Mari Vinoba

Electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol on Pt and Pt–Ru nanoparticles modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes

The synthesis and characterization of catalysts based on nanomaterials, supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) for ethylene glycol (EG) oxidation is investigated. Platinum (Pt) and platinum-ruthenium (Pt-Ru) nanoparticles are deposited on surface-oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes [Pt/CNT; Pt-Ru/CNT] by the aqueous solution reduction of the corresponding metal salts with glycerol. The electrocatalytic properties of the modified electrodes for oxidation of ethylene glycol in acidic solution have been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and excellent activity is observed. This may be attributed to the small particle size of the metal nanoparticles, the efficacy of carbon nanotubes acting as good catalyst support and uniform dispersion of nanoparticles on CNT surfaces. The nature of the resulting nanoparticles decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis. The cyclic voltammetry response indicates that Pt-Ru/CNT catalyst displays a higher performance than Pt/CNT, which may be due to the efficiency of the nature of Ru species in Pt-Ru systems. The fabricated Pt and Pt-Ru nanoparticles decorated CNT electrodes shows better catalytic performance towards ethylene glycol oxidation than the corresponding nanoparticles decorated carbon electrodes, demonstrating that it is more promising for use in fuel cells.

Immobilization of human carbonic anhydrase on gold nanoparticles assembled onto amine/thiol-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 for biomimetic sequestration of CO2.

A biocatalyst was synthesized by immobilizing human carbonic anhydrase onto gold nanoparticles assembled over amine/thiol-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15. The physicochemical properties of the functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 were obtained by XRD, BET, FE SEM, HR TEM, EDS, and zeta potential analysis. The biocatalytic performance was studied for para-nitrophenyl acetate (p-NPA) hydrolysis. The kinetic parameters K(m) were found to be 22.35 and 27.75 mM, and K(cat)/K(m) values were 1514.09 and 1612.25 M(-1) s(-1) for HCA immobilized on gold nanoparticles assembled on amine/thiol-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 (HCA/Au/APTES/SBA-15 and HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15), respectively. These HCA/Au/APTES/SBA-15 and HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 were investigated for biocatalytic hydration of CO(2) and its precipitation as CaCO(3). The amount of CaCO(3) precipitated over HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 was nearly the same as that precipitated over free HCA. Storage stability and reusability studies suggested that HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 retained its activity even after 20 days storage at 25 °C and 20 recycling runs. The present results demonstrate that HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 and HCA/Au/APTES/SBA-15 are highly efficient potential nanobiocatalysts for industrial-scale CO(2) sequestration.

Immobilization of carbonic anhydrase on spherical SBA-15 for hydration and sequestration of CO2.

Bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) was immobilized on spherical SBA-15 through various approaches, including covalent attachment (BCA-CA), adsorption (BCA-ADS), and cross-linked enzyme aggregation (BCA-CLEA). The spherical SBA-15 was characterized by XRD, BET, and FE-SEM analysis. (29)Si CP-MAS NMR was used to confirm the 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane grafting (an intermediate step in the immobilization technique), and the immobilization of BCA was confirmed by FT-IR spectrum. The catalytic activities for hydration of CO(2) were calculated for free and immobilized BCA with and without buffer. The K(cat) values for free BCA, BCA-CLEA, BCA-CA and BCA-ADS were 0.79, 0.78, 0.58 and 0.36 s(-1), respectively, indicating that BCA-CLEA showed a comparatively higher hydration of CO(2) than BCA-CA and BCA-ADS, which was nearly the same as free BCA. The amount of CaCO(3) precipitated over free BCA, BCA-CLEA, BCA-CA and BCA-ADS were 140, 138, 135 and 130 mg, respectively. Performance studies, including assays on reusability, thermal stability and storage stability, were also carried out for BCA-CLEA. The results confirmed that BCA-CLEA is reusable, thermally stable and, withstands storage, and is thus a suitable candidate for use in hydration and sequestration of CO(2).

Carbonic anhydrase immobilized on encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles for CO2 sequestration.

Bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) was covalently immobilized onto OAPS (octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane)-functionalized Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) nanoparticles by using glutaraldehyde as a spacer. The Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles were coated with SiO(2), onto which was grafted OAPS, and the product was characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and magnetometer analysis. The enzymatic activities of the free and Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)/OAPS-conjugated BCA (Fe-CA) were investigated by hydrolyzing p-nitrophenylacetate (p-NPA), and hydration and sequestration of CO(2) to CaCO(3). The CO(2) conversion efficiency and reusability of the Fe-CA were studied before and after washing the recovered Fe-CA by applying a magnetic field and quantifying the unreacted Ca(2+) ions by using ion chromatography. After 30 cycles, the Fe-CA displayed strong activity, and the CO(2) capture efficiency was 26-fold higher than that of the free enzyme. Storage stability studies suggested that Fe-CA retained nearly 82 % of its activity after 30 days. Nucleation of the precipitated CaCO(3) was monitored by using polarized light microscopy, which revealed the formation of two phases, calcite and valerite, at pH 10 upon addition of serine. The magnetic nanobiocatalyst was shown to be an excellent reusable catalyst for the sequestration of CO(2).

CO2 Absorption and Sequestration as Various Polymorphs of CaCO3 Using Sterically Hindered Amine

One aspect of the attempt to restrain global warming is the reduction of the levels of atmospheric CO2 produced by fossil fuel power systems. This study attempted to develop a method that reduces CO2 emissions by investigating the absorption of CO2 into sterically hindered amine 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), the acceleration of the absorption rate by using the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA), and the conversion of the absorption product to stable carbonates. CO2 absorbed by AMP is converted via a zwitterion mechanism to bicarbonate species; the presence of these anions was confirmed with (1)H and (13)C NMR spectral analysis. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km), CO2 absorption capacities, and enthalpy changes (ΔHabs) of aqueous AMP in the presence or absence of CA were found to be 2.61 × 10(6) or 1.35 × 10(2) M(-1) s(-1), 0.97 or 0.96 mol/mol, and -69 or -67 kJ/mol, respectively. The carbonation of AMP-absorbed CO2 was performed by using various Ca(2+) sources, viz., CaCl2 (CAC), Ca(OOCCH3)2 (CAA), and Ca(OOCCH2CH3)2 (CAP), to obtain various polymorphs of CaCO3. The yields of CaCO3 from the Ca(2+) sources were found in the order CAP > CAA > CAC as a result of the effects of the corresponding anions. CAC produces pure rhombohedral calcite, and CAA and CAP produce the unusual phase transformation of calcite to spherical vaterite crystals. Thus, AMP in combination with CAA and CAP can be used as a CO2 absorbent and buffering agent for the sequestration of CO2 in porous CaCO3.

UV Spectrophotometric Method for the Estimation of Valacyclovir HCl in Tablet Dosage Form

A simple, sensitive, highly accurate UV spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of valacyclovir in bulk and tablet dosage form. Solution of valacyclovir in 0.1N HCl shows maximum absorbance at 255 nm. Beer’s law was obeyed in the concentration range of 5-25 mcg mL-1 with 1.0910x104 mol-1 cm-1, the slope, intercept, correlation coefficient, detection and quantitation limits were also calculated. The proposed method has been applied successfully for the analysis of the drug in pure and in its tablets dosage forms. Result of percentage recovery and placebo interference shows that the method was not affected by the presence of common excipients. The percentages assay of valacyclovir HCl in tablet was 99.82%. The method was validated by determining its sensitivity, accuracy and precision which proves suitability of the developed method for the routine estimation of valacyclovir in bulk and solid dosage form.