Semiconductor photocatalysis has received considerable attention because of its potential applicability in the photodegradation of water pollution. The recent issue concerning the photocatalyst requires not only its excellent performance, but also its recovery. For this purpose, recently combinations of conjugated polymers with inorganic materials for enhanced visible light responsive photocatalysis has received great attention. The unique physical and chemical properties of conducting polymers have made them significant attractive materials. Among these delocalized conjugated materials, polythiophenes (PTh) polymers have been widely used because of their good thermal and chemical stability. In this work, zinc ferrite–polythiophene photocatalyst is successfully prepared by in situ oxidative polymerization of thiophene monomers in present of zinc ferrite. These composites were characterized by different techniques and photocatalytic studies were carried out for degradation of methylene orange (MO) from aqueous media. The result shows that the synthesized products induced a high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the MO dye by using visible light irradiation. The synthesized sample can be separated easily by an external magnetic and reused twice more, and its photocatalytic activity was virtually unchanged, although a slight decrease was observed after each run.

Among the multiple applications of ionic liquids (ILs) and ionogels, electrolytes for electrochemical devices have a highlighted position. The interest in mixtures of ILs with alkaline metals salts has increased in the last years, since the presence of some electrochemically active species, is required for any electrochemical application of these designer solvents, e.g. in batteries [1].

Although physical characterization of common ILs, as ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), is extensively performed and published, thermophysical characterization of its ionogels is not yet well developed. In this work, the liquid range and thermal stability of ionogels of EAN and its mixtures with lithium nitrate (LiNO₃), an inorganic salt with a common anion, were measured.

Gelation process has been performed following Negre et al. methodology [2]. Essentially, a solid ionogel-based electrolyte was synthetized using two different sol-gel agents and the IL.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry was employed to determine the melting and freezing temperatures [3], observing that the pure IL and mixture melt at 12 ºC and 3 ºC, respectively, whereas no processes associated to the formation of a crystalline phase was observed for ionogels.

Moreover, using a thermogravimetric analyzer operating in dynamic and isothermal modes under dry air and nitrogen atmospheres, thermal stability analysis was performed [3]. Pure IL and ionogels showed similar thermogravimetric curves characterized by a loss mass in a single step starting at 200 ºC and finishing at 300 ºC, approximately.

Acknowledgements

This work was developed within the scope of the projects EM2013/031 and GRC ED431C 2016/001 and by the network REGALIS ED431D 2017/06 (Xunta de Galicia, Spain). The financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through grants MAT2014-57943-C3-1-P, MAT2014-57943-C3-2-P and MAT2014- 57943-C3-3-P is also gratefully acknowledged.

 Refs.

[1] S. Menne, J. Pires, M. Anouti, A. Balducci, Electrochem. Commun. 31, 39 (2013).

[2] L. Negre, B. Daffos, V. Turq, P.L. Taberna P. Simon, Electrochim Acta 206, 490 (2016).

[3] M. Villanueva, J. J. Parajó, P.B. Sánchez, J. García, J. Salgado, J. Chem. Thermodyn. 91, 127 (2015).

[4] T. Méndez-Morales, J. Carrete, S. Bouzón-Capelo, M. Pérez-Rodríguez, O. Cabeza, L. J. Gallego, L.M. Varela, J. Phys. Chem. B 117, 3207 (2013).

In the present study, gelatin/Fe₃O₄/ethylene glycol hydrocarbon gel nanocomposite was prepared by a simple method. First, Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized by a co-precipitation method. Then to prepare the hydrocarbon gel nanocomposite, magnetic nanoparticles were dispersed in ethylene glycol and gelatin was added to the above solution. To study the morphology and characterization of the hydrocarbon gel nanocomposite, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) were obtained.

We report the synthesis of  recoverable magnetic nano catalyst Pd@ Fe₃O₄ and its utility as a recyclable catalyst for reduction of
 nitrogroup . the catalyst is easily removed from the reaction media by an external magnetic field and can be re-used for at least 10 times without any considerable loss in its activity. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), CHN analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometery (VSM).

The work reports synthesis of twelve novel ethyl 4-(6-substituted-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)-6-methyl-2-thioxo/oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate derivatives 4(a-f) and 4-(6-substituted-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)-6-methyl-2- thioxo/oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carbohydrazide derivatives 6(a-f). The novel chromone-pyrimidine coupled derivatives were synthesized under solvent-free condition using Triethyl ammonium sulphate [Et₃NH][HSO₄] as an efficient, eco-friendly and reusable catalyst.  Compared to other methods, this new method consistently has advantages, including excellent yields, a short reaction time, mild reaction conditions and catalyst reusability. The heterocyclic compound Chromone, is associated with diverse biological activities of immense importance. The nitrogen containing heterocycle such as pyrimidine has attracted continuing interest because of its varied biological activities and its occurrence in natural medicinal plants.  Pyrimidine and its derivatives are used as antifungal agents, antibacterial agents, anticancer agents, etc. Considering the importance of the two pharmacophores, promoted us to club both the pharmacophores in a single molecule using green protocol. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectral characterization such as IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³CNMR and Mass spectral studies.

1,5-Diaryl-3-trifluoromethypyrazole derivatives have acquired much attention in the past few years due to their good biological potential. In the present communication, some 1,5-diaryl-3-trifluoromethylpyrazoles were synthesized by one-pot solid phase reaction. The DNA photocleavage study of the synthesized compounds was performed using agarose gel electrophoresis method. To have better insight of how our ligands interacted with the DNA, molecular docking simulations through Autodock Vina were also performed. All the compounds have shown good binding with the DNA.  It has been found that pyrazoles containing phenyl rings at both positions (1 and 5) possessing electron releasing as well as electron withdrawing groups enhance the DNA photocleavage potential. As the synthesized derivatives shown the promising DNA photocleavage activity, so they may serve the basis of some bioactive heterocycles in the future.

Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) nanocomposite contain of novel magnetic (MNPs) core-shell nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@Silica@Urea-1 and 3wt%) was prepared by in situ polymerization method. The structure of nanoparticles was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of the MNPs nanoparticles on morphology properties of PUR was studied.

For a long time, the main biological activity of selenium derivatives was supposed to be connected to their toxicity and some exotic theories correlated historical events to the selenium poisoning. In 1285, Marco Polo, crossing the Shanxi Province of Western China, observed an unknown intoxication of the animals on his ships (loss of hair) that later was supposed to be due to selenosis and in 1860, a US Army surgeon documented the first selenium poisoning in livestock, suggesting a fascinating theory that the horse illness that slowed General Custer's Cavalry relief may have been due to selenium intoxication. Even if nowadays, several studies have confirmed that some disorders in animals and humans are consequence of selenium bioaccumulation it is also clear that selenium is fundamental for life having the role of essential micronutrient in mammals. As direct consequence of these prejudices the research in the field was particularly slow in the past and relegated to a small number of group in the world. Only recently the knowledge acquired in 200 years of basic research are finding applications in understanding of biological models involving selenoproteins, developing of new drugs, new functionalized materials and new catalytic protocols for green chemistry. This manuscript aims to be a celebrative tribute to the 200^th  "selenium birthday" presenting an overview of the contribute of our group in different field of this research, ranging from the development of new reagents for green chemistry and catalysis to the design and synthesis of novel molecules as anti-HIV and antimicrobial agents. We are strongly convinced that in the next future we can expect important discoveries from a research that produce thousand of new publications every year. Here we'll trace also where we are going to collecting some selected results recently obtained and presented by s number of our young students at 6th Workshop of the SeSRedCat Network in Wroclaw Poland 21-23 September 2017)

Triethylammonium salts of (4-aryl-3-cyano-6-oxo-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-2-yl)malononitriles were prepared by reaction of aldehydes with Meldrum's acid and 2-amino-1,1,3-tricyanopropene (malononitrile dimer) in the presence of triethylamine. Upon treatment with alpha-mercaptocarbonyl compounds in the presence of alkali, new thieno[2,3-h][1,6]naphthyridines were prepared in good yields.

3-Aminothieno[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxamides react with chloroacetyl chloride to afford 3-(chloroacetylamino)thieno[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxamides. The latter upon treatment with sodium azide gave 3-(azidoacetylamino)thieno[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxamides. The reaction of 3-(chloroacetylamino)thieno[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxamides with sulfur and amines afforded new monothiooxamides.