Bhawana Jain

Kinetic Study of Oxidation of Valine by N-bromophthalimide in Presence of Iridium (III) Chloride as Homogenous Catalyst

The mechanistic study of Ir(III) chloride catalyzed oxidation of Val has been studied by by N-bromophthalimide (NBP) in aqueous perchloric acid medium at 303 K. The reaction followed first order kinetics with respect to [NBP] and zero order kinetics with respect to [Val]. At lower concentration range of Ir(III) chloride, the reaction followed first order kinetics while tending to zero order at its higher concentration. A negative effect was observed for [H+] and [NHP] (phthalimide) whereas variation in [Hg(OAc)2] (mercuric acetate), [Cl−], ionic strength (I) and dielectric constant of the medium did not bring about any significant change on the rate of reaction. The rate constants observed at five different temperatures (298 K–318 K) were used to calculate the activation parameters. A plausible mechanism from the results of kinetic studies, reaction stoichiometry and product analysis has been proposed.

Surfactant assisted synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles and its use with Fenton oxidation for the removal of dye

B and renewability has led renewed interest in protein based films reinforced with nanoparticles. Bionanocomposites have gained attention because of their enhanced material properties with the aid of nanoreinforcements. The effects of two different nanoparticles, montmorillonite (MMT) and cellulose nano-crystals (CNCs), at different loading contents (0%, 1%, 3%, 5% and 10%) were studied as a reinforcement material in modified chicken feather keratin. Compression molding was employed to prepare bionanocomposites films thermo-plastically. The effect of CNC and MMT addition, their disposition and impact on the final material properties was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The morphology of in situ modified keratin-based nano-composites and the extent of nanoparticle dispersion was observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and wideangle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), respectively. The molecular level interactions of CNC’s and MMT’s with keratin biopolymer were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Results indicated improved thermal stability and shift in glass transition temperature for both nano-reinforced bio-composites. Tensile strength was enhanced significantly with the addition of MMT; however, increased percent elongation was observed in case of CNC-reinforced biomaterials. The changes in the chemical bonding of keratin biopolymer reinforced with MMT/ CNC compared to neat keratin biopolymer were observed by XPS spectra. These results suggest that high performance bionanomaterials can be developed from feather keratin through in situ dispersion of MMT and CNC nanoparticles, followed by compression molding.A in Jungian theory, is a primitive mental image inherited from the earliest human ancestors and supposed to be present in the collective unconscious. Identity refers to one’s unique façade, so to speak, in this case, a country’s history or culture. Vernacular Architecture is referred to as ‘Architecture of the People’. It becomes a language of form and culture which gives rise to identities unique to its context. Architectural identities, however, do not necessarily mean monuments or magnificent structures. The architectural identity of a region can be found in the most basic houses of the region. This study focuses on the vernacular design elements that can be reinterpreted and adapted into present day architecture of the gulf. Sudare, the famous Japanese bamboo blinds and Uchimizu, a Japanese air-cooling technique that uses water-spray to cool the surroundings. These were the foundations of the BioSkin Facade system, developed by Nikken Sekkei for the Sony Tower in Osaka back in 2011. The reinterpretation of two ancient techniques by infusing them with existing technology, won the company the CTBUH 2014 award for Innovation. The system uses ceramic pipes which have rainwater harvested on the rooftop running through them. These pipes are exposed to the heat of the buildings surroundings which lets the water evaporate, thus, cooling the immediate surroundings. This second skin facade of Sony Tower reduces its cooling load while also eliminating Urban Heat Island Effect. The concept is similar to that of a Mashrabiya found in the gulf region. The Mashrabiya in olden times was an intricately carved screen that sometimes had a pot of water that cooled the hot air passing through the screen. Applying a similar concept to the gulf region, the BioSkin Facades could be applied in this region as well. Although the system uses rainwater, something that is not found in the gulf; the water could instead be replaced with grey water, which is found globally and can be sourced from the building itself. This would mean the existence of a second skin system that can be adapted and used globally, even in regions where rainwater harvesting is not feasible.

Nanosize water-soluble colloidal MnO 2 : an efficient oxidant for the ruthenium(III)-catalyzed degradation of metronidazole

The unrestricted use of drug has aroused researcher concern toward its removal from the environment. The present work is aimed to synthesize a highly stable water-soluble nanosize colloidal MnO2 and its application in the degradation of pharmaceuticals waste in aquatic environment. The as-synthesized colloidal MnO2 is systematically characterized by UV–vis, XRD, TEM, DLS, zeta potential and FTIR. The degradation of metronidazole (MTZ) by colloidal MnO2 was studied spectrophotometrically in the presence of ruthenium(III) catalyst in acidic medium under pseudo first-order condition. Our results show that nanosized colloidal MnO2 is an excellent oxidant for the degradation of MTZ catalyzed by ruthenium(III) in aqueous acidic medium. It was observed that the ruthenium(III) as catalyst significantly increases the reaction rate. The overall thermodynamic activation parameters were also calculated. The main oxidation product was identified as 5-nitro-1-(2-oxoethyl)-1H-imidazole-2-carboxylic acid and confirmed by GC–MS analysis. A plausible mechanism was also proposed.