Deu S. Bhange

Nickel-titanium oxide as a novel anode material for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries

Nickel-titanium oxide (NiTiO3; NTO) of an ilmenite structure that comprises a layered transition-metal octahedral structure, wherein the zigzag open tunnels are possible routes for Na intercalation, can be a potential anode material for sodium (Na) ion batteries (SIBs). In this study, nanocrystalline NTO particles that are of sizes 3 to 5 nm were prepared using a simple hydrothermal process followed by annealing, and the particles were then tested for SIB applications. The pure-NTO electrode that comprises a hexagonal crystal structure and mesoporous morphology demonstrated a reversible capacity of approximately 521 mA h g−1 that corresponds to a coulombic efficiency of 67% in the first cycle, which further improved to ∼98% in the following cycles, at an applied specific current of 50 mA g−1, and stable cycling performance for 200 cycles. Further, due to the synergetic effect of the porous network structure and high surface area, the NTO electrode exhibited an exceptional rate capability, delivering a capacity of 192 mA h g−1 at a high specific current of 4000 mA g−1. The excellent cyclability and rate capability of the NTO electrode are attributed to the improved electronic conductivity and highly porous microstructure of the NTO material, whereby fast charge transfer and facile diffusion of the Na-ions to the active sites are enabled.

Immobilization of bile salt hydrolase enzyme on mesoporous SBA-15 for co-precipitation of cholesterol.

We describe herein a simple and effective strategy for immobilization of bile salt hydrolase enzyme by grafting glutaraldehyde groups inside channels of APTES functionalized SBA-15. The increase in glutaraldehyde concentration prevents leakage of enzyme but showed a steep decrease in enzyme activity in the immobilized matrix. So the degree of cross-linking should be the minimum possible to ensure sufficient stability without loss of activity. Cross-linking carried out with 0.1% glutaraldehyde concentration showed the highest activity, so this was used in all further experiments. Physico-chemical characterizations of the immobilized enzyme were carried out by XRD, N2 adsorption, TEM, FTIR and (29)Si CP-MAS NMR techniques. Immobilized BSH exhibits enhanced stability over a wide pH (3-11) and temperature range (40-80 °C) and retains an activity even after recycling experiments and six months of storage. From our in vivo research experiment toward co-precipitation of cholesterol, we have shown that immobilized BSH enzyme may be the promising catalyst for the reduction of serum cholesterol levels in our preliminary investigation. Enhancement in pH stability at the extreme side of pH may favor the use of immobilized BSH enzyme for drug delivery purpose to with stand extreme pH conditions in the gastrointestinal conditions.

Nanostructured Thin films of Anthracene by Liquid-Liquid Interface Recrystallization Technique

Herein, we report the fabrication of anthracene nanostructures and, in turn, their thin films at the air-water interface by recrystallization at the liquid-liquid interface. This method is simple, inexpensive and allows the deposition of anthracene nanoparticulate thin films on large and a variety of substrates. The virgin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Hot Stage Polarizing Microscopy and UV-Visible spectroscopy. Interestingly, it was found that these thin films are comprised of nanosized bushy clusters of anthracene molecules as revealed by TEM. Also, with increase in the thickness of the films, the formation of irregular microtapes was evinced by SEM. The absorption spectra reveals the presence of 2 excitonic peaks for the lowest dip sample (10 dips) whereas the spectra recorded for higher dip samples (20 dips, 30dips, 40dips) closely match with that of pure anthracene in chloroform solution. The dramatic reduction in the melting point as revealed by hot stage polarizing microscopy is the salient feature of the work.