Electro-oxidation treatment of Sn/PANI electrode and electrocatalytic activity of Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI composite electrodes

After being electro-oxidized by cyclic voltammetry(CV) method in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution or in 0.2 mol/L H2O2+0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution, the Sn/polyaniline (PANI) electrodes were modified with Pt microparticles by pulse galvanostatic method, thus Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrodes were prepared. The electrocatalytic activities of the Pt/Sn/PANI electrode and Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrode for formaldehyde electro-oxidation were investigated by CV method. The effects of deposition charges (Qdep) of PANI, Sn and Pt, scan rate and formaldehyde concentration on the electrocatalytic activity of Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrode were also studied. The results show that the electrocatalytic activities of the Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrodes are much higher than those of the Pt/Sn/PANI electrode.

Study on Pu-erh Tea Methanol Extracts on Antibacterial Activity of Several Plant Pathogens

[Objective] The aim was to study Pu-erh tea methanol extracts on antibacterial activity of several plant pathogens and provide reference for application of Pu-erh tea in agriculture disease prevention and control.[Method]The inhibitive effect of Pu-erh tea methanol extracts on several plant pathogens was studied by adopting mycelium growth rate method.[Result] The results showed that Pu-erh tea methanol extracts had inhibitive effects on Thanatephorus cucomeris(Frank)Donk,Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.niveum,Fusa...

Anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of three species of Amaranthus

Objective:To investigate the anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of leaves of Amaranthus caudatus,Amaranthus spinosus and Amaranthus viridis in normal and streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats.Methods:In this study,the anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity of methanol extracts of leaves of all three plants was evaluated by using normal and STZ induced diabetic rots at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg p.o.daily for 21 days.Blood glucose levels and body weight were monitored at specific intervals,and different biochemical parameters,serum cholesterol,serum triglyceride,high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein were also assessed in the experimental animals.Histology of pancreas was performed.Results:It was found that all the three plants at 400 mg/kg dose showed significant anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity(P<0.01),while at 200 mg/kg dose less significant anti-diabetic activity(P<0.05) was observed.Concluslons: Methanol extracts of Amaranthus caudatus,Amaranlhus spinosus and Amaranthus viridis showed significant anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterolemic activity,which provides the scientific proof for their traditional claims.

Seasonal variation for the antidiabetic activity of Loranthus micranthus methanol extract

Objective:To determine the season in which the Eastern Nigeria mistletoe,Loranthus micranthus,parasitic on Persea americana possesses optimum antidiabetic activity and to determine the seasonal variation in the constituents.Methods:The antidiabetic activities of the aqueous methanol extracts of the leaves of Eastern Nigeria mistletoe,Loranthus micranthus, harvested in two seasons of the year,the onset of rainy season(April) and the peak of rainy season(July) were compared.The tests were carried out on six(6) groups(A-F) of alloxaninduced diabetic rats.Groups A and B received 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of the April sample extracts respectively while groups C and D received same doses of the July sample extracts. Group E and F which were the positive and negative controls received 10 mg/kg of glibenclamide and 2 ml/kg of 3%tween 20 respectively.The blood glucose levels of the animals were monitored hourly with a glucometer for six hours.The phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts were also carried out by standard procedures.Results:The results showed that group A and B exhibited significant(P【0.05) percentage reduction in the fasting blood sugar(FBS) level of the animals(38.9%and 39.2%respectively) with maximum reduction observed at the 5th and 6th hour respectively compared to glibenclamide(71.3%).Group C showed no significant (P】0.05) FBS reduction(15.9%) while group D exhibited highly significant(P【0.01) reduction (47.5%) with the maximum reduction occurring after 6 hours.The phytochemical analysis of the crude methanol extracts revealed the presence of carbohydrates,glycosides,saponins, tannins,flavonoids,steroids,terpenoids,acidic compounds,resins and oils.These were present in different proportions in both seasons.Conclusions:This study shows that there is a seasonal, dose-dependent variation in the chemical composition viz-a-viz the antidiabetic activity of the plant under study.This activity is highest at the peak of the rainy season.

Self-Decoration of PtNi Alloy Nanoparticles on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Highly Efficient Methanol Electro-Oxidation

A simple one-pot method was developed to prepare Pt Ni alloy nanoparticles,which can be self-decorated on multiwalled carbon nanotubes in [BMIm][BF4] ionic liquid.The nanohybrids are targeting stable nanocatalysts for fuel cell applications.The sizes of the supported Pt Ni nanoparticles are uniform and as small as 1–2 nm.Pt-to-Ni ratio was controllable by simply selecting a Pt Ni alloy target.The alloy nanoparticles with Pt-to-Ni ratio of 1:1 show high catalytic activity and stability for methanol electro-oxidation.The performance is much higher compared with those of both Pt-only nanoparticles and commercial Pt/C catalyst.The electronic structure characterization on the Pt Ni nanoparticles demonstrates that the electrons are transferred from Ni to Pt,which can suppress the CO poisoning effect.

Stable NiPt-Mo_(2)C active site pairs enable boosted water splitting and direct methanol fuel cell

Sluggish kinetics of methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)and alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)even on precious Pt catalyst impede the large-scale commercialization of direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC)and water electrolysis technologies.Since both of MOR and alkaline HER are related to water dissociation reaction(WDR),it is reasonable to invite secondary active sites toward WDR to pair with Pt for boosted MOR and alkaline HER activity on Pt.Mo_(2)C and Ni species are therefore employed to engineer NiPt-Mo_(2)C active site pairs,which can be encapsulated in carbon cages,via an in-situ self-confinement strategy.Mass activity of Pt in NiPt-Mo_(2)C@C toward HER is boosted to11.3 A mg_(pt)^(-1),33 times higher than that of Pt/C.Similarly,MOR catalytic activity of Pt in NiPt-Mo_(2)C@C is also improved by 10.5 times and the DMFC maximum power density is hence improved by 9-fold.By considering the great stability,NiPt-Mo_(2)C@C exhibits great practical application potential in DMFCs and water electrolysers.

Ru effect on the catalytic performance of Pd@Ru/C catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation

Pd@Ru bimetallic nanoparticles deposited on carbon black electro-catalysts have been fabricated by microwave-assisted polyol reduction method and investigated for methanol electro-oxidation （MEO）. The structure and electro-catalytic properties of the as-prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and cyclic voltammetry （CV） techniques. The results showed that the introduction of Ru element （2-10 wt%） into Pd 20 wt%/C （hereafter, denoted as Pd/C） produced a series of core-shell structured binary catalysts. Pd@Ru 5 wt%/C （hereafter, denoted as Pd@Rus/C） catalyst displayed the highest catalytic activity towards MEO. And the mass activity of Pd@Ru5/C electrode catalyst at E = -0.038 V （vs. Hg/HgO） was 1.42 times higher than that of Pd/C electrode catalyst. In addition, the relationship between the catalytic stability for MEO on Pd@Ru/C catalysts and the value of dbp/dfp （the ratio of MEO peak current density in the negative scan and positive scan） were also investigated. The result demonstrated that Pd@Rus/C offering the smallest value of Jbp/Jfp displayed the best stable catalytic performance.

Solvent effects on Pt-Ru/C catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation

Alloying degree, particle size and the level of dispersion are the key structural parameters of Pt-Ru/C catalyst in fuel cells. Solvent（s） used in the preparation process can affect the particle size and alloying degree of the object substance, which lead to a great positive impact on its properties. In this work, three types of solvents and their mixtures were used in preparation of the Pt-Ru/C catalysts by chemical reduction of metal precursors with sodium borohydride at room temperature. The structure of the catalysts was characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and Transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The catalytic activity and stability for methanol electro-oxidation were studied by Cyclic Voltammetry （CV） and Chronoamperometry （CA）. Pt-Ru/C catalyst prepared in H2O or binary solvents of H2O and isopropanol had large particle size and low alloying degree leading to low catalytic activity and less stability in methanol electro-oxidation. When tetrahydrofuran was added to the above solvent systems, Pt-Ru/C catalyst prepared had smaller particle size and higher alloying degree which resulted in better catalytic activity, lower onset and peak potentials, compared with the above catalysts. Moreover, the catalyst prepared in ternary solvents of isopropanol, water and tetrahydrofuran had the smallest particle size, and the high alloying degree and the dispersion kept unchanged. Therefore, this kind of catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity and good stability for methanol electro-oxidation.

Carbon nanotubes-Nafion composites as Pt-Ru catalyst support for methanol electro-oxidation in acid media

Carbon nanotubes-Nafion （CNTs-Nation） composites were prepared by impregnated CNTs with Nation in ethanol solution and characterized by FT-IR. Pt-Ru catalysts supported on CNTs-Nafion composites were synthesized by microwave-assisted polyol process. The physical and electrochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, CO stripping voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry （CV） and chronoamperometry （CA）. The results showed that the Nation incorporation in CNTs-Nation composites did not significantly alter the oxygen-containing groups on the CNTs surface. The Pt-Ru catalyst supported on CNTs-Nafion composites with 2 wt% Naton showed good dispersion and the best CO oxidation and methanol electro-oxidation activities.

Antibacterial activity of plant methanolic extracts on a field isolate of <i>Pseudomonas syringae</i>pvtomato from the Casablanca region (Morocco)

A bacterial field isolate recovered from infected tomato plants in a green-house at Sidi Rehal, a region near Casablanca city (Morocco), was identified as the gammaproteobacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 strain, the causal agent of bacterial speck. The bacterial isolate was characterized by morphological, biochemical and molecular biological tests, its growth curves carried out in various culture media, and its phytopathogenicity verified by infection tests. A screening was performed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of 12 selected Moroccan plants against the P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 isolate, and Agar-well diffusion and Broth microdilution methods were used to determine minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations. Among the methanolic extracts tested, only those of Nigella sativa, Geranuim robertianum, Aizoon canariense and Rubia peregrine showed clear inhibitory and bactericidal activities, although the highest values were achieved with N. sativa, a plant used in Morocco as a spice, condiment and medicinal treatment.

Catalytic performance of hybrid Pt@ZnO NRs on carbon fibers for methanol electro-oxidation

A novel Pt@ZnO nanorod/carbon fiber （NR/CF） with hierarchical structure was prepared by atomic layer deposition combined with hydrothermal synthesis and magnetron sputtering （MS）. The morphology of Pt changes from nanoparticle to nanorod bundle with controlled thickness of Pt between 10 and 50 nm. Significantly, with the increase of voltage from 0 to 0.6 V （vs. standard calomel electrode）, the prompt photocurrent generated on ZnO NR/CF increases from 0235 to 0.725 mA. Besides, the Pt@ZnO NR/CF exhibited higher electrochemical active surface area （ECSA） value, better methanol oxidation ability and CO tolerance than Pt@CF, which demonstrated the importance of the multifunctional ZnO support. As the thickness of Pt increasing from 10 to 50 rim, the ECSA values were improved proportionally, leading to the improvement of methanol oxidation ability. More importantly, UV radiation increased the density of peak current of Pt@ZnO NR/CF towards methanol oxidation by additional 42.4%, which may be due to the synergy catalysis of UV light and electricity.

Evaluation of antidepressant activity of methanolic and hydroalcoholic extracts of Acorus calamus L.rhizome through tail suspension test and forced swimming test of mice

Objective:Acorus calamus(AC)L.(Araceae)is an annual semi-aquatic and aromatic plant found in Europe,North America and Asia.Its rhizomes are often used by Native Americans,Americans,and Chinese as well as by other cultures.Ethnobotanical studies and documents have shown their use in various disease treatments,such as insomnia,mental disorders,diabetes mellitus,epilepsy,inflammation,asthma,neuropathic pain,and diarrhea.In this study,the antidepressant activity of methanolic and hydroalcoholic extracts of the AC rhizome part in mice was investigated.Methods:Three doses of methanolic extract of AC rhizome(MEACR)(25,50 and 100 mg/kg b.wt),three doses of hydroalcoholic extract of AC rhizome(HAACR)(100,200 and 400 mg/kg b.wt),and standards(imipramine,15 mg/kg b.wt and fluoxetine,20 mg/kg b.wt)was daily oral administration to the mice for consecutive 14 days.The extract effect on the immobility time was monitored by a tail suspension test(TST)and a forced swimming test(FST).Monoamine oxidase(MAO)levels were also analyzed using standard methods.Results:The optimum antidepressant activity was viewed at 100 mg/kg b.wt of MEACR extract and400 mg/kg b.wt of HAACR extract with 23.82%and 20.59%immobility period reduction,respectively.Besides,the extracts weakened the FST-induced elevation of MAO activity significantly and returned to near-normal levels of neurotransmitters in the brain.100 mg/kg b.wt or above of MEACR extract significantly prevented the MAO-A and MAO-B activities in mice brain at a dose-dependent fashion.But,just 400 mg/kg b.wt of HAACR extract prevented the activity of MAO-A and MAO-B.Fluoxetine and imipramine showed a tendency to prevent the activity of MAO-A and MAO-B.Conclusion:This study suggests that AC rhizome extract mediated antidepressant activity by modulating the central neurochemical and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)axis in response to FST and TSTinduced stress.Therefore,AC rhizome extract can be used as a valuable plant supplement to treat depressive disorders.

Synergistic effect of cobalt and copper on a nickel-based modified graphite electrode during methanol electro-oxidation in NaOH solution

The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol was studied over Ni, Co and Cu binary or ternary alloys on graphite electrodes in a NaOH solution （0.1 mol/L）. The catalysts were prepared by cycling the graphite electrode in solutions containing Ni, Cu and Co ions at cathodic potentials. The synergistic effects and catalytic activity of the modified electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry （CV）, chronoamperometry CCA） and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. It was found that, in the presence of methanol, the modified Ni-based ternary alloy electrode （G/NiCuCo） exhibited a significantly higher response for methanol oxidation compared to the other samples. The anodic peak currents showed a linear dependency on the square root of the scan rate, which is a characteristic of a diffusion controlled process. During CA studies, the reaction exhibited Cottrellin behavior and the diffusion coefficient of methanol was determined to be 6.25× 10-6 cm2/s and the catalytic rate constant, K, for methanol oxidation was found to be 40×107 cm3/Cmol.s）. EIS was used to investigate the catalytic oxidation of methanol on the surface of the modified electrode.

Larvicidal activity of essential oil and methanol extract of Nepeta menthoides against malaria vector Anopheles stephensi

Objective:To investigate the larvicidai activity of essential oil and methanol extract of the Nepeta menthoides（N.menthoides） against main malaria vector,Anopheles stephensi（An. stephensi）.Methods:The essential oil of planl was obtained by Clevenger type apparatus and the methanol extract was supplied with Percolation method,larvicidai activity was tested by WHO method.Twenty five fourth-instar larvae of An.stephensi were used in the larvicidai assay and four replicates were tested for each concentration.Five different concentrations of the oil and extract were tested for calculation of LC50 and LC50 values.Results:The LC50 and LC90 values were determined by probit analysis.IC50 was 69.5 and 234.3 ppm and LC50 was 175.5 and 419.9 ppm for the extract and essential oil respectively.Conclusions:According to the results of this study methanolic extract of plant exhibited more larvicidai activity than essential oil.This could be useful for investigation of new natural larvicidai compounds.

Synthesis of monodisperse palladium nanocubes and their catalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation

The single crystalline palladium nanocubes with an average size of 7 nm were prepared in the presence of poly （vinyl pyrrolidone） （PVP） and KBr using the polyol method. The as-prepared Pd nanocubes were highly uniform in both size and shape. The ordered packing structures including monolayer and multilayer can be fabricated via the rate-controlled evaporation of solution solvent. The electrochemical catalytic activity of these Pd nanocubes towards methanol oxidation was found to be higher than that of spherical Pd nanoparticles of similar size.

Carbon Nanotubes Supported Pt-Ru-Ni as Methanol Electro-Oxidation Catalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Carbon nanotubes （CNTs） supported Pt-Ru and Pt-Ru-Ni catalysts were prepared by chemical reduction of metal precursors with sodium borohydride at room temperature. The crystallographic properties and composition of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and energy dispersive X-ray （EDX） analysis, and the catalytic activity and stability for methanol electro-oxidation were measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）, linear sweep voltammetries （LSV）, and chronoamperometry （CA）. The results show that the catalysts exhibit face-centered cubic （fcc） structure. The particle size of Pt-Ru-Ni/CNTs catalyst is about 4.8 nm. The catalytic activity and stability of the Pt-Ru-Ni/CNTs catalyst are higher than those of Pt-Ru/CNTs catalyst.

Activity of Catalyst for Liquid Phase Methanol Synthesis

the effects of reduction procedure, reaction temperature andcomposition of feed gas on the activity of a CuO-ZnO-Al_2O_3 catalystfor liquid phase methanol synthesis were studied. An optimizedprocedure different from conventional ones was developed to obtainhigher activity and better stability of the catalyst. Both CO andCO_2 in the feed gas were found to be necessary to maintain theactivity of catalyst in the synthesis process. Reaction temperaturewas limited up to 523 K, otherwise the catalyst will be deactivatedrapidly.

Antibacterial Activity of Moringa ovalifolia and Moringa oleifera Methanol, N-Hexane and Water Seeds and Bark Extracts against Pathogens That Are Implicated in Water Borne Diseases

Antibacterial activity of methanol, n-hexane and water extracts of seeds and bark of Moringa oleifera and Moringa ovalifolia was conducted. The causative agents of common bacterial infections that are thought to cause water-borne diseases, namely, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus cereus were chosen for the study. The paper-disc diffusion method was used with treatments arranged in a completely randomized design and replicated four times. The M. oleifera extracts showed more inhibitory effect than those of M. ovolifolia. The conventional antibiotic Ampicilin generally showed higher inhibitory effect than the extracts of both M. oleifera and M. ovalifolia. The inhibitory effect varied depending on the solvent used. The n-hexane extracts of both seeds and bark of M. ovalifolia and M. oleifera had almost the same inhibition activities (6 ± 1 mm mean inhibition zones) on B. cereus, E. coli and E. faecalis. The n-hexane extract generally gave lower antibacterial activities than those of the other solvents for seeds and back. The results of the study showed that M. oleifera and M. ovalifolia had a degree of antibacterial properties against the selected test organisms that cause water borne diseases.

In vitro evaluation of antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of Jasminum humile Leaves

Objective:To evaluate in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of Jasminum humile（J.humile） leaves extract.Method:Methanolic extract of J.humile was evaluated for its antimicrobial activity by using agar well diffusion method & their possible antioxidant assay by two complementary test systems,namely DPPH and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity.These various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidants such as ascorbic acid for both the tests.Results:In the DPPH & hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity,the IC50 value of methanol extract was 70.43μg/mL & 60.79μg/mL respectively. Further,the extract showed inhibitory activity for Gram-positive and negative bacteria at different concentrations.The maximum antibacterial activity of extract was exhibited against Staphylococcus aureus（S.aureus） at concentration 50 mg/mL when compared with ciprofloxacin Conclusions:These results clearly indicate that J.humile is effective in scavenging free radicals and has the potential to be a powerful antioxidant.Thus,the results obtained in the present study indicate that J.humile leaves extract could be considered as a potential source of natural antioxidants and that could be used as an effective source against bacterial diseases.

Copper-ceria solid solution with improved catalytic activity for hydrogenation of CO to CHOH

A copper-ceria solid solution and ceria-supported copper catalysts were prepared and used for the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH.According to site-specific classification and quantitative analyses(X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,H2 temperature-programmed reduction,and CO adsorption),the interfaces of the prepared catalysts were classified as Cu incorporated into ceria(Cu-Ov-Cex),dispersed Cu O(D-Cu O-Ce O2),and bulk Cu O(B-Cu O-Ce O2)over the Ce O2 surface.These results,together with those of activity tests,showed that the Cu-Ov-Cex species was closely related to the CO2 hydrogenation activity and resulted in a much higher turnover frequency of CH3OH production than that observed with the D-Cu O-Ce O2 and B-Cu O-Ce O2 species.Thus,the copper-ceria solid solution exhibited improved activity due to the higher Cu-Ov-Cex fraction.