Natural Clay-Modified Piezocatalytic Membrane for Efficient Removal of Coliform Bacteria from Wastewater.

In the modern era, water pollution, especially from industries, agricultural farms, and residential areas, is caused by the release of a large scale of heavy metals, organic pollutants, chemicals, etc., into the environment, posing a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and nature. Moreover, untreated sewage waste discharged directly into nearby water bodies can cause various diseases to mankind due to the high load of fecal coliform bacteria. This work demonstrates the development of a biocompatible, cost-effective, highly robust, efficient, flexible, freestanding, and reusable membrane using naturally formed biocompatible kaolinite clay-doped poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) for effective piezodynamic destruction of coliform bacteria. In this study, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) have been used to evaluate the mechanical stimulus-responsive antibacterial efficacy of the nanocomposite membrane. The membrane can effectively eradicate nearly 99% viable E. coli and 97% E. faecalis within a span of 40 min under mechanical stimulation (soft ultrasound ∼15 kHz). To further understand the mechanism, an evaluation of reactive oxygen species and bacterial FESEM was performed. These studies revealed that bacterial cells suffered severe visible cell damage after 40 min of piezocatalysis, elucidating the fact that the synthesized membrane is capable of producing a superior piezodynamic antibacterial effect.

Piezo-responsive bismuth ferrite nanoparticle-mediated catalytic degradation of rhodamine B and pathogenic E. coli in aqueous medium and its extraction using external magnetic stimulation after successful treatment.

This work reports a solvothermal synthesis of ferromagnetic bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanoparticle and its piezo activity in the domain of catalytic degradation of carcinogenic and genotoxic rhodamine B (RhB) dye and pathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria as well. After synthesis and characterization, the structural and morphological features of the catalyst were further investigated using density functional theory (DFT), which enabled us to estimate the polarizability and many other important electrical properties of the synthesized material. The DFT study reveals remarkably high polarizability and dipole moment, which were utilized to validate the generation of piezo response by the synthesized material. Interestingly, we found enhanced piezo catalytic degradation efficiency (η ∼ 99%) along with a high rate constant (k ∼ 2.259 × 10-2 min-1), indicating a fast and efficient degradation process. In the case of pathogenic bacteria E. coli, the degradation efficacy was found to be ∼94%. Moreover, the extraction of this catalyst is quite simple. Due to its high remanent magnetization (retentivity ∼0.08 emu g-1), the catalyst can be extracted from the treated water sample by using external magnetic stimulation, making it a potential candidate for sustainable wastewater treatment.

Biocompatible Carbon Dot Decorated α-FeOOH Nanohybrid for an Effective Fluorometric Sensing of Cr (VI) in Wastewater and Living Cells.

This article reports the fluorometric detection of toxic hexavalent chromium Cr (VI)) in wastewater and Cr (VI) contaminated living cells using in-situ grown carbon quantum dots into the goethite (α-FeOOH) nano-matrix. The synthesized nano-hybrid shows enormous potential in determining the chromium contamination levels in various types of water samples. This selective fluorometric probe is enormously sensitive (LOD 81 nM) toward hexavalent chromium, which makes it a dedicated chromium sensor. Moreover, the sensing mechanism has been assessed using Stern-Volmer's equation and fluorescence lifetime experiments showing the simultaneous occurrence of photoinduced electron transfer and the inner filter effect. This chromium sensor has also been employed to assess the contamination level in real-life industrial wastewater. The performance of this probe in a real-life wastewater sample is quite commendable. Further, this biocompatible fluorometric probe has been used to demonstrate the in-vitro sensing of Cr (VI) in HeLa cells. The rapid detection mechanism of hexavalent chromium in living cells has been validated using theoretical docking simulations. Henceforth, this fluorometric sensor material could open new avenues not only in wastewater monitoring but also in biomedical applications.

Managing gene expression in Pseudomonas simiae EGD-AQ6 for chloroaromatic compound degradation.

Pseudomonas simiae EGD-AQ6 is capable of utilizing chloroaromatic compound i.e., 2-4-D efficiently in its biofilm phenotype. The differential accumulation of intermediate 4-chlorocatechol rates were significant in planktonic and biofilm phenotypes, as well as in the  increased biofilm adapted cell numbers. Interestingly, response surface analysis demonstrated the combined positive effects of 2-4-D degradation and 4-CCA accumulation rates and the gene expression profiles, with significant up-regulation of degradative and biofilm genes, and greater participation of pellicle genes in the biofilm phenotypes than their planktonic counterparts, thereby revealing a phenotype variation. It positively validated the physiological data. Furthermore, the sequence similarity of the 2-4-D catabolic and biofilm-forming proteins (pel ABCDEFG and pga ABCD), which are responsible for building carbohydrate rich extracellular matrix, were significant with the respective organisms. This is the first study, which endorses this strain to be unique in efficient chloro-aromatic degradation through phenotype variation, thereby proving a potential candidate in the improvement of bioremediation technologies.

Nitrogenous carbon dot decorated natural microcline: an ameliorative dual fluorometric probe for Fe3+ and Cr6+ detection.

In the modern era, the escalation of heavy metal discharges, especially from the industrial sector, is causing an enormous threat to nature. This article explores the dual sensing of heavy metals (Cr6+ and Fe3+) using a naturally formed microcline based sensor. A nano-sized microcline (M) was obtained via a facile top-down synthesis. In order to enhance the fluorescence property of the material, nitrogenous carbon-dots were loaded into the porous structure of the microcline (MCD) causing a bright blue fluorescence with remarkable stability. Detailed analysis of the composition and structure of the natural nano-sensor was carried out using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and BET analysis. This sensor material is highly selective towards Cr6+ and Fe3+, demonstrating a "turn-off" response in aqueous Fe3+ and a radical red shift of the fluorescence maxima for aqueous Cr6+. Density functional studies suggest that photoinduced electron transfer (PET) based quenching of fluorescence is responsible for these types of fluorescence alteration mechanisms. Efficient sensing of both Cr6+ and Fe3+ in various real-life water samples along with a real wastewater sample is also reported herein. A few studies have previously reported on efficient, natural material-based sensors, but they lack real-life applications due to their complicated synthesis and restricted functionalities. This work manages to overcome those drawbacks in its own fashion, providing a tremendously selective and sensitive (4 µM for Cr6+ and 19 µM for Fe3+) dual fluorescent probe.

Development of a Cu(ii) doped boehmite based multifunctional sensor for detection and removal of Cr(vi) from wastewater and conversion of Cr(vi) into an energy harvesting source.

This article reports a copper doped boehmite (CBH) based nano-material which is capable of detecting and removing hexavalent chromium simultaneously. Basic characterization has been performed to determine its phase purity, particle size (∼20 nm), morphology and surface properties (surface area 15.29 m2 g-1 and pore diameter 3.9 nm) by using some basic characterization tools. The Rietveld refinement method has been adopted to analyze the microstructural details of the synthesized nanostructure. Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) based quenching of fluorescence is mainly responsible for chromium sensing in this case. This nanosensor is exceptionally sensitive (limit of detection ∼ 6.24 µM) and merely selective towards hexavalent chromium ions. Industrial wastewater samples have also been used here to demonstrate the real life applicability of this material, which shows the same trend. This fluoro-sensor gains its multi-functionality when it comes to the adsorption based removal of Cr(vi) from wastewater. The synthesized material shows a remarkably high adsorption rate (∼85% in just 5 minutes) due to its sponge-like porous structure. Adsorption of hexavalent chromium from wastewater enhances the dielectric constant of this material significantly (∼7.93 times). Ionic polarization-dependent enhancement of the dielectric constant resulting from industrial wastewater treatment is a quite unmarked approach. Very low tangent loss with augmented dielectric permittivity makes this nano-material desirable for energy harvesting applications. Previously many articles have reported the sensing and removal of various industrial effluents. Keeping this in mind, this work has been designed and, apart from sensing and removal, it provides a new insight into energy harvesting from wastewater.

Proton Conductivity and Sorption Study in Three Sulfonic Group Functionalized Mixed Ligand Coordination Polymers and the Impact of Structural Dynamicity on Their Property.

Two new mixed ligand coordination polymers (CPs) that are sulfonic group functionalized, namely, {[Cd(bpe)0.5(5-sip)(H2O)]·4H2O(bpeH2)0.5}n (1) and {[Cd1.5(bte)(5-sip)(H2O)3]·3H2O}n (2) [where 5-sip = trinegative 5-sulfoisophthalate salt, bpe = 4,4'-bispyridylethane, bte = 1,2-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)ethane] have been synthesized through the variation of the N,N'-donor connectors only, at room temperature by using a slow diffusion technique. The structural analyses of both the complexes by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies clearly revealed the formation of 2D sheets containing guest water molecules entrapped in the 1D channel. A structurally similar reported compound {[Cd1.5(btp)(5-sip)(H2O)3]·2H2O}n (3) has also been synthesized to compare the property of the newly synthesized compound. Herein, all the compounds show their humidity dependent proton conductivity as well as gas sorption behavior, which are signatures of their multifunctionality in the field of not only synthetic chemistry but also in material science. It is worth mentioning that the hydrogen bond network by the guest/coordinated waters, dicarboxylic, as well as sulfonic acid group(s) are present in the interlayer spaces, which are basically responsible for showing this high degree of proton conductivity in addition to significant water adsorption. Interesting phase transformation of compound 1 during experimental study perhaps plays a crucial role for its highest conductivity value among the three reported compounds. Herein it has found that the proton conductivity values vary in the range of ∼10-5-10-7 S cm-1 at 65 °C under 95% relative humidity (RH) corroborating the Grotthus mechanism of proton conduction. All the dehydrated frameworks exhibit adsorption of different gases (e.g., CO2 and N2) and solvents (e.g., EtOH and H2O). In the case of compound 1 and 3, selective CO2 uptake has been observed.

Gd(III)-Doped Boehmite Nanoparticle: An Emergent Material for the Fluorescent Sensing of Cr(VI) in Wastewater and Live Cells.

This article reports the effect of Gd(III) doping on the structure, microstructure, and optical properties of boehmite nanoparticles. The bright-blue fluorescence along with a long lifetime makes our material an efficient candidate for optical applications. Our material particularly targets and eliminates hexavalent chromium ions (Cr(VI)) from aqueous media, which turns it into a multifunctional fluorescent nanosensor (MFNS). The development of an efficient hexavalent chromium ion (Cr(VI)) sensor to detect and quantify Cr(VI) ions is still a serious issue worldwide. Thus, this work will be very beneficial for various environmental applications. No such work has been reported so far which includes cost-effective and biocompatible boehmite nanoparticles in this field. Detailed synthesis and characterization procedures for the MFNS have been incorporated here. The biocompatibility of the MFNS has also been studied rigorously by performing cell survivability assay (MTT) and cellular morphology assessments. Our extensive research confirmed that the "turn-off" sensing mechanism of this sensor material is based on a collisional quenching model which initiates the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process. High selectivity and sensitivity (∼1.05 × 10-5 M) of the MFNS toward hexavalent chromium ions even in real life wastewater samples have been confirmed, which makes this fluorescent probe a potential candidate for new age imaging and sensing technologies.

D-Tryptophan governs biofilm formation rates and bacterial interaction in P. mendocina and S. aureus.

Biofilm genesis by Pseudomonasand Staphylococcus sp is associated with biofouling in natural settings. D-Tryptophan (D-Trp) inhibits bacterial biofilms and have been proposed for biofouling control applications. In this study, D-Trp significantly inhibited Pseudomonas mendocina and Staphylococcus aureuscell attachment (biofilm formation) rates on polystyrene96-well microtiter plates in comparison with L-Tryptophan (L-Trp) and mixtures of D-/L-Tryptophan (D-/L-Trp). Theinhibitory effect was greater on P. mendocina,where the rate of cell adherence was declined to 8.79105cells/h from8.09106cells/h (control) inP. mendocina.InS. aureusit was declined to 4.29107cells/h from 9.29107cells/h(control) at 1 mM concentration. It hindered the intracellular communication and adherence in both the strains, as con-firmed by SEM and real time PCR analysis. Addition of D-Trp to preformed biofilms also caused partial disassembly. Intraand interbacterial aggregation were decreased subsequently upon treatment with D-Trp. It repressed the genes involved incell-cell communication, which could be responsible for the diminished biofilm formation of the selected strains. HenceD-Tryptophan has proved to be an effective strategy to control biofilm and may support in the development of surfacecoating technologies.

Set of Multifunctional Azo Functionalized Semiconducting Cd(II)-MOFs Showing Photoswitching Property and Selective CO2 Adsorption.

Syntheses, structural characterizations, photoluminescence, and adsorption properties of three new azo-functionalized Cd(II)-MOFs, namely, {[Cd(azbpy)(msuc)]·2.5(H2O)}n (2), {[Cd(azbpy)(mglu)]·5(H2O)}n (3), and {[Cd1.5(azbpy)2(glu)]·(NO3)·MeOH}n (4) [where msuc2- = methylsuccinate; mglut2- = methylglutarate; glut2- = glutarate; azbpy = 4,4'-azobispyridine] have been reported. The compounds show different structures only with the variation of aliphatic dicarboxylates. The photoswitching behavior for the above-mentioned newly synthesized Cd(II)-MOFs along with one of our previously reported other azo-functionalized Cd(II)-MOF, namely, {[Cd(azbpy)(suc)]·2(H2O)}n (1), has been studied extensively. At photoilluminated condition, the conductivity values can draw a clear structure-property relationship among the structures of compounds 1-4. Single crystal structural analysis reveals that all the compounds exhibit a three-dimensional (3D) framework connected by azbpy linker and respective aliphatic dicarboxylate through their bis-chelating mono/bis oxo-bridging fashion. Compounds 1-3 exhibit an iso-structural honeycomb like 3D framework showing the same coordination environments, where the metal-carboxylate 2D sheets of compounds 1-3 are pillared by N,N'-donor azbpy linkers. On the other hand, compound 4 exhibits a 2-fold interpenetrated 3D framework with a little difference in its coordination environment and the pillaring of 1D metal-carboxylate ladder by azbpy linkers. All the compounds significantly demonstrate their enhanced sensitivity under light rather than the dark condition. The gas and solvent vapor sorption studies have been performed for the synthesized compounds 2-4. Moreover, compound 2 exhibits an enhanced type IV selective CO2 adsorption isotherm over N2 along with the appearance of gate opening phenomena in that.

Sulfonic Group Functionalized Mixed Ligand Coordination Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization, Water Sorption, and Proton Conduction Studies.

Five sulfonic acid group functionalized mixed ligand coordination polymers (CPs), namely, {[Zn(bpeH)(5-sip)(H2O)]·(H2O)}n (1), {[Cu(pyz)(5-Hsip)(H2O)2]·(H2O)2}n (2), {[Cu(bpee)0.5(5-sip)(H2O)2]·(H2O)4(bpeeH2)0.5}n (3), {[Cu(bpy)(5-Hsip)(H2O)]·(H2O)2}n (4), and {[Cu(bpy)2(5-H2sip)2]·(H2O)6}n (5) [where sip3- = 5-sulfoisophthalate; bpe = 4,4'-bispyridylethane; pyz = pyrazine; bpee = 4,4'-bispyridylethylene; bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine], have been synthesized with varying different N,N'-donor linkers using slow diffusion techniques at room temperature. The CPs possess guest water filled 1D channels and noncoordinating sulfonic acid or coordinated sulfonate groups, which are interconnected by means of extended intermolecular H-bonding interaction, which supports the humidity dependent proton conductivity of the samples. Under 95% relative humidity (% RH), the CPs exhibit the temperature dependent proton conductivity which is maximum up to in the range of ∼10-5-10-6 S cm-1 at 65 °C. In most of the cases, the framework shows activation energies with the value ranging from 0.35 to 0.54 eV, suggesting mostly the contribution of the Grotthuss mechanism of the proton conductivity.

The Nucleic Acid Database: new features and capabilities.

The Nucleic Acid Database (NDB) (http://ndbserver.rutgers.edu) is a web portal providing access to information about 3D nucleic acid structures and their complexes. In addition to primary data, the NDB contains derived geometric data, classifications of structures and motifs, standards for describing nucleic acid features, as well as tools and software for the analysis of nucleic acids. A variety of search capabilities are available, as are many different types of reports. This article describes the recent redesign of the NDB Web site with special emphasis on new RNA-derived data and annotations and their implementation and integration into the search capabilities.