In soft X-ray spectromicroscopy, significant advances were made during last few decades, as a result of improvements in X-ray optics and greater availability of third-generation synchrotron sources. These advancements made this spectromicroscopic technique as one of the important analytical tools in several scientific disciplines (e.g., environmental and material sciences), since nanometer-scale chemical information under in situ conditions, which has not previously been available from other tools, can be obtained using this technique. Therefore, an increasing number of applications for imaging and quantification of chemically distinct components in a wide range of specimens, such as fully hydrated environmental and biological specimens, polymer composite materials with nanostructures, and novel nanomaterials is being reported. In this review, recent developments and applications of soft X-ray spectromicroscopy, with focus on scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), are described. Brief descriptions of the basic principles and generic instrumental setups of soft X-ray spectromicroscopy will be followed by various recent application examples of soft X-ray spectromicroscopy in material science, environmental science, etc., where knowledge of the heterogeneous distributions of chemical species and elemental compositions is considered important in understanding and explaining phenomena in each scientific disciplines.

AbstractRongalite, first time reported in the chemical structure in 1905, also known as bruggolite or sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate, having good solubility and stability in organic media, is not only a cheap and commercially available (in kg amount) reagent with a range of industrial applications for instance emulsion polymerization, an excellent decolouring agent, antioxidant in pharmaceutical development, and an antidote for heavy metals, but also used as an effective regents in a plethora of organic reactions particularly in redox reactions as a powerful reducing agent. More interestingly, in recent years, it has also shown its impact in material sciences for the preparation of CdTe, CoTe2, and Ag2Se thin films, nanowire networks, hollow nanospheres, copper nanoparticles (Cu‐Nps), CdTe‐quantum dots and so forth. Keeping in mind the importance of this vital reagent in both organic chemistry as well as in material sciences, herein I intended to report the recent developments along with a brief overview of old literature wherever necessary to showcase the utility of this valuable reagent. This particular review article not only covers the applications of this environmentaly benign reagent in organic synthesis but also its usefulness in material sciences in particular nanosciences has been exposed for the first time.

THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND APPLICATIONS(The 3rdICChESA 2017)September 20-21, 2017, Banda Aceh - INDONESIAAccepted, peer reviewed papers from the 3rd ICChESA 2017Edited byYunardi, Sri Aprilia, Cut Meurah Rosnelly, and Wahyu RinaldiChemical Engineering DepartmentSyiah Kuala UniversityBanda Aceh - INDONESIAPrefaceThe Third International Conference on Chemical Engineering Sciences and Applications 2017 (The 3rd ICChESA 2017) taking place in Banda Aceh, the Province of Aceh, Indonesia during 20-21 September 2017 was organized by the Chemical Engineering Department, Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia together with the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Malaysia in cooperation with the other two institutions: Chemical Engineering Department, Malikussaleh University and Lhokseumawe State Polytechnics of which both are from North Aceh, Indonesia. The conference addressed the important theme in supporting the sustainable development: “Strengthening Chemical Engineering Education, Research, and Innovation for Sustainable Development”. The objective of the 3rd ICChESA 2017 was to gather scientists, researchers, scholars, educators, professionals, and students in different fields of chemical engineering from ASEAN and beyond to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and explore possibilities of building cooperation networking.The Proceedings consists of accepted papers and presented by researchers from different countries, among others, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Iran and Japan. The papers are categorized under seven topics in the area of chemical engineering, namely: Energy Resources, Control System and Computational Fluid Dynamics, Environmental Engineering, Nan otechnology, Chemical Engineering Fundamental, Food and Biochemical Engineering, and Chemical Reaction Engineering, Polymer and Composite Materials.

In this review, the field of biosurface organic chemistry is defined and some examples are presented. The aim of biosurface organic chemistry, composed of surface organic chemistry, bioconjugation, and micro- and nanofabrication, is to control the interfaces between biological and non-biological systems at the molecular level. Biosurface organic chemistry has evolved into the stage, where the lateral and vertical control of chemical compositions is achievable with recent developments of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Some new findings in the field are discussed in consideration of their applicability to nanobiotechnology and biomedical sciences.

Quantum-chemical investigations of the electronic structure and reactivity of five- and six-membered heteroaromatic compounds conducted at the N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, from the seventies of the twentieth century are reviewed and discussed.

This report provides brief summaries of progress in the Chemical and Analytical Sciences Division (CASD) during 1993 and 1994. The first four chapters, which cover the research mission, are organized to mirror the major organizational units of the division and indicate the scope of the research portfolio. These divisions are the Analytical Spectroscopy Section, Nuclear and Radiochemistry Section, Organic Chemistry Section, and Physical and Materials Chemistry Section. The fifth and sixth chapters summarize the support activities within CASD that are critical for research progress. Finally, the appendices indicate the productivity and recognition of the staff in terms of various forms of external publications, professional activities, and awards.

Previously, we developed the principle of constructing modular materials with specified properties, according to which organometallic composites, with nanoscale enzyme complexes introduced into them, are applied to a unified fabric platform. The resulting composites become a new platform for heterogeneous biocatalysis. Such a platform has high stability and good catalytic selectivity. The aim of the work is to study the properties of a unified fabric platform and to establish the possibility of giving materials (tissues) anti-chemical protective properties. The paper analyzes scientific and practical information on the production of composite fibrous materials with frame fibrous layers. The properties of a unified tissue platform and the mechanisms of protective action due to the enzymecontaining formulation applied to it are investigated. As a unified fabric platform on which other special modules are applied, it is proposed to use para-aramid protective fabric (Rusar fiber), as well as other types of fabrics – mixed aramid-viscose, aramid-cotton, aramid-polyacrylate, metaaramide (Nomex fiber). The physical properties and chemical structure of aromatic polyamides, possible directions for the production of aramid fibers, the structure and structure of aramid fibers, the mechanisms of chemical processes in polyinide compositions of various compositions are considered. Approaches to giving materials (tissues) anti-chemical protective properties are determined. The catalytic characteristics of fibrous materials functionalized by enzyme-polyelectrolyte complexes carrying out hydrolysis of organophosphorus compounds and mycotoxins have been studied.

Article Pioneering Ideas for the Physical and Chemical Sciences. Josef Loschmidt's Contributions and Modern Developments in Structural Organic Chemistry, Atomistics and Statistical Mechanics was published on February 1, 1999 in the journal Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie (volume 213, issue 2).

Originating from the basic chalcone structure, bis-chalcones are characterized by their dual α,β-unsaturated carbonyl systems and carry a range of biological activities that include antimicrobial, antiviral, antiparasitic, antioxidant, antiproliferative, and chemical reactivities that warrant a review to cover recent progress. Thus, this review presents the significant potential demonstrated by bis-chalcones in various biological applications. For example, compounds 2.3.1 showed excellent antiparasitic activity against leishmania with good selectivity index, and compounds 2.2.1-2.2.3 showed submicromolar activity against SupT1 cells. Compound 2.6.22 stood out in its antiproliferative activity against a panel of 60 different cell lines. Compounds 2.6.4 and 2.6.9 have been shown as submicromolar noncompetitive xanthine oxidase inhibitors. We also present their recent applications in material science, for example, as photosensitizers and photoinitiators, to showcase their broader potential for innovation in both medicinal chemistry and industrial applications.

The paper presents a brief survey of available results obtained from the studies of the initiation micromechanisms of mainly organic energetic materials (EMs) from the viewpoint of physical organic chemistry, with attention being paid to experimental results. It is stated here that chemical micromechanisms of the primary fission processes of the EM molecules in the “normal” initiation by mechanical stimuli (inclusive of the detonation course) and an electric spark should be the same as in the case of their low-temperature thermal decomposition. In this connection also super-initiation is mentioned, in which primary fissions should correspond to those in high-temperature thermal decomposition. Experimental methods for the probable reaction centers (chemical hot spots) found in the EMs molecules are discussed. Concerning the thermochemical aspects of the initiation reactivity, the application of the enthalpies of formation (or heats of combustion) results in less ambiguous relations with EM sensitivity in comparison to the hitherto widely used performance of these compounds. This new thermochemical approach might be applied to assess the possible primary fragmentation processes of macromolecular binders in the initiation of the plastic bonded explosives.