biosynthesis 3: functional characterization of crucial genes involved in neem limonoid biosynthesis (vol 184, 112669, 2021)}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {187}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {112751}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112751}, author = {Pandreka, Avinash and Chaya, Patil S. and Kumar, Ashish and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Bhagyashree, Date D. and Shilpashree, H. B. and Jennifer, Cheruvathur and Ponnusamy, Sudha and Nagegowda, Dinesh and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {47033, title = {Limonoid biosynthesis 3: functional characterization of crucial genes involved in neem limonoid biosynthesis}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {184}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {112669}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Neem (Azadirachta indica L.) is well known for its medicinal, agricultural, and pesticidal applications since ages. The secondary metabolites, limonoids, confer these biological properties, wherein over 150 different limonoids have been reported from neem. To understand limonoid biosynthesis, we analyzed tissue-specific (kernel, pericarp, leaves, and flower) transcriptome that resulted in the identification of one farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AiFDS), one squalene synthase (AiSQS), three squalene epoxidases (AiSQE1, AiSQE2, and AiSQE3), two triterpene synthases (AiTTS1 and AiTTS2), cycloartenol synthase (AiCAS), two cytochrome P450 reductases, and ten cytochrome P450 systems. Comparative tissue-expression analysis indicated that AiFDS, AiSQS, AiSQE3, and AiTTS1 are expressed higher in the kernel than in the other tissues. Heterologously expressed recombinant AiTTS1 produced tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol as the sole product. Expression profile data, phylogeny with triterpene synthases from Meliaceae and Rutaceae families, real-time PCR of different tissues, and transient transformation revealed the involvement of tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol synthase (AiTTS1) in limonoid biosynthesis. Further, mutagenesis studies of AiTTS1 indicated that Y125 and F260 are probably involved in stabilization of dammarenyl cation. A 2.6-fold increase in production of tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol was observed when AiSQE1 was coexpressed with mutant AiTTS1 in a yeast system. Furthermore, we functionally characterized the highly expressed cytochrome P450 reductases and cycloartenol synthase. This study helps in further analysis and identification of genes involved in limonoid biosynthesis in Meliaceae/Rutaceae and their production in a metabolically tractable heterologous system.

}, keywords = {24-dien-3 beta-ol, Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Cytochrome P450 system, Limonoids, Meliaceae, Tirucalla-7, Transcriptome}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112669}, author = {Pandreka, Avinash and Chaya, Patil S. and Kumar, Ashish and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Bhagyashree, Date D. and Shilpashree, H. B. and Jennifer, Cheruvathur and Ponnusamy, Sudha and Nagegowda, Dinesh and Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu} } @article {47406, title = {Lithium silicate nanosheets with excellent capture capacity and kinetics with unprecedented stability for high-temperature CO2 capture}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {4825-4835}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An excessive amount of CO2 is the leading cause of climate change, and hence, its reduction in the Earth{\textquoteright}s atmosphere is critical to stop further degradation of the environment. Although a large body of work has been carried out for post-combustion low-temperature CO2 capture, there are very few high temperature pre-combustion CO2 capture processes. Lithium silicate (Li4SiO4), one of the best known high-temperature CO2 capture sorbents, has two main challenges, moderate capture kinetics and poor sorbent stability. In this work, we have designed and synthesized lithium silicate nanosheets (LSNs), which showed high CO2 capture capacity (35.3 wt\% CO2 capture using 60\% CO2 feed gas, close to the theoretical value) with ultra-fast kinetics and enhanced stability at 650 degrees C. Due to the nanosheet morphology of the LSNs, they provided a good external surface for CO2 adsorption at every Li-site, yielding excellent CO2 capture capacity. The nanosheet morphology of the LSNs allowed efficient CO2 diffusion to ensure reaction with the entire sheet as well as providing extremely fast CO2 capture kinetics (0.22 g g(-1) min(-1)). Conventional lithium silicates are known to rapidly lose their capture capacity and kinetics within the first few cycles due to thick carbonate shell formation and also due to the sintering of sorbent particles; however, the LSNs were stable for at least 200 cycles without any loss in their capture capacity or kinetics. The LSNs neither formed a carbonate shell nor underwent sintering, allowing efficient adsorption-desorption cycling. We also proposed a new mechanism, a mixed-phase model, to explain the unique CO2 capture behavior of the LSNs, using detailed (i) kinetics experiments for both adsorption and desorption steps, (ii) in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy measurements, (iii) depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the sorbent after CO2 capture and (iv) theoretical investigation through systematic electronic structure calculations within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) formalism.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d0sc06843h}, author = {Belgamwar, Rajesh and Maity, Ayan and Das, Tisita and Chakraborty, Sudip and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Polshettiwar, Vivek} } @article {47622, title = {Manipulating hydrophobicity of polyester nanofiber mats with egg albumin to enhance cell interactions}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {61}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2496-2510}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.25776}, author = {Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Pandey, Komal and Killi, Naresh and Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga} } @article {47430, title = {Mechanism of adhesion of natural polymer coatings to chemically modified siloxane polymer}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {37}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2974-2984}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Surface coatings play an important role in improving the performance of biomedical implants. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a commonly used material for biomedical implants, and surface-coated PDMS implants frequently face problems such as delamination or cracking of the coating. In this work, we have measured the performance of nano-coatings of the biocompatible protein polymer silk fibroin (SF) on pristine as well as modified PDMS surfaces. The PDMS surfaces have been modified using oxygen plasma treatment and 3-amino-propyltriethoxy-silane (APTES) treatment. Although these techniques of PDMS modification have been known, their effects on adhesion of SF nano-coatings have not been studied. Interestingly, testing of the coated samples using a bulk technique such as tensile and bending deformation showed that the SF nano-coating exhibits improved crack resistance when the PDMS surface has been modified using APTES treatment as compared to an oxygen plasma treatment. These results were validated at the microscopic and mesoscopic length scales through nano-scratch and nano-indentation measurements. Further, we developed a unique method using modified atomic force microscopy to measure the adhesive energy between treated PDMS surfaces and SF molecules. These measurements indicated that the adhesive strength of PDMS-APTES-SF is 10 times more compared to PDMS-O-2-SF due to the higher number of molecular linkages formed in this nanoscale contact. This lower number of molecular linkages in the PDMS-O-2 indicates that only fewer numbers of surface hydroxyl groups interact with the SF protein through secondary interactions such as hydrogen bonding. On the other hand, a larger number of amine groups present on PDMS-APTES surface hydrogen bond with the polar amino acids present on the silk fibroin protein chain, resulting in better adhesion. Thus, APTES modification to the PDMS substrate results in improved adhesion of nano-coating to the substrate and enhances the delamination and crack resistance of the nano-coatings.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00047}, author = {Joseph, Emmanuel and Rajput, Shatruhan Singh and Patil, Shivprasad and Nisal, Anuya} } @article {47354, title = {Molecular interplay at the membrane and impact on cellular physiology}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, volume = {254}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, pages = {239-242}, type = {Editorial Material}, issn = {0022-2631}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-021-00183-0, Early Access Date = MAY 2021}, author = {Pucadyil, Thomas and Kulkarni, Kiran and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {47717, title = {MoS2 and CdMoS4 nanostructure-based UV light photodetectors}, journal = {Nanoscale Advances}, volume = {3}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4799-4803}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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.}, issn = {2516-0230}, doi = {10.1039/d1na00326g}, author = {Pawar, Mahendra S. and Kadam, Sunil R. and Kale, Bharat B. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {47074, title = {Multiple-parallel-protease digestion coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry: an approach towards comprehensive peptide mapping of therapeutic mAbs}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {232}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {104053}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2020.104053}, author = {Pradhan, Gauri and Sneha, J. M. and Sonwane, Babasaheb P. and Santhakumari, B. and Rao, Alka and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {47615, title = {Multi-step synthesis of miltefosine: integration of flow chemistry with continuous mechanochemistry}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {27}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC }, pages = {17695-17699}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202103499}, author = {Patil, Niteen B. and Atapalkar, Ranjit S. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47054, title = {Mycology and mycotechnology on postal stamps}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {120}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {628-636}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mycology, the study of fungal biology, and philately, the study of postage stamps, are rarely connected, as they are very different activities. However, philatelic mycology can raise awareness of the facets of fungi which contribute significantly to human welfare. Fungi are photogenic and exhibit physiological wonders such as luminescence. They are important in biotechnology for their secondary metabolites. So, stamps depicting fungi signal the recognition of problems and prospects of prosperity posed by fungi in nutrition and health, agriculture, engineering, industry and ecology. Many countries have issued thousands of stamps on fungi. India with a rich heritage of fungal diversity lags in this respect. This article hopes to inspire action by celebrating the beauty and significance of fungi in the art of philately.

}, keywords = {mycology, mycophilately, Mycotechnology, photogenic appeal, postal stamps}, issn = {0011-3891}, doi = {10.18520/cs/v120/i4/628-636}, author = {Ghormade, Vandana and Pathan, Ejaj and Jyoti, Jeevan and Vartak, Ajit and Deshpande, Mukund} } @article {47104, title = {Myristic acid derived sophorolipid: efficient synthesis and enhanced antibacterial activity}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {6}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1273-1279}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Microbial glycolipids are one of the most interesting alternatives to chemical-based surfactants as they exhibit improved biodegradability and less toxicity. However, their potential has been limited because of specificity of the yeast toward fatty acids having a carbon 16 or carbon 18 chain. This study focuses on sophorolipid (SL) production by the yeast Starmerella bombicola using myristic acid, a medium-chain carbon-14 fatty acid that has not been used as a substrate for SL production. The production was optimized for inoculum size and lipophilic substrate concentration. Furthermore, we also studied the effect of medium-chain fatty acid on yeast cell growth and optimized the process for excellent yield. The myristic acid SL (MASL) so synthesized consisted of mono- and diacetylated forms with preferential glycosylation at the methyl end group, as determined by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Individual congeners of the crude mixture were separated using dry column chromatography and then structurally characterized by mass spectrometry. The synthesized MASL was also shown to have promising surface tension, lowering abilities with a low CMC of 14 mg/L. The SL derived from myristic acid exhibited superior antibacterial activity as compared to SL derived from oleic acid. MASL was also found to be more potent against Gram-positive organisms as compared to Gram-negative organisms. This work, therefore, demonstrates successful synthesis of myristic acid-derived SL and its superior antibacterial activity, establishing a promising future for this biosurfactant.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.0c04683}, author = {Abhyankar, Isha and Sevi, Ganesh and Prabhune, Asmita A. and Nisal, Anuya and Bayatigeri, Santhakumari} } @article {47446, title = {Nanoparticles of biotite mica as Krishna Vajra Abhraka Bhasma: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine }, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {269-282}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background

Bio-inorganic\ nanoparticles\ or\ metal nanoparticles\ are used in medicine for diagnostic and treatment purposes. The\ nanomedicines\ from traditional Ayurvedic system are termed as bhasma. Rasashastra, the branch of inorganic medicines of\ Ayurveda, has documented monographs of metal-mineral bhasmas as potent drugs. However there is lack of scientific analytical data of the end products.

Objectives

Present study was aimed at finding out the morphological, structural, elemental and chemical composition of the Krishna vajra abhraka bhasma (KVB).

Materials and methods

Bhasma of KVB (Biotite Mica) was prepared in our laboratory using biotite mica sheets befitting selection criteria and carrying out further processes with strict SOPs as per AFI.

Results

The bhasma complied with the confirmatory tests from Rasashastra. The physical and physicochemical tests correlate with the results obtained by instrumental analytical methods. SEM revealed square shaped nanoparticles of mean size of 92.3 nm. EDAX showed presence of Si, Mg, O, Fe, Ca, Na, C, K and Al. XRD revealed the crystalline nature of bhasma with mixture of various individual oxides and spinel shape of the crystal. DLS showed that the nanoparticles are unimodal in nature. FTIR and NMR showed the organic functional groups obtained from cow milk and selected herbs, indicating unique bio-inorganic nature of the KVB.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jaim.2020.09.004}, author = {Wele, Asmita and Sourav, De and Dalvi, Madhuri and Devi, Nandini and Pandit, Vijaya} } @article {47412, title = {Nickel-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization of azoles and indoles}, journal = {Chemical Record}, volume = {21}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3573-3588}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Direct C-H functionalization of privileged and biologically relevant azoles and indoles represents an important chemical transformation in molecular science. Despite significant progress in the palladium-catalyzed regioselective C-H functionalization of azoles and indoles, the use of abundant and less expensive nickel catalyst is underdeveloped. In the recent past, the nickel-catalyzed regioselective C-H alkylation, arylation, alkenylation and alkynylation of azoles and indoles have been substantially explored, which can be applied to the complex organic molecule synthesis. In this Account, we summarize the developments in nickel-catalyzed regioselective functionalization of azoles and indoles with a considerable focus on the reaction mechanism.

}, keywords = {azoles, C-C Bond formation, C-H functionalization, indoles, Nickel}, issn = {1527-8999}, doi = {10.1002/tcr.202100113, Early Access Date = JUN 2021}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47638, title = {Ni(II)-catalyzed intramolecular C-H/C-H oxidative coupling: an efficient route to functionalized cycloindolones and indenoindolones}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {12384-12393}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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{\textquoteright}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}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.1c03314}, author = {Ankade, Shidheshwar B. and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Soni, Vineeta and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47068, title = {Operando generated ordered heterogeneous catalyst for the selective conversion of CO2 to methanol}, journal = {ACS Energy Letters}, volume = {6}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {509-516}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The discovery of new materials for efficient transformation of carbon dioxide (CO2) into desired fuel can revolutionize large-scale renewable energy storage and mitigate environmental damage due to carbon emissions. In this work, we discovered an operando generated stable Ni-In kinetic phase that selectively converts CO2 to methanol (CTM) at low pressure compared to the state-of-the-art materials. The catalytic nature of a well-known methanation catalyst, nickel, has been tuned with the introduction of inactive indium, which enhances the CTM process. The remarkable change in the mechanistic pathways toward methanol production has been mapped by operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy analysis, corroborated by first-principles calculations. The ordered arrangement and pronounced electronegativity difference between metals are attributed to the complete shift in mechanism. The approach and findings of this work provide a unique advance toward the next-generation catalyst discovery for going beyond the state-of-the-art in CO2 reduction technologies.

}, issn = {2380-8195}, doi = {10.1021/acsenergylett.0c02614}, author = {Cherevotan, Arjun and Raj, Jithu and Dheer, Lakshay and Roy, Soumyabrata and Sarkar, Shreya and Das, Risov and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Xu, Shaojun and Wells, Peter and Waghmare, V, Umesh and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {47409, title = {Orc4 spatiotemporally stabilizes centromeric chromatin}, journal = {Genome Research}, volume = {31}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {607-621}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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.

}, issn = {1088-9051}, doi = {10.1101/gr.265900.120}, author = {Sreekumar, Lakshmi and Kumari, Kiran and Guin, Krishnendu and Bakshi, Asif and Varshney, Neha and Thimmappa, Bhagya C. and Narlikar, Leelavati and Padinhateeri, Ranjith and Siddharthan, Rahul and Sanyal, Kaustuv} } @article {47742, title = {Organic-inorganic perovskitoid with zwitterion cysteamine linker and its crystal-crystal transformation to ruddlesden-popper phase}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {18750-18760}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We demonstrate synthesis of a new low-D hybrid perovskitoid (a perovskite-like hybrid halide structure, yellow crystals, P21/n space group) using zwitterion cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) linker, and its remarkable molecular diffusion-controlled crystal-to-crystal transformation to Ruddlesden-Popper phase (Red crystals, Pnma space group). Our stable intermediate perovskitoid distinctly differs from all previous reports by way of a unique staggered arrangement of holes in the puckered 2D configuration with a face-sharing connection between the corrugated-1D double chains. The PL intensity for the yellow phase is 5 orders higher as compared to the red phase and the corresponding average lifetime is also fairly long (143 ns). First principles DFT calculations conform very well with the experimental band gap data. We demonstrate applicability of the new perovskitoid yellow phase as an excellent active layer in a self-powered photodetector and for selective detection of Ni2+ via On-Off-On photoluminescence (PL) based on its composite with few-layer black phosphorous.}, keywords = {Crystal growth, organic-inorganic hybrid composites, perovskite phases, photodetectors, zwitterions}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202105918}, author = {Kour, Prachi and Reddy, Mallu Chenna and Pal, Shiv and Sidhik, Siraj and Das, Tisita and Pandey, Padmini and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel and Chakraborty, Sudip and Mohite, Aditya D. and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {47749, title = {On the origin of controlled anisotropic growth of monodisperse gold nanobipyramids}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {15292-15300}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We elucidate the crucial role of the cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant in the anisotropic growth mechanism of gold nano-bipyramids, nano-objects with remarkable optical properties and high tunability. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations predict different surface coverages of the CTAB (positively charged) heads and their (bromide) counterions as function of the gold exposed surfaces. High concentration of CTAB surfactant promotes formation of gold nanograins in solution that work as precursors for the smooth anisotropic growth of more elongated nano-bipyramidal objects. Nanobipyramids feature higher index facets with respect to nanorods, allowing higher CTAB coverages that stabilize their formation and leading to narrower inter-micelles channels that smooth down their anisotropic growth. Absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of nanograins and demonstrated the importance of surfactant concentration on driving the growth towards nano-bipyramids rather than nanorods. The outcome explains the formation of the monodisperse bipyramidal nano-objects, the origin of their controlled shapes and sizes along with their remarkable stability.}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d1nr01768c}, author = {Meena, Santosh Kumar and Lerouge, Frederic and Baldeck, Patrice and Andraud, Chantal and Garavelli, Marco and Parola, Stephane and Sulpizi, Marialore and Rivalta, Ivan} } @article {47461, title = {Oxidative stress induced by piperine leads to apoptosis in Candida albicans}, journal = {Medical Mycology}, volume = {59}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {366-378}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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{\textquoteright}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}, issn = {1369-3786}, doi = {10.1093/mmy/myaa058}, author = {Thakre, Archana and Jadhav, Vyankatesh and Kazi, Rubina and Shelar, Amruta and Patil, Rajendra and Kharat, Kiran and Zore, Gajanan and Karuppayil, S. Mohan} } @article {47428, title = {Partially bio-based triarylamine-containing polyimides: synthesis, characterization and evaluation in non-volatile memory device applications}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {147}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {110327}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new triarylamine-containing diamine, viz. 4, 4{\textquoteright}-diamino-4 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} pentadecyltriphenylamine was synthesised starting from cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) - a non-edible by-product of cashew processing industry. Three new partially bio-based triarylamine-containing polyimides were synthesised by one-step high temperature solution poly-condensation of 4, 4{\textquoteright}-diamino-4 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} pentadecyltriphenylamine with aromatic dianhydrides, namely, 3,3{\textquoteright},4,4{\textquoteright}-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexa-fluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6-FDA). Polyimides were determined to be of reasonably high molecular weights as inherent viscosity and number average molecular weights (M-n, Polystyrene standard) values were in the range 0.54-0.60 dL g(-1) and 26,800-43,500 g mol(-1), respectively. Polyimides exhibited excellent solubility in common organic solvents and film-forming nature along with reasonably good thermal properties as indicated by temperature for 10\% weight loss (T-10) and glass transition temperatures (T-g) which were in the range 418-447 and 165-225 degrees C, respectively. The optical and electrochemical band-gap values were in the range of 1.95-1.98 eV and 1.671-1.745 eV, respectively. Among triarylamine-containing polyimide devices, BPDA-based device showed acceptable current-voltage and non-volatile memory properties such as the endurance of 500 cycles and 1000 s of retention time. The conduction mechanism developed in the memory devices was also explored and was found to follow Ohmic and Schottky conduction mechanisms.

}, keywords = {Bio-based polyimides, CNSL, Memory device, pentadecyl, Triarylamine}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2021.110327}, author = {Chatterjee, Deepshikha and Jadhav, Uday A. and Javaregowda, Bharathkumar H. and Dongale, Tukaram D. and Patil, Pramod S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {47607, title = {Pd(II)-catalyzed chemoselective acetoxylation of C(sp(2))-H and C(sp(3))-H bonds in tertiary amides}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {8172-8181}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Palladium-catalyzed chemoselective C(sp(2))-H and C(sp(3))-H acetoxylation of synthetically useful tertiary amides is reported under relatively mild reaction conditions. This protocol proceeds through the assistance of a weakly coordinated directing group (C = O) and requires low catalyst (1.0 mol \%) loading. Diverse functionalities, such as C(sp(2))-Cl, C(sp(3))-Cl, -CF3, -COOEt, and -NO2 groups, including morpholinyl, piperazinyl, and pyrrolidinyl heterocycles, are compatible under the reaction conditions. Further functionalization of this protocol is demonstrated by hydrolysis to alcohols, alcohol-acids, as well as reduction to tertiary amines. A preliminary kinetic isotope effect study supported the rate-limiting C-H bond activation process.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c00629}, author = {Vijaykumar, Muniyappa and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47583, title = {PEGylated ethyl cellulose micelles as a nanocarrier for drug delivery}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV }, pages = {30532-30543}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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.}, doi = {10.1039/d1ra04242d}, author = {Singam, Amarnath and Killi, Naresh and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Gundloori, Rathna V. N.} } @article {47778, title = {Performance of Aspergillus niger (NCIM 563) phytase based feed supplement for broiler growth and phosphorus excretion}, journal = {Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology}, volume = {31}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {101887}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Despite availability of commercial enzymes, the phytase produced from relatively inexpensive systems with high yields are gaining global attention in the feed industries in post-antibiotic era. We studied A. niger NCIM 563 Phytase produced in solid state fermentation (SSF) derived Koji powder and evaluated its utility in the poultry feed for broiler growth performance and phosphorous (P) excretion. The ability of phytase in the dried powder was estimated to dephytinize the poultry feed under simulated gastric conditions. Poultry feed was formulated using A. niger NCIM 563 phytase followed by a 42 days feed trial on broilers. After supplementation of phytase to the diet, there was a reduction of dietary P, maintained growth performance, skeletal development of broilers and reduced levels of phytic acid and available P in the litter. Extracellular phytase was able to replace up to 0.1\% P in poultry feed. Minimal downstream processing a low-cost feed supplement with significant phytase activity could provide added advantage for anti-nutrition free poultry feed.}, keywords = {Phosphorus, Phytase, Poultry feed, Solid state fermentation}, isbn = {1878-8181}, doi = {10.1016/j.bcab.2020.101887}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878818120319186}, author = {Puppala, Kumar Raja and Buddhiwant, Priyanka G. and Agawane, Sachin B. and Kadam, Avinash S. and Mote, Chandrashekhar S. and Lonkar, Vijaysinh D. and Khire, Jayant M. and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article {47329, title = {Pharmacore maping based on docking, ADME/toxicity, virtual screening on 3,5-dimethyl-1,3,4-hexanetriol and dodecanoic acid derivates for anticancer inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {39}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {4490-4500}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {ADME, Decalepis hamiltonii, docking, drug discovery, Toxicity, virtual screening}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2020.1778533}, author = {Prakash, Palanisamy and Vijayasarathi, Durairaj and Selvam, Kuppusamy and Karthi, Sengodan and Manivasagaperumal, Rengarajan} } @article {47344, title = {pH-dependent protein stability switch coupled to the perturbed pKa of a single ionizable residue}, journal = {Biophysical Chemistry}, volume = {274}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {106591}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The contribution of electrostatic interactions in protein stability has not been fully understood. Burial of an ionizable amino acid inside the hydrophobic protein core can affect its ionization equilibrium and shift its pKa differentially in the native (N) and unfolded (U) states of a protein and this coupling between the folding/ unfolding cycle and the ionization equilibria of the ionizable residue can substantially influence the protein stability. Here, we studied the coupling of the folding/unfolding cycle with the ionization of a buried ionizable residue in a multi-domain protein, Human Serum Albumin (HSA) using fluorescence spectroscopy. A pHdependent change in the stability of HSA was observed in the near native pH range (pH 6.0-9.0). The protonation-deprotonation equilibrium of a single thiol residue that is buried in the protein structure was identified to give rise to the pH-dependent protein stability. We quantified the pKa of the thiol residue in the N and the U states. The mean pKa of the thiol in the N state was upshifted by 0.5 units to 8.7 due to the burial of the thiol in the protein structure. Surprisingly, the mean pKa of the thiol in the U state was observed to be downshifted by 1.3 units to 6.9. These results indicate that some charged residues are spatially proximal to the thiol group in the U state. Our results suggest that, in addition to the N state, electrostatic interactions in the U state are important determinants of protein stability.

}, keywords = {electrostatic interactions, Fluorescence spectroscopy, Thermodynamic stability, Unfolded proteins}, issn = {0301-4622}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpc.2021.106591}, author = {Mishra, Prajna and Patni, Divya and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {47061, title = {Photoactivatable prodrug for simultaneous release of mertansine and CO along with a BODIPY derivative as a luminescent marker in mitochondria: a proof of concept for NIR image-guided cancer therapy}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2667-2673}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Controlled and efficient activation is the crucial aspect of designing an effective prodrug. Herein we demonstrate a proof of concept for a light activatable prodrug with desired organelle specificity. Mertansine, a benzoansamacrolide, is an efficient microtubule-targeting compound that binds at or near the vinblastine-binding site in the mitochondrial region to induce mitotic arrest and cell death through apoptosis. Despite its efficacy even in the nanomolar level, this has failed in stage 2 of human clinical trials owing to the lack of drug specificity and the deleterious systemic toxicity. To get around this problem, a recent trend is to develop an antibody-conjugatable maytansinoid with improved tumor/organelle-specificity and lesser systematic toxicity. Endogenous CO is recognized as a regulator of cellular function and for its obligatory role in cell apoptosis. CO blocks the proliferation of cancer cells and effector T cells, and the primary target is reported to be the mitochondria. We report herein a new mitochondria-specific prodrug conjugate (Pro-DC) that undergoes a photocleavage reaction on irradiation with a 400 nm source (1.0 mW cm(-2)) to induce a simultaneous release of the therapeutic components mertansine and CO along with a BODIPY derivative (BODIPY(PPH3)(2)) as a luminescent marker in the mitochondrial matrix. The efficacy of the process is demonstrated using MCF-7 cells and could effectively be visualized by probing the intracellular luminescence of BODIPY(PPH3)(2). This provides a proof-of-concept for designing a prodrug for image-guided combination therapy for mainstream treatment of cancer.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d0sc06270g}, author = {Tiwari, Rajeshwari and Shinde, Prashant S. and Sreedharan, Sreejesh and Dey, Anik Kumar and Vallis, Katherine A. and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Pramanik, Sumit kumar and Das, Amitava} } @article {47682, title = {Prominence of Cu in a plasmonic Cu-Ag alloy decorated SiO2@S-doped C3N4 core-shell nanostructured photocatalyst towards enhanced visible light activity}, journal = {Nanoscale Advances}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {150-162}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of Cu-Ag bimetal alloys decorated on SiO2 and the fabrication of few-layer S-doped graphitic carbon nitride (SC) warped over it to form a core-shell nanostructured morphology have been demonstrated and well characterized through various physiochemical techniques. HRTEM data confirmed the formation of a compact nanojunction between the SiO2 and SC, where Cu-Ag is embedded uniformly with an average particle size of 1.3 nm. The Ag : Cu (1 : 3) between SiO2 and SC produces 1730 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) of H-2 under visible light illumination. Moreover, 6.2-fold current enhancement in the case of Ag : Cu (1 : 3) as compared to the Ag-loaded core-shell nanostructured photocatalyst indicates higher electron-hole-pair separation. The excellent activity was due to the synergistic alloying and plasmonic effect of Ag and Cu. DFT studies reveal that the Cu atom in the Cu-Ag bimetal alloy plays a pivotal role in the generation of H-2, and the reaction proceeds via a 4-membered transition state. The mechanistic insight proceeds from the generation of hot electrons due to the LSPR effect and their transfer to the SC layer via a compact nanojunction.}, issn = {2516-0230}, doi = {10.1039/d1na00633a}, author = {Babu, Pradeepta and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Behera, Arjun and Vijayaraghavan, T. and Ashok, Anuradha and Parida, Kulamani} } @article {47663, title = {Protonation-deprotonation switch controls the amyloid-like misfolding of nucleic-acid-binding domains of TDP-43}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {125}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {8383-8394}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Nutrient starvation stress acidifies the cytosol and leads to the formation of large protein assemblies and misfolded aggregates. However, how starvation stress is sensed at the molecular level and leads to protein misfolding is poorly understood. TDP-43 is a vital protein, which, under stress-like conditions, associates with stress granule proteins via its functional nucleic-acid-binding domains (TDP-43(t)(RRM)) and misfolds to form aberrant aggregates. Here, we show that the monomeric N form of TDP-43(t)(RRM) forms a misfolded amyloid-like protein assembly, beta form, in a pH-dependent manner and identified the critical protein side-chain residue whose protonation triggers its misfolding. We systematically mutated the three buried ionizable residues, D105, H166, and H256, to neutral amino acids to block the pH-dependent protonation-deprotonation titration of their side chain and studied their effect on the N-to-beta transition. We observed that D105A and H2S6Q resembled TDP-43(t)(RRM) in their pH-dependent misfolding behavior. However, H166Q retains the N-like secondary structure under low-pH conditions and does not show pH-dependent misfolding to the beta form. These results indicate that H166 is the critical side-chain residue whose protonation triggers the misfolding of TDP-43(t)(RRM) and shed light on how stress-induced misfolding of proteins during neurodegeneration could begin from site-specific triggers.}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c03262}, author = {Patni, Divya and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {47050, title = {Protriptyline improves spatial memory and reduces oxidative damage by regulating NF kappa B-BDNF/CREB signaling axis in streptozotocin-induced rat model of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, journal = {Brain Research}, volume = {1754}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {147261}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Antidepressants are well known to exert their role via upregulation of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF has been reported to exerts its neuroprotective effect in rodent and primate models as well as in patients of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD). The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of protriptyline (PRT), a tricyclic antidepressant, in streptozotocin (STZ)- induced rat model of AD. Total 10 mu l of STZ was injected into each ventricle (1 mg/kg). PRT (10 mg/kg, i.p.) treatment was started 3-day post STZ administration and continued till 21 days. We found that STZ treatment significantly increased pTau, A beta 42 and BACE-1 expression, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in hippocampus and cortex of adult rats. STZ induced impairment in spatial learning and retention memory was associated with increased WO and reduced CREB and BDNF expression in cortex and hippocampus. Interestingly, PRT treatment significantly reduced pTau, A beta 42 and BACE-1 levels, neurodegeneration, oxidative stress and glial activation, contributing to the improved spatial learning and retention memory in STZ treated rats. Moreover, PRT treatment significantly improved p-ERK/ERK ratio and enhanced BDNF and CREB levels by reducing NFXB and GFAP expression in STZ treated rats. Our data suggest that impaired NFXB and CREB signaling potentially contribute in AD pathogenesis by elevating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation mediated neurodegeneration. Our study has established protriptyline as a multi target molecule in pre-clinical model of AD and further investigations on PRT like molecules could pave way for further development of effective new treatments in neurodegenerative disorders.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, antidepressant, BDNF, Memory, Oxidative stress, Protriptyline}, issn = {0006-8993}, doi = {10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147261}, author = {Tiwari, Virendra and Mishra, Akanksha and Singh, Sonu and Mishra, Sandeep Kumar and Sahu, Kiran Kumari and Parul and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Shukla, Rakesh and Shukla, Shubha} } @article {47655, title = {Pyridylpyrrolido ligand in Ge(II) and Sn(II) chemistry: synthesis, reactivity and catalytic application}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {50}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16678-16684}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In our previous communication, we have reported the synthesis of a new chlorogermylene (B) featuring a pyridylpyrrolido ligand. This study details the preparation of a series of new germylenes and stannylenes starting from B. A transmetallation reaction between B and SnCl2 led to the analogous chlorostannylene (1) with the simultaneous elimination of GeCl2. This is a very unusual example of transmetallation between two elements of the same group. The preparation of 1via lithiation led to the formation of 2 as a side product, where the ortho C-H bond of the pyridine ring was activated and functionalized with a Bu-n moiety. Subsequently, B and 1 were used as precursors to generate germylene (4) and stannylene (5) featuring tris(trimethylsilyl)silyl (hypersilyl) moieties. We also prepared tetrafluoropyridyl germylene (6) by reacting 4 with C5F5N with the simultaneous elimination of (Me3Si)(3)SiF by utilizing the fluoride affinity of the silicon atom. As there is scarcity of Sn(II) compounds as single-site catalysts, we investigated 5 as a catalyst towards the hydroboration of aldehydes, ketones, alkenes and alkynes. All the compounds have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and by state of the art spectroscopic studies.}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d1dt03136h}, author = {Pahar, Sanjukta and Sharma, Vishal and Tothadi, Srinu and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {47348, title = {Quantitative understanding of nucleation and growth kinetics of silver nanowires}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {414}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, pages = {128711}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2021.128711}, author = {Patil, Suneha and Kate, Prachi R. and Deshpande, Jaydeep B. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47426, title = {Raman spectroscopy-based sensitive, fast and reversible vapour phase detection of explosives adsorbed on metal-organic frameworks UiO-67}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {7145-7153}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we report highly sensitive, selective, rapid, and reversible detection of explosive molecules in the vapour phase, adsorbed on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under ambient laboratory conditions. The sensing is based on the quenching of the Raman intensity of a zirconium-based MOF, Zr6O4(OH)(4)(dcppy)(6) (MOF 1, UiO-67-dcppy; dcppy is 2-phenylpyridine-5,4{\textquoteright}-dicarboxylate), where 50\% of the signal quenches swiftly within similar to 5 s of its exposure to trinitrophenol (TNP) vapours, while 90\% of the Raman signal was quenched in 30 s. The high surface area of porous MOFs provides increased adsorption of various nitro analytes. The quenching of Raman peaks resulted from the pi-pi interactions of the analytes with the benzene ring of the MOF. The sensors have also been proven to be reversible and stable by mild heat treatment (80 degrees C for 5 min). These notable results using Raman spectroscopy point to a new and important approach towards explosive sensing using metal-organic frameworks considering their vast versatility. This work emphasizes the importance of a non-invasive and non-destructive technique that can be used to develop handheld vapour phase explosive detectors.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj04915h, Early Access Date = MAR 2021}, author = {Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Malik, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {47346, title = {Rapid and accurate nucleobase detection using FnCas9 and its application in COVID-19 diagnosis}, journal = {Biosensors \& Bioelectronics}, volume = {183}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL }, pages = {113207}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rapid detection of DNA/RNA pathogenic sequences or variants through point-of-care diagnostics is valuable for accelerated clinical prognosis, as witnessed during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Traditional methods relying on qPCR or sequencing are tough to implement with limited resources, necessitating the development of accurate and robust alternative strategies. Here, we report FnCas9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) that utilizes a direct Cas9 based enzymatic readout for detecting nucleobase and nucleotide sequences without transcleavage of reporter molecules. We also demonstrate that FELUDA is 100\% accurate in detecting single nucleotide variants (SNVs), including heterozygous carriers, and present a simple web-tool JATAYU to aid end-users. FELUDA is semi-quantitative, can adapt to multiple signal detection platforms, and deploy for versatile applications such as molecular diagnosis during infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19. Employing a lateral flow readout, FELUDA shows 100\% sensitivity and 97\% specificity across all ranges of viral loads in clinical samples within 1hr. In combination with RT-RPA and a smartphone application True Outcome Predicted via Strip Evaluation (TOPSE), we present a prototype for FELUDA for CoV-2 detection closer to home.

}, keywords = {CRISPRDx, FELUDA, FnCas9, LFA, SARS-CoV2, SNV detection}, issn = {0956-5663}, doi = {10.1016/j.bios.2021.113207}, author = {Azhar, Mohd and Phutela, Rhythm and Kumar, Manoj and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Rauthan, Riya and Gulati, Sneha and Sharma, Namrata and Sinha, Dipanjali and Sharma, Saumya and Singh, Sunaina and Acharya, Sundaram and Sarkar, Sajal and Paul, Deepanjan and Kathpalia, Poorti and Aich, Meghali and Sehgal, Paras and Ranjan, Gyan and Bhoyar, Rahul C. and Singhal, Khushboo and Lad, Harsha and Patra, Pradeep Kumar and Makharia, Govind and Chandak, Giriraj Ratan and Pesala, Bala and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Maiti, Souvik and Indian CoV2 Genomics Genetic Epide} } @article {47464, title = {Reactions of 2,3-dibromonaphthalene-1,4-dione and pyridyl amines: X-ray structures, DFT investigations, and selective detection of the Hg2+ and Ni2+ ions}, journal = {Engineered Science}, volume = {14}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {78-93}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, the products formed by the reaction between 2,3-dibromonaphthalene-1,4-dione with (pyridine-2-yl)methanamine and (pyridine-4-yl)methanamine are discussed in detial. The products 2-amino-3-bromonaphthalene-1,4-dione (A) and 2-aminonaphthalene-1,4-dione (B(1)) obtained are characterized through\ 1H and\ 13C-NMR, FTIR, mass spectrometry, single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments, which are in conjunction with wB97X based density functional theory.\ compound\ A\ can effectively and selectively detect Hg2+\ and Ni2+\ ions, and proposes a potential mechanism of action.

}, issn = {2576-9898}, doi = {10.30919/es8d427}, author = {Aggrwal, Gunjan and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita and Gejji, Shridhar P. and Nikalje, Milind and Chakravarty, Debamitra and Verma, Prakash L. and Gosavi-Mirkute, Prajkta and Harihar, Shital and Jadhav , Mahesh and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article {48256, title = {Reactivity, bonding and structural elucidation of pendant methyl-pyridinato beta-diketiminate ligand moiety}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {77}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {C938}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {Flexibility of beta-diketiminate ligand, six-membered dialane heterocycle: an analogue of cyclohexane, structural diversity, Transmetallation among two p-block elements}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Pahar, S. and Sen, S. S.} } @article {47618, title = {Reactivity of (TMS)(2)N(eta(1)-Cp*)Si=Si(eta(1)-Cp*)N(TMS)(2) toward the Halides of Groups 13-15}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {40}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1874-1883}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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.}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.1c00203}, author = {Sen, Nilanjana and Parvin, Nasrina and Tothadi, Srinu and Khan, Shabana} } @article {47498, title = {Red fluorescent ultra-small gold nanoclusters functionalized with signal molecules to probe specificity in quorum sensing receptors in gram-negative bacteria}, journal = {Archives of Microbiology}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {Ultra-small (size < 2 nm) gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are used as fluorescent probes which have excellent applications in bioimaging and sensing due to their emission in visible and NIR spectral region. Here, this property is exploited for understanding the quorum sensing phenomenon in bacteria which is regulated by signal molecules which are specific to various species. AuNCs are then functionalized with the signal molecules, Acyl Homoserine Lactones (AHL) of varying carbon chain length, C-6, C-8, and C-12 without 3rd C modification, to sense different strains of gram-negative bacteria i.e., Escherichia coli, Cronobacter sakazakii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the concentration employed, selectivity to a limited extent is observed between the three Gram-negative bacteria tested. E. coli showed emission with all the AHL conjugates and P. aeruginosa did not interact with any of the three conjugates, whereas C. sakazakii showed specificity to C-8AHL. This is probably due to selectivity for cognate AHL molecules of appropriate concentrations.}, keywords = {acyl homoserine lactone, fluorescence imaging, Gold nanoclusters, quorum sensing, Receptors, selectivity}, issn = {0302-8933}, doi = {10.1007/s00203-021-02338-y, Early Access Date = JUN 2021}, author = {Chahande, Anurag M. and Lathigara, Disha and Prabhune, Asmita A. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article {47361, title = {Refining plant oils and sugars to platform chemicals, monomers, and polymers}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {23}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4255-4295}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

As fossil resources continue to dwindle and environmental concerns are magnified, finding sustainable alternatives is the only way to mitigate resource availability and derisk the planet. The principles of Green Chemistry may provide guidance in this case, and renewable resources can be converted into useful platform chemicals, monomers, and polymers. This critical review examines the possibility of utilizing renewable plant oils and sugars to produce feedstock chemicals, monomers, and polymers. Among the seven isomerizing functionalization reactions of plant oils, isomerizing alkoxycarbonylation displays the highest terminal selectivity. Despite the low reactivity of sugar-derived isohexides, new strategies have been deployed to convert isohexides into difunctional monomers and polymers. The commercialization of isohexides and a few polymers derived from these building blocks has just commenced. Thus, challenges associated with isomerizing functionalization of plant oils and the use of sugar-derived isohexides in chemical syntheses have been summarized, and the potential of these renewable resources has been evaluated.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/d1gc00955a, Early Access Date = MAY 2021}, author = {Pandey, Swechchha and Rajput, Bhausaheb S. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {47752, title = {Resistive switching in HfO2-x/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructures: an intriguing case of low H-field susceptibility of an E-field controlled active interface}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV }, pages = {54133-54142}, type = {Article}, abstract = {High-performance nonvolatile resistive random access memories (ReRAMs) and their small stimuli control are of immense interest for high-speed computation and big-data processing in the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) arena. Here, we examine the resistive switching (RS) behavior in growth-controlled HfO2/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) heterostructures and their tunability in a low magnetic field. It is demonstrated that oxygen-deficient HfO2 films show bipolar switching with a high on/off ratio, stable retention, as well as good endurance owing to the orthorhombic-rich phase constitution and charge (de)trapping-enabled Schottky-type conduction. Most importantly, we have demonstrated that RS can be tuned by a very low externally applied magnetic field (similar to 0-30 mT). Remarkably, application of a magnetic field of 30 mT causes RS to be fully quenched and frozen in the high resistive state (HRS) even after the removal of the magnetic field. However, the quenched state could be resurrected by applying a higher bias voltage than the one for initial switching. This is argued to be a consequence of the electronically and ionically {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}active{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} nature of the HfO2-x/LSMO interface on both sides and its susceptibility to the electric and low magnetic field effects. This result could pave the way for new designs of interface-engineered high-performance oxitronic ReRAM devices.}, keywords = {charge trapping-detrapping, low external magnetic field, oxide-oxide interface, pulsed laser deposition, resistive switching, Schottky barrier}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.1c15082}, author = {Antad, Vivek and Shaikh, Parvez A. and Biswas, Abhijit and Rajput, Shatruhan Singh and Deo, Shrinivas and Shelke, V, Manjusha and Patil, Shivprasad and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {47358, title = {Resonance study: effect of partial triples excitation using complex absorbing potential-based Fock-space multi-reference coupled cluster}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {121}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {e26738}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Resonances are metastable states with finite lifetime. They play important role in physics, chemistry and biology. The theoretical calculation of resonance state is a challenging problem. In this paper we have studied the shape resonance of Be, Mg, N-2 and CO. We have used correlated independent particle approximation to the Fock space multi-reference coupled cluster singles-doubles with third-order triples (CAP-CIP-FSMRCCSD(T)) method augmented by complex absorption potential. The resonance energy and decay widths are obtained by solving a non-Hermitian eigen-value problem within FSMRCC framework. The effects of the lowest order triples on the resonance energy and decay are studied.

}, keywords = {complex absorbing potential, electron affinity, Fock\&\#8208, negative ion resonance, partial triples, space MRCC}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.26738, Early Access Date = MAY 2021}, author = {Jana, Irina and Basumallick, Suhita and Pal, Sourav and Vaval, Nayana} } @article {47782, title = {Resveratrol loaded cubic phase nanoparticles with enhanced oral bioavailability}, journal = {BioNanoScience}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1108 - 1118}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Resveratrol (RES), a naturally occurring hydrophobic polyphenolic compound, has shown potential anticancer activity. However, due to low aqueous solubility and extensive first pass metabolism (primarily by cytochrome enzymes), it shows poor oral bioavailability. In the present work, novel RES loaded cubosomes of glycerol monooleate (GMO) and Gelucire 44/14 (GL44) (RES-Cubs) were prepared. RES-Cubs were prepared by emulsion evaporation technique and optimized using 32 factorial design. The optimized RES-Cubs were assessed for particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, FTIR, TEM, SAXS, in vitro resveratrol release and oral bioavailability. RES-Cubs showed an average particle size of 121.7 {\textpm} 2.54~nm with adequate entrapment efficiency of about 82.0 {\textpm} 2.35\% w/w. The analysis of SAXS profile of RES-Cubs revealed Pn3m crystallographic space group containing diamond cubic phase. In vitro RES release profile of RES-Cubs exhibited markedly sustained release of resveratrol. Furthermore, RES-Cubs demonstrated considerable enhancement in oral bioavailability (ninefold) of resveratrol as compared to RES alone. The developed RES loaded cubosomes bearing cytochrome enzyme inhibitor property can act as promising nanocarrier in the delivery of lipophilic drugs with a drawback of in vivo degradation by cytochrome enzymes.}, isbn = {2191-1649}, doi = {10.1007/s12668-021-00892-9}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-021-00892-9}, author = {Rawat, Neeraj Kumar and Torris, Arun and Bhat, Suresh and Mahadik, Kakasaheb and Patil, Sharvil} } @article {47788, title = {Review on bio-inspired synthesis of silver nanoparticles: their antimicrobial efficacy and toxicity}, journal = {Engineered Science}, volume = {16}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, pages = {90-128}, type = {Review Paper}, abstract = {Silver nanoparticles are one of the most studied compounds in materials science due to their antimicrobial efficacies and, for instance, in photocatalysis, dye-sensitised solar cells, and biomedical devices. However, conventional methods of synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) require hazardous and costly chemicals, and a large amount of energy is expended. In this review, efforts have been made to target where eco-friendly synthetic techniques are being conducted using various plant extract to develop nanoparticles in inexpensive, easily scaled up, and environmentally benign. These findings are stimulated intense research activities that focused on synthesis, modification, properties, and applications of these ecofriendly nanoparticles. This review covers all these aspects, such as the biological routes for the synthesis of nanoparticles employed to synthesis the nano-silver using algae, bacteria, plants, fungi, etc. Also, the chemical positions and possible traditional uses of the plants are enlisted.\ }, issn = {2576-9898}, doi = {10.30919/es8d479}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.30919/es8d479}, author = {Prasad, S.R. and Teli, S.B. and Ghosh, J. and Prasad, N.R. and Shaikh, V. S. and Nazeruddin, G.M. and Al-Sehemi, Abdullah G. Al and Patel, Imran and Shaikh, Y.I.} } @article {47063, title = {Rhizobacterial consortium mediated aroma and yield enhancement in basmati and non-basmati rice ( Oryza sativa L.)}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {328}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {47-58}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Basmati and non-basmati rice varieties are commercially important. Aromatic rice varieties are low yielding and recently depletion in aroma is observed due to the shift towards modern agriculture. Therefore, it is necessary to restore the aroma and increase the yield through sustainable agriculture. The use of microbial bioinoculants is one of the promising ways to achieve these targets. With these objectives, rhizospheric bacterial strains Enterobacter hormaechei (AM122) and Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus (DB25) having the property of synthesizing 2acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) were isolated from the rhizosphere of two aromatic rice varieties, Ambemohar-157 and Dehradun Basmati respectively and their effect on plant growth, aroma and yield enhancement under mono-inoculation and consortium conditions was analyzed. The bacterial inoculum in consortium resulted in significant improvement in vegetative growth, yield and 2AP content over mono inoculation and control. The study highlights the potential of E. hormaechei and L. xylanilyticus in plant growth, yield and aroma enhancement in basmati and non-basmati rice varieties. These strains can be taken up further for developing a commercial bioformulation.

}, keywords = {2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline, Basmati rice, Non-basmati rice, plant growth promotion, Rhizosphere, yield}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.01.012}, author = {Dhondge, Harshal V. and Pable, Anupama A. and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Dastager, Syed G. and Nadaf, Altafhusain B.} } @article {47395, title = {Role of charge compensation mechanism and defect dipoles on properties of Mn doped BCT ceramics}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {47}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {11491-11505}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Single-phase Mn doped Barium Calcium Titanate (BCT) (Ba0.80Ca0.20Ti1-xMnxO3; x = 0.000, 0.005, 0.010, 0.015 and 0.020) lead free ceramics have been prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method. XRD studies and Rietveld refinement confirmed the existence of tetragonal phase (P4mm) for all prepared ceramic compositions. The average grain size increased up to x = 0.005 and thereafter it decreased with increase in Mn content in BCT compositions. Analysis of temperature-dependent dielectric study revealed phase transformation from tetragonal to cubic phase and defect dipole induced anomaly in paraelectric region of temperature-dependent dielectric constant ( epsilon{\textquoteright}-T) curve. Degree of diffusiveness increased with Mn doping in BCT ceramics as confirmed by evaluating diffused phase transition (DPT) parameters (gamma and delta(c)) by Power Law fitting and width of diffused phase transition (D{\textquoteright}) obtained from derivative of epsilon{\textquoteright}-T curve. Ferroelectric (P-E loops) study revealed that ceramic composition with x = 0.015 Mn content showed the highest remnant polarization (P-r) and maximum polarization (P-max) of 14.10 mu C/cm(2) and 24.20 mu C/cm(2) respectively. Enhancement in energy storage properties with applied electric fields have been observed at room temperature. Maximum energy storage density W-rec similar to 190.89 mJ/cm(3) with an efficiency of 48.63\% has been obtained for x = 0.015. A large piezoelectric charge coefficient (d(33)) of 460 pC/N has been obtained for x = 0.020. The room temperature magnetic measurements shows feeble ferromagnetism for Mn doped samples. These studies suggest the application of these ceramics for multilayer ceramic capacitors, energy storage, and high power applications..

}, keywords = {Defect dipoles, Dielectric anomaly, Energy storage, Ferroelectric materials, ferromagnetic materials, Lead-free ceramics, Mn doped BCT, piezoelectric, Williamson-Hall (W-H)}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.12.277}, author = {Redhu, Preeti and Sharma, Preeti and Hooda, Ashima and Singh, Anupinder and Sharma, Geeta and Punia, Rajesh} } @article {47098, title = {Role of cholesterol in transmembrane dimerization of the ErbB2 growth factor receptor}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article; Early Access 2021}, abstract = {

The association of ErbB2 growth factor receptors is critical for cell growth and potentiates tumor proliferation in several cancer types. An important aspect in ErbB2 association is the role of lipids such as cholesterol, especially since their metabolism is often reprogrammed in cancer cells. Here, we have coupled metadynamics with coarse-grain simulations to identify cholesterol effects in the transmembrane dimerization of ErbB2 receptors. Overall, cholesterol interactions are observed with the receptor that directly tunes the association energetics. Several dimer conformations are identified both in the presence and absence of cholesterol, although the dimer regime appears to be more favorable in the presence of cholesterol. We observe an overall modulation of the underlying energy profile and the symmetric active and inactive conformational states are not distinguished in the presence of cholesterol. We show that cholesterol binds to the receptor transmembrane domain at a site (CRAC motif) that overlaps with the dimer interface (SmXXXSm motif). The competition between the transmembrane interactions and cholesterol interactions decides the final conformational landscape. Our work is an important step toward characterizing cholesterol effects in ErbB2 membrane receptor function. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {Cholesterol, ErbB2 growth factor receptor, Her2 dimer, Juxtamembrane dimer, Martini coarse-grain simulations, Metadynamics}, issn = {0022-2631}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-021-00168-z, Early Access Date = JAN 2021}, author = {Pawar, Aiswarya B. and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {47375, title = {Role of Nd3+ concentration on the microstructure and scintillation behaviour of langbeinite sulphate (vol 284, 128997, 2021)}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {290}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {129472}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2021.129472}, author = {Poornima, Velswamy and Mohan, Subramaniam and Uma, Tiruchirappalli Sivagnanam} } @article {47096, title = {Role of Nd3+ concentration on the microstructure and scintillation behaviour of langbeinite sulphate}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {284}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {128997}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Langebeinite (K2Ca2(SO4)(3)) ceramics doped with increasing concentrations of Nd3+ ions (0.01-0.04 mol\%) was prepared by wet chemical precipitation and calcination at 800 degrees C. Thermal studies revealed high temperature stability of the phosphors. UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopic analysis of phosphors reveal strong absorption peaks representing f -\> f transitions. Direct bandgap derived from Kubelka-Munk plot was found to be similar to 5.66 eV. FTIR studies reveal tetrahedral symmetry of the SO42 ions. SEM micrographs reveal the formation of phosphors with wide particle size distribution and elemental composition was analysed using EDX studies. Scintillation studies representing a single high intensity peak around 784 nm is ascribed to I-4(9/2) -\> F-4(5/2) + H-2(9/2) transition. Langbeinite phosphor with 0.02 mol\% of Nd3+ exhibited maximum emission intensity indicating optimal concentration for scintillation studies favouring the development of NIR emitting phosphors. (c) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Langebeinites, Luminescence, Microstructure, Neodymium, Scintillation}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2020.128997}, author = {Poornima, Velswamy and Mohan, Subramaniam and Uma, Tiruchirappalli Sivagnanam} } @article {47674, title = {Seed-mediated growth of Pt on high-index faceted Au nanocrystals: the ag lining and implications for electrocatalysis}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP }, pages = {9155-9166}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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. {\textquoteleft}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}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.1c01714}, author = {Roy, Debashree and Rajendra, Ranguwar and Gangadharan, Pranav K. and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Ballav, Nirmalya} } @article {47580, title = {Single-pot alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol to alkyl levulinates using heterogenized p-TSA catalyst**}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {6}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL }, pages = {6636-6643}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202101392}, author = {Patil, Chetana R. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {47729, title = {Structure-tailored non-noble metal-based ternary chalcogenide nanocrystals for pt-like electrocatalytic hydrogen production}, journal = {ChemSusChem}, volume = {14}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {3074-3083}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A facile microwave-assisted strategy was employed to synthesize Ni3Bi2S2 nanocrystals. Variation in the synthesis conditions tuned the composition of monoclinic and orthorhombic phases of Ni3Bi2S2. The electrochemical hydrogen evolution activity of the catalyst with highest percentage of monoclinic phase demonstrated a negligible onset potential of only 24 mV close to that of state-of-the-art Pt/C with an overpotential as low as 88 mV. Density functional theory calculations predicted the monoclinic phase exhibit the lowest adsorption free energy corresponding to hydrogen adsorption (Delta GadsH*) and, therefore, the highest hydrogen evolution activity amongst the considered phases. The quasi-2D structure of monoclinic phase facilitated an increased charge-transfer between Ni and Bi, favoring the downward shift of the d-band center to enhance the catalytic activity.}, keywords = {charge transfer, electrocatalysis, hydrogen evolution reaction, Nanomaterials, ternary chalcogenides}, issn = {1864-5631}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.202100967}, author = {Sarkar, Shreya and Rawat, Abhishek and Das, Tisita and Gaboardi, Mattia and Chakraborty, Sudip and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {47429, title = {Study of combinatorial drug synergy of novel acridone derivatives with temozolomide using in-silico and in-vitro methods in the treatment of drug-resistant glioma}, journal = {Frontiers in Oncology}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {625899}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Drug resistance is one of the critical challenges faced in the treatment of Glioma. There are only limited drugs available in the treatment of Glioma and among them Temozolomide (TMZ) has shown some effectiveness in treating Glioma patients, however, the rate of recovery remains poor due to the inability of this drug to act on the drug resistant tumor sub-populations. Hence, in this study three novel Acridone derivative drugs AC2, AC7, and AC26 have been proposed. These molecules when combined with TMZ show major tumor cytotoxicity that is effective in suppressing growth of cancer cells in both drug sensitive and resistant sub-populations of a tumor. In this study a novel mathematical model has been developed to explore the various drug combinations that may be useful for the treatment of resistant Glioma and show that the combinations of TMZ and Acridone derivatives have a synergistic effect. Also, acute toxicity studies of all three acridone derivatives were carried out for 14 days and were found safe for oral administration of 400 mg/kg body weight on albino Wistar rats. Molecular Docking studies of acridone derivatives with P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multiple resistant protein (MRP), and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) revealed different binding affinities to the transporters contributing to drug resistance. It is observed that while the Acridone derivatives bind with these drug resistance causing proteins, the TMZ can produce its cytotoxicity at a much lower concentration leading to the synergistic effect. The in silico analysis corroborate well with our experimental findings using TMZ resistant (T-98) and drug sensitive (U-87) Glioma cell lines and we propose three novel drug combinations (TMZ with AC2, AC7, and AC26) and dosages that show high synergy, high selectivity and low collateral toxicity for the use in the treatment of drug resistant Glioma, which could be future drugs in the treatment of Glioblastoma.

}, keywords = {acridone derivatives, drug combinations, drug resistance, Glioma, mathematical model, synergy index}, issn = {2234-943X}, doi = {10.3389/fonc.2021.625899}, author = {Chakravarty, Malobika and Ganguli, Piyali and Murahari, Manikanta and Sarkar, Ram Rup and Peters, Godefridus Johannes and Mayur, Y. C.} } @article {47394, title = {Study of growth kinetics of Fe3Se4 nanocrystallites and the influence of size and shape tunability on their magnetic properties}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {125}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {7932-7943}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Crystalline iron selenide (Fe3Se4) nanoparticles (NPs) present a useful model system for a fundamental understanding of magnetism apart from having potential applications in permanent-magnet-related technologies. Despite significant advancements in understanding of the nucleation and growth processes, control over size and shape tunability is nontrivial, especially for the transition metal chalcogenides (TMC). The Wulff theorem states that if a crystal can grow purely under thermodynamic control of parameters then it will adopt the shape determined by the surface-energy minimization, i.e., the surface energy minimization will drive the growth of each crystalline facet. However, the known or unknown, controllable or uncontrollable parameters of a typical reaction which makes kinetic growth more art than science, depending upon whether we understand them or not. There is hardly any study based on existing models and theories to explain the TMC morphology evolution. In this work, there is a conscious effort to know, understand, and control the individual role of various reaction pathways on the shape and size of the Fe3Se4 nanocrystals. A qualitative growth mechanism is proposed based on the diffusion and reaction processes. Furthermore, the influence of shape/size on the magnetic parameters such as coercivity (H-C), magnetization (M-60kOe), effective magnetic anisotropy constant (K-eff), energy product (BHmax), and average blocking temperature (T-B) is investigated for Fe3Se4 NPs. After diving deeper into the science of crystal growth, our insight provides valuable guidance on experimental conditions for the synthesis of Fe3Se4 NPs with tunable sizes/shapes which for the first time can be extended to most TMCs.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c00389}, author = {Ghalawat, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {47661, title = {Substrate augmented catalytic activity towards NRR: a case study of Li doped Al clusters on defective graphene}, volume = {566}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {150586}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.150586}, author = {Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Poonam and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article {47443, title = {Supercapacitive performance of SILAR grown Mn3O4 nanoclusters: effect of cationic precursor concentration}, journal = {Chinese Journal of Physics}, volume = {72}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {145-158}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we have investigated the effect of cationic precursor (manganese chloride tetrahydrate) concentration on the electrochemical performance of successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR)-deposited Mn3O4\ thin films. The concentration of the cationic precursor was varied from 0.05 to 0.15 M, and its effect on physicochemical and electrochemical properties was studied. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses confirmed that Mn3O4\ has a tetragonal structure with Mn2+\ and Mn3+\ oxidation states. SEM micrographs revealed that nanoclusters of Mn3O4\ with an average size of ~200 nm were formed. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that these nanoclusters were formed from tiny square nanoplates with a size of ~40 nm. Electrochemical studies of the synthesized Mn3O4\ thin films were recorded in a three-electrode system, which suggests that 0.1 M cationic precursor concentration has a good electrochemical signature with a specific capacitance of 470 F/g at 1 mA/cm2\ current density in 1 M Na2SO4\ aqueous electrolyte. The cyclic stability offered was appreciable, with capacitive retention of 75\% up to 10,000 CV cycles scanned at 100 mV/s. The charge storage kinetics of the SILAR-grown Mn3O4\ thin film were investigated. With systematic study we concluded that, the molarity of the cationic precursor plays a vital role in the porosity and microstructure which drastically affects the electrochemical performance.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.cjph.2021.03.028}, author = {Beknalkar, S. A. and Teli, A. M. and Harale, N. S. and Patil, D. S. and Sutar, J. R. and Shin, J. C. and Patil, P. S.} } @article {47075, title = {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)}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {232}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, type = {Correction}, abstract = {

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{\textquoteright}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{\textquoteright}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.

}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2020.104017}, author = {Routaray, Chinmayee Bar and Bhor, Renuka and Bai, Shakuntala and Kadam, Nitin Suryakant and Jagtap, Surabhi and Doshi, Pooja Jignesh and Sundar, Shyam and Sawant, Sangeeta and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Pai, Kalpana} } @article {47724, title = {Synthesis and application of silylene-stabilized low-coordinate Ag(I)-arene cationic complexes}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {40}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1626-1632}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We report the first examples of N-heterocyclic silylene-stabilized monocoordinate Ag(I) cationic complexes weakly bound to the free arene rings (C6H6, C6Me6, and C7H8). Further, the application of these electrophilic Ag(I) complexes as catalysts has been investigated toward A(3)-coupling reactions, which afforded a series of propargylamines in good to excellent yields with low catalyst loading under a solvent-free condition (19 examples).}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.1c00083}, author = {Parvin, Nasrina and Sen, Nilanjana and Tothadi, Srinu and Muhammed, Shahila and Parameswaran, Pattiyil and Khan, Shabana} } @article {47108, title = {Synthesis and cell imaging applications of fluorescent mono/di/tri-heterocyclyl-2,6-dicyanoanilines (vol 27, pg 979, 2017)}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {32}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {127737}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127737}, author = {Pisal, Mahesh M. and Annadate, Ritesh A. and Athalye, Meghana C. and Kumar, Deepak and Chavan, Subhash P. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Borate, Hanumant B.} } @article {47657, title = {Synthesis of anisotropic rod-like gold nanostructures in organic media (vol 133, 106, 2021)}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {133}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {120}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-021-01992-5}, author = {Prasad, V. Bhagavatula L. and Sivasankaran, Prathap Chandran and Patel, Pitambar and Malekar, V. Pushpa and Maya, V. K. and Ramana, V. Chepuri} } @article {47658, title = {Synthesis of anisotropic rod-like gold nanostructures in organic media}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {133}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {106}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Synthesis of anisotropic rod-like gold nanostructures was carried out in chloroform employing a modified ascorbic acid derivative as a reducing agent in the presence and absence of seed particles. The seed particles and/or the chloroaurate ions were phase transferred to the organic media using n-octadecyl amine. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis clearly revealed that the anisotropic structures are single crystalline in nature. The stabilization of certain crystallographic faces of anisotropic gold nanostructures by amines is invoked to explain the formation of these structures.}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-021-01952-z}, author = {Prasad, V, Bhagavatula L. and Sivasankaran, Prathap Chandran and Patel, Pitambar and Malekar, V, Pushpa and Maya, V, K. and Ramana, V, Chepuri} } @article {47372, title = {Synthesis of graphene from activated carbon at liquid nitrogen temperature and its detailed structural analysis}, journal = {Applied Physics A-Materials Science \& Processing}, volume = {127}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {319}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study deals with the synthesis of graphene using thermal quenching of pre-heated activated carbon (a-C) (1370 K for 3 h) at liquid nitrogen temperature and its detailed structural analysis using XRD, TEM, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The analysis of lattice parameters (L-a, L-c,L- and d) of constituent nanographitic domains using XRD shows restoration of graphene-like structure in the resultant product (a-CL). TEM image reveals porosity and partially crystallinity (from SAED) in a-C. While thin layers of graphene are observed in the TEM images of a-CL Deconvoluted Raman spectra have been used to investigate the evolution of crystalline behaviour of a-C with temperature in view of Ferrari and Robertson{\textquoteright}s three-stage model. The evolution of G peak and increase in I-D/I-G reveals restoration of crystallinity in a-CL. The development of the D peak indicates disordering of graphite but ordering of amorphous carbon. The reported method is technologically beneficial for graphene synthesis for large number of applications such as supercapacitors, H-2 storage, gas separation and purification.

}, keywords = {activated carbon, Amorphous carbon, graphene, H-2 storage applications, Raman spectroscopy, Supercapacitors}, issn = {0947-8396}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-021-04416-w}, author = {Sharma, Preeti and Sharma, Geeta and Punia, Rajesh} } @article {47400, title = {Synthetic heparan sulfate ligands for vascular endothelial growth factor to modulate angiogenesis}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {57}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {3516-3519}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc00964h}, author = {Jain, Prashant and Shanthamurthy, Chethan D. and Leviatan Ben-Arye, Shani and Yehuda, Sharon and Nandikol, Sharvani S. and Thulasiram, V, Hirekodathakallu and Padler-Karavani, Vered and Kikkeri, Raghavendra} } @article {47705, title = {Total synthesis of the pseudoindoxyl class of natural products}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {19}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7970-7994}, type = {Review}, abstract = {The pseudoindoxyl sub-structural motif, amongst the large set of the indole class of alkaloids, represents a unique subset of the oxygenated indole class of the alkaloid family. A majority of this class of natural products contains complex bridged/polycyclic scaffolds with interesting biological profiles. They are thus attractive synthetic targets. Starting from 1963, twenty-eight natural products having the pseudoindoxyl scaffold have been isolated, among which the synthesis of 13 natural products has been accomplished. In this review, we highlight the completed as well as the formal total synthesis of the natural products with a spiro-pseudoindoxyl ring, with a focus on their development. The challenges and the future perspective based on the recent developments in the field will also be discussed. We strongly believe that this review will not only update but also attract the attention of researchers in dealing with the synthesis of pseudoindoxyl compounds.}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d1ob01285a}, author = {Dhote, Pawan S. and Patel, Pitambar and Vanka, Kumar and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {47055, title = {Toward pH independent oxygen reduction reaction by polydopamine derived 3D interconnected, iron carbide embedded graphitic carbon}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {8147-8158}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.0c18036}, author = {Gangadharan, Pranav K. and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {47584, title = {Trace metals in cellular metabolism and their impact on recombinant protein production}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {110}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {251-262}, type = {Review}, abstract = {Replacement of serum and increasing use of chemically defined media demands optimisation of trace metal components for biomanufacturing applications. Trace metal availability can impact culture performance, productivity and product quality. Several trace metals are cofactors of metabolic and other enzymes, and thus their availability regulates cellular metabolism. Additionally, they can also affect the availability of other trace metals and stability of some medium components. Such factors also need to be considered while formulating trace metal concentrations in the culture medium. Due to their very low concentrations, these components are susceptible to substantial variability arising from contaminants from other raw material and leaching from process equipment and can contribute to process variability. Understanding the role and impact of trace metals will help develop strategies to achieve targeted process parameters and increase process robustness vis-{\textquoteleft}a-vis any lot-to-lot variability in trace metal concentration in culture medium. This review describes the role of trace metals, particularly manganese, copper and zinc, in central carbon metabolism to aid in understanding the basis of metal-mediated effects on culture performance and provides a comprehensive review of the reported impact of trace metals on CHO cell culture performance and recombinant protein quality.}, keywords = {Chinese hamster ovary cells, glycosylation, Medium formulation, Process variability, Product quality, Recombinant proteins, Trace metals}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2021.08.006}, author = {Prabhu, Anuja and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {47064, title = {Triazine-based janus G-C nucleobase as a building block for self-assembly, peptide nucleic acids, and smart polymers}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {3186-3195}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This communication reports on the utility of a triazine-based self-assembling system, reminiscent of a Janus G-C nucleobase, as a building block for developing (1) supramolecular polymers, (2) peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), and (3) smart polymers. The strategically positioned self-complementary triple H-bonding arrays DDA and AAD facilitate efficient self-assembly, leading to a linear supramolecular polymer.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.0c02530}, author = {Meena, Chhuttan L. and Singh, Dharmendra and Kizhakeetil, Bhavya and Prasad, Manasa and George, Malini and Tothadi, Srinu and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {47036, title = {Unactivated alkyl halides in transition-metal-catalyzed C-H bond alkylation}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {3268-3292}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Alkylation represents an important organic transformation in molecular science to develop privileged alkylated arenes and heteroarenes. Especially, the direct C-H bond alkylation using unactivated alkyl halides is a straightforward and attractive approach from both the step-economy and chemoselectivity perspectives. Substantial progress has been made in the direct alkylation using primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl halides along with the methylation and fluoroalkylation. This Review broadly summarizes the transition-metal-catalyzed alkylations of C-H bonds on various arenes and heteroarenes with unactivated alkyl halides until October 2020. On the basis of the substrates utilized for alkylation, the Review is divided into two major sections: alkylation of arenes and alkylation of heteroarenes.

}, keywords = {(hetero)arenes, Alkylation, C-H activation, transition metals, unactivated alkyl halides}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.0c05580}, author = {Ankade, Shidheshwar B. and Shabade, Anand B. and Soni, Vineeta and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47105, title = {Unveiling the roles of lattice strain and descriptor species on pt-like oxygen reduction activity in Pd-Bi catalysts}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {800-808}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A facile non-template-assisted mechanical ball milling technique was employed to generate a PdBi alloy catalyst. The induced lattice strain upon the milling time caused a shift of the d-band center, thereby enhancing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activity. Additionally, the Pd-O reduction potential and adsorbed OH coverage used as descriptors stipulated the cause of the enhanced ORR activity upon the increased milling interval. Redox properties of surface Pd are directly correlated with a positive shift in the Pd-O reduction potential and OH surface coverage. Hence, by deconvoluting the lattice strain and the role of the descriptor species we achieved a catalyst system with a specific activity 5.4X higher than that of commercial Pt/C, as well as an improved durability. The experimental observation is well-corroborated by a theoretical simulation done by inducing strain to the system externally.

}, keywords = {charge-transfer, electrocatalysis, fuel cell, Lattice strain, oxygen reduction, Pt-like activity}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.0c03415}, author = {Sarkar, Shreya and Ramarao, S. D. and Das, Tisita and Das, Risov and Vinod, C. P. and Chakraborty, Sudip and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {47735, title = {Wastewater treatment and process intensification for degradation of solvents using hydrodynamic cavitation}, journal = {Chemical Engineering and Processing-Process Intensification}, volume = {166}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {108485}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Industrial wastewater treatment for removal of small concentrations of harmful solvents is pertinent issue in many chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The present work evaluates removal of three common solvents by hydrodynamic cavitation (nominal capacity, 1m(3)/h). Solvent degradation of three solvents viz. octanol, dimethyl formamide and cyclohexanol was studied in the concentration range of 50-200 mg/L and for the pressure drop range of 0.5-5 bar. The vortex based cavitation device (vortex diode) was compared with that of linear flow based device (orifice). Process intensification in the form of aeration and addition oxidizing agent-hydrogen peroxide was also evaluated for synergistic effect. The vortex diode required lower pressure drop and is superior to orifice and process intensification using aeration is most effective. A reduction in TOC to the extent of 74\% could be achieved for octanol (200 ppm) using aeration with cavitational yield of 1202x10(-4) mg/J for vortex diode, yield similar to 10 times of orifice. The degradation depends on the nature of solvent and it was revealed that low values of dielectric constant (epsilon<10) favour degradation. The kinetics was evaluated using rate model based on per-pass degradation factor. The process techno-economic feasibility is useful in industrial wastewater treatment.}, keywords = {Cavitation, Effluent, Organics removal, Oxidation, pollution}, issn = {0255-2701}, doi = {10.1016/j.cep.2021.108485}, author = {Patil, Pravin B. and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {47668, title = {ZCTs knockdown using antisense LNA GapmeR in specialized photomixotrophic cell suspensions of Catharanthus roseus: Rerouting the flux towards mono and dimeric indole alkaloids}, journal = {Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants}, volume = {27}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1437-1453}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present study was carried out to silence the transcription factor genes ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 via lipofectamine based antisense LNA GapmeRs transfection into the protoplasts of established photomixotrophic cell suspensions. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions with a threshold of 0.5\% sucrose were raised and established using two-tiered CO2 providing flasks kept under high light intensity. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions showed morphologically different thick-walled cells under scanning electron microscopic analysis in comparison to the simple thin-walled parenchymatous control cell suspensions. The LC-MS analysis registered the vindoline production (0.0004 +/- 0.0001 mg/g dry wt.) in photomixotrophic cell suspensions which was found to be absent in control cell suspensions. The protoplasts were isolated from the photomixotrophic cell suspensions and subjected to antisense LNA GapmeRs silencing. Three lines, viz. Z1A, Z2C and Z3G were obtained where complete silencing of ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 genes, respectively, was observed. The Z3G line was found to show maximum production of vindoline (0.038 +/- 0.001 mg/g dry wt.), catharanthine (0.165 +/- 0.008 mg/g dry wt.) and vinblastine (0.0036 +/- 0.0003 mg/g dry wt.). This was supported by the multifold increment in the gene expression of TDC, SLS, STR, SGD, d4h, dat, CrT16H and Crprx. The present work indicates the master regulation of ZCT3 knockdown among all three ZCTs transcription factors in C. roseus to enhance the terpenoid indole alkaloids production. The successful silencing of transcription repressor genes has been achieved in C. roseus plant system by using photomixotrophic cell cultures through GapmeR based silencing. The present study is a step towards metabolic engineering of the TIAs pathway using protoplast transformation in C. roseus.}, keywords = {Catharanthine, LC-MS, Protoplast, TIAs, Vinblastine, Vindoline}, issn = {0971-5894}, doi = {10.1007/s12298-021-01017-y}, author = {Verma, Priyanka and Khan, Shamshad Ahmad and Parasharami, Varsha and Mathur, Ajay Kumar} } @article {48228, title = {2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases drive expansion of steroidal alkaloid structural diversity in the genus Solanum}, journal = {New Phytologist}, volume = {234}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1394-1410}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are renowned defence metabolites exhibiting spectacular structural diversity. Genes and enzymes generating the SGA precursor pathway, SGA scaffold and glycosylated forms have been largely identified. Yet, the majority of downstream metabolic steps creating the vast repertoire of SGAs remain untapped. Here, we discovered that members of the 2-OXOGLUTARATE-DEPENDENT DIOXYGENASE (2-ODD) family play a prominent role in SGA metabolism, carrying out three distinct backbone-modifying oxidative steps in addition to the three formerly reported pathway reactions. The GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM34 (GAME34) enzyme catalyses the conversion of core SGAs to habrochaitosides in wild tomato S. habrochaites. Cultivated tomato plants overexpressing GAME34 ectopically accumulate habrochaitosides. These habrochaitoside enriched plants extracts potently inhibit Puccinia spp. spore germination, a significant Solanaceae crops fungal pathogen. Another 2-ODD enzyme, GAME33, acts as a desaturase (via hydroxylation and E/F ring rearrangement) forming unique, yet unreported SGAs. Conversion of bitter alpha-tomatine to ripe fruit, nonbitter SGAs (e.g. esculeoside A) requires two hydroxylations; while the known GAME31 2-ODD enzyme catalyses hydroxytomatine formation, we find that GAME40 catalyses the penultimate step in the pathway and generates acetoxy-hydroxytomatine towards esculeosides accumulation. Our results highlight the significant contribution of 2-ODD enzymes to the remarkable structural diversity found in plant steroidal specialized metabolism.

}, keywords = {Solanum, specialized metabolism, steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), structural diversity, Tomato}, issn = {0028-646X}, doi = {10.1111/nph.18064}, author = {Sonawane, Prashant D. and Jozawiak, Adam and Barbole, Ranjit and Panda, Sayantan and Abebie, Bekele and Kazachkova, Yana and Gharat, Sachin A. and Ramot, Ofir and Unger, Tamar and Wizler, Guy and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Doron-Faigenboim, Adi and Petreikov, Marina and Schaffer, Arthur and Giri, Ashok P. and Scherf, Tali and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {46626, title = {Adsorption of toxic Pb(II) on activated carbon derived from agriculture waste (Mahogany fruit shell): isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic study}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {102}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8270-8286}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {0306-7319}, doi = {10.1080/03067319.2020.1849648}, author = {Patil, Suryakant A. and Suryawanshi, Umesh P. and Harale, Namdev S. and Patil, Sandip K. and Vadiyar, Madgonda M. and Luwang, Meitram N. and Anuse, Mansing A. and Kim, Jin H. and Kolekar, Sanjay S.} } @article {47743, title = {Alpha Au2S nanoparticles: fungal-mediated synthesis, structural characterization and bioassay}, journal = {Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews}, volume = {15}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {59-68}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {1751-8253}, doi = {10.1080/17518253.2021.1999509}, author = {Syed, Asad and Al Saedi, Marzouq H. and Bahkali, Ali H. and Elgorgan, Abdallah M. and Kharat, Mahesh and Pai, Kalpana and Pichtel, John and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {47766, title = {Alternative splicing modulation mediated by G-quadruplex structures in MALAT1 lncRNA}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {50}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {378-396}, type = {Article}, abstract = {MALAT1, an abundant lncRNA specifically localized to nuclear speckles, regulates alternative-splicing (AS). The molecular basis of its role in AS remains poorly understood. Here, we report three conserved, thermodynamically stable, parallel RNAG-quadruplexes (rG4s) present in the 3{\textquoteright} region of MALAT1 which regulates this function. Using rG4 domain-specific RNA-pull-down followed by mass-spectrometry, RNA-immuno-precipitation, and imaging, we demonstrate the rG4 dependent localization of Nucleolin (NCL) and Nucleophosmin (NPM) to nuclear speckles. Specific G-to-A mutations that abolish rG4 structures, result in the localization loss of both the proteins from speckles. Functionally, disruption of rG4 in MALAT1 phenocopies NCL knockdown resulting in altered pre-mRNA splicing of endogenous genes. These results reveal a central role of rG4s within the 3{\textquoteright} region of MALAT1 orchestrating AS.}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkab1066}, author = {Ghosh, Arpita and Pandey, Satya Prakash and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Sundar, Jennifer Seematti and Singh, Praveen and Khan, Yasmeen and Ekka, Mary Krishna and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article {48116, title = {Antimicrobial two-dimensional covalent organic nanosheets (2D-CONs) for the fast and highly efficient capture and recovery of phosphate ions from water}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR }, pages = {4585-4593}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The retrieval of depleting resources from wastewater could help resolve the mounting demands for resources in our society. Phosphate is an essential nutrient for all living things. However, the diminution of global reserves of phosphate rock could significantly affect our food security in the near future. At the same time, the removal of phosphates and pathogens is of great importance for water security and de-eutrophication. The specific pH-dependent adsorption and desorption of phosphate ions by water-insoluble adsorbents is an exciting strategy for removing and recovering phosphates from contaminated water. Herein, we report the development of new two-dimensional guanidine-containing covalent organic nanosheets (2D-gCONs). This water-insoluble amorphous polymer (exfoliated) selectively sequestered phosphate ions in the presence of other competing anions and could be reused for multiple cycles. The polymer showed a fast removal of phosphate ions with a maximum adsorption capacity of 398 mg g(-1) (pH 7.0). The sequestered phosphate ions could be easily reclaimed, and the polymer could be recycled just by altering the pH (similar to 10.0) of the aqueous solution. The guanidinium moieties played a pivotal role in exfoliation in aqueous medium and in the antibacterial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. We hypothesize that the current study may advance the design of water-insoluble CONs to remove and recover phosphate ions from wastewater and could help alleviate the negative impact of water eutrophication. This strategy can also be tweaked to address other severe environmental challenges.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d1ta10911a}, author = {Dey, Subhasis and Das, Sribash and Patel, Anjali and Raj, K. Vipin and Vanka, Kumar and Manna, Debasis} } @article {48407, title = {Artificial intelligence in microbial natural product drug discovery: current and emerging role}, journal = {Natural Product Reports}, volume = {39}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2215-2230}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Covering: up to the end of 2022 Microorganisms are exceptional sources of a wide array of unique natural products and play a significant role in drug discovery. During the golden era, several life-saving antibiotics and anticancer agents were isolated from microbes; moreover, they are still widely used. However, difficulties in the isolation methods and repeated discoveries of the same molecules have caused a setback in the past. Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a profound impact on various research fields, and its application allows the effective performance of data analyses and predictions. With the advances in omics, it is possible to obtain a wealth of information for the identification, isolation, and target prediction of secondary metabolites. In this review, we discuss drug discovery based on natural products from microorganisms with the help of AI and machine learning.

}, issn = {0265-0568}, doi = {10.1039/d2np00035k}, author = {SahayaSheela, Vinodh J. and Lankadasari, Manendra B. and Dan, Vipin Mohan and Dastager, Syed G. and Pandian, Ganesh N. and Sugiyama, Hiroshi} } @article {48419, title = {Behavioral and proteomic studies reveal methylglyoxal activate pathways associated with alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, journal = {ACS Pharmacology \& Translational Science}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {65{\textendash}75}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Diabetes is one of the major risk factors for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) development. The role of elevated levels of glucose, methylglyoxal (MGO), and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the pathogenesis of AD is not well understood. In this pursuit, we studied the role of methylglyoxal in the pathogenesis of AD in rat models. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) behavioral study indicated that MGO induces anxiety. Treatment of telmisartan (RAGE expression inhibitor) and aminoguanidine (MGO quencher) attenuated MGO induced anxiety. Further, hippocampal proteomics demonstrated that MGO treated rats differentially regulate proteins involved in calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial functioning, and apoptosis, which may affect neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity. The hippocampal tau phosphorylation level was increased in MGO treated rats, which was reduced in the presence of aminoguanidine and telmisartan. The plasma fructosamine level was increased upon MGO treatment. Hippocampal histochemistry showed vascular degeneration and neuronal loss upon MGO treatment. This study provides mechanistic insight into the role of MGO in the diabetes-associated development of AD.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsptsci.2c00143}, author = {Patil, Gouri and Kulsange, Shabda and Kazi, Rubina and Chirmade, Tejas and Kale, Vaikhari and Mote, Chandrashekhar and Aswar, Manoj and Koratkar, Santosh and Agawane, Sachin and Kulkarni, Mahesh} } @article {48389, title = {Biodegradable, solvent-free photocrosslinkable PLLA resin formulations for additive manufacturing}, journal = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {223}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Acrylate end-functionalized linear and star poly l-lactide (PLLA) based aliphatic, photocurable oligomeric crosslinkers are developed, which are formulated with hydroxyl (ethyl)methacrylate (HEMA) as a biodegradable reactive diluent to demonstrate successful application for solvent-less 3D printing using digital light processing (DLP) technique as well as a custom-designed direct ink writing 3D printer. The resin formulation for 3D printing is optimized using spot curing, photodifferential scanning calorimetry and cure depth analysis. The 3D printed parts exhibit promising mechanical property along with improved hydrophilicity and biodegradability. The development of new photocurable resin formulations are expected to meet the growing demand for raw materials that can be applied for developing custom designed bio implantable objects.

}, keywords = {3D printing, biodegradable materials, digital light processing, L-Lactide, photocurable materials}, issn = {1022-1352}, doi = {10.1002/macp.202200139}, author = {Pal, Shibam and Asha, S. K.} } @article {48172, title = {Bioinspired hyaluronic acid based nanofibers immobilized with 3, 4-difluorobenzylidene curcumin for treating bacterial infections}, journal = {Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology}, volume = {74}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {103480}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {anti-bacterial, curcumin, nanofibers, tissue engineering, wound Healing}, issn = {1773-2247}, doi = {10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103480}, author = {Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Singam, Amarnath and Iyer, Arun K. and Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga} } @article {48373, title = {Biological macromolecule chitosan grafted co-polymeric composite: bio-adsorption probe on cationic dyes}, journal = {Polymer Bulletin}, volume = {79}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9441-9455}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {0170-0839}, doi = {10.1007/s00289-021-03954-w}, author = {Khairkar, Shyam R. and Pansare, V. Shubham and Shedge, Amol A. and Chhatre, Shraddha and Kulal, Dnyaneshwar K. and Patil, Vishwanath R. and Pansare, V. Amol} } @article {47995, title = {Blend of neem oil based polyesteramide as magnetic nanofiber mat for efficient cancer therapy}, journal = {Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology}, volume = {75}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {103629}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Stearic acid-coated magnetic nanoparticles (SMN) and FU (5-Fluorouracil) were immobilized in the blends of neem oil-based polyesteramide and fabricated as nanofiber mat (NM) for controlled release of FU under the influence of an external magnetic field for targeted drug delivery to treat cancer efficiently. Analyzed the surface morphology of the fibers using E-SEM, it was observed that the fibers were smooth with the diameter ranging from 250 to 450 nm. TEM studies showed the uniform distribution of SMN in the nanofibers. The physico-chemical properties of NM and raw materials were analyzed using FTIR, TGA, and XRD. The results suggested that the polymers were well blended. In-vitro FU release studies of the NMs recorded a significant difference in the cumulative percentage of FU release from SMN-NMs. The SMN-NMs released 95\% of FU in 4 h, whereas, NMs released 83\% of FU in 24 h. The cell viability assay for the NM was evaluated in the L929 mouse fibroblast cells, where \>75\% of cells were viable. The hemolysis assay for the developed SMN-NF showed \<5\% of hemolysis, which indicated the NMs were safe for application. The anti-cancer activity of FU loaded SMN-NF was analyzed in the MCF-7 cancer cell line, which recorded more than 50\% cell death within 24 h. From SQUID analysis, we found that the 10\% SMN were superparamagnetic in nature, the magnetization at 30 kOe was observed to be 4.3 emu/g. Based on the in vitro results, we concluded that the developed SMN-NMs are recommended for in vivo studies to understand their efficacy for the targeted drug delivery to treat cancer.

}, keywords = {5-Fluorouracil, drug release, electrospinning, Magnetic nanoparticles, nanofibers, Stearic acid}, issn = {1773-2247}, doi = {10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103629}, author = {Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Singam, Amarnath and Dadwal, Arun and Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga} } @article {48218, title = {Boosting electrochemical CO2 reduction to methane via tuning oxygen vacancy concentration and surface termination on a copper/ceria catalyst}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10973-10983}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.2c02669}, author = {Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Liu, Zhu and Lee, Hojeong and Hong, Seungwon and Song, Hakhyeon and Abbas, Hafiz Ghulam and Kwon, Youngkook and Ringe, Stefan and Oh, Jihun} } @article {48205, title = {BQ-AurIPr: a redox-active anticancer Au(i) complex that induces immunogenic cell death}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10779-10785}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d2sc03756d}, author = {Mule, Ravindra D. and Kumar, Akhilesh and Sancheti, Shashank P. and Senthilkumar, B. and Kumar, Himanshu and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {47795, title = {Cardol: Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) - derived starting material for the preparation of partially bio-based epoxy resins}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {166}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {111029}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Cardol is one of the interesting constituents of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) - a by-product of cashew processing industry- and it amounts to 15{\textendash}20\% by weight in natural CNSL. Chemically, cardol is a 15-carbon chain-substituted resorcinol wherein the side chain predominately contains mixture of one, two and three double bonds. Cardol on reaction with epichlorohydrin in the presence of sodium hydroxide afforded diglycidyl ether of cardol (DGEC). DGEC is a viscous free-flowing liquid (bulk viscosity 70 cP at 25~{\textdegree}C) and thus offers advantages in terms of ease of processing. DGEC and various compositions of DGEC with commercially available diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) were cured with two amine hardeners, namely, isophorone diamine (IPDA) and diethylene triamine (DETA). The effects of different ratios of amine/epoxy (nah/ne) on cure characteristics were studied. The epoxy thermosets were characterized by DSC, TGA, DMA and tensile testing. DSC analysis showed glass transition temperature (Tg) values in the range 63{\textendash}155~{\textdegree}C for IPDA-cured thermosets, while DETA-cured thermosets exhibited Tg values in the range 45{\textendash}145~{\textdegree}C. Td5\% values, determined by TG analysis of epoxy thermosets, were in the range 347{\textendash}359~{\textdegree}C indicating their reasonably good thermal stability. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed storage modulus (E{\textquoteright}) in the range 0.75{\textendash}2.54 GPa and 0.51{\textendash}2.24 GPa for IPDA-cured and DETA-cured thermosets, respectively. The E{\textquoteright} value of epoxy thermosets was found to decrease with increase in molar proportion of DGEC in the formulations with DGEBA while elongation at break was found to increase from 3.1\% to 9.7\% and 2.8\% to 5.1\% for IPDA- and DETA-cured systems, respectively. SEM images of cryogenically fractured surfaces of cured thermosets based on studied compositions of DGEBA and DGEC did not indicate any phase separation implying homogeneous mixing of both the epoxy resins.}, keywords = {bio-based, Cardol, cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), Epoxy resins, Storage modulus}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111029}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014305722000337}, author = {Ketan Makwana and Amol B. Ichake and Vinayak Valodkar and G. Padmanaban and Manohar V. Badiger and Prakash P. Wadgaonkar} } @article {48074, title = {Comparative investigation on the catalytic performance of HT/SBA-15 and SBA-15/HT composites for the isomerization of glucose to fructose}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {286}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {116052}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrotalcites (HT) have a broad spectrum of applications as prosperous heterogeneous catalysts for diverse chemical transformations. The catalytic activity of HT-based materials can be tailored by introducing siliceous material into the internal or external framework. The surface modification of the HT framework with silica mesostructures leads to the formation of versatile Lewis base, Bronsted base and redox catalytic active sites. This work presents the comparative evaluation of the catalytic performance of HT/SBA-15 and SBA-15/HT composites for the isomerization of glucose to fructose using 1-butanol as a solvent. The composites with different external morphology were prepared by a modified template-assisted hydrothermal method, using different HT to SBA-15 proportions. The textural and morphological characterization results conferred the efficiency of the employed post-synthetic intercalation strategy to achieve the successful formation of HT/SBA-15 and SBA-15/HT composites. With optimal HT loading and surface basicity, the HTS-3 composite demonstrated the highest catalytic performance, resulting in good glucose conversions (54 \%) with improved selectivity (\>83 \%). The observed high reactivity could be mainly attributed to the extensive dispersion of HT particles on the SBA-15 component, which contributes to a significant increase in textural properties and surface basicity. Furthermore, special attention is devoted to addressing such reactivity phenomena as active site selectivity, catalyst multifunctionality and multisite reactivity commonly encountered in mesoporous catalysis.

}, keywords = {composites, glucose, hydrotalcite, isomerization, SBA-15}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2022.116052}, author = {Manikandan, Marimuthu and Arjunan, Ayyappan and Prabu, Marimuthu and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Sangeetha, Palanivelu} } @article {48152, title = {Comparative study of polycaprolactone electrospun fibers and casting films enriched with carbon and nitrogen sources and their potential use in water bioremediation}, journal = {Membranes}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {327}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {bacterial growth, carbon source, electrospinning, nitrogen source, poly (caprolactone)}, doi = {10.3390/membranes12030327}, author = {Alejandra Pompa-Monroy, Daniella and Leticia Iglesias, Ana and Gulam Dastager, Syed and Namdeo Thorat, Meghana and Olivas-Sarabia, Amelia and Valdez-Castro, Ricardo and Angelica Hurtado-Ayala, Lilia and Manuel Cornejo-Bravo, Jose and Lizeth Perez-Gonzalez, Graciela and Jesus Villarreal-Gomez, Luis} } @article {48213, title = {Concerted effect of Ni-in and S-out on ReS2 nanostructures towards high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {58}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3689-3692}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, a one-step hydrothermal reaction is developed to synthesize a Ni-doped ReS2 nanostructure with sulphur defects. The material exhibited excellent OER activity with a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential of 270 mV, a low Tafel slope of 31 mV dec(-1), and good long-term durability of 10 h in 1 M KOH. It shows high faradaic efficiency of 96\%, benefiting from the rapid charge transfer caused by the concerted effect of Ni-in and S-out on the ReS2 nanostructure.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc07030d}, author = {Das, Tapas K. and Ping, Tapan and Mohapatra, Manoj and Anwar, Shahid and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Jena, Bikash Kumar} } @article {48122, title = {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}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {16222-16232}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.2c00982}, author = {Shilpa, Nagaraju and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Krishnaraj, Perayil and Walko, Priyanka S. and Devi, R. Nandini and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48030, title = {Construction of tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoline scaffolds via polar [4+2]-Cycloaddition reaction with arynes as dienophiles}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {101}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {153901}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A transition-metal-free route has been developed for the direct synthesis of biologically significant tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoline scaffolds. The reaction features polar [4 + 2] Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction of arynes with a well-designed diene N-Boc protected vinyl tetrahydropyridine, followed by the isomerisation of the double bond leading to the formation of tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoline scaffolds in good to moderate yields.

}, keywords = {Aryne, Diels-Alder, Diene, Tetrahydrobenzo[ f ]quinoline}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2022.153901}, author = {Pandya, Virat G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {48222, title = {Controlled modulation of the structure and luminescence properties of zero-dimensional manganese halide hybrids through structure-directing metal-ion (Cd2+ and Zn2+) centers}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {5363-5372}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00160}, author = {Das, Deep Kumar and Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Anilkumar, Vishnu and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Ahmed, Md Soif and Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar and Pallepogu, Raghavaiah and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {48207, title = {Copper(II) import and reduction are dependent on His-Met clusters in the extracellular amino terminus of human copper transporter-1}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {298}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {101631}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101631}, author = {Kar, Sumanta and Sen, Samarpita and Maji, Saptarshi and Saraf, Deepashri and Ruturaj and Paul, Rupam and Dutt, Sohini and Mondal, Basudeb and Rodriguez-Boulan, Enrique and Schreiner, Ryan and Sengupta, Durba and Gupta, Arnab} } @article {46642, title = {Cyclic peptide engineered from phytocystatin inhibitory hairpin loop as an effective modulator of falcipains and potent antimalarial}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {40}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3642-3654}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cystatins are classical competitive inhibitors of C1 family cysteine proteases (papain family). Phytocystatin superfamily shares high sequence homology and typical tertiary structure with conserved glutamine-valine-glycine (Q-X-V-X-G) loop blocking the active site of C1 proteases. Here, we develop a cysteine-bounded cyclic peptide (CYS-cIHL) and linear peptide (CYS-IHL), using the conserved inhibitory hairpin loop amino acid sequence. Using an in silico approach based on modeling, protein-peptide docking, molecular dynamics simulations and calculation of free energy of binding, we designed and validated inhibitory peptides against falcipain-2 (FP-2) and -3 (FP-3), cysteine proteases from the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Falcipains are critical hemoglobinases of P. falciparum that are validated targets for the development of antimalarial therapies. CYS-cIHL was able to bind with micromolar affinity to FP-2 and modulate its binding with its substrate, hemoglobin in in vitro and in vivo assays. CYS-cIHL could effectively block parasite growth and displayed antimalarial activity in culture assays with no cytotoxicity towards human cells. These results indicated that cyclization can substantially increase the peptide affinity to the target. Furthermore, this can be applied as an effective strategy for engineering peptide inhibitory potency against proteases.

}, keywords = {Cyclic peptide, falcipain inhibitors, falciparum, P, Phytocystatin, protein interaction mimics, protein\&\#8211}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2020.1848629}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Singh, Vigyasa and Tellis, Meenakshi B. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Pandey, Kailash C. and Singh, Shailja} } @article {47768, title = {Deciphering the sensing of alpha-amyrin acetate with hs-DNA: a multipronged biological probe}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1238-1243}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this study, we focus on the biomimetic development of small molecules and their biological sensing with DNA. The binding of herring sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (hs-DNA) with naturally occurring bioactive small molecule alpha-amyrin acetate (alpha-AA), a biomimetic - isolated from the leaves of Ficus (F.) arnottiana is investigated. Collective information from various imaging, spectroscopic and biophysical experiments provides evidence that alpha-AA is a minor groove sensor of hs-DNA and preferentially binds to the A-T-rich regions. Interactions of different concentrations of small molecule alpha-AA with hsDNA were evaluated via various analytical techniques such as UV-Vis, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. Fluorescence emission spectroscopy results suggest that alpha-AA decreases the emission level of hsDNA. DNA minor groove sensor Hoechst 33258 and intercalative sensor EB, melting transition analysis (T-M) and viscosity analysis clarified that alpha-AA binds to hs-DNA via a groove site. Biophysical chemistry and molecular docking studies show that hydrophobic interactions play a major role in this binding. The present research deals with a natural product biosynthesis-linked chemical-biology interface sensor as a biological probe for alpha-AA: hs-DNA.}, doi = {10.1039/d1ra07195e}, author = {Pansare, V. Amol and Shedge, Amol A. and Sonawale, Maryappa C. and Pansare, V. Shubham and Mahakal, Akshay D. and Khairkar, Shyam R. and Chhatre, Shraddha Y. and Kulal, Dnyaneshwar K. and Patil, Vishwanath R.} } @article {48146, title = {Design and synthesis of eugenol/isoeugenol glycoconjugates and other analogues as antifungal agents against Aspergillus fumigatus}, journal = {RSC Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {955-962}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glycoconjugates are biologically significant molecules as they tend to serve a wide range of intra- and extra-cellular processes depending on their size and complexity. The secondary metabolites of the plant Myristica fragrans, eugenol and isoeugenol, have shown antifungal activities (IC50 1900 mu M). Therefore, we envisioned that glycoconjugates based on these two scaffolds could prove to be potent antifungal agents. Triazole-containing compounds have shown prominent activities as antifungal agents. Based on this, we opined that a Cu(i) catalyzed click reaction could serve as the bridging tool between a eugenol/isoeugenol moiety and sugars to synthesize eugenol/isoeugenol based glycoconjugates. In our present work, we have coupled propargylated eugenol/isoeugenol and azido sugar to furnish eugenol/isoeugenol based glycoconjugates. In another approach, we have carried out hydroxylation of the double bond of eugenol and subsequent azidation of a primary alcohol followed by intramolecular coupling reactions leading to various other analogues. All the synthesized compounds were assayed against an opportunistic pathogenic fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus. Among the synthesized compounds, two analogues have exhibited significant antifungal activities with IC50 values of 5.42 and 9.39 mu M, respectively. The study suggested that these two analogues inhibit cell wall-associated melanin hydrophobicity along with the number of conidia. The synthesized compounds were found to be non-cytotoxic to an untransformed cell line.

}, doi = {10.1039/d2md00138a}, author = {Goswami, Lakshmi and Gupta, Lovely and Paul, Sayantan and Vermani, Maansi and Vijayaraghavan, Pooja and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {48224, title = {Design, synthesis of anticancer and anti-inflammatory 4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-6-(methylthio) pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {52}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR }, pages = {733-744}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel series of 4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-6-(methylthio) pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles (4a-i) was synthesized and evaluated for anticancer potential against cell lines for breast cancer. Compounds 4b, 4e, and 4h exhibited prominent cytotoxicity against human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cell line with GI(50 )of 2.0, 0.5, and 0.5 mu M, respectively. Molecular docking study against EGFR tyrosine kinase could provide valuable insights into the plausible mechanism of action. The compounds could bind with significantly high binding affinity and their binding affinity scores could correlate well with the observed anticancer activity. Furthermore, compounds 4a, 4c, 4e, 4g, and 4i exhibited significant inflammatory activities as well which could expand the therapeutic domain of this novel series.

}, keywords = {Anti-inflammatory, Anticancer, Antioxidant, Indole, pyrimidine}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2022.2048860}, author = {Bhale, Pravin S. and Chavan, V. Hemant and Shringare, Sadanand N. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Tigote, Radhakrishna M. and Mali, Nikita N. and Jadhav, Tukaram D. and Kamble, Nitin B. and Kolat, Swati P. and Bandgar, Babasaheb P. and Patil, Harshal S.} } @article {48069, title = {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}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13025-13039}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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 {\textquoteleft}-bithiophene was favorable by 2.6 kcal mol(-1) (Delta Delta G) as compared to that from 2,2 {\textquoteleft}-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 {\textquoteleft}-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.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/d2tc02514k}, author = {Kakde, Navnath R. and Bharathkumar, H. J. and Wavhal, Bhaiyyasaheb A. and Nikam, Arun and Patil, Suneha and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Vanka, Kumar and Krishnamoorthy, K. and Kulkarni, Amol and Asha, S. K.} } @article {48396, title = {Dual-functional 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylthiophene additive-assisted crystallization control and trap state passivation for high- performance perovskite solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {5}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC }, pages = {14701-14711}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {3-acetyl-2, 5-dimethylthiophene, additive engineering, crystallization control, defect passivation, Perovskite solar cells}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.2c01881}, author = {Saykar, Nilesh G. and Iqbal, Muzahir and Pawar, Mahendra and Chavan, Kashinath T. and Mahapatra, Santosh K.} } @article {48231, title = {Effect of oxalic acid and sulphuric acid hydrolysis on the preparation and properties of pineapple pomace derived cellulose nanofibers and nanopapers}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {209}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1745-1759}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nanocellulose is the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}green magnet{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} 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}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.04.138}, author = {Neenu, K. V. and Dominic, C. D. Midhun and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Kanoth, Bipinbal Parambath and David, Deepthi Anna and Sajadi, S. Mohammad and Dhanyasree, P. and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Badawi, Michael} } @article {48083, title = {Efficient route to 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-biindolinylidene-diones by iron-catalyzed dimerization of isatins}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {e202200414}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Iron-catalyzed dimerization of various isatin derivatives is described for the efficient synthesis of 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-biindolinylidene-diones (isoindigos). The reaction provides easy access to self-coupled and cross-coupled 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-indolinylidene-diones that have high relevance to biology and materials. This Fe(0)- or Fe(II)-catalyzed dimerization reaction tolerates a wide range of functionalities, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo, alkenyl, nitrile, ether, ester, pyrrolyl, indolyl and carbazolyl groups, including cyclic and acyclic alkyls as well as an alkyl-bearing fatty-alcohol moiety. Especially, the coupling between two distinct isatins provided excellent selectivity for the cross-dimerization with trace of self-couplings. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction study established the molecular structure of eight dimerized products. A preliminary mechanistic study of the Fe-catalyzed dimerization supported the radical pathway for the reaction.

}, keywords = {Cross-coupling, dimerization, iron, Isatin, Isoindigo, Mechanism}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202200414}, author = {Jagtap, Rahul A. and Pradhan, Chandini and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47993, title = {Emerging landscape of molecular interaction networks: opportunities, challenges and prospects}, journal = {Journal of Biosciences}, volume = {47}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {24}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Network biology finds application in interpreting molecular interaction networks and providing insightful inferences using graph theoretical analysis of biological systems. The integration of computational bio-modelling approaches with different hybrid network-based techniques provides additional information about the behaviour of complex systems. With increasing advances in high-throughput technologies in biological research, attempts have been made to incorporate this information into network structures, which has led to a continuous update of network biology approaches over time. The newly minted centrality measures accommodate the details of omics data and regulatory network structure information. The unification of graph network properties with classical mathematical and computational modelling approaches and technologically advanced approaches like machine-learning- and artificial intelligence-based algorithms leverages the potential application of these techniques. These computational advances prove beneficial and serve various applications such as essential gene prediction, identification of drug-disease interaction and gene prioritization. Hence, in this review, we have provided a comprehensive overview of the emerging landscape of molecular interaction networks using graph theoretical approaches. With the aim to provide information on the wide range of applications of network biology approaches in understanding the interaction and regulation of genes, proteins, enzymes and metabolites at different molecular levels, we have reviewed the methods that utilize network topological properties, emerging hybrid network-based approaches and applications that integrate machine learning techniques to analyse molecular interaction networks. Further, we have discussed the applications of these approaches in biomedical research with a note on future prospects.

}, keywords = {Centrality, disease mechanisms, hybrid network-based models, machine learning, molecular interaction networks, network topology, systems biology}, issn = {0250-5991}, doi = {10.1007/s12038-022-00253-y}, author = {Panditrao, Gauri and Bhowmick, Rupa and Meena, Chandrakala and Sarkar, Ram Rup} } @article {48191, title = {Enantioselective Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis enabled by chiral (P,N)-ligands}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {144}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {7089-7095}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Presented herein is the first report of enantioselective Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis, enabled by a newly designed hemilabile chiral (P,N)-ligand (ChetPhos). The potential of this concept has been demonstrated by the development of enantioselective 1,2-oxyarylation and 1,2-aminoarylation of alkenes which provided direct access to the medicinally relevant 3-oxy- and 3-aminochromans (up to 88\% yield and 99\% ee). DFT studies were carried out to unravel the enantiodetermining step, which revealed that the stronger trans influence of phosphorus allows selective positioning of the substrate in the C-2-symmetric chiral environment present around nitrogen, imparting a high level of enantioselectivity.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.2c02799}, author = {Chintawar, Chetan C. and Bhoyare, Vivek W. and Mane, Manoj V. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {48348, title = {Engineering nucleotide sugar synthesis pathways for independent and simultaneous modulation of N-glycan galactosylation and fucosylation in CHO cells}, journal = {Metabolic Engineering}, volume = {74}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {61-71}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glycosylation of recombinant therapeutics like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is a critical quality attribute. N-glycans in mAbs are known to affect various effector functions, and thereby therapeutic use of such glycoproteins can depend on a particular glycoform profile to achieve desired efficacy. However, there are currently limited options for modulating the glycoform profile, which depend mainly on over-expression or knock-out of glyco-syltransferase enzymes that can introduce or eliminate specific glycans but do not allow predictable glycoform modulation over a range of values. In this study, we demonstrate the ability to predictably modulate the gly-coform profile of recombinant IgG. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we have engineered nucleotide sugar synthesis pathways in CHO cells expressing recombinant IgG for combinatorial modulation of galactosylation and fucosylation. Knocking out the enzymes UDP-galactose 4 {\textquoteleft}-epimerase (Gale) and GDP-L-fucose synthase (Fx) resulted in ablation of de novo synthesis of UDP-Gal and GDP-Fuc. With Gale knock-out, the array of N-glycans on recom-binantly expressed IgG is narrowed to agalactosylated glycans, mainly A2F glycan (89\%). In the Gale and Fx double knock-out cell line, agalactosylated and afucosylated A2 glycan is predominant (88\%). In the double knock-out cell line, galactosylation and fucosylation was entirely dependent on the salvage pathway, which allowed for modulation of UDP-Gal and GDP-Fuc synthesis and intracellular nucleotide sugar availability by controlling the availability of extracellular galactose and fucose. We demonstrate that the glycoform profile of recombinant IgG can be modulated from containing predominantly agalactosylated and afucosylated glycans to up to 42\% and 96\% galactosylation and fucosylation, respectively, by extracellular feeding of sugars in a dose-dependent manner. By simply varying the availability of extracellular galactose and/or fucose, galactosylation and fucosylation levels can be simultaneously and independently modulated. In addition to achieving the pro-duction of tailored glycoforms, this engineered CHO host platform can cater to the rapid synthesis of variably glycoengineered proteins for evaluation of biological activity.

}, keywords = {Antibody, Cell engineering, Fucosylation, Fx, Galactosylation, Gale, glycosylation, Nucleotide sugar synthesis, Recombinant therapeutics}, issn = {1096-7176}, doi = {10.1016/j.ymben.2022.09.003}, author = {Prabhu, Anuja and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {47983, title = {Enhanced anisole hydroxylation over a hierarchical micro/mesoporous TS-1 catalyst}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {46}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {14667-14675}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d2nj01556k}, author = {Patil, Chetana R. and Niphadkar, Prashant and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Rode, V. Chandrashekhar} } @article {48135, title = {Enhanced proton conductivity in amino acid based self-assembled non-porous hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {58}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5972-5975}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d2cc00948j}, author = {Pramanik, Titas and Anand, Ashish and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Row, T. N. Guru} } @article {48177, title = {Exploring the core microbiota in scented rice (Oryza sativa L.) rhizosphere through metagenomics approach}, journal = {Microbiological Research}, volume = {263}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {127157}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rice is a major food crop cultivated around the globe. Specially scented rice varieties are of commercial importance but they are low-yielding. The rhizospheric microflora plays a significant role in improving yield and aroma. However, the core microbiome of the scented rice rhizosphere is comparatively less explored. Here, we analyzed the core microbiome associated with the rhizosphere of the scented (Ambemohar-157 and Dehradun basmati) in comparison with non-scented rice (Kolam and Arize 6444 Gold) cultivated at two different geoclimatic zones of India (Maharashtra and Uttarakhand) using the metagenomics approach. The alpha and beta diversity analysis showed that the microbial communities associated with scented and non-scented varieties significantly changes with respect to richness, diversity, and evenness. The taxonomic profiling revealed the variation in composition, diversity, and abundance of the microbiome in terms of phyla and genera associated with scented rice varieties over non-scented. The cluster analysis distinguishes the microbial communities based on their geographical positions. The core microbiome analysis revealed that scented rice rhizosphere shelters distinct and unique microbiota. 28.6 \% of genera were exclusively present only in the scented rice rhizosphere. The putative functional gene annotation revealed the high abundance of genes related to the biosynthesis of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) precursors in scented rice. The precursor feeding analysis revealed proline as a preferred substrate by 2AP synthesizing bacteria. The 2AP precursor proline and proline metabolism genes showed a positive correlation. The scented rice-specific rhizobacteria pointed out in this study can be used as bioinoculants for enhancing aroma, yield, and sustainable rice cultivation.

}, keywords = {Metagenome, Microbial community, Microbiome, Oryza sativa, Rhizosphere, rice}, issn = {0944-5013}, doi = {10.1016/j.micres.2022.127157}, author = {Dhondge, V. Harshal and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Paul, Dhiraj and Dastager, Syed G. and Pable, Anupama A. and Nadaf, Altafhusain B.} } @article {47759, title = {Facile fabrication of nano silver phosphate on B-doped g-C3N4: an excellent p-n heterojunction photocatalyst towards water oxidation and Cr (VI) reduction}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {898}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {162853}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.162853}, author = {Sahoo, Mitarani and Babu, Pradeepta and Singh, Chandrodai Pratap and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Parida, Kulamani} } @article {47062, title = {First synthesis of podocarflavone A and its analogs and evaluation of their antimycobacterial potential against mycobacterium tuberculosis with the support of virtual screening}, journal = {Natural Product Research}, volume = {36}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3879-3886}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The first synthetic route developed for Podocarflavone A reported from Podocarpus macrophyllus and its analogs in 7 steps. Computational analysis for binding with the pantothenate kinase (3AVO) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed their docking score (ds) in the range of -8.9 to -9.3 Kcal/mol. MD simulations delineated the stability of the protein-ligand complexes in the TIP3P model. MMGBSA and MMPBSA values of 8d were -42.46 Kcal/mol and -14.58 Kcal/mol, respectively. Further in-vitro antitubercular screening of compounds 8a, 8d, and 8e against M. tuberculosis H37Ra using XRMA protocol exhibited promising antimycobacterial activity with IC50 values 21.82 mu g/mL, 15.55 mu g/mL, and 16.56 mu g/mL, respectively. Compounds 8a, 8d, and 8e showed antibacterial activity with IC50 values 41.56 mu g/mL, 24.72 mu g/mL, and 72.45 mu g/mL respectively against the Staphylococcus aureus. 8a and 8d showed inhibition with IC50 values 39.6 mu g/mL and 27.64 mu g/mL, respectively, against Bacillus subtilis. The present study could help in the further development of lead molecules against tuberculosis.

}, keywords = {and MMGBSA, antimycobacterial activity, docking, MD simulations, MMPBSA, Podocarflavone A synthesis}, issn = {1478-6419}, doi = {10.1080/14786419.2021.1893317}, author = {Puranik, Ninad V. and Swami, Sagar and Misar, Ashwini V. and Mamgain, Ritu and Gulawani, Swapnaja S. and Dhiman, Sarkar and Srivastava, Pratibha} } @article {48215, title = {First-row transition metal complexes of a phosphine-silylene- based hybrid ligand}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {13330-13341}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c01233}, author = {Akhtar, Ruksana and Kaulage, Sandeep H. and Sangole, Mayur P. and Tothadi, Srinu and Parvathy, Parameswaran and Parameswaran, Pattiyil and Singh, Kirandeep and Khan, Shabana} } @article {48382, title = {Flexible ultracapacitor device fabricated with an organic electrode material- naphthalene diimide nitrile/reduced graphene oxide}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage}, volume = {56}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {106036}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we have demonstrated a high-performance flexible supercapacitor electrode based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and naphthalene diimide nitrile (NDI-CN) composite. The rGO/NDI-CN composite was prepared by a simple approach. This composite was well characterized using various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) etc. Besides, the pi -pi stacking of NDI-CN on rGO surface was confirmed using UV-vis and FTIR techniques. As fabricated rGO/NDI-CN composite was examined as an electrode material for the supercapacitor applications. The rGO/NDI-CN electrode has delivered an excellent specific capacitance (C-sp) of 336 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1)current density. The fabricated supercapacitor (SC) displays robustness with 80 \% capacitance retention over 10,000 cycles at higher current density of 10 A g(-1). To further explore the real-world application of electrode materials, the corresponding flexible supercapacitor was designed and examined. The flexible device exhibited an energy density of 9.54 mu Wh cm(-2) at a power density of 0.3 mWcm(-2). These results confirmed that the rGO/NDI-CN electrode material has good potential as an energy storage device. Furthermore, the facile construction and fabrication of flexible device displayed operation of LED when fully charged. The assembled flexible supercapacitor device could be bent and twisted, signifying the potential to be used in practical applications in various high-performance electrochemical devices.

}, keywords = {flexible supercapacitor, Naphthalene diimide, Organic molecule electrodes, pi -pi interaction, rGO}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2022.106036}, author = {Deshmukh, Ashvini B. and Biradar, Madan R. and Pawar, Meenakshi D. and Bhosale, Sidhanath V. and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {47801, title = {Flow visualization by Matlab{\textregistered} based image analysis of high-speed polymer melt extrusion film casting process for determining necking defect and quantifying surface velocity profiles}, journal = {Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research}, volume = {5}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-11}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The primary objective of this research paper is to detect and quantify the necking defect and surface velocity profiles in high-speed polymer melt extrusion film casting (EFC) process using Matlab{\textregistered} based image processing techniques. Extrusion film casting is an industrially important manufacturing process and is used on an industrial scale to produce thousands of kilograms of polymer films/sheets and coated products. In this research, the necking defect in an EFC process has been studied experimentally and the effects of macromolecular architecture such as long chain branching (LCB) on the extent of necking have been determined using image processing methodology. The methodology is based on the analysis of a sequence of image frames taken with the help of a commercial CCD camera over a specific target area of the EFC process. The image sequence is then analyzed using Matlab{\textregistered} based image processing toolbox wherein a customized algorithm is written and executed to determine the edges of the extruded molten polymeric film to quantify the necking defect. Alongwith the necking defect, particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique is also used in conjunction with the Matlab{\textregistered} software to determine the centerline and transverse velocity profiles in the extruded molten film. It is concluded from this study that image processing techniques provide valuable insights into quantifying both the necking defect and the associated velocity profiles in the molten extruded film.}, keywords = {Edge detection, Extrusion, Film, image analysis, Necking, Velocity measurement}, issn = {2542-5048}, doi = {10.1016/j.aiepr.2021.02.003}, author = {Aarati Vagga and Swapnil Aherrao and Harshawardhan Pol and Vivek Borkar} } @article {48064, title = {Formation of zircon-type DyCrO4 and its magnetic properties}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {48}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {24666-24676}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The formation mechanism of hydrolytic sol-gel synthesized DyCrO4 with a complexing agent in acidic and basic mediums is thoroughly studied. The role of complexing agents and pH on phase formation temperature is also intensively investigated. The formation temperature for DyCrO4 is similar to 500 degrees C in the absence and presence of complexing agents such as oxalic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) at pH 10. When critic acid is used, the DyCrO4 forms with Cr2O3 impurity. The crystallite size in the presence of a complexing agent in the basic medium is similar to 55 nm which is small as compared to only ammonia solution. The various reaction modes lead to tetragonal zircon-type DyCrO4 at similar to 500 degrees C, transforming into orthorhombic perovskite DyCrO3 at 800 degrees C. The magnetization curve shows the ferromagnetic behavior of DyCrO4 below transition temperature T-c similar to 21 K. This low T-c makes nanocrystalline DyCrO4 a potential material for cryogenic applications.

}, keywords = {Complexing agent, DyCrO4, Formation mechanism, Hydrolytic sol-gel method, pH}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.05.113}, author = {Ughade, Supriya and Joshi, Bhavana and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {48076, title = {Green synthesis of cyclohexanone to adipic acid over Fe-W oxides incorporated mesoporous carbon support}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {168}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {106466}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have prepared iron and tungsten oxides incorporated mesoporous carbon (MC) catalysts using a simple hydrothermal methodology with different carbon sources, and the catalytic performance was investigated for cyclohexanone oxidation. An adequate amount of metal oxide loading has displayed a key role in the selective catalyst for adipic acid (AA) synthesis. The MC catalyst has shown its prime activity under the influence of redox properties of W5+/W6+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ as promoters. The 10\%Fe 90\%W-MC fructose as a carbon source catalyst has provided its best selectivity of 87\% for AA at 120 ?C.

}, keywords = {Adipic Acid, Liquid phase oxidation, mesoporous carbon, Redox center}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2022.106466}, author = {Mekala, Siva Prasad and Prabu, Marimuthu and Gawali, Sheetal Datta and Gopakumar, Karthik and Gogoi, Pranjal and Bhatkar, Akash Ravindra and Mohapatra, Gourab and Unnikrishanan, Eeswar and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {48395, title = {Green synthesis-mediated iron oxide nanoparticles using sphagneticola trilobata (L.) for antibacterial and anticancer assessment}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Magazine}, volume = {18}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT-DEC}, pages = {953-961}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Green chemistry is widely accepted phenomenon to synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) used in several biomedical and technological applications. Metal oxide nanoparticles are useful in biomedical, clearing environmental pollutants, enzyme immobilization, etc., Objectives: The synthesis of Fe-NPs using Sphagneticola trilobata leaf extract using ferric chloride solution and its biological assessment. Materials and Methods: The present study involved the synthesis of Fe-NPs using S. trilobata leaf extract using ferric chloride solution by the co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized for Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, particle size analysis, and magnetization studies. The nanoparticles were biologically evaluated for microbiological, antioxidant, and in vitro cytotoxicity activity. Results: Magnetic nanoparticles were appeared in dark brown color. The change in color might result due to the presence of polyphenols in S. trilobata leaf extract. The characterization studies confirmed morphology, shape, and size of the nanoparticles. The mean diameter of Fe-NPs and S. trilobata-Fe-NPs was found to be 42.2 +/- 2.6 and 62.54 +/- 2.01 nm, respectively. Magnetization studies of nanoparticles revealed ferromagnetic behavior with the saturation magnetization at 57 emugm(-1). S. trilobata-Fe-NPs showed significant antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis by the well-diffusion method. Antioxidant activity of S. trilobata-Fe-NPs exhibited 65.78\% inhibition in comparison with ascorbic acid. The cytotoxicity assay of S. trilobata-Fe-NPs on HCT-15 colon adenocarcinoma cells showed significant anticancer activity (56.44\%) cytotoxic inhibition. Conclusion: Green synthesis-mediated S. trilobata-Fe-NPs appeared to produce significant antimicrobial and anticancer potential.

}, keywords = {Elemental analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, green synthesis, iron oxide nanoparticles, Sphagneticola trilobata, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0973-1296}, doi = {10.4103/pm.pm_356_21}, author = {Dhavale, Rakesh Pandit and Patil, Swapnil Sanjay and Jadhav, Sagar Ujwal and Dhavale, Rushikesh Pandit and Agawane, Sachin Bharat} } @article {48099, title = {Green transformation of CO2 to ethanol using water and sunlight by the combined effect of naturally abundant red phosphorus and Bi2MoO6}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {15}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY }, pages = {1967-1976}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Direct photocatalytic conversion of CO2 to ethanol remains a scientific challenge because of the sluggish kinetics of C-C coupling and complex multielectron transfer processes. To achieve a green transformation of CO2 to C1+ products using naturally abundant sunlight and water requires the smart design of an efficient catalyst by selecting the right combination of atoms either in elemental or in compound form. Herein, we report a composite photocatalyst composed of earth abundant red phosphorus (RP) in nano-sheet morphology decorated with Bi2MoO6 nano-particles. The composite synthesised by a facile ultrasonication method produces 51.8 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) of ethanol from CO2. The ability of RP for the conversion of CO2 to C1 has been altered by the introduction of Bi2MoO6. In situ Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and Kinetic Isotopic Effect (KIE) analysis shed light on the mechanistic pathway, which propose that the presence of Bi-Mo dual sites play a crucial role in the C-C coupling toward the formation of ethanol. Spectroscopic evidence and isotope labeling experiments suggest that the intermediate OCH3* is the key active species for ethanol formation via self-coupling followed by proton transfer.

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/d1ee02976b}, author = {Das, Risov and Das, Kousik and Ray, Bitan and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48227, title = {Gut microbiota dysbiosis in patients with intracranial sino-venous thrombosis and acute ischemic stroke in the young}, journal = {Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology}, volume = {25}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP-OCT}, pages = {980+}, type = {Letter}, issn = {0972-2327}, doi = {10.4103/aian.aian_393_22}, author = {Prabhu, Varsha A. and Rajput, Vinay and Yadav, Rakeshkumar and Gohil, Kushal and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Unnikrishnan, Mazhuvancherry Kesavan and Gorthi, Sankar Prasad} } @article {48089, title = {Heterostructure from heteromixture: unusual OER activity of FeP and CoP nanostructures on physical mixing}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {22354-22362}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Heterointerfaces generated by inter-domain interactions on a nanoscale play a critical role in altering the activity of an electrocatalyst towards an electrochemical process. Heterointerfaces affect the surface characteristics, electronic structure, and physicochemical properties of a nanomaterial. Herein, we report an FeP-CoP heterostructure prepared by simple physical mixing of FeP and CoP nanostructures showing a remarkable performance towards water oxidation in comparison to their individual monometallic phosphides. FeP mixed with 20 wt\% CoP shows a low overpotential (eta(10)) of 220 mV as compared to FeP (eta(10), 325 mV). Furthermore, a high current density of 1.37 A cm(-2) and mass activity of 18 987 A g(M)(-1) were also achieved at 500 mV overpotential in 1.0 M KOH. The physical mixture shows immense stability for 200 h to achieve a high current density of 200 mA cm(-2). Meanwhile the potentiostatic performance of FeP at 200 mA cm(-2) decreases to an extent of 50\% in 40 h. A full cell arrangement employing this catalyst as the anode material requires 1.56 V to attain a current density of 10 mA cm(-2). Various characterization techniques, control experiments and theoretical studies indicate that the formation of heterointerfaces between the nano-domains of FeP and CoP results in charge transfer between Fe and Co metal sites. In addition, an oxygenated surface at the metal phosphide interface favours the sorption kinetics of intermediates involved in the reaction leading to low energy barriers in the potential determining and other steps, thus showing improved performance towards water oxidation.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d2ta04296g}, author = {Bhutani, Divya and Maity, Sisir and Chaturvedi, Shashank and Chalapathi, Divya and Waghmare, V. Umesh and Narayana, Chandrabhas and Prabhakaran, Vinod C. and Muthusamy, Eswaramoorthy} } @article {47763, title = {High throughput sequencing based direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 fragments in wastewater of Pune, West India}, journal = {Science of the Total Environment}, volume = {807}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB }, pages = {151038}, type = {Article}, abstract = {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}, issn = {0048-9697}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151038}, author = {Dharmadhikari, Tanmay and Rajput, Vinay and Yadav, Rakeshkumar and Boargaonkar, Radhika and Patil, Dhawal and Kale, Saurabh and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Dastager, Syed G. and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article {46653, title = {Homo and heterologous expression of the HpPKS2 gene in Hypericum perforatum and Bacopa monnieri}, journal = {Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {215-215}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {0167-6857}, doi = {10.1007/s11240-020-01965-5}, author = {Khan, Shamshad Ahmad and Verma, Priyanka and Parasharami, Varsha A.} } @article {48010, title = {Honeycomb boron carbon nitride as high-performance anode material for li-ion batteries}, journal = {ChemNanoMat}, volume = {8}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e202200056}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {2199-692X}, doi = {10.1002/cnma.202200056}, author = {Karbhal, Indrapal and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Patrike, Apurva and Yadav, Poonam and Shelke, V, Manjusha} } @article {48130, title = {Hybrid material for ferric ion detection \& remediation: exceptional selectivity \& adsorption capacity with biological applications}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {338}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {111945}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, naphthalimide derived functionalized silica material SiO2@NAPIA (2,2{\textquoteright}((((propylazanediyl)bis (methylene))bis(2,1-phenylene))bis(oxy))bis(N-(1,3-dioxo-1H-benzo[de]i soquinoline-2(3H)-yl)acetamide)) was constructed as a dual signaling and remediation material for ferric ions from a pool of 35 common ions (cations and anions) in the aqueous system. The material Cubic SiO2 shows a high surface area (1104 m2/g, pore volume (1.510 cm3/g), and pore diameter (6.3 nm) in the mesoporous range, which reduces further on functionalization to get the final material SiO2@NAPIA. The ferric ion selectivity through fluorescence quenching displays a SternVolmer quenching constant (Ksv) of 7.8 x 108 M-1 with a LOD (Limit of detection) value of 0.11 mu M for ferricion, which is 48 times lower than the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) maximum contaminant level (5.35 mu M) in drinking water. This material also shows a very high adsorption capacity (664 mg/g) for ferric ions fitting the Langmuir model isotherm with R2 = 0.99, which can be easily stripped out, and the material can be recycled. This material was also used as a sensory probe material for biosensing of ferric ions through fluorescence imaging in living organisms like Artemia salina and quantification in the real environmental sample. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity inspired by the ferric ion chelating affinity shows good potency against several Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) \& Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the material against these pathogens were found to be 100 \& 200 mu g/mL respectively. This material signifies superior activity with respect to the ferric-ion selective materials known in the literature.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Antibacterial, Biosensing, Functional material, Mesoporous silica, sensing}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2022.111945}, author = {Yadav, Sanjay and Rajpurohit, Dushyantsingh and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Bhojani, Gopal and Chatterjee, Shruti and Paital, Alok Ranjan} } @article {48340, title = {Hyperthermia and doxorubicin release by Fol-LSMO nanoparticles induce apoptosis and autophagy in breast cancer cells}, journal = {Nanomedicine}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1929-1949}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {1743-5889}, doi = {10.2217/nnm-2022-0171}, author = {Kulkarni-Dwivedi, Neha and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Shravage, V. Bhupendra and Umrani, Rinku D. and Paknikar, Kishore M. and Jadhav, Sachin H.} } @article {48397, title = {Identification and characterization of the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the neurotoxin beta-ODAP in grass pea}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {298}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {101806}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a grain legume commonly grown in Asia and Africa for food and forage. It is a highly nutritious and robust crop, capable of surviving both droughts and floods. However, it produces a neurotoxic compound, beta-N- oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid (beta-ODAP), which can cause a severe neurological disorder when consumed as a primary diet component. While the catalytic activity associated with beta-ODAP formation was demonstrated more than 50 years ago, the enzyme responsible for this activity has not been identified. Here, we report on the identity, activity, 3D structure, and phylogenesis of this enzyme-beta-ODAP synthase (BOS). We show that BOS belongs to the benzylalcohol O-acetyltransfer-ase, anthocyanin O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase, anthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltransferase, deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase superfamily of acyltransferases and is structurally similar to hydroxycinnamoyl transferase. Using molecular docking, we propose a mechanism for its catalytic activity, and using heterologous expression in tobacco leaves (Nicotiana benthamiana), we demonstrate that expression of BOS in the presence of its substrates is sufficient for beta-ODAP production in vivo. The identification of BOS may pave the way toward engineering beta-ODAP-free grass pea cultivars, which are safe for human and animal consumption.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101806}, author = {Goldsmith, Moshe and Barad, Shiri and Knafo, Maor and Savidor, Alon and Ben-Dor, Shifra and Brandis, Alexander and Mehlman, Tevie and Peleg, Yoav and Albeck, Shira and Dym, Orly and Ben-Zeev, Efrat and Barbole, Ranjit S. and Aharoni, Asaph and Reich, Ziv} } @article {48406, title = {Improved mucoadhesion, permeation and in vitro anticancer potential of synthesized thiolated acacia and karaya gum combination: a systematic study}, journal = {Molecules}, volume = {27}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6829}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {buccal tablets, enhanced permeation, ivabradine HCl, mucoadhesion, thiolated gums}, doi = {10.3390/molecules27206829}, author = {Munot, Neha and Kandekar, Ujjwala and Rikame, Chaitali and Patil, Abhinandan and Sengupta, Poulomi and Urooj, Shabana and Bilal, Anusha} } @article {48210, title = {Improvement in oxygen evolution performance of NiFe layered double hydroxide grown in the presence of 1T-Rich MoS2}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {31951-31961}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) grown in the presence of MoS2 (rich in 1T phase) shows exceptional performance metrics for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in this class of composites. The as-prepared NiFe LDH/MoS2 composite (abbreviated as MNF) exhibits a low overpotential (eta(10)) of 190 mV; a low Tafel slope of 31 mV dec(-1); and more importantly, a high stability in its performance manifested by the delivery of current output for 45 h. It is important to note that this could be achieved with an exceedingly low loading of 0.14 mg cm(-2). The mass activity of this composite (97 A g(-1)) is about 14 times greater than that of the conventional RuO2 (7 A g(-1) ) at eta = 200 mV. When normalized with respect to the total metal content, a mass activity of 1000 A g(-1) (eta = 300 mV) was achieved. Impedance analysis further reveals that the significant reduction in charge-transfer resistance and hence high current density (5 times greater as compared to NiFe LDH at eta = 300 mV) observed for MNF is associated with interfacial adsorption kinetics of intermediates (R-1). Significant enhancement in the intrinsic activity of MNF over LDH has been observed through normalization of current with the electrochemically active surface area. Computational studies suggest that the Ni centers in the composite act as the active sites for OER, which is well-corroborated with the observed postreaction appearance of Ni3+ species.

}, keywords = {Impedance, LDH-MoS2 hybrid electrocatalyst, mass activity, OER, overpotential}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.2c06210}, author = {Chakraborty, Soumita and Marappa, Shivanna and Agarwal, Sakshi and Bagchi, Debabrata and Rao, Ankit and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C. and Singh, Abhishek and Eswaramoorthy, Muthusamy} } @article {48156, title = {Influence of catalyst reduction temperature on autogenous glycerol hydrogenolysis over NiAl catalyst}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {e202100704}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Autogenous glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol by aqueous phase reforming (APR) was investigated over supported nickel catalysts. Effect of reduction temperature on physico-chemical properties of catalysts played a significant role in tuning conversion and product selectivities. The formation of nickel aluminate (NiAl2O4) spinel phase during catalyst reduction led to rearrangement of Ni species to obtain small and stable Ni particles. The catalyst activation temperature alters the extent of reduction of multivalent Ni species (Ni-0, Ni+2/+3) which facilitated glycerol dehydration and hydrogenation while suppressing C-C cleavage and thus avoiding undesirable side products. Additionally, presence of moderate Bronsted/Lewis acid ratio of the catalyst promoted higher 1,2-PDO selectivity. In-situ glycerol hydrogenolysis involves glycerol dehydration to acetol with simultaneous reforming to H-2 and CO2 and this hydrogen converts acetol to 1,2-PDO.

}, keywords = {APR, autogenous hydrogenolysis, Glycerol, Propanediols, reduction temperature, spinel}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.202100704}, author = {Pandya, Rajan and Mane, Rasika and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {48356, title = {Influence of ice templating on oxygen reduction catalytic activity of metal-free heteroatom-doped mesoporous carbon derived from polypyrrole for zinc-air batteries}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.202200840}, author = {Kurian, Maria and Ghosh, Meena and Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Torris, Arun and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48188, title = {Influence of support textural property on CO2 to methane activity of Ni/ SiO2 catalysts}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {317}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {121692}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2022.121692}, author = {Cherevotan, Arjun and Ray, Bitan and Churipard, Sathyapal R. and Kaur, Komalpreet and Gautam, Ujjal K. and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48054, title = {Integrated chemo and bio-catalyzed synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid from fructose derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural}, journal = {Biomass \& Bioenergy}, volume = {161}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {106474}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biomass being a renewable source of energy, has emerged as an attractive target for manufacturing valuable products. These possibilities can be explored to meet the current need for degradable plastic, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Integration of chemical and biological approaches for direct biomass conversion into FDCA was evaluated in this study. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) was chemo-catalytically obtained from fructose using recyclable amberlyte IR-120 as a catalyst with \>98\% purity. Klebsiella oxytoca NCIM 2694 bacterial strain showed the potential of converting 98\% of 5-HMF into FDCA with 58\% selectivity at 96 h. With optimized conditions of pH 7, 37 degrees C, 2 g whole cells, we reported 99\% 5-HMF conversion to FDCA with 95\% selectivity at 72 h and 2667 mg L-1 yield, with 39 mg L-1 h-1 productivity. This is the highest yield obtained with the substrate concentration as high as 3000 mg L-1 reported till date. While the bacterial tolerance to 5-HMF observed was for the highest 5-HMF concentration of 4000 mg L-1, with 99\% conversion however, compromising the FDCA yield to 2447 mg L-1 and 32 mg L-1 h-1 productivity. Atom economy of 85\% and E factor of 17.71 g g-1 was obtained as a measure of its efficiency and sustainability of the process. The developed process will decrease the cost by excluding any extra nutrient supplement, complete substrate utilization, highest FDCA selectivity/productivity and higher tolerance by K. oxytoca, sequentially catalyzing the oxidations by a single route for FDCA synthesis from renewables.

}, keywords = {biocatalysis, Biodegradable polyester, Biomass, Platform chemical, Sustainability metrics}, issn = {0961-9534}, doi = {10.1016/j.biombioe.2022.106474}, author = {Parate, Roopa D. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Rode, V. Chandrashekhar} } @article {48052, title = {Intensified hydrodynamic cavitation using vortex flow based cavitating device for degradation of ciprofloxacin}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Research \& Design}, volume = {187}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {623-632}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present work, for the first time, establishes degradation behavior of ciprofloxacin (CIP), a widely used fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics, using vortex flow based hydro-dynamic cavitation (HC) for low to high concentrations of CIP (10 and 100 mg/L). Effect of pressure on the degradation of CIP and TOC reduction was investigated on pilot plant scale (capacity 1 m3/h). Process intensifications using aeration as well as hydrogen per-oxide (H2O2) were also investigated. While aeration did not yield any significant en-hancement, process intensification using H2O2 resulted in similar to 200\% enhancement in the CIP degradation as compared to HC alone. Excellent degradations, to an extent of 79 \& 95\%, were achieved corresponding to high cavitational yields of 7.2 x 10-4 mg/J and 86.8 x 10-4 mg/J for CIP concentrations of 10 and 100 mg/L respectively using the process intensified approach of HC and H2O2, not reported so far for cavitating devices without moving ele-ments. The developed methodology demonstrated 4-7 times improvement in per-pass degradation and low cost with high efficiency compared to the conventional cavitation. The results clearly highlight utility of the process intensified approach using H2O2 for the degradation of CIP even at high concentrations, specifically important for pharmaceutical industries requiring zero liquid discharge norms.(c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antibiotics removal, ciprofloxacin, Degradation, Oxidation, Wastewater treatment}, issn = {0263-8762}, doi = {10.1016/j.cherd.2022.09.027}, author = {Patil, Pravin B. and Thanekar, Pooja and Bhandari, Vinay M.} } @article {48128, title = {Interplay of anion-pi(+) and pi(+)-pi(+) interactions in novel pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinolinium-based aiegens - substituent- and counterion-dependent fluorescence modulation and applications in live cell mitochondrial imaging}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {28}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL }, pages = {e202200632}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Recently, the concept of anion-pi(+) interactions has witnessed unique applications in the field of AIEgen development. In this contribution, we disclose a consolidated study of a library of N-doped ionic AIEgens accessed through silver-mediated cyclization of pyridino-alkynes. A thorough photophysical, computational and crystallographic study has been conducted to rationalize the observed substituent- and counterion-dependent fluorescence properties of these luminogens. We further elucidate the prominent role of anion-pi(+) interactions, pi(+)-pi(+) interactions and other non-covalent interactions, in inhibiting the undesired ACQ effect. Finally, we have also demonstrated the application of selected AIEgens for imaging of mitochondria in live cells.

}, keywords = {1-a]isoquinolinium, AIEgens, anion-pi(+), crystal structure, mitochondrial imaging, pyrido[2}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202200632}, author = {Mule, Ravindra D. and Roy, Rupam and Mandal, Koushik and Chopra, Deepak and Dutta, Tanoy and Sancheti, Shashank P. and Shinde, Popat S. and Banerjee, Somsuvra and Lal Koner, Apurba and Bhowal, Rohit and Senthilkumar, Beeran and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {48082, title = {Investigation of the captopril-insulin interaction by mass spectrometry and computational approaches reveals that captopril induces structural changes in insulin}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {23115-23126}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

ABSTRACT: Post-translational modifications remarkably regulate proteins{\textquoteright} 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 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}A{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}B{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} 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.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.2c00660}, author = {Ghosh, Amrita and Pawar, Aiswarya B. and Chirmade, Tejas and Jathar, Swaraj M. and Bhambure, Rahul and Sengupta, Durba and Giri, Ashok P. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {47809, title = {Isolation and characterization of chitosans from different fungi with special emphasis on zygomycetous dimorphic fungus benjaminiella poitrasii: evaluation of its chitosan nanoparticles for the inhibition of human pathogenic fungi}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {null}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The cell wall chitosan was extracted from fungi belonging to different taxonomic classes, namely, Benjaminiella poitrasii (Zygomycetes, dimorphic), Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Issatchenkia orientalis, Pichia membranifaciens, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Ascomycetes, yeasts), and Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus sajor-caju (Basidiomycetes). The maximum yield of chitosan was 60.89 {\textpm} 2.30 mg/g of dry mycelial biomass of B. poitrasii. The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of chitosan extracted from different fungi, as observed with 1H NMR, was in the range of 70{\textendash}93\%. B. poitrasii chitosan exhibited the highest DDA (92.78\%). The characteristic absorption bands were observed at 3450, 1650, 1420, 1320, and 1035 cm{\textendash}1 by FTIR. Compared to chitosan from marine sources (molecular weight, MW, 585 kDa), fungal chitosans showed lower MW (6.21{\textendash}46.33 kDa). Further, to improve the efficacy of B. poitrasii chitosan (Bp), nanoparticles (Np) were synthesized using the ionic gelation method and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS). For yeast and hyphal chitosan nanoparticles (BpYCNp and BpHCNp), the average particle size was <200 nm with polydispersity index of 0.341 {\textpm} 0.03 and 0.388 {\textpm} 0.002, respectively, and the zeta potential values were 21.64 {\textpm} 0.34 and 24.48 {\textpm} 1.58 mV, respectively. The B. poitrasii chitosans and their nanoparticles were further evaluated for antifungal activity against human pathogenic Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Candida glabrata NCYC 388, Candida tropicalis ATCC 750, Cryptococcus neoformans ATCC 34664, and Aspergillus niger ATCC 10578. BpHCNps showed lower MIC90 values (0.025{\textendash}0.4 mg/mL) than the chitosan polymer against the tested human pathogens. The study suggested that nanoformulation of fungal chitosan, which has low molecular weight and high \% DDA, is desirable for antifungal applications against human pathogens. Moreover, chitosans as well as their nanoparticles were found to be hemocompatible and are therefore safe for healthcare applications.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01248}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01248}, author = {Mane, Shamala and Pathan, Ejaj and Tupe, Santosh and Deshmukh, Sneha and Kale, Deepika and Ghormade, Vandana and Chaudhari, Bhushan and Deshpande, Mukund} } @article {48235, title = {Kupyaphores are zinc homeostatic metallophores required for colonization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {119}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {e2110293119}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {metallophore, nutritional immunity, tuberculosis, zinc}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2110293119}, author = {Mehdiratta, Kritee and Singh, Shubham and Sharma, Sachin and Bhosale, Rashmi S. and Choudhury, Rahul and Masal, Dattatraya P. and Manocha, Alzu and Dhamale, Bhushan Dilip and Khan, Naseem and Asokachandran, Vivekanand and Sharma, Pooja and Ikeh, Melanie and Brown, Amanda C. and Parish, Tanya and Ojha, Anil K. and Michael, Joy Sarojini and Faruq, Mohammed and Medigeshi, Guruprasad R. and Mohanty, Debasisa and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Natarajan, Vivek T. and Kamat, Siddhesh S. and Gokhale, Rajesh S.} } @article {48350, title = {Ligands as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Matchmakers{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}: alloying from a physical mixture of metal nanoparticle dispersions by digestive ripening}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {38}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC }, pages = {15917-15924}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Digestive ripening (DR) of a physical mixture of different metal nanoparticles (NPs) in the presence of a suitable ligand is demonstrated to be a convenient way to obtain alloy NPs. The results show that the right choice of metal-ligand combination is extremely important for efficient alloying. The results are rationalized on the basis of hard soft acid base principles, and it is concluded that better alloying ensues if DR is carried out with soft ligands when soft metals are being used and hard ligands facilitate alloying between hard metals. On the other hand, when a physical mixture of hard-soft metals is taken, ligands with intermediate character work better. The results presented here could prove to be extremely valuable and open new avenues of making interesting alloy/intermetallic systems.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01884}, author = {Shimpi, Jayesh R. and Prasad, V. Bhagavatula L.} } @article {48220, title = {Lignocellulose degradation by Penicillium janthinellum enzymes is influenced by its variable secretome and a unique set of feedstock characteristics}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {365}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {128129}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Substrate characteristics and proteins that affect lignocellulose-hydrolysis by the hypercellulolytic fungus Peni-cillium janthinellum NCIM 1366 (PJ-1366) were investigated. The hydrolysis rate of PJ-1366 enzymes was very high, with upto 75 \% of the reaction being completed in initial 4 h. Comparison of the hydrolytic efficiencies on differently pretreated biomass indicated that the greatest (negative) effect was imparted by lignin, suggesting that improving ligninase activity of the PJ-1366 enzymes may help to improve hydrolysis. Larger pore sizes and higher crystallinity of substrates, which favor enzyme penetration and processive hydrolysis, positively influ-enced hydrolysis efficiency. For alkali-pretreated substrates, 16 FPU/g of PJ-1366 cellulases released the sugar -equivalent of using 10 FPU/g of a commercial biomass hydrolyzing enzyme. By correlation analysis, 41 proteins, including 20 CAZymes were identified, whose abundance in the secretome positively correlated with the cellulase activities of the culture filtrate. These proteins may be considered as the primary drivers of FPase/ CMCase/pNPGase/xylanase activity in PJ-1366.

}, keywords = {Biofuel, CAZyme, Cellulase, Penicillium, Secretome}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128129}, author = {Christopher, Meera and Sreeja-Raju, Athiraraj and Sankar, Meena and Gokhale, Digambar Vitthal and Pandey, Ashok and Sukumaran, Rajeev K.} } @article {48150, title = {Luminescence turn-off detection of metal ions and explosives using graphene quantum dots}, journal = {MRS Communications}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {168-174}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Green luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) obtained from combustion of white printing paper were used for detection of fourteen different metal ions and six different explosives in an aqueous medium. These were obtained using a microwave-assisted synthesis process. After optimizing the experimental conditions (pH 6; quantum yield (QY) similar to 38.2\%), a sensitive sensing system was developed to detect explosives and free residual metal ions in the environment based on fluorescence quenching of GQDs. The as-synthesized GQDs, as a sensing system, is most sensitive for Cu2+ ion and 2,4-DNP with a detection limit of 0.62 mu M and 0.50 mu M, respectively.

}, issn = {2159-6859}, doi = {10.1557/s43579-022-00157-w}, author = {Jyotsna, Shubhra and Sadhu, Subha and Sharma, Vinay and Gupta, Preeti and Sharma, Geeta and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {48154, title = {Luminescent magnesium complexes with intra- and inter-ligand charge transfer}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {58}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11843-11846}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report two 2,2{\textquoteright}-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.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d2cc04142a}, author = {Kumar, Rohit and Pahar, Sanjukta and Chatterjee, Joy and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Vanka, Kumar and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {48236, title = {Machine learning-based approach to determine infection status in recipients of BBV152 (Covaxin) whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for serological surveys}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, volume = {146}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {105419}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {BBV152, Covaxin, COVID-19, Ensemble methods, Infection, machine learning, SARS-CoV-2}, issn = {0010-4825}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105419}, author = {Singh, Prateek and Ujjainiya, Rajat and Prakash, Satyartha and Naushin, Salwa and Sardana, Viren and Bhatheja, Nitin and Singh, Ajay Pratap and Barman, Joydeb and Kumar, Kartik and Gayali, Saurabh and Khan, Raju and Rawat, Birendra Singh and Tallapaka, Karthik Bharadwaj and Anumalla, Mahesh and Lahiri, Amit and Kar, Susanta and Bhosale, Vivek and Srivastava, Mrigank and Mugale, Madhav Nilakanth and Pandey, C. P. and Khan, Shaziya and Katiyar, Shivani and Raj, Desh and Ishteyaque, Sharmeen and Khanka, Sonu and Rani, Ankita and Promila and Sharma, Jyotsna and Seth, Anuradha and Dutta, Mukul and Saurabh, Nishant and Veerapandian, Murugan and Venkatachalam, Ganesh and Bansal, Deepak and Gupta, Dinesh and Halami, Prakash M. and Peddha, Muthukumar Serva and Veeranna, Ravindra P. and Pal, Anirban and Singh, Ranvijay Kumar and Anandasadagopan, Suresh Kumar and Karuppanan, Parimala and Rahman, Syed Nasar and Selvakumar, Gopika and Venkatesan, Subramanian and Karmakar, Malay Kumar and Sardana, Harish Kumar and Kothari, Anamika and Parihar, Devendra Singh and Thakur, Anupma and Saifi, Anas and Gupta, Naman and Singh, Yogita and Reddu, Ritu and Gautam, Rizul and Mishra, Anuj and Mishra, Avinash and Gogeri, Iranna and Rayasam, Geethavani and Padwad, Yogendra and Patial, Vikram and Hallan, Vipin and Singh, Damanpreet and Tirpude, Narendra and Chakrabarti, Partha and Maity, Sujay Krishna and Ganguly, Dipyaman and Sistla, Ramakrishna and Balthu, Narender Kumar and Kumar, Kiran A. and Ranjith, Siva and Kumar, B. Vijay and Jamwal, Piyush Singh and Wali, Anshu and Ahmed, Sajad and Chouhan, Rekha and Gandhi, Sumit G. and Sharma, Nancy and Rai, Garima and Irshad, Faisal and Jamwal, Vijay Lakshmi and Paddar, Masroor Ahmad and Khan, Sameer Ullah and Malik, Fayaz and Ghosh, Debashish and Thakkar, Ghanshyam and Barik, S. K. and Tripathi, Prabhanshu and Satija, Yatendra Kumar and Mohanty, Sneha and Khan, Md Tauseef and Subudhi, Umakanta and Sen, Pradip and Kumar, Rashmi and Bhardwaj, Anshu and Gupta, Pawan and Sharma, Deepak and Tuli, Amit and Chaudhuri, Saumya Ray and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Prakash, L. and Rao, V. Ch and Singh, B. N. and Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar and Chaurasiya, Meera and Bhadange, Mayuri and Likhitkar, Bhagyashree and Mohite, Sharada and Patil, Yogita and Kulkarni, Mahesh and Joshi, Rakesh and Pandya, Vaibhav and Mahajan, Sachin and Patil, Amita and Samson, Rachel and Vare, Tejas and Dharne, Mahesh and Giri, Ashok and Mahajan, Sachin and Paranjape, Shilpa and Sastry, G. Narahari and Kalita, Jatin and Phukan, Tridip and Manna, Prasenjit and Romi, Wahengbam and Bharali, Pankaj and Ozah, Dibyajyoti and Sahu, RaviKumar and Dutta, Prachurjya and Singh, Moirangthem Goutam and Gogoi, Gayatri and Tapadar, Yasmin Begam and Babu, Elapavalooru V. S. S. K. and Sukumaran, Rajeev K. and Nair, Aishwarya R. and Puthiyamadam, Anoop and Valappil, Prajeesh Kooloth and Prasannakumari, Adrash Velayudhan Pillai and Chodankar, Kalpana and Damare, Samir and Agrawal, Ved Varun and Chaudhary, Kumardeep and Agrawal, Anurag and Sengupta, Shantanu and Dash, Debasis} } @article {47999, title = {Manganese-catalyzed C(sp(2))-H alkylation of indolines and arenes with unactivated alkyl bromides}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e202200103}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Selective C(sp(2))-H bond alkylation of indoline, carbazole and (2-pyridinyl)arenes with unactivated alkyl bromides is achieved using MnBr2 catalyst in the absence of an external ligand. The alkylation uses a simple LiHMDS base and avoids the necessity of Grignard reagent, unlike other Mn-catalyzed C-H functionalization. This reaction proceeded either through a five- or a less-favored six-membered metallacycle, and tolerated diverse functionalities, including alkenyl, alkynyl, silyl, aryl ether, pyrrolyl, indolyl, carbazolyl and alkyl bearing fatty alcohol and polycyclic-steroid moieties. Alkylation follows a single electron transfer (SET) pathway involving 1e oxidative addition of alkyl bromide and a rate-limiting C-H metalation.

}, keywords = {Alkylation, C-H activation, indoline, ligand-free, manganese}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202200103}, author = {Verma, Suryadev K. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {47099, title = {Mechanics of soft polymeric materials using a fractal viscoelastic model}, journal = {Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials}, volume = {26}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Soft materials are known for their plethora of biomedical applications, intricate structure-property correlation and nonlinear mechanical response. Multiple length-time scale phenomena and hierarchical structure results in their nonlinearity. Phenomenological and continuum mechanical models have been developed to predict their mechanics, which have mostly been very material-specific with inability to predict the mechanics of different types of soft materials simultaneously. This shortcoming has been addressed in the present work, wherein a generic nonlinear viscoelastic model has been proposed to predict the mechanical response of hydrogels, sponges, and xerogels. A fractal derivative viscoelastic model is proposed considering a fractal Maxwell model in parallel with a nonlinear spring. In particular, this model is chosen to qualitatively mimic the material nonlinearity inherent in soft materials. The fractal dashpot in combination with the nonlinear spring accounts for the power law time-dependent rheology of generic soft materials. These two different aspects in the form of nonlinear stiffness and non-Newtonian rheology account for mechanics of most soft materials. The present model is shown to fit well the existing literature results for mechanical response of a multitude of soft material classes with different test conditions and loading rates, which is one of the salient features of the model, apart from its simplistic mathematical framework. Further, a parametric study is reported on the mechanics of nanocellulose loaded poly(vinyl alcohol) xerogel. The model predictions are observed to be in conjunction with the experimental observations.

}, keywords = {Mechanics, Nonlinear, Polymeric composites, Soft materials, viscoelastic}, issn = {1385-2000}, doi = {10.1007/s11043-021-09486-0}, author = {Pramanik, R. and Soni, F. and Shanmuganathan, K. and Arockiarajan, A.} } @article {48048, title = {Mechanistic insight the visible light driven hydrogen generation by plasmonic Au-Cu alloy mounted on TiO2 @B-doped g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {909}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {164754}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Designing of two dimensional surfaces and interfaces with light-active materials has been established as a versatile approach to increase their photocatalytic activity. In the present work, n-type anatase TiO2 coupled with p-type B-doped g-C3N4 nanosheet (BCN) were fabricated and Au-Cu nanoalloy with varying atomic ratio were deposited on the p-n heterojunction. The incorporation of Au-Cu on the interface of the dyad enhances light absorption over broad regime, charge separation, and migration. Au-Cu with 1:1 ratio (with an average particle size of 1.2 nm) loaded p-n hetrojunction (TBCAC-1:1) shows excellent photocurrent enhancement (approximately 4.4-folds) in the cathodic direction as compared to their monometallic plasmonic counterpart. Additionally, the catalyst shows photocurrent at zero biased potential as well as lower onset potential as compared to the other alloy. TBCAC-1:1 photocatalyst could able to produce 2150 mu mol h(-1)g(-1) of hydrogen, which is (approximately 3-folds) as compared to their monometallic counterparts. The hydrogen evolution process for Au-Cu (1:1) system was found to be governed by the charge distribution which dictates the binding preference of the Au and Cu sites leading to the water splitting as investigated by DFT calculation. The excellent hydrogen generation by the photocatalyst links to the synergistic effect between Au and Cu associated with the hot electron photochemistry due to surface plasmon resonance phenomenon. (C) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Doped carbon nitride, hydrogen production, LSPR, P-n junction, Photocatalysis, Plasmonic alloy}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.164754}, author = {Babu, Pradeepta and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Parida, Kulamani} } @article {48394, title = {Mechanistic modeling of continuous capture step purification of biosimilar monoclonal antibody therapeutic}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology}, volume = {97}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2404-2419}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{BACKGROUND Continuous multicolumn Protein A chromatography offers various advantages for capture stage purification of monoclonal antibody therapeutics, like higher productivity and resin capacity utilization, lower buffer consumption, small footprint, etc. Due to the complexity of the continuous process, experimental optimization is time-consuming and cost-intensive. This investigation proposes a hybrid process development approach integrating experimental and mechanistic modeling for time- and cost-effective development and optimization of continuous Protein A affinity chromatography. RESULTS Productivity and capacity utilization of the continuous CaptureSMB process under varying operating conditions were predicted using the Chromatography Analysis and Design Toolkit (CADET) framework and validated with experimental results. Effects of critical process parameters like feed concentration (c(0)), loading breakthrough (s) and residence time (RT) on productivity and capacity utilization were evaluated. Model predictions were validated using the experimental results proving the reliability and feasibility of the modeling approach. At 15.00 +/- 0.20 mg mL(-1) feed model mAb concentration, the model-based approach predicted the best performance giving 27.56 g L-1 h(-1) productivity (RT = 2 min

}, keywords = {CaptureSMB, continuous chromatography, Mathematical modeling, Protein A, simulation}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1002/jctb.6922}, author = {Deulgaonkar, Prashant and Bhambure, Rahul and Prasad, Bhaskarjyoti and Mishra, Ashok and Tiwari, Sanjay and Mody, Rustom} } @article {47899, title = {Mechanistically guided one pot synthesis of phosphine-phosphite and its implication in asymmetric hydrogenation}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2022}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {e202101447}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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{\textquoteright}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}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202101447}, author = {Sen, Anirban and Kumar, Rohit and Pandey, Swechchha and Raj, K. Vipin and Kumar, Pawan and Vanka, Kumar and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {47986, title = {Molecular mechanisms underlying caveolin-1 mediated membrane curvature}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, volume = {255}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {225-236}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Caveolin-1 is one of the main protein components of caveolae that acts as a mechanosensor at the cell membrane. The interactions of caveolin-1 with membranes have been shown to lead to complex effects such as curvature and the clustering of specific lipids. Here, we review the emerging concepts on the molecular interactions of caveolin-1, with a focus on insights from coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations. Consensus structural models of caveolin-1 report a helix-turn-helix core motif with flanking domains of higher disorder that could be membrane composition dependent. Caveolin-1 appears to be mainly surface-bound and does not embed very deep in the membrane to which it is bound. The most interesting aspect of caveolin-1 membrane binding is the interplay of cholesterol clustering and membrane curvature. Although cholesterol has been reported to cluster in the vicinity of caveolin-1 by several approaches, simulations show that the clustering is maximal in membrane leaflet opposing the surface-bound caveolin-1. The intrinsic negative curvature of cholesterol appears to stabilize the negative curvature in the opposing leaflet. In fact, the simulations show that blocking cholesterol clustering (through artificial position restraints) blocks membrane curvature, and vice versa. Concomitant with cholesterol clustering is sphingomyelin clustering, again in the opposing leaflet, but in a concentration-dependent manner. The differential stress due to caveolin-1 binding and the inherent asymmetry of the membrane leaflets could be the determinant for membrane curvature and needs to be further probed. The review is an important step to reconcile the molecular level details emerging from simulations with the mesoscopic details provided by state of the art experimental approaches. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {Cholesterol clustering, Membrane curvature, Protein-lipid interactions}, issn = {0022-2631}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-022-00236-y}, author = {Prakash, Shikha and Malshikare, Hrushikesh and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {47391, title = {Molecular phylogeny, structure modeling and in silico screening of putative inhibitors of aerolysin of Aeromonas hydrophila EUS112}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {40}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aeromonas hydrophila, a Gram-negative bacterium, causes diseases in fish, resulting in excessive loss to the aquaculture industry. Aeromonas is a highly heterogeneous group of bacteria, and the heterogeneity of the genus is attributed to variation and diversity in the virulence factors and toxins among various Aeromonas strains. One of the major toxins aerolysin, secreted by the bacterium, causes hemorrhagic-septicemia and diarrhea and can serve as a drug target. Here, we describe characterization, molecular phylogeny, and homology modeling of the aerolysin of A. hydrophila strain EUS112 (Ah(EUS112)) cloned in our lab. The encoded aerolysin is 485 amino acids long with an N-terminal signal sequence of 23 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of the aerolysin of Ah(EUS112) revealed that it belongs to a diverse group of toxins, showing maximum similarity with aerolysins of other Aeromonas strains followed by Vibrio toxin. The homology model of the mature aerolysin of Ah(EUS112) was generated using the crystal structure of a mutant aerolysin (PDB\#3g4n) as the template, which showed that the encoded aerolysin exists as a channel protein. Validation of the generated model using bioinformatics tool confirmed it to be a good quality model that can be used for drug design. Molecular dock analysis revealed that drugs, aralia-saponin I, cyclamin, ardisiacrispin B, and aralia-saponin II bind to aerolysin with a higher affinity as compared to other drugs and at functionally important amino acids of aerolysin. Hence, these molecules can act as an effective therapeutics for inhibiting the aerolysin pore formation and curtail the severity of Aeromonas infection. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

}, keywords = {Aerolysin, homology modeling, Molecular docking, Molecular dynamic simulation, phylogenetic tree}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2021.1918254, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Yadav, Sunita Kumari and Panwar, Deepak and Singh, Ankita and Tellis, Meenakshi B. and Joshi, Rakesh Shamsunder and Dixit, Aparna} } @article {48157, title = {Morphology-tuned Pt3Ge accelerates water dissociation to industrial-standard hydrogen production over a wide pH range}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2202294}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The discovery of novel materials for industrial-standard hydrogen production is the present need considering the global energy infrastructure. A novel electrocatalyst, Pt3Ge, which is engineered with a desired crystallographic facet (202), accelerates hydrogen production by water electrolysis, and records industrially desired operational stability compared to the commercial catalyst platinum is introduced. Pt3Ge-(202) exhibits low overpotential of 21.7 mV (24.6 mV for Pt/C) and 92 mV for 10 and 200 mA cm(-2) current density, respectively in 0.5 m H2SO4. It also exhibits remarkable stability of 15 000 accelerated degradation tests cycles (5000 for Pt/C) and exceptional durability of 500 h (@10 mA cm(-2)) in acidic media. Pt3Ge-(202) also displays low overpotential of 96 mV for 10 mA cm(-2) current density in the alkaline medium, rationalizing its hydrogen production ability over a wide pH range required commercial operations. Long-term durability (\>75 h in alkaline media) with the industrial level current density (\>500 mA cm(-2)) has been demonstrated by utilizing the electrochemical flow reactor. The driving force behind this stupendous performance of Pt3Ge-(202) has been envisaged by mapping the reaction mechanism, active sites, and charge-transfer kinetics via controlled electrochemical experiments, ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, in situ infrared spectroscopy, and in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy further corroborated by first principles calculations.

}, keywords = {Electrochemistry, hydrogen production, intermetallics, water electrolysis}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.202202294}, author = {Mondal, Soumi and Sarkar, Shreya and Bagchi, Debabrata and Das, Tisita and Das, Risov and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Prasanna, Ponnappa Kechanda and Vinod, C. P. and Chakraborty, Sudip and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48214, title = {MXenes: advances in the synthesis and application in supercapacitors and batteries}, journal = {Journal of Materials Research}, volume = {37}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3865-3889}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

MXenes, the newest family member of the two-dimensional materials have been widely investigated for different applications, particularly in the energy storage realm. With regard to this, MXene precursors have attained widespread attention for the application in electrochemical energy storage devices especially supercapacitors and batteries. This review has comprehensively studied various synthesis strategies adopted for MXenes including the top-down and bottom-up approaches. The shift to renewable energy alternatives have focused on the electrochemical choices such as supercapacitors and batteries, the most common and relevant ones. Thus the application of MXenes and its composite in supercapacitors as electrodes have been analyzed along with its detailed mechanism and electrochemical performance. Several battery chemistries including lithium-ion, sodium-ion and other battery systems utilizing MXenes have also been discussed here. Thus the existing strategies, advancements, and drawbacks regarding the inclusivity of MXenes in the electrochemical energy systems of supercapacitors and batteries are reviewed in this article.

}, issn = {0884-2914}, doi = {10.1557/s43578-022-00770-4}, author = {Wasnik, Kundan and Pawar, Meenakshi D. and Raphael, Leya Rose and Pullanchiyodan, Abhilash and Shelke, V. Manjusha and Raghavan, Prasanth} } @article {48415, title = {Noble-metal-free heterojunction photocatalyst for selective CO2 reduction to methane upon induced strain relaxation}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {687-697}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Sunlight-driven CO2 hydrogenation has drawn tremendous attention. However, selective CH4 formation via CO2 photoreduction is very challenging. Herein, we report a metal oxide semiconductor heterojunction consisting of BiVO4 and WO3 as a photocatalyst for the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) selectively to methane (105 mu mol g(-1) h(-1)) under visible light in the absence of a sacrificial agent. Wise selection of the reaction medium and the strategically tuned heterojunction upon strain relaxation suppresses the competitive hydrogen generation reaction. The detailed photophysical, photoelectrochemical, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies pointed to the Z-scheme mechanism of electron transfer, which favors superior electron and hole separation compared to the individual components of the composite catalyst and other well-known photocatalysts reported for CO2 reduction. The observations are further corroborated by experimental diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and theoretical density-functional theory calculations, which reveal that the heterojunction has a lower free-energy barrier for CO2 conversion to CH4 due to the larger stabilization of the *CH2O intermediate on the strain-relaxed heterojunction surface, in comparison to the pristine BiVO4 surface. The present work provides fundamental insights for constructing high-performance heterojunction photocatalysts for the selective conversion of CO2 to desired chemicals and fuels.

}, keywords = {CO2 reduction, heterostructure, methane, Photocatalysis, Z-scheme}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.1c04587}, author = {Das, Risov and Sarkar, Shreya and Kumar, Ritesh and Ramarao, Seethiraju D. and Cherevotan, Arjun and Jasil, Mohammed and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Singh, Abhishek Kumar and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48175, title = {Novel crystal forms of Entresto: a supramolecular complex of trisodium sacubitril/valsartan hemi-pentahydrate}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {24}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7387-7393}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Entresto is a salt-cocrystal supramolecular complex with the chemical name trisodium sacubitril/valsartan hemi-pentahydrate for treating chronic heart failure and was approved by the US FDA in 2015. This multidrug complex was synthesized in our laboratory to investigate its polymorphic behavior. Different crystallization conditions, including various solvent systems, yielded different novel solid forms of Entresto (Form-I to Form-VI), including the reported form. All the novel solids are solvent-dependent and were reproducibly crystallized on a 10 g scale quantity. The 1H NMR spectra confirmed the 1 : 1 stoichiometry of the two drugs, namely, sacubitril and valsartan, in all the solid forms of the crystalline products. Powder X-ray diffraction and DSC analysis of the crystalline solids established that they are distinct crystalline forms. Stability studies under ambient conditions carried out over a one-year period showed higher stability for Form-I and Form-III compared to the other forms, including the innovator crystal form (labelled as Form-II). The novel crystal forms (notably Form-I and Form-III) exhibit higher stability and less hygroscopicity than the reported Form-II.

}, doi = {10.1039/d2ce01009g}, author = {Shaikh, Tabrez R. and George, Christy P. and Bhukya, Priyanka and Shelke, Nikita and Pawar, Komal and Garai, Abhijit and Dandela, Rambabu and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Nangia, Ashwini K.} } @article {47991, title = {Optimization of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) dehydrogenation system}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {47}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {28530-28547}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper, the perhydrodibenzyltoluene dehydrogenation flowsheet has been simulated. Modelling of the dehydrogenation reactor has been performed using the 1-D model. External and internal mass transfer resistances are also considered. Non-isothermal pellet condition has been considered for simulating the dehydrogenation reactor. The flowsheet simulation has been carried out in DW-Sim v 6.5.2 integrated with the reactor model coded in Python. NET. The dehydrogenation reactor is operated at a feed temperature between 523 K -613 K, a wall temperature of 623 K and 653 K, and a reactor pressure maintained at 1.2 atm. The amount of catalyst required for the perhydrodibenzyltoluene (PDBT) dehy-drogenation reactor is evaluated such that the conversion reaches 99\%. The process flowsheet has been simulated to produce 10 Nm(3)/hr of industrial-grade hydrogen. The effects of feed temperature, wall temperature, and hydrogen burner efficiency on various system requirements, including catalyst weight, energy supplied to the dehydrogenation reactor, areas of the heat exchanger, and hydrogen production from the reactor, have been discussed. Preliminary cost optimization based on the heat exchangers and catalyst at various feed temperatures, reactor wall temperature, and hydrogen burner efficiency has been carried out. (C) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dehydrogenation, DWSim, LOHC, Perhydrodibenzyltoluene, Python, simulation}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.06.197}, author = {Rao, Nihal and Lele, Ashish K. and Patwardhan, Ashwin W.} } @article {48427, title = {Pectinase production by aspergillus niger and its applications in fruit juice clarification}, journal = {Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology}, volume = {16}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2724-2737}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pectinases (EC 3.2.1.15) are a class of enzymes that catalyze the depolymerization or de-esterification reactions that degrade pectic substances. In the present study, we have isolated the\ Aspergillus niger\ strain from soil samples, in India and evaluated pectinase production. The highest pectinase producing\ A. niger\ strain was further evaluated and optimized with various agricultural wastes. Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and Central composite design {\textquoteleft}(CCD){\textquoteright} were used to determine the best parameters for maximum pectinase production. Pectinase activity was increased to 99.21 U/ml after optimizing the production medium using PBD and CCD statistical analysis. A positive correlation of pectinase activity between predicted (112.65 U/ml) and experimental (99.21 U/ml with SD=0.005) optimum was observed. Maximum pectinase was produced by\ A. niger\ under submerged fermentation, utilizing orange peel, which is a cost-effective, adaptable, and environmentally friendly approach. The partially purified pectinase showed significant application for apple juice clarification and showed the ability to degrade pectin and therefore the colour change was observed in apple juice within 120 min. Maximum pectinase was produced by\ A. niger\ using agricultural waste orange peel under submerged fermentation which is an economical, versatile and eco-friendly process and pectinase showed a significant application for apple juice clarification.

}, doi = {10.22207/JPAM.16.4.43}, author = {Wagh, Vrushali and Patel, Hirvitaben and Patel, Nafisa and Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao and Ajmera, Shanthipriya} } @article {48209, title = {Porous covalent organic nanotubes and their assembly in loops and toroids}, journal = {Nature Chemistry}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {507+}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Carbon nanotubes, and synthetic organic nanotubes more generally, have in recent decades been widely explored for application in electronic devices, energy storage, catalysis and biosensors. Despite noteworthy progress made in the synthesis of nanotubular architectures with well-defined lengths and diameters, purely covalently bonded organic nanotubes have remained somewhat challenging to prepare. Here we report the synthesis of covalently bonded porous organic nanotubes (CONTs) by Schiff base reaction between a tetratopic amine-functionalized triptycene and a linear dialdehyde. The spatial orientation of the functional groups promotes the growth of the framework in one dimension, and the strong covalent bonds between carbon, nitrogen and oxygen impart the resulting CONTs with high thermal and chemical stability. Upon ultrasonication, the CONTs form intertwined structures that go on to coil and form toroidal superstructures. Computational studies give some insight into the effect of the solvent in this assembly process.

}, issn = {1755-4330}, doi = {10.1038/s41557-022-00908-1}, author = {Koner, Kalipada and Karak, Shayan and Kandambeth, Sharath and Karak, Suvendu and Thomas, Neethu and Leanza, Luigi and Perego, Claudio and Pesce, Luca and Capelli, Riccardo and Moun, Monika and Bhakar, Monika and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Pavan, Giovanni M. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {48094, title = {Potential- and time-dependent dynamic nature of an oxide-derived pdin nanocatalyst during electrochemical CO2 reduction}, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {16}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {6185-6196}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {CO2 reduction, Electrochemistry, heterostructure interface, in situ mechanism, nanocatalyst}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.1c11664}, author = {Bagchi, Debabrata and Sarkar, Shreya and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48404, title = {Proteomic profile of candida albicans biofilm}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {265}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG }, pages = {104661}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Biofilm, Candida albicans, Cell wall, LC-MS, Metabolism, MS, proteomics}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2022.104661}, author = {Abdulghani, Mazen and Iram, Rasiqua and Chidrawar, Priti and Bhosle, Kajal and Kazi, Rubina and Patil, Rajendra and Kharat, Kiran and Zore, Gajanan} } @article {48091, title = {Reference quality genome sequence of Indian pomegranate cv. {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} (Punica granatum L.)}, journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {947164}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pomegranate is an important fruit crop for ensuring livelihood and nutrition security in fragile semi-arid regions of the globe having limited irrigation resources. This is a high-value, nutritionally rich, and export-oriented agri-commodity that ensures high returns on investment to growers across the world. Although it is a valuable fruit crop, it has received only a limited genomics research outcome. To fast-track the pomegranate improvement program, de novo whole-genome sequencing of the main Indian cultivar {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} was initiated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Center on Pomegranate (ICAR-NRCP). We have demonstrated that a combination of commercially available technologies from Illumina, PacBio, 10X Genomics, and BioNano Genomics could be used efficiently for sequencing and reference-grade de novo assembly of the pomegranate genome. The research led to a final reference-quality genome assembly for {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} of 346.08 Mb in 342 scaffolds and an average N50 of 16.12 Mb and N90 of 1088.62 Kb. This assembly covered more than 98\% of the estimated pomegranate genome size, 352.54 Mb. The LTR assembly index (LAI) value of 10 and 93.68\% Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness score over the 1,440 ortholog genes of the completed pomegranate genome indicates the quality of the assembled pomegranate genome. Furthermore, 29,435 gene models were discovered with a mean transcript length of 2,954 bp and a mean coding sequence length 1,090 bp. Four transcript data samples of pomegranate tissues were mapped over the assembled {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome up to 95\% significant matches, indicating the high quality of the assembled genome. We have compared the {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome with the genomes of the pomegranate cultivars {\textquoteleft}Dabenzi{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}Taishanhong.{\textquoteright} We have also performed whole-genome phylogenetic analysis using Computational Analysis of Gene Family Evolution (CAFE) and found that Eucalyptus grandis and pomegranate diverged 64 (60-70) million years ago. About 1,573 protein-coding resistance genes identified in the {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome were classified into 32 domains. In all, 314 copies of miRNA belonging to 26 different families were identified in the {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome. The reference-quality genome assembly of {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} is certainly a significant genomic resource for accelerated pomegranate improvement.

}, keywords = {genome sequencing, hybrid genome assembly, Long Terminal Repeats Assembly Index (LAI), PacBio, pomegranate}, issn = {1664-462X}, doi = {10.3389/fpls.2022.947164}, author = {Roopa Sowjanya, P. and Shilpa, Parashuram and Patil, Goudappa Prakash and Babu, Dhinesh Karuppannan and Sharma, Jyotsana and Sangnure, Vipul R. and Mundewadikar, Dhananjay M. and Natarajan, Purushothaman and Marathe, Arvind Rajiv and Reddy, Umesh K. and Singh, Vikram Nripendra} } @article {48037, title = {Remarkable effect of Fe and Se composition on magnetic properties-comparative study of the Fe-Se system at the nanoscale}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {126}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4655-4663}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, for the first time, the correlation between the phase structure and the magnetic properties of the Fe-Se system has been presented for FexSey compounds-where x/y ranges from 1:2 to 1:1. These phases-orthorhombic (FeSe2), monoclinic (Fe3Se4), hexagonal (Fe7Se8), and tetragonal (beta-FeSe)-were synthesized using a one-pot thermal decomposition route at the nanoscale. The magnetic properties vary enormously with change in the Fe/Se ratio due to the change in the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio, crystal field environment around the Fe ions, magnetocrystalline anisotropy, Fe vacancies, and so forth. Among the four Fe-Se phases studied, two of them, Fe3Se4 and Fe7Se8, are ferrimagnetic below similar to 300 K and show semihard magnetic properties. The other two phases FeSe2 and beta-FeSe exhibiting weaker magnetism are less known for their magnetic properties. All these phases are prone to surface oxidation despite surface passivation, and its effect on the magnetic moment will be pronounced for the phases with weak magnetization such as FeSe2 and beta-FeSe.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c10286}, author = {Ghalawat, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {48100, title = {Research progress and perspective on lithium/sodium metal anodes for next-generation rechargeable batteries}, journal = {ChemSusChem}, volume = {15}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e202200504}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

With the development of consumer electronic devices and electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are vital components for high energy storage with great impact on our modern life. However, LIBs still cannot meet all the essential demands of rapidly growing new industries. In pursuance of higher energy requirement, metal batteries (MBs) are the next-generation high-energy-density devices. Li/Na metals are considered as an ideal anode for high-energy batteries due to extremely high theoretical specific capacity (3860 and 1165 mAh g(-1) for Li and Na, respectively) and low electrochemical potential (-3.04 V for Li and -2.71 V for Na vs. standard hydrogen electrode). Unfortunately, uncontrolled dendrite growth, high reactivity, and infinite volume change induce severe safety concerns and poor cycle efficiency during their application. Consequently, MBs are far from commercialization stage. This Review represents a comprehensive overview of failure mechanism of lithium/sodium metal anode and its progress for rechargeable batteries through (i) electrolyte optimization, (ii) artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formation, and (iii) nanoengineering at materials level in current collector, anode, and host. The challenges in current MBs research and potential applications of lithium/sodium metal anodes are also outlined and summarized.

}, keywords = {anode, Batteries, dendrite growth, Electrolytes, Energy storage}, issn = {1864-5631}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.202200504}, author = {Patrike, Apurva and Yadav, Poonam and Shelke, Vilas and Shelke, Manjusha} } @article {48102, title = {Room temperature chemoselective hydrogenation of C=C, C=O and C=N bonds by using a well-defined mixed donor Mn(I) pincer catalyst}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV }, pages = {13764-13773}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chemoselective hydrogenation of C=C, C=O and C=N bonds in alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones, aldehydes and imines is accomplished at room temperature (27 degrees C) using a well-defined Mn(I) catalyst and 5.0 bar H-2. Amongst the three mixed-donor Mn(I) complexes developed, kappa(3)-((PNNPyz)-P-R2-N-3)Mn(CO)(2)Br (R = Ph, Pr-i, Bu-t); the Bu-t -substituted complex ((PNNPyz)-P-tBu2-N-3)Mn(CO)(2)Br shows exceptional chemoselective catalytic reduction of unsaturated bonds. This hydrogenation protocol tolerates a range of highly susceptible functionalities, such as halides (-F, -Cl, -Br, and -I), alkoxy and hydroxy, including hydrogen-sensitive moieties like acetyl, nitrile, nitro, epoxide, and unconjugated alkenyl and alkynyl groups. Additionally, the disclosed method applies to indole, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, and pyridine-containing unsaturated ketones leading to the corresponding saturated ketones. The C=C bond is chemoselectively hydrogenated in alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones, while the aldehyde{\textquoteright}s C=O bond and imine{\textquoteright}s C=N bond are preferentially reduced over the C=C bond. A detailed mechanistic study highlighted the non-innocent behavior of the ligand in the ((PNNPyz)-P-tBu2-N-3) Mn(I) complex and indicated a metal-ligand cooperative catalytic pathway. The molecular hydrogen (H-2) acts as a hydride source, whereas MeOH provides a proton for hydrogenation. DFT energy calculations supported the facile progress of most catalytic steps, involving a crucial turnover-limiting H-2 activation.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d2sc05274a}, author = {Shabade, Anand B. and Sharma, Dipesh M. and Bajpai, Priyam and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Vanka, Kumar and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {48118, title = {Room temperature Z-selective hydrogenation of alkynes by hemilabile and non-innocent (NNN)Co(ii) catalysts}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR }, pages = {1843-1849}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hemilabile and phosphine-free quinolinyl-based NNN-type pincer and non-pincer cobalt complexes were developed for the room temperature catalytic transfer semi-hydrogenation of alkynes to Z-alkenes. Treatment of the quinolinyl-amine ligand, [C9H6N(NH)CH2CH2NEt2] ((NNN2NEt2)-N-Q-N-CH)-H with CoX2 afforded the pincer complexes kappa(3)-((NNN2NEt2)-N-Q-N-CH)CoX2 (X = Cl, Br), whereas, the quinolinyl-amide ligand, [C9H6N(NH)C(O)CH2NEt2] ((NNNNEt2)-N-Q-N-C(O))-H gave chelate anionic complexes kappa(2)-((NN)-N-Q)CoX2((NHNEt2)-H-C(O)) (X = Cl, Br). The well-defined anionic non-pincer cobalt complexes efficiently catalyzed the semi-hydrogenation of diverse alkynes to deliver highly chemoselective and stereodivergent Z-alkenes at room temperature. This hydrogenation exhibited broad substrate scope with the tolerance of sensitive functional groups, such as -Cl, -Br, -I, -OH, -NH2, -COOMe, and pyridinyl, employing a stable and user-friendly ammonia borane hydrogen source.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d2cy00027j}, author = {Sharma, Dipesh M. and Gouda, Chandrakant and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {48163, title = {Ru, Pd doped WO3 nanomaterials: a synergistic effect of noble metals to enhance the acetone response properties}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {48}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {17923-17933}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Noble metals (NMs) have an enormous impact on the intrinsic properties of the metal oxides. We report the synergistic effect of Ruthenium (Ru) and Palladium (Pd) noble metals on the enhancement of gas sensing properties of pure tungsten oxide (WO3). The gas sensing material is synthesized by simple and straight forward precipitation route, and its physico-chemical analyses are determined using XRD, FESEM, TEM/HRTEM, FFT, UV-Vis, XPS, EDAX, and BET measurements. Use of the developed material as a gas sensor is evaluated using several target gases (oxidizing as well as reducing), with acetone showing the best selectivity. The noble metal doping and hence catalytic action improved the gas response qualities. The synergistic effect of Ru and Pd on WO3 gas response properties are identified, where the effect is 99.80\% sensitivity, and lower response/recovery time (10 s and 2 min) at 300 degrees C operating temperature. Nonetheless, the sensors displayed better gas sensing properties even at lower operating temperatures ranging from 200 to 275 degrees C. In addition, the synergistic effect has displayed the dramatic enhancement in the sensitivity to 76.44\% at barely 10 ppm acetone concentration. This particular result will undoubtedly be helpful for diagnostic purpose of diabetic patients, and a strong candidate for prospective gas sensing applications, particularly acetone.

}, keywords = {Acetone vapours, Precipitation route, Ru -Pd doping, synergistic effect, WO3}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.03.065}, author = {Kodam, Pavan M. and Ghadage, Pandurang A. and Nadargi, Digambar Y. and Shinde, K. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Park, J. S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad S.} } @article {48344, title = {Scalable mechanochemical synthesis of beta-ketoenamine-linked covalent organic frameworks for methane storage}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the current scenario of increased pollution and releasing toxic gases by burning petroleum products, switching to natural gas is more promising for reducing CO2 emissions and air pollutants. Hence, research on Liquefied Natural Gas and Compressed Natural Gas is gaining more value. However, natural gas primarily consists of CH4, which has less energy density than conventional fuels. Interestingly, since the C-H ratio of CH4 gas is 1 : 4, it is easily combustible, gives less carbon footprint, and reduces unburnt hydrocarbon pollution. Hence, research on storing and transporting CH4 has utmost importance, and porous materials are one of the suitable candidates for storing CH4. Herein we report the scalable synthesis of highly porous and crystalline covalent organic frameworks for storing CH4 at room temperature and pressure. Two COFs, namely, Tp-Azo and Tp-Azo-BD(Me)(2), synthesized in 1 kg at similar to 45 g batch scale using a Planetary mixer, displayed a maximum BET surface area of around 3345 m(2)/g, and 2342 m(2)/g and CH4 storage of 174.10 cc/cc and 151 cc/cc, respectively. A comparison of the CH4 sorption of Tp-Azo and Tp-Azo-BD(Me)(2) COFs synthesized in different batches has a variation of only +/- 5 cc/cc and shows the consistency in bulk scale synthesis of COFs. The cyclic equilibrium CH4 adsorption studies showed the COFs are stable with consistent CH4 adsorption and desorption cycles. The present study is a step towards the scalable mechanochemical synthesis of COFs for gas storage applications.

}, keywords = {CH4 storage, COF, porous material, scalable synthesis}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202201012}, author = {Asokan, Kiran and Patil, Manoj Krishnat and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel and Sukumaran, Santhosh Babu and Nandakumar, T.} } @article {48170, title = {Screening of osmotic stress-tolerant bacteria for plant growth promotion in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under drought conditions}, journal = {Letters in Applied Microbiology}, volume = {75}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1286-1292}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Drought stress adversely affects plant growth and productivity. Therefore, the application of plant growth-promoting bacteria is a viable option for combating drought resistance in crops. In this study, 144 bacteria were isolated from the Kutch desert soil in Gujarat. Based on osmotic stress tolerance and PGP properties, two strains, Bacillus tequilensis (KS5B) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (KS5C) were tested for their effect on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under drought stress conditions. Inoculation with osmotic stress-tolerant bacteria showed 15 center dot 15-29 center dot 27\% enhancement in root length of wheat and 15 center dot 27-32 center dot 59\% in brinjal plants. Similarly, the enhancement of shoot length ranged from 14 center dot 72 to 37 center dot 70\% for wheat and 59 center dot 39-95 center dot 94\% for brinjal plants. Furthermore, the inoculated plants showed significant improvement in chlorophyll content and antioxidant properties such as proline, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity compared to the control. Therefore, the bacterial strains identified in this study can be used to mitigate drought stress and enhance plant biomass.

}, keywords = {Antioxidant, brinjal, drought, plant growth, Wheat}, issn = {0266-8254}, doi = {10.1111/lam.13797}, author = {Patel, P. and Patil, T. and Maiti, S. and Paul, D. and Amaresan, N.} } @article {47830, title = {Selective electro-oxidation of phenol to 1,4-hydroquinone employing carbonaceous electrodes: surface modification is the key}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {46}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2518-2525}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The oxidation of phenol leading to 1,4-hydroquinone with high conversion, remarkable selectivity and an excellent yield (87\% isolated) has been accomplished under electrolytic conditions in an aqueous medium employing carbon-based electrodes. To achieve this, various factors such as electrode stability, repeatability, and the type of product formed by the electrochemical oxidation of phenol have been investigated using cyclic voltammetry first and then organic transformations under optimized conditions were accomplished by constant current electrolysis. The voltammetric data clearly show that electrochemically generated intermediates passivate the surface of the typically used electrodes, leading to a decrease in their activity, which is a major problem concerning the transformation of phenol electro-oxidation to an industrially adaptable process. In this work, it is established that such difficulties could be circumvented using surface modified carbonaceous electrodes having disordered graphene-like structures and oxygen functional groups. It is also demonstrated that surface modified reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) based electrodes could be used for electro-oxidation of phenol at a reasonably large scale. The electrolysis conditions have been optimized based on the mechanistic understanding leading to remarkable conversion of phenol with 87\% selectivity to 1,4-hydroquinone.}, doi = {10.1039/D1NJ04640C}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D1NJ04640C}, author = {Baravkar, Mayur D. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {47731, title = {Selective production of C9 monomeric phenols via hydrogenolysis of lignin using Pd-(W/Zr/Mo oxides)-supported on biochar catalyst}, journal = {Fuel}, volume = {308}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {121818}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Valorizing lignin to phenolic monomers and fine chemicals is an essential component of a sustainable biorefinery that uses lignocellulosic feedstocks. In this study, Pd-metal oxides (ZrO2, WOx, MoO3) supported on activated biochar (ABC) catalysts were developed for hydrogenolysis of lignin. The metals (2\% Pd, 5\% Zr, 5\% W, 5\% Mo) were supported on activated biochar using the wetness impregnation method, and the catalysts were extensively characterized. The effect of addition of secondary metals on active surface properties such as acidity, Pd metal particle size and dispersion were also evaluated. The selectivity to C9 monomeric phenols followed the trend: 2Pd-5Mo/ABC (57.3\%) > 2Pd-5Zr/ABC (49.2\%) > 2Pd-5W/ABC (45\%) > 2Pd/ABC (42.9\%). The maximum C9 phenolic monomer yield achieved in this study was similar to 22 wt\%. The fractional conversion of lignin was 67-69\% with Pd-metal oxide catalysts. The presence of Mo in the catalyst inhibited the hydrogenation of aliphatic C-alpha = C-beta in lignin and led to the formation of t-isoeugenol, while the presence of W and Zr resulted in selective formation of the hydrogenated product, propyl guaiacol. Using model compounds, it is proved that the formation of propyl guaiacol is via hydrogenation of t-isoeugenol, and not through dehydroxylation of propanol guaiacol. The dehydroxylation activity of the catalysts is attributed to the higher Lewis acidity and electropositive nature of the metals. A notable carbon atom economy of 47-50\% towards total phenolic monomers was achieved with 2Pd/ABC, 2Pd-5Mo/ABC and 2Pd-5Zr/ABC catalysts.}, keywords = {Activated biochar, Guaiacol, Hydrogenolysis, lignin, Metal oxides, Palladium}, issn = {0016-2361}, doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2021.121818}, author = {Gurrala, Lakshmiprasad and Kumar, M. Midhun and Sharma, Shweta and Paek, Changyub and Vinu, R.} } @article {48176, title = {Silk fibroin and recombinant elastin blend nano-coatings for implantable medical devices}, journal = {Materials Today Communications}, volume = {33}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {104875}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Silicone breast implants are conventionally used to reconstruct the shape and size of the breast in breast cancer patients. However, rate of failure of implants due to formation of capsular contracture is significantly high. Recent studies have shown that coating the surface of the implant with a biocompatible polymer can mitigate this risk. Here, we have modified the surface of implant using a biocompatible natural biopolymer silk fibroin (SF). Further, we have developed formulations of SF with a recombinantly produced elastin-like-peptide (ELP) and compared their performance with a known anti-fouling hydrophilic polymer - polyethylene oxide (PEO). Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization confirm the formation of uniform coatings. These coatings have been also characterized for their ability to resists crack formation. Further, the coatings have been evaluated for their biological performance. Our studies show that addition of 25 wt\% of ELP to SF significantly enhances the crack resistance for the coatings. In addition, SF/ELP coatings reduce the adsorption of blood plasma proteins by more than 80 \%. Preliminary analysis shows that the SF/ELP blend coatings are non-cytotoxic and support adhesion, growth and proliferation of fibroblast cells. The study therefore demonstrates that SF/ELP coatings have the potential to mitigate the risk of breast implant failure.

}, keywords = {Blood plasma, Crack resistance, Protein adsorption, Recombinant elastin, Silk fibroin}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtcomm.2022.104875}, author = {Joseph, Emmanuel and Kane, Kartiki and Parekh, Nimisha and Nisal, Anuya and Janorkar, V. Amol} } @article {47996, title = {Solvent-assisted cavitation for enhanced removal of organic pollutants - degradation of 4-aminophenol}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Management}, volume = {311}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN }, pages = {114857}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Ammoniacal nitrogen, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Oxidation, Pollution Control, Wastewater treatment}, issn = {0301-4797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114857}, author = {Patil, Pravin B. and Bhandari, Vinay M.} } @article {48211, title = {Spinel magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4): a glycine-assisted colloidal combustion and its potentiality in gas-sensing application}, journal = {Chemosensors}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {361}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we describe the facile synthesis of spinel MgFe2O4 ferrite and its potential use as a gas sensor using a straightforward and reliable sol-gel approach, i.e., the glycine-assisted auto-combustion route. The novelty in obtaining the sensing material via the auto-combustion route is its inherent simplicity and capability to produce the material at an industry scale. The said cost-effective process makes use of simple metal salts (Mg and Fe-nitrates) and glycine in an aqueous solution, which leads to the formation of spinel MgFe2O4 ferrite. A single-phase crystallinity with crystallite sizes ranging between 36 and 41 nm was observed for the synthesized materials using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The porous morphologies of the synthesized materials caused by auto-ignition during the combustion process were validated by the microscopic investigations. The EDS analysis confirmed the constituted elements such as Mg, Fe, and O, without any impurity peaks. The gas-sensing ability of the synthesized ferrites was examined to detect various reducing gases such as LPG, ethanol, acetone, and ammonia. The ferrite showed the highest response (\>80\%) toward LPG with the response and recovery times of 15 s and 23 s, respectively. Though the sensor responded low toward ammonia (similar to 30\%), its response and recovery times were very quick, i.e., 7 s and 9 s, respectively. The present investigation revealed that the synthesized ferrite materials are good candidates for fabricating high-performance sensors for reducing gases in real-world applications.

}, keywords = {Gas sensors, glycine combustion, MgFe2O4, reducing gases}, doi = {10.3390/chemosensors10090361}, author = {Nadargi, Digambar and Umar, Ahmad and Nadargi, Jyoti and Patil, Jayvant and Mulla, Imtiaz and Akbar, Sheikh and Suryavanshi, Sharad} } @article {48134, title = {Sponge microflowers of NiCo2O4: a versatile material for high performance supercapacitor}, journal = {Journal of Porous Materials}, volume = {29}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1239-1252}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the development of well optimised NiCo2O4 microflowers for high performance supercapacitor application. The efforts were made to optimise the electrode material by tuning the synthetic as well as electrolyte concentration parameters such as (i) hydrothermal reaction temperature, (ii) hydrothermal reaction time, (iii) sintering temperature, and (iv) electrolyte concentration. The physico-chemical and supercapacitive properties were analysed using TGA, XRD, SEM/TEM/HRTEM, XPS, BET, and electrochemical measurements. The well optimised electrode material was obtained at 150 degrees C hydrothermal reaction temperature, 12 h of hydrothermal reaction time, 300 degrees C sintering temperature, and 3 M KOH electrolyte concentration. The optimised sample displayed high specific -capacitance (1478 F/g), -energy density (16.5 Wh/kg), and -power density (248 W/kg). The specific capacitance can be retained to 97.61\% after 1000 cycles. The developed NiCo2O4 microflower structures are well optimised and offer great promise for future industrial applications.

}, keywords = {hydrothermal, Microflowers, Nickel cobaltite, supercapacitor}, issn = {1380-2224}, doi = {10.1007/s10934-022-01247-9}, author = {Ghadage, Ambar and Kodam, Pavan and Nadargi, Digambar and Shinde, K. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz and Park, J. S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad} } @article {47757, title = {Steroidal alkaloids defence metabolism and plant growth are modulated by the joint action of gibberellin and jasmonate signalling}, journal = {New Phytologist}, volume = {233}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1220-1237}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are protective metabolites constitutively produced by Solanaceae species. Genes and enzymes generating the vast structural diversity of SGAs have been largely identified. Yet, mechanisms of hormone pathways coordinating defence (jasmonate; JA) and growth (gibberellin; GA) controlling SGAs metabolism remain unclear. We used tomato to decipher the hormonal regulation of SGAs metabolism during growth vs defence tradeoff. This was performed by genetic and biochemical characterisation of different JA and GA pathways components, coupled with in vitro experiments to elucidate the crosstalk between these hormone pathways mediating SGAs metabolism. We discovered that reduced active JA results in decreased SGA production, while low levels of GA or its receptor led to elevated SGA accumulation. We showed that MYC1 and MYC2 transcription factors mediate the JA/GA crosstalk by transcriptional activation of SGA biosynthesis and GA catabolism genes. Furthermore, MYC1 and MYC2 transcriptionally regulate the GA signalling suppressor DELLA that by itself interferes in JA-mediated SGA control by modulating MYC activity through protein-protein interaction. Chemical and fungal pathogen treatments reinforced the concept of JA/GA crosstalk during SGA metabolism. These findings revealed the mechanism of JA/GA interplay in SGA biosynthesis to balance the cost of chemical defence with growth.}, keywords = {alpha-tomatine, defence, gibberellin (GA), growth, jasmonate (JA), steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), Tomato}, issn = {0028-646X}, doi = {10.1111/nph.17845}, author = {Panda, Sayantan and Jozwiak, Adam and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Szymanski, Jedrzej and Kazachkova, Yana and Vainer, Andrii and Kilambi, Himabindu Vasuki and Almekias-Siegl, Efrat and Dikaya, Varvara and Bocobza, Samuel and Shohat, Hagai and Meir, Sagit and Wizler, Guy and Giri, Ashok P. and Schuurink, Robert and Weiss, David and Yasuor, Hagai and Kamble, Avinash and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {48098, title = {Strain-enhanced phase transformation of iron oxide for higher alcohol production from CO2}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11118-11128}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Conversion of CO2 to higher alcohols (HAs) and higher hydrocarbons (HCs) has a greater advantage compared to C1 products because of their high energy density and wide range of applications in daily life. Despite the immense potential of these chemicals, not much of scientific research has been focused on the conversion of CO2 to HAs. In the present work, we have introduced the concept of strain in designing the material to enhance the CO(2 )to HA performance. We introduced strain in a traditional iron-based catalyst, Fe2O3, by the introduction of indium (In), which facilitates the selective conversion of CO2 to HA. An optimum strain favored a 36.7\% CO2 conversion with a 42\% HA selectivity, and a record yield of 15.42\%. The strain has been tuned further with the introduction of K as a promoter. The introduced strain upon In substitution and K promotion favored the conversion of CO2, which is mapped by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Further, the change in the mechanism upon In incorporation and K promotion has been probed by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy, and it is found that the OCHx intermediate, which produces HAs, is more prominent upon In substitution, which favored the enhancement of HA production compared to that of pristine Fe2O3.

}, keywords = {CO2 to HA, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), Phase transformation, reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction, strain}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.2c0318311118}, author = {Goud, Devender and Churipard, Sathyapal R. and Bagchi, Debabrata and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Riyaz, Mohd and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48088, title = {Structure-tailored surface oxide on Cu-Ga intermetallics enhances CO2 reduction selectivity to methanol at ultralow potential}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2109426}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO(2)RR) is performed on two intermetallic compounds formed by copper and gallium metals (CuGa2 and Cu9Ga4). Among them, CuGa2 selectively converts CO2 to methanol with remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 77.26\% at an extremely low potential of -0.3 V vs RHE. The high performance of CuGa2 compared to Cu9Ga4 is driven by its unique 2D structure, which retains surface and subsurface oxide species (Ga2O3) even in the reduction atmosphere. The Ga2O3 species is mapped by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) techniques and electrochemical measurements. The eCO(2)RR selectivity to methanol are decreased at higher potential due to the lattice expansion caused by the reduction of the Ga2O3, which is probed by in situ XAFS, quasi in situ powder X-ray diffraction, and ex situ XPS measurements. The mechanism of the formation of methanol is visualized by in situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy and the source of the carbon of methanol at the molecular level is confirmed from the isotope-labeling experiments in presence of (CO2)-C-13. Finally, to minimize the mass transport limitations and improve the overall eCO(2)RR performance, a poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-based gas diffusion electrode is used in the flow cell configuration.

}, keywords = {(2) reduction, CO, Electrochemistry, Methanol}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.202109426}, author = {Bagchi, Debabrata and Raj, Jithu and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Cherevotan, Arjun and Roy, Soumyabrata and Manoj, Kaja Sai and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48045, title = {Studies directed toward the total synthesis of nannocystin A}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {e202203893}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A full account of our efforts directed toward the stereoselective total synthesis of nannocystin A, a macrocyclic myxobacterial metabolite, is presented. In this endeavor, we have attempted two distinct synthetic routes to access polyketide fragment (C1-C11) of macrocyclic depsipeptide (21-membered) natural product from readily accessible building blocks 1,3-propanediol and benzaldehyde employing Evans aldol, CBS reduction, Heck cross-coupling, and Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation as key transformations. Ultimately, accomplished the synthesis of the complete skeleton (21-membered precursor for macrocyclic depsipeptide) of the nannocystin A possessing desired stereochemistry and functional groups.

}, keywords = {amidation, Depsipeptide, Evans aldol reaction, Macrocycle, Nannocystins}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202203893}, author = {Nomula, Rajesh and Pratapure, Madhukar S. and Kontham, Ravindar} } @article {48055, title = {Subcritical water hydrolysis of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine: hydrolysis mechanism, reaction pathways and optimization for selective production of 5-HMF and levulinic acid}, journal = {Carbohydrate Research}, volume = {516}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {108560}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, the subcritical water hydrolysis of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG), a monomer of abundant renewable marine biopolymer chitin, for production of value-added chemicals is investigated. The enhanced ionization of water at subcritical conditions (200 degrees C; 50-100 bar), provides enough acidity for deacetylation of NAG resulting in 80\% yield of acetic acid along with traces of formic acid, lactic acid, glucose, fructose, 5hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF),etc. The significant humin formation indicates that the self-condensation and polymerisation of 5-HMF is favored in water at subcritical conditions. A catalyst p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) was employed to selectively convert NAG to levulinic acid (LA) via ring opening of 5-HMF previously formed during hydrolysis. The maximum yield of 27.13 +/- 1\% and 53.46 +/- 1\% of 5-HMF and LA, respectively, was obtained at process conditions optimized using Box-Behnken design coupled with response surface methodology. Subcritical water enables greener conversion of NAG to platform chemicals wherein the selective production can be achieved by tuning the process conditions.

}, keywords = {5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, chitin, Glucosamine, levulinic acid, Response surface methodology, Subcritical water}, issn = {0008-6215}, doi = {10.1016/j.carres.2022.108560}, author = {Kulkarni, Sphurti Prakash and Dure, Shital N. and Joshi, Sunil S. and V. Pandare, Kiran and Mali, Nilesh A.} } @article {48106, title = {Superior processability of Antheraea mylitta silk with cryo-milling: performance in bone tissue regeneration}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {213}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {155-165}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Bone tissue engineering, Calvarial defect, hMSCs, Non-mulberry silk fiber, Processing technique}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.122}, author = {Parekh, Nimisha and Bijosh, C. K. and Kane, Kartiki and Panicker, Alaka and Nisal, Anuya and Wangikar, Pralhad and Agawane, Sachin} } @article {47824, title = {Surface alteration driven bi-functional catalytic activity of alkali niobate-N doped graphene composite for exalted oxygen electrochemistry}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {580}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {152160}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this work, we establish that surface reconstruction, oxygen vacancies {\textemdash}specifically those located on the catalyst surface, and high crystallinity can be effective in tuning the catalytic activity of perovskite oxides. We report a high-performance electrocatalyst with an orthorhombic perovskite structure (NaNbO3), having an anisotropic surface layer and high crystallinity that exhibits superior activity and durability for the bi-functional oxygen electrochemistry compared to that of a similar perovskite composition with an isotropic surface layer and low crystallinity. The improvement in the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is mainly attributed to the formation of an easy diffusion path on the surface layer due to the ionic movements, enhanced intrinsic activity of the catalytic sites resulting from the higher crystallinity, high oxygen vacancies and a large electrochemically active surface area. The sole key parameter in achieving all the acquired characteristics is the annealing temperature. We believe that the straightforward method of bringing the desired combination of properties by just tweaking the annealing temperature is handy and energy-efficient, and hence easily adoptable.}, keywords = {Bi-functionality, N-doped graphene, Oxygen Evolution Reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, perovskite, Surface reconstruction}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.152160}, author = {Suman Kumari Jhajharia and Shashaank Gupta and Zinoy Manappadan and Kaliaperumal Selvaraj and Myoor K. Padmanabhan and Roop L. Mahajan} } @article {48208, title = {Sustainable composite of SnFe2O4 conversion alloying anode for lithium-ion storage}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG }, pages = {3806-3817}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The development of high-performance, low-cost electrodes using sustainable materials for Li-ion batteries is of vital importance in view of their increasing demand for use in electronics and electric vehicles, as we transition from non-renewable energy resources. Challenges associated with commercial graphite anode materials include relatively low capacity, the use of high-temperature synthesis, Li dendrite formation, and limited rate capability. In this study, we present a tin ferrite SnFe2O4 (SFO) conversion alloying material (CAM), and its synergistic composite with a scalable and low-cost waste-derived carbon (WDC), which was prepared by low-temperature pyrolysis of a waste material sustainably. The combination of SFO with the WDC in the composite boosts the conductivity, diffusion kinetics, stability, and reversibility, and accommodates volume expansion upon cycling. The first charge capacity obtained for WDC, SFO, and SFO-WDC is 595, 1269, and 1331 mA h g(-1), respectively at 100 mA g(-1) in a Li-ion half-cell. In a full cell fabricated with LFP, a stable capacity of 80 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) could be obtained, and the corresponding energy density for the SFO-WDCIILFP full cell is 300 W h kg(-1). Kinetic studies revealed that capacitance-controlled charge storage is dominant so the capacity was higher in the composite. This composite system addresses both the low capacity issue of the carbon anode and stability issues of CAMs while being compatible for use with current Li-ion battery technology.

}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/d2se00919f}, author = {Yadav, Poonam and Parte, Golu and Malik, Wahid and Sabri, Ylias M. and Jones, Lathe A. and Shelke, V. Manjusha} } @article {48217, title = {Synthesis and crystal structures of Mn(II) and Co(II) complexes as catalysts for oxidation of cyclohexanone}, journal = {Inorganics}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {100}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {cobalt, Complexes, cyclohexanone, Imidazole, managanese, Oxidation, pyrazinamide, pyridinedicarboxylate}, doi = {10.3390/inorganics10070100}, author = {Tella, Adedibu C. and Isaac, Aaron Y. and Clayton, Hadley S. and Ogunlaja, Adeniyi S. and Venugopalan, Aswathy T. and Prabu, Marimuthu and Thirumalaiswamy, Raja} } @article {48434, title = {Synthesis, crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of a zinc(II) coordination polymer of 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxa-diazole-2-thiol-ate}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E Crystallographic Communications}, volume = {87}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {794-797}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new zinc coordination polymer with 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxa-diazole-2-thiol-ate, namely,\ catena-poly[zinc(II)-bis-(μ2-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxa-diazole-2-thiol-ato)-κ2N3:S;κ2S:N3], [Zn(C8H5N2OS)2]n, was synthesized. The single-crystal X-ray\ diffraction analysis\ shows that the polymeric structure crystallizes in the centrosymmetric monoclinic\ C2/cspace group.\ The ZnII\ atom is coordinated to two S and two N atoms from four crystallographically independent (L) ligands, forming zigzag chains along the [001] direction. This polymer complex forms an eight-membered [Zn{\textendash}S{\textendash}C{\textendash}N{\textendash}Zn{\textendash}S{\textendash}C{\textendash}N] chair-like ring with two ZnII\ atoms and two ligand mol-ecules. On the Hirshfeld surface, the largest contributions come from the short contacts such as\ van der Waals forces,\ including H...H, C...H and S...H. Inter-actions including N...H, O...H and C...C contacts were also observed; however, their contribution to the overall stability of the\ crystal lattice\ is minor.

}, keywords = {3, 4-oxa-diazole-2-thiol; coordination polymer; Hirshfeld surface analysis, crystal structure; zinc complex; 5-phenyl-1}, doi = {10.1107/S2056989022006922}, author = {Pirimova, Mehribon and Torambetov, Batirbay and Kadirova, Shakhnoza and Ziyaev, Abdukhakim and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Ashurov, Jamshid} } @article {48003, title = {Synthesis of a highly electron-deficient, water-stable, large ionic box: multielectron accumulation and proton conductivity}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {24}, year = {2022}, month = {APR 19}, pages = {3038-3042}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.2c00993}, author = {Shukla, Jyoti and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kumar, Sharvan and Chorol, Sonam and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Mukhopadhyay, Pritam} } @article {46623, title = {Synthesis of new thiazole and pyrazole clubbed 1,2,3-triazol derivatives as potential antimycobacterial and antibacterial agents}, journal = {Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds}, volume = {42}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3216-3237}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

New series of 4-methyl-2-(4-substituted phenyl)-5-(4-((4-(4-substituted phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)thiazole, 6a-t and 4-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1-((1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methyl )-1H-1,2,3-triazole, 11a-o derivatives have been synthesized by applying copper-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. The newly synthesized 1,3-thiazolyl-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole (6a-t) and bis-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole (11a-o) derivatives were screened for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against M. Tuberculosis H37Ra dormant and active and antibacterial activity against four pathogenic bacteria, E. coli (NCIM 2576), P. flurescence (NCIM 2059), S. aureus (NCIM 2602) and B. subtilis (NCIM 2162). Compounds 6a, 6f, 6j, 11e and 11m showed good activity against M tuberculosis H37Ra Active strain, also compounds 6g, 6h, 11f, 11n and 11o showed good activity against M tuberculosis H37Ra Dormant strain. Compounds 6b, 6i, 6l, 6o, 6r, 11k, 11l and 11m showed good activity against B. subtilis with IC50 1.99-2.96 mu g/mL. The antibacterial activity of thiazolyl-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole and bis-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole derivatives suggested that, these derivatives could lead to new compounds for treatment against bacterial infection.

}, keywords = {123-Triazole, antibacterial activity, antimycobacterial activity, Pyrazole, Thiazole}, issn = {1040-6638}, doi = {10.1080/10406638.2020.1857272}, author = {Jagadale, Shivaji M. and Abhale, Yogita K. and Pawar, Hari R. and Shinde, Abhijit and Bobade, Vivek D. and Chavan, Abhijit P. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mhaske, Pravin C.} } @article {48151, title = {Tailored synthesis of ultra-stable Au@Pd nanoflowers with enhanced catalytic properties using cellulose nanocrystals}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {292}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {119723}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A green strategy for the synthesis of bimetallic core-shell Au@Pd nanoflowers (NFs) employing banana pseudostem-derived TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystals (TCNC) as both capping and shape-directing agent via seed-mediated method is presented. Flower-like nanostructures of Au@Pd bound to TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystals (TCNC-Au@Pd) were decorated on amino-functionalized graphene (NH2-RGO) without losing their unique structure, allowing them to be deployed as an efficient, reusable and a green alternative heterogeneous catalyst. The decisive role of TCNC in the structural metamorphosis of nanoparticle morphology were inferred from the structural and morphology analyses. According to our study, the presence of -OH rich TCNC appears to play a pivotal role in the structured evolution of intricate nanostructure morphology. The feasibility of the bio-supported catalyst has been investigated in two concurrently prevalent model catalytic reactions, namely the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the best model reactions in fuel cell and industrial catalytic applications, respectively.

}, keywords = {Au@Pd, catalysis, Cellulose nanocrystals, Nanoflowers, oxygen reduction reaction}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119723}, author = {Hakkeem, Hasna M. Abdul and Babu, Aswathy and Shilpa, Nagaraju and Venugopal, Adithya A. and Mohamed, A. P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Saju} } @article {47771, title = {Thermodynamics and its correlation with dynamics in a mean-field model and pinned systems: a comparative study using two different methods of entropy calculation}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {156}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {014503}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A recent study introduced a novel mean-field model system where each particle over and above the interaction with its regular neighbors interacts with k extra pseudo-neighbors. Here, we present an extensive study of thermodynamics and its correlation with the dynamics of this system. We surprisingly find that the well-known thermodynamic integration (TI) method of calculating the entropy provides unphysical results. It predicts vanishing of the configurational entropy at temperatures close to the onset temperature of the system and negative values of the configurational entropy at lower temperatures. Interestingly, well below the temperature at which the configurational entropy vanishes, both the collective and the single-particle dynamics of the system show complete relaxation. Negative values of the configurational entropy are unphysical, and complete relaxation when the configurational entropy is zero violates the prediction of the random first-order transition theory (RFOT). However, the entropy calculated using the two-phase thermodynamics (2PT) method remains positive at all temperatures for which we can equilibrate the system, and its values are consistent with RFOT predictions. We find that with an increase in k, the difference in the entropy computed using the two methods increases. A similar effect is also observed for a system where a randomly selected fraction of the particles are pinned in their positions in the equilibrated liquid. We show that the difference in entropy calculated via the 2PT and TI methods increases with pinning density.}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0065668}, author = {Nandi, Ujjwal Kumar and Patel, Palak and Moid, Mohd and Nandi, Manoj Kumar and Sengupta, Shiladitya and Karmakar, Smarajit and Maiti, Prabal K. and Dasgupta, Chandan and Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra} } @article {48097, title = {Total synthesis of 12, 13-dibenzyl-banistenoside B and analogs}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2022}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e202200222}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Banistenosides A and B possessing a unique {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}azepino(1,2-a)tetrahydro-beta-carboline{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} carbon framework were isolated from the stem of Banisteriopsis caapi and showed MAO-A inhibition. Herein, we report the total synthesis of dibenzyl derivative of the untouched natural product in the last two decades, Banistenoside B. The key steps involve construction of 6.5.6.7 tetracyclic core using Pictet-Spengler reaction and intramolecular amide coupling. The stereoselective glycation was achieved through Hotha{\textquoteright}s protocol using gold catalyst, and silver triflate in the late stage of synthesis. The stereochemistry of most of the essential compounds were confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

}, keywords = {Au-catalyst, Multiple steps total synthesis, Natural products, Pictet-Spengler reaction, Wittig reaction}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202200222}, author = {Patil, Suhag S. and Jachak, Gorakhnath R. and Krishna, Gamidi Rama and Argade, Narshinha P. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {48230, title = {Transcriptional and translational perturbation in abiotic stress induced physiological activities and metabolic pathway networks in spongy tissue disorder of mango fruit}, journal = {Postharvest Biology and Technology}, volume = {188}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {111880}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Spongy tissue formation is economically the most detrimental but agriculturally less focused physiological disorder in mango. {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} cultivar is highly prone to oxidative stress induced spongy tissue disorder impacting biochemical and metabolic profile, thereby affecting pulp quality and nutritional value of the fruit. In the present study, comparative analysis of spongy and healthy mesocarp tissues of {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} mango by transcriptomics using Illumina sequencing and proteomics using LC-MS approaches, respectively identified and quantified many genes and proteins in the metabolic pathways responsible for the spongy tissue development. The table green and the mid ripe stages of {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} fruit ripening were evaluated by the transcriptomic study and outcomes were validated using proteomic investigations for all the four ripening stages. Colossal amount of data including 30,582 transcripts, 10,800 gene ontologies and 387 putative proteins was generated from this analysis. Current multi-omics exploration revealed the development of abiotic stress (mainly oxidative stress) induced perturbations in various metabolic pathways and their interconnections, leading to the spongy tissue formation in mango. This further unfolded the altered cell wall degradation, ethylene and flavonoid biosynthesis, fruit ripening and flavor formation, thus hampering the fruit specific characteristics in mango with spongy tissue disorder.

}, keywords = {Oxidative stress, Proteome, spongy tissue disorder, Transcriptome, {\textquoteleft} Alphonso {\textquoteleft} mango}, issn = {0925-5214}, doi = {10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.111880}, author = {Oak, Pranjali and Jha, Vineet and Deshpande, Ashish and Tanpure, Rahul and Dawkar, Vishal and Mundhe, Swapnil and Ghuge, Sandeep and Prabhudesai, Shrikant and Krishanpal, Anamika and Jere, Abhay and Giri, Ashok and Gupta, Vidya} } @article {48051, title = {Tridentate NacNac stabilized tin and nickel complexes: access to a monomeric nickel hydride and its catalytic application}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {17370-17377}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The transmetalation reaction of picolyl-supported tridentate nacnac germylene monochloride [2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC-(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)]GeCl (1) (py = pyridine) with SnCl2 results in an analogous stannylene chloride (2). The three -coordinated stannylenium cation [{2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC(Me)CHC-(Me)NH(CH2py)}Sn]+ with SnCl3- as a counteranion (3) has been generated through the abstraction of chloride ligand from 2 using an additional equivalent of SnCl2. Instead of forming a donor-acceptor complex, 2 undergoes a facile redox trans-metalation reaction with Ni(COD)2 (COD = cyclooctadiene) and CuCl to afford analogous nickel and copper complexes [2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)]MCl [M = Ni (4) and Cu (5)]. The reactions of 4 with potassium tri-sec-butylborohydride (commonly known as K-selectride) and AgSbF6 provide access to monomeric Ni(II) hydride, [2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)]NiH (6) and a Ni(II) cation, [{2,6-iPr2- C6H3NC(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)}Ni][SbF6] (7), respectively. 6 was found to be an effective catalyst for the hydroboration of amides.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03227}, author = {Pahar, Sanjukta and Sharma, Vishal and Mahata, Biplab and George, Christy P. and Sharma, Himanshu and Vanka, Kumar and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {47826, title = {Tuning of oxygen reduction pathways through structural variation in transition metal-doped Ba2In2O5}, journal = {ChemElectroChem}, volume = {9}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {e202101163}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Abstract Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) can take place either through a two-electron pathway to form H2O2 or through a four-electron pathway to form H2O. Both the reactions are important in the respective fields, viz., H2O2 production as well as fuel cell technology, and rational design of catalysts is mandatory to acquire high energy efficiency in both cases. Here, we report the structure-electrochemical property correlation of a series of perovskite related brownmillerite compounds, Ba2In0.75M0.25O5 (M=Mn/Fe/Co/Ni/Cu), synthesized by solid-state method. On transition metal doping, octahedral distortions were observed, and the highly disordered material tends to follow the 4e transfer mechanism. More symmetrical structures followed the 2e pathway to form H2O2 as the product with high peroxide selectivity. The distortion in the octahedral arrangement can be a descriptor to finetune the selectivity of the catalysts towards the 2e and 4e pathways of ORR.}, keywords = {brownmillerite, Descriptors, Electrochemical H2O2 synthesis, Octahedral distortion, oxygen reduction reaction}, doi = {10.1002/celc.202101163}, author = {Thundiyil, Shibin and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article {48047, title = {Tuning of work function of ZnO by doping and co-doping: an investigation using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {761}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {139538}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The shift in the work function of the ZnO thin film upon varying codoping ratio has been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A notable shift of 0.2 eV in the work function was achieved in the films when the Al: In doping ratio was changed from 0:10 to 10:0. The elemental composition of the dopants obtained from XPS analysis showed the presence of more amount of In dopant than Al in codoped ZnO films. In this way a clear understanding of the variation in electrical properties on dopant ratio is obtained. A decrease in work function was also observed with the increase in free carrier concentration when the codopant ratio is changed. The effects of Burstein moss, band narrowing, and band renormalization observed in the bandgap were explained by an upward and downward shift of valence band maxima of the corresponding thin films. The controllable work function of the codoped ZnO films by varying the doping ratio offers excellent potential advantages in optoelectronic devices.

}, keywords = {Indium -Aluminum co -doping, Spray coating, thin film, Work function, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Zinc oxide}, issn = {0040-6090}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2022.139538}, author = {Soumya, K. and Selvam, I. Packia and Vinod, C. P. and Potty, S. N.} } @article {48181, title = {Tuning the hybridization and charge polarization in metal nanoparticles dispersed over Schiff base functionalized SBA-15 enhances CO2 capture and conversion to formic acid}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {18354-18362}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Different Schiff base functionalized SBA-15 materials were synthesized through condensation reactions between 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and different aldehydes (glutaraldehyde and butyraldehyde) over a mesoporous silica, SBA-15 (APTES-GLU/SBA-15 and APTES-BUT/SBA-15). Both static and dynamic experiments have been used for testing the CO2 capture efficiency of these materials. The hybridization of the N atom in APTES has been tuned from sp(3) to sp(2) upon condensation facilitating optimum CO2 capture in the direct synthesis of APTES-GLU/SBA-15. The undesirable oxides of nitrogen have been removed during the synthesis process to improve the CO2 capture efficiency. These materials were employed as supports for Pd-Ag and Pd-Ni bimetallic systems for the selective conversion of the captured CO2 to formic acid (FA) in 0.5 M KHCO3 solution. The Pd-Ni catalyst system exhibited enhanced CO2 to FA conversion activity compared to other heterogeneous systems, which is similar to 4 times better than that of the Pd-Ag system in this study. The X-ray absorption studies over the catalyst material confirmed that the relatively electron-deficient Ni in Pd-Ni compared to Ag in Pd-Ag favoured higher charge polarization between the metals in the Pd-Ni system enhancing the CO2 to FA conversion. The experimental observations are well supported by the DFT calculations.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d2ta03690h}, author = {Cherevotan, Arjun and Ray, Bitan and Yadav, Anish and Bagchi, Debabrata and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Riyaz, Mohd and Churipard, Sathyapal R. and Naral, Vinay and Kaur, Komalpreet and Gautam, Ujjal K. and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48212, title = {Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography Q-Orbitrap MS/MS-based profiling and quantification of limonoids in Meliaceae plants}, journal = {Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry}, volume = {414}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6093-6106}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Meliaceae plants have been extensively used in agriculture, folklore, and traditional medicine. They are the major storehouses for structurally diverse limonoids (meliacins) possessing various bioactivities like antifeedant, insecticidal, antimicrobial, etc. However accurate detection of these tetranortriterpenes from the vast pool of metabolites in plant tissue extracts or biological sample is a crucial challenge. Though the mass spectrum (MS) provides the molecular mass and the corresponding elemental composition, it cannot be relied precisely. The exact identification of a specific metabolite demands the MS/MS spectrum containing the signature product ions. In the present study, we have developed the UHPLC Q-Orbitrap-based method for identification, quantification, and characterization of limonoids in different plant tissue extracts requiring minimum plant material. Using this method, we carried out the limonoid profiling in different tissue extracts of sixteen Meliaceae plants and the identification of limonoids was performed by comparing the retention time (RT), ESI-(+)-MS spectrum, and HCD-MS/MS of the purified fifteen limonoids used as reference standards. Our results revealed that early intermediates of the limonoid biosynthetic pathway such as azadiradione, epoxyazadiradione, and gedunin occurred more commonly in Meliaceae plants. The MS/MS spectrum library of the fifteen limonoids generated in this study can be utilized for identification of these limonoids in other plant tissue extracts, botanical fertilizers, agrochemical formulations, and bio pesticides.

}, keywords = {LC-HRMS, LC-MS/MS, Limonoids, Meliaceae, Natural product, Quantification}, issn = {1618-2642}, doi = {10.1007/s00216-022-04169-2}, author = {Mulani, Fayaj A. and Nandikol, Sharvani S. and Kajjihundi, Jagadeesh S. and Pathappa, Niranjana and Puttappa, Sharanappa and Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu} } @article {47732, title = {Unraveling the reaction mechanism of selective C9 monomeric phenols formation from lignin using Pd-Al2O3-activated biochar catalyst}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {344}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {126204}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The conversion of biomass-derived lignin to valuable monomeric phenols at high selectivity is of paramount importance for sustainable biorefineries. In this study, a novel Pd-Al2O3 supported on activated biochar catalyst is developed for lignin hydrogenolysis. The catalyst characterization revealed that the (1 1 1) planes of both of Pd-0 and Al2O3 were exposed to the surface. The maximum lignin conversion of 70.4\% along with high liquid yield (similar to 57 wt\%) was obtained at 240 degrees C, 3 h and 3 MPa H-2 pressure. The total monomeric phenols yield in the liquid was 51.6 wt\%, out of which C9 monomeric guaiacols constituted similar to 30.0 wt\% with 38.0\% selectivity to 4-propyl guaiacol. Using the reaction intermediate, coniferyl alcohol, chemoselective hydrogenation of C-alpha=C-beta is proved to occur over the Pd site, while dehydroxylation of C-gamma-OH is shown to occur over the alumina site. An impressive carbon atom economy of 60\% was achieved for the production of monomeric phenols.}, keywords = {Hydrogenolysis, lignin, Mechanism, Pd-Al/activated biochar, Propanol guaiacol, Propyl guaiacol}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126204}, author = {Gurrala, L. and Kumar, M. M. and Yerrayya, Attada and Kandasamy, Prabu and Castano, Pedro and Raja, T. and Pilloni, Giovanni and Paek, C. and Vinu, R.} } @article {48200, title = {Unravelling faradaic electrochemical efficiencies over Fe/Co spinel metal oxides using surface spectroscopy and microscopy techniques}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV }, pages = {15928-15941}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cobalt and iron metal-based oxide catalysts play a significant role in energy devices. To unravel some interesting parameters, we have synthesized metal oxides of cobalt and iron (i.e. Fe2O3, Co3O4, Co2FeO4 and CoFe2O4), and measured the effect of the valence band structure, morphology, size and defects in the nanoparticles towards the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The compositional variations in the cobalt and iron precursors significantly alter the particle size from 60 to \<10 nm and simultaneously the shape of the particles (cubic and spherical). The Tauc plot obtained from the solution phase ultraviolet (UV) spectra of the nanoparticles showed band gaps of 2.2, 2.3, 2.5 and 2.8 eV for Fe2O3, Co3O4, Co2FeO4 and CoFe2O4, respectively. Further, the valence band structure and work function analysis using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses provided better structural insight into metal oxide catalysts. In the Co3O4 system, the valence band structure favors the HER and Fe2O3 favors the OER. The composites Co2FeO4 and CoFe2O4 show a significant change in their core level (O 1s, Co 2p and Fe 2p spectra) and valence band structure. Co3O4 shows an overpotential of 370 mV against 416 mV for Fe2O3 at a current density of 2 mA cm(-2) for the HER. Similarly, Fe2O3 shows an overpotential of 410 mV against the 435 mV for Co3O4 at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) for the OER. However, for the ORR, Co3O4 shows 70 mV improvement in the half-wave potential against Fe2O3. The composites (Co2FeO4 and CoFe2O4) display better performance compared to their respective parent oxide systems (i.e., Co3O4 and Fe2O3, respectively) in terms of the ORR half-wave potential, which can be attributed to the presence of the oxygen vacancies over the surface in these systems. This was further corroborated in density functional theory (DFT) simulations, wherein the oxygen vacancy formation on the surface of CoFe2O4(001) was calculated to be significantly lower (similar to 50 kJ mol(-1)) compared to Co3O4 (001). The band diagram of the nanoparticles constructed from the various spectroscopic measurements with work function and band gap provides in-depth understanding of the electrocatalytic process.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d2nr04170g}, author = {Kashyap, Varchaswal and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Singla, Gourav and Khan, Tuhin Suvra and Haider, M. Ali and Vinod, C. P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {47827, title = {Vitrimers based on bio-derived chemicals: overview and future prospects}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {433}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {133261}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The perspective of using recyclable and biobased materials in the vitrimeric concept is attractive, in view of the regulatory guidelines and pressing need to reduce CO2-emissions. The expansion of viable bio-based polymeric materials is gaining increased attention to achieve sustainable development goals. Although durability, cost, and performance still limit their real life applications, these limitations can be overcome through state-of-the-art bio-vitrimeric materials displaying thermoset like mechanical and thermal properties as well as thermoplastic like malleable and thus recyclable properties. Bio-derived chemicals based vitrimers can be of advantage, where material design is made from scratch, allowing to plan material properties in line with their future life cycle from the very beginning. This article emphasizes the current needs of vitrimers based on bio-derived chemicals, including their recycling, reprocessing, and self-healing properties, along with their advantages and potential obstacles from todays{\textquoteright} perspective. The article also identifies potential bio-derivatives as attractive building blocks for vitrimers because of their potential for sustainability.}, keywords = {Recycling, Self-healing, Sustainable materials, Vitrimers}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2021.133261}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894721048361}, author = {Balaji Krishnakumar and Andrea Pucci and Prakash P. Wadgaonkar and Indresh Kumar and Wolfgang H. Binder and Sravendra Rana} } @article {48437, title = {Water-controlled keto-enol tautomerization of a prebiotic nucleobase}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {126}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5735{\textendash}5743}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Barbituric acid is believed to be a proto-RNA nucleobase that was used for biological information transfer on prebiotic earth before DNA and RNA in their present forms evolved. Nucleobases have various tautomeric forms and the relative stability of these forms is critical to their biological function. It has been shown that barbituric acid has a tri-keto form in the gas phase and an enol form in the solid state. However, its dominant tautomeric form in aqueous medium that is most relevant for biology has been investigated only to a limited extent and the findings are inconclusive. We have used multiple approaches, namely, molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, NMR, and IR spectroscopy to determine the most stable tautomer of barbituric acid in solution. We find a delicate balance in the stability of the two tautomers, tri-keto and enol, which is tipped toward the enol as the extent of solvation by water increases.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c02507}, author = {Datar, Avdhoot and Paithankar, Harshad and Deb, Pranab and Chugh, Jeetender and Bagchi, Sayan and Mukherjee, Arnab and Hazra, Anirban} } @article {48140, title = {Wearable fabric supercapacitors based on CNTs and polyhedral ZnO with a wide potential window}, journal = {International Journal of Energy Research}, volume = {46}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {8186-8200}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Wearable electronic devices such as health monitors, sensors, and e-skin can be powered by lightweight, high-power supercapacitors. Using a binder-free and low-temperature hydrothermal method, polyhedral ZnO nanoparticles were grown on carbon nanotube (CNT)-decorated cotton fabric, which is friendly to human skin and highly wearable, inexpensive, and thus commercially viable. The concentration of the starting material, zinc acetate, was varied to optimize the electrochemical performance. The evenly spaced polyhedral ZnO facilitated efficient permeation of the electrolyte into the active material. The fabric filaments were decorated with CNTs to enhance electron transfer and the overall electrochemical processes. The symmetric cell comprised of cotton fabric decorated with ZnO polyhedron/CNT showed no discernible change in the cyclic voltammetry curves even after 500 bending cycles, demonstrating the mechanical durability of the electrode. The potential window of 1.6 V using a Na2SO4/K2SO4 aqueous dual-ion electrolyte improved the long-term electrochemical stability and increased the energy storage capacity. The capacitance retention was 94\% after 5000 cycles at a current density of 1 A center dot g(-1), indicating long-term electrochemical stability. A specific capacitance of 375 F center dot g(-1) at a current density of 5 A center dot g(-1) and energy density of 33.3 Wh center dot kg(-1) at a power density of 2000 W center dot kg(-1) were recorded for the optimized electrode. Highlights Polyhedral ZnO was grown on cotton fabric using a hydrothermal process. The electrochemical performance was optimized by varying the zinc acetate concentration. The highest specific capacitance was 375 F center dot g(-1) at a current density of 5 A center dot g(-1). Under optimal conditions, the capacitance retention was 94\% at N = 5000 cycles. The energy density of the electrode was as high as 33.3 Wh center dot kg(-1).

}, keywords = {carbon nanotube, Cotton fabric, hydrothermal process, wearable supercapacitor, ZnO polyhedron}, issn = {0363-907X}, doi = {10.1002/er.7720}, author = {Samuel, Edmund and Joshi, Bhavana and Park, Chanwoo and Aldalbahi, Ali and El-Newehy, Mohamed and Lee, Hae-Seok and Yoon, Sam S.} } @article {48827, title = {3D-printed polymer composite devices based on a ferroelectric chiral ammonium salt for high-performance piezoelectric energy harvesting}, journal = {Materials Horizons}, volume = {10}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3153-3161}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2051-6347}, doi = {10.1039/d3mh00444a}, author = {Sahoo, Supriya and Kothavade, Premkumar Anil and Naphade, Dipti R. and Torris, Arun and Praveenkumar, Balu and Zareba, Jan K. and Anthopoulos, Thomas D. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {48317, title = {Accelerated Rauhut-Currier dimerization enabled the synthesis of (+/-)-incarvilleatone and anticancer studies}, journal = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {19}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {204-211}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of racemic incarvilleatone has been achieved by utilizing unexplored accelerated Rauhut-Currier (RC) dimeriza-tion. The other key steps of the synthesis are oxa-Michael and aldol reactions in a tandem sequence. Racemic incarvilleatone was separated by chiral HPLC and the configuration of each enantiomer was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In addition, a one-pot synthesis of (+/-)-incarviditone has been achieved from rac-rengyolone by using KHMDS as a base. We have also assessed the anticancer activity of all the synthesized compounds in breast cancer cells nonetheless, they exhibited very limited growth suppression activity.

}, keywords = {dimerization, incarviditone, incarvilleatone, oxa-Michael, Rauhut-Currier}, issn = {1860-5397}, doi = {10.3762/bjoc.19.19}, author = {Kotammagari, Tharun K. and Misra, Sweta and Paul, Sayantan and Kunte, Sunita and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Santra, Manas K. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {48753, title = {Activation of the olefinic C-H bond of NHC and NHO by perimidine-based silicon and germanium compounds}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {42}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1909-1917}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this manuscript, several backbonegermylene-functionalized zwitterioniccompounds were prepared conveniently from the corresponding N-heterocycliccarbenes or N-heterocyclic olefins in a single step through backboneC-H activation. Our initial motivation was to generate a silylenefrom C10H6(Me3SiN)(2)SiHCl(2) using ItBu [ItBu= (1,3-ditert-butyl)imidazol-2-ylidene], but instead, the reactionled to deprotonation from the imidazolium backbone of ItBu, forming the imidazolium salt with a silyl backbone at the C4position (3). We presumed that the reaction proceededthrough the generation of an ephemeral silylene. We subsequently preparedthe analogous germylene (4) and reacted it with IDipp[IDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene], ItBu, and IDipp=CH2. Spectroscopic and crystallographicanalysis of these complexes revealed that, in all cases, there wasdeprotonation from the backbone and formation of zwitterionic products(5-7). When the hydrogen in the NHCbackbone was replaced with methyl groups such as IDipp(Me) (1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene),simple adduct formation occurred, exemplified by the isolation ofIDipp(Me)\& BULL;Ge(NSiMe3)(2)C10H6 (8).

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.3c00167}, author = {Gour, Kritika and Pramanik, Debjit and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Tothadi, Srinu and Vanka, Kumar and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {49125, title = {Advances in the iron-catalyzed direct functionalizations of heterocycles}, journal = {Synlett}, volume = {34}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {683-697}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Direct functionalization of heterocycles is an advanced strategy for diversifying privileged and biorelevant heterocycle-containing molecules. Particularly, use of the most abundant transition metal, iron, as a catalyst makes this process highly cost-effective and sustainable. Recently, some progress has been realized towards the direct functionalization of heterocycles under iron catalysis. Herein, we present the developments in the C-H bond functionalizations and related reactions of various heterocycles by abundant iron salts. This Synpacts is categorized into different sections based on heterocycles being functionalized, and each section is discussed based on the type of reaction catalyzed by iron. 1 Introduction 2 Functionalization of Indoles 2.1 Alkylation 2.2 Alkenylation 2.3 Other Reactions 3 Oxindoles and isatins 3.1 C-C Bond Formation 3.2 C-Heteroatom Bond Formation 4 Pyridines and Furans 5 Functionalization of Azoles 6 Summary and Outlook

}, keywords = {Alkylation, azoles, C-H functionalization, heterocycles, indoles, iron, Mechanism}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/a-1890-8503}, author = {Pradhan, Chandini and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {48779, title = {Alloying with Mn enhances the activity and durability of the CoPt catalyst toward the methanol oxidation reaction}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {26554-26562}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To improve the catalytic performance and durability ofPt catalystsused for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in direct methanolfuel cells (DMFCs), alloying of Pt with other transition metals suchas Ru, Co, Ni, and Fe is considered an effective approach. Despitethe significant progress made in the preparation of bimetallic alloysand their utilization for MOR, improving the activity and durabilityof the catalysts to make them commercially viable remains a stiffchallenge. In this work, trimetallic Pt100-x (MnCo)( x ) (16 \< x \< 41) catalysts were successfully synthesized via borohydridereduction followed by hydrothermal treatment at 150 \& DEG;C. The electrocatalyticperformance of the synthesized trimetallic Pt100-x (MnCo)( x ) (16 \< x \< 41) catalysts toward MOR was studied using cyclicvoltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results affirm that all Pt100-x (MnCo)( x ) (16 \< x \< 41) alloys have superior MOR activityand durability as compared to bimetallic PtCo alloys and commerciallyavailable Pt/C (comm. Pt/C) catalysts. Among all the compositionsstudied, the Pt60Mn1.7Co38.3/C catalystexhibited superior mass activity (1.3 and 1.9 times higher than thoseof Pt81Co19/C and comm. Pt/C, respectively)toward MOR. Furthermore, all the newly synthesized Pt100-x (MnCo)( x )/C (16 \< x \< 41) catalysts showed better CO tolerance when comparedwith comm. Pt/C. This improved performance of the Pt100-x (MnCo)( x )/C (16 \< x \< 41) catalyst can be attributed to the synergisticeffect of Co and Mn on the Pt lattice.

}, keywords = {CO tolerance, direct methanol fuel cells, electrocatalysis, methanol oxidation reaction(MOR), trimetallic alloy catalysts}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.3c01140}, author = {Deshpande, Pooja and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {48439, title = {Amino acid abundance and composition in cell culture medium affects trace metal tolerance and cholesterol synthesis}, journal = {Biotechnology Progress}, volume = {39}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Amino acids, cell culture medium, CHO cells, Cholesterol, zinc}, issn = {8756-7938}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.3298}, author = {Rawat, Jyoti and Bhambri, Aksheev and Pandey, Ujjiti and Banerjee, Sanchita and Pillai, Beena and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {49001, title = {Antibacterial and anti-HIV metabolites from marine streptomyces albus MAB56 isolated from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {195}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {7738-7754}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Marine-derived actinobacteria have tremendous potential to produce novel metabolites with diverse biological activities. The Andaman coast of India has a lot of microbial diversity, but it is still a relatively unknown ecology for isolating novel actinobacteria with beneficial bioactive compounds. We have isolated 568 actinobacterial strains from mangrove rhizosphere sediments and sponge samples. Crude extracts from 75 distinct strains were produced by agar surface fermentation and extracted using ethyl acetate. In the disc diffusion method, 25 actinobacterial strains showed antimicrobial activity; notably, the strain MAB56 demonstrated promising broad-spectrum activity. Strain MAB56 was identified as Streptomyces albus by cultural, microscopic, and molecular methods. Conditions for bioactive metabolites from MAB56 were optimized and produced in a lab-scale fermenter. Three active metabolites (C1, C2, and C3) that showed promising broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity were isolated through HPLC-based purification. Based on the UV, FT-IR, NMR, and LC-MS analysis, the chemical nature of the active compounds was confirmed as 12-methyltetradecanoic acid (C1), palmitic acid (C2), and tridecanoic acid (C3) with molecular formulae C14H28O2, C16H32O2, and C13H26O2, respectively. Interestingly, palmitic acid (C2) also exhibited anti-HIV activity with an IC50 value of \< 1 mu g/ml. Our findings reveal that the actinobacteria from the Andaman marine ecosystems are promising for isolating anti-infective metabolites.

}, keywords = {actinobacteria, Andaman Islands, anti-HIV, Antibacterial, Bioactive metabolites}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-023-04493-y}, author = {Manikkam, Radhakrishnan and Murthy, Sangeetha and Palaniappan, Sivasankar and Kaari, Manigundan and Sahu, Amit Kumar and Said, Madhukar and Ganesan, Vijayalakshmi and Kannan, Sivakumar and Ramasamy, Balagurunathan and Thirugnanasambandan, Somasundaram and Dastager, Syed G. and Hanna, Luke Elizabeth and Kumar, Vanaja} } @article {48473, title = {Bacterial communities and diversity of western ghats soil: a study of a biodiversity hotspot}, journal = {Current Microbiology}, volume = {80}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {108}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Western Ghats is one of India{\textquoteright}s mega-diversity hotspots and an ecologically and geologically important area for the diversity of endemic plants and animals. The present study provides insights into the aerobic bacterial diversity and composition of the soils of North Western Ghats located in Maharashtra state (NWGM), India. The samples for the culture-dependent study were collected from 6 different locations namely Malshej Ghat, Bhimashankar, Lonavala, Mulshi, Tail-Baila, and Mahabaleshwar. A total of 173 isolates were obtained from the different samples, which belonged to Proteobacteria (43\%), Firmicutes (36\%), and Actinobacteria (19\%). Sequences of 15 strains shared \<= 98.7\% similarity (a species cut-off) which represent potential novel species. Metagenomic analysis revealed the presence of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria as the most dominant phyla at both MB and MG. However, both sites showed variation in the composition of rare phyla and other dominant phyla. This difference in bacterial community composition could be due to differences in altitude or other physicochemical properties. The functional prediction from the amplicon sequencing showed the abundance of carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism which was corroborated by screening the isolated bacterial strains for the same. The present study has a unique take on microbial diversity and defines the importance of community assembly processes such as drift, dispersal, and selection. Such processes are relatively important in controlling community diversity, distribution, as well as succession. This study has shown that the microbial community of NWGM is a rich source of polysaccharide degrading bacteria having biotechnological potential.

}, issn = {0343-8651}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-023-03207-1}, author = {Ghare, Uma and Narvekar, Simran and Lodha, Tushar and Mallebhari, Rubiya and Dastager, Syed and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Dhotre, Dhiraj and Karmalkar, Nitin R. and Pable, Anupama A.} } @article {48743, title = {Bimetallic quantum dots (Cu-Pd, Ni-Pd) catalyzed reaction of bromo arenes with alkenes and aryl boronic acids}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {62}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {843-848}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Aryl bromides, Bimetallic QDs catalysis, Cu-Pd, Mizoroki-Heck, Ni-Pd, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {0019-5103}, doi = {10.56042/ijc.v62i8.4769}, author = {Raut, Pallavi K. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Dumbre, Swapnil R. and Patil, Vaishali N. and Solanki, Bhanupratap S. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {48692, title = {Binder-free and flexible VOPO4/CNT film as cathode for aqueous rechargeable Zn-metal battery}, journal = {Advanced Sustainable Systems}, volume = {7}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {binder-free cathodes, flexible batteries, layered VOPO4, polymer gel electrolytes, self-standing flexible films}, issn = {2366-7486}, doi = {10.1002/adsu.202300141}, author = {Dilwale, Swati and Babu, Athira and Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Kurian, Maria and Ghosh, Meena and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48440, title = {Bismuth(III)-catalyzed cascade condensation of alkynyl alcohols with terminal alkynes: a facile construction of propargyl cyclic ethers}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {114}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN }, pages = {154274}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a Bi(OTf)3-catalyzed cascade condensation between alkynols (particularly pent-4-yn-1ols and hex-5-yn-1-ols) and terminal alkynes (aryl alkynes) to facile access to diverse propargyl cyclic ethers (2 alkynyl tetrahydrofurans and 2 alkynyl tetrahydropyrans). This simple and efficient cascade transformation proceeds through initial intramolecular hydroalkoxylation of alkynols to give corresponding cyclic enol ethers (via exo-dig or endo-dig mode of ring-closure) followed by hydroalkynylation. Costeffective, naturally abundant, green Lewis acid catalysis, ambient reaction conditions, short reaction times, good substrate scope, and high yields are salient features of this strategy.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alkynyl alcohols, Bismuth catalysis, Cascade condensation, Propargyl cyclic ethers, Terminal alkynes}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2022.154274}, author = {Pratapure, Madhukar S. and Kontham, Ravindar} } @article {48794, title = {Carbohydrate recognition using metal-ligand assemblies}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {21}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, pages = {5492-5505}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Carbohydrate-binding proteins, known as lectins, play a wide range of vital roles in cellular and pathological processes. Mimicking lectins to achieve specific molecular recognition of carbohydrates in organic and aqueous media using artificial receptors is challenging due to the synthetic hurdles of receptors and structural similarities between sugars. Carbohydrate recognition using non-covalent interactions remains a vast topic. This review summarises the recognition of carbohydrates using metal-ligand assemblies, including metallosupramolecules, macrocycles, and cages. It also highlights the challenges and future directions in the field.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d3ob00649b}, author = {Ahamed, Rafiq and Venkatesh, Jayashree and Srithar, Rakshantha and Gaikwad, Sudhakar and Pramanik, Susnata} } @article {48336, title = {Carbon black and chitin nanofibers for green tyres: preparation and property evaluation}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {310}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {120700}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This research highlights the synergistic use of carbon black (CB) and chitin nanofibers (CHNFs) for developing green tyres for the first time. The CHNFs (12-30 nm) were prepared from chitin powder with the help of steam explosion and mild oxalic acid hydrolysis. The CHNFs were uniformly dispersed in natural rubber (NR) latex, dried, and mixed with CB in a two-roll mill to form NR/CB/CHNF composites. The NR/CB/CHNF composite at 1 phr CHNF loading exhibited tensile and tear strengths that were about 47 and 160 \% greater than the NR-Neat, respectively. The dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the loss tangent (tan delta) at 60 degrees C was 50 \% lower for the NR/CB/CHNF 1.0 composite than for the NR/CB50 composite. The study succeeded in developing a new green tyre tread formulation that would be helpful for attaining sustainability and a circular economy.

}, keywords = {carbon black, Chitin nanofibers, Green Tyre, natural rubber latex}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120700}, author = {Mathew, Mariya and Dominic, C. D. Midhun and Neenu, K. V. and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Dileep, P. and Kumar, T. G. Ajith and Sabu, Akshay Alax and Nagane, Dhiraj and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Badawi, Michael} } @article {48330, title = {Carbon encapsulated NiCo2S4 nanoparticles with enhanced surface mediated charge storage for superior ultracapacitor electrodes}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Three different compositions of NiCo2S4 (NCS) materials were prepared using three solvents, named NCS HTDI (hydrothermal in DI water), NCS STEG (solvothermal in ethylene glycol), and a novel carbon-encapsulated NCS STFA (solvothermal in formamide). The structural and morphological properties of the prepared NCS HTDI, NCS STEG, and NCS HTDI materials were analyzed using various physical characterization techniques. As prepared, NCS materials were tested as an electrode for supercapacitor (SC) application using a 3-electrode system in a basic electrolyte (3 M KOH). NCS HTDI exhibits a specific capacitance of 2536 F g(-1), NCS STEG shows 1355 F g(-1), and NCS STFA shows 1178 F g(-1) at an input current density of 1 A g(-1). The SBN-PSC material is utilized as a counter electrode in the NCS STFA || SBN-PSC-based asymmetric SC device. The device exhibits exceptionally superior electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 172 F g(-1) at 10 A g(-1) input current density and 97\% capacity retention after 5000 cycles in a voltage window of 1.6 V. The results confirm the superiority of NCS STFA||SBN-PSC deviceas an excellent high-energy and high-power SC.

}, keywords = {Asymmetric supercapacitor device, NiCo2S4, pseudocapacitor, Surface charge storage}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202300121}, author = {Chaturvedi, Vikash and Pawar, Meenakshi and Thripuranthaka, M. and Shivade, Rajkiran and Shelke, Manjusha V. V.} } @article {48678, title = {Catalyst-assisted selective vinylation and methylallylation of a quaternary carbon center using tert-butyl acetate}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {88}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9686-9703}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The In-(OTf)(3)-catalyzed \& alpha;-vinylationof varioushydroxy-functionalized quaternary carbon centers using in situ generatedisobutylene from tert-butyl acetate is presentedas a novel synthetic methodology. Moreover, tert-butylacetate is a nonflammable feed stock and is a readily available sourcefor the in situ production of vinyl substituents, as demonstratedby the vinylation reaction with quaternary hydroxy/methoxy compounds.Moreover, an excellent selectivity for methylallylation over vinylationwas obtained with Ni-(OTf)(2) as a catalyst. In the case ofperoxyoxindole, methylallyl-functionalized 1,4-benzoxazin-3-one derivativeswere formed through the sequential rearrangement of peroxyoxindolefollowed by the nucleophilic attack by isobutylene. The detailed mechanismfor this reaction and rationalization for the selectivity are providedusing kinetics and density functional theory studies.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.2c03072}, author = {Mohanta, Nirmala and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Pandey, Akanksha M. and Mondal, Shankhajit and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy} } @article {48996, title = {Cerebrospinal fluid protein profiles in alzheimer{\textquoteright}s dementia patients: a bioinformatic approach}, journal = {Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology }, volume = {26}, year = {2023}, type = {Letter}, issn = {0972-2327}, doi = {10.4103/aian.aian_206_23}, author = {Misra, Anamika and Chakrabarti, Sankha S. and Gambhir, Indrajeet S. and Baghel, Meghraj S. and Patil, Yugendra R.} } @article {48818, title = {Chemical bridge-mediated heterojunction electron transport layers enable efficient and stable perovskite solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {29597-29608}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) emerged as potential photovoltaicenergy-generating devices developing in recent years because of theirexcellent photovoltaic properties and ease of processing. However,PSCs are still reporting efficiencies much lower than their theoreticallimits owing to various losses caused by the charge transport layerand the perovskite. In this regard, herein, an interface engineeringstrategy using functional molecules and chemical bridges was appliedto reduce the loss of the heterojunction electron transport layer.As a functional interface layer, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)was introduced between PCBM and the ZnO layer, and as a result, EDTAsimultaneously formed chemical bonds with PCBM and ZnO to serve asa chemical bridge connecting the two. DFT and chemical analyses revealedthat EDTA can act as a chemical bridge between PCBM and ZnO, passivatedefect sites, and improve charge transfer. Optoelectrical analysisproved that EDTA chemical bridge-mediated charge transfer (CBM-CT)provides more efficient interfacial charge transport by reducing trap-assistedrecombination losses at ETL interfaces, thereby improving device performance.The PSC with EDTA chemical bridge-mediated heterojunction ETL exhibiteda high PCE of 21.21\%, almost no hysteresis, and excellent stabilityto both air and light.

}, keywords = {charge transfer, chemical bridge, electron transport layer, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Perovskite solar cells, trap-assisted recombination}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.3c04852}, author = {Patil, Pramila and Maibam, Ashakiran and Sangale, Sushil S. and Mann, Dilpreet Singh and Lee, Hyun-Jung and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Kwon, Sung-Nam and Na, Seok-In} } @article {49004, title = {Chemically gradient hydrogen-bonded organic framework crystal film}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {62}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are ordered supramolecular solid structures, however, nothing much explored as centimetre-scale self-standing films. The fabrication of such crystals comprising self-supported films is challenging due to the limited flexibility and interaction of the crystals, and therefore studies on two-dimensional macrostructures of HOFs are limited to external supports. Herein, we introduce a novel chemical gradient strategy to fabricate a crystal-deposited HOF film on an in situ-formed covalent organic polymer film (Tam-Bdca-CGHOF). The fabricated film showed versatility in chemical bonding along its thickness from covalent to hydrogen-bonded network. The kinetic-controlled Tam-Bdca-CGHOF showed enhanced proton conductivity (8.3x10(-5) S cm(-1)) compared to its rapid kinetic analogue, Tam-Bdca-COP (2.1x10(-5) S cm(-1)), which signifies the advantage of bonding-engineering in the same system.

}, keywords = {Chemical Gradience, Crystal Films, Free-Standing Films, hydrogen-bonded organic framework, Interfacial Chemistry, proton conductivity}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202304313}, author = {Mohammed, Abdul Khayum and Raya, Jesus and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Addicoat, Matthew A. and Gaber, Safa and Aslam, Mohamed and Ali, Liaqat and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Shetty, Dinesh} } @article {48293, title = {Chemodivergent coupling of azoarenes with benzyl alcohols via a borrowing hydrogen strategy using a well-defined nickel catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY }, pages = {2705-2713}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d3cy00090g}, author = {Bansal, Sadhna and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49126, title = {Chloroperoxidase applications in chemical synthesis of industrial relevance}, journal = {Biocatalysis and Biotransformation}, volume = {41}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {403-420}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {active pharmaceutical ingredients, Biotransformation, Caldariomyces fumago, chemo, Chloroperoxidase, regio, stereoselectivity}, issn = {1024-2422}, doi = {10.1080/10242422.2022.2107919}, author = {Bhandari, Yogesh and Sajwan, Hemlata and Pandita, Parul and Koteswara Rao, Vamkudoth} } @article {48459, title = {CO2 electrolysis towards large scale operation: rational catalyst and electrolyte design for efficient flow-cell}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {59}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6774-6795}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to renewable fuels/chemicals is a potential approach towards addressing the carbon neutral economy. To date, a comprehensive analysis of key performance indicators, such as an intrinsic property of catalyst, reaction environment and technological advancement in the flow cell, is limited. In this study, we discuss how the design of catalyst material, electrolyte and engineering gas diffusion electrode (GDE) could affect the CO2RR in a gas-fed flow cell. Significant emphasis is given to scale-up requirements, such as promising catalysts with a partial current density of \>= 100 mA cm(-2) and high faradaic efficiency. Additional experimental hurdles and their potential solutions, as well as the best available protocols for data acquisition for catalyst activity evaluation, are listed. We believe this manuscript provides some insights into the making of catalysts and electrolytes in a rational manner along with the engineering of GDEs towards CO2RR.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d3cc01231j}, author = {Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48442, title = {Cofilin-membrane interactions: electrostatic effects in phosphoinositide lipid binding}, journal = {ChemPhysChem}, volume = {24}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The actin cytoskeleton interacts with the cell membrane primarily through the indirect interactions of actin-binding proteins such as cofilin-1. The molecular mechanisms underlying the specific interactions of cofilin-1 with membrane lipids are still unclear. Here, we performed coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations of cofilin-1 with complex lipid bilayers to analyze the specificity of protein-lipid interactions. We observed the maximal interactions with phosphoinositide (PIP) lipids, especially PIP2 and PIP3 lipids. A good match was observed between the residues predicted to interact and previous experimental studies. The clustering of PIP lipids around the membrane bound protein leads to an overall lipid demixing and gives rise to persistent membrane curvature. Further, through a series of control simulations, we observe that both electrostatics and geometry are critical for specificity of lipid binding. Our current study is a step towards understanding the physico-chemical basis of cofilin-PIP lipid interactions.

}, keywords = {complex membrane, lipid clustering, Martini coarse-grain simulations, Molecular dynamics simulations, Protein-lipid interactions}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.202200509}, author = {Prakash, Shikha and Krishna, Anjali and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {48795, title = {COF-supported zirconium oxyhydroxide as a versatile heterogeneous catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation and nerve agent hydrolysis}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {26}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, pages = {108088}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2023.108088}, author = {Shekhar, Pragalbh and Devulapalli, Venkata Swaroopa Datta and Reji, Reshma and Singh, Himan Dev and Jose, Aleena and Singh, Piyush and Torris, Arun and Vinod, Chatakudath P. and Tokarz III, John A. and Mahle, John J. and Peterson, Gregory W. and Borguet, Eric and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {48489, title = {Comparative evaluation of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral load from campus sewage water}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {109673}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {AOPs and hybrid AOPs, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Ozonation, PMMoV, SARS-CoV-2, Sewage water treatment}, issn = {2213-2929}, doi = {10.1016/j.jece.2023.109673}, author = {Pramanik, Rinka and Bodawar, Narendra and Brahme, Aashay and Kamble, Sanjay and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {47350, title = {Comparative studies of the influence of particle size on various pretreatments of rice husk by assessment of chemical and structural components and wastewater characteristics of liquid fraction}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The dilute acid (DA), steam explosion (SE), and a 2-step: steam explosion followed by alkali (SEA) were evaluated for pretreatment of rice husk. The maximum hemicellulose and lignin removal via degradation and dissolution was observed for SEA pretreatment, enabling higher cellulose enrichment (up to 44\% w/w) and recovery (up to 78\%). The hemicellulose solubilization was \>90\% for all the pretreatments, while maximum lignin removal (up to 62\%) was observed for SEA pretreatment. The particle size in the range of 0.3-0.6 mm enabled higher pretreatment efficiencies in terms of cellulose enrichment. The liquid fraction obtained after DA pretreatment indicated higher COD values (20800-24440 mg/L) as compared to SEA (7800-11400 mg/L) due to lower cellulose recoveries in DAP (54-68\%). SEM analysis of the biomass indicated disrupted regions with multiple pores. FTIR analysis revealed cleavage of lignin side chains, and XRD analysis confirmed the increase in cellulose crystallinity post-pretreatment.

}, keywords = {Lignocellulosic crop residues, Liquid-waste characterization, Particle size, Rice husk biomass, Steam explosion pretreatment}, issn = {2190-6815}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-021-01565-z, Early Access Date = JUN 2021}, author = {Shahabazuddin, Mohmmad and Banuvalli, Bhavana Karibasappa and Mulik, Nagesh and Pande, Ashwini and Bokade, Vijay and Mudliar, Sandeep Narayan} } @article {48302, title = {Comparison of the solid-state and submerged fermentation derived secretomes of hyper-cellulolytic Penicillium janthinellum NCIM 1366 reveals the changes responsible for differences in hydrolytic performance}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {371}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {128602}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

better hydrolytic performance along with a higher initial rate of reaction. Secretome analyses of the SSF and SmF enzymes using LC/MS-MS, indicated that while the type of proteins secreted were similar in both modes, the abundance of specific beta glucosidases, lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases and hemicellulolytic enzymes were very high in SSF resulting in efficient initiation, low accumulation of cellobiose and high initial reaction rates. Key enzymes that catalyse lignocellulose breakdown under SSF and SmF are therefore different and the fungus may be speculated to have regulation mechanisms that aid differential expression under different culti

}, keywords = {Cellulase, Solid -state fermentation}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128602}, author = {Sankar, Meena and Mathew, Reshma M. and Puthiyamadam, Anoop and Sreeja-Raju, Athiraraj and Christopher, Meera and Gokhale, Digambar Vitthal and Sukumaran, Rajeev K.} } @article {48316, title = {Controlled synthesis of thermosensitive tunable porous film of (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) copolymer for sustain drug delivery}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {140}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e53854}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

There have been reports on different types of porous polymer films for various applications. The designing of such porous films with uniform properties is a challenging task. In this work, tunable porous thin films of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) and polycaprolactone (PCL), that is, (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) has been fabricated and its sustained drug delivery applications have been reported. First, the (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) has been synthesized through the addition polymerization of pNIPAM and PCL. Then the synthesized (pNIPAM)-b(PCL) has been used to design porous thin film with varying temperatures without using any external template, below and above the lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) of pNIPAM. Pore size in (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) films has been tuned by varying the temperature from similar to 10 to 40 degrees C. Then the developed thermosensitive porous film has been taken and seeded with the K562 (chronic myeloid leukemia blood cancer) and HepG2 (hepatocarcinoma) cells and the skin cancer cells (B16-F10) killing efficiency of anticancer drug (e.g., doxorubicin hydrochloride, DOX) loaded (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) film has been studied. It is found that the DOX-loaded (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) can efficiently kill the skin cancer cells. The porous polymer thin film reported in this work can be a versatile platform for the loading of drugs and it can be used for the various therapeutic applications.

}, keywords = {Biomaterials, Biomedical Applications, drug delivery systems, films, nanostructured polymers}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.53854}, author = {Amgoth, Chander and Patra, Sukanya and Wasnik, Kirti and Maity, Pradip and Paik, Pradip} } @article {48745, title = {Covalent organic framework cladding on peptide-amphiphile-based biomimetic catalysts}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {145}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {12793-12801}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Peptide-based biomimetic catalysts are promising materialsforefficient catalytic activity in various biochemical transformations.However, their lack of operational stability and fragile nature innon-aqueous media limit their practical applications. In this study,we have developed a cladding technique to stabilize biomimetic catalystswithin porous covalent organic framework (COF) scaffolds. This methodologyallows for the homogeneous distribution of peptide nanotubes insidethe COF (TpAzo and TpDPP) backbone, creating strong noncovalent interactionsthat prevent leaching. We synthesized two different peptide-amphiphiles,C10FFVK and C10FFVR, with lysine (K) and arginine(R) at the C-termini, respectively, which formed nanotubular morphologies.The C10FFVK peptide-amphiphile nanotubes exhibit enzyme-likebehavior and efficiently catalyze C-C bond cleavage in a buffermedium (pH 7.5). We produced nanotubular structures of TpAzo-C10FFVK and TpDPP-C10FFVK through COF claddingby using interfacial crystallization (IC). The peptide nanotubes encasedin the COF catalyze C-C bond cleavage in a buffer medium aswell as in different organic solvents (such as acetonitrile, acetone,and dichloromethane). The TpAzo-C10FFVK catalyst,being heterogeneous, is easily recoverable, enabling the reactionto be performed for multiple cycles. Additionally, the synthesis ofTpAzo-C10FFVK thin films facilitates catalysis inflow. As control, we synthesized another peptide-amphiphile, C10FFVR, which also forms tubular assemblies. By depositingTpAzo COF crystallites on C10FFVR nanotubes through IC,we produced TpAzo-C10FFVR nanotubular structuresthat expectedly did not show catalysis, suggesting the critical roleof the lysines in the TpAzo-C10FFVK.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.3c03562}, author = {Kumar Mahato, Ashok and Pal, Sumit and Dey, Kaushik and Reja, Antara and Paul, Satyadip and Shelke, Ankita and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Das, Dibyendu and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {48833, title = {Covalent organic framework thin-film photodetectors from solution-processable porous nanospheres}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {145}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1649-1659}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.2c09838}, author = {Bag, Saikat and Sasmal, Himadri Sekhar and Chaudhary, Sonu Pratap and Dey, Kaushik and Blaette, Dominic and Guntermann, Roman and Zhang, Yingying and Poloz, Miroslav and Kuc, Agnieszka and Shelke, Ankita and Vijayaraghavan, Ratheesh K. and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Bhattacharyya, Sayan and Heine, Thomas and Bein, Thomas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {49008, title = {Critical review on amorphous-crystalline heterostructured electrocatalysts for efficient water splitting}, journal = {Materials Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {7}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6254-6280}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Introducing complementary active materials in tandem as heterostructures of various shapes and sizes can significantly improve the physicochemical properties of the developed materials. Recently, the use of amorphous materials in conjunction with crystalline moieties as highly efficient electrocatalysts for water-splitting electrolyzers has surged rapidly. Excellent bifunctional activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can be achieved from amorphous-crystalline-based materials owing to their remarkably conductive crystalline phase as well as their long-range disordered amorphous phase. In addition, the high specific surface area, disordered structure, and enhanced structural stability can accommodate various defects and strains that develop during in situ electrochemical reactions. Consequently, amorphous materials can be used as both surface-confined and volume-confined electrocatalysts. Although crystalline materials have better electronic properties as well as higher thermal and mechanical stability, they suffer from limited activity due to only surface-confined electrocatalysis. In this regard, the judicious integration of crystalline and amorphous active materials suitable for the OER and HER can tremendously enhance their bifunctional electrocatalytic activities owing to their synergistic effects. The variety in the choice of amorphous and crystalline counterparts presents ample opportunities for further exploration of the development of amorphous-crystalline heterostructured materials with unique properties. However, considering the recent massive developments in the understanding and protocols for fabricating such heterostructures, a critical review is vital for further advancement in this direction. Although some review papers have focused only on amorphous materials, including their synthesis methods, properties, and applications, no critical review that provides an overview emphasizing amorphous-crystalline heterostructures for electrocatalytic water-splitting applications has been published. In this regard, this review aims to present comprehensive details on the recent developments in the fabrication of different amorphous-crystalline heterostructures, the choice of the composition of each component, and the resulting physicochemical properties for the OER, HER, and overall water-splitting. It provides an in-depth understanding of amorphous-crystalline material synthesis protocols, their selection rationale, and their targeted physicochemical properties. This review also provides thought-provoking ideas and long-term perspectives for future research. This review presents comprehensive details on recent developments in the fabrication of different amorphous-crystalline heterostructures, their compositions, and the resulting physicochemical properties for OER, HER, and overall water splitting.

}, doi = {10.1039/d3qm00940h}, author = {Singh, Manjinder and Cha, Dun Chan and Singh, Thangjam Ibomcha and Maibam, Ashakiran and Paudel, Dasu Ram and Nam, Dong Hwan and Kim, Tae Hyeong and Yoo, Sunghoon and Lee, Seunghyun} } @article {48823, title = {Design and development of multi-functional graphitic carbon nitride heterostructures embedded with copper and iron oxide nanoparticles as versatile sensing platforms for environmental and agricultural applications}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {49}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {20688-20698}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the recent past, agrotechnology has witnessed a tremendous change due to the advent of technologies employed towards enhancing the yield and quality of the crops. The application of nanotechnology in agriculture is promoting sustainable practices and smart farming. Currently, nanomaterial-based sensors are gaining considerable attention in agrotechnology, such sensors can detect the environmental conditions and support for crop growth and enhances the agricultural yield. Graphiticcarbon nitride (g-C3N4), a soft polymer belongs to a class of 2-D semiconductors which are affordable, metal-free, indispensable for sensing applications due to significant changes in their conductivity upon exposure to analyte molecules in nano-regime. Further, this g-C3N4 can be combined with other nano metal oxides to form nanocomposites with remarkable properties and superior performance. In this work we report development of high-performance sensors based on graphitic carbon nitride embedded with copper and iron oxide nanoparticles. These heterostructures offers tremendous improvement in the physical and chemical properties due to the synergetic interactions between various phases. The chemiresistive sensor fabricated from these nanocomposites exhibit excellent sensitivity towards monitoring methane gas @ ppb level, relative humidity (\% RH), and soil moisture content. Owing to their excellent sensitivity, stability and selectivity, this graphitic carbon nitride embedded with Cu and Fe oxide nanoparticles could be potentially used as multifunctional sensors towards environmental monitoring and greenhouse conditions in agricultural applications.

}, keywords = {Agricultural sensors, CuO nanoparticles, Environmental monitoring, FeO nanoparticles, Graphitic carbon nitride}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.03.200}, author = {Khasim, Syed and Pasha, Apsar and Dastager, Syed G. and Panneerselvam, Chellasamy and Hamdalla, Taymour A. and Al-Ghamdi, S. A. and Alfadhli, S. and Makandar, Mohammad Basha and Albalawi, Jalal Bassam and Darwish, A. A. A.} } @article {48300, title = {Design and synthesis of 1,3-diynes as potent antifungal agents against aspergillus fumigatus}, journal = {ChemMedChem}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {1, 3-Diynes, Antifungal agents, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cadiot-Chodkiewicz, Glaser-Hay}, issn = {1860-7179}, doi = {10.1002/cmdc.202300013}, author = {Goswami, Lakshmi and Gupta, Lovely and Paul, Sayantan and Vijayaraghavan, Pooja and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {48715, title = {Developing a feeding assay system for evaluating the insecticidal effect of phytochemicals on Helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {Jove-Journal of Visualized Experiments}, volume = {195}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e65278}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Helicoverpa armigera, a lepidopteran insect, is a polyphagous pest with a worldwide distribution. This herbivorous insect is a threat to plants and agricultural productivity. In response, plants produce several phytochemicals that negatively impact the insect{\textquoteright}s growth and survival. This protocol demonstrates an obligate feeding assay method to evaluate the effect of a phytochemical (quercetin) on insect growth, development, and survival. Under controlled conditions, the neonates were maintained until the second instar on a pre-defined artificial diet. These second-instar larvae were allowed to feed on a control and quercetin-containing artificial diet for 10 days. The insects{\textquoteright} body weight, developmental stage, frass weight, and mortality were recorded on alternate days. The change in body weight, the difference in feeding pattern, and developmental phenotypes were evaluated throughout the assay time. The described obligatory feeding assay simulates a natural mode of ingestion and can be scaled up to a large number of insects. It permits one to analyze phytochemicals{\textquoteright} effect on the growth dynamics, developmental transition, and overall fitness of H. armigera. Furthermore, this setup can also be utilized to evaluate alterations in nutritional parameters and digestive physiology processes. This article provides a detailed methodology for feeding assay systems, which may have applications in toxicological studies, insecticidal molecule screening, and understanding chemical effects in plant-insect interactions.

}, issn = {1940-087X}, doi = {10.3791/65278}, author = {Mohite, Sharada D. and Patil, Yogita P. and Nichit, Vikram J. and Joshi, Rakesh S.} } @article {48736, title = {Differential membrane curvature induced by distinct protein conformers}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {19}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {4021-4028}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Membrane topology changes are associated with various cellular processes and are modulated by synergistic effects between lipid composition and membrane-associated proteins. However, how protein shape or conformational dynamics couples to membrane molecular properties remains unclear. In this work, we aim to investigate this coupling behavior using the curvature-inducing protein caveolin-1. We considered distinct protein conformers of the helical hairpin protein corresponding to different protein shapes, such as the wedge and the banana-shaped conformers. The different protein conformers were simulated in a coarse-grain representation in the presence of cholesterol-sphingomyelin rich membrane. We observed that membrane curvature is dependent on protein shape and is the lowest for the wedge conformer and maximal for the banana conformer. The differences in the net stress between the two membrane leaflets, calculated from the lateral pressure profile distributions in lipid bilayers for different protein conformers, show a similar trend. In conjunction, we show that cholesterol and sphingomyelin clustering in the membrane is modulated by protein shape. Overall, our results provide molecular-level insights into the coupling between membrane topology, protein shape and lipid clustering in cell membranes.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/d3sm00218g}, author = {Malshikare, Hrushikesh and Prakash, Shikha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {48741, title = {Direct conversion of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine to N-containing heterocyclic compounds 3-acetamidofuran and 3-acetamido-5-acetyl Furan}, journal = {Waste and Biomass Valorization}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4201-4214}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran, 3-acetamidofuran, dehydration, heterogeneous catalysis, Lanthanum oxide, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, renewable feedstock}, issn = {1877-2641}, doi = {10.1007/s12649-023-02127-2}, author = {Shaikh, Samrin S. and Patil, Chetana R. and Lucas, Nishita and Bokade, Vijay V. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {48990, title = {Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors featuring novel histidine α-nitrile motif}, journal = {Chemistry and Biodiversity }, volume = {20}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {dipeptide inhibitors, histidine alpha-nitrile, M-pro (main protease), molecular dynamics, SARS-CoV-2}, issn = {1612-1872}, doi = {10.1002/cbdv.202300957}, author = {Gone, Nilu Vijay and Enayathullah, Mohammed Ghalib and Thomas, Jessie and Rathee, Parth and Prabhakar, Rajeev and Bokara, Kiran Kumar and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {48951, title = {Distortion-induced interfacial charge transfer at single cobalt atom secured on ordered intermetallic surface enhances pure oxygen production}, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {17}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {23169-23180}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

In this work, atomic cobalt (Co) incorporation into the Pd2Ge intermetallic lattice facilitates operando generation of a thin layer of CoO over Co-substituted Pd2Ge, with Co in the CoO surface layer functioning as single metal sites. Hence the catalyst has been titled Co-1-CoO-Pd2Ge. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirm the existence of CoO, with some of the Co bonded to Ge by substitution of Pd sites in the Pd2Ge lattice. The role of the CoO layer in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been verified by its selective removal using argon sputtering and conducting the OER on the etched catalyst. In situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy demonstrate that CoO gets transformed to CoOOH (Co3+) in operando condition with faster charge transfer through Pd atoms in the core Pd2Ge lattice. In situ Raman spectroscopy depicts the emergence of a CoOOH phase on applying potential and shows that the phase is stable with increasing potential and time without getting converted to CoO2. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Pd2Ge lattice induces distortion in the CoO phase and generates unpaired spins in a nonmagnetic CoOOH system resulting in an increase in the OER activity and durability. The existence of spin density even after electrocatalysis is verified from electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. We have thus successfully synthesized intermetallic supported CoO during synthesis and rigorously verified the role played by an intermetallic Pd2Ge core in enhancing charge transfer, generating spin density, improving electrochemical durability, and imparting mechanical stability to a thin CoOOH overlayer. Differential electrochemical mass spectrometry has been explored to visualize the instantaneous generation of oxygen gas during the onset of the reaction.

}, keywords = {DEMS, interfacial charge transfer, Intermetallic, long-termstability, operando spectroscopic techniques, Oxygen Evolution Reaction, structuraldistortion}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.3c09680}, author = {Mondal, Soumi and Riyaz, Mohd and Bagchi, Debabrata and Dutta, Nilutpal and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48734, title = {Donor-acceptor-based two-dimensional polymer as a supercapacitor electrode with long cycling stability}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {47}, year = {2023}, month = {OCT }, pages = {18049-18054}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The high demand for energy and energy-storage devices urged organic 2D polymers as a potential candidate in this area. One of the major attractions of 2D polymers in electrochemical applications is their long cycling stability due to their rigid and porous structure. Herein, we developed a 2D polymer comprised of donor-acceptor units exhibiting reasonably good performance as a supercapacitor. The 2D polymer displayed a maximum specific capacitance of 218 F g-1 at a current rate of 0.1 A g-1, a higher power density of 4648.35 W kg-1, and an energy density of 7.05 W h kg-1. In a cycling stability test, it demonstrated a capacitance retention of 70\% over 10 000 continuous charge-discharge cycles at a current rate of 2.5 A g-1. Such long cycling stability was attributed to the donor-acceptor units and the crystalline nature of the polymer. The sensible selection of the building blocks of the 2D polymers is crucial for the performance and hence provides scope for improvement. An organic donor-acceptor-based 2D polymer, a promising candidate for energy storage devices, displays a specific capacitance of 218 F g-1, a power density of 4648.35 W kg-1, an energy density of 7.05 W h kg-1, and a capacitance retention of 70\% over 10 000 cycles.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d3nj02510a}, author = {Bhagyasree, T. M. and Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Kumar, Viksit and Asokan, Kiran and Sreekumar, K. and Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh} } @article {48675, title = {Dynamic heterogeneity in polydisperse systems: a comparative study of the role of local structural order parameter and particle size}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {159}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {044501}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0156794}, author = {Patel, Palak and Sharma, Mohit and Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra} } @article {48830, title = {Early cellular events and potential regulators of cellulase induction in Penicillium janthinellum NCIM 1366}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {5057}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cellulase production by fungi is tightly regulated in response to environmental cues, and understanding this mechanism is a key pre-requisite in the efforts to improve cellulase secretion. Based on UniProt descriptions of secreted Carbohydrate Active enZymes (CAZymes), 13 proteins of the cellulase hyper-producer Penicillium janthinellum NCIM 1366 (PJ-1366) were annotated as cellulases- 4 cellobiohydrolases (CBH), 7 endoglucanases (EG) and 2 beta glucosidases (BGL). Cellulase, xylanase, BGL and peroxidase activities were higher for cultures grown on a combination of cellulose and wheat bran, while EG was stimulated by disaccharides. Docking studies indicated that the most abundant BGL- Bgl2- has different binding sites for the substrate cellobiose and the product glucose, which helps to alleviate feedback inhibition, probably accounting for the low level of glucose tolerance exhibited. Out of the 758 transcription factors (TFs) differentially expressed on cellulose induction, 13 TFs were identified whose binding site frequencies on the promoter regions of the cellulases positively correlated with their abundance in the secretome. Further, correlation analysis of the transcriptional response of these regulators and TF-binding sites on their promoters indicated that cellulase expression is possibly preceded by up-regulation of 12 TFs and down-regulation of 16 TFs, which cumulatively regulate transcription, translation, nutrient metabolism and stress response.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-023-32340-x}, author = {Christopher, Meera and Sreeja-Raju, Athiraraj and Abraham, Amith and Gokhale, Digambar Vitthal and Pandey, Ashok and Sukumaran, Rajeev K.} } @article {48821, title = {The effect of substituents on the aggregation-induced emission of 9,10-phenanthraquinone-hydrazones}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {47}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {15066-15075}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Organic luminophores, particularly \& pi;-conjugated systems, have become crucial in modern optoelectronic devices that utilise luminescence as an output signal, requiring aggregate or solid-states, such as nanoparticles, thin films, or crystals. Herein, we report the one-step synthesis of six hydrazone derivatives using condensation reactions between 9,10-phenanthrenedione and different aromatic hydrazines, comprising electron-donating/electron-withdrawing groups and a quinoline moiety. The introduction of a conjugated \& pi;-system leads to complete co-planarization of molecules resulting in large bathochromic shifts in their absorption profile, the maximum red-shifts ever observed for the hydrazones. These hydrazones are weakly fluorescent in dilute acetonitrile solutions. However, they exhibit enhanced emissions of up to 300-fold in aggregated states. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies support nanoaggregate formation. All the compounds exhibit red to NIR emissions in their crystalline state with as high as 75\% quantum efficiency.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d3nj02198j}, author = {Kumar, M. Naveen and Lyngkhoi, Deikrisha Lyngdoh and Gaikwad, Sudhakar and Samanta, Debabrata and Khatua, Snehadrinarayan and Pramanik, Susnata} } @article {48777, title = {Effective distribution of gold nanorods in ordered thick mesoporous silica: a choice of noninvasive theranostics}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {OCT }, pages = {47615-47627}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Porous silica coated gold nanorod core-shell structures demonstrate a multifunctional role in bioimaging, drug delivery, and cancer therapeutics applications. Here, we address a new approach for effective distribution of gold nanorods (GNRs) in a mesoporous silica (MS) shell, viz., one nanorod in one silica particle (GMS). We have studied that silica coating presents major advantages for the better biocompatibility and stability of GNRs. In this study, two different thicknesses of silica shell over GNRs have been discussed as per the application{\textquoteright}s need; GNRs in thin silica (11 nm) are fit for phototherapy and bioimaging, whereas thick and porous silica (51 nm) coated gold nanorods are suitable for triggered drug delivery and theranostics. However, effective distribution of GNRs in ordered architecture of thick mesoporous silica (MS, more than 50 nm thickness) with high surface area (more than 1000 m(2)/g) is not well understood so far. Here, we present methodical investigations for uniform and highly ordered mesoporous silica coating over GNRs with tunable thickness (6 to 51 nm). Judicious identification and optimization of different reaction parameters like concentrations of silica precursor (TEOS, 1.85-43.9 mM), template (CTAB, 0.9-5.7 mM), effect of temperature, pH (8.6-10.8), stirring speed (100-400 rpm), and, most importantly, the mode of addition of TEOS with GNRs have been discussed. Studies with thick, porous silica coated GNRs simplify the highest ever reported surface area (1100 m(2)/g) and cargo capacity (57\%) with better product yield (g/batch). First and foremost, we report a highly scalable (more than 500 mL) and rapid direct deposition of an ordered MS shell around GNRs. These engineered core-shell nanoparticles demonstrate X-ray contrast property, synergistic photothermal-chemotherapeutics, and imaging of tumor cell (96\% cell death) due to released fluorescent anticancer drug molecules and photothermal effect (52 degree celsius) of embedded GNRs. A deeper insight into their influence on the architectural features and superior theranostics performances has been illustrated in detail. Hence, these findings indicate the potential impact of individual GMS for image guided combination therapeutics of cancer.

}, keywords = {CombinationTherapy, Contrast Agent, Core-ShellStructure, GoldNanorods, Imaging, Mesoporous silica, Nanoparticles, TheranosticsIntervention}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.3c06108}, author = {Prasad, Rajendra and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {48949, title = {Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution mediated by an organotelluroxane macrocycle stabilized through secondary interactions}, journal = {Dalton Transaction }, volume = {52}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {17242-17248}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Anion Transport, Proton-Reduction}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d3dt02746e}, author = {Narsimhulu, Gujju and Samuel, Calvin and Palani, Sathishkumar and Dasari, Sai Hemant Kumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Baskar, Viswanathan} } @article {48494, title = {Electrostatic modulation of intramolecular and intermolecular interactions during the formation of an amyloid-like assembly}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {62}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1890-1905}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The mechanism of protein aggregation can be broadly viewedas ashift from the native-state stabilizing intramolecular to the aggregated-phasesustaining intermolecular interactions. Understanding the role ofelectrostatic forces on the extent of modulation of this switch hasrecently evolved as a topic of monumental significance as proteinaggregation has lately been connected to charge modifications of anaging proteome. To decipher the distinctive role of electrostaticforces on the extremely complicated phase separation landscape, weopted for a combined in vitro-in silico approach to ascertainthe structure-dynamics-stability-aggregabilityrelationship of the functional tandem RRM domains of the ALS-relatedprotein TDP-43 (TDP-43(tRRM)), under a bivariate solutioncondition in terms of pH and salt concentration. Under acidic pH conditions,the native TDP-43(tRRM) protein creates an aggregation-proneentropically favorable partially unfolded conformational landscapedue to enthalpic destabilization caused by the protonation of theburied ionizable residues and consequent overwhelming fluctuationsof selective segments of the sequence leading to anti-correlated movementsof the two domains of the protein. The evolved fluffy ensemble witha comparatively exposed backbone then easily interacts with incomingprotein molecules in the presence of salt via typical amyloid-aggregate-likeintermolecular backbone hydrogen bonds with a considerable contributionoriginating from the dispersion forces. Subsequent exposure to excesssalt at low pH conditions expedites the aggregation process via anelectrostatic screening mechanism where salt shows preferential bindingto the positively charged side chain. The applied target observable-specificapproach complementarity unveils the hidden information landscapeof an otherwise complex process with unquestionable conviction.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00014}, author = {Pillai, Meenakshi and Das, Atanu and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {48975, title = {Etherification of biomass-derived glycerol to oxygenated fuel additives using dodecatungstophosphoric-silica-supported catalyst: characterization and kinetic studies}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery }, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16285-16295}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Commercial biodiesel production is becoming popular due to its sustainability and reduced greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to fossil fuels. Biodiesel production involves the co-generation of crude glycerol that is not directly viable. Valorization of glycerol is essential from techno-economic perspective to achieve goals of circular economy. In this study, the glycerol etherification was carried out using tert-butyl alcohol in presence of dodecatungstophosphoric/silica (DTP/SiO2) catalyst for production of tert-butyl glycerol ethers that can be used as fuel additives. A series of DTP/SiO2 catalysts were prepared with various compositions by impregnating heteropoly acids (HPA, H3PW12O40). The product analysis was performed to monitor mono-, di-, and tri-tert-butyl glycerol ethers. The kinetic studies were conducted based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The rate constants were determined from experimental data by regression analysis. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM/EDX, and thermogravimetric analysis. Varying DTP loadings resulted in different catalytic activities. Activation energy (38.23 kJ/mol), activation enthalpy (25.94 kJ/mol), activation entropy (-163.8 J/mol/K), and Gibbs free energy of activation (88.67 kJ/mol) were attained for DTP/SiO2 (20\%) catalyst that exhibited the best selectivity for di-tert-butyl glycerol ethers.

}, keywords = {Catalytic, etherification, fuel additives, Hinselwood, Impregnation, kinetics, Langmuir}, issn = {2190-6815}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-023-04880-9}, author = {Magar, Subhash B. and Kapoor, Ashish and Jana, Sumit Kumar and Pal, Dan Bahadur and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {48988, title = {Evaluation of Fe3O4 incorporated functionalized carbon nanotube self-standing buckypaper as electrodes for solid-state symmetric supercapacitor}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage }, volume = {73}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC }, pages = {109-101}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Buckypaper, Power density, specific capacitance, Symmetric supercapacitor}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2023.109101}, author = {Bhaviripudi, Vijayabhaskara Rao and Dwivedi, Pravin K. and Pabba, Durga Prasad and Aepuru, Radhamanohar and Nakate, Umesh T. and Espinoza-Gonzalez, Rodrigo and Shelke, V, Manjusha} } @article {48998, title = {Exceptional cyclability of thermally stable PVdF-co-HFP/SiO2 nanocomposite polymer electrolytes for sodium ion batteries}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage}, volume = {73}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Thermally stable composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) devising PVdF-co-HFP polymer with in-situ generated silica (SiO2) as filler is synthesised via non-solvent- induced phase inversion technique. The filler loading of in-situ synthesised silica in PVdF-co-HFP is varied from 0 to 9 wt\% and its morphological, thermal and electrochemical characterization is carried out. Among the different composite electrolytes, the PVdF-co-HFP containing 6 wt\% SiO2 shows the uniform microporous structure with a highest porosity (84 \%), surface area (784.14 m(2) g(-1)), electrolyte uptake (262 \%) and electrolyte retention value (0.48). The incorporation of in-situ SiO2 on CPE shows not only the enhancement in thermal stability but also reduced thermal shrinkage with an increase in the filler content. The electrochemical studies of PVdF-co-HFP containing 6 wt\% SiO2 shows a higher ionic conductivity (0.71 mS cm(-1)) and potential stability \>4.5 V verses Na/Na+. The Na-ion half-cells assembled with PVdF-co-HFP/SiO2 composite electrolyte show a specific capacity of similar to 120 mAh g(-1) at 0.3C rate in room temperature and a stable cycle performance with a Coulombic efficiency of around 100 \% for 200 cycles.

}, keywords = {Composite electrolytes, Coulombic efficiency, polymer electrolytes, Sodium ion batteries, specific capacity, thermal stability}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2023.109026}, author = {Das, Akhila and Melepurakkal, Amrutha and Sreeram, Pranav and Gireesh, K. T. and Balakrishnan, Neethu T. M. and Fatima, M. J. Jabeen and Pullanchiyodan, Abhilash and Ahn, Jou-Hyeon and V. Shelke, Manjusha and Raghavan, Prasanth} } @article {48964, title = {Excitation wavelength-dependent multi-coloured and white-light emissive pyrene-based hydrazones: suppression of Kasha{\textquoteright}s rule}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {59}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {14122-14125}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Multi-coloured and white-light emissions from pyrene-based hydrazones are described. They exhibit excitation wavelength-dependent emissions in solution due to the suppression of Kasha{\textquoteright}s rule. Interestingly, in dimethylformamide, 1-3 emit light that covers all the regions of primary colours as a function of excitation wavelength, and 1 and 2 emit white light (lambda ex = 420 nm) in isopropanol. Multi-coloured and white-light emissions from pyrene-based hydrazones are described.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d3cc04584f}, author = {Kumar, M. Naveen and Lyngkhoi, Deikrisha Lyngdoh and Gaikwad, Sudhakar and Samanta, Jayanta and Ahamed, Rafiq and Khatua, Snehadrinarayan and Pramanik, Susnata} } @conference {48799, title = {Fast normalization and despeckled method for skin optical coherence tomography image via deep learning}, booktitle = {Photonics in Dermatology and Plastic Surgery 2023}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {SPIE}, organization = {SPIE}, address = {1000 20TH ST, PO BOX 10, BELLINGHAM, WA 98227-0010 USA}, abstract = {

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is well-known for its high-resolution, non-invasive imaging modality with many medical uses, including skin imaging. Nevertheless, speckle noise limits the analytical capabilities of this imaging tool, causing deterioration in contrast and less exact detection of tissue microstructural heterogeneity. To address this issue, we proposed OCT despeckling approach by combing it with normalization to reduce the speckle noise more effectively. The proposed method contains multiple steps including phase correlation for alignment of misaligned frames, frame averaging which minimizes speckle noise, region-wise pixels normalization that helps to normalize intensity pixels, a modified BM3D filtering to suppress the white and speckle, and contrast enhancement to improve the contrast appropriately. To establish the approach, we applied 130 distinct B-scan skin OCT images and validate and evaluate the performance using qualitatively and quantitatively. Although the output obtained by the algorithm is promising, the method is time-consuming because of a series of steps. To reduce the time complexity, we also develop a supervised deep learning model by mapping between noisy-despeckled image pairs. The effectiveness and applicability of our DL approach were assessed using 130 skin OCT B-scans from various body areas taken from 45 healthy people between the ages of 20 and 60. With the support of the experimental results, we demonstrate that our DL model is capable to normalize and despeckling OCT images simultaneously.

}, keywords = {CNN, deep learning, denoising, Optical coherence tomography, speckle}, isbn = {978-1-5106-5809-7; 978-1-5106-5810-3}, doi = {10.1117/12.2651211}, author = {Rahaman, Jarjish and Lukas, Brandon and May, Julia and Puyana, Carolina and Tsoukas, Maria and Avanaki, Kamran}, editor = {Choi, B and Zeng, H} } @article {48699, title = {Ferroelectric polarization and iron substitution synergistically boost electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction in bismuth oxychloride nanosheets}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {39}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {11414-11425}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric materials have gained significant interestin variouskinds of water splitting, but the study of ferroelectric materialsfor electrocatalytic water splitting is in its infancy. Ferroelectricmaterials have spontaneous polarization below their Curie temperaturedue to dipolar alignment, which results in surface charges. In 2Dferroelectric materials, spontaneous polarization depends on thickness.Herein, we report that thickness-dependent ferroelectric polarizationin 2D nanosheets can also accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction(OER) along with the tailored active surface area of exposed crystallinefacets, which improves the electrocatalytic activity relatively. Iron-substitutedBiOCl nanosheets of varying thickness are fabricated by varying thepH using a facile coprecipitation method. The substituted iron enhancespolarization and electrochemical active sites on the surface. Thefindings in this study show that the exposed (001) facet and higherthickness of the nanosheets have high ferroelectric polarization and,in turn, superior electrocatalytic activity and remarkable stability,requiring low overpotentials (348 mV and 270 mV at 100 mA/cm(2) and 10 mA/cm(2)) in alkaline (1.0 M KOH) electrolyte. Asthe thickness of the nanosheets is decreased from 140 to 34 nm, theelectrocatalytic performance of iron-substituted BiOCl nanosheetsstarts to reduce due to the lower Coulomb-Coulomb interactionand the increasing depolarization.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01272}, author = {Singh, Dinesh and Joshi, Bhavana and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {48329, title = {Few-layer graphene lithiophilic and sodiophilic diffusion layer on porous stainless steel as lithium and sodium metal anodes}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {APR }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In order to subdue the obvious problem of uneven electric field distribution on regularly used copper/aluminum current collectors for alkali metal batteries, graphene on porous stainless steel (pSS_Gr) was fabricated using the ion etching technique that is employed as an effective host for lithium and sodium metal anodes. The binder-free pSS_Gr demonstrated stable Li plating and stripping at areal current and capacity of 6 mA cm(-2) and 2.54 mAh cm(-2), respectively, for over 1000 cycles with 98\% coulombic efficiency (C.E.). Also, in the case of Na metal anode, the host has shown stable performance at 4 mA cm(-2) and 1 mAh cm(-2) over 1000 cycles with similar to 100\% C.E.. Further, a full cell composed of Li-plated pSS_Gr as an anode and LiFePO4 as a cathode is electrochemically tested at 50 mA g(-1) current density with stable 100 cycles.

}, keywords = {Few layer graphene, Free-standing, Li and Na metal functional host, Na depth profiles, post-cycling XPS}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202300068}, author = {Patrike, Apurva and Wasnik, Kundan and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {48446, title = {Genomic determinants of entomopathogenic fungi and their involvement in pathogenesis}, journal = {Microbial Ecology}, volume = {85}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {49-60}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Entomopathogenic fungi offer an effective and eco-friendly alternative to curb insect populations in biocontrol strategy. The evolutionary history of selected entomopathogenic fungi indicates their ancestral relationship with plant endophytes. During this host shifting, entomopathogenic fungi must have acquired multiple mechanisms, including a combination of various biomolecules that make them distinguishable from other fungi. In this review, we focus on understanding various biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in entomopathogenesis. In particular, we attempt to explain the indispensable role of enlarged gene families of various virulent factors, viz. chitinases, proteases, lipases, specialized metabolites, and cytochrome P450, in entomopathogenesis. Our analysis suggests that entomopathogenic fungi recruit a different set of gene products during the progression of pathogenesis. Knowledge of these bio-molecular interactions between fungi and insect hosts will allow researchers to execute pointed efforts towards the development of improved entomopathogenic fungal strains.

}, keywords = {Biocontrol, Chitinases, Endophytic fungi, Entomopathogenic fungi, Hydrolytic enzymes, Insect pests}, issn = {0095-3628}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-021-01936-z}, author = {Vidhate, Ravindra P. and Dawkar, Vishal V. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {48995, title = {Genomic surveillance reveals early detection and transition of delta to omicron lineages of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater treatment plants of Pune, India}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research }, volume = {30}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {118976-118988}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the urgency for rapid public health surveillance methods to detect and monitor the transmission of infectious diseases. The wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a promising tool for proactive analysis and quantification of infectious pathogens within a population before clinical cases emerge. In the present study, we aimed to assess the trend and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants using a longitudinal approach. Our objective included early detection and monitoring of these variants to enhance our understanding of their prevalence and potential impact. To achieve our goals, we conducted real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Illumina sequencing on 442 wastewater (WW) samples collected from 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Pune city, India, spanning from November 2021 to April 2022. Our comprehensive analysis identified 426 distinct lineages representing 17 highly transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, fragments of Omicron variant were detected in WW samples prior to its first clinical detection in Botswana. Furthermore, we observed highly contagious sub-lineages of the Omicron variant, including BA.1 (similar to 28\%), BA.1.X (1.0-72\%), BA.2 (1.0-18\%), BA.2.X (1.0-97.4\%) BA.2.12 (0.8-0.25\%), BA.2.38 (0.8-1.0\%), BA.2.75 (0.01-0.02\%), BA.3 (0.09-6.3\%), BA.4 (0.24-0.29\%), and XBB (0.01-21.83\%), with varying prevalence rates. Overall, the present study demonstrated the practicality of WBE in the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants, which could help track future outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. Such approaches could be implicated in monitoring infectious agents before they appear in clinical cases.

}, keywords = {Bioinformatics pipeline, COVID-19, Early warning, India, Next-generation sequencing, Omicron, Public health, SARS-CoV-2, wastewater, Wastewater-based epidemiology}, issn = {0944-1344}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-023-30709-z}, author = {Rajput, Vinay and Pramanik, Rinka and Malik, Vinita and Yadav, Rakeshkumar and Samson, Rachel and Kadam, Pradnya and Bhalerao, Unnati and Tupekar, Manisha and Deshpande, Dipti and Shah, Priyanki and Shashidhara, L. S. and Boargaonkar, Radhika and Patil, Dhawal and Kale, Saurabh and Bhalerao, Asim and Jain, Nidhi and Kamble, Sanjay and Dastager, Syed and Karmodiya, Krishanpal and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {48815, title = {Hierarchical covalent organic framework-foam for multi-enzyme tandem catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {6643-6653}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are ideal host matrices for biomolecule immobilization and biocatalysis due to their high porosity, various functionalities, and structural robustness. However, the porosity of COFs is limited to the micropore dimension, which restricts the immobilization of enzymes with large volumes and obstructs substrate flow during enzyme catalysis. A hierarchical 3D nanostructure possessing micro-, meso-, and macroporosity could be a beneficial host matrix for such enzyme catalysis. In this study, we employed an in situ CO2 gas effervescence technique to induce disordered macropores in the ordered 2D COF nanostructure, synthesizing hierarchical TpAzo COF-foam. The resulting TpAzo foam matrix facilitates the immobilization of multiple enzymes with higher immobilization efficiency (approximately 1.5 to 4-fold) than the COF. The immobilized cellulolytic enzymes, namely beta-glucosidase (BGL), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), and endoglucanase (EG), remain active inside the TpAzo foam. The immobilized BGL exhibited activity in organic solvents and stability at room temperature (25 degrees C). The enzyme-immobilized TpAzo foam exhibited significant activity towards the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (BGL@TpAzo-foam: K-m and V-max = 23.5 +/- 3.5 mM and 497.7 +/- 28.0 mu M min(-1)) and carboxymethylcellulose (CBH@TpAzo-foam: K-m and V-max = 18.3 +/- 4.0 mg mL(-1) and 85.2 +/- 9.6 mu M min(-1) and EG@TpAzo-foam: K-m and V-max = 13.2 +/- 2.0 mg mL(-1) and 102.2 +/- 7.1 mu M min(-1)). Subsequently, the multi-enzyme immobilized TpAzo foams were utilized to perform a one-pot tandem conversion from carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to glucose with high recyclability (10 cycles). This work opens up the possibility of synthesizing enzymes immobilized in TpAzo foam for tandem catalysis.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d3sc01367g}, author = {Paul, Satyadip and Gupta, Mani and Dey, Kaushik and Mahato, Ashok Kumar and Bag, Saikat and Torris, Arun and Gowd, E. Bhoje and Sajid, Hasnain and Addicoat, Matthew A. and Datta, Supratim and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {48829, title = {High rate, high temperature, dendrite free plating/stripping of Li in 3-dimensional honeycomb boron carbon nitride to realize an ultrastable lithium metal anode}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage}, volume = {68}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, pages = {107547}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lithium (Li) metal could be the anode of choice for energy dense Li-batteries owing to its high theoretical specific capacity. However, low coulombic efficiency and poor safety on account of the occurrence of the Li-dendrites during charging-discharging pose a bottleneck for practical applications. In this work, we report a high-rate plating and stripping of Li through host engineering to realize ultrastable Li metal anode (LMA). Benchmark plating/stripping efficiency could be achieved via uniquely structured, highly ordered honeycomb boron carbon nitride (HBCN) as a functional scaffold. Boron and nitrogen doping, large surface area and ordered mesoporous structure induce homogeneous solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer formation and provide numerous nucleation sites with subsequent dendrite-free growth with 99.98 \% coulombic efficiency at 8 mA cm(-2) high current and 10 mAh cm(-2) capacity over 3000 cycles. Via post-cycling advanced characterizations techniques of Ex-situ XPS, 3D X-ray micro-tomography analyses and FESEM, we demonstrate the formation of a stable SEI layer and morphological changes that occurred during Li plating cycles in the HBCN structure. Computational studies validate the high lithium plating-stripping efficacy of HBCN to its highly ordered porous nature, exothermic Li-binding and upshift in the Fermi levels. When tested at elevated temperature (50 degrees C), a stable Li plating-stripping in HBCN is realised at 4 mA cm(-2) current and 10 mAh cm(-2) capacity values with similar to 100 \% C.E. Furthermore, we report the results of testing a Li metal cell comprised of Li deposited HBCN anode and LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode.

}, keywords = {Boron carbon nitride, Dendrite-free Li metal anode, Functional scaffold, High temperature plating/stripping of Li, Molecular planarity parameter, X-ray micro-tomography}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2023.107547}, author = {Patrike, Apurva and Karbhal, Indrapal and Wasnik, Kundan and Torris, Arun and Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Shelke, V, Manjusha} } @article {48314, title = {Highly interconnected porous monolithic and beaded polymers using high internal phase emulsion polymerization: tuning porous architecture through synthesis variables}, journal = {Polymer International}, volume = {72}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {451-466}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {HIPE polymerization, porosity, porous polymers, redox polymerization, Suspension polymerization}, issn = {0959-8103}, doi = {10.1002/pi.6489}, author = {Ponrathnam, Timothy and Behere, Isha and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Ingavle, Ganesh} } @article {48754, title = {Identification of G-quadruplex structures in MALAT1 lncRNA that interact with nucleolin and nucleophosmin}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {51}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9415-9431}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nuclear-retained long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) including MALAT1 have emerged as critical regulators of many molecular processes including transcription, alternative splicing and chromatin organization. Here, we report the presence of three conserved and thermodynamically stable RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) located in the 3 \& PRIME; region of MALAT1. Using rG4 domain-specific RNA pull-down followed by mass spectrometry and RNA immunoprecipitation, we demonstrated that the MALAT1 rG4 structures are specifically bound by two nucleolar proteins, Nucleolin (NCL) and Nucleophosmin (NPM). Using imaging, we found that the MALAT1 rG4s facilitate the localization of both NCL and NPM to nuclear speckles, and specific G-to-A mutations that disrupt the rG4 structures compromised the localization of both NCL and NPM in speckles. In vitro biophysical studies established that a truncated version of NCL (\& UDelta;NCL) binds tightly to all three rG4s. Overall, our study revealed new rG4s within MALAT1, established that they are specifically recognized by NCL and NPM, and showed that disrupting the rG4s abolished localization of these proteins to nuclear speckles

}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkad639}, author = {Ghosh, Arpita and Pandey, Satya Prakash and Joshi, Dheeraj Chandra and Rana, Priya and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Sundar, Jennifer Seematti and Singh, Praveen and Khan, Yasmeen and Ekka, Mary Krishna and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article {48912, title = {In vitro anticancer evaluation of enceleamycin A and its underlying }, journal = {RSC Advances }, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {34183-34193}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

It has become more crucial than ever to find novel anticancer compounds due to the rise in cancer mortality and resistance to the present chemotherapeutic drugs. Naphthoquinones are regarded as privileged structures for their ability to inhibit various cancers. The current study examined three novel furo-naphthoquinones (Enceleamycins A-C) previously isolated from Amycolatopsis sp. MCC 0218 for their anticancer potential. Enceleamycin A demonstrated considerable cytotoxicity for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cells with an IC50 value of 1.25 mu g mL(-1) (3.78 mu M). It also showed the ability to inhibit MDA-MB-231 cell migration. Enceleamycin A raises intracellular ROS levels in TNBC cells, ultimately leading to apoptotic cell death, as demonstrated by Annexin V/PI staining. The molecular docking and simulation investigation revealed better binding affinity of Enceleamycin A with AKT2, which plays a vital role in breast cancer{\textquoteright}s invasiveness and chemo-resistance. Enceleamycin A inhibits the AKT2 enzyme in vitro with an IC50 value of 0.736 mu g mL(-1) (2.22 mu M), further validating the docking study. The in silico physicochemical and pharmacokinetics characteristics of Enceleamycin A demonstrated its drug-likeness. Intriguingly, Enceleamycin A is non-hemolytic in nature. Taken together, Enceleamycin A could be a candidate molecule for treating TNBC cells by targeting the AKT2 signaling pathway.

}, keywords = {Assay, cancer, Derivatives, Naphthoquinones, Plays}, doi = {10.1039/d3ra06204j}, author = {Khan, Abujunaid and Pradeep, S. and Dastager, Syed G.} } @article {49005, title = {Influence of van der waals interactions between the alkyl chains of surface ligands on the size and size distribution of nanocrystals prepared by the digestive ripening process}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {39}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, pages = {17733-17744}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Thermal heating of polydispersed nanocrystals (NCs) with surface-active organic ligands in a solvent leads to the formation of monodispersed NCs, and this process is known as digestive ripening (DR). Here, by performing DR on Au NCs using different-chain-length amine and thiol ligands, we evidently show that ligands with C-12 chain length result in the formation of NCs with narrow size distributions when compared to C-8, C-16, and C-20 chain length ligands. Furthermore, our findings also show that in the case of alkyl thiol, the NC size remains more or less the same, while the size distribution gets altered significantly with the chain length. On the other hand, both size and size distribution are affected significantly when the alkyl amine chain length is varied. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies indicate that the van der Waals (vdW) interactions are weakest when the amine with C-12 carbon chain is used as the DR agent, while in the case of thiols, molecules with C-8 and C-12 chain lengths have nearly the same vdW interactions (with C-12 slightly weaker than C-8), which are weaker than those of C-16 and C-20. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results corroborate the experimental observations and suggest that due to more defects in the alkyl chain, the C-8 and C-12 (amine as well as thiol) ligands are disordered and less stable on Au(111) and Au(100) surfaces. This could result in efficient etching and redeposition, making the ligands with C-8 and C-12 chain lengths the better DR agents.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02316}, author = {Shimpi, Jayesh R. and Thomas, Rinto and Meena, Santosh Kumar and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {48315, title = {Interactive study of Au-20 nanocluster and methyl substituted amide linked tyrosine/tryptophan to develop representative model for studying protein-nanoparticle interaction}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1272}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {134177}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Investigations on UV-vis, steady-state fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence properties of human hemoglobin (HHb) reveals greater spectral shifts in peaks arising due to alterations in microenvironment of Tyr-compared to Trp-during interactions with gold nanoparticle (GNP). Besides, interactions of Au-20 nanocluster with modified Tyr/Trp (possessing methyl substituted amide bonds) by quantum chemical calculations demonstrate significant role of amide bonds and the spectral shift, binding energy and alteration in bond distances appear to be higher for modified Tyr-compared to modified Trp. Moreover, close resemblance of frequency shift of modified Tyr/Trp-in presence of Au 20 is observed with respect to the experimental FT-IR study of HHb upon interaction with GNP, suggesting participation of amide bonds in both cases. Furthermore, CD DFT calculations using optimized helical stretch of HHbin presence of Au-20 and experimental CD results of HHb in presence of GNP further indicate participation amide bonds and biocompatibility of GNP. Apparently, the theoretical and experimental interactions are going in good agreement with each other. Overall, the study of interactions of modified Tyr/Trp-as representative models of protein microenvironment and Au-20 nanocluster as prototype of GNP to develop models for exploring protein nanoparticle interactions has been highlighted. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {amide bonds, Au-20 nanocluster, Gold nanoparticle, Human hemoglobin, Modified Tyr/Trp}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.134177}, author = {Sen Banerjee, Nineesha and Ghosh, Deborin and Mitra, Ishani and Paul, Somnath and Show, Bibhutibhushan and Ganguly, Tapan and Chakraborty, Madhurima} } @article {48969, title = {Intramolecular donor-stabilized tetra-coordinated germanium(iv) di-cations and their Lewis acidic properties}, journal = {Chemical Science }, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC }, pages = {13755-13764}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the first examples of intramolecular phosphine-stabilized tetra-coordinated germanium(iv) di-cationic compounds: [(L2Ge)-Ge-iPr][CF3SO3](2)3iPr and [(L2Ge)-Ge-Ph][CF3SO3](2)3Ph (L-iPr = 6-(diisopropylphosphanyl)-1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene-5-ide; L-Ph = 6-(diphenylphosphanyl)-1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene-5-ide). The step wise synthetic strategy involves the isolation of neutral and mono-cationic Ge(iv) precursors: [(L2GeCl)-Ge-iPr][X] (X = GeCl(3)1iPr, OTf 2iPr), [(L2GeCl2)-Ge-Ph] 1Ph and [(L2GeCl)-Ge-Ph][OTf] 2Ph. Both 3iPr and 3Ph exhibit constrained spiro-geometry. DFT studies reveal the dispersion of di-cationic charges over P-Ge-P sites. Anion or Lewis base binding occurs at the Ge site resulting in relaxed distorted trigonal bipyramidal/tetrahedral geometry. 3iPr and 3Ph activate the Si-H bond initially at the P-site. The hydride ultimately migrates to the Ge-site rapidly giving [(L2GeH)-Ge-Ph][CF3SO3] 3PhH, while sluggishly forming [(L2GeH)-Ge-iPr][CF3SO3] 3iPrH. Compounds 3iPr and 3Ph were tested as catalysts for the hydrosilylation of aromatic aldehydes. While catalytic hydrosilylation proceeded via the initial Et3Si-H bond activation in the case of 3iPr, compound 3Ph as a catalyst showed a masked Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) type reactivity in the catalytic cycle.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d3sc03717g}, author = {Peddi, Balakrishna and Khan, Souvik and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Yildiz, Cem B. and Majumdar, Moumita} } @article {48450, title = {Intrinsic charge polarization in Bi19S27Cl3 nanorods promotes selective C-C coupling reaction during photoreduction of CO2 to ethanol}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {35}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Obtaining multi-carbon products via CO2 photoreduction is a major catalytic challenge involving multielectron-mediated C-C bond formation. Complex design of multicomponent interfaces that are exploited to achieve this chemical transformation, often leads to untraceable deleterious changes in the interfacial chemical environment affecting CO2 conversion efficiency and product selectivity. Alternatively, robust metal centers having asymmetric charge distribution can effectuate C-C coupling reaction through the stabilization of intermediates, for desired product selectivity. However, generating inherent charge distribution in a single component catalyst is a difficult material design challenge. Here, a novel photocatalyst, Bi19S27Cl3, is presented which selectively converts CO2 to a C-2 product, ethanol, in high yield under visible light irradiation. Structural analysis through transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the presence of charge polarized bismuth centers in Bi19S27Cl3. The intrinsic electric field induced by charge polarized bismuth centers renders better separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pair. Furthermore, charge polarized centers yield better adsorption of CO* intermediate and accelerate the rate determining C-C coupling step through the formation of OCCOH intermediate. Formation of these intermediates is experimentally mapped by in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and further confirmed by theoretical calculation.

}, keywords = {C-C coupling, charge polarization, CO2 reduction, Ethanol, Photocatalysis}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.202205994}, author = {Das, Kousik and Das, Risov and Riyaz, Mohd and Parui, Arko and Bagchi, Debabrata and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Singh, Abhishek Kumar and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48461, title = {Investigating the ferrimagnetic behaviour of trigonal 3C Fe7S8 nanoparticles}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {46}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {108}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The magnetic properties of trigonal 3C Fe7S8 nanoparticles, synthesized via the thermal decomposition method, are investigated using temperature-dependent zero-field cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) magnetization (M-T) curves. The M-T data, recorded at 100 and 1000 Oe, reveal magnetic ordering with high Curie transition temperature (T-C \> 300 K) in the specimen. The magnetization vs. applied magnetic field (M-H) data measured in the temperature range from 7 to 300 K show that the compound exhibits ferrimagnetic ordering. The values of coercivity (H-C), saturation magnetization (M-60 kOe) and remanent magnetization (M-R) appear to increase at lower measuring temperatures. As the result of increasing M-60 kOe at lower measuring temperatures, within the temperature range of 7 to 300 K, the maximum energy product (BHmax) has the highest value of 128 kG Oe at 7 K.

}, keywords = {anisotropy, energy product, Fe7S8, ferrimagnetism, Pyrrhotites, trigonal phase}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-023-02943-1}, author = {Jyotsna, Shubhra and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {48957, title = {Iron-catalyzed regioselective C-H alkylation of indoles: an additive-free approach in renewable solvent}, journal = {Green Chemistry }, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {9733-9743}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Alkylated indoles are important motifs in various biologically active molecules and drug candidates. Herein, we report a mild and efficient iron-catalyzed protocol for synthesizing alkylated indoles via C-H bond alkylation of indoles with unactivated alkenes, demonstrating a high level of regioselectivity. The reaction occurs under additive-free, solvent-free (or trace green solvent, 2-MeTHF) and less energy-intensive conditions using a sustainable metal catalyst and provides easy access to privileged alkylated indoles with anti-Markovnikov selectivity. Alkylation is compatible with important functionalities, such as fluoro, chloro, trifluoromethyl, alkenyl, ether, thioether, silyl, and siloxane, including heteroaryl, pyridinyl, carbazolyl, and indolyl moieties (45 examples, up to 96\% yield). The developed protocol is very simple, straightforward, and fully accords with the principles of green chemistry. A detailed mechanistic investigation manifests the facile indole{\textquoteright}s C-H activation at the Fe(0) center, reversible 1,2-insertion of the alkene into the Fe-H bond of a metallacycle, and a turnover-limiting reductive elimination. Alkylated indoles are important motifs in various biologically active molecules and drug candidates.

}, keywords = {Aromatic Ketones, Green, organic synthesis}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/d3gc03709f}, author = {Pradhan, Chandini and Jagtap, Rahul A. and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {48285, title = {Late-stage C(sp(2))-H arylation of artemisinic acid and arteannuin B: effect of olefin migration towards synthesis of C-13 arylated artemisinin derivatives}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {APR }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Arteannuin B, Artemisinic acid, artemisinin, C-H functionalization, Pd-catalysis}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202300162}, author = {Paul, Sayantan and Ghodake, Balaji M. M. and Bhattacharya, Asish K. K.} } @article {48959, title = {Ligand-free one-pot synthesis of Ru/W18O49 self-assembled hierarchical coral-like nanostructures for selective conversion of glucose into glycols}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials }, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC }, pages = {22635-22642}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

In this study, we report a simple inorganic route for the synthesis of Ru/W18O49 self-assembled coral-like nanostructures, with the following advantages: It is one step and requires no surfactant or stabilizing agent; Ru loading is easily tuned, and the as-synthesized nanomaterials can be used as a catalyst without any further processing. The preliminary investigations of the catalytic performance of these as-synthesized Ru/W18O49 nanomaterials appear quite promising for converting glucose to glycols. The total glycol selectivity of 82.6\% with 100\% conversion of glucose was obtained over 0.03 wt \% Ru loading on tungsten nanostructures, which turns out to be the lowest Ru loading\% on support reported to date to achieve the highest total glycol selectivity among the previously reported catalyst based on Ru-nano/composite materials. Additionally, preliminary results show that the concentration of Ru on W18O49 significantly affects the selectivity of the glycol production. Thus, our methodology will open up a wide range of opportunities regarding the choice of metals, stoichiometric/nonstoichiometric WOx (x=1-3) as support, and the viability of further catalytic manipulations. A probable catalytic mechanism for this catalytic process is also proposed.

}, keywords = {glycols, Nanostructure, One-pot synthesis, ruthenium (Ru), selective conversion of glucose, tungsten oxide (W18O49)}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.3c04200}, author = {Patil, Manoj Krishnat and Gaikwad, Supriya Hanmant and Kirali, Arun Arunima Balachandran and Marimuthu, Banu and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {48914, title = {Linear polymer comprising dual functionalities with hierarchical pores for lithium ion batteries}, journal = {Chemelectrochem}, volume = {10}, year = {2023}, month = {OCT }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Organic materials with carbonyl, azo, nitrile and imine moieties are widely used in lithium batteries. The solubility of these materials in battery electrolytes is an issue. Aggregation of the organic molecules can suppress the solubility, but the accessibility of lithium-ion is hindered. Therefore, insoluble porous organic materials are desired. Herein, we synthesized a linear polymer with carbonyl and azo functionalities. Due to the presence of easily isomerizable azo moiety, a porous polymer was obtained. The polymer showed nano and micropores. The battery with the porous polymer showed an impressive specific capacity of 400 mA h/g at 0.2 A/g. If the battery is pre-conditioned, the specific capacity increased to 615 mA h/g at the same current density. The post-mortem analysis of the battery confirmed that the polymer didn{\textquoteright}t dissolve in the battery electrolyte. The control material is a small molecule with carbonyl and azo moieties that showed a poor specific capacity of 40 mA h/g indicating the necessity to have a hierarchically porous dual-functional polymer. Polymers for batteries: A linear polymer with micro and Nano pores with azo and carbonyl functionalities renders increased accessibility to Li ions after preconditioning. During charge-discharge experiment Azo-Carb-PDI electrode had impressive discharge capacity of 469 mA h/g after 500 cycle which is almost 15 times higher than the monomer (Azo-PDI-Azo, 30 mA h/g after 100 cycle).image

}, keywords = {azo polymer, carbonyl, Li-ion battery, porous polymer, Rylene-imide}, issn = {2196-0216}, doi = {10.1002/celc.202300389}, author = {Aher, Jagadish D. and Palani, Sathishkumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article {48991, title = {Liquid-liquid equilibria of ternary mixtures containing Aniline plus Toluene plus water at elevated temperatures: measurements and correlation}, journal = {Separation Science and Technology }, volume = {58}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {2718-2725}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data for the ternary system, Aniline + Toluene + Water, was measured at different temperatures of 298.15 K, 313.15 K and 323.15 K under atmospheric pressure with the help of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis and Karl-Fischer technique. The efficiency of Toluene to extract Aniline from aqueous phase was then quantified in terms of the distribution coefficient and separation factor based on the tie line data. The system showed very good separation ability quantified in terms of high values of distribution factor (average around 7) and separation factors (as high as 1000). The experimental tie line data was verified by Hand and Othmer-Tobias equations. The LLE data was also correlated using NRTL and UNIQUAC models and both of them were able to represent the behavior of the system accurately when tested against experimental results. Toluene has been demonstrated to be very efficient to extract Aniline from reaction mixture, which is typically a by-product in hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, a process commercially used to produce p-Aminophenol in industry.

}, keywords = {Aniline, LLE, NRTL, Tie line, Toluene, UNIQUAC}, issn = {0149-6395}, doi = {10.1080/01496395.2023.2232104}, author = {Gaikwad, Shashank G. and Pathak, Abhishek A. and Mote, Dhananjay R. and Gogate, Parag R. and Singh, Shivani and Modhera, Bharat} } @article {48790, title = {Luminescent 3D printed poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {63}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2059-2072}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {3D printing, Composite, fluorescence, Nanocellulose, poly(lactic acid), toughness}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.26345}, author = {Kothavade, Premkumar Anil and Yadav, Prashant and Nidhankar, Aakash D. and Torris, Arun and Pol, Harshawardhan and Kafi, Abdullah and Bateman, Stuart and Sukumaran, Santosh Babu and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {49132, title = {Mechanistic insights on anserine hydrolyzing activities of human carnosinases}, journal = {Biochemica ET Biophysica Acta- General Subjects }, volume = {1867}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Anserine and carnosine represent histidine-containing dipeptides that exert a pluripotent protective effect on human physiology. Anserine is known to protect against oxidative stress in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Human carnosinases (CN1 and CN2) are dipeptidases involved in the homeostasis of carnosine. In poikilothermic vertebrates, the anserinase enzyme is responsible for hydrolyzing anserine. However, there is no specific anserine hydrolyzing enzyme present in humans. In this study, we have systematically investigated the anserine hydrolyzing activity of human CN1 and CN2. A targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) based approach was employed for studying the enzyme kinetics of CN1 and CN2 using carnosine and anserine as substrates. Surprisingly, both CN1 and CN2 can hydrolyze anserine effectively. The observed catalytic turnover rate (Vmax/[E]t) was 21.6 s-1 and 2.8 s-1 for CN1 and CN2, respectively. CN1 is almost eight-fold more efficient in hydrolyzing anserine compared to CN2, which is comparable to the efficiency of the carnosine hydrolyzing activity of CN2. The Michaelis constant (Km) value for CN1 (1.96 mM) is almost three-fold lower compared to CN2 (6.33 mM), representing higher substrate affinity for anserine-CN1 interactions. Molecular docking studies showed that anserine binds at the catalytic site of the carnosinases with an affinity similar to carnosine. Overall, the present study elucidated the inherent promiscuity of human carnosinases in hydrolyzing anserine using a sensitive LCMS/MS approach.

}, keywords = {Anserine, Carnosinase, Carnosine, Diabetes, LC-MS, MS, Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), Promiscuity}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130290}, author = {Pandya, Vaibhav Kumar and Shankar, S. Shiva and Rajesh, S. and Rathore, Rajeshwari and Kumaran, Sangaralingam and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {48775, title = {MeGen-generation of gallium metal clusters using reinforcement learning}, journal = {Machine Learning-Science and Technology}, volume = {4}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {025032}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The generation of low-energy 3D structures of metal clusters depends on the efficiency of the search algorithm and the accuracy of inter-atomic interaction description. In this work, we formulate the search algorithm as a reinforcement learning (RL) problem. Concisely, we propose a novel actor-critic architecture that generates low-lying isomers of metal clusters at a fraction of computational cost than conventional methods. Our RL-based search algorithm uses a previously developed DART model as a reward function to describe the inter-atomic interactions to validate predicted structures. Using the DART model as a reward function incentivizes the RL model to generate low-energy structures and helps generate valid structures. We demonstrate the advantages of our approach over conventional methods for scanning local minima on potential energy surface. Our approach not only generates isomer of gallium clusters at a minimal computational cost but also predicts isomer families that were not discovered through previous density-functional theory (DFT)-based approaches.

}, keywords = {gallium clusters, reinforcement learning, structure generation}, doi = {10.1088/2632-2153/acdc03}, author = {Modee, Rohit and Verma, Ashwini and Joshi, Kavita and Priyakumar, U. Deva} } @article {48820, title = {Metal deficiency tailored by the 18-electron rule stabilizes metal-based inorganic compounds}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {35}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6050-6058}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The 18-electron (18-e(-)) rule is typicallyrestrictedto predicting the stability of transition-metal-based complexes. Herein,we report the use of the 18-e(-) to predict the stabilityin a family of intermetallics MNiSn (M = V, Cr, Fe, and Co) crystallizingin the Co1.75Ge structure type. Site deficiencies at theM site obtained from single-crystal X-ray diffraction are understoodas attaining a stable noble gas electronic configuration. The densityfunctional theory -based structure calculation confirms that the deficientstructure is more stable than the ideal occupation available at thecrystal lattice. MnNiSn, which crystallizes in the half-Heusler crystalstructure, depicts the role of covalent radii of the constituent elementsin determining the crystal structure. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopyand X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the local structure of the above-mentionedcompounds was also elucidated, supporting the role of deficiency tunedvalence fluctuation to attain a 18-e(-) configurationthat eventually leads to the formation of stable compounds.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c01142}, author = {Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Mumbaraddi, Dundappa and Mishra, Vidyanshu and Roy, Soumyabrata and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48770, title = {Metal-free isoamyl nitrite mediated efficient synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {125}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {154616}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report herein, a metal-free isoamyl nitrite mediated efficient synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles by one pot cycloaddition reaction of aldoximes with nitriles. The structure of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives was confirmed by studies of spectral analysis. Current methodology provides a novel pathway to access 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives.\& COPY; 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 4-Oxadiazole, Aldoxime, Cycloaddition, Isoamyl nitrite}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2023.154616}, author = {Galave, Sharad A. and Kadam, Kishorkumar S. and Sonawane, Amol D. and Pansare, Vaibhav R. and Garud, Dinesh R.} } @article {48765, title = {MnXWO4 nanostructure-based catalysts for single-step oxidation of cyclohexane and methane to oxygenates}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {7245-7258}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Activation of the C-H bond in cyclohexane (CYH) and methane is a crucial step to obtain desirable oxygenated products using nanostructured catalyst and is a great challenge and an efficient route to mitigate the inauspicious effects of climate change. The active sites were identified using XRD, HR-TEM, SEM, N2 sorption analysis, TPR, Raman, XPS, TGA, in situ DRIFT, XAS, etc. In optimal reaction conditions, 46\% of CYH was converted into adipic acid (AA) on MnxWO4 nanostructures within 6 h. The recyclability test confirmed the catalyst heterogeneity, which revealed no appreciable loss of catalytic activity even after three consecutive reactions. In situ DRIFT study reveals that CYH is oxidized to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol (KA oil) and is further oxidized to AA via carboxylate intermediates. DFT studies disclosed that MnOx species are responsible for the C-H activation of CYH, and the Mn2+/Mn3+ redox centers play a vital role in the absorption of KA oil to form AA. Herein, we demonstrated the significant role of the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}MnOx{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} species and that adequate Lewis and Bronsted acidic sites, redox centers of (Mn2+/Mn3+), and lattice oxygen are accountable for the CYH conversion toward the AA. Additionally, we have reported the oxidation of methane to methanol (146 mu mole per gram of catalyst) in the presence of water at 75 degrees C without over-oxidation products.

}, keywords = {Adipic Acid, C-H bond activation, Cyclohexane oxidation, methane activation, MnOx chain, Redox center}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.3c00319}, author = {Prabu, Marimuthu and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Gurrala, Lakshmi Prasad and Mekala, Siva Prasad and Archana, Ramakrishnan and Nayak, Chandrani and Bhattacharyya, D. and Jha, S. N. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {48719, title = {Molecular mechanisms underlying nanowire formation in pristine phthalocyanine}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, pages = {30259-30268}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Understanding the molecular processes of nanowire self-assembly is crucial for designing and controlling nanoscale structures that could lead to breakthroughs in functional materials. In this work, we focus on pristine phthalocyanines as a representative example of mesogenic supramolecular assemblies and have analyzed the formation of nanowires using classical molecular dynamics simulations. In the simulations, the molecules spontaneously form multi-columnar structures resembling supramolecular polymers that subsequently grow into more ordered aggregates. These self-assemblies are concentration dependent, leading to the formation of multi-columnar, dynamic aggregates at higher concentrations and nanowires at lower concentrations. The multi-columnar assemblies on a whole are more disordered than the nanowires, but have locally ordered domains of parallel facing molecules that can fluctuate while maintaining their overall shape. The nanowire formation at lower concentrations involves the initial interaction and clustering of randomly oriented phthalocyanine molecules, followed by the merging of small clusters into elongated segments and the eventual formation of a stable nanowire. We observe three main conformers in these self-assemblies, the parallel, T-shaped and edge-to-edge stacking of the phthalocyanine dimers. We calculate the underlying free energy landscape and show that the parallel conformers form the most stable configuration which is followed by the T-shaped and edge-to-edge dimer configurations. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms and pathways of nanowire formation and a step towards the understanding of self-assembly processes in supramolecular mesogens. Understanding the molecular processes of nanowire self-assembly of phthalocyanine molecules.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d3cp03512c}, author = {Pinjari, Aadil and Saraf, Deepashri and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {49134, title = {Multistep molecular mechanism of amyloid-like aggregation of nucleic acid-binding domain of TDP-43}, journal = {Proteins- Structure Function and Bioinformatics}, volume = {91}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {649-664}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

TDP-43 protein is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases and has been shown to adopt various oligomeric and fibrillar states. However, a detailed kinetic understanding of the structural transformation of the native form of the protein to the fibrillar state is missing. In this study, we delineate the temporal sequence of structural events during the amyloid-like assembly of the functional nucleic acid-binding domain of TDP-43. We kinetically mapped the aggregation process using multiple probes such as tryptophan and thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) targeting different structural events. Our data reveal that aggregation occurs in four distinct steps-very fast, fast, slow, and very slow. The {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}very fast{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} change results in partially unfolded forms that undergo conformational conversion, oligomerization and bind to ThT in the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}fast step{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} to form higher order intermediates (HOI). The temporal sequence of the formation of ThT binding sites and conformational conversion depends upon the protein concentration. The HOI further undergoes structural rearrangement to form protofibrils in the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}slow{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} step, which, consequently, assembles in the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}very slow{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} step to form an amyloid-like assembly. The spectroscopic properties of the amyloid-like assembly across the protein concentration remain similar. Additionally, we observe no lag phase across protein concentration for all the probes studied, suggesting that the aggregation process follows a linear polymerization reaction. Overall, our study demonstrates that the amyloid-like assembly forms in multiple steps, which is also supported by the temperature dependence of the kinetics.

}, keywords = {aggregation pathway, amyloid-like assembly, conformational conversion, kinetics, oligomers}, issn = {0887-3585}, doi = {10.1002/prot.26455}, author = {Pillai, Meenakshi and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {48781, title = {Nanopore sequencing of RAGE gene polymorphisms and their association with type 2 diabetes}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {25727-25738}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The receptor foradvanced glycation end products (RAGE)is a transmembraneprotein that interacts with its ligands, advanced glycation end products(AGEs). AGEs are elevated in diabetes and diabetic complications,leading to increased oxidative stress and activation of pro-inflammatorypathways facilitated by AGE-RAGE signaling. Polymorphisms inthe RAGE gene can potentially affect AGE-RAGEinteraction and its downstream signaling, which plays a crucial rolein the progression of diabetes and its complications. In this study,we used nanopore sequencing for genotyping of RAGE polymorphism and identified a maximum number of 33 polymorphisms,including two previously unreported novel mutations in a cohort ofhealthy, type 2 diabetics without nephropathy and type 2 diabeticswith nephropathy in order to identify associations. Two novel RAGE polymorphisms in the intron 8 and 3 \& PRIME;UTR regionat genomic locations 32181834 and 32181132, respectively, were detectedwith a low frequency. For four previously reported polymorphisms,cross-validation by PCR-RFLP showed 99.75\% concordance with nanoporesequencing. Analysis of genotype distribution and allele frequenciesrevealed that five single nucleotide polymorphisms, i.e., rs1800625,rs3131300, rs3134940, rs2070600, and rs9391855, were associated withan increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.3c00297}, author = {Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H. and Khilari, Ajinkya A. and Kazi, Rubina and Jaiswal, Meera R. and Bhoite, Gouri M. and Padwal, Meghana K. and Momin, Abdulrahaman A. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {48834, title = {Nanosilica from Averrhoa bilimbi juice pre-treated rice husk: preparation and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production}, volume = {413}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {137476}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The preparation of nanosilica from rice husk without using any concentrated mineral acids is a novel concept. This work proposes a bioleaching strategy to remove metallic impurities from rice husk for the preparation of nanosilica. Herein, nanosilica (BJRHS) was prepared by calcinating Averrhoa bilimbi juice pre-treated rice husks in a muffle furnace. The chemical and atomic structures of commercial precipitated silica (CS), rice husk ash (RHA), and BJRHS were analyzed using different analytical techniques. The optimal leaching time, calcination temperature, and calcination time were 1 h, 500 degrees C, and 6 h respectively. The particle size of BJRHS was found to be 6-12 nm, which is less than that of RHA and CS. The BET surface area of BJRHS (204 m2/g) was found to be greater than RHA (110.5 m2/g) and CS (172.1 m2/g). Mesoporous nanosilica with excellent surface area and purity was produced sustainably from rice husk which could be recommended to use in the field of catalysis, polymer technology, etc.

}, keywords = {Averrhoa bilimbi juice, Bioleaching, Nanosilica, rice husk}, issn = {0959-6526}, doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137476}, author = {Dominic, C. D. Midhun and Neenu, K. V. and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Joseph, Rani and Rosa, Derval dos Santos and Duan, Yongxin and Balan, Aiswarya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Soumya, Mary and Shelke, Ankita and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Badawi, Michael} } @article {48272, title = {Nanostructured Co-doped BiVO4 for efficient and sustainable photoelectrochemical chlorine evolution from simulated sea-water}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {52}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2051-2061}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The co-production of hydrogen and chlorine from sea-water splitting could be a potential, sustainable and attractive route by any method. However, challenges to overcome are many, and critically, the sustainability and operating potential of the electrocatalyst are important. In this work, we report on Co-doping in the BiVO4 (Co-BV) crystal lattice and employed the same as the photoanode; Co-BV exhibits a photocurrent of 190 mu A cm(-2) at 1.1 V vs. RHE (the reversible hydrogen electrode) in the acidic sodium chloride solution (pH 2.3) under one sun illumination. The best-performing photoanode, with 0.05 mol\% of Co doping (0.05 Co-BV), selectively produced active chlorine with 92\% faradaic efficiency at 1.1 V vs. RHE by successfully suppressing the kinetically sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the stability of the catalyst was demonstrated for up to 20 h. This is the lowest operating potential reported for the chlorine evolution reaction (CER), thus far. The overpotential required for CER with 0.05 Co-BV is lower than that of OER, which leads to selective CER at 1.1 V (vs. RHE). Co-doping into the BiVO4 lattice decreases the charge transfer resistance and enhances the CER kinetics due to its structural and electronic integration with the BV lattice. We demonstrate that Co-doping also improves the lifetime of the charge carrier and enhances the current density of CER and sustainability of the catalyst.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d2dt03369k}, author = {Chauhan, Inderjeet and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Bajpai, Himanshu and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Salgaonkar, Kranti N. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48313, title = {Nitric acid free cyclohexane to adipic acid production using nickel and vanadium incorporated AlPO-5 molecular sieve}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {540}, year = {2023}, month = {APR }, pages = {113051}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rationally designing a stable and sustainable metal oxide supported over the molecular sieve catalysts for oxidizing cyclohexane (CYH) to adipic acid (AA) is vital in industrial applications. The in-situ hydrothermal synthesis method successfully incorporated vanadium and nickel into the aluminium phosphate-5 (AlPO-5) molecular sieves (MFI structure). The XPS and NH3 TPD analysis disclosed that the addition of Ni into V-AlPO-5 stabilizes the ratio of V4+/V5+, creating strong acidic sites and the formation of NiOOH, which are a vital role for the selective CYH oxidation to AA. An in-situ DRIFT study reveals that nickel takes part in the formation of dicarboxylate ions as an intermediate to form AA. Our catalytic studies profoundly suggested that the Ni0.1V0.2AlPO-5 catalyst used for CYH oxidation gives better selectivity towards AA (53\%) in the presence of oxygen at an appropriate amount of solvent without an initiator or promoter within a short time (3h).

}, keywords = {Adipic Acid, Cyclohexane oxidation, In situ DRIFT, NiOOH, NiVAlPO-5, Ratios ofV4+, V5+}, issn = {2468-8231}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2023.113051}, author = {Prabu, Marimuthu and Sharma, Shweta and Raja, Abhishekram and Archana, Ramakrishnan and Samruddhi, Mane and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {48667, title = {Non-confined gamma monoclinic sulfur cathode in carbonate electrolyte based room temperature K-S batteries}, journal = {JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {15924-15930}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d3ta01751f}, author = {Pai, Rahul and Cardoza, Neal Amadeus and Natu, Varun and Barsoum, Michel W. and Kalra, Vibha} } @article {48828, title = {Non-Markov models of single-molecule dynamics from information-theoretical analysis of trajectories}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {159}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {064104}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Whether single-molecule trajectories, observed experimentally or in molecular simulations, can be described using simple models such as biased diffusion is a subject of considerable debate. Memory effects and anomalous diffusion have been reported in a number of studies, but directly inferring such effects from trajectories, especially given limited temporal and/or spatial resolution, has been a challenge. Recently, we proposed that this can be achieved with information-theoretical analysis of trajectories, which is based on the general observation that non-Markov effects make trajectories more predictable and, thus, more {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}compressible{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} by lossless compression algorithms. Toy models where discrete molecular states evolve in time were shown to be amenable to such analysis, but its application to continuous trajectories presents a challenge: the trajectories need to be digitized first, and digitization itself introduces non-Markov effects that depend on the specifics of how trajectories are sampled. Here we develop a milestoning-based method for information-theoretical analysis of continuous trajectories and show its utility in application to Markov and non-Markov models and to trajectories obtained from molecular simulations.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0158930}, author = {Song, Kevin and Park, Raymond and Das, Atanu and Makarov, Dmitrii E. and Vouga, Etienne} } @article {48475, title = {Novel Biogenic Synthesis of Pd/TiO@BC as an electrocatalytic and possible energy storage materials}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {49}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {15874-15883}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The standard approach towards synthesizing nanomaterials exercising chemical or physical techniques generally costs more and necessitates using toxic chemicals, which negatively affect the environment. For the first time, an investigation of a basic green synthesis approach for Phyto fabrication of Pd/TiO@BC nanocomposite via biomass of rice husk (Oryza sativa L) is conducted to sustain the green chemistry for synthesis of less toxic chemicals. XRD analysis revealed that the structure of Phyto synthesized Pd/TiO@BC is crystalline, while UV, FTIR, SEM and EDX analyses marked the victorious nanocomposite biosynthesis. We have investigated the electrocatalytic and biomedical applications of the novel nanocomposite Pd/TiO@BC at different environmental conditions. Testing the potential electrochemical properties of Pd/TiO@BC to eliminate the Congo red (CR) dye from wastewater marked its high removal efficiency, which attained 90\% owing to the higher electron efficiency. Its sensitivity for CR was also examined, and acceptable degradation activity was observed. These Pd/TiO@BC proved to be beneficial in various fields, including electrochemistry, catalysis sensors, wastewater treatment, and nano-devices, and in the transformation of hazardous particles into less harmful substances. Its great potential for use as a supercapacitor is promised by its feature, including durability and compact stability. Significant guidelines could be extracted from the results, which are helpful in material size, synthesis, selection, and configuration design for various energy storage gadgets. The synthesis of high performance and economical materials through green chemistry is a novel approach towards effective energy storage and alteration procedure operation.

}, keywords = {Electro catalytic, Energy storage, Oryza sativa L biochar, Pd, PdNPs and TiONPs, TiO@BC}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.01.182}, author = {Khasim, Syed and Dastager, Syed G. and Alahmdi, Mohammed Issa and Hamdalla, Taymour A. and Panneerselvam, Chellasamy and Makandar, Mohammad Basha} } @article {48750, title = {Novel shear thickening fluids possessing high shear rates using monodispersed silica nanoparticles and PEG}, journal = {Polymer Bulletin}, volume = {80}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {13069-13098}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Higher shear rate possessing homogeneous shear thickening fluids were synthesized using monodispersed silica nanoparticles and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Novel homogeneous methodology was developed for the synthesis of shear thickening fluids using monodispersed silica nanoparticles and PEG. Shear rate of shear thickening fluids (STF) was determined using rheometer at room temperature. The normal shear rate was observed in the range of 100 to 1200 s(-1), whereas higher shear rate 2000 s(-1) was obtained using monodispersed silica nanoparticles, PEG and shear rate enhancer. Monodispersed silica nanoparticles were synthesized in a typical one-pot using modified Stober{\textquoteright}s method at room temperature. Precursors were used for the synthesis of monodispersed silica nanoparticles such as tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), ethanol, deionized water and ammonia as catalyst. Particle size of monodispersed silica nanoparticles was in the range of 100-1200 nm, and particle size distribution was varied from 0.000 to 0.221. Synthesis of monodispersed silica nanoparticles was studied by various parameters, namely effect of TEOS concentration, grade of ethyl alcohol, ammonia concentration and water concentration. TEOS concentration effect shows particle size and particle size distribution increases with increase in concentration of TEOS. Even though concentration of TEOS was increased up to 5 times the observation was same for all particle sizes such as 100, 300 and 500 nm. Particularly in the case of 300 nm monodispersed silica nanoparticle synthesis, as TEOS concentration was increased from 1 to 5X (5 times) the particle size was increased from 331.7, 447.8, 497.0, 512.0 and 531.7 nm and particle size distribution was 0.005, 0.000, 0.006, 0.007 and 0.089, respectively. The effect of grade of ethyl alcohol illustrates that Indian rectified spirit shows almost similar results with respect to China make ethyl alcohol. Comparative study of China and Indian rectified spirit shows silica nanoparticle size was 174.6 and 174.2 nm, and particle size distribution was 0.065 and 0.071, respectively. Ammonia concentration effect explains particle size and particle size distribution increases with increase in concentration of ammonia. Water concentration effect shows particle size and particle size distribution increases with increase in concentration of ammonia. Comparative data of water concentration effect for 1316 and 1974 mL shows particle size were 321.7 and 488.0 nm, and particle size distribution was 0.083 and 0.05, respectively, under similar conditions. Morphological studies displayed the shape of the silica nanoparticles was spherical, monodispersed and isolated. A typical TEM image of monodispersed silica nanoparticles for 500 nm was observed with extremely low polydispersity, i.e., 0.000. It is very difficult to get such a type of excellent photograph of monodispersity by Stober{\textquoteright}s method particularly on large scale. Rheology study of homogeneous shear thickening fluids studied by varying the parameters such as composition of silica nanoparticles with PEG, effect of amount of solvent, effect of refluxing time, effect of additive with respect to the mol. wt. of PEG and effect of additive such as Tannin. All these parameters of STF explored with respect to the shear rate and shear viscosity. Effect of ethanol amount on STF demonstrates the shear rate increases with increase in amount of solvent. Effect of refluxing time on STF exhibits the shear rate increases with increase in refluxing time. Effect of composition based on 500 nm monodispersed silica nanoparticles and PEG 200 with respect to 60:40, 65:35 and 70:30 composition was studied and the results predict that shear rate increases with increase in silica percentage in composition, i.e., 118, 265 and 1200 s(-1) for 60:40, 65:35 and 70:30 composition, respectively, whereas maximum viscosity decreases with increase in silica content, i.e., 2.559, 1.420 and 1.200 Pa.s for 60:40, 65:35 and 70:30 composition, respectively. Effect of additive on shear rate and shear viscosity illustrates that shear rate decreases with increase in additive percentage in composition, whereas maximum viscosity increases with increase in additive content. Effect of additives on shear rate and shear viscosity was performed using 65:35 composition with respect to PEG 200 along with PEG 6000 shows shear rate was decreased from 142 to 6.42 s(-1) and maximum viscosity was increased from 56.1 to 571.0 Pa.s when the quantity of PEG 6000 was doubled. In general, additive decreases shear rate and increases shear viscosity (maximum). But effect of Tannin as an additive on 500 nm monodispersed silica nanoparticles with PEG 200 using 70:30 composition showed enormous increase in shear rate, i.e., 2000 s(-1). This is anomalous behavior of additive was observed.

}, keywords = {Monodispersed silica nanoparticles, Nanocomposite, Polyethylene glycol, Shear rate, Shear thickening fluid}, issn = {0170-0839}, doi = {10.1007/s00289-023-04696-7}, author = {Chavan, Nayaku and Dhage, Atul and Wale, Apparav and Thorave, Asmita and Rajdeo, Kishor and Kamble, Sanjay and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Tambe, Sanjeev and Verma, Sanjeevkumar} } @article {48817, title = {Opaque cell-specific proteome of Candida albicans ATCC 10231}, journal = {Medical Mycology}, volume = {61}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {myad062}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Candida albicans, a polymorphic opportunistic pathogen of humans, can exist in different morphological forms like yeast, hyphae, pseudohyphae, chlamydospores, and white and opaque cells. Proteomic analysis of opaque form of C. albicans ATCC 10231 is carried out in the present study using microflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and validated using expression analysis of selected genes using reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR and mitochondrial membrane potential assay. This is the first report identifying opaque cell-specific proteins of C. albicans. A total of 188 proteins were significantly modulated under opaque form compared to white cells, of which 110 were upregulated, and 78 were downregulated. It was observed that oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) and oxidative stress are enhanced in C. albicans cells growing under opaque form as proteins involved in OxPhos (Atp1, Atp3, Atp16, Atp7, Cox6, Nuc2, Qcr7, and Sdh12) and oxidative stress response (Gcs1, Gtt11, Gpx2, Sod1, Ccp1, and Lys7) were significantly upregulated. The maximum upregulation of 23.16- and 13.93-fold is observed in the cases of Ccp1 and Nuc2, respectively. The downregulation of proteins, namely Als1, Csh1, Sap9, and Rho1, determining cell surface chemistry indicates modulation in cell wall integrity and reduced adhesion of opaque cells compared to white cells. This study is significant as it is the first draft of the proteomic profile of opaque cells that suggests enhanced OxPhos, oxidative stress, and modulation in cell surface chemistry indicating reduced adhesion and cell wall integrity, which could be associated with reduced virulence in opaque form. However, a deeper investigation is needed to explore it further. Lay Summary Opaque form is one of the least studied morphological forms of Candida albicans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report providing opaque cell-specific proteome. It suggests enhanced oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress, and modulation in cell surface chemistry, which could be associated with reduced virulence in opaque form.

}, keywords = {albicans, C, LC-MS, MS, opaque, Oxidative stress, OxPhos, protein}, issn = {1369-3786}, doi = {10.1093/mmy/myad062}, author = {Abdulghani, Mazen and Telang, Saraswati and Desai, Manisha and Kadam, Shivdas and Kazi, Rubina and Shelar, Amruta and Patil, Rajendra and Maurya, Radheshyam and Zore, Gajanan} } @article {48681, title = {Organocatalysed one-pot three component synthesis of 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles featuring an all-carbon quaternary center and [spiro 2H-pyran-3,4'-indoline]}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {13206-13212}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient methodology for the one-pot synthesis of 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindoles featuring an all-carbon quaternary center has been demonstrated through l-proline catalysed three-component reaction based on sequential Knoevenagel condensation/Michael addition and also one-pot synthesis of spiro[2H-pyran-3,4 {\textquoteleft}-indoline] through consecutive Knoevenagel condensation/Michael addition/reduction/cyclization reactions from readily available isatin derivatives, malononitrile, and ketones. The present methodology presents several advantages, including simple reaction set-up, short reaction times, and easy to work-up. Also, this strategy offers broad substrate scope with excellent yields and high atom economy, under mild reaction conditions.

}, doi = {10.1039/d3ra00510k}, author = {Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Patil, Baliram R. and Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {48270, title = {Palladium-catalyzed chemoselective oxygenation of C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H bonds in isatins}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1862-1867}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The palladium-catalyzed chemoselective C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H bond oxygenation of substituted isatin derivatives is reported. This mild protocol exhibits the C5 C(sp2)-H oxygenation of isatins through electrophilic intermolecular C-H palladation in concentrated solutions using PhI(OAc)2 or Selectfluor as an oxidant, whereas it exhibits- N-CH3 C(sp3)-H oxygenation in dilute solutions via carbonyl-assisted intramolecular palladation in the presence of K2S2O8. This oxygenation reaction provides a direct and unified approach for synthesizing diverse oxygenated isatins with sensitive functionalities, including biorelevant compounds.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.3c00342}, author = {Vijaykumar, Muniyappa and Pradhan, Chandini and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {48671, title = {Palladium-catalyzed polar solvent empowered synthesis of hyper-branched ethylene oligomers and their applications}, journal = {Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3239-3251}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1759-9954}, doi = {10.1039/d3py00311f}, author = {Birajdar, Rajkumar S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Prabhu, M. Basava and Rokade, Dhammaraj and Nandimath, Sheetal and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {48476, title = {Parallel evolution of cannabinoid biosynthesis}, journal = {Nature Plants}, volume = {9}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {817+}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study reveals a cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway in Helichrysum umbraculigerum, a plant genetically distant from Cannabis, providing a potential source of new cannabinoids and metabolic engineering tools. Modulation of the endocannabinoid system is projected to have therapeutic potential in almost all human diseases. Accordingly, the high demand for novel cannabinoids stimulates the discovery of untapped sources and efficient manufacturing technologies. Here we explored Helichrysum umbraculigerum, an Asteraceae species unrelated to Cannabis sativa that produces Cannabis-type cannabinoids (for example, 4.3\% cannabigerolic acid). In contrast to Cannabis, cannabinoids in H. umbraculigerum accumulate in leaves{\textquoteright} glandular trichomes rather than in flowers. The integration of de novo whole-genome sequencing data with unambiguous chemical structure annotation, enzymatic assays and pathway reconstitution in Nicotiana benthamiana and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has uncovered the molecular and chemical features of this plant. Apart from core biosynthetic enzymes, we reveal tailoring ones producing previously unknown cannabinoid metabolites. Orthology analyses demonstrate that cannabinoid synthesis evolved in parallel in H. umbraculigerum and Cannabis. Our discovery provides a currently unexploited source of cannabinoids and tools for engineering in heterologous hosts.

}, issn = {2055-026X}, doi = {10.1038/s41477-023-01402-3}, author = {Berman, Paula and de Haro, Luis Alejandro and Jozwiak, Adam and Panda, Sayantan and Pinkas, Zoe and Dong, Younghui and Cveticanin, Jelena and Barbole, Ranjit and Livne, Rotem and Scherf, Tali and Shimoni, Eyal and Levin-Zaidman, Smadar and Dezorella, Nili and Petrovich-Kopitman, Ekaterina and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {48308, title = {Pd loaded bismuth ferrite: a versatile perovskite for dual applications as acetone gas sensor and photocatalytic dye degradation of malachite green}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {49}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {5738-5747}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein we report the palladium loaded bismuth ferrite for its bidirectional application as acetone gas sensor and photocatalytic dye degradation of malachite green. The motivation for loading Pd on bismuth ferrite (BFO) is due to its fascinating catalytic redox reactions causing faster adsorption and desorption of the oxygen molecules over the metal oxide. The planned perovskites were developed via surfactant assisted sol-gel auto-combustion route, and characterized their physico-chemical properties using XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, EDAX, XPS and BET. The developed BFO showed the best selectivity towards acetone, whose response was 69\% at 300 degrees C operating temperature for 500 ppm gas concentration. By tuning the surface area and catalytic behavior using CTAB and Pd loading, respectively, the enhancement in the gas response properties of BFO was achieved to 95\% with the response and recovery time of 75 s and 104 s. The 1 wt\% Pd loaded BFO showed the highest response (95\%) in comparison to rest of the Pd loadings (0.5, 1.5 and 2.0 wt\%). Moreover, the sunlight driven photocatalytic dye degradation of malachite green is carried out at 1 h exposure time. Here as well, 1 wt\% Pd loaded BFO exhibited the maximum dye degradation efficiency of 51\%. The results of this study demonstrate the developed perovskites have a significant potential for the use in dual applications such as acetone gas sensor and MG photocatalysis.

}, keywords = {Acetone sensor, Bismuth ferrite, Palladium loading, Photo dye -degradation}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.10.153}, author = {Ghadage, Pandurang and Kodam, Pavan and Nadargi, Digambar and Patil, Suraj and Tamboli, Mohaseen and Bhandari, Nagesh and Mulla, Imtiaz and Park, Chinho and Suryavanshi, Sharad} } @article {48759, title = {Polyethylene-grafted sheet-like silsesquioxane nanocomposites with unprecedented adhesion to polar substrates}, journal = {ACS Applied Polymer Materials}, volume = {5}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5972-5983}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {adhesion, clay, Nanocomposite, Polyethylene, silsesquioxane}, issn = {2637-6105}, doi = {10.1021/acsapm.3c00649}, author = {Sharma, Vivek and Paulbudhe, Uday and Bachhar, Nirmalya and Chikkali, Samir H. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {48805, title = {Polymerized stimuli-responsive microgels for the removal of organic dye from water}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Liquids}, volume = {375}, year = {2023}, month = {APR }, pages = {121267}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polymerized hydrogel materials (PGM) containing uniform-sized stimuli-responsive microgel particles could be promising alternatives for solution-based microgels to remove organic dyes from water. In the current work, PGM is prepared using Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) based anionic microgels and their ability for uptake and release studies with an oppositely charged dye, methylene blue (MB) is carried out using UV-vis spectroscopy. The mechanism of dye adsorption is understood at a single particle level using light scattering, and zeta potential and the contributions from different molecular interactions among dye molecules and constituting entities of microgels are obtained from molecular docking studies. The maximum dye uptake by PGM is around 80 \% in the swollen state (at pH 7 and 20 degrees C). In contrast, the dye release studies in the deswollen state (at pH 3 and 50 degrees C) show a decrease in the release efficiency from 87 \% to 63 \% of the total dye adsorbed in 4-repeated cycles. The adsorption isotherm follows a sigmoidal (S) model that has been majorly used in different multi-layer adsorption systems. Extensive dynamic and static light scattering studies demonstrate a deswelling of hydrody-namic radius and core-shell radius of microgels at low temperatures (20 degrees C) induced by dye adsorption. At higher temperatures, the dye-adsorbed microgels have a higher hydrodynamic radius than the pure microgels due to the remaining dye molecules within the microgel that do not release even in the deswollen state. Molecular docking studies show that electrostatic interaction dominates between COO- and MB and van der Waals/hydrophobic dominates for MB-NIPAM and MB-COOH docking complex respectively. Our work covering adsorption/desorption properties of the material to the single-particle level can provide a better understanding in formulating reusable smart materials for the remediation of different water pollutants.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dynamic light scattering, Molecular docking, PNIPAM microgels, Removal of organic pollutants, Stimuli -responsive microgels}, issn = {0167-7322}, doi = {10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121267}, author = {Pany, Biswajit and Majundar, Amrito Ghosh and Mohanty, Madhuchhanda and Fyis, K. P. and Dey, Tanima and Tripathy, Gautam and Bhat, Suresh and Yamanaka, Junpei and Mohanty, Priti S.} } @article {48800, title = {Possible handle for broadening the catalysis regime towards low temperatures: proof of concept and mechanistic studies with CO oxidation on surface modified Pd-TiO2}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {22040-22054}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present work demonstrates the effect of temperature-dependent surface modification (SM) treatment and its influence in broadening the catalysis regime with Pd-TiO2 catalysts prepared by various methods. Due to SM induced changes, a shift in the onset of CO oxidation activity as well as broadening of the oxidation catalysis regime by 30 to 65 K to lower temperatures is observed compared to the temperature required for virgin counterparts. SM carried out at 523 K for Pd-Photo-TiO2 exhibits the lowest onset (10\% CO2 production - T-10) and T-100 for CO oxidation at 360 and 392 K, respectively, while its virgin counterpart shows T-10 and T-100 at 393 and 433 K, respectively. The SMd Pd-TiO2 catalysts were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is observed that diffusion of atomic oxygen into Pd-subsurfaces leads to SM and changes the nature of the surface significantly. These changes are demonstrated by work function (\& phi;), surface potential, catalytic activity, and correlation among them. UPS results demonstrate the maximum increase in \& phi; by 0.5 eV for Pd-Photo-TiO2 after SM, compared to all other catalysts. XPS study shows a moderate to severe change in the oxidation states of Pd due to atomic oxygen diffusion into the subsurface layers of Pd. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) study also reveals corroborating evidence that the surface potential increases linearly with increasing temperature deployed for SM up to 523 K, followed by a marginal decrease at 573 K. The \& phi; measured by KPFM and UPS shows a similar trend and correlates well with the changes in catalysis observed. Our results indicate that there is a strong correlation between surface physical and chemical properties, and \& phi; changes could be considered as a global marker for chemical reactivity.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d3cp01122d}, author = {Mhamane, Nitin B. B. and Panchal, Suresh and Kolekar, Sadhu K. K. and Ranjan, Ravi and Salgaonkar, Kranti N. N. and Burange, Anand S. S. and Nalajala, Naresh and Datar, Suwarna and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. S.} } @article {49144, title = {Progressions in cathodic catalysts for oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution in bioelectrochemical systems: Molybdenum as the next-generation catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Reviews- Science and Engineering}, volume = {65}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, pages = {986-1078}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) are unanimously a key factor of system performances in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), low-temperature fuel cells, and generally in several electrochemical platforms. Platinum (Pt)-based catalyst is the finest electrocatalyst for ORR in BESs; however, it is constrained by its low abundance, high price, and poor catalytic durability in an electrochemical setup for cathodic reaction kinetics. In recent years, significant efforts in trimming the metal-based catalyst up to nanoscale to cater high performance of ORR have been explored. Still, there are many opportunities to improve catalyst performance at cathode through proper selection of an efficient low-cost metal-based ORR catalyst. Molybdenum (Mo) with its multi-dimensional form as 2D and 3D layers and synergistic combination with other non-metals offers prospects of extraordinary performance as low-cost metal-based ORR catalyst over the Pt in delivering enhanced ORR potential. The present review throws light on current requirements of a sturdier catalyst material and thus provides a comprehensive review on the continuing efforts in exploring the possibility of Mo as a low-cost metal-based ORR catalyst. This literature analysis would enlighten the significance of ORR in BESs, followed by the electrochemistry of Mo-based cathodic catalyst, its underlying mechanism and performance limiting factors in the operation of ORR. Moreover, the extensive and systematic acumen in the context of Mo-based catalytic formulations for increased ORR potentials including nano-composite Mo-cathode catalyst; development of Mo-catalyst with varied configurations; carbon-supported Mo-catalyst; morphological changes; surface area modifications; and Mo-coupling with other transition metal and its derivatives were discussed in great detail to provide prospective application of Mo-based catalyst. Lastly, numerous opportunities and projections for future research in fabrication, juxtaposition, and implementation of Mo-based cathodic catalysts and consequent recommendations were discussed as conclusive remarks for bringing out the state-of-the-art review on this subject.

}, keywords = {Bioelectrochemical system, catalytic formulations, H-2-evolution reaction, Mo-based cathodic catalyst, multifunctional catalysts, oxygen reduction reaction}, issn = {0161-4940}, doi = {10.1080/01614940.2021.2003085}, author = {Mishra, Puranjan and Sudarsanam, Putla and Mahapatra, Durga Madhab and Elmekawy, Ahamad and Pant, Deepak and Singh, Lakhveer} } @article {48324, title = {Pt-anchored-zirconium phosphate nanoplates as high-durable carbon-free oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalyst for PEM fuel cell applications}, journal = {Advanced Sustainable Systems}, volume = {7}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Commercially available platinum-supported carbon (Pt/C) catalysts are the most widely used oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, inadequate active triple-phase boundary formation and carbon oxidation in Pt/C during PEMFC operation shorten its lifetime and efficiency. In this direction, a new class of carbon-free electrocatalysts for ORR is prepared by dispersing Pt nanoparticles on ZrP (Zirconium phosphates) nanoplates. In one case (ZrP@Pt), the Pt nanoparticles are found to be closely distributed and completely covering the ZrP nanoplates, whereas in the second case (Pt/ZrP), the Pt nanoparticles selectively restrict dispersion along the edges of the support. ZrP as the support displays an intrinsic proton conductivity of approximate to 0.5 x 10(-4) S cm(-1) at 70 degrees C, with an activation energy (E-a) of 0.19 eV. Pt/ZrP shows better durability after 3000 start-stop cycles. The mass activity of Pt/ZrP is increased by 4.6 times compared to Pt/C, which exhibits a loss in mass activity by 1.37 times. The single-cell level validation of ZrP@Pt, Pt/ZrP, and Pt/C as the electrocatalysts in PEMFC at an operating potential of 0.60 V shows the achievable current densities of 0.600, 0.890, and 0.890 A cm(-2).

}, keywords = {carbon-free electrocatalysts, fuel cells, oxygen reduction reaction, zirconium phosphate}, issn = {2366-7486}, doi = {10.1002/adsu.202200330}, author = {Kumar, Sachin and Yoyakki, Athira and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Soni, Roby and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48782, title = {Recyclable Pd nanoparticles immobilized on amine functionalized LDH for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction}, journal = {Chemical Papers}, volume = {77}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5555-5569}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {LDH, PdNPs, Recyclability, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling}, issn = {0366-6352}, doi = {10.1007/s11696-023-02885-2}, author = {Patil, Seema P. P. and Jadhav, Sanjay N. N. and Inamdar, Firoz A. A. and Ameen, Mohd Aatif and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. V. and Rajmane, Archana S. S. and Kumbhar, Arjun S. S.} } @article {48334, title = {Relativistic coupled-cluster study of SrF for low-energy precision tests of fundamental physics}, journal = {Theoretical Chemistry Accounts}, volume = {142}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {15}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

SrF, being a laser-coolable molecule, can be an interesting system for spectroscopic tests of fundamental physics. We present an electronic structure study of this molecule within the four-component relativistic coupled-cluster singles and doubles (RCCSD) framework and employ the RCCSD-based methods to compute its molecular-frame dipole moment and core properties such as hyperfine structure coupling constant and molecular P, T-odd electronic structure parameters that are of great importance for the high-precision tests of fundamental physics. The impact of basis set size, Hamiltonian and nuclear model on the property calculation of SrF is also investigated. The computed results are in good agreement with the available experimental values. The present study shows that the SrF molecule could be useful for high-precision molecular experiments to explore physics beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles.

}, keywords = {Coupled cluster theory, CP violation, Hyperfine structure, Molecular spectroscopy, Relativistic effects}, issn = {1432-881X}, doi = {10.1007/s00214-023-02953-6}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Buragohain, Haimyapriya and Nayak, Malaya K. K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {48438, title = {Review on electrospun nanofibers for multiple biomedical applications}, journal = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies}, volume = {34}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {44-63}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Electrospinning is a well-known technique since 1544 to fabricate nanofibers using different materials like polymers, metals oxides, proteins, and many more. In recent years, electrospinning has become the most popular technique for manufacturing nanofibers due to its ease of use and economic viability. Nanofibers have remarkable properties like high surface-to-volume ratio, variable pore size distribution (10-100 nm), high porosity, low density, and are suitable for surface functionalization. Therefore, electrospun nanofibers have been utilized for numerous applications in the pharmaceutical and biomedical field like tissue engineering, scaffolds, grafts, drug delivery, and so on. In this review article, we will be focusing on the versatility, current scenario, and future endeavors of electrospun nanofibers for various biomedical applications. This review discusses the properties of nanofibers, the background of the electrospinning technique, and its emergence in chronological order. It also covers the various types of electrospinning methods and their mechanism, further elaborating the factors affecting the properties of nanofibers, and applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, nanofibers as biosensor, skin cancer treatment, and magnetic nanofibers.

}, keywords = {biomaterial, drug delivery, electrospinning, Nanofiber, tissue engineering}, issn = {1042-7147}, doi = {10.1002/pat.5896}, author = {Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga} } @article {48310, title = {Rheology and processing study on controlling material and process defects in polymer melt extrusion film casting using polymer blends}, journal = {Journal of Plastic Film \& Sheeting}, volume = {39}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {211-240}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The primary objective of this research paper is to control the material and process defects in polymer melt extrusion film casting (EFC) process for linear chain architecture polyethylene (PE) resins through polymer blending methodology. Extrusion film casting is a well-known industrially important manufacturing process that is used to manufacture thousands of tons of polymer/plastic films/sheets and coated products. In this research, the necking defect in an EFC process has been studied experimentally for a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin and attempts have been made to control its necking by blending in a long chain branched (LCB) low density polyethylene (LDPE) resin. The blending methodology is based on the understanding that a LDPE resin displays enhanced resistance to necking as compared to the LLDPE resin. It is found that added LDPE resin enhances necking resistance for the primary LLDPE resin. Further, as the LDPE concentration increases in the blend formulation, the necking is further reduced as compared to pure LLDPE. Analogous to past studies on EFC of linear and long chain branched architecture containing PEs, it is observed that as the LDPE is increased in the blend formulations, the formulations displayed enhanced melt elasticity and extensional strain hardening in rheological studies. It is concluded from this study that polyethylene resins having linear chain architecture can be made amenable to enhanced resistance to necking using appropriate amount of a long chain branched resins. Finally, process defects such as the draw resonance onset could be shifted to higher draw ratios as the LDPE level is increased in the LLDPE-LDPE blend formulation.

}, keywords = {Draw resonance, Extrusion, Film, linear chain, long-chain branched, melt elasticity, Necking, onset, strain hardening}, issn = {8756-0879}, doi = {10.1177/87560879221150764}, author = {Rokade, Dhammaraj and Patil, Prashant and Nandimath, Sheetal and Pol, Harshawardhan} } @article {48973, title = {Rhizospheric bacillus spp. exhibit miticidal efficacy against oligonychus coffeae (Acari: Tetranychidae) of tea}, journal = {Microorganisms}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2691}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Oligonychus coffeae (Acari: Tetranychidae), popularly known as red spider mite (RSM) is one of the major pests of commercial tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) plantation world over. Many attempts have been made in the past to control this devastating pest using a variety of microbial bioagents, however, area-wise field success is very limited. We carried out an in vitro study to explore the potential of rhizospheric Bacillus spp. (B. amyloliquefaciens BAC1, B. subtilis LB22, and B. velezensis AB22) against O. coffeae through adulticidal and ovicidal activity. The 100\% adult and egg mortality was observed with bacterial suspension (1 x 10(9 )CFU/mL) by B. velezensis AB22, showing the lowest LC50 values for both adults and eggs of O. coffeae, i.e., 0.28 x 10(5) and 0.29 x 10(5), respectively. The study also throws some insights into the underlying mechanism through electron microscopy study and identification of some putative pesticidal metabolites from all the species. The three Bacillus species were observed to have four commonly secreted putative bioactive secondary metabolites, brevianamide A, heptadecanoic acid, thiolutin, and versimide responsible for their bio-efficacy against O. coffeae. The outcome of our study provides a strong possibility of introducing Bacillus spp. as a biological miticide and developing synthetic metabolites mimicking the mechanistic pathway involved in microbial bioefficacy.

}, keywords = {Bacillus spp., Biocontrol, organic tea, Secondary metabolites}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms11112691}, author = {Bora, Popy and Gogoi, Sukanya and Deshpande, Mukund Vinayak and Garg, Pankaj and Bhuyan, Rana P. and Altaf, Nilofar and Saha, Nikita and Borah, Sapna Mayuri and Phukon, Mousumi and Tanti, Nabajit and Saikia, Bishal and Ahmed, Shenaz Sultana and Borah, Sanjib Ranjan and Dutta, Ashish and Sarmah, Bidyut Kumar} } @article {48472, title = {Rivaroxaban eutectics with improved solubility, dissolution rates, bioavailability and stability}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {3253-3263}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rivaroxaban (RXB) is a direct factor Xa inhibitor used for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a blood clot in the leg) and pulmonary embolism (PE, a blood clot in the lung) and to prevent blood clots in atrial fibrillation following hip or knee surgery. However, RXB suffers from poor solubility that hinders its broader application. Although its cocrystals are reported for solubility enhancement, the methodology used to prepare multi-component crystals is complex. Also, it uses hazardous solvents to develop cocrystals. We have prepared eutectics of RXB with caffeic acid (CAA), coumaric acid (CA), fumaric acid (FA), succinic acid (SA), mandelic acid (MA) and trimesic acid (TA) and analyzed them using hot stage microscopy (HSM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The saturation solubility and dissolution rate profiles were also obtained to investigate the effect of eutectics on these parameters. Amongst all the coformers tested, coformers CAA, CA, and FA showed significant enhancement in the solubility of RXB. The powder dissolution rate of the eutectics showed considerable enhancement compared to that of RXB. In vivo pharmacokinetic study was carried out for RXB-CAA, RXB-CA and RXB-FA in rats and compared with RXB, which showed 1.5 and 1.4 times enhancement in relative bioavailability for RXB-CAA and RXB-CA, respectively. Stability studies were carried out as per ICH guidelines for all the eutectics, which revealed excellent stability over six months under accelerated (40 degrees C and 75\%) conditions and twelve months under long-term (30 degrees C and 60\% RH) conditions. The DFT studies carried out using the B3LYP/TZVP level of theory revealed higher Gibbs free interaction energy (Delta G(int)) for homosynthons (drugMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSISdrug and coformerMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIScoformer) than heterosynthons (drugMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIScoformer).

}, doi = {10.1039/d3ce00261f}, author = {Shaligram, Parth S. and George, Christy P. and Sharma, Himanshu and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Patil, Sharvil and Vanka, Kumar and Arulmozhi, S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {49006, title = {Robust zeolitic tetrazole framework for electrocatalytic dopamine detection with high selectivity}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {62}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {20236-20241}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c03189}, author = {Sarfudeen, Shafeeq and Sruthi, Vadakke Purakkal and Maibam, Ashakiran and Panda, Premchand and Jhariat, Pampa and Senthilkumar, Sellappan and BabaRao, Ravichandar and Panda, Tamas} } @article {48333, title = {Salicylaldehydate coordinated two-dimensional-conjugated metal-organic frameworks}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {59}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB }, pages = {2608-2611}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel class of copper-based 2D-c-MOF was synthesized from 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol using green mechano-chemistry. Herein, metal coordination with the salicylaldehyde functional moiety was explored for the first time in MOFs. Moreover, an intrinsic semiconductive copper-based SA-MOF thin film was fabricated using an in situ salt-free method at room temperature.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d2cc06283f}, author = {Mohammed, Abdul Khayum and Pena-Sanchez, Pilar and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Gaber, Safa and AlKhoori, Ayesha A. and Skorjanc, Tina and Polychronopoulou, Kyriaki and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Gandara, Felipe and Shetty, Dinesh} } @article {48683, title = {Scalable synthesis of dodecanethiol-capped bismuth nanoparticles by a solvent-free solid-state grinding method for reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {39}, year = {2023}, month = {Aug}, pages = {11888-11897}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Thiol-capped metal nanoparticles have two constituents:an inorganicmetal and an organic molecule as a shell. Both characters are inbuiltin the structure of the metal thiolate. Herein, we have investigatedbismuth dodecanethiolate as a precursor for the synthesis of dodecanethiol-cappedbismuth nanoparticles (Bi NPs) by a solid-state grinding method. Byusing sodium borohydride and bismuth dodecanethiolate, crystallinebismuth nanoparticles are synthesized in a solvent-free environmentat room temperature (24 \& PLUSMN; 4 \& DEG;C). Bi NPs are tested for catalyticactivity by reducing 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP)with an excess of NaBH4. Dodecanethiol-capped bismuth nanoparticlesexhibit an efficient reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP within 12 min. Additionally,these nanoparticles remain catalytically active for up to three cycles.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01694}, author = {Singh, Dinesh and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {48780, title = {Seasonal dynamics and tree foliar habit drive the rhizobacterial diversity in congeneric Ficus species from Northern Western Ghats, India}, journal = {Rhizosphere}, volume = {28}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {100790}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tree species, annual climatic cycle, and geochemical properties influence the tree rhizospheric microbiome. However, its understanding in the moist deciduous forest of Northern Western Ghats (NWG), India, is limited. Moreover, the effects of foliar habits of trees and seasonal variations on rhizobacterial communities across congeneric tree species are unexplored. Hence, we employed high throughput 16 S rRNA gene sequencing to examine the effects of foliar habits of congeneric tree species and seasonal influences on the rhizobacterial community. For this study, rhizospheric soil from Ficus arnottiana (deciduous) and Ficus talboti (evergreen) trees from NWG, India, was collected during three seasons (summer, monsoon, and winter) and subjected to high throughput sequencing. A total of 3031 amplicon sequence variants (ASV) were observed, of which 1257 and 1181 ASV were unique to F. arnottiana and F. talboti, respectively, and 593 ASV were common to both species. The phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi were ubiquitous and contributed \>90\% to the rhizobacterial community. Some bacterial phyla were exclusively associated with either of the tree species and seasons. Different bacterial phyla performed similar functions in different seasons, indicating their functional redundancy and emphasizing their resilience and adaptability across seasons. It was observed that seasonal dynamics mainly drove the rhizobacterial diversity; however, it was also influenced by the foliar habits of the trees and geochemical properties. The study enhances the understanding of congeneric tree microbiomes and offers valuable insights into their potential applications through microbiome engineering.

}, keywords = {Amplicon variants, Bacterial diversity, Ficus arnottiana, Ficus talboti, Rhizosphere}, doi = {10.1016/j.rhisph.2023.100790}, author = {Salunkhe, Vaishnavi H. and Kunte, Pooja S. and Paul, Dhiraj and Kasodekar, Amol K. and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article {48466, title = {Selective one pot multicomponent green synthesis of 3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indole derivatives utilizing enhanced Lewis acidic sites of Surfactant-assisted ZnO catalyst}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e202300736}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Five different ZnO nanocrystallites (ZnO-1 to ZnO-5) were successfully synthesized by a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal technique using various surfactants. All the ZnO nanocrystallites are thoroughly characterized by XRD, IR, UV-DRS spectroscopy and FESEM-EDS analysis. Among the synthesized ZnO nanocrystallites, the CTAB-assisted synthesized ZnO-4 exhibited a fine disc-like morphology with a minimum crystallite size (23 nm). Subsequent to reaction optimization studies, the ZnO-4 is utilized as an efficient catalyst for one pot-three component green synthesis of 3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indoles (4a-4p) via. condensation of a variety of indoles, aromatic aldehydes and aromatic thiols at room temperature in water. The single-crystal X-ray structure of 3-[(phenyl)(phenylthio)methyl]-1H-indole (4a) is also been reported (CCDC 2170437). The Lewis acidic property of the catalyst-supported probable mechanism is well proposed subsequent to pyridine-IR studies of the ZnO catalysts. Indeed, CTAB-assisted synthesized ZnO-4 was found to be most effective and selective Lewis acid catalyst for the synthesis of a variety of 3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indole derivatives in water at ambient temperature with merits like higher yields, lower reaction time, catalyst recovery and reuse.

}, keywords = {3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indole, green synthesis, Lewis acidity, Single crystal, ZnO}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202300736}, author = {Sangale, Vijay B. B. and Jagtap, Rohidas M. M. and Mali, Bhupendra P. P. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. G. and Pardeshi, Satish K. K.} } @article {48994, title = {Self-assembled amino acid microstructures as biocompatible physically unclonable functions (BPUFs) for authentication of therapeutically relevant hydrogels}, journal = {Macromolecular Bioscience }, volume = {23}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Counterfeited biomedical products result in significant economic losses and pose a public health hazard for over a million people yearly. Hydrogels, a class of biomedical products, are being investigated as alternatives to conventional biomedical products and are equally susceptible to counterfeiting. Here, a biocompatible, physically unclonable function (BPUF) to verify the authenticity of therapeutically relevant hydrogels are developed. The principle of BPUF relies on the self-assembly of tyrosine into fibril-like structures which are incorporated into therapeutically relevant hydrogels resulting in their random dispersion. This unclonable arrangement leads to distinctive optical micrographs captured using an optical microscope. These optical micrographs are transformed into a unique security code through cryptographic techniques which are then used to authenticate the hydrogel. The temporal stability of the BPUFs are demonstrated and additionally, exploit the dissolution propensity of the structures upon exposure to an adulterant to identify the tampering of the hydrogel. Finally, a platform to demonstrate the translational potential of this technology in validating and detecting tampering of therapeutically relevant hydrogels is developed. The potential of BPUFs to combat hydrogel counterfeiting is exemplified by its simplicity in production, ease of use, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness.

}, keywords = {anti-counterfeiting, hydrogels, physically unclonable functions, Self-assembly, translational}, issn = {1616-5187}, doi = {10.1002/mabi.202300091}, author = {Akavaram, Vishwas and Kumar, Kush and Sriram, Shreya and Narra, Saisrinath and Kumawat, Akshant and Meena, Santosh Kumar and Pushpavanam, Karthik} } @article {48689, title = {Self-powered wearable breath sensor cum nanogenerator using AuNR-rGO-PVDF nanocomposite}, journal = {IEEE Sensors Journal}, volume = {23}, year = {2023}, month = {APR }, pages = {6473-6480}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Au nanorods (AuNRs), breath analyzer, breath sensor, nanogenerator}, issn = {1530-437X}, doi = {10.1109/JSEN.2023.3240744}, author = {Bang, Amruta D. and Ghalawat, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, Sulabha K. and Adhyapak, Parag V.} } @article {48305, title = {Settling and spreading behaviour of particle clusters in quiescent liquids in confined vessels}, journal = {Particuology}, volume = {83}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {91-100}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here we report experiments on particle cluster settling at high Reynolds number in quiescent liquid contained in a vessel. The particles were observed to spread at the vessel bottom surface in a nearcircular annular shape after settling irrespective of the shape of the vessel cross-section and particle shape, size, and types. Effect of different parameters such as mass, type and aspect ratio of the particles, height, and viscosity of liquid was investigated on spreading behaviour. Formation of the hemispherical bottom cap of the cluster that bounces upon hitting the vessel bottom surface was found to be responsible for the final circular annular shape of the settled structure. Particle leakage from the cluster was seen in the form of a tail. In the liquid having viscosity beyond 100 cP, cluster breakage was observed that resulted in hindered settling and asymmetric shapes of finally settled particles. The observations are useful to understand the overall area over which settling and spreading of such clusters can be observed. (c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

}, keywords = {Particle cluster, Settling, spreading, Temporal evolution}, issn = {1674-2001}, doi = {10.1016/j.partic.2023.01.019}, author = {Pal, Sayan and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {49000, title = {Shape-controlled MoO3/MnO x nanocatalyst for the selective synthesis of 2-phenylquinoxaline drug motifs}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC }, pages = {23442-23453}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have developed a highly effective shape-controlled MoO3/MnOx nanocatalyst for the selective synthesis of 2-phenylquinoxaline drug motifs at room temperature without any external oxidant. Electron microscopy images reveal that the MnOx material contains rod-shaped particles (length: 500-1000 nm and width: 150-200 nm) and the MoO3 species are uniformly dispersed in the MoO3/MnOx material. The MoO3/MnOx nanocatalyst calcined at 500 degrees C (MoO3/MnOx-5) contains abundant strong acid sites and an optimum ratio of Mn4+/Mn3+, which are responsible for the C-N cross-coupling reaction between 2-phenylethylamine and o-phenylenediamine, giving higher yields (\>96\%) of 2-phenylquinoxaline at mild conditions. The broad scope of this catalytic strategy at room temperature and without an external oxidant was confirmed by achieving \>90\% yields of functional 2-phenylquinoxalines from C-N cross-coupling of various o-phenylenediamines and 2-phenylethylamines. The outstanding reusability efficiency of the MoO3/MnOx-5 nanocatalyst up to five cycles without the need for a regeneration step as well as the effective scalability highlighted the practicability of the MoO3/MnOx-based catalytic protocol for carbon-heteroatom coupling reactions at room temperature and without an external oxidant. Using computational studies, the possible reasons for the selective synthesis of 2-phenylquinoxaline over the MoO3/MnOx-5 nanocatalyst were elucidated.

}, keywords = {cascade C-N cross-coupling, DFT studies, room temperature andopen air, shape-controlled MoO3/MnOx nanocatalyst, structure-activity correlation}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.3c04820}, author = {Singh, Nittan and Putla, Suresh Babu and Pratap Singh, Chandrodai and Kalbande, Pavan Narayan and Choudhary, Priyanka and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Krishnan, Venkata and Bhatte, Kushal and Sudarsanam, Putla} } @article {48477, title = {Strategies and practical approaches for stable and high energy density sodium-ion battery: a step closer to commercialization}, journal = {Materials Today Sustainability}, volume = {22}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {100385}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are reckoned as a potential alternative to Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Currently, the limited supply of precursors and the cost of LIBs have regenerated research and development interest in SIBs. Due to differences in the chemistry of lithium (Li) and sodium (Na), optimized methods for LIBs cannot be blindly applied to develop SIBs. Along with the judicial selection of electrode materials, electrolytes, and interfaces are very crucial for safe, high-power, and long-lasting batteries. The initial part of this review deals with the challenges faced in commercializing SIB full cells. Subsequently, the strategies to improve the energy density of SIB full cells through electrode modifications and electrolyte engineering are described in detail. This review comprehensively represents notable insights into the large-scale commercialization of potential sodium-ion batteries in the full cell.(c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cathode additives, Electrolyte additives, Na compensation, Self -sacri ficial salts, Sodium -ion battery}, issn = {2589-2347}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtsust.2023.100385}, author = {Yadav, P. and Patrike, A. and Wasnik, K. and Shelke, V. and Shelke, M.} } @article {48776, title = {Surface functionalization of inorganic nanoparticles with ligands: a necessary step for their utility}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {52}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {2573-2595}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/d1cs00876e}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Kaustav and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {48463, title = {Surface-induced demixing of self-assembled isomeric mixtures of citral}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Liquids}, volume = {381}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, pages = {121803}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The self-assembly of organic molecules and their interactions with metal surfaces have been of considerable interest, both for developing novel functional materials and for understanding fundamental design principles of nanostructures. In this study, we investigate the solution and surface-induced self-assembly of two stereoisomers of citral molecules (geranial and neral) using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that the morphology of the aggregates in water is concentration dependent (ranging from distorted spherical to slab-like aggregates) but independent of isomer effects. The isomeric mixtures of citral indicate homogeneous mixing based on differential density maps and high values of Shannon entropy. Interestingly, surface-confinement of citral aggregates on a Cu(111) surface leads to phase segregation and demixing of the two isomers that is more apparent in the surface-bound monolayer in comparison to the adjacent layers. Positional ordering and formation of domains are observed over a series of isomeric citral mixtures with varying compositions, as indicated by high differential density and low values of Shannon entropy. Our work provides new insights into molecular self-assembly of organic molecules in nanostructures and metal-organic overlayers.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Citral, Isomers, Metal-organic interactions, molecular dynamics, Self-assembly, Shannon entropy}, issn = {0167-7322}, doi = {10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121803}, author = {Saraf, Deepashri and Prakash, Shikha and Pinjari, Aadil and Pujari, Bhalchandra and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {48977, title = {Synthesis of novel rhodamine type anthrone Spiro-lactam (ASL) analogues and evaluation of antiviral activity against dengue and chikungunya viruses}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry }, volume = {261}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of Rhodamine type Anthrone-Spirolactam (ASL) derivatives Benzylimin-Anthrone-Spirolactam (ASL-1 to ASL-10) and Benzamide-Anthrone-Spirolactam (ASL-11 and ASL-12) were synthesized via a simple condensation reaction between Anthrone Spiro-lactamine (2) and various aromatic aldehyde and acyl chlorides respectively. Since rhodamine-based compounds were reported to have antiviral activity, the ASL derivatives were examined for in vitro antiviral activity against dengue and chikungunya viruses. Among all the analogues, ASL-3, ASL-6, ASL-7, ASL-8, ASL-9 and ASL-10 were the most potent against dengue virus (DENV) and exerted around one log reduction in virus titre under post -treatment conditions. At the same time ASL-3 was effective under cotreatment conditions. Two analogues ASL-6 and ASL-12 exerted anti-chikungunya virus (CHIKV) activity under post -treatment conditions. In silico docking studies revealed that the ASL derivatives interacted with the proteins of DENV and CHIKV. Together, the results suggest the anti-DENV and CHIKV activity of ASL derivatives which may be exploited further for therapeutic purposes.

}, keywords = {Anthrone Spiro-lactam, Chikungunya virus, dengue virus, Rhodamine}, issn = {0223-5234}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115849}, author = {Darole, Ratanamala S. and Bagad, Pooja K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Alagarasu, Kalichamy and Punekar, Madhura and Shukla, Shridhar and Parashar, Deepti and Senthilkumar, Beeran} } @article {48672, title = {Systematic study of rare-earth ions size-dependent structural phase transition from monazite to zircon-type in rare earth chromates using Raman spectroscopy}, journal = {Journal of Raman Spectroscopy}, volume = {54}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {793-801}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rare earth chromates (RCrO4) undergo monazite to zircon-type structural phase transition due to a decreased rare-earth ion size. They also exhibit an intermediate mixed phase. However, there is no systematic study on the influence of structural distortion on their phononic behavior, which is quite sensitive to subtle environmental variations. A change in the room temperature phononic spectrum was studied in the family of RCrO4 compounds, where R was varied from La to Yb using Raman modes. With an increase in the atomic number from Nd to Yb for zircon-type phases, the external translational and rotational modes were observed to shift towards lower and higher wavenumbers, respectively. At the same time, all internal vibrational modes shifted towards higher phonon energies. A comparison between Raman modes for monazite, intermediate, and zircon-type RCrO4 phases showed a gradual shift in the internal modes towards a higher wavenumber. The confirmation of the change in Raman modes with the decreasing radius was found by comparing the rare-earth elements in DyCrO4 and LaCrO4 with non-rare-earth elements in YCrO4.

}, keywords = {monazite-type, Raman spectroscopy, rare earth chromates (RCrO4), YCrO4, zircon type}, issn = {0377-0486}, doi = {10.1002/jrs.6542}, author = {Ughade, Supriya and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {48819, title = {Tale of two waves: Delineating diverse genomic and transmission landscapes driving the COVID-19 pandemic in Pune, India}, journal = {Journal of Infection and Public Health}, volume = {16}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1290-1300}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Modern response to pandemics, critical for effective public health measures, is shaped by the availability and integration of diverse epidemiological outbreak data. Tracking variants of concern (VOC) is integral to understanding the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in space and time, both at the local level and global context. This potentially generates actionable information when integrated with epidemiological outbreak data.Methods: A city-wide network of researchers, clinicians, and pathology diagnostic laboratories was formed for genome surveillance of COVID-19 in Pune, India. The genomic landscapes of 10,496 sequenced samples of SARS-CoV-2 driving peaks of infection in Pune between December-2020 to March-2022, were determined. As a modern response to the pandemic, a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}band of five{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} outbreak data analytics approach was used. This integrated the genomic data (Band 1) of the virus through molecular phylogenetics with key outbreak data including sample collection dates and case numbers (Band 2), demographics like age and gender (Band 3-4), and geospatial mapping (Band 5).Results: The transmission dynamics of VOCs in 10,496 sequenced samples identified B.1.617.2 (Delta) and BA(x) (Omicron formerly known as B.1.1.529) variants as drivers of the second and third peaks of infection in Pune. Spike Protein mutational profiling during pre and post-Omicron VOCs indicated differential rank ordering of high-frequency mutations in specific domains that increased the charge and binding properties of the protein. Time-resolved phylogenetic analysis of Omicron sub-lineages identified a highly divergent BA.1 from Pune in addition to recombinant X lineages, XZ, XQ, and XM. Conclusions: The band of five outbreak data analytics approach, which integrates five different types of data, highlights the importance of a strong surveillance system with high-quality meta-data for understanding the spatiotemporal evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in Pune. These findings have important implica-tions for pandemic preparedness and could be critical tools for understanding and responding to future outbreaks.\& COPY; 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

}, keywords = {COVID-19, Delta, Omicron, SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance, Variant of concern, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)}, issn = {1876-0341}, doi = {10.1016/j.jiph.2023.06.004}, author = {Niveditha, Divya and Khan, Soumen and Khilari, Ajinkya and Nadkarni, Sanica and Bhalerao, Unnati and Kadam, Pradnya and Yadav, Ritu and Kanekar, Jugal B. and Shah, Nikita and Likhitkar, Bhagyashree and Sawant, Rutuja and Thakur, Shikha and Tupekar, Manisha and Nagar, Dhriti and Rao, Anjani G. and Jagtap, Rutuja and Jogi, Shraddha and Belekar, Madhuri and Pathak, Maitreyee and Shah, Priyanki and Ranade, Shatakshi and Phadke, Nikhil and Das, Rashmita and Joshi, Suvarna and Karyakarte, Rajesh and Ghose, Aurnab and Kadoo, Narendra and Shashidhara, L. S. and Monteiro, Joy Merwin and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Raghunathan, Anu and Karmodiya, Krishanpal} } @article {49083, title = {Targeted metabolite profiling and de novo transcriptome sequencing reveal the key terpene synthase genes in medicinally important plant, Couroupita guianensis Aubl}, journal = {Plant Genetic Resources-Characterization and Utilization}, volume = {21}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {558-570}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Lecythidaceae family tree, Couroupita guianensis Aubl, popularly known as Nagpushpa, is a widely cultivated ornamental tree with several uses in traditional medicine. The tree is revered as highly sacred in Indian traditional culture due to its uniquely shaped, fragrant flowers. Considering the significance, we were prompted to carry out the metabolite and transcriptome analysis of Nagapushpa. The flower, petals, stamen, stem and leaf of C. guianensis were metabolically profiled, and it was discovered that the flower tissue contained the highest terpenoid reservoir. A number of terpenoid pathway transcripts were also found in the flower tissue after transcriptome profiling. KEGG pathway mapping was carried out to correlate transcript sequences with the biosynthesis of different types of terpenes. We were able to clone three full-length terpene synthase gene candidates, i.e. monoterpene ocimene synthase, diterpene ent-kaurene synthase and sesquiterpene farnesene synthase. The transcript expression of selected terpene synthase genes was also verified in flower tissue. These cloned sequences were used for in silico structural investigations and protein function prediction at the level of 3D structure. The data presented in this study provide a comprehensive resource for the metabolic and transcriptomic profiles of C. guianensis. The study paves the way towards the elucidation of terpene biosynthetic pathway in C. guianensis and heterologous production of useful terpenoids in the future.

}, keywords = {Couroupita guianensis Aubl, flower, Metabolite profiling, terpene synthases, Transcriptomics}, issn = {1479-2621}, doi = {10.1017/S1479262123000953}, author = {Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Karegaonkar, Shrikant Jagannathrao and Sharma, Poojadevi and Kumar, Ashish and Ramkumar, Sudha and Pandreka, Avinash} } @article {48454, title = {Template directed synthesis of boron carbon nitride nanotubes (BCN-NTs) and their evaluation for energy storage properties}, journal = {Advanced Materials Interfaces}, volume = {10}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A unique approach has been applied for the synthesis of 1D boron carbon nitride nanotubes (BCN-NTs) using MnO2 nanowires as templates. BCN-NTs have been evaluated in Na-ion batteries, Li-ion batteries, and supercapacitors as electrode material and exhibited excellent and stable electrochemical performance. BCN-NTs as an anode for Na-ion battery has been shown to be highly stable up to 3000 cycles with capacity retention of 95 mAh g(-1), at a high current density of 1 A g(-1). In the case of the Li-ion battery, these BCN-NTs show a specific capacity of 563 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 50 mA g(-1). Finally, when used as an electrode for a supercapacitor, BCN-NTs display a specific capacity of 221 F g(-1) at a current density of 3 A g(-1) and 168 F g(-1) even at a very high current density of 30 A g(-1) exemplifying the excellent rate performance. The multifunctionality and stable performance of BCN-NTs among various electrochemical energy storage systems highlight the robustness of the material and make it an excellent candidate for scalable production and commercialization.

}, keywords = {1D-nanostructure, boron carbon nitride nanotubes (BCN-NTs), Co-doping, Li-ion battery, Na-ion battery, Supercapacitors}, issn = {2196-7350}, doi = {10.1002/admi.202201560}, author = {Karbhal, Indrapal and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Yadav, Poonam and Patrike, Apurva and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {48725, title = {Thermodynamic modulation of folding and aggregation energy landscape by DNA binding of functional domains of TDP-43}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Proteins and Proteomics}, volume = {1871}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, pages = {140916}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

TDP-43 is a vital nucleic acid binding protein which forms stress-induced aberrant aggregates in around 97\% cases of ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease. The functional tandem RRM domain of the protein (TDP-43tRRM) has been shown to undergo amyloid-like aggregation under stress in a pH-dependent fashion. However, the underlying thermodynamic and molecular basis of aggregation and how the energy landscape of folding, stability, and aggregation are coupled and modulated by nucleic acid binding is poorly understood. Here, we show that the pH stress thermodynamically destabilizes the native protein and systematically populates the unfoldedlike aggregation-prone molecules which leads to amyloid-like aggregation. We observed that specific DNA binding inhibits aggregation and populates native-like compact monomeric state even under low-pH stress as measured by circular dichroism, ANS binding, size exclusion chromatography, and transmission electron microscopy. We show that DNA-binding thermodynamically stabilizes and populates the native state even under stress and reduces the population of unfolded-like aggregation-prone molecules which leads to systematic aggregation inhibition. Our results suggest that thermodynamic modulation of the folding and aggregation energy landscape by nucleic-acid-like molecules could be a promising approach for effective therapeutic intervention in TDP-43-associated proteinopathies.

}, keywords = {Amyloid-like aggregation, Nucleic acid binding, RNA recognition motifs (RRMs), TDP-43, Thermodynamic stability}, issn = {1570-9639}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140916}, author = {Patni, Divya and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {48986, title = {Ti3C2Tx-Nb2Mo3O14 composite as novel anode to realize high power density combined with high stability in a hybrid lithium-ion capacitor}, journal = {Energy Technology }, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs), with their higher energy density at high power capability, stand out as the future generation of energy-storage devices. Herein, the nanocomposite of Ti3C2Tx MXene with Nb2Mo3O14 is prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method and studied as an electrode material for LIC. The asfabricated composite MXene niobium molybdenum oxide (MXNMO) achieves a high reversible capacity of 205 mAh g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) current density with outstanding cyclability. Further, asymmetric LIC full-cell device composed of MXNMO anode with supercapacitor grade activated carbon as a cathode delivers an energy density of 37.8 Wh kg(-1) (0.25 A g(-1)) and a higher power density of 4244 W kg(-1) (5 A g(-1)) along with the excellent durability showing 85\% capacitance retention over 4000 cycles at 0.5 A g(-1).

}, keywords = {lithium-ion capacitors, MXene, niobium molybdenum oxides, pseudocapacitive anode materials}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.202300298}, author = {Pawar, Meenakshi D. and Thripuranthaka, Marulasiddappa and Patrike, Apurva and Deshmukh, Ashvini B. and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Krishnan, Arun and Shivade, Rajkiran and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {48342, title = {Titanium trisulfide nanosheets and nanoribbons for field emission- based nanodevices}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {44-49}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, keywords = {Current stability, field emission, nanoribbon, nanosheets, TiS3}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.2c03460}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Khare, Ruchita T. and Island, Joshua O. and Flores, Eduardo and Ares, Jose R. and Sanchez, Carlos and Ferrer, Isabel J. and Pawar, Mahendra and Frank, Otakar and More, Mahendra A. and van der Zant, Herre S. J. and Castellanos-Gomez, Andres and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {48773, title = {Topological phases in nanoparticle monolayers: can crystalline, hexatic, and isotropic-fluid phases coexist in the same monolayer?}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {19}, year = {2023}, month = {OCT }, pages = {7271-7280}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

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

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/d3sm00290j}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Kaustav and Vaidya, Salil S. and Pathak, Tushar and Shimpi, Jayesh R. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {48668, title = {Total synthesis, structure elucidation and expanded bioactivity of icosalide A: effect of lipophilicity and ester to amide substitution on its bioactivity}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {21}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5725-5731}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The first total synthesis of icosalide A, an antibacterial depsipeptide that is unique in that it contains two lipophilic beta-hydroxy acids, has been achieved by following Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis in combination with solution-phase synthesis. The ambiguity in the absolute stereochemistry of icosalide A has been resolved by synthesizing the reported structures and other relevant diastereomers of icosalides and comparing their NMR data. NMR-based structure elucidation of icosalide A revealed a well-folded structure with cross-strand hydrogen bonds similar to the anti-parallel beta-sheet conformation in peptides and displayed a synergistic juxtaposition of the aliphatic sidechains. 12 analogues of icosalide A were synthesized by varying the constituent lipophilic beta-hydroxy acid residues, and their biological activities against Bacillus thuringiensis and Paenibacillus dendritiformis were explored. Most of these icosalide analogues showed an MIC of 12.5 \& mu;g mL(-1) against both bacteria. Swarming inhibition by icosalides was least in B. thuringiensis (8.3\%) compared to that in P. dendritiformis (33\%). Furthermore, this is the first report of icosalides showing assured inhibitory action (MIC between 2 and 10 \& mu;g mL(-1)) against the active stage of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and cancer cell lines such as HeLa and ThP1. This study could help optimize icosalides for anti-TB, antibacterial, and anti-cancer activities.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d3ob00809f}, author = {Dangi, Abha and Pande, Bharat and Agrawal, Sonia and Sarkar, Dhiman and Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao and Marelli, Udaya Kiran} } @article {48274, title = {Ultra-fast electro-reduction and activation of graphene for high energy density wearable supercapacitor asymmetrically designed with MXene}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {203}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {191-201}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Controlled perforation of graphene is vital to surpass the performance of supercapacitors that rely on their pristine form. However, their practical utilization has been halted by energy-inefficient and lengthy processing. Here, we are reporting a pulse Joule heating strategy for on-site reduction and activation to realize a multimodal porous framework made of perforated graphene using millisecond current pulses. The multimodal porosity and surface functionalities of graphene were regulated at an ultrafast rate by passing a transient current. Asdeveloped ready-to-use electrode composed of nano-to-macro multimodal porosity displays high areal capacitance of 380.2 mF cm-2 in symmetric two-electrode configuration, which is nearly 1.6 times higher than the nonelectro activated counterpart. Furthermore, a high-performance wearable asymmetric supercapacitor with an areal energy density of 107.8 mu Wh cm-2 was realized using this multimodal porous graphene in combination with suitable negative electrodes made of MXene. High energy density, together with stable and repeatable performance of the wearable device for 10000 cycles of charge-discharge and 5000 cycles of bending, signifies the importance of the as-developed device for practical wearable applications. Direct, simple processing of electrodes and orders of magnitude lower cost-and-processing-time can make the process appealing for practical wearable and other energy storage applications.

}, keywords = {asymmetric supercapacitor, Graphene activation, Joule heating, Solid-state supercapacitor, Wearable device}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2022.11.054}, author = {Karim, Golam Masud and Dutta, Pronoy and Majumdar, Abhisek and Patra, Amalika and Deb, Sujit Kumar and Das, Snehasish and Dambhare, Neha V. and Rath, Arup K. and Maiti, Uday Narayan} } @article {48467, title = {Ultrasound assisted green protocol for the synthesis of quinoxaline based bisspirooxindoles: crystal structure analysis, enone umpolung, DFT calculations, anti-cancer activity, and molecular docking studies}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {835-854}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of novel quinoxaline based bisspirooxindolo-pyrrolizidines were synthesized through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition under ultrasonication with shorter reaction time and good yields. The compounds were well characterized by various spectroscopic methods and finally single crystal X-ray diffraction method (4c, 4d). DFT energy calculations confirm the regioselectivity due to enone umpolung effect. The in vitro anti-cancer activity of the synthesized compounds (4a-s) shows that the compounds 4g and 4q exhibited good anti-cancer activity with IC50 values14.51 +/- 1.1 and 11.36 +/- 0.23 mu M against DU-145 prostate cancer cell line; and 16.78 +/- 0.95 and 14.28 +/- 0.64 mu M against Hela cervical cancer cell lines when compared to the standard anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (1.75 +/- 0.06 and 1.35 +/- 0.09 mu M). In silico molecular docking studies indicated that the synthesized compounds may serve as a potential lead for the further development of novel anti-cancer agents.

}, keywords = {Anti-cancer activity, bisspirooxindoles, DFT calculations, Hirshfeld surface, ultrasonication}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2023.2199360}, author = {Baddepuri, Sravanthi and Allaka, Bhargava Sai and Gamidi, Rama Krishna and Faizan, Mohmmad and Pawar, Ravinder and Basavoju, Srinivas} } @article {48706, title = {Understanding the nucleation and growth kinetics of the microwave-assisted synthesis of silver nanowires}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {62}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP }, pages = {14199-14211}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here, we present a detailed study of understanding the nucleation and growth kinetics of silver nanowire synthesis under microwave irradiation. The approach includes studying the effect of various parameters (viz., microwave power, reaction temperature, reaction time, substrate concentration, etc.) on the rate of nucleation and growth, as well as on the yield and morphology of silver nanowires. It is found that microwave power is the most important factor in leading to almost complete conversion of the substrate along with high aspect ratio nanowires in a short reaction time. Based on the observations, here, we have proposed a three-step growth kinetics mechanism for the synthesis of silver nanowires under the influence of microwaves. The approach comprises the autocatalytic growth of stable multiple twin particles after the nucleation process and their unidirectional growth to form nanowires. The FW autocatalytic model and the JMAK Avrami model were used to validate the proposed mechanism of AgNW formation based on our experimental results. The model predictions match very well with the conversion and yield of AgNWs. At the optimized conditions, wires with a 42 nm diameter and 94\% yield were achieved within 4 min.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.3c00322}, author = {Sonawane, Jayesh R. and Patil, Suneha and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {48798, title = {Unlocking the potential of proton conductivity in guanidinium-based ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs) through pore interior functionalization}, journal = {Applied Materials Today}, volume = {33}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {101866}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Recently, scientists have been exploring the incorporation of proton carriers such as water and phosphoric acid (PA) into the pores and channels of porous materials to enhance proton conduction performance. Ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs) have been identified as promising functional materials due to their inbuilt ionic interfaces, which can facilitate strong interaction with counter ions present inside the pore structure and thus shorten ion transport pathways. However, there is a lack of research related to proton conductivity in iCONs loaded with PA. To address this, we prepared three functionalized guanidinium-based iCONs using a solvothermal condensation reaction between guanidinium amine (TG) and functionalized terephthaldehyde (Da, Dha, and Dma). PA was also incorporated into the iCON structure via ex situ loading to observe its effects on proton conduction performance. The results showed that both the iCONs and PA-iCONs were highly stable in water, organic solvents, acidic and basic media. Amongst these PA-iCONs, one with hydroxyl-functionalization (PA-DhaTG) displayed high proton conductivity at 90 degrees C and 95\% relative humidity due to a Grotthuss mechanism for protons. These functionalized guanidinium-based iCONs could prove useful for applications in energy conversion devices.

}, keywords = {chemical stability, Functionalized pore interior, Guanidinium group, ionic covalent organic nanosheets, proton conductivity}, issn = {2352-9407}, doi = {10.1016/j.apmt.2023.101866}, author = {Kumar, Sushil and Hu, Jiahui and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Addicoat, Matthew A. and Szekely, Gyorgy} } @article {48331, title = {Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics of Indian isolates of wheat spot blotch pathogen bipolaris sorokiniana reveals expansion of pathogenicity gene clusters}, journal = {Pathogens}, volume = {12}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Spot blotch is a highly destructive disease in wheat caused by the fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana (teleomorph, Cochliobolus sativus). It is prevalent in warm and humid areas, including Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the USA. In the present study, twelve isolates of B. sorokiniana were collected from wheat fields in three different geographical locations in India. The pathogenicity of seven sporulating isolates was assessed on {\textquoteleft}DDK 1025{\textquoteright}, a spot blotch-susceptible wheat variety under greenhouse conditions. The isolate {\textquoteleft}D2{\textquoteright} illustrated the highest virulence, followed by {\textquoteleft}SI{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}BS52{\textquoteright}. These three isolates were sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq1000 platform. The estimated genome sizes of the isolates BS52, D2, and SI were 35.19 MB, 39.32 MB, and 32.76 MB, with GC contents of 48.48\%, 50.43\%, and 49.42\%, respectively. The numbers of pathogenicity genes identified in BS52, D2, and SI isolates were 2015, 2476, and 2018, respectively. Notably, the isolate D2 exhibited a relatively larger genome with expanded arsenals of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs), CAZymes, secretome, and pathogenicity genes, which could have contributed to its higher virulence among the tested isolates. This study provides the first comparative genome analysis of the Indian isolates of B. sorokiniana using whole genome sequencing.

}, keywords = {Bipolaris sorokiniana, CAZyme, comparative genomics, spot blotch, whole genome sequencing}, doi = {10.3390/pathogens12010001}, author = {Yadav, Sagar and Raazi, Zarrine and Shivaraj, Sheelavanta Matha and Somani, Deepika and Prashant, Ramya and Kulkarni, Abhijeet and Kumar, Rajeev and Biradar, Suma and Desai, Shreenivas and Kadoo, Narendra} } @article {48962, title = {Wurtzite CuGaS2 with an in-situ-formed CuO layer photocatalyzes CO2 conversion to ethylene with high selectivity}, journal = {Angewandte chemie-international edition}, volume = {62}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB 20}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We present surface reconstruction-induced C-C coupling whereby CO2 is converted into ethylene. The wurtzite phase of CuGaS2. undergoes in situ surface reconstruction, leading to the formation of a thin CuO layer over the pristine catalyst, which facilitates selective conversion of CO2 to ethylene (C2H4). Upon illumination, the catalyst efficiently converts CO2 to C2H4 with 75.1 \% selectivity (92.7 \% selectivity in terms of R-electron) and a 20.6 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) evolution rate. Subsequent spectroscopic and microscopic studies supported by theoretical analysis revealed operando-generated Cu2+, with the assistance of existing Cu+, functioning as an anchor for the generated *CO and thereby facilitating C-C coupling. This study demonstrates strain-induced in situ surface reconstruction leading to heterojunction formation, which finetunes the oxidation state of Cu and modulates the CO2 reduction reaction pathway to selective formation of ethylene.

}, keywords = {C-C coupling, charge polarization, CO2 reduction, Photocatalysis}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202216613}, author = {Chakraborty, Subhajit and Das, Risov and Riyaz, Mohd and Das, Kousik and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Bagchi, Debabrata and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {49320, title = {1,6-Conjugate addition of in situ generated aryldiazenes to p-quinone methides}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {22}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5636-5645}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein we report a transition-metal free, base-mediated 1,6-conjugate addition of aryldiazenes to para-quinone methides (p-QMs). Arylhydrazines were used for the in situ generation of aryldiazenes using a base-mediated protocol in the presence of air as the oxidant. The 1,6-conjugate addition of aryldiazenes to para-quinone methides via a radical mechanism is followed by an oxidative rearrangement to furnish the desired product, arylhydrazones. Interestingly, our synthetic protocol results in the formation of an aryldiazene radical, which undergoes 1,6-conjugate addition with p-QMs to furnish the arylhydrazones.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d4ob00618f}, author = {Mamale, Ajay G. and Paul, Sayantan and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {49107, title = {2-Pyridone-directed CuII-catalyzed general method of C(sp2)-H activation for C-S, C-Se, and C-N cross-coupling: easy access to aryl thioethers, selenide ethers, and sulfonamides and DFT study}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {89}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, pages = {6798-6812}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have demonstrated N-substituted 2-pyridones as an N,O-directing group for selective C(sp(2))-H-activated thiolation, selenylation, and sulfonamidation of ortho C-H bonds of benzamides. This method utilizes a cost-effective Cu(II)-salt catalyst instead of precious metal catalysts, achieving high yields, including gram-scale synthesis and excellent functional group tolerance. We applied this protocol to access 30 different compounds with high yields, demonstrating thiolation of fluorine-substituted benzamides as well. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations support the mechanism, including acetate-supported concerted metalation deprotonation (CMD) steps and the unique role of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent. The facile synthesis of pharmaceutically important sulfonamides and other compounds highlights the method{\textquoteright}s potential in chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.4c00120}, author = {Pati, Tanmay K. and Molla, Sabir Ali and Ghosh, Narendra Nath and Kundu, Mrinalkanti and Ajarul, Sk and Maity, Pradip and Khamrai, Uttam and Maiti, Dilip K.} } @article {49324, title = {Advanced 3D network of N-doped graphitic carbon with FeNi alloy embedding for high-performance rechargeable Zn-air batteries}, journal = {Advanced Sustainable Systems}, volume = {8}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Despite the significant progress in Zn-air batteries (ZABs), their widespread use in the rechargeable sector is hindered due to the scarcity of efficient bifunctional oxygen catalysts that can catalyze both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). To address this, an ORR/OER bifunctional electrocatalyst is designed with ultrafine alloyed FeNi nanoparticles encapsulated in a 3D interconnected N- doped carbon network structure, featuring a carbon nitride backbone enclosed in graphitic carbon. The FeNi electrocatalyst (3DFeNiPDC) showed good bifunctional activity toward both ORR and OER in the basic medium with a low overpotential value of 30 mV for ORR and 6 mV for OER compared to its state-of-the-art counterparts Pt/C, and RuO2, respectively. Utilizing 3DFeNiPDC in a rechargeable Zn-air battery (RZAB) yields an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.35 V, a maximum power density of 232 mW cm-2, and an energy density of 707 W h kg-1. Additionally, a flexible RZAB employing 3DFeNiPDC demonstrates an OCV of 1.4 V with various bending angles. These finding suggest 3DFeNiPDC as a viable alternative to noble metal-based RZABs, offering superior bifunctional electrocatalytic activity and stability, particularly with its enhanced air-breathing properties facilitating improved operability under practical conditions. The bifunctional electrocatalytic activity of FeNi alloy nanoparticles embedded in a 3D- interconnected N-doped graphitic carbon (3DFeNiPDC) for both oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution is studied. The 3D architecture and core-shell characteristics of FeNi alloy nanoparticles provide better activity and stability for oxygen electrocatalysis. The electrocatalytic activity of 3DFeNiPDC has been exploited for liquid-state and solid-state flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries. image

}, keywords = {Oxygen Evolution Reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, rechargeable flexible zinc-air battery}, issn = {2366-7486}, doi = {10.1002/adsu.202400012}, author = {Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurian, Maria and Gangadharan, Pranav K. and Torris, Arun and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49020, title = {Advancement in the C-H bond alkylation of (hetero)arenes catalyzed by the most abundant transition metal-iron}, journal = {Organic Chemistry Frontiers }, volume = {11}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, pages = {2397-2417}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Alkylation reaction stands as a crucial organic transformation, fostering privileged alkylated arenes and heteroarenes in molecular science. Over the past decade, the utilization of the most abundant transition metal iron for regioselective C-H bond alkylation has gained substantial prominence, offering a straightforward and sustainable approach. Noteworthy progress has been achieved in the alkylation of diverse arenes and heteroarenes involving primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl (pseudo)halide, alkene, and alcohol coupling partners via both the mono- and bidentate-chelate strategies. This concise and focused review provides an overview of the advancement in the iron-catalyzed alkylation of arenes and heteroarenes through step-economical C-H functionalization, their novel features, proposed mechanisms, and future research directions. The review is categorized into two major sections: (i) alkylation of arenes and (ii) alkylation of heteroarenes. Each section is discussed based on the class of arenes and heteroarenes used. Advancement in the direct C-H bond alkylation of arenes and heteroarenes using the catalysts based on the most abundant transition metal, iron, is summarized.

}, issn = {2052-4129}, doi = {10.1039/d4qo00063c}, author = {Pradhan, Chandini and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49062, title = {architecturally rational hemostat for rapid stopping of massive bleeding on anticoagulation therapy}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {121}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, pages = {e2316170121}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hemostatic devices are critical for managing emergent severe bleeding. With the increased use of anticoagulant therapy, there is a need for next- generation hemostats. We rationalized that a hemostat with an architecture designed to increase contact with blood, and engineered from a material that activates a distinct and undrugged coagulation pathway can address the emerging need. Inspired by lung alveolar architecture, here, we describe the engineering of a next- generation single - phase chitosan hemostat with a tortuous spherical microporous design that enables rapid blood absorption and concentrated platelets and fibrin microthrombi in localized regions, a phenomenon less observed with other classical hemostats without structural optimization. The interaction between blood components and the porous hemostat was further amplified based on the charged surface of chitosan. Contrary to the dogma that chitosan does not directly affect physiological clotting mechanism, the hemostat induced coagulation via a direct activation of platelet Toll - like receptor 2. Our engineered porous hemostat effectively stopped the bleeding from murine liver wounds, swine liver and carotid artery injuries, and the human radial artery puncture site within a few minutes with significantly reduced blood loss, even under the anticoagulant treatment. The integration of engineering design principles with an understanding of the molecular mechanisms can lead to hemostats with improved functions to address emerging medical needs.

}, keywords = {biomaterial, clotting, hemostasis, hemostat, trauma}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2316170121}, author = {Lee, Vivian K. and Lee, Taewoo and Ghosh, Amrit and Saha, Tanmoy and Bais, V. Manish and Bharani, Kala Kumar and Chag, Milan and Parikh, Keyur and Bhatt, Parloop and Namgung, Bumseok and Venkataramanan, Geethapriya and Agrawal, Animesh and Sonaje, Kiran and Mavely, Leo and Sengupta, Shiladitya and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Jang, Hae Lin} } @article {49104, title = {Article chitinase inhibition induces transcriptional dysregulation altering ecdysteroid-mediated control of spodoptera frugiperda development}, journal = {Iscience}, volume = {27}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chitinases and ecdysteroid hormones are vital for insect development. Crosstalk between chitin and ecdysteroid metabolism regulation is enigmatic. Here, we examined chitinase inhibition effect on Spodopsilencing and overexpression resulted in ecdysone receptor deregulation. Transcription factors, like Neverland, and other ecdysteroid biosynthesis genes might lead to their upregulation in berberine-fed chitinase activity{\textquoteright}s impact on ecdysone biosynthesis and its transcriptional crosstalk.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2024.109280}, author = {Barbole, Ranjit S. and Sharma, Shivani and Patil, Yogita and Giri, Ashok P. and Joshi, Rakesh S.} } @article {49351, title = {Asymmetric synthesis of inositol derivatives}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {162}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, pages = {134113}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Both the enantiomers of racemic 4- O -tosyl-6- O -benzyl- myo -inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate ( 2 ) were isolated by preferential crystallization and used to synthesize several enantiomeric myo -inositol derivatives - natural ononitol, natural laminitol, precursors for myo -inositol phosphates and an oxabicyclo [2.2.1] heptane derivative. This work demonstrates the potential of the enantiomeric tosylates D2 and L2 to serve as versatile starting materials for the absolute asymmetric synthesis of inositol derivatives and other natural products from symmetric myo -inositol since no optically active molecular entity was required for the resolution of 2.

}, keywords = {Asymmetric synthesis, Carbohydrate, Cyclitol, Inositol, Natural product}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2024.134113}, author = {Patil, Nivedita T. and Sarkar, Nitai and Mysore, S. Shashidhar and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {49053, title = {Base controlled rongalite-mediated reductive aldol/cyclization and dimerization of isatylidene malononitriles/cyanoacetates}, journal = {Organic and biomolecular chemistry}, volume = {22}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1727-1732}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, we developed a novel methodology involving a base-controlled, rongalite-mediated reductive/aldol reaction, followed by cyclization of isatylidene malononitriles/cyanoacetates, resulting in the synthesis of spiro[2,3-dihydrofuran-3,3 {\textquoteleft}-oxindole]. Additionally, we have disclosed a rongalite-mediated dimerization process for isatylidene malononitriles, yielding dispiro[cyclopent-3 {\textquoteleft}-ene]bisoxindole. The utilization of rongalite in this reaction serves a dual purpose, acting both as a reducing agent and a C1 synthon. The developed approach has several advantages like a simple reaction setup, a wide substrate scope, requiring less time, using water as a green solvent, no metal or catalyst is required and products can be easily isolated via filtration with excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. A novel methodology was developed for the synthesis of spiro[2,3-dihydrofuran-3,3 {\textquoteleft}-oxindole] and dispiro[cyclopent-3 {\textquoteleft}-ene]bisoxindole under mild reaction conditions using inexpensive reagents.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d3ob01794j}, author = {Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Patil, Baliram R. and Girase, Amardipsing S. and Rama Krishna, Gamidi and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {49382, title = {Biexciton emission in CsPbBr3 nanocrystals: polar facet matters}, journal = {Nano Letters}, volume = {24}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG }, pages = {10434-10442}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The metal halide perovskite nanocrystals exhibit a remarkable tolerance to midgap defect states, resulting in high photoluminescence quantum yields. However, the potential of these nanocrystals for applications in display devices is hindered by the suppression of biexcitonic emission due to various Auger recombination processes. By adopting single-particle photoluminescence spectroscopy, herein, we establish that the biexcitonic quantum efficiency increases with the increase in the number of facets on cesium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals, progressing from cube to rhombic dodecahedron to rhombicuboctahedron nanostructures. The observed enhancement is attributed mainly to an increase in their surface polarity as the number of facets increases, which reduces the Coulomb interaction of charge carriers, thereby suppressing Auger recombination. Moreover, Auger recombination rate constants obtained from the time-gated photon correlation studies exhibited a discernible decrease as the number of facets increased. These findings underscore the significance of facet engineering in fine-tuning biexciton emission in metal halide perovskite nanocrystals.

}, keywords = {Auger recombination, biexciton emission, Cs-133 MAS NMR spectroscopy, Perovskites, time-gatedphoton correlation}, issn = {1530-6984}, doi = {10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01186}, author = {Titus, Timi and Vishnu, E. Krishnan and Garai, Arghyadeep and Dutta, Sumit Kumar and Sandeep, Kuttysankaran and Shelke, Ankita and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Shaji, Anil and Pradhan, Narayan and Thomas, K. George} } @article {49257, title = {Biocatalysis enables the scalable conversion of biobased furans into various furfurylamines}, journal = {NATURE COMMUNICATIONS}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL }, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Biomass, OMEGA-TRANSAMINASE, OXIDASE, Reductive amination, SPECIFICITY}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-50637-x}, author = {Giri, Pritam and Lim, Seonga and Khobragade, Taresh P. and Pagar, Amol D. and Patil, Mahesh D. and Sarak, Sharad and Jeon, Hyunwoo and Joo, Sangwoo and Goh, Younghwan and Jung, Seohee and Jang, Yu-Jeong and Choi, Seung Beom and Kim, Ye Chan and Kang, Taek Jin and Heo, Yong-Seok and Yun, Hyungdon} } @article {49380, title = {Biocompatible PVAc-g--PLLA acrylate polymers for DLP 3D printing with tunable mechanical properties}, journal = {ACS APPLIED MATERIALS \& INTERFACES}, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT }, pages = {62594-62605}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {acid, copolymers, polymerization, TACONIC ANHYDRIDE}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.4c11285}, author = {Pal, Shibam and Gavhane, Utreshwar Arjun and Asha, S. K.} } @article {49068, title = {Bismuth ferrite based acetone gas sensor: evaluation of graphene oxide loading}, journal = {RSC Advances }, volume = {14}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN }, pages = {1367-1376}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report a BiFeO3/graphene oxide (BFO/GO) perovskite, synthesized using a CTAB-functionalized glycine combustion route, as a potential material for acetone gas sensing applications. The physicochemical properties of the developed perovskite were analysed using XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, HRTEM, EDAX and XPS. The gas sensing performance was analysed for various test gases, including ethanol, acetone, propanol, ammonia, nitric acid, hydrogen sulphide and trimethylamine at a concentration of 500 ppm. Among the test gases, the developed BFO showed the best selectivity towards acetone, with a response of 61\% at an operating temperature of 250 degrees C. All the GO-loaded BFO samples showed an improved gas sensing performance compared with pristine BFO in terms of sensitivity, the response/recovery times, the transient response curves and the stability. The 1 wt\% GO-loaded BiFeO3 sensor showed the highest sensitivity of 89\% towards acetone (500 ppm) at an operating temperature of 250 degrees C. These results show that the developed perovskites have significant potential for use in acetone gas sensing applications. CTAB-functionalized glycine combustion yields BiFeO3/graphene oxide (BFO/GO) perovskite for acetone gas detection.

}, doi = {10.1039/d3ra06733e}, author = {Ghadage, Pandurang and Shinde, K. P. and Nadargi, Digambar and Nadargi, Jyoti and Shaikh, Hamid and Alam, Mohammad Asif and Mulla, Imtiaz and Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Park, J. S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad} } @article {49214, title = {Bridging the gap: an investigation of biosurfactants-polymer systems}, journal = {Current Opinion in Colloid \& Interface Science}, volume = {72}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, pages = {101806}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Biosurfactants (BSs) have been extensively researched due to their potential applications in various fields, including textiles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and oil remediation. These BSs possess a diverse range of physical, chemical, and biological properties. In recent years, researchers have combined these biosurfactants with both natural and synthetic polymers, resulting in the development of advanced material systems that exhibit a unique combination of properties. This review focuses on highlighting the recent advancements in these biosurfactant-polymer material systems and identifies existing gaps in the literature. The combination of biosurfactants with polymers has led to the formation of interpenetrated hydrogels, films, chemically modified surfaces, vesicles, functionalized nanofiber nonwoven mats, nano-formulations, and nano-assemblies. Some studies have also investigated the interactions between biosurfactants and polymer molecules. In most cases, non-specific, non-covalent interactions, such as electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions have been found to govern the properties of these systems. Moreover, promising results have been achieved through the covalent modification of polymer surfaces, followed by functionalization using biosurfactant molecules. The literature demonstrates that these advanced materials could find applications in various fields, including drug delivery, bioremediation, biomedical materials, and as antimicrobial agents. These findings indicate the promising potential of biosurfactant-polymer systems for future advancements in these areas.

}, issn = {1359-0294}, doi = {10.1016/j.cocis.2024.101806}, author = {Abhyankar, Isha and Hirlekar, Swarali and Prabhune, Asmita and Nisal, Anuya} } @article {49448, title = {Calcination temperature impacting the structure and activity of CuAl catalyst in aqueous glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol}, journal = {Topics in Catalysis}, volume = {68}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV}, pages = {318-331}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study investigated the impact of calcination temperature on the structural properties of CuAl catalyst which was found to be a robust nano-structured catalyst calcined directly without ramping at 400 {\textdegree}C and performed exceedingly well for aqueous phase hydrogenolysis of glycerol. Various samples of CuAl catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation at Cu: Al molar ratio 1:1 and were calcined at different temperatures (300{\textendash}1000 {\textdegree}C). The obtained catalysts were reduced at 200 {\textdegree}C before their activity testing for glycerol hydrogenolysis reaction. To correlate the structure-activity, the catalysts were thoroughly characterized by XRD, XPS, BET, TEM, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD, and pyridine FTIR. It was observed that with an increase in calcination temperature from 300 to 700\ {\textdegree}C, the glycerol conversion also increased from 47 to 55\% with 93\% selectivity to 1,2-PDO. The better performance of these catalysts was mainly related to the predominant presence of Br{\o}nsted acid sites, an appropriate ratio of the Cu0\ to CuAl2O4 + CuO (0.33) and CuAl2O4\ to CuO phases (0.35), the existence of Cu2O phase and the smaller Cu0\ particle size. It was shown that altering the ramping rate for the calcination temperature of 400\ {\textdegree}C impacted the catalytic activity. The CuAl-400 (DC) (direct calcined) catalyst exhibited a maximum glycerol conversion of 60\%.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-024-02032-5}, author = {Mane, Rasika and Potdar, Aparna and Jeon, Yukwon and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {49205, title = {Catalytic cycloisomerization-oxidative cyclization reaction sequence of enyne diesters derived from 2-propargyloxyarylaldehydes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {26}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV }, pages = {9793-9798}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Enyne diesters derived from 2-propargyloxyarylaldehydes are converted into 2-oxopyranochromenes via In(OTf)3-catalyzed cycloisomerization and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ)-mediated oxidative cyclization reaction sequence in one pot. The process possesses broad substrate scope and good functional group compatibility and generates various 4-(hetero)aryl-substituted 2-oxopyranochromenes in 32-79\% yields (over two steps). 2-Oxopyranochromenes undergo selective decarboxylation under Krapcho conditions. When treated with aliphatic secondary amines in DMF, 2-oxopyranochromenes undergo decarboxylative amination at ambient temperature to generate 2-amino-substituted functionalized chromenes in good yields.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.4c03856}, author = {Prajapati, Karmdeo and Saini, Manoj Kumar and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Basak, Ashok K.} } @article {49317, title = {Catechol- and phenolic hydroxyl-functionalized partially bio-based (Co) poly(ether sulfone)s with multifarious applicability}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {220}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV}, pages = {113484}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A largely bio-based new bisphenol, namely, 4,4 {\textquoteleft}-((3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methylene)-bis(2-methoxyphenol) (DMBM) was synthesized by the reaction of veratraldehyde with guaiacol. DMBM and varying compositions of DMBM and bisphenol A were polycondensed with bis(4-fluorophenyl) sulfone to afford reasonably high molecular weight film-forming (co)poly(ether sulfone)s possessing built-in methoxyl groups. T10 and Tg values of (co)poly(ether sulfone)s were in the range 382-478 degrees C and 171-187 degrees C, respectively indicating their good thermal stability and the values decreased with increase in mol \% incorporation of DMBM. The methoxyl groups present in (co)poly (ether sulfone)s were quantitatively de-blocked resulting in the formation of corresponding polymers possessing pendant catechol moieties and free phenolic hydroxyl groups. By virtue of the presence of these functional moieties, (co)poly(ether sulfone)s are amenable for post-polymerization modifications, and exhibited properties such as antimicrobial (23 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 18 mm against Escherichia coli)), antioxidant (72 \% scavenger of free radicals), adhesive (2.24 MPa lap shear strength) and usefulness as redox-active agent in zinc-ion batteries. These data underscore the promise of DMBM as a versatile monomer of wider utility for the synthesis of functional (co)poly(ether sulfone)s capable of expanding their applicability beyond the conventional ones.

}, keywords = {(Co)poly(ether sulfone)s, adhesive, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, bio-based, bisphenol, Zinc-ion batteries}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2024.113484}, author = {Wale, Apparav K. and Jagtap, Ashish S. and Pandey, Priyanshi R. and Dastager, Syed G. and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Ambade, Ashootosh V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {49651, title = {Cathode|electrolyte interface engineering by a hydrogel polymer electrolyte for a 3D porous high-voltage cathode material in a quasi-solid-state zinc metal battery by in situ polymerization}, journal = {SMALL}, volume = {20}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2403158}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This work highlights the development of a superior cathode|electrolyte interface for the quasi solid-state rechargeable zinc metal battery (QSS-RZMB) by a novel hydrogel polymer electrolyte using an ultraviolet (UV) light-assisted in situ polymerization strategy. By integrating the cathode with a thin layer of the hydrogel polymer electrolyte, this technique produces an integrated interface that ensures quick Zn2+ ion conduction. The coexistence of nanowires for direct electron routes and the enhanced electrolyte ion infiltration and diffusion by the 3D porous flower structure with a wide open surface of the Zn-MnO electrode complements the interface formation during the in situ polymerization process. The QSS-RZMB configured with an integrated cathode (i-Zn-MnO) and the hydrogel polymer electrolyte (PHPZ-30) as the separator yields a comparable specific energy density of 214.14 Wh kg(-1) with that of its liquid counterpart (240.38 Wh kg(-1), 0.5 M Zn(CF3SO3)(2) aqueous electrolyte). Other noteworthy features of the presented QSS-RZMB system include its superior cycle life of over 1000 charge-discharge cycles and 85\% capacity retention with 99\% coulombic efficiency at the current density of 1.0 A g(-1), compared to only 60\% capacity retention over 500 charge-discharge cycles displayed by the liquid-state system under the same operating conditions.

}, keywords = {cathode-electrolyte interface tuning, dendrite inhibition, epitaxial zinc deposition, hydrogel polymer electrolyte, In situ polymerization, Quasi solidstate rechargeable zinc metal battery}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202403158}, author = {Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Torris, Arun and Dilwale, Swati and Kanheerampockil, Fayis and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49199, title = {Chelation-assisted and steric-controlled selectivity in the Pd-catalyzed C-H/C-H oxidative coupling of indoles}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {60}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV }, pages = {13028-13031}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the first regioselective C2-C7 oxidative coupling of indoles using a palladium catalyst upon the strategic installation of N-pyridinyl and C3-carbonyl, which delivers 2,7-biindoles with a broad scope (25 examples; up to 93\% yield). Isolation of the catalytic intermediate reveals the initial activation of the C(7)-H bond, followed by the C(2)-H bond in indoles, and the reaction proceeds via a Pd(ii)/Pd(0) pathway. This manuscript describes the first regioselective C2-C7 oxidative coupling of indoles using a palladium catalyst through the strategic installation of N-pyridinyl and C3-carbonyl, which delivers diverse biorelevant 2-7-biindoles.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d4cc03835e}, author = {Vijaykumar, Muniyappa and Pradhan, Chandini and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49190, title = {Chemodivergent dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols by 3d metal catalysts}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chemodivergent synthesis by transition metal catalysts is a straightforward and sustainable approach to achieving valuable organic compounds. Especially, the chemodivergent dehydrogenative couplings of alcohols with organic motifs to develop various saturated and unsaturated compounds are highly environmentally benign due to the reduced waste generation. In this concept review, we presented the 3d transition metal (Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni)-catalyzed chemodivergent synthesis of imines and amines, saturated and unsaturated carbonyl/alcohol compounds, saturated and unsaturated nitriles, N-heterocycles, and N-/C-alkylated indoles. The discussed reaction commanded two or three different products with high chemoselectivity by changing specific reaction parameters, but keeping the catalyst unchanged. Generally, the acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) provides unsaturated moieties, whereas the borrowing-hydrogen (BH) process results in saturated compounds. Text for Table of Contents: An overview of the chemodivergent dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols by the Earth-abundant transition metal catalysts is discussed. image

}, keywords = {3d metals, Alcohols, chemodivergent, dehydrogenative coupling, heterocycles}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.202301558}, author = {Bansal, Sadhna and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49426, title = {Chitosan nanoparticles for single and combinatorial delivery of 5-fluorouracil and ursolic acid for hepatocellular carcinoma}, journal = { Emergent Materials}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a significant global health challenge with limited therapeutic options. Chemotherapy has major limitations, leading to a paradigm shift towards nanomedicines. In this study, we aimed to synthesize single and dual drug-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and ursolic acid (UA) for spatial and controlled delivery against HCC. We synthesized CSNPs by a modified bottom-up ionic gelation method and optimized various parameters to formulate particles with smaller sizes, uniform size distribution, and high surface charge for intra-arterial infusion for HCC. The characterization techniques confirmed a monodisperse population of smaller sized particles with average sizes, as determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as 45.25 {\textpm} 11.58, 105.66 {\textpm} 10.96, 176 {\textpm} 16.46, and 220 {\textpm} 21.37\ nm for CSNPs, 5-FU-CSNPs, UA-CSNPs and 5FU + UA-CSNPs respectively. These formulations exhibited excellent encapsulation of the drugs, with an initial pH-dependent rapid release of 5-FU followed by a subsequent slower and sustained release, while showing pH-dependent slow and controlled release of UA. The in vitro cell viability assay established the highest anticancer potential for 5FU + UA-CSNPs, followed by 5-FU-CSNPs and UA-CSNPs, and the lowest for plain drugs in the Hep3B cell line. An increased uptake of both the drugs in CSNPs substantiated the supremacy of these formulations over the plain drugs as drug delivery agents. These findings suggest that 5FU + UA-CSNPs, a novel formulation, works as a potent therapeutic agent against HCC, supporting our hypothesis of co-loading 5-FU and UA in CSNPs can effectively manage HCC, with particle attributes fit for administration via intra-arterial infusion.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s42247-024-00857-0}, author = {Jaiswal, Neha and Pawar, Anil T. and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @article {49215, title = {Circulatory levels of lysophosphatidylcholine species in obese adolescents: Findings from cross-sectional and prospective lipidomics analyses}, journal = {NUTRITION METABOLISM AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES}, volume = {34}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1807-1816}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Adolescent obesity, Asian Indians, biomarker, Lipidomics, Lysophosphatidyl- choline}, issn = {0939-4753}, doi = {10.1016/j.numecd.2024.02.009}, author = {Sharma, Sapna and Subrahmanyam, Yalamanchili Venkata and Ranjani, Harish and Sidra, Sidra and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Vadivel, Sangeetha and Kannan, Shanthini and Grallert, Harald and Usharani, Dandamudi and Anjana, Ranjit Mohan and Balasubramanyam, Muthuswamy and Mohan, Viswanathan and Jerzy, Adamski and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Gokulakrishnan, Kuppan} } @article {49067, title = {Co-incorporated N-doped micro-meso porous carbon as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction and Zn-air battery}, journal = {Energy and Fuels}, volume = {38}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, pages = {7196-7207}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Metal-organic frameworks are considered ideal precursors for the preparation of transition-metal, heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts that are perceived to be efficient electrocatalysts for energy storage devices. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of ZIF-67-derived Co-incorporated N-doped porous carbon catalysts supported on high surface area microporous carbon prepared from a lotus seed shell. The combination of the two carbon catalysts in different weight ratios resulted in Co-incorporated N-doped carbon sheets with tuned surface area and porosity, enabling enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity in an alkaline medium. The optimized carbon catalyst ZL 600 (3:1) exhibited a half-wave potential of 0.79 V vs RHE and a limiting current density of -4.38 mA cm(-2) in 0.1 M KOH solution with higher stability and methanol tolerance. The optimized sample ZL 600 (3:1) demonstrated as a cathode in a zinc-air battery exhibited an open circuit voltage of 1.29 V with a flat discharge profile at a current rate of 10 mA cm(-2). The homemade system produced a specific capacity of 610 mAh g(-1) and a peak power density of 111 mW cm(-2), comparable to the cathode made with Pt/C. The high micro-mesoporosity, pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen contents, as well as enriched Co-active centers protected by carbon sheets favorably contributed to the efficient ORR mechanism.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c00059}, author = {Priya, Vaishna K. and Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang and Barik, Sidharth and Mohamed, A. Peer and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Hareesh, Unnikrishnan Nair Saraswathy} } @article {49633, title = {Colocasia esculenta stems for the isolation of cellulose nanofibers: a chlorine-free method for the biomass conversion}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, volume = {14}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10305-10318}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The reuse of waste products is the green key to sustainability. The extraction of cellulose nanofibers from Colocasia esculenta stems is presented in the paper. The study proved that the waste biomass could be effectively re-engineered into highly valued cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). Cellulose nanofibers were extracted via a chemo-mechanical route. The pre-treatments included mild alkali hydrolysis (2\% NaOH) and chlorine-free bleaching (peroxide bleaching in an alkaline medium). Cellulose I-beta structure was confirmed using C-13 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The elemental analysis of CNFs detected the elements, carbon and oxygen. The CNFs had a crystallinity and transmittance of 71.72\% and 60\%, respectively. Microscopic studies verified the elimination of non-cellulosic components and the fibrous nature of CNFs. Moreover, the fiber diameter of CNFs was 20-40 nm. Thermal analysis revealed good thermal stability of 335.8 degrees C (T-50) for nanofibers. Long-term aids are numerous in eco-friendly technology. Developing an eco-design will support zero waste ideals, lowers carbon dioxide emissions, and encourages a circular economy. Owing to the merits of natural fibers, they can be adopted in various sectors including packaging, automobile, aerospace, electronics, biomedical, construction, and furniture.

}, keywords = {acid hydrolysis, cellulose nanofibers, Colocasia esculenta stems, High crystallinity}, issn = {2190-6815}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-022-03171-z}, author = {Dominic, C. D. Midhun and Maheswary, S. and Neenu, V. K. and Sajadi, S. Mohammad and Rosa, Derval dos Santos and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Mathew, Mariya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and George, Tresa Sunitha and Resmi, V. C. and Ilyas, R. A. and Badawi, Michael} } @article {49110, title = {Concentration-dependent SILAR synthesized Di-bismuth copper oxide nano-materials electrode in asymmetric supercapacitor}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {35}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, pages = {129}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, we present a novel approach to prepare bismuth oxide deposited on copper substrate (Bi2CuO4) electrodes using a binder-free successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique, demonstrating their potential for energy storage applications. The resulting Bi2CuO4 electrode exhibits a tetragonal crystal structure with a polycrystalline nature, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) reveals a distinctive sphere-like structure with hydrophilic characteristics, as determined from contact angle measurements. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) further validates the composition of the sample. The electrochemical performance of Bi2CuO4 is remarkable, with a specific capacitance (SC) of 1795.9 F/g at 16 mA/cm(2). When used as an anode in an asymmetric solid-state device (ASSD) alongside activated carbon (AC) as the cathode, the Bi2CuO4 electrode attains a maximum energy density (SE) of 169.5 Wh/kg at 16 mA/cm(2) and a peak power density (SP) of 15.9 kW/kg at 24 mA/cm(2). In a 1 M KOH-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer solution, the Bi2CuO4//AC pencil-type cell achieves a superior SC of 94.5 F/g at 5 mV/s, retaining approximately 92\% of its initial performance even after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The resulting SE and SP are 43.1 Wh/kg and 5.2 kW/kg at 10 mA/cm(2), respectively. This research presents an efficient and straightforward synthesis method for producing high-performance pencil-type supercapacitors at a laboratory scale. Furthermore, we demonstrate the potential of a homemade pencil-type supercapacitor device (Bi2CuO4//AC) to power a light-emitting diode (LED), highlighting its practical utility in various energy storage applications.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-023-11818-4}, author = {Bobade, R. G. and Dabke, N. B. and Shaikh, Shoyebmohamad F. and Al-Enizi, Abdullah M. and Pandit, Bidhan and Lokhande, B. J. and Ambare, R. C.} } @article {49373, title = {Conformational enigma of TDP-43 misfolding in neurodegenerative disorders}, journal = {ACS OMEGA}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP}, pages = {40286-40297}, type = {Review}, keywords = {DNA-BINDING PROTEIN, FRONTOTEMPORAL LOBAR DEGENERATION}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.4c04119}, author = {Pillai, Meenakshi and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {49061, title = {Continuous flow synthesis of mesoporous silica particles with tunable size and structure}, journal = {Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {63}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1843-1852}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have developed a continuous process to prepare mesoporous silica particles of different sizes and narrow size distribution in a tubular reactor. The method is based on the use of well-known Stober synthesis in the presence of cationic surfactant in methanol-water solvent system and trimethylbenzene as pore swelling agent to form porous silica particles. We observed that reaction parameters had enormous effects on particle size, distribution, and numerous morphological aspects. We demonstrated that these properties may be modified by adjusting the reaction temperature, base concentration, and surfactant concentration. MSPs of spherical morphology with variable size from 400 to 1000 nm produced with the surface area \>600 m(2)/g and pore diameter of 2-4 nm. Large scale production is demonstrated by increasing reactor volume using 1/4 in. PTFE tubing from 20 to 163 mL, with this production of MSPs increased from 0.35 to 3 g/h. The method has been extended for high yield production at the kilogram scale using this approach, which will pave the way toward the industrialization of mesoporous silica based materials.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.3c03304}, author = {Jundale, Rajashri B. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Devi, R. Nandini and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {49032, title = {Copper-catalyzed regioselective C-H alkylation of phenol derivatives with unactivated alkyl chlorides: manifesting a Cu(I)/Cu(III) pathway}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis }, volume = {430}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The use of unactivated alkyl chlorides in regioselective C -H alkylation is a highly challenging process with diverse applications of alkylation strategy in drug discovery and agrochemistry. In this work, we report an efficient and cost-effective copper -catalyzed protocol for the coupling of unactivated alkyl chlorides with the C -H bond of phenol derivatives via 2-pyridinyl chelation assistance. The reaction shows a high level of regioselectivity, leading to an exclusive ortho alkylation and providing a broad scope with the endurance of numerous functionalities such as silyl, ether, thioether, pyrrolyl, indolyl, carbazolyl groups, including alkyl bearing fatty alcohol, nonylphenol, and vitamin E. Detailed mechanistic investigations suggest that the alkylation occurs through a two -electron oxidative addition of alkyl chloride to an active Cu(I) species. Deuterium labeling and kinetics experiments indicate a facile and reversible C -H bond activation process. Overall, the alkylation follows a Cu(I)/Cu(III) pathway involving chelation-assisted smooth C -H metalation and rate -limiting C-Cl oxidative addition of alkyl chloride.

}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2024.115351}, author = {Verma, Suryadev K. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49292, title = {Copper/Iron cocatalyzed depolymerization of postconsumer polycarbonate: a one-pot strategy to synthesize aryl ethers}, journal = {ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY \& ENGINEERING}, volume = {12}, year = {2024}, month = {DEC 7}, pages = {18362-18372}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {aryl ethers, copper/iron cocatalysis, depolymerization, polycarbonates, Value-added products}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c06990}, author = {Moyilla, Nageswararao and Padhi, Ganeshdev and Kalsi, Deepti and Barsu, Nagaraju} } @article {48908, title = {CuNPs@Al2O3-cellulose composite for the ligand-free Suzuki cross-coupling reactions in batch and continuous flow process}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry }, volume = {1004}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present work, we synthesized recyclable CuNPs@Al2O3-CELL composite from an inexpensive and commercially available synthetic reagent by a simple method. The catalyst was characterized by various techniques such as TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis), SEM (Scanning electron microscope), TEM (Transmission electron microscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), EDS (Energy dispersive spectroscopy), and AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy). The composite was applied for the Suzuki coupling reactions in the batch and flow process. The aryl halides were easily coupled with arylboronic acids in 95 \% ethanol at 78 C. We systematically investigated the role of reaction temperature, solvent, and catalyst loading, on the transient and steady-state behavior of the flow reactor through an automated flow chemistry platform. The CuNPs@Al2O3CELL catalytic particles demonstrate minimal deactivation and leaching over a continuous Suzuki coupling reaction at a 20 min nominal residence time at 100 C. Moreover, the catalyst can be recovered by simple filtration and reused at least five times with a moderate decrease in product yield. The excellent activity and stability of the catalyst have been attributed to the strong chelation of the Cu species with hydroxyl functional groups of the Al2O3-CELL composite. The catalytic system was highly efficient in Suzuki coupling of various aryl bromides with different aryl boronic acids, yielding good to excellent product yields (80-96 \%) with a TON of 15.914-19.066 and TOF of 2.649-9.533 h(-1).

}, keywords = {Continuous flow process, CuNPs@Al2O3-CELL, ligand-free, recyclable, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2023.122954}, author = {Patil, Seema and Rajmane, Archana and Jadhav, Sanjay and Rode, Chandrashekhar and Kumbhar, Arjun} } @article {49202, title = {Design of Bi-functional mixed oxide electrodes for selective oxidative C-C cleavage of glycerol to formate and synchronized green hydrogen production}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {8}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN }, pages = {2954-2968}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Alkaline water electrolysis is a mature method to produce green hydrogen; however, it suffers from significantly high cost as high overpotentials are required for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the OER could be avoided altogether by replacing it with kinetically favorable oxidation of abundantly available feedstock molecules at a significantly low potential to value-added product(s) together with green hydrogen generation. This is a potential method to address the high cost of green hydrogen production while converting waste to wealth. Herein, we report green, template-free hydrothermal synthesis of an electrochemically active NiCoMn mixed oxide (NCMO) electrocatalyst with multiple sites, porous structure, large surface area, and nanoneedle (NN) morphology deposited directly over Ni foam (NF). Sustainable electrocatalytic performance was demonstrated for 120 h in 0.2 M alkaline glycerol using chronoamperometry and chronopotentiometry. Highly selective formate production demonstrated an exclusive C-C cleavage with the present catalyst system. Oxides of individual metal-ions (Ni, Co, and Mn) and their bimetallic combination (NiCo, NiMn, and CoMn) exhibited lower activity and product selectivity than the trimetallic NCMO electrocatalyst. The membrane-free two-electrode electrolyzer setup with NCMO/NF at both the anode and cathode (NCMO/NF \& Vert;NCMO/NF) requires 1.63 V to accomplish 100 mA cm-2 with 0.2 M glycerol, which is 296 mV less than that of 1 M KOH solution. High faradaic efficiency was observed for hydrogen (98\%) with highly selective formate (90\%) production. Electrocatalytic formate generation from an alkaline glycerol solution with NCMO is an energy-efficient and promising approach that also supplies carbon-negative green H2. NiCoMn oxide nanoneedles with a cactus-like morphology are shown as bifunctional electrocatalysts that selectively oxidize glycerol to HCOOH and concurrently produce H2.

}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/d4se00434e}, author = {Saha, Arindam and Murugiah, Vasantharadevi and Ranjan, Ravi and Chauhan, Inderjeet and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Bajpai, Himanshu and Saha, Avisekh and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {49417, title = {Designing of imine thiophene-ligated metal-complexes and implication in ethylene polymerization}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Polyethylene is the single largest volume polymer produced globally using Ziegler-type catalysts. Numerous modifications have been reported in search of a better catalyst that can control molecular weight, polydispersity, and branching. In our attempts to identify a suitable imine thiophene-ligated chromium complex, we examined 9 different titanium complexes computationally. The DFT investigations considered barriers for insertion, propagation, and termination by beta-H elimination or chain transfer, and identified N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-phenyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl)ethan-1-imine(L9) as the most suitable ligand. Subsequently, L9 was prepared in good yield (70\%) by condensing 2-phenyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl)ethan-1-one with 4-methoxyaniline. Ligand L9 was treated with early transition metal precursors (Ti, Cr, Zr) to generate a homogenous catalyst. The identity of these catalysts was unambiguously ascertained using a combination of NMR, ICP, FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and ESI-MS. The performance of L9-ligated titanium complex [Cat.1] was examined in ethylene polymerization using MMAO as a co-catalyst. Insertion of ethylene was tracked using high-pressure NMR experiments and Cat.1 was found to be active in the polymerization. Ethylene polymerization conditions were optimized to obtain high activity and molecular weight polyethylene. The chromium complex [Cat.2] outperformed the Ti and Zr-derived catalysts with the highest TOF of 6294 mol of PE/mol of Cr/h. Cat.2 produced high molecular weight, high-density polyethylene.

}, keywords = {Cr-complexes, DFT, high-density polyethylene, Imine thiophene ligand, Polyethylene}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601325.2024.2409753}, author = {Shaikh, Maulali H. and Ramekar, V. Rohan and Jawoor, Shailaja and Dash, Soumya R. and Birajadar, Rajkumar S. and Pawal, Sandip B. and Thenmani, Nandakumar and Vanka, Kumar and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {49337, title = {DNA-mediated formation of phase-separated coacervates of the nucleic acid-binding domain of TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) prevents its amyloid-like misfolding}, journal = {ACS Chemical Neuroscience}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT }, pages = {4105-4122}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Sequestration of protein molecules and nucleic acids to stress granules is one of the most promising strategies that cells employ to protect themselves from stress. In vitro, studies suggest that the nucleic acid-binding domain of TDP-43 (TDP-43tRRM) undergoes amyloid-like aggregation to beta-sheet-rich structures in low pH stress. In contrast, we observed that the TDP-43tRRM undergoes complex coacervation in the presence of ssDNA to a dense and light phase, preventing its amyloid-like aggregation. The soluble light phase consists of monomeric native-like TDP-43tRRM. The microscopic data suggest that the dense phase consists of spherical coacervates with limited internal dynamics. We performed multiparametric analysis by employing various biophysical techniques and found that complex coacervation depends on the concentration and ratio of the participating biomolecules and is driven by multivalent interactions. The modulation of these forces due to environmental conditions or disease mutations regulates the extent of coacervation, and the weakening of interactions between TDP-43tRRM and ssDNA leads to amyloid-like aggregation of TDP-43tRRM. Our results highlight a competition among the native state, amyloid-like aggregates, and complex coacervates tuned by various environmental factors. Together, our results illuminate an alternate function of TDP-43tRRM in response to pH stress in the presence of the ssDNA.

}, keywords = {amyloid-likeaggregation, complex coacervation, DNA-protein interactions, Dynamics, pH stress, TDP-43}, issn = {1948-7193}, doi = {10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00117}, author = {Patni, Divya and Patil, Anjali D. and Kirmire, Mona S. and Jha, Anjali and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {49455, title = {Early detection of KP.2 SARS-CoV-2 variant using wastewater-based genomic surveillance in Pune, Maharashtra, India}, journal = {Journal of Travel Medicine}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taae097}, author = {Rajput, Vinay and Das, Rashmita and Pramanik, Rinka and Nannaware, Kiran and Sushma, Y. and Taji, Nyabom and Rajput, Vishal and Rajkhowa, Riyakshi and Pacharne, Poonam and Shah, Priyanki and Gogate, Niharika and Sangwar, Poornima and Bhalerao, Asim and Jain, Nidhi and Kamble, Sanjay and Dastager, Syed and Shashidhara, L. S. and Karyakarte, Rajesh and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {49408, title = {Effect of citral partitioning on structural and mechanical properties of lipid membranes}, journal = {European Physical Journal-Special Topics}, volume = {233}, year = {2024}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3009-3021}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Delineating the interactions of cellular metabolites with lipid membranes and their effects on membrane physical and mechanical properties constitutes a key step for comprehensively understanding their biological function. The plant metabolite-citral is widely used in biotechnological and cosmeceutical processes, but significant gaps remain in our understanding of how it affects cellular membranes that it interacts with. In this study, we unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions of citral with compositionally distinct model membranes using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we investigate two distinct membrane compositions: the neutral phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPC:DOPE) bilayer, representing mammalian cell membranes and the anionic phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylglycerol (DOPC:DOPG) bilayer, mimicking bacterial cell membranes. Our simulations reveal that citral molecules readily partition into both membranes without distinct composition-dependent effects. Monomeric citral molecules localize mainly at the interface of the acyl chain region of the lipids, and a few translocation events are sampled in the simulations. Interestingly, we observe small differences in lipid fluidity although the citral molecules significantly influence the rigidity of lipid bilayers, and a higher bending modulus was observed in DOPC:DOPE lipid bilayers compared to DOPC:DOPG bilayers. Further, citral partitioning induces an increased tendency for lipid demixing in DOPC:DOPE membranes, as evidenced by the decreased values of the Shannon entropy. Our work is an important step to elucidate the molecular processes that underlie the differential impact of cell metabolites on compositionally distinct lipid membranes.

}, issn = {1951-6355}, doi = {10.1140/epjs/s11734-024-01147-w}, author = {Saraf, Deepashri and Porte, Sudha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {49099, title = {Effect of covalently functionalized Indian bentonite clay on thermal, mechanical strength and morphology structure of extrusion/injection-molded nylon 6 composites}, journal = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies}, volume = {35}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e6412}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The research and development of functional polymer composites and their production have posed significant challenges, particularly in creating high mechanical strength and thermal stability composites. In this study, we utilized a micro corotation extruder and injection molding to produce covalently functionalized Indian bentonite clay-nylon 6 high-strength nanocomposites. For comparison, two different amines, 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane and N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ethylene di-amine, were used to functionalize bentonite clay. Additionally, 3\% and 5\% less amino clay filler was added in the nanocomposite to manufacture the polymer composite. Analytical techniques such as Powder X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area were used to characterize the molecular orientation of amine functionalization on clay minerals. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscope were used to characterize the nylon 6 intercalated in amino clay nanocomposite and the polymer structure morphology. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were used to investigate the crystalline thermal behavior of clay-nylon 6 composites. From the results, it was observed that the composition containing 5 wt.\% amino clay demonstrated a significant improvement in tensile strength when compared with the composition containing 3 wt.\% amino clay. The mechanical strength and the thermal behavior showed a significant improvement of similar to 200\% for 5\% amino clay-nylon 6 nanocomposite.

}, keywords = {amine-functionalized clay, bentonite clay, melt intercalation, Nanocomposite, nylon 6, thermal and mechanical properties}, issn = {1042-7147}, doi = {10.1002/pat.6412}, author = {Shanmugam, Kumaresan and Rokade, Dhammaraj S. and Ingole, Pravin G. and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Arunachalam, Saravanakumar and Bajaj, Hari C.} } @article {49029, title = {Effect of the presence of pinned particles on the structural parameters of a liquid and correlation between structure and dynamics at the local level}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {160}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pinning particles at the equilibrium configuration of the liquid is expected not to affect the structure and any property that depends on the structure while slowing down the dynamics. This leads to a breakdown of the structure dynamics correlation. Here, we calculate two structural quantities: the pair excess entropy, S-2, and the mean field caging potential, the inverse of which is our structural order parameter (SOP). We show that when the pinned particles are treated the same way as the mobile particles, both S-2 and SOP of the mobile particles remain the same as those of the unpinned system, and the structure dynamics correlation decreases with an increase in pinning density, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}c.{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} However, when we treat the pinned particles as a different species, even if we consider that the structure does not change, the expression of S-2 and SOP changes. The microscopic expressions show that the interaction between a pinned particle and a mobile particle affects S-2 and SOP more than the interaction between two mobile particles. We show that a similar effect is also present in the calculation of the excess entropy and is the primary reason for the well-known vanishing of the configurational entropy at high temperatures. We further show that, contrary to the common belief, the pinning process does change the structure. When these two effects are considered, both S-2 and SOP decrease with an increase in {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}c,{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and the correlation between the structural parameters and the dynamics continues even for higher values of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}c.{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0191680}, author = {Patel, Palak and Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra} } @article {49233, title = {Efficient glycolysis of used PET bottles into a high-quality valuable monomer using a shape-engineered MnO nanocatalyst}, journal = {CATALYSIS SCIENCE \& TECHNOLOGY}, volume = {14}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP }, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Catalyst, kinetics, Nanorods, Oxidation, Oxides, POLY(ETHYLENE-TEREPHTHALATE), WASTE}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d4cy00823e}, author = {Swapna, Bhattu and Singh, Nittan and Patowary, Suranjana and Bharali, Pankaj and Madras, Giridhar and Sudarsanam, Putla} } @article {49413, title = {Electrocatalytic and selective oxidation of glycerol to formate on 2D 3d-metal phosphate nanosheets and carbon-negative hydrogen generation}, journal = {ACS Materials Au}, volume = {4}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, pages = {500-511}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the landscape of green hydrogen production, alkaline water electrolysis is a well-established, yet not-so-cost-effective, technique due to the high overpotential requirement for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A low-voltage approach is proposed to overcome not only the OER challenge by favorably oxidizing abundant feedstock molecules with an earth-abundant catalyst but also to reduce the energy input required for hydrogen production. This alternative process not only generates carbon-negative green H2\ but also yields concurrent value-added products (VAPs), thereby maximizing economic advantages and transforming waste into valuable resources. The essence of this study lies in a novel electrocatalyst material. In the present study, unique and two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin nanosheet phosphates featuring first-row transition metals are synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method, and evaluated for the electrocatalytic glycerol oxidation reaction (GLYOR) in an alkaline medium and simultaneous H2\ production. Co3(PO4)2\ (CoP), Cu3(PO4)2\ (CuP), and Ni3(PO4)2\ (NiP) exhibit 2D sheet morphologies, while FePO4\ (FeP) displays an entirely different snowflake-like morphology. The 2D nanosheet morphology provides a large surface area and a high density of active sites. As a GLYOR catalyst, CoP ultrathin (\~{}5 nm) nanosheets exhibit remarkably low onset potential at 1.12 V (vs RHE), outperforming that of NiP, FeP, and CuP around 1.25 V (vs RHE). CoP displays 82\% selective formate production, indicating a superior capacity for C{\textendash}C cleavage and concurrent oxidation; this property could be utilized to valorize larger molecules. CoP also exhibits highly sustainable electrochemical stability for a continuous 200 h GLYOR operation, yielding 6.5 L of H2\ production with a 4 cm2\ electrode and 98 {\textpm} 0.5\% Faradaic efficiency. The present study advances our understanding of efficient GLYOR catalysts and underscores the potential of sustainable and economically viable green hydrogen production methodologies.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialsau.4c00024}, author = {Chauhan, Inderjeet and Vijay, Pothoppurathu M. and Ranjan, Ravi and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {49079, title = {Electrocatalytic glycerol conversion: a low-voltage pathway to efficient carbon-negative green hydrogen and value-added chemical production}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces }, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY }, pages = {26130-26141}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrochemical glycerol oxidation reaction (GLYOR) could be a promising way to use the abundantly available glycerol for production of value-added chemicals and fuels. Completely avoiding the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with GLYOR is an evolving strategy to reduce the overall cell potential and generate value-added chemicals and fuels on both the anode and cathode. We demonstrate the morphology-controlled palladium nanocrystals, afforded by colloidal chemistry, and their established morphology-dependent GLYOR performance. Although it is known that controlling the morphology of an electrocatalyst can modulate the activity and selectivity of the products, still it is a relatively underexplored area for many reactions, including GLYOR. Among nanocube (Pd-NC), truncated octahedron (Pd-TO), spherical and polycrystalline (Pd-PC) morphologies, the Pd-NC electrocatalyst deposited on a Ni foam exhibits the highest glycerol conversion (85\%) along with 42\% glyceric acid selectivity at a low applied potential of 0.6 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) in 0.1 M glycerol and 1 M KOH at ambient temperature. Owing to the much favorable thermodynamics of GLYOR on the Pd-NC surface, the assembled electrolyzer requires an electricity input of only similar to 3.7 kWh/m(3) of H-2 at a current density of 100 mA/cm(2), in contrast to the requirement of \>= 5 kWh/m(3) of H-2 with an alkaline/PEM electrolyzer. Sustainability has been successfully demonstrated at 10 and 50 mA/cm(2) and up to 120 h with GLYOR in water and simulated seawater.

}, keywords = {electrocatalysis, Glycerol, green hydrogen, nanocube, Palladium, SDG}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.4c02392}, author = {Chauhan, Inderjeet and Bajpai, Himanshu and Ray, Bishakha and Kolekar, Sadhu K. and Datar, Suwarna and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48979, title = {Electrodeposited Co-Mn-Sn multicomponent alloy as an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {49}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN }, pages = {658-667}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Despite having exciting material characteristics, the potential of multi-component alloys (MCAs) as electrocatalysts has not been fully realized. In this work, efficient binary and ternary MCA electrocatalysts containing inexpensive metals like Co, Mn and Sn have been prepared via the electrodeposition process. When tested for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline medium, ternary Co-Mn-Sn alloy displayed enhanced activity with the lowest overpotential of 136 mV, a Tafel slope of 111 mV dec 1 and a very low charge transfer resistance, making it superior to the binary alloys (Co-Mn and Co-Sn), or the single metal catalysts (Co, Mn and Sn). The ternary alloy also displayed high electro-chemical and structural stability, making it a viable electrocatalyst for the hydrogen economy.(c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Clean energy, electrocatalysis, Electrodeposition, hydrogen evolution reaction, Multi-component alloy, Non-platinum group metals}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.07.064}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Karumuthil, Subash Cherumannil and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49094, title = {Enhancing the crystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid) blends for 3D printing application}, journal = {ACS Applied Polymer Materials }, volume = {6}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY }, pages = {5754-5762}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

3D printing of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends has been attempted to resolve issues such as inherent brittleness and slow crystallization rate of PLA. However, a persistent challenge remains in the form of phase separation or gradual migration of the blended soft polymer or plasticizers. To simultaneously enhance the miscibility of the blends and toughness of 3D-printed parts, a triblock copolymer PLA-PEG-PLA was synthesized and blended with PLA in varying proportions (5, 10, 15, and 20 wt \%). Blending only 10-20 wt \% low molecular weight PLA-PEG-PLA into PLA yielded a miscible blend that showed a 45-fold increase in elongation at break and a 23-fold enhancement in toughness over neat PLA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of fractured cross sections revealed a brittle to ductile transition in 3D-printed PLA/PLA-PEG-PLA samples. Isothermal crystallization studies and data analysis using the Avrami equation showed an enhancement in the crystal growth rate and overall rate of crystallization. The blends achieved half of their crystallinity in approximately 3 min, a significant improvement over the 9 min required by PLA alone. This underscores the efficiency of our approach. This was also evident in the spherulite growth of 3D-printed PLA and mPLA blends when examined using polarized optical microscopy (POM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report exploring the use of blends that include PLA and low molecular weight PLA-PEG-PLA triblock copolymers for 3D printing applications.

}, keywords = {Crystallization, FFF 3D printing, PLA-PEG-PLA triblock copolymer, poly(lacticacid), toughness}, issn = {2637-6105}, doi = {10.1021/acsapm.4c00428}, author = {Kothavade, Premkumar and Yadav, Prashant and Gopal, Animesh and Pol, Harshawardhan and Kafi, Abdullah and Bateman, Stuart and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {49377, title = {Establishing a new efficiency descriptor for methanol oxidation reaction and its validation with commercially available Pt-based catalysts}, journal = {Fuel Cells}, volume = {24}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have received a lot of attention in recent years as promising technology for generating clean and efficient energy. In DMFC, the anode catalyst is a vital component because it is involved in the oxidation of methanol, which produces electrons that can be used as an energy source. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is commonly used to test the characteristics of the electrode materials before they are employed in the actual fuel cell. Interestingly in the case of DMFCs CV also is a useful technique to obtain vital information about the performance and expected efficiency of the electrodes. In general, the CV of methanol electrooxidation for Pt-based catalysts has two peaks, If in the forward scan (anodic scan) and Ib in the backward scan (cathodic scan). The ratio of these two peaks (If/Ib) is the most commonly used criterion for investigating CO poisoning in catalysts. However, there is a great deal of ambiguity surrounding this criterion, owing to the genesis of Ib. Addressing this we present here a new criterion to evaluate the efficiency of the catalyst using the same CV technique. We validate this newly proposed criterion with commercial Pt/C (comm. Pt/C) and other commercially available alloy catalysts.

}, keywords = {catalyst poisoning, CO tolerance, direct methanol fuel cells, electrocatalysis, Methanol oxidation reaction}, issn = {1615-6846}, doi = {10.1002/fuce.202300199}, author = {Deshpande, Pooja S. and Radhakrishnan, Thulasi and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49240, title = {Exploring defect-engineered metal-organic frameworks with 1,2,4-triazolyl isophthalate and benzoate linkers}, journal = {INORGANIC CHEMISTRY}, volume = {63}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY }, pages = {10843-10853}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Separation, spectroscopy, TRIAZOLYL}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c01589}, author = {Chetry, Sibo and Lukman, Muhammad Fernadi and Bon, Volodymyr and Warias, Rico and Fuhrmann, Daniel and Moellmer, Jens and Belder, Detlev and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Kaskel, Stefan and Poeppl, Andreas and Krautscheid, Harald} } @article {49278, title = {Exploring the soft pinning effect in the dynamics and the structure-dynamics correlation in multicomponent supercooled liquids}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {161}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT}, pages = {154501}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We study multicomponent liquids by increasing the mass of 15\% of the particles in a binary Kob-Andersen model. We find that the heavy particles have dual effects on the lighter particles. At higher temperatures, there is a significant decoupling of the dynamics between heavier and lighter particles, with the former resembling a pinned particle to the latter. The dynamics of the lighter particles slow down due to the excluded volume around the nearly immobile heavier particles. Conversely, at lower temperatures, there is a coupling between the dynamics of the heavier and lighter particles. The heavier particles{\textquoteright} mass slows down the dynamics of both types of particles. This makes the soft pinning effect of the heavy particles questionable in this regime. We demonstrate that as the mass of the heavy particles increases, the coupling of the dynamics between the lighter and heavier particles weakens. Consequently, the heavier the mass of the heavy particles, the more effectively they act as soft pinning centers in both high and low-temperature regimes. A key finding is that akin to the pinned system, the self-dynamics and collective dynamics of the lighter particles decouple from each other as the mass of the heavy particles has a more pronounced impact on the latter. We analyze the structure-dynamics correlation by considering the system under the binary and modified quaternary framework, the latter describing the pinned system. Our findings indicate that whenever the heavy mass particles function as soft pinning centers, the modified quaternary framework predicts a higher correlation.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0230932}, author = {Anwar, Ehtesham and Patel, Palak and Sharma, Mohit and Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra} } @article {49235, title = {Exploring the synthesis, characterization, electrical, and magnetic behavior of crystalline Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 nanoparticles}, journal = {JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS}, volume = {35}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1714}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {CO, DC RESISTIVITY, DIELECTRIC-PROPERTIES, FERRITE NANOPARTICLES, Ni, Substitution, ZN}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-024-13448-w}, author = {Adsure, Kiran T. and Jagtap, Sumant B. and Newaskar, Shivkumar R. and Kore, Kiran B. and Funde, Adinath M. and Patange, Sunil M. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {49064, title = {Extraction, characterization, and life cycle assessment of nanosilica from millet husk: sustainable alternative with low environmental impact}, journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production }, volume = {442}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB}, pages = {140924}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Eco-friendly approaches for silica production are highly researched to respond increasing industrial demand for bio-nanofillers. Herein, nanosilica of 10-20 nm with mesoporosity was obtained through a mild oxalic acid pre-treatment of millet husk, followed by calcination at 700 degrees C for 2 h. Compared with commercial precipitated silica (CS) and millet husk ash (MHA) directly obtained by calcination of the husk, the pre-treated silica (MHS) had higher purity, revealed using EDX spectroscopy. Moreover, FTIR and Si-29 NMR showed a higher condensation degree in MHS with 73\% of Q4 siloxane bonds vs 4\% in MHA. The release of the metal and organic impurities from the husk also allows to reduce the crystallinity of MHS, and to increase the specific surface area from 82 m(2)/g in MHA to 238 m(2)/g in MHS. The type II N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms of MHA and MHS indicate aggregates of non-porous silica particles. MHS also demonstrated remarkable thermal resilience. According to the LCA analysis, MHS has a 40\% lower impact on global warming, a 38\% lower impact on human carcinogenic toxicity, and a 38\% lower impact on terrestrial acidification compared to rice husk nanosilica. This research thus addresses sustainability challenges by repurposing millet husks, which are readily available due to continuous millet cultivation, particularly in India. By reducing the ecological impact of husk disposal through burning, this study offers an economically viable technology for high-purity silica production, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable practices.

}, keywords = {Life cycle assessment, Millet husk, Nanosilica, Oxalic acid}, issn = {0959-6526}, doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.140924}, author = {Dominic, C. D. Midhun and Rosa, Derval dos Santos and Barbosa, Rennan Felix da Silva and Anagha, O. V. and Neenu, K. V. and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Kumar, V. Aswathy and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Siriwong, Chomsri and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Shelke, Ankita and Pasc, Andreea} } @article {49433, title = {Fabrication and evaluation of a spatially resolved fiber-optic probe for diffuse reflectance measurement for noninvasive diabetic foot ulcer diagnosis perspective}, journal = {Optical Engineering}, volume = {63}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, pages = {044103}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Timely diagnosis and monitoring of wound progression or healing are key to improving the long-term outcome of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) has the potential to noninvasively diagnose the DFU in real time, as it detects changes in local blood volume fraction and oxygenation state level that occur when tissue becomes diseased or ulcerated. Since foot soles have a thicker epidermis and deeper blood vessels/capillaries than other parts of the body, a spatially resolved fiber-optic probe (SRFP) is needed to detect the optimal spatially resolved diffuse reflectance (SRDR) signal from the local site of the ulcer for DFU diagnosis. Therefore, herein, an SRFP consisting of a linear array of seven 400-mu m fibers with detector-source (D-S) fiber separation (rho) ranging from 0.8 to 4.8 mm was designed, fabricated, tested, and evaluated for SRDR measurement from a standard reflectance plate of barium sulfate (BaSO4) and foot sole of 27 healthy human subjects. The variation in SRDR spectra for each detector and source fiber pair measured with BaSO4 was found to be less than 1.6\%. In-vivo measurements from the foot sole demonstrate that the fabricated probe has the ability to spatially resolve and distinguish the SRDR spectra from sites, namely, the fifth metatarsal, ball of great joint, calcaneum, and great toe. Experimentally and theoretically, the detector and source fiber pair of rho=1.6 and 2.4 mm were optimal for SRDR measurements from a human foot. To evaluate and validate the performance of SRFP in a context relevant to DFU diagnosis, further SRDS measurements were performed on the solid tissue phantoms that mimic the optical properties of the normal and diabetic foot sole, and their results are statistically found different. Preliminary results suggest that developed SRFP can be explored for DRS measurement from foot ulcer patients to confirm its potential clinical applicability.

}, keywords = {diabetic foot ulcer, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, foot sole, spatially resolved fiber-optic probe, tissue phantom}, issn = {0091-3286}, doi = {10.1117/1.OE.63.4.044103}, author = {Kumar, Ajay and Hattale, Gangadhar and Pawar, Dnyandeo and Kanawade, Rajesh} } @article {49113, title = {Facile synthesis of nanostructured Ni/NiO/N-doped graphene electrocatalysts for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction}, journal = {Nanoscale Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2813-2822}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrocatalysts containing a Ni/NiO/N-doped graphene interface have been synthesised using the ligand-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. NiO nanoparticles were used as the substrate to grow N-doped graphene by decomposing vapours of benzene and N-containing ligands. The method was demonstrated with two nitrogen-containing ligands, namely dipyrazino[2,3-f:2 {\textquoteleft},3 {\textquoteleft}-h]quinoxaline-2,3,6,7,10,11-hexacarbonitrile (L) and melamine (M). The structure and composition of the as-synthesized composites were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, TEM and XPS. The composite prepared using the ligand L had NiO sandwiched between Ni and N-doped graphene and showed an overpotential of 292 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 45.41 mV dec-1 for the OER, which is comparable to the existing noble metal catalysts. The composite prepared using the ligand M had Ni encapsulated by N-doped graphene without NiO. It showed an overpotential of 390 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 78.9 mV dec-1. The ligand-assisted CVD route demonstrates a facile route to control the microstructure of the electrocatalysts. Electrocatalysts containing a Ni/NiO/N-doped graphene interface have been synthesised using the ligand-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique.

}, issn = {2516-0230}, doi = {10.1039/d4na00141a}, author = {Madampadi, Roshni and Patel, Avit Bhogilal and Vinod, C. P. and Gupta, Ritu and Jagadeesan, Dinesh} } @article {49326, title = {Far-red active unsymmetrical squaraine dyes containing N-arylated indoline donors for dye sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Photochemistry and Photobiology}, volume = {100}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1116-1126}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Squaraine dyes possess sharp far-red active transition with high extinction coefficient and form aggregates on TiO2 surface. Aggregation of dyes on TiO2 has been considered as a detrimental factor for DSSC device performance, which can be controlled by appending alkyl groups to the dye structures. Hence by integrating alkylated (alkyl groups with both in-plane and out-of-plane) aryl group with indoline moiety to make it compatible with other electrolytes and for controlling the dye-aggregation, a series of squaraine acceptor-based dyes SQA4-6 have been designed and synthesized. SQA4-6 dyes showed absorption between 642 and 653 nm (lambda max), photophysical and electrochemical studies indicated that the HOMO energy levels of this sets of dyes are well aligned with the potentials of I-/I3-\$\$ {\textbackslashmathrm{I}}_3\<\^\>{-} \$\$ and [Co(bpy)3]2+/3+ redox shuttles for better dye regeneration process. DSSC device efficiency of 3\% has been achieved for SQA5 dye with iodolyte (I-/I3-\$\$ {\textbackslashmathrm{I}}_3\<\^\>{-} \$\$) electrolyte in the presence of 0.3 mM of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA). The IPCE profile of DSSC device fabricated with SQA4-6 dyes indicated the contribution of aggregated structures for the photocurrent generation. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) device efficiency of 3\% (Jsc 5.72 mA cm-2, Voc 662 mV and ff 79\%) has been achieved for an unsymmetrical squaraine dye, SQA5 with iodolyte electrolyte and the incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) profile indicates the contribution of aggregated structures for the photocurrent generation.*image

}, keywords = {aggregation of dye, arylation on N-atom of indoline donor, dye-sensitized solar cell, squaraine dye}, issn = {0031-8655}, doi = {10.1111/php.13907}, author = {Jadhav, Avinash P. and Singh, Ambarish Kumar and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Jayaraj, Nithyanandhan} } @article {49657, title = {Feedback driven autonomous cycles of assembly and disassembly from minimal building blocks}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9980}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The construction of complex systems by simple chemicals that can display emergent network dynamics might contribute to our understanding of complex behavior from simple organic reactions. Here we design single amino acid/dipeptide-based systems that exhibit multiple periodic changes of (dis)assembly under non-equilibrium conditions in closed system, importantly in the absence of evolved biocatalysts. The two-component based building block exploits pH driven non-covalent assembly and time-delayed accelerated catalysis from self-assembled state to install orthogonal feedback loops with a single batch of reactants. Mathematical modelling of the reaction network establishes that the oscillations are transient for this network structure and helps to predict the relative contribution of the feedback loop to the ability of the system to exhibit such transient oscillation. Such autonomous systems with purely synthetic molecules are the starting point that can enable the design of active materials with emergent properties. The study of the network dynamics of complex systems formed by simple chemicals can contribute to our understanding of complex behavior from simple organic reactions. Here, built on the minimal building blocks, the authors describe a system with periodic (dis)assembly utilizing feedback loops controlled by time-delayed catalysis and pH-driven assembly.

}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-54197-y}, author = {Reja, Antara and Jha, Sangam and Sreejan, Ashley and Pal, Sumit and Bal, Subhajit and Gadgil, Chetan and Das, Dibyendu} } @article {49085, title = {Ferric oxide nanocatalyst: synthesis, characterization, and application in the one-pot three-component synthesis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazole derivatives}, journal = {Monatshefte Fur Chemie}, volume = {155}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, pages = {631-641}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, we have focused on the preparation and application of a nano-ferric oxide catalyst as a heterogeneous catalyst in the one-pot, three-component synthesis of isoxazole derivatives. The ferric oxide catalyst was synthesized using a simple precipitation method and thoroughly characterized using techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and BET. The effectiveness of the ferric oxide catalyst as a heterogeneous catalyst was investigated in the synthesis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazole. The results of the synthesis demonstrated that the catalyst exhibited high efficiency in facilitating the three-component, one-pot synthesis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazole derivatives. The synthesis route employed in this study offers several advantages, including its simplicity, ease of workup, and environmental friendliness. Furthermore, the catalyst was successfully recovered and reused for five cycles without experiencing a significant loss in catalytic activity. This finding highlights the excellent stability and promising potential of the catalyst for organic transformations. Overall, our study showcases the successful preparation and application of the nano-ferric oxide catalyst in the synthesis of isoxazole derivatives, providing valuable insights into its catalytic performance and potential for future applications in organic chemistry.

}, keywords = {Ferric oxide nanoparticles, heterogeneous catalyst, Isoxazole, Multicomponent reaction}, issn = {0026-9247}, doi = {10.1007/s00706-024-03194-4}, author = {Totre, Ganesh and Shinde, Dnyaneshwar and Shirsath, Sachin and Patil, Prakash and Kulkarni, Pramod} } @article {49301, title = {Functionalized quinolones and isoquinolones via 1,2-difunctionalization of arynes: synthesis of antagonist agent AS2717638 and floxacin key intermediates}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {61}, year = {2024}, month = {DEC}, pages = {133-136}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Quinolones and isoquinolones are privileged scaffolds in synthetic/medicinal chemistry and drug discovery due to their unique chemical structures and intrinsic properties. Herein, we reveal a transition-metal-free approach for their synthesis from the reaction of dimethyl-2-((phenylamino)methylene)malonate with aryne precursors under mild conditions. The substrate scope is broad, accommodating a wide range of functional groups. The synthetic utility of the developed protocol has been demonstrated in the total synthesis of the potent antagonist agent AS2717638 and key intermediates of floxacin congeners. The gram-scale experiments illustrate its synthetic potential.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d4cc05671j}, author = {Mahale, Sachin D. and Prasad, Anamika and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {49102, title = {Genome sequencing and protein modeling unraveled the 2AP biosynthesis in Bacillus cereus DB25}, journal = {International Journal of Food Microbiology}, volume = {413}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, pages = {110600}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) is an important and major flavor aroma compound responsible for the fragrance of basmati rice, cheese, wine, and several other food products. Biosynthesis of 2AP in aromatic rice and a few other plant species is associated with a recessive Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (BADH2) gene. However, the literature is scant on the relationship between the functional BADH2 gene and 2AP biosynthesis in prokaryotic systems. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to explore the functionality of the BADH2 gene for 2AP biosynthesis in 2AP synthesizing rice rhizobacterial isolate Bacillus cereus DB25 isolated from the rhizosphere of basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.). Full-length BcBADH2 sequence was obtained through whole genome sequencing (WGS) and further confirmed through traditional PCR and Sanger sequencing. Then the functionality of the BcBADH2 gene was evaluated in-silico through bioinformatics analysis and protein docking studies and further experimentally validated through enzyme assay. The sequencing and bioinformatics analysis results revealed a full-length 1485 bp BcBADH2 coding sequence without any deletion or premature stop codons. Full-length BcBADH2 was found to encode a fully functional protein of 54.08 kDa with pI of 5.22 and showed the presence of the conserved amino acids responsible for enzyme activity. The docking studies confirmed a good affinity between the protein and its substrate whereas the presence of BcBADH2 enzyme activity confirmed the functionality of BADH2 enzyme in B. cereus DB25. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that B. cereus DB25 is able to synthesize 2AP despite a functional BADH2 gene and there may be a different molecular mechanism responsible for 2AP biosynthesis in bacterial systems, unlike that found in aromatic rice and other eukaryotic plant species.

}, keywords = {2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline, Basmati rice flavor, Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, Protein-ligand docking, Rhizobacteria, Whole-genome sequence}, issn = {0168-1605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110600}, author = {Dhondge, Harshal V. and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Dastager, Syed G. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Rajput, Vinay and Pable, Anupama A. and Henry, Robert J. and Nadaf, Altafhusain B.} } @article {49432, title = {Glory of fire retardants in Li-ion batteries: could they be intrinsically safer?}, journal = {Advanced Sustainable Systems}, volume = {8}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2400273}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have dramatically transformed modern energy storage, powering a wide range of devices from portable electronics to electric vehicles, yet the use of flammable liquid electrolytes raises thermal safety concerns. Researchers have investigated several ways to enhance LIB{\textquoteright}s fire resistance. Fire retarding molecules functions through cooling effects, scavenging radicals, and forming protective barriers. Incorporating fire-suppressing molecules within the LIBs aims to delay or mitigate thermal runaway scenarios, reducing the risks of fires or explosions. Achieving an optimal balance between safety and performance is a major obstacle in the design of intrinsically safer LIBs. Therefore, it is important to consider their effects on LIB{\textquoteright}s performance, long-term stability, and environmental impact. To overcome these challenges, collaborative research efforts among academia, industry, and regulatory sectors are necessary. This article reviews state-of-the-art literature associated with LIBs safety or even fire mitigation by introducing solid-state or quasi-solid-state electrolytes as well as modified liquid electrolytes. Moreover, the effectiveness of various strategies in making LIBs intrinsically safer is critically evaluated with an emphasis on fire retardants followed by shedding some light on the remaining challenges.

}, author = {Mishra, Rajat and Anne, Mounika and Das, Sayan and Chavva, Tarunikaa and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Pol, Vilas G.} } @article {49435, title = {Green synthesis of silver and gold ultra nanocomposites from silk fibroin and their application for treatment of endodontic infections}, journal = {Emergent Materials}, volume = {7}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2645{\textendash}2660}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study is designed to investigate the antibacterial efficacy of\ B. mori\ silk fibroin based silver and gold ultra bio-nanocomposites (SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC) against\ Enterococcus faecalis\ for endodontic disinfection. The SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC based irrigant solution was tested\ in- vitro\ against\ Enterococcus faecalis\ (ATCC: 29212). In this direction, SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC synthesized by silk fibroin are very important as they are economically cheap and easy to biosynthesize. The synthesis of SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC was accomplished by dissolving 1 mM silver nitrate and 0.5 mM auric chloride respectively in 10 ml of fibroin as precursors. The structural and morphological analysis was executed by UV-Vis Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The qualitative antimicrobial activity of SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC were performed against inoculum of\ Enterococcus faecalis\ containing 1⨯105\ CFU/ ml. The same solutions were tested on dentine specimens inoculated with bacterial cultures and found remarkable biofilm reduction. The structural and morphological analysis reveals the formation of SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC having quasi-spherical morphology. The average particle size for SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC was same (~ 8 nm). The XRD study confirms that, both SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC were crystalline in nature. The bacterial growth inhibition and significant biofilm reduction was observed on dentine specimens treated with SF-AgUNC, SF-AuUNC and positive control. In antibacterial study, at 30 μg/well concentration of SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC, 3.13 {\textpm} 0.22 and 1.13 {\textpm} 0.22 cm of zone of inhibition was noted respectively. Moreover, growth of\ Enterococcus faecalis\ was completely inhibited at 20 μg/ml and 30 μg/ml when treated with SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC respectively. Hence, the present study concludes that SF-AgUNC and SF-AuUNC can be used as an effective intracanal medicament for the treatment of dental problems with no cyto toxicity.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s42247-024-00757-3}, author = {Pramod C. and Pawar, Jayant and Mane, Deepali P. and Khadase, Ashok N. and Chaudhari, Aditya R. and Ughade, Supriya P. and Chaudhari, Ravindra D. and Agawane, Sachin B.} } @article {49111, title = {Hexagonal boron nitride quantum dots embedded on layer-by-layer films for peroxidase-assisted colorimetric detection of β-galactosidase producing pathogens}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces}, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY }, pages = {26870-26885}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pathogen detection has become a major research area all over the world for water quality surveillance and microbial risk assessment. Therefore, designing simple and sensitive detection kits plays a key role in envisaging and evaluating the risk of disease outbreaks and providing quality healthcare settings. Herein, we have designed a facile and low-cost colorimetric sensing strategy for the selective and sensitive determination of beta-galactosidase producing pathogens. The hexagonal boron nitride quantum dots (h-BN QDs) were established as a nanozyme that showed prominent peroxidase-like activity, which catalyzes 3,3 {\textquoteleft},5,5 {\textquoteleft}-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation by H2O2. The h-BN QDs were embedded on a layer-by-layer assembled agarose biopolymer. The beta-galactosidase enzyme partially degrades beta-1,4 glycosidic bonds of agarose polymer, resulting in accessibility of h-BN QDs on the solid surface. This assay can be conveniently conducted and analyzed by monitoring the blue color formation due to TMB oxidation within 30 min. The nanocomposite was stable for more than 90 days and was showing TMB oxidation after incubating it with Escherichia coli (E. coli). The limit of detection was calculated to be 1.8 x 10(6) and 1.5 x 10(6) CFU/mL for E. coli and Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia), respectively. Furthermore, this novel sensing approach is an attractive platform that was successfully applied to detect E. coli in spiked water samples and other food products with good accuracy, indicating its practical applicability for the detection of pathogens in real samples.

}, keywords = {biopolymer, colorimetric, h-BN quantum dots, nanozyme, pathogens, Sensor}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.4c01565}, author = {Majumdar, Sristi and Gogoi, Devipriya and Boruah, Purna K. and Thakur, Ashutosh and Sarmah, Priyakhee and Gogoi, Parishmita and Sarkar, Sanjib and Pachani, Priyakshi and Manna, Prasenjit and Saikia, Ratul and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Das, Manash R.} } @article {49069, title = {Highly electrostrictive salt cocrystal and the piezoelectric nanogenerator application of its 3D-printed polymer composite}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces }, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY}, pages = {26406-26416}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ionic cocrystals with hydrogen bonding can form exciting materials with enhanced optical and electronic properties. We present a highly moisture-stable ammonium salt cocrystal [CH3C6H4CH(CH3)NH2][CH3C6H4CH(CH3)NH3][PF6] ((p-TEA)(p-TEAH)PF6) crystallizing in the polar monoclinic C2 space group. The asymmetry in (p-TEA)(p-TEAH)PF6 was induced by its chiral substituents, while the polar order and structural stability were achieved by using the octahedral PF6- anion and the consequent formation of salt cocrystal. The ferroelectric properties of (p-TEA)(p-TEAH)PF6 were confirmed through P-E loop measurements. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) enabled the visualization of its domain structure with characteristic {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}butterfly{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and hysteresis loops associated with ferro- and piezoelectric properties. Notably, (p-TEA)(p-TEAH)PF6 exhibits a large electrostrictive coefficient (Q(33)) value of 2.02 m(4) C-2, higher than those found for ceramic-based materials and comparable to that of polyvinylidene difluoride. Furthermore, the composite films of (p-TEA)(p-TEAH)PF6 with polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer and its gyroid-shaped 3D-printed composite scaled-up device, 3DP-Gy, were prepared and evaluated for piezoelectric energy-harvesting functionality. A high output voltage of 22.8 V and a power density of 118.5 mu W cm(-3) have been recorded for the 3DP-Gy device. Remarkably, no loss in voltage outputs was observed for the (p-TEA)(p-TEAH)PF6 devices even after exposure to 99\% relative humidity, showcasing their utility under extremely humid conditions.

}, keywords = {3D printing, cocrystals, energy harvesting, ferroelectricity, Piezoelectricity}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.4c03349}, author = {Sahoo, Supriya and Panday, Rishukumar and Kothavade, Premkumar and Sharma, Vijay Bhan and Sowmiyanarayanan, Anirudh and Praveenkumar, Balu and Zareba, Jan K. and Kabra, Dinesh and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {49305, title = {High-voltage symmetric supercapacitor electrodes via in situ synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotube-doped perylenebisimide-based donor-acceptor conjugate polymer P(PDI2OD-T2)}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {128}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12808-12821}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study presents the design and synthesis of a donor-acceptor pi-conjugated polymer composite P(PDI2OD-T2)/MWCNT tailored for high-voltage symmetric supercapacitor applications. The synthesis of P(PDI2OD-T2)/MWCNT was expedited by adopting a novel in situ polymerization technique that modifies the traditional Stille polymerization process. Incorporating approximately 33\% by weight of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into the polymer matrix, referred to as P-2, significantly enhances its conductivity, surface area, and porosity. These improvements in the material properties contribute to the superior electrochemical performance of the composites by promoting efficient electrolyte ion transport across the electrode-electrolyte interfaces. The symmetric supercapacitor devices fabricated with P-2 electrodes employing both liquid organic (LE-P-2||P-2) and quasi-solid-state gel (QSS- P-2||P-2) electrolytes demonstrate capacitance values of 85.4 and 84.2 F g(-1), respectively, at a current density of 0.25 A g(-1), while operating at a high-voltage window of 3.1 V. Moreover, these devices exhibit robust cycling stability, maintaining approximately 70\% of their initial capacitance over 45,000 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 96\%. The successful demonstration of a quasi-solid-state symmetric supercapacitor underscores the potential of flexible energy storage solutions, as evidenced by a PMMA LiClO4 gel electrolyte prototype. This flexible device not only maintains structural integrity but also achieves an impressive power density of 18,600 W kg(-1) and an energy density of 112.4 Wh kg(-1), indicating its practical viability for real-world applications.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c02345}, author = {Wavhal, Aryan Anurath and Dilwale, Swati and Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Kakde, Navnath R. and Prakash, Medha and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Asha, S. K.} } @article {49427, title = {Hybrid silylene-Pd catalyst: efficient C-N cross-coupling of sterically bulky amines and chiral amines}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {60}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP }, pages = {9958-9961}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a catalytic system with N-heterocyclic silylene (NHSi)-phosphine-based hybrid bidentate ligands [PhC(NtBu)2SiN(PR2)(2,6-iPr2-C6H3)] and Pd(dba)2, which serves as an effective catalyst for C-N cross-coupling of a wide range of sterically bulky amines and optically active amines, which is challenging otherwise. Herein, we report a hybrid silylene-based bidentate ligand (SiNP)-Pd(0) catalytic system, which performs the C-N coupling of difficult substrates, e.g., sterically bulky amines and chiral amines.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d4cc03108c}, author = {Kaulage, Sandeep H. and Parvin, Nasrina and Khopade, Kishor V. and Khan, Shabana} } @article {49048, title = {I2-catalyzed three-component synthesis of 3-selenylated pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {48}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY }, pages = {9480-9485}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A straightforward protocol has been developed to access 3-selenylated pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines from readily available amino pyrazoles, chalcones, and diaryl/dialkyl diselenides. This I-2-catalyzed methodology is highly useful for synthesizing a wide range of functionalized 3-(aryl/alkylselanyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives. Mechanistic investigation disclosed that iodine catalysis is very important in both the cyclization process as well as in the C-H selenylation step. Moreover, the developed reaction conditions are also applicable for the cyclization of amino pyrazole with enaminone followed by C-H selenylation in one pot. The use of simple reagents and catalyst, wide substrate scope, mild and metal-free reaction conditions, and practical applicability are the attractive facets of this approach.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d3nj05847f}, author = {Choudhuri, Tathagata and Paul, Suvam and Sikdar, Papiya and Das, Sourav and Sawant, Sanghapal D. and Bagdi, Avik Kumar} } @article {49464, title = {Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines BBV152 (COVAXIN{\textregistered}) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (COVISHIELD{\texttrademark}) in seronegative and seropositive individuals in India: a multicentre, nonrandomised observational study}, journal = {Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia}, volume = {22}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background:\ There are limited global data on head-to-head comparisons of vaccine platforms assessing both humoral and cellular immune responses, stratified by pre-vaccination serostatus. The COVID-19 vaccination drive for the Indian population in the age group 18-45 years began in April 2021 when seropositivity rates in the general population were rising due to the delta wave of COVID-19 pandemic during April-May 2021.

Methods:\ Between June 30, 2021, and Jan 28, 2022, we enrolled 691 participants in the age group 18-45 years across four clinical sites in India. In this non-randomised and laboratory blinded study, participants received either two doses of Covaxin{\textregistered} (4 weeks apart) or two doses of Covishield{\texttrademark} (12 weeks apart) as per the national vaccination policy. The primary outcome was the seroconversion rate and the geometric mean titre (GMT) of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins post two doses. The secondary outcome was the frequency of cellular immune responses pre- and post-vaccination.

Findings:\ When compared to pre-vaccination baseline, both vaccines elicited statistically significant seroconversion and binding antibody levels in both seronegative and seropositive individuals. In the per-protocol cohort, Covishield{\texttrademark} elicited higher antibody responses than Covaxin{\textregistered} as measured by seroconversion rate (98.3\% vs 74.4\%, p \< 0.0001 in seronegative individuals; 91.7\% vs 66.9\%, p \< 0.0001 in seropositive individuals) as well as by anti-spike antibody levels against the ancestral strain (GMT 1272.1 vs 75.4 binding antibody units/ml [BAU/ml], p \< 0.0001 in seronegative individuals; 2089.07 vs 585.7 BAU/ml, p \< 0.0001 in seropositive individuals). As participants at all clinical sites were not recruited at the same time, site-specific immunogenicity was impacted by the timing of vaccination relative to the delta and omicron waves. Surrogate neutralising antibody responses against variants-of-concern including delta and omicron was higher in Covishield{\texttrademark} recipients than in Covaxin{\textregistered} recipients; and in seropositive than in seronegative individuals after both vaccination and asymptomatic infection (omicron variant). T cell responses are reported from only one of the four site cohorts where the vaccination schedule preceded the omicron wave. In seronegative individuals, Covishield{\texttrademark} elicited both CD4+ and CD8+ spike-specific cytokine-producing T cells whereas Covaxin{\textregistered} elicited mainly CD4+ spike-specific T cells. Neither vaccine showed significant post-vaccination expansion of spike-specific T cells in seropositive individuals.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.lansea.2024.100361.}, author = {Asokan, Mangaiarkarasi S. and Joan, Roshni Florina and Babji, Sudhir and Dayma, Girish and Nadukkandy, Prajitha and Subrahmanyam, Vinutha and Pandey, Archana and Malagi, Girish and Arya, Pooja and Mahajan, Vibhuti and Bhavikatti, Jayateerth and Pawar, Ketakee and Thorat, Aishwarya and Shah, Priyanki and Goud, Ramakrishna B. and Roy, Bishnudeo and Rajukutty, Shon and Immanuel, Sushil and Agarwal,Dhiraj and Saha, Sankhanil and Shivaraj, Akshatha and Panikulam, Patricia and Shome, Rajeshwari and Gulzar, Shah-E-Jahan and Sharma, Anusmrithi U. and Naik, Ajinkya and Talashi, Shruti and Belekar, Madhuri and Yadav, Ritu and Khude, Poornima and V, Mamatha and Shivalingaiah, Sudarshan and Deshmukh, Urmila and Bhise, Chinmayee and Joshi, Manjiri and Inbaraj, Leeberk Raja and Chandrasingh, Sindhulina and Ghose, Aurnab and Jamora, Colin and Karumbati, Anandi S. and Sundaramurthy, Varadharajan and Johnson, Avita and Ramesh, Naveen and Chetan, Nirutha and Parthiban, Chaitra and Ahmed, Asma and Rakshit, Srabanti and Adiga, Vasista and D{\textquoteright}souza, George and Rale, Vinay and George, Carolin Elizabeth and John, Jacob and Kawade, Anand and Chaturvedi, Akanksha and Raghunathan, Anu and Dias, Mary and Bhosale, Anand and Raghu, Padinjat and Shashidhara, L. S. and yakarnam, Annapurna V. and Bal, Vineeta and Kang, Gagandeep and Mayor, Satyajit} } @article {49012, title = {Improved protein dynamics and hydration in the martini3 coarse-grain model}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Information and Modelling }, volume = {64}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, pages = {837-850}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Martini coarse-grain force-field has emerged as an important framework to probe cellular processes at experimentally relevant time- and length-scales. However, the recently developed version, the Martini3 force-field with the implemented Go model (Martini3Go), as well as previous variants of the Martini model have not been benchmarked and rigorously tested for globular proteins. In this study, we consider three globular proteins, ubiquitin, lysozyme, and cofilin, and compare protein dynamics and hydration with observables from experiments and all-atom simulations. We show that the Martini3Go model is able to accurately model the structural and dynamic features of small globular proteins. Overall, the structural integrity of the proteins is maintained, as validated by contact maps, radii of gyration (Rg), and SAXS profiles. The chemical shifts predicted from the ensemble sampled in the simulations are consistent with the experimental data. Further, a good match is observed in the protein-water interaction energetics, and the hydration levels of the residues are similar to atomistic simulations. However, the protein-water interaction dynamics is not accurately represented and appears to depend on the protein structural complexity, residue specificity, and water dynamics. Our work is a step toward testing and assessing the Martini3Go model and provides insights into future efforts to refine Martini models with improved solvation effects and better correspondence to the underlying all-atom systems.

}, issn = {1549-9596}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00802}, author = {Kharche, Shalmali and Yadav, Manjul and Hande, Vrushali and Prakash, Shikha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {49106, title = {In situ monitoring of competitive coformer exchange reaction by 1H MAS solid-state NMR}, journal = {Molecualr Pharmaceutics}, volume = {21}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1479-1489}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In a competitive coformer exchange reaction, a recent topic of interest in pharmaceutical research, the coformer in a pharmaceutical cocrystal is exchanged with another coformer that is expected to form a cocrystal that is more stable. There will be a competition between coformers to form the most stable product through the formation of hydrogen bonds. This will cause destabilization of the pharmaceutical products during processing or storage. Therefore, it is important to develop a mechanistic understanding of this transformation by monitoring each and every step of the reaction, employing a technique such as H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In this study, an in situ monitoring of a coformer exchange reaction is carried out by H-1 magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) at a spinning frequency of 60 kHz. The changes in caffeine maleic acid cocrystals on addition of glutaric acid and caffeine glutaric cocrystals on addition of maleic acid were monitored. In all of the reactions, it has been observed that caffeine glutaric acid Form I is formed. When glutaric acid was added to 2:1 caffeine maleic acid, the formation of metastable 1:1 caffeine glutaric acid Form I was observed at the start of the experiment, indicating that the centrifugal pressure is enough for the formation. The difference in the end product of the reactions with a similar reaction pathway of 1:1 and 2:1 reactant stoichiometry indicates that a complete replacement of maleic acid has occurred only in the 1:1 stoichiometry of the reactants. The polymorphic transition of caffeine glutaric acid Form II to Form I at higher temperatures was a crucial reason that triggered the exchange of glutaric acid with maleic acid in the reaction of caffeine glutaric acid and maleic acid. Our results are novel since the new reaction pathways in competitive coformer exchange reactions enabled understanding the remarkable role of stoichiometry, polymorphism, temperature, and centrifugal pressure.

}, keywords = {caffeine cocrystal, coformer exchange reaction, in situ monitoring, polymorphism, Solid-state NMR}, issn = {1543-8384}, doi = {10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01118}, author = {Hareendran, Chaithanya and Alsirawan, Bashir and Paradkar, Anant and Ajithkumar, T. G.} } @article {49045, title = {In situ synthesis of metal (Bi0)-semiconductor [BiOX (X = Cl, Br, and I)] nanocomposites as a highly effective catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry }, volume = {48}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY }, pages = {9840-9855}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) has been efficiently catalyzed by in situ generated Bi-0-BiOX (X = Cl, Br, I) nanocomposites in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The hierarchical 3D arrays of precursors (BiOCl, BiOBr, and BiOI) have been synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method at ambient temperature. The metallic Bi-0 is generated in situ by partial reduction of the Bi3+ ions in BiOX (X = Cl, Br, and I) mediated by NaBH4 during the conversion of 4-NP to 4-AP. In situ generated Bi-0-BiOX shows better catalytic activity than Bi-0-BiOX composite formed by mixing individually synthesized metallic Bi-0 particles with semiconducting BiOX nanoparticles. The Bi-0-BiOI nanocomposite demonstrated higher catalytic activity (k(app) = 0.529 min(-1)) compared to Bi-0-BiOCl (k(app) = 0.095 min(-1)) and Bi-0-BiOBr (k(app) = 0.098 min(-1)) due to its efficient conversion into metallic Bi-0. The approximate percentage composition of in situ generated metallic Bi-0 on the surface of BiOCl, BiOBr, and BiOI is nearly 10, 17, and 25\%, respectively. Further, the reduction of 4-NP has been completed within 24, 22, and 6 minutes by in situ generated Bi-0-BiOCl, Bi-0-BiOBr, and Bi-0-BiOI nanocomposites from BiOCl, BiOBr, and BiOI, respectively. Extensive studies have been conducted to generate a better understanding of the actual catalytic sites present on the surface of the catalysts.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d4nj01126k}, author = {Singh, Dinesh and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {49264, title = {Influence of deposition potential on electrodeposited bismuth-copper oxide electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitor}, journal = {BATTERIES \& SUPERCAPS}, volume = {7}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Bi2CuO4, Deposition Potential, Electrodeposition, supercapacitor, thin film}, doi = {10.1002/batt.202400163}, author = {Bobade, Rushikesh G. and Dabke, Niteen B. and Shaikh, Shoyebmohamad F. and Al-Enizi, Abdullah M. and Pandit, Bidhan and Lokhande, Balkrishna J. and Ambare, Revanappa C.} } @article {49404, title = {Insights on prussian blue analogue cathode material engineered with polypyrrole surface protection layer for aqueous rechargeable zinc metal battery}, journal = {Small}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

One of the key intricacies against using Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) in aqueous batteries is their gradual dissolution in aqueous electrolytes, resulting in inadequate cycling stability. Besides, the rate capability of PBAs is limited due to their poor electrical conductivity. To overcome these challenges, it is essential to tune the physical and chemical properties of PBAs at the nano regime without affecting the inherent charge storage properties, especially at high-voltage operating conditions. Through this work, a strategy is demonstrated to enhance the electrochemical performance of vanadium-based PBA (V-PBA) by surface engineering using a conducting polymer nano-skin (V-PBA/PPy) for aqueous zinc metal batteries. The polypyrrole (PPy) nano-skin over the V-PBA nanoparticles acts as an electron percolation path to ameliorate the poor electronic conductivity of the otherwise pristine V-PBA. Interestingly, the V-PBA with an optimized polypyrrole coating (V-PBA/PPy-2) exhibits an enhanced specific capacity (173 mAh g-1 at 0.10 A g-1) than the pristine V-PBA counterpart (80 mAh g-1) and 85\% capacity retention up to 500 cycles. The DFT calculation confirms the synergistic interaction between PPy and V-PBA and the presence of PPy favors the adsorption of Zn.

}, keywords = {aqueous rechargeable zinc metal battery, DFT, polypyrrole coating, Prussian blue analogue, surface protection layer}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202409947}, author = {Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Nair, Aathira and Dilwale, Swati and Kurian, Maria and Joshi, Kavita and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49181, title = {Integrating 3,4-Dihydro-2H-1,4-oxazine into peptides as a modification: silver triflate-catalyzed cyclization of N-Propargyl N-Sulfonyl amino alcohols for SPPS applications }, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {26}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7584-7589}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We present a methodology yielding 3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-oxazine by cyclization of N-propargyl N-sulfonyl amino alcohols using silver triflate as a catalyst at ambient temperature. Additionally, we showcase the applicability of this methodology in solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) to introduce the oxazine heterocyclic ring into short peptides containing serine and threonine. Notably, Rink amide resin supported the on-resin formation of 3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-oxazine, while 2-CTC resin facilitated the oxazine formation in a one-pot process involving peptide cleavage, deprotection, and subsequent C-O ring formation, thus offering a versatile method for the late-stage modification of peptides.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.4c02654}, author = {Patil, Abhijit Ramchandra and Marelli, Udaya Kiran} } @article {49221, title = {Interface-centric strategies in kesterite solar cells: addressing challenges, solutions, and future directions for efficient solar-harvesting technologies}, journal = {SMALL}, volume = {20}, year = {2024}, month = {DEC}, type = {Review}, keywords = {band engineering, Defects, interface loss mechanism, kesterites, recombination control, solar energy}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202402048}, author = {Jagadish, Kusuma and Rahane, Ganesh K. and Kumar, Boddeda Sai and Borkar, Durgesh R. and Chordiya, Kalyani and Kavanagh, Sean R. and Roy, Anurag and Debnath, Tushar and Kolekar, Sadhu and Kahaly, Mousumi Upadhyay and Mali, Sawanta S. and Pal, Shovon and Gasparini, Nicola and Dubal, Deepak P. and Rondiya, Sachin R.} } @article {49065, title = {Intramolecular nitrone interrupted click reaction}, journal = {Organic Letters }, volume = {26}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2233-2237}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We document the intramolecular interception of a Cu-catalyzed azidoalkyne cycloaddition employing a suitably placed nitrone group, providing a simple route to the unprecedented spiro-polyheterocyclic scaffold. The reaction is comprised of a Cu-catalyzed [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of (2-azidoaryl)isatogen with a terminal alkyne and the intramolecular trapping of the transient Cu-triazolide intermediate with the isatogen, with a net formation of one C-C and two C-N bonds and the new heterocyclic ring being spiro-annulated.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.4c00397}, author = {Pothi, Tejas A. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {49368, title = {Ionic liquid assisted green synthesis of quinoxaline based bisspirooxindoles: anticancer evaluation and molecular dynamics}, journal = {CHEMISTRYSELECT}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV}, pages = {e202403608}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Cycloaddition, spirooxindoles}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202403608}, author = {Kanchrana, Madhu and Krishna, Gamidi Rama and Dey, Biswajit and Pandey, Nandita and Guru, Santosh Kumar and Sangolkar, Akanksha Ashok and Pawar, Ravinder and Basavoju, Srinivas} } @article {49251, title = {Iron salicylaldehydate conjugated metal-organic framework for quasi solid-state supercapacitor}, journal = {CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL}, volume = {496}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP }, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Carbon, conductivity, ELECTROLYTE CONCENTRATION, performance, ROBUST}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2024.153589}, author = {Mohammed, Abdul Khayum and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Sanchez, Pilar Pena and Gaber, Safa Abdullah and Canossa, Stefano and Kurian, Maria and Xavier, Gigi and He, Yao and Gandara, Felipe and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Shetty, Dinesh} } @article {49366, title = {Iron-catalyzed C-C and C-N bond-forming tandem amidation offering access to 3-amino-3-aminomethyl-2-oxindole frameworks}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {366}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN }, pages = {2801-2810}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An iron-catalyzed protocol for the synthesis of 3-amino-3-aminomethyl-2-oxindole heterocyclic structures is disclosed employing isatins and non-nucleophilic N-methoxybenzamides. This reaction class is associated with broad scope and tolerates numerous functionalities, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo, trifluoromethyl, nitrile, ester, ether, and alkenyl, including heteroaryl - thiophene, benzothiophene, carbazolyl, indolyl, eugenol, and polycyclic cholesterol moieties. Detailed mechanistic investigations reveal that the reaction proceeds via iron-catalyzed N-O bond cleavage in N-methoxybenzamides, generating formaldehyde and benzamide, and through the intermediacy of isatin-ketimines and N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamides. Overall, this amidation reaction involves one C-C and two C-N bond-forming tandem processes, providing a range of beta-amino-aminomethyl-oxindoles (45 examples) in up to 88\% yields. image

}, keywords = {benzamide, iron, Isatin, tandem amidation, tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenter}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.202400216}, author = {Ankade, Shidheshwar B. and Pradhan, Chandini and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49255, title = {Kinetic H2S/CO2 selectivity in an exceptionally sterically hindered amine membrane}, journal = {JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A}, volume = {12}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT }, pages = {29138-29144}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Absorption, COMPOSITE MEMBRANES, GAS STREAMS, H2S, Thin-Film}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d4ta04997g}, author = {Rao, Shraavya and Deng, Xuepeng and Zou, Changlong and Prasad, Babul and Han, Yang and Lin, Li-Chiang and Ho, W. S. Winston} } @article {49050, title = {Kinetic model of hydrogenation of glucose to sorbitol on a Ni/Bentonite catalyst}, journal = {Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {63}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, pages = {4771-4781}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present work, we studied the hydrogenation of glucose to sorbitol using a nickel/bentonite catalyst. The Ni/bentonite catalyst was prepared by the wet impregnation method and characterized by different methods to understand the catalyst surface morphology, surface area, metal content, pore size, etc. Different reaction parameters such as temperature, hydrogen pressure, metal loading, catalyst loading, and agitation speed were studied to achieve a glucose conversion of 96.8\% and a sorbitol selectivity of 95.3\%. The reusability test was performed to examine the stability of the catalyst. The kinetic models such as the Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson models were used to study the hydrogenation of glucose and activation energy required for the reaction.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.3c03808}, author = {Pandya, Harmitkumar and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Rathod, Virendra and Kantam, Mannepalli Lakshmi} } @article {49208, title = {La-Fe-O perovskite based gas sensors: recent advances and future challenges}, journal = {ACS OMEGA}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL }, pages = {29994-30014}, type = {Review}, keywords = {ASSISTED SYNTHESIS, ETHANOL SENSING CHARACTERISTICS, LAFEO3 NANOPARTICLES}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.4c00334}, author = {Patil, Suraj S. and Babar, Bapuso M. and Nadargi, Digambar Y. and Shaikh, Faiyyaj I. and Nadargi, Jyoti D. and Sankapal, Babasaheb R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Truong, Nguyen Tam Nguyen and Suryavanshi, Sharad S.} } @article {49384, title = {Leveraging machine learning to dissect role of combinations of amino acids in modulating the effect of zinc on mammalian cell growth}, journal = {BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS}, volume = {40}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Absorption, Cytotoxicity, ENTEROCYTES, HISTIDINE}, issn = {8756-7938}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.3436}, author = {Pandey, Ujjiti and Madhugiri, Indrani and Gadgil, Chetan and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {49261, title = {Ligand isomerization driven electrocatalytic switching}, journal = {ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION}, volume = {63}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Catalysts, CO2 reduction, O-2 REDUCTION, oxygen reduction}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202405664}, author = {Kottaichamy, Alagar Raja and Nazrulla, Mohammed Azeezulla and Parmar, Muskan and Thimmappa, Ravikumar and Devendrachari, Mruthyunjayachari Chattanahalli and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Volokh, Michael and Kotresh, Harish Makri Nimbegondi and Shalom, Menny and Thotiyl, Musthafa Ottakam} } @article {49015, title = {Ligand-free MnBr2-catalyzed chemo- and stereoselective hydroboration of terminal alkynes}, journal = {Chemistry-an asian jounrnal}, volume = {19}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Developing simple and benign protocols for synthesizing alkenylboronates is crucial as they are synthetically valuable compounds in various organic transformations. In this work, we report a straightforward ligand-free protocol for synthesizing alkenylboronates via atom-economical hydroboration of alkynes with HBpin catalyzed by a manganese salt. The reaction shows a high level of chemo and regioselectivity for the terminal alkynes and exclusively produces E-selective alkenylboronates. The hydroboration scope is vast, with the resilience of a range of synthetically beneficial functionalities, such as halides, ether, alkenyl, silyl and thiophenyl groups. This reaction proceeds through the involvement of a metal-hydride intermediate. The developed alkenylboronate can be smoothly converted to useful C-C, C-N and C-I bond-forming reactions.

}, keywords = {alkenylboronates, alkyne, Hydroboration, manganese, stereoselectivity}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202400158}, author = {Pawar, Rameshwar B. and Karmur, Mital H. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49641, title = {LsBOS utilizes oxalyl-CoA produced by LsAAE3 to synthesize β-ODAP in grass pea}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6715}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-50703-4}, author = {Goldsmith, Moshe and Avram, Liat and Brandis, Alexander and Mehlman, Tevie and Ben-Dor, Shifra and Peleg, Yoav and Ben-Zeev, Efrat and Barbole, Ranjit S. and Reich, Ziv} } @article {49322, title = {Manganese-catalyzed chemoselective direct hydrogenation of α,β-epoxy ketones and α-ketoamides at room temperature}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {366}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3338-3345}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chemoselective hydrogenation of alpha,beta-epoxy ketones and alpha-ketoamides is achieved at room temperature (25 degrees C) using 2.0 bar H-2 and a pincer-ligated Mn(I) catalyst that provides synthetically valuable alpha-hydroxy epoxides and alpha-hydroxy amides. This protocol applies to a wide range of alkyl- and aryl-substituted alpha,beta-epoxy ketones, including terpenes (alpha-ionone, nootkatone, and R-carvone)- and steroids (testosterone and progesterone)-derived epoxy ketones, and tolerates H-2 sensitive functionalities, such as halides, acetyl, nitrile, nitro, epoxide, alkenyl and alkynyl groups. Additionally, alpha-ketoamides bearing reducible functional groups, including acetyl and diazo benzene, were untouched under this protocol and selectively converted to alpha-hydroxy amides. A preliminary mechanistic study highlighted the metal-ligand cooperative H-2 activation process.

}, keywords = {alpha, beta-epoxy ketones, chemoselectivity, direct hydrogenation, manganese, Metal-ligand cooperation}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.202400267}, author = {Shabade, Anand B. and Singh, Rahul K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49300, title = {Methanesulfonic acid-catalyzed friedel-crafts alkylation: towards sustainable synthesis of arylalkanes from donor-acceptor cyclopropane ketones}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {13}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We present herein Br \& oslash;nsted acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of phenols with Donor-Acceptor cyclopropane ketones. The presence of the 1,4-diphenyl butan-1-one and 1,3-diphenyl propane-1-one motifs in various naturally occurring biologically significant molecules inspired us to pursue the direct synthesis of these structural frameworks. Utilizing methanesulfonic acid (MeSO3H) as a catalyst, we achieved a more environmentally friendly and high-yielding synthesis, owing to its cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, transition-metal and additives free conditions. Furthermore, we have successfully extended our developed methodology to thiophenols, resulting in the production of sulfur-based butan-1-one derivatives in good yields. The presence of 1,4-diphenyl butan-1-one and 1,3-diphenyl propane-1-one motifs in various naturally occurring biologically significant molecules prompted us to develop a Br \& oslash;nsted acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of phenols with Donor-Acceptor cyclopropane. image

}, keywords = {donor-acceptor cyclopropane, Friedel-Crafts alkylation, methanesulfonic acid, Phenols, thiophenol}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.202400116}, author = {Goswami, Lakshmi and Paul, Sayantan and Mamale, Ajay G. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {49383, title = {New binary adducts of panobinostat with different carboxylic acid based NSAIDs: structural analysis and physicochemical properties investigation}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV}, pages = {e202403539}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Adoption of multitarget, cost-effective fixed-dose medication combinations can help lower the pill load without increasing the risk of adverse events. In this study, three new 1:1 drug-drug binary solid forms of panobinostat (PNB) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were effectively synthesized by liquid-assisted grinding and slow evaporation crystallization techniques. The obtained solid forms were extensively characterized by various analytical techniques. The structural investigation revealed that all molecular adducts formed salt with a comparable R42\${\textbackslashmathrm{R}}_4\<\^\>2\$(10) graph set pattern created by heteromeric interactions formed between PNB and corresponding salt formers. To determine the dissolving behavior of the newly developed adducts, solubility tests were performed at various pH levels (pH 1.2 and pH 7), and the results indicated that the solubility of all forms is increased at pH 7.0, particularly PNB.NIF has a solubility of 0.195 mg/mL, which is seven times higher than the parent drug. Furthermore, PXRD was used to assess the stability of the synthesized adduct at varied temperature and humidity levels and it was found that all the adducts are stable. Based on the findings, we hope that the newly found PNB drug-drug binary adducts have possible potential to broaden the use of drug combinations without changing the chemical structures.

}, keywords = {Drug-drug salts, Heteromeric interactions, Hydrogen bond, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Panobinostat}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202403539}, author = {Kenguva, Gowtham and Rout, Smruti Rekha and Kar, Ananya and Giri, Lopamudra and Shaikh, Tabrez R. and Jadab, Madhusmita and Pal, Satyanarayan and Dandela, Rambabu} } @article {49091, title = {New record of larval-pupal endoparasitoid Exorista deligata parasitising Indian Tea looper Hyposidra talaca from India}, journal = {Phytoparasitica}, volume = {52}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR}, pages = {23}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This is the first record of Exorista deligata (Pandell \& eacute;, 1896) (Diptera: Tachinidae) as a parasitoid of Hyposidra talaca (Walker, 1860) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from India. H. talaca is a major and new emerging defoliator of the Tea plant Camellia sinensis (L) Kuntze (Theaceae). It completes multiple generations per year without diapause on C. sinensis, resulting in heavy crop loss. The field-collected larvae/pupa of H. talaca were checked for parasitoid infestations and reared until either the host or parasitoid emerged. The parasitoid was identified as E. deligata with morphological characteristics and confirmed by the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit-I (COX-CO1) gene sequencing technique. The parasitoid is infrequent with unexplored parasitic biology. It parasitises the larva and completes its lifecycle inside the developing H. talaca by entirely devouring the host. The mean percent parasitisation caused by E. deligata studied herein was 25.4\% (range 5.88\%-57.69\%). Based on its parasitisation ability, we suggest the species could be a potential biological control agent to address the damage mitigation caused by the tea looper pest, H. talaca.

}, keywords = {Biocontrol, Exorista deligata, Hyposidra talaca, Invasive pest, Parasitisation}, issn = {0334-2123}, doi = {10.1007/s12600-024-01121-1}, author = {Sharma, Pooja V. and Das, Tamal and Mukherjee, Susmita and Pathan, Ejaj K. and Rahman, Azizur and Gathalkar, Ganesh B.} } @article {49298, title = {Nickel-catalyzed branch-selective C-H alkylation of indoles and azoles with alkenes: an additive- and solvent-free approach}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {27}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The development of sustainable protocols for the synthesis of alkylated heteroarenes is crucial owing to their widespread existence in medicinally relevant and bioactive natural products. Herein, we describe an efficient, additive- and solvent-free approach for the regioselective C-H alkylation of indoles and azoles with alkenes using a nickel catalyst, which proceeds through a chelation-assistance strategy. The reaction exclusively provided branched alkylated products with the compatibility of alkyl, alkoxy, fluoro, trifluoromethyl, alkene, cyano, ester, and carbonyl groups. This protocol is applicable to other heteroarenes, such as imidazoles and benzimidazoles, providing the desired alkylated products with exclusive Markovnikov selectivity. The synthetic utility and scale-up of the reaction are demonstrated, and the protocol is in concord with the principles of green chemistry. Alkylation proceeds through facile and reversible C-H nickelation and alkene insertion processes, presumably involving rate-limiting reductive elimination. A straightforward nickel-catalyzed protocol for the C-H alkylation of indoles and azoles is disclosed that proceeds under additive- and solvent-free conditions. The reaction utilizes readily available alkenes as alkylating partners and delivers Markovnikov products with tolerance of sensitive functionalities. image

}, keywords = {Alkylation, branch selectivity, indoles, Nickel, solvent-free synthesis}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202400376}, author = {Ankade, Shidheshwar B. and Banerjee, Shuvajit and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49023, title = {Nickel-catalyzed chemodivergent coupling of alcohols: efficient routes to access α,α-disubstituted ketones and α-substituted chalcones}, journal = {Chemistry- a european journal}, volume = {30}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chemodivergent (de)hydrogenative coupling of primary and secondary alcohols is achieved utilizing an inexpensive nickel catalyst, (6-OH-bpy)NiCl2. This protocol demonstrates the synthesis of branched carbonyl compounds, alpha,alpha-disubstituted ketones, and alpha-substituted chalcones via borrowing hydrogen strategy and acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling, respectively. A wide range of aryl-based secondary alcohols are coupled with various primary alcohols in this tandem dehydrogenation/hydrogenation reaction. The nickel catalyst, along with KOtBu or K2CO3, governed the selectivity for the formation of branched saturated ketones or chalcones. A preliminary mechanistic investigation confirms the reversible dehydrogenation of alcohols to carbonyls via metal-ligand cooperation (MLC) and the involvement of radical intermediates during the reaction. The chemodivergent nickel-catalyzed approach provides alpha,alpha-disubstituted ketones from aryl-substituted secondary alcohols and benzyl alcohols via the borrowing hydrogen (BH) strategy in the presence of KOtBu, whereas exclusively alpha-substituted chalcones were accomplished in the presence of mild base K2CO3 through an acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) strategy. image

}, keywords = {Alcohols, dehydrogenative coupling, Metal-ligand cooperation, Nickel, substituted carbonyl compounds}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202304082}, author = {Bansal, Sadhna and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49009, title = {Nickel-catalyzed tandem conversion of paraformaldehyde : methanol to hydrogen and formate/chemo- and stereoselective hydrogenation of alkynes under neutral conditions}, journal = {Catalysis Science and Technology }, volume = {14}, year = {2024}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2779-2793}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The development of new catalytic protocols for clean and COx-free hydrogen generation from fundamental feedstocks is always interesting and challenging. Herein, we disclose nickel-catalyzed dihydrogen generation from a mixture of paraformaldehyde-methanol under base-free and activator-free conditions. The dihydrogen generation from this redox combination under neutral, oxidative coupling conditions has been integrated with the hydrogen transfer reactions such as chemo- and stereoselective hydrogenation of alkynes in a tandem manner. This unprecedented strategy provides diverse highly stereoselective olefins with excellent tolerance of reducible functional groups such as ether, silyl ether, aldehyde, keto, ester, nitrile, halides including bromo and iodo groups, and heteroarenes. Additionally, we demonstrated catalytic stereo-interconversion of alkenes under benign conditions. The affordable gram-scale synthesis of some important pharmaceutical bioactive molecules has further enhanced their synthetic value. A tandem dihydrogen generation from a mixture of paraformaldehyde-methanol under base-free conditions followed by semihydrogenation of alkynes is reported.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d3cy01699d}, author = {Subaramanian, Murugan and Padhy, Subarna Sukanya and Gouda, Chandrakanth and Das, Tamal and Vanka, Kumar and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {49097, title = {N-SO3H functionalised br{\o}nsted acidic ionic liquid catalysed sequential one-pot synthesis of 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines via claisen-schmidt condensation under solvent-free condition}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This work presents a simple approach for the synthesis of 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines via a one pot two-step sequential route catalysed by direct N{\textendash}SO3H functionalised Br \& oslash;nsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs). Herein, catalytic activities of four BAILs namely ([TSPi][Cl](2), [DSIM][TFA], [EDSIM][TFA] and [DBDSA][TFA]) were explored and among them [TSPi][Cl](2) was found to be the most efficient reusable homogeneous catalyst. This process involves the ionic liquid catalysed in situ generation of chalcones from Claisen-Schmidt condensation between aromatic aldehydes and acetophenone/4-Cl acetophenone, followed by multicomponent reaction (MCR) with malononitrile and ammonium acetate using the same IL catalyst to selectively produce 2-amino-3-cyanopyridine derivatives in a solvent-free medium at 80 degrees C within 30-60 minutes in high yields (96-86 \%). This amalgamation of MCR with ionic liquids and solvent-free conditions makes the present work more compliant with the protocols of Green Chemistry.

}, keywords = {2-amino-3-cyanopyridines, Bronsted acidic ionic liquids, chalcones, Multicomponent reaction, One-pot approach}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202304103}, author = {Das, Sukanya and Paul, Subham and Kashyap, Niharika and Saikia, Pinku and Borah, Ruli} } @article {49394, title = {One-pot, easy and scalable synthesis of large-size short wave length IR emitting PbS quantum dots}, journal = {Photochemistry and Photobiology}, volume = {100}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1020-1030}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study presents a versatile and efficient method to synthesize large-size lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots (QDs) that display emission in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region, using accessible and stable diethylammonium diethyldithiocarbamate (C-2)(2)DTCA and octylammonium octyldithiocarbamate (C(8)DTCA) as sulfur sources. As these sulfur sources enable the formation of well-dispersed, large-size PbS QDs in a very convenient way, this method can further be taken up for scale-up studies. Importantly, this approach allows precise control over QD sizes, thereby enhancing their SWIR optical properties. By adjusting the hot injection temperatures and sulfur source concentrations, different synthesis routes are explored, providing flexibility for the desired QD characteristics. The results presented here offer a promising opportunity to leverage the synthesized PbS QDs in applications such as optoelectronics, sensors, and imaging technology.

}, keywords = {hot injection method, Optical properties, quantum dots, short wave IR emission}, issn = {0031-8655}, doi = {10.1111/php.13996}, author = {Sahu, Umasharan and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49643, title = {Organocatalyzed [4+2] cycloaddition of α,β-unsaturated ketones and isatylidene malononitrile: accessing spiro[3-arylcyclohexanone]oxindole derivatives}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {14}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2873-2877}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we developed a series of compounds featuring spiro[3-arylcyclohexanone]oxindoles through Barbas [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions between isatylidene malononitrile and alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones using l-proline as an organocatalyst. The reported methodology offers many advantages such as mild reaction conditions, diverse substrate scope with high yields, easy reaction setup, and use of easily synthesizable starting materials. An l-proline catalyzed-Barbas-[4 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction is reported for the synthesis of spiro[3-arylcyclohexanone]oxindole derivatives. The method can tolerate a diverse substrate scope with high yields.

}, doi = {10.1039/d3ra07652k}, author = {Patil, Baliram R. and Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Krishna, Gamidi Rama and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {49333, title = {PANI-grafted boron, nitrogen co-doped carbon fiber: An outstanding, high-performance supercapacitor electrode}, journal = {JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE}, volume = {96}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG }, pages = {112668}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Composite, polyaniline, Solid-state supercapacitor}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2024.112668}, author = {Nayan, Rajiv and Sinha, Shubhra and Dixit, Vaibhav and Satnami, Manmohan L. and Ghosh, Kallol K. and Pervez, Shamsh and Deb, Manas Kanti and Shrivas, Kamlesh and Rai, Manish K. and Yenchalwar, Sandeep G. and Wasnik, Kundan and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Karbhal, Indrapal} } @article {49191, title = {Pathological mutations D169G and P112H electrostatically aggravate the amyloidogenicity of the functional domain of TDP-43}, journal = {ACS Chemical Neuroscience}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4267-4283}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aggregation of TDP-43 is linked to the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Notably, electrostatic point mutations such as D169G and P112H, located within the highly conserved functional tandem RNA recognition motif (RRM) domains of the TDP-43 protein (TDP-43tRRM), have been identified in diseased patients as well. In this study, we address how the electrostatic mutations alter both the native state stability and aggregation propensity of TDP-43tRRM. The mutants D169G and P112H show increased chemical stability compared to the TDP-43tRRM at physiological pH. However, at low pH, both the mutants undergo a conformational change to form amyloid-like fibrils, though with variable rates-the P112H mutant being substantially faster than the other two sequences (TDP-43tRRM and D169G mutant) showing comparable rates. Moreover, among the three sequences, only the P112H mutant undergoes a strong ionic strength-dependent aggregability trend. These observations signify the substantial contribution of the excess charge of the P112H mutant to its unique aggregation process. Complementary simulated observables with atomistic resolution assign the experimentally observed sequence-, pH-, and ionic strength-dependent aggregability pattern to the degree of thermal lability of the mutation site-containing RRM1 domain and its extent of dynamical anticorrelation with the RRM2 domain whose combination eventually dictate the extent of generation of aggregation-prone partially unfolded conformational ensembles. Our choice of a specific charge-modulated pathogenic mutation-based experiment-simulation-combination approach unravels the otherwise hidden residue-wise contribution to the individual steps of this extremely complicated multistep aggregation process.

}, keywords = {amyloid fibrils, conformational changes, disease mutations, electrostatics, Protein aggregation, stability}, issn = {1948-7193}, doi = {10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00372}, author = {Pillai, Meenakshi and Patil, Anjali D. and Das, Atanu and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {49449, title = {photoarchitectonic hydrogel for synergistic in vitro chemo{\textendash}phototherapy of breast cancer}, journal = {Materials Advances}, volume = {5}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1903-1916}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Currently, combinatorial therapy has evoked interest in cancer treatment, and may promote achieving a synergistic effect using cancer medicines. Laser-assisted and pH-responsive therapies have attracted significant attention, and their combination leads to high efficiency cancer treatment. Herein, we developed a chemo{\textendash}phototherapeutic hydrogel comprised of doxorubicin (DOX, a chemotherapeutic drug) and zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc, a phototherapeutic drug) for combinatorial and synergistic treatment of breast cancer. Firstly, we have developed carbon dots (CDs, size of \~{}5 nm) utilizing lignin and folic acid as biocompatible sources. Then doxorubicin was loaded on the surface of the carbon dots\ via\ conjugation (DOX@CDs). Later on, zinc phthalocyanine and acrylic acid derivatives were utilized to develop a laser-responsive hydrogel (ZnPc-PP H). Afterward, doxorubicin-conjugated carbon dots were incorporated into the photoarchitectonic hydrogel to develop a chemo{\textendash}phototherapeutic drug-loaded hydrogel (DOX@CDs{\textendash}ZnPc-PP H). Subsequently, the\ in vitro\ pH-triggering experiments demonstrated that the hydrogel loaded with both DOX and ZnPc could release the drugs in an acidic environment. Interestingly,\ in vitro\ assays confirmed that DOX@CDs{\textendash}ZnPc-PP H could effectively target breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Furthermore, the developed chemo{\textendash}phototherapeutic hydrogel exhibited non-cytotoxic behavior. Owing to laser assisted reactive oxygen species generation from ZnPc present in the hydrogel, the growth of MCF-7 cells was significantly lowered. In conclusion, all experimental outcomes indicate that the photoarchitectonic hydrogel has the potential to be applied in synergistic chemo- and photodynamic therapy of cancer.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MA00900A}, author = {Paul, Shatabdi and Yadav, Binduma and Patil, Mahesh D. and Pujari, Anil Kumar and Singh, Umesh and Rishi, Vikas and Bhaumik, Jayeeta} } @article {49219, title = {Photocatalytic regeneration of reactive cofactors with inP quantum dots for the continuous chemical synthesis}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {14}, year = {2024}, month = {APR}, pages = {6740-6748}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The shuttling of redox-active nicotinamide cofactors between the light and dark cycles is the key to the continuous production of biomass in photosynthesis. The replication of such processes in artificial photosynthetic systems demands fast photoregeneration as well as simultaneous integration of these nicotinamide cofactors into the dark cycle. Here, we report the design of an artificial photosynthetic system for the continuous production of butanol via the constant photoregeneration and consumption of nicotinamide cofactors, powered by an indium phosphide quantum dot (InP QD) photocatalyst and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme, respectively. A strong electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged InP QDs and electron mediators significantly enhanced the charge extraction and utilization processes, enabling a fast (similar to 30 min, with a turn over frequency of similar to 1333 h(-1)), quantitative (\>99\%), and selective photoregeneration of enzymatically active nicotinamide cofactors in the light cycle. These photoregenerated nicotinamide cofactors were further coupled in the dark cycle to trigger the ADH oxidoreductase enzyme for the production of butanol, via sequential as well as simultaneous light-dark cycles. The amount of butanol produced under simultaneous light-dark cycles was higher than the stoichiometric limit, proving the constant regeneration and consumption of nicotinamide cofactors in light and dark cycles, respectively. Thus, a proper design and integration of the InP QD-based photocatalytic cycle with the enzymatic cycle led to the effective electron shuttling between light and dark cycles, as seen in photosynthesis.

}, keywords = {artificial photosynthesis, biologicalcofactors, charge transfer, indiumphosphide, Photocatalysis, quantum dots}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.4c00817}, author = {Chakraborty, Indra Narayan and Jain, Vanshika and Roy, Pradyut and Kumar, Pawan and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Pillai, Pramod P.} } @article {49262, title = {Phytic acid customized hydrogel polymer electrolyte and prussian blue analogue cathode material for rechargeable zinc metal hydrogel batteries}, journal = {Small}, volume = {20}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Zinc anode deterioration in aqueous electrolytes, and Zn dendrite growth is a major concern in the operation of aqueous rechargeable Zn metal batteries (AZMBs). To tackle this, the replacement of aqueous electrolytes with a zinc hydrogel polymer electrolyte (ZHPE) is presented in this study. This method involves structural modifications of the ZHPE by phytic acid through an ultraviolet (UV) light-induced photopolymerization process. The high membrane flexibility, high ionic conductivity (0.085 S cm-1), improved zinc corrosion overpotential, and enhanced electrochemical stability value of approximate to 2.3 V versus Zn|Zn2+ show the great potential of ZHPE as an ideal gel electrolyte for rechargeable zinc metal hydrogel batteries (ZMHBs). This is the first time that the dominating effect of chelation of phytic acid with M2+ center over H-bonding with water is described to tune the gel electrolyte properties for battery applications. The ZHPE shows ultra-high stability over 360 h with a capacity of 0.50 mAh cm-2 with dendrite-free plating/stripping in Zn||Zn symmetric cell. The fabrication of the ZMHB with a high-voltage zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZHF) cathode shows a high-average voltage of approximate to 1.6 V and a comparable capacity output of 63 mAh g-1 at 0.10 A g-1 of the current rate validating the potential application of ZHPE. A novel phytic acid (PA) modulated zinc hydrogel polymer electrolyte (ZHPE) as an efficient electrolyte and separator for rechargeable Zn-metal hydrogel batteries (ZMHB) is designed. The zincophilic, and hydrogen bonding characteristics of ZHPE help in regulating uniform dendrite-free Zn-deposition over the Zn anode surface. ZHPE in combination with the developed high-voltage zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZHF) cathode performs as an efficient ZMHB. image

}, keywords = {high voltage cathode, high-conducting gel polymer electrolyte, phytic acid, rechargeable Zn-metal hydrogel batteries, Zn hydrogel polymer electrolyte}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202311923}, author = {Dilwale, Swati and Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Babu, Athira and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49101, title = {Polymer nanocomposites with UiO-derived zirconia fillers for energy generation and pressure-sensing devices: the role of crystal structure and surface characteristics}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {7}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, pages = {5809-5818}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Piezoelectric energy harvesting and pressure sensing using polymer nanocomposites have opened up promising avenues in the field of flexible electronics. Herein, the influence of varying crystal structures of zirconia nanoparticles on a piezoelectric energy-generating zirconia-poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) composite is investigated, and the fabrication of a security alert pavement unit using the material with an optimized composition is demonstrated. More specifically, two metal-organic frameworks, UiO-66 and UiO-67, were employed to synthesize four different types of zirconia nanoparticles with precise control of the monoclinic and tetragonal phases. Polymer nanocomposite with monoclinic zirconia nanoparticles derived from UiO-66 (ZrO2-66m) performed better than other derivatives with 61\% enhancement in the beta phase with respect to pure PVDF. It was hypothesized that the stable crystalline structure of the monoclinic phase might act as a better nucleating agent, and among monoclinic derivatives, ZrO2-66m was found to be more hydrophobic, probably enabling a better interaction with PVDF. Subsequently, a prototype device with a PVDF-ZrO2-66m (P/66m) film was made and tested for its energy generation. The maximum output voltage generated by the device under an irregular biomechanical hand tapping force of 8-9 N was 80 V, while the maximum open circuit current was found to be 65 mu A. The prototype displayed a power of 2162.24 mu W at a load resistance of 1 M Omega. A laboratory scale demonstration was executed with the prototype as an energy-generating and security alert pavement unit. A wireless, Bluetooth-based security alert system supported by an Android application was developed and demonstrated as a promising application with the fabricated prototype. The results and demonstrations validate that the PVDF-monoclinic ZrO2 nanoparticle nanocomposites will be an excellent value addition for flexible, durable energy generation and pressure-sensing applications.

}, keywords = {energy generation and pressure sensing, piezoelectric materials, PVDF/ZrO2 polymernanocomposite, self-powered devices, wearable electronics}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.3c04730}, author = {Mukherjee, Gargi and Verma, Ankur and Madhu, Arjun Hari and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Karumuthil, Subash Cherumannil} } @article {49658, title = {Polymeric PEI/PEG coated optical fiber fabry-perot interferometer for CO2 detection}, journal = {IEEE Sensors Journal}, volume = {24}, year = {2024}, month = {DEC }, pages = {40883-40889}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is essential for numerous applications, but the detection of CO2 in miniaturized devices presents significant challenges. In this study, a polyethyleneimine/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEI/PEG) coated optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) and its charge transfer process toward CO2 are investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to analyze the surface morphology and vibration bands of the PEI/PEG composite. The PEI/PEG composite Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity of length similar to 13 mu m is coated at the distal end of the single-mode fiber using a dip coating technique. A highly sensitive optical and low-cost FPI probe fabrication has displayed a linear sensitivity of 17.10 nm/\% in the range of 0.31\%-1.25\% CO2 gas. The response and recovery times of the sensor are in a few tens of seconds. The enhanced performance of the sensor is primarily due to the protonation and charge transfer between CO2 gas molecules and PEI/PEG composite. Due to low-cost fabrication and high sensitivity, this FPI sensor can be used in a range of potential applications in bioprocessing, healthcare, and environmental monitoring.

}, keywords = {dip coating, Fresnel{\textquoteright}s reflection, Interference, monitoring, Optical fiber sensors, Optical fibers, polymer composite, Polymers, refractive index, sensitivity, Sensor phenomena and characterization, sensors, swelling, Temperature sensors}, issn = {1530-437X}, doi = {10.1109/JSEN.2024.3478088}, author = {Pawar, Dnyandeo and Lo Presti, Daniela and Lemma, Enrico D. and Rainer, Alberto and Kumar, Ajay and Kanawade, Rajesh and Silvestri, Sergio and Schena, Emiliano and Massaroni, Carlo} } @article {49075, title = {Polymerized stimuli-responsive microgel hybrids of silver nanoparticles as efficient reusable catalyst for reduction reaction}, journal = {Heliyon}, volume = {10}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR}, pages = {e26244}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have showcased the potential of polymerized hydrogels (PGMs) with uniform -sized stimuliresponsive microgel particles as promising alternatives to prevent aggregation in solution based nanoparticle systems. In the current work, we implemented the PGM concept by embedding anionic stimuli -responsive microgels (PNIPAM-co-AAc)-silver (Ag) hybrids within a hydrogel matrix. These PGM@AgNP hybrid materials are used as catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4 -NP) to 4-aminophenol (4 -AP) in the presence of sodium borohydride. UV-VIS spectroscopy is used for studying catalytic activity. In the solution based system, the complete reduction of 4NP to 4 -AP took 30 minutes with pure Ag nanoparticles, 24 minutes with PNIPAM-Ag hybrid (Neutral) microgels and 15 minutes with PNIPAM-co-AAc-Ag (Anionic) hybrid microgels. In contrast PGM containing PNIPAM-co-AAc-Ag hybrids achieved full reduction in just 15 minutes, along with a 3 -minute induction period. For pure Ag nanoparticles, the first -order rate constant is found to be 0.25 min - 1, for PNIPAM-Ag hybrid (Neutral), it is 0.21 min- 1 and for PNIPAM-coAAc-Ag (Anionic), it is 0.5 min- 1 where as for PGM containing anionic microgel hybrids it is found to be 0.8 min - 1. Furthermore, the reusability of the PGM-Ag (anionic) materials for catalytic activity remains unaltered even after several washings. In summary, our study highlights the effectiveness of PGM@AgNP materials as efficient catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, indicating their versatile potential in various catalytic applications.

}, keywords = {Light scattering, Microgel-metal hybrids, Nanomaterial catalysts, PNIPAM microgels, Polymerized hydrogel matrix(PGM, Stimuli-responsive microgels}, doi = {10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26244}, author = {Pany, Biswajit and Majumdar, Amrito Ghosh and Bhat, Suresh and Si, Satybrata and Yamanaka, Junpei and Mohanty, Priti S.} } @article {49046, title = {Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-assisted crystal growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) and electrochemical properties of its derivatives for flexible supercapacitors}, journal = {Crystal Growth and Design }, volume = {24}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, pages = {3179-3194}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and explicit wet chemical method enables the room-temperature crystallization of the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) using cotton-cloth (CC) as a substrate; where time-dependent Avrami{\textquoteright}s kinetic studies demonstrated sluggish nucleation and fast crystal growth resulting in unprecedented morphologies-truncated cubes [synthesized without poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone); PVP], and rhombic dodecahedra (with PVP) with average sizes ranging from 500 nm to 1.41 mu m; wherein amphiphilic PVP plays a crucial function of structure directing agent by modulation of complex formation and deprotonation equilibria. To study the potential of pristine ZIF-67 (ZP0) and PVP-functionalized ZIF-67 (ZP50, ZP100, and ZP200) grown on the CC substrate for application as a flexible electrode in supercapacitors, ZP0, ZP50, ZP100, and ZP200 were annealed to form CZP0, CZP50, and CZP100, respectively. Areal capacitances of 181 and 214 mFcm(-2) were achieved at a current density of 1 mAcm(-2) and a potential window of 1.6 V for CZP0 and CZP100, respectively, and compared to the derivatives without PVP; CZP100 exhibited a superior energy density of 76.3 mu Whcm(-2) and a capacitance retention of 84.3\% after 5000 cycles at a current density of 0.5 mAcm(-2).

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.3c01329}, author = {Jain, Manisha and Joshi, Bhavana and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {49344, title = {Probing surface interactions in CdSe quantum dots with thiocyanate ligands}, journal = {NANOSCALE}, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG }, pages = {14922-14931}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {COLLOIDAL NANOCRYSTALS, STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Thin-films}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d4nr01507j}, author = {Deshmukh, Samadhan H. and Yadav, Sushma and Chowdhury, Tubai and Pathania, Akhil and Sapra, Sameer and Bagchi, Sayan} } @article {49436, title = {Proteome dataset of Candida albicans (ATCC10231) opaque cell}, journal = {BMC Research Notes}, volume = {17}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Objectives

Candida albicans, a polymorphic yeast, is one of the most common, opportunistic fungal pathogens of humans. Among the different morphological forms, opaque form is one of the least-studied ones. This opaque phenotype is essential for mating and is also reported to be involved in colonizing the gastrointestinal tract. Considering the significance of the clinical and sexual reproduction of\ C. albicans, we have investigated the morphophysiological modulations in opaque form using a proteomic approach.

Data description

In the current investigation, we have used Micro-Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to create a protein profile for opaque-specific proteins. Whole-cell proteins from\ C. albicans\ (ATCC10231) cells that had been cultured for seven days on synthetic complete dextrose (SCD) medium in both as an opaque (test) and as a white (control) form cells were extracted, digested, and identified using LC-MS/MS. This information is meant to serve the scientific community and represents the proteome profile (SWATH Spectral Libraries) of\ C. albicans\ opaque form.

}, author = {Zore, Gajanan and Abdulghani, Mazen and Kodgire, Santosh and Kazi, Rubina and Shelar, Amruta and Patil, Rajendra} } @article {49218, title = {Purification of waste-generated biogas mixtures using covalent organic framework{\textquoteright}s high CO2 Selectivity}, journal = {ACS APPLIED MATERIALS \& INTERFACES}, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {APR}, pages = {22066-22078}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {CAPTURE, CARBON-DIOXIDE, Efficiency, Energy, Hydrogen, STORAGE}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.4c03245}, author = {Paul, Ratul and Maibam, Ashakiran and Chatterjee, Rupak and Wang, Wenjing and Mukherjee, Triya and Das, Nitumani and Yellappa, Masapogu and Banerjee, Tanmay and Bhaumik, Asim and Venkata Mohan, S. and BabaRao, Ravichandar and Mondal, John} } @article {49206, title = {Pyridazine-Based Aggregation Induced Emission Active Conjugates: Synthesis, Single Crystal XRD Analysis, and Self-Assembly Assessment}, journal = {CHEMISTRYSELECT}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT}, keywords = {AIE, Pyridazine, Self-assembly, Single crystal}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202403058}, author = {Waghchoure, Aishwarya P. and Sangale, Vijay B. and Shaligram, Parth S. and Lambud, Sushil and Pardeshi, Satish K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bandaru, Sateesh and More, Sandeep and Reddy, J. Prakasha and Bhosale, Rajesh S.} } @article {49070, title = {Reduced graphene oxide/tungsten oxide (rGO/WO3): a versatile nanocomposite for enhanced detection of acetone}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials In Electronics}, volume = {35}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB}, pages = {264}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, we report a straightforward method for synthesizing semi-cubical nanostructures of tungsten trioxide (WO3) loaded with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via a hydrothermal approach. Furthermore, the systematic investigations were made towards the improved gas sensing capabilities of these nanostructures for acetone. The use of semi-cubical rGO/WO3 nanostructures demonstrate the provision of efficient gas diffusion routes via a meticulously arranged mesoporous framework. Hence, it leads to a significant improvement in the sensing response towards acetone. The analysis of the sensing capabilities demonstrates that the response of the sensor is influenced by variations in operating temperature and gas concentration. It is seen that the inclusion of rGO not only enhances the sensing response but also gives quick response and recovery, which are measured to be 12 and 33 s, respectively. The WO3 sensor loaded with 0.1 wt\% rGO demonstrates a discerning reaction to acetone, exhibiting a high response of 93.60\% than that of the unmodified WO3 sensor (76.30\%). The gas sensing properties are explained through the role of rGO and the structural and morphological properties of the developed nanostructures.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-023-11869-7}, author = {Patil, Abhijeet P. and Gaikwad, Mayur A. and Nadargi, Jyoti D. and Shaikh, Hamid and Alam, Mohammad Asif and Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Kim, Jin Hyeok and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad S.} } @article {49396, title = {Role and significance of virus-bacteria interactions in disease progression}, journal = {Journal of Applied Microbiology}, volume = {135}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, pages = {lxae130}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Understanding disease pathogenesis caused by bacteria/virus, from the perspective of individual pathogen has provided meaningful insights. However, as viral and bacterial counterparts might inhabit the same infection site, it becomes crucial to consider their interactions and contributions in disease onset and progression. The objective of the review is to highlight the importance of considering both viral and bacterial agents during the course of coinfection. The review provides a unique perspective on the general theme of virus-bacteria interactions, which either lead to colocalized infections that are restricted to one anatomical niche, or systemic infections that have a systemic effect on the human host. The sequence, nature, and underlying mechanisms of certain virus-bacteria interactions have been elaborated with relevant examples from literature. It also attempts to address the various applied aspects, including diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for individual infections as well as virus-bacteria coinfections. The review aims to aid researchers in comprehending the intricate interplay between virus and bacteria in disease progression, thereby enhancing understanding of current methodologies and empowering the development of novel health care strategies to tackle coinfections.

}, keywords = {Bacteria, coinfections, infections, virus, virus-bacteria interactions}, issn = {1364-5072}, doi = {10.1093/jambio/lxae130}, author = {Pokhrel, Vatsala and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {49080, title = {Role of nitrogen doping in modulating ruthenium nanocatalysts for enhanced electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline medium}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials }, volume = {36}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, pages = {4262-4274}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nitrogen doping has become a fundamental approach to enhance the catalytic performance of carbon materials across various applications. The introduction of nitrogen creates defects and active sites, promoting the formation of small metal particles and strengthening the metal-support interaction within carbon materials. However, the challenge lies in developing sustainable and cost-effective methods for synthesizing nitrogen-doped carbon materials. In this study, we present a sustainable approach for the synthesis of ruthenium on nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts (Ru-CCP) using chitosan as a nitrogen and carbon source. Unlike traditional methods, our process avoids the use of additional nitrogen precursors and templates, streamlining the synthesis while using a renewable resource. The synthesized material exhibits an exceptional performance in the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline conditions by achieving a current density of 25 mA cm(-2) at an impressively low overpotential of 46 mV, outperforming Pt/C under similar conditions. The detailed studies on structural and electronic properties of the materials using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the remarkable catalytic activity is upheld by the unique interplay between Ru delta+ and surface nitrogen moieties, notably pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen. Here, we demonstrate the control of particle size and electronic environment around the metal atom via the interaction of nitrogen and unravel the role of nitrogen doping in tuning the catalytic performance. In addition, this work offers insights into efficient HER catalyst design and emphasizes the potential of biomass-derived materials like chitosan in advancing clean hydrogen production for renewable energy applications.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c03169}, author = {Korampattu, Lavanya and Barik, Sidharth and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Urkude, Rajashri R. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Dhepe, Paresh L.} } @article {49253, title = {Rongalite as a C1 source: sulfonylmethylation of indoles with aryl/alkyl hydrazides and sulfinates}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {89}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, pages = {11347-11352}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we present a sulfonylmethylation of indoles with aryl/alkyl hydrazides and sulfinates that provides viable access to sulfone compounds using rongalite as a C1 source. This protocol features readily available chemicals and simple operations, and the products were obtained in moderate to good yields.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.4c01012}, author = {Kale, Someshwar B. and Patil, Tejaswini A. and Das, Utpal} } @article {49410, title = {Room temperature photocurable PEEK polymer formulations for high-performance 3D printing applications}, journal = {ACS Applied Engineering Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1450{\textendash}1459}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Digital light processing (DLP) technology was employed to 3D print acrylate-modified poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK). PEEK and modified PEEK (mPEEK incorporating pendant pentadecyl chain) polymers were synthesized and end-capped with urethane acrylate units. These end-modified PEEK polymers were combined with commercially available (meth)acrylic cross-linkers and photoinitiator to create photocurable resin formulations suitable for DLP 3D printing. The resulting 3D-printed parts exhibited remarkable mechanical strength, with a Young{\textquoteright}s modulus of 2.1 GPa. This surpassed the mechanical properties of commercial acrylate resin 3D-printed parts and achieved approximately 55\% of the Young{\textquoteright}s modulus of reported commercial PEEK polymer. Notably, the thermal properties of the 3D-printed materials were impressive, including a high glass transition temperature of 140 {\textdegree}C and stability with only around 10\% weight degradation occurring at approximately 400 {\textdegree}C. These innovative resins demonstrated excellent printability with high resolution, enabling the fabrication of intricate shapes, including complex dental materials by DLP 3D printing. Their versatility extends to potential applications in dentistry, automobile manufacturing, and robotics.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.4c00275}, author = {Pal, Shibam and Gaikwad, Yogesh and Asha, S. K.} } @article {49197, title = {Safety enhanced novel polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion battery: Anomalous output performance with long term cycling stability by doping and polymer blending}, journal = {MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY}, volume = {39}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, pages = {102121}, keywords = {Blend polymers, Ceramic fillers, Gel polymer electrolytes}, issn = {2468-5194}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtchem.2024.102121}, author = {Balakrishnan, Neethu T. M. and Melepurakkal, Amrutha and Das, Akhila and Kenz, K. T. Mohammed and Subramaniam, Mohanapriya and Shelke, Manjusha and Pullanchiyodan, Abhilash and Raghavan, Prasanth} } @article {49259, title = {Scaling-up continuous production of mesoporous silica particles at kg scale: design \& operational strategies}, journal = {Reaction Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1914-1923}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This paper demonstrates a continuous flow pilot-scale production of highly porous mesoporous silica particles (MSPs) via a soft template based technique. The study presents pilot scale reactor design, fabrication and production of mesoporous silica particles with a 1 kg per day production rate. The extent of mixing and overall performance of the system were evaluated by conducting a hydrodynamic study, including the estimation of the heat transfer coefficient and dispersion number. Nanoparticle synthesis in a clogging-free manner is the key challenge in moving towards large scale production and commercial applications. This article presents a comprehensive study on the effect of key parameters for successful scaling up of the process. We have also addressed challenges faced and how these are overcome by troubleshooting the process. Different strategies were used to prevent the clogging of the reactor, which involved reactant dilution, periodic pulsation and slug flow (two phase flow). Among them, slug flow allows us to operate the reactor continuously for several hours without clogging and wall-deposition problems. It helped produce morphologically well-defined and near-monodisperse particles. With this process, the production is validated at a scale of 85 times compared to that of a laboratory system (from 22 mL to \>1.5 L), enabling a production rate of 20-50 g h(-1).

}, issn = {2058-9883}, doi = {10.1039/d3re00707c}, author = {Jundale, Rajashri B. and Sonawane, Jayesh R. and Palghadmal, Anil V. and Jaiswal, Hemant Kumar and Deore, Hital S. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {49043, title = {Short review on the synthetic routes for the antiepileptic drug (S)-levetiracetam}, journal = {Organic Process Research and Development }, volume = {28}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, pages = {924-936}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent unpredictable seizures. Levetiracetam (Keppra) was introduced by UCB for the treatment of partial onset seizures in patients above 16 years of age diagnosed with epilepsy. This review reports synthetic strategies available for the synthesis of (S)-levetiracetam and will certainly aid the quest for the development of new routes for its synthesis.

}, keywords = {antiepileptic drug, butyrolactam, epilepsy, levetiracetam, synthesis}, issn = {1083-6160}, doi = {10.1021/acs.oprd.4c00002}, author = {Paul, Sayantan and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {49212, title = {Shuttle balance between lithiophilic functionalities substituted on conjugated polymers to improve lithium-ion diffusion and cycling stability of batteries}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {57}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7830-7840}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the design and synthesis of i-Indigo and trans-1,2-di(2-thienyl)ethylene (TVT) comprising copolymers with various side chains that are used as anode-cum-binder in Li-ion batteries. The TVT disrupts the crystallinity, and the i-Indigo renders the handle for unsymmetrical substitution. Polymer P1 comprises alkyl chains on i-Indigo, whereas P2 comprises an alkyl chain and a chain with a urethane moiety as another side chain. Polymer P3 comprises i-Indigo with a urethane moiety and triethylene glycol as side chains. The i-Indigo in P4 is substituted with triethylene glycol and alkyl chains as side chains. These polymers were found to be amorphous with pi-pi stacking due to the extremely small torsional angle imparted by TVT moieties. All of these polymers showed comparable specific capacity while used as an anode in Li-ion batteries due to the presence of a common conjugated backbone. However, the battery metrics varied significantly while the current density of the batteries varied between 0.1 and 2.0 A g(-1). P1 and P2 showed a very close recovery of specific capacity at 0.1 A g(-1) before and after various current densities. However, polymers P3 and P4 did not recover from the specific capacity fading due to the presence of triethylene glycol side chain that degraded. Polymer P2 with an alkyl side chain and a chain with a urethane moiety showed stable performance over 2000 charge-discharge cycles. Contrary to this, the stability of polymers with triethylene glycol side chains decreased over 2000 charge-discharge cycles. Polymer P2 with a urethane side chain also showed improved Li-ion diffusion because the urethane moiety facilitated better Li-ion transport.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/acs.macromol.4c01036}, author = {Kargude, Radhakisan and Javaregowda, Bharathkumar H. and Palani, Sathishkumar and Singh, Anup K. and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article {49655, title = {Simultaneously mechanically flexible, photobending, and acidochromic cyanostilbene molecular crystals}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {25}, year = {2024}, month = {DEC}, pages = {309-318}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Molecular crystals that respond to multiple stimuli are gaining significant attention for their potential in smart materials like actuators and sensors. However, imparting multiple stimuli-responsive properties to a single crystal remains a major challenge. Herein, we report two cyanostilbene derivative-based crystals 1 and 2, with various responses to stimuli such as mechanical stress, light, acid vapors, etc. Both crystals 1 and 2 demonstrated mechanical flexibility and reversible acidochromism. Additionally, crystal 1 also exhibited light-induced photobending, which is ascribed to Z to E photoisomerization. Detailed structure-property correlation was established to unravel distinct mechanical responses. The development of these multitasking crystals may find applications in multitasking actuators, anticounterfeiting materials, and more.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.4c01341}, author = {Parthasarathy, Thiyagaraj and Mishra, Manish Kumar and Bhattacharya, Biswajit and Emmerling, Franziska and Ghosh, Soumyajit} } @article {49415, title = {Slowdown of solvent structural dynamics in aqueous DMF solutions}, journal = {Chemical Physics Impact}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {DEC}, abstract = {

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the molecular dynamics of solvation environments through an integrated approach combining Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy. We explore the solvation of an ionic solute (ammonium thiocyanate) in various solvent systems, including N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), water, and a 0.5 mole fraction of DMF in water, aiming to unravel the intricate interplay between solute-solvent interactions and solvent dynamics across diverse solvation environments. By integrating FTIR spectral analysis with radial distribution functions and coordination numbers obtained from MD simulations, we decipher the solvent composition around the solute molecule. Analysis of 2D IR spectra and hydrogen bond, as well as dipolar autocorrelation function from MD simulations, further elucidates the nuances of solute-solvent interactions, highlighting the impact of solvent dynamics on solvation structures. Our results reveal a significant slowdown of the solvent structural dynamics in the equimolar binary solvent mixture compared to the neat solvents. This slowdown underscores the complex relationship between solute-solvent interactions and solvent dynamics. The integration of FTIR, MD simulations, and 2D IR spectroscopy provides a unified framework for obtaining a holistic understanding of solvation dynamics, offering valuable insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms governing solute-solvent interactions in complex systems. These results pave the way for future studies to delve deeper into the molecular intricacies of solvation phenomena.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chphi.2024.100711}, author = {Pathania, Akhil and Bagchi, Sayan} } @article {49271, title = {Stereodivergent sila-germylenation vs. sila-stannylenation of an internal alkyne}, journal = {CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS}, volume = {60}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP }, pages = {9837-9840}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {DIVERSE REACTIVITY, H BOND ACTIVATION, hydrides}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d4cc02101k}, author = {Ajithkumar, V. S. and Ghanwat, Pratiksha B. and Saha, Sougata and Pati, Swapan K. and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {49275, title = {Strategies employing transition-metal free conditions for C-C bond formation in indoles}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, month = {SEP}, pages = {e202403280}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Indole motifs are omnipresent in nature and can be found in many natural products as well as pharmaceuticals. It is for this reason synthetic transformations of indole have become a topic of interest for the organic and medicinal chemist community for decades. In this review, we have emphasized the functionalization of indoles via transition-metal-free approaches. This review touches on many aspects in different sub-sections, which gives a proposition of the tactics employed for the functionalization of indoles and an overview of the road ahead. In this review, essentially transition-metal-free conditions for C-C bond formation reactions in indoles has been explored. This review describes various approaches of functionalization at the C-2, C-3, C-4 and C-7 position of indoles which comprises arylation, alkenylation, acylation, formylation, alkylation, bisindolyl and cyclization strategies. Also, strategies incorporating N-alkylation/arylation has also been covered. image

}, keywords = {Alkylation, Arylation, formylation, Indole, transition-metal free}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202403280}, author = {Ghodake, Balaji M. and Paul, Sayantan and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {49285, title = {Structure of epoxide hydrolase 2 from Mangifera indica throws light on the substrate specificity determinants of plant epoxide hydrolases}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {733}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV }, pages = {150444}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Epoxide hydrolases (EHs) are a group of ubiquitous enzymes that catalyze hydrolysis of chemically reactive epoxides to yield corresponding dihydrodiols. Despite extensive studies on EHs from different clades, generic rules governing their substrate specificity determinants have remained elusive. Here, we present structural, biochemical and molecular dynamics simulation studies on MiEH2, a plant epoxide hydrolase from Mangifera indica. Comparative structure-function analysis of nine homologs of MiEH2, which include a few AlphaFold structural models, show that the two conserved tyrosines (MiEH2Y152 and MiEH2Y232) from the lid domain dissect substrate binding tunnel into two halves, forming substrate-binding-pocket one (BP1) and two (BP2). This compartmentalization offers diverse binding modes to their substrates, as exemplified by the binding of smaller aromatic substrates, such as styrene oxide (SO). Docking and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the linear epoxy fatty acid substrates predominantly occupy BP1, while the aromatic substrates can bind to either BP1 or BP2. Furthermore, SO preferentially binds to BP2, by stacking against catalytically important histidine (MiEH2H297) with the conserved lid tyrosines engaging its epoxide oxygen. Residue (MiEH2L263) next to the catalytic aspartate (MiEH2D262) modulates substrate binding modes. Thus, the divergent binding modes correlate with the differential affinities of the EHs for their substrates. Furthermore, long-range dynamical coupling between the lid and core domains critically influences substrate enantioselectivity in plant EHs.

}, keywords = {Enantioselectivity, Epoxide hydrolase, molecular dynamics simulation, Regioselectivity, X-ray crystallography}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150444}, author = {Bhoite, Ashwini and Gaur, Neeraj K. and Palange, Megha and Kontham, Ravindar and Gupta, Vidya and Kulkarni, Kiran} } @article {49334, title = {Synergistic effects of the substrate-ligand interaction in metal-organic complexes on the de-electronation kinetics of a vitamin C fuel cell}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {53}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG }, pages = {13384-13393}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The rising demand for portable energy conversion devices has spurred the advancement of direct liquid fuel cells (DLFCs) employing fuels such as alcohol, ammonia, hydrazine, and vitamin C. In these devices, various precious metal platforms have been explored to increase the de-electronation kinetics and reduce catalyst poisoning, but with substantial cost implications. We demonstrate the crucial role of ligands in non-precious organometallic complexes in influencing the de-electronation kinetics of fuel molecules through a unique substrate-ligand synergistic interaction. This unique chemistry imparts electron deficiency at the catalytic metal center while simultaneously populating the ligand with an extensive proton charge assembly. This distinct substrate-ligand interaction enhances the DLFC performance by coulombically dragging the substrate with a distinct amplification in its de-electronation kinetics. By integrating this approach with a ferricyanide/ferrocyanide half-cell reaction, a precious metal-free vitamin C fuel cell is developed, which is capable of generating an open circuit voltage of similar to 950 mV, a peak power density of similar to 97 mW cm-2 at a peak current density of similar to 215 mA cm-2 with the performance metrics nearly 1.7 times higher than a precious metal based DLFC. This highlights the potential of the substrate-ligand synergy in the design of efficient molecular catalysts for energy conversion applications. A precious metal-free biomass fuel cell through substrate-ligand interactions.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d4dt01370k}, author = {Parmar, Muskan and Mukhopadhyay, Sanchayita and Mondal, Ritwik and Nayak, Bhojkumar and Dargily, Neethu Christudas and Kotresh, Harish Makri Nimbegondi and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Ottakam Thotiyl, Musthafa} } @article {49207, title = {Synergistic humidity-responsive mechanical motion and proton conductivity in a cationic covalent organic framework}, journal = {CHEM}, volume = {10}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG }, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {ACTUATORS, Crystalline, DRIVEN, SOFT}, issn = {2451-9294}, doi = {10.1016/j.chempr.2024.04.018}, author = {Das, Gobinda and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Melapurakkal, Amrutha and Shelke, V, Manjusha and Garai, Bikash and Bazin, Philippe and Blal, Abdelhafid Ait and Benyettou, Farah and Prakasam, Thirumurugan and Halim, Rasha Abdul and Ibrahim, Fayrouzabou and Sharma, Sudhir Kumar and Varghese, Sabu and Weston, James and Jagannathan, Ramesh and Addicoat, Matthew A. and Gandara, Felipe and Olson, Mark A. and El-Roz, Mohamad and Trabolsi, Ali} } @article {49211, title = {Synthesis of Hofmann-based metal-organic frameworks incorporating a bis-pyrazole linker for various gas separations}, journal = {JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A}, volume = {12}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN 25}, pages = {15106-15114}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {acetylene, C2H2/CH4, Ni, Purification, SPIN-CROSSOVER BEHAVIOR}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d4ta00507d}, author = {Matthews, Brooke L. and Harvey-Reid, Nathan C. and Jangodaz, Elnaz and Scott, Victoria-Jayne and Polson, Matthew I. J. and Maibam, Ashakiran and BabaRao, Ravichandar and Telfer, Shane G. and Kruger, Paul E.} } @article {49388, title = {Temperature-controlled hydrothermal synthesis of α-MnO2 nanorods for catalytic oxidation of cyclohexanone}, journal = {CHEMPLUSCHEM}, volume = {89}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Adipic Acid, conversion, MANGANESE OXIDES}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.202300589}, author = {Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Prabu, Marimuthu and Vineeth, Nidhi R. and Dharmalingam, Praveen and Archana, Ramakrishnan and Harsha, Murudappa and Shankar, Sonu Ram and Bhatte, Kushal and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {49039, title = {Thiol-ene-based degradable 3D printed network from bio resource derived monomers ethyl-lactate and isosorbide}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {205}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A polymeric ene-based thiol-ene network is reported that was demonstrated for light-based 3D printing. Allyl poly (acrylate ethyl lactate) (PAEL) was synthesized starting from ethyl lactate in an efficient and scalable manner. Ethyl lactate is a biobased material obtained naturally or chemically in high yields in the form of ethyl ester of lactic acid. Isosorbide, which is also a bio based resource was converted into thiol derivative and was used along with Pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) as multifunctional thiol. The polymeric nature of the ene (i.e. PAEL) imparted exceptionally high mechanical properties like Young{\textquoteright}s modulus of 1.75 GPa as well as high thermal stability with a decomposition temperature (Td,10\%) exceeding 350 C for all the networks studied. The properties could also be customized by fine tuning the type and stoichiometric ratio of the thiol crosslinked employed. For instance, the Young{\textquoteright}s modulus range from 1.75 GPa to 1.03 GPa and glass transition temperature range from 44 C to 54 C could be achieved. DLP 3D printing was used to demonstrate the printability of the resins with high resolution and structural fidelity. The study also highlights the basemediated rapid hydrolytic degradation efficiency of the 3D printed parts, demonstrating the applicability of these novel polymeric ene based thiol-ene for sustainable and eco-friendly 3D printable formulations.

}, keywords = {3D printing, Degradation, digital light processing, Poly (acrylate ethyl lactate), Thiol-ene}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2024.112761}, author = {Pal, Shibam and Asha, S. K.} } @article {49195, title = {Transient Electro-Graphitization of MOFs Affecting the Crystallization of Ruthenium Nanoclusters for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution}, journal = {ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS}, volume = {34}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {amorphous ruthenium, crystallization control, graphitic nanostructure}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.202315460}, author = {Karim, Golam Masud and Patra, Amalika and Deb, Sujit Kumar and Upadhya, Hemanta and Das, Snehasish and Mukherjee, Priyam and Ahmad, Waleed and Barman, Narad and Thapa, Ranjit and Dambhare, V, Neha and Rath, Arup Kumar and Das, Jaysri and Manna, Uttam and Urkude, Rajashri R. and Oh, Youngtak and Maiti, Uday Narayan} } @article {49213, title = {Trapping an elusive Fe(IV)-superoxo intermediate inside a self-assembled nanocage in water at room temperature}, journal = {JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY}, volume = {146}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL }, pages = {21729-21741}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {CATALYTIC EPOXIDATION, DIOXYGEN ACTIVATION, NONHEME IRON, X-RAY-ABSORPTION}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.4c05849}, author = {Gera, Rahul and De, Puja and Singh, Kundan K. and Jannuzzi, Sergio A. V. and Mohanty, Aisworika and Velasco, Lucia and Kumar, Pankaj and Marco, J. F. and Nagarajan, Kalaivanan and Pecharroman, Carlos and Rodriguez-Pascual, P. M. and DeBBeer, Serena and Moonshiram, Dooshaye and Gupta, Sayam Sen and Dasgupta, Jyotishman} } @article {49027, title = {Tridentate NacNac tames T-shaped nickel(I) radical}, journal = {Chemistry- a european journal}, volume = {30}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The reaction of a nickel(II) chloride complex containing a tridentate beta-diketiminato ligand with a picolyl group [2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)]Ni(II)Cl (1)] with KSi(SiMe3)3 conveniently afforded a nickel(I) radical with a T-shaped geometry (2). The compound{\textquoteright}s metalloradical nature was confirmed through electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies and its reaction with TEMPO, resulting in the formation of a highly unusual three-membered nickeloxaziridine complex (3). When reacted with disulfide and diselenide, the S-S and Se-Se bonds were cleaved, and a coupled product was formed through carbon atom of the pyridine-imine group. The nickel(I) radical activates dihydrogen at room temperature and atmospheric pressure to give the monomeric nickel hydride. A thermally stable, T-shaped, nickel(I) radical was straightforward obtained by reduction of a tridentate nacnac nickel(II) chloride with KSi(TMS)3. The metalloradical character of the compound was demonstrated by the formation of a highly unusual nickeloxaziridine complex upon addition of TEMPO. The Ni(I) species displays a rich chemistry towards activation S-S, and Se-Se bond leading to unusual C-C coupled product as well as dihydrogen activation at room temperature and atmospheric pressure to generate monomeric nickel hydride.+image

}, keywords = {C-C Bond formation, Hydrogen Activation, Metalloradical, Nickel, Tridentate nacnac}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202303957}, author = {Pahar, Sanjukta and Sharma, Vishal and Raj, K. Vipin and Sangole, Mayur P. and George, Christy P. and Singh, Kirandeep and Vanka, Kumar and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {49247, title = {Tyramine-mediated hyperactivity modulates the dietary habits in Helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY}, volume = {50}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT}, pages = {453-464}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {amines, Behavior, dopamine, octopamine, RECEPTOR, sensitivity, SULFAKININ}, issn = {0098-0331}, doi = {10.1007/s10886-024-01515-9}, author = {Patil, Yogita P. and Gawari, Shyam K. and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Joshi, Rakesh S.} } @article {49265, title = {Unprecedented C-F bond cleavage in perfluoronaphthalene during cobaltocene reduction}, journal = {DALTON TRANSACTIONS}, volume = {53}, year = {2024}, month = {NOV }, pages = {17789-17793}, type = {Journal Article}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d4dt02791d}, author = {Kundu, Gargi and Pramanik, Debjit and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Kumar, Ravi and Sangole, Mayur and Tothadi, Srinu and Ghosh, Aryya and Vanka, Kumar and Singh, Kirandeep and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {49059, title = {Unraveling the cooperative mechanisms in ultralow copper-loaded WC@NGC for enhanced CO2 electroreduction to acetic acid}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials }, volume = {36}, year = {2024}, month = {MAR }, pages = {3464-3476}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO(2)RR) has been explored on tungsten carbide (WC) nanoparticles embedded on N-doped graphitic carbon (NGC), demonstrating excellent activity toward the formation of acetic acid at an extremely lower potential. The activity has been further enhanced by loading ultralow copper sites into the catalyst system, exhibiting 80.02\% Faradaic efficiency (FE) toward acetic acid at an applied potential of -0.3 V (vs RHE). Potential-dependent in situ infrared (IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, ex situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies, and computational analysis confirm that synergy between uniformly dispersed Cu atoms and WC lattice plays a crucial role in the formation of acetic acid with high FE at a lower potential. It has been observed that the W atom of WC strongly chemisorbs CO2 with a significant change in the C-O bond length and the O-C-O bond angle, in contrast to weaker adsorption on Cu-based catalyst surfaces. The presence of a Cu site enhances the adsorption of CO2, thereby increasing the possibility of C-C coupling kinetically. Most importantly, hydrogen evolution predominates on the catalyst{\textquoteright}s surface at higher applied potentials (-0.5 to -1.1 V vs RHE), elucidating the mechanism underlying enhanced charge transfer between copper and WC, a phenomenon ascertained through in situ IR spectroscopy and ex situ XPS analysis

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c00405}, author = {Bagchi, Debabrata and Riyaz, Mohd and Raj, Jithu and Roy, Soumyabrata and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Cherevotan, Arjun and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {49347, title = {Unravelling polymorphism-driven luminescence in GFP chromophore analogues: insights into the phase transition and morphology-dependent optical waveguide properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {12}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN }, pages = {8368-8379}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The advent of multi-emission organic solid-state materials in response to external stimuli has sparked the scientific community due to their potential application in developing sophisticated optoelectronic sensors and bioanalytical tools. This article presents green fluorescent protein chromophore (GFPc) analogue-based polymorphs exhibiting significantly different emissions due to various noncovalent interactions in the supramolecular environment and conformational alterations in the crystalline state. In both compounds (A and B), the polymorphs undergo monotropic thermal phase transitions that are characterized by DSC, HSM, and VT-PXRD techniques. The distinct fluorescent emission characteristics of these polymorphs demonstrated morphology-related optical waveguiding features. Specifically, the plate-type Form A1 emitted light with a 2D blue hue, while the needle-type Form A2 emitted light with a yellowish-green colour. Additionally, the impressive waveguiding capabilities of Form B1 were explored in both straight and singly/doubly bending configurations to facilitate fluorescence propagation. Consequently, there is significant interest in developing organic materials based on GFP chromophores, which exhibit low emission in solution but display multi-fluorescent emission in the solid state. These materials are promising for applications such as optoelectronic devices, security tags, live cell imaging, and fluorescent inks. Polymorphs of GFPc analogs A and B display differences in their optical waveguiding properties in 1D and 2D depending on the crystal shapes. Furthermore, Form B1 demonstrates efficient optical waveguiding capabilities even when the crystal is bent.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/d3tc04676a}, author = {Dabke, Niteen B. and Raut, Yash and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {49381, title = {Unravelling the prebiotic origins of the simplest α-ketoacids in cometary ices: a computational investigation}, journal = {CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS}, volume = {60}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT }, pages = {11283-11286}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {GLYOXYLATE, Hydrocarbons, Metabolism, Precursors}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d4cc03074e}, author = {Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Pandya, Rinu and Singh, Geetika and Sharma, Himanshu and Das, Tamal and Haldar, Hritwik and Hotha, Srinivas and Vanka, Kumar} } @article {49286, title = {Unveiling a promising active host material for sodium metal anodes through V2AlC max derivation}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {7}, year = {2024}, month = {JUL }, pages = {6084-6089}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To address the issue of nonuniform sodium deposition, in this study, V2ZnC (named VZC), which is synthesized by substituting Zn for Al in V2AlC, is used as a host material to facilitate effective Na utilization. The key concept is to utilize Zn and its forms as an active site to trap Na, while the high mechanical strength of VZC can accommodate volume changes in the sodium metal anode during charging and discharging. VZC displayed regulated plating and stripping at a higher current and capacity of 8 mA cm-2 and 2 mAh cm(-2), respectively, with Coulombic efficiency close to 99.99\%.

}, keywords = {electrodes, Nucleation, overpotential, sodium metal, XPS depth profiling}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.4c01059}, author = {Wasnik, Kundan and Patrike, Apurva and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {49299, title = {Unveiling different structural orderings in Fe5-xGeTe2}, journal = {Physical Review B}, volume = {110}, year = {2024}, month = {AUG}, pages = {075119}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We investigate the metallic van der Waals itinerant ferromagnet Fe5-xGeTe2 5 - x GeTe 2 with atomic scale, spatially resolved low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and spectroscopy (STS). STM images unveil / / a new structural order 2a a x 1a a along with the known order 3a a x 3a a manifesting as nonuniform domains. STS shows spatial and energy resolved local density of states that reveal the crucial influence of Fe(1) site occupancy on the system{\textquoteright}s electronic interactions. Our magnetization measurements show magnetic anomalies at lower temperatures and identify a Curie temperature (Tc) c ) surpassing room temperature. Collectively, our results elucidate the intricate nature of Fe5-xGeTe2 5 - x GeTe 2 and underscore its potential for tunability of spintronics and high-temperature magnetic applications.

}, issn = {2469-9950}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.110.075119}, author = {Walve, Vaibhav and Parakh, Piyush and Rajput, Umashankar and Mhase, Akash S. and Singh, Kirandeep and Deshpande, Aparna} } @article {49052, title = {Unveiling electronic structure and magnetic properties of AFe2O4 (A = Co, Ni, Zn, and Mg): Synergizing experimentation with DFT investigation}, journal = {Solid State Communications}, volume = {382}, year = {2024}, month = {APR }, pages = {115459}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study presents the synthesis of nano-crystalline spinel ferrites AFe2O4 (A = Co2+, Ni+2, Zn+2, and Mg+2), through the sol-gel method, yielding crystallite sizes ranging from 12 to 28 nm. The variation in IR and Raman spectra due to M-O-M bonding supports the variation in lattice parameters. The magnetization measurements revealed that CoFe2O4 has a high saturation magnetization of -55 emu/g and coercivity of -1350 Oe, while ZnFe2O4 exhibited saturation magnetization value of -8 emu/g and coercivity of -16 Oe. In addition, the electronic structure calculated using DFT, which corroborated the antiparallel alignment of Fe ions in the tetrahedral and octahedral sites, validating the measured magnetic moments. Notably, the CoFe2O4 ferrite exhibited a higher squareness ratio than other ferrites, signifying its suitability as a magnetic material for audiovideo recording.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, Ferrites, Magnetic materials, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0038-1098}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssc.2024.115459}, author = {Dhaka, Saroj and Shukla, Aarti and Garima and Poonia, Kavita and Kumar, Sudesh} } @article {48974, title = {Valorizing biomass waste glycerol to fuel additive at room temperature using a nanostructured WO3/Nb2O5 catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Communications }, volume = {186}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We developed a nanostructured catalyst consisting of WO3 nanoparticles and Nb2O5 nanorods for efficient glycerol acetalization to produce a fuel additive (solketal) at room temperature. Particularly, the WO3/Nb2O5 nanocatalyst calcined at 400 degrees C (WO3/Nb2O5-4) contains W5+ species and optimum acid sites, which enhanced glycerol conversion (92.3\%) with 95.6\% of solketal selectivity at room temperature. The structure stability of the WO3/Nb2O5-4 catalyst during the reaction is showcased by hot-filtration study and XRD/XPS characterization. However, the inadequate regeneration of the Bronsted acid sites led to a gradual decrease in the recyclable activity of the WO3/Nb2O5-4 catalyst.

}, keywords = {Bronsted-Lewis acid sites, Fuel additive, Room-temperature glycerol acetalization, W5+species}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2023.106827}, author = {Putla, Suresh Babu and Subha, P. and Swapna, Bhattu and Singh, Nittan and Sudarsanam, Putla} } @article {49112, title = {Wide temperature enhanced sodium storage in tailored, sustainable sodiophilic biphasic N-doped carbon}, journal = {Materials Today Chemistry }, volume = {37}, year = {2024}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Alternative to Li-ion batteries(LIB), Na-ion batteries (NIB) and Na metal batteries (NMB) are gaining significant attention due to their low cost, abundance, and safety. By modulating microstructural properties such as graphitization, heteroatom doping, surface-rich functional groups, and interlayer d-spacing, Na-ion storage in NIB and Na plating/striping in NMB can be ameliorated. This study reports sodiophilic N-doped polymer-derived carbon (PDC) as an anode for NIB and host for Na metal in NMB. As NIB anode, PDC provides a storage capacity of 173 mAh g- 1 at 1 A g- 1 in half-cell and 84 mAh g- 1 at 1C (1C = 128 mAhg- 1) in full-cell with Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) cathode. As Na metal anode (NMA) host, a high columbic efficiency (C.E.) of 99.45\% for over 1000 cycles at 6 mA cm- 2_4 mAh cm-2 is obtained. Furthermore, fascinating wide temperature (50 degrees C and -20 degrees C) sodiumion storage is successfully demonstrated by PDC. Advanced X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the formation of stable and uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) composed of inorganic and organic components, X-ray microtomography confirmed uniform Na plating throughout the volume of the electrode analogous to Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) results. A sustainable and scalable promising biphasic NIB anode and sodiophilic host for Na metal was possible due to larger d-spacing, partial graphitization, high mesoporosity, N-doping, presence of surface functional groups, better charge transfer, and diffusion properties.

}, keywords = {Full-cell, Low and elevated temperatures, Na metal host, Polymer-derived carbon, Sodium-ion battery, X-ray tomography}, issn = {2468-5194}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtchem.2024.101978}, author = {Yadav, Poonam and Das, Anoushka K. and Torris, Arun and Wasnik, Kundan and Koppisetti, Heramba Venkata Sai Rama Murthy and Pol, Vilas G. and Shelke, Vilas and Shelke, Manjusha} } @article {49647, title = {ZrO2 supported Cu nanoparticles for sonogashira and ullmann coupling reactions under palladium-free conditions}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {154}, year = {2024}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3078-3090}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cu nanoparticles supported on ZrO2 (CuNPs@ZrO2) were synthesized using a one-step co-precipitation process, and their application in C-C coupling reactions was investigated. The catalyst was characterized using XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, and TGA techniques. The prepared catalyst was used for the Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions of aryl bromides with phenyl-acetylene in the presence of K2CO3 in DMF at 110 degrees C, which resulted in substituted alkynes with good to excellent yields. The protocol was also extended for the Ullmann coupling reactions of aryl iodides under similar reaction conditions, yielding the desired products with good to excellent yields without homo-coupling. Interestingly, unlike other copper catalysts, the present catalyst worked under air and did not require an inert atmosphere to prevent alkyne. This catalytic system is versatile, tolerant, and significantly cheaper than the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}traditional{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling of terminal alkynes with aryl halides. The catalyst could be reused for five catalytic cycles with no significant change in the product yield. All of these characteristics make our prepared CuNPs@ZrO2 catalyst quite suitable for the gram-scale synthesis of biaryls and alkynes, with a simple workup.{GRAPHIACAL ABSTRACT

}, keywords = {CuNPs, Recyclability, Sonogashira coupling, Ullmann coupling, ZrO2}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-023-04513-w}, author = {Patil, Seema P. and Rajmane, Archana S. and Jadhav, Sanjay N. and Rajmane, Vijaya S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Kumbhar, Arjun S.} } @article {49538, title = {32nd National Congress of Parasitology, Pune: bringing together India{\textquoteright}s parasitologists}, journal = {Trends in Parasitology}, volume = {41}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-7}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The 32nd National Congress of Parasitology (NCP) was held in person, 3-5 October 2024, at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IISER Pune), jointly organized by IISER Pune; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Chemical Laboratory, Pune; and Savitribai Phule Pune University (formerly University of Pune) in association with the Indian Society for Parasitology. The conference brought together around 250 attendees from across the country and abroad, including a diverse group of researchers, clinicians, industry experts, and students. The event provided a collaborative environment for exchanging research ideas relevant to the field of parasitology. The congress emphasized the concept of One Health, a holistic approach to address parasitic infections affecting humans and animals to promote overall health and well-being. In this TrendsTalk, the organizers provide an overview of the conference proceedings, which brought together India{\textquoteright}s vast and diverse parasitology community.

}, issn = {1471-4922}, doi = {10.1016/j.pt.2024.10.022}, author = {Purkayastha, Devatrisha and Pandit, Kushankur and Upadrasta, Sindhuri and Khilari, Ajinkya and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Karmodiya, Krishanpal} } @article {49502, title = {Accessing polysubstituted 2-cyclopentenones via base-mediated annulation of β-keto esters and phenacyl bromides}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {23}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4519-4524}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A transition metal-free method is demonstrated for the synthesis of polysubstituted 2-cyclopentenone compounds, which involves the direct annulation of phenacyl bromide with beta-keto esters in a single step. This process proceeds through a base-mediated SN2 nucleophilic substitution, followed by an intramolecular aldol condensation, resulting in the formation of three C-C bonds and one ring in a cascade manner. The experimental results achieved a record high yield of highly substituted diverse 2-cyclopentenone analogues, which exhibit very good structural resemblance to biologically significant natural compounds.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d4ob02088j}, author = {Kumar, Mohit and Paul, Vincent and Gamidi, Rama Krishna and Senthilkumar, Beeran} } @article {49969, title = {Advanced zinc-polymer composites for marine corrosion protection and self-healing}, journal = {NPJ Materials Degradation}, volume = {9}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, pages = {150}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Steel corrosion in saltwater costs over \$2.5 trillion annually. This review highlights advancements in zinc and polymer-based coatings for marine protection. It covers traditional methods and emerging technologies like nanoparticle-enhanced alloys, conducting polymers, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), and 2D materials. These offer improved resistance, self-healing, and intelligent protection with a future focus on sustainability and extended service life for marine infrastructure.

}, doi = {10.1038/s41529-025-00698-0}, author = {Sharma, Sanjay and Girish, Santhosh and Nayaka, G. P. and Shiva Samhitha, S. and Pilliadugula, Rekha and Shivamurthy, B. P. and Gurumurthy, S. C. and Ruiz-Robles, Mitchel A. and Rojas, D. and Surabhi, Srivathsava} } @article {49514, title = {Advances in polymer electrolyte design strategies for highly efficient supercapacitors and Zn-based batteries}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {61}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY }, pages = {6864-6881}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrolytes play a crucial role in the performance of electrochemical energy storage systems, such as batteries and supercapacitors. Their main function is to act as a medium for ion transport between the electrodes, which is essential for the charge and discharge processes. Beyond this, the electrochemical performance of the device is strongly affected by the various properties of the electrolytes such as their ionic conductivity, chemical, thermal and electrochemical stability, chemical compatibility, etc. The intrinsic limitations of the aqueous electrolytes such as their decomposition during high voltage operations has led to the development of better electrolytes for batteries and supercapacitors. These included non-aqueous electrolytes, inorganic solid-state electrolytes, and gel polymer electrolytes. This feature article reviews the various approaches to designing a highly efficient polymer electrolyte for the targeted application along with the suitable device fabrication strategy adopted in the current literature to achieve a balanced electrochemical performance compared with a liquid electrolyte-based device.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d5cc00174a}, author = {Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Babu, Athira and Kurian, Maria and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49851, title = {Ag(I)-catalyzed heterocyclization/[3+2] cycloaddition of α-alkynylenones with β-enaminones: tandem access to highly substituted cyclopenta[c]furans}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {90}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP }, pages = {12466-12479}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A robust Ag(I)-catalyzed tandem heterocyclization/[3 + 2] cycloaddition of alpha-alkynylenones with beta-enaminones was developed, enabling efficient synthesis of cyclopenta[c]furans with good yields, operational simplicity, and broad substrate scope. In addition, it also presents an extended methodology to synthesize unsymmetrical tri(hetero)aryl methane having chromone and furan/pyrrole scaffolds by a slight modification of starting materials. Moreover, the synthesized cyclopenta[c]furans exhibit good fluorescence properties with quantum yields ranging from 0.33 to 0.53, as suggested by the photophysical studies.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.5c01707}, author = {Vara, Vijay and Thete, Kishor R. and Panikar, Sera Deepu and Khan, Akram A. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {49858, title = {Aldol Condensation of Furfural with Acetone by Using Mg-Al-O-t-Bu HT Catalyst and Kinetic Studies}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {64}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, pages = {24938-24948}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An environment-friendly method for producing jet fuel precursors involves the aldol condensation of biomass-derived chemicals. In this study, the condensation reaction between furfural and acetone was performed using a Mg-Al-O-t-Bu hydrotalcite (HT) catalyst, achieving a furfural conversion of 99\% and a selectivity of 82\% toward 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one (FAc). The kinetics of the process were evaluated using a Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) model across a range of temperatures, and the model showed an excellent fit to the experimental data. The effect of different catalysts, reaction temperatures, catalyst loadings, molar ratios, and reaction times was systematically investigated. The Mg-Al-O-t-Bu HT catalyst was extensively analyzed through techniques such as XRD, XPS, FTIR, nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, and CO2-TPD. The catalyst exhibited excellent stability, maintaining its performance consistently across five successive reaction cycles with no notable decline in activity. These findings highlight the industrial relevance of Mg-Al-O-t-Bu HT as a robust and recyclable solid base catalyst for biomass upgrading, with strong potential for process scale-up in renewable fuel production.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.5c03287}, author = {Patil, Sneha and Kamble, Paresh and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Rathod, Virendra and Kantam, Mannepalli Lakshmi} } @article {49566, title = {Altered Octopamine synthesis impairs tyrosine metabolism affecting Helicoverpa armigera vitality}, journal = {Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology}, volume = {208}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {106323}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tyramine (1-hydroxylase (T(1H) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of octopamine (OA), a vital neurohormone in invertebrates. This study explores the expression patterns and functional role of Helicoverpa armigera T(1H (HaT(1H) across various tissues and developmental stages. HaT(1H expression was highest in the head and adult male stages, reflecting tissue-specific and developmental regulation. HaT(1H silencing significantly increased locomotion and decreased feeding behavior. OA supplementation in silenced insects or HaT(1H overexpression showed a contrary effect on locomotory and feeding behavior. In silico screening and inhibitory assays identified tomatidine, a tomato-derived metabolite, as a potent HaT beta H inhibitor with strong binding affinity. In vivo bioassays confirmed tomatidine{\textquoteright}s inhibitory effects, reducing feeding and increasing mortality in H. armigera. Modulation in HaT(1H expression or activity disturbs the tyrosine metabolic pathway, with altered levels of tyramine, octopamine, and dopamine. These results highlight HaT(1H as a key regulator of OA biosynthesis, influencing insect feeding, locomotion, and overall survival. The present study also introduces tomatidine as a potential candidate for insect control, given its ability to disrupt HaT beta H function. This work provides new insights into the physiological roles of HaT beta H and offers promising avenues for developing targeted pest management strategies.

}, keywords = {Helicoverpa armigera, Octopamine biosynthesis, Tomatidine, Tyramine (1-hydroxylase (HaT(1H), Tyrosine metabolic pathway}, issn = {0048-3575}, doi = {10.1016/j.pestbp.2025.106323}, author = {Patil, Yogita P. and Wagh, Deepti S. and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Gawari, Shyam K. and Pisalwar, Priyanka D. and Ahmed, Shadab and Joshi, Rakesh S.} } @article {49772, title = {Anode|electrolyte|cathode interface engineering to develop a robust zinc metal hydrogel battery}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, pages = {41105-41121}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The poor electrode-electrolyte interfaces in quasi-solid-state zinc metal batteries often hinder Zn2+ ion transport due to the poor compatibility of the gel electrolyte with the electrodes. This report proposes a dual-interface engineering strategy across the anode, cathode, and separator using a single hydrogel polymer electrolyte (HPE). The integration of vanadyl phosphate functionalized carbon nanotubes (VP/fCNT) into a commercial glass fiber (GF) separator, followed by a thin hydrogel coating and UV-light photopolymerization, resulted in a dual-interface engineered cathode-separator-electrolyte structure (VP/IC-EGF). To mitigate the dendritic growth, an artificial solid electrolyte interface was developed on Zn foil (AEI@Zn). The engineered GF (EGF) demonstrates a room-temperature conductivity of 6.5 mS cm-1 and a high electrochemical stability window of 2.4 V vs. Zn|Zn2+. The symmetric cell with AEI@Zn|EGF|AEI@Zn exhibits exceptional plating/stripping stability over 1400 h at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2 and a capacity of 0.1 mAh cm-2. Moreover, the low-volume cell (AEI@Zn \& Vert;VP/IC-EGF), featuring the dual-interface-engineered cathode-separator-electrolyte, demonstrates outstanding cycling stability with over 3000 charge-discharge cycles at a current rate of 1.0 A g-1, retaining 98-99\% of its initial capacity and showing high coulombic efficiency. These findings underscore the significant impact of interface engineering on enhancing the performance of ZMBs.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d5ta04128g}, author = {Dilwale, Swati and Babu, Athira and Kanheerampockil, Fayis and Torris, Arun and Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Bhat, Suresh and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49542, title = {Anomalous membrane organization by omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {27}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {6235-6248}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Omega fatty acids are currently being marketed as healthy food supplements as they have been implicated in multiple pathophysiological conditions, such as reducing plaque formation of A beta peptide and inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their mode of action has been hypothesized to be via membrane reorganization by the unsaturated acyl chains, leading to the modulation of lipid-protein cross-talk. However, the lack of molecular details led us to evaluate the molecular effect of omega-6 (linolenic acid) and omega-9 (oleic acid) fatty acids on membrane organization using a consolidated approach of fluorescence spectroscopy and all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. Our results show that the effect of these omega fatty acids is sensitive to their protonation states. Contrary to the accepted notion that chain unsaturation causes membrane disordering, both experimental and simulation results demonstrate that protonated linoleic acid promotes membrane ordering, despite having two unsaturations at the fatty acyl chain. However, protonated oleic fatty acid, with reduced unsaturation, disordered the acyl chain area of the lipid membranes. Equally surprisingly, deprotonated oleic acid orders, whereas deprotonated linoleic acid disorders, the membrane core region. Interestingly, while the lipid order parameter measurements from simulations did not capture these subtle differences, the calculated rotational autocorrelation function of a membrane dye was in line with experimentally measured apparent rotational correlation times. Our work provides a comprehensive revised molecular picture of the effect of omega fatty acids on membranes and highlights the importance of rigorous comparative approaches, as experimental and simulation studies in isolation can sometimes lead to inconsistent results.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d4cp04370g}, author = {Porte, Sudha and Pandia, Swaratmika and Joardar, Ankita and Saraf, Deepashri and Pinjari, Aadil and Chakraborty, Hirak and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {49957, title = {Atomic Layer Deposition Grown Titania Phases (TiO2, TiO, Ti2O) and its Influence on Water Splitting Electrocatalysis}, journal = {Advanced Sustainable Systems}, volume = {9}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The systematic engineering of atoms and the precise tuning of their arrangement can unlock a range of hidden yet remarkable properties of materials. In this study, different phases of titanium oxide, including TiO2, TiO, and Ti2O, are developed using the Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technique. Notably, a novel TiO(2 )electride with a pbcn space group is identified, and variations in stoichiometries, such as Ti1.80O, Ti2.05O, and Ti2.30O, are observed through Rietveld analysis of the corresponding X-ray Diffraction (XRD) data. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging further revealed line defects such as stacking faults and edge dislocations in Ti2O. The interplay of stoichiometric defects in Ti2O electrides leads to tunable electrocatalytic behavior, enabling transitions from oxygen evolution to hydrogen evolution reactions. Importantly, using Density functional theory (DFT), Paterson analysis, and Fourier electron density mapping, the exceptional metallic properties of Ti2O are rationalized as arising from its unique spatial electron density distribution. Overall, this work underscores the significance of atomic-level structure engineering and opens the door to a new class of titanium oxide catalysts for electrochemical water splitting.

}, keywords = {atomic layer deposition, defect engineering, defect-rich titania, Electrocatalytic water splitting, Ti2O electrides}, issn = {2366-7486}, doi = {10.1002/adsu.202500152}, author = {Swaminathan, Jayashree and Palani, Parthiban and Salpekar, Devashish and Hernandez, Francisco Carlos Robles and Ashokkumar, Meiyazhagan and Ajayan, Pulickel M.} } @article {49904, title = {Atomically dispersed Co-Cu dual active sites in carbon networks as an efficient oxygen electrocatalyst}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {54}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT }, pages = {15500-15511}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Single-atom metal-based electrocatalysts offer extended advantages by maximizing the utilization of active sites but often suffer from complex synthesis processes and low-density metal loading. The present work showcases a strategic design for integrating highly dense cobalt-copper dual atoms dispersed on a nitrogen-rich porous carbon network (CoCu-NGC). The atomically dispersed CoCu-NGC outperforms the ORR and OER activities of their single metallic counterparts (Co-NGC or Cu-NGC) and conventional noble-metal based electrocatalysts (Pt/C and RuO2). Benefitting from the electronic modulation in the dual SAC system, the CoCu-NGC displayed outstanding bifunctional performance with low Delta E values of 0.69 V in freshwater and 0.78 V in seawater, highlighting it as a potential alternative to the costly state-of-art electrocatalysts.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d5dt01807b}, author = {Sinha, Nibedita and Das, Chandni and Pal, Santanu and Urkude, Rajashri R. and Ahmed, Tanbir and Ghosh, Biplab and Roy, Poulomi} } @article {49490, title = {Atroposelective construction of biaryls enabled by a Ni(II)-catalyzed aerobic oxidation strategy}, journal = {ACS Central Science}, volume = {11}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {187-189}, type = {News Item}, abstract = {

Enantioriched biaryls synthesis via aerobic oxidative cross-coupling of arenes involving\ bioinspired oxygen activation by Ni(II).

}, issn = {2374-7943}, doi = {10.1021/acscentsci.5c00169}, author = {Pradhan, Chandini and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49883, title = {Autoantibodies against Nε-carboxymethyl lysine and methylglyoxal modified albumin are associated with cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes}, journal = {International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries}, volume = {45}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1104-1110}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{Background Albumin is an abundant plasma protein which gets modified with advanced glycation end products (AGEs) predominantly in diabetic condition. AGE modification induces immune response and autoantibodies are generated which play an important role in disease pathology. Objective This study aimed to illustrate the role of autoantibodies against N epsilon-carboxymethyl lysine (CML) and methylglyoxal (MG) modified albumin in diabetic cardiovascular complications. MethodsType-2 diabetes subjects were enrolled and further grouped into stress test positive or stress test negative based on treadmill stress test (TMT). Autoantibody titer was quantified by ELISA assay for CML-modified albumin (stress test positive

}, keywords = {AGE, Atherosclerosis, Diabetes, Glycation, Immune response, ROC}, issn = {0973-3930}, doi = {10.1007/s13410-024-01435-0}, author = {Patil, Yugendra R. and Tiwari, Shalbha and Momin, Abdulrahaman A. and Unnikrishnan, A. G. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {49307, title = {Base-mediated denitrative C3-alkylation of quinoxaline derivatives}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {23}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN }, pages = {303-307}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have developed a novel base-mediated method for the selective C3-alkylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-one and N-protected quinoxalin-2(1H)-one using inexpensive, unactivated nitroalkanes. This approach tolerates a wide range of functional groups and supports the synthesis of various bioactive compounds. Gram-scale reactions demonstrate the scalability of the method. The proposed mechanism was validated by control experiments.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d4ob01571a}, author = {Pansare, Vaibhav Ramachandra and Barsu, Nagaraju} } @article {49606, title = {Benchmarking a dual-scale hybrid simulation framework for small globular proteins combining the CHARMM36 and Martini2 models}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Graphics \& Modelling}, volume = {135}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {108926}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Multi-scale models in which varying resolutions are considered in a single molecular dynamics simulation setup are gaining importance in integrative modeling. However, combining atomistic and coarse-grain resolutions, especially for coarse-grain force fields derived from top-down approaches, have not been well explored. In this study, we have implemented and tested a dual-resolution simulation approach to model globular proteins in atomistic detail (represented by the CHARMM36 model) with the surrounding solvent in Martini2 coarse-grain detail. The hybrid scheme considered is an extension of a model implemented earlier for mainly lipid and water molecules. We have considered a set of small globular proteins and have extensively compared to atomistic benchmark simulations as well as a host of experimental observables. We show that the protein structural dynamics sampled in the hybrid scheme is robust, and the intra-protein contact maps are reproduced, despite increased fluctuations of the loop regions. A good match is observed with experimental small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and NMR observables, such as chemical shifts and (3)J((HN-H alpha))-coupling, with the best match obtained for the chemical shifts. However, deviations are observed in the water dynamics and protein-water interactions which we attribute to the limitation of solvent screening in the coarse-grain force field. The computational speed-up achieved is about 2-3 times compared to an all-atom system. Overall, the hybrid model is able to retain the main features of the underlying atomistic conformational landscape with a two-fold speed-up in computational cost.

}, keywords = {Hybrid simulations, Martini force-field, Mixed models, Multi-scale simulations}, issn = {1093-3263}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmgm.2024.108926}, author = {Yadav, Manjul and Kharche, Shalmali and Prakash, Shikha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {49783, title = {Bio-based poly(isobornyl acrylate)-b-(citronellyl methacrylate) block copolymers by PET-RAFT polymerization: thiol-ene modification and adhesion studies}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {62}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP }, pages = {728-736}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, poly(isobornyl acrylate)-b-poly(citronellyl methacrylate) (PIBA-b-PCMA) block copolymers were synthesized with controlled molecular weights and low dispersity using photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization of isobornyl acrylate (IBA) and citronellyl methacrylate (CMA), both terpene-derived monomers. A series of block copolymers was obtained by varying the chain length of PCMA block. Kinetics study of the polymerization of IBA and CMA using 4-cyano-(((dodecylthio)carbonothioyl)thio)pentanoic acid (CDTPA) as chain transfer agent showed a linear plot of ln[M]0/[M]t vs time indicating first order reaction. Distinct glass transition temperatures were observed for the individual blocks and enhanced thermal stability was seen with increasing PCMA content. Post-polymerization modification of the polymer was demonstrated using thiol-ene reaction with the vinyl group in the pendent citronellyl moiety. Adhesion performance, evaluated through lap shear test on aluminum substrates, showed that the block copolymers achieved peak shear strengths of 1.74 MPa at a 38:62 PIBA:PCMA mole ratio.

}, keywords = {adhesion strength, Bio-based polymers, block copolymers, PET-RAFT polymerization, Thiol-ene reaction}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601325.2025.2546128}, author = {Hetkale, Pragati M. and Purohit, Poorvi M. and Nair, Kiran Sukumaran and Ambade, Ashootosh V.} } @article {49578, title = {Br{\o}nsted basic TMMM-hydrotrope combined catalytic system for the synthesis of diverse dihydropyranochromenes in water at ambient temperature}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {49}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {8131-8142}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This work describes the synthesis of a range of bioactive chromenes using a solid Br \& oslash;nsted organic base called {\textquoteleft}tris(morpholinomethyl)mesitylene{\textquoteright} (TMMM). TMMM was obtained in high yields by treating tris(bromomethyl)mesitylene (TBMM) with morpholine in the presence of K2CO3 in acetonitrile at RT. It was characterized using 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. We developed a Br \& oslash;nsted base hydrotrope combined catalytic system (BBHC) by combining TMMM and a hydrotrope (sodium p-toluene sulphonate: NaPTS) for the cascade-type Knoevenagel-Michael addition reactions of various aldehydes and malononitrile with kojic acid, 4-hydroxy coumarin, dimedone, and lawsone in water. The methodology offers diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) of dihydropyranochromenes in high yields. The BBHC catalytic system showed at least four times recyclability without appreciable loss of its activity. TMMM is an odorless, solid organic base that can be easily handled and is resistant to air and moisture. As TMMM is a solid base, it can reduce evaporation losses, improve safety and allow its easy recovery and reuse. TMMM acts as a powerful Br \& oslash;nsted base that activates reactants, while an aqueous solution of NaPTS acts as a hydrotrope that increases the solubility of organic compounds in water.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d5nj00663e}, author = {Rajmane, Archana and Jadhav, Aishwarya and Patil, Nita and Kumbhar, Arjun} } @article {49569, title = {Carbon capture from flue gases using an integrated membrane skid}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Science}, volume = {718}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {123674}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A prototype spiral-wound (SW) membrane module with a commercial-size diameter of 8 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} and a membrane area of 35 m(2) was fabricated using a new thin-film-composite facilitated transport membrane (FTM) scaled up to 21 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} in width by a continuous roll-to-roll coating process. This SW module was tested with an actual coal flue gas at the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) at the University of Kentucky, which exhibited an average CO2 permeance of 4269 GPU with a CO2/N-2 selectivity of 165 and remained stable for 100 h. The permeance and selectivity results are consistent with those determined from lab and scale-up flat-sheet samples. An integrated membrane skid was then constructed, where 2 SW membrane modules were arranged to form an enriching cascade. The 8 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}-diameter prototype SW module previously tested at CAER was installed as the primary CO2 capture stage, while a smaller SW module (5 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} diameter and 12 m(2) membrane area) was used to further enrich the CO2 to \>95\% purity. By using a simulated coal flue gas (13\% CO2), the skid was operated at steady-state for 800 h with 91.0\% of the CO2 removed from the flue gas, delivering 1.33 tonne/day CO2 product at 95.5\% dry purity. The bench skid was then installed at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), Wilsonville, AL and tested with an actual natural gas (NG) flue gas (8.6\% CO2). 90-99\% CO2 capture degrees were demonstrated during the parametric testing, and the skid was operated at steady state for 500 h cumulatively with 91.0\% CO2 capture and \>95\% CO2 purity. A simulated natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) flue gas (4.3\% CO2) slipstream was further provided by diluting the NG flue gas with air, and 90-99\% CO2 capture degrees were also achieved with dry CO2 purities all above 95\%. All these capture degrees and CO2 purities were in good agreement with their model predictions.

}, keywords = {Actual flue gas, carbon capture, Field trial, Integrated membrane skid, Membrane module}, issn = {0376-7388}, doi = {10.1016/j.memsci.2024.123674}, author = {Yang, Yutong and Han, Yang and Prasad, Babul and Pang, Ruizhi and Zou, Changlong and Ho, W. S. Winston} } @article {49796, title = {A carbon nanotube wrapped Na3V2(PO4)2F3 cathode with a dual cation electrolyte: enhancing high-voltage stability and cyclability in zinc-ion batteries}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, pages = {25631-25642}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) offer several compelling advantages as a safer and sustainable energy storage system. Polyanion-based cathodes, characterized by their comparatively higher voltage and structural stability, are promising for ZIBs. However, challenges hinder their practical applications, such as inferior rate capability and limited cycling stability. In this study, we constructed a carbon nanotube wrapped Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF-CNT) cathode integrated with a highly concentrated dual cation electrolyte (DCE) to enhance the electrochemical performance of ZIBs by enabling a synergistic Na+ and Zn2+ co-insertion mechanism. The DCE effectively regulates the solvation structure, stabilizes the solid electrolyte interface (SEI), minimizes free water molecules, thereby widening the electrochemical window and reducing the side reactions, and inhibits cathode dissolution. Consequently, the CNT-wrapped NVPF cathode exhibits an initial reversible capacity of 131.3 mAh g-1 at 0.05 A g-1, and retains 84\% of its capacity over 500 cycles at 1 A g-1, with a nominal voltage of similar to 1.5 V. This approach offers valuable insights into the potential of CNT-wrapped NVPF cathodes in combination with a DCE while providing a comprehensive framework for advancing high-performance ZIBs.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d5nr03371c}, author = {Pandey, Priyanshi and Shivade, Rajkiran and Deshmukh, Ashvini and Shelke, Manjusha} } @article {49592, title = {Catechin-capped silver-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticle enhanced photocatalytic toxic dye degradation}, journal = {Frontiers in Chemistry}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, pages = {1576504}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Doping-associated surface modification is a powerful strategy to enhance the photocatalytic potential of n-type semiconductor nanomaterials. Silver (Ag) is one of the most effective dopants that can result in the retardation of the electron hole recombination-generating Schottky barrier at the TiO2 interface with a simultaneous extension of absorption to the visible region. This work presents a study on the effect of catechin, a bioactive principle polyphenol compound found in various plants, on the synthesis, Ag-doping and stabilization of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2NPs). The nanoparticles were irregular in shape with sizes ranging from 19 to 30 nm. Ag-TiO2NPs were fabricated using TiO2 as a precursor and 1\%, 3\%, and 5\% AgNO3 as a doping agent. The average particle size of 1\%Ag-TiO2NPs, 3\%Ag-TiO2NPs, and 5\%Ag-TiO2NPs was 27.3 +/- 7.5 nm, 29.8 +/- 9.6 nm, and 25.0 +/- 9.0 nm, respectively. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed lattice fringes with an interplanar spacing of 0.23 nm corresponding to the Ag (111) plane in addition to the presence of the anatase phase of TiO2. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra exhibited a broad peak around 400-800 cm-1 that was attributed to Ti-O-Ti stretching vibrations which was slightly shifted in Ag-TiO2NPs due to changes in the local bonding environment around Ti atoms caused by interactions with Ag. Catechin loading in the TiO2NPs and Ag-TiO2NPs was between 1.55 and 3.3 wt. \%. TiO2NPs, 1\%Ag-TiO2NPs, 3\%Ag-TiO2NPs, and 5\%Ag-TiO2NPs exhibited superior photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye up to 78\%, 87\%, 91\%, and 92\%, respectively, and RhB dye up to 92\%, 94\%, 97\% and 99\%, respectively, with a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. Furthermore, its recyclability was also demonstrated for three cycles. The simplicity of fabrication and superior photocatalytic performance of TiO2 demonstrated here make this green route advantageous for environmental applications to treat dye contaminated effluent as well as for numerous other applications.

}, keywords = {catechin, green synthesis, methylene blue dye, Photocatalysis, Rhodamine B, silver doping, titanium dioxide nanoparticles}, issn = {2296-2646}, doi = {10.3389/fchem.2025.1576504}, author = {Ghosh, Sougata and Imboon, Tanawat and Layek, Rashbihari and Salunke, Gayatri and Parihar, Vijay Singh and Khumphon, Jeerawan and Webster, Thomas J. and Sutar, Santosh and Kityakarn, Sutasinne and Issro, Chaisak and Khamboonrueang, Dusadee and Thongmee, Sirikanjana} } @article {49707, title = {Characterization of a novel Tequatrovirus phage from pristine stretch of the Ganges River, India, in reducing bacterial load from sewage water}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {116315}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Effective treatment of wastewater (WW) and its reuse is necessary to meet certain sustainable development goals and a circular economy. Escherichia coli is one of the primary contaminants in the WW, and its extra-intestinal occurrence poses a considerable threat under one health. This study is the first report of a novel broadspectrum phage (\& fcy;ERS-1) isolated from a pristine stretch of the Ganges River in the biocontrol of E. coli, resistant to 3rd-and 4th generation cephalosporins and aztreonam. This is the first report of a phage from the Tequatrovirus genus to infect P. aeruginosa. The \& fcy;ERS-1 could reduce the abundance of E. coli cells by 8.22 log10 CFU/mL \<= 24 hrs. Additionally, phi ERS-1 disrupted the biofilm of E. coli with a reduction of 3.88 log10 CFU/mL. Further, phi ERS-1 could inhibit biofilm by multiple strains of E. coli (ATCC 8739, 25922, 43888) and multiple generaincluding E. coli ATCC 8739, Shigella boydii ATCC 9207, P. aeruginosa (ATCC 9027). The phage phi ERS-1 reduced bacterial counts in raw WW by 2 log10 CFU/mL and 4 log10 CFU/mL reduction in coliform-enriched WW in \<= 24 hours. Overall, this study suggests that phi ERS-1 could be used as an effective alternative to be combined with other treatments for improving the quality of WW disposal and environmental health by reducing the bacterial load.

}, keywords = {Antibiofouling, Biofilm, Coliform, Ganges, Green approach, Phages, wastewater}, issn = {2213-2929}, doi = {10.1016/j.jece.2025.116315}, author = {Samson, Rachel and Pawar, Ameya and Khairnar, Krishna and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {49548, title = {Characterization of novel phages KPAФ1, KP149Ф1, and KP149Ф2 for lytic efficiency against clinical MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae infections}, journal = {Microbial Pathogenesis}, volume = {202}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {107440}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Phage therapy offers a promising approach to the increasing antimicrobial resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae. This study highlights three novel lytic bacteriophages-KPAc1, KP149c1, and KP149c2-targeting multidrugresistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae. These phages belong to the Myoviridae and Podoviridae family and demonstrate their efficacy and stability across a wide range of temperatures (up to 60 degrees C) and pH levels (pH 4 to 11). Genomic analysis reveals that they are free from virulence, toxicity, and antimicrobial resistance genes, making them promising candidates for therapeutic use. Among these phages, KPAc1 showed the highest lytic activity with a 26.15\% lysis against MDR K. pneumoniae isolates. Additionally, a phage cocktail comprising all three phages improved lytic efficacy to 32.30\%. This study also examined the antimicrobial resistance profiles of K. pneumoniae isolates, emphasizing the critical need for alternative treatments. By effectively targeting resistant strains, these phages offer a potential candidacy to be used as a viable alternative or a complementary antimicrobial agent to traditional antibiotics, opening up the possibility for advanced phage-based therapies. The promising results from this study pave the way for developing new treatments that could significantly improve patient care and outcomes from the growing issue of resistant bacterial infections.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial resistance, Bacteriophage, MDR-Klebsiella pneumoniae, Phage cocktail, Phage therapy}, issn = {0882-4010}, doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2025.107440}, author = {Dandekar, Shraddha S. and Thanikkal, Sinta and Londhe, Arti and Bhutada, Pankhudi and Saha, Ujjayni and Pawar, Shubhankar and Samson, Rachel and Dharne, Mahesh and Saroj, Sunil D. and Koratkar, Santosh} } @article {49861, title = {Characterization of wound-induced electrical signals and reactive oxygen species in chickpea (Cicer arietinum)}, journal = {Plant Signaling \& Behavior}, volume = {20}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, pages = {2567930}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mechanical damage to plants triggers both localized and systemic responses that activate plant defense mechanisms. Early signaling events include calcium (Ca2+) flux, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and electrical alterations. These signals coordinate downstream defense pathways, enabling plant acclimation to biotic stress. Electrical signaling following wounding/herbivory has been extensively studied in Arabidopsis; however, its dynamics in crop plants such as chickpea (Cicer arietinum) are not well understood. The pattern of the SWP in chickpea was similar to that in Arabidopsis but with a longer repolarization phase and was detectable only within the leaflets. The signals generated by damaging the leaflet were more pronounced, propagated bidirectionally and varied between herbivore-susceptible and tolerant chickpea varieties. The SWP duration is correlated with increased expression of AOS and OPR3 transcripts, which are markers of the stress hormone JA. Additionally, ROS production in wounded chickpea leaflets is associated with increased expression of ROS-generating genes. The use of DPI, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, which is responsible for ROS production, inhibited SWP, suggesting the crucial role of ROS in wound-induced SWP. This study provides insight into the interplay between wound-induced electrical signaling and ROS production in chickpea and proposes the measurement of electrical signals as a rapid, noninvasive approach for screening crop cultivars for pest susceptibility and tolerance.

}, keywords = {Chickpea, Electrical signal, Plant defense, ROS, wound}, issn = {1559-2316}, doi = {10.1080/15592324.2025.2567930}, author = {Deshpande, Shweta and Pawar, Shivani and Kumari, Archana} } @article {49890, title = {Chlorophobic iron hydrogen phosphite as OER-active electrocatalyst in anion exchange membrane (sea)water electrolysis}, journal = {Small}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2505781}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Seawater electrolysis is recognized as a promising technology to cater to the worldwide drive for sustainable hydrogen production; however, its practical viability is often hindered by the inevitable anode corrosion arising from the electrode side reactions owing to the presence of high chloride content which eventually degrade the electrode performance eventually. Herein, the design of unprecedented ammonium iron hydrogen phosphite (FeHPhi) along with a trace amount of Cu, is reported as the unique and much desired electrode material for seawater electrolysis due to its special chloride repellant nature along with great electrocatalytic activity toward water oxidation. The [HPO3](2-) oxoanion as Lewis base in the structure effectively restricts chloride ions, while the Fe center acts as Lewis acid offering an active site for water oxidation, also well-supported theoretically. Leveraging this frustrated Lewis pair combination, the electrocatalyst achieves a high current density of 500 mA cm(-2) at 344 mV overpotential in alkaline real seawater with impressive robustness to sustain for 200 h when operated under chlorine evolution reaction dominating region (\>2 V). The electrocatalyst also demonstrates superior performance in anion exchange membrane freshwater and seawater electrolysis, demonstrating its potential applicability.

}, keywords = {AEM electrolyzer, chloride repellant, electrocatalyst, hydrogen production, seawater oxidation}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202505781}, author = {Das, Chandni and Sinha, Nibedita and Nair, Aathira and Pal, Santanu and Joshi, Kavita and Roy, Poulomi} } @article {49770, title = {CoBr2-catalyzed straightforward synthesis of quinoxalines via dehydrogenative coupling strategy}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {20}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Establishing a benign and straightforward protocol for synthesizing biorelevant and synthetically valuable quinoxaline is very important. Herein, we report a simple and efficient protocol for the sustainable synthesis of diverse quinoxaline derivatives catalyzed by cobalt salt. The reaction proceeds through the dehydrogenative coupling of alkyl and aryl ethane 1,2-diols with aryl diamines in the presence of a catalytic CoBr2/K2CO3. The usage of the greener solvent 2-MeTHF and the release of H2 and H2O as the sole byproducts make the process advantageous. The protocol led to the synthesis of diverse quinoxalines bearing synthetically useful functionalities, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo, cyano, trifluoromethyl, and ether. The reaction is presumed to proceed via the dehydrogenative-condensation pathway involving a cobalt-hydride intermediate.

}, keywords = {cobalt, dehydrogenative coupling, heterocycles, ligand-free process, Quinoxaline}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202500916}, author = {Dubey, Shivansh and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49887, title = {Cocrystals of the green fluorescence protein chromophore analogue: coformer-induced switch between AIE and ACQ}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {25}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7473-7488}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fluorescent organic solids hold great potential for advancing photonics applications. However, tuning their solid-state photoluminescent emissions remains a significant challenge. In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of five cocrystals (two cocrystal polymorphs) derived from a pristine imidazolinone derivative (A) and the various coformer molecules, namely 1,2,4,5-tetrafluoro-3,6-diiodobenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetrafluoro-3,6-dibromobenzene, perfluoronaphthalene, and 3,4,5-trifluorobenzoic acid. The structural and optical properties of these cocrystals were examined by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and photoluminescence decay spectroscopy. Cocrystals I, II, and III are isomorphous pairs and exhibit three-dimensional isostructurality, where the coformer molecules bridge adjacent helices of compound A, leading to aggregation-induced emission. In contrast, the cocrystal polymorphs IVA and IVB developed using coformer 3,4,5-trifluorobenzoic acid form two-dimensional sheet-like structures mediated by pi-stacking interactions between the coformers and molecule A, with interplanar distances ranging from 3.2 to 3.5 \& Aring;. These stronger pi-pi interactions promote nonradiative decay pathways, resulting in reduced or quenched fluorescence and an aggregation-caused quenching effect. To gain further insights into their electronic properties, theoretical analysis including frontier molecular orbitals, time-dependent density functional theory, Hirshfeld surface analysis, molecular electrostatic potential, and noncovalent interaction plots were performed.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.5c00559}, author = {Suresh, Sneha and Dabke, Niteen B. and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Dutta, Madhusudan and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {49936, title = {Comprehensive tissue specific analysis of antioxidant potential and metabolite profiling of a vulnerable therapeutic herb Ceropegia sahyadrica}, journal = {3 Biotech}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, pages = {434}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study investigated tissue-culture of an endangered medicinal herb, Ceropegia sahyadrica, along with tissue-specific variation in antioxidant activity and GC-MS based phytochemical profiling using wild and in vitro explants. In vitro leaf explants exhibited callus induction rate of 100\% in Murashige and Skoog media containing 6-benzylaminopurine (4 mu M) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2 mu M) with 5\% sucrose, whereas in vitro root explant achieved 66.7\% with the combination of 2 mu M 6-benzylaminopurine and 1 mu M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in Murashige and Skoog medium. Microtuberization was most pronounced in in vitro root explants with a maximum response of 73.3\% in 1 mu M indole-3-acetic acid, 2 mu M 6-benzylaminopurine and 5\% sucrose. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed distinct cellular organization among tissues. Further, antioxidant potential assessed through 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assays and estimated total phenolic content showed metabolic variation and commonality between in vitro and wild tissues. Additionally, phytochemical profiling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 201 compounds, including alkaloids, fatty acid methyl esters, flavonoids, phytosterols and other bioactive molecules with alterations in metabolite profiles between in vitro and wild tissues. These findings demonstrated that explant origin and culture condition might significantly influence metabolic responses for conservation and ensures a reliable source of bioactive compound.

}, keywords = {Ceropegia- Conservation, Endemic medicinal herb, GC-MS, Metabolite profiling, Tuberization}, issn = {2190-572X}, doi = {10.1007/s13205-025-04582-1}, author = {Pandey, Meena and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Saraf, Purva S. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {49501, title = {Confined impinging jet reactor for high-throughput continuous flow mononitration of salicylic acid}, journal = {Organic Process Research \& Development}, volume = {29}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {479-489}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Novel approach is reported for highly efficient continuous mononitration of salicylic acid using confined impinging jet reactor (CIJR) with a vent. Initially, controlled semibatch reactions are optimized to achieve complete conversion and formation of mononitro products with very high selectivity for 5-nitrosalicylic acid (5-NSA). Further, the combination of computational fluid dynamics simulations and experiments is employed to optimize CIJR design and operating flow conditions, suitable to yield only mononitro products with excellent control over mixing, heat transfer, and liberation of fumes during continuous flow reaction. Detailed analysis of internal flow patterns, rate of heat generation, and concentration distribution inside the CIJR facilitated the optimization of present exothermic reaction in a safe manner. In less than a minute, complete salicylic acid (SA) conversion with good yield and better selectivity for 5-NSA is achieved using the CIJR. Safety and clogging issues are addressed effectively, even at a relatively lower mole ratio (1:5) of SA:acetic acid (AcOH). The present approach is quite scalable using the numbering-up strategy, with advantages viz. nonfouling, high throughput, and the small footprint of CIJR.

}, keywords = {computational fluid dynamics, confined impinging jet reactor, high-throughput synthesis, salicylic acid nitration}, issn = {1083-6160}, doi = {10.1021/acs.oprd.4c00467}, author = {Khan, Muzammilanwar S. and Shaikh, Tabrez R. and Kulkarni, Sphurti P. and Patil, Abhishek A. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {49688, title = {Conjugate addition/cyclization of propanal with isatylidene malononitriles: an efficient one-pot organocatalytic approach for the synthesis of 3'-methyl spiro[2H-pyran-3,4'-indoline]}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {23}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6214-6219}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The organocatalyzed one-pot Michael addition reaction of propanal to isatylidene malononitriles remains largely unexplored due to challenges in controlling the reaction and preventing side processes such as aldol condensation, self-aldolization, and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. In this study, we introduce a one-pot methodology for the synthesis of 3 {\textquoteleft}-alkyl spiro[2H-pyran-3,4 {\textquoteleft}-indoline] via an organocatalyzed Michael addition of simple propanal to isatylidene malononitrile derivatives, which are generated in situ from isatin derivatives and malononitrile. Subsequent reduction of the Michael adduct with NaBH4 leads to the target product with high efficiency under mild conditions. This strategy offers several advantages, including environmental sustainability, high to excellent yields, shorter reaction times, cost-effectiveness, and ease of implementation.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d5ob00553a}, author = {Patil, Baliram R. and Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Girase, Amardipsing S. and Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {49608, title = {Continuous flow solvent-free and catalyst-free mechanochemical production of rhodamine B dyes and their derivatives}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {61}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN }, pages = {2131-2134}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this communication, we have described a simple and efficient, catalyst free and solvent-free protocol for the continuous flow synthesis of rhodamine B dyes developed from 3-diethyl amino phenol and phthalic anhydride. Nearly 95\% conversion was achieved within 12 min using a jacketed single screw reactor. This method is further used for the synthesis of six derivatives with 70-84\% yield, which can be compared to 85\% yield from a 1-hour long batch synthesis involving a catalyst.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d4cc04197f}, author = {Purohit, Mukesh and Shaikh, Tabrez Rafique and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {49557, title = {Cyclopropane containing triterpenoids, cycloartenone, and cycloartenol: isolation, chemical transformations, and anticancer studies}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {10}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {e202403698}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cycloartenone and cycloartenol, two plant-derived triterpenoids possessing cyclopropane ring were isolated from the latex of Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit). Cycloartenol was chemically modified to synthesize dihydrocycloartenol via acetylation and deacetylation methodology followed by hydrogenation. Hydroxyl group present in the cycloartenol was also employed for the nitro benzoate formation. All the isolated and synthesized compounds were assayed against MCF7 breast cancer cell line for their anticancer properties.

}, keywords = {Anticancer studies, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Chemical transformations, Cycloartenol, Cycloartenone}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202403698}, author = {Paul, Sayantan and Mandal, Kartik and Santra, Manas K. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {49584, title = {DABCO dicationic ionic solid supported polymer (DDIS@PS) mediated synthesis of diverse 2-amino-4H-chromenes and xanthenes: a cascade Knoevenagel-Michael approach}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {49}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3644-3653}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This work documented the synthesis of diverse bioactive polysubstituted 2-amino-4H-chromenes using a DABCO dicationic ionic solid (DDIS) supported on Merrifield resin (DDIS@PS) as a catalyst. The catalyst is characterized by FT-IR, SEM-EDX, and TGA analysis. The resulting PS contains supported DABCO units with free tertiary nitrogen functionality on their external surface. The catalyst effectively catalyzed cascade Knoevenagel-Michael addition reactions of various aldehydes and active methylene compounds (malononitrile and phenyl sulfonyl acetonitrile) with dimedone, yielding good to excellent results in water or ethanol at room temperature or 78 degrees C. The time required for the reaction of phenyl sulfonyl malononitrile is comparatively very high compared to malononitrile. The synthesis of bis-dimedone derivatives and 1,8-dioxo-octahydro-xanthenes was also achieved in both solvents at RT and 78 degrees C, with high yields. The catalyst demonstrated greater efficiency and maintained its activity over at least five cycles.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d4nj04366a}, author = {Rajmane, Archana and Patil, Nita and Patil, Anuradha and Kamble, Sumit and Kumbhar, Arjun} } @article {49587, title = {Deciphering the intricate mechanisms behind the selective oxidation of methane to C1 and C2 oxygenates over FeAu/γ-Al2O3 catalysts}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {512}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {162510}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we demonstrate an eco-benign synthesis protocol for preparing gold nanoparticles and the role of the strong interaction between gold nanoparticles and iron oxide in FeAu/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts that render it an anionic (Au delta-) character while tailoring them in a smaller size. The multifunctional FeAu/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst selectively produces ethanol (95 \% selectivity, similar to 240 mu mol(-1) cat) at a mild temperature of 75 degrees C without the addition of co-reactants during liquid phase methane oxidation with molecular oxygen. Conversely, Au/gamma-Al2O3 and Fe/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts exhibited high selectivity for CH3OH and HCHO. A high dispersion accompanied by strong electronic interaction between the Au delta{\textendash}FeOx, as corroborated by diverse techniques, enables methane activation across the interface and coupling on the gold nanoparticles, which are responsible for the markedly improved formation of ethanol. Furthermore, in situ DRIFTS studies and DFT investigations point to a reaction mechanism of coupling of CH2OH and CH3 intermediates as the most likely route for ethanol formation.

}, keywords = {Anionic gold catalysts, Au-FeOx synergism, C-H bond activation, Ethanol, Methane oxidation, Methanol}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2025.162510}, author = {Prabu, Marimuthu and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Rengam, B. Sathya Sai and Ramakrishnan, Archana and Raja, Abhishekram and Urkude, Rajashri R. and Ghosh, Biplab and Varghese, Jithin John and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {49421, title = {Depolymerization of waste polycarbonates to value-added products}, journal = {ChemSusChem}, volume = {18}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Additive free aminolysis method developed for the depolymerization/upcycling of polycarbonates. We report here chemical recycling of polycarbonate under ambient conditions to get its monomer bisphenol A, monoaminocarbamate and biscarbamates in 1 : 2 : 1 ratio respectively. By employing the secondary amine as the aminating reagent, facilitates the depolymerization to work under additive/catalyst free conditions. The developed method deals with depolymerization of waste polycarbonates and works even with late-stage amine derivatives such as amoxapine and desloratadine which are drugs molecules known to treat neurotic disorders and allergies respectively. The reaction can be scaled up and works with similar efficacy which depicts the efficiency of the depolymerization of wasteend-of-life polycarbonate plastic waste. The biscarbamate and bisphenol-A was further subjected for the post functionalization to obtain amides and phenol in good yields. Developed additive/catalyst free aminolysis of waste polycarbonates to carbamates and monomer BPA at ambient conditions. Variety of secondary amines were screened including the late stage amine derivatives like amoxapine and desloratadine which delivered the expected products successfully. Later the developed methodology was even applied for the different end-of-life polycarbonates with the secondary amine and achieved the depolymerization without any obstacle. Further carried out the scale up reaction and derivatization of carbamates and BPA to amide and phenol synthesis. image

}, keywords = {Aminolysis, carbamates, depolymerization, End-of-life, Polycarbonate}, issn = {1864-5631}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.202400756}, author = {Padhi, Ganeshdev and Pansare, Vaibhav Ramachandra and Bajpai, Priyam and Krishna, Gamidi Rama and Vanka, Kumar and Barsu, Nagaraju} } @article {49484, title = {Design and synthesis of C-α-D-mannopyranoside linked mesoporous silica nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {137}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR }, pages = {21}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mannose functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer a promising approach for developing more targeted, effective, and safer cancer therapies. For many of the applications, immobilization of carbohydrates like mannose onto MSNs is a crucial aspect, and in most cases, mannose moieties are connected through O-glycosidic linkages that are susceptible to acidic/enzymatic hydrolysis. To generate a stable mannose-functionalized MSN, we designed a novel C(14)-alpha-mannosylated tetradeca-1-yne. The key steps involved in the synthesis of C-mannosylated alkyne are C1-alkynylation of tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal with 1-trimethylsilyl-tetradec-1-yne, followed by stereoselective dihydroxylation and the isomerization of the internal triple bond to a terminal position. This mannose ligand was then immobilized onto azidopropyl-functionalized SBA-15 through the Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne click (CuAAC) reaction. Various physical techniques such as low-angle powder XRD, N-2 adsorption isotherms (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) have been employed to characterize this C-mannosyl SBA-15 silica matrix. We evaluated the binding ability of C-mannosyl SBA-15 nanoparticles by using fluorescein-labelled Con-A as a target protein.

}, keywords = {C-mannoside, Click reaction, mannose specific proteins, Mesoporous silica nanoparticles, Zipper reaction}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-024-02338-7}, author = {Nechooli, Hemanth K. and Ramtenki, Vilas and Kumar, Chepuri V. Suneel and Prasad, V. B. L. and Ramana, V. Chepuri} } @article {49611, title = {Design and synthesis of PtPdNiCoMn high-entropy alloy electrocatalyst for enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction: a theoretically supported predictive design approach}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials}, volume = {35}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrocatalytic hydrogen generation requires a cutting-edge, multifunctional electrocatalyst with abundant active sites to drive multielectron transfer reactions. High entropy alloys (HEA) are complex five or more-element alloy systems with high configurational entropy which makes them unique materials for next-generation electrocatalysts. Here, in this work, based on new screening guidelines for catalyst selections that combine density-functional theory calculated Gibbs formation-enthalpy with bond length and electronegativity variance, a novel HEA electrocatalyst consisting of five elements, namely, Pt, Pd, Ni, Co, and Mn is designed. By simple room temperature electrodeposition, the designed catalyst is prepared and its hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is explored and validated through experimental and theoretical approaches. The HEA demonstrated a superior HER activity with an overpotential of 22.6 mV at -10 mA cm-2 which outperforms Pt/C commercial catalyst. No evident degradation of the material is detected even after 100 hours of continuous operation under high current density. Moreover, the HEA has shown exceptional performance in harsh electrolyte conditions such as in simulated seawater and actual seawater. Remarkably, the density-functional theory calculated small Gibbs formation-enthalpy (approximate to 0 eV) compared to Pt/C places the new HEA near the apex of Trasatti{\textquoteright}s model of Volcano plot, which is also suggestive of superior HER activity.

}, keywords = {DFT, electrocatalysts, Electronic Structure, HER, high-entropy alloys}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.202418644}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Dutta, Pritha and Singh, Prashant and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49699, title = {Desymmetrization of myo-inositol}, journal = {Carbohydrate Research}, volume = {553}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {109505}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chemistry and biology of phosphoinositols have been intensely investigated areas of research over the last 4-5 decades due to their involvement in cellular signal transduction pathways. Efficient laboratory synthesis of enantiomeric derivatives of inositols was a central issue since they were required for the delineation of the myo-inositol cycle as well as for the total synthesis of polyol based natural products and their derivatives. This essentially meant the development of competent methods for the desymmetrization of myo-inositol leading to the preparation of enantiomeric O-substituted derivatives of myo-inositol. This was approached by: the classical resolution methods involving separable diastereomers, the chiral pool synthesis, enzyme catalysis, asymmetric catalysis and preferential crystallization of enantiomers in a racemic conglomerate. This review summarizes results obtained in author{\textquoteright}s laboratory, as well as those reported in the literature on attempts at desymmetrization of myo-inositol.

}, keywords = {Conglomerate, Crystallization, Cyclitol, Enantiomers, Inositol, Lipid}, issn = {0008-6215}, doi = {10.1016/j.carres.2025.109505}, author = {Patil, Nivedita T. and Patil, Madhuri T. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article {49716, title = {Development and assessment of implant material sustainability in synthesized AV fistula assisting device}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {12}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL }, pages = {075402}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure remains a significant challenge in the treatment of end-stage renal disease, leading to increased morbidity and economic burden to the patients. The availability of effective devices to address AVF is still very limited globally. In view of the high failure rate of AVF during hemodialysis, development and selection of most appropriate material for AVF device is a test for the researcher. In the present research work, the mechanical and biocompatibility tests have been conducted on the implant grade silicon materials selected to develop the device before it is subjected to animal trials. The AVF assisting device is fabricated and a custom-designed in-vitro model is developed to replicate the human anatomical surroundings. The tensile strength and the elongation of the selected implant-grade silicon in the fabricated device are tested using a universal testing machine; also, the surface structure and the chemical composition are tested using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) respectively. The hydrophilicity and long-term performance are analyzed using a water absorption test. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of the material and fabricated device are determined using cell viability assay. It is observed that the silicone material used in the AVF assisting device shows strong mechanical integrity, optimum structural stability, biocompatibility and is non-cytotoxic to mammalian cell line. Thus, it can be concluded that the implant-grade silicone material is a potential candidate for the design and development of AVF assisting device due to its observed sustainability and biocompatibility.

}, keywords = {arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure, AV fistula assisting device, hemodialysis, material characterization}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/ade5f0}, author = {Raut, Abhijeet and Uddanwadikar, V. R. and Padole, P. M. and Ookalkar, D. and Kanekar, Jugal} } @article {49462, title = {Development of new N -{4-[(7-Chloro-5-methylpyrrolo[2,1-f ] [1,2,4]triazin-4-yl)oxy]-3-fluorophenyl}benzenesulfonamide analogues: exploring anticancer potential through MerTK inhibition}, journal = {Synlett}, volume = {36}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {522-530}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mer proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase (MerTK), a part of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, and MerTK) family, is directly correlated with metastasis and various types of cancers. The inhibition of this receptor is a promising strategy for more-effective chemotherapy. Considering the pharmacophoric features of the active domain of MerTK and the structural characteristics of the investigational drug BMS794833, we designed five new N -{4-[(7-chloro-5-methylpyrrolo[2,1- f ][1,2,4]triazin-4-yl)oxy]-3-fluorophenyl}benzenesulfonamide analogues. In cytotoxicity studies, one of the analogues displayed a significantly higher cytotoxicity than cisplatin. It showed IC50 values of 2.09, 1.96, and 3.08 mu M against A549, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines, respectively. In drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies, it was the most stable analogue and displayed a moderate MerTK inhibitory potential. Molecular-docking studies were performed to corroborate the MerTK inhibition, and the same analogue achieved the most significant docking score (-12.33 kcal/mol). Docking interactions demonstrated that the imine and amine group of the 3-chloropyridine moiety of BMS794833 formed hydrogen bonds with the main chain of the ATP pocket residue Met674, while the oxygen atoms of the 4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxamide moiety established hydrogen bonds with the Lys619 and Asp741 amino acid residues of the allosteric pocket of MerTK protein. These promising results provide evidence that the N -{4-[(7-chloro-5-methylpyrrolo[2,1- f ][1,2,4]triazin-4-yl)oxy]-3-fluorophenyl}benzenesulfonamide pharmacophore can give potential insights into the development of new MerTK inhibitors.

}, keywords = {cancer chemotherapeutics, kinase inhibitors, metabolic studies, pyrrolotriazines, sulfonamides}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/a-2360-6586}, author = {Sathe, Balaji Dashrath and Meenakshi, Meenakshi and Murti, Yogesh and Mane, Madhav Shivaji and Pandey, Sarvesh Kumar and Mahajan, Shriya and Rawat, Pramod and Kandhari, Harsimrat and Goel, Kapil Kumar and Dwivedi, Ashish Ranjan and Rathod, S. V.} } @article {50011, title = {Development of reversed-phase HPLC method for purity assessment of aryl porphyrins and their metal complexes}, journal = {SSC Plus}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e70058}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A gradient reversed-phase HPLC method was developed for in-process monitoring of the formation of aryl porphyrins and their corresponding metallo-aryl porphyrins. The method also proved effective for determining their quantitative purity. Optimal results achieving proper peak shape and separation of peaks in the chromatogram were obtained using C8 column and gradient of acetic acid-water and acetonitrile. The detector wavelength was selected for simultaneous detection of starting materials and products for in-process analysis for conversion of aryl aldehydes to corresponding tetraaryl porphyrins at 254 nm and metallo-aryl porphyrins formation from tetraaryl porphyrin at 413 nm, respectively; while the purity of products could be determined at 413 nm. The developed method is efficient, versatile, accurate, and easy to carry out and could serve as a handy tool for the reaction monitoring and determination of purity in the processes development of synthetic porphyrins and metalloporphyrins.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/sscp.70058}, author = {Ujagare, Ashish Mohan and Uzagare, Matthew C. and Ghogare, Bhausaheb N. and Gupta, Lokesh Kumar and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Patil, Vishwanath R. and Donde, Kamini J.} } @article {49613, title = {Discovery and biological evaluation of nitrofuranyl-pyrazolopyrimidine hybrid conjugates as potent antimicrobial agents targeting Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus}, journal = {RSC Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {16}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1304-1328}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nitrofuran and pyrazolopyrimidine-based compounds possess a broad antimicrobial spectrum including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In the present work, a series of conjugates of these scaffolds was synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Many compounds showed MIC values of \<= 2 mu g ml-1, with compound 35 demonstrating excellent activity (MICs: 0.7 and 0.15 mu g ml-1 against S. aureus and MRSA, respectively) and safety up to 50 mu g ml-1 in HepG2 cells. Compound 35 also exhibited no hemolytic activity, biofilm eradication, and effectiveness against efflux-pump-overexpressing strains (NorA, TetK, MsrA) without resistance development. It showed synergistic effects with vancomycin (S. aureus) and rifampicin (MRSA). Mechanistic studies revealed that compound 35 exhibits good membrane-targeting abilities, as evidenced by DAPI/PI staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In an intracellular model, it reduced bacterial load efficiently in both S. aureus and MRSA strains. With a strong in vitro profile, compound 35 demonstrated favorable oral pharmacokinetics at 30 mg kg-1 and potent in vivo anti-MRSA activity, highlighting its potential against antibiotic-resistant infections.

}, doi = {10.1039/d4md00826j}, author = {Saini, Sapna and Reddy, G. Lakshma and Gangwar, Anjali and Kour, Harpreet and Nadre, Gajanan G. and Pandian, Ramajayan and Pal, Sunny and Nandi, Utpal and Sharma, Rashmi and Sawant, Sanghapal D.} } @article {50012, title = {DLP 3D printing and characterization of PEEK-acrylate composite biomaterials for hip-joint implants}, journal = {Obrabotka metallov - Metal Working and Material Science}, volume = {27}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {172-191}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Introduction.\ Hip joint replacement is considered the most complex and critically important orthopedic surgical procedure compared to knee and shoulder joint replacements. Over the past few decades, there has been significant advancement in hip joint replacement technology, and various biomaterials have been substantially improved. An increasing number of hip joint replacement surgeries are now successful, assisting individuals in regaining normal daily activity and work capacity comparable to their pre-fracture state. However, the need for revision surgery, specifically for implant replacement, is still observed in active patients several years following the initial operation. This underscores the need to develop durable biomaterials and customized hip joint implants to reduce implant wear and the risk of dislocation. This research study explores a novel PEEK-in-acrylate composite biomaterial with varied weight percentages of PEEK (0 \%, 5 \%, and 10 \%) in an acrylate-based matrix. Tests were conducted to determine its properties, biocompatibility, and 3D printability. Based on the developed material, pins (in accordance with the ASTM standard) were fabricated using 3D printing for subsequent wear rate studies. The potential use of the developed composite materials for hip-joint applications was also thoroughly investigated.\ The purpose of this study\ is to develop and investigate a new PEEK in Acrylate composite biomaterial with varied weight percentages of PEEK (0 \%, 5 \%, and 10 \%) in an acrylate-based matrix. The research includes an assessment of the material{\textquoteright}s properties, biocompatibility, and 3D printability. Using digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology at room temperature, pins (in accordance with the ASTM standard) were fabricated. An experimental study of dry sliding wear resistance was conducted on the resulting samples to determine the effect of PEEK weight fraction on the wear rate and frictional performance against an SS 316 steel disk. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze the surface structure and element distribution within the material.\ The Methods of Investigation.\ Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D Printing technique was used to 3D Print the ASTM pins and Acetabular liner with different weight fraction of PEEK in acrylate. Dry sliding wear tests were carried out using a pin-on-disk tribometer. During testing, the disk rotation speed and the normal load on the pin were varied. The studies were designed to determine the influence of input parameters on the wear rate. A total of nine experiments were conducted for each PEEK weight fraction, with a sliding distance of 4 km per experiment. The load ranged from 20 to 100 N, and the sliding speed varied from 450 to 750 rpm. Surface structure and element distribution were analyzed by Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM).\ Result and Discussion.\ Current study demonstrates the advantages of varying the weight fraction of PEEK in Acrylate for DLP-fabricated biomaterials. Analysis of the SEM, EDS, and wear testing results indicated that the composite with 10 wt \% PEEK in Acrylate exhibited superior microstructural integrity, elemental homogeneity, and significantly improved wear resistance. The 10 wt \% PEEK in Acrylate composite, fabricated via DLP 3D printing, is suitable for biomedical implant and healthcare applications

}, keywords = {3D printing, Biomaterials, FDM, implant, PLA, print orientation, wear behavior}, doi = {10.17212/1994-6309-2025-27.1-172-191}, author = {Dama, Yogiraj and Jogi, Bhagwan and Pawade, Raju and Pal, Shibam and Gaikwad, Yogesh} } @article {49695, title = {Dopant and exfoliation induced simultaneous modification of charge density and C--C coupling sites for efficient CO2 photoreduction to ethylene}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {64}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e202423471}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The photochemical conversion of CO2 into C2+ products has emerged as an attractive method for synthesizing valuable chemicals and fuels using abundant solar energy. However, the challenge lies in enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of C2+ product formation. In this study, we employed a heteroatom doping strategy to optimize the photocatalytic parameters and achieve excellent efficiency and selectivity in the photocatalytic CO2 reduction to C2+ product formation. Our experimental analysis revealed that the local electronic structure of the catalyst, modified by In-doping, enables enhanced efficiency. Additionally, the incorporation of Cu facilitates the coupling of C1 intermediates, resulting in excellent selectivity towards C2+ products. The CO2 reduction performance is further enhanced through exfoliation, which increases the exposure of active sites and extends the charge carrier lifetime by reducing the charge diffusion length. We report that the rate of formation of C2H4 reached 54.3 mu molh(-1)g(-1) with an outstanding selectivity of 91\% over the exfoliated CuIn-doped AgBiP2S6 catalyst. By elucidating the role of heteroatom doping and exfoliation in enhancing both the efficiency and selectivity of C2+ product formation, our study contributes to advancing the development of sustainable and efficient photocatalytic CO2 conversion technologies.

}, keywords = {C \& horbar, C coupling, CO2 reduction, Doping, Exfoliation, Photocatalysis}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202423471}, author = {Das, Kousik and Chakraborty, Subhajit and Kediya, Siddhi and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Das, Risov and Mondal, Soumi and Riyaz, Mohd and Goud, Devender and Dutta, Nilutpal and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {49614, title = {Double anchoring squaraine dye with triazatruxene amine donor for dye-sensitized solar cells: sequential cosensitization for panchromatic light-harvesting}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry}, volume = {462}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {116229}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Dyes are firmly bound to a semiconducting TiO2 film using carboxylic acid anchoring groups for an efficient electron transfer from the excited state of dye to the conduction band (CB) of TiO2. Strong dye binding can be accomplished with multi-anchoring dye designs to improve photophysical characteristics, including high extinction coefficients, panchromatic absorption, post-sensitization modifications, and dark current suppression, besides enhancing the stability of the dye-TiO2 interface. Herein, a novel KV2D dye with double squaraine acceptor and double carboxylic acid anchoring groups is designed to achieve a high extinction coefficient (epsilon, 3.57 x 105M-1cm-1) and robust binding to the TiO2 film for an effective electron transfer. We systematically changed the amount of coadsorbent chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) to control the aggregation of dyes on the TiO2 surface that improves the power conversion efficiency (PCE, eta) for the devices based on the doubleanchoring KV2D. Out of these devices, KV2D: CDCA (1:10) based cell exhibited the best PCE of 5.26\% with VOC of 754 mV, JSC of 10.41 mA/cm2, and ff of 67\%. The sequential cosensitization studies were carried out with a far-red active dye to find the effect of the strong binding of the sensitizer to the TiO2 film. Interestingly, when di-anchoring, KV2D was sensitized first for 12 h and then sequentially cosensitized with far-red absorbing SQS4 for 5 h to achieve a PCE of 5.0\% with VOC of 697 mV, JSC of 10.23 mA/cm2, and ff of 70\% with panchromatic spectral response in IPCE upto 730 nm giving higher photocurrent generation.

}, keywords = {aggregation of dyes, Bulky donor unit, Double acceptor dye, Dye-sensitized solar cells, self-assembly of dye, squaraine dyes, triazatruxene}, issn = {1010-6030}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotochem.2024.116229}, author = {Ingole, Kiran Balaso and Siby, Jesna and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {49964, title = {Dual agonist/antagonist modulation of α9-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by 2-ammoniumethyl ethers of stilbenol and stilbenol analogues}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {68}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, pages = {26099-26120}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

2-(Cyclohexyldimethylammoniumethyl)ether of 4-stilbenol (2), and its styryl-modified analogues 21 and 22, were identified as lead compounds from a series targeting human alpha 9 alpha 10, alpha 9, and alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Compounds 2 and 21 exhibited potent, and subtype-selective modulation of alpha 9-containing receptors, with low nanomolar IC50 values and dual agonist/antagonist activity in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, compound 22 acted as a selective, pure antagonist. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of compound 21 supported a concentration-dependent allosteric mechanism, with orthosteric binding at low concentrations and vestibular site interaction at higher levels. In a human monocytic cell line, all three compounds inhibited ATP-induced IL-1 beta release at nanomolar concentrations. These findings identify alpha 9 alpha 10-selective ligands as promising scaffolds for the development of nonopioid analgesics and immunomodulators, with favorable selectivity over alpha 7 nAChRs to minimize CNS-related side effects.

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c02173}, author = {Giraudo, Alessandro and Tae, Han-Shen and Hung, Andrew and Richter, Katrin and Shivankar, Bhavana and Armano, Edoardo and Grau, Veronika and Pallavicini, Marco and Adams, David J. and Bolchi, Cristiano} } @article {49970, title = {Dual inhibition of AXL and MER kinase: scope for lung and breast cancer therapeutics}, journal = {Bioorganic Chemistry}, volume = {164}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {108824}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cancer cells use multiple survival pathways for continuous proliferation, survival, and growth. Recent anticancer drug discovery commonly focuses on a single target that maintains key cancer cell survival mechanisms, where typically, this is a cellular enzyme that inhibits DNA replication, inducing cell damage and apoptosis. Since drugs that act on a single target may be more susceptible to the development of resistance, the search for polypharmacotherapeutics is becoming increasingly popular to defeat drug-resistant cancer cells. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) family members, AXL and MER, have been identified as important cancer targets and found to be overexpressed and associated with various forms of cancers, such as lung and breast cancers. This review has focused on the dual inhibition of AXL and MER kinases as a strategy for treating lung and breast cancer. The roles of these two kinases in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are such that dual inhibition would be therapeutically complementary, with MER inhibition more fully blocking tumor growth while AXL inhibition encourages chemosensitivity. Hence, treatment strategies targeting both of these RTKs may be more effective and beneficial than singly targeted agents, and a dual AXL/MER inhibitor is a potential therapy for NSCLC along with breast cancer. This review highlights the preclinical and clinical development of dual AXL and MER kinase inhibitors as lung and breast cancer treatments and the prospects for their future progression.

}, keywords = {AXL, Breast cancer, Cancer therapy, MER, Multi-kinase inhibitors, NSCLC targeted therapy}, issn = {0045-2068}, doi = {10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.108824}, author = {Sathe, Balaji Dashrath and Kumari, Pratibha and Kumar, Hemant and Mane, Madhav Shivaji and Mudududdla, Ramesh and Baell, Jonathan and Kumar, Roshan and Singh, Shareen and Pawar, D. K. and Kommi, Damodara N. and Bushi, Ganesh and Pathak, Prateek and Dwivedi, Ashish R.} } @article {49950, title = {Dual-functional LaFeO3 perovskites via auto-combustion and hydrothermal methods for gas sensing and photocatalytic dye degradation}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry Communications}, volume = {182}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, pages = {115493}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Integrated environmental remediation is increasingly focused on the development of multifunctional materials capable of simultaneous detection of toxic gases and wastewater treatment. Present study aims to develop dual-functional LaFeO3 perovskites for gas sensing and photocatalytic dye degradation. The nanocrystalline powders of LaFeO3 were synthesized via two distinct methods; auto-combustion (A-LFO) and hydrothermal (H-LFO). Numerous characterization techniques (e.g. XRD, SEM, EDAX, BET, TEM, and XPS) were utilized in order to study the phase, morphology, surface area and elemental composition of A-LFO and H-LFO samples. Both samples were systematically evaluated for their potential in the gas sensing and photocatalytic degradation of malachite green (MG). In results, A-LFO exhibited superior performance in both applications, compared to the H-LFO. It shows similar to 90 \% sensitivity for the acetone (500 ppm) at the operating temperature of 275 degrees C and achieved similar to 78 \% degradation efficiency for malachite green (MG) dye (5 ppm) within 2 h irradiation of natural sunlight. Although, H-LFO presented comparatively lower performance, both materials demonstrated good selectivity, and stability highlighting their promise as a dual-functional environmental remediation agent. By exploring the performance of the synthesized materials in these dual applications, this research established a relationship between synthesis methods, material properties, and overall performance in environmental and industrial applications, by offering a sustainable and efficient solution to complex pollution challenges.

}, keywords = {Dye degradation, Gas sensing, LaFeO3, Malachite Green, Perovskites}, issn = {1387-7003}, doi = {10.1016/j.inoche.2025.115493}, author = {Patil, Suraj S. and Shinde, Kiran P. and Patil, Abhijeet P. and Abbas, Muhammad Aoun and Nadargi, Jyoti D. and Mujawar, Sarfraj H. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Kim, K. B. and Suryavanshi, Sharad S.} } @article {49884, title = {Dynamic signature of the thermodynamic transition in a novel mean field system}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {163}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG }, pages = {084510}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Understanding the connection between thermodynamics and dynamics in glass-forming liquids remains a central challenge in condensed matter physics. In this study, we investigate a novel model system that enables a continuous crossover from a standard three dimensional liquid to a fully connected mean field like system by introducing pseudo neighbors. These pseudo neighbors enhance the effective connectivity of the system without altering its local structure. While their presence slows down the dynamics, they influence thermodynamic properties even more significantly. In particular, the configurational entropy obtained via thermodynamic integration vanishes at a temperature much higher than the temperature where the dynamics begin to slow down, leading to a clear breakdown of the Adam-Gibbs relation. To uncover a possible dynamical signature of this thermodynamic transition, we analyze bond breakage dynamics. Unlike real-real bonds, which decay similarly in both the parent Kob-Andersen model and its mean field variant, real-pseudo bonds exhibit long lived, persistent behavior with strong temperature dependence. These bonds do not fully decay over time, leading to a finite saturation value of the bond breakage correlation function. Remarkably, we show that the number of surviving pseudo bonds can be analytically estimated and correlates directly with the thermodynamic transition temperature T-K. We propose a phenomenological relation between T-K and the number of surviving pseudo-bonds, establishing a novel link between thermodynamic and dynamic observables. Our results suggest that these persistent pseudo bonds serve as a robust dynamical signature of the thermodynamic transition, and the system might have properties analogous to those of randomly bonded ultrastable glasses.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0283034}, author = {Anwar, Ehtesham and Nandi, Ujjwal Kumar and Patel, Palak and Kumawat, Sanket and Maitra Bhattacharyya, Sarika} } @article {49430, title = {An effective alliance for successful coupling: electrochemical alcohol oxidation mediated conversion of indoles to bis(indolyl)methanes}, journal = {Journal of Applied Electrochemistry}, volume = {55}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electro-organic transformation of indoles to bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) has been successfully achieved by combining the electrochemical alcohol oxidation reaction (AOR) with indole coupling. The fact that it is the readily available alcohols and not the traditionally used aldehydes or ketones that provide the bridging -CH2- (methylene) for this transformation makes this path extremely attractive and valuable. The formation of aldehydes as reactive intermediates during the AOR has been dexterously utilized to achieve this transformation. Most gratifyingly, the transformation also can be carried out in water-alcohol mixtures and the yields and conversions are better than the most of the previously reported chemical catalytic transformations using specially designed metal complexes. Various substituted indoles were selectively converted to their corresponding BIMs in decent yields. This strategy could further be exploited for the synthesis of different natural products, including the much sought after deuterium substituted ones (as CD3OD is readily accessible), and other important biologically active alkaloids and drug molecules, etc.

}, keywords = {Alcohol oxidation reaction, Bis(indolyl)methanes, Direct alcohol fuel cell, Electroorganic transformations, Vibrindole A}, issn = {0021-891X}, doi = {10.1007/s10800-024-02227-4}, author = {Baravkar, Mayur D. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49894, title = {Effectiveness of 3-amino-2-thiocyanato-α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds against chikungunya virus}, journal = {Future Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1269-1279}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aim Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is characterized by the presence of long-term polyarthralgia in a minor proportion of the infected patients. Currently, there are no FDA-approved antivirals available. This study evaluated the anti-CHIKV potential of 16 synthetic 3-amino-2-thiocyanato-alpha, beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and elucidated their probable mechanisms of action. Methods Anti-CHIKV activity of 16 compounds were investigated in Vero CCL-81 cells using focus forming unit assay (FFU). Dose-dependent and time-dependent antiviral assays were performed for the effective compounds. Molecular docking was performed to find out their interactions with viral proteins. Results Five compounds showed promising anti-CHIKV activity by reducing viral titer with \>1 log10 FFU/ml. Dose-dependent studies revealed that the compound 3 g was more effective in reducing the virus titer with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.4315 mu M and a selectivity index of 35.99. Docking analyses revealed that all the compounds mainly interact with the non-structural proteins of CHIKV. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the in vitro anti-CHIKV activity of these compounds, and their possible mode of action via interference with early stages of infection and replication processes. This study warrants further preclinical and clinical evaluation to establish their safety and efficacy as novel anti-CHIKV therapeutics.

}, keywords = {3-amino-2-thiocyanato-alpha, antivirals, beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), nsP2 helicase, therapeutics}, issn = {1756-8919}, doi = {10.1080/17568919.2025.2517527}, author = {Alagarasu, Kalichamy and Dhote, Radhika and Bagad, Pooja K. and Kharikar, Dwidhesh and Patil, Poonam and Roy, Diya and Shukla, Shridhar and Cherian, Sarah and Senthilkumar, Beeran and Parashar, Deepti} } @article {49819, title = {Efficient continuous catalytic process for production of bisphenol A}, journal = {Organic Process Research \& Development}, volume = {29}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2530-2543}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a versatile chemical compound that is essential for producing durable polycarbonate plastics and strong epoxy resins, which are integral to numerous everyday products. In the present study, BPA was prepared using phenol and acetone using a highly active and reusable ion-exchange resin (IER) Lewatit K1131S as the catalyst. Under optimized conditions, an acetone conversion of 84\% and a BPA selectivity of 94\% were achieved. The produced BPA was further purified, resulting in a 96\% isolated yield with 99.5\% purity. The reusability of Lewatit K1131S has been studied, and it was found that it can be reused multiple times without affecting the selectivity for BPA. The kinetics of the reaction was studied using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model; it was found that the reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the apparent activation energy was determined to be 12.7 kJ/mol. A continuous pilot scale process for the production of BPA using a fixed-bed reactor (packed with ion-exchange resin) has been developed. Pilot plant trials were conducted at different flow rates such as 200, 300, and 500 g/h, and a downstream processing methodology using an agitated thin film evaporator (ATFE) was employed for the BPA purification. This resulted in high throughput, producing 99.2\% isolated BPA yield with 99.5\% HPLC purity. Additionally, the robustness and viability of the catalyst were assessed at a flow rate of 200 g/h, producing 22.5 kg of BPA per kg of catalyst, highlighting its cost-effectiveness, stability, and resistance to deactivation, which shows its suitability for industrial-scale applications. The environmental viability of the process was further evaluated by using the E-factor and Process Mass Intensity (PMI) metrics. The estimated E-factor was 0.3118, while the corresponding PMI was 1.3935. These lower values indicate reduced waste generation, improved material efficiency, and enhanced sustainability of the process.

}, keywords = {bisphenolA, BPA purification, Continuous process, E-factor, ion-exchange resins (IER), PMI, process optimization, reactionkinetics}, issn = {1083-6160}, doi = {10.1021/acs.oprd.5c00204}, author = {Dhotre, Kapil and Patil, Chetana Rupak and Tarade, Komal P. and Markandeya, Nishant and Pathak, Abhishek and Bhongale, Sunil S. and Kamble, Sanjay P.} } @article {49505, title = {Efficient synthesis of 3,3'-Spirooxindole γ-Butyrolactone via Rongalite-mediated domino reductive aldol and spiro-lactonization reactions}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {10}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {e202405996}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, we develop a novel methodology involving rongalite-mediated domino reductive/aldol reaction, followed by spiro-lactonization of 2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene acetates/malonates in presence of base to synthesis of 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-spirooxindole gamma-butyrolactone. The detail study, such as effect of solvent, effect of different base and substrate has been carried out. Scale up of this methodology is also done. Sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate dihydrate (rongalite) concurrently has a dual role in this context; it acts as a reducing agent as well as C1 synthon. This approach offers several advantages, such as being metal- and catalyst-free, involving a simple reaction protocol, having a wide substrate scope, using water as a green solvent, and providing good to excellent yields of the products under mild reaction conditions.

}, keywords = {(+/-) Coixspirolactam A \& [3, 3 {\textquoteleft}-spirooxindole gamma-butyrolactone], Domino reductive/aldol/spiro-lactonization, Good step economy, Rongalite as reductant \& C1 synthon, Water as a green solvent}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202405996}, author = {Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Patil, Baliram R. and Girase, Amardipsing S. and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {49528, title = {Electrochemical deconstruction of waste polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) to value-added products in batch and flow}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {31}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chlorinated polymers have made enormous contributions to materials science and are commercially produced on a large scale. These chlorinated polymers could be recycled as chlorine sources to efficiently produce valuable chlorinated compounds owing to their facile release of HCl. Although the thermal stability of PVDC is low compared to PVC, this can be advantageous in terms of easy and fast dehydrochlorination. Herein, we report an efficient electrochemical chlorination using poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDC) as a chlorine source that works in an undivided cell and applies to a good number of examples. This method works on commodity polymers such as waste PVDC-PVC pharma blister film, PVDC-PO multilayer food packaging, and compression molded sheets of Ixan PVDC (with heat stabilizer) with similar efficiency. Furthermore, this method also provides the dechlorination of PVDC up to 98 \%, leading to unsaturated dechlorinated material. Converting PVDC into more stable unsaturated compounds, the release of harmful chlorine-containing gases during incineration can be minimized. Additionally, this method is not only restricted to batch processes but an electroflow process for PVDC dechlorination and electrosynthesis has also been demonstrated.

}, keywords = {chlorination, Electrochemical recycling, Electroflow-synthesis, Graphitic material, Polyvinylidene chloride}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202403980}, author = {Mishra, Subhadip and Kar, Sourav and Rangappa, Raghavendrakumar and Patil, Prashant and Kadam, Vijay and Chikkali, Samir H. and Samanta, Ramesh C.} } @article {49885, title = {Energy-saving H2 production through H2S electrolysis accompanying solid sulfur recovery using a Ni3S2/Ni3N heterostructure as the electrocatalyst}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP }, pages = {13631-13644}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The thermodynamically feasible electrochemical sulfion oxidation reaction (SOR) is advantageous for degrading the toxic H2S pollutant into the value-added chemical sulfur but often suffers from catalyst passivation due to blockage of electroactive sites by accumulation of solid sulfur. The strategic design of electrocatalysts with enhanced electrochemical activity and improved sulfur tolerance is thereby crucial to fully harness the benefits of the SOR. In this work, we developed nickel sulfide nanorods decorated with nickel nitride nanoparticles directly grown on conductive nickel foam as an efficient trifunctional electrocatalyst for the SOR, oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Optimized Ni3S2/Ni3N showed lower electrode potentials of 0.25, 1.487, and 0.89 V to achieve a benchmark current density of 10 mA cm(-2) for the SOR, OER, and HER, respectively. The hybrid H2S electrolysis setup employing a Ni3S2/Ni3N electrocatalyst drastically reduced the cell potential by 1.24 V compared to that of conventional water electrolysis at a current density of 200 mA cm(-2). Having said that, heterostructure formation not only enhances the activity for the SOR but also helps to avoid sulfur poisoning, enabling the electrocatalyst to sustain for 100 long hours at a high current density of 100 mA cm(-2). Consequently, the approach with the developed electrocatalyst has the ability to reduce the energy consumption by 59.22\%, which can make rigorous, economically viable H-2 production driven by solar energy.

}, keywords = {energy-economic, H-2 production, H2S electrolysis, heterostructure, solidsulfur}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.5c01952}, author = {Sinha, Nibedita and Das, Chandni and Pal, Santanu and Roy, Poulomi} } @article {49764, title = {Engineered silk-dressing for acceleratedwound healing: biocompatibility and efficacy studies}, journal = {Macromolecular Bioscience}, volume = {25}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV}, pages = {e00323}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Advanced wound care dressings are essential for improving clinical outcomes. The present study investigates the wound management potential of a unique dressing fabricated from silk proteins. The dressing was characterized for its physical and structural properties, including surface texture, porosity, fluid absorption capacity, and moisture vapor transmission rate. These parameters have been found to be critical for optimal wound healing. In vivo full thickness wound healing studies in a rat model validated the efficacy of the Silk-dressing compared to conventional cotton gauze and commercial polyurethane foam dressings. Histopathological analysis confirmed improved re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and formation of secondary follicles. Key advantages of Silk-dressing included non-adherence, absorption of exudate, maintenance of optimal moisture at wound site and acceleratedwound closure. Biocompatibility studies were also conducted in accordance with ISO 10993 guidelines, demonstrating no cytotoxicity, irritation, sensitization, or pyrogenicity. These findings highlight the potential of this uniquely designed Silk-dressing as a superior alternative for wound management, with a potential to improve clinical outcomes.

}, keywords = {Biocompatibility, biopolymer, ISO 10993, Silk protein, wound Healing}, issn = {1616-5187}, doi = {10.1002/mabi.202500323}, author = {Deshpande, Rucha and Pillai, Lakshmi R. and Sayyad, Raeesa and Shukla, Swati and Nisal, Anuya and Venugopalan, Premnath} } @article {49710, title = {Enhanced electrocatalytic performances of NiCr layered double hydroxides by oxalate intercalation in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {37863-37878}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have attracted much attention these days in the field of water electrolysis due to easy modulation in their layered structure and properties. Herein, NiCr-LDH has been developed, and its interlayer spacing has been considerably increased by oxalate intercalation. Such increased interlayer spacing allows easy access of hydroxides to a large number of electroactive sites and thereby boosts the electrocatalytic performances both for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. Being very active toward both the electrocatalytic reactions, the oxalate-intercalated NiCr-LDH was further explored in an alkaline anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE), achieving 800 mA cm-2 at 1.88 V cell voltage at an operating temperature of 60 degrees C. In fact, the electrolyzer efficiency has been determined to be as high as 69.66\%, and the calculated H2 production cost was found to be \$0.97 per gasoline-gallon equivalent, which is well below the targeted cost by the Department of Energy, USA. The electrocatalyst was also examined in harsh alkaline media, like highly saline or seawater, which also indicated its ability to carry out sustainable seawater electrolysis, restricting chlorides to a great extent. Interestingly, post-electrolysis characterization reveals the fact that oxalate decomposition aided carbonate formation within interlayers of NiCr-LDH, and high affinity toward hydroxides is responsible for restricting chlorides during the electrolysis process, apart from the great electrocatalytic activity.

}, keywords = {Anion exchange, hydrogen production, interlayerspacing, Layered double hydroxide, Sustainable, water electrolyzer}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5c04189}, author = {Pal, Santanu and Sinha, Nibedita and Das, Chandni and Chauhan, Inderjeet and Ahmed, Tanbir and Roy, Poulomi} } @article {49420, title = {Enhanced light-matter interaction in gas nitridation-derived TiNx thin films for potential plasmonic applications}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {60}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {178-194}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Titanium nitride is a substitute material exhibiting improved opto-electrical characteristics suitable for plasmonic purposes with adjustable attributes. In this study, we have embraced an innovative methodology for the fabrication of titanium nitride thin coatings via the nitridation of RF magnetron-sputtered titanium metallic films for surface plasmon resonance utilisation. The augmented electrical and optical features of TiN thin coatings prepared through the nitridation procedure are reported for the first time. The metallic coatings underwent gas nitridation at diverse temperatures within the range of 450-600 degrees C. The titanium nitride phase evolution in the coatings was corroborated by x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy examinations. The dielectric function is deduced from reflection spectra through Drude-Lorentz model fitting, and the manifestation of surface plasmon excitation in the visible region was confirmed by correlating with carrier concentration assessments and by ensuring the required negative permittivity in the region. The red shift of screened plasma wavelength was observed with the nitridation temperature, and the same is varied in the wavelength range 400-700 nm. Ultimately, surface plasmons were excited in coatings with optimised thickness using Kretschmann configuration in wavelength interrogation mode.

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-024-10520-y}, author = {Tony, Liya and Selvam, I. Packia and Vinod, C. P. and Potty, S. N.} } @article {49778, title = {Enhanced oxygen electrocatalysis in zinc-air batteries via a bifunctional bimetallic organic framework}, journal = {Journal of Power Sources}, volume = {659}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, pages = {238465}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst, a nickel-iron metal organic framework (NF-MOF) grown within three-dimensional (3D) nitrogen doped porous carbon (NPC) collectively referred as NF-MOF@NPC, is developed as high performance electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The synergistic effect of bimetallic active sites coupled with conductive nitrogen doped porous carbon matrix, provides chemical stability, abundant active sites, enhanced electron transfer, and improve catalytic activity. NFMOF@NPC exhibits OER onset potential of 1.60 V at current density of 10 mA cm- 2 with Tafel slope of 126 mV dec- 1 and ORR half wave potential of 0.81 V with electron transfer number of 3.91. A zinc-air battery fabricated using NF-MOF@NPC shows peak power density of 102 mW cm-2 and specific capacity of 741 mAh g-Z 1n. It also exhibits remarkable cycling stability for 120 h at current density of 10 mA cm- 2 highlighting its promise as alternative for conventional platinum on carbon (Pt/C) and ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) electrocatalysts demonstrating its potential for next generation energy storage devices.

}, keywords = {Bifunctional Electrocatalyst, Rotating disk electrode, zinc-air battery}, issn = {0378-7753}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.238465}, author = {Shivade, Rajkiran D. and Pandey, Priyanshi and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {49865, title = {Enhancement of mechanical and rheological properties of PA-12 through silane modification}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {48}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, pages = {146}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This research examines the effects of silane modifications on polyamide 12 (PA-12) to improve its mechanical and thermal properties. The study employs a reactive extrusion technique to integrate various silanes-Dynasylan (R) AMEO, Dynasylan (R) 1189, Dynasylan (R) DAMO and Dynasylan (R) VPS 4721-at different concentrations (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75\%). Key findings reveal that silane modifications significantly enhance the tensile strength, impact resistance and viscoelastic behaviour of PA-12, with the Dynasylan (R) DAMO formulation achieving the highest tensile strength of 38.25 MPa vis-\& agrave;-vis 8.02 MPa for PA-12. The modifications also resulted in a reduction of crystallinity by over 35\%, contributing to improved toughness and impact strength. Rheological assessments indicate that the flow properties of PA-12 are positively altered, enhancing its complex viscosity and storage modulus, which are crucial for applications in automotive and aerospace industries. Thermal analysis through differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis confirms improved thermal stability, particularly in the 0.5\% Dynasylan (R) AMEO-modified sample, exhibiting an onset temperature of 421.87 degrees C. The study emphasizes the importance of the silane type and dosage in tailoring PA-12{\textquoteright}s performance for advanced applications, suggesting future research directions to further refine silane-modification techniques for enhanced polymer performance. This research provides valuable insights into polymer-modification strategies, highlighting the potential for silane treatments to optimize the mechanical, thermal and rheological properties of PA-12 for diverse industrial applications.

}, keywords = {mechanical properties, Polyamide 12 (PA-12), reactive extrusion, rheological behaviour, silane modification, thermal stability}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-025-03510-6}, author = {Jadhav, V. Pravin and Mahajan, Digvijay and Patil, Prashant and Umbarkar, Shubhangi B. and Pol, Harshawardhan} } @article {49877, title = {Enzymatic biodegradation of used engine oil using a novel lipase derived from renewable feedstocks}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {41}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV}, pages = {448}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study introduces an eco-friendly enzymatic approach for biodegrading used engine oil, utilizing a novel lipase from the mesophilic yeast strain Pichia Caribbica. The yeast was cultured in detoxified corncob hydrolysate with used cooking oil as an inducer. OVAT study confirmed that the optimal pH and temperature for lipase production by the strain was 7.0 and 25 degrees Celsius, respectively, with lipase activity of 70 IU/mL. The enzyme effectively degraded similar to 46\% of used engine oil over a period of 15 days. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and FT-IR analysis confirmed a significant reduction in hydrocarbon concentrations and the emergence of new functional groups, confirming the enzyme{\textquoteright}s ability to degrade complex hydrocarbons into less toxic derivatives. These findings highlight the lipase{\textquoteright}s potential as an effective biocatalyst for eco-friendly bioremediation of oil-contaminated environments, such as soils and aquatic systems, while also emphasizing its role in environmental management through the reuse of waste by-products in enzyme production, thus reducing the environmental impact of improper waste disposal.

}, keywords = {Biodegradation, Lipase, PC5703, Used cooking oil, Used engine oil}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-025-04650-x}, author = {Tracy, Preetanshika and Dasgupta, Diptarka and Ashok, Patel Pratima and More, Snehal and Sarkar, Bipul and Porwal, Jyoti and Tripathi, Deependra} } @article {49867, title = {Essentials of Mo+6/Mo+4 and Ce+4/Ce+3 redox couples in auto-regenerated catalyst for dry methane reforming}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {522}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT }, pages = {167586}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biogas is a potential renewable carbon resource, and dry reforming is one of the promising routes to mitigate via generating syngas, used as a building block for the synthesis of chemicals and fuels. Coke deposition and metal sintering of the reported catalyst systems are the major challenges to developing an economically feasible dry reforming process. Molybdenum oxide is a versatile material with properties like oxygen storage, oxygen mobility, and sulphur tolerance. Here, an oxygen storage capacity enhanced catalyst has been designed by applying a mono layer molybdenum oxide on ceria-magnesia-modified alumina support using a unique chemical vapor deposition method. The Ru and Ni used as active components, and Gd as a promoter were dispersed over the modified support via a precipitation-deposition approach. The most efficient composition is found to be 4 \% Ni, 0.5 \% Gd, and 0.5 \% Ru with Mo-promoted modified alumina with excellent stability up to 500 h for dry reforming reaction studies. Two redox cycles (Mo+6 to Mo+4 \& Ce+4 to Ce+3) facilitated a significant number of oxygen vacancies, to limit surface carbon accumulation and support high catalytic stability and activity. The possible reaction pathways and stable surface intermediates were identified by using in-situ DRIFT studies, which included metal carbonyls, carboxylate species, and surface hydroxyl groups. Moreover, the DRIFT studies were supported with CH4-TPSR analysis and DFT studies evidence the formation of CHx species and subsequent oxidation. The additional advantage of the usage of molybdenum is the excellent S-tolerance capacity, which is fully scrutinized experimentally as well as theoretically.

}, keywords = {and Methane reforming, Coke resistant, Oxygen storage, Redox couple cycles, Sulphur tolerance}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2025.167586}, author = {Panda, Satyajit and Singh, Gaje and Kaishyop, Jyotishman and Gazi, Md Jahiruddin and Mule, Harshada Mahadev and Khan, Tuhin Suvra and Sharma, Ojasvi and Bordoloi, Ankur} } @article {49902, title = {Evaluating sodium-ion pouch cell battery for renewable energy storage under extreme conditions}, journal = {Communications Chemistry}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT }, pages = {315}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A sodium-ion battery (SIB) is a sustainable energy storage technology based on abundantly available raw materials. It is a commercially viable option because of the processing similarity with Li-ion battery. Most of the energy storage studies focus on the near room temperature performance of different battery chemistries. Herein, we report the ultralow temperature performance of the SIB pouch cell. The cells fabricated using low-temperature compatible components showed significant specific energy values around 96, 74, and 46 Wh kg-1 at room temperature, -25 degrees C, and -50 degrees C, respectively. We demonstrated the battery performance under laboratory conditions as well as under actual windy and snowy environments. Such an exhibition highlights the use case of the SIB pouch cell as an emergency energy storage device in extreme weather conditions. Moreover, charging of SIB cell at -100 degrees C using polycrystalline Si solar cell is also reported, indicating the possibility of deployment for space expeditions.

}, issn = {2399-3669}, doi = {10.1038/s42004-025-01709-6}, author = {Shelke, Mehul and Boyer, Jamee M. and Mirzapure, Vinay and Pol, Vilas G.} } @article {49893, title = {Expanding the Egbenema horizon: Novel species discovery in India and first complete genome assembly of the genus}, journal = {Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts}, volume = {90}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG}, pages = {104256}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The recognition of Egbenema bharatensis, a novel species of cyanobacteria from the Northern Western Ghats, extends the ecological and phylogenetic understanding of the genus Egbenema and highlights terrestrial microbial diversity of the region. Morphological characterization revealed resemblance with other Egbenema species but was inconclusive for definitive taxonomic classification. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated affiliation with the genus but showed less than 98 \% similarity to known species, pointing toward taxonomic distinctiveness. Analysis of the 16S-ITS region further supported this differentiation, revealing unique secondary structural features. Based on these findings, we propose the isolate as a novel species within Egbenema. Whole-genome sequencing provided full resolution and functional genome annotation revealed nitrogen fixation, cobalamin biosynthesis, and stress tolerance pathways, suggesting its metabolic versatility and potential biotechnological applications. The presence of multiple toxin-antitoxin systems also reflects its adaptability to environmental fluctuation. This study also presents the first complete genome of the genus Egbenema, filling a significant gap in cyanobacterial genomic resources. These findings encourage integrative taxonomic practices and affirm the significance of exploring biodiversity hotspots for uncovering cryptic microbial diversity with ecological and industrial potential.

}, keywords = {16S rRNA, Biodiversity hotspots, Cyanobacteria, Egbenema bharatensis, ITS secondary structure, Northern Western Ghats, whole-genome sequencing}, issn = {2211-9264}, doi = {10.1016/j.algal.2025.104256}, author = {Bhagat, Jayesh M. and Khilari, Ajinkya A. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Patankar, Meena} } @article {49852, title = {Exploring FeSe2 and porous carbon composite as a cost-effective host for Al3+ in aqueous Aluminum ion batteries}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {537}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT }, pages = {146823}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aluminum is a high-energy-density material with low cost, making rechargeable aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) a attractive alternative to alkali metal ion batteries. However, the practical development of aqueous AIBs is hindered by limited electrode. Herein, we report FeSe2-decorated porous nitrogen and sulfur-doped carbon spheres (FSPNSCS) as a cathode material for aqueous AIBs, with an emphasis on the reaction kinetics and electrochemical performance. FSPNSCS is synthesized through a hydrothermal approach, confirmed by comprehensive characterizations using X-ray Diffraction for crystalline structure validation and Scanning Electron Microscopy for analyzing composite morphology. Electrochemical properties and kinetics are probed using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge tests. Ex-situ XRD reveals a notable peak shift towards higher 2 theta values during discharge, indicating lattice contraction due to Al3+ insertion. Sulfur and nitrogen doping impart elasticity to the lattice structure, enhancing stability during cycling. Ex-situ XPS confirms Al3+ storage and minimal oxide formation, as further supported by microscopic elemental mapping with HRTEM. The FSPNSCS cathode achieves a reversible capacity of 60 mAh g- 1 at a current density of 200 mA g- 1. The system exhibits outstanding cycling stability, retaining over 90 \% of its capacity at 500 mA g- 1 over 1000 cycles, highlighting its potential to advance aqueous AIBs for sustainable energy storage.

}, keywords = {Aqueous aluminum ion battery, cathode material, Electrochemistry, Transition metal selenide}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2025.146823}, author = {Mirzapure, Vinay and Patrike, Apurva and Shelke, V, Manjusha} } @article {49914, title = {Exploring the electronic modulation in controlling the activity and selectivity of Ni-Au-In based catalyst in atmospheric pressure CO2 hydrogenation}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {520}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP }, pages = {165921}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nickel-based catalysts are widely used for the hydrogenation of CO2 but encounter stability challenges during prolonged reactions and at elevated temperatures. At atmospheric pressure, nickel primarily promotes methane formation in CO2 hydrogenation reactions. In this work, we demonstrate that the stability and activity of nickel can be significantly enhanced through gold (Au) modification. Furthermore, we achieve a near-complete selectivity switch from methane to CO by incorporating indium (In), mediated through the formation of Au-In alloy. This catalyst exhibits excellent CO2 conversion and CO selectivity at relatively lower temperatures (400 degrees C), addressing a major bottleneck in the Reverse Water-Gas Shifts (RWGS) reaction. XPS studies demonstrate an interesting electron transfer mechanism facilitated by gold, which involves the formation of electronrich Au species (Au delta-) and the development of Au-In alloys. This process improves the reducibility of nickel oxide while allowing a fraction of nickel to remain in its metallic form, managing a facile hydrogenation process and regulating the shift in selectivity from CH4 to CO.

}, keywords = {Alloy formation, Bimetallic catalyst, CO2 hydrogenation, RWGS, Selectivity switch, synergy, Trimetallic catalyst, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy)}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2025.165921}, author = {Bajpai, Jyotsna P. and Gupta, Sharad and Goud, Devender and Deka, Diku Raj and V. Jagtap, Anuradha and Kumar, Pawan and Ahamed, Momin and Peter, Sebastian C. and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {49589, title = {Extraction of highly crystalline and thermally stable cellulose nanofiber from Heliconia psittacorum L.f. leaves}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {308}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {142264}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Extracting cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from agro-waste is one of the promising and practical ways to develop sustainable nanocomposites. In this study, cellulose nanofibers were extracted from the leaves of Heliconia psittacorum for the first time. The combination of oxalic acid hydrolysis (5 wt\%) and steam explosion was used for the isolation of CNF from the leaves of Heliconia psittacorum. The structural and chemical features of the prepared CNF were analyzed using various techniques, including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Solid state 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (13C NMR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X ray analysis (EDX), Transmission electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TEM micrographs reported 15 to 40 nm diameter for the nanofibers synthesized. XRD analysis reported 91 \% crystallinity index for CNF, whereas that of the untreated sample was 76 \%. The maximum degradation of the CNF is reported at 355 degrees C, exceeds the untreated sample (316 degrees C). The tensile strength of the CNF derived paper was found to be 23 MPa. The recovered nanocellulose can be further utilized for various applications such as the automobile industry for developing lightweight parts, biosensors, super capacitors, absorption of greenhouse gases, wastewater treatment, and packaging applications.

}, keywords = {biomass valorization, Nanocellulose, Waste to resource}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.142264}, author = {Paul, Sharon and Joseph, Anto and Hridhya, P. D. and Badawi, Michael and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Asrofi, Mochamad and Dominic, C. D. Midhun} } @article {49729, title = {Facet dependence for solvent-modulated proton-coupled electron transfer in furfural acetalization on Pd nanostructures}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {514}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {163159}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Furfural dialkyl acetals prepared via acetalization reaction of furfural and alcohols are promising biofuels. Using defined experiments and density functional theory (DFT) simulations, the structure-dependent activity and selectivity for furfural acetalization reaction in the presence of alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol) as solvents was studied over well-defined supported Pd nanostructures (octahedra (111), cubes (100) and spheres (both (111) and (100)). Pd cubes supported over TiO2 in the presence of ethanol as a solvent (at 303 K and balloon pressure H-2) exhibited 78 \% conversion and 100 \% selectivity for furfural diethyl acetal product in a short time (similar to 180 min). In contrast, Pd octahedra (111) and Pd spheres showed low conversions (18 \% and 6 \%) at the same reaction conditions. Interestingly, when used as a solvent, methanol showed the highest conversion (90 \%) and selectivity (100 \%) for furfural acetalization over Pd cubes. DFT simulations provided mechanistic insight into the reactivity of the two different Pd facets (111) and (100) in the presence of alcohol molecules towards furfural acetalization reaction. A three-step reaction mechanism was proposed for furfural acetalization with alcohols: (i) alcohol hydroxyl-dehydrogenation (ii) hydrogenation of furfural carbonyl oxygen, and (iii) formation of hemiacetal product. For all three steps, Pd (100) exhibited low activation barriers (51.6, 26.7 and 76.2 kJ/mol) compared to Pd (111) surface (78.6, 35.8 and 92.2 kJ/mol) in the presence of ethanol. The activation barriers for the above steps were further reduced to 47.8, 23.9 and 64.6 kJ/mol on Pd (100) in the presence of methanol, explaining the experimental high reactivity aided by methanol. DFT calculations elucidated the role of the hydrogen bonding network between the solvent molecules and adsorbate, enabling proton-coupled electron transfer for accelerated reactions.

}, keywords = {Acetalization, DFT, facet-dependent reactivity, furfural, Furfural dialkyl acetals, solvent effect}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2025.163159}, author = {Porwal, Govind and Dandekar, Pallavi and Gorai, Twinkle and Khan, Tuhin Suvra and Haider, M. Ali and Gupta, Shelaka and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {49689, title = {From signals to sustenance: the role of biogenic amines in insect feeding behavior}, journal = {Journal of Insect Behavior}, volume = {38}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {15}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Insect feeding is a complex and finely-tuned behavior that notably impacts their physiological and metabolic processes. Chemical signals and cues, chemosensation, motor response, and physiological changes govern responses to food resources. The role of biogenic amines in regulating feeding is essential, as they significantly affect locomotory changes and nutrient assimilation. Octopamine, tyramine, dopamine, serotonin, and other biogenic amines are neuromodulators, neurotransmitters, and neurohormones. Octopamine and tyramine have contrasting effects on food-seeking and foraging behavior regulation. The interaction among biogenic amines and their respective receptors initiates diverse signaling pathways by modifying the concentrations of intracellular secondary messengers like Ca2+, AMP, and other molecules. These signal transductions regulate various physical and metabolic processes, directly influencing feeding behavior and digestive physiology. Furthermore, dopamine triggers a negative response, whereas serotonin plays a positive role in regulating feeding behavior. Biogenic amines underlie synchronized and interconnected molecular mechanisms, along with unique individual effects. It is fascinating to consider these interrelated activities and the impacts of bioamine on insect feeding behavior. In this review, we discuss the roles of insect biogenic amines and their cross-talk in insect feeding and foraging behavior.

}, keywords = {Biogenic amines, feeding behavior, octopamine, Signal transduction, tyramine}, issn = {0892-7553}, doi = {10.1007/s10905-025-09879-w}, author = {Patil, Yogita P. and Joshi, Rakesh S.} } @article {49616, title = {Germylene mediated reductive C-C and C-N coupling of an isocyanide and its device application}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {64}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have demonstrated a unique reductive coupling of 4-iodophenyl isocyanide, facilitated by a perimidine-based N-heterocyclic germylene (NHGe), which yields a bis-spirogerma compound featuring simultaneous C-C and C-N bond formation. This reaction, which leads to the oxidation of germanium from +2 to +4, represents a significant departure from previously documented isocyanide-germylene interactions. The product exhibits extensive conjugation across its bicyclic C4Ge2N2 framework, conferring distinct photophysical properties, including prominent orange luminescence in both solution and solid states. The photophysical properties are supported by the TD-DFT calculations confirming an n -\>pi* transition. The potential application of this compound in optoelectronic devices, particularly as a hole transport layer in PbS quantum dot solar cells, is also explored, with promising preliminary results.

}, keywords = {Germylene, hole transport layer, Isocyanide, reductive coupling}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202417052}, author = {Gour, Kritika and Pramanik, Debjit and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Shinde, Dipak Dattatray and Venugopal, Geethu and Vanka, Kumar and Rath, Arup K. and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {49457, title = {Green engineering of cellulose nanofibers and nanopapers from Wodyetia bifurcata fruits: a sustainable approach with emphasis on process optimization and tensile property assessment}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {9321-9335}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nanocellulose emerges as a highly promising material with versatile applications, offering solutions to environmental and sustainability challenges. This study delves into the extraction of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from\ Wodyetia bifurcata\ fruit pulp through mild oxalic acid hydrolysis assisted by steam explosion. To ensure environmental compatibility, chlorine-free pre-treatments were applied to eliminate non-cellulosic components. Chemical composition analysis verified the effective removal of non-cellulosic elements, validated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Solid-state\ 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of type I cellulose α-polymorph in the CNF, while a crystallinity index of 60\% was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM)\ images revealed a fibrous morphology with a fiber diameter ranging from 9 to 36\ nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was employed to corroborate the observed fiber diameter. Mild acid hydrolysis elevated the maximum degradation temperature (Tmax) of CNF to 39\ {\textdegree}C compared to the pristine sample. Furthermore, this research explores the application of CNFs in nanopaper development using a casting method. The resulting nanopapers exhibited a tensile strength of ~ 17\ MPa and a transmittance of 25\%. These nanopapers present a viable pathway toward eco-friendly products in various industries, promising to revolutionize upcoming sustainable packaging technologies.

}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-024-05751-7}, author = {Sankar, Sameera and Neenu, K. V. and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Shelke, Ankita Ramesh and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Bipinbal, P. K. and George, Tresa Sunitha and Badawi, Michael and Dominic, Midhun} } @article {49762, title = {Harnessing DABCO ionic salts for synthesis of heterocycles via multi-component reactions}, journal = {Chemical Papers}, volume = {79}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5625-5660}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

The review article discusses the advancements in synthesis and applications of acidic, basic, and neutral 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) ionic salts in multi-component reactions. Compared to imidazolium-based ionic salts, the number of DABCO-based ionic salts is significantly lower. Recently, there has been increasing focus on these salts due to their selective salt formation capabilities. A significant challenge lies in the limited availability of physical data regarding DABCO-based ionic salts; hence, most of them are not ionic liquids. While many of these salts could be reused several times with only a minimal reduction in their catalytic effectiveness, there is a significant limitation in the availability of DABCO-based salts.

}, keywords = {1, 4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, Ionic salts, Multi-component reactions, Recyclability}, issn = {0366-6352}, doi = {10.1007/s11696-025-04189-z}, author = {Rajmane, Archana and Narande, Poonam and Patil, Nita and Kumbhar, Arjun} } @article {50004, title = {Heterolytic cleavage of the B{\textendash}H bond in H3B{\textperiodcentered}L (L = THF, NMe2H) by an electrophilic Ir(iii) pincer complex [Ir(H)(PMe3)(tBu4POCOP)][BAr F4]}, volume = {55}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV}, pages = {476-491}, type = {Article}, abstract = {
Six- and five-coordinate iridium complexes, [Ir(H)Cl(PMe3)(tBu4POCOP)] (2) (tBu4POCOP = κ3-C6H3-2,6-(OPtBu2)2) and [Ir(H)(PMe3)(tBu4POCOP)][BArF4] (3), respectively, have been synthesized and characterized. The reactivity of the electrophilic 16-electron iridium(III) complex\ 3\ with H2, H3B{\textperiodcentered}THF, H3B{\textperiodcentered}NMe2H, and H3B{\textperiodcentered}NMe3\ was investigated. The reaction of complex\ 3\ with H2\ resulted in the formation of\ trans-[Ir(H)(η2-H2)(PMe3)(tBu4POCOP)][BArF4] complex\ 5. Complex\ 3\ was found to activate the B{\textendash}H bonds in H3B{\textperiodcentered}THF and H3B{\textperiodcentered}NMe2H (DMAB) in a heterolytic fashion. The reaction of complex\ 3\ with H3B{\textperiodcentered}THF at 298 K afforded\ trans-[Ir(H)2PMe3(tBu4POCOP)] complex\ 6\ and a boronium compound, [H2B(THF)2][BArF4]. Monitoring the reaction from 179 to 298 K by NMR spectroscopy revealed the formation of a σ-borane intermediate,\ trans-[Ir(H)(η1-HBH2{\textperiodcentered}THF)PMe3(tBu4POCOP)][BArF4] (3a-Int),\ en route\ to the final products observed at 298 K. The formation of this intermediate species was also investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The reaction of complex\ 3\ with H3B{\textperiodcentered}NMe2H at 298 K yielded a mixture of complexes\ 3\ and\ 5\ and a cyclic diborazane [H2BNMe2]2. The reaction was found to proceed\ via\ intermediates, a σ-borane complex,\ trans-[Ir(H)(η1-HBH2{\textperiodcentered}NMe2H)PMe3(tBu4POCOP)][BArF4] (3b), complex\ 6, [(NHMe2)2BH2][BArF4], and H2B[double bond, length as m-dash]NMe2. Complex\ 3\ exhibited no reactivity with H3B{\textperiodcentered}NMe3.

}, doi = {DOI https://doi.org/10.1039/D5DT01780G}, author = {Pradhan, Mitarani and Surati, Zeel Y. and Pal, Apurba Kumar and Vanka, Kumar and Jagirdar, Balaji R.} } @article {49901, title = {Highly moisture-stable ferroelectric ammonium phosphate salt showing piezoelectric energy harvesting and rotation sensing applications}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {22574-22582}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric phosphate-based materials are known for their biocompatibility, dipole switching, and high thermal stability. In this context, we report a novel organic ferroelectric material, diisopropylammonium bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (DIPABNPP), crystallizing in the monoclinic C2 space group. DIPABNPP exhibits a high second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency 2.5 times higher than that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). The ferroelectric nature of DIPABNPP was confirmed by the observation of a rectangular P-E hysteresis loop, which gave a saturated polarization value of 6.82 mu C cm-2. The ferroelectric polar domains of DIPABNPP, along with the bias-dependent amplitude butterfly and phase hysteresis loops, were visualized by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). Furthermore, the polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) composites of DIPABNPP enabled the fabrication of humidity-resistant piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) with energy harvesting and mechanical-electrical sensing capabilities. The top-performing 10 wt\% DIPABNPP-PDMS device achieved a peak output voltage of 9.5 V and a charge storage efficiency of 81.8\%, successfully powering 53 LEDs. Additionally, its rapid response time of 18.5 ms enables precise rotation sensing capabilities, suggesting potential applications in motion monitoring, such as revolution per minute (RPM) counting. We also present a unique and refined method for obtaining the output work efficiency (OWE) parameter, which quantifies the ratio of harvested electrical energy to the maximum elastic energy stored in the composite device, taking into consideration several key parameters during the PENG measurements. For the 10 wt\% DIPABNPP-PDMS composite, an OWE of 13.1\% was achieved, highlighting both its current performance and potential for optimization. This metric provides a standardized approach for evaluating PENGs, addressing a critical gap in assessing mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d5ta01846c}, author = {Kushwaha, Vikash and Prajesh, Neetu and Gopal, Animesh and Sahoo, Supriya and Deswal, Swati and Kirana, Antonysylvester and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Zareba, Jan K. and Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy} } @article {49564, title = {Highly permselective contorted polyamide desalination membranes with enhanced free volume fabricated by mLbL assembly}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9716-9727}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The permeability-selectivity trade-off in polymeric desalination membranes limits the efficiency and increases the costs of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration systems. Ultrathin contorted polyamide films with enhanced free volume demonstrate an impressive 8-fold increase in water permeance while maintaining equivalent salt rejection compared to conventional polyamide membranes made with m-phenylenediamine and trimesoyl chloride monomers. The solution-based molecular layer-by-layer (mLbL) deposition technique employed for membrane fabrication sequentially reacts a shape-persistent contorted diamine monomer with a trimesoyl chloride monomer, forming highly cross-linked, dense polyamide networks while avoiding the kinetic and mass transfer limitations of traditional interfacial polymerization. The mLbL process allows precise nanoscale control over polyamide selective layer thickness, network structure, and surface roughness. The resulting controlled film thicknesses enable direct measurements of water and NaCl permeabilities. The permselectivities of contorted polyamide membranes surpass those of commercial desalination membranes and approach the reported polyamide upper bound. Solution-diffusion transport modeling indicates that this high permselectivity may be attributed to enhanced water transport pathways in the contorted polyamides that increase water diffusivity-permeability while maintaining high solute rejection through solubility-selectivity.

}, keywords = {Desalination, molecular layer-by-layer assembly, permselectivity, polyamide, polymers of intrinsicmicroporosity, triptycene, Troger{\textquoteright}s base}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.4c14332}, author = {Shaligram, Sayali and Shevate, Rahul and Paul, Siddhartha and Shaffer, Devin L.} } @article {49596, title = {Hot injection assisted electronically modulated twin and grain boundary rich sub-2 nm pt3co alloy resistant to phosphate ion for PEMFCs}, journal = {Small}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Modulation of the electronic d-band center, structural defects (line defects), and particle size of Pt3Co alloy electrocatalyst have huge significance in elevating its electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction activity. Deviating from traditional high-temperature strategies, the current work focuses on ripening these benefits by implying a simple economically viable hot-injection-assisted modified polyol process. A conclusive control over decrementing particle size starting from 2.7 to 1.3 nm, an increasing degree of strain (twin boundary), and shifting of the d-band center away from the Fermi level are obtained via varying the temperature to which the solution is injected. The catalyst prepared via the injection at 200 degrees C (Pt3Co(1.3 t,g-b)/fVC-200) has delivered an electrochemical surface area of 84 m(2) g(Pt)(-1) with the onset and half-wave potentials of 0.980 and 0.858 V, respectively, versus RHE and a limiting current of -6.0 mA cm(-2) with stability till 20k cycles. In the high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell Pt3Co(1.3 t,g-b)/fVC-200-based cell has outperformed Pt/C rendering 600 mWcm(-2) under H-2-Air compared to 529 mWcm(-2) of Pt/C with 20\% lower Pt loading and double the stability due to enhanced resistance toward phosphoric acid for accelerated voltage cycling. A similar enhancement is seen while employing the catalyst for low-temperature fuel cells.

}, keywords = {electrocatalyst, grain boundary, hot injection synthesis, modified polyol process, oxygen reduction reaction, proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Pt3Co alloy, twin boundary, valance band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202500954}, author = {Singh, Mayank U. and Jadhav, Swapnil D. and Shivankar, Bhavana R. and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kumar, Yogesh and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Vinod, C. P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49551, title = {Hybrid pincer (PNN)Ni(II) complex catalyzed selective C-H alkylation of pyridones using unactivated alkyl chlorides}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2987-2999}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The use of readily accessible unactivated alkyl chlorides in the alkylation reaction to install valuable alkyl and methyl motifs into privileged heterocycles is an underdeveloped area. Herein, we report the regioselective C-H alkylation of diverse pyridones employing challenging unactivated alkyl chlorides as coupling partners, enabled by a strategically developed quinolinyl-based pincer (Ph2PNNQ)Ni(II) complex. The air-stable nickel catalyst is highly effective for the selective alkylation of functionalized 2-pyridones with both primary and secondary alkyl chlorides as well as for the unexpected C6 methylation, furnishing a wide range of 6-alkyl-2-pyridone scaffolds (78 examples). Remarkably, the alkyls bearing biologically and pharmacologically significant motifs, such as pterostilbene, nonyl phenol, sesamol, estrone, vitamin E, stigmasterol, cholesterol, and diosgenin, were compatible under this catalytic approach. The insights into the mechanism suggest that the alkylation reaction follows a Ni(II)/Ni(III)/Ni(IV) pathway involving the crucial two-step, one-electron oxidative addition of alkyl chloride. Several control studies, kinetics, and EPR analyses were performed to understand the detailed reaction pathway, further supported by density functional theory calculations.

}, keywords = {alkyl chlorides, C-H/C-Cl activation, hybrid pincer ligand, Mechanism, Nickel, pyridones}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.4c07173}, author = {Verma, Suryadev K. and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Pradhan, Chandini and Pandey, Dilip K. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49721, title = {Hydrogenation of CO2 catalyzed by thermally decomposed cobalt-containing alkaline earth metal carbonates}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {39}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {12982-12991}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

CO2 hydrogenation over Co catalysts supported on alkaline earth metal oxides was investigated. The catalysts were prepared by thermally decomposing alkaline metal carbonates CoMCO3, where M = Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, in H2. During the thermal activation, contingent upon the thermal stability of the precursor, it transformed into a composite of metal oxides, metals, and undecomposed metal carbonates. The thermal activation temperature, the ratio of CO2 to H2, the composition, and the basicity of the catalyst all played a significant role in influencing the conversion of CO2 and the selectivity to CH4. Among the various Co-containing alkaline earth metal carbonate precursors, CoCaCO3 activated at 400 degrees C yielded the highest steady-state CO2 conversion of 54\% with a CH4 selectivity of 89.8\% throughout 28 h in the reaction stream containing a 1:4 ratio of CO2 and H2. Detailed characterization showed that the CaCo-400 catalyst contained metallic Co, CaO, and undecomposed CaCO3 phases. The study assumes significance in understanding the role of the composition of catalysts in the formation of CO2 hydrogenation.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c01793}, author = {Gupta, Sharad and Vinod, C. P. and Poupin, Christophe and Jagadeesan, Dinesh} } @article {49940, title = {Identification of genetic variations linked to buparvaquone resistance in Theileria annulata infecting dairy cattle in India}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {20}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e0326243}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Buparvaquone (BPQ) is used for the treatment of bovine theileriosis, a tickborne disease caused by parasites of the Theileria genus. Studies on T. annulata have linked the mechanism of BPQ resistance predominantly to genetic variations in the parasite cytochrome b (cytb) gene. In addition, cryptic mechanisms of resistance involving the parasite peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (pin1) and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (dhodh) genes require assessment. In India, where bovine theileriosis is endemic, and BPQ is widely used for treatment, it is necessary to establish the prevalence of genetic variations linked to BPQ resistance. In this study, multiplexed PCR amplification and nanopore sequencing method was used for genotyping the complete gene loci of the three target genes. Analysis of 454 T. annulata field samples collected from seven different states of India revealed the presence of previously reported BPQ resistance associated variations S129G, A146T and P253S in cytb gene and A53P in pin1 gene. The A146T and I203V variations in cytb were found to be prevalent and mostly co-occurring, and their role in BPQ resistance needs further evaluation. This study has revealed the presence of previously reported BPQ resistance-linked mutations in cytb and pin1 genes in T. annulata infecting dairy cattle in India and establishes an Oxford nanopore sequencing method suitable for large-scale surveillance of genetic variation in Theileria parasites from field samples.

}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0326243}, author = {Musale, Pankaj and Khilari, Ajinkya and Gade, Rohini and Dhanikachalam, Velu and Jadhav, Santoshkumar and Bajpai, Manali and Turakani, Bhagya and Joshi, Akshay and Prajapati, Amar and Srivastava, Anand and Swaminathan, Marimuthu and Joshi, Sachin and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran} } @article {50003, title = {Immobilization of aldehyde reductase for the production of bioplastic precursors from agricultural fatty acids}, journal = {RSC Sustainability}, volume = {3}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3910-3914}, type = {Article}, abstract = {
Herein, we report the biosynthesis of bioplastic precursors thourgh the immobilization of aldehyde reductase (AHR) onto a metal organic framework (UIO-66-NH2). Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the immobilized AHR maintained significant catalytic activity and exhibited improved operational stability, as well as higher reusability, compared with the free AHR. Furthermore, the synthetic applicability of the immobilized AHR was evaluated in tandem with that of transaminase derived from\ S. pomeroyi\ (spTA), where 8, 10, and 12 carbon chain ω-amino fatty acids (ω-AFAs) were biosynthesized from the corresponding hydroxy fatty acids (ω-HFAs) with \~{}90\% conversions.
Herein, we report the biosynthesis of bioplastic precursors\ via\ the immobilization of aldehyde reductase (AHR) onto a metal organic framework (UIO-66-NH2).

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1039/d5su00311c}, author = {Mohne, Devesh and Reddy, Yeddula Nikhileshwar and Rawat, Kshitij and Patil, Mahesh D. and Bhaumik, Jayeeta} } @article {49694, title = {In situ engineered triple phase boundary enhancement in 3D structured carbon supported catalyst for high-temperature PEMFC}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {21847-21863}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Enhancing platinum (Pt) utilization in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) requires optimizing the catalyst support microstructures to expand the triple-phase boundary (TPB). A promising method has been reported here which employs a three-dimensional (3D) catalyst support with an in situ-generated ionomer interface from preadmitted monomer molecules, potentially replacing the traditional Nafion ionomers. The small-sized monomers infiltrate the catalyst{\textquoteright}s pores, and UV curing polymerizes them into an extended interfacial network within the 3D carbon support. The single-cell analysis of the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in high-temperature PEMFCs (HT-PEMFCs) using phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes highlights the effectiveness of this approach. The strategy helps to achieve a current density of 1.06 A cm-2 and 0.49 A cm-2 at 0.60 V in H2-O2 and H2-air feed conditions, respectively. These values represent a significant improvement over the conventional Nafion ionomer-based MEAs, which exhibit current densities of 0.87 A cm-2 and 0.40 A cm-2 under H2-O2 and H2-air feeds, respectively, when utilizing a platinum-supported carbon (Pt/C) catalyst. When Pt nanoparticles are decorated on a high-surface-area, porous 3D interconnected carbon support synthesized via the carbonization of the polydopamine-coated melamine foam (Pt/3DPDC), the conventional Nafion ionomers tend to block the nanopores in the 3D carbon supports, leading to the underutilization of the Pt active sites. In contrast, the in situ ionomer approach enabled the system to deliver 0.93 A cm-2 at 0.60 V H2-O2 feed conditions, which is significantly higher than 0.38 A cm-2 obtained with the Nafion-based ionomers under similar conditions. This approach successfully makes use of the Pt active sites present in the nanopores and tackles the issues of mass transfer and reactant distribution, both of which are essential for expanding fuel cells from single cells to stacks. The exhibited method emphasizes how crucial it is to develop process-friendly electrocatalysts and complementary electrode manufacturing techniques in order to advance the PEMFC performance through a novel scientific path.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d5ta02793d}, author = {Pandikassala, Ajmal and Jadhav, Swapnil D. and Kurian, Maria and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49703, title = {In situ solid-state synthesis of nitrogen-enriched porous carbon nanosheets from petroleum coke for lithium-ion hybrid capacitors}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {39}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10053-10069}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) have emerged as a next-generation energy storage technology, offering a unique balance between the high energy density of lithium-ion batteries and the fast charge-discharge capability of supercapacitors. However, the development of high-performance anode materials remains a major challenge due to the trade-off between capacity, rate capability, and long-term cycling stability. Herein, we report a novel in situ solid-state synthesis approach for the scalable production of nitrogen-enriched porous carbon nanosheets (mBG1) from petroleum coke, an abundant industrial byproduct. The hierarchical porosity and optimized nitrogen functionalities of mBG1 facilitate rapid lithium-ion diffusion, enhanced electronic conductivity, and robust structural stability. Electrochemical characterization in lithium-ion half-cells demonstrates an exceptional specific capacity of 388 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, with an outstanding capacity retention of 92.7\% over 1000 cycles (261.2 mAh g-1) at 1 A g-1. To validate its practical applicability, a full LIC coin cell was fabricated using mBG1 as the anode and commercial super activated carbon (super AC) as the cathode, achieving a specific capacitance of 44 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, a high energy density of 93.29 Wh kg-1 at 0.5 A g-1, and an impressive power density of 20.34 kW kg-1 at 10 A g-1, with 74\% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. The integration of ultrahigh nitrogen doping, hierarchical porosity, and scalable synthesis techniques offers a new pathway for designing next-generation lithium-ion capacitors with enhanced efficiency, stability, and economic viability. These findings establish mBG1 as a high-performance, scalable, and sustainable anode material for next-generation LICs, offering a transformative pathway for the valorization of petroleum coke in advanced energy storage applications.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c00716}, author = {Benoy, Santhi Maria and Das, Anoushka K. and Sarmah, Debashis and Pawar, Meenakshi and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Saikia, Binoy K.} } @article {49513, title = {An in-depth study of the Fe-Se system at the nanoscale reveals remarkable results on the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {28}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A catalyst for an electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key component of the large-scale storage of renewable energy through the conversion of water into oxygen and hydrogen. Iron-based selenide materials are currently being considered as potential options for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) because of their, widespread availability, low cost, and outstanding performance. In this study, we employed a thermal decomposition method to synthesize all stable phases of the Fe-Se system, including Fe7Se8, Fe3Se4, FeSe2, and FeSe. Additionally, we slurry-coated these phases onto a three-dimensional (3D) nickel foam substrate. The prepared 3D electrodes of Fe7Se8, Fe3Se4, FeSe2, and FeSe exhibit remarkably low overpotentials of 270, 276, 299, and 289 mV at a current density of 50 mA/cm2 for OER. In addition, the catalytic activity for OER is also tested on glassy carbon electrodes to compare its performance with the Ni-foam 3D substrate. The Fe7Se8 phase in the Fe-Se system exhibits the highest catalytic activity towards OER on both substrates due to variations in the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio and the presence of Fe vacancies (cation vacancies) within the crystal lattice. Moreover, a faradaic efficiency of 98 \% was exhibited by Fe7Se8 for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

}, keywords = {Iron selenide system, OER electrocatalyst, Thermal decomposition method}, issn = {1434-1948}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.202400743}, author = {Singh, Dinesh and Ghalawat, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {49812, title = {Influence of physicochemical properties of seed on template-free ferrierite synthesis and its application in oleic acid isomerization}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {137}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {62}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have reported an effective, seed-assisted organic structure directing agent (OSDA) free synthesis of ferrierite (FER) zeolites. In the current study, we have observed effects of physicochemical properties of two different seeds over synthesis of FER zeolites. The physicochemical properties of seeds, such as particle size and phase purity impart significantly over crystallization time and overall synthesis duration, costs of process and crystalline nature of FER zeolites. It is noteworthy that particle size of seed mainly affects the kinetics of crystallization for concerned FER zeolites. The synthesized zeolites were well characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR, EDAX and BET surface area analyser to get more insights. We also evaluated, the catalytic activity of synthesized FER zeolites in oleic acid isomerization study to derive branched-chain fatty acids formation and attempted their structure and catalytic activity relationship with respect to purity of phases in seed.

}, keywords = {crystallization kinetics, Ferrierite seed, oleic acid isomerization, OSDA-free synthesis}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-025-02387-6}, author = {Patil, Shrinidhi D. and Mohanty, Ananya and Kudalkar, Mahadev and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Bhatte, Kushal D. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article {49952, title = {Insights into electrolyte-solvent interactions and SEI formation for sustainable sodium-ion battery operation at low temperatures}, journal = {Small Methods}, volume = {9}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) show promise as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. However, they face performance challenges at ultra-low temperatures (\<-40 degrees C) due to slow Na+ transfer kinetics with conventional electrolytes. This limitation restricts their use in extreme environments such as polar regions and outer space. The presented systematic study addresses this challenge by modulating and tailoring the electrolyte composition for SIBs, enabling ultra-low temperature operation down to -110 degrees C for the first time. The comprehensive molecular dynamic and density functional theory calculations combined with experimental Raman spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of advanced electrolytes provided a deeper mechanistic understanding of the solvation structures and their impact on electrochemical performance. By varying the solvent composition with a combination of tetrahydrofuran and 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran solvents and sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6) salt, the freezing point, solubility, and Na+ solvation structure of the electrolyte is modulated and studied in detail. The extensive anion engagement in the optimized mix solvent electrolyte facilitated the formation of a stable and inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase layer, ensuring low overpotentials and uniform Na+ deposition, yielding superior cycling stability. As a result, the developed electrolyte enables SIBs to achieve reversible capacities of 88 mAh g(-1) at -60 degrees C and 50 mAh g(-1) at -100 degrees C. These insights may contribute to developing improved energy storage devices suitable for challenging environmental conditions.

}, keywords = {contact-ion pair, solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), solvation, ultra-low temperature, XPS-depth Profiling}, issn = {2366-9608}, doi = {10.1002/smtd.202402142}, author = {Kim, Soohwan and Mirzapure, Vinay and Atwi, Rasha and Koppisetti, Heramba V. S. R. M. and Wasnik, Kundan and Rajput, Nav Nidhi and Shelke, Manjusha and Pol, Vilas G.} } @article {49863, title = {An integrated paradigm to understand the antibacterial and antifungal potential of bimetallic core-shell platinum silver (Pt@Ag) nanoparticles: A one health approach}, journal = {Microbial Pathogenesis}, volume = {209}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, pages = {108120}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The concurrent occurrence of various microbial infections escalates the need to develop new treatments that can tackle multiple microbes and improve clinical outcomes. This study reports the synthesis and comprehensive evaluation of core-shell platinum-silver nanoparticles (Pt@AgNPs) designed to elucidate the antimicrobial effects while ensuring biocompatibility. The synthesis protocol was meticulously optimized to investigate the impact of precursor concentrations and reagent conditions. High-end characterization confirmed the formation of a welldefined core-shell structure with spherical morphology, crystalline nature, a face-centred cubic (FCC) lattice, high monodispersity, and stability, with a mean size of 20.344 +/- 4.492 nm. The antimicrobial potential of Pt@AgNPs was validated through a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, revealing potent activity with MIC values of 15.6 mu g/mL for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and 3.9 mu g/mL for Escherichia coli. Antibiofilm assay demonstrated significant inhibition of biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa at concentrations as low as 3.9 mu g/ml. The nanoparticles also exhibited notable antifungal activity, as indicated by an inhibition of 65.19 \% for Aspergillus niger and 61.82 \% for Fusarium verticillioides. Furthermore, hemocompatibility was noticed with the hemolysis assay, and the antioxidant properties of nanoparticles, assessed through the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, underscored their potential to mitigate oxidative stress. This integrative study positions Pt@AgNPs as a promising platform for combating the occurrence of co-infections. The core-shell nanoparticle serves as a versatile tool in antimicrobial defence, exhibiting antibacterial, antifungal, antibiofilm, and antioxidant activity. Thus, it highlights their commercial translational potential as a next-generation antimicrobial intervention.

}, keywords = {Antibacterial, antibiofilm, antifungal, Antioxidant, Co-infections, Pt@Ag nanoparticles}, issn = {0882-4010}, doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2025.108120}, author = {Bamb, Aagam Lalit and Varma, Sanjana and Gade, Tejas Subhash and Palaskar, Shahaji and Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao and Vyawahare, Niraj and Chaudhari, Pallavi M. and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @article {49552, title = {Investigating the visible range photoresponse of an organic single-crystal analogue of the green fluorescent protein}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, pages = {8614-8623}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The growing demand for lightweight, flexible, semi-transparent and low-cost photodetectors (PDs) in wearable electronics and optical communication systems has prompted studies to investigate organic materials as feasible alternatives to conventional inorganic PDs. However, modern organic PDs often face responsivity, detectivity, and photoresponse speed limitations, particularly in the visible range. Here, we present the photoresponse of an organic single-crystal analogue of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore photodetector, fabricated on a silicon nitride substrate. A significant increase in photocurrent was detected upon illumination with visible wavelengths (532 nm, 630 nm, and halogen light). A remarkably consistent and repeatable photoresponse was obtained during the ON and OFF illumination cycles. The device showed the dependence of photocurrent on the applied bias voltages. The measured photocurrent, responsivity, detectivity, rise time, decay time, noise equivalent power and external quantum efficiency are studied for different wavelengths. Strikingly, the fabricated device demonstrates excellent performance in the visible region compared to several conventional organic and inorganic PDs. The observed responsivity and detectivity values for the device are 98 mA W-1 and 7.94 x 108 Jones, respectively. Furthermore, the device also exhibits rapid photoresponse dynamics with a rise time of 180 ms and a decay time of 152 ms. The excellent photodetection features indicate that the single crystal GFP could serve as a versatile broadband material for future applications in optoelectronics.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d4nr05252h}, author = {Virole, Vishal and Dabke, Niteen and Verma, Sahil and Kumar, Ajay and Pandya, Rinu and Husale, Sudhir and Vanka, Kumar and Gonnade, Rajesh and Kanawade, Rajesh} } @article {49418, title = {Kinetic investigation on palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of allyl alcohol}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {57}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT}, pages = {153-163}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of allyl alcohol to 3-butenoic acid has been investigated. A significant effect of halide promoters, p-tolylsulfonic acid (TsOH), water, solvents, and PPh3 concentration activity and selectivity has been studied. Detailed kinetics of this reaction was investigated in a temperature range of 363-383 K. The influence of parameters such as stirring speed, allyl alcohol, catalyst, benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTEAC), TsOH concentrations, and CO partial pressures on the activity and selectivity has been studied. An empirical rate equation was suggested and found to be fairly consistent with observed rate data. In addition, the activation energy and kinetic parameters were evaluated.

}, keywords = {allyl alcohol, Carbonylation, halide promoters, kinetics, Mechanism, Palladium}, issn = {0538-8066}, doi = {10.1002/kin.21767}, author = {Tonde, Sunil S. and Rajurkar, Kalpendra B. and Pagar, Nitin S.} } @article {50002, title = {Long-term genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in campus wastewater depicts lineage trends and public health implications during and after omicron waves}, journal = {Environment \& Health}, volume = {3}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {908{\textendash}919}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

SARS-CoV-2 transmission and detection on academic campuses in low- to middle-income countries has not been explored. The present study explored wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in a campus setting in Pune, Maharashtra, India, offering insights into variant-specific trends and their correlation with clinical cases over a 2.5 year period from November 2021 to April 2024. We collected 242 wastewater samples from the campus sewershed and processed them to extract RNA and perform RT-qPCR and sequencing, followed by lineage assignment using the LCS tool. Early signals of different SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as BA.2.X, JN.1.X, and KP.2.X, were detected in wastewater prior to its first clinical report in Maharashtra, India. Wastewater viral load strongly correlated with clinical cases during the Omicron phase (ρ = 0.73{\textendash}0.81) compared to the post-Omicron phase (ρ = -0.06 to 0.31). This study also highlights that alerts and warnings issued on the basis of wastewater viral hikes have proven instrumental in preventing outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 variants on campus. However, downgrading COVID-19 from pandemic status by the WHO resulted in a subsequent decrease in public vigilance, changing the viral dynamic in the last phase of the study. This study showcases the utility of wastewater surveillance in a campus setting as an early warning system and understands the interplay of public health policy effects in viral dynamics within controlled ecosystems, such as campuses or offices.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00048}, author = {Pramanik, Rinka and Rajput, Vinay and Malik, Vinita and Nannaware, Kiran and Matra, Sejal and Joshi, Sai and Kumar, Shubham and Samson, Rachel and Yadav, Rakesh Kumar and Shah, Priyanki and Shashidhara, LS and Dastager, Syed and Karmodiya, Krishanpal and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {49581, title = {Low-cost gelatin/collagen scaffolds for bacterial growth in bioreactors for biotechnology}, journal = {Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology}, volume = {109}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {113}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A wide array of pharmaceutical and industrial products available in today{\textquoteright}s market stems from bioreactors. Meeting the escalating demand for these products necessitates significant enhancements in biotechnological processes. This study focuses on developing cost-effective scaffolds designed explicitly for use within bioreactors, employing commonly used polymers such as gelatin and collagen. Bacterial proliferation assays involving Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were conducted to assess the effectiveness of these scaffolds. The scaffolds were produced by electrospinning polymeric solutions with varying concentrations of gelatin and collagen and were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results revealed that scaffolds with 15\% gelatin increased the 24-h proliferation of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli by 52\%, 35\%, and 20\%, respectively. In the case of E. coli, scaffolds with lower gelatin concentrations (1-10\%) were more effective, leading to 35-55\% proliferation growth. These findings highlight the potential application of gelatin/collagen scaffolds in fabricating industrial products derived from these bacteria.

}, keywords = {Bacterial cell proliferation, collagen, gelatin, Polymeric electrospinning, scaffolds}, issn = {0175-7598}, doi = {10.1007/s00253-025-13491-5}, author = {Pompa-Monroy, Daniella Alejandra and Vera-Graziano, Ricardo and Dastager, Syed G. and Perez-Gonzalez, Graciela Lizeth and Bogdanchikova, Nina and Iglesias, Ana Leticia and Villarreal-Gomez, Luis Jesus} } @article {49704, title = {Manganese(i)-catalyzed dehydrogenative borylation of terminal alkynes}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {54}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {10426-10432}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Compounds containing carbon-boron bonds serve as valuable intermediates for constructing more complex molecules by transforming these bonds into other carbon-element bonds. The catalytic dehydrogenative borylation of carbon-hydrogen bonds using HBpin presents an appealing method for synthesizing carbon-boron bonds. While this approach has been extensively explored with noble metals for various types of carbon-hydrogen bonds, its application with manganese-based catalysts remains rare. This study explores a dehydrogenative borylation process employing an Earth-abundant transition metal catalyst, FcbpyMn(CO)3Br (Mn(i)), in combination with HBpin under mild conditions. Arylalkynes featuring electron-withdrawing, electron-donating, and heteroaryl substituents yielded good to excellent results. Thorough DFT calculations were performed to understand the mechanism.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d5dt00577a}, author = {Ghanwat, Pratiksha B. and Bora, Debashree and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Saha, Biswajit and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {49534, title = {Metal deficiency tuned charge transfer in intermetallic Ni2-xSn (x =0.37-0.65) enhances selective conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol towards the theoretical limit}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {6042-6048}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Heterogeneous catalysis facilitated by intermetallic nanoparticles has recently been the subject of increased scrutiny, given the enhanced selectivity and stability they bestow on many chemical reactions compared to their monometallic components. This paper explores a series of Ni-Sn (Ni2-xSn, where x = 0.65, 0.5, 0.37) intermetallic compounds supported on a high-surface-area support, SBA-15, as catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. Rietveld refinements of the X-ray diffraction data show catalysts with mixed intermetallic phases that assist in the catalysis. At the same time, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies and X-ray absorption studies indicate the role played by charge transfer from Sn to Ni for the catalysis. Selectivity to the desired furfuryl alcohol in all the intermetallic samples was high (\>97\%), but Ni1.35Sn had a relatively lower conversion than the other intermetallic compounds.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d4ta06383j}, author = {Cherevotan, Arjun and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Yadav, Anish and Maligal-Ganesh, Raghu V. and Raj, Jithu and Pulparambil, Anu and Goud, Devender and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {49618, title = {Methoxyl-containing hyper-crosslinked polymer from largely bio-based biphenyl methyl ether and its application in lithium-sulfur battery}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {207}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {106139}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new biphenyl methyl ether viz 2,2 {\textquoteleft},3,3 {\textquoteleft}-tetramethoxy-5,5 {\textquoteleft}-bis(methoxymethyl)-1,1 {\textquoteleft}-biphenyl (TBMB) was synthesized starting from vanillin via three-step reaction sequence. The self-polycondensation of TBMB by employing two Bronsted acid catalysts, viz, p- toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFSA) led to the formation of organic hyper-crosslinked polymers (HCPs) containing built-in methoxyl groups. HCPs were characterized by FTIR, solid state 13 C NMR, XPS, XRD, TGA, BET, and FESEM analysis techniques. HCPs synthesized using PTSA (HCP-PTSA) and TFSA (HCP-TFSA) exhibited a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 480 +/- 5 and 590 +/- 4 m2/g, respectively and consisted of hierarchical pore structures with both micropores and mesopores. HCP-TFSA was evaluated as an active coating layer on conventional polypropylene (PP) separator in lithium-sulfur batteries to suppress the polysulfide shuttling on account of the ability of methoxyl groups to anchor soluble polysulfide species via coordination. The significant polysulfide adsorption capacity and improved cycling stability with a capacity of 617.2 mAh g- 1 at 0.5C and 99\% capacity retention highlighted the potential of porous HCP containing built-in methoxyl groups in the development of attractive lithium-sulfur battery systems.

}, keywords = {Active coating layer, bio-based, Biphenyl methyl ether, Hyper-crosslinked polymer, lithium-sulfur battery, Methoxyl groups, Self-polycondensation}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106139}, author = {Wale, Apparav K. and Das, Anoushka K. and Patil, Nita R. and Shelke, V. Manjusha and Ambade, V. Ashootosh and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {49910, title = {Microbiome knowledge graph as a tool to understand bacteria-host associations}, journal = {Archives of Microbiology}, volume = {207}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG}, pages = {222}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gut bacteria are well known to significantly influence human health and physiology. Knowledge Graph (KG) can effectively integrate the heterogenous factors modulating gut bacteria-host associations. Limited studies describe the construction and application of KGs capturing these associations for domain experts. This work outlines a methodology for constructing microbiome-centric KG and demonstrates how it enhances conventional microbiome data analysis workflows. Towards construction and deployment of this domain centric KG, methodologies involved in collection of data, selecting relevant entities and relationships, and preprocessing them are discussed. Key relevant entities include bacteria, host genetic and immune factors, chemicals and diseases. The KG construction in both RDF (Resource Description Framework) and LPG (Labeled Property Graph) models are demonstrated. Comparison of the querying techniques in both these models and applications of the KG using biologically relevant case studies are also presented. Overall, the work is intended to provide domain experts with a complete protocol for construction of a microbiome-centric KG starting from entity selection and schema design to utilizing the KG for microbiome data analysis and hypothesis generation.

}, keywords = {Bacteria-host association, Bioinformatics, Knowledge graph, Knowledge graph question answering, Microbiome}, issn = {0302-8933}, doi = {10.1007/s00203-025-04413-0}, author = {Pudavar, Anand Eruvessi and Baksi, Krishanu Das and Pokhrel, Vatsala and Kuntal, Bhusan K.} } @article {49999, title = {Moisture- responsive controlled-release herbicide system using guar gum and nano cellulose for sustainable weed management in rainfed agriculture}, journal = {Results in Engineering}, volume = {27}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {106576}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Weed management poses a significant challenge in rainfed agricultural system, with chemical control being the predominant strategy due to its expeditious nature. However, the efficacy of herbicides in these systems is heavily dependent on optimal soil moisture, making the application of pre-emergence herbicides difficult due to erratic rainfall patterns. Sudden rainfall events post-sowing can result in sticky or muddy fields, complicating the application process and leading to infrequent use of pre-emergence herbicides in rainfed agriculture. To address these challenges, an innovative approach was developed involving the herbicide molecules entrapment in hydrogel matrices synthesized from biopolymers. This study focuses on the design and preparation of atrazine-loaded hydrogel using guar gum and nanocellulose, aimed at managing weeds in maize crops, which are prevalent in rainfed regions. The paper details the protocol for synthesizing the hydrogels and entrapment of atrazine, characterizing the formulations, and conducting pot validation trials to assess phytotoxicity and weed control efficacy compared to commercial atrazine application. The results demonstrated high water retention capacities and entrapment efficiency of the hydrogel for preferable application. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of atrazine at 802 cm-1\ and other excipients in the encapsulated formulations, while XRD analysis verified the presence of nanocellulose. The release pattern indicated a sustained and controlled release of atrazine from the hydrogels over 40 h in-vitro studies, compared to the complete dissolution of pure atrazine within three hours. Screening trial further validated the crop safety and improved weed control efficiency of the entrapped formulations relative to commercial atrazine. The encapsulated formulations using biopolymer-based hydrogels show promise as a viable alternative for weed management in rainfed agriculture, offering controlled herbicide release and improved application efficiency under variable moisture conditions.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.106576}, author = {Prasanna, Jakku and Marimuthu, S. and Gowtham, G. and Shanmuganathan, K. and Lakshmanan, A. and Chandana, Pebbeti and Karthikeyan, S. and Somasundaram, E.} } @article {49559, title = {Molecular modeling of non-canonical intramolecular RNA triple helix structures predicted from TRIPinRNA and their in vitro biophysical structure validation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {129}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, pages = {4298-4308}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

RNA triple helices have traditionally been characterized by pyrimidine-type UA-U or CG-C triplets, with other base triplets considered to be destabilizing. However, the presence of non-canonical triplets in riboswitches and self-splicing introns suggests that triplexes containing longer stretches of such triplets may exist in the human genome too. Using molecular modeling, we investigated a chimeric triple helix derived from the FLRT2-AS1 lncRNA, confirming its stability over a 500 ns simulation. Biophysical analyses further support the formation of this triplex in vitro. Although these non-canonical structures exhibit less thermal stability compared to traditional UA-U triplets found in lncRNAs like metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 and NEAT1, they may serve distinct biological functions, suggesting a dynamic and more temporal role in cellular processes. The triplex selected for this study is found in a human long non-coding RNA gene, paving the way for investigating the intriguing roles of these triple helices in cell biology.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5c00160}, author = {Rakheja, Isha and Panda, Gayatri and Maiti, Souvik and Ray, Arjun} } @article {49866, title = {A Molecular View of Lipid Nanoparticles: Insights into their Morphology and Structural Plasticity}, journal = {Small}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e05404}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as versatile delivery vehicles for nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Despite their increasing importance, the molecular structure and physico-chemical characteristics of LNPs still remain unclear. In this review, the structural features and phase behavior of LNPs are highlighted. First, the various compositional elements, such as cationic lipids, helper lipids and sterols are discussed, illustrating their functional roles in the self-assembly and stability of LNPs. Molecular models derived from experimental and computational approaches are discussed to provide insights into the structural organization of the LNP components. The influence of sterols and helper lipids in modulating LNP architectures, including membrane fluidity and phase separation, which are key factors for both fusion potential and endosomal escape, is discussed. Variations in sterol content and headgroup chemistry can induce transitions from lamellar to non-lamellar structures, thereby influencing gene transfection outcomes. Further, how cationic lipids induce structural phase transitions, such as lamellar-to-hexagonal and inverse cubic rearrangements under physiological and acidic pH, mimicking extracellular and endosomal conditions, are described. These transitions play a pivotal role in ribonucleic acid (RNA) release and membrane fusion events. This comprehensive review allows to reconcile molecular and structural dynamics that would be necessary for rational design of RNA delivery systems.

}, keywords = {drug delivery, lipid nanoparticles, phase separation, vaccine delivery}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202505404}, author = {Porte, Sudha and Vadhana, V. and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {49583, title = {Monitoring influenza A (H1N1, H3N2), RSV, and SARS-CoV-2 using wastewater-based epidemiology: A 2-year longitudinal study in an Indian megacity covering omicron and post-omicron phases}, journal = {Food and Environmental Virology}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{The bourgeoning field of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for the surveillance of several respiratory viruses which includes Influenza A, H1N1pdm09, H3N2, respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is of interest for public health concerns. However, there are few long-term monitoring studies globally. In this study, respiratory viruses were detected and quantified from 11 sewer sheds by utilizing reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis in Pune city, India, from Jan 2022 to Dec 2023. The RNA fragments of respiratory viruses were detected in sewage samples before clinical cases were reported, underscoring the potential of WBE for early detection and monitoring within the population. The Spearman correlation of wastewater viral copies was positively and significantly correlated with the clinically positive case of H1N1pdm09 (rho = 0.55

}, keywords = {Influenza A, Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, Respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2, Wastewater-based epidemiology}, issn = {1867-0334}, doi = {10.1007/s12560-024-09618-y}, author = {Pramanik, Rinka and Nannaware, Kiran and Malik, Vinita and Shah, Priyanki and Sangewar, Poornima and Gogate, Niharika and Shashidhara, L. S. and Boargaonkar, Radhika and Patil, Dhawal and Kale, Saurabh and Bhalerao, Asim and Jain, Nidhi and Kamble, Sanjay and Dastager, Syed and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {49677, title = {Nickel-catalyzed regioselective C--H alkynylation of pyridones and isoquinolinones using alkynyl bromides}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A straightforward and efficient protocol for the regioselective C \& horbar;H alkynylation of 2-pyridones and isoquinolinones with bromoalkynes under nickel catalysis is described. The alkynylation reaction is enabled by a simple and inexpensive Ni(OTf)2/tBubpy catalyst system and uses easily accessible bromoalkynes. The protocol demonstrates a broad substrate scope with up to 95\% yield (42 examples) and accommodates synthetically valuable functionalities, such as halides, trifluoromethyl, nitrile, ether, thioether, alkyl silanes, and alkene, as well as heteroarene moieties like pyridinyl, furanyl, and thiophenyl. The pyridinyl directing group on alkynylated 2-pyridones can be smoothly removed to give C6-alkynylated free NH-pyridone. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the alkynylation proceeds via a 2e- oxidative addition pathway involving crucial C \& horbar;H activation.

}, keywords = {alkynylation, C \& horbar, H Activation, Mechanism, Nickel, pyridones}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.202500338}, author = {Verma, Suryadev K. and Patil, Harshal R. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49598, title = {NiFeMo layered triple hydroxide and MXene heterostructure for boosted oxygen evolution reaction in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {12094-12107}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Efficient, low cost and stable electrocatalysts are highly desirable for overcoming the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogen production. Interfacial engineering of heterostructures is quite beneficial for improving charge transfer efficiency at the interface. In this context, heterostructures of layered triple hydroxides (LTHs) and MXenes have shown great potential as OER electrocatalysts owing to their 2D-2D structure and unique physiochemical properties. Coupling LTHs with MXenes can potentially enhance their conductivity and stability, thereby boosting OER activity. In this study, we report a heterointerface between NiFeMo-LTH on Ti3C2Tx MXene, which exhibited superior catalytic activity and stability in alkaline freshwater and seawater, reducing the activation energy. Importantly, the heterostructure achieved a current density of 100 mA cm-2 at the cost of 292 mV and 340 mV overpotentials in alkaline saline water and real seawater, respectively, and showed robustness over 100 h without hypochlorite formation in alkaline real seawater, exhibiting corrosion-resistant behaviour. Moreover, NiFeMo-LTH/MXene explored in alkaline anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE) achieved a current density of 750 mA cm-2 at 2.16 V cell voltage at an operating temperature of 60 degrees C with an energy efficiency of 60.5\%. Raman analysis and XPS analysis post stability test demonstrated easy electron transfer from LTH to MXene at the heterointerface, leading to the formation of NiOOH electroactive species that facilitated the OER activity.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d5nr00419e}, author = {Pal, Santanu and Chaturvedi, Ekta and Das, Chandni and Sinha, Nibedita and Ahmed, Tanbir and Roy, Poulomi} } @article {49511, title = {Novel bifunctional inhibitor of protease and α-amylase from Clitorea ternatea restricts the growth and development in Spodoptera frugiperda}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {305}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {141180}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An inhibitor molecule capable of inhibiting a wide range of digestive enzymes without affecting endogenous enzymes is always desirable. We report characterization of CteTAI (M.W. 14 kDa), a bifunctional inhibitor (BFI) protein from the seeds of Clitoria ternatea capable of inhibiting trypsin and alpha-amylase. It retains trypsin inhibition activity up to 60 degrees C and alpha-amylase inhibition up to 40 degrees C. Trypsin inhibition is stable across pH 1-12, while alpha-amylase inhibition is stable between pH 3-7. CteTAI is a noncompetitive inhibitor of trypsin and an uncompetitive inhibitor of alpha-amylase. It selectively inhibits proteases and alpha-amylases from various sources, without affecting alpha-amylase from human saliva and Bacillus spp. Proteomic analysis identified CteTAI as a bifunctional inhibitor exhibiting 41 \% similarity to a bifunctional inhibitor from Sesbania bispinosa. Feeding Spodoptera frugiperda larvae with CteTAI-infused diet impaired energy metabolism, resulting in undernourished larvae and malformed adults incapable of flight and mating. Key nutritional indices (RGR, RCR, \%ECI, \%FDI) were severely reduced, indicating that CteTAI disrupts growth and development by inhibiting multiple protease and alpha-amylase isoforms. Biochemical characterization of newly identified CteTAI suggests its potential application in crop protection.

}, keywords = {alpha-Amylase inhibitors, Bifunctional inhibitor, Clitoria ternatea, Protease inhibitors, Spodoptera frugiperda}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.141180}, author = {Dongare, Pratiksha M. and Madage, Varsha A. and Deshpande, V. Neha and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Giri, Ashok P. and Pawar, Pankaj K.} } @article {49949, title = {Novel quinolinyl-thiazole hybrid candidates bearing N-methyl piperazine as potential anti-breast cancer agents: synthesis, biological evaluation and computational studies}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, pages = {47203-47219}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Breast cancer remains one of the most pressing global health concerns, emphasizing the urgent need for novel and effective therapeutic strategies. In this context, a new series of quinolinyl-thiazole derivatives incorporating an N-methyl piperazine moiety (6a-6h) was rationally designed, synthesized, and thoroughly characterized using FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectral methods. The anti-breast cancer potential of these compounds was assessed against the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, exhibiting IC50 values ranging from 1.415 +/- 0.16 to 2.898 +/- 0.27 mu M, thus highlighting their anti-breast cancer potential. Within the series, compound 6a showed the highest potency with the lowest IC50 value, whereas 6f displayed the weakest activity. Molecular docking of quinolinyl-thiazole derivatives (6a, 6f, 6g and 6h) against epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase revealed binding affinities correlating with their in vitro cytotoxicity on MDA-MB-231 cells, with 6a showing the strongest activity (IC50 = 1.415 +/- 0.16 mu M; docking score = -10.0 kcal mol-1) via key hydrogen bonds, electrostatic contacts, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, in silico ADME evaluation and drug-likeness analysis indicated that all synthesized derivatives possessed favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Density functional theory analysis of the most potent compound (6a) offered valuable insights into its structural characteristics, electronic distribution, and chemical reactivity via optimized geometry, frontier molecular orbital and molecular electrostatic potential surface studies. The results suggested that the synthesized compounds are promising candidates for further investigation.

}, doi = {10.1039/d5ra06350g}, author = {Dhongade, Archana B. and Shah, Umang and Patil, Bhausaheb N. and Shinde, Rahul A. and Sarkar, Ruma and Mukherjee, Adrija and Mali, Suraj N. and Adole, Vishnu A. and Pawar, Thansing B.} } @article {49411, title = {Palladium-catalyzed regioselective C(4)-H fluoroalkoxylation of indoles through weak chelation assistance}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Installing fluoroalkyl motifs into biorelevant indoles is particularly interesting due to their ubiquitous presence in drug molecules. Herein, we demonstrate the regioselective C4 fluoroalkoxylation of indoles using fluoroalcohols via palladium-catalyzed chelation-assisted C \& horbar;H activation. The weak chelating benzoyl moiety at the C3 position acts as a directing group for remote C(4)\& horbar;H fluoroalkoxylation of diversely substituted indoles. This methodology demonstrates a high level of regioselectivity and tolerates a range of crucial functional groups, yielding diverse trifluoroalkoxylated indoles in moderate to good yields. Removal of directing/protecting groups and further functionalization established the synthetic utility of the methodology. A preliminary mechanistic investigation is conducted by isolating the palladacycle intermediate and performing the deuterium scrambling study. The regioselective C4 fluoroalkoxylation of indoles with various fluoroalcohols is achieved by the palladium-catalyzed weak chelation assistance strategy. The reaction is compatible for a range of important functionalities and proceeds via the intermediacy of a six-membered palladacycle following a Pd(II)/Pd(IV) pathway. image

}, keywords = {C-H activation, indoles, Palladium, Regioselective, Trifluoroalkoxylation}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.202401188}, author = {Vijaykumar, Muniyappa and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49622, title = {Phosphite mediated molecular editing via switch to meta-C-H alkylation of isoquinolines: emergence of a distinct photochemical [1,3] N to C rearrangement}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {16}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1809-1818}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The isoquinoline core is present in one of the largest subsets of bioactive natural products. The multifunctional isoquinoline core exerts diverse bioactivity, resulting in the development of numerous isoquinoline-based drugs and molecules that are currently under clinical trials. We developed a new approach for phosphite-mediated [1,2] alkyl migration for an overall ortho-C-H alkylation via N-alkylation of isoquinoline. Tuning the phosphite-mediated protocol to switch the site selectivity would expedite direct and diverse multi-C-H bond functionalization. We report a new approach starting with a simple N-alkylation of isoquinoline with sterically and electronically diverse alkyl bromides for their phosphite-mediated photochemical [1,3] N to C rearrangement followed by a rearomatization sequence that leads to meta-C-H (C4) alkylation. Combined experimental and computational studies unveiled the emergence of an unprecedented C-N bond cleavage pathway from the singlet excited state of the enamine-type intermediate. Our radical bond-cleavage pathway favors substituted alkyl group migration that complements the recently successful meta-alkylation methods with smaller and more reactive electrophiles. This switch in site selectivity via tuning the phosphite-mediated protocol resulted in sequential C-H difunctionalization of isoquinoline including regiodivergent ortho, meta-dialkylations of isoquinolines.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d4sc07127a}, author = {Rani, Soniya and Ray, Anuj Kumar and Dewangan, Devendra Kumar and Patil, Nita Aruna Ramchandra and Aarthika, M. and Paul, Ankan and Maity, Pradip} } @article {49903, title = {Platinum-free electrocatalysts based on electrodeposited Co-Mn-Ni alloys for efficient electrocatalytic alkaline water splitting}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG }, pages = {11633-11642}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The development of a Pt-free electrocatalyst for efficient and stable water splitting is crucial for the commercialization of green hydrogen production. A low-cost electrocatalyst with good hydrogen and oxygen evolution activities (HER and OER, respectively) displaying long durability is the first step in this direction, and if the catalyst can be synthesized via an easy, convenient, and scalable procedure, that would be an added advantage. Multicomponent alloys, with their tunable compositions and abundant active sites, present a promising solution in this direction. Herein, a cost-effective CoMnNi (CMN) alloy is synthesized via electrodeposition and with optimized composition by tuning the electrolyte concentration and deposition potential to enhance electrocatalytic performance. The resulting single-phase alloy exhibits a high electrochemical surface area with an average particle size of similar to 4 nm, demonstrating excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities in 1 M KOH, with overpotentials of 121 mV at -10 mA cm-2 and 285 mV at 20 mA cm-2, respectively. Moreover, the catalyst exhibits remarkable stability, sustaining 100 h of operation at 100 mA cm-2. The CMN alloy also performs efficiently under harsh conditions, including 6 M KOH and alkaline seawater, in both symmetric and asymmetric cell configurations. This work highlights the potential of multicomponent alloys as durable, high-performance electrocatalysts for scalable water splitting, paving the way for sustainable hydrogen production.

}, keywords = {alkaline seawater, electrocatalysis, Electrodeposition, hydrogen evolution reaction(HER), multicomponentalloy, oxygen evolution reaction (OER), stability, watersplitting}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.5c01775}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Dutta, Pritha and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49971, title = {Precision integrated identification of predictive first-trimester metabolomics signatures for early detection of gestational diabetes mellitus}, journal = {Cardiovascular Diabetology}, volume = {24}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, pages = {434}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background and aimGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a common pregnancy-related metabolic disorder, often goes undiagnosed until the second trimester, limiting early intervention opportunities. Given the higher prevalence of GDM in India, there is a critical need to investigate metabolomic biomarkers among Asian Indians, who exhibit greater insulin resistance and are predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes at an earlier age. This study aimed to identify early pregnancy metabolomic signatures predictive of GDM. MethodsAmong 2115 pregnant women from the STratification of Risk of Diabetes in Early pregnancy (STRiDE) study, we performed untargeted metabolomic profiling using UPLC-MS/MS at early pregnancy (\< 16 weeks) plasma samples from 100 women-comprising 50 with GDM and 50 normal (without GDM) based on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24-28 weeks. Statistical and machine learning approaches, including logistic regression and random forest (RF), were applied to identify GDM-associated metabolites and construct predictive models. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted using KEGG database annotations. ResultsA total of 49 metabolites were significantly associated with GDM, primarily involving lipid classes such as phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, and triacylglycerols. RF analysis identified a panel of eight metabolites that achieved best predictive performance (AUC 0.880; 95\% CI: 0.809-0.951) for GDM. When combined with conventional clinical risk factors, the integrated model showed comparable prediction of GDM with AUC 0.88;: 95\% CI: 0.810-0.952). Enrichment analysis highlighted dysregulated pathways including glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism, autophagy, and insulin resistance. ConclusionThis study demonstrates the utility of early-pregnancy metabolomic profiling for predicting GDM in Indian women. The eight-metabolite panel offers a promising tool for early risk stratification of GDM, warranting validation in diverse populations.

}, keywords = {First trimester, Gestational diabetes mellitus, Indian women, Mass spectrometry, Metabolomics, Prediction}, doi = {10.1186/s12933-025-02978-0}, author = {Sharma, Sapna and Subrahmanyam, Yalamanchili Venkata and Gupta, Payal and Vadivel, Sangeetha and Deepa, Mohan and Tandon, Ansh and Sreedevi, Sreekumar and Ram, Uma and Narad, Priyanka and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Anjana, Ranjit Mohan and Raghunathan, Anu and Balasubramanyam, Muthuswamy and Mohan, Viswanathan and Sengupta, Abhishek and Adamski, Jerzy and Saravanan, Ponnusamy and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Usharani, Dandamudi and Gokulakrishnan, Kuppan} } @article {49926, title = {Precursor-dependent heteroatom diversity in luminescent carbon quantum dots: their impact on physicochemical properties and free radical scavenging and antibacterial activities}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {41}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {24281-24294}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The fabrication of a multifunctional carbon quantum dot (CQD) from a novel carbon source is still continuing to be demanding and fascinating. The carbon precursor plays a crucial role in developing any particular properties of a CQD to suit a specific application. In this study, green (Rhus chinensis fruits) as well as chemical-based (ascorbic acid and urea) carbon sources were used for the fabrication of CQDs using a simple, cost-effective, and eco-friendly method. The various physicochemical and optical properties of R. chinensis fruit-derived CQD (CQD-RCF) and urea-assisted ascorbic acid-derived CQD (CQD-AAU) were thoroughly investigated by using multiple characterization techniques such as XRD, TEM, HR-TEM, Raman, XPS, FT-IR, UV-vis, PL, and zeta potential. The synthesized CQDs were screened for antioxidant properties by a DPPH assay and antibacterial activity by the agar tip-well method. Both of these synthesized CQDs exhibited a variety of dissimilarities regarding their heteroatom compositions and surface functional groups, which subsequently led to an enhanced DPPH radical scavenging efficacy of CQD-AAU and a declared antibacterial efficacy of CQD-RCF. Therefore, the outcome of this study shows that the physicochemical properties and functionalities of CQDs are influenced by the chemical composition of the precursor material.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c02171}, author = {Konwar, Pollab Mohan and Devi, Suman and Pandey, Satish Kumar and Devi, Khomdram Sandhyarani and Devi, Ayekpam Bimolini and Luwang, Meitram Niraj} } @article {49847, title = {Probing solvent fluctuations in deep eutectic solvents: Influence of probe charge and nano-domain localization}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {163}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {044506}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) segregate into hydrogen bond acceptor or hydrogen bond donor (HBD) rich nano-domains, leading to molecular heterogeneity. Understanding how this heterogeneity affects the DES structure and dynamics is essential. In this study, we used two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) and two dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopies, combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, to investigate solvation structure and dynamics in two choline chloride-based DESs with different HBDs-levulinic acid and glycolic acid. We introduced two thiocyanate vibrational probes, methyl thiocyanate (CH3SCN, neutral) and ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN, anionic), which selectively localize in specific nano-domains. 2D NMR provided insights into solvent structure and probe location, while 2D IR captured solvation dynamics. Our results show that these small probes do not alter the solvent structure, regardless of charge. However, solvation dynamics depend on long-range electrostatic ordering in the DES and the local shielding effects of the nano-domain where the probe resides. MD simulations complement experimental findings, providing a molecular-level understanding of solvation in DESs.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0269436}, author = {Chowdhury, Tubai and Pathania, Akhil and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Bagchi, Sayan} } @article {49859, title = {Proteome profile of stress test assessed cardiovascular disease risk-prone diabetic subjects}, journal = {Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research}, volume = {18}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG}, pages = {960-969}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the diabetic population. There is a need for specific predictive markers to assess CVD risk. The present study explored the plasma proteome profile of treadmill test (TMT) assessed diabetic stress test positive (DSTP) and diabetic stress test negative (DSTN) subjects by performing a SWATH-MS-based label-free quantitative mass spectrometry approach to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). CVD-relevant DEPs were further validated using a targeted mass spectrometry approach (MRM-HR). It was observed that CO4B, PON1 and LUM exhibited considerable differential expression in both the MS approaches, and ROC analysis showed significant AUC (0.97, 0.79 and 0.77, respectively). Overall, the present study reports these proteins as potential alternative markers for TMT in assessing CVD risk. These markers can possibly overcome the limitations of TMT with further validation in the large cohort.Graphical AbstractAn overview of experimental approaches used in the current study. The study design depicts diabetic subjects assessed for cardiovascular risk by TMT or stress test. The experimental design shows the use of the SWATH-MS approach to identify differentially expressed proteins and validate CVD-related proteins with targeted MS approaches such as MRM-HR. Finally, CO4B, PON1 and LUM exhibited significant AUC in ROC analysis, indicating their potential marker capabilities to predict CVD in diabetic subjects.

}, keywords = {cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Multiple reaction monitoring, Plasma markers, Proteome profile, Quantitative mass spectrometry}, issn = {1937-5387}, doi = {10.1007/s12265-025-10651-w}, author = {Patil, Yugendra R. and Tiwari, Shalbha and Unnikrishnan, A. G. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {49504, title = {Pt-based 3D electrocatalyst with process-friendly features for PEMFCs possessing fast activation and improved mass-transfer properties}, journal = {Advanced Sustainable Systems}, volume = {9}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) face the challenges like slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics and limited mass transport at high current densities, which affects their performance. The efficient water removal from the cathode is essential to improve oxygen diffusion. Addressing this, a catalyst is presented with platinum (Pt) nanoparticles distributed within a 3D carbon network (Pt/3DPDC) derived from the polydopamine-coated melamine foam. This unique architecture enhances Pt utilization and water management due to its high porosity and ample free spaces, providing a process-friendly feature for the electrode under PEMFC conditions. The pores and accessible texture of the 3D polydopamine derived carbon (3DPDC) framework facilitate ionomer uptake during the electrode fabrication, extending the active triple-phase boundary and improving the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) performance. The high porosity of Pt/3DPDC is mitigated by adding a small amount of commercial fuel cell catalayst (Pt/C), which maintains the effective catalyst number density per unit area by utilizing the excess porosity of the 3DPDC framework. This controlled interplay of the unique catalyst structure and spatially confined distribution of Pt/C within the Pt/3DPDC framework offers fast activation, reduced electrode flooding, and improved current densities across the operating potential window. This carefully engineered catalyst, designed through bottom-up strategies, is a promising electrocatalyst for practical PEMFC applications.

}, keywords = {Oxygen Evolution Reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, rechargeable flexible zinc-air battery}, issn = {2366-7486}, doi = {10.1002/adsu.202400904}, author = {Pandikassala, Ajmal and Nadumattuvayil, Varsha and Singh, Mayank U. and Jadhav, Swapnil D. and Yoyakki, Athira and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49862, title = {A Pt-Based Carbon-Free Cathode with Embedded Oxygen Nanoreservoirs: A Promising Approach for Oxygen Buffering to Aid Oxygen Reduction Reactions of PEMFCs}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV}, pages = {19677-19694}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

For practical applications of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), the system needs to be operated by employing air in the cathode instead of pure oxygen (O2). This makes it necessary to develop innovative electrode engineering solutions so that the system can function well even in oxygen-lean environments under the realistic working conditions of PEMFCs. Taking this into account, we introduce Pt/SiO2@CeO2-30\%, an engineered electrocatalyst with potentially generated oxygen vacancies (Ov), which can immensely contribute toward the enhancement in the O2 availability in oxygen-lean conditions like the air feed conditions, allowing an effective control of the overpotential related to the oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) at the electrode level. The meticulously crafted Pt-CeO2 interface serves as one of the appreciable structural attributes of the present catalyst, facilitating oxygen spillover toward the Pt environment, aided by the creation of the immense Ov along the nano CeO2 phase of the catalyst. In addition to the benefit of addressing the oxygen-lean conditions and overcoming the limitations of the state-of-the-art catalysts, usage of a noncarbonaceous support like SiO2 to house the Pt and CeO2 nanoparticles has been anticipated to lessen the corrosion problems, a major drawback associated with the carbon-based ORR catalysts. Apart from this, a significant contribution of SiO2 to the self-humidification of the ionomer interface plays a crucial role in enabling the MEA to work under low relative humidity conditions, which can be attributed to an additional benefit of the current composition of the catalyst. The catalyst demonstrated a promising ORR performance with a substantial improvement in H2-air feed circumstances and better corrosion resistance when tested with a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in a single-cell configuration, illustrating the practical feasibility in a realistic system-level validation.

}, keywords = {carbon corrosion, carbon-free electrocatalyst, oxygen buffering, oxygen reductionreaction, oxygen spill over, protonexchange membrane fuel cell}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.5c06455}, author = {Yoyakki, Athira and Kumar, Sachin and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Jadhav, Swapnil D. and Vinod, C. P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49998, title = {Quality by design-based development and validation of a stability-indicating RP-HPLC method for quantitative estimation of enzalutamide in eutectic mixtures}, journal = {SSC Plus}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {e70119}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer presents a significant clinical challenge, with Enzalutamide{\textemdash}an androgen receptor inhibitor{\textemdash}serving as a standard therapeutic agent. Despite its efficacy, poor aqueous solubility (Biopharmaceutics classification system Class II) limits its bioavailability, necessitating advanced formulation strategies. This study reports a robust and validated Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for quantifying enzalutamide in bulk and eutectic formulations. A Quality by Design framework employing a Box{\textendash}Behnken design was used to optimize chromatographic parameters: 60\% acetonitrile, 1\ mL/min flow rate, 30{\textdegree}C column temperature, and 234\ nm detection wavelength. The method exhibited strong linearity (2{\textendash}12\ {\textmu}g/mL,\ r2\ =\ 0.9985) with a limit of detection and limit of quantification of 0.464 and 1.40\ {\textmu}g/mL, respectively. Validation per International Council for Harmonisation Q2 (R1/R2) confirmed accuracy, precision, robustness, and system suitability. Forced degradation studies verified its stability-indicating capability. Eutectic mixtures with succinic acid, caffeine, and ferulic acid were prepared via liquid-assisted grinding and characterized using powder x-ray diffraction, confirming crystalline eutectic formation. Recovery ranged from 96.7\% to 99.8\%, supporting the method{\textquoteright}s applicability in routine analysis and formulation development. Greenness evaluation using various tools confirmed the method{\textquoteright}s low environmental impact and high operational feasibility. This validated RP-HPLC method enables reliable quantification of enzalutamide, supporting the development of novel bioavailability-enhancing formulations for effective prostate cancer management.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/sscp.70119}, author = {Wannur, Vishal Irappa and Patil, Archana S. and Sawadi, Bhavana and Koli, Rahul and Shaligram, Parth Shailendra and shet, Nagabhushan and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {49586, title = {Real-time estimation of blood oxygenation parameters from human foot sole during leg elevation: a preliminary study with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy}, journal = {Optics and Laser Technology}, volume = {181}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111706}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study investigated the applicability of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) for real-time and non-invasive measurement of blood oxygenation parameters (BOPs) such as reduced hemoglobin (RHb), oxyhemoglobin (HbO(2)), and oxygen saturation (SO2) from human foot sole during leg elevation. Seventeen (17) healthy male subjects aged between 21 to 39 years were included in this study. Diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded from measurement sites namely the 5th metatarsal, ball of great joint, calcaneum, and great toe of the human foot sole w.r.t. leg elevation angles such as 0(0), 15(0), 30(0), 45(0), and 60(0), respectively. The localized BOPs were derived from the recorded spectra. In addition, blood hemodynamic parameters (BHPs) such as heart rate (HR), SO2, perfusion index (PI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were also measured for each elevating angle. To study and assess the changes in BOPs and BHPs w.r.t. leg elevation, a One-way ANOVA test followed by a Tukey HSD post-hoc test was performed. We observed a statistically significant increase in RHb (p \< 0.001) and a decrease in HbO(2) (p \< 0.001) after 45 degrees of leg elevation, however, there was no statistically significant difference in SO2 (p = 0.74) and HR (p = 0.84) for each measurement site w.r.t. leg elevation, respectively. Furthermore, PI (p \< 0.01), ankle SBP (p \< 0.001) and DBP (p \< 0.001) were decreased w.r.t. leg elevation. The obtained results are in agreement with the literature. The preliminary results suggest that DRS has the potential for real-time estimation of BOPs from the local sites of healthy human foot soles during leg elevation. Thus, it opens the possibility of DRS to monitor and evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of ischemia and edema during leg elevation of patients through BOPs measurement.

}, keywords = {diabetic foot ulcer, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Leg elevation, Oxygen saturation, Oxyhemoglobin, Reduced hemoglobin}, issn = {0030-3992}, doi = {10.1016/j.optlastec.2024.111706}, author = {Kumar, Ajay and Lohchab, Viney and Pawar, Dnyandeo and Someshwar, Vimal and Mathe, Vikas and Husale, Sudhir and Kanawade, Rajesh} } @article {49593, title = {Recommendations for sample selection, collection and preparation for NMR-based metabolomics studies of blood}, journal = {Metabolomics}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {66}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

BackgroundMetabolic profiling of blood metabolites, particularly in plasma and serum, is vital for studying human diseases, human conditions, drug interventions and toxicology. The clinical significance of blood arises from its close ties to all human cells and facile accessibility. However, patient-specific variables such as age, sex, diet, lifestyle and health status, along with pre-analytical conditions (sample handling, storage, etc.), can significantly affect metabolomic measurements in whole blood, plasma, or serum studies. These factors, referred to as confounders, must be mitigated to reveal genuine metabolic changes due to illness or intervention onset.Review objectiveThis review aims to aid metabolomics researchers in collecting reliable, standardized datasets for NMR-based blood (whole/serum/plasma) metabolomics. The goal is to reduce the impact of confounding factors and enhance inter-laboratory comparability, enabling more meaningful outcomes in metabolomics studies.Key conceptsThis review outlines the main factors affecting blood metabolite levels and offers practical suggestions for what to measure and expect, how to mitigate confounding factors, how to properly prepare, handle and store blood, plasma and serum biosamples and how to report data in targeted NMR-based metabolomics studies of blood, plasma and serum.

}, keywords = {Blood, Metabolites, Metabolomics, NMR, Plasma, Serum, Standardization}, issn = {1573-3882}, doi = {10.1007/s11306-025-02259-7}, author = {Emwas, Abdul-Hamid and Zacharias, Helena U. and Alborghetti, Marcos Rodrigo and Gowda, G. A. Nagana and Raftery, Daniel and Mckay, Ryan T. and Chang, Chung-ke and Saccenti, Edoardo and Gronwald, Wolfram and Schuchardt, Sven and Leiminger, Roland and Merzaban, Jasmeen and Madhoun, Nour Y. and Iqbal, Mazhar and Alsiary, Rawiah A. and Shivapurkar, Rupali and Pain, Arnab and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Ryan, Danielle and Roy, Raja and Schirra, Horst Joachim and Morris, Vanessa and Zeri, Ana Carolina and Alahmari, Fatimah and Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima and Salek, Reza M. and LeVatte, Marcia and Berjanskii, Mark and Lee, Brian and Wishart, David S.} } @article {49698, title = {Regioselective difluoroalkylation of 2-pyridones with fluoroalkyl bromides enabled by a nickel(II) catalyst}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {20}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Regioselective C-H difluoroalkylation of diverse 2-pyridones with ethyl bromodifluoroacetates and bromodifluoroacetamides is accomplished by using a (dppf)NiCl2 catalyst under mild conditions. This efficient protocol could deliver a variety of C-3 difluoroalkylated pyridones with the tolerance of a range of highly susceptible functionalities, such as -Cl, -Br, -I, -COMe, -CN, -NMe2 and -NO2, including heteroarenes like pyridinyl, furanyl, thiophenyl and carbazolyl moieties. A preliminary mechanistic study suggests the radical pathway for the reaction involving fluoroalkyl radical intermediate.

}, keywords = {2-pyridones, Difluoroalkylation, Nickel, radical intermediate, Regioselectivity}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202401870}, author = {Pradhan, Chandini and Khandelwal, Disha and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49728, title = {Relativistic extended-coupled-cluster calculations of P , T -odd sensitivity parameters for diatomic molecules}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5481-5489}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We demonstrate the first application of the four-component relativistic extended-coupled-cluster (ECC) method, a variational approach, to determine the P , T -odd molecular electronic structure parameters necessary for high-precision spectroscopic measurements on ultracold molecules. We calculate the P , T -odd sensitivity parameters for two moderately heavy, laser-coolable diatomic molecules (SrH and SrF), as well as two relatively lighter open-shell molecules (CaH and CaF) in their ground electronic state, 2 Sigma 1/2. The hyperfine structure constants of 87Sr in the SrF and SrH molecules are also computed and compared with available experimental results to assess the accuracy of our calculations. Furthermore, we examine the roles of electron correlation, relativity, basis set, and virtual spinors in ECC calculations of the sensitivity parameters. Our study reveals that the ECC method is a reliable technique for studying P , T -odd properties of diatomic molecules such as CaH, CaF, SrH and SrF, yielding results in very good agreement with those obtained using two widely employed analytic approaches: the Z-vector technique and the linear expectation-value method within the relativistic single-reference coupled-cluster singles and doubles framework.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jctc.5c00329}, author = {Talukdar, Kaushik and Nayak, Malaya K. and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article {49785, title = {Residence time distribution of powders in a vertical single screw reactor: experiments using salt-coated tracer particles and simulations}, journal = {Particuology}, volume = {107}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, pages = {313-326}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The use of single and twin-screw extruders for solid-phase reactions is a promising method to intensify a process in a more sustainable manner. In this manuscript, we report a detailed analysis of the residence time distribution (RTD) in vertical single-screw reactors. The results will help in the selection of the right screw design that would help achieve the desired residence time, which is necessary for a reaction to happen. Experiments were conducted in three vertical screw reactors (having fixed shaft diameter) with varying dimensions using granular free-flowing powders of sodium chloride and silica with a mean particle size of similar to 25 mu m. RTD behavior was modeled using the radial particle velocities in the screw reactor{\textquoteright}s centrifugal field. Further, a method is proposed for estimating the axial dispersion coefficient of dry powders in such sheared flows using true and bulk densities of the powder and the screw shear rate. This dispersion coefficient is used in the axially dispersed plug flow model to describe the RTD behavior of screw reactors with acceptable accuracy. The theoretically predicted and experimentally obtained dispersion coefficients are found to be similar thereby confirming the suitability of the model. (c) 2025 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

}, keywords = {Bulk density, Centrifugal field in screw reactor, Particle inertial number, Powder dispersion coefficient, Powder flow, Single-screw extruder}, issn = {1674-2001}, doi = {10.1016/j.partic.2025.10.008}, author = {Rajendra, R. Sriram and Palgadhmal, Anil V. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {49594, title = {Resolving salt-cocrystal conundrum in multicomponent crystals by using X-ray quantum crystallography}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {129}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, pages = {9169-9178}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The structural identity of multicomponent crystals as a salt or cocrystal is dictated by the proton transfer state between the molecular components. In pharmaceutical drugs, solid-state forms such as salts or cocrystals can have significantly distinct stability, dissolution, and solubility profiles. The accurate location of proton positions is a formidable task using conventional X-ray crystallography, as the atomic scattering factors are based on spherical electron density models. Herein, we demonstrate that the X-ray quantum crystallographic (QCr) technique of Hirshfeld Atom Refinement (HAR), based on aspherical atomic scattering factors, can be effectively employed to resolve this riddle. Our HAR models accurately located the proton positions, thus distinguishing salts, cocrystals, and continuum crystal structures, which are substantiated by the N 1s binding energies from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) corresponding to the base components in a series of crystals. The QCr models reveal the subtle features of electron localization and bonding around the double-well potential in the intermolecular proton-transfer regions in these crystals.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c00975}, author = {Sudheendranath, Athul and Tothadi, Srinu and Pradhan, Amit Kumar and Prajapati, Aditya Kumar and Nangia, Ashwini and Thomas, Sajesh P.} } @article {49889, title = {Rongalite-promoted self-dimerization of 3-acylidene-2-oxindoles: a diastereoselective route to synthesis of bispirooxindoles}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {23}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8687-8694}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A facile and efficient one-pot rongalite-mediated self-dimerization of 3-acylidene-2-oxindoles has been developed for the diastereoselective synthesis of highly functionalized dispirocyclopentanebisoxindoles. The reaction proceeds via a domino sequence involving intermolecular Michael addition followed by intramolecular aldol cyclization under basic conditions. Rongalite, an inexpensive and readily available reagent (similar to\$0.03 per g), plays a crucial role in promoting the transformation, offering significant advantages such as operational simplicity, step economy, scalability to gram-scale synthesis, and potential for post-functionalization. This methodology provides an efficient route to structurally complex oxindole frameworks with high stereocontrol, demonstrating broad synthetic utility.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d5ob01069a}, author = {Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Patil, Baliram R. and Girase, Amardipsing S. and Kaulage, Sandeep H. and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {49522, title = {Ruthenium-catalyzed deconstruction of polyolefins: a strategy to up-cycle waste polyethylene to value-added alkene}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {64}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthesis of value-added products from post-consumer waste polyolefins is fascinating as well as challenging. Here we report ruthenium-catalyzed up-cycling of the polyethylene to long-chain alkene derivatives. The developed methodology mainly involves two steps i.e., dehydrogenation of polyethylene through hydrogen atom transfer and its metathesis using the HG-II catalyst. The dehydrogenation of polyethylene using ruthenium catalysis derived up to 3.38 \%, of double bonds; with 90 \% of the recovered polyolefin material. The obtained unsaturated polyethylene was subjected to cross-metathesis with ethylene using HG-II catalytic system. This resulted in the synthesis of predominantly dodecene (C12) derivatives, with 58 \% selectivity, along with other derivatives of varying chain lengths. The overall reaction produced terminal and internal olefins in the ratio 1:0.8 respectively. The dehydrogenation of polyethylene and its deconstruction was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The origin of C12 selectivity has been demonstrated by control experiments. The scope of the methodology was extended to post-consumer waste polyethylene which gave high conversion to value-added dodecene derivatives as a major product.

}, keywords = {Deconstruction, Homogeneous catalysis, ruthenium, Upcycling, Waste plastic}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202422609}, author = {Padhi, Ganeshdev and Khopade, Kishor V. and Moyilla, Nageswararao and Rangappa, Raghavendrakumar and Chikkali, Samir H. and Barsu, Nagaraju} } @article {49575, title = {SANS and SAXS investigation of the melt state structure in disentangled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene}, journal = {ACS Macro Letters}, volume = {14}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {349-353}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Disentangled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene exhibits a time-dependent increase in rheology modulus when molten. This originates from its kinetically evolving heterogeneous microstructure consisting of disentangled and entangled regions. We report a quantitative analysis of this microstructure using X-rays and neutrons that capture the signatures of these regions. We analyze the absolute intensities to obtain the volume fraction and size distribution of the disentangled domains in the melt. Employing neutrons, we follow the changes in these parameters with time. The trends are qualitatively similar to those of the previous rheological observations. Our methodology also provides an experimental verification of the theoretical report by McLeish, T. C. B. Soft Matter 2007, 3 (1), 83-87, which predicts the presence of high density disentangled domains in a low density entangled matrix. The analysis presented here is a useful instrument for unveiling the origin of differences in the properties of polymers obtained through different processing routes.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsmacrolett.5c00100}, author = {Sharma, Aakash and Kruteva, Margarita and Willner, Lutz and Romano, Dario and Porcar, Lionel and Dulle, Martin and Zhou, Fuhai and Rastogi, Sanjay and Richter, Dieter} } @article {49536, title = {Sequential nitro-michael addition and reductive cyclization cascade reaction for diastereoselective synthesis of multifunctionalized 3,3'-pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindoles}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {28}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this investigation, we elucidated, one-pot two stage efficient synthesis of multifuctionalized spiro[oxindole -3,3 {\textquoteleft}-pyrrolidine]. The methodology proceeds via organocatalyzed nitro-Michael addition reaction between indolylidenecyanoesters and nitroalkanes to formed nitro-Michael adduct which transformed into multifunctionalized 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindoles by metal catalyzed reductive cyclization cascade. DFT investigations were conducted to elucidate the mechanism underlying the preferential reduction of the nitro group, with subsequent attack on the nitrile and ester groups remain inert throughout the reaction process. The approach is operationally simple, easily scalable, exhibits compatibility with readily accessible starting material and catalysts, thereby emphasizing cost-effectiveness.

}, keywords = {3 {\textquoteleft}-pyrrolidinyl spirooxindoles, DFT study for regioselective cyclization, Diastereoselective 3, organocatalysis, Pd/C catalysed partial reductive spirocyclization}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202401121}, author = {Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Bhati, Meema and Girase, Amardipsing S. and Patil, Baliram R. and Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Gamidi, Rama Krishna and Joshi, Kavita and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {49868, title = {Silylene-copper(i) catalysis: regioselective protoboration of terminal alkynes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {61}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC}, pages = {19652-19655}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report an efficient regioselective protoboration of the terminal alkynes catalyzed by newly synthesized silylene-copper(i)-aryl complexes. This method offers a broad substrate scope, good functional-group compatibility, and a gram-scale synthetic ability. The insight into the mechanistic cycle is also provided with the support of experimental and theoretical studies.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d5cc06125c}, author = {Kaulage, Sandeep H. and Shah, Brij Kumar and Panday, Rishukumar and Sharma, Himanshu and Vanka, Kumar and Khan, Shabana} } @article {49603, title = {Simple freeze-thaw based method for efficient purification of recombinant human proinsulin from inclusion bodies}, journal = {Protein Expression and Purification}, volume = {227}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {106645}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Insulin is a pivotal peptide hormone essential for regulating glucose homeostasis. It has been known for over 100 years, but its production and purification methods are still under improvement. Escherichia coli based bacterial expression system is primarily used for insulin production. The human insulin protein expressed in bacteria usually forms inclusion bodies, complicating the purification process. Traditionally, insulin purification is a timeconsuming process involving urea-based denaturation methods, and various refolding techniques, followed by extensive chromatographic methods. Here, we report an easy and efficient purification of human proinsulin involving freeze-thaw based solubilization method. The extracted proinsulin inclusion bodies are treated with different concentrations of urea, followed by a freeze-thaw based solubilization. The freezing was carried out at various temperatures, mainly -80 degrees C, -20 degrees C, and -196 degrees C to determine the optimum condition for solubilization. Highest solubilization of proinsulin from the inclusion body was achieved with 0.5M urea and -20 degrees C. Further Nickel NTA-based purification was performed, and the purified protein was characterized for disulfide mapping by high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS). We also performed glucose uptake assays to validate the functional properties of purified proinsulin. This freeze-thaw based mild solubilization approach is a fast and effective method for getting bioactive proinsulin, which will help further design better purification and processing strategies for insulin production.

}, keywords = {Diabetes, Disulfide mapping, glucose, insulin, Mass spectrometry}, issn = {1046-5928}, doi = {10.1016/j.pep.2024.106645}, author = {Rajesh, S. and Jathar, Swaraj and Banarjee, Reema and Sharma, Monika and Palkar, Shivani and Shankar, S. Shiva and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {49493, title = {Squaraine dyes as efficient photoredox catalysts for PET-RAFT polymerization in batch and flow modes accelerated by suppression of dye aggregation}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {58}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2850-2859}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Organic photoredox catalysts (PCs) based on squaraine dyes are investigated for photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization under visible-light (lambda max = 485 nm) irradiation in the presence of triethylamine that suppresses self-aggregation of dye and accelerates the polymerization. Several commonly used PCs are also screened, and self-aggregation is found to be reduced with triethylamine, thus providing a simple and effective approach to reduce aggregation of PCs. There is no induction period, and total polymerization time is shorter for squaraine dye PCs than for reported PCs under similar conditions. The photocatalyst system is amenable to polymerization by using different RAFT agents. Methyl methacrylate and a range of functional methacrylates are polymerized with good control over molecular weight and narrow dispersity in a first-order reaction with a random switch {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}ON-OFF{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} of the light source and even without an inert atmosphere. The mechanism of polymerization without and with requirement of triethylamine is elucidated using control experiments and found to be an oxidative and reductive electron transfer, respectively. A series of diblock and random copolymers of methyl methacrylate with methacrylate monomers are synthesized. Controlled polymerization is also demonstrated using a continuous-flow method and in an aqueous medium.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/acs.macromol.4c02612}, author = {Patil, Anil M. and Nawghare, Indrajeet S. and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj and Ambade, Ashootosh V.} } @article {49956, title = {Stimulant immobilized bioactive film of functionalized egg albumin blend for wound healing}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmaceutics}, volume = {682}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP }, pages = {125896}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Wound healing materials with advanced properties that facilitates higher collagen deposition, improved angiogenesis and quick tissue regeneration are crucial for clinical wound management. To meet the requirement, for the first time, our studies focus on engineering bio-originated natural materials, which are tested in combination with the active agents, ascorbic acid (AA), a stimulant and metronidazole (Mtz), an anti-microbial drug. Accordingly, a dual drug (AA, and Mtz) loaded film of functionalized egg albumin (FEA)-poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was fabricated following the solution casting method. The film was characterized for its morphology and physicochemical properties using various analytical tools. The potential of the film as a wound healing material was evaluated, by in vitro drug release, degradation, cell viability, antimicrobial studies, in vivo wound healing, and histopathological analyses. In vitro degradation studies confirmed their degradability in enzymatic and soil burial conditions. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated their non-toxicity, and the antimicrobial investigations showcased that the material was antibacterial. On the 14th day, the wound closure percentage of the wound induced control group, GI (without treatment) was notably higher at 95 \% compared to the test formulation group, GV [FEA-PVA (30/70 w/w) loaded with Mtz and AA (10 \% w/w of the total polymer weight), respectively], which exhibited a wound closure of 83 \%. Furthermore, the histopathological examinations revealed that the inner wound healing in GV was comparatively better than in GI in terms of angiogenesis, epidermal remodeling, higher collagen deposition, coherency, and tissue regeneration. Consequently, the formulated film can be deemed a suitable wound dressing material.

}, keywords = {collagen, Dual drug release, Functionalized egg albumin, Polymer blend films, Stimulant, wound Healing}, issn = {0378-5173}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.125896}, author = {Gautam, Tripurari Rao and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Singam, Amarnath R. and Jagtap, Ashish S. and Desai, Prasad and Gundloori, Rathna V. N. and Pawar, Anil and Dastager, Syed G.} } @article {49905, title = {Strategic design of a single-source precursor for in situ generation and integration of adherent species on Ni3S4 entangled-nanosheets for energy storage applications}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT}, pages = {19943-19951}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthesizing transition-metal chalcogenides (TMC) via a single-source precursor (SSP) route has shown great potential due to better reproducibility and control over stoichiometry, phase, and morphology. While the SSP converts into TMC, surfactants or coordinating species are essential to ensure dispersibility for further solution-based processing protocols. These additional species are typically highly toxic, difficult to remove, and adversely affect device performance. Here, as a proof of concept, design-induced in situ stabilized Ni3S4 (DiSNi) protocol demonstrates that strategic SSP design and optimized reaction conditions can facilitate directed chemical reactivity, gradually generating adhering species, which seamlessly integrate onto the metal chalcogenides, aiding the formation of stable dispersions without utilizing additional stabilizers. The proposed mechanism is validated by detailed strategic experiments and analysis, like X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), accelerated dispersion stability measurements, and postsynthesis base treatment, which confirm the presence of in situ generated diethylammonium ion (DEA+) as the adherent and corroborate its role in dispersibility. The obtained Ni3S4 entangled-nanosheets are utilized to fabricate additive-free symmetric supercapacitors with organic electrolyte for charge storage over an extended potential window of 2.8 V and an energy density of 12.44 mu W h cm-2 at a power density of 0.42 mW cm-2. The devised DiSNi protocol showcases the importance of the SSP design for achieving multifunctionality. It is anticipated to have a broader impact on the role of careful design of SSP, making it an ideal contender for synthesizing transition-metal chalcogenides.

}, keywords = {dispersion stability, energy storages devices, low-boiling point solvents, nickel sulfide dispersions, organic electrolyte, single-source precursor, Supercapacitors}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.5c03542}, author = {Singh, Rahul and Thakur, Rohit and Sahu, Umasharan and Sahoo, Ramesh Chandra and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Matte, H. S. S. Ramakrishna} } @article {49553, title = {Study of magnetism and electrocatalytic properties in perovskite DyCrO3}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {1016}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB }, pages = {178934}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Uniformly sized perovskite DyCrO3 was synthesized by facile hydrothermal method. Complex interdependence of various parameters such as - pH, crystal growth duration, reaction temperature, precursor, and capping molecules on crystal growth was extensively investigated. The effect of synthesis parameters on the magnetic properties of hydrothermally synthesized DyCrO3 was compared with high-temperature synthesized DyCrO3. DyCrO3{\textquoteright}s potential for electrocatalytic water splitting in an alkaline medium (1.0 M KOH) was also evaluated. It demonstrates an overpotential of 280 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and 210 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Further, it exhibits promising stability for OER and HER.

}, keywords = {DyCrO3, Electrocatalytic water splitting, Hydrothermal synthesis, magnetic property, perovskite}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.178934}, author = {Ughade, Supriya and Singh, Dinesh and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {49933, title = {Supercooled liquid phases of luminescent zero dimensional metal halide hybrids}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters}, volume = {16}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9391-9400}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chemical design of metal halide hybrids (MHHs) with suppressed melting point (T-m) allows access to glassy phases from their liquid-melts. Thermal phase change (crystal-melt-glass) properties of glassy MHHs (with glass transition temperature T-g \> room temperature) have been exploited for device applications. However, room temperature stable supercooled liquid (SCL) MHHs (with T-g \< room temperature), originating from glass-SCL phase change, remain inaccessible. Here, a molecular design strategy is reported to access ambient stable, melt-processable, SCL multimetallic bromide hybrids (Mn2+,Cd2+; Mn2+,Zn2+; Benzyltributylammonium) with low T-g (15-16 degrees C), low T-m (90-100 degrees C), green luminescence, and high optical transparency. Structural, optical, thermal, and computational analyses highlight chemical design principles and support dopant (Mn2+) based luminescence. Rheological measurements confirm the SCL phase that shows thermal hysteresis and estimate relaxation time scales. This work provides a new material platform showcasing enhanced melt-processability for fabrication of moldable devices, unravelling chemical makeup-property correlation and expanding the material phase types of MHHs.

}, issn = {1948-7185}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c01979}, author = {Kumar Das, Deep and Marayathungal, Jumana Hasin and Palakkolil, Athira and Sarma, Dhritismita and Khan, Akram Aadil and Kumar, M. Praveen and Kudlu, Ashwath and Choudhary, Mahendra and Hathwar, Venkatesha R. and Pujala, Ravi Kumar and Mahata, Arup and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {49928, title = {Supramolecular self-assembly of glochidonol: a renewable triterpenoid from glochidion tomentosum}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {10}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG }, pages = {e01207}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glochidonol a lupane pentacyclic (6-6-6-6-5) triterpenoid isolated from Glochidion tomentosum, exhibited exceptional gelation ability compared to the screened lupane- and oleanane-type triterpenoids. This study represents the first report on the self-assembly behavior of glochidonol in various liquids. The molecule self-assembled to form gels in all tested aromatic solvents, whereas no gelation was observed in water or phosphate buffer. The structural and physical properties of the self-assembled glochidonol were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Additionally, the glochidonol-based self-assembled fibrillar network was utilized for the encapsulation of fluorescein isothiocyanate as a model drug, highlighting its potential for biomedical applications. A glochidonol-based gel loaded with doxorubicin exhibited sustained, diffusion-mediated drug release into PBS, accompanied by partial gel degradation. Fluorescence analysis confirmed release suggesting drug-gel interactions and diffusion. The glochidonol-based gel demonstrated sustained, diffusion-controlled doxorubicin release with partial degradation under physiological conditions.

}, keywords = {Glochidion tomentosum, Glochidonol, Organo gelator, Self-assembly, Triterpenoids}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202501207}, author = {Patil, Harshal S. and Jagadeesh, K. S. and Dinore, Jaysingh and Sharanappa, P. and Baviskar, Ashwini S. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {49939, title = {Surfactant-assisted tungsten oxide for enhanced acetone sensing and solar-driven photocatalysis: exploring the role of surfactants}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG }, pages = {27895-27907}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Surfactants play a pivotal role in the kinetics of nucleation and accretion of nanoparticles in such a way that they serve as a template for the development of nanostructures, consequently influencing the morphology, dimensions, and other surface properties. Herein, we report the influence of cationic and anionic surfactants (CTAB, SDS, PVP and HMT) on the development of pristine WO3 nanostructures and their impact on gas sensing and photocatalytic properties of WO3. The various surfactant-assisted WO3 nanostructures were synthesized via a straightforward hydrothermal route and systematically analyzed using XRD, FESEM-EDAX, TEM/HRTEM, XPS, UV-Vis, and BET measurements. Gas sensing properties of various oxidizing and reducing gases revealed superior selectivity towards acetone. Among the various surfactant-assisted WO3, CTAB/WO3 exhibited an excellent response of 84.84\% towards 100 ppm acetone at an optimal operating temperature of 300 degrees C. The CTAB/WO3 sensor exhibited a linear response to acetone at lower concentrations, showing a 4.8\% response at 0.8 ppm, which delineates the threshold between healthy and diabetic breath acetone levels. At 1.8 ppm, the sensor recorded 8.1\% response, aligning with diabetes values reported by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Moreover, photocatalytic performance evaluations demonstrated a methylene blue degradation efficiency of 47.19\% under natural solar irradiation. This work will motivate researchers in developing high performance acetone gas sensors and photocatalytic dye-degradation by the integration of appropriate surfactants in WO3 nanostructures.

}, doi = {10.1039/d5ra02593a}, author = {Patil, Abhijeet P. and Patil, Suraj S. and Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Damkale, Shubhangi R. and Nadargi, Digambar Y. and Nadargi, Jyoti D. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad S.} } @article {49805, title = {Sustainable base-mediated chemical upcycling of poly (propylene carbonate) to β-hydroxy sulfides and oxides}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {27}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10543-10549}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We present a cesium carbonate-mediated method to upcycle poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) waste into beta-hydroxy sulfides, selenides, and phenoxides via selective thermal depolymerization. The process tolerates diverse nucleophiles, including those from multilayer plastics. Mechanistic studies support a cesium aryl thiolate-driven nucleophilic degradation. The beta-hydroxy products are easily functionalized, and the base is recyclable, offering a sustainable route for PPC valorization.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/d5gc02451j}, author = {Moyilla, Nageswararao and Padhi, Ganeshdev and Barsu, Nagaraju} } @article {49948, title = {Sustainable cellulose nanofiber extraction from Borassus flabellifer: a comprehensive study and analytical insights}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {SEP}, pages = {25359-25373}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cellulose, a biodegradable and renewable material, is versatile and transforms various fields. This work uses a chemo-mechanical method to discuss the extraction and analysis of palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) fruit derived cellulose nanofibers (PFCNF). The mild acid treatment, steam explosion, and homogenization could increase the physico-chemical properties of Borassus flabellifer fiber. The chemical composition and FTIR analysis confirmed the successful elimination of the hemicellulose, lignin, and other extractives in the palmyra fruit pulp. The solid-state 13C NMR proved the cellulose type I structure of the extracted PFCNF. The crystallinity index of PFCNF was found to be 57\%. The yield of the cellulose was calculated to be 44\%. PFCNF exhibited fibrous morphology with a nanodimension of 10-80 nm, validated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. With progressive treatments, the thermal stability was increased, and the Tmax of PFCNF was 32 degrees C higher compared to the raw fibers. These superior properties further support their potential in eco-friendly packaging, advanced composites, biomedical materials, film production, electronics, coating materials, and paper production.

}, keywords = {Borassus flabellifer, Biomass, Cellulose nanofiber, Eco-friendly extraction, Sustainable materials, Waste valorization}, issn = {2190-6815}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-025-06859-0}, author = {Surya, S. and Soman, Arathy and Krishnan, Akhil and Suresh, M. Parvana and Neenu, K. V. and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Dominic, C. D. Midhun} } @article {49961, title = {Sustainable isolation of cellulose nanofibers with superior crystallinity and thermal stability from Terminalia catappa L. fruit peel waste}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {21557-21572}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Turning agricultural waste into value-added products is a key focus of sustainable development. Herein, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) were extracted from the pericarp of Terminalia catappa L. for the first time. The CNF was extracted by chlorine-free pretreatment methods followed by oxalic acid hydrolysis (5 wt\%) assisted with steam explosion. The prepared CNF were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTG). FTIR analysis confirmed the successful removal of lignin and hemicellulose during chemical treatment which was again validated by solid-state 13C NMR analysis. TEM image revealed that the diameter of the extracted nanofibers ranges from 14 to 18 nm. From XRD analysis, the crystallinity index of the CNF was 82\%, while that of the raw sample was 62 \%. The temperature at which the maximum degradation (Tmax) of CNF occurred was found to be 372 degrees C which is superior to that of the raw sample (334 degrees C). The extracted cellulose nanofibers were used to prepare cellulose paper, demonstrating a tensile strength of 1.1 MPa, indicating its potential suitability for biodegradable packaging applications.

}, keywords = {cellulose, Cellulose nanofiber, green synthesis, Waste to wealth}, issn = {2190-6815}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-025-06726-y}, author = {Harsha, R. and Mol, A. P. Princy and Paul, Sharon and Badawi, Michael and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Rao, H. Jeevan and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Nair, Ajalesh B. and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Dominic, C. D. Midhun} } @article {49719, title = {Sustainable UV absorbing bio-plastic films by valorisation of humins and chitosan}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {311}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, pages = {143710}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Humins, an inevitable bio-refinery waste by-product of sugar dehydration have been efficiently utilized for the first time for developing biodegradable thin films for UV shielding. The films were prepared from chitosan, and humins, a novel combination, aiming towards simultaneous utilization of marine and bio-refinery waste, rendering simple, effective, robust UV absorbing films. The structure-activity relationship of these films were elucidated with the help of different analytical techniques like X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, UV-vis spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, Tensile testing, Contact angle measurements and water absorption studies. Intrinsic biodegradability was studied using fungi i.e. Aspergillus niger. Different feedstocks (corncob, rice husk, glucose and xylose) were explored for generating humins. Amongst them, humins derived from xylose were utilized for the preparation of the bio-plastic films of chitosan. The results revealed that, addition of 5.0 \% humins was observed to be an optimum concentration yielding films with excellent UV absorption, mechanical properties, and biodegradability. The current work is in perfect alignment with sustainability and green chemistry as it ameliorates waste valorization (lignocellulosic and marine altogether). Further, its innovation stems from the first-hand use of humins for UV absorption, novel combination of biopolymers, use of green raw materials.

}, keywords = {biodegradable, Chitosan, Humins, Thin films, UV absorption, Waste valorization}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.143710}, author = {Lucas, Nishita and Tambe, Snehal S. and Parate, Roopa and Hengne, Amol and Rode, C. V. and Athawale, Anjali A.} } @article {49804, title = {syn-Selective hydrosilylation and hydroboration of alkynes at room temperature catalyzed by a phosphine-free (NNN)Fe(ii) complex}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6716-6725}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Catalytic hydrofunctionalization of alkynes is the ideal and atom-economical route to synthesize vinylsilanes and vinylboronates, which are valuable organic building blocks. However, the process suffers from using expensive phosphine-ligated catalysts, sensitive organometallic activators, and elevated reaction temperatures. To overcome these challenges, herein, we developed a series of phosphine-free (NNN)-ligated iron complexes and demonstrated their potential as efficient catalysts for the hydrosilylation and hydroboration of both internal and terminal alkynes using NaOtBu as an activator. The reactions proceeded smoothly using 1.5 mol\% catalyst loading at room temperature and provided syn-selective vinylsilanes and vinylboronates. This hydrofunctionalization exclusively delivered mono-silylated and mono-borylated vinyls with tolerance of sensitive functionalities. At the same time, terminal alkynes provided excellent anti-Markovnikov selectivity with thermodynamically feasible beta-(E)-vinylsilanes and beta-(E)-vinylboronates. The presence of an N-H moiety in the ligand backbone is crucial in generating an Fe(ii) active catalyst and facilitating the catalytic process. Mechanistic investigations, including controlled reactions and external additive experiments, were performed to propose a redox-neutral reaction mechanism with iron maintaining its +2 oxidation state throughout the cycle. The DFT energy calculations unanimously support the proposed reaction mechanism.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d5cy00766f}, author = {Pradhan, Chandini and Dubey, Shivansh and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Punji, Benudhar} } @article {49879, title = {Synthesis and evaluation of novel aza-aromatics as dual 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor agonists}, journal = {ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {16}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, pages = {2435-2443}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are key therapeutic targets for CNS disorders. We investigated whether a nonhallucinogenic dual 5-HT2A/5-HT2C agonist could offer novel treatment potential. Large screening of in-house structurally diverse compounds revealed centhaquin, an FDA-approved hypovolemic shock drug, as a selective 5-HT2C agonist (EC50: 35 nM). We then synthesized 22 aza-aryl analogs with modified piperazine groups, and identified two dual agonists, 3ci and 3dh (EC50 \< 1 mu M), with no 5-HT2B activity up to 10 mu M. Molecular docking highlighted critical interactions with Ser159 (5-HT2A) and Ser138 (5-HT2C) on the upper side of the orthosteric binding pocket. Pharmacokinetic studies in mice demonstrated that 3ci was rapidly absorbed in the plasma and brain (T-max = 0.08 h; C-max = 936.4 ng/mL plasma, 2446.8 ng/g brain). Both compounds (3ci and 3dh, 20 mg/kg, i.p.) triggered a head-twitch response but were less potent than the hallucinogenic control 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine, suggesting a reduced hallucinogenic liability. These results highlight 3ci as a promising lead for developing 5-HT2A/2C dual agonists to treat CNS disorders.

}, keywords = {5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, Centhaquin, GPCR, Head Twitch Response, Serotonin Receptor}, issn = {1948-5875}, doi = {10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5c00505}, author = {Adhikari, Amit Singh and Yadav, Annu and Pandit, Soumen and Kumar, Suresh and Pandey, Vinay Kumar and Maurya, Arvind Kumar and Umrao, Deepmala and Chand, Diwan and Maity, Debalina and Gayen, Jiaur R. and Srivastava, Kinshuk Raj and Yadav, Prem N. and Majumdar, Nilanjana} } @article {49955, title = {Synthesis, characterization, computational and biological evaluation of pyrazole hydrazones as promising anti-inflammatory agents}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, pages = {42206}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, two pyrazole-based hydrazone derivatives, 5-methyl-1-phenyl-4-(1-(2-phenylhydrazineylidene)ethyl)-1H-pyrazole (PMPH) and 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-methyl-4-(1-(2-phenylhydrazineylidene)ethyl)-1H-pyr azole (4F-PMPH), were synthesized and the structures of the compounds were elucidated through FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, and mass spectral methods. The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated using the bovine serum albumin denaturation assay, with PMPH and 4F-PMPH showing maximum inhibition at 0.5 mg/mL, respectively, suggesting that fluorine substitution enhances bioactivity. Molecular docking studies against COX-II (PDB: 3LN1) revealed favorable binding energies of - 7.21 kcal/mol (PMPH) and - 8.03 kcal/mol (4F-PMPH). Molecular dynamics simulation of the best docked compound 4F-PMPH with COX-II (PDB: 3LN1) revealed a stable complex over a 100 ns simulation, supporting its potential as a promising inhibitor. In silico ADME analyses revealed pharmacokinetic behavior and drug-likeness. A comparative Density functional theory-based spectroscopic and electronic investigation was conducted using the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. Vibrational frequency analysis showed strong correlation between theoretical and experimental IR spectra. Frontier molecular orbital analysis, molecular electrostatic surface potential maps, Mulliken charges, electronic and global reactivity parameters were also studied. Besides, reduced density gradient, non-covalent interaction, electron localization function, and localized orbital locator maps were analyzed for both the compounds.

}, keywords = {Anti-inflammatory, Density functional theory, Drug design, Hydrazone, Pyrazole}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-025-26088-9}, author = {Deshmukh, Hemant S. and Adole, Vishnu A. and Frit, A. Alfind Paul and Mali, Suraj N. and Yasin, Haya Khader Ahmad and Patil, Bhausaheb N. and Janani, S. and Jagdale, Bapu S.} } @article {49443, title = {Synthesis framework for designing PtPdCoNiMn high-entropy alloy: a stable electrocatalyst for enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction}, journal = {Small}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are an emerging class of advanced materials characterized by their multifunctionality and potential to replace commercial catalysts in electrocatalytic water splitting. The synergy among the various alloyed elements in HEAs makes them particularly promising for applications in electrocatalysis. However, preparation of HEA via bottom-up approaches by avoiding the formation of mono, di, and tri metallic alloys in the nanoscale is challenging. This aspect is addressed, in this study by exploring the logical selection of solvents, reducing agents, and capping agents, along with their relative fractions, in the solvothermal synthesis of the HEA comprising platinum-palladium-cobalt-nickel-manganese (PtPdCoNiMn). It is established that the reducing capabilities of both the solvent and reducing agent are crucial for the reduction of each metal to form a single-phase HEA. The synthesized HEA (20 wt.\%)/functionalized carbon (FC) demonstrates excellent performance as an HER catalyst, exhibiting a low overpotential of 48.7 mV at -10 mA cm-2 in an alkaline electrolyte. This performance is characterized by high reaction kinetics and stability at elevated current densities. Furthermore, the catalyst shows impressive performance in both simulated and actual seawater. This development reduces the reliance on platinum while enhancing the long-term durability and catalytic efficiency of the electrocatalyst.

}, keywords = {electrocatalysts, HER, high entropy alloys, solvothermal synthesis}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202408317}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Sahoo, Sudeshna and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49696, title = {Synthesis of glycolic acid from glyoxal by using hydrotalcite catalyst and kinetic studies}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, Mg-Al hydrotalcite catalysts with different molar ratios were prepared using the co-precipitation method for the synthesis of glycolic acid (GA) from glyoxal. Various reaction parameters such as catalyst molar ratio, time, temperature, catalyst loading, and catalyst poisoning were studied and optimized for better conversion of glyoxal selectively to glycolic acid. Hydrotalcite catalyst with a 2:1 molar ratio of Mg: Al gives 98\% conversion of glyoxal with 96\% selectivity of glycolic acid at 100 degrees C temperature, 40\% catalyst loading, and water as solvent in 8 h. Different characterization methods were used such as XRD, XPS, SEM-EDX, nitrogen adsorption desorption, and CO2-TPD for hydrotalcite catalyst. A kinetic study was also performed to observe the reaction order and activation energy required for the reaction.

}, keywords = {Glycolic acid, Glyoxal, hydrotalcite, kinetics}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.202500321}, author = {Pandya, Harmitkumar N. and Kamble, Paresh A. and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Rathod, Virendra and Kantam, Mannepalli Lakshmi} } @article {49900, title = {Tailoring of rheological properties through hydrophobic interactions in silica-based liquid crystal gels}, journal = {ChemPhysChem}, volume = {26}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Modification of the intrinsic hydrophilic character of the pristine silica nanoparticles (SiNP) decorated with silanol moieties into a hydrophobic state has been of substantial interest, owing to the amenability to gelation of desirable liquids. Many reports exist on composites of SiNP with liquid crystals (LCs), an epitome of anisotropic soft matter. The fumed SiNP, unlike its precipitated counterpart, has been the preferred variety. A family of colloidal gel systems is reported, consisting of precipitated SiNP in a nematic LC, formed by substituting some native silanols with methyl, butyl, or dodecane chains. Detailed steady state and oscillatory rheological measurements are performed, along with analyses using the soft glass and other viscoelastic models. The study demonstrates that the sophisticated modified fractional models, Kelvin-Voight and Maxwell, proposed for generalized viscoelastic behavior of soft materials, are quite successful in describing these nematic gels as well. The observed nontrivial relationship between the ligand length and the strength of the gel network is elucidated on the basis of a judicious combination of the van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions, leading to a detailed understanding of the viscoelastic behavior of the composites and the influence of SiNP surface chemistry.

}, keywords = {fractional viscoelastic models, Hydrophobic, nematic, rheological studies, silica nanoparticles}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.202500123}, author = {Sumana, S. and Chakrabortty, Pratyasha and Karumuthil, Subash Cherumannil and Prasad, S. Krishna and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49563, title = {Thermal properties of polyethylene-grafted sheetlike silsesquioxanes}, journal = {ACS Applied Polymer Materials}, volume = {7}, year = {2025}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4290-4300}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polyethylene-grafted layered silsesquioxanes, termed polyethylene-clays (PEC), are nanocomposites comprising polyethylene chains tethered to inorganic sheets with a phyllosilicate-like structure. Here, we report that these nanocomposites show two-stage crystallization on cooling, qualitatively different from previous reports on polyethylene nanocomposites. We employ differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to study the melting and crystallization of PEC. End tethering of the polyethylene chains to a nanosheet strongly influences the manner in which PEC crystallizes from the melt on cooling. PEC exhibits two-step crystallization, characterized by a sharp high-temperature exotherm, followed by a broader exotherm at lower temperatures, in contrast to a single sharp exotherm for neat polyethylene. SAXS indicates that lamellar stacks form at high temperatures and that the low-temperature exotherm corresponds to the formation of additional lamellae and their insertion within these stacks. PEC exhibits lower peak melting temperature, lower crystallinity, and a wider melting range relative to polyethylene. We show that the progress of crystallization of PEC is determined by its ultraslow relaxation dynamics. In contrast, PEC in xylene solution exhibits a significantly shorter relaxation time than the melt PEC. Such systems exhibited a single exotherm on cooling and SAXS structure factor peaks with peak positions in a ratio of 1:2. We hypothesize that the high melt viscosity inhibits the crystallization-induced decrease in the specific volume of PEC, resulting in tensile internal stresses that determine the observed thermal behavior.

}, keywords = {clay, Crystallization, Nanocomposite, Polyethylene, silsesquioxane}, issn = {2637-6105}, doi = {10.1021/acsapm.4c04181}, author = {Sharma, Vivek and Paulbudhe, Uday and Gupta, Poonam and Zalte, Akshat Shirish and Chikkali, Samir H. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {49968, title = {Total biocatalytic synthesis of capsaicinoids using ferulic acid: a versatile two-step strategy for natural product diversification}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {64}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The wide-ranging application of capsaicinoids, the active compounds in chili peppers, has driven increasing interest in the development of sustainable production strategies. However, capsaicinoid synthesis remains a challenge. The objective of this pioneering study is to report the total biocatalytic synthesis of structurally diverse capsaicinoids from bio-based ferulic acids. An X-ray crystallographic study elucidated the structural basis for the exceptional potential of a novel transaminase from Phaeobacter porticola (PPTA) to transform the highest ever reported concentration of vanillin (100-200 mM) to vanillylamine, with \>99\% conversion and modest conversion ranging from 48\% to 79\% for 300 to 500 mM substrate. Using PPTA in tandem with phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) and aromatic dioxygenase (ADO) further enabled the direct synthesis of vanillylamine from ferulic acid with \>99\% conversion. Furthermore, the integration of a multi-enzymatic cascade with carboxylic acid reductases (CARs) successfully synthesized structurally diverse capsaicinoids via amide bond formation between vanillylamine and free fatty acids, with excellent conversions ranging from 72\% to \>88\%. A 50-mM enzymatic reaction afforded 95\% and 80\% conversion of vanillylamine and capsaicin, respectively.

}, keywords = {Capsaicinoids, Carboxylic acid reductase, Transaminase, Vanillylamine}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202514504}, author = {Khobragade, Taresh P. and Giri, Pritam and Patil, Mahesh D. and Joo, Sangwoo and Cho, Sunga and Kim, Yechan and Ghosh, Rohan and Jeong, Sanghun and Maeng, Minyeong and Song, Min-Ho and Park, Jeong-Min and Lee, Eun Ho and Keum, Young-Soo and Kang, Taek Jin and Heo, Yong-Seok and Yun, Hyungdon} } @article {49585, title = {Transit of NEAT1 and MTP11 to the plasma membrane and co-localization to vesicles support a role for exocytosis-mediated export in metal homeostasis}, journal = {Physiologia Plantarum}, volume = {177}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {e70067}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Understanding the role and mode of action of nutrient transporters requires information about their dynamic associations with plant membranes. Historically, apoplastic nutrient export has been associated with proteins localized at the plasma membrane (PM), while the role of endomembrane localization has been less explored. However, recent work on the PHOSPHATE 1 (PHO1) inorganic phosphate (Pi) exporter demonstrated that, although primarily localized at the Golgi and trans-Golgi network (TGN) vesicles, PHO1 does associate with the PM when clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) was inhibited, supporting a mechanism for Pi homeostasis involving exocytosis. We explored whether CME inhibition can identify other transporters that, although primarily localized at Golgi/TGN at steady-state level, also transit via the PM and are potentially involved in export via exocytosis. We found that, similar to PHO1, Golgi-localized transporters NA EFFLUX TRANSPORTER1 (NAET1) and METAL TOLERANCE PROTEIN11 (MTP11) relocate to the PM when CME is inhibited, both transiently in Nicotiana benthamiana and conditionally in Arabidopsis thaliana. Such PM re-localization of transporters upon CME inhibition is specific, since it does not occur with several other Golgi-associated transporters, including MTP5 and BIVALENT CATION TRANSPORTER 3 (BICAT3), as well as resident Golgi/TGN membrane proteins, such as alpha-1,2-MANNOSIDASE I (Man1) and VESICLE TRANSPORT V-SNARE 12 (VTI12). Additionally, we observed that NAET1, MTP11 and PHO1 all partially co-localize to vesicles. Overall, our study supports a role for synaptic-like vesicle-mediated exocytosis for both NEAT1 and MTP11 in nutrient transport in plants and highlights the importance of assessing the transient localization of Golgi/TGN proteins to the PM.

}, issn = {0031-9317}, doi = {10.1111/ppl.70067}, author = {Vetal, Pallavi V. and Jaskolowski, Aime and Poirier, Yves} } @article {49451, title = {Ultrabroad near infrared emitting perovskites}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {64}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Phosphor converted light emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) have revolutionized solid-state white lighting by replacing energy-inefficient filament-based incandescent lamps. However, such a pc-LED emitting ultrabroad near-infrared (NIR) radiations still remains a challenge, primarily because of the lack of ultrabroad NIR emitting phosphors. To address this issue, we have prepared 2.5 \% W4+-doped and 2.8 \% Mo4+-doped Cs2Na0.95Ag0.05BiCl6\ perovskites emitting ultrabroad NIR radiation with unprecedented spectral widths of 434 and 468 nm, respectively. Upon band-edge excitation, the soft lattice of the host exhibits broad self-trapped exciton (STE) emission covering NIR-I (700 nm), which then nonradiatively excites the dopants. The\ mathematical equation\ {\textendash}donor ligand Cl-\ reduces the energy of dopant\ d{\textendash}d\ transitions emitting NIR-II with a peak at ~950 nm. Vibronic coupling broadens the dopant emission. The large spin-orbit coupling and local structural distortion might possibly enhance the dopant emission intensity, leading to an overall NIR photoluminescence quantum yield ~40 \%. The composite of our ultrabroad NIR phosphors with biodegradable polymer polylactic acid could be processed into free-standing films and 3D printed structures. Large (170mathematical equation\ 170 mathematical equation\ ), robust, and thermally stable 3D printed pc-LED panels emit ultrabroad NIR radiation, demonstrating NIR imaging applications.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202415003}, author = {Saikia, Sajid and Gopal, Animesh and Rathod, Radha and Joshi, Aprajita and Priolkar, K. R. and Saha, Surajit and Santra, Pralay K. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Nag, Angshuman} } @article {49627, title = {Ultra-small Pd nanoparticles on SBA-15: an efficient catalyst for one-pot reductive alkylation of nitrobenzene with size-dependent activity}, journal = {Topics in Catalysis}, volume = {68}, year = {2025}, month = {FEB}, pages = {414-429}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

One-pot reductive alkylation of nitrobenzene with alcohol is an important organic synthesis reaction to form 2 degrees amines. In the present work, we have demonstrated that Pd/SBA-15 can be an effective catalytic system for this reaction. We have designed ultra-small Pd nanoparticles supported on SBA-15 for the synthesis of secondary amine, N-ethylaniline, through one-pot reductive alkylation of nitrobenzene with ethanol under ambient conditions. Ethanol functions both as the alkylating agent and the solvent in this process. The reaction is driven by the simultaneous hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline, dehydrogenation of ethanol to aldehyde, and condensation of aniline and acetaldehyde to form N-ethylaniline. The size of the Pd nanoparticles plays a decisive role in the product selectivity. The undercoordinated sites present on ultra-small Pd NPs can facilitate ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde, thereby enhancing the selectivity towards N-ethylaniline compared to larger Pd nanoparticles. We have also studied the effect of different mesoporous supports such as SBA-15, MCM-41, and KIT-6 on the N-ethylaniline selectivity and found that SBA-15 was most selective. We have demonstrated that by carefully designing the catalyst such as controlling the Pd NPs size to obtain the maximum quantity of undercoordinated sites and choosing suitable support, the aliphatic alcohols can also be used for reductive alkylation of nitrobenzene in one-pot with optimum yields of N-alkylaniline.

}, keywords = {KIT-6, MCM-41, Modified deposition precipitation, nitrobenzene, Pd nanoparticles, Reductive alkylation, SBA-15, secondary amines, Undercoordinated Pd sites}, issn = {1022-5528}, doi = {10.1007/s11244-024-02042-3}, author = {Soni, Yogita and Philip, Milda C. and Vinod, Chathakudath P.} } @article {49524, title = {Ultrasound emulsification: effect of additives on dispersed phase volume and droplet size}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {64}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {3409-3425}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ultrasonic emulsification of oil and water was carried out to observe the effect of addition of a minimal amount of surfactant. The effect of ultrasound irradiation time, power, and physicochemical properties of oil on the dispersed phase volume and dispersed phase droplet size has been studied. The increase in the irradiation time increases the dispersed phase volume, while it decreases the dispersed phase droplets size. With an increase in the ultrasonic irradiation power, there is an increase in the fraction of volume of the dispersed phase, while the droplet size of the dispersed phase decreases over the same irradiation time. The fractional volume of the dispersed phase is higher for the case of the groundnut oil-water system, while it is low for the paraffin (heavy) oil-water system. The droplet size of soyabean oil dispersed in water is found to be small, while that of paraffin (heavy) oil is found to be large. These variations could be explained on the basis of varying physicochemical properties of the system, i.e., viscosity of oil and the interfacial tension. During the ultrasonic emulsification, a coalescence phenomenon which is relatively weak has also been observed, which can be attributed to the collision of small droplets when the droplet concentration increases (higher dispersed phase hold-up) and the acoustic streaming strength is higher.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.4c02452}, author = {Gaikwad, Shashank G. and Pandit, Aniruddha B.} } @article {49974, title = {Understanding the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of bioinspired platinum nanoparticles synthesized using ocimum tenuiflorum}, journal = { BioNanoScience}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1789}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The emergence of infectious diseases has highlighted the need for novel and effective antimicrobial agents. Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) could act as a potent antimicrobial agent due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, the chemical or physical synthesis methods of PtNPs have drawbacks, like irregular shape and use of toxic chemicals. These drawbacks can be effectively overcome by using the biological method synthesis. Thus, this study presents the green synthesis of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) using\ Ocimum tenuiflorum\ leaf extract as a bio-reductant. The study also comprehensively encompasses the role of multiple process parameters for the green synthesis of PtNPs. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed spherical PtNPs with an average size of 2.36 {\textpm} 0.5 nm that exhibits excellent stability (zeta potential, -45.67 {\textpm} 2.57 mV). Phytochemical analysis of aqueous\ O. tenuiflorum\ leaf extract was performed to assess the bioactive compounds like saponins, phenols, and tannins, reducing sugars and flavonoids. The PtNPs demonstrated significant antioxidant activity of 86.9 {\textpm} 0.12\% at 10 {\textmu}g/mL. Further, the biosynthesized PtNPs showed efficient antimicrobial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.25 {\textmu}g/mL against\ Escherichia coli\ and 1.5 {\textmu}g/mL against\ Staphylococcus aureus. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of eco-friendly PtNPs for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.

}, author = {Varma, Sanjana and Bamb, Aagam Lalit and Tambe, Sayali A. and Burade, Dimpal K. and Jagdale, Swati and Pande, Bharat and Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @article {49880, title = {Understanding the structural characteristics of modified ceramic hollow fiber oxygen transport membranes through in silico tomography simulation study}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL }, pages = {43820-43829}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Design and development of integrated membrane reactor systems are gaining attention as a sustainable solution capable of performing multiple functions in a single reactor. Membrane reactors made of mixed ionic-electronic conduction materials dosing pure O to the reactions can be exploited for various catalytic processes. In this case, micro- and macrostructures of the membrane surface play a significant role in the permeation performance of membranes, and understanding these parameters prior to scaling up to modules is imperative. Here, 3D X-ray tomography imaging, a versatile nondestructive instrumental technique, is used in understanding the structural behavior of the membrane walls at different structural alignments, leading to anticipation of fouling areas upon assembling membrane reactors. La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta hollow fiber membranes are fabricated by the phase inversion method and further modified by the optimized acid etching technique. In silico simulations on different morphologies before and after surface modifications are carried out under varying flow rates at nonambient temperatures to mimic real experimental conditions. Critical parameters such as gas velocity, pressure exerted on cavity walls, and strain, dictating structural integrity of the fibers under experimental conditions, were evaluated. As a result of the assessment, the surface-modified structural morphology with finger-like cavities initiating from the inner wall of the membrane was found to be robust. Increase in the pore size, nonuniform pore size distribution, and irregular and interdigitated cavities formed in outer fingered membranes after multiple surface treatments led to an similar to 5 fold increase in the average pressure exerted at the cavity walls when compared to inner fingered membranes. Strain profile generated for inner fingered membranes shows homogeneous distribution of strain for the applied stress throughout the 3D geometry of the membrane. This detailed structural analysis of the membrane will help in building a more robust and efficient system for scale-up applications.

}, keywords = {3D X-ray tomography, in silico simulation, oxygen transport membranes, perovskite, phase inversionmethod}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5c08736}, author = {Jogdand, Shunottara M. and Sharma, Jyoti and Khilari, Rushikesh S. and Mahajan, Digvijay P. and Patil, Prashant and Pol, Harshavardhan V. and Torris, Arun and Agrawal, Ravi and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article {49599, title = {Unlocking thermodynamic enolate for kinetically controlled desymmetrizing vinylogous (4+1) carbospiroannulation}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {31}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An unprecedented thermodynamically unfavorable (4+1) deysmmetrizing spiroannulation through a thermodynamic enolate intermediate, enabling a single-step synthesis of ubiquitous scaffolds such as all-carbon chiral spirocycles, is disclosed. In this spiroannulation, we present a vinylogous organocatalytic enantioselective desymmetrizing (4+1) cycloaddition approach involving alkylidene malononitrile and cyclopent-1,3-dienone. This carbospiroannulation method produces functionally enriched spiro[4,4]nonane structures with three stereocenters, has presented good-to-high yields and enantiomeric ratios. Detailed DFT calculations reveal an intriguing reaction mechanism, which validates our observations.

}, keywords = {3-diones, alkylidene malononitrile, cyclopent-1, quaternary stereocenters, spiro compounds, thermodynamic enolate}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202500671}, author = {Singh, Sanjay and Singh, Abhijeet and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Singh, Ravi P.} } @article {49722, title = {Unravelling chain confinement and dynamics of weakly entangled polymers in one component nanocomposites}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN }, pages = {4378-4392}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Structure and dynamics of polymer chains grafted to a nanoparticle (NP) surface in one component nanocomposites (OCNC) are investigated by small angle scattering (SAXS, SANS) and neutron spin echo (NSE). The OCNC were realized by self-assembly of block-copolymers and subsequent cross-linking of the core. The sizes of the resulting NPs were narrowly distributed. Owing to equal core and shell volumes the melt structure is that of a concentrated colloidal dispersion of cores. The melt structure could be reasonably well described by a Percus-Yevick structure factor. In order to access more deeply the dynamics, three differently labeled materials with labels at the inner- or outer part and the whole graft were studied. The experimental data were evaluated in terms of models allowing for site dependent friction. For this purpose, the Langevin equation containing a friction profile was solved and the dynamic structure factor in terms of its eigenvalues and eigenvectors was compared to the data. The evaluation shows increased friction towards the grafting points. In addition, topological restrictions of motion due to the dense arrangements of micellar cores and the presence of neighboring chains were considered and compared with those of a corresponding melt. Assuming homogenous relaxation of all grafts did not yield a satisfactory data description, but rather at least two differently relaxing chain ensembles had to be considered.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/d4sm01505c}, author = {Kruteva, M. and Monkenbusch, M. and Sharma, A. and Allgaier, J. and Hoffmann, I. and Rosi, B. and Dulle, M. and Porcar, L. and Matsarskaia, O. and Richter, D.} } @article {49685, title = {Upcycling of postconsumer recyclate polypropylene into low warping and high toughness 3D printable filaments}, journal = {ACS Applied Polymer Materials}, volume = {7}, year = {2025}, month = {JUN }, pages = {7373-7381}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polypropylene (PP) is widely used in commodity applications owing to its chemical stability, mechanical properties and low cost. However, almost 50\% of the produced PP ends up as postconsumer waste (PCW) within a short period of usage. Being a non-biodegradable polymer, recycling PCW PP is important to mitigate plastic waste in landfills. Nonetheless, recycling or upcycling postconsumer recyclate (PCR) PP into valuable resources without deterioration in physical and mechanical properties is a challenge. This report presents an approach to upcycle PCR polypropylene (rPP) into high quality 3D printing filament that not only prints with very low warpage but with significantly high elongation at break and toughness. Incorporation of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) along with maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) in specific proportions led to a significant enhancement in mechanical properties, miscibility, crystallization behavior, and 3D printability. rPP/PBAT blends with 20 wt \% PBAT and 10 wt \% MAPP exhibited a 62-fold enhancement in elongation at break over rPP (from 1.88 to 118.29\%) and a 72-fold increase in toughness (from 2 to 143.60 kJ/m3) with almost similar tensile strength. The final printed components had better layer adhesion and structural stability with a dramatic decrease in warpage, from 25.82\% for pristine rPP to only 7.86\% for rPP/PBAT blend. Isothermal crystallization studies and data analysis using the Avrami equation showed that crystallization half-time (t 1/2), which measures the duration needed for half of the total crystallinity to form, increased from 12.6 s for rPP to 66 s for the rPP/PBAT blend. This report demonstrates an approach to upcycle PCR PP, a positive step toward realizing the goals of circular economy and sustainable additive manufacturing.

}, keywords = {Crystallization, FFF 3D printing, polypropylene/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)blends, toughness, warpage}, issn = {2637-6105}, doi = {10.1021/acsapm.5c00942}, author = {Gopal, Animesh and Patil, Prashant and Pol, Harshawardhan and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {49853, title = {UV-modified polydopamine zincophilic protective layer for durable and alkaline-stable zinc anodes in zinc-air batteries}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV}, pages = {38928-38944}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are promising for flexible energy storage due to their high specific energy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. However, the snags of the zinc (Zn) anode, like ineluctable passivation and dissolution in strongly alkaline electrolytes, limit the discharge and cycling performance of the battery. Electroless plating can be employed to coat the Zn foil with a polydopamine (PDA) layer, leveraging PDA{\textquoteright}s strong adsorption on the Zn via bidentate bonds. Due to PDA{\textquoteright}s poor stability in alkaline media, ultraviolet (UV)-induced secondary modifications are conducted to obtain Zn@PDA-UV electrodes with enhanced mechanical and chemical stability. The Zn@PDA-UV layer regulates Zn dendrite growth and suppresses hydrogen evolution and passivation. The zincophilic groups on the Zn@PDA-UV anode suppressed the zincate cross-over, enhancing the recyclability of the ZABs. When paired with commercial catalysts to assemble alkaline ZABs, the battery displayed excellent cycling stability of 75 h. A highly stable anion-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane (PXM) was prepared from the polymer blend of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), xanthan gum, and METAC monomers to tailor a high-performing flexible ZAB with suppressed zincate crossover. The flexible ZAB, integrating the modified Zn anode and PXM, shows a stable cycling profile under various bending angles, demonstrating excellent mechanical and electrochemical durability.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d5ta05126f}, author = {Kurian, Maria and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49460, title = {Valorization of avocado peel waste: extraction and characterization of cellulose nanofibers for multifunctional applications}, journal = { Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, pages = {12789-12800}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study explored the utility of underutilized avocado peels for extracting cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). Mild oxalic acid hydrolysis assisted by steam explosion was employed after alkali hydrolysis and chlorine-free bleaching to prepare cellulose nanofibers. The structural, atomic, and elemental features of the extracted fibers were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),\ 13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis, respectively. The crystallinity index of the nanofibers was 87\%, which was 53\% greater than that of the crude sample. The elution of hemicellulose and lignin was evident from the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, and the nanofibers had a fiber diameter of 30{\textendash}82\ nm according to the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The applied chemical treatment also elevated the thermal stability of the fibers. The extracted fibers can be applied in numerous fields, including electronics, packaging, automobiles, biomedicine, and cosmetics.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-024-06065-4}, author = {Varsha, P. V. and Neenu, K. V. and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Hounfodji, Jean Wilfried and Sankar, Sameera and Muraleedharan, Sneha and Kamath, Anjali N. and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Midhun, Dominic C. D.} } @article {49712, title = {Vastly increased mesophase range due to superstructure formation from in situ prepared gold nanoparticles with liquid crystalline ligands: toward enhanced optoelectronic applications}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {MAY }, pages = {10340-10350}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gold nanoparticle (Au NP)-liquid crystal (LC) composites have gained considerable interest in developing cutting-edge electro-optical materials. This study introduces an innovative synthetic approach that significantly augments the capabilities of Au NP-LC composites by utilizing an amine-functionalized LC as both a reducing and capping agent in the refined Brust-Schiffrin method. In its standard form, this method yields Au NP-LC composites with appealing features like improved clearing temperature. However, the optical characteristics do not display any additional features and resemble simple LC-ligand functionalized Au NP, attributed here to the surplus LC employed to obtain the dual capabilities of reduction and capping. Thus, it was gratifying to observe a dramatic enhancement in mesophase stability with the removal of just a few percentages of excess LC, which is attributed to a remarkable and unprecedented one-dimensional superstructure formation. Furthermore, the removal of surplus LC caused the composite to exhibit Fano-like resonance in the UV-vis spectrum, a noteworthy optical feature likely resulting from dynamic plasmonic interactions, including plasmon-polariton interactions and lattice plasmon modes. Thus, the simple yet robust protocol employed yields Au NP-LC composites with an ultrawide thermal range of the mesophase that paves the way for realizing next-generation electro-optic materials featuring enhanced performance and response.

}, keywords = {Fano-resonance, gold nanoparticles, liquid crystals, nanosoftcomposites, superstructure}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.5c00923}, author = {Duggal, Muskan and Khatavi, Santosh and Yelamaggad, Channabasaveshwar V. and Shankar Rao, Doddamane Sreenivasamurthy and Krishna Prasad, Subbarao and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49824, title = {Visible-light active π-extended unsymmetrical squaraine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: steric effects for controlling the aggregation of dyes}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT}, pages = {15459-15470}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The dye-anchored TiO2 photoanode plays a vital role in the light harvesting and charge separation processes in dye-sensitized solar cells. Aggregation of dyes (H- and J-type) on the TiO2 surface is a facile process due to the presence of a periodical dye anchoring sites on the exposed facet of titania, and such self-assembled dye structures help broadening the absorption profile. However, photocurrent generation from such aggregated structure is a challenging task in dye-sensitized solar cell devices. Hence, controlling the dye aggregation on the TiO2 surface is an important aspect. Controlling the aggregation of dyes by which (i) an enhanced photocurrent generation (J SC) and (ii) enhanced V OC can be achieved by including the steric factors to the dye design principles, the steric factor in the sensitizer may help passivate the TiO2 surface to avoid the charge recombination process between electrons present in TiO2 and the oxidized electrolyte. On the other hand, extension of pi-conjugation in a sensitizer helps enhance the light absorption in the visible region besides modulating the HOMO and LUMO energy levels. Hence, synergizing both pi-extensions along with features that control the dye aggregation has been considered in designing visible active squaraine dyes. A thiophene pi-spacer was inserted in between a visible-light active unsymmetrical squaraine unit and a cyanoacetic acid acceptor unit to provide the AJ1 and AJ2 dyes. Though both the dye molecules possess a similar pi-framework, the AJ2 dye was functionalized with both in-plane and out-of-plane alkyl groups to decrease the aggregation of dyes on the TiO2 surface compared to AJ1. The AJ1 and AJ2 dyes absorbed at 560 nm with shoulder peaks appeared at 528 nm, which can be assigned to vibronic progression (1082 cm-1), and additional characteristic peaks of thiophene appeared at 392 nm with the molar extinction coefficient of 1.16-1.19 x 105 M-1 cm-1 in CH3CN. The LUMO and HOMO energy levels are well aligned with the conduction band of TiO2 and the redox potential of iodolyte (I-/I3 -) electrolyte with sufficient overpotentials for charge injection and dye regeneration processes, respectively. The highest DSSC device efficiency of 7.37\% (J SC 14.44 mA/cm2, V OC 0.771 V, ff 67.1\%) was achieved for the AJ2 dye with iodolyte (I-/I3 -) electrolyte in the presence of 2 equiv of optically transparent coadsorbent chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), which showed a good IPCE response in between 400 and 700 nm. Further, cosensitization of visible-light active AJ1, AJ2, and SQA10 dyes with a complementary far-red active SQS4 dyes showed the device efficiencies of 5.53\% (AJ1:SQS4:CDCA), 7.14\% (AJ2:SQS4:CDCA), and 7.18\% (SQA10:SQS4:CDCA) with a good IPCE response in the 400-720 nm region.

}, keywords = {cosensitization, Dye aggregation, Dye-sensitized solar cells, pi-extended squaraine dye, visible-lightactivedyes}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.5c02553}, author = {Jadhav, Avinash P. and Siby, Jesna and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {49855, title = {W/HAP catalyzed terpenic alcohols oxidation: kinetic studies}, journal = {Reaction Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {10}, year = {2025}, month = {OCT }, pages = {2696-2710}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The selective oxidation of natural alcohols into carbonyl derivatives is a pivotal transformation in synthetic organic chemistry and industrial applications. This study focuses on the oxidation of borneol, a bicyclic secondary terpenic alcohol, into camphor using a tungsten-exchanged hydroxyapatite (W/HAP) catalyst and hydrogen peroxide as a green oxidant. Hydroxyapatite was synthesized via co-precipitation and functionalized with sodium tungstate to create the W/HAP catalyst, which was characterized using techniques such as SEM, EDS, TPD, XPS, and N2 adsorption-desorption to evaluate its surface morphology, porosity, and chemical composition. Oxidation reactions were conducted under optimized conditions, employing dimethylacetamide (DMA) as a solvent to achieve maximum conversion and selectivity. The W/HAP catalyst demonstrated superior performance, achieving nearly 99\% conversion of borneol with 100\% selectivity for camphor. Reaction parameters, including temperature, reactant stoichiometry, solvent choice, and catalyst loading, were systematically investigated. Higher reaction temperatures and oxidant concentrations favoured rapid conversion while maintaining high selectivity. Solvent effects revealed that DMA stabilized peroxo-tungstate intermediates, enhancing reaction efficiency compared to other solvents. Kinetic studies confirmed a first-order reaction mechanism with respect to borneol, and the activation energy was determined to be 44.23 kJ mol-1, highlighting the catalytic efficiency of W/HAP. Reusability tests confirmed the stability of the W/HAP catalyst over multiple cycles with minimal tungsten leaching. The methodology was extended to other terpenic alcohols, with varying degrees of success, emphasizing the substrate-specific activity of the catalyst. This work underscores the potential of tungsten-based heterogeneous catalysts in sustainable alcohol oxidation and highlights the industrial relevance of camphor synthesis as a renewable and eco-friendly approach to produce fine chemicals, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals.

}, issn = {2058-9883}, doi = {10.1039/d5re00132c}, author = {Poman, Aishwarya and Kamble, Paresh and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Rathod, Virendra and Kantam, Mannepalli Lakshmi} } @article {49927, title = {X-ray fluorescence-based spray-on {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}elemental barcodes{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}}, journal = {Advanced Materials Technologies}, volume = {10}, year = {2025}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2401687}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel spray-on elemental barcode technology is reported for the secure, permanent, and tamper-proof identification of polymeric and fiber-reinforced composite materials. This system utilizes the in situ reduction of metal salts to nanoparticles embedded within a polymer matrix, creating a unique barcode that is detectable through X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The barcode{\textquoteright}s composition is based on the metallic nanoparticle mixture and offers a semi-quantitative, non-destructive, and thermally stable method for material authentication. The process is straightforward, involving the manual application of metal salt solutions followed by mild heating, ensuring no significant alteration to the material{\textquoteright}s properties. The barcodes can be read through protective coatings or paints and are robust even under extreme conditions, such as high temperatures. This low-cost method does not introduce additional manufacturing steps and demonstrates significant potential for anti-counterfeiting and lifecycle tracking in various industries. Moreover, with an information density of up to 12 bits mm-1, this elemental barcode significantly surpasses the data storage capabilities of traditional optical barcodes. This approach holds promise for broad substrate applicability and can be expanded to other metals and reduction protocols, making it versatile for diverse material applications.

}, keywords = {authentication, barcoding, embedded nanoparticles, epoxy thermosets, fiber-reinforced composite, in situ reduction}, issn = {2365-709X}, doi = {10.1002/admt.202401687}, author = {Pansare, Amol V. and Terrasi, Giovanni P. and Pansare, Shubham V. and Khairkar, Shyam and Shedge, Amol A. and Zote, Santosh W. and Chhatre, Shraddha and Barbezat, Michael and Patil, Vishwanath R. and Nagarkar, Amit A.} } @article {49963, title = {Zincke-derived viologen covalent organic framework as a high-performance cathode for aqueous zinc-iodine batteries}, journal = {Small}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aqueous zinc-iodine (Zn-I2) batteries are among the most promising energy storage technologies, offering high energy density, low cost, and intrinsic safety. However, their practical deployment is hindered by the polyiodide shuttle effect, leading to rapid capacity fading and poor cycling performance. This work demonstrates the application of a crystalline viologen-based covalent organic framework (TAB-DNP-BP COF), synthesized via a one-pot Zincke reaction, as an efficient iodine host material. The cationic backbone of the TAB-DNP-BP COF effectively confines iodine (I2) species and electrostatically traps polyiodides, suppressing their migration and protecting the zinc anode. Zinc-iodine batteries assembled with an I2-enriched TAB-DNP-BP COF (TAB-DNP-BP COF@I2) cathode deliver a high specific capacity of 337 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C, surpassing the performance of most reported COF-, MOF-, and cage-based systems, while exhibiting excellent cycling stability over 5000 cycles. This work highlights the potential of ionic COFs for stabilizing iodine chemistry and offers a promising strategy toward the development of high-performance, durable aqueous Zn-I2 batteries.

}, keywords = {iCOF, iodine confinement, viologen, zinc-iodine batteries, Zincke reaction}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202506012}, author = {Das, Gobinda and Shivade, Rajkiran and Pandey, Priyanshi and Varghese, Sabu and Rajput, Nitul and Matouk, Zineb and Martinez, Jose Ignacio and Straubinger, Rainer and Benyettou, Farah and Gandara, Felipe and Olson, Mark A. and Aouad, Samer and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Trabolsi, Ali} } @article {49788, title = {Auxiliary triazatruxene donor-based squaraine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: cis- and trans- configuration of dyes for modulating photophysical and electronic properties}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {21}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In DSSCs, dye regeneration efficiency and dye aggregation on the TiO2 surface can be modulated by using bulky aromatic donors wrapped with alkyl groups. Introduction of rigid aromatic rings around the donor unit of a dye will directly impact the driving force for electron injection and dye regeneration of a dye. In this work, we designed and synthesized KNS dyes with an auxiliary TAT donor integrated with a visible active squaraine dye. Here, octupolar-structured auxiliary TAT wrapped with alkyl groups is used as a strong donor and shelter to reduce the dye aggregation and charge recombination process. Further, to improve the light-harvesting efficiency and incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of DSSC devices fabricated with KNS dyes, the central squaric acid unit has been modified by appending the electron-withdrawing dicyano group at the central squaric unit, and the trans-configured KNS1 dye was converted to cis-configured KNS2 dye. The power conversion efficiency of devices based on the KNS dyes was studied with and without 3 equivalents of CDCA by using the I-/I3 - electrolyte. Out of these devices, the KNS1: CDCA (1:3) based cell exhibited the best PCE of 6.25\% with V OC of 793 mV, J SC of 11.08 mA cm-2, and ff of 71\%.

}, keywords = {Bulky donor unit, Dye-sensitized solar cells, self-assembly of dye, squaraine dyes, triazatruxene}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.70455}, author = {Ingole, Kiran Balaso and Siby, Jesna and Pandya, Rinu and Vanka, Kumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {50057, title = {Direct conversion of methane to formic acid over Au-Fe-NaZSM-5 at ambient pressure using H2O2}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {16}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1797-1805}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Direct conversion of methane to value-added products is a long-standing challenge. This report presents the one-step conversion of methane to oxygenates using H2O2 as an oxidant over an Au and Fe supported on NaZSM-5 (0.1Au0.1FeNZ) catalyst, which produces 4264 mu mol of oxygenates with 89\% selectivity toward formic acid at 10 bar and 60 degrees C within 30 min in a batch process. The catalyst also produces 26.5 mu mol of oxygenates with 70\% selectivity for formic acid at atmospheric pressure and 80 degrees C in a continuous flow process over 9 h of reaction time, making it the first report of such a process. The synergistic interaction of Au and Fe, with the crucial role of Na ions in the zeolite framework in driving the reaction, is revealed through various characterization tools like TEM, XPS, and XAS. Theoretical studies elucidate the active sites responsible for lowering the activation barrier for the crucial C-H activation step. Thus, the catalyst enables the conversion of methane into formic acid with high activity and selectivity, offering new possibilities for harnessing this potent greenhouse gas under process-friendly conditions that were previously unexplored.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d5cy01422k}, author = {Kumar, Pawan and Ahangar, Iqra and Kesarwani, Srishti and Urkude, Rajashri and Patil, Nita A. R. and Niphadkar, Prashant and Bokade, Vijay V. and Haider, M. Ali and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {50036, title = {Elucidating the potential of novel class biphenyl-phenyl acetate, IDD-AN-A1, an inhibitor targeting Isocitrate Lyase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a target to lead approach}, journal = {Bioorganic Chemistry}, volume = {170}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR}, pages = {109557}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Isocitrate lyase (ICL), a pivotal enzyme of the glyoxylate shunt pathway in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), represents an attractive target for the development of new anti-tuberculosis (TB) therapeutics. In this study, we identified 2-methoxy-4-((nitrosooxy)methyl)phenyl 2-(2-fluoro-[1,1 {\textquoteleft}-biphenyl]-4-yl)propanoate (IDDAN-A1) as a potent inhibitor of Mtb ICL. The compound exhibited strong activity against Mtb, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 6.25 mu g/mL, and demonstrated potent inhibition in enzyme-based assays targeting ICL. Molecular docking studies further supported Mtb ICL as the potential molecular target of this compound. Cytotoxicity and hemolytic assays revealed a favorable safety profile for the compound with selectivity index \>10. In combination studies, it exhibited additive and synergistic activity with the frontline drug Rifampicin and Delamanid respectively. Additionally, ex vivo assays simulating the intracellular environment of the pathogen demonstrated strong inhibitory potency. In vitro inhibition studies further confirmed the bacteriostatic nature of the compound across different concentrations. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that this molecule possesses promising anti-tuberculosis activity by targeting the ICL enzyme in Mtb.

}, keywords = {Anti-tuberculosis activity, Ex vivo, Isocitrate lyase, tuberculosis}, issn = {0045-2068}, doi = {10.1016/j.bioorg.2026.109557}, author = {Negi, Anjali and Perveen, Summaya and Kour, Harpreet and Sawant, Sanghapal D. and Sharma, Rashmi} } @article {50054, title = {Enhanced electrochemical performance of flexible polymer supercapacitors through optimization of organic acid-doping, carbon nanomaterials, and fabrication techniques}, journal = {Journal of Power Sources}, volume = {666}, year = {2026}, month = {FEB}, pages = {239042}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The proliferation of portable and wearable electronics necessitates flexible, high-performance energy storage devices. Flexible supercapacitors are poised to meet these demands due to their high power density, flexibility, and durability but scalable fabrication remains challenging due to costly and complex manufacturing methods. This study addresses this issue by implementing scalable, cost-effective spray coating and screen printing techniques to fabricate flexible micro-interdigitated supercapacitors (FMIS) based on Polyaniline (PANI) composites with carbon nanomaterials, using organic acids as crosslinking agents synthesized via hydrogel strategy. The formation of PANI emeraldine salt was verified through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, indicating key amine and imine functionalities, while scanning electron microscopy revealed surface morphologies with enhanced active surface areas beneficial for charge storage. Advanced 3D tomography maps porosity distribution and surface area per unit volume, correlating with electroactive areas calculated from the Randles-Sevcik equation. Electrochemical testing via cyclic voltammetry demonstrates an impressive areal capacitance of 173.2 +/- 9.6 mF cm-2 at 10 mV s-1 with Dunn{\textquoteright}s method distinguishing capacitive from diffusive contributions. Furthermore, EIS measurements highlight lower solution resistance in screen-printed devices, emphasizing the advantages of optimized electrode morphology for efficient charge transport. This study establishes a scalable approach for high-performance flexible supercapacitors, paving the way for next-generation energy storage solutions.

}, keywords = {Carbon nanomaterials, Coating techniques, Flexible Supercapacitors, PANI composites, X-ray micro-tomography}, issn = {0378-7753}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.239042}, author = {Parul and Lakshmi, Racherla Bhagya and Utturkar, Vivek and Natu, Varun and Aramanda, Shanmukha Kiran and Ramamurthy, Praveen C. and Kaka, Fiyanshu} } @article {50056, title = {Exploring the mechanisms of yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation in heart failure via assessment of endothelial function, genomics and arterial health (Yoga-EndOmics): a study protocol}, journal = {BMJ Open}, volume = {16}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, pages = {e110239}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Introduction Heart failure (HF) remains a major global health challenge, particularly in low-resource settings where access to comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is limited. Yoga, a culturally contextualised mind-body intervention, holds promise as an adjunctive therapy in CR. The Yoga-EndOmics study aims to evaluate the effects of Yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation (Yoga-CaRe) on gene expression, endothelial function, vascular biomarkers and clinical outcomes in systolic HF, providing mechanistic insights into its potential integration into conventional cardiac rehabilitation.Methods and analysis This is a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE) mechanistic trial enrolling 78 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a structured Yoga-CaRe intervention or enhanced standard care for 3 months. The Yoga-CaRe group will attend 20 supervised sessions with guided home practice involving tailored asanas, pranayama and meditation. Primary outcomes are changes in endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and functional exercise capacity at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in arterial compliance and stiffness, circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation, and immediate changes in global gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following the Yoga-CaRe intervention. Data will be analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for between-group comparisons and significant analysis of microarray (SAM) for global gene expression profiles.Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethical clearance from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, India (SDMIEC/2025/1072) and is registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences and stakeholder engagement platforms to inform future integrative strategies in HF management.Trial registration number CTRI/2023/12/060758

}, keywords = {DNA Methylation, Genetics, Heart failure, Molecular Biology, Randomized Controlled Trial}, issn = {2044-6055}, doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2025-110239}, author = {Shetty, Vindya Vasu and Patil, Laxmi Ramchandra and Patil, Satish G. and Aithal, Kiran and Oli, Ajay Kumar and Yenagi, Vijay Aravind and Kaulgud, Ram S. and Dharne, Mahesh and Chandra Sekaran, Ambalam M. and Prabhakaran, Dorairaj} } @article {50021, title = {Facile synthesis of fluoride-free mxene nanosheets as an efficient anode for lithium-ion capacitor}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {21}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, pages = {e70562}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

MXenes are a promising class of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials known for their exceptional metallic conductivity and adjustable surface chemistry. However, the current state-of-the-art synthesis methods rely on the chemical etching of MAX phase (e.g., Ti3AlC2) with HF or fluoride-based compounds, leading to fluorine-terminated MXenes. These MXenes suffer from poor stability in ambient conditions, restricting their applications, particularly in lithium-ion-based batteries and capacitors (LIBs and LICs). In this study, we present a two-step method to produce fluorine-free MXene, addressing the stability issues of MXene in aqueous dispersions and relatively improved performance in LICs. Specifically, an efficient etching process employing hydroiodic acid (HI) with vinegar is used for the selective removal of the A layer from the MAX phase, resulting in F-free exfoliated MXenes (HVM). The HVM shows an outstanding electrical conductivity of 388 S cm(-1), maintaining high stability in aqueous dispersions over two weeks. HVM as electrode shows significantly enhanced Li+ ion storage capabilities, delivering a discharge capacity of 295 mAh g(-1) over 500 cycles at 1 A g(-1), substantially outperforming MXenes derived from F-based etching approaches. Furthermore, the HI-vinegar etching mechanism introduces unique surface functionalities that provide HVM superior cycling stability and rate capability, enabling more stable, high-performance MXene-based energy storage devices.

}, keywords = {2D materials, Electrical conductivity, fluoride-free MXene, HVM anode, Lithium-ion capacitor, lithium-ion diffusion}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.70562}, author = {Pawar, Meenakshi D. and Shinde, Dhanraj and Shelke, Manjusha} } @article {50016, title = {High-performance sultone-modified PVA/PAMPS semi-IPN hydrogels for proton exchange membranes}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {143}, year = {2026}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrogel membranes composed of poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) and sultone-modified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were successfully synthesized and evaluated as promising proton-conducting materials. A key advantage involves the premodification of PVA with 1,3-propane sultone to introduce sulfonic acid groups, thereby imparting proton conductivity to the PVA backbone. This sultone-modified PVA was then physically entangled within a PAMPS cross-linked network to form novel semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) hydrogels. This synergistic design leverages the excellent film-forming and mechanical properties of PVA with the high proton conductivity inherent to PAMPS. The synthesized membranes exhibited robust mechanical properties, with tensile strengths ranging from 5 to 30 MPa and percentage elongations between 200\% and 400\%, depending on their humidity content. These hydrogel membranes demonstrated proton conductivities ranging from 0.6 to 4.3 x 10-2 S cm-1. The activation energy for proton conduction was found to be as low as 3.5 kJ mol-1, significantly lower than that of the commercial benchmark membrane, Nafion 117 (12 kJ mol-1). These findings underscore the potential of these novel PAMPS/sultone-modified PVA semi-IPN hydrogel membranes for advanced fuel cell applications.

}, keywords = {batteries and fuel cells, functionalization of polymers, Gels, membranes, polyelectrolytes}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.70462}, author = {Patwadkar, Manjusha V. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Torris, Arun and Francis, Sifa C. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Badiger, Manohar V.} } @article {50039, title = {Mechanistic principles of antimicrobial peptides uncovered by charge density-based machine learning}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {62}, year = {2026}, month = {FEB}, pages = {PMID 9610838}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are emerging as potent alternatives to conventional antibiotics, yet their diverse nature due to divergent mechanisms of action hinders rational design. Here, we present an electrostatics-stratified computational framework that uncovers key physicochemical principles governing AMP activity. Experimentally validated peptides were grouped by average charge per residue (i.e., the charge/length of the peptide) and analyzed through integrated sequence-, structure-, and chemistry-based descriptors. Distinct molecular signatures emerged across electrostatic regimes: low-charge/length peptides rely on amphipathic organization via structural compactness, whereas the intermediate-charge/length peptides exhibit balanced hydrophobicity and electrostatics. The high-charge peptides couple strong cationic attraction with lipophilicity and tryptophan anchoring to mainly disrupt membranes. Interestingly, hydrophobic moment, which is a measure of the amphipathicity, is found to be important in all three classes of AMPs. This study identifies distinguishing features of AMP sub-groups and suggests design guidelines for developing selective and potent next-generation AMPs.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d5cc06374d}, author = {Malshikare, Hrushikesh and Priyakumar, U. Deva and Chatterjee, Prathit and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {50052, title = {Methoxy substituted furan chalcones: an insight into anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and molecular docking studies}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {11}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR}, pages = {e05798}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of methoxy-substituted furan-based chalcones (5a-m) were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for in vitro anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activities. Among the series, compounds 5l, 5j, 5h, 5a, 5g, 5f, 5c, 5k, and 5e showed remarkable anti-inflammatory activity when compared to diclofenac sodium. The compounds 5k, 5e, 5m, 5h, and 5l showed outstanding activity in the DPPH free radical scavenging experiment, along with remarkable ferric ion reducing power activity in comparison to standard ascorbic acid. Compounds 5l, 5m, and 5g demonstrated significant alpha amylase inhibitory activity, comparable to that of the standard drug Acarbose, suggesting their potential as effective antidiabetic agents along with a good antibacterial profile against S. aureus and E. coli. The molecular docking studies revealed that compounds 5f and 5c showed the best docking profiles with BSA, while 5l and 5m demonstrated superior binding characteristics with amylase, highlighting their potential as promising bioactive candidates.

}, keywords = {Anti-inflammatory, Antibacterial, antidiabetic, Antioxidant, methoxy substituted furan chalcones, Molecular docking}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202505798}, author = {Ghorpade, Sujay A. and Kulkarni, Arati S. and Dandge, Padma B. and Chaugule, Hanmant N. and Ingle, Snehal S. and Bavi, Rohit S. and Bhosale, Raghunath B. and Peerzade, Nargisbano A. and Zaki, Magdi E. A. and Masand, Vijay H. and Patil, Nita R. and Jadhav, Shravan Y.} } @article {50018, title = {Molecularly engineered PW12@Polypyrrole/MXene composite for high-energy, high-rate lithium-ion capacitor}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage}, volume = {148}, year = {2026}, month = {FEB }, pages = {120165}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Due to inherent differences in the charge storage mechanisms of anode and cathode in a hybrid lithium-ion capacitor (LIC), a significant kinetic balance exists, necessitating the need to improve the ion/electron transfer capability of anode materials. In this study, we have developed a ternary pseudocapacitive composite comprising redox-active phosphotungstic acid nanoclusters (PW12) anchored to polypyrrole nanofibers (PPy), which are further decorated with Ti3C2Tx MXene (PW12@PPy/Ti3C2Tx) synthesized via an in-situ polymerization strategy. Here, Ti3C2Tx MXene serves as a conductive scaffold for PW12 wrapped PPy nanofibers, promoting efficient electron/ion transport. Simultaneously, the incorporation of PW12-anchored PPy nanofibers effectively mitigates the natural tendency of MXene to restack, thus preserving its layered structure. The PW12@PPy/Ti3C2Tx hybrid composite material delivers a high specific capacity of 767 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 100 cycles and a promising cycling stability of 280 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 up to 600 cycles. Moreover, an assembled LIC device using PW12@PPy/Ti3C2Tx as anode with nitrogen-doped sucrose carbon (NSC) as cathode demonstrates the highest energy density of 125 Wh kg-1 and maximum power density of 17,058 W kg-1. The device also maintains good cycling stability of 78.4 \% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles at 1 A g-1. These results highlight a promising pathway for designing MXene-based hybrid composites with enhanced lithium storage performance, effectively addressing the kinetic mismatch challenges in LIC anode applications.

}, keywords = {Full cell device, Li ion diffusion, Lithium-ion capacitor, MXene, polyoxometalates, polypyrrole}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2025.120165}, author = {Pawar, Meenakshi D. and Pandey, Priyanshi and Shelke, Manjusha} } @article {49960, title = {(NHC-olefin)-nickel(0) nanoparticles: an efficient and selective catalyst for hydrogenation reactions at low temperature and pressure}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {453}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, pages = {116487}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The reduction of a NHC-cinnamyl nickel(II) organometallic complex through the use of different MeMgBr or MeMgCl reagents led to two types of NHC-olefin-coordinated nickel nanoparticles. Both of these unsupported nickel-NHC based nanomaterials behaved under hydrogen pressure as effective and selective catalysts operating at low temperature (\<= 80 degrees C), pressure (\<= 20 bar) and loading (\<= 6 mol\%) for the reductions of broad scopes of alkenes, alkynes, imines and heterocycles, including a challenging tetra-substituted alkene. Among these two nickel-NHC nanocatalysts, the one generated with MeMgCl showed a significant high catalytic activity with high yields and could stand the comparison with Raney nickel and state-of-the-art nickel nanocatalysts. For example, by studying the hydrogenation of 1-phenylcyclohexene in ethanol at 60 degrees C under 10 bar of H2, 3 mol\% of this catalyst achieved the reaction within a single hour on a 5 mmol/0.8 g substrate scale with a yield of 96 \%, a turnover number (TON) of 32 and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 32. Characterizations confirmed the coordination of the NHC-olefin ligands to the nickel nanoparticles, the reduced state of the nickel and the (poly-) crystallinity of the nanoparticles.

}, keywords = {alkenes, Alkynes, heterocycles, Hydrogenation, imines, N -heterocyclic carbene ligand, nanocatalysis, Nickel}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2025.116487}, author = {Avello, Marta G. and Singh, Geetika and Truong-Phuoc, Lai and Vidal, Loic and Papaefthimiou, Vasiliki and Chesse, Matthieu and Gruber, Nathalie and Chetcuti, Michael J. and Vanka, Kumar and Ritleng, Vincent and Pham-Huu, Cuong and Michon, Christophe} } @article {49765, title = {One-step microwave-assisted synthesis of a MoO3-x-covalent organic framework (COF)-based nanocomposite for amplified surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in environmental applications}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {18}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study introduces a novel one-step microwave-assisted (MW-AT) synthesis strategy for a TpTTA COF and demonstrates the fabrication of a MoO3-x-TpTTA COF-based nanocomposite (NC) for the first time. This method significantly reduces synthesis time (similar to 1 h) while achieving a high yield at a moderate temperature (120 degrees C). In contrast, traditional solution-based COF synthesis methods may take several days with continuous heating at higher temperatures (\<= 200 degrees C). The as-synthesized MoO3-x-COF-based NC was shown to serve as an affordable and straightforward substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of an organic dye, such as methylene blue (MB), achieving a maximum enhancement factor (EF) of 7.76 x 104. The incorporation of MoO3-x into the COF provides several advantages, including plasmonic enhancement by nonstoichiometric transition metal oxide (TMO) without requiring the addition of noble nanocrystals (e.g., Ag, Au, etc.), improved stability of the SERS substrate, comparable SERS sensitivity, and reduced costs. Furthermore, the as-synthesized MoO3-x-TpTTA COF-based SERS substrate demonstrated exceptional detection capabilities with high reproducibility, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 12.5 ppm for Mancozeb (Mz), a common commercially used dithiocarbamate insecticide used on various vegetables, fruits, nuts, and field crops. Notably, Mz is classified as a category III carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This highlights the potential for developing TMO-COF-based NCs for next-generation SERS-based applications in environmental and food safety monitoring.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d5nr02849c}, author = {Patil, Manoj Krishnat and Wagh, Premjeet Gangadhar and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {49954, title = {Photoluminescence decay lifetime study of hydrothermally synthesized highly porous ruthenium-silica composite for optical dissolved oxygen sensing application}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {9}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, pages = {937-949}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pore size and surface area of photoluminescence (PL)-based transition metal composites play crucial roles in facilitating oxygen diffusion, thereby enhancing the response and sensitivity of optical dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors. In this study, we successfully applied the hydrothermal method to synthesize a porous ruthenium composite embedded in a silica matrix, demonstrating its effectiveness for optical DO sensing applications. The ruthenium-silica (Ru-Si) composites were synthesized using Ru(bpy)3 2+ and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursors, with reaction temperatures ranging from 120 degrees C to 200 degrees C over a fixed duration of 4 h. The structural, morphological, and compositional characterization techniques confirmed the successful synthesis and evaluated the porosity, surface features, and chemical structure of the resulting composites. The optimized Ru-Si composite exhibited the highest porosity, characterized by a specific surface area of 996.78 m2 g- 1, and exhibited the highest decay lifetime of 8.14 mu s in deionized (DI) water, compared to other composites. Importantly, we demonstrate an excellent linear response of the synthesized Ru-Si composite to DO concentrations ranging from 2.58 to 11.16 mg L-1, with a Stern-Volmer constant of 0.12. Furthermore, a density functional theory study was conducted to investigate the electronic transitions and to elucidate the oxygen quenching mechanism of the excited Ru composite with molecular oxygen. The calculated photophysical parameters of the composite show good agreement with the experimental results. Preliminary results suggest that the synthesized Ru-Si with high pore size and surface area could be an efficient and effective composite for use in DO sensing applications.

}, keywords = {Hydrothermal method, opticalDO sensor, oxygen quenching, photoluminescent, ruthenium composite}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.5c04307}, author = {Hattale, Gangadhar and Kadam, Rutuja and Virole, Vishal and Pandya, Rinu and Paul, Aditya and Kumar, Ajay and Shevate, Rahul and Vanka, Kumar and Saha, Avishek and Kanawade, Rajesh} } @article {50050, title = {Polysulfone-based polymer carbon dot membrane for optical dissolved oxygen sensing application}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {21}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR}, pages = {e70685}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The precise monitoring of dissolved oxygen (DO) is essential across industrial, environmental, and biomedical applications. However, the state-of-the-art DO sensing methods often suffer from inherent limitations, which hinder their effectiveness for real-time and long-term DO monitoring. Optical DO sensing, despite its advantages, utilizes expensive metal complexes and is prone to photobleaching and slow response time. Here, we introduce a novel polymer carbon dot (PCD) as a promising candidate for lifetime-based optical DO sensing. The PCD is a metal-free, nontoxic, fluorescent, long decay-lifetime material that is synthesized through hydrothermal method. Our fluorescent PCD exhibits high emission quantum yield (24.32\%), long decay-lifetime (10.43 \& micro;s), and a linear response to DO concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 12.7 mg/L, with a Stern-Volmer constant of 0.1115. Further, to obtain better oxygen diffusion, high porosity, optical transparency, and high flexibility, PCD was embedded into a polysulfone matrix (PSF_PCD). The PSF_PCD membrane shows better results for the decay lifetime (9.4 \& micro;s), surface energy (40.26 mN/m), and average pore diameter of 5 nm. Hence, the obtained results demonstrate the applicability of the PCD in optical DO sensors for real-time and long-term monitoring of DO levels.

}, keywords = {decay lifetime, dissolved oxygen, Hydrothermal method, polymer carbon dots, polysulfone-based membrane}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.70685}, author = {Kadam, Rutuja and Hattale, Gangadhar and Virole, Vishal and Pal, Sanjivani and Abraham, Athira and Paul, Aditya and Kumar, Ajay and Shevate, Rahul and Banpurkar, Arun and Kanawade, Rajesh and Saha, Avishek} } @article {49801, title = {Potential tuneable glucose oxidation to selective C6 molecules and CC cleavage, and parallel green H2 production: sustainable high current density electrolysis}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {529}, year = {2026}, month = {FEB}, pages = {172633}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Current study elucidates the electrocatalytic efficacy of palladium-nanocubes (Pd-NCs) for the selective oxidation of glucose to value-added chemicals with concomitant hydrogen evolution. The Pd-NC catalyst demonstrated exceptional activity and product selectivity, achieving nearly quantitative glucose conversion (\>99 \%) with high gluconic and glucaric acid yield at low anodic overpotential (0.6 V vs. RHE) in alkaline electrolyte. At not-so-high elevated potentials (1.2 V vs. RHE), oxidative CC scission prevails, yielding shorter-chain carboxylates along with C6-acids. Reaction products are thoroughly characterized and quantitatively estimated by NMR spectral methods; NMR methods also provide CC cleavage and mechanistic pathways of glucose to various products. Complementary DFT calculations delineate the thermodynamic favorability of glucose adsorption on Pd-NC surfaces (-1.83 eV) and the exergonic oxidation pathway under applied bias, corroborating experimental product distributions. In a two-electrode electrolyzer, Pd-NC anode paired with Pt/C and Ni2P cathode demonstrates 100 mA/cm(2) at 0.99 V and 1.37 V, respectively, with 48 \% reduction in energy input (26.6 kWh/kg H-2) compared to conventional alkaline electrolysis; critically, H-2 production energy is lower than the usable energy (33.3 kWh/kg H-2). Sustainable chronopotentiometric assays confirm sustainability (similar to 140 h) in alkaline as well as saline electrolytes, underscoring the system{\textquoteright}s resilience against chloride-mediated corrosion. Present work establishes a proof of concept for integrated biomass-component valorization and carbon-negative green hydrogen production, merging atomic-level mechanistic insights with scalable reactor design. Optimization of reaction parameters, including potential tuning, reaction temperature and electrolyte engineering, offers a compelling strategy to further enhance C6 and fragmented product selectivity and overall system efficiency.

}, keywords = {biomass valorization, electrocatalysis, energy conversion, Sustainability}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2026.172633}, author = {Chauhan, Inderjeet and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Vijay, Pothoppurathu M. and Nalajala, Naresh and Mehta, Shweta and Joshi, Kavita and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {50046, title = {Proton conductivity in a copper(II) bipyridine glycoluril complex: the synergistic role of coordinated water and hydrogen-bonded networks}, journal = {Inorganica Chimica Acta}, volume = {594}, year = {2026}, month = {MAY}, pages = {123063}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A dinuclear complex of copper(II) and bipyridine glycoluril (BPG) ligand is synthesized, characterized, and structurally examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex [Cu2(BPG)2(NO3)2(H2O)4](NO3)2 center dot 5H2O (complex (1)) further forms a supramolecular network sustained by H-bonds between NH/C=O of BPG, coordinated/free water molecules, and nitrate anions. The complex exhibits a proton conductivity of 5.99 x 10_ 3 S center dot cm_ 1 at 90 degrees C and 95 \% relative humidity (RH) with activation energy value Ea 0.35 eV, suggesting the Grotthuss proton transport mechanism. This value is consistent with those reported for proton-conducting systems in which coordinated water molecules play a critical role in facilitating efficient proton hopping across hydrogen-bonded networks.

}, keywords = {Coordinated water, Copper(II) complex, H -bonding, proton conduction, Supramolecular networks}, issn = {0020-1693}, doi = {10.1016/j.ica.2026.123063}, author = {Khatavkar, Medhavi D. and Panday, Rishukumar and Singh, Mayank U. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Kumbhar, Avinash S.} } @article {49794, title = {Redox- and pH-responsive block copolymer nanocarriers with dual drug conjugation through dynamic covalent and hydrogen bonds}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {143}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR}, pages = {e70205}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Loading of multiple drugs in a nanocarrier with high entrapment efficiency is important for combination therapy in cancer treatment. Here, a block copolymer comprising hydrophobic poly(epsilon-caprolactone) block with a defined number of pendent propargyl groups, polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether as a hydrophilic block, and a redox-responsive disulfide group at the block junction is synthesized using click chemistry and ring-opening polymerization (ROP). Benzaldehyde and thymine groups are introduced in the side chains for selective attachment of anti-cancer drugs, doxorubicin (DOX) and methotrexate (MTX), via the formation of pH-responsive imine linkage and hydrogen bonds, respectively. The drug-conjugated block copolymers are assembled into spherical micelles of \< 200 nm, and the preferential release of DOX and MTX in response to acidic pH and redox conditions is shown. At pH 5, DOX release was 59.5\%, and MTX release was 40\% compared to 13\% and 12\% at pH 7.4, whereas at pH 5 with 10 mM GSH, a DOX release of 81.5\% was observed after 48 h. Cellular uptake of drug-conjugated micelles and their apoptosis compared to free DOX in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells is demonstrated. Caveolae-mediated endocytosis was found to be the major pathway used by drug-loaded nanocarriers.

}, keywords = {biodegradable, copolymers, DOX-conjugate, drug delivery systems, methotrexate, micelles, pH-responsive, redox-responsive}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.70205}, author = {Avhad, Shankarrao V. and Surapaneni, Sai Geetika and Purohit, Poorvi M. and Ambade, Ashootosh V.} } @article {49943, title = {Reversible twisting-induced crystalline-polycrystalline transformation in cyanoacrylate crystals}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {62}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN }, pages = {264-267}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report cyanoacrylate-based organic crystalline materials that exhibit reversible hand-induced helical twisting through the combined action of 1D elasticity and 2D plasticity. These crystals twist and untwist without lattice damage, retaining their elastic integrity through pi slip-stacking and Cl \& ctdot;Cl, C-H \& ctdot;Cl, and Me \& ctdot;Me interactions. Their unique integration of elastic recovery, plastic bending, and reversible twisting highlights their potential as mechanically adaptive materials for flexible and responsive devices.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d5cc05852j}, author = {Parthasarathy, Thiyagaraj and Bhowmik, Aritra and Bhattacharya, Biswajit and Mishra, Manish Kumar and Ghosh, Soumyajit} } @article {49835, title = {Self-healing hydrogel electrolyte enabled by dynamic polar covalent and noncovalent interactions for high-performance rechargeable zinc-metal batteries: a leap toward sustainable energy storage}, journal = {Advanced Energy Materials}, volume = {16}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrogel polymer electrolytes with superior multifunctional properties are promising alternatives to aqueous electrolytes for resolving interfacial issues in rechargeable zinc-metal batteries. In this study, an intrinsic self-healing hydrogel polymer electrolyte (PHBC-4) is synthesized, engineered through an integrated approach involving the polar covalent (B \& horbar;O bond), hydrogen-bond (polyvinyl alcohol-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose interface), and coordination-type (Zn \& horbar;O) interactions to enable self-healing functionality. The PHBC-4 has demonstrated high ionic conductivity (4.6 x 10-2 S cm-1), good oxidative stability (2.3 V vs Zn|Zn2+), a high cation transference number (0.89), superior tensile strength (0.32 MPa), and an impressive healing efficiency of 93\% achieved just within 5 min, confirming its robust self-healing capability. In Zn||Zn symmetric cells, it effectively suppresses dendrite growth, ensuring stable cycling for over 1032 h with an areal capacity of 1.0 mAh cm-2 at a current density of 1.0 mA cm-2. When paired with a Zn-doped MnO cathode in the rechargeable homemade pouch cell, the system delivers a high specific capacity of 160 mAh g-1 at 0.10 A g-1 and cycling stability up to 493 charge-discharge cycles at 2.0 A g-1. The self-healing ability of PHBC-4 HGPE is confirmed in a homemade pouch cell via OCV and charge-discharge tests, demonstrating stable performance. The DFT studies confirm molecular-level interactions within the hydrogel heterostructure.

}, keywords = {dendrite inhibition, flexible rechargeable zinc metal battery, high cation transference number, self-healing hydrogel polymer electrolyte}, issn = {1614-6832}, doi = {10.1002/aenm.202502883}, author = {Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare and Kurian, Rachna Maria and Samudre, Nikhil S. and Balasubramanian, Rajalakshmi and Torris, Arun and Pockil, Fayis Kanheeram and Bhat, Suresh and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {49946, title = {Self-powered photodetection in AgBiS2 nanocrystals synthesized from AgBi-mixed-metal thiolate}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {9}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, pages = {448-456}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

AgBiS2 has emerged as a promising optoelectronic material owing to its high absorption coefficient, environmentally friendly and abundant components, offering a sustainable alternative to lead- and cadmium-based chalcogenides. Realizing the full potential of AgBiS2 devices, however, requires scalable synthesis routes that include development of suitable precursors and minimize the use of harsh solvents, elevated temperatures, inert environments, etc. Here, we present a facile, solvent-free synthesis of phase pure AgBiS2 nanocrystals (NCs) at room temperature and under ambient conditions, enabled by the AgBi mixed-metal thiolate (AgBi-MMT) precursor complex. The initial choice of metal salts determines the nature of the metal thiolate intermediate complex, which subsequently influences the quality of the resulting AgBiS2 NCs. As a single-source precursor of the metals, AgBi-MMT enables controlled release of Ag+ and Bi3+ ions, yielding phase-pure AgBiS2 NCs. Furthermore, the MMT that is derived from AgI and BiI3 precursors promotes in situ surface passivation of the AgBiS2 NCs by iodide ions by trapping molecular I2 within its matrix. Under illumination, these iodide ions undergo reversible migration, generating a built-in potential and enabling self-powered photodetection in devices prepared from the as-synthesized NCs. This work expands the synthesis methodology of AgBiS2, highlighting the importance of metal thiolates as precursors in nanomaterial syntheses, and influence of iodine species in photo-operational devices.

}, keywords = {built-in potential, iodine, ion migration, layered, quantum dots}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.5c04724}, author = {Das, Mouli and Swathi, S. P. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {50035, title = {Sustainable nanocellulose extraction from salacca zalacca peel using chlorine-free and low-acid treatments}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {11}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR}, pages = {13253-13267}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Conversion of agro-waste to value-added products is one of the important principles of a green circular economy. A novel sustainable technique has been reported by using chlorine-free extraction of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from the peels of Salacca zalacca, a common fruit found in Asia. The fruit peels were exposed to alkali treatment using 2\% NaOH (60 degrees C, 2 h), chlorine-free bleaching using 15\% hydrogen peroxide (60 degrees C, 2 h), and sulfuric acid hydrolysis (15\% v/v) for the extraction of CNFs. Various analytical methods were employed to characterize the prepared CNFs. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra showed the complete elimination of lignin and hemicellulose in the prepared CNFs. The elemental composition and high purity of CNFs were further verified by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images proved the fibrous morphology of the prepared CNFs, and the diameters of the cellulose nanofibers were found to be 15-30 nm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies disclosed the type-I cellulosic structure in the prepared CNFs with a high crystallinity index (73\%). The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated the superior thermal stability of the prepared CNFs (T max is 350 degrees C) compared to the raw fiber (T max is 320 degrees C). Based on the obtained results, it has been explored that the extracted highly pure CNFs can be used for fabricating bionanocomposites for high performance applications, including food packaging, sensors, water treatment, green tires, etc.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.5c09694}, author = {Krishnan, Akhil and Paul, Sharon and Phiri, Resego and Srisuk, Rapeeporn and Kumar Singh, Manoj and Palaniappan, Sathish Kumar and Rangappa, Sanjay Mavinkere and Dominic, C. D. Midhun and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Siengchin, Suchart} } @article {50028, title = {Thiophenol-mediated metal-free chemoselective conjugate reduction strategy for 3-alkylidene oxindoles}, journal = {RSC Advances }, volume = {16}, year = {2026}, month = {FEB }, pages = {7702-7706}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A mild and metal-free thiophenol-mediated chemoselective conjugate reduction of 3-alkylidene oxindoles via a thiol-ene-type Michael addition was effectively carried out. Thiophenol as an efficient reductant is used in DMSO, and the transformation proceeds without the need for metal catalyst, external hydrogen source, or harsh reagents. The reaction displays a broad substrate scope, accommodating both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents, and delivers 3-alkyloxindoles in high yields with excellent beta-selectivity. This sustainable and operationally simple method unveils a distinct thiol-mediated reduction mechanism, providing a green and versatile approach for accessing reduced oxindole derivatives and related Michael acceptors.

}, doi = {10.1039/d5ra09175f}, author = {Patil, Baliram R. and Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Girase, Amardipsing S. and Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {49953, title = {Transition metal complexes of Thiadiazole-Picolinic acid: Crystal structures, DFT insights and anticancer activity}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1354}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR 5}, pages = {144763}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Five novel transition metal complexes [Ni(H2aeth)2(Pic)2] (1), [Co(H2aeth)2(Pic)2] (2), [Ni(H2aeth)2(Pic)(HPic)] ClO4 (3), [Co(H2aeth)2(Pic)(HPic)]ClO4 (4) and [Zn(H2aeth)2 (Pic)(HPic)]ClO4 (5) were synthesized using a 2amino-5-ethylthio-1,3,4-thiadiazole (H2aeth) and picolinic acid (HPic) as co-ligands. These complexes were characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis., X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, TG-DTA, and single-crystal X-ray techniques. Crystallographic analysis confirmed distorted octahedral geometries around the metal centers with extensive hydrogen bonding networks promoting supramolecular assembly in the solid state. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), validated the +2 oxidation state of each metal center. Thermal studies indicated multistep decomposition processes resulting in the formation of metal oxides. Density functional theory (DFT) and timedependent DFT calculations were employed to explore electronic structures and predict UV-Vis. transitions, which showed good agreement with experimental data. Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis revealed that Ni(II) complexes 1 and 3 are softer and more reactive, consistent with their observed biological activity. The anticancer potential of complexes 1-5 was evaluated in vitro using the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line and the MTT assay. Complex 1 exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity (IC50 = 26.5 mu g/mL) followed by complexes 3 (34.9 mu g/mL), 4 (46.4 mu g/mL), 2 (81.1 mu g/mL), and 5 (103.3 mu g/mL). The observed activity trends correlate with metal identity and coordination environment, underlining the role of electronic and structural factors in modulating bioactivity. These findings suggest that thiadiazole-picolinate metal complexes, particularly those based on Ni (II), are promising scaffolds for anticancer drug development.

}, keywords = {Anti-cancer activity, crystal structure, DFT calculation, MCF-7 cell line, Picolinic acid, Thiadiazole complexes}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2025.144763}, author = {Torambetov, Batirbay and Khojabaeva, Gulnaz and Bharty, M. K. and Gupta, Sushil K. and Kadirova, Shakhnoza and Pradeep, S. and Dastager, Syed G. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {50027, title = {Tuning the electric dipole transitions (5D0 {\textrightarrow} 7F2 and 5D0 {\textrightarrow} 7F4) in thin Eu-doped BiOCl nanosheets}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {130}, year = {2026}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3504-3517}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The polarization and depolarization of layered ferroelectric materials can be tuned by altering the thickness of nanosheets, apart from controlling inter/intralayer distances, doping of ions, the surrounding dielectric environment, etc. In two-dimensional, single-crystalline ferroelectric nanosheets, the reduction in the thickness facilitates the internal electric field (IEF), which leads to enhanced depolarization. BiOCl is a layered ferroelectric material with repeating layers of [Bi2O2](2+), which exhibit anisotropy. However, the depolarization and polarization of BiOCl are significantly influenced by the thicknesses of its nanosheets. Herein, 1-dodecanethiol-capped europium (Eu3+)-doped BiOCl thin nanosheets resembling a two-dimensional structure have been synthesized using the solid-state grinding method at ambient temperature. As a result of the depolarization effect, the strength of the electric dipole transitions D-5(0) -\> F-7(2) and D-5(0) -\> F-7(4) increases in the Eu-doped BiOCl nanosheets. However, thiol capping helps in synthesizing uniform 2D nanosheets with reduced vertical dimensions (thickness near 15-30 nm). It is observed that all of the prepared samples with varying Eu ion concentrations show uniform nanosheet-like morphology, as confirmed by electron microscopy (FESEM and HRTEM). As the concentration of Eu ions increases in the BiOCl host lattice, the intensity of electric dipole transitions also increases (until 9 mol \%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) reveals the coating of 1-dodecanthiol on the Eu-doped BiOCl molecule. Furthermore, the Eu-doped BiOCl samples showed prominent far-red emission at 700 nm, corresponding to the D-5(0) -\> F-7(4) transition. Moreover, this work emphasizes the synthesis of Eu-doped phosphor at an ambient temperature of 24 +/- 2 degrees C and generates a deeper understanding of the abnormal electric dipole (D-5(0) -\> F-7(4)) transition.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c07685}, author = {Singh, Dinesh and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {49795, title = {Vanillin-based recyclable thermosets and their glass fiber reinforced composites}, journal = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {227}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The accumulation of end-of-life plastic materials and composite reinforcement waste materials has brought much attention to developing sustainable alternatives and their re-processability. Incorporating covalent adaptable networks (CANs) into the crosslinked network bridges the concept of reversibility into the otherwise conventional non-reversible networks. This study investigates the structure-property relation in two reversible hardener systems derived from vanillin using Schiff base chemistry. The {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}CAN{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} systems were synthesized by condensation of vanillin with two amines, 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydianiline and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, respectively, to form Va_ODA and Va_TAEA. The epoxy thermosets exhibited glass transition temperatures (T-g) of 125 degrees C and 115 degrees C, respectively, for Va_ODA and Va_TAEA, which is superior to most reversible vanillin-based systems reported. The vitrimer-thermosets exhibited promising mechanical and thermal properties, and reshaping abilities as a function of applied temperatures, indicating the dynamic nature of linkages. Chemical degradability was demonstrated by heating to 80 degrees C for 12 h in aqueous acidic medium or excess amine. The fabricated glass fiber composites exhibited good mechanical properties with tensile strength of 361 MPa and degradability in acetic acid/water mixture with a fiber recovery of \>98 \%. The recovered glass fiber exhibited almost similar tensile strength as the virgin glass fiber, demonstrating its potential reusability. The epoxy vitrimers underwent mechanical reprocessing through hot-pressing, as well as chemical reprocessing via 3D printing and by regeneration of imine bonds to form an epoxy resin.

}, keywords = {3D printing, covalent adaptable network, re-processability, Schiff base, Vanillin}, issn = {1022-1352}, doi = {10.1002/macp.202500420}, author = {Veetil, Ashwani Puthiya and Ravikumar, Aniruddha and Rajput, Tejas and Singh, Aman Kumar and Thakur, Tamanna and Krishna, Abhijith and Pol, Harshawardhan and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Asha, S. K.} } @article {49822, title = {Waste-to-sensor: repurposing spent Li-ion battery graphite into reduced graphene oxide for electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid}, journal = {Resources Conservation and Recycling}, volume = {225}, year = {2026}, month = {JAN}, pages = {108610}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Spent lithium-ion batteries (S-LIBs) are typically discarded in landfills after their lifecycle ends, despite containing valuable materials like graphite. While much research focuses on extracting precious metals from the cathode, this study explores the recycling, recovery, and reuse of spent graphite, converting it into reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for electrochemical sensing. The rGO material demonstrated excellent sensitivity to ascorbic acid (AA) in a concentration range of 1 mM to 100 mM at pH 7.6, offering a cost-effective solution for AA detection. The recovered graphite (RG) from S-LIBs and commercial graphite (CG) was first converted into graphene oxide (R-GO, C-GO) and then reduced (R-rGO, C-rGO). This material underwent extensive structural characterization using techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Electrochemical performance was evaluated through cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). This study underscores the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}waste-to-wealth{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} concept and supports circular economy principles by transforming electronic waste into a valuable resource. The LOD and LOQ for both the material R-rGO and C-rGO were calculated as 3.055 mM, 10.18 mM, and 3.41 mM, 11.36 mM, respectively. The rGO-based sensor not only promotes sustainable recycling but also offers a low-cost, high-performance solution for ascorbic acid detection, with potential applications in food quality monitoring, medical diagnostics, and the cosmetic industry.

}, keywords = {circular economy, Closed loop recycling, Electrochemical sensor, Graphite recovery, Hydrometallurgy, Spent Li-ion batteries}, issn = {0921-3449}, doi = {10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108610}, author = {Rawat, Purnima and Shivamurthy, B. P. and Patil, Vaibhav J. and Nayaka, G. P.} }