Vibrational modes and tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) of a new carbon allotrope, cyclo[18]carbon (C₁₈), were studied by density functional theory. A silver cluster tip was used to probe the interaction with C₁₈, which is dependent on the distance and the atomically resolved positions. The TERS images show the position of the CC bonds, as observed in a recent experimental report.

Background: Despite the availability of a variety of antibacterial agents, re-emergence of pathogenic bacteria is still a serious medical concern. So, identification of new, safer, and selective antibacterial agents is the key interest in the medicinal chemistry research. Method: To explore the antimicrobial activity of coumarin-3-carboxamides for a range of bacterial and fungal strains, twenty eight derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid with a variety of aniline derivatives in the presence of 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI). All compounds were structurally characterized by different spectroscopic techniques EI-MS, HREI-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and evaluated for antimicrobial activities (antibacterial and antifungal). Results: A number of compounds showed good to weak antibacterial activity against various strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Amongst them, compound 28 displayed noticeable inhibition against five strains of Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium xerosis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, and MRSA) and four strains of Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogene, and Shigella dysenteria). However, none of the compounds showed antifungal activity against tested fungi. MIC values were determined for most of the active compounds 2, 15, and 28 against particular bacterial cultures. In silico studies were performed on the most active compound 28 in order to specify and verify the target for antibacterial activity of synthetic coumarin-3-carboxamide derivatives. The cytotoxicity of these compounds on mammalian cells is unknown yet but we are planning to carry out research on the cytotoxic aspect of these compounds in future. Conclusion: The newly identified compounds may serve as lead molecules for the future research regarding the identification of new antibacterial agents.

In this study, highly reactive bare silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are synthesized using the Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid (PLAL) technique. Ag NPs are then coated on the filter paper using the dip coating method. This process converts filter paper into a versatile substrate for catalysis and surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing. The successful synthesis of spherical Ag NPs and their effective embedding into the filter paper was confirmed using UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX). SEM images revealed that the Ag NPs were embedded in the filter paper and attached to the cellulose fibers. The use of Ag NPs embedded filter paper as a catalyst substrate for the reduction of both cationic and anionic dyes demonstrated that higher concentrations of Ag NPs on the filter paper resulted in a faster reduction. In particular, filter paper impregnated with 52 μg of Ag NPs demonstrated a complete reduction of methylene blue and methyl orange in less than a minute and 4 min, respectively. To demonstrate the practical sensing capability of the Ag NPs embedded filter paper, it was utilized as a SERS substrate. This enabled the detection of trace levels of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and the pesticide molecule chlorpyrifos, demonstrating its potential real-world applications.