This study was devoted to investigate production of hydrogen gas from acid hydrolyzed molasses by Escherichia coli HD701 and to explore the possible use of the waste bacterial biomass in biosorption technology. In variable substrate concentration experiments (1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 g L1), the highest cumulative hydrogen gas (570 ml H2 L1) and formation rate (19 ml H2 h1 L1) were obtained from 10 g L1 reducing sugars. However, the highest yield (132 ml H2 g1 reducing sugars) was obtained at a moderate hydrogen formation rate (11 ml H2 h1 L1) from 2.5 g L1 reducing sugars. Subsequent to H2 production, the waste E. coli biomass was collected and its biosorption efficiency for Cd2þ and Zn2þ was investigated. The biosorption kinetics of both heavy metals fitted well with the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Based on the Langmuir biosorption isotherm, the maximum biosorption capacities (qmax) of E. coli waste biomass for Cd2þ and Zn2þ were 162.1 and 137.9 (mg/g), respectively. These qmax values are higher than those of many other previously studied biosorbents and were around three times more than that of aerobically grown E. coli. The FTIR spectra showed an appearance of strong peaks for the amine groups and an increase in the intensity of many other functional groups in the waste biomass of E. coli after hydrogen production in comparison to that of aerobically grown E. coli which explain the higher biosorption capacity for Cd2þ or Zn2þ by the waste biomass of E. coli after hydrogen production. These results indicate that E. coli waste biomass after hydrogen production can be efficiently used in biosorption technology. Interlinking such biotechnologies is potentially possible in future applications to reduce the cost of the biosorption technology and duplicate the benefits of biological H2 production technology.

This work is devoted to the synthesis of different semiconductor nanoparticles and their metal core–shell nanocomposites such as TiO2, Au/TiO2, ZnO, and Au/ZnO. The morphology and crystal structures of the developed nanomaterials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). These materials were used as catalysts for the photodegradation of malathion, which is one of the most commonly used pesticides in developing countries. The degradation of 10 ppm malathion under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light in the presence of different synthesized nanocomposites was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV–visible spectra. A comprehensive study was carried out for the catalytic efficiency of the prepared nanoparticles. Moreover, the effects of different factors that could influence catalytic photodegradation, such as different light sources, surface coverage and the nature of the organic contaminants, were investigated. The results indicate that the core–shell nanocomposite of semiconductor–gold serves as a better catalytic system than the semiconductor nanoparticles themselves.

Female catfish, Clarias gariepinus, which were collected from the Nile River at Assiut region, were divided into 7 groups The first group was left as control, the second was treated with mercuric chloride (MC) for three weeks following by normal water for one week. The third , fourth and fifth groups were provided by MC (150 µg/ L of water). This treatment was continued for three weeks. Then these fish were received CN instead of MC, for one week, with 15 and 25 mg CN respectively / 100 g wet food. The fifth fish group received diet supplemented with vit E (α-tocopherol) (100 mg/kg wet diet), for one week, instead of MC treatment. Vitamin E was used as standard antioxidant drug. Following three weeks of normal ambient water, the sixth and seventh aquaria received only CN for one week, with 15 and 25 mg CN respectively / 100 g wet food, respectively. At the end of the experiment, Samples of liver, kidneys (posterior part), gills (right gills) and ovary were excised. The measurement included the oxidative stress parameters: carbonyl protein and total peroxide and the antioxidant enzyme activities superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) in all selected organs. MC treatment induced harmful effect in fish, probably due to its enhancing effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in fish organs especially the respiratory and osmoregulatory organs namely gills. The result suggests that this gill damage may exert hypoxic case, anoxia for different organs and some Cu excretion resulting in a magnification of ROS overproduction. Also, the observed oxidative stress in ovary tissue of MC-treated fish may affect fish fertility. The addition of CN in fish diets could protect the fish C. gariepinus against MC-induced oxidative damage showing recovery of fish organs. It could suggest that the detoxifying mechanism of action of CN is mainly due to its scavenging activity of free radicals rather than tissue healing.

The pyrazolone derivative 4 was synthesized by reaction of carbohydrazide 2 with ethyl benzoylacetate in ethanol and p-toluene sulphonic acid followed by cyclization upon heating in acetic acid. Chloroacylation of amino ester and amino benzoyl compounds 1, 19 gave the chloro acetylamino derivatives 5 and 20 respectively which both of them react with different amines to afford compounds 6, 23a-d. Hydrolysis and decarboxlation of compound 1 yielded the aminothienotetrahydroisoquinoline 8 which was used as versatile material for synthesizing other heterocyclic compounds 9-18. Compound 20 react with hexamethylenetetramine and malononitrile yielded thediazepino and pyrrolo derivatives 21, 22 respectively.

The pyrazolone derivative 4 was synthesized by reaction of carbohydrazide 2 with ethyl benzoylacetate in ethanol and p-toluene sulphonic acid followed by cyclization upon heating in acetic acid. Chloroacylation of amino ester and amino benzoyl compounds 1, 19 gave the chloro acetylamino derivatives 5 and 20 respectively which both of them react with different amines to afford compounds 6, 23a-d. Hydrolysis and decarboxlation of compound 1 yielded the aminothienotetrahydroisoquinoline 8 which was used as versatile material for synthesizing other heterocyclic compounds 9-18. Compound 20 react with hexamethylenetetramine and malononitrile yielded thediazepino and pyrrolo derivatives 21, 22 respectively.