Reaction In Presence Research Articles

Study of scrambling in porphyrin forming reactions: Synthesis, structure, photophysical, electrochemical and antimicrobial studies

Three classes of scrambled porphyrins (Class 1–3) were synthesized by MacDonald type 2+2 condensation reactions of electron deficient dipyrromethanes with aldehyde and its complementary reactions in presence of mild acid catalysts. Overall, BF3·OEt2 catalyzed reactions yield more scrambled products than TFA catalyzed. All the scrambled porphyrins were characterized by the conventional spectroscopic methods. A marginal red shift (2–3nm) was observed in Soret band upon installation of two or three 4-cyanophenyl/4-carboxymethylphenyl groups at the meso-position of porphyrin 1 with the subsequent removal of pentafluorophenyl groups. The first emission exhibits a bathochromic shift of 4–5nm when a pentafluorophenyl ring detached from 1 with the subsequent addition of 4-cyanophenyl group; first emission intensity is less compared to the second one which increases as it moves from 2 to 5. The copper complex, Cu-8 has been structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and the role of weak intermolecular interactions in their crystal packing has been analyzed and quantified using Hirshfeld surface analysis. Electrochemical studies revealed that a gradual increase of positive shift in the first reduction/oxidation potentials of Class 1 and 2 porphyrins upon installation of pentafluorophenyl ring with subsequent removal of 4-cyanophenyl/4-carboxymethylphenyl ring on either H2T(4-CNP)P or H2T(4-CMP)P; the HOMO−LUMO energy gap is found to be decreased in Class 1 porphyrins whereas it is increased in Class 2 porphyrins. The highest antimicrobial activity is observed for porphyrin 5.

Textured CH3NH3PbI3 thin film with enhanced stability for high performance perovskite solar cells

MAPbI3 perovskite is an important component for high-performance perovskite solar cell (PSC) but its own thin film stability is challenging in PSC community. Herein, we report a high crystallinity perovskite MAPbI3 with texture structure prepared from HPbI3 reacted with low partial pressure (LPP) MA gas, that has substantially higher both thermal and moisture stability than polycrystalline perovskite (PP) prepared from MAI+PbI2. A prototype reactor is developed to perform coordination engineering between MA vapor and HPbI3 solid and facilitate the large-scale fabrication. The large Pb-N binding energy (~80.04kJmol−1) results in the liquefied state after MA adhesion. Finally, a high texture perovskite (TP) is formed after excess MA expeditious releasing. The MA-rich passivation through Pb-N bonding at interface and boundary contributes to the substantial improved stability. Besides, MA-rich species trigger an anti-degradation reaction in presence of moisture and thus endow stability above two months under ~65% humidity. The textured PSCs (TPSCs) deliver power conversion efficiency (PCE) between 15.5% and champion 18.9% in the batch deposition. Therefore, the coordination engineering improves the efficiency, stability, scalability and ease of fabrication together.

Electrochemical stability and electron transfer across 4-methyl-4′-(n-mercaptoalkyl) biphenyl monolayers on Au(100)-(1×1) electrodes in 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid

Electrochemical studies were carried out to explore the electrochemical stability and charge transfer properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4-methyl-4′-(n-mercaptoalkyl) biphenyl (CH3-C6H4-C6H4-(CH2)n-SH, n=1–6, BPn) on charged Au(100)-(1×1) electrodes, using the ionic liquid (IL) 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (HMImPF6) as reaction medium. We address relevant properties of the monolayers as the electrochemical stability, which is enhanced in the ionic liquid. The monolayers have low ionic permeability and their total electrochemical stability was approximately 3.0V on Au(100)-(1×1) surface by using HMImPF6 as electrolyte. The hindered desorption of the BPn monolayer in ionic liquid seems to be due to a slow kinetic effect during the detachment of the monolayers. Odd-even effects were found for the charge transfer of the ferrocene redox reaction in presence of the BPn-adlayer.

Assessment of surface reactivity of thorium oxide in conditions close to chemical equilibrium by isotope exchange 229Th/232Th method

Abstract This work aims to assess the solubility and the surface reactivity of crystallized thorium at pH 3.0 in presence of three types of solids: synthesized powder at 1300°C, crushed kernel, and intact kernel. In this study, the kernel is composed by the core solid from high temperature reactors (HTR) sphere particles. The originality of this work consisted in following in a sequential order the kinetic of dissolution, the surface reactivity in presence of isotope tracer 229Th, and its desorption process. Long time experiments (634 days) allowed to get deeper understanding on the behavior of the surface reactivity in contact with the solution. Solubility values are ranging from 0.3×10−7 mol·L−1 to 3×10−7 mol·L−1 with a dissolution rate of 10−6–10−4 g·m−2 day−1. PHREEQC modeling showed that crystallized ThO2(cr, 20 nm) phase controls the equilibrium in solution. Isotope exchange between 229Th and 232Th indicated that well-crystallized phase exist as an inert surface regarding to the absence of exchange between surface solid and solution.

Photocatalytic abatement of trichlorethylene over Au and Pd–Au supported on TiO2 by combined photomineralization/hydrodechlorination reactions under simulated solar irradiation

The present work investigates the photocatalytical abatement of trichlorethylene (TCE) under simulated solar irradiation (AM 1.5). The employed catalytic materials, Au and Pd–Au nanoparticles supported on TiO2, were prepared by incipient wetness and by deposition–precipitation methods. It is found out that TCE is converted efficiently (>80%) to Cl− and CO2 over all scrutinized catalysts. Typically, the metal addition enhances to some extent the photooxidation activity of TiO2 via photogenerated OH radicals, electrons, and holes. The photocatalytic abatement of TCE over the same catalytic materials was examined in the presence of small amount of methanol. The idea was to convert TCE to Cl− and C2 (ethane and ethylene) over Au and Pd–Au/TiO2 catalysts by the H2 generated photocatalytically in situ. The experimental results evidenced that, over Pd–Au/TiO2 catalysts, hydrodechlorination (HDC) and photomineralization reactions of TCE occurs simultaneously. In contrast, Au/TiO2 is inactive to catalyze the hydrogenation of TCE. The results of TCE abatement by combined photooxidation/HDC reactions in presence of methanol are corroborated with H2 photocatalytic generation results, over the same catalytic materials, from water/methanol mixture. A reaction mechanism is advanced in light of experimental results. The photogenerated OH radicals, electrons, and holes participate in a complex reaction pathway to formation of oxygenated organic intermediates, Cl−, CO2, and H2.

Solvothermal synthesis of CoS/reduced porous graphene oxide nanocomposite for selective colorimetric detection of Hg(II) ion in aqueous medium

Metal sulphide nanoparticles (NPs) have great potential applications in environmental remediation as they can oxidize peroxidase substrates like 3,3ʹ,5,5ʹ-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) due to the production of hydroxide radicals (OH) via the Fenton reaction in presence of H2O2. Their good binding affinity toward heavy metal ions through their S-containing sites, causes the blockage of the active sites of the catalyst and inhibits the oxidation process of peroxidase substrate. This property can be used for the sensing of heavy metal ions. Herein, a cobalt sulphide (CoS) decorated porous reduced graphene oxide (p-rGO) nanocomposite is proposed as a novel matrix for heavy metal ions detection in aqueous medium. The nanocomposite was fabricated by adopting a simple and easy solvothermal approach. After determination of the kinetics of the as-synthesized nanocomposite for the oxidation of TMB in presence of H2O2, the matrix was further used for the colorimetric detection of heavy metal (Hg, Pb, Cd) ions in aqueous medium. Depending on the metal ion, a detection limit of 14.23nM for Hg(II) could be reached. Furthermore, the synthesized nanocomposite was successfully utilized for the detection of heavy metal ions present in real samples.

Photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine by ZnO photocatalyst under visible light irradiation

In this work, the photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine (IC) using zinc oxide suspension was studied. The effect of influential parameters such as initial indigo carmine concentration and catalyst loading were studied with the effect of Vis irradiation in the presence of reused ZnO was also investigated. The increased in initial dye concentration decreased the photodegradation and the increased catalyst loading increased the degradation percentage and the reused-ZnO exhibits lower photocatalytic activity than the ZnO catalyst. It has been found that the photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine obeyed the pseudo-first-order kinetic reaction in presence of zinc oxide. This was found from plotting the relationship between ln (C0/Ct) and irradiation the rate constant of the process.UV- spectrophotometer was used to study the indigo carmine photodegradation.

Combined docking and molecular dynamics study of lipase catalyzed kinetic resolution of 1-phenylethanol in organic solvents

A combined docking and molecular dynamics protocol was applied to investigate kinetic resolution of 1-phenylethanol using Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BCL) in different organic solvents. BCL has open structure compared to other lipases and is found to be more effective in kinetic resolution of primary and secondary alcohols compared to other lipases. The fundamental understanding of the difference in specificity of lipases in esterification/transesterification reactions in presence of solvents can help in reduction of experimental cost. In this work, solvents such as hexane, tert-butyl methyl ether, toluene and decalin were studied. The conformational changes in BCL structure were captured using molecular dynamics (MD) studies. The protein conformations from MD were used for docking studies to estimate ΔΔG between R and S form of tetrahedral intermediate. The predicted E value was compared with experimental data for hexane and good agreement was obtained. It was observed that hexane and toluene are better solvents for chiral resolution of 1-phenylethanol compared to tert-butyl methyl ether and decalin when lipase in free form is used. The MD simulations of R form of tetrahedral intermediate in solvents were carried out to study the critical bonds distances.

Kinetics of enzyme‐catalysed oxygen isotope exchange between phosphate and water revealed by Raman spectroscopy

Pyrophosphatases (EC 3.6.1.1) are ubiquitous enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate, a byproduct of many biochemical reactions. The hydrolysis leads to an oxygen isotope exchange between the newly formed phosphate molecules and water. Here, we applied Raman spectroscopy to monitor the oxygen isotope exchange reaction in presence of pyrophosphatase from baker's yeast. For this purpose, enzymatic assays consisting of 0.8 m 18O‐enriched phosphate were prepared under pH‐buffered conditions. Upon addition of pyrophosphatase, the Raman spectrum of the solution immediately started to shift to higher wavenumbers, indicating the progressive substitution of 18O in phosphate by 16O from water. The analytical results were quantified by fitting a Voigt function to the measured Raman spectra that allowed to determine the relative contribution of each phosphate isotopologue in solution over time. Based on the relative contribution of the different phosphate species, the apparent overall oxygen exchange rate could be calculated assuming a first‐order kinetic. The progressive formation and disappearance of the different phosphate isotopologues were then modelled by applying a consecutive reaction scheme with first‐order steps. The results of our experiments show that Raman spectroscopy can be used to study the kinetics of enzyme‐catalysed oxygen isotope exchange in the phosphate–water system. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Kinetic, Thermodynamic and Structural Studies of Native and N-Bromosuccinimide-Modified Mushroom Tyrosinase

Background: Mushroom tyrosinase (MT) as a metalloenzyme is a good model for mechanistic studies of melanogenesis. To recognize the mechanism of MT action, it is important to investigate its inhibition, activation, mutation, and modification properties. Objectives: In this study, the chemical modification of MT tryptophan residues was carried out by using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and then, the activity, stability, and structure of the native and modified enzymes were compared. Methods: Chemical modification of MT tryptophan residues was accomplished by enzyme incubation with different concentrations of NBS. The relative activity of native and modified MT was investigated through catecholase enzyme reaction in presence of dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-Dopa) as substrate. Thermodynamic parameters including standard Gibbs free energy change (∆G25°C) and Melting temperature (Tm) were obtained from thermal denaturation of the native and modified enzymes. The circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence techniques were used to study secondary and tertiary structure of MT, respectively. All experiments were conducted in 2015 in biophysical laboratory of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences and Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran. Results: The relative activity reduced from 100% for native enzyme to 10%, 7.9%, and 6.4% for modified MT with different NBS of concentrations 2, 10, and 20 mM, respectively. Thermal instability of modified enzyme was confirmed by decreased Tm and ∆G25°C values after modification. In accordance with kinetic and thermodynamic results, the lower stability of modified MT was observed from the changes occurred on its secondary and tertiary structures. Conclusions: Chemical modification of tryptophan residues with NBS reduces the activity and stability of MT simultaneously with its structural change. Thus, this study emphasizes the crucial role of tryptophan residues in the structure-function relationship of MT enzyme.

Cellulose supported poly(amidoxime) copper complex for Click reaction

A highly active poly(amidoxime) copper complex was prepared by the surface modification of kenaf cellulose through graft copolymerization and subsequent amidoximation. The prepared copper complex was characterized by IR, FESEM, TEM, XPS, EDX and ICP-AES analyses. The copper complex was applied to the Click reaction of organic azides and alkynes as well as one-pot three-component reactions in presence of sodium ascorbate to give the corresponding cycloaddition products in up to 96% yield. The complex was easy to recover and reused six times without significance loss of its activity.

A GREENER APPROACH FOR THE DEGRADATION OF DYE METHYLENE BLUE BY ORGANIC ADDITIVE CATALYSED PHOTO - FENTON PROCESS

Fenton and photo-Fenton processes are proven to be most promising techniques for the wastewater treatment methods. It provides an attractive method for degradation of dyes and breaks them into simple mineral form. These are cost effective and ecologically viable techniques with additional advantages of relatively simple approach, use of less hazards chemicals for the degradation and cyclic nature. Thus, it serves as a green chemical and eco-friendly pathway in reducing pollution caused by complex dye molecule and other organic compounds. Present work has been designed to investigate photochemical degradation of dye Methylene blue by photo-Fenton reaction in presence of resorcinol as an additive. Kinetic study of the reaction has been made by using spectrophotometric techniqueEffect of variation of various operating parameters such as pH, concentration of Fe3+ ion, dye and additive; amount of H2O2 and light intensity has also been observed. A tentative mechanism for the photo-Fenton reaction in presence of organic additive is also given.

Effect of morphology of zinc oxide in ZnO-CdS-Ag ternary nanocomposite towards photocatalytic inactivation of E. coli under UV and visible light

A novel ternary hybrid, ZnO-CdS-Ag was synthesized and photocatalytic inactivation of E. coli using UV and visible light irradiation was performed. The morphology of synthesized materials was validated by SEM, whereas the crystal details were evaluated by XRD and TEM. Diffuse reflectance was measured to determine the band gap and analyse the absorption range of light by synthesized composites. The effect of morphology was examined by comparing the photocatalytic activity of nanorods with combustion synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. High aspect ratio, the presence of maximum number of charge carriers at the surface, dimensional anisotropy, ease in charge transfer through uni-direction of nanorods resulted in decreased recombination and high charge separation. This was found to be the reason of augmented photoactivity of nanorods over combustion synthesized nanoparticles. Absorption of light was increased by decorating CdS as a photosensitizer on ZnO surface. Enhanced photocatalysis was achieved by impregnation of 1% Ag on the surface of ZnO-CdS. First order kinetics was observed for all the reactions. The rate constant for inactivation reaction in presence of ZnO (NR)-CdS-Ag was 11±0.3 and 12±0.6h−1 in UV and visible light, respectively.

Removal of binary dyes mixtures with opposite and similar charges by adsorption, coagulation/flocculation and catalytic oxidation in the presence of CeO2/H2O2 Fenton-like system

In this study, the removal of binary mixtures of dyes with similar (Orange II/Acid Green 25) or opposite charges (Orange II/Malachite Green) was investigated either by simple adsorption on ceria or by the heterogeneous Fenton reaction in presence of H2O2. First, the CeO2 nanocatalyst with high specific surface area (269 m2/g) and small crystal size (5 nm) was characterized using XRD, Raman spectroscopy and N2 physisorption at 77 K. The adsorption of single dyes was studied either from thermodynamic and kinetic viewpoints. It is shown that the adsorption of dyes on ceria surface is highly pH-dependent and followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model. Adsorption isotherms fit well the Langmuir model with a complete monolayer coverage and higher affinity towards Orange II at pH 3, compared to other dyes. For the (Orange II/Acid Green 25) mixture, both the amounts of dyes adsorbed on ceria surface and discoloration rates measured from Fenton experiments were decreased by comparison with single dyes. This is due to the adsorption competition existing onto the same surface Cex+ sites and the reaction competition with hydroxyl radicals, respectively. The behavior of the (Orange II/Malachite Green) mixture is markedly different. Dyes with opposite charges undergo paired adsorption on ceria as well as homogeneous and heterogeneous coagulation/flocculation processes, but can also be removed by heterogeneous Fenton process.

Au-supported on Fe-doped ceria solids prepared in water-in-oil microemulsions: Catalysts for CO oxidation

Gold catalysts were synthesized by deposition-precipitation employing Fe-doped ceria systems, previously obtained by means of the water-in-oil microemulsions methodology with different iron contents (10, 25 and 50 Fe at.%). The final catalysts were tested in the CO oxidation reaction in presence of H2. After gold deposition the crystalline structure of the supports was not altered. Moreover no XRD lines associated to gold were detected, indicating its high dispersion. Solid solution was generated in all samples, although the segregation of iron oxide was detected for the material with the highest iron loading. This phenomenon was then enhanced for the corresponding gold catalyst that also presented sintering of the gold nanoparticles.Strong interaction between gold and the oxygen vacancies of the supports was demonstrated, as well as the promotion of the reducibility of surface Ce4+ and Fe3+ species at low temperatures. A remarkable promotion of the CO conversion at lower temperatures respect to that of the supports was observed for the gold catalysts. Below 120°C, lower the amount of iron incorporated, higher the catalytic performance of the catalyst. This behaviour is closely related not only to a high gold dispersion but also to the ability for creating additional oxygen vacancies in the support, required for the CO oxidation reaction.

ZnO<sub></sub>/VNC Material for UV-Photodegradation of Methylene Blue

ZnO materials act as a Photocatalytic reaction and it leads to partial or complete mineralization or decolorization of organic pollutants. Upon irradiation with UV/visible light, semiconductors catalyze undergoes redox reactions in presence of air/O2 and water. In the present study Zinc oxide (ZnO) was doped with activated carbon prepared from the stem of the plant material by chemical activation namely, Vitexnegundo stem carbon (VNC). The decolourisation and degradation study of a dye namely, methylene blue (MB) was carried out to find out the efficiency of catalytic property of ZnO/VNC. The reaction was performed at 20, 40, 60 ppm of dye solution with ZnO/VNC material at 10 min interval of time. It found that the prepared ZnO / VNC composite exhibits an enhanced Photocatalytic activity for MB degradation under visible light irradiation and its photo catalysis efficiency was analyzed in specific 663 nm λ max using a UV–vis-spectrophotometer. The surface morphology and functional group present in the ZnO / VNC material was characterized by using FT-IR, SEM and XRD. The result reveals that the ZnO/VNC structure consists of irregular aggregates with rough surfaces and high photodegradation activities of ZnO/VNC on MB solutions are found to be at 20ppm. The ZnO/VNC may be used as an alternative adsorbent to remove MB from aqueous solutions.Keywords: Methylene blue (MB), ZnO / VNC, FT-IR, SEM, XRD

ZnO<sub></sub>/VNC Material for UV-Photodegradation of Methylene Blue

ZnO materials act as a Photocatalytic reaction and it leads to partial or complete mineralization or decolorization of organic pollutants. Upon irradiation with UV/visible light, semiconductors catalyze undergoes redox reactions in presence of air/O2and water. In the present study Zinc oxide (ZnO) was doped with activated carbon prepared from the stem of the plant material by chemical activation namely,Vitexnegundostemcarbon (VNC). The decolourisation and degradation study of a dye namely, methylene blue (MB) was carried out to find out the efficiency of catalytic property of ZnO/VNC. The reaction was performed at 20, 40, 60 ppm of dye solution with ZnO/VNC material at 10 min interval of time. It found that the prepared ZnO / VNC composite exhibits an enhanced Photocatalytic activity for MB degradation under visible light irradiation and its photo catalysis efficiency was analyzed in specific 663 nm λ max using a UV–vis-spectrophotometer. The surface morphology and functional group present in the ZnO / VNC material was characterized by using FT-IR, SEM and XRD. The result reveals that the ZnO/VNC structure consists of irregular aggregates with rough surfaces and high photodegradation activities of ZnO/VNC on MB solutions are found to be at 20ppm. The ZnO/VNC may be used as an alternative adsorbent to remove MB from aqueous solutions.Keywords: Methylene blue (MB), ZnO / VNC, FT-IR, SEM, XRD

Comparison of Conventional and Microwave-assisted Synthesis of Benzotriazole Derivatives.

A green chemistry approach for organic synthesis is described here, which involves microwave exposure of reactants in presence or absence of solvents. A novel and simple method has been developed for the synthesis of some benzotriazole derivatives under microwave irradiation. In addition, these compounds were synthesised also by conventional heating procedures for comparison. All the compounds synthesised were characterised by melting point, TLC, IR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Comparison between conventional and microwave-assisted synthesis was done by comparing total reaction time and percentage yield. The results suggest that microwave-assisted syntheses lead to higher yields within very short reaction times. On antifungal evaluation by cup plate method, all compounds showed antifungal activity. One compound showed activity similar to and two compounds showed better activity than standard antifungal drug flucanazole.

Global observations and modeling of atmosphere–surface exchange of elemental mercury: a critical review

Abstract. Reliable quantification of air–surface fluxes of elemental Hg vapor (Hg0) is crucial for understanding mercury (Hg) global biogeochemical cycles. There have been extensive measurements and modeling efforts devoted to estimating the exchange fluxes between the atmosphere and various surfaces (e.g., soil, canopies, water, snow, etc.) in the past three decades. However, large uncertainties remain due to the complexity of Hg0 bidirectional exchange, limitations of flux quantification techniques and challenges in model parameterization. In this study, we provide a critical review on the state of science in the atmosphere–surface exchange of Hg0. Specifically, the advancement of flux quantification techniques, mechanisms in driving the air–surface Hg exchange and modeling efforts are presented. Due to the semi-volatile nature of Hg0 and redox transformation of Hg in environmental media, Hg deposition and evasion are influenced by multiple environmental variables including seasonality, vegetative coverage and its life cycle, temperature, light, moisture, atmospheric turbulence and the presence of reactants (e.g., O3, radicals, etc.). However, the effects of these processes on flux have not been fundamentally and quantitatively determined, which limits the accuracy of flux modeling. We compile an up-to-date global observational flux database and discuss the implication of flux data on the global Hg budget. Mean Hg0 fluxes obtained by micrometeorological measurements do not appear to be significantly greater than the fluxes measured by dynamic flux chamber methods over unpolluted surfaces (p = 0.16, one-tailed, Mann–Whitney U test). The spatiotemporal coverage of existing Hg0 flux measurements is highly heterogeneous with large data gaps existing in multiple continents (Africa, South Asia, Middle East, South America and Australia). The magnitude of the evasion flux is strongly enhanced by human activities, particularly at contaminated sites. Hg0 flux observations in East Asia are comparatively larger in magnitude than the rest of the world, suggesting substantial re-emission of previously deposited mercury from anthropogenic sources. The Hg0 exchange over pristine surfaces (e.g., background soil and water) and vegetation needs better constraints for global analyses of the atmospheric Hg budget. The existing knowledge gap and the associated research needs for future measurements and modeling efforts for the air–surface exchange of Hg0 are discussed.

Morphology/Properties Correlations in TiO2 Nanostructured Material As Negative Electrodes in Sodium Ion Batteries

Lithium ion batteries play a predominant role in the market of power sources for cordless devices with a production higher than 100 million cells/month and about 1500 ton/month of electrode materials. These figures may increase in the future due to the implementation of such batteries in automotive application which implies the increasing of lithium raw material (Li2CO3) consumption. Nowadays, the availability of Li2CO3 is restricted to few countries and lithium may become a strategic material in the near future with the booming of its cost and the raising of geopolitical issues. For this reasons Na-ion batteries (SIBs) are getting increasing attention thanks to the higher availability of raw materials and the possibility to drive down the energetic demand connected to raw materials extraction and processing. However, the development of a sodium ion based battery technology requires the discovery and the investigation of new electrode materials with reversible Na+intercalation reaction. Many efforts have already been made in the design and characterization of both anode and cathode materials for SiBs so far. For what concern cathode side, promising results have been achieved in relation to the stability and charge retention of electroactive intercalation materials. Anode materials, conversely, still represent a challenging topic needy to be investigated. Many solutions have been proposed to overcome the intrinsic limits of negative electrode materials, namely the low practical specific charge and the fast degradation of electrode characteristics and several classes of materials have been taken into account. Transposition of graphitic anodes already employed in LIBs to sodium environment has been considered at first glance: nevertheless, since intercalation of the larger sodium ion into graphite sheets structure induces exfoliation, nano-structured hard-carbons have been investigated instead. Sodium alloying with 14th and 15th group elements (Sb, Sn, Ge and In) has been also exploited. Transition metal oxides (MOxwith M=Fe, Co, Cu, Ti), with electrochemical active transition metal ions, have drawn the attention as possible low cost and easy-to-manufacture SIB anode materials. Their reactivity, electrochemical performances, and effects of morphology and structural properties on lithium storage, have been widely analyzed. On the contrary, same type of studies related to reactivity with Na, remain poorly explored. In particular, titanium based materials are emerging as interesting materials due to soft chemistry routes widely employed to prepare different structures and to control the morphology. Aim of the present contribution is the description of the morphological, structural, and electrochemical properties of four anatase samples showing different particle size and shape. The samples were prepared by hydrothermal reaction in presence of different capping agents in order to control the particle growth and assembling. Sample surface investigation was also performed in order to develop an optimized protocol to further functionalize the surface and obtain Carbon/TiO2 core/shell particles (see inset of Figure 1). Electrodes obtain by such materials show a reversible electrochemical behavior in the potential range 2.0-0.1 V with a pseudo-plateau at 0.8 V vs. Na+/Na. The specific capacity is about 150 mAh/g at 50 mA/g and decreases increasing the current density. In particular, 130 (cycles 31/60) and 100 (cycles 61/100) mAh/g are obtained at 100, and 500 mA/g, respectively (Figure 1). The good results are also confirmed by the capacity retention since no capacity degradation was observed after 250 cycles. Figure 1