Ag nanoparticles-polypyrrole-carbon black/mesoporous TiO2 novel nanocomposite as ultrafast visible-light-driven photocatalyst

Effective design and fabrication of novel visible light-oriented photocatalysts is an existing challenging task that requires further dedicated efforts, and it has been always a main concern among the scientific community. This study deals with the design and fabrication of an extremely active and ultrafast ternary photocatalyst based on Ag nanoparticles, polypyrrole doped carbon black (PPy-C) and mesoporous TiO₂ (m-TiO₂). Sol-gel methodology along with sonication and photodeposition routes have been employed for the successful creation of the ternary framework. Ternary photocatalyst composed of uniform spherical titania nanoparticles (10–15 nm in size) perfectly intermingled with the polymeric linkage of PPy-C. Fruitful creation of unique trio photocatalyst between AgNPs, PPy-C and m-TiO₂ was confirmed by XPS and XRD. FTIR analysis further supports the development of nanocomposite photocatalyst. TEM analysis showed uniform spherical m-TiO₂ nanoparticles (10–15 nm in size) covered by PPy-C with compact nodes like appearance interlocked very well among each other. The newly developed Ag@PPy-C/m-TiO₂ ternary photocatalyst exhibited band gap energy in desired visible range of spectra. The photocatalytic efficiency for all created photocatalysts has been evaluated taking Imidacloprid (insecticide derivative) and methylene blue (MB) dye as target pollutants. The novel Ag@PPy-C/m-TiO₂ photocatalyst produced astonishing results with ultrafast removal of both Imidacloprid as well MB dye under visible light irradiation. The newly created ultrafast Ag@PPy-C/m-TiO₂ photocatalyst has removed 96.0% of the insecticide Imidacloprid in only 25 min with almost ? 2.65 times more efficient than bare m-TiO₂ towards the removal of insecticide derivative. The present report offers a highly encouraging and vastly talented Ag@PPy-C/m-TiO₂ ternary photocatalyst, enabling the ideal management of extremely lethal and notorious chemicals.     

Graphitic-C3N4/ZnCr-layered double hydroxide 2D/2D nanosheet heterojunction: Mesoporous photocatalyst for advanced oxidation of azo dyes with in situ produced H2O2

In this study the constructional modification of Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (GCN-ns) has been made with the aid of ZnCr layered double hydroxide (ZC-LDH) in a unique 2D-2D structure to enhance its visible light absorption. Optical and morphological study presents successful incorporation of ZC-LDH on the surface of GCN-ns. Through adjusting of GCN-ns by ZC-LDH lower recombination rate of e^?/h⁺ pairs, longer lifetimes and an increase in contamination reduction was brought out. The binary nanocomposite was employed to effectively degrade Rhodamine B under UV/vis light irradiation. The improvement in photocatalytic abilities was proven to be related to in situ self-production of H₂O₂ on GCN-ns/ZC-LDH surface by Xe light irradiation which in return accounts for additional hydroxide radical generation. Radical quenching experiments specified the main active species involved while the consequent step-scheme (S-scheme) charge transfer mechanism was proposed.     

Designing amorphous formulations of polyphenols with naringin by spray-drying for enhanced solubility and permeability

Naringin (NAR), a major flavanone (FVA) glycoside, is a component of food mainly obtained from grapefruit. We used NAR as a food additive to improve the solubility and permeability of hydrophobic polyphenols used as supplements in the food industry. The spray-dried particles (SDPs) of NAR alone show an amorphous state with a glass transition temperature (T_g) at 93.2 °C. SDPs of hydrophobic polyphenols, such as flavone (FVO), quercetin (QCT), naringenin (NRG), and resveratrol (RVT) were prepared by adding varying amounts of NAR. All SDPs of hydrophobic polyphenols with added NAR were in an amorphous state with a single T_g, but SDPs of hydrophobic polyphenols without added NAR showed diffraction peaks derived from each crystal. The SDPs with NAR could keep an amorphous state after storage at a high humidity condition for one month, except for SDPs of RVT/NAR. SDPs with NAR enhanced the solubility of hydrophobic polyphenols, especially NRG solubility, which was enhanced more than 9 times compared to NRG crystal. The enhanced solubility resulted in the increased membrane permeability of NRG. The antioxidant effect of the hydrophobic NRG was also enhanced by the synergetic effect of NAR. The findings demonstrated that NAR could be used as a food additive to enhance the solubility and membrane permeability of hydrophobic polyphenols.     

Boron doping induced electronic reconfiguration of Fe-Nx sites in N-doped carbon matrix for efficient oxygen reduction reaction in both alkaline and acidic media

Developing non-precious metal-based catalysts as the substitution of precious catalysts (Pt/C) in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for energy devices. Herein, a template and organic solvent-free method was adopted to synthesize Fe, B, and N doped nanoflake-like carbon materials (Fe/B/N–C) by pyrolysis of monoclinic ZIF-8 coated with iron precursors and boric acid. Benefiting from introducing B into Fe–N–C, the regulated electron cloud density of Fe-N_x sites enhance the charge transfer and promotes the ORR process. The as-synthesized Fe/B/N–C electrocatalyst shows excellent ORR activity of a half-wave potential (0.90 V vs 0.87 V of Pt/C), together with superior long-term stability (95.5% current density retention after 27 h) in alkaline media and is even comparable to the commercial Pt/C catalyst (with a half-wave potential of 0.74 V vs 0.82 V of Pt/C) in an acidic electrolyte. A Zn-air battery assembled with Fe/B/N–C as ORR catalyst delivers a higher open-circuit potential (1.47 V), specific capacity (759.9 mA h g^?1_Zn at 10 mA cm^?2), peak power density (62 mW cm^?2), as well as excellent durability (5 mA cm^?2 for more than 160 h) compared to those with commercial Pt/C. This work provides an effective strategy to construct B doped Fe–N–C materials as nonprecious ORR catalyst. Theoretical calculations indicate that introduction of B could induce Fe-N_x species electronic configuration and is favorable for activation of OH1 intermediates to promote ORR process.     

Changes in the content and antioxidative activity of β-carotene and its metabolite vitamin A during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption and optimisation of HPLC-based detection

The β-Carotene (BC), an important precursor of vitamin A (VA), possesses antioxidant activity but is fat-soluble and has low bioavailability. In previous in-vitro assays evaluating antioxidant and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) free radical scavenging, both BC and VA showed a strong ability to scavenge radicals and protected cells from oxidative stress. Here, we used artificially simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 cell absorption models to evaluate the bioavailability of the BC during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. We observed high absorptive and transfer rates of BC and detected retinol metabolites (Vitamin A). Therefore, BC can be detected in the acidic gastrointestinal environment using HPLC. Optimised method provided better separation of BC and VA in the column, improving the accuracy of the test results.     

Production of a halotolerant lipase from Halomonas sp. strain C2SS100: Optimization by response-surface methodology and application in detergent formulations

The aim of this work was to optimize the production of a new lipase by a halotolerant bacterial strain Halomonas sp. C2SS100, by means of the response-surface methodology (RSM). The process parameters having the most significant effect on lipase production were identified using the Plackett–Burman screening design-of-experiments. Then, Box–Behnken design was applied to optimize lipase activity and the quadratic regression model of the lipase production was built. Indeed, the lipase yield was increased, and the value obtained experimentally (39 ± 2 U/ml) was very close to the rate predicted by the model (40.3 U/ml). Likewise, optimization of parameters by RSM resulted in 2.78-fold increase in lipase activity. These findings provide the first report on lipase production and optimization by a halotolerant bacterial strain belonging to Halomonas genus. Afterward, the biochemical properties of the produced lipase were studied for apply in oil stains removal. The crude lipase showed a maximum activity at 60°C and at pH ranging from 7 to 10. It displayed an important stability at high temperature, pH, and NaCl. Interestingly, this bacterial lipase exhibited a prominent stability toward some commercial solid and liquid detergents after 30 min of incubation at 50°C. The capability of the crude lipase to eliminate stain was ascertained on polycotton fabric pieces stained with lubricating oil. Whether with the addition of hot water alone or of a commercially available detergent, lipase is able to considerably boost the elimination of oil stains. The actual findings highlight the capacity of Halomonas sp. lipase for energy-efficient biocatalytic application.     

Preparation,structural and photocatalytic activity of Sn/Fe co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles by sol-gel method

Pure and Sn/Fe co-doped (0.2 at.% Sn and 0.6 at.% Fe, 0.6 at.% Sn and 0.2 at.% Fe, 1.0 at.% Sn and 1.0 at.% Fe) TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized via a sol-gel method and subsequently calcined at different temperatures. Furthermore, the particles were analyzed by TG-DSC, XRD, TEM, HRTEM, EDS, SAED and UV–Vis for investigating the influences of dopant and calcination temperature on the thermal effect, composition, morphology, energy band gap (E_g) and the degradation efficiency of methyl orange (MO) under various light irradiations respectively. Results indicated that Sn/Fe co-doping inhibited the crystallization transformation from anatase to rutile phase of TiO₂ and decreased the E_g. The increased calcination temperature and Sn/Fe co-doped effect brought about the abnormal grain growth of TiO₂ nanoparticles. 0.6 at.% Sn/0.2 at.% Fe and 1.0 at.% Sn/1.0 at.% Fe co-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles presented better photocatalytic performance than pure and 0.2 at.% Sn/0.6 at.% Fe co-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles under visible light irradiation mainly due to the decreased E_g. On the contrary, 0.2 at.% Sn and 0.6 at.% Fe co-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles calcined at 650 °C showed the most excellent photocatalytic performance under UV light irradiation, which was about twice as large as that of pure TiO₂ possibly due to the formed hybrid structure of anatase and rutile phase as well as the h⁺-mediated decomposition pathway.     

A Novel LRRK2 Variant p.G2294R in the WD40 Domain Identified in Familial Parkinson’s Disease Affects LRRK2 Protein Levels

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a major causative gene of late-onset familial Parkinson’s disease (PD). The suppression of kinase activity is believed to confer neuroprotection, as most pathogenic variants of LRRK2 associated with PD exhibit increased kinase activity. We herein report a novel LRRK2 variant—p.G2294R—located in the WD40 domain, detected through targeted gene-panel screening in a patient with familial PD. The proband showed late-onset Parkinsonism with dysautonomia and a good response to levodopa, without cognitive decline or psychosis. Cultured cell experiments revealed that p.G2294R is highly destabilized at the protein level. The LRRK2 p.G2294R protein expression was upregulated in the patient’s peripheral blood lymphocytes. However, macrophages differentiated from the same peripheral blood showed decreased LRRK2 protein levels. Moreover, our experiment indicated reduced phagocytic activity in the pathogenic yeasts and α-synuclein fibrils. This PD case presents an example wherein the decrease in LRRK2 activity did not act in a neuroprotective manner. Further investigations are needed in order to elucidate the relationship between LRRK2 expression in the central nervous system and the pathogenesis caused by altered LRRK2 activity.     

Meta-Analysis of Methamphetamine Modulation on Amyloid Precursor Protein through HMGB1 in Alzheimer’s Disease

The deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) through the cleavage of amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) is a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study used QIAGEN Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to conduct meta-analysis on the molecular mechanisms by which methamphetamine (METH) impacts AD through modulating the expression of APP. All the molecules affected by METH and APP were collected from the QIAGEN Knowledge Base (QKB); 78 overlapping molecules were identified. Upon simulation of METH exposure using the “Molecule Activity Predictor” feature, eight molecules were found to be affected by METH and exhibited activation relationships on APP expression at a confidence of p = 0.000453 (Z-score = 3.51, two-tailed). Core Analysis of these eight molecules identified High Mobility Group Box protein 1 (HMGB1) signaling pathway among the top 5 canonical pathways with most overlap with the 8-molecule dataset. Simulated METH exposure increased APP expression through HMGB1 at a confidence of p < 0.00001 (Z-score = 7.64, two-tailed). HMGB1 is a pathogenic hallmark in AD progression. It not only increases the production of inflammatory mediators, but also mediates the disruption of the blood-brain barrier. Our analyses suggest the involvement of HMGB1 signaling pathway in METH-induced modulation of APP as a potential casual factor of AD.