Novel fragrant starch-based films with limonene were successfully prepared. Biodegradable materials of natural origin were used and the process was relatively simple and inexpensive. The effect of limonene on physicochemical properties of starch-based films (moisture absorption, solubility in water, wettability, mechanical properties) were compared to glycerol plasticized system. Taking into consideration that the obtained materials could also exhibit bactericidal and fungicidal properties, the studies with Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger were performed. Such a material could potentially find application in food packaging (e.g. masking unpleasant odors, hydrophilic starch film would prevent food drying), or in agriculture (e.g. for seed encapsulated tapes).

Readily available tetrachloro-2-aza-1,3-butadienes enter into directed cyclocondensation reaction with N-phenyl-1,2-cyclopentanediamine which leads to regioselective cyclopentane annulation by the 1,3,5-triazepine. The formation of the 1,3,5-triazepine derivatives was confirmed proved by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectral study, elemental analysis and, in one case, single-crystal x-ray crystallographic study.

A fast and facile one-pot procedure for the preparation of symmetric 5-Aryloyl-1,9-dimethyl-5,9-dihydro-2H-pyrano[2,3-d:6,5-d']dipyrimidine-2,4,6,8(1H,3H,7H)-tetraone derivatives by two-component reaction of N-methylbarbituric acid and arylglyoxalmonohydrates catalyzed by DABCO in ethanol at 50 ºC is described. This protocol has the advantages of environmental friendless, very simple operation, high regio- and chemoselectivity and moderate to excellent yields.

Crosslinked poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) hydrogel composites based on algerian hydrophilic natural Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) nanoclay named Maghnite-Na (Mag-Na) were prepared in aqueous media, without utilization of chemical crosslinking agents, by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. The morphology of hydrogel composites and their swelling in water at different amount of Mag-Na were investigated. The characterization of obtained hydrogel composites by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed a remarkable increase of the basal distance of Mag-Na in PVA hydrogels. Therefore, Intercalated and exfoliated morphology was observed for prepared composites hydrogels of PVA. The infra-red (FTIR) characterization results showed that some interactions have been developed between the hydroxyl groups of PVA chains and Mag-Na in composite hydrogels. Introducing Mag-Na into PVA hydrogel affected their swelling. Increased amount of Mag-Na decreased the equilibrium degree of swelling and equilibrium water content.

The Mg/Fe = 3 hydrotalcite as reusable solid catalyst was found to be an excellent heterogeneous base catalyst for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones/thiones, a multicomponent reaction using substituted aromatic aldehyde, ethyl acetoacetate and urea/thiourea. The work has been carried out under thermal solvent free conditions. Mg/Fe = 3 hydrotalcite heterogeneous solid catalyst offers simple means of recovery and the isolated catalyst was reused for number of times without significant loss of catalytic activity.