The acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols at low temperatures holds promise as a clean energy source and has been the subject of much research. In view of the thermodynamic limitations imposed by a positive Gibbs free energy, we examine the feasibility and extent of hydrogen formation from alcohol dehydrogenation using alumina-supported Ag catalysts. The results showed that in a closed system at 120 °C, the conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde was limited by the available oxygen. The energetically demanding acceptorless route with hydrogen evolution contributed less than 2.5 % to the overall conversion. The presence of oxygen as an acceptor is vital for the progress of the reaction. In open systems even without an active influx of oxygen, alcohol dehydrogenation occurred readily but water was the main product rather than hydrogen.

An extensive array of 4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones have been synthesized from commercially available 2-aminopyridines and β-oxo esters with excellent yields under solvent-free conditions. The reaction, catalyzed by cheap and nontoxic BiCl₃, proceeds with short reaction times under mild conditions and normal atmosphere. Only water and alcohol are formed as co-products in this green reaction.

Visible-light photocatalysts that degrade organic pollutants in an efficient and recyclable way are highly desirable for water treatment. In this study, UiO-66, a zirconium-based metal–organic framework, was conjugated with AgI to obtain a composite for use as photocatalyst. The AgI/UiO-66 composites with different composition ratios were synthesized by a simple solution method and exhibited remarkable activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation. The scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction results confirmed the outstanding structural stability of the AgI/UiO-66 photocatalysts. The photocatalytic stability of the AgI/UiO-66 composite was further examined by reusing AgI/UiO-66 for long-term dye degradation. The good stability of the AgI/UiO-66 composite can be attributed to the outstanding stability of the UiO-66 framework material, as well as the good interaction between AgI and the UiO-66 framework. The mechanism of the photocatalytic RhB degradation by AgI/UiO-66 was investigated by introducing different scavengers to compete for the possible reactive species involved in the degradation process.

Beta–Silicalite-1 core–shell microcomposites with controllable shell thickness were synthesized and used as racemization catalysts in the one-pot dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of secondary alcohols by using lipase-catalyzed transesterification. The inert Silicalite-1 shell covered the external acidic sites of the Beta zeolite core, suppressing dehydration and non-enantioselective transesterification of the alcohol. The alcohols could penetrate the Silicalite-1 shell to access the acidic sites at the core Beta for racemization, however, the enzymatically formed (R)-esters were excluded owing to their larger size. As a result, the high ee of the (R)-ester products was conserved and dehydration side products were minimized. Owing to the shape selective nature of the composite racemization catalyst, small and readily available acyl donors could be used in the enzyme-catalyzed transesterification to obtain the esters with high enantiopurity. The DKR of 1-phenylethanol with isopropenyl acetate using an optimized core–shell catalyst, CS-60, gave 92 % selectivity to ester formation and the desired (R)-1-phenylethyl acetate was formed with 94 % ee.

Cationized bovine serum albumin (cBSA-147) has been modified by attaching the cyclic pentapeptide cRGDfK to its surface through linkers of different length. Coatings of these bioconjugates on glass surfaces were studied for their ability to stimulate cell adhesion. These chemically modified albumins combine a high number of positive charges which facilitate the initial cell adhesion to the surface with multiple Arg-Gly-Asp groups which enable focal adhesion of fibroblast cells by specific interactions with cell-surface receptors. The biocoatings are easily prepared within a few minutes by simple incubation from a dilute solution of the modified albumin. This constitutes a convenient approach for preparing surfaces for cell adhesion. Excellent focal adhesion of NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells on the biocoatings was observed. About 75% of the seeded cells attached to the cRGDfK-cBSA-147 coated surfaces, and 97% of them underwent focal adhesion. Adhering cells were able to grow and proliferate on the coated surfaces, confirming the outstanding biocompatibility of these biocoatings. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2011.