Room-temperature synthesized In-BiOBr1-xIx nanosheets with visible-light-driven superior photocatalytic activity: Degradation of dye/non-dye organic pollutants for environmental remediation.

Photocatalysis is extensively investigated as a green, efficient and promising technique for environmental remediation. In this study, a series of template free In-doped BiOBrxI1-x photocatalysts have been successfully prepared at room temperature and characterized by various methods. Complete degradation of negatively charged methyl Orange, positively charged Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue organic dyes, and neutral and colorless non-dye organic compound of furfural was attained. The flat band potential offered the possibility of reduction of dissolved O2 to O2.- in the conduction band while the trapping experiment identified the (O2.-)is the main radical species followed by h+ for the photodegradation. In-BiOBrI-0.4 had an excellent photocatalytic degradation activity which could be due to the synergetic effect between metal ion doping and solid solution formation. It further promotes visible light-harvesting ability and photoinduced charge carrier separation efficiency. The order of the reaction rate was determined and the mechanism was proposed. This work can lay a base for the design of effective photocatalyst toward environmental remediation.

Abiotic Synthesis with the C-C Bond Formation in Ethanol from CO2 over (Cu,M)(O,S) Catalysts with M = Ni, Sn, and Co.

We demonstrate copper-based (Cu,M)(O,S) oxysulfide catalysts with M = Ni, Sn, and Co for the abiotic chemical synthesis of ethanol (EtOH) with the C-C bond formation by passing carbon dioxide (CO2) through an aqueous dispersion bath at ambient environment. (Cu,Ni)(O,S) with 12.1% anion vacancies had the best EtOH yield, followed by (Cu,Sn)(O,S) and (Cu,Co)(O,S). The ethanol yield with 0.2 g (Cu,Ni)(O,S) catalyst over a span of 20 h achieved 5.2 mg. The ethanol yield is inversely proportional to the amount of anion vacancy. The kinetic mechanism for converting the dissolved CO2 into the C2 oxygenate is proposed. Molecular interaction, pinning, and bond weakening with anion vacancy of highly strained catalyst, the electron hopping at Cu+/Cu2+ sites, and the reaction orientation of hydrocarbon intermediates are the three critical issues in order to make the ambient chemical conversion of inorganic CO2 to organic EtOH with the C-C bond formation in water realized. On the other hand, Cu(O,S) with the highest amount of 22.7% anion vacancies did not produce ethanol due to its strain energy relaxation opposing to the pinning and weakening of O-H and C-O bonds.

FeCl3 catalyzed regioselective C-alkylation of indolylnitroalkenes with amino group substituted arenes.

An efficient FeCl3 catalyzed protocol for the synthesis of amino functionalized indolylnitroalkanes from easily available precursor indolylnitroalkenes and substituted amines has been developed. Regioselective C-alkylation in the presence of free amino substituted arenes occurred. The scope of this methodology shows good functional group tolerance, and further, this protocol was used to prepare indolylquinoline derivatives.

Halonium ion mediated synthesis of 2-halomethylene-3-oxoketoxime derivatives from isoxazoline N-oxides.

A protocol for the N-bromosuccinimide (NBS)- and trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA)-mediated synthesis of novel 2-halomethylene-3-oxoketoximes via one-pot halogenation/oxidation of isoxazoline N-oxide derivatives is described here. The keto functionality of 3-ketoximes was selectively reduced by lithiumaluminum hydride to synthesize an unprecedented type of Baylis-Hillman oxime, which underwent N-O coupling to produce new isoxazoline N-oxide derivative.