Chandigarh University

About: Chandigarh University is a education organization based out in Mohali, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Materials science & Computer science. The organization has 1358 authors who have published 2104 publications receiving 10050 citations.

Functionalized Iron Oxide – Metal Hybrid Nanoparticles for Protein Extraction from Complex Fluids

Abstract: Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by following the hydrothermal method and were then used for the in situ growth of tiny metallic NPs in order to produce Fe3O4–Au/Ag/Pd hybrid NPs. The hybrid NPs were characterized by various techniques to determine their shape and size, as well as the distribution of the metallic NPs. The hybrid NPs thus produced were used as vehicles for protein extraction from complex biological mixtures such as bacterial cell extract. The presence of tiny metallic NPs facilitated protein surface adsorption from the complex biological mixture, whereas Fe3O4 NPs helped in an easy extraction process of protein loaded NPs from the aqueous phase by using the external magnetic field. SDS–PAGE analysis was performed to characterize the various protein fractions. It was observed that the hybrid NPs were much more efficient in extracting different protein fractions in comparison to pure Fe3O4 NPs because the presence of nanometallic surfaces in fact catalyzed the protein extraction pr...

Assessment of Causes of Pothole Development on Chandigarh Roads

Abstract: Deterioration of pavement is defined in terms of decrease in serviceability caused by various defects such as cracks, surface defects and disintegration. Potholes are the surface defects and the primary neighbourhood problems, as they are exceptionally visible defects. In the present study, an attempt has been made to determine the underlying causes for the development of potholes on the streets of Chandigarh city. Bitumen extractor was used to determine the bitumen content present in the road sample taken by core cutter alongside pothole. Grading of aggregates was performed in order to determine the type of soil subgrade. Using the traffic volume data, the required thickness of the road was determined and compared with the existing core cutter sample. For V1 and V2 roads, the present traffic volume is higher than the value for what the road was designed. It was found that the existing bitumen content in V3 roads is less than the optimum value.

Comparative Study on Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of an Epiphyte, Viscum album L. (White Berry Mistletoe), Derived from Different Host Trees.

Abstract: The study aimed at evaluating the antioxidant profile of a medicinal epiphyte Viscum album L. harvested from three tree species, namely, Populus ciliata L, Ulmus villosa L., and Juglans regia L. The crude extracts were obtained with ethanol, methanol, and water and were evaluated for the total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities using total reducing power (TRP), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 1, 1-diphenyl 1-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide radical scavenging (SOR), and hydroxyl radical scavenging (•OH) assays. Our results showed that crude leaf extracts of plants harvested from the host Juglans regia L. exhibited higher yields of phytochemical constituents and noticeable antioxidative properties. The ethanolic leaf samples reported the highest phenols (13.46 ± 0.87 mg/g), flavonoids (2.38 ± 0.04 mg/g), FRAP (500.63 ± 12.58 μM Fe II/g DW), and DPPH (87.26% ± 0.30 mg/mL). Moreover, the highest values for TRP (4.24 ± 0.26 μg/mL), SOR (89.79% ± 0.73 mg/mL), and OH (67.16% ± 1.15 mg/mL) were obtained from aqueous leaf extracts. Further, Pearson correlation was used for quantifying the relationship between TPC, TFC, and antioxidant (FRAP, DPPH, SOR, OH) activities in Viscum album L. compared to their hosts. It was revealed that the epiphyte showed variation with the type of host plant and extracting solvent.

Central composite design-based optimization and fabrication of benzylisothiocynate-loaded PLGA nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial attributes

Abstract: Benzylisothiocynate also referred to as BITC is a compound which is commonly found in Cruciferae plants. This chemical moiety falls under the category of Isothiocynates (ITCs), and is known to possess superior antibacterial properties. Hence, endeavors have been made in the present research to encapsulate benzyl isothiocynate (BITC) within the framework of polymeric nanoparticles to enhance its potency, stability, safety, and biocompatibility. The study also aimed at fabricating a nanoparticulate system with engineered release characteristics so that the susceptibility of BITC in evoking a bactericidal response towards E. coli can be enhanced. To attain an optimal system with desired critical quality attributes [CQAs (particle size, entrapment efficiency and release)] all the requisite critical material attributes [CMAs (amount of polymer, and concentration of surfactant)] were optimized using central composite design (CCD). An overall assessment of the physicochemical characteristics of fabricated PLGA nanoparticles containing BITC viz. BITC-PLGA NPs were accomplished using DLS, FE-SEM, UV–Vis, and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The BITC-PLGA NPs were found to be 106.2 ± 1.78 nm in size, and has a surface charge of − 16.3 ± 0.64 mV. The BITC-PLGA NPs were found to be homogenous as the DLS analysis revealed a PDI value of 0.353 ± 0.008. A significantly high entrapment efficiency and percentage loading (~ 74 and 32%) along with a sustained release of BITC (~ 64.2 (pH 5.5)–(pH 5.5), and 83.8 (pH 7.4) %) was obtained from BITC-PLGA NPs. The antibacterial assay also pointed towards a safe and efficient delivery system which can further prove to be a pioneer in the upcoming times.

Sugarcane Bagasse-Derived Activated Carbon- (AC-) Epoxy Vitrimer Biocomposite: Thermomechanical and Self-Healing Performance

Abstract: Vitrimeric materials have emerged as fascinating and sustainable materials owing to their malleability, reprocessability, and recyclability. Sustainable vitrimeric materials can be prepared by reinforcing polymeric matrix with bioderived fillers. In the current work, a sustainable vitrimer is prepared by incorporating biomass-derived activated carbon (AC) filler into the epoxy matrix to achieve enhanced thermal and mechanical properties. Thus, prepared biocomposite vitrimers demonstrate a lower-temperature self-healing (70°C for 5 min) via disulfide exchanges, compared to the pristine epoxy vitrimers (80°C for 5 min). Significantly, the self-healing performances have been studied extensively with the flexural studies; and changes in material healing efficiency have been demonstrated based on the observed changes in modulus.