Yong Rok Lee

• Yeungnam University

The solubility of commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs has become a significant concern in contemporary medicine. Furthermore, inflammatory arthritis stands out as the most prevalent chronic inflammatory disease globally. The disease’s pathology is characterized by heightened inflammation and oxidative stress, culminating in chronic pain and the l...

Over the past five years, maleimide scaffolds have gained considerable attention in organic synthesis for their role in forming cyclized molecules through annulation and C-H activation. As versatile and reactive coupling agents, maleimides have enabled the efficient synthesis of various cyclized products, including annulation, benzannulation, cyclo...

β-Enaminone transformation strategies are widely employed in the synthesis of numerous biologically active drugs and natural products, highlighting their significance in medicinal chemistry. In recent years, various strategies have been developed for synthesizing several five- and six-membered heterocycles, as well as substituted polyaromatic scaff...

A simple, low-cost hydrothermal method was employed to synthesize highly fluorescent nitrogen-, fluorine-, and sulfur-co-doped carbon dots (NFS-CDs) using flufenamic acid and L-cysteine as precursors. The synthesized NFSCDs exhibited dual emission peaks at 490 and 580 nm with a quantum yield of 24.7 %. They exhibit excellent stability, excitation-d...

Improved solubility and anti-inflammatory (AI) properties are imperative for enhancing the effectiveness of poorly water-soluble drugs, particularly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). To address these critical issues, our focus is on obtaining NSAID materials in the form of inclusion complexes (IC) with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MCD)....

Herein, fluorine-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-doped carbon dots (FNS-CDs) were prepared via a one-step hydrothermal synthesis using flufenamic acid and thiourea as precursors, which showed yellowish-orange fluorescence both in aqueous solution and in the solid state. The as-prepared FNS-CDs were monodisperse and had an average diameter of 4 nm, good wat...

An In(III)‐catalyzed [2+3+1] annulation strategy is developed for the diastereoselective construction of diversely functionalized tetrahydroxanthones bearing chromone rings. This protocol is based on a three‐component reaction involving various 3‐formylchromones and α‐methylstyrenes via a carbonyl‐ene and formal [4+2] cycloaddition reaction. Notabl...

In this study, nanocomposites of AgNPs encapsulated in carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) with sulfobetaine methacrylate (SB) hydrogel (AgNPs/CMCS-SB) were synthesized. The UV-Vis spectra indicated the presence of AgNPs, with a broad peak at around 424 nm, while the AgNPs-loaded CMCS-SB nanocomposite exhibited absorption peaks at 445 nm. The size and di...

In this study, the fruit of Terminalia chebula, commonly known as chebulic myrobalan, is used as the precursor for carbon for its application in supercapacitors. The Terminalia chebula biomass-derived sponge-like porous carbon (TC-SPC) is synthesized using a facile and economical method of pyrolysis. TC-SPC thus obtained is subjected to XRD, FESEM,...

This study explores the formation of inclusion complexes between the solubility enhancement of Flufenamic acid (FNA) and various β-Cyclodextrins (β-CD, Hβ-CD, Mβ-CD, and Sβ-CD) using ultrasonic probe sonication method. The investigation encompasses a multi-faceted analysis, employing UV–Visible, FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, TGA-DSC techniques and molecular d...

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a unique class of porous materials formed by connecting metal ions or clusters within the organic ligands. They have attracted substantial attention in various fields, including drug delivery and their potential in addressing microbial infections. In this particular research, we accomplished the successful encaps...

A newly synthesized Schiff’s base 2-(2-([2,2′-bithiophen]-5-ylmethylene)hydrazinyl)benzothiazole (BT) was obtained from the condensation reaction between 2-hydrazinobenzothiazole and 2,2-bithiophene-5-carboxaldehyde. The prepared probe BT was subjected to a confirmation of the structural arrangement through NMR, FTIR, ESI-HRMS, and single-crystal X...

The growing energy demand and environmental issues have encouraged the development of novel and sustainable energy. Hydrogen is one of the cleanest and most sustainable energy sources that provides an environmentally friendly alternative future fuel. The recent development in hydrogen production through electrocatalytic water-splitting is somewhat...

A facile and convenient protocol for the regioselective construction of functionalized 2-hydroxybenzophenones is described. This protocol involves the Sc(OTf)3/BF3·OEt2-catalyzed benzannula- tion of 2-vinyloxirans with 3-formylchromone, which involves cascade in situ diene formation, [4 + 2] cycloaddition, elimination, and ring- opening strategies....

A substrate‐controlled [4+1] annulation of sulfoxonium ylides with maleimides via Rh(III)‐catalyzed C−H bond activation is developed. The reaction of sulfoxonium ylides with 2‐methyl‐N‐arylmaleimides in the presence of AgNTf2 diastereoselectively provides diversely functionalized indanonylpyrroline‐2,5‐dione derivatives. Furthermore, in the presenc...

Noble metal-based electrocatalyst must be replaced for electrochemical applications by earth-rich, highly active, low-cost, and highly efficient dual-function electrocatalysts. In this study, transition metal-based hydroxides (TMHs), such as 2D manganese-doped cobalt hydroxide (Mn-Co(OH)2) ultrafine nanosheets, are investigated using a very simple...

Here, we prepared sulfur and nitrogen self-doped carbon dots derived from garlic peel extract (GPSNCDs) using a hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized GPSNCDs were confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The analytical techniques indicate th...

Recently, researchers have employed metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for loading pharmaceutically important substances. MOFs are a novel class of porous class of materials formed by the self-assembly of organic ligands and metal ions, creating a network structure. The current investigation effectively achieves the loading of adenosine (ADN) into a m...

An effective and unprecedented In(III)-catalyzed [4 + 2] benzannulation of 3-formyl-4-pyrones with simple arylacetylenes is reported, which enables their conversion into structurally diverse salicylaldehyde-bearing ortho-terphenyl frameworks. This transformation is achieved via an In(III)-catalyzed C-O bond extrusion and proceeds without the requir...

Quercetin (QRC), a flavonoid found in foods and plants such as red wine, onions, green tea, apples, and berries, possesses remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These properties make it effective in combating cancer cells, reducing inflammation, protecting against heart disease, and regulating blood sugar levels. To enhance the p...

Herein, a simple hydrothermal synthesis is used to prepare multiple heteroatom-doped photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) from thiourea (N and S source) and boric acid (B source) as precursors. The optical and physicochemical properties of the as-synthesized NSB-CDs were studied using UV–Vis, photoluminescence, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, Raman, and XPS analyse...

H2O is essential for life to exist on earth; it is important to guarantee both the quality and supply of water to satisfy world demand. However, it became contaminated by a number of hazardous, inorganic industrial pollutants, which caused a number of issues like irrigation activities and unsafe human ingestion. Long-term exposure to harmful substa...

Rhodium(III)‐catalyzed sp²/sp³ C−H activation/annulation of 2‐arylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones with 3‐methylmaleimides is explored. This protocol provides diversely functionalized isoindoloquinazolinones in good yields upon reaction with various maleimides. This Rh(III)‐catalyzed protocol can be applied for the chemo‐ and diastereoselective synthesis of v...

The loading of drugs or medicinally active compounds has recently been performed using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which are thought to be a new type of porous material in which organic ligands and metal ions can self-assemble to form a network structure. The quercetin (QRC) loading and biofilm application on a cyclodextrin-based metal–organic...

In the past 15 years or more, interest in polymer-mediated nanofibers (NFs), a significant class of nanomaterials, has grown. Although fibers with a diameter of less than 1 mm are frequently commonly referred to as NFs, and are typically defined as having a diameter of less than several hundreds of nanometers. Due to the increased antibiotic resist...

In this study, we report the synthesis of photoluminescent (PL) nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) co-doped carbon dots (NS-CDs) from nitazoxanide and 3-mercaptopropionic acid as a precursors via a one-pot hydrothermal methods. N and S co–doped materials allows more active sites in the CDs surface resulting in an enhancement of their PL properties. NS-CDs...

In the liquid state, UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy was used to examine the inclusion complexes of nortriptyline (NP) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The degree of inclusion complexation causes NP’s absorbance and fluorescence intensity to be significantly increased during interaction with β-CD. The binding constant was determined by UV-VIS an...

In this study, Anacardium occidentale (A. occidentale) nut skin waste (cashew nut skin waste) was used as a raw material to synthesize functionalized carbon nanodots (F-CNDs). A. occidentale biomass-derived F-CNDs were synthesized at a low temperature (200 °C) using a facile, economical hydrothermal method and subjected to XRD, FESEM, TEM, HRTEM, X...

Here, a simple one-step hydrothermal-assisted carbonization process was adopted for the preparation of nitrogen/phosphorous-doped carbon dots from a water-soluble polymer, poly 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (PMPC). By the free-radical polymerization method, PMPC was synthesized using 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and...

Heteroatom-doped porous carbon material (H-PCM) was synthesized using Anacardium occidentale (cashew) nut’s skin by a simple pyrolysis route. The resulting H-PCM was thoroughly characterized by various analytical techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, high-resolution...

The exceptional characteristics of bio-synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs), including high surface-to-volume ratio and high-profit strength, are of tremendous interest. CuO NPs have cytotoxic, catalytic, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. Fruit peel extract has been recommended as a valuable alternative method due to the advant...

Metal sulfides (MS) and mixed metal sulfides (MTMS) have been considered potential candidates over their metal oxide/mixed metal oxide counterparts in recent years. Herein, one MTMS, i.e., NiCo2S4, was combined with 2D MS MoS2 through a single-step solvothermal process with different morphologies (sheet-like and rod-like) for supercapacitor applica...

Tenofovir (TFR) is an antiviral drug commonly used to fight against viral diseases infection due to its good potency and high genetic barrier to drug resistance. In physiological conditions, TFR is less water soluble, more unstable, and less permeable, limiting its effective therapeutic applications. In addition to their use in treating the Coronav...

The development of disposable electrode-based sensors is of great importance for the electrochemical monitoring of toxic pollutants in wastewater systems, which are often present and mutually inhibiting during sample detection. In this work, a distinctive approach was taken to use an electrochemical heterostructure sensor with chemically reduced ni...

In aqueous and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) media, the spectral characteristics of Phenoxazine (POZ) have been investigated by means of absorption, steady-state, and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. The stoichiometric ratio of the mono-cationic and neutral forms of POZ in the β-CD medium is found to be 1:1. Inclusion complexes of POZ with β-CD has b...

Regular water quality measurements are essential to the public water supply. Moreover, selective free chlorine (disinfectant) level monitoring without an interfering agent is necessary. The present work aimed to fabricate poly(caffeic acid) (p-CFA) coated on an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) surface for the selective detection of f...

The unique semiconductor and optical properties of copper oxides have attracted researchers for decades. However, using fruit waste materials such as peels to synthesize the nanoparticles of copper oxide (CuO NPs) has been rarely described in literature reviews. The main purpose of this part of the research was to report on the CuO NPs with the hel...

This work presented a simple electrodeposition of hierarchical cobalt oxide nanoparticles on stainless steel mesh (Co3O4@SS) for electrocatalytic water oxidation. The synthesized Co3O4@SS are systematically characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy wi...

In this work, we fabricated a novel [email protected] modification of TiO2-CsPbI3 photoanode-based Perovskite solar cells (PSCs). A facile hydrothermal synthesis is adopted for the preparation of [email protected] TiO2-CsPbI3 composite. The as-prepared [email protected] modified TiO2-CsPbI3 composite is characterized by XRD, HR-TEM, SAED, FE-SEM wi...

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) can be synthesized by a one-pot synthetic process using microwave irradiation and an extract of apple peel as a nontoxic reducing agent and capping agent. This process has many advantages, including ease of operation, easy use of natural and non-toxic precursors, and the absence of harmful reagents. FE-SEM, FE-S...

Heavy metal ion pollution harms human health and the environment and continues to worsen. Here, we report the synthesis of boron (B), phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) co-doped carbon dots (BP/NS-CDs) by a one-step facile hydrothermal process. The optimum synthetic parameters are of 180 °C temperature, 12 h reaction time and 15% of PBA...

The scientific community is being forced to consider alternative renewable fuels such as biodiesel as a result of the sharp increases in the price of petroleum and the increased demand for petroleum-derived products. Transesterification is a technique used to create biodiesel where a variety of edible oils, non-edible oils, and animal fats are used...

In this study, sustainable, low-cost, and environmentally friendly biomass (Terminalia chebula) was employed as a precursor for the formation of nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs). The hydrothermally assisted Terminalia chebula fruit-derived N-CDs (TC-CDs) emitted different bright fluorescent colors under various excitation wavelengths. The prepare...

Hydrogel nanocomposites are attracting increasing attention in field of biology owing to their unique properties. The present work focuses on the fabrication and characterization of novel hydrogel nanocomposite systems in which silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are embedded in a carrageenan (κ-CGN)–sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel. The performance of the p...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are often used as antibacterial agents. Here, graphene-silver nanoparticles (G-Ag) and graphene-silver nanoparticles poly-vinylpyrrolidone (G-AgPVPy) were prepared by chemical reduction and in-situ polymerization of vinylpyrrolidone (VPy). The prepared G-Ag and G-AgPVPy composites were characterized using various techni...

Nitazoxanide (NTZ), a promising antiviral agent, is currently being tested in clinical trials as a potential treatment for novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID -19). This paper describes a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis to prepare molybdenum (Mo)-doped manganese tungstate nanocubes (Mo–MnWO4 NCs) for the electrochemical sensing of NTZ. The as-prep...

In this work, poly(aniline) (PANI)–reduced graphene Oxide (rGO) low-cost nanocomposite used for counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the replacement of the high-cost platinum (Pt) CE. The nanocomposite CEs were prepared with three different types of structural determine agents (cationic, non-ionic and anionic namely CTAB...

Heteroatom-doped photoluminescent (PL) carbon dots (CDs) have recently gained attention as optical sensors due to their excellent tunable properties. In this work, we propose a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of PL nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and phosphorus (P) co-doped carbon dots (NSP-CDs) using glutathione and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) as precursors....

Aloe vera has been harvested for decades due to its diverse medicinal and nutritional potential. Researchers are presently concentrating on an additional application of aloe vera that is pertinent to industrial usages such as techniques for pollutant removal and water purification. For decades, inorganic and organic pollutants from home and industr...

Our goal in the present study is to investigate the supramolecular assembly of chloroquine (CQ), with the cyclic nature of oligosaccharides, such as 2-(hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (2HP-β-CD), in an aqueous medium. Using the BH equation, the binding constant (K) and the stoichiometric ratio between the host, 2HP-β-CD, and guest CQ are determined f...

Research on the synthesis of water-soluble polymers has accelerated in recent years, as they are employed in many bio-applications. Herein, the synthesis of poly[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (PSB) by free radical polymerization in a sonication bath is described. PSB and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were si...

A highly efficient and atom-economic iron(III)-catalyzed three-component heteroannulation reaction between phenylpropiolamides, 3-formylchromones, and water is described for the construction of diversely multifunctionalized 2-pyridones. This protocol allows rapid access to a variety of 2-pyridones bearing an ortho-hydroxybenzoyl and a benzoyl scaff...

Using a simple greener and environmentally free method for the synthesis of cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu2O NPs), the effect of Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as a capping agent has also been analyzed in detail. In order to produce the NPs, the copper sulfate in aqueous solutions is reduced with L-ascorbic acid and capped with HP-β-CD. En...

During the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), researchers have examined several antiviral drugs with the potential to inhibit the proliferation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The antiviral drug acyclovir (AVR), which is used to treat COVID-19, in complex with methyl-β-cyclodextri...

An innovative sonication method has been developed to produce inclusion complexes (ICs) of Oseltamivir (OTV) which is a potentially water-soluble anti-viral agent with lesser cytotoxicity. Proton signals and chemical shifts of OTV without any ambiguity confirm the formation of ICs with β-Cyclodextrin (B-CD) and Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (H-CD)....

A potentially active water-soluble anti-viral with lesser toxic material from the Oseltamivir (OTV) has been produced by the sonication method. The formed material has been further characterized by UV-visible, FT-IR, powder XRD, SEM, TGA/DTA, ROESY, XPS, AFM and etc., The results of DFT analysis have proven that inclusion complexes (ICs) are theore...

Reduction of the stable nitro group is a fundamental and widely used transformation for the construction of complex and functionalized heterocyclic architectures. The unfolding of the reactivity of the nitro group in the 2-nitrostyrene moiety not only triggers the formation of carbon-nitrogen bonds, but also offers the opportunity for annulation an...

The directing group-assisted regioselective C-H activation of carbazoles and indolines is achieved via transition metal-catalyzed reactions. This C-H functionalization protocol provides a rapid approach to install diversely functionalized succinimide groups at the C-1 position of the carbazole moiety. In addition, this protocol demonstrates the int...

In the present study, brown alga Chaetomorpha Linum was utilized as a bioreductant in the biogenic preparation of undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminum-doped ZnO (Al-doped ZnO) nanostructures. The particle morphology and size, crystalline nature, phase purity, doping, and band gap of the as-prepared ZnO and Al-doped ZnO were scrutinized using vario...

A synthetic strategy for the installation of diversely functionalized quinones at the C4 position of indoles is developed via palladium‐catalyzed C−H and double C−H functionalization. This synthetic protocol provides a rapid route to a variety of 4‐quinonylindoles via the direct coupling of 3‐formylindoles with quinones. Furthermore, this synthetic...

In this work, banana peel (BP) was utilized as a green carbon precursor to synthesize carbon dots (CDs) through the single-step hydrothermal-carbonization method. The structural and optical properties of the resulting BP-CDs were investigated by various techniques. The transmission electron microscopy measurement of BP-CDs displayed uniform morphol...

Groundwater is usually utilized as a drinking water asset everywhere. Therefore, groundwater defilement by poisonous radioactive metals such as uranium (VI) is a major concern due to the increase in nuclear power plants as well as their by-products which are released into the watercourses. Waste Uranium (VI) can be regarded as a by-product of the e...

The front cover picture illustrates the synthetic strategy for the installation of diversely functionalized quinones at the C4 position of indoles via palladium‐catalyzed C−H and double C−H functionalization. This synthetic protocol provides a rapid route to a variety of 4‐quinonylindoles by the direct coupling of 3‐formylindoles with quinones. Det...

In this study, calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CCNPs) and calcium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) are synthesized by the carbonization/calcination of calcium oleate. CONPs are an essential inorganic material, and they are used as catalysts and as effective chemisorbents for toxic gases. CCNPs are widely used in plastics, printing ink, and medicines. H...