FTIR Peaks Research Articles

Removal of Lead and Cadmium from Aqueous Solutions by Banana Peel Biochar

Heavy metals are ubiquitous environmental pollutants to influence on changing the different environmental compartments including air, water and soil. Due to the toxicity, persistence and bioavailability status, metal contamination is a serious issue for environment especially in terrestrial and aquatic systems. Biosorption of heavy metals is the physicochemical removal process of heavy ions or their compounds, from wastewater by using biosorbents. In this point of view, to remove lead and cadmium by eco-friendly manner banana peel biochar powder based biosorbents has been taken for the present investigation, and used Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer for metal estimation. Different electrochemical and biochemical characterizations such as pH, EC, CEC, particle size, zeta potential, organic carbon, crude protein, moisture content, dry matter, ash content and elemental composition of banana peel biochar was analyzed through standard methods. The SEM images determined that banana peel biochar contain irregular porous surface area, and also the FTIR peaks showed that banana peel biochar has C-H, =CHand C-Cl functional groups which has important role in adsorption of metals. The batch experiment was conducted to the effect of pH, metal ion concentration and contact time. The highest adsorption of Pb (83.45%) and Cd (89.87%) was observed at pH 7 and 75 ppm concentration, and the maximum adsorption of both elements recorded at 6 hours contact time. The banana peel biochar has high capacity of heavy metals adsorption from wastewater such as Pb (II) and Cd (II), but the adsorption efficiency of Cd was higher than Pb.

DESIGN, DOCKING AND SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL BROMO ISATIN INCORPORATED ISOXAZOLE DERIVATIVES AS VEGFR-2 INHIBITORS

Objective: To design, synthesize, in vitro Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR-2) assay, antiproliferative activity an Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) studies of some novel bromoisatin incorporated isoxazole derivatives.
 Methods: Designed compounds were synthesized by the condensation of different 3-aryl-5-methylisoxazole-4-carbohydrazides (5a-h) with 5-bromoisatin to give the target molecules. To predict the affinity and activity of the ligand molecule the docking program GOLD 3.1 was employed to generate different bioactive binding poses of designing molecules at the active site of protein VEGFR-2. All the synthesized compounds were characterized based on the spectral and elemental analysis data. Antiproliferative activity performed against Human Umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC cell line).
 Results: All the synthesized compounds showed the characteristic peaks in FTIR,1H, C[13]NMR and Mass spectral analysis. In molecular docking, all the synthesized compounds (6a-j) exhibited high fitness scores with minimum three bonding interaction with the active site VEGFR-2 kinase. In in-vitro, VEGFR-2 kinase assay, compounds 6a, 6b, 6d and 6e exhibited more than 70% inhibition at a single dose concentration of 5μM. In antiproliferative assay against HUVEC cell lines, compounds 6d and 6e exhibited potent activity with IC50 values in nanomolar concentrations. ADMET results of 6a, 6b, 6d and 6e are quite promising with least hepatotoxicity and good bioavailability.
 Conclusion: The derivatives were synthesized in quantitative yields. New derivatives posses antiproliferative activity, least hepatotoxicity and good bioavailability.

Novel epoxidized natural rubber composites with geopolymers from fly ash waste

Geopolymer (GP) based on fly ash waste from electric power generating plants has been applied in natural rubber composites as a sustainable solution to deal with this industrial solid waste. This alternative type of rubber filler can reduce hazards and environmental impacts of that waste. Novel elastomer composites based on geopolymer (GP) filled epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) were prepared with various GP loadings. Cure characteristics, mechanical, dynamic, thermal, and morphological properties of the ENR/GP composites were characterized. It was found that incorporating GP significantly affected cure characteristics of ENR compounds, decreasing scorch and cure times by accelerating the cure rate via the excessive metal oxides in GP. Furthermore, the ENR/GP composites with 15 phr GP showed the highest tensile strength due to maximal chemical linkages of hydroxyl groups and metal oxides on GP surfaces and epoxide groups in ENR. This was confirmed by a new FTIR peak for SiOH bending vibrations at the wavenumber 970 cm−1. Furthermore, the Payne effect in ENR/GP composites was assessed from the relationship of shear modulus and strain amplitude at a fixed oscillation frequency. It was found that the Payne effect, or the level of filler-filler interactions, increased with GP loading. In addition, it was also found that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of ENR/GP composites increased with GP loading. Furthermore, TGA and TSSR results suggest that the metal oxide in GP activated degradation of the rubber network at elevated temperatures.

Blue-Shifted Hydrogen Bonding in the Gas Phase CH/D3CN···HCCl3 Complexes.

Blue-shifting H-bonded complexes between CHCl3 and CH/D3CN have been identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the gas phase at room temperature. The change in FTIR peak intensity of the mixture of the two components as a function of temperature and composition provides the basis for identification of the H-bonded band in the infrared spectrum. On complex formation with CH3CN and CD3CN, the C-H stretching frequency of CHCl3 shifts to the blue by +8.7 and +8.6 cm-1, respectively. The molecular electrostatic potential calculation at the MP2/6-311++G** level has been used to arrive at the geometry of the complex. It has been reported in the literature that CHCl3 and CH/D3CN form red-shifting H-bonded complex in Ar matrix. The red shifting has been verified by doing ab initio calculations in the presence of Ar atoms, which has been attributed to the matrix effect at low temperature. The interaction of Ar with CH3CN makes the CH3CN more basic and as a result it becomes better hydrogen bond acceptor and causes red shift. The potential energy scans and NBO analysis of the Cl3CH···NCCH3 complex have been compared with those of F3CH···NCCH3 and Cl3CH···NH3 complexes. The change in electron density of the CHCl3 as a function of C-H···N distance shows that the approach of CH3CN to CHCl3 induces a shift in electron density from the H atom to the Cl atoms of CHCl3 which leads to C-H bond contraction and blue shifting of C-H stretching frequency. However, in the complex Cl3CH···NH3, where frequency shift to the red is reported, charge transfer and electrostatic interaction dominate.

MOLECULAR DOCKING STUDIES AND SYNTHESIS OF 3, 4 - DISUBSTITUTED TRIAZOLES AS MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS ENOYL-ACP REDUCTASE AND CYP-51 INHIBITORS

Objective: To design, synthesize and in vitro antitubercular, antifungal and antioxidant evaluation of some novel mercapto 1, 2, 4–triazole derivatives.Methods: New derivatives were designed by using various software like ACD Lab chemsketch, molinspiration and autodock. Designed molecules are obeying Lipinski’s rule of five and having highest binding score was selected for the synthesis. The synthesized compounds were subjected to TLC, melting point determination, FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectral analysis. The newly synthesized compounds were investigated for in vitro antitubercular evaluation by MABA method, antifungal evaluation by cup plate method and antioxidant evaluation by DPPH scavenging assay.Results: A virtual screening was carried out through docking designed compounds into the InhA and CYP-51 binding site to predict if these compounds have an analogous binding mode of the enoyl ACP reductase (InhA) and CYP-51 inhibitors. Three derivatives (4a1, 4a2 and 4a3) were selected for the synthesis with the help of in silico modeling. The selected derivatives were synthesized by a conventional method. All the synthesized compounds showed a characteristic peak in FT IR, 1H and 13C NMR and mass spectroscopic studies. All the selected derivatives showed antitubercular, antifungal and antioxidant activity.Conclusion: The derivatives were synthesized adopting simple and laboratory friendly reaction conditions to give the target compounds in quantitative yields. Newer derivatives possess good antitubercular, antifungal and antioxidant activity.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Silver, Gold and Silver-Gold Alloy Nanoparticles phytosynthesized using extract of Opuntia ficus-indica

Abstract Aqueous extract of Opuntia ficus-indica (OF) was employed to reduce salt solutions of silver nitrate, gold chloride and silver nitrate/gold chloride to OFAgNPs, OFAuNPs, and OFAg-AuNPs respectively. Characterization of the particles was carried out using different standard methods, and their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were also evaluated. The UV-vis spectroscopy showed silver, gold and silver-gold alloys nanoparticles with surface plasmon resonance at 462, 545 and 539 nm, respectively. The significant FTIR peaks: OFAgNPs (3300 and 1635 cm−1), OFAuNPs (3288 and 1635 cm−1) and OFAg-AuNPs (3307 and 1637 cm−1) for synthesized nanoparticles pointed to protein as both capping and stabilizing agent. Generally, particles were spherical with size range of 27-38 nm, 11-28 nm and 15-54 nm for silver, gold and silver-gold alloys nanoparticles respectively. OFAgNPs gave highest antagonistic effects against tested bacteria (35-82%), followed by OFAg-AuNPs (12-75%) and AuNPs (11-48%). The fungal inhibition of 44-70% for OFAgNPs, 42-79% for OFAuNPs and 52-92% for OFAg-AuNPs were obtained. DPPH scavenging activities were obtained as follows: OFAgNPs (52.25–57.50%), OFAuNPs (37.07-59.07%) and OFAg-AuNPs (37.07-63.00%) at tested concentrations of 20–100 µg/ml, which were dose-dependent in comparison with standard BHA (42.57–91.27%) and ascorbic acid (52.13–84.20%). The bleaching inhibition assay of ABTS showed activities of 41.33–61.83% (OFAgNPs), 27.37-50.60% (OFAuNPs) and 32.83-44.33% (OFAg-AuNPs). The synthesized nanoparticles demonstrated an excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The current study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first time to use Opuntia ficus-indica to synthesize silver, gold and silver-gold alloys nanoparticles.

Optical and morphological properties of environmentally benign Cu-Tin sulphide thin films grown by physical vapor deposition technique

Present work has set about the synthesis of Tin-Diethyl dithiocarbamate Sn (S2CN (Et) 2) n]) and Copper diethyldithiocarbamate Cu (S2CN(Et)2) complex by utilizing single source method. Sn (S2CN (Et) 2) n]) complex are further used for deposition of Tin Sulphide thin films via Physical Vapor deposition with varying concentration of copper acting as dopant specie. The fabricated doped and un-doped films were confronted to functional group detection (FTIR), optical (UV–vis), structural (XRD) and morphological (SEM, EDX) analysis to retrieve the hidden information. FTIR peaks of Copper and Tin complex confirmed the formation of dithiocarbamate complexes by enumerating the stretching and bending vibrational modes of bonding and metal Sulphur linkage. X-ray diffraction elucidate the predominant phase of SnS with 1:1 ratio which depicted the fabrication at high temperature. Optical investigation represented the decrease in band gap by 6% extrinsic addition while increase at 10% doping. The enhancement in band gap is also clear from the increased absorption edge upon 10% addition. Surface morphology of films was heterogeneous along flakes with compaction of spherical particles as demonstrated by SEM. The obtained results of material (SnS) being environmentally benign were therefore discussed to assess its aptness in optoelectronic devices.

Basic study on lipase-immobilized magnetic nanoparticles

Herein, the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were produced by the solgel technique. This magnetic carrier was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The size of the MNPs was determined to be 10.33 nm from the diffraction patterns, and also, least agglomeration was observed in TEM. The presence of required peaks in FT-IR confirmed MNPs formation, and their significant shifts confirmed the lipase binding. Then, lipase was immobilized onto MNPs by covalent attachment following surface modification and activation. The study reported maximum immobilization percentage as 92.3% which reduced on successive lipase loadings. Excellent thermostability and reusability were exhibited by the lipase-bound MNPs in the activity assay. At optimum pH (7.5), relative activity of the immobilized lipase showed no notable change, whereas, at higher temperature, it was higher than that of free lipase. This can be inferred that good thermal resistance was provided by the MNPs to lipase from unconditional disturbances. Increased Vmax showed the negligible steric hindrance in the active sites of immobilized lipase. At the eighth cycle of the process, it was observed that enzyme attained half of its maximum activity. Hence, this magnetite carrier may be considered as the best choice for immobilization of industrially important enzyme such as lipase and their efficient application.

DNA nanostructures doped with lanthanide ions for highly sensitive UV photodetectors.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and lanthanide ions (Ln3+) exhibit exceptional optical properties that are applicable to the development of nanoscale devices and sensors. Although DNA nanostructures and Ln3+ ions have been investigated for use in the current state of technology for more than a few decades, researchers have yet to develop DNA and Ln3+ based ultra-violet (UV) photodetectors. Here, we fabricate Ln3+ (such as holmium (Ho3+), praseodymium (Pr3+), and ytterbium (Yb3+))‒doped double crossover (DX)‒DNA lattices through substrate-assisted growth and salmon DNA (SDNA) thin films via a simple drop-casting method on oxygen (O2) plasma-treated substrates for high performance UV photodetectors. Topological (AFM), optical (UV-vis absorption and FTIR), spectroscopic (XPS), and electrical (I‒V and photovoltage) measurements of the DX‒DNA and SDNA thin films doped with various concentrations of Ln3+ ([Ln3+]) are explored. From the AFM analysis, the optimum concentrations of various Ln3+ ([Ln3+]O) are estimated (where the phase transition of Ln3+‒doped DX‒DNA lattices takes place from crystalline to amorphous) as 1.2 mM for Ho3+, 1.5 mM for Pr3+, and 1.5 mM for Yb3+. The binding modes and chemical states are evaluated through optical and spectroscopic analysis. From UV-vis absorption studies, we found that as the [Ln3+] was increased, the absorption intensity decreased up to [Ln3+]O, and increased above [Ln3+]O. The variation in FTIR peak intensities in the nucleobase and phosphate regions, and the changes in XPS peak intensities and peak positions detected in the N 1 s and P 2p core spectra of Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films clearly indicate that the Ln3+ ions are properly bound between the bases (through chemical intercalation) and to the phosphate backbone (through electrostatic interactions) of the DNA molecules. Finally, the I‒V characteristics and time-dependent photovoltage of Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films are measured both in the dark and under UV LED illuminations (λLED = 382 nm) at various illumination powers. The photocurrent and photovoltage of Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films are enhanced up to the [Ln3+]O compared to pristine SDNA due to the charge carriers generated from both SDNA and Ln3+ ions upon the absorption of light. From our observations, the photovoltages as function of illumination power suggest higher responsivities, and the photovoltages as function of time are almost constant which indicates the stability and retention characteristics of the Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films. Hence, our method which provides an efficient doping of Ln3+ into the SDNA with a simple fabrication process might be useful in the development of high-performance optoelectronic devices and sensors.

Flotation of cyanobacterial particles without chemical coagulant under auto-flocculation

Although flotation techniques are often used for the removal of algal particles, the practicality of algae-harvesting technologies is limited owing to the complex and expensive facilities and equipment required for chemical coagulation. Here, we examined the feasibility of an approach to separating algal particles from water bodies without the need for chemical coagulants, depending on the condition of the algae, and to determine the optimal conditions. Using Anabaena sp., a cyanobacterium causes algal blooms in lakes, we stimulated auto-flocculation in algal particles without coagulants and conducted solid-liquid separation experiments of algal particles under various conditions. The six cultivation columns included in our analysis comprised four factors: Water temperature, light intensity, nutrients, and carbon source; auto-flocculation was induced under all treatments, with the exception of the treatment involving no limits to all factors, and algal particles were wellsettled under all conditions for which auto-flocculation occurred. Meanwhile, flotation removal of auto-flocculated algal particles was attained only when nutrients were blocked after algae were grown in an optimal medium. However, no significant differences were detected between the functional groups of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) of floated and settled algal particles in the FT-IR peak, which can cause attachment by collision with micro-bubbles.

Fabrication and properties research on a novel perfluoropolyether based ferrofluid

Abstract Conventional ferrofluids are not satisfactory in special fields, especially in corrosive and extreme temperature conditions. In this study, perfluoropolyether based ferrofluid with outstanding performance was synthesized by high energy ball milling. The results of XRD, TEM and particle size analyzer show that the modified Fe3O4 is well crystallized, globular shaped and monodisperse. Magnetic particles in a narrow size distribution ranging from 8 nm to 15 nm and the average is approximately 10 nm. Characteristic peaks in FT-IR and XPS spectrum confirm that Fe3O4 MNPs are successfully decorated by perfluoropolyether carboxylic acid surfactant. Perfluoropolyether based ferrofluid exhibits superparamagnetism, and magnetization is 22.83 emu/g at 10 kOe. Surface tension of perfluoropolyether based ferrofluid is 25.18 mN/m at 25 °C; Viscosity decreases with temperature increasing, which can be fitted as I· = e a+bT+c T 2 . In heating progress from −20 °C to 25 °C, perfluoropolyether based ferrofluid is a non-Newtonian fluid, while from 25 °C to 100 °C, it is a Newtonian fluid with almost constant viscosity. Viscosity of perfluoropolyether based ferrofluid increases to 1825.7 mPa·s at −20 °C and is still flowing at −40 °C. Yield point occurs when deformation reaches to 10%, and increases along with electromagnetic field in magnetic rheological behavior.

Influence of enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation during rice plant growth on rice straw decomposition with nitrogen deposition

Although straw decomposition is important for ecosystem fertility and carbon balance, influence of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation and nitrogen (N) deposition on this process is unclear. In this study, UV-B-exposed rice straw was decomposed under different N addition treatments for 15 months to investigate the indirect effects of UV-B radiation on straw chemistry and direct effects of N deposition on decomposition. UV-B exposure during rice plant growth changed the rice straw chemical composition, increasing the concentrations of acid-insoluble fraction (AIF), acid-soluble fraction, and UV-B-absorbing compounds. High N content had a negative effect on decomposition of rice straw exposed to enhanced and ambient UV-B radiation. Both AIF concentration and FTIR peak intensities indicated that lignin in rice straw was selectively preserved following N addition and UV-B radiation, reducing straw decomposition rate, which corresponded to lower activities of lignin-degrading enzymes in the later stage of decomposition. Thus, enhanced UV-B radiation during rice plant growth produced more recalcitrant substrates (lignin) and N reacted with lignin to produce more resistant compounds, further decreasing straw decomposition rate. UV-B radiation during plant growth and N deposition inhibit litter decomposition in agroecosystem, and their effects should be considered when establishing biogeochemical models in response to global changes.

Effect of fluorine-containing nano-sized multi-functional additives on thermal decomposition behavior and gaseous products of double-base propellants

To study the effect of fluorine-containing nano-sized multi-functional additives on the thermal decomposition behavior and gaseous products of propellant, the thermal decomposition process and gaseous products of double-base propellants were studied by TGA/DSC-IR instruments. The high-pressure combustion of double-base propellants was conducted in a closed vessel, and the gaseous products were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy. The effect of pressure, TiO2-trifluoroacrylate additives and temperature on the gaseous products was discussed. Results show that NO2 and NO gases were produced in the thermal decomposition rather than in the high-pressure combustion. The fluorine-containing nano-sized multi-functional additives do not affect the species of gaseous products of double-base propellants, but it decreases the concentration of CO toxic gas. Also, the thermal stability of double-base propellant is improved after the addition of TiO2-trifluoroacrylate additives. Furthermore, the FT-IR peak intensity of gaseous products was improved by increasing temperature in the temperature range 30–150 °C. Therefore, the application of fluorine-containing nano-sized multi-functional additives can reduce the damage of toxic gases on the environment and personnel.

Integrating third phase transition and CO/CO2 contamination in microwave tailored Bi2Mo1−xWxO6 nano materials

First layer Aurivillius Bismuth Molybdate Tungstate ceramic [Bi2Mo1−xWxO6 (BMoW); x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10] compositions are prepared using deep penetrating microwave sintering in air. All samples show known perovskite phase formation just after 5 h calcinations at 575 °C. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy based energy dispersive spectroscopy are used to confirm the phase-purity and gross elemental concentration change besides particle size. Nearly double $$\varepsilon ^{\prime}$$ -values are obtained for investigated BMoW materials compared to earlier reported values. Silver percolation through electrodes in bismuth oxide deficient surfaces of BMoW ceramic powders induces radio wave absorption in the frequency range 2 to 4 MHz. Characteristic third phase transition ( $$\gamma \to \gamma ^{\prime\prime\prime}$$ ) of Bi2MoO6 material dissolves gradually on increasing tungsten concentration. The introduction of tungsten in BMo matrix increases the dipolar strength of MoO6 octahedrons bending against infrared absorption as evidenced from FTIR analysis. Additionally appearing FTIR peaks provide a strong indication of CO and CO2 contamination on exposed powder surfaces useful for photocatalytic applications.

Synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide-doped nano-hydroxyapatite and its adsorption performance of toxic diazo dyes from aqueous solution

In this study, graphene oxide-doped nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp@GO) composite was synthesized via a simple in-situ one-pot method and was used as an adsorbent for the removal of toxic diazo dyes, Congo Red (CR) and Trypan Blue (TB), in water. A remarkable adsorption capacity for CR (48.5mg/g) and TB (41.0mg/g) were shown on the surface of nHAp@GO (2g/L), respectively, and was much higher than those of bare nHAp or GO. After doping of GO on nHAp, the specific surface area of nHAp was increased by 2.5 times. The presence of sulphur peak in EDX spectrum and SO stretching vibration peak in FTIR confirmed the adsorption of dyes on the surface of nHAp@GO composite. After the adsorption process, the shifting of d(100) spacing of nHAp confirmed the loading of bulky organic moieties on nHAp@GO composite. Maximum CR and TB dyes adsorption occurred in a wide range of initial pH between 3.0 and 10.0. The adsorption of both CR and TB dyes are due mainly to the electrostatic interaction, π−π stacking interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonds between dyes and nHAp@GO composite. The nHAp@GO nanocomposite was recycled up to three times at the sustained efficiency after washing with ethanol solution. We believe that such multifunctional material developed in this study will be effectively used for the depollution of toxic diazo dyes in practical applications.

Hydrophobicity Properties of Graphite and Reduced Graphene Oxide of The Polysulfone (PSf) Mixed Matrix Membrane

Hydrophobicity properties of graphite and green synthesized graphene (gsG) from exfoliated graphite/GO towards polymer membrane characteristic and properties at different weight percentage concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt. %) were investigated. PSf/graphite and PSf/gsG membranes were characterized in term of hydrophobicity, surface bonding, surface roughness and porosity. FTIR peaks revealed that membrane with graphite and green synthesized graphene nearly diminished their O-H bonding which was opposite to the graphene oxide peak that show a strong O-H bonding as increased exfoliated time was reported in our previous work. These results were also in line with the contact angle results that showed strong hydrophobicity for the graphite and green synthesized graphene membranes which were then opposed to the exfoliated graphene oxide membrane that has strong affinity towards hydrophilicity properties (as mentioned in previous conducted works). The effect of strong hydrophobicity in modified membrane has result in smoother surface roughness compared to PSf membrane with exfoliated graphene oxide. Results of the surface roughness were in line with the FTIR transition peaks hydrophilicity of exfoliated graphene oxide. It showed that the transition peaks slowly reduced as increasing the formation of green synthesized graphene powder indicating the increment of hydrophobicity properties. The decreased of pure water flux was attributed to the decreased hydrophilicity. From the overall results, it is concluded that the hydrophobicity of PSf/graphite and PSf/green synthesized graphene membrane is not suitable to be applied in water separation whilst be potential for oil and dye separation.

Fabrication of Polyaniline on Silane-Functionalized Zinc Oxide

In this study, polyaniline on silane-functionalized zinc oxide was fabricated. The zinc oxide particles were functionalized by soaking in silane aniline-ethanol solution. Afterwhich, the polyaniline was polymerized on the grafted silane aniline molecules using oxidative polymerization. The FTIR spectra showed vibrational peaks associated with the silane aniline molecules and grafted polyaniline. The sampled soaked in silane aniline coupling agent showed FTIR peaks associated with grafted silane aniline. The sample soaked for one minute showed FTIR peaks associated with ortho-coupled aniline units that is formed during the start of aniline polymerization. The sample soaked for three minutes showed FTIR peaks that is broader compared to others due to ring vibration in long polymeric chain.

N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine Production by a Chitinase of Marine Fungal Origin: a Case Study of Potential Industrial Significance for Valorization of Waste Chitins

Chitin is a linear homo-polymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose. Several industries rely on the bioprocesses for waste chitin recycle and hydrolysis by chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) for potential healthcare applications through the production of its monomeric subunit, GlcNAc. In the present study, a chitinase-producing fungus (named as MFSRK-S42) was isolated from the marine water sample of North Bay of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was identified as Aspergillus terreus by morphological and molecular characterization methods leveraging the internal transcribed spacer between 18S rRNA and 5.8S rRNA. Chitinase that was isolated from the fermentation broth of marine Aspergillus terreus was used to carry out biotransformation of chitineaceous wastes. Prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis step, chitins from different sources were characterized for the presence of characteristic functional groups, grain size distribution, and surface morphology. Enzymatic hydrolysis of 50mg/ml substrate with six units of enzyme incubated for 5days revealed 15, 36.5, 40, and 46mg/ml GlcNAc production from ground prawn shell, chitin flakes, colloidal prawn shell, and swollen chitin respectively under standardized conditions, as determined by HPLC. In this study, 30, 73, 80, and 92% GlcNAc yields were observed from ground prawn shell, chitin flakes, colloidal prawn shell, and swollen chitin conversion respectively. The HPLC-eluted product was confirmed as GlcNAc by the presence of characteristic functional groups in FTIR and 244Da molecular weight peak in HRMS analyses.

Synthesis, characterization and PVD assisted thin film fabrication of the nano-structured bimetallic Ni3S2/MnS2 composite

Bimetallic sulfides have particle rich surface due to which they possess novel electrical, optical and magnetic properties. Current research has undertaken the synthesis of Nickel and Manganese dithiocarbamate complexes and complexes were incorporated in bimetallic form by combine decomposition. Combined FTIR peaks confirmed the bimetallic complex formation of Nickel and Manganese. UV–Vis absorption spectra of C10H20NiN2S4 expressed peak at 290 nm and C10H20MnN2S4 expressed peak at 317 nm. Furthermore, The UV–Vis peak for bimetallic composites Ni3S2/MnS2 was obtained at 340 nm. SEM exhibited the cubic shaped crystal structure of NiS/MnS composites. SEM were performed with the results confirming the synthesis of crystalline bimetallic sulfides/composites Ni3S2 and MnS2. Composite was utilized to make thin film by PVD assisted technique and band gap was 1.69 eV. Hence, it is suggested that composites Ni3S2 and MnS2 reveals promising prospect in lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors and as an anode or cathode material for future applications.

Rapid Quality Discrimination and Amino Nitrogen Quantitative Evaluation of Soy Sauces by Tri-Step IR and E-nose

Despite the fact that soy sauce has been one of the most popular seasonings in Eastern Asia, rapid and holistic methods for its authentication and discrimination are still lacking. This research is sought to develop a novel method for rapid discrimination and amino nitrogen quantitative evaluation of different qualities of soy sauces (Chinese traditional fermentation soy sauce (CTFSS), Japanese traditional fermentation soy sauce (JTFSS), high-salt liquid-state fermentation soy sauce (HLFSS), and low-salt solid-state fermentation soy sauce (LSFSS)) based on tri-step infrared spectroscopy (IR) and partial least squares (PLS). Global nutrition fingerprints (saccharides, proteins, amino acids, and other compositions) of each quality soy sauce at the three levels of enhanced spectral resolution and nutrition profile variations among different soy sauces are synthetically interpreted with fast evaluation of their relative contents based on spectral peak intensity. Complementarily, electronic sensory combined with SPME-GC-MS distinguishes four species of soy sauces effective in smell with 90 discrimination indexes. Specifically, FT-IR peak intensity at about 1409 cm−1 (C–N band) exhibits regular enhancement with the increasing concentration of amino acid nitrogen. Thus, a quantitative prediction model based on IR spectra is established by PLS (R2, 0.9956; RMSEC, 0.233). It has been demonstrated that the developed method is applicable for rapid (5 min) discrimination and quantitative analysis of amino acid nitrogen in soy sauce.