Development and characterization of hydroquinone-loaded nanofiber for topical delivery: effect of chitosan

Hydroquinone (HQ) loaded polymer solution was electrospun for its topical application. Nanofibers were then investigated in terms of stability, drug release, and antifungal activity. The effect of chitosan (CS) was investigated on the viscosity, stability, drug release, and antifungal activity of the developed formulation. Results indicate a significantly stable HQ-loaded nanofiber formulation. The addition of CS caused hydration of the drug delivery system and enhanced drug release but reduced its stability. HQ-loaded nanofiber mat showed significant antifungal activity, however, there was no inhibition zone in samples containing CS.     

Environmentally green approach to synthesize azo dyes based on 1-naphthol using nano BF3·SiO2 under solvent-free conditions

A series of azo dyes were efficiently synthesized by mixing aromatic amines and NaNO₂ in the presence of nano silica supported boron trifluoride (nano BF₃·SiO₂) and then diazo coupling with 1-naphthol under solvent-free conditions at room temperature. The present methodology has proven to be simple, rapid, environmentally benign, green, and cost-effective compared with previous synthetic methods. Also, by using this procedure, aryl diazonium salts supported on nano BF₃·SiO₂ were very stable to be kept at room temperature for several months without any special conditions.     

Synthesis of mesoporous functional hematite nanofibrous photoanodes by electrospinning

Iron(III) oxide (hematite, Fe₂O₃) nanofibers, as visible light‐induced photoanode for water oxidation reaction of a water splitting process, were fabricated through electrospinning method followed by calcination treatment. The prepared samples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, and three‐electrode galvanostat/potentiostat for evaluating their photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties. The diameter of the as‐spun fibers is about 300 nm, and calcinated fibers have diameter less than 110 nm with mesoporous structure. Optimized multilayered electrospun α‐Fe₂O₃ nanostructure mats showed photocurrent density of 0.53 mA/cm² under dark and visible illumination conditions at voltage 1.23 V and constant intensity (900 mW/cm²). This photovoltaic performance of nanostructure mats makes it suitable choice for using in the PEC water splitting application as an efficient photoanode. This method, if combined with appropriate flexible conductive substrate, has the potential for producing flexible hematite solar fuel generators. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling and optimization of simultaneous degradation of rhodamine B and acid red 14 binary solution by homogeneous Fenton reaction: a chemometrics approach

This study aimed to propose a mathematical method to investigate and optimize the simultaneous elimination process of multiple organic pollutants using the Fenton process. Hence, the treatment of rhodamine B (RB) and acid red 14 (AR14) dyes in their binary solution was studied. Multivariate curve resolution alternating least square (MCR-ALS), a novel chemometric method, was applied along with correlation constraints to resolute the UV-Vis spectrophotometric data, enabling quantification of investigated dyes despite a high spectral overlapping. Response surface methodology was adopted to assess the model and optimize individual and interactive effects of three independent factors (Fe²⁺, H₂O₂ and initial pH) on the simultaneous elimination of RB and AR14. The values of the regression coefficient for RB and AR14 were determined as 98.48 and 98.67 percent, respectively, revealing the reliability of the obtained polynomial models to predict decolorization efficiencies. Desirability function was employed to optimize the independent variables to attain the highest possible degradation performance for both dyes in their binary solution. At the optimum point of operation ([Fe²⁺] = 143.88 mg/L, [H₂O₂] = 126.89 mg/L and pH = 3.71), degradation efficiencies of RB and AR14 were found as 81.58% and 80.22%, respectively, which were nearly identical to the experimental results.     

A rapid and efficient ultrasound-assisted synthesis of 5,5-diphenylhydantoins and 5,5-diphenyl-2-thiohydantoins

To obtain a rapid, efficient and mild synthesis of 5,5-diphenylhydantoin and 5,5-diphenyl-2-thiohydantoin derivatives, ultrasonic irradiation has been applied to the reaction mixtures containing substituted benzils and urea or thiourea derivatives catalyzed by KOH in DMSO/H(2)O, which allowed us to achieve products at room temperature in a good yield and short time without any side product. This convenient procedure will allow a further increase of the diversity within the hydantoin family.     

Ultrasound-enhanced Green Synthesis of 5,5-Diphenylhydantoin Derivatives Using Symmetrical or Unsymmetrical Benzils

A rapid, highly efficient and mild green synthesis of 5,5‐diphenylhydantoin derivatives was achieved from the reaction of symmetrical or unsymmetrical benzil derivatives with urea in the presence of ethanolic KOH under ultrasound irradiation. This simple method affords 5,5‐diphenylhydantoin derivatives at room temperature in short reaction time with high yield and purity. This study aimed to overcome the limitations and drawbacks of the reported methods such as tedious work‐up, low yield and long reaction time.