Chemija

Title

2026-07-02T08:59:29+03:00

2026-07-02T09:01:53+03:00

Theodor Grotthuss: brilliance against all odds

2026-07-02T11:06:37+03:00

Theodor Grotthuss (1785–1822) was a Lithuanian chemist and physicist who made hugely important and lasting contributions to the fields of fundamental electrochemistry, photochemistry and thermodynamics in his lifetime. He produced visionary work despite being persistently disadvantaged compared to his contemporaries. This article will discuss key moments in Grotthuss’ personal and scientific story, starting with an introduction setting the scene of early 19th century electrochemistry with the invention of the Voltaic Pile by Alessandro Volta.

Comparative evaluation of phenolic composition, enzymes inhibition, antimicrobial virulence and chemical antioxidant activities of Atriplex halimus L. (Amarthaceae) from mining and non-mining sites in Eastern Algeria.

2026-07-02T09:52:31+03:00

Mining dust can enter plant tissues and impair phytosynthesis, nutrient uptake and production of secondary metabolites. This study investigates a comparative study of phenolic compounds and bioactivities of Atriplex halimus from mining (Ouenza) and non-mining (Tebessa City) sites. Chemical profiling and bioassays suggest that mining-associated environmental stress, including iron dust exposure, influences the plant’s metabolism. HPLC-DAD phenolic profile revealed that amounts of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and taxifolin decreased with exposure to mining dust while syringic acid, vanillin, ferulic acid, quercetin, rutin, luteolin and catechin increased upon exposure to mining dust. The antimicrobial activity of the samples was low to moderate and varied from 0.3125 to 5 mg/mL.
The plant fractions equally inhibited biofilm formation against S. aureus, E. coli and C. albicans with S. aureus being the most susceptible. All fractions inhibited violacein production in C. violaceum CV12472 at MIC, MIC/2 and MIC/4 and equally showed quorum-sensing inhibition zones against C. violaceum CV026, with the fractions from non-mining sites being more potent. The plant fractions exhibited inhibitory effects varying from 17.95 ± 0.20 to 52.70 ± 0.31% at 200 µg/mL on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), suggesting their potential in relieving symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The fractions exhibited a low to moderate inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase ranging from 13.44 ± 0.88 to 49.41 ± 0.65% at 200 µg/mL. Interestingly, the mining iron dust seems to have induced oxidative stress which triggered a compensatory increase in phenolic antioxidants, as confirmed by cyclic voltammetry. This research gives insights into the understanding of plant resilience in polluted environments, and effects on plant metabolism.

MOF-derived materials for photoelectrochemical water splitting: design principles, mechanisms, and solar-to-hydrogen applications

2026-07-02T09:52:18+03:00

The development of sustainable hydrogen production technologies is central to addressing the global energy crisis and mitigating climate change. Among available strategies, photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting stands out as a promising route for direct solar-to-fuel conversion, though it remains hindered by poor light absorption, charge recombination, and sluggish surface reaction kinetics. Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived materials have emerged as versatile candidates to overcome these bottlenecks, offering tunable compositions, high surface areas, and well-defined morphologies. This review critically examines the design and synthesis strategies employed to transform MOF precursors into functional photoelectrodes, including controlled pyrolysis, calcination, heterostructure engineering, and defect modulation. Special emphasis is placed on the mechanistic insights into charge carrier generation, separation and transport, highlighting the debate surrounding the identity of the true active sites, whether nanoparticles, N-doped carbon, or single-atom centres. Performance benchmarking demonstrates that MOF-derived photoanodes and photocathodes can achieve photocurrent densities exceeding 5 mA cm–2 in three-electrode PEC configurations, while device-level STH efficiencies (>10%) are achieved only when these materials function within unbiased two-electrode architectures (PEC tandems or PV–electrolysis tandems) where the full photovoltage is supplied by paired absorbers and/or integrated photovoltaics. To avoid ambiguity, this review now reports STH only for unbiased device demonstrations, and reports ABPE (applied-bias photon-to-current efficiency) or other electrode-level metrics for half-cell photoelectrode studies. The review also underscores the challenges of stability, scalability, and standardised testing protocols, while showcasing promising trends such as operando characterisation, defect engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted material discovery. By mapping current advances and future perspectives, this work provides a comprehensive overview of how MOF-derived systems can accelerate the transition to efficient and durable PEC water splitting technologies.

A mini-review on calcium hydroxyapatite composites for antibacterial applications: from inorganic to bioactive organic systems

2026-07-02T09:52:02+03:00

Bone regeneration of injured bones remains a significant clinical challenge due to persistent inflammation and microbial colonisation. Recent advances in biomaterials, such as calcium hydroxyapatite (CHA; Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆)(OH₂) composites have enabled the fabrication of functionally and biologically optimised materials. CHA has been used as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering, bone fillers, and bioactive coatings. However, clinical complications, including implant-associated infections, have raised concerns among researchers. Consequently, functionalisation of artificial bone composites is necessary to promote bone regeneration and repair. Notably, antibacterial activity plays a critical role in the treatment and prevention of infected bone defects. Therefore, offering antimicrobial properties to these materials is needed. Therefore, current research is focusing on the incorporation of CHA synthetic materials and compounds that possess antimicrobial properties to act as antibacterial agents. In this context, this article provides an extensive review of the recent advances in CHA composites with antibacterial properties for their potential use in several biomedical applications.

Reduction of aromatic and cyclic ketones to secondary alcohols – selected strategies and challenges

2026-07-02T09:51:47+03:00

Ketones constitute a fascinating class of organic compounds. Due to their structure, they show a significant similarity to aldehydes. They undergo reduction and oxidation reactions, as well as substitution reactions at the carbonyl group without further transformations and with the release of water. At the same time, considering steric hindrance (an aliphatic or aromatic substituent) or the presence of additional functional groups, the reactivity of ketones is generally lower than that of aldehydes. This paper presents methods for reducing selected aliphatic, aliphatic-aromatic and cyclic ketones only to corresponding secondary alcohols. These methods are essential due to the popularity of secondary alcohols in the broadly understood chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Reduction methods leading to other compounds, e.g. alkenes, are not presented in this publication.

85 years of the Department of Silicate Technology at Kaunas University of Technology

2026-07-02T09:53:10+03:00

The Department of Silicate Technology of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of KTU has been training specialists for the Lithuanian binder materials, ceramics and glass industries for 85 years. During that long period, there have been various periods, but the core values have remained – a benevolent attitude towards students and efforts to meet their expectations, respectful relationships between colleagues, and openness to new developments and innovations. Our primary mission is to prepare a new, highly moral and well-educated generation of Lithuanian engineering intelligentsia. At the same time, we understand very well that we must convey to our young colleagues all technological innovations and scientific achievements in our field. This would be impossible to do if comprehensive fundamental and applied research were not carried out, and novelties and innovations were not absorbed.
The past 15 years have been an intense period in the life of our department. During this period, many changes have taken place – study programs have been significantly restructured, the instrumental base of science and studies has been substantially updated, national science and studies projects have been intensively implemented, scientific services have been provided to industrial enterprises, and international cooperation has been developed.
This review presents the main research topics carried out by the department staff over the past 15 years, the main research topics and results obtained, cooperation with Lithuanian industry and international partners, and the evaluation of the department’s colleagues for science and studies activities.