Preparation of nano-MFI zeolites doped with Al/Ti and their performance in VOC sorption.

Highly crystalline nano-MFI-type zeolites containing different elements were synthesized, and the sorption effects of the elements on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated. The results showed that the optimal toluene and acetone breakthrough time of the synthesized zeolites was 2.1 and 1.9 times as long as that of the commercial zeolite, respectively. For a weakly polar toluene molecule, MFI zeolites (aluminum-free) showed better adsorption properties than aluminum-containing zeolites. For the highly polar acetone molecule, zeolites with a Si/Al ratio of 87 showed the highest adsorption capacity, which was 7% higher than that of the all-silica zeolite and 1.4 times that of the commercial zeolite. Furthermore, MFI zeolites with Ti replacing part of Al proved to have better performance for highly polar molecules. In the adsorption process of VOCs, in addition to internal diffusion, diffusion on the external surface of the zeolite also played a remarkable role, and the adsorption data of all samples fitted better with the pseudo-first-order model. This study may provide a reliable structure-performance relationship for the synthesis of nanosized zeolite-based adsorbents and their use in the industrial recovery/treatment of VOCs.

7-Methoxyheptaphylline Enhances TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cell via JNK-Mediated DR5 Expression.

A cytokine known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has the ability to precisely cause the death of cancer cells, while normal cells are left undisturbed. Recent studies show that certain cancer cells are sensitive to the apoptotic effect of TRAIL. In this study, HT29 colorectal adenocarcinoma cells exposed to TRAIL were treated with heptaphylline and 7-methoxyheptaphylline from Clausena harmandiana in an effort to comprehend the mechanisms involved behind this activity. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was utilized to determine cell survival, and phase contrast microscopy was used to examine cell morphology. Through using real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting, and RT-PCR, the molecular mechanisms were investigated. According to the findings, whilst hepataphylline caused cytotoxicity in normal colon FHC cells, in comparison to healthy colon FHC cells, 7-methoxyheptaphylline inhibited cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Heptaphylline alone or in conjunction with TRAIL showed no discernible effect on TRAIL-induced HT29 cell death, but 7-methoxyheptaphylline boosted caspase-3 cleavage. The study showed that the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway was responsible for the 7-methoxyheptaphylline's enhancement of the death receptor 5 (DR5) mRNA, TRAIL receptor, and protein. The results demonstrated that the 7-methoxyheptaphylline of Clausena harmandiana increased the expression of DR5 via the JNK pathway, intensifying TRAIL-induced HT29 cell death.

Upgradation of methane in the biogas by hydrogenation of CO2 in a prototype reactor with double pass operation over optimized Ni-Ce/Al-MCM-41 catalyst.

The upgradation of methane in biogas by hydrogenation of CO2 has been currently recognized as a promising route for efficient full utilization of renewable biogas with potential benefits for storage of renewable hydrogen energy and abatement of greenhouse gas emission. As a main constituent of biogas, CO2 can act as a backbone for the formation of additional CH4 by hydrogenation, then producing higher amounts of biomethane. In this work, the upgradation process was investigated in a prototype reactor of double pass operation with vertical alignment using an optimized Ni-Ce/Al-MCM-41 catalyst. The experimental results show that the double pass operation that removes water vapor during the run can significantly increase CO2 conversion, resulting in higher CH4 production yield. As a result, the purity of biomethane increased by 15% higher than a single pass operation. In addition, search for optimum condition of the process was carried out within an investigated range of conditions including flowrate (77-1108 ml min-1), pressure (1 atm-20 bar), and temperature (200-500 °C). The durability test for 458 h was performed using the obtained optimum condition, and it shows that the optimized catalyst can perform excellent stability with negligible influence by the observed change in catalyst properties. The comprehensive characterization on physicochemical properties of fresh and spent catalysts was performed, and the results were discussed.

Selective Conversion of Glycerol to Methanol over CaO-Modified HZSM-5 Zeolite.

Biodiesel is generally produced from vegetable oils and methanol, which also generates glycerol as byproduct. To improve the overall economic performance of the process, the selective formation of methanol from glycerol is important in biodiesel production. In the present study, a CaO modified HZSM-5 zeolite was prepared by an impregnation method and used for the conversion of glycerol to methanol. We found that the 10%CaO/HZSM-5 with Si/Al ratio of 38 exhibited highest selectivity to methanol of 70%, with a glycerol conversion of 100% under 340 ℃ and atmospheric pressure. The characterization results showed that the introduction of a small amount of CaO into the HZSM-5 did not affect the structure of zeolite. The incorporation of HZSM-5 as an acidic catalyst and CaO as a basic catalyst in a synergistic catalysis system led to higher conversion of glycerol and selectivity of methanol.

Multi-Target Actions of Acridones from Atalantia monophylla towards Alzheimer's Pathogenesis and Their Pharmacokinetic Properties.

Ten acridones isolated from Atalantia monophylla were evaluated for effects on Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis including antioxidant effects, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, prevention of beta-amyloid (Aß) aggregation and neuroprotection. To understand the mechanism, the type of AChE inhibition was investigated in vitro and binding interactions between acridones and AChE or Aß were explored in silico. Drug-likeness and ADMET parameters were predicted in silico using SwissADME and pKCSM programs, respectively. All acridones showed favorable drug-likeness and possessed multifunctional activities targeting AChE function, Aß aggregation and oxidation. All acridones inhibited AChE in a mixed-type manner and bound AChE at both catalytic anionic and peripheral anionic sites. In silico analysis showed that acridones interfered with Aß aggregation by interacting at the central hydrophobic core, C-terminal hydrophobic region, and the key residues 41 and 42. Citrusinine II showed potent multifunctional action with the best ADMET profile and could alleviate neuronal cell damage induced by hydrogen peroxide and Aß1-42 toxicity.

In-situ catalytic upgrading of bio-oil from rapid pyrolysis of biomass over hollow HZSM-5 with mesoporous shell.

To solve the issue of narrow micropores in traditional protonic type Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (HZSM-5) catalysts in the restricting of large-molecular reactants/products diffusion, hollow HZSM-5 with a mesoporous shell was prepared using a hydrothermal method combined with a tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) treatment process. Applying for in-situ catalyst upgrading of bio-oil from rapid pyrolysis of biomass, the obtained most efficient catalyst of Hollow(30)-TP resulted in aromatic hydrocarbon yields in the range of 78.49-78.67% for cellulose and hemicellulose, which is much greater than those using the traditional HZSM-5 (61.06-68.26%). Furthermore, in the case using real biomass (cedar) with an optimal biomass/catalyst weight ratio of 1:2, the aromatic hydrocarbon yield reached up to 80.16%. In addition, this catalyst exhibited excellent reusability and regeneration property due to the increased accessibility to the acid sites in the hollow HZSM-5 for the improving of the reaction rate as well as the reducing of coking.

Magnesium Oxide-Catalyzed Conversion of Chitin to Lactic Acid.

Invited for this month's cover are the groups of Prasert Reubroycharoen at the Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) and Aritomo Yamaguchi at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan). The cover picture shows the the conversion of chitin, which is generated by food processing, into lactic acid with catalysis by magnesium oxides. Although chitin, a main component of the shells of crustaceans, can be converted to valuable products by means of homogeneous catalysis, most of the chitin is treated as industrial waste because use of homogeneous catalysts is compromised by difficulties associated with product separation from the catalysts and the recyclability of the catalysts. Thus, a method for converting chitin to useful chemicals, such as lactic acid, by using solid catalysts would be beneficial. Magnesium oxide catalysts can be reused twice without loss of activity. Read the full text of their Full Paper at 10.1002/open.202000303.

Magnesium Oxide-Catalyzed Conversion of Chitin to Lactic Acid.

Although chitin, an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine polysaccharide, can be converted to valuable products by means of homogeneous catalysis, most of the chitin generated by food processing is treated as industrial waste. Thus, a method for converting this abundant source of biomass to useful chemicals, such as lactic acid, would be beneficial. In this study, we determined the catalytic activities of various metal oxides for chitin conversion at 533 K and found that MgO showed the highest activity for lactic acid production. X-ray diffraction analysis and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis showed that the MgO was transformed to Mg(OH)2 during chitin conversion. The highest yield of lactic acid (10.8 %) was obtained when the reaction was carried out for 6 h with 0.5 g of the MgO catalyst. The catalyst could be recovered as a solid residue after the reaction and reused twice with no decrease in the lactic acid yield.

Enhanced adsorptive composite foams for copper (II) removal utilising bio-renewable polyisoprene-functionalised carbon derived from coconut shell waste.

A bio -renewable polyisoprene obtained from Hevea Brasiliensis was used to produce functionalised carbon composite foam as an adsorbent for heavy metal ions. Functionalised carbon materials (C-SO3H, C-COOH, or C-NH2) derived from coconut shell waste were prepared via a hydrothermal treatment. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the functionalised carbon particles had spherical shapes with rough surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that the functional groups were successfully functionalised over the carbon surface. The foaming process allowed for the addition of carbon (up to seven parts per hundred of rubber) to the high ammonia natural rubber latex. The composite foams had open pore structures with good dispersion of the functionalised carbon. The foam performance on copper ion adsorption has been investigated with regard to their functional group and adsorption conditions. The carbon foams achieved maximum Cu(II) adsorption at 56.5 [Formula: see text] for C-SO3H, 55.7 [Formula: see text] for C-COOH, and 41.9 [Formula: see text] for C-NH2, and the adsorption behaviour followed a pseudo-second order kinetics model.

Candidone Inhibits Migration and Invasion, and Induces Apoptosis in HepG2 Cells.

The aim of the study was to investigate the inhibitory activity of candidone, the active constituent of Derris (D.) indica, on the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) cells. Cancer cell death was assessed using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and apoptosis-associated morphological changes were observed by phase contrast microscopy. Additionally, Western blotting was used to study protein expression following treatment with candidone, and transwell migration and invasion assays were used for observing cancer cell migration and invasiveness, respectively. The results suggest that candidone possesses potent inhibitory activity against HepG2 cells (concentration, 100 µM; 24 h treatment). Cancer cells treated with candidone exhibited apoptosis-associated changes, including detachment, cell shrinkage and death. Furthermore, candidone was shown to promote cell death by activating caspase-3 and -9, and decreasing the expression of antiapoptotic proteins, including p65, induced myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein Mcl-1, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), Bcl2-associated agonist of cell death and survivin. Moreover, candidone inhibited the migration and invasion abilities of HepG2 cells and decreased the levels of proteins associated with these processes, including phospho-p38 and active matrix metallopeptidase 9. Collectively, the results of the present study indicate that candidone is able to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasive potential of HepG2 cells.

Structure-Activity Analysis and Molecular Docking Studies of Coumarins from Toddalia asiatica as Multifunctional Agents for Alzheimer's Disease.

Coumarins, naturally occurring phytochemicals, display a wide spectrum of biological activities by acting on multiple targets. Herein, nine coumarins from the root of Toddalia asiatica were evaluated for activities related to pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). They were examined for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and AChE- or self-induced amyloid beta (Aß) aggregation inhibitory activities, as well as neuroprotection against H2O2- and Aß1-42-induced human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell damage. Moreover, in order to understand the mechanism, the binding interactions between coumarins and their targets: (i) AChE and (ii) Aß1-42 peptide were investigated in silico. All coumarins exhibited mild to moderate AChE and self-induced Aß aggregation inhibitory actions. In addition, the coumarins substituted with the long alkyl chain at position 6 or 8 illustrated ability to inhibit AChE-induced Aß aggregation, resulting from their dual binding site at catalytic anionic site and peripheral active site in AChE. Moreover, the most potent multifunctional coumarin, phellopterin, could attenuate neuronal cell damage induced by H2O2 and Aß1-42 toxicity. Conclusively, seven out of nine coumarins were identified as multifunctional agents inhibiting the pathogenesis of AD. The structure-activity relationship information obtained might be applied for further optimization of coumarins into a useful drug which may combat AD.

Waste biomass valorization through production of xylose-based porous carbon microspheres for supercapacitor applications.

Sequential potassium hydroxide (KOH)-phosphoric acid (H3PO4) activation was applied to biomass waste to fabricate activated carbon microspheres (mCMs) with a controllable porous structure. Carbon microspheres (CMs) were first synthesized from xylose using a bottom-up approach of hydrothermal carbonization. Sequential KOH and H3PO4 activation was applied to the CMs in a KOH-carbon solid reaction. This created pores, which were further enlarged by adsorption of H3PO4. The KOH:carbon (C) and H3PO4:C molar ratios, and the H3PO4 heating rate and activation time, were varied to investigate the effect on average pore size and pore distribution. A uniform porous structure was formed without destruction of the spherical shape, and an almost 700-fold increase in surface area was obtained over the non-activated CMs. Following activation with H3PO4, phosphorous groups were found to be present at the surface of the carbon microspheres. The mCM was tested as a supercapacitor electrode and was shown to have a maximum specific capacitance of up to 277F g-1. A Ragone plot showed the maximum power density to be 173.88 W Kg-1. This increased specific capacitance was attributed to the increase in surface area and the presence of phosphorous-containing acid sites on the material surface.

A Well-Defined Core-Shell-Structured Capsule Catalyst for Direct Conversion of CO2 into Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

A Pd/SiO2 @S1@H-ZSM-5 capsule catalyst (Pd/SiO2 -SZ) is fabricated through a dual-layer crystal growth method with an auxiliary hydrothermal reaction. The catalyst exhibits excellent selectivity to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in CO2 hydrogenation reactions, which is attributed to the tandem reactions of methanol synthesis on the Pd/SiO2 core catalyst and methanol dehydration to hydrocarbons on the H-ZSM-5 shell. The Pd/SiO2 -SZ capsule catalyst has a similar mesoporous structure, narrow range of Pd particles size distribution, and consistent reduction characteristics to the Pd/SiO2 core catalyst. It maintains the physical and chemical properties of the core catalyst throughout the H-ZSM-5 shell synthesis process. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal that the H-ZSM-5 zeolite shell completely encapsulates the Pd/SiO2 core catalyst. Compared with the crushed capsule catalyst (Pd/SiO2 -SZP), the well-defined-structured Pd/SiO2 -SZ catalyst has a much higher LPG selectivity of 33.6 %, owing to the well-matched reactions at the Pd/SiO2 core and H-ZSM-5 shell.

Fe-Containing MOFs as Seeds for the Preparation of Highly Active Fe/Al-SBA-15 Catalysts in the NAlkylation of Aniline.

We have successfully incorporated iron species into mesoporous aluminosilicates (AlSBA15) using a simple mechanochemical milling method. The catalysts were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), pyridine (PY) and 2,6-dimethylpyridine (DMPY) pulse chromatography titration, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The catalysts were tested in the N-alkylation reaction of aniline with benzyl alcohol for imine production. According to the results, the iron sources, acidity of catalyst and reaction conditions were important factors influencing the reaction. The catalyst showed excellent catalytic performance, achieving 97% of aniline conversion and 96% of imine selectivity under optimized conditions.

Fabrication and evaluation of nanocellulose sponge for oil/water separation.

Nanocellulose sponge was fabricated by a facile method: freeze-drying of nanocellulose aqueous suspension to sponge state, following by hydrophobic treatment with stearoyl chloride at 50 °C for 1 h. The obtained nanocellulose sponge showed superhydrophobicity (160° of water contact angle) and superoleophilicity with high protection from water but selective absorption of oil. Its absorption capacities for various kinds of oil and non-polar liquids were 25-55 times higher than its dry weight and exhibited excellent selectivity for absorbing of oil which spilled on the surface of water or underwater with high separation efficiency. This superhydrophobic nanocellulose sponge can be easily recovered by simple squeezing and reused at least 10 cycles with remained high separation efficiency. It is expected that such a biodegradable nanocellulose sponge can be applied to solve the oil spill accident and treat the oily wastewater from households and industries.

Combination of Nimbolide and TNF-α-Increases Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Cell Death through JNK-mediated DR5 Up- regulation.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), an inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in the control of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, has previously been used in anti-cancer therapy. However, the therapeutic applications of TNF-α are largely limited due to its general toxicity and anti-apoptotic influence. To overcome this problem, the present study focused on the effect of active constituents isolated from a medicinal plant on TNF-α-induced apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cells. Nimbolide from Azadirachta indica was evaluated for cytotoxicity by methyl tetrazolium 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and phase contrast microscopy. Effects on apoptotic signaling proteins were investigated using Western blot analysis. Nimbolide showed cytotoxicity against HT-29 cells that was significantly different from the control group (<0.01), a concentration of 10 µM significantly inducing cell death (<0.01). In combination with TNF-α, nimbolide significantly enhanced-induced cell death. In apoptotic pathway, nimbolide activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation, BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (Bid) and up-regulated the death receptor 5 (DR5) level. In the combination group, nimbolide markedly sensitized TNF-α-induced JNK, Bid, caspase-3 activation and the up-regulation of DR5. Our findings overall indicate that nimbolide may enhance TNF-α-mediated cellular proliferation inhibition through increasing cell apoptosis of HT-29 cells by up-reglation of DR5 expression via the JNK pathway.

Green biodiesel production from waste cooking oil using an environmentally benign acid catalyst.

The application of an environmentally benign sulfonated carbon microsphere catalyst for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil was investigated. This catalyst was prepared by the sequential hydrothermal carbonization and sulfonation of xylose. The morphology, surface area, and acid properties were analyzed. The surface area and acidity of the catalyst were 86m(2)/g and 1.38mmol/g, respectively. In addition, the presence of sulfonic acid on the carbon surface was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalytic activity was tested for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil via a two-step reaction to overcome reaction equilibrium. The highest biodiesel yield (89.6%) was obtained at a reaction temperature of 110°C, duration time of 4h, and catalyst loading of 10wt% under elevated pressure 2.3bar and 1.4bar for first and second step, respectively. The reusability of the catalyst was investigated and showed that the biodiesel yield decreased by 9% with each cycle; however, this catalyst is still of interest because it is an example of green chemistry, is nontoxic, and makes use of xylose waste.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling study of novel tacrine-carbazole hybrids as potential multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

New tacrine-carbazole hybrids were developed as potential multifunctional anti-Alzheimer agents for their cholinesterase inhibitory and radical scavenging activities. The developed compounds showed high inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC50 values ranging from 0.48 to 1.03 µM and exhibited good inhibition selectivity against AChE over butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). Molecular modeling studies revealed that these tacrine-carbazole hybrids interacted simultaneously with the catalytic active site (CAS) and the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of AChE. The derivatives containing methoxy group showed potent ABTS radical scavenging activity. Considering their neuroprotection, our results indicate that these derivatives can reduce neuronal death induced by oxidative stress and ß-amyloid (Aß). Moreover, S1, the highest potency for both radical scavenging and AChE inhibitory activity, exhibited an ability to improve both short-term and long-term memory deficit in mice induced by scopolamine. Overall, tacrine-carbazole derivatives can be considered as a candidate with potential impact for further pharmacological development in Alzheimer's therapy.