Wet-Chemical Synthesis of TiO2/PVDF Membrane for Energy Applications

To satisfy the ever-increasing energy demands, it is of the utmost importance to develop electrochemical materials capable of producing and storing energy in a highly efficient manner. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has recently emerged as a promising choice in this field due to its non-toxicity, low cost, and eco-friendliness, in addition to its porosity, large surface area, good mechanical strength, and remarkable transport properties. Here, we present titanium dioxide nanoplates/polyvinylidene fluoride (TiO₂/PVDF) membranes prepared by a straightforward hydrothermal strategy and vacuum filtration process. The as-synthesized TiO₂/PVDF membrane was applied for energy storage applications. The fabricated TiO₂/PVDF membrane served as the negative electrode for supercapacitors (SCs). The electrochemical properties of a TiO₂/PVDF membrane were explored in an aqueous 6 M KOH electrolyte that exhibited good energy storage performance. Precisely, the TiO₂/PVDF membrane delivered a high specific capacitance of 283.74 F/g at 1 A/g and maintained capacitance retention of 91% after 8000 cycles. Thanks to the synergistic effect of TiO₂ and PVDF, the TiO₂/PVDF membrane provided superior electrochemical performance as an electrode for a supercapacitor. These superior properties will likely be used in next-generation energy storage technologies.

A New MBH Adduct as an Efficient Ligand in the Synthesis of Metallodrugs: Characterization, Geometrical Optimization, XRD, Biological Activities, and Molecular Docking Studies

This article reports the synthesis, characterization, geometrical optimization, and biological studies of new MBH-based organometallic compounds of medicinal significance. The ligand (MNHA) was prepared via the Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) synthetic route, from aromatic aldehyde containing multiple functional groups. Metal complexes were prepared in an alkaline medium and under other suitable reaction conditions. Spectral and elemental analyses were used to identify the structural and molecular formulas of each compound. Optimized geometry was determined through density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP and 6-311++ G (d,p) basis set for the MBH adduct, whereas structures of novel complexes were optimized with the semi-empirical PM6 method. Powder XRD analysis furnished the crystal class of complexes, with Co³⁺, Cr³⁺, and Mn²⁺ being cubic, while Ni²⁺ was hexagonal, and Cu²⁺ was orthorhombic. Moreover, the ligand, along with Ni²⁺ and Co³⁺ complexes, showed profound antibacterial action against S. aureus, E. coli, B. pumilis, and S. typhi. Additionally, all of the complexes were shown to persist in the positive antioxidant potential of the ligand. Contrarily, not a single metal complex conserved the antifungal potentials of the ligand.

A comparison of matrix resolution method, ratio spectra derivative spectrophotometry and HPLC method for the determination of thiamine HCl and pyridoxine HCl in pharmaceutical preparation

A comparison of two spectrophotometric methods and a HPLC method were described in this work for the analysis of pyridoxine hydrochloride and thiamine hydrochloride in a vitamin combination. In the first method, A(1)1 (1%, 1 cm) values of these two compounds were calculated using absorbances measured at 246.8 and 290.5 nm in zero-order spectra. The matrix was written for A(1)1 (1%, 1 cm) values and the concentration of both compounds were determined using 'Matlab' software. In the second method, the measurements in the derivative of the ratio spectra were made at 297.8 and 309.5 nm for pyridoxine hydrochloride and at 245.6 and 257.7 nm for thiamine hydrochloride. The calibration graphs were established in the range 8-40 microg/ml of both vitamins. In the HPLC method, the separation of these compounds was realized on a Nucleosil 100-5 C18 column with 0.1 M (NH4)2C03-water methanol (5:15:80 v/v) as the mobile phase. Results of spectrophotometric and HPLC procedures were compared.