Hydrogen gas has been regarded as one of the most promising energy sources. Hydrolysis of hydrides is one of the methods for
producing hydrogen that has been documented. However, efficient catalysts are necessary to increase the rate at which hydrogen
is generated. In the current investigation, Mn 2 O3 @C derived from metal–organic framework (MOF) was used, for the first time,
as an efficient catalyst for the green generation of H 2 —a clean and sustainable fuel—from the hydrolysis of NaBH4 . In addition,
the biological performances of this nanocatalyst towards six types of human pathogenic bacteria were also tested. Mn 2 O3 @C was
fabricated from the carbonization of manganese(II) benzene-dicarboxylate metal–organic frameworks (Mn-BDC). The fabricated
catalyst was characterized by XRD, XPS, FTIR, HRTEM, and nitrogen sorption analyses. XRD and XPS analyses confirmed the
successful formation of Mn 2 O3 @C at a calcination temperature of 400 °C. Results revealed that, at a reaction temperature of
28 °C, Mn 2 O3 @C offers values of hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 150, 352, 555, 885, and 1250 mL min−1 g−1 corresponding to
weight of NaBH4 of 0.19, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 g, respectively. Furthermore, the catalytic performance is significantly influenced by
the reaction temperature; where at 28, 35, 40, and 50 °C, respectively, HGR values of 885, 1150, 1667, and 2857 mL min−1 g−1 were
achieved. According to the pseudo-first-order equation, Mn 2 O3 @C has an estimated apparent activation energy of 41.5 kJ mol−1 .
Moreover, thermodynamic calculations showed that borohydride hydrolyzes over Mn 2 O3 @C in an endothermic, entropy-driven,
and spontaneous manner. The antibacterial properties of Mn 2 O3 @C NPs were tested against six pathogenic bacteria: Escherichia
coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia plymuthica, Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Mn 2 O3 @C NPs showed
high antibacterial properties, especially at 150 μg mL−1 concentration, with growth inhibition of 82.3%, 73.8%, 72.7%, and 71.8%
of S. aureus, E. coli, B. subtilis, and B. cereus, compared with 67%, 58.2%, 56.6%, and 61.4% of chloramphenicol, respectively

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. Several diseases affect wheat production and can cause 20-80% yield loss annually. Out of these diseases, stripe rust, also known as yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici), leaf rust (Puccinia recondita), and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) are the most important fungal diseases that infect the foliar part of the plant. Many efforts were made to improve wheat resistance to these diseases. Due to the continuous advancement in sequencing methods and genomic tools, genome-wide association study has become available worldwide. This analysis enabled wheat breeders to detect genomic regions controlling the resistance in specific countries. In this review, molecular markers significantly associated with the resistance of the mentioned foliar diseases in the last five years were reviewed. Common markers that control broad-spectrum resistance in different countries were identified. Furthermore, common genes controlling the resistance of more than one of these foliar diseases were identified. The importance of these genes, their functional annotation, and the potential for gene enrichment are discussed. This review will be valuable to wheat breeders in producing genotypes with broad-spectrum resistance by applying genomic selection for the target common markers and associated genes.

Surface forces are used to investigate the polymer conformation and the surface charge of polyelectrolyte multilayers. Films are prepared from strong polyelectrolytes with low and high linear charge density at 0.1 M NaCl, namely poly(diallyldimethylammonium) (PDADMA) and poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS). The multilayer has two growth regimes: in the beginning, the film can contain as many positive as negative monomers. After about 15 deposited layer pairs, a linear growth regime characterized by an excess of cationic PDADMA monomers occurs. Independent of the film composition, at preparation conditions, the film surface is flat, uncharged and partially hydrophobic. Surface force measurements at decreased ionic strength provide insight. For PSS-terminated films electrostatic forces are found. At the beginning of multilayer formation, the surface charge density is negative. However, in the linear growth regime it is positive and low (one charge per 200−400 nm²). This reversal of surface charge density of PSS-terminated films is attributed to excess PDADMA-monomers within the film. PDADMA terminated films show steric forces, chains protrude into the solution and form a pseudobrush, which scales as a polyelectrolyte brush with a low grafting density (1900 nm² per chain). We suggest a model of polyelectrolyte multilayer formation: PDADMA with its low linear charge density adsorbs with weakly bound chains. Monovalent anions within the film compensate PDADMA monomer charges. When PSS adsorbs onto a PDADMA-terminated multilayer, PSS monomers replace monovalent anions. While electrostatic bonds are formed and dissolved within the polyelectrolyte multilayer, the surface charge density remains zero.

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) represent a rapidly advancing group of metal-free organic photocatalysts, offering a sustainable route for hydrogen (H₂) generation through photocatalytic water splitting. Their intrinsic permanent porosity, combined with extended π-conjugation and large surface areas, enables superior light harvesting, efficient exciton dissociation, and accelerated molecular diffusion—key attributes for effective photocatalytic systems. In this study, two newly developed CMPs—Py–Thio–Tri CMP and Py–Thio–PyD CMP—were synthesized and subjected to rigorous physicochemical characterization to investigate their photocatalytic performance. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements were employed to determine their porosity. The chemical structures and functional group integrity were validated via Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Photocatalytic evaluations demonstrate that Py–Thio–Tri CMP exhibits markedly superior hydrogen evolution activity compared to Py–Thio–PyD CMP. Specifically, Py–Thio–Tri CMP achieves an initial hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 1100 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ within the first hour of irradiation, substantially surpassing the 182 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ recorded for Py–Thio–PyD CMP under similar circumstances. Upon incorporation of 3 wt % cobalt (Co) as a cocatalyst, the HGRs further increased to 1242 and 249 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ for Py–Thio–Tri CMP and Py–Thio–PyD CMP, respectively. Additionally, transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements corroborate Py–Thio–Tri CMP enhanced photogenerated carrier mobility and suppressed charge recombination dynamics.

Lead-free halide perovskites, particularly Cs₂AgBiBr₆, have gained attention as promising photocatalysts due to their excellent light absorption and tunable photo-responsive properties. However, their practical application is hindered by poor stability in aqueous media and reduced efficiency in high-water environments, where Cs₂AgBiBr₆ undergoes self-passivation by forming BiOBr, significantly decreasing its photocatalytic activity when water content exceeds 50 vol%. To overcome these limitations, we in situ coupled Cs₂AgBiBr₆ nanoplatelets (NPLs) with g-C₃N₄, forming a stable Cs₂AgBiBr₆ NPLs@g-C₃N₄@AgBr ternary composite in water (100 vol%). This nanocomposite demonstrated remarkable stability in water through the formation of AgBr rather than BioBr, as confirmed by various spectroscopic and diffraction techniques. The optimized 1:2 wt% ratio of Cs₂AgBiBr₆ to g-C₃N₄ leads to the highest degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB) of 0.082 min ^-1 which was 14 times greater than Cs₂AgBiBr₆ NPLs, g-C₃N₄, or AgBr alone, surpassing all previously reported Cs₂AgBiBr₆-based nanocomposites in both efficiency and stability. Furthermore, the scavenging action of RhB led by the heterojunction photocatalyst resulted in the elimination of 98.3 % of RhB under light. The superior photocatalytic activity of the Cs₂AgBiBr₆ NPLs@g-C₃N₄@AgBr ternary composite in aqueous media was confirmed through detailed characterization, which revealed that the formation of a dual S-scheme mechanism significantly enhances interfacial charge separation and transfer, resulting in elevated photocurrent, pronounced photoluminescence quenching, and minimized charge transfer resistance. In addition, this ternary composite exhibited robust environmental stability, preserving its crystallinity and morphology after 6 months of air exposure, while maintaining consistent photocatalytic performance across 4 successive cycles in aqueous conditions. Thus, the present results introduce a novel strategy for stabilizing halide perovskites in high water content, expanding their potential for photocatalytic applications in environmental remediation and sustainable energy solutions.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were reported as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production via water splitting. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) copper (Cu)-terephthalate (CuTPA) metal-organic framework (MOF) and its carbonized products were used as cocatalysts to promote the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. The materials showed great potential in low-cost and high photocatalytic performance. They offered an environmentally friendly system for hydrogen production with initial and cumulative hydrogen generation rates (HGRs) of 12.8–23.6 mmol·h⁻¹·g⁻¹ and 61.5–112.9 mmol·g⁻¹, respectively. The effects of cocatalyst loading, composite, and carbonization temperature (400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C) were investigated. The highest initial and cumulative HGR values were observed for CuO@C obtained after carbonization at 400 °C with 3 wt% loadings, offering HGR values of 23.6 mmol·h⁻¹·g⁻¹ and 112.9 mmol·g⁻¹. CuO@C enhanced the photocatalytic performance of pristine TiO₂ by 295 and 182 folds. The combination effect of CuO and carbon nanosheet is crucial for the high photocatalytic performance of the composite cocatalyst compared to the individual cocatalysts of CuO or carbon.

Hydrogen gas has been considered as an alternative energy source. We enhanced the photocatalytic water splitting of titanium oxide (TiO₂) by employing copper-based nanoparticles as cocatalysts. Copper trimesate (CuTM) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) served as a precursor for synthesizing copper-based nanomaterials through carbonization in air and an inert argon gas environment. A mixed-valence materials were synthesized, including metallic copper (Cu0) and copper oxides, i.e., CuO or Cu₂O. The photocatalysts CuTM/TiO₂, CuTM_Ar/TiO₂, and CuTM_Air/TiO₂ exhibited initial and cumulative hydrogen generation rates (HGRs) of 22.8 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹ and 107.9 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹; 25.5 and 120.7 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹; and 13.8 and 72.1 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, respectively. All cocatalysts enhance TiO₂ photocatalysis. Carbonized CuTM in an argon atmosphere enhanced HGR values significantly compared to CuTM and air-carbonized CuTM. The heterojunction established between the synthesized cocatalysts and the photocatalyst TiO₂ is the primary factor contributing to the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the composite relative to its unmodified photocatalyst. The mechanism of improvement was discussed based on data derived from various analytical techniques, including diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoelectrochemical measurements, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

We successfully prepared and characterized a novel MnO2@Al-BDC nanocomposite. TEM and XPS analysis confirmed the presence of MnO2 on the surface of the Al-BDC MOF. The nanocomposite demonstrated higher activity in removing trivalent iron from wastewater compared to Al-BDC MOF. The removal efficiency reached 97% iron remediation.

This study reports the development and characterization of chitosan-based nanoparticles (CTS-NPs) for the co-delivery of clotrimazole (CLZ) and bioactive compounds derived from Enteromorpha prolifera (algal extract, AE) to enhance antifungal efficacy against drug-resistant Clavispora lusitaniae. The dual-loaded nanoparticles (CTS-CLZ-AE-NPs) exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of 65 % for CLZ and 81 % for AE, with respective loading capacities of 13 % and 20.25 %. Structural and compositional analyses using FTIR and SEM confirmed successful encapsulation and notable morphological changes. GC–MS analysis identified key antimicrobial constituents in AE, including phenolics, terpenoids, and fatty acids. In vitro, antifungal assays demonstrated that CTS-CLZ-AE-NPs achieved the highest fungicidal activity, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/mL and an 85.99 % reduction in biofilm formation at 4 × MIC. SEM analysis further revealed significant morphological damage in treated fungal cells. These findings highlight the synergistic potential of CLZ and AE in a nanochitosan platform and underscore its promise as an effective alternative strategy against antifungal-resistant pathogens. Further in vivo evaluation is warranted to establish clinical applicability.

An efficient access to substituted tetrahydroquinolines, benzo[b]azepines, pyrido[3,2,1-jk]carbazoles, benzo[kl]acridines and pyrido[3,2,1-de]acridines in overall very good yields is described. The process involves Friedel–Crafts cyclizations of homo-and heterocyclic carboxylic acids 1a-e and alkanols 3a-e in the presence of AlCl3/CH3NO2 or TfOH (trifluoromethanesulfonic acid) or polyphosphoric acid (PPA) under suitable reaction conditions. Starting carboxylic acids 1a-e were obtained from their literature procedures. Our simple strategy offers easy access to polycyclic-fused systems in short reaction times and in moderate to good yields.

Keywords: Friedel-Crafts cycliacylations; alkanols; pyrido[3,2,1-jk]carbazole; Grignard reactions;
benzo[kl]acridine