Narrow Results

This review is focused on various reports in recent years on catalytic Wittig reactions and Knoevenagel condensation reactions in the presence of heterogeneous catalyst. The one-pot, cost-effective stereoselective catalytic Wittig reaction, is the reaction countering components generated by oxidation of primary alcohols without addition of base. Some reactions were reportedly performed under mild conditions, green and efficient approach providing the corresponding products in good to excellent yields within short times. The catalytic behavior over various catalysts for the Tandem oxidation reactions (TORs) was also summarized in this review.

Cu/CuO nanoparticles (NPs) have received extensive attention owing to their tremendous antifungal and antibacterial properties. Cu/CuO NPs are used in diverse fields, viz. electronics, catalysis, photonics, biosensing, optoelectronics and many more. Herein, we described the green synthesis of Cu/CuO NPs using Cuscuta reflexa (Amarvel) plant material at room temperature. The prepared NPs were characterized by routine technique, viz. XRD, UV-Vis, SEM and TEM. The typical size found was merely 7–10nm using the TEM technique. The as-prepared solution of NPs was tested against the Diptera larval nymph of mosquitoes. These mosquitoes breed in monsoon (rainy season) in stagnant water. It is observed that NPs were very effective against these larvae, which were killed overnight when just four drops of the as-prepared NPs solution were directly added to a 10ml water sample containing mosquito larvae. Overall, the biosynthesized Cu/CuO NPs showed good insecticidal activity against the parasitic disease malaria-causing Anopheles mosquitoes in the larval stage itself. We believe the outcome will lead to a new era in the preparation of innovative organic insecticides.