Visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye over bismuth-doped cerium oxide mesoporous nanoparticles.

A series of Bi3+-doped ceria nanoparticles (0 to 20 wt% of Bi3+) were synthesized by sol-gel assisted hydrothermal method at a lower temperature of 150 °C. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to be effective photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue dye under visible light irradiation. The synthesized photocatalysts were well characterized by crystallographic, microscopic and spectroscopic methods. XRD patterns showed that the developed photocatalysts have cubic fluorite structure, and the absence of any impurity peaks in the XRD patterns of doped samples emphasizes the effective doping in host lattice. All samples exhibited mesoporous nature as evident from the adsorption and desorption pore size measurement. The shift of band gap energy from UV to visible region (2.90-2.77 eV) of the undoped and doped ceria results in the photo degradation of methylene blue dye in the visible light.

Synthesis, characterization and biological studies of Schiff bases derived from heterocyclic moiety.

Some new Schiff bases (H1-H7) have been synthesized by the condensation of 2-aminophenol, 2-amino-4-nitrophenol, 2-amino-4-methylphenol, 2-amino benzimidazole with thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde and pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, UV-VIS, and single crystal X-ray crystallography. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the synthesized compounds has been tested against Salmonella typhi, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus pumills, Escherichia coli, Bacillus circulans, Pseudomonas, Clostridium and Klebsilla pneumonia by disk diffusion method. The quantitative antimicrobial activity of the test compounds was evaluated using Resazurin based Microtiter Dilution Assay. Ampicillin was used as standard antibiotics. Schiff bases individually exhibited varying degrees of inhibitory effects on the growth of the tested bacterial species. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds was determined by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) method. IC50 value of synthesized Schiff bases were calculated and compared with standard BHA.

Spectral studies and structure of a 2-hydroxyacetophenone 3-hexamethyleneiminyl thiosemicarbazonate(-2) copper(II) complex containing 1,10-phenanthroline.

The spectral studies and structure of a ternary complex of copper(II) with 2-hydroxyacetophenone 3-hexamethyliminylthiosemicarbazonate (L(2-)) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) are reported. The thiosemicarbazone binds to the metal as a dianionic ONS-donor (L(2-)) ligand, and forms a complex of the stoichiometry [CuLphen]. The copper(II) complex was characterized by IR and UV/Vis spectroscopies, as well as by solid state room-temperature magnetic susceptibility. Spin Hamiltonian and bonding parameters of the compound are calculated from the EPR spectra. Computer simulation of EPR spectrum in DMF at 77 K aided the calculation of magnetic and bonding parameters of the compound. The structure of the compound is solved by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The geometry around copper is distorted square pyramidal.