Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous silica supported metallosalphen-azobenzene complexes: efficient photochromic heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation of cyclohexane to produce KA oil

The oxidation of cyclohexane to produce KA oil (cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol) is important industrially but faces challenges such as low cyclohexane conversion at high KA oil selectivity, and difficult catalyst recyclability. This work reports the synthesis and evaluation of new heterogeneous catalysts consisting of Co(ii), Mn(ii), Ni(ii) and Cu(ii) salphen-azobenzene complexes [ML1] immobilized on amino-functionalized mesoporous silica (SBA-15, MCM-41, MCM-48) through coordination bonding. In the first step, the salphen-azobenzene ligand was synthesized and complexed with Co, Mn, Ni and Cu metal ions. In the second step, aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was grafted onto the surface of different types of commercial mesoporous silica. The immobilization of [ML1] onto the mesoporous silica surface and the thermal stability of the obtained materials were confirmed using different characterization techniques such as FT-IR, powder XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, and TGA. The obtained results revealed high dispersion of [ML1] through the silica surface. The catalytic activity of the prepared materials Silica-N-ML1 was evaluated on the cyclohexane oxidation to produce KA oil using various oxidants. The cis-trans isomerization of the azobenzene upon UV irradiation was found to affect the catalytic performance of Silica-N-ML1. The cis isomer of SBA-15-N-CoL1 exhibited the highest cyclohexane conversion (93%) and KA selectivity (92%) under mild conditions (60 °C, 6 h) using m-CPBA as oxidant. Moreover, The SBA-15-N-CoL1 showed high stability during four successive cycles.

Enhanced adaptation to salinity stress in lentil seedlings through the use of trehalose-functionalized silica nanoparticles (TSiNPs): Exploring silica-sugar absorption and oxidative balance

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) confer better growth and development of plants under salinity stress. Moreover, the surface-functionalization of SiNPs with bioactive molecules is expected to enhance its efficacy. The present study thus aimed to modify the surface of SiNPs, by attaching a bioactive molecule (trehalose) to obtain TSiNPs. The successful surface functionalization was confirmed using FTIR, XRD, and EDS. The spherical shape and amorphous nature of the nanoparticles were confirmed using SEM. The TEM image analysis revealed that the size of SiNPs and TSiNPs ranged between 20-50 nm and 200-250 nm, respectively. A novel bioassay experiment designed to study the release of silica and trehalose from nanoparticles elucidated that the TSiNPs improved the release and uptake of silica. Also, trehalose uptake significantly improved after 72 h of application due to enhanced release of trehalose from TSiNPs. Further, this study also aimed to investigate the potential benefits of SiNPs and TSiNPs in promoting the growth and development of plants under salinity stress. In this context, the nanoparticles were applied to the saline-stressed (0, 200, 300 mM) lentil seedlings for the in-planta experiments. The results revealed that both SiNPs and TSiNPs improved the growth of seedlings (shoot, and root length), ionic balance (K+/Na+ ratio), and osmolyte status (sugars, proline, glycine betaine, trehalose). Additionally, increased antioxidant enzyme activities helped scavenge ROS (H2O2, O2.-) generated in NaCl-stressed seedlings, ultimately improving the membrane integrity (by reducing MDA and EL). However, the TSiNPs exhibited a much-enhanced activity in stress alleviation compared to the SiNPs.

In vitro biological activity of cobalt(II) complexes with salicylaldimine ligands in microbial and cancer cells

Background: More studies using cobalt complexes as drugs are needed. Results: The drug action of two cobalt salicylaldimines was determined. The complexes and amphotericin B (20 mg/ml) inhibited Candida albicans at 9-15 and 21 mm. This concentration of both ligands inhibited Staphylococcus aureus at 10 mm and one ligand inhibited Escherichia coli at 9 mm, but the complexes and ampicillin inhibited four bacteria at 9-20 and 21-26 mm. The ligands were inactive against cancer and normal cells, but the complexes and doxorubicin provided IC50 values of 28.18-54.19 and 9.66 μM against MCF-7 cells and 15.76-20.49 and 36.42 μM against BHK cells. Conclusion: The ligands' activity was much improved by complexation, although they remained substandard.

Green carbon-carbon homocoupling of terminal alkynes by a silica supported Cu(II)-hydrazone coordination compound

A Cu(II) complex, [Cu(HL)(NO₃)(CH₃OH)]·CH₃OH (1), was obtained by the reaction of Cu(NO₃)₂·3H₂O and H2L in methanol solvent (H2L is (E)-4-amino-N'-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)benzohydrazide). H2L and compound 1 were characterized by various spectroscopic analyses and the molecular structure of [Cu(HL)(NO₃)(CH₃OH)]·CH₃OH was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The results indicated the product is a mononuclear Cu(II) complex and contains a free NH₂ functional group on the structure of the ligand. [Cu(HL)(NO₃)(CH₃OH)]·CH₃OH was used for the preparation of a heterogeneous catalyst by supporting it on functionalized silica gel. The heterogeneous catalyst (Si-Cu) was prepared by an amidification reaction of [Cu(HL)(NO₃)(CH₃OH)]·CH₃OH with functionalized silica gel. The resulting silica-supported catalyst (Si-Cu) was characterized by TGA, FT-IR, EPR, DRS, EDS, XRD, SEM and XPS analyses. Si-Cu was employed in a carbon-carbon coupling reaction and the effects of the amount of Si-Cu and temperature were investigated in the catalytic coupling. The structure of one of the products of the catalytic reactions (C₁₆H₂₂O₂, CP1) was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis, which proved the formation of a C-C bond and the production of di-acetylene by homocoupling of terminal alkyne. This catalytic system is stable and it can be reused for a coupling reaction without a significant change in its catalytic activity.

Silica-Gel Incorporated Biosynthesized-Silver Nanoparticles for Sustainable Antimicrobial Treatment of Brackish Water Aquaculture

Treatment of brackish water from pathogenic microbes is crucial for sustainable aquaculture production and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. However, the treatment of brackish water is still challenging due to the high salinity and the high antimicrobial resistance. Here, we exploit a facile and effective approach to synthesize silica gel embedded with silver nanoparticles (7–48 nm) for broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles into silica gel (AgNPs@SG) is confirmed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption, and transmission electron microscopy. The AgNPs@SG material exhibits wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity against the studied microorganisms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans) due to preventing the aggregation of silver nanoparticles and their effective contact with the microorganisms. Most importantly, the applicability of the synthesized AgNPs@SG for the microbial treatment of brackish water is investigated on different water samples collected from Manzala Lake. Remarkably, the amount of viable bacteria in the brackish water decreases by about 93% using AgNPs@SG material that not only combats antibiotic-resistant strains but also works under harsh conditions such as multiple-source contamination, high eutrophic state, and salinity.

Packed in-tube SPME-LC-MS/MS for fast and straightforward analysis of cannabinoids and metabolites in human urine

Cannabinoids are pharmacologically active compounds present in cannabis plants, which have become important research topics in the modern toxicological and medical research fields. Not only is cannabis the most used drug globally, but also cannabinoids have a growing use to treat a series of diseases. Therefore, new, fast, and efficient analytical methods for analyzing these substances in different matrices are demanded. This study developed a new packed-in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) method coupled to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), for the automated microextraction of seven cannabinoids from human urine. Packed IT-SPME microcolumns were prepared in (508 µm i.d. × 50 mm) stainless-steel hardware; each one required only 12 mg of sorbent phase. Different sorbents were evaluated; fractional factorial design 2^4-1 and a central composite design were employed for microextraction optimization. Under optimized conditions, the developed method was a fast and straightforward approach. Only 250 µl of urine sample was needed, and no hydrolysis was required. The sample pretreatment included only dilution and centrifugation steps (8 min), whereas the complete IT-SPME-LC-MS/MS method took another 12 min, with a sample throughput of 3 samples h^-1 . The developed method presented adequate precision, accuracy and linearity; R² values ranged from 0.990 to 0.997, in the range of 10-1000 ng ml^-1 . The lower limits of quantification varied from 10 to 25 ng ml^-1 . Finally, the method was successfully applied to analyze 20 actual urine samples, and the IT-SPME microcolumn was reused over 150 times.

Unraveling the Pharmaceutical Benefits of Freshly Prepared Amino Acid-Based Schiff Bases Via DFT, In Silico Molecular Docking and ADMET

A series of amino acid-based Schiff bases have been synthesized using a facile condensation between benzil (a diketone) and amino acid in the presence of a base. The formation of Schiff base compounds has been ensured by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and UV-Vis. spectra. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations have been explored in order to get intuition into the molecular structure and chemical reactivity of the compounds. The DFT, optimized structure of the compounds, has been used to attain the molecular docking studies with DNA structure to find the favorable mode of interaction. In silico ADME/Tox profile of the compounds has been predicted using pkCSM web tools, exhibiting suitable values of absorption, distribution, and metabolism. These obtained parameters are connected to bioavailability. In addition, toxicity, skin sensitization and cardiotoxicity (hERG) analysis have been performed for evaluating the drug-like character of the prepared Schiff bases. The findings obtained from this study may find applications in the field focusing on the production of efficient and harmless pharmacological drugs.

Silica Meets Tannic Acid: Designing Green Nanoplatforms for Environment Preservation

Hybrid tannic acid-silica-based porous nanoparticles, TA-SiO2 NPs, have been synthesized under mild conditions in the presence of green and renewable tannic acid biopolymer, a glycoside polymer of gallic acid present in a large part of plants. Tannic acid (TA) was exploited as both a structuring directing agent and green chelating site for heavy metal ions recovery from aqueous solutions. Particles morphologies and porosity were easily tuned by varying the TA initial amount. The sample produced with the largest TA amount showed a specific surface area an order of magnitude larger than silica nanoparticles. The adsorption performance was investigated by using TA-SiO2 NPs as adsorbents for copper (II) ions from an aqueous solution. The effects of the initial Cu2+ ions concentration and the pH values on the adsorption capability were also investigated. The resulting TA-SiO2 NPs exhibited a different adsorption behaviour towards Cu2+, which was demonstrated through different tests. The largest adsorption (i.e., ~50 wt% of the initial Cu2+ amount) was obtained with the more porous nanoplatforms bearing a higher final TA content. The TA-nanoplatforms, stable in pH value around neutral conditions, can be easily produced and their use would well comply with a green strategy to reduce wastewater pollution.

Organic and inorganic amendments for the remediation of nickel contaminated soil and its improvement on Brassica napus growth and oxidative defense

In-situ stabilization has been considered an effective way to remediate metal contaminated soil. Thus, pot experiments were undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of multiple stabilization agents such as biochar (BC), mussel shell (MS), zeolite (ZE) and limestone (LS) on the immobilization of Ni, physicochemical features and enzyme activities in polluted soil. Results showed that the sole application of Ni adversely affected the rapeseed growth, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidative defense. However, the addition of amendments to the contaminated soil significantly reduced Ni bioavailability. The XRD analysis confirmed the formation of Ni related ligands and FTIR showed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl and sulfur functional groups, as well as complexation and adsorption of Ni on amendments. Among multiple amendments, biochar significantly enhanced plant biomass attributes and total chlorophyll content. Moreover, addition of amendments also strengthened the antioxidant defense by decreasing Ni induced oxidative stress (H₂O₂ and O₂^.-), increased macronutrient availability, reduced Ni uptake and improved soil health. The qPCR analysis showed that the Ni transporters were significantly suppressed by amendments, which is correlated with the lower accumulation of Ni in rapeseed. The present study showed that immobilizing agents, especially biochar, is an effective amendment to immobilize Ni in soil, which restricts its entry into the food chain.

Getting rid of the shackles from the support: construction of recoverable semi-homogeneous catalysts with attapulgite

Traditionally, immobilized catalysts sacrifice part of their catalytic activity for their recyclability. To reproduce the catalytic activity of these active species, we construct a novel strategy called "adsorption-desorption-adsorption". Since the active material and the support of the catalyst are connected by an electrostatic force, the catalyst can release the active material into the solvent during the heating process of the reaction to achieve the effect of homogeneous catalysis. When the reaction is over and the temperature is lowered, the catalyst reabsorbs again to achieve the effect of heterogeneous catalysis. Through this "adsorption-desorption-adsorption" catalytic process, the catalyst can become a new semi-homogeneous catalyst, and this strategy could be extended to other immobilized catalysts.

Organotrialkoxysilane-Functionalized Prussian Blue Nanoparticles-Mediated Fluorescence Sensing of Arsenic(III)

Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBN) exhibit selective fluorescence quenching behavior with heavy metal ions; in addition, they possess characteristic oxidant properties both for liquid–liquid and liquid–solid interface catalysis. Here, we propose to study the detection and efficient removal of toxic arsenic(III) species by materializing these dual functions of PBN. A sophisticated PBN-sensitized fluorometric switching system for dosage-dependent detection of As³⁺ along with PBN-integrated SiO₂ platforms as a column adsorbent for biphasic oxidation and elimination of As³⁺ have been developed. Colloidal PBN were obtained by a facile two-step process involving chemical reduction in the presence of 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl trimethoxysilane (EETMSi) and cyclohexanone as reducing agents, while heterogeneous systems were formulated via EETMSi, which triggered in situ growth of PBN inside the three-dimensional framework of silica gel and silica nanoparticles (SiO₂). PBN-induced quenching of the emission signal was recorded with an As³⁺ concentration (0.05–1.6 ppm)-dependent fluorometric titration system, owing to the potential excitation window of PBN (at 480–500 nm), which ultimately restricts the radiative energy transfer. The detection limit for this arrangement is estimated around 0.025 ppm. Furthermore, the mesoporous and macroporous PBN-integrated SiO₂ arrangements might act as stationary phase in chromatographic studies to significantly remove As³⁺. Besides physisorption, significant electron exchange between Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ lattice points and As³⁺ ions enable complete conversion to less toxic As⁵⁺ ions with the repeated influx of mobile phase. PBN-integrated SiO₂ matrices were successfully restored after segregating the target ions. This study indicates that PBN and PBN-integrated SiO₂ platforms may enable straightforward and low-cost removal of arsenic from contaminated water.

Modified silicates and carbon nanotubes for immobilization of lipase from Rhizomucor miehei: Effect of support and immobilization technique on the catalytic performance of the immobilized biocatalysts

Lipase from Rhizomucor miehei (RML) was covalently immobilized on different supports, two silica gels and two carbon nanotube samples, using two different strategies. RML was immobilized on 3-carboxypropyl silica gel (RML@Si-COOH) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes containing carboxylic acid functionalities (RML@MCNT-COOH) using a two-step carbodiimide activation/immobilization reaction. Moreover, the enzyme was also immobilized on 3-aminopropyl silica (RML@Si-Glu) and single-wall carbon nanotubes functionalized with 3-APTES and activated with glutaraldehyde (RML@SCNT-Glu). Before and after RML immobilization, the structurel properties of supports were characterized and compared in detail. After immobilization, the expressed activities were 36.9, 90.2, 16.9, and 26.1 % for RML@Si-COOH, RML@Si-Glu, RML@MCNT-COOH, and RML@SCNT-Glu, respectively. The kinetic parameters of free and immobilized RML samples were determined for three substrates, p-nitrophenyl acetate, p-nitrophenyl butyrate and p-nitrophenyl palmitate, and RML@Si-Glu showed higher catalytic efficiency than the other immobilized RML samples. RML@Si-COOH, RML@Si-Glu, RML@MCNT-COOH, and RML@SCNT-Glu exhibited 5.8, 7.6, 4.2 and 4.6 folds longer half-life values than those of the free enzyme at pH 7.5 and 40 °C. Recyclability studies showed that all the immobilized RML biocatalysts retained over 90 % of their initial activities after ten cycles in the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate.

Fe(III) Complexes in Cyclohexane Oxidation: Comparison of Catalytic Activities under Different Energy Stimuli

In this study, the mononuclear Fe(III) complex [Fe(HL)(NO3)(H2O)2]NO3 (1) derived from Nʹ-acetylpyrazine-2-carbohydrazide (H2L) was synthesized and characterized by several physicochemical methods, e.g., elemental analysis, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The catalytic performances of 1 and the previously reported complexes [Fe(HL)Cl2] (2) and [Fe(HL)Cl(μ-OMe)]2 (3) towards the peroxidative oxidation of cyclohexane under three different energy stimuli (microwave irradiation, ultrasound, and conventional heating) were compared. 1-3 displayed homogeneous catalytic activity, leading to the formation of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone as final products, with a high selectivity for the alcohol (up to 95%). Complex 1 exhibited the highest catalytic activity, with a total product yield of 38% (cyclohexanol + cyclohexanone) under optimized microwave-assisted conditions.

Functionalized Silicas for Metal-Free and Metal-Based Catalytic Applications: A Review in Perspective of Green Chemistry

Heterogeneous catalysis plays a key role in promoting green chemistry through many routes. The functionalizable reactive silanols highlight silica as a beguiling support for the preparation of heterogeneous catalysts. Metal active sites anchored on functionalized silica (FS) usually demonstrate the better dispersion and stability due to their firm chemical interaction with FSs. Having certain functional groups in structure, FSs can act as the useful catalysts for few organic reactions even without the need of metal active sites which are termed as the covetous reusable organocatalysts. Magnetic FSs have laid the platform where the effortless recovery of catalysts is realized just using an external magnet, resulting in the simplified reaction procedure. Using FSs of multiple functional groups, we can envisage the shortened reaction pathway and, reduced chemical uses and chemical wastes. Unstable bio-molecules like enzymes have been stabilized when they get chemically anchored on FSs. The resultant solid bio-catalysts exhibited very good reusability in many catalytic reactions. Getting provoked from the green chemistry aspects and benefits of FS-based catalysts, we confer the recent literature and progress focusing on the significance of FSs in heterogeneous catalysis. This review covers the preparative methods, types and catalytic applications of FSs. A special emphasis is given to the metal-free FS catalysts, multiple FS-based catalysts and magnetic FSs. Through this review, we presume that the contribution of FSs to green chemistry can be well understood. The future perspective of FSs and the improvements still required for implementing FS-based catalysts in practical applications have been narrated at the end of this review.

Novel bio-essential metal based complexes linked by heterocyclic ligand: Synthesis, structural elucidation, biological investigation and docking analysis

New series of bio-essential metal based complexes linked by Schiff base ligand (L) and 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) have been synthesized and characterized by diverse spectral techniques such as elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductivity measurements, FT-IR, UV-Vis., (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, EPR and Mass. The spectral data suggest that the metal complexes espouse octahedral geometry around the metal ions. Interactions of the complexes with CT DNA have been explored by electronic absorption, ethidium bromide displacement assay, viscosity measurements, cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry in order to evaluate the possible DNA-binding mode and to calculate the corresponding DNA-binding constants. The DNA interaction studies propose that the intercalative mode of interaction and the complexes exhibit oxidative cleavage of pUC19 DNA in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as activator. The synthesized Schiff base ligand and its metal complexes have been screened for anti-microbial activity by micro dilution method against two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) and three fungi strains (Fusarium solani, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans) revealing that the complexes are good anti-pathogenic agents than the ligand. Moreover, molecular docking analysis has been performed to confirm the nature of binding of the complexes with DNA.

Bio-relevant complexes of novel N2O2 type heterocyclic ligand: Synthesis, structural elucidation, biological evaluation and docking studies

Organic and inorganic entities [Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II)] have been bridged by N2O2 type heterocyclic imine (CN) ligand for the synthesis of novel organic-inorganic bridged complexes of the type [M(H2L)]. The synthesized complexes were characterized by spectral techniques such as FT-IR, UV-visible, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, EPR, ESI-Mass, elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility and molar conductivity measurements. The metal complexes adopt square planar geometrical arrangement around the metal ions. DNA binding ability of these complexes has been explored by different techniques viz. electronic absorption, fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and viscosity measurements. These studies prove that CT DNA interaction of the complexes follows intercalation mode. The oxidative cleavage of the complexes with pUC19 DNA has been investigated by gel electrophoresis. Molecular docking calculations have been performed to understand the nature of binding of the complexes with DNA. Moreover, the anti-pathogenic actions of the complexes were tested in vitro against few bacteria and fungi by disk diffusion method. The data reveal that the complexes have higher anti-pathogenic activity than the ligand.

Changes in spectrochemical and catalytic properties of biopolymer anchored Cu(II) and Ni(II) catalysts by electron beam irradiation

Chitosan (a biopolymer) anchored Cu(II) and Ni(II) Schiff base complexes, [M(OIAC)Cl2] (M: Cu/Ni and OIAC: ([2-oxo-1H-indol-3-ylidene]amino)chitosan) were electron beam irradiated by different doses (100 Gy, 1 kGy and 10 kGy). The electron beam has shown potential impact on biopolymer's support, in detail chain linking and chain scissoring, as evidenced by viscosity studies, FT-IR and X-ray diffraction spectroscopic techniques. Due to these structural changes, thermal properties of the complexes were found to be changed. The surface of these heterogeneous complexes was also effectually altered by electron beam. As a consequence, pores and holes were created as probed by SEM technique. The catalytic activity of both non-irradiated and irradiated complexes was investigated in the aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane using hydrogen peroxide oxidant. The catalytic ability of the complexes was enhanced significantly after irradiation as the result of surface changes. The reusability of the complexes was also greatly affected because of the structural variations in polymeric support. In terms of both better catalytic activity along with the reusability, 1 kGy is suggested as the best dose to attain adequate increase in catalytic activity and good reusability.

EBT anchored SiO2 3-D microarray: a simultaneous entrapper of two different metal centers at high and low oxidation states using its highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, respectively

Simultaneous binding of two different metal centers, Zr(iv) and Tl(i) at the HOMO and LUMO, respectively, of the extractor (FSG-EBT).

Organic–inorganic hybrid catalysts containing new Schiff base for environment friendly cyclohexane oxidation

Organic and inorganic entities have been hybridized using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) linker for the synthesis of three novel organic–inorganic hybrid catalysts [Cu(ii), Co(ii) and Ni(ii)].