Enhancing the sensitivity of a surface plasmon resonance-based optical sensor for zinc ion detection by the modification of a gold thin film.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors as novel optical sensors for the detection of a variety of analytes have been receiving increasing attention and their sensitivity has become the research hotspot recently. In this study, the sensitivity of an SPR optical sensor was enhanced by modifying a gold thin film with a nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC)-based material for zinc ion (Zn) detection that exists in the environment due to industrial processing. By replacing the gold thin film with a novel modified-gold thin film, Zn can be detected from the range of 0 to 10 ppm using SPR.

A simple strategy to prepare a layer-by-layer assembled composite of Ni-Co LDHs on polypyrrole/rGO for a high specific capacitance supercapacitor.

A facile and novel electrode material of nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxides (Ni-Co LDHs) layered on polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide (PPy/rGO) is fabricated for a symmetrical supercapacitor chemical polymerization, hydrothermal and vacuum filtration. This conscientiously layered composition is free from any binder or surfactants which is highly favorable for supercapacitors. The PPy/rGO serves as an ideal backbone for Ni-Co LDHs to form a free-standing electrode for a high-performance supercapacitor and enhanced the overall structural stability of the film.

Enhanced fungicidal efficacy on by simultaneous co-delivery of hexaconazole and dazomet from their chitosan nanoparticles.

The excessive use of fungicides may be of environmental and health concerns. Hence, to overcome this problem, chitosan as a controlled release matrix was used in this work to encapsulate the fungicide for the development of enhanced fungicide nanodelivery system. In this proposed study, dual-loaded fungicides (hexaconazole and dazomet) were simultaneously encapsulated into chitosan nanoparticles as an antifungal agent on ().

Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by copper complex Cu(SBCM) towards oestrogen-receptor positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Copper complexes have the potential to be developed as targeted therapy for cancer because cancer cells take up larger amounts of copper than normal cells. Copper complex Cu(SBCM) has been reported to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis towards triple-negative breast cancer cells. Nevertheless, its effect towards other breast cancer subtypes has not been explored.

Time-based LC-MS/MS analysis provides insights into early responses to mechanical wounding, a major trigger to agarwood formation in Lam.

Mechanical wounding is the major trigger for the formation of agarwood in the tropical tree taxon . To understand the molecular mechanism by which reacts to wounding, we applied a proteomics approach using liquid chromatography electrospray-ionization coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) coupled with bioinformatics analysis and principal component analysis. Protein samples were extracted from wood tissues collected from drilled wounds on the stems of five-year old .

Use of sodium alginate in the preparation of gelatin-based hard capsule shells and their evaluation .

Using only type B gelatin produces hard capsule shells which are too brittle. This study examines the blending of type B bovine gelatin with sodium alginate to produce hard capsule shells and through evaluation of their physicochemical properties provides a reflection on the role of gelatin and sodium alginate in the blend. The compositions and formulation of the capsule shells in this study comprised gelatin (10%, 20% and 30%), sodium alginate (1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5%), water, and opacifying agents (titanium dioxide; TiO) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) whose concentrations were kept constant.

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of red pitaya () seed oil esters for cosmeceutical applications: process optimization using response surface methodology.

Esters were synthesized the alcoholysis of red pitaya seed oil with oleyl alcohol catalyzed by immobilized lipase, Lipozyme IM. The effects of synthesis parameters, including temperature, time, substrate molar ratio and enzyme loading, on the yield and productivity of esters were assessed using a central composite response surface design. The optimum yield and productivity were predicted to be about 80.

Production of green biofuel by using a goat manure supported Ni-Al hydrotalcite catalysed deoxygenation process.

The high oxygen content in natural biomass resources, such as vegetable oil or biomass-pyrolysed bio oil, is the main constraint in their implementation as a full-scale biofuel for the automotive industry. In the present study, renewable fuel with petrodiesel-like properties was produced catalytic deoxygenation of oleic acid in the absence of hydrogen (H). The deoxygenation pathway of oleic acid to bio-hydrocarbon involves decarboxylation/decarbonylation of the oxygen content from the fatty acid structure in the form of carbon dioxide (CO)/carbon monoxide (CO), with the presence of a goat manure supported Ni-Al hydrotalcite (Gm/Ni-Al) catalyst.

Physical modification of biochar to expose the inner pores and their functional groups to enhance lead adsorption.

Biochars have been successfully used to treat wastewater and contaminated soils. The efficiency of biochar as a biosorbent of heavy metals can be increased by reducing the particle size, exposing the inner pores and their functional groups. In this study, the empty fruit bunch biochar (EFBB) of oil palm was separated into three particle sizes, fine (F-EFBB < 50 μm), medium (M-EFBB 250-500 μm) and coarse (C-EFBB > 2000 μm) to compare their physical and chemical characteristics and their adsorption capacity for lead.

Histidine-based copper tetrapeptides as enantioselective catalysts for aldol reactions.

Copper(ii)-peptides are widely used as industrial catalysts such as in the aerobic oxidation of organic molecules, formation of new C-H bonds and in the azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. The length of peptides and the effect of adding copper metal into peptides were questioned in their field of applications. Five novel histidine-based tetrapeptides with the sequences HAAD (P1), HAFD (P2), HAVD (P3), AGHD (P4) and PGHD (P5) were synthesized using the solid phase peptide scheme and analysed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with percentage purities as high as 99.

Capacitive performance of vertically aligned reduced titania nanotubes coated with MnO by reverse pulse electrodeposition.

In this study, a composite material, manganese oxide/reduced titania nanotubes (MnO/R-TNTs), was synthesized through incorporation of MnO onto R-TNTs the reverse pulse electrodeposition technique. The influence of pulse reverse duty cycles on the morphological, structural and electrochemical performance of the surface was studied by varying the applied duty cycle from 10% to 90% for 5 min total on-time at an alternate potential of -0.90 V ( ) and 0.

Polypyrrole/tannin biobased nanocomposite with enhanced electrochemical and physical properties.

In this research, tannin (TA) extracted from and a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), were used to modify and enhance the physical and electrochemical properties of a polypyrrole (PPy) composite. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis presented a higher degree of surface area and porosity for the PPy/TA/CTAB nanocomposite. A highly porous and rod like structure with a lumpy surface was observed for PPy/TA prepared in the presence of CTAB by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).