University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University or CU) is a collegiate public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.&nbsp;Within India it is recognized as a &quot;Five-Star University&quot; and accredited &quot;A&quot; Grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

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The University of Calcutta has secured the Fifth position among the Universities of India in the prestigious &quot;Indian University Ranking 2019&quot; list, released by the NIRF of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

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It was established on 24 January 1857, and was one of the first institutions in Asia to be established as a multidisciplinary and Western-style university. Its alumni and faculty include several heads of state, heads of government, social reformers, prominent artists, only academy award winner and Dirac medal winner in India, many Fellows of the Royal Society and five Nobel laureates as of 2019 which is highest in South Asia.

University Of Calcutta

Chemical Technology

The present work reports the decomposition of a model volatile organic compound (VOC), toluene, in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor. For this purpose, 2.5 wt&#x0025; MO&#x2093;/&#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; (M = Mn and Co) catalysts prepared by the wet impregnation method were utilized for packing. The influence of varying input toluene concentration (between 50 and 200 ppm) and different packing conditions (surface modifications of &#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; with Mn and Co oxides) on the conversion of toluene, product selectivity of CO and CO&#x2082;, and ozone formation were studied. Surface-modified &#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; showed improved CO&#x2082; selectivity compared to &#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; and bare plasma. CoO&#x2093;/&#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; effectively decomposed 50-ppm toluene (95&#x0025; at 3.8 W) with about 70&#x0025; CO&#x2082; selectivity. MnO&#x2093;/&#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; and CoO&#x2093;/&#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; displayed the similar conversion effect at higher toluene input. Almost 98&#x0025; carbon balance and suppressed ozone formation were observed using surface-modified &#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083;, signifying the necessity of integrating metal oxide to achieve effective conversion and maximum selectivity towards the desired products. The mean electron energies and electron energy distribution function were also calculated using BOLSIG+ software. The high-performance packed-bed DBD system packed with supported 2.5&#x0025; MO&#x2093;/&#x0263; -Al&#x2082;O&#x2083; offers a promising approach using highly active transition metal oxide-based catalysts for VOCs removal. IEEE

World University root node

IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

Room-Temperature Toluene Decomposition by Catalytic Non-Thermal Plasma Reactor

An atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) was directly irradiated at a gas-liquid interface under ambient conditions. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydroxyl radicals (•OH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ozone (O3) and also reactive nitrogen species (RNS) such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitric acid (HNO3) formed during the plasma discharge were quantified under various experimental parameters. In a chemical dosimetry method, terephthalic acid (TA) was employed for the quantification of •OH and titanium sulfate was used to quantify the H2O2. Quantitative determination of NO3− was carried out by using Ion chromatography (IC). The changes in the solution pH were studied during the plasma treatment. Strong acidification along with the production of dominant reactive nitrogen species and ozone formation were observed with air. The effect of various gases, gas flow rate, various applied voltage and catalyst were studied to optimize the experimental conditions for the best performance. The influence of catalyst Fe2+ salt, TiO2 on the formation of reactive species were studied. The efficiency of the plasma device for the degradation of crystal violet (CV) was also investigated with TiO2 and Fe2+ salt. © 2022 Korean Physical Society

Current Applied Physics

Physicochemical process of non-thermal plasma at gas-liquid interface and synergistic effect of plasma with catalyst

In this work, we have reported a noble metal free heterogeneous photocatalyst to carry out direct (het)arene C-H arylation and solvent-free CO2 capture via single-electron transfer processes at room temperature and under pressure. The catalytic system comprises a cobalt(iii) complex grafted over the silica coated magnetic support for the efficient recovery of the photocatalytic moiety without hampering its light-harvesting capability. The novel Earth-abundant cobalt(iii) based photocatalyst possesses various fascinating properties such as high surface area to volume ratios, large pore volume, crystalline behaviour, high metal loading, excellent stability and reusability. The general efficacy of the highly abundant and low-cost cobalt based heterogeneous nanocatalyst was checked for the selective conversion of aryldiazonium salts into synthetically and pharmaceutically significant biaryl motifs under ambient conditions upon irradiation with visible light. The highly efficient photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to a value-added chemical was accomplished under mild reaction conditions with high selectivity, showing the added benefit of operational simplicity. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Dalton Transactions

An Earth-abundant cobalt based photocatalyst: Visible light induced direct (het)arene C-H arylation and CO2capture

Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling

Identification of potent food constituents as SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease modulators through advanced pharmacoinformatics approaches

Porous carbon nanospheres were synthesized from agro-waste garlic peels by a one-pot facile and easy to scale-up pyrolysis method. Surface morphology and structural features of the nanospheres have been studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and N2 adsorption desorption experiments were explored to detect surface functionality, surface area, and porosity. Average particle diameter of the synthesized nanospheres was 31 ± 6.3 nm and zeta potential of − 25.2 mV ± 1.75 mV. Nanoscale carbon was mesoporous in nature with type IV isotherms, mean pore diameter of 15.2 nm, and total pore volume of 0.032 cm3/g. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values of carbon nanospheres against Escherichia coli are 480 ± 0.5 μg/ml and 495 ± 0.5 μg/ml, respectively. Synthesized nanospheres exhibited gram-selective antimicrobial action against Escherichia coli probably linked to membrane deformity due to interaction of nanocarbon with the bacterial membrane. Carbon nanospheres resulting from waste to wealth transformation emerged as promising candidates for antibacterial application. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Mesoporous carbon nanospheres derived from agro-waste as novel antimicrobial agents against gram-negative bacteria

Sustainable Corrosion Inhibitors

Current Status, Opportunities and Challenges of Green Corrosion Inhibitors

Bagasse, an industrial agro waste is treated with alkali initially to remove hemicelluloses fraction followed by treatment with sodium chlorite solution varying the treatment time. The novelty of the work lies in the bleaching with chlorite treatment in alkaline medium. The treated bagasse fiber was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analysis by dynamic light scattering technique (DLS), optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), UV spectroscope, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that during alkali treatment, a lattice transformation from cellulose I to cellulose II took place. Chlorite treatment removed lignin initially, and then with increasing time, the amorphous portion of cellulose is removed, rendering high crystallinity in the fiber. All the changes have been accounted by evaluation of LOI (lateral order of index), TCI (total crystallinity index), and HBI (hydrogen bond intensity) from FTIR study. XRD study also revealed the same fact. AFM study also supported the same fact indicating generation of sharp crystal and rough surface. Morphological study of treated and untreated bagasse fiber also exhibited fibrillation of fiber. Radius of hydration as estimated by DLS analysis followed a decreasing trend with increase in chlorite treatment time. The loss of transparency in cellulose fiber has been exposed by UV spectra analysis. TGA study showed that thermal stability has been increased with chlorite treatment. Such alkali treatment along with sodium chlorite for cellulose extraction from bagasse has not been performed by earlier investigators. Extracted cellulose fiber will be a very suitable reinforcing agent due to highly fibrillated morphology. © 2021, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery

Influence of chlorite treatment on the fine structure of alkali pretreated sugarcane bagasse

Deterioration of surface and ground water quality as a result of massive growth of population, industrialization and other anthropogenic activities has become an issue of serious concern across the globe, threatening the entire biosphere. Recently, adsorption technologies utilizing nano-engineered architectures have garnered the attention of the scientific community as a promising treatment methodology as they provide leapfrogging opportunities to develop next-generation sorbents with lower energy consumption and facile operation conditions. Within this context, iron oxide-based magnetic nanoscavengers have shown exuberant potential to remove noxious pollutants from hydrological systems due to their high removal efficiency, faster kinetics, low cost, easy accessibility, design flexibility and ability to regenerate the adsorbent. The present review article provides a one-stop-reference for researchers working worldwide in separation science as it encompasses all the literature reports on precisely engineered iron oxide-based nanoadsorbents which are exploited in sequestering organic, inorganic and biological toxic substances from different effluents. Besides, light has also been shed on several crucial factors influencing the sorption efficacy of the adsorbent that not only include applied conditions such as pH, concentration, etc. but also focus on the stability of designed materials and their affinity towards the concerned analyte. This article also outlines the concepts and terminologies associated with the solid phase extraction technique along with a brief discussion of synthetic and functionalization strategies to tailor the selectivity of the developed nanoscaled material towards a specific pollutant. Further, the review also attempts to present critical analysis of sorption efficacies of reported hybrid nanocomposites in detoxification of contaminated water streams that would be highly beneficial for the readers from the viewpoint of selecting a suitable sorbent. On a conclusive note, potential roadmaps are discussed to design future generation nanoscavengers that would possess key attributes for sustainable development, ultimately contributing to conserving our ecosystem and offering attractive prospects of being commercially viable. © 2021 The Royal Society of Chemistry.