New Strategy for Browning Prevention in Apple Pomace Processing and Toxicity Tested in a Rodent Model.

Apple pomace (AP) is a byproduct of apple juice industries, which constitutes around 30% of the original fruit and rich in essential compounds like carbohydrates, phenolics, minerals, and dietary fibers. This study is focused on optimizing the combinational utilization of antibrowning agents like l-cysteine and l-ascorbic acid for the sustainable debrowning of AP with response surface methodology and assessment of its acute toxicity in female rats. In addition, the phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of treated AP were investigated and compared with the untreated control AP.

Flower shaped BiO/BiWO composite: An efficient photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue from aqueous solution in direct solar light.

Herein, we synthesized a BiO/BiWO heterostructure as a platform for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in an aqueous phase. The heterostructure was synthesized by facile ultrasonicated assisted solvothermal method. Various structural, morphological and other techniques such as XRD, FTIR, PL, EIS, UV-DRS, FESEM, HRTEM, XPS, EPR, TGA, BET surface area were used to analyze the characteristics of as-synthesized BiO/BiWO.

Production and characterization of anthocyanin-rich beer from black wheat by an efficient isolate Saccharomyces cerevisiae CMS12.

Beer is the world's third most popular fermented beverage. It is typically made from malted barley. Tropical countries must import barley from temperate countries for brewing, which is an expensive process.

Solar-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants utilizing 2D g-CN/BiOCl composite.

Pharmaceuticals, which have been praised for protecting countless lives, have become a new category of environmental pollutants in recent decades as most of these pharmaceutical compounds are discovered in water bodies in concentrations ranging from ng/L to mg/L. Recently, metal-free g-CN (GCN)-based composites have received considerable attention for the degradation of pharmaceutical compounds. In this study, GCN/BiOCl composite was prepared using a simple ultrasonication-assisted stirring method and characterized using various analytical and spectroscopic techniques including XRD, FTIR, PL, Elemental mapping, UV-DRS, FESEM, HRTEM, and TGA.

Visible-light driven excellent photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin antibiotic using BiFeO nanoparticles.

The extensive exploration of multiferroic materials for degradation of contaminants and environmental remediation is promptly strengthened because of their distinct applications. BiFeO, a prominent class of multiferroics, have received immense attention in recent times. Present study reports the synthesis of a highly crystalline BiFeO via facile combustion method.

rGO-WO Heterostructure: Synthesis, Characterization and Utilization as an Efficient Adsorbent for the Removal of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Levofloxacin in an Aqueous Phase.

Herein, the heterostructure rGO-WO was hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by HRTEM (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy), FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron microscopy), nitrogen physisorption isotherm, Raman, TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) and zeta potential techniques. The HRTEM and FESEM images of the synthesized nanostructure revealed the successful loading of WO nanorods on the surface of rGO nanosheets. The prepared heterostructure was utilized as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of a third-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic, i.

The role of particulate matter in reduced visibility and anionic composition of winter fog: a case study for Amritsar city.

Severe fog events during winter months in India are a serious concern due to the higher incidence of road accidents, flight delays and increased occurrence of respiratory diseases. The present paper is an attempt to study the twenty fog samples collected from the rooftop of an academic building of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India from November 2017 to January 2018. Fog samples were analysed for various parameters pH, electrical conductivity (EC), chloride (Cl), nitrate (NO ) and sulphate (SO ) levels.

Dual Fluorometric Detection of Fe and Hg Ions in an Aqueous Medium Using Carbon Quantum Dots as a "Turn-off" Fluorescence Sensor.

The present study aimed to develop a carbon dots-based fluorescence (FL) sensor that can detect more than one pollutant simultaneously in the same aqueous solution. The carbon dots-based FL sensor has been prepared by employing a facile hydrothermal method using citric acid and ethylenediamine as precursors. The as-synthesized CDs displayed excellent hydrophilicity, good photostability and blue fluorescence under UV light.

Construction of multifunctional NH-UiO-66 metal organic framework: sensing and photocatalytic degradation of ketorolac tromethamine and tetracycline in aqueous medium.

Existence of pharmaceutical residues in water has endangered environmental pollution worldwide, which makes it ineludible to develop prospective bifunctional materials which not only possess excellent fluorescence behaviour to monitor pharmaceuticals but also exhibit simultaneous photocatalytic removal efficiency. Strengthened by functionalized metal organic framework (MOF) materials, we present here an amine functionalized zirconium-based MOF NH-UiO-66 which has been successfully synthesized using solvothermal approach. The as prepared MOF was subjected to numerous structural, morphological and compositional characterizations.

Adsorptive removal of antibiotic ofloxacin in aqueous phase using rGO-MoS heterostructure.

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization and detailed adsorption studies of rGO-MoS heterostructure. The heterostructure was explored for the adsorption of ofloxacin from the aqueous phase. Detailed studies were conducted to study the effect of crucial parameters such as pH of drug solution, adsorbent dose, temperature and initial drug concentration on the adsorption capacity.

BiWO/C-Dots/TiO: A Novel Z-Scheme Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Fluoroquinolone Levofloxacin from Aqueous Medium.

Photocatalytic materials and semiconductors of appropriate structural and morphological architectures as well as energy band gaps are materials needed for mitigating current environmental problems, as these materials have the ability to exploit the full spectrum of solar light in several applications. Thus, constructing a Z-scheme heterojunction is an ideal approach to overcoming the limitations of a single component or traditional heterogeneous catalysts for the competent removal of organic chemicals present in wastewater, to mention just one of the areas of application. A Z-scheme catalyst possesses many attributes, including enhanced light-harvesting capacity, strong redox ability and different oxidation and reduction positions.

Efficient Conversion of Glucose into Fructose via Extraction-Assisted Isomerization Catalyzed by Endogenous Polyamine Spermine in the Aqueous Phase.

In the present study, natural polyamine spermine is demonstrated as a potential basic catalyst for glucose-to-fructose isomerization. For instance, spermine achieves a decent fructose yield (30% wt) and selectivity (74%) during the single-step aqueous phase isomerization under the modest operating conditions (100 °C for 15 min). In addition to the expected reaction byproduct monosugar mannose, spermine also assists in the synthesis of rare and important monosugar, that is, psicose up to 4% wt.

Solar light active silver/iron oxide/zinc oxide heterostructure for photodegradation of ciprofloxacin, transformation products and antibacterial activity.

This paper reports on the multitasking potential of a silver/iron oxide/zinc oxide (Ag/FeO/ZnO) heterostructure, which was used for the photocatalytic decomposition of ciprofloxacin (CPX) and bacterial disinfection. The Ag/FeO/ZnO heterostructure was successfully prepared using a facile precipitation method, and characterization results showed interesting structural, morphological, compositional and luminescent properties. The morphological results of the prepared heterostructure confirmed the deposition of Ag nanoparticles onto the surface of ZnO nanoplates and FeO nanorods.

Rapid Solar-Light Driven Superior Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Using MoS₂-ZnO Heterostructure Nanorods Photocatalyst.

Herein, MoS₂-ZnO heterostructure nanorods were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized in detail using several compositional, optical, and morphological techniques. The comprehensive characterizations show that the synthesized MoS₂/ZnO heterostructure nanorods were composed of wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO and rhombohedral phase of MoS₂. The synthesized MoS₂/ZnO heterostructure nanorods were used as a potent photocatalyst for the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) dye under natural sunlight.

Expeditious isomerization of glucose to fructose in aqueous media over sodium titanate nanotubes.

Isomerization reaction of glucose to fructose over sodium titanate nanotubes (Na-TNTs) as a Lewis base catalyst was studied. Analytical instruments recorded the specific structural, textural and basic properties of the as-synthesized Na-TNTs. Furthermore, studying the catalytic isomerization performance of the Na-TNTs confirmed their high catalytic efficiency and suitability in aqueous media.

Recycling of Waste Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Bottles by Alkaline Hydrolysis and Recovery of Pure Nanospindle-Shaped Terephthalic Acid.

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a versatile engineering plastic which exhibits exceptional mechanical and thermal properties. Huge amounts of PET are consumed in various industries such as food packaging industry, textile industry, in the manufacturing of audio, video tapes and X-ray films and so on. But due to its substantial fraction by volume in water bodies and its high persistence to the atmospheric and biological agents, it could be considered as a hazard substance.

Improved levulinic acid production from agri-residue biomass in biphasic solvent system through synergistic catalytic effect of acid and products.

In this study, levulinic acid (LA) was produced from rice straw biomass in co-solvent biphasic reactor system consisting of hydrochloric acid and dichloromethane organic solvent. The modified protocol achieved a 15% wt LA yield through the synergistic effect of acid and acidic products (auto-catalysis) and the designed system allowed facile recovery of LA to the organic phase. Further purification of the resulting extractant was achieved through traditional column chromatography, which yielded a high purity LA product while recovering ∼85% wt.

A fluorescent probe based on nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots for turn off sensing of explosive and detrimental water pollutant, TNP in aqueous medium.

This paper reports the carbonization assisted green approach for the fabrication of nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs). The obtained N-GQDs displayed good water dispersibility and stability in the wide pH range. The as synthesized N-GQDs were used as a fluorescent probe for the sensing of explosive 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) in aqueous medium based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), molecular interactions and charge transfer mechanism.

Sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug based on TiO₂ quantum dots.

This paper reports the facile synthesis, characterization and solar-light driven photocatalytic degradation of TiO2 quantum dots (QDs). The TiO2 QDs were synthesized by a facile ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal process and characterized in terms of their structural, morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties. The detailed studies confirmed that the prepared QDs are well-crystalline, grown in high density and exhibiting good optical properties.

Removal of ofloxacin from aqueous phase using Ni-doped TiO2 nanoparticles under solar irradiation.

Ni-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using hydrothermal method and characterized by means of XRD, TEM, and TGA. The detailed characterization results revealed that the catalyst possessed spherical morphology and excellent crystalline and thermal properties. Photocatalytic capability of Ni-doped TiO2 nanoparticles was estimated by means of ofloxacin degradation under solar light.