The 100 most-cited articles in RSC Advances, 2020

Graphene and graphene oxide have attracted tremendous interest over the past decade due to their unique and excellent electronic, optical, mechanical, and chemical properties. This review focuses on the functional modification of graphene and graphene oxide. First, the basic structure, preparation methods and properties of graphene and graphene oxide are briefly described. Subsequently, the methods for the reduction of graphene oxide are introduced. Next, the functionalization of graphene and graphene oxide is mainly divided into covalent binding modification, non-covalent binding modification and elemental doping. Then, the properties and application prospects of the modified products are summarized. Finally, the current challenges and future research directions are presented in terms of surface functional modification for graphene and graphene oxide.

Heteroatoms as well as heterocyclic scaffolds are frequently present as the common cores in a plethora of active pharmaceuticals natural products. Statistically, more than 85% of all biologically active compounds are heterocycles or comprise a heterocycle and most frequently, nitrogen heterocycles as a backbone in their complex structures. These facts disclose and emphasize the vital role of heterocycles in modern drug design and drug discovery. In this review, we try to present a comprehensive overview of top prescribed drugs containing nitrogen heterocycles, describing their pharmacological properties, medical applications and their selected synthetic pathways. It is worth mentioning that the reported examples are actually limited to current top selling drugs, being or containing N-heterocycles and their synthetic information has been extracted from both scientific journals and the wider patent literature.

Drug delivery technology has a wide spectrum, which is continuously being upgraded at a stupendous speed. Different fabricated nanoparticles and drugs possessing low solubility and poor pharmacokinetic profiles are the two major substances extensively delivered to target sites. Among the colloidal carriers, nanolipid dispersions (liposomes, deformable liposomes, virosomes, ethosomes, and solid lipid nanoparticles) are ideal delivery systems with the advantages of biodegradation and nontoxicity. Among them, nano-structured lipid carriers and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are dominant, which can be modified to exhibit various advantages, compared to liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles. Nano-structured lipid carriers and SLNs are non-biotoxic since they are biodegradable. Besides, they are highly stable. Their (nano-structured lipid carriers and SLNs) morphology, structural characteristics, ingredients used for preparation, techniques for their production, and characterization using various methods are discussed in this review. Also, although nano-structured lipid carriers and…

varied extensively with the synthesis parameters. This study presents an efficient green synthesis route for ZnO NPs with a wide range of potential applications, especially in the biomedical field.

gases and many other chemicals and molecules can either donate or accept electrons, resulting in an alteration of the overall conductivity. Such properties make CNTs ideal for nano-scale gas-sensing materials. Conductive-based devices have already been demonstrated as gas sensors. However, CNTs still have certain limitations for gas sensor application, such as a long recovery time, limited gas detection, and weakness to humidity and other gases. Therefore, the nanocomposites of interest consisting of polymer and CNTs have received a great deal of attention for gas-sensing application due to higher sensitivity over a wide range of gas concentrations at room temperature compared to only using CNTs and the polymer of interest separately.

absorbent surface chemicals and the addition of modifiers or nano-materials. Hence in the present review, the synthesis methods of GQDs and CQDs has been summarized and their characterization methods also been analyzed. The applications of carbon-based QDs (GQDs and CQDs) in biological and sensing areas, such as biological imaging, drug/gene delivery, antibacterial and antioxidant activity, photoluminescence sensors, electrochemiluminescence sensors and electrochemical sensors, have also been discussed. This study then covers sensing features of key neurotransmitters, including dopamine, tyrosine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin and acetylcholine. Hence, issues and challenges of the GQDs and CQDs were analyzed for their further development.

are elucidated in detail. The toughening strategies and approaches of PLA based super tough blends are summarized and analyzed. The relationship of the properties of PLA-based blends and their morphological parameters, including particle size, interparticle distance, and phase morphologies, are presented.

Synthesis of these nanoparticles can be performed very easily by utilizing chemical or biological methods. But in this review, the focus is laid on the biosynthesis of these nanoparticles; as the biosynthesis method makes the cerium oxide nanoparticle less toxic and compatible with the living tissues, which helps them to find their path as an anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents. The pre-existing reviews have only focused on details relating to properties/applications/synthesis; whereas this review draws attention towards all the aspects in single review covering all the details in depth such as biosynthesis methods and its effect on the living tissues, along with properties, biomedical applications (diagnostic and therapeutic) and future outlook of the cerium oxide nanoparticle.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been considered as one of the potential materials in solar cell applications, owing to its relatively high conductivity, electron mobility, stability against photo-corrosion and availability at low-cost. Different structures of ZnO materials have been engineered at the nanoscale, and then applied on the conducting substrate as a photoanode. On the other hand, the ZnO nanomaterials directly grown on the substrate have been attractive due to their unique electron pathways, which suppress the influence of surface states typically found in the former case. Herein, we review the recent progress of ZnO nanostructured materials in emerging solar cell applications, such as sensitized and heterojunction architectures, including those embedded with promising perovskite materials. The remarkable advancement in each solar cell architecture is highlighted towards achieving high power conversion efficiency and operational stability. We also discuss the foremost bottleneck for further improvements and the future outlook for large-scale practical applications.

has been extensively studied in the medical field due to its low toxicity and good biocompatibility. This review introduces the preparation and functional modification of ZIF-8, and its application in drug delivery, focusing on the single-stimulus and multi-stimulus response release of drugs in ZIF-8 materials, the integrated role of diagnosis and treatment with ZIF-8 in cancer treatment, and its application in the synergistic therapy of multiple cancer treatment methods. We summarize the latest developments of ZIF-8 in the field of drug delivery and tumor therapy, and present the main challenges that remain to be resolved in the ZIF-8 drug delivery system.

An ever-increasing energy demand and environmental problems associated with exhaustible fossil fuels have led to the search for an alternative renewable source of energy. In this context, biodiesel has attracted attention worldwide as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel for being renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and carbon-neutral. Although the homogeneous catalyst has its own merits, much attention is currently paid toward the chemical synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production as it can be tuned as per specific requirement and easily recovered, thus enhancing reusability. Recently, biomass-derived heterogeneous catalysts have risen to the forefront of biodiesel productions because of their sustainable, economical and eco-friendly nature. Furthermore, nano and bifunctional catalysts have emerged as a powerful catalyst largely due to their high surface area, and potential to convert free fatty acids and triglycerides to biodiesel, respectively. This review highlights the latest synthesis routes of various types of catalysts (including acidic, basic,…

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted much attention in the field of optoelectronics due to their tunable bandgaps, strong interaction with light and tremendous capability for developing diverse van der Waals heterostructures with other nanomaterials.

Computer-aided drug design uses high-performance computers to simulate the tasks in drug design, which is a promising research area. Drug-target affinity (DTA) prediction is the most important step of computer-aided drug design, which could speed up drug development and reduce resource consumption. With the development of deep learning, the introduction of deep learning to DTA prediction and improving the accuracy have become a focus of research. In this paper, utilizing the structural information of molecules and proteins, two graphs of drug molecules and proteins are built up respectively. Graph neural networks are introduced to obtain their representations, and a method called DGraphDTA is proposed for DTA prediction. Specifically, the protein graph is constructed based on the contact map output from the prediction method, which could predict the structural characteristics of the protein according to its sequence. It can be seen from the test of various metrics on benchmark datasets that the method proposed in this paper has strong robustness and generalizability.

Tetracycline (TC), a frequently used drug for human and veterinary therapeutics, is among the most common antibiotic residues found in nature. Lack of advanced treatment techniques in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to remove residual TC from domestic and hospital wastewater poses a serious environmental risk. It is important to have an insight into the different advanced treatment techniques for efficient removal of TC from the surface water and in the WWTPs. The aim of this review is to discuss the nature and occurrence of TC in surface water and to present an overview of the various advanced treatment techniques for TC removal. The advanced treatment techniques include advanced oxidation processes (photolysis, ozonation, and catalytic/UV light-based degradation), membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and adsorption techniques. Adsorption and integrated oxidation treatment techniques are the most widely studied methods, and they are widely accepted because of less cost, reusability, and toxic-free nature. Further, the uses of various types of catalysts for photodegradation…

etherification, esterification, acetalation, amidation, and oxidation. This review further describes the tailor-made properties of novel XG derivatives and their potential application in diverse fields. The physicomechanical modification and its impact on the properties of XG are also discussed. Overall, the recent developments on XG derivatives are very promising to progress further with polysaccharide research.

The rapid advancement of nanotechnology has provided opportunities for the development of new sensing and food packaging solutions, addressing long-standing challenges in the food sector to extend shelf-life, reduce waste, assess safety and improve the quality of food. Nanomaterials can be used to reinforce mechanical strength, enhance gas barrier properties, increase water repellence, and provide antimicrobial and scavenging activity to food packaging. They can be incorporated in chemical and biological sensors enabling the design of rapid and sensitive devices to assess freshness, and detect allergens, toxins or pathogenic contaminants. This review summarizes recent studies on the use of nanomaterials in the development of: (1) (bio)sensing technologies for detection of nutritional and non-nutritional components, antioxidants, adulterants and toxicants, (2) methods to improve the barrier and mechanical properties of food packaging, and (3) active functional packaging. The environmental, health and safety implications of nanomaterials in the food sector, along with an overview of…

) spinel structure. Using FTIR spectra, the elastic and thermodynamic properties were estimated. It was observed that the particle size had a pronounced effect on elastic and thermodynamic properties. Magnetic measurements were performed up to 700 K. The prepared ferrite samples present the highest Curie temperature, which decreases with increasing particle size and which is consistent with finite-size scaling. The thickness of the surface shell of about 1 nm was estimated from size-dependent magnetization measurements using the core-shell model. Besides, spin resonance, magnetostriction, temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and electrical resistivity properties have been scientifically studied and appear to be different according to their size. The optical properties of synthesized NZFAO nanoparticles were investigated, and the differences caused by the particle sizes are discussed on the basis of the phonon confinement effect. This effect was also inspected by the Raman analysis. Tuning of the physical properties suggests that the Ni-Zn-Al ferrite samples may be promising…

-glycolic nanoparticles by the emulsification-solvent evaporation, and the nanoprecipitation techniques. In the emulsification-solvent evaporation technique, the polymer and tensoactive concentrations, the organic solvent fraction, and the sonication amplitude effects were analyzed. Similarly, in the nanoprecipitation technique the polymer and tensoactive concentrations, the organic solvent fraction and the injection speed were varied. Additionally, the agitation speed during solvent evaporation, the centrifugation speeds and the use of cryoprotectants in the freeze-drying process were analyzed. Nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, laser Doppler electrophoresis, and scanning electron microscopy, and the results were evaluated by statistical analysis. Nanoparticle physicochemical characteristics can be adjusted by varying the formulation parameters to obtain specific sizes and stable nanoparticles. Also, by adjusting these parameters, the nanoparticle preparation processes have the potential to be tuned to yield nanoparticles with specific characteristics…

Due to the pharmacological activities of quinazoline and quinazolinone scaffolds, it has aroused great interest in medicinal chemists for the development of new drugs or drug candidates. The pharmacological activities of quinazoline and its related scaffolds include anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-convulsant, and antihyperlipidaemia. Recently, molecular hybridization technology is used for the development of hybrid analogues with improved potency by combining two or more pharmacophores of bioactive scaffolds. The molecular hybridization of various biologically active pharmacophores with quinazoline derivatives resulted in lead compounds with multi-faceted biological activity wherein specific as well as multiple targets were involved. The present review summarizes the advances in lead compounds of quinazoline hybrids and their related heterocycles in medicinal chemistry. Moreover, the review also helps to intensify the drug development process by providing an understanding of the potential role of these hybridized pharmacophoric features in exhibiting various pharmacological…

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are an attractive nanomaterial consisting of a monolayer or a few layers of graphene having excellent and unique properties. GQDs are endowed with the properties of both carbon dots (CDs) and graphene. This review addresses applications of GQD based materials in sensing, bioimaging and energy storage. In the first part of the review, different approaches of GQD synthesis such as top-down and bottom-up synthesis methods have been discussed. The prime focus of this review is on green synthesis methods that have also been applied to the synthesis of GQDs. The GQDs have been discussed thoroughly for all the aspects along with their potential applications in sensors, biomedicine, and energy storage systems. In particular, emphasis is given to popular applications such as electrochemical and photoluminescence (PL) sensors, electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensors, humidity and gas sensors, bioimaging, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, supercapacitors and dye-sensitized solar cells. Finally, the challenges and the future perspectives of GQDs in the aforementioned…

Ocular diseases have a significant effect on vision and quality of life. Drug delivery to ocular tissues is a challenge to formulation scientists. The major barriers to delivering drugs to the anterior and posterior segments include physiological barriers (nasolacrimal drainage, blinking), anatomical barriers (static and dynamic), efflux pumps and metabolic barriers. The static barriers comprise the different layers of the cornea, sclera, and blood-aqueous barriers whereas dynamic barriers involve conjunctival blood flow, lymphatic clearance and tear drainage. The tight junctions of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) restrict systemically administered drugs from entering the retina. Nanocarriers have been found to be effective at overcoming the issues associated with conventional ophthalmic dosage forms. Various nanocarriers, including nanodispersion systems, nanomicelles, lipidic nanocarriers, polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, and dendrimers, have been investigated for improved permeation and effective targeted drug delivery to various ophthalmic sites. In this review,…

, pH, environmental polarity, and active oxygen and sulfide in the past ten years are mainly introduced.

Recently, quinoline has become an essential heterocyclic compound due to its versatile applications in the fields of industrial and synthetic organic chemistry. It is a vital scaffold for leads in drug discovery and plays a major role in the field of medicinal chemistry. Nowadays there are plenty of articles reporting syntheses of the main scaffold and its functionalization for biological and pharmaceutical activities. So far, a wide range of synthesis protocols have been reported in the literature for the construction of this scaffold. For example, Gould-Jacob, Friedländer, Pfitzinger, Skraup, Doebner-von Miller and Conrad-Limpach are well-known classical synthesis protocols used up to now for the construction of the principal quinoline scaffold. Transition metal catalysed reactions, metal-free ionic liquid mediated reactions, ultrasound irradiation reactions and green reaction protocols are also useful for the construction and functionalization of this compound. The main part of this review focuses on and highlights the above-mentioned synthesis procedures and findings to tackle…

The review lays emphasis on the significance of 1,2,3-triazoles synthesized via CuAAC reaction having potential to act as anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-tuberculosis, anti-diabetic, and anti-Alzheimer drugs.

) of the commercially important biobased-composites for the first time. Future perspectives and methods to improve the durability performance of biocomposites are also discussed in this review.

Rapid global technological development has led to the rising production of electronic waste that presents both challenges and opportunities in its recycling. In this review, we highlight the value of metal resources in the printed circuit boards (PCBs) commonly found in end-of-life electronics, the differences between primary (ore) mining applications and secondary ('urban') mining, and the variety of metallurgical separations, in particular those that have the potential to selectively and sustainably recover gold from waste PCBs.

The sol-gel derived porous bioactive glasses have drawn worldwide attention by virtue of the convenience and flexibility of this versatile synthesis method. In this review, the recent advances in sol-gel processed porous bioactive glasses in biomedical fields, especially for bone tissue regeneration applications have been comprehensively reviewed. Generally, it is envisaged that the morphology and chemical compositions of sol-gel derived porous bioactive glasses significantly affect their biological properties. Therefore, the controlled synthesis of these porous glasses is critical to their effective use in the biomedical fields. With this context, the first part of the review briefly describes the fundamentals of the sol-gel technique. In the subsequent section, different approaches frequently used for the sol-gel synthesis of porous glasses such as microemulsion and acid-catalyzed based synthesis have been reviewed. In the later part of the review, different types of sol-gel derived bioactive glasses namely silica, phosphate and silica-titania based glasses along with…

Nitrogen containing heterocycles are of immense research interest because they are often found as naturally occurring bioactive compounds. The prominence of N-heterocycles makes it vital to develop methods to increase their synthetic efficiencies and probe the effects of their modifications on biological efficacy. Medicinal chemists have exploited microwave-assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) to facilitate the development of complex heterocyclic structures. MAOS is a growing synthetic methodology among medicinal chemists and has proven to be more efficient in terms of reaction yield, reaction time, product purity and environmental friendliness for many reactions when compared to conventional thermal methods for cycloaddition and selective functionalization. The importance of nitrogen containing ring systems in medicine cannot be understated, as such ring systems have shown to be applicable in compounds such as vitamins, herbicides, anti-fungal agents, anti-bacterial agents and anti-cancer agents, among other things. The significance of these applications has created an unprecedented…

, simplistic synthesis, acceptable environmental stability, beneficial optical, electronic, and mechanical features, researchers have largely considered them for diverse applications. Therefore, their capability of catalyzing several electrode reactions has been introduced as one of their significant features. A thin layer of the conducting polymer deposited on the substrate electrode surface can augment the electrode process kinetics of several solution species. Such electrocatalytic procedures with modified conducting polymer electrodes can create beneficial utilization in diverse fields of applied electrochemistry. This review article explores typical recent applications of conductive polymers (2016-2020) as active electrode materials for energy storage applications, electrochemical sensing, and conversion fields such as electrochemical supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, and solar cells.

The development of passively driven microfluidic labs on chips has been increasing over the years. In the passive approach, the microfluids are usually driven and operated without any external actuators, fields, or power sources. Passive microfluidic techniques adopt osmosis, capillary action, surface tension, pressure, gravity-driven flow, hydrostatic flow, and vacuums to achieve fluid flow. There is a great need to explore labs on chips that are rapid, compact, portable, and easy to use. The evolution of these techniques is essential to meet current needs. Researchers have highlighted the vast potential in the field that needs to be explored to develop rapid passive labs on chips to suit market/researcher demands. A comprehensive review, along with patent analysis, is presented here, listing the latest advances in passive microfluidic techniques, along with the related mechanisms and applications.

food chain, human and animal health. Therefore, the metal induced phytotoxicity problems warrant urgent and immediate attention so that the physiological activities of microbes, nutrient pool of soils and concurrently the production of wheat are preserved and maintained in a constantly deteriorating environment. To mitigate the magnitude of metal induced changes, certain microorganisms have been identified, especially those belonging to the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) group endowed with the distinctive property of heavy metal tolerance and exhibiting unique plant growth promoting potentials. When applied, such metal-tolerant PGPR have shown variable positive impact on wheat production, even in soils contaminated with metals, by supplying macro and micro nutrients and secreting active biomolecules like EPS, melanins and metallothionein (MTs). Despite some reports here and there, the phytotoxicity of metals to wheat and how wheat production in metal-stressed soil can be enhanced is poorly explained. Thus, an attempt is made in this review to better understand the…

. This review intends to systematically evaluate the natural metabolites that could potentially be used against this new disease looking at their natural sources, mechanism of action and previous pharmacological usages. The aim is to provide a starting point for this research area in order to speed up the establishment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 bioproducts.

There is a growing demand for developing wearable sensors that can non-invasively detect the signs of chronic diseases early on to possibly enable self-health management. Among these the flexible and stretchable electrochemical pH sensors are particularly important as the pH levels influence most chemical and biological reactions in materials, life and environmental sciences. In this review, we discuss the most recent developments in wearable electrochemical potentiometric pH sensors, covering the key topics such as (i) suitability of potentiometric pH sensors in wearable systems; (ii) designs of flexible potentiometric pH sensors, which may vary with target applications; (iii) materials for various components of the sensor such as substrates, reference and sensitive electrode; (iv) applications of flexible potentiometric pH sensors, and (v) the challenges relating to flexible potentiometric pH sensors.

Materials with nonlinear optical properties have significant applications in nuclear science, biophysics, medicine, chemical dynamics, solid physics & materials science. We show how π bridges, donors & acceptors can be reconfigured to improve optical properties.

Water industries worldwide consider coagulation/flocculation to be one of the major treatment methods for improving the overall efficiency and cost effectiveness of water and wastewater treatment. Enhancing the coagulation process is currently a popular research topic. In this review article, the latest developments in enhanced coagulation are summarized. In addition, the mechanisms of enhanced coagulation and the effect of process parameters on processing efficiency are discussed from the perspective of ballast-enhanced coagulation, preoxidation, ultrasound, and composite coagulants. Finally, improvements and new directions for enhanced coagulation are proposed.

; and SFNs/other materials. The underlying advantages of the additional interactions and combinations of effects, compared to the standalone components, and the potential uses have been analyzed and assessed for each hybrid structure in relation to lithium-ion battery, environmental, and biomedical applications.

The Li-ion battery (LIB) industry has rapidly developed and dominates the market of electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. Special attention is devoted to achieving higher power and energy densities, along with enhancing safety and reducing cost. Therefore, critical insights should be made on the understanding of the behavior of the components of LIBs under working conditions in order to direct future research and development. The present review discusses the literature on the properties and limitations of different cathode materials for LIBs, including layered transition metal oxides, spinels, and polyanionic positive electrode materials, with critical insights on the structural, thermal, and electrochemical changes that take place during cycling. Besides, the strategies and techniques capable of overcoming current limitations are highlighted.

. Our work highlights that rational design of high-entropy oxides with different electrochemically active elements and novel structures might be a useful strategy for exploring high-performance LIB anode materials in next-generation energy storage devices.

The semiconductor industry has witnessed a continuous decrease in the size of logic, memory and other computer chip components since its birth over half a century ago. The shrinking of features has to a large extent been enabled by the development of advanced photolithographic techniques. This review focuses on one important component of lithography, the resist, which is essentially a thin film that can generate a specific feature after an exposure and development process. Smaller features require an even more precisely focused photon, electron or ion beam with which to expose the resist. The promising light source for next generation lithography that will enable downscaling patterns to be written is extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV), 92 eV (13.5 nm). The review mainly focuses on inorganic resists, as they have several advantages compared with traditional organic resists. In order to satisfy the throughput requirement in high volume semiconductor manufacturing, metal oxide resists with high resolution and sensitivity have been proposed and developed for EUV lithography. The…

, an invasive weed, followed by calcination in air at 400 °C. Microscopic results indicated that the plant extract played an important role in the modulation of the size and shape of the product. In the presence of extract, porous CuO nanostructures are formed. While mostly aggregated rod-shaped CuO nanostructures are formed in the absence of extract. The products are pure and highly crystalline possessing the monoclinic phase. The CuO nanoparticles have been used as a catalyst in the aza-Michael addition reaction in aqueous medium under ultrasound vibration. The product yield is excellent and the catalyst is reusable up to the fifth cycle. The catalyst system can be extended to various substituted substrates with excellent to moderate yields.

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) are powerful synthetic tools in which more than two starting materials couple with each other to form multi-functionalized compounds in a one-pot process, the so-called "tandem", "domino" or "cascade" reaction, or utilizing an additional step without changing the solvent, the so-called a sequential-addition procedure, to limit the number of synthetic steps, while increasing the complexity and the molecular diversity, which are highly step-economical reactions. The Ugi reaction, one of the most common multicomponent reactions, has recently fascinated chemists with the high diversity brought by its four- or three-component-based isonitrile. The Ugi reaction has been introduced in organic synthesis as a novel, efficient and useful tool for the preparation of libraries of multifunctional peptides, natural products, and heterocyclic compounds with stereochemistry control. In this review, we highlight the recent advances of the Ugi reaction in the last two decades from 2000-2019, mainly in the synthesis of linear or cyclic peptides, heterocyclic compounds…

A comprehensive review on designs and mechanisms of ZnO-based NO 2 gas sensors operated at low temperature.

Enhanced output performances of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) are achieved by optimizing the high-dielectric-constant filler content in the electrification layer and decreasing its thickness.

α,β-Unsaturated chalcone moieties and quinoline scaffolds play an important role in medicinal chemistry, especially in the identification and development of potential anticancer agents. The multi-target approach or hybridization is considered as a promising strategy in drug design and discovery. Hybridization may improve the affinity and potency while simultaneously decreasing the resistance and/or side effects. The conjugation of quinolines with chalcones has been a promising approach to the identification of potential anticancer agents. Most of these hybrids showed anticancer activities through the inhibition of tubulin polymerization, different kinases, topoisomerases, or by affecting DNA cleavage activity. Accordingly, this class of compounds can be classified based on their molecular modes of action. In this article, the quinolone-chalcone hybrids with potential anticancer activity have been reviewed. This class of compounds might be helpful for the design, discovery and development of new and potential multi-target anticancer agents or drugs.

Metabolomics is the study of the investigation of small molecules derived from cellular and organism metabolism, which reflects the outcomes of the complex network of biochemical reactions in living systems. As the most recent member of the omics family, there has been notable progress in metabolomics in the last decade, mainly driven by the improvement in mass spectrometry (MS). MS-based metabolomic strategies in modern health and medical science studies provide innovative tools for novel diagnostic and prognostic approaches, as well as an augmented role in drug development, nutrition science, toxicology, and forensic science. In the present review, we not only introduce the application of MS-based metabolomics in the above fields, but also discuss the MS analysis technologies commonly used in metabolomics and the application of metabolomics in precision medicine, and further explore the challenges and perspectives of metabolomics in the field of health and medical science, which are expected to make a little contribution to the better development of metabolomics.

dielectric broad-band spectroscopy. The electrical and dielectric measurements are appropriate for the use of the polymer nanocomposite films in the fabrication of electroactive materials.

The green synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) using a leaf extract from Jatropha curcas (JC) has been documented in our present research work.

. The synthesized MOF-801 had good reusability and was used in up to four cycles for fluoride removal attaining around 79% removal efficiency after the fourth cycle. All the results suggested that the synthesized MOF-801 has potential to be an excellent adsorbent for wastewater defluorination treatment.

, heavy metal ions, dopamine, bleomycinsulphate, acetaminophen, caffeic acid, chloramphenicol and trinitrotoluene. In addition, heteroatom-doped graphene materials were also explored for sensitivity and selectivity with respect to interfering analytes present in the system. Finally, the review article concludes with future perspectives for the advancement of heteroatom-doped graphene materials.

). The transmission spectra exhibit resonant peaks within the photonic band gap (PBG) indicative of so-called defect modes, which depend on parameters, such as concentration of creatinine in blood, thickness of defect layer and incident angle. The proposed sensor can determine the physiological levels of creatinine in human blood serum samples. The estimated parameters realize an efficient biophotonic sensor wherein sensitivity was tuned from 136.4 nm per RIU to 306.25 nm per RIU and is very useful for the detection of creatinine.

Colorimetric and fluorescent probes based on small organic molecules have become important tools in modern biology because they provide dynamic information concerning the localization and quantity of the molecules and ions of interest without the need for genetic engineering of the sample. In the past five years, these probes for ions and molecules have attracted great attention because of their biological, environmental and industrial significance combined with the simplicity and high sensitivity of absorption and fluorescence techniques. Moreover, pyrazole derivatives display a number of remarkable photophysical properties and wide synthetic versatility superior to those of other broadly used scaffolds. This review provides an overview of the recent (2016-2020) findings on chemosensors containing pyrazole derivatives (pyrazoles, pyrazolines and fused pyrazoles). The discussion focuses on the design and physicochemical properties of chemosensors in order to realize their full potential for practical applications in environmental and biological monitoring (sensing of metal ions,…

) and different nanomaterials available. A concluding section summarizes the status, addresses future challenges, and gives an outlook on potential trends.

A platinum-silver graphene (Pt-Ag/Gr) nanocomposite modified electrode was fabricated for the electrochemical detection of dopamine (DA). Electrochemical studies of the Pt-Ag/Gr nanocomposite towards DA detection were performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The CV analysis showed that Pt-Ag/Gr/GCE had enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards DA oxidation due to the synergistic effects between the platinum-silver nanoparticles and graphene. The DPV results showed that the modified sensor demonstrated a linear concentration range between 0.1 and 60 μM with a limit of detection of 0.012 μM. The Pt-Ag/Gr/GCE presented satisfactory results for reproducibility, stability and selectivity. The prepared sensor also showed acceptable recoveries for a real sample study.

can be exploited as an effective candidate for antibacterial and dye degradation applications.

In the present study, heterogeneous acid catalysts for fatty acid esterification reactions were synthesized using agro-industrial waste from murumuru kernel shells. The waste was carbonized and functionalized with concentrated sulfuric acid under different sulfonation conditions, obtaining the sulfonated biochar. The results indicate that the best sulfonation conditions were obtained with a contact time of 4 h, the temperature of 200 °C, and a solid-acid ratio of 1 : 10 (w/v). The best catalyst was characterized by acid-base titration for the determination of total acid density, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Reaction conditions of oleic acid with methanol and the viability of catalyst reuse were also investigated. A conversion of 97.2% was achieved under optimum esterification reaction conditions, employing 5% catalyst, 10 : 1 molar ratio of methanol to oleic acid, during 1.5 h at a temperature of 90 °C. After 4 reaction cycles, the catalyst preserved its efficiency…

Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels are crosslinked by two or more polymer networks, providing free volume space in the three-dimensional network structure, and providing conditions for the sustained and controlled release of drugs. The IPN hydrogels based on the natural polymer sodium alginate can form a stable porous network structure. Due to its excellent biocompatibility, the loaded drug can be sustained to the maximum extent without affecting its pharmacological effect. Sodium alginate-based IPN hydrogels have broad application prospects in the field of sustained and controlled drug release. This paper begins with an overview of the formation of alginate-based IPN hydrogels; summarizes the types of alginate-based IPN hydrogels; and discusses the pharmaceutical applications of alginate-based IPN hydrogels. We aim to give an overview of the research on IPN hydrogels based on sodium alginate in sustained and controlled drug release systems.

, respectively. Various adsorption conditions, such as the EFAC dosage, pH, contact time and initial concentration were investigated. The adsorption is characterized by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, with thermodynamics studies indicating that the adsorption is endothermic and spontaneous. Furthermore, the EFAC exhibited good regeneration performance by a 90% ethanol solution. The EFAC is a low-cost and environmentally friendly adsorbent for removing organic contaminants in wastewater.

A large number of non-biodegradable and non-renewable materials are produced daily for application as food packaging materials. These waste materials have a greatly negative effect on our health and the ecosystem. The idea of a bio-based economy is steadily gaining attention from the scientific, societal, and financial communities, so there are several areas in which the intended approaches can be improved for this reason. Therefore, creating biopolymer-based materials from natural sources, including polysaccharides and proteins, is a good alternative to non-renewable fossil resources. In the current review paper, we plan to summarize the major recent findings in food biodegradable packaging materials that include nanotechnology either directly or indirectly. Several natural nano-materials applied in food packaging applications such as polymers, polysaccharides, and protein-based nano-materials have been included in order to make special biopolymer hosts for nanocomposites. Finally, this review will highlight the antibacterial properties of commonly used nanoparticles or…

species reported from January 2015 to December 2019 along with their reported biological activities and structural aspects whenever applicable.

An OFET-based CO gas sensor has been demonstrated where ZnO NPs realized by an inexpensive, environmentally friendly method have been employed as an active medium.

. The cycle index was determined for the electrode materials and it indicated excellent stability. The stability of the cell was investigated up to 2000 cycles, and the cell showed excellent retention of 96.26%.

Curcumin (1,7-bis[4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl]-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) is the main pigment present in the turmeric rhizome and shows various biological properties. The synthesis of different derivatives is an effective way to improve the medicinal and biological properties of curcumin. Many researchers have chosen the carbonyl group of curcumin for modification and preparation of new analogues. This review critically surveys a general overview of the literature and summarizes the synthesis and biological activities of Schiff base, hydrazone and oxime derivatives of curcumin over the last decade. These compounds and also their metal complexes possess higher potency in biological activity.

. For the series of TM LDHs we studied with different metal combinations, the high valence metal ion is found to be positively related to OER performance.

), and the removal efficiency of the recycled La@ZIF-8 reached 90%, even after the fifth cycle. The obtained results demonstrate the great application potential of the prepared La@ZIF-8 as a fascinating adsorbent for the removal of phosphate.

Metabolic pathways in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR-1 are significantly altered under microaerobic (O 2 -limited) growth conditions enabling magnetosome formation.

the ingenuity of modern science when it comes to these nanoarchitecture electrodes. Despite these significant achievements, it is still difficult to accurately monitor the morphologies of materials derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) because the induction force during structural transformations at elevated temperatures is in high demand. It is also desirable to achieve the direct synthesis of highly functionalized nanosized materials derived from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) and the growth of nanoporous structures based on ZIFs encoded in specific substrates for the construction of active materials with a high surface area suitable for electrochemical applications. The latest improvements in this field of supercapacitors with materials formed from ZIFs as electrodes using ZIFs as templates or precursors are discussed in this review. Also, the possibility of usable materials derived from ZIFs for both existing and emerging energy storage technologies is discussed.

, high sensitivity, selectivity, speed, low investment and running cost, and low laboriousness. In addition, these methods are robust, reproducible, user-friendly, and compatible with the concept of green analytical chemistry. This review is devoted to the critical comparison of electrochemical sensors and measuring protocols used for the voltammetric and amperometric detection of the most frequently used HZ in water resources with desirable recovery. Attention is focused on the working electrode and its possible modification which is crucial for further development.

Fascinating and challenging, the development of repairable materials with long-lasting, sustainable and high-performance properties is a key-parameter to provide new advanced materials. To date, the concept of self-healing includes capsule-based healing systems, vascular healing systems, and intrinsic healing systems. Polyurethanes have emerged as a promising class of polymeric materials in this context due to their ease of synthesis and their outstanding properties. This review thereby focuses on the current research and developments in intrinsic self-healing polyurethanes and related composites. The chronological development of such advanced materials as well as the different strategies employed to confer living-like healing properties are discussed. Particular attention will be paid on chemical reactions utilized for self-healing purposes. Potential applications, challenges and future prospects in self-healing polyurethane fields are also provided.

The development of new materials and the understanding of the microstructure formation of electrodes have become increasingly important for improving Li-ion battery performance. In this study, we investigate the effect of solid content on the rheological properties of and the microstructures in the cathode slurry prepared from Ni-rich materials. With long-chain structures, PVDF molecules can change their configurations when they come into contact with the solid particles in slurries, and their bridging function can change with the solid content in the slurry. Below the optimum content, particle sedimentation easily takes place. Above the optimum content, excessive yield stress is created in the slurry, and this stress is not conducive to homogeneous distribution of the components. The rheological properties of the slurries vary greatly under different solid contents. We investigated the uniformity and stability of the slurry prepared from Ni-rich materials and found that the most suitable solid content of the slurry lies in the range from 63.9% to 66.3%. Our work might assist in the…

Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) is generally the method of choice for the chemical synthesis of peptides, allowing routine synthesis of virtually any type of peptide sequence, including complex or cyclic peptide products. Importantly, SPPS can be automated and is scalable, which has led to its widespread adoption in the pharmaceutical industry, and a variety of marketed peptide-based drugs are now manufactured using this approach. However, SPPS-based synthetic strategies suffer from a negative environmental footprint mainly due to extensive solvent use. Moreover, most of the solvents used in peptide chemistry are classified as problematic by environmental agencies around the world and will soon need to be replaced, which in recent years has spurred a movement in academia and industry to make peptide synthesis greener. These efforts have been centred around solvent substitution, recycling and reduction, as well as exploring alternative synthetic methods. In this review, we focus on methods pertaining to solvent substitution and reduction with large-scale industrial production in…

hydrogel can be applied as an eco-friendly, high-performance, reproducible, and stable photocatalyst and adsorbent for the removal of MB. This green hydrogel is a promising candidate for dye wastewater treatment. Moreover, this work is expected to extend the scope of bio-templated synthesis of other nanomaterials for various applications.

MTT assay, while their cytotoxic effects were tested against human embryonic kidney cells using the resazurin assay. SZNP-Cs exhibited the best balance between the two, showing the lowest toxicity against healthy cells and good anticancer activity. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the nanomatrix synthesized can act as an effective, additively-enhanced combination delivery/therapeutic agent, holding promise for anticancer therapy and other biomedical applications.

was better suited for applications in high potency solar cells and other optoelectronic devices than the other inorganic metal halide perovskites.

Along with the wide production, consumption and disposal of pesticides in the world, the concerns over their human and environmental health impacts are rapidly growing. Among developing treatment technologies, sonochemistry as an emerging and promising technology for the removal of pesticides in the aqueous environment has attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years. This systematic review presents an extensive study of sonochemical degradation of different types of pesticides from aqueous solution. The influence of various parameters including reactor configurations, initial concentration of pesticide, ultrasonic frequency, intensity of irradiation, bulk solution temperature, operational pH and sonication time on the degradation efficiency has been analyzed. The mechanism of ultrasonic degradation has been discussed, and recommendations for optimum operating conditions have been reported for maximizing degradation efficiency. Additionally, the intensification of ultrasonic cavitation by combining with oxidation processes was overviewed and the main advantages and…

The geometric, thermodynamic and electronic properties of Pd–graphene nanocomposites are comprehensively studied through quantum mechanical methods.

In recent years, some natural products isolated from the fungus of the genus Ganoderma have been found to have anti-tumor, liver protection, anti-inflammatory, immune regulation, anti-oxidation, anti-viral, anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects.

Composite materials are being used for high-end applications such as aviation technology, space ships, and heavy equipment manufacturing. The use of composite materials has been observed in recent advancements in the field of multifunctional composite materials (MFCMs). There is continuous progress related to improvements, innovations, and replacement of metals inspite of rigorous destructive and non-destructive testing, proving the toughness and lifelong durability of such materials. The present study aims to review the topics relevant to modern multifunctional composite materials. The reviewed articles mostly cover the field of MFCMs based on nanomaterials. The structural functions emphasize on the mechanical properties such as fracture toughness, strength, thermal stability, damping, stiffness, and tensile strength. The non-structural properties include biodegradability, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The study has concluded that the applications of multifunctional nanoparticle-based composite materials and…

. This work proposes a sustainable strategy to reuse waste biomass in high-performance and green supercapacitors for advanced energy storage equipment.

order kinetic models. An intra-particle diffusion model showed that the adsorption process occurs through three steps. Besides, thermodynamic data reflected that the adsorption of MB onto UiO-66/MIL-101(Fe)-GOCOOH composite is an endothermic and spontaneous process and the adsorption involves both physisorption and chemisorption interactions. The as-fabricated UiO-66/MIL-101(Fe)-GOCOOH composite exhibited good reusability and can be considered as a promising reusable adsorbent for the treatment of dye-containing industrial effluents with high efficiency.

Chemical utilization of ethane to produce valuable chemicals has become especially attractive since the expanded utilization of shale gas in the United States and associated petroleum gas in the Middle East. Catalytic conversion to ethylene and aromatic hydrocarbons through non-oxidative dehydrogenation and dehydroaromatization of ethane (EDH and EDA) are potentially beneficial technologies because of their high selectivity to products. The former represents an attractive alternative to conventional thermal cracking of ethane. The latter can produce valuable aromatic hydrocarbons from a cheap feedstock. Nevertheless, further progress in catalytic science and technology is indispensable to implement these processes beneficially. This review summarizes progress that has been achieved with non-oxidative EDH and EDA in terms of the nature of active sites and reaction mechanisms. Briefly, platinum-, chromium- and gallium-based catalysts have been introduced mainly for EDH, including effects of carbon dioxide co-feeding. Efforts to use EDA have emphasized zinc-modified MFI zeolite…

/ZnO nanocatalysts were stable and could be recycled several times without any appreciable change in degradation rate constant which opens new avenues toward potential industrial applications.

respectively, suggesting EO is more economical. The free radical scavenging mechanism of i-PrOH is studied, and the contribution of EC, EF and fly ash-red mud particle electrodes in EO is inferred. Particle electrodes before and after use are characterized by SEM, EDS and BET to illustrate the role of particle electrodes in the EO system. Analysis of flocs and solutions by FTIR and GC-MS proves that EO can effectively degrade methylene blue, and the degradation route of methylene blue is speculated. The particle electrode dissolution experiment shows that the prepared fly ash-red mud particle electrode is considered to be suitable and safe for wastewater treatment. Finally, in actual surface water experiments, the EO process still has great potential.

were proposed by GC-MS analysis, which were attributed to the dissociation of ethyl radicals and the degradation of chromophore radicals.

A critical review on the factors affecting the impact resistance and various approaches adopted to enhance the performance of soft body armour materials is presented here.

, being 2.4 times that of the one treated with only formic acid, was achieved. The substantial improvement in the Seebeck coefficient and the power factor is collectively attributed to the removal of the PSS, and more importantly, the reduction of the doping level of PEDOT by the hydrazine treatment, which is evidenced clearly by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, XPS and Raman spectroscopy.

, which was caused by the H bond effect. This research not only furthers the understanding of these functional materials, but also can assist the development of highly efficient and stable non-lead perovskite solar cells.

plays in the inhibition process. The present research offers an economic, environmentally friendly and efficient measure of corrosion control, and provides theoretical guidance for the efficient use of carbon steels and the development of novel corrosion inhibitors.

-trifluoroethylene) copolymer, with 80% molar VDF content, namely P(VDF-TrFE) (80/20). We investigate the molecular structure, the morphology and the thermal behaviour of P(VDF-TrFE) samples obtained as electrospun nanofibers; we discuss their thermal evolution crossing the Curie temperature and the structure resulting after annealing, giving a comparison with P(VDF-TrFE) films. The new experimental data here obtained, combined with previous spectroscopic studies carried out on piezoelectric fluorinated polymers and copolymers, allow identifying spectroscopic markers sensitive to the molecular structure, the molecular orientation, the conformational defects and the kind of crystalline phase. We assign the vibrational modes localized on TrFE units by combining experimental observation and density functional calculations carried out on suitable molecular models. This work provides a sound set of diagnostic tools, which can be exploited for the assessment of structure/property relationships aimed at clarifying the molecular mechanisms leading to the piezoelectric performance of…

Rhamnolipid (RL) biosurfactant which is produced by Pseudomonas species is one of the most effective surface-active agents investigated in the literature.

The nanosized UiO-66-NH 2 metal–organic framework (MOF) material was synthesized and modified by palmitoyl chloride to enhance the dispersibility and restrain the aggregation of MOF particles in the organic phase.

), organics (toxic and non-toxic organics), and salts. The mechanism of substrate removal in anammox and partial denitrification coupling nitrogen removal is described in detail. Due to the differences in process methods, experimental conditions, and sludge choices between the rapid start-up and stable operation stages of the reactor, there are significant differences in substrate inhibition. Multiple process parameters (such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, redox potential, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and sludge) can be adjusted to improve the coupling of anammox and partial denitrification to modify nitrogen removal performance.

-methylpyrrolidinium) modifying the mordenite framework which can create unique properties. The framework properties and optical properties (indium-exchanged mordenite zeolite) have been discussed. Mordenite is generally used in alkylation, dewaxing, reforming, hydrocracking, catalysis, separation, and purification reactions because of its large pore size, strong acidity, and high thermal and chemical stability, although the applications are not limited for mordenite zeolite. Recently, several applications such as electrochemical detection, isomerization, carbonylation, hydrodeoxygenation, adsorption, biomass conversion, biological applications (antibacterial activity), photocatalysis, fuel cells and polymerization reactions using mordenite zeolite were explored which have been described in detail in this review.

Molecular docking reveals the potential of Salvadora persica flavonoids to inhibit COVID-19 virus main protease.

fruit is a low cost and effective adsorbent with a fast rate for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions when compared with a number of activated carbons studied in the literature.

a physisorption mechanism. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs and elemental composition studies confirmed the formation of a protective film over the metal surface. Wastewater quality parameters of all the inhibitors demonstrated good biodegradability as their values were within the permissible limits to discharge for irrigation and horticultural uses.

buffer layer achieved the best power conversion efficiency of 2.11%. Our results demonstrate the crucial role of the band alignment on the performance of the ZnO/CuO heterojunction solar cells and could pave the way for further progress on improving conversion efficiency in oxide-based heterojunction solar cells.

The development of microbial fuel cell (MFC) makes it possible to generate clean electricity as well as remove pollutants from wastewater. Extensive studies on MFC have focused on structural design and performance optimization, and tremendous advances have been made in these fields. However, there is still a lack of systematic analysis on biocatalysts used in MFCs, especially when it comes to pollutant removal and simultaneous energy recovery. In this review, we aim to provide an update on MFC-based wastewater treatment and energy harvesting research, and analyze various biocatalysts used in MFCs and their underlying mechanisms in pollutant removal as well as energy recovery from wastewater. Lastly, we highlight key future research areas that will further our understanding in improving MFC performance for simultaneous wastewater treatment and sustainable energy harvesting.

. In addition, conductive polymers can effectively improve the voltage range of the electrode composites in 6 M KOH electrolyte for the two-electrode system. The discharge voltage ∼1.6 V makes them promising electrode materials for supercapacitors.

In this work, we have studied new double perovskite materials, A 2 1+ B 2+ B 3+ X 6 1− , where A 2 1+ = Cs, B 2+ = Li, Na, B 3+ = Al, Ga, In, and X 6 1− .

Proposed corrosion protection mechanism of Ce 4+ / organic inhibitor for AA2024.