³¹P NMR spectroscopy of DMAB(P)-Ch.

<p>³¹P NMR spectroscopy of DMAB(P)-Ch.</p

Biomass of <i>A</i>. <i>niger</i> after 2 days under normal and microgravity in presence and absence of DMAB-Ch(P) ^a).

<p>^a) values given are average of three experiments.</p><p>MG–Microgravity</p><p>NG–Normal gravity</p><p>Biomass of <i>A</i>. <i>niger</i> after 2 days under normal and microgravity in presence and absence of DMAB-Ch(P) <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0139303#t002fn001" target="_blank">^a)</a>.</p

FT-IR spectroscopy of Ch and DMAB(P)-Ch.

<p>FT-IR spectroscopy of Ch and DMAB(P)-Ch.</p

Effect of Microgravity on Fungistatic Activity of an α-Aminophosphonate Chitosan Derivative against <i>Aspergillus niger</i>

<div><p>Biocontamination within the international space station is ever increasing mainly due to human activity. Control of microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria are important to maintain the well-being of the astronauts during long-term stay in space since the immune functions of astronauts are compromised under microgravity. For the first time control of the growth of an opportunistic pathogen, <i>Aspergillus niger</i>, under microgravity is studied in the presence of α-aminophosphonate chitosan. A low-shear modelled microgravity was used to mimic the conditions similar to space. The results indicated that the α-aminophosphonate chitosan inhibited the fungal growth significantly under microgravity. In addition, the inhibition mechanism of the modified chitosan was studied by UV-Visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. This work highlighted the role of a bio-based chitosan derivative to act as a disinfectant in space stations to remove fungal contaminants.</p></div

Schematic representation of synthesis of α-aminophosphonate chitosan derivative.

<p>Schematic representation of synthesis of α-aminophosphonate chitosan derivative.</p

UV-Vis spectral data of Ch and DMAB(P)-Ch.

<p>UV-Vis spectral data of Ch and DMAB(P)-Ch.</p

Titania/reduced graphene oxide composite nanofibers for the direct extraction of photosynthetic electrons from microalgae for biophotovoltaic cell applications

Titanium oxide (TiO2)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite nanofibers were synthesized via an electrospinning technique and its potential electrochemical activity constructed its realization as an efficient anode catalyst in biophotovoltaic cells (BPV) with Chlorella vulgaris. The uniform adherence of GO sheets over the hydrolyzed Ti4+ ions, followed by its simultaneous reduction and crystallization, yielded the TiO2/rGO composite nanofibers. The strong interconnection among the nanofibers and the intimate contact between rGO and TiO2 in TiO2/rGO composite improved the efficient electron transportation paths, facilitating the higher oxidation and continuous and stable currents as substantiated, respectively, from the cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry studies. By coupling the continuous electron conduction paths, proficient cell interaction, and elevated structural and chemical stabilities, TiO2/rGO demonstrated the BPV power density of 34.66 ± 1.3 mW m−2 with excellent durability, outperforming the BPV performances of previous reports. Thus the fundamental understanding achieved on the influences of nanocatalytic system in green energy generation opens up the new horizon of anticipation towards the development of sustainable and high-performance BPVs