Band 11, Heft 1

A kinetic model for the reactions between the low-fluoride slag CaF 2 –CaO–Al 2 O 3 –MgO–Li 2 O–TiO 2 and Incoloy 825 alloy was proposed based on the two-film theory. The applicability of the model was verified to predict the variation of components in the slag–metal reaction process. The results show that the controlling step of the reaction 4[Al] + 3(TiO 2 ) = 3[Ti] + 2(Al 2 O 3 ) is the mass transfer of Al and Ti in the liquid alloy and the controlling step of the reactions 4[Al] + 3(SiO 2 ) = 3[Si] + 2(Al 2 O 3 ) and [Si] + (TiO 2 ) = [Ti] + (SiO 2 ) is the mass transfer of SiO 2 in the molten slag. With increasing TiO 2 content in the slag from 3.57% to 11.27%, the Al content in the alloy decreased whereas the Ti content increased gradually. The Si content continued to decrease during the slag–metal reaction. Soluble oxygen in the alloy reacts with Al, Ti, and Si, resulting in a decrease of the oxygen content in the alloy. The variations of TiO 2 content were in good agreement with the calculated results by the kinetic model whereas the measured results of Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 in the slag were lower than the calculated results, which is mainly due to the volatilization of fluoride.

As compared to conventional techniques, currently nanotechnology has gained significant attention of scientists for the development of plant-based natural nanoparticles (NPs) due to their safety, effectiveness, and environment friendly nature. The current study was aimed for development, characterization (energy-dispersive X-ray, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy), and evaluation of the biological efficiency of black pepper (BP; Piper nigrum ) fruit-based gold NPs (BP-AuNPs) through different in vitro and in vivo assays. BP extract revealed maximum antibacterial and antifungal potential against Escherichia coli (24 mm) and Aspergillus flavus (47 mm), respectively. However, BP-AuNPs (200 µg·mL −1 ) inhibited the urease, xanthine oxidase, and carbonic acid-II activities with a percent inhibition of 83.11%, 91.28%, and 86.87%, respectively. Further, the anti-inflammatory effect of BP extract at the dose of 100 mg·kg −1 was 72.66%, whereas for BP-AuNPs it was noticed to be 91.93% at the dose of 10 mg·kg −1 . Similarly, the extract of BP and prepared AuNPs demonstrated significant ( p < 0.01) sedative effect at all tested doses. The BP-AuNPs catalytically reduced methyl orange dye. Results suggest that BP-AuNPs possess significant biological activities, and further studies must be conducted to identify the probable mechanism of action associated with these activities. Graphical abstract

Green-synthesized nanoparticles have a tremendous antimicrobial potential to be used as an alternative to hazardous fungicides. In this study, the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was performed by using Moringa oleifera leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized AgNPs were subjected to different characterization techniques. UV-visible spectroscopy confirmed the surface plasmon resonance band in the range of 400–450 nm, and zeta analysis revealed that the synthesized AgNPs ranged 4–30 nm in size. Scanning electron microscopy depicted tiny fused rectangular segments and the crystalline nature of the synthesized AgNPs was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) detector confirmed the presence of metallic silver ions. Fourier-transform infrared analysis revealed the presence of phenols as main reducing agents in the plant extract. Foliar application of different concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100  ppm) of AgNPs was applied on wheat plants inoculated with Puccinia striiformis to assess the disease incidence against stripe rust disease. AgNPs at a conc. of 75 ppm were found to be more effective against wheat stripe rust disease. Furthermore, the application of AgNPs enhanced morpho-physiological attributes and reduced nonenzymatic compounds and antioxidant enzymes in wheat. The present study highlights the potential role of the green-synthesized AgNPs as a biological control of yellow rust disease.

In the present study, the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and the production of microcystins (MCs) were investigated. The results showed that the growth of M. aeruginosa was not merely determined by N or P, but both nutrients were limiting for the species. Moreover, an excess of N and constant P in the culture medium could stimulate the growth of M. aeruginosa , whereas the growth of the species was inhibited in the culture medium containing excess of P and constant N. The optimal growth of M. aeruginosa was at an N:P ratio of 0.1 with the maximal optical density of 1.197 at 680 nm (OD 680 ), whereas the maximal microcystin-LR (MC-LR) content of 228.2 μg·L −1 observed in the culture medium with an N:P ratio of 5. Interestingly, MC-LR production occurred under conditions of N starvation, thereby suggesting that the growth rate of M. aeruginosa was not related to MC-LR production under conditions of nutrient stress.

In this study, the synthesized CuCo-zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) catalyst was used to degrade methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) in water via a novel Fenton-like catalytic reaction. Effects of catalyst dosage, H 2 O 2 concentration, initial concentration of the contaminants, and reaction time were evaluated. The results showed that MO and MB decomposition efficiencies were highly influenced by CuCo-ZIF concentration. The presence of H 2 O 2 accelerated the degradation reaction of both MO and MB. Although it took 100 min to complete the removal of MB, it was 60 min for MO. At concentrations of MO and MB lower than 40 mg·L −1 , the catalyst showed an almost complete degradation. The CuCo-ZIF catalyst presented a good recyclability with more than 90% removal of MO and MB after four times and five times reuse, respectively. These results demonstrated that MO and MB were efficiently degraded by a Fenton-like catalyst of CuCo-ZIFs and its potential in industrial wastewater treatment. Graphical abstract

In this study, the chemical conversion of catfish fat (CFF) into bio-based oils using the cavitation technique has been carried out. The influence of parameters on the reaction yield, including inlet pressure, amount of reactant, temperature, and time were investigated. The results obtained have demonstrated the outstanding efficiency of applying the cavitation technique to the chemical synthesis process. The optimum conditions of ring-opening reaction of epoxy catfish oil (ECFO) were as follows: 60 psi, the molar ratio of iso- propanol/epoxy ring of 1.75/1, 75°C, time of 7 min, and the yield reached 91.3%. The results of FT-IR, 1 H-NMR, and 13 C-NMR analysis showed that the chemical conversion of double bonds (C═C) of CFF were converted to functional groups of hydroxyl and ether in polyol catfish oil (CFO) products through the intermediate stage of the formation of the epoxy ring. The results showed that the polyol CFO has better operating conditions at low temperature, higher viscosity, viscosity index, and oxidation stability than other oils, and the biodegradability of bio-polyol CFO was much higher than that of SN500 mineral base oil. Polyol CFO has not only been used as a substitute for mineral base oils but also as an eco-friendly green product.

Cefonicid is a common second-generation cephalosporin, and the 7-amino-3-[sulphomethyl-1- H -tetrazol-5-yl-thiomethyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylate monosodium salt is a key synthetic intermediate in its preparation. Despite the considerable international demand for this antibiotic, its preparation is hampered by low synthetic yield, long reaction time, and time-consuming industrial filtration over charcoal after the purification step. In the context of the industrial production of pharmaceutical intermediates, in which the balance between streamlining and enhancing productivity is necessary in order to compete in the global active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) market, we have investigated an efficient and practical procedure for the synthesis of a key cefonicid intermediate that features a telescopic route whose synthetic steps are all performed at room temperature; from the displacement of the acetoxy group with boron trifluoride to crystallization without treatment with charcoal. In other words, a simpler, scalable, cost-effective and energy-saving protocol is herein reported as a means of moving towards commercial manufacturing. The optimization of the process parameters and the industrial-scale impact assessment should pave the way for industrialization.

The study assessed the antidiabetic effect of Solenostemma argel and its nanoformulations with silver/gold nanocomposites (CNPs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), and metaformin drug. Experimental groups consisted of normal control, diabetic control, and four diabetic groups treated with metformin, CNPs, ZnONPs, and bulk argel leaf extract (So-argel). Transmission electron microscopy characterization showed that the synthesized CNPs and ZnONPs were of variable sizes and dimensions and were quasi-spherical in shape. Particle sizes measured by dynamic light scattering were 106 and 139 nm for CNPs and ZnONPs, respectively. Also, the polydispersity index values were 0.473 and 0.269 for CNPs and ZnONPs, respectively. The biochemical parameters were as follows: the group treated with bulk So-argel (105.00 ± 4.041 mg·dL −1 ) and CNPs (109.00 ± 8.373 mg·dL −1 ) showed a more profound anti-hyperglycemic effect and were comparable to the control (88.40 ± 2.249). Liver and kidney functions ( p ≤ 0.05) improved with So-argel and its nanoformulations compared to metformin. However, bulk argel (170.33 ± 20.431  and 38.00 ± 3.05 U·L −1 ) and the nanocomposite (228.33 ± 11.464 and 48.00 ± 5.291 U·L −1 ) were efficacious in lowering serum levels of liver enzymes (AST and ALT, respectively). No significant difference was observed between urea levels. Nevertheless, bulk So-argel (0.26 ± 0.007) and CNPs (0.24 ± 0.018) were more effective than ZnONPs (0.41 ± 0.289) on serum creatinine. Nanotreatment exhibited a reduction in lesions size/healing. Overall, nanoparticles may offer a safe potential for Type 2 diabetes management.

The development of efficient methods for the synthesis of polyfunctional N-heterocycles is an important area of research in organic and medicinal chemistry. Pyrazolo[1,5- a ]pyrimidine derivatives are purine analogous of biomedical importance and have been extremely studied for their broad spectrum of biological activities. Recently, they have attracted great interest in materials science owing to their photophysical properties. 3(5)-Aminopyrazoles are extensively utilized in the synthesis of condensed heterocyclic systems, particularly pyrazolo[1,5- a ]pyrimidines via the reaction with 1,3-biselectrophilic reagents. However, the information available in the literature provides little in the way of reasoning their cyclization, particularly the initial attack either by the exocyclic amino group or endocyclic nitrogen. Unfortunately, the relative nucleophilicity of exo- and endocyclic nitrogen atoms in 1-unsubstituted 3(5)-aminopyrazoles is not clear and contradicting. It has been found that other factors can modulate the regioselectivity rather than basicity or steric hindrance for both active sites. The reported studies in the structure–activity relationship revealed that pyrazolo[1,5- a ]pyrimidines having a substitution at fifth, sixth, and seventh positions possess potent biological activities, especially those with an amino group at the seventh position. We here developed a regioselective, high yield synthesis of 7-amino-5-arylpyrazolo[1,5- a ]pyrimidine-3,6-dicarbonitriles by the reaction of N -(5-amino-4-cyano-1 H -pyrazole-3-yl)-benzamide with various cinnamonitriles and enaminones in pyridine at 120°C under controlled microwave heating conditions. All structures of newly synthesized compounds were established by analytical and spectral data as well as single-crystal diffraction and rationalized for their formation.

In order to improve the performance of engines fueled with diesel fuel or diesel-like e-fuels so as to realize greener transportation, the V-type and Y-type intersecting hole nozzles, in which each hole is formed by the coalescence of two or three subholes, have been designed. In this article, the multiphase flow inside and outside the nozzle was numerically investigated using a volume-of-fluid large eddy simulation (VOF-LES) method to clarify the effects of the nozzle structure on the cavitating flow and primary atomization characteristics. The calculation was carried out at an injection pressure of 150 MPa and a back pressure of 0.1 MPa. Numerical results showed that unlike the L-shape pressure distribution along a cylindrical hole, for intersecting type hole nozzles, the pressure showed a stepped shape drop along the holes due to the overall convergent hole structure, which restrained the inception of cavitation. Consequently, the global loss of the flow over an intersecting type hole nozzle was lower by 24–37% than those of a cylindrical hole nozzle. Additionally, the jets emerging from the intersecting hole nozzles showed 50% wider spreading angles and 27% smaller droplet sizes than those of the cylindrical hole nozzle. Furthermore, the jets emerging from a Y-type intersecting hole nozzle showed enhanced atomization, which was found to be due to the unstable air suction near the outlets of this type of nozzle hole.

Rare earth metal cerium-doped titania nanoparticles (titanium dioxide [TiO 2 ]) were produced utilizing a low-cost and straightforward sol–gel technique, and its enhanced photodynamic anticancer activity was tested on Y79 retinoblastoma cancer cells. The structural, optical, morphological, anticancer activity, and cytotoxicity of pure and cerium-doped TiO 2 (Ce-doped TiO 2 ) were investigated. In X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, apparent doping of cerium in TiO 2 was detected, with reported anatase patterns shifting toward a lower angle in the anatase structure. Raman spectra verify the presence of cerium doping in TiO 2 by revealing greater wave number shifting. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis showed that the synthesized TiO 2 and Ce-doped TiO 2 nearly spherical. TiO 2 and Ce-doped TiO 2 were studied for their photodynamic anticancer activities, and the results suggest that cerium doping in TiO 2 improves anticancer activity.

With the number of people infected with the new coronavirus exceeding millions of confirmed infections, the world is turning to scientists and researchers, everyone is waiting – impatiently – for the results of the research that is being carried out in full swing to find an effective treatment for the virus. The recent development of the virus has witnessed at least 17 mutations that may affect its external shape, especially on the S-protein receptor-binding domain (RBD), which helps it attach to human cells’ receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) to make RBD–ACE2 interaction and entry to host cell. This interaction becomes stronger in the new strains of the coronavirus due to a mutation that occurs in the S-proteins that attach to human cells. For researchers and scientists to be able to confront this pandemic that has spread in the world like wildfire, they must be armed with accurate understanding and clear knowledge about coronavirus. This study focuses on polysaccharides, specifically negatively polysaccharides, that can interfere with the positive charge of the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2, thus inhibiting the virus’s infectivity and destroying it. In addition, polysaccharides will boost the immune function of the vaccine, thereby fostering nonspecific immunity of the body and specific immunity of the body, cellular immunity, mucosal immunity, humoral immunity, and decreased pro-inflammatory expression. This research aims to reduce the attachment power and modify the pulling apart of the RBD and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) by polysaccharide molecules such as Arabic gum (AG) and carrageenan. The adapted fluorometric assay is used to investigate the probability of Arabic gum and ACE2 interactions. The obtained results confirmed that the interaction could take place between Arabic gum and ACE2. Several literature studies promote the use of the urchin egg as antiviral, especially for SARS-CoV-2, because it has sulfated fucan polysaccharide molecules that prevent interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with a host cell. But, to the best of our knowledge, we found that the effect of urchin egg as antiviral, especially for SARS-CoV-2 is very difficult due to the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the human cells containing sugars that terminate with N-glycolylneuraminic (Neu5Ac) as found in the sperm of sea urchin. So, s most probably an interaction has occurred between Neu5Ac in IgG of human cells and sulfated fucan polysaccharide molecules of urchin egg.

Traditional Chinese herbs have attracted extensive attention due to their good efficacy, low toxicity, and minor side effects. However, some active ingredient extracts are relatively sensitive to external influence and liable to lose their effectiveness. Different from the traditional and complex encapsulation methods, one can easily prepare drug-loaded microcapsules to improve their bioavailability using the new encapsulation technology. In this work, we used the sonochemical method to prepare bovine serum albumin (BSA)/astragalus membranaceus oil (AM) microcapsules. The technology was simpler, greener, and more efficient. Thereinto, BSA and AM oil were used as the shell material and the core material, respectively. The effects of ultrasonic amplitude, ultrasonic mode, and ultrasonic time on synthetic reactions were studied. The morphology and size of the BSA/AM microcapsules were investigated using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The loading efficiency and drug release behavior were determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, respectively. The best ultrasonic synthesis conditions were obtained by the above analysis, with an ultrasound amplitude of 30%, ultrasound mode of the pulse mode of 2 s, ultrasound time of 4 min. The DLS results show that the microcapsule size is 484.4 nm and the polydispersity index is small. The TGA results show that the drug loading efficiency is about 77%, and the hemolysis tests show that the BSA/AM microcapsules have no cytotoxicity at lower concentrations (lower than 50 μg·mL −1 ).

The hydrolysis of phosphinic esters is an important transformation that may be performed under acidic or basic conditions on conventional heating. A series of cyclic phosphinates, 1-alkoxy-3-methyl or 3,4-dimethylphospholane oxides, has now been hydrolyzed under microwave (MW) conditions in the presence of 0.1 or 0.5 equivalents of p -toluenesulfonic acid that served not only as the catalyst but also as a MW absorber. The later phenomenon was proved separately. The pseudo-first-order rate constants for the hydrolyses performed by the new approach were determined and a reactivity order was setup. The model reactions investigated were transplanted into flow MW accomplishment. Graphical abstract

In the present study, a facile solvothermal method was used for the synthesis of silicotungstic acid (HSiW) immobilized on Ce-based metal organic framework (Ce-BDC) and embedded in Zr-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66(Zr)) composite catalyst, namely, Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 for the production of biodiesel through green fatty acid esterification. The obtained hybrids were characterized by various characterization technologies, including Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N 2 physisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed desorption of NH 3 (NH 3 -TPD) analysis. The characterization analyses showed that the hybrids have been successfully synthesized. Also, the volume and pore size of UiO-66(Zr) were changed by introducing HSiW@Ce-BDC, and the resulting Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 possessed the mesoporous structure and relatively high surface area. Simultaneously, the NH 3 -TPD analysis of Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 reveals that the acid strength was increased in comparison with HSiW@Ce-BDC. In addition, the composite Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 demonstrated high catalytic activity, and the oleic acid esterification gave 81.5% conversion at optimum conditions of 0.2 g catalysts, 1:30 oleic acid to methanol molar ratio at 130°C for 4 h. More interestingly, after six recycling cycles, the reduction in the conversion rate was only 4.6%, indicating that Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 has excellent reusability. Our study provides an effective approach to synthesize multifunctional hybrids for green biofuel production.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major gaseous pollutants and one of the main causes of environmental problem, which can be extremely harmful to human health. Previous research has shown that photocatalytic oxidation is regarded as a promising technology to remove VOCs. However, for the time being, the photocatalytic performance in the field of removing VOCs by multiple reported photocatalysts cannot meet the demand of the practice. In this study, we have successfully synthesized a series of 3D gel composites with g-C 3 N 4 (GC) and graphite oxide as precursors by a simple hydrothermal and freeze-drying method, which shows good photocatalytic degradation performance for gas toluene as model VOCs. The highest photocatalytic degradation ratio for gaseous toluene is about 86% in 180 min, which is about 3 times that of pure GC. The reason for the results is due to the strong adsorption capacity and very fast electrical conductivity of three dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide (RGO). This study implies that the 3D GC-RGO gels have potential usefulness for removing VOCs to meet the demand of the practice.

Flux, able to improve the ash fusibility, usually contains catalytic metal compounds. Unfortunately, the quantitative analysis of synergistic catalysis effects between different fluxing agents on coal gasification has not been investigated thoroughly. In this study, the effect of the kinds and content of Na/Ca-based fluxes on char gasification was investigated in thermogravimetry analyzer (TGA). The synergistic catalysis effects and mechanism between the two kinds of fluxes were also studied. Finally, based on the TGA tests, the kinetics models for char gasification with flux addition were developed. The results showed that all the four Na-based fluxes could increase the char reactivity. Na 2 CO 3 , which afforded the best activity, could increase the reactivity by 5.3 times when the content was 5%. The five Ca-based fluxes had a weaker catalysis effect compared with Na-based fluxes. CaCl 2 , exhibiting the best activity among the five Ca-based fluxes, could increase the reactivity by 2.3 times when the content was 5%. For composite fluxes, Na 2 CO 3 –CaO and Na 2 CO 3 –CaCO 3 had a remarkable synergistic effect, whereas others had less effect. Na 2 CO 3 could inhibit the aggregation of Ca, which might cause the synergistic effects between Na and Ca fluxes. The random pore model was more suitable to describe the catalytic gasification process.

Renewable biomass resources have become increasingly attractive in recent years. In this study, the pyrolysis of waste navel orange peels was carried out with different metal oxides (Cu 2 O, CaO, V 2 O 5 , Fe 2 O 3 , and ZnO) in a tube furnace to obtain high-quality bio-oil, from which high-value chemicals such as 3-furaldehyde could be well recovered to enhance the economic value of waste navel orange peels. The effects of different metal oxides on bio-oil were analyzed by GC/MS. The results showed that Cu 2 O and Fe 2 O 3 , as catalysts for slow pyrolysis, promoted the production of 3-furaldehyde compounds at a scale of approximately 5.69 and 4.82 times higher than that of pyrolysis without the addition of metal oxides, respectively. High-value chemicals such as 3-furaldehyde obtained from bio-oil can enhance the economic value of waste navel orange peels for full recovery and reuse.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential inhibitory effect of montmorillonite (MMT)-reinforced, glutaraldehyde-crosslinked PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) nanofibers loaded with root extract of Berberis lycium on monoamine oxidase A and B (MAO A and B) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) by using slightly modified Ellman’s test and Amplex Red monoamine oxidase assay, respectively. Enzyme inhibition studies of extract-loaded nanofibers showed significant inhibitory potential against MAO A, B, and BChE. There was an increase in enzyme inhibition with an increased extract concentration loaded to nanofibers. The fibers were characterized by TGA (thermal gravimetric analysis), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), XRD (X-ray diffractometry), and FTIR (Fourier-transform infra-red) spectroscopy to investigate thermal stability, morphology, structural changes, and functional groups in the nanofibers, respectively. SEM results of fabricated nanofibers reflected the beadless and smooth morphology of nanofibers with the porous structure. The contact angle measurements of fabricated nanofibers showed suitable hydrophilicity of nanofibers. The nanofibers loaded with the root extract of Berberis lycium have been found to be potent inhibitors of MAO A, B, and the BChE enzyme.

Poultry meat is a great source of protein and provides lots of nutrients such as iodine, iron, zinc, vitamins, and essential fatty acids that humans require. The positive applications of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in the diets of various poultry species were studied, in relation to their metabolic, antibacterial effects on digestion and regulation of bowel function. This study was carried out to test the effects of fabrication green silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of Corallina elongata extract and/or coating NPs with acetic acid on performance, immune response parameters and micro-flora population in Ross broiler. Chicks’ drinking water was mixed with bio-AgNPs (1 mM) and coating NPs with acetic acid for 35 days. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscope were used to determine the partial physiochemical characterizations of bio-AgNPs and coating ones. EDS analysis was used to determine the presence of AgNP in meat. Results confirmed that coating NPs with acetic acid reduced percentage of the micro-flora population, which were detected by VITEK ® 2 system (BioMérieux, France) and identified as Pseudomonas orizihabitain 4211210040000210 and Sphinogomonas paucimobilis 5201210040000210. EDS analysis of meat chicks confirmed disappearance of Ag metals. Coating biogenic AgNPs with acetic acid on modulated intestinal microbial populations of the Ross broiler may be safe, and could be used as alternative antibiotics or antibacterial agents besides their physiological performance in small intestines of broiler chicken.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is a more sustainable, safe, and environmentally friendly method. This study aimed to investigate the synthesis procedure of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) using the seed extract of Nigella sativa ( N. sativa ) as a strong reducing agent and to estimate their cytotoxic and antibacterial properties. The obtained IONPs were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ZP), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. The cytotoxicity of the biosynthesized IONPs was demonstrated by the MTT on a Vero cell line. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the fabricated biosynthesis metal oxide NPs was tested on Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) (ATCC 35218) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) (ATCC 29213) bacterial strains using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. This study showed the formation of a well-dispersed, highly stable (ZP ζ = −51.8 mV) IO NPs with an average diameter of about 31.45 nm. Moreover, the biosynthetic NPs (IONPs) exhibited a significantly noncytotoxic effect when analyzed by the MTT assay. The biosynthetic NPs (NS-IONPs) exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus , where the inhibition zones were 12.34 ± 0.58 and 11.52 ± 0.58, respectively.

Spirulina platensis (SP) has a high impact on multidiscipline usage worldwide. Vitamins are considered as growth promoters due to their metabolic bio-regulating roles. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of vitamins: riboflavin (B2), thiamine (B1), and ascorbic acid (C) on SP growth and contents of pigments, phenols, and phytochemicals besides its antioxidant activities. Vitamins were added in different concentrations to Zarrouk’s medium and tested for their effects weekly for three weeks of spirulina cultivation. The results revealed that 25 mg·L −1 thiamine or riboflavin promoted the most significant contents of chlorophyll and carotenoids, respectively, after 14 days of cultivation. However, adding 10 mg·L −1 thiamine achieved the most significant increase in algal biomass yield and contents of chlorophyll, carotenoids phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, phycoerythrin, and phycobiliprotein after 21 days of cultivation. Qualitative analysis showed that both SP and SP supplemented with 10 mg·L −1 thiamine (SPt) for 21 days contain tannins and flavonoids but quantitative analysis approved that SPt recorded significant increase in phenolic and tannin contents. Moreover, SPt induced a significant increase of total antioxidant activity in vitro 1,1-diphenyl-1,2-picrylhydrazyl assay in comparison with SP. Vitamins especially thiamine added during SP culture could improve SP biomasses, pigments, and phytochemical contents and hence increased antioxidant capacity.

In this study, we prepared and characterized ceramsite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI). Malachite green (MG) dye removal from aqueous solutions using a fixed-bed reactor packed with the above composite material was investigated. This research was carried out according to the prophase study of the preparation and characterization of ceramsite material for water treatment using sintering method from solid wastes. The results indicated that ceramsite could be loaded with nZVI, mainly because of its magnetic property. With the decrease in the initial concentration and influent flow rate or the increase in the reaction temperature, the breakthrough curve became less steep. Meanwhile, the breakthrough and saturation points gradually shifted rightward. When the initial concentration was 10 mg·L −1 , the reaction temperature was 25°C, and the influent flow rate was 5 mL·min −1 , the breakthrough curve presented an irregular “S” shape, the breakthrough and saturation times were 230 and 515 h, respectively. The characterization of MG dye-containing wastewater treatment using ceramsite-supported nZVI in a fixed-bed reactor by employing the Yoon-Nelson kinetic model was superior to those using the Thomas and Adams-Bohart kinetic models, with R 2 > 0.96.

In the current study, pure and manganese-doped superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Mn-doped SPIONPs) were successfully prepared by a green approach using a fresh aqueous extract of Asparagus officinalis as a reducing and stabilizing agent. Magnetic behaviors of pure and Mn-doped SPIONPs were measured at room temperature against various field strengths by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The saturation magnetization was in the range of 5.39–2.07 emu. Absorption at 340 nm in the UV-visible spectrum confirmed the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). The presence of plant extract as a capping agent was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The crystalline nature of IONPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. A gradual increase in size was observed with increasing concentration of Mn. The synthesized materials were applied successfully as sorbent for the effective removal of lead ions (Pb( ii )). Experimental results of adsorption were also analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations at different temperatures. The results suggested that sorption processes were spontaneous, and the synthesized SPIONPs displayed Pb II removal capacity at higher loadings with q m of 21.3 and 29.56 mg·g −1 for undoped and 7% Mn-doped IOPNs, respectively, as compared to the commercial activated carbon.

Over the last few decades, steady growth in desalination literature has been observed. However, conducting a quantitative analysis of this literature is still a novelty. This study aimed at carrying out a quantitative analysis of desalination literature published during the last 30 years, using bibliometric and content analysis techniques, based on the Web of Science database. The bibliometric analysis revealed that desalination has received much attention after the year 2000, as 95.4% of literature has been published in two decades after 2000. The text mining analysis showed that the hot themes of desalination research are reverse osmosis optimization, graphene implications, interfacial polymerization, capacitive deionization, carbon nanotube implications, and antifouling techniques. Furthermore, it was observed that many desalination technologies have emerged recently that make it a challenge to choose the right desalination technology for industrialization. Therefore, this study also contributed to identifying the factors that are important for the industrialization of desalination technologies and, based on these identified factors, this study has compared different desalination technologies to unearth the energy-efficient and low production cost technology. Analytical hierarchy process was used for comparing existing desalination technologies based on eight different parameters and it demonstrated that reverse osmosis is the best available technology for desalination.

This study evaluated the biological fabrication and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using Nepeta cataria (NC) and their anticancer activity against ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3). This study synthesized ZnONPs using leaf extract of N. cataria through a biological method. The synthesized particles were characterized in several ways such as zeta potential, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrum, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. UV-Vis spectrum exhibited that maximum spectra were found to be 380 nm. The size of the material was shown to be 75.9 nm confirmed by dynamic light scattering measurement. Moreover, XRD, SEM, and transmission electron microscopic analysis were confirmed by the synthesized materials as crystal-based ZnONPs. FTIR studies represent that several biologically active functional groups existed in the synthesized nanoparticles. In addition, the anticancer ability and the inhibitory role of ZnONPs-NC against SKOV3 cells were investigated. We found that ZnONPs-NC causes efficient toxicity in SKOV3 cells by increasing cytotoxicity depending on reactive oxygen species production and nuclear fragmentation in SKOV3 cells. ZnONPs-NC activates Bax and Caspases while inhibiting Bcl-2 proteins in SKOV3 cells. Furthermore, we discovered that ZnONPs-NC inhibits the proliferative markers PCNA, cyclin-D1, matrix metallo proteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9) in SKOV3 cells. Thus, biologically synthesized ZnONPs-NC were found to be effectively inhibiting ovarian cancer cell growth.

Herein, the effect of three types of capping polymers, mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and starch on the photoluminescence of Mn(2+)-doped ZnSe (ZnSe:Mn) nanoparticles, has been investigated. ZnSe:Mn nanoparticles were successfully prepared with a green method of precipitation in aqueous solutions containing MPA, PEG, or starch as stabilizers. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy had proved the formation of ZnSe:Mn particles and the interaction between them and the capping agents. The resultant nanoparticles with different capping polymers were identical in optical property; however, photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) as well as the photoluminescence lifetime varied by capping agents. Starch-capped ZnSe:Mn nanoparticles had the biggest size compared to others, which was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis absorbance and Raman spectroscopy. Also, the PL intensity was significantly enhanced with starch-capped ZnSe:Mn nanoparticles. The PLQYs of starch archived 26%, which was 1.23 or 1.8 times lower than that of ZnSe:Mn nanoparticles capping with MPA or PEG, respectively. Furthermore, the highest decline of PL intensity was detected in PEG, which completely diminished in the 19th week, while both MPA and starch endowed ZnSe:Mn nanoparticles with outstanding PL lifetimes diminished over seven weeks.

Hydrochar is a promising adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals, but the low surface area limits the removal efficiency and practical application. Therefore, improving the surface area of the hydrochar is critical to increasing the adsorbent removal. In this study, the ultrasonic pretreatment of biomass (10‒30 min) and CaO addition (5‒15%) were adopted to assist the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of granatum at 220°C. The properties of the modified hydrochar and the removal efficiency for Pb 2+ in the aqueous solution were investigated. Results showed that the porosity of hydrochar was obviously improved by the CaO addition, and the largest surface area of 21.86 m 2 ·g −1 was obtained during HTC with 15% CaO addition. Meanwhile, the functional groups of ‒OH and C═O increased and the pH of the hydrochar increased from weakly acidic to alkaline by CaO addition. The Pb 2+ adsorption capacity of raw hydrochar was 10.03 mg·g −1 , and it was enhanced by 80.76‒171.58% after CaO addition. The ultrasonic pretreatment of granatum had little effect on the characteristics of hydrochar except to improve the surface area from 8.27 to 9.06 m 2 ·g −1 , resulting in a 1.30‒6.78% increase in the adsorption capacity.

Water pollution has become one of the most serious environmental issues recently, especially in relation to chemical-containing wastewater. Uncontrolled industrial waste, including large amounts of dye-containing wastewater from textile industries, needs intensive attention. In this work, the synthesis of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 nanocomposite biogenic silica from Salacca zalacca leaf ash was conducted for the photo-Fenton-like degradation of dye waste. The use of Salacca zalacca leaf ash and the nanoflake form is the novelty of this work. The physicochemical characterization of the material was conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-DRS) analyses, and photocatalytic activity of material was investigated in wet peroxidation of rhodamine B and batik wastewater. The results showed homogeneously dispersed Fe 3 O 4 in SiO 2 support with a nanoflake form, and a crystallite size of 44.9 nm was obtained. XRD investigation revealed the single phase of Fe 3 O 4 , which is consistent with the TEM analysis. The bandgap energy of 2.21 eV was reported from UV-DRS measurements, which influenced the increasing photocatalytic activity and reusability of the nanocomposite compared to pure Fe 3 O 4 . The photocatalyst showed the maximum degradation efficiency (DE) of 99.9% after 60 min, and the reusability feature was expressed, as there was an insignificant change in the DE over the fifth cycle of use. The material exhibited photocatalytic oxidation of batik wastewater as the removal of total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and color reached 95.55%, 89.59%, and 90.00%, respectively.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) produced from coconut water, commonly known as nata de coco , is a biopolymer with enormous properties. Compared to plant cellulose, BC has better mechanical strength and a greater degree of polymerization. BC’s high purity and high porosity make it a suitable candidate for the embedding and dispersion template for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This study investigated a facile and scalable method of making BC from coconut water and impregnated them with AgNO 3 solution to produce AgNPs templated BC. The resulting materials were characterized by Fourier transform infra-Red (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The thermal stability was also investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The antibacterial activity of AgNPs templated BC was challenged in cultures of gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and showed an inhibition zone of growth in agar media. This study proves that the resulting AgNPs templated BC sheets are potential materials for antibacterial and industrial application that are low cost and easy to produce.

Cancer-fighting needs more effective and targeted drugs, desirably with least side-effects and from natural bases. The assessment and synergistic actions of multiple anticancer drug candidates were investigated. Fucoidan (Fu) was extracted from Sargassum cinereum , which was attained from the Saudi Red-Sea coast. The extract of Ganoderma lucidum or Reishi mushroom (Re) was achieved, intermixed with Fu solution, and they were used for reducing/decorating/capping selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). The infrared analysis of produced/synthesized agents emphasized their biochemical structures and interactions. The decorated Fu/Re/SeNPs had negative (−30.6 mV) zeta potential and the SeNPs mean particle size was 6.5 nm. The transmission imaging of SeNPs indicated their spherical profiles and well-dispersion within Fu/Re composite. The anticancer potentiality of Fu/Re and Fu/Re/SeNPs against human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells was investigated using MTT, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining and comet assay. Both composites exhibited potent bioactivities toward adenocarcinoma cells; the reduced cells survival was detected with IC 50 of 57.82 and 16.43 µg·mL −1 for Fu/Re and Fu/Re/SeNPs, respectively. The constrained apoptosis was notably observed from treated cells with the composites; substantial molecular damages were also verified via the comet assay, especially in Fu/Re/SeNPs treated cells. The innovative innocuous composite from Fu/Re/SeNPs is highly recommended to deactivate/destruct colorectal adenocarcinoma cells.

The micro-size flake silver powders were prepared through wet-chemical reduction method by using a micro-jet reactor. Herein ascorbic acid was used as a reducing agent, and sulfuric acid was used as a stabilizer. And the lauric acid was used as a dispersing agent to prevent particles’ agglomeration. The micro-jet reactor collides the two solutions together and uniformly mixes outside the reactor, to avoid the problem of clogging in the microchannel. The effects of dispersant addition and micro-jet flow rate on the morphology, particle size, and other parameters of silver powder is investigated in the present work. Interestingly, the addition of dispersant agent and stabilizer have a significant impact on the morphology and parameter of the silver particles. Under the conditions of micro-jet flow rate of 50 mL·min −1 , sulfuric acid addition amount of 2%, and lauric acid addition amount of 0.8% by the weight of silver nitrate, a kind of flake silver powders with 4.40–4.70 μm can be prepared. The volume resistivity of the silver paste prepared from the obtained flake silver powders is in the range of 1.4–1.6 × 10 −4  Ω·cm −1 , which meets the application test requirements of conductive silver paste.

Activated coke was obtained by CO 2 activation with disused fine blue-coke serving as the main raw material and direct coal liquefaction residue (DCLR) as binder. The effect of the dosage and activation temperature of DCLR on the compressive strength of active coke and desulfurization were mainly investigated. The experimental results showed that the compressive strength of the activated coke increased first and then decreased with the increase in the amount of D-DCLR (DCLR after ash removal). When the amount of D-DCLR was 40%, the compressive strength of the activated coke was 492.55 N and the specific surface area was the highest (189.78 m 2 ·g −1 ) among other samples. The results show that the activated coke has a high removal rate for low concentrations of sulfur dioxide. This work provides a way for efficient utilization of DCLR, which avoids waste of resources and environmental pollution. In addition, it is important for finding green and efficient blue-coke powder processing and utilization technology for the sustainable development of the blue-coke industry.

The heating performance of empty fruit bunch pellets (EFBPs) has been limited by its low energy density, high moisture, and ash content. Hence, microwave co-torrefaction (MCT) was performed with microwave heating unto waste oil mixed EFBP to produce high-energy biofuel. However, the non-homogeneous electromagnetic fields distribution in the microwave cavity results in an uneven heating behavior, producing the hot and cold spots. Hence, MCT coupled with helical lift was examined for its potential to improve heat distribution. The effect of temperature and types of waste oil on the proximate analysis and surface properties were studied. In comparison to the conventional torrefaction using a furnace (>30 min), MCT provided rapid heating (50–80°C·min −1 ) and a shorter process time (10 min). The use of helical lift with 2-dimensional movement – rotational (24 rpm·min −1 ) and vertical motion (5 cm·min −1 ) simultaneously, distributed microwave radiation uniformly for rapid heating. The proximate analysis demonstrated that the ash content was reduced from 8 to 3 wt%, and the highest fuel ratio of 2.0 was achieved. Additionally, the highly porous structure of EFBP biochar can act as an activated carbon precursor. MCT coupled with helical lift represents a promising approach to prevent hot spots during microwave heating.

Nanoparticles synthesized from plants are being explored for cancer treatment therapies all over the world. This study reported the eco-friendly and low-cost method for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Adansonia digitata fruit as a reducing and capping agent. The anti-cancer potential of synthesized particles was explored against HTC116 and SW480 colon cancer cell lines. Prepared AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, zeta potential, transmission electronic microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and energy-dispersive spectrum. The cytotoxicity was determined with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and expression levels of four genes ( CTNNB1 , APC , LRP5 , and LRP6 ) were checked by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The sharp peak of surface plasmon resonance at 400 nm confirms the formation of AgNPs. Dynamic light scattering showed average sizes of 16.34 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.193. A. digitata AgNPs were spherical with slight aggregated. AgNPs were more cytotoxic than A. digitata extract and decrease the expression of CTNNB1 and LRP6 genes while LRP5 gene expression was increased in both cell lines. APC gene expression was decreased in SW480 but increased in HTC116 with treatment. Overall, this study suggested that AgNPs synthesized by A. digitata fruit extract can be an attractive candidate for anticancer applications.

Pruned wolfberry branches are abundant and ideal raw material for biomass carbonization. It would provide valuable guidance for optimizing the preparation conditions of biochar of pruned wolfberry branches for carbon sequestration and emission reduction. This study adopted a single-factor experiment and response surface method (RSM) using reaction temperature and holding time as factors, and systematically investigated the effects of carbonization conditions on yield and fixed carbon content. Based on the results, the effects of temperature on yield and fixed carbon content were greater than those of holding time. Both temperature and holding time had extremely significant effects on yield, and the interaction had significant effects. Temperature had an extremely significant effect on fixed carbon content, while holding time and the interaction had no significant effect. Through the RSM, the optimized pyrolysis temperature was 530°C and the holding time was 2 h. The potential for carbon sequestration of biochar generated by wolfberry branches and returned to the soil was evaluated. Biochar was believed to contribute to carbon sequestration and emission reduction in Qinghai province; 68.56 × 10 3 t of carbon emissions could be reduced annually from combustion in the atmosphere and 34.42 × 10 3 t of carbon could be fixed if all biochar were applied to soil.

Plant-mediated silver nanoparticles are unique and are considered one of the best nanomaterials used in cancer research. We report a low-cost, eco-friendly process of green synthesis of AgNPs from Commiphora gileadensis stem extracts and evaluated their anticancer potential against colon cancer cell lines HCT-116, HT 29, and SW620. Anticancer activities were performed by an MTT assay and gene expression levels of four genes CHEK1 , CHEK2 , ATR , and ATM by the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Particles were initially confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy. The morphology and stability of the particles were examined through TEM, zeta potential, and zeta sizer. GC-MS and FTIR were performed to examine the functional groups. The absorption peak was recorded at 430 nm; the average size recorded by TEM images was 13 nm, while the zeta potential and zeta sizer study showed aggregation in nanoparticles. Compared to C. gileadensis extracts, some of the FT-IR spectrum peaks were sight shifted with some new peaks in C. gileadensis AgNPs. C. gileadensis AgNPs were more toxic against HT29 followed by HTC116 and SW620. Expression levels of most of the genes in HCT116 and HT29 were increased by treatment whereas the gene expression level was least affected in SW620. C. gileadensis AgNPs have anticancer potential and need to be explored in cancer research.

The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and the lack of effective antimicrobial agents have posed a threat to public safety, so a new efficient strategy is needed to deal with the increasing severity of bacteria. Herein, a substitute antibacterial agent with high stability and biocompatibility was synthesized by incorporating lysine hydrochloride and copper sulfate pentahydrate following the liquid-phase synthesis method. The composition and structure of the Cu( ii ) complex (Lys–Cu) were characterized by performing ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry, and single-crystal XRD. The crystal structure of Lys–Cu belongs to a monoclinic system, space group P 2 1 , with cell parameters of a = 5.14350(10), b = 16.8308(2), c = 11.4915(2) Å, Z = 2, and D = 1.548 g·cm −3 . Bacteriostatic tests were carried out on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of Lys–Cu against S. aureus were 0.3125 and 0.9250 mg·mL −1 , respectively. The MIC and MBC values of Lys–Cu against bacterial strain E. coli were 0.4685 and 0.9250 mg·mL −1 , respectively.

Herein, we describe the first report of Pichia strain producing biocellulose (BC). This yeast was isolated from rotten pineapple and was identified as Pichia kudriavzevii USM-YBP2 using 18S rDNA analysis. The formation of pellicle was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Based on SEM analysis, pellicles are presented as an interwoven network of fibers. Next, to produce high BC, optimization was conducted using different carbon and nitrogen sources, carbon and nitrogen concentrations, inoculum size, and cultivation condition. The optimized parameters for maximum BC production were as follows: glucose 8.0% (w/v), peptone 2.0% (w/v), yeast extract 0.5% (w/v), disodium phosphate 0.270% (w/v), citric acid 0.115% (w/v), ethanol 0.5% (v/v), and inoculum size 10% (v/v). The production yield is 12.24 ± 0.43 g/L and the productivity of 0.128 g/L/h. Then, BC was further treated using sulfuric acid to destructuring to bionanocellulose (BNC) and was characterized using the transmission electron microscope (TEM), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. After acid hydrolysis treatment, BNC showed a spherical shape as in TEM. Interestingly, BNC characteristic band displayed high similarity with cellulose from other bacterial species. Moreover, BNC showed high crystallinity index (∼82%) as estimated using XRD. Thus, our findings substantiated that strain USM-YBP2 showed remarkable BNC production with unique BNC property that can be further explored in various applications. Graphical abstract

Recent studies have shown that green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their application in the control of phytopathogenic fungi is a burgeoning field. Sisymbrium irio (Si) (London rocket) is a well-known weed that grows abundantly in Saudi Arabia from February to May. The present study is concerned with the rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles from the aqueous seed extract of Si) in the presence of sunlight. The biosynthesized Si-AgNPs were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis (FTIR). The UV-Vis spectrum revealed a prominent surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption band (∼439 nm) characteristic of AgNPs. As revealed by TEM analysis, the Si-AgNPs were predominantly spheroidal in shape and measured between 4 and 51 nm, while the Z average of nanoparticles was 94.81 nm as revealed by the DLS spectrum. The FTIR spectrum displayed peaks related to important functional groups (amines, phenols, carboxylic acids, flavonoids, aromatic compounds, and esters) that aid in the reduction, encapsulation, and stability of AgNPs. The Si-AgNPs were further investigated against a panel of potent fungal phytopathogens that included Alternaria alternata , A. brassicae , Fusarium solani , F. oxysporum , and Trichoderma harzianum . The cytotoxic activity of the biosynthesized nanoparticles against human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa) was also tested. Si-AgNPs at 80 µg·mL −1 demonstrated a marked reduction in mycelial growth and spore germination. Similarly, Si-AgNPs exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic activity against the HeLa cell line, with an IC 50 value of 21.83 ± 0.76 µg·mL −1 . The results of the present study demonstrate the robust cytotoxic and antifungal activities of Si-AgNPs. Based on the findings, Si-AgNPs can be exploited to design formulations that can effectively act as anticancer agents, controlling the proliferation of cancer cells while also combating fungal phytopathogens. However, future research to understand their toxicity mechanisms is needed.

A cerium/silver/zinc oxide (Ce/Ag/ZnO) inorganic nanocomposite was synthesized through a homogeneous precipitation method. The characterization and photocatalysis procedures were carried out by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, and photocatalytic performance. The characteristic absorption peak of ZnO was near 432 cm −1 , no absorption was observed peak near 1,083 cm −1 for CeO 2 and ZnO, the absorption peak near 721 cm −1 was generated by the vibration of CeO 2 , and the absorption peak had an obvious blue shift. The XRD results showed a strong interfacial interaction among Ag, CeO 2 and ZnO to form a core–shell structure. The SEM image showed that the Ce/Ag/ZnO samples are approximately 25 nm. The XPS spectra showed that the Ce/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite powders were successfully prepared. The UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectra showed that the Ce/Ag/ZnO nanocomposites reduced the band gap and increased the ability of visible light response. The addition of rare earth Ce could inhibit the recombination of ZnO photoelectron pairs and improve the photocatalytic effect. Therefore, Ce/Ag/ZnO exhibited good characteristics of nanocomposite materials and good photocatalytic ability.

This study develops a plastic cycle toward circular economy practice in Vietnam. First, we analyze inter-relationships between economic sectors and environmental issues concerning plastic waste in 2018. The research method integrates interdisciplinary balance with life cycle inventory, in which input–output (IO) table is both an econometric tool and original database to determine plastic IO between industries. As a result, over 60% of plastics after use was recycled for the production process (called recycled plastics) and nearly 40% of plastics after-use left the process (called disposed plastics). Within the recycled plastics, there was 10–15% of informal recycling collection from trade villages; within the disposed plastics, there was 13–18% unable to be collected and uncontrollably disposed to the environment. Then, we construct the plastic cycle, in which all the imported/domestic flows, single/multiple uses, and recycle/disposal flows are represented in proportional dimensions. This overall yet quantitative picture is an important data-driven basis for proposing plastic waste management solutions toward circular economy practice. As analyzed, the most challenge for waste management in Vietnam is to control single-use products (occupied 15.96% of total plastics) and indiscriminate waste in the environment (occupied 20.36% of total plastics). The case study for polyethylene terephthalate shows the need for expanding producer’s responsibilities to improve plastic recovery efficiency.

In this study, CsPb 1– x Mn x Br 3–2 x Cl 2 x ( x = 0–0.5) nanoparticles were synthesized directly in toluene solvents at high temperature. This approach results in small-size nanoparticles, which can be used in photoelectric components without adding a filtration process to eliminate high-temperature solvents such as octadecene. The high content Mn 2+ -incorporated CsPb(Cl/Br) 3 host is observed by strongly wideband emission at 592 nm of manganese d-states spin and orbital forbidden transition. After infiltration into mesoporous TiO 2 , the Mn 2+ ion receives energy from the CsPb(Cl/Br) 3 host (irradiated 405 nm light-emitting diode source) and effectively transfers to the TiO 2 scaffold layer. As a result, a metal/semiconductor/metal planar structure photodetector with m-TiO 2 /CsPb 1– x Mn x Br 3–2 x Cl 2 x ( x = 0–0.5) composite showed several figures of merit compared to bare m-TiO 2 and m-TiO 2 /CsPbBr 3 such as on/off ratio of 10 4 times, responsivity of 1.67 A·W −1 , and detectivity of 4.42 × 10 9 Jones. The key factors contributing to the growth of the on/off ratio include the decreasing dark current and enhancing exciton energy and transportation due to the infiltration of CsPb 1– x Mn x Br 3–2 x Cl 2 x ( x = 0–0.5) perovskite quantum dots into mesopores of the m-TiO 2 scaffold layer.

The anticancer activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is well known to be synthesized using green-synthesized methods, although its mechanism of action is not understood fully. Moringa oleifera leaves were used as reducing and stabilizing agents to synthesize AgNPs. Green-synthesized AgNPs were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electronic microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses. The synthesized nanoparticles were then characterized by their anticancer properties by performing a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to check the expression levels of the four genes (β-catenin, adenomatous polyposis coli ( APC ), and lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6 ( LRP5/6 )). The synthesized nanoparticles were 25 nm on average and spherical in shape and aggregated form. Noteworthy cytotoxicity is how green-synthesized M. oleifera– AgNPs were observed in comparison with the M. oleifera leaf extract against a cancerous cell line. The M. oleifera –AgNPs decreased the expression of CTNNB1 and LRP6 genes, while the LRP5 gene expression increased in both cell lines. With treatment, the APC gene expression decreased in SW480 but increased in HTC116. Our results imply that AgNPs synthesized by M. oleifera extract could be an ideal strategy to combat colon cancer.

This article experiments wetland-based biochar as an effective adsorbent for phosphorus removal. In this experiment, four common wetland plants, canna (C), umbrella palm (U), bamboo reed (B), and Thalia dealbata (T), were used as the main raw materials. Twelve kinds of biochar (C300, C500, C700, U300, U500, U700, B300, B500, B700, T300, T500, and T700) were obtained at three pyrolysis temperatures (300°C, 500°C, and 700°C). The results show that canna (C) and umbrella palm (U) are more suitable as raw materials for phosphorus removal using biochar. If bamboo reed (B) and Thalia dealbata (T) are used as raw materials for phosphorus removal using biochar, there is a greater risk of phosphorus release. With the increase of pyrolysis temperature (700°C > 500°C > 300°C), there is an increasing trend of phosphorus adsorption effect. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of C700, U700, and C500 was 39.24, 7.08, and 7.26 mg P·g −1 at an initial concentration of 50 mg·L −1 phosphorus, respectively. The theoretical adsorption capacity of C700 ( Q max = 39.24 mg P·g −1 ) was much higher than that of the general modified adsorption materials. It also has a larger tolerance range to pH (3–11). The results of kinetic model fitting showed that the adsorption mechanism of C700, U700, and C500 on phosphorus can be better simulated by intra-particle diffusion and Elovich model, and the adsorption mechanism includes surface adsorption and intra-particle diffusion. The fitting of isothermal adsorption model showed that Langmuir–Freundlich equation is more suitable for the description of adsorption characteristics of C700, U700, and C500, and the fitting coefficient R 2 is 0.9928, 0.9949, and 0.9897, respectively. It indicates that the adsorption of phosphorus on C700, U700, and C500 has a balance of uniform and nonuniform surface, and monolayer and multilayer adsorption could occur. The results from this work demonstrated that the biochar obtained from canna at 700°C has good adsorption and phosphorus removal potential without modification, and it can be used as the preferred biochar for phosphorus removal of high concentration with large pH changes. In the final validation experiment, the phosphorus removal rate of C700 was up to 77.4% on the treatment of actual phosphorus containing wastewater.

The alternative desalination technique of membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) has emerged in the last 15 years and received a lot of research attention since then. By using a voltage applied between two electrodes covered with ion-exchange membranes, MCDI has attempted to challenge established methods such as reverse osmosis or electrodialysis. In this study, through the crosslinking of sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) and glutaric acid (GA) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), cation exchange membrane preparation and characterization were introduced. For the CDI system, membranes were chosen based on their water absorption and ion exchange properties. The PVA/SSA/GA composite (mass ratio of 100:5:5) had the best water adsorption and charge efficiencies that could be utilized for CDI application. The membrane’s ability to desalinate water was assessed using electrical properties such as total resistance, specific capacitance, and electro adsorption coated with the best ratio composite CEM. The salt absorption capacity of 19.06 mg·g −1 with stable performance was found to be encouraging.

The nano VO 2 powders were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The effects of Gd and Nd element doping on the structure and phase transition temperature of VO 2 were studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that Gd element and Nd element will affect the structure of VO 2 . Gd 3+ and Nd 3+ can occupy partial position of V 4+ lattice and form solid solution, increasing the lattice parameters of VO 2 . Both the doped and un-doped VO 2 powders exhibit a monoclinic structure at room temperature. Due to the lattice deformation caused by Gd or Nd doping, the aggregation of particles is prevented, and the grain is refined obviously. Differential scanning calorimetry curves showed that both Gd doping and Nd doping can reduce the phase transition temperature of VO 2 (M). When the Gd doping concentration is 6 at%, the phase transition temperature can be reduced from 71.7°C to 60.3°C, and the infrared transmittance before and after the phase transition also changes significantly, reaching more than 40%. Nd doping is similar, and the phase transition temperature decreased to 55.6°C with the addition of 9 at% Nd.

Attapulgite (APT) is a natural one-dimensional clay mineral with good biocompatibility and has emerged as a promising nanomaterial for the construction of performance-enhanced nanocomposites. In this study, we developed a ZnO quantum dots-incorporated APT antibacterial nanocomposite by the Aloe vera extract-mediated green route. With the combined assistance of binding interactions of ZnO nuclei with APT and capping effect of active compounds in Aloe vera extract, the quantum-sized ZnO nanoparticles with hexagonal Wurtzite structure and sizes of <5 nm were uniformly decorated on the APT surface, resulting in a high-active antibacterial nanocomposite. The obtained ZnO/APT nanocomposites displayed favorable antibacterial activities, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations of the nanocomposite with ZnO loading of 20% against E. coli and S. aureus were 2.5 and 0.5 mg·mL −1 , respectively. This antibacterial performance was far better than that of APT and could almost be comparable to that of pure ZnO. For the green process, the phenolic compounds, proteins, and amino acids in Aloe vera extract were involved in the reduction and capping of ZnO, which contributed to a facile green strategy for preparation of the ZnO-modified APT nanocomposites. The present work provides new insight into the potential applications of APT in the antibacterial fields. Graphical abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (Sm-MOFs) were prepared using a microwave-assisted ball milling method with a water solution. The structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and SEM, and the thermal stability of the Sm-MOFs was tested by Thermogravimetry (TGA). The results showed that the Sm-MOF material exhibited a favorable effect on removing the organic dye Congo red (CR). When the concentration of CR was 80 ppm, adding 50 mg of Sm-MOF material achieved an adsorption capacity of 396.8 mg·g −1 . The experimental data were analyzed theoretically through dynamics, and the experimental results were consistent with the second dynamics model, with correlation coefficients ( R 2 ) all above 0.99. Comprehensive data analysis revealed that the Sm-MOF materials had great potential for future application in wastewater treatment.

This article presents a green approach in the biological base oil synthesis from catfish fat by-product using the hydrodynamic cavitation technique. The effects of parameters on the yield of reaction were investigated. The application of the cavitation technique has improved the process efficiency significantly. The catfish polyester oil yield reached at high value (94.6%) at the inlet pressure of 60 psi, the molar ratio of acetic anhydride/epoxy of 1.25/1, 85°C, and only 10 min, and also under these reaction conditions, magnetic stirring technique could only give the limited yield of catfish oil polyester of 12%. The results of Fourier transform infrared resonance, 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 13 C NMR analyses and characteristic properties of materials and products have demonstrated that the chemical structure of polyester catfish oil was triglyceride chains containing saturated alkyl R chains and branched by methyl ester functional groups and the polyester catfish oil has met the quality standards of SN150 and SN500 mineral base oils. It could be said that the biological base oil process from catfish fat by-products under the assistance of cavitation techniques would develop sustainably.

The enormous industrial usage of nickel during its manufacture and recycling has led to widespread environmental pollution. This study was designed to examine the ability of Gelidium amansii biomass to biosorb Ni 2+ ions from an aqueous solution. Six independent variables, including contact time (1.0 and 3.0 h), pH (4 and 7), Ni 2+ concentration (25 and 200 mg·L −1 ), temperature (25°C and 50°C), G. amansii biomass (1.0 and 4.0 g·L −1 ), and agitation mode (agitation or static), were investigated to detect the significance of each factor using a Plackett–Burman design. The analysis of variance for the Ni 2+ biosorption percentage indicated that three independent variables (contact time, temperature, and agitation–static mode) exhibited a high level of significance in the Ni 2+ biosorption process. Twenty experiments were conducted containing six axial, eight factorial, and six replicates points at center points. The resulting face-centered central composite design analysis data for the biosorption of Ni 2+ exhibited a very large variation in the removal percentage of Ni 2+ , which ranged from 29.73 to 100.00%. The maximum Ni 2+ biosorption percentage was achieved in the 16th run with an experimental percentage quantified as 100.00% under the experimental conditions of 3 h of incubation time and 45°C with 100 rpm for agitation speed.

Salt stress is one of the most serious factors that influence the plant growth and yield. The extensive use of chemical fertilizers caused an increase in land contamination and hence effects on human health. The use of biofertilizers can solve these problems. In the present work, different concentrations of Spirulina platensis liquid extracts (SLEs; 1%, 2%, and 4%) were used to enhance seeds germination, seedling growth, length of radical, number of leaves, and plant height of T. aestivum L. S. platensis liquid extract (SLE) 2% was chosen to test against salt stress with 10% and 25% seawater in T. aestivum L. watered. The growth parameters such as shoot, root, length, fresh, dry weight, leaf width, number, and area were used to estimate the effects of 2% SLE against salt stress caused by seawater. Also the carbohydrate, protein, phenol, and total antioxidant contents were measured in T. aestivum L. treated with 2% SLE in combination with seawater and watered with different concentrations with seawater alone. The results denote that the best concentration of SLEs was 2%, which promoted the germination growth of T. aestivum L. in comparison to control and other concentrations. SLE (2%) enhanced the carbohydrates, protein, total phenol contents, and antioxidant contents of T. aestivum L., treated with seawaters (SW10% and SW25%) and SLEs in comparison to T. aestivum L. SW 10% and 25% alone. S. platensis liquid extract (SLE) can be used as biofertilizer to enhance the growth and phytochemical contents of T. aestivum L. and to make tolerance of T. aestivum L. against salinity.

To shorten the long process of conventional alkaline extraction of gelatin, an enzyme-aided method was demonstrated, which was simpler, more effective, and environmental friendly. The main properties of enzymatic gelatin and conventional alkaline gelatin were comprehensively analyzed, including rheological properties, foaming properties, emulsifying properties, water absorption capacity, and thermal stability. It was found that enzymatic gelatin exhibits neutral isoelectric points of 7.4–7.8, higher imino acid content (21.85%, on average), and excellent emulsifying properties, thermal stability, and foaming properties (181%, on average), but lower water absorption properties (5.8 g‧g −1 , on average). These findings would be beneficial for the future applications of enzymatic gelatin.

Potential ability of red pepper extract in zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) fabrication via three accelerated heating techniques, namely, conventional heating with stirring (at 100°C and 700 rpm, for 30 min), autoclave (at 15 psi and 121°C, for 15 min), and microwave irradiation (power of 800 W for 3 min) was assessed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy indicated that the prepared extract contained 20 active compounds including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and organic acids with several functional groups such as hydroxyls. Results indicated that ZnO NPs with spherical and hexagonal structures have been formed using three different heating methods, and the minimum crystal size for the fabricated ZnO NPs was 88.44 nm, which was attained using heating by autoclave. Antioxidant activity of the synthesized ZnO NPs was determined using the red pepper extract, and accuracy of this method was 80.21%. Finally, results indicated that the formed ZnO NPs had high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli , and Enterococcus faecalis and high antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus .

Traditional fertilization not only enhances the acidification of soil but also leads toward eutrophication. Here stimulatory and inhibitory effects of foliar fertilization of Cordia based silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were studied on lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) biomass accumulation, antioxidant activity, and morphological and anatomical modifications. The AgNPs were foliar supplied with a concentration of 25, 50, and 100 ppm along with control (deionized water) and negative control AgNO 3 for consecutive 25 days. The L. sativa fresh and dry biomass accumulation were significantly higher by 53%, leaf area by 25%, and leaf water holding capacity by 207% for foliar sprayed at 25 ppm concentration of AgNPs. The application of AgNPs and AgNO 3 had significantly shortened the shoot length (52%), while foliar spray of AgNPs promoted the root length (40%). Among different concentrations of AgNPs, the 50 ppm improved the thickness of stem epidermis (44%), hypodermis (130%), and cortex cell area (372%). For antioxidant studies, the 25 ppm of AgNPs depicted the highest anti-oxidative activity for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging activity (75%), total antioxidant capacity (167%), total phenolic content (292%), and total reducing power (60%), while 50 ppm showed the maximum activity for total flavonoid content (243%) as compared to control. Thus, we may conclude that the AgNPs have both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on L. sativa . These effects were dependent on the concentration of the nanoparticles and have varied for different growth, antioxidants, and anatomical traits of the plant. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of AgNPs synthesis, foliar application on lettuce with morpho-anatomical characterizations.

One of the most important trends for advanced diesel engines is downsizing, i.e., higher power density, which means more fuel is burned in a shorter period. In order to achieve rapid combustion for a high-power density diesel engine, the effects of bowl shape, diameter-to-depth ratio of bowl, and arrangement of nozzle holes on combustion and performance were investigated by CFD simulation. The effects of four bowl shapes, two of which were double-layer split bowls (DLSBs), as well as four diameter-to-depth ratios and three arrangements of nozzle holes were numerically assessed. The results show that the DLSB with a shallow dish-like structure yielded a remarkable effect of swirling flow by fuel splitting into upper- and lower-layer zones, which improved fuel–air mixing, shortened combustion duration, thus, resulting in high combustion efficiency and power density. Moreover, with the increase in diameter-to-depth ratio of the B type DLSB, the turbulent kinetic energy and the peak of pressure and heat release rate increased, further increasing power density. Finally, when the DLSB with a diameter-to-depth ratio of 2.0 is coupled with the staggered double-layer arrangement of nozzle holes, the in-cylinder mixtures became more uniform at both the circumferential and radial directions, and the combustion was considerably accelerated, achieving an optimum specific power of 122.6 kW·L −1 . Meanwhile, there was a slight decrement for peak pressure and NOx emission, and smoke decreased by 49.1%, which revealed substantial improvement in reduction in mechanical load and emissions.

In this article, a three-dimensional graphene (3DGN)-supported palladium metal catalyst was prepared by the impregnation method with noble metal palladium as the active component, aiming to synthesize a catalyst with high activity and high selectivity. Its catalytic performance in liquid-phase hydrochlorination of carbon tetrachloride (TTCM) was investigated. The influences of different Pd loadings, reduction temperatures, and reaction temperatures on the catalytic hydrogenation reaction were studied. The purpose is to explore the best operating conditions for the preparation of chloroform. The results show that the 3DGN-supported palladium catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance and high selectivity to chloroform in the hydrogenation of TTCM. When the Pd loading was 1.0 wt%, the reduction temperature was 773 K, and the hydrochlorination reaction temperature was 398 K, the conversion of TTCM was as high as 98.12%, and the selectivity of chloroform was 85.23%. The main by-product is dichloromethane. The selectivity of chloroform is affected by the increasing temperature but remains above 80%.

2,6-Methylacylnaphthalene is an important organic chemical raw material, mainly used as a precursor for synthesizing polyethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate (PEN). The heterogeneous catalyst molecular sieve catalyzes the acylation of 2-methylnaphthalene to synthesize β,β-methylacylnaphthalene, which has good activity, is green and environmentally friendly, with simple post-treatment. Different molecular sieves and reaction solvents were selected, and Hβ molecular sieves were more suitable for the acylation reaction of 2-methylnaphthalene. The reaction results were better when sulfolane was used as a solvent in this paper. The catalytic performances of citric acid-modified Hβ molecular sieve (SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 of 25) and unmodified molecular sieve were investigated and compared. The results showed that modification with low-concentration citric acid increased the amount of mediate strong acid and Bronsted acid, the specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size of Hβ zeolite. When the concentration of citric acid was 0.3 mol·L −1 , the modification time was 48 h and the calcination at 550°C for 3 h had the best catalytic activity. By further optimizing the acylation process, the conversion rate of 2-methylnaphthalene increased to 88.82%, and the yield of β,β-methyl propyl naphthalene increased to 82.12%.

This work aimed to study the preparation of cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) used as the catalyst for biodiesel production from palm oil. The precipitation method was used in the catalyst synthesis. The effects of oxalic concentrations and stirring rates in the precipitation process were investigated. Oxalic acid was added into cerium (Ce) in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid solution to form Ce oxalate before the Ce oxalate was calcined to obtain CeO 2 . The results showed that oxalic concentrations and stirring rates slightly affect the morphology of CeO 2 . However, these parameters considerably affect the amount of basic sites of CeO 2 . The basicity of CeO 2 plays the main role in catalyzing the transesterification reaction for biodiesel production. When CeO 2 was used as the catalyst in biodiesel production from palm oil under operating conditions using a 5% catalyst, methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 30:1, reaction temperature of 150°C, 13.8 bars, and 3-h reaction time, CeO 2 obtained from 3% oxalic concentration and 400 rpm stirring rates in the precipitation process provided the highest %FAME in the range of 93.9–94.2% since it had higher basicity. In addition, the decrease in surface area of CeO 2 after the use was less severe than that of basicity due to catalyst deactivation.

Mosquitoes are important vectors, which transmit many communicable diseases throughout the world. Synthetic insecticides, such as organophosphate and pyrethroids, are commonly used for their control in the vector control program. Insecticidal compounds from natural sources, notably from plants and synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) are promising tools for managing such vectors. Hence, the study aimed to analyze the insecticidal potentiality of leaf extract of Cipadessa baccifera and synthesized ZnNPs against three major mosquito vectors. The results recorded from UV-Vis spectroscopy show the peak absorption spectrum at 420 nm. In FTIR, the maximum peak value is 562.85 cm −1 assigned to the N–H group (amide group). The EDAX analysis shows a peak around 63.29, which confirms the binding intensity of selenium. In the scanning electron microscopy analysis, the synthesized ZnNPs sizes were ranging from 49.21 to 65.43 nm. The synthesized ZnNPs produced high mortality against Culex quinquefasciatus LC 50 = 0.049653 mg·mL −1 ; LC 90 = 0.9842 mg·mL −1 ), Anopheles stephensi (LC 50 = 0.053421 mg·mL −1 and LC 90 = 0.027761 mg·mL −1 ), and Aedes aegypti LC 50 = 0.55214 mg·mL −1 and LC 90 = 0.7456 mg·mL −1 ). These results suggest that the C. baccifera leaf extract-mediated biosynthesis of ZnNPs has the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach toward the control of mosquito vectors at early stages.

The corn silk (CS) is composed of the thread-like stigmas of female inflorescences of Zea mays L. and represents an important waste material from maize crop production that can be recycled in further applications. In this research, the CS was used for the bio-fabrication of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) that were evaluated against (I–V) larval instars and pupae of the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti . CS-AgNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, EDAX, XRD, FTIR, DLS, and zeta potential analysis. Z. mays extract analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry reveals 14 compounds. The larvicidal effectiveness of CS-fabricated AgNPs was 2.35 μg·mL −1 (I Instar) to 6.24 μg·mL −1 (pupae). The field application in water storage reservoirs of both CS extracts and CS-AgNPs (10 × LC 50 ) led to a 68–69% reduction in larval density after 72 h post-treatment. Ecotoxicological impact of CS-fabricated AgNPs was evaluated on the predatory efficacy of Poecilia reticulata on all the larval instars and pupae of Ae. aegypti . Finally, CS-AgNPs were tested to elucidate its anti-biofilm attributes. The CS-AgNPs at 125 μg·mL −1 showed a biofilm inhibition of 90% on S. aureus and 79% on S. epidermidis . These results support the use of CS-AgNPs for futuristic green alternative to mosquito vector management. Graphical abstract

Herein, we report a new one-step direct synthesis of aromatic azo compounds from anilines under mild conditions. With the catalysis of copper acetate mediated by palladium salt, rapid conversion of anilines to aromatic azo compounds can be observed under the conditions of base-free along with solvent-free. Furthermore, the cross-coupling nitridation reaction based on this strategy was also studied. This research provides not only a new way for the synthesis of symmetrical and asymmetrical aromatic azo compounds but also a strategy and platform for exploring catalytic applications of transition metal compounds.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a high-performance and low-cost technology for desalination. Normally, the CDI electrodes are fabricated using a slurry of activated carbon (AC) with a polymeric binder. In this study, AC from coconut shell charcoal was modified in 7% HNO 3 solution, which is emphasized by the formation of functional groups on its surface after modification. The isoelectric point (pH IEP ) of modified AC is found at 3.02, which confirmed the formation of carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups on the surface. The effect of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymeric binders on characteristics as well as the specific capacitance of the CDI electrodes are investigated. The hydrophilic binder of PVA-based with mesh structure has proven to be promising for salt adsorption ability with the specific capacitance of 47.78 F·g −1 , which is higher than that of PVDF binder (17.96 F‧g −1 ). The composite electrode based on mAC, Gt, and PVA-GA binder has a salt adsorption capacity of 8.9 mg·g −1 and good cyclic stability (retained 94%) after 50 adsorption–desorption cycles at an applied voltage of 1.2 V. Graphical abstract The wettability and CV of mAC/Gt/PVA-GA and mAC/Gt/PVDF electrodes in 200 ppm NaCl solution at a scan rate of 5 mV·s −1 . The variation of desalination capacity during 50 cycles for mAC/Gt/PVA-GA/Ti electrode.

This study experimentally demonstrates the potential of co-chlorination as a green process alternative to conventional independent chlorination of polyolefins, which involves the use of non-environment-friendly solvents like carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ). Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was used as a representative polymer in this study and co-chlorinated with paraffin. Apart from being a reactant, the paraffin also acts as a solvent, thus eliminating the need for using CCl 4 during the reaction. Test runs were first conducted to measure LDPE-paraffin solution viscosities at different LDPE concentrations to investigate the solubility of LDPE in paraffin. Co-chlorination experiments were then carried out covering a range of temperatures (100–130°C), chlorine flow rates (150–350 mL·min −1 ), LDPE concentrations in paraffin (10–30%) and agitation speeds (100–400 rpm). The chlorinated LDPE and paraffin products were subsequently characterized post separation using FTIR/ 1 H NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Specific properties of these two co-chlorinated products were compared with independently chlorinated LDPE and paraffin. The co-chlorinated products were found to compare well in terms of chlorine content and quality. A preliminary comparative study from a process perspective between co-chlorination and conventional chlorination of LDPE is also reported. The results obtained confirm the potential of co-chlorination as an environmentally friendly alternative. Graphical abstract

Nanoparticles have gained considerable attention during the present millennium due to its unique properties and usage of same in all the scientific fields. The present study was aimed to phyto-fabricate zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from Sida acuta and evaluate its antioxidant and photocatalytic activity against the dye victoria blue (VB). The phyto-fabricated ZnO NPs when subjected for physico-chemical characterization showed an absorbance peak at 373 nm and was spherical in nature. Strong and well-distinguished sharp peaks were noticed in X-ray diffraction analysis with an average size of ∼32.82 nm calculated through Scherrer’s formula. The size was also authenticated through dynamic light scattering analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the phyto-constituents of the plant extract served as capping/stabilizing agents during the synthesis of ZnO NPs. The atomic force microscopy studies on morphology and geometrics of the synthesized particles indicated that particles were monodispersed with colour difference. In addition, the surface area of ZnO NPs measured by Braunauer–Emmett–Teller experimental studies for adsorption isotherms was found to be 7.364 m 2 ·g −1 . The antioxidant efficacy of the phyto-fabricated ZnO NPs offered concentration-dependent antioxidant activity with an IC 50 value of 0.74 mg·mL −1 . Further, the VB (9 mM) dye degradation studies using the phyto-fabricated ZnO NPs (0.75 g·L −1 ) resulted in dye degradation of 93% at 40 min in natural sunlight. Further, the reuse and recycling of the photocatalyst for dye degradation offered 70.25% dye degradation ability within 40 min exposure to sunlight at the fifth cycle of reusability thereby indicating effective dye degradation ability of the phyto-fabricated ZnO NPs from the aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta .

Recycling of spent lithium (Li)-ion batteries has become a hot research topic due to its surge in the quantity and environmental problems. Herein we demonstrated a new chemical configuration of choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) to recover the cobalt from lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO 2 ), a representative cathode material for Li-ion battery. It was experimentally verified that the leaching efficiency of Co increased rapidly with the increase in the reaction temperature. Nearly 96% of Co can be leached from lithium cobalt oxide after a leaching treatment at 200℃ for 20 h. The leaching mechanism of cobalt in DES was analyzed by using a variety of techniques, including cyclic voltammetric experiments, Fourier transform infrared radiation, and ultraviolet-visible spectra. The results showed that the LiCoO 2 dissolve into the DES via reduction of Co( iii ) to Co( ii ). In particular to this work, the leaching experiments were performed in a higher concentration than those in the previous studies, which significantly promoted the operating efficiency of the leaching process.

The continuous process for the production of insoluble sulfur (IS) has been developed to overcome the disadvantages associated with the traditional batch process, such as low automation, discontinuous production, and high consumption of sulfur and CS 2 . The consumption of CS 2 in the continuous process is lower than that in the batch process. The recovery of solvent facilitates the recycling of CS 2 and N 2 in addition to the closed circulation of the entire system. The key process and recovery parameters of the IS synthesis were simulated using Aspen Plus. Sulfur was completely recovered after high-temperature pyrolysis, and the utilization ratio of sulfur atoms was increased from approximately 50% to more than 95%. Tail gas was comprehensively utilized through compression and cryogenic green treatment. Based on the developed green synthesis process and simulated process parameters, the continuous production of IS was evaluated on an industrial scale of 10,000 metric tonnes. Owing to the continuous characteristics of the production process, the air tightness of the production process was significantly improved, and the quality of the product was more stable than that of the product obtained by the current domestic batch process. The unconverted sulfur could be recycled after recovery, without low-grade sulfur as a by-product. The amount of sulfur used as raw material per unit product was reduced; the comprehensive conversion rate of sulfur to IS exceeded 95%, which significantly improved the utilization rate of sulfur atoms. Through the compression and condensation of the tail gas, the recovery efficiency of CS 2 was considerably improved at the same temperature, and compressed N 2 could be simultaneously obtained. The liquefaction rate of CS 2 approached 91.78%, which was characterized by obvious greening.

Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) with different Fe contents (0.1–5.0 wt%) were prepared using extract of wild olive leaves growing in Saudi Arabia (region of Abha). The biosynthesized NPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). Characterization results showed that undoped ZnO and Fe-doped ZnO powders were crystallized in the wurtzite structure with a small shift for the doped samples. Neither Fe 3 O 4 nor another iron oxide phase was observed in the samples, which proves the incorporation of Fe into the ZnO lattice. Doping has a pronounced effect on the physical and optical properties. Indeed, the size of the crystallites, the energy of the bandgap as well as the intensity of the PL emission decreased with the Fe content. Photocatalytic tests revealed that the doped samples degraded methyl orange (MO) more efficiently than pure ZnO and pure Fe 3 O 4 . Moreover, the photocatalytic activity improved with increasing Fe content. The best photocatalyst of the series (Fe–ZnO-5) was found degrading MO by 92.1%, in 90 min in a pseudo-first order reaction. Graphical abstract

The major constituents of sand are silica and silicates. The facile and low-cost purification technology of silica from natural sand is of magnificent importance to the industrial applications of silicon-based materials. Herein, we report a green, low-cost, and universal method to purify silica from natural sand. Sand from deserts, rivers, and seas is selected as the representative of natural sand. The initial purity of silica is 52.1 wt% for desert sand, 39.3 wt% for river sand, and 35.8 wt% for sea sand. High-purity silica has been successfully separated and purified from natural sand via ball milling, reacting with 30 bar CO 2 and hydrochloric acid. The purity of silica derived from natural sand reaches >96 wt%. In this work, the mechanism for the purification of silica from natural sand is discussed. This study provides a new method to separate high-purity silica from natural sand without the generation of toxic and harmful substances.

Developing floral-based replacement molecules might manage blood-sucking vectors in an eco-friendly way. Atalantia monophylla ( Am ) aqueous leaf extract (ALE) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were evaluated against mosquitoes ( Aedes vittatus, Anopheles subpictus , and Culex vishnui ) and ticks ( Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Rhipicephalus microplus , and R. sanguineus ) at different concentrations. Phytochemical screening and AgNPs’ synthesis were performed on ALE of A. monophylla . UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope were used to examine the synthesized Am -AgNPs. A. monophylla’s ALE included alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenes, coumarins, anthraquinones, and phenolics. Am -AgNPs had a higher LC 50 (22.19, 23.92, 26.09, 40.25, 51.87, and 60.53 μg·mL −1 , respectively) than leaf aqueous extract (LAE) against Ae. vittatus, An. subpictus, Cx. vishnui, H. bispinosa, R. microplus , and R. sanguineus larvae. A. monophylla ALE and Am -AgNPs’ bio-toxicity was investigated against aquatic and terrestrial non-target species ( Acilius sulcatus, Anisops bouvieri, Araneus mitificus , and Cyrtophora moluccensis ) with LC 50 values ranging from 2,094.5 to 10,532.8 μg·mL −1 , respectively. A. monophylla ALE and Am -AgNPs had little negative impacts on the chosen non-target fauna. Environmental protection is important nowadays. Green AgNPs are low-cost, readily accessible, environmentally safe, and effective pesticides. Am-AgNPs are effective alternative insecticides, requiring a considerable study on this plant to control blood-sucking vectors for worldwide human/animal health importance. Graphical abstract

The biomass filtrate containing various metabolites of endophytic bacterial strain, Brevibacillus brevis PI-5 was used as a biocatalyst for reducing and stabilizing copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs). UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used for CuO-NPs characterization. A spherical, well-dispersed, and crystallographic structure with sizes of 2–28 nm was formed. The SEM-EDX confirmed the presence of Cu and O with weight percentages of 27.62% and 48.88%, respectively. The biological activities including antifungal, anticancer, and larvicidal of synthesized CuO-NPs were assessed using the fungal radial growth inhibition, MTT assay method, and mortality percentages, respectively. The obtained data showed that the CuO-NPs exhibit high activity in a dose-dependent manner. The growth of three phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata , and Aspergillus niger was decreased by percentages of 64.5% ± 4.1%, 62.9% ± 0.3%, and 70.2% ± 2.3%, respectively at 300 µg·mL –1 . Also, various clinical Candida spp. were successfully inhibited with varied zones of inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration values in ranges of 6.25–50 µg·mL –1 . The in vitro cytotoxicity exhibits target-orientation to breast cancer cells (T47D) at low concentration compared to normal cells (HFB4) with IC 50 values of 122.3 ± 5.4 and 229.9 ± 5.7 μg·mL –1 , respectively. The mortality percentages of I, II, III, and IV instar larvae of Culex antennatus were 60% ± 1.4%, 43.1% ± 1.1%, 36.2% ± 1%, and 32.1% ± 0.9%, at 10 mg·L –1 and increased to 86.9% ± 2.1%, 68.1% ± 1.7%, 64.4% ± 1.9%, and 53.1% ± 1.4% at 50 mg·L –1 , respectively.

Thermal plasma is a promising technology widely used in materials processing and waste treatment due to its unique properties including high temperature, high energy density, high chemical activity, and high quench rate. Air-plasma is preferentially used because air is of low price as plasma gas. The content of NO x in off-gas from air-plasma was determined using a gas analyzer, and a treatment unit was designed for the green air-plasma process. Results show that the concentration of NO x in off-gas from air-plasma was 2,489 and 9,112 ppm when the plasma input power was 50 and 150 kW, respectively. O 2 in the off-gas would act as an oxidant to promote NO x absorption; thus, alkali absorption method was directly used for the treatment of the present off-gas from air-plasma. The absorption efficiency could be increased to 62.2% when additional O 2 was provided into the off-gas to change its O 2 content from 20% to 50%. The absorption rate was estimated based on the experimental data and a multistage absorption unit design, which could be reduced below 100 ppm and meet the emission standard. This article presents the feasibility of thermal plasma off-gas purification, so as to truly realize the green plasma process.

Nanoemulsions formulated using materials of the highest food grade are receiving significant attention in various industries, especially food-based applications. Food-grade nanoemulsions are suitable for delivering bioactive molecules and their bioavailability, encapsulation, and protection. The present study aimed to extract essential oil (EO) from clove bud and formulate food-grade nanoemulsions. Furthermore, it investigated antioxidant and antimicrobial efficacy of nanoemulsions against foodborne pathogens. The present study found that the extracted clove bud EO is enriched with polyphenols and consists of 59 bioactive compounds from various chemical groups such as alcohol, aldehyde, esters, benzenes, carboxylic acid, esters, fatty acids, and nitrogen compounds. Among the bioactive compounds, methyl eugenol was identified as a major compound. Clove bud EO nanoemulsion antioxidant and noncytotoxic results suggest that this material could help develop promising antibacterial agents for food-based applications. The formulated nanoemulsion consisting of droplets of a mean diameter of 77.7 nm exhibits significant inhibitory and bactericidal action on Gram-positive and Gram-negative food pathogens. It is still essential to conduct more studies on the effects of food spoilage and poisoning bacteria and the mechanisms of their actions.

At present, the research on fluorescent molecular probe has become a hot topic in the field of environmental science, chemical materials, medicine, and other fields. Therefore, the detection of industrial mercury-containing wastewater (Hg 2+ ) is of great significance. In this article, the fluorescent probe is used to detect mercury ions, and when compared with the traditional detection method, the fluorescent probe has the advantage of operation such as the effect of simplicity is evident. The experiments first synthesized rhodamine B derivatives and then the synthesized rhodamine B derivative fluorescent molecular probes were constructed and used to detect the mercury ions in water sample and oil paints. It was demonstrated that rhodamine B-derived probes have been constructed by UV and fluorescence spectroscopy. The different metal ions and rhodamine B-derived fluorescent molecular probes were compounded, resulting in the appearance of fluorescence peak centered at 583 nm only after the addition of metallic mercury ions with almost no response from other ions. The mercury ion rhodamine B derivative is more responsive to metallic mercury ions.

Nanocomposites based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and poly lactic acid (PLA) with different weight ratios of 10:90 and 30:70 were prepared by solution method. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HA) were used to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of the alloys. To prepare the nanocomposites, the percentages of n-HA varied between 1% and 5%. Different tests were used to investigate the properties of these nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, which was used to study the morphology of the blends, showed that there were rough morphologies in between materials, and the results of the mapping test showed that the dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix was almost good. TGA thermal degradation test showed that the presence of TPU to some extent can affect the thermal stability properties, and with the increase in this material, the thermal properties are strengthened. The crystalline behavior of the samples showed that the presence of TPU and n-HA nanoparticles had negative effects on the crystalline properties. The study of viscoelastic behaviors showed that the presence of TPU enhances the viscous behavior in the sample and decreases the glass transition temperature, while the presence of nanoparticles increases the elastic properties and glass transition temperature. Tensile test showed that the presence of n-HA has a greater effect on the mechanical properties. Dynamic contact angle analysis using water and dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent showed that the existing TPU and n-HA led to major changes in the interaction surface of scaffolds. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis showed that increasing the amounts of TPU and HA increases cell viability. SEM cell interactions analysis showed that the surfaces of PLA90TPU10H5 and PLA70TPU30H5 samples are very good for the preparation of bone tissue scaffolds. Our findings indicated that the addition of n-HA into PLA/TPU blends could impart new features to the PLA matrix as a promising candidate for bone, cartilage, and tendon tissue engineering.

The potential of acidic fruit processing waste (FPW) and waste-activated sludge (WAS) co-digestion for methane production was investigated using batch and continuous experiments. First, batch experiments showed the co-digestion of FPW and WAS solved acid accumulation and increased cumulative biogas production. When the volatile solid (VS) ratio of FPW to WAS was 2:1, the cumulative biogas production was the highest (4,695.47 mL), which increased by 5.2% and 10.5% compared with the VS ratios of 3:1 and 1:1, respectively. Methane production was the rate-limiting step when the FPW percentage was high, and hydrolysis was the rate-limiting step when the WAS percentage was high. Second, the continuous experiments showed fermentation was the most stable when the VS ratio was 2:1, without acid accumulation or excessive total alkalinity consumption. Additionally, the ammonia nitrogen content in the system was above 138.34 mg·L −1 , which solved the slow WAS hydrolysis rate and low nitrogen supply efficiency. Microbial community structure of the reactor was correlated with substrate composition greatly. On the 180th day, the relative abundance levels of Bacteroides , Paludibacter , Litorilinea , Levilinea , and Smithella were higher than those on the 120th day and the 240th day. The enrichment of those bacterial groups was beneficial to improve the substrate hydrolysis rate and reduce the influence of organic acids on the anaerobic system.

This work intended to formulate bio-nanocomposites of zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), chitosan, and escin, characterize their physical properties, and evaluate their antimicrobial and anticancer properties. X-ray diffractometers (XRD) and scanning and transmission electron microscopes were applied to characterize the morphology and ultrastructure of chemically synthesized bio-nanocomposites. To investigate the functional groups of bio-nanocomposites, we used Perkin–Elmer spectrometers for Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy for PL spectrum analysis. Antimicrobial activities against bacterial and fungal strains were tested with agar well diffusion. Bio-nanocomposites were tested for anticancer effects on a MOLT4 blood cancer cell line using morphological analysis, methyl thiazole tetrazolium assay, apoptosis by acridine orange/ethidium bromide, and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). In XRD, FTIR, and PL, the active compounds of ZnO–TiO 2 , chitosan, and escin peaks were observed. Our bio-nanocomposites demonstrated antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal pathogens. The bio-nanocomposite was cytotoxic to MOLT4 cells at an IC 50 concentration of 33.4 µg·mL −1 . Bio-nanocomposites caused cytotoxicity, changes in cell morphology, and mitochondrial membrane potential degradation, all of which resulted in apoptotic cell death. MOLT4 cells were found to be responsive to bio-nanocomposites based on ZnO–TiO 2 –chitosan–escin. Graphical abstract

Dry–wet alternate constructed wetland is an effective method to remove nitrogen elements in the tail water of sewage treatment plant. According to the reaeration mechanism of wet–dry alternative constructed wetland, the denitrification effect and influence characteristics of the dry–wet alternate constructed wetland on the tail water of sewage treatment plant were studied under low temperature. The results showed that the removal rates of each nitrogen element in the constructed wetland reached 20–40% with the dry–wet alternate time at 10°C. Under the influence of dry–wet alternation of constructed wetland, dissolved oxygen (DO) was significantly correlated with the dry–wet alternation time ( p < 0.05), and DO was correlated with each nitrogen element removal rate ( p < 0.05), which means constructed wetlands use alternate dry and wet operation, which can significantly affect the content of DO and nitrogen removal efficiency in constructed wetlands, providing a technical basis for regulating the operation effect of constructed wetland ecosystems.

In this study, wheat straw char was prepared at 500°C and used as a catalyst (at 500–700°C) to reform the wheat straw volatiles. The char samples before and after reforming were characterized in terms of N 2 adsorption (BET area), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, and inductively coupled plasma measurements. The surface morphology of the used char was analyzed by a scanning electron microscope. The results have revealed that following the reforming process, the carbon content increased from 69.2% to 71.7% (at 500°C), 73.9% (at 600°C), and 74.3% (at 700°C) and the fixed carbon content increased from 64.6% to 68.7% (at 500°C), 71.4% (at 600°C), and 72.4% (at 700°C). In contrast, the higher heating value of the used char remained unchanged. We observed a decrease in specific surface area (from 112.67 to 7.93 m 2 ·g −1 ), but an increase in char defects and functional groups following the reforming process (at 600°C) served to maintain catalytic activity, as shown in a second reforming test. Our results suggest that surface defects and functional groups are the main factors contributing to char reactivity.

Microfluidic plasma is a novel process intensification strategy that integrates microfluidic and plasma together and uses their synergistic effects to provide new pathways for chemistry and chemical engineering. In this work, the unique properties and synergistic advantages of microfluidic plasma are introduced. According to the reactor configuration, three types of microfluidic plasmas are elaborated, including chip-based microfluidic plasma, tubular-based microfluidic plasma, and jet-based microfluidic plasma. Selected examples in nanofabrication, chemical synthesis, water treatment, etc., are provided to show their applications in diverse fields. Finally, the existing challenges of this technique have prospected.

A facile synthesis method of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) utilizing Lantana camara flower extract (LFE) using visible light illumination towards the bio-reduction system has been conducted. The systematic characterizations of AuNPs were employed using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The nanoparticles having a particle size of ranging 4.8–25 nm were obtained with dependence on the LFE concentration of the extract and time of light irradiation. The antibacterial activity of AuNPs was evaluated against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , Propionibacterium acnes , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and the photocatalytic activity was examined in methylene blue photooxidation. The overall results point to a promising photochemical synthesis of AuNPs utilizing plant extract and the potential activities of synthesized nanoparticles as antibacterial agents and photocatalysts.

Edible films from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/starch incorporated with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles were developed. The prepared films were characterized by Fourier transforms infrared, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, swelling behaviour, and thermal and mechanical properties. Results showed a decrease in the average particle size of TiO 2 nanoparticles with increasing irradiation dose up to 30 kGy. The swelling capacity of CMC/starch blends is ordered in the sequence of composition ratio 2:1 > 1:1 > 1:2. The effect of different irradiation doses (2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 kGy) and different concentrations of TiO 2 (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 wt%) on the film properties was evaluated. The tensile strength increased gradually, accompanied by a decline in elongation percentage with the increase in the irradiation dose and increase in the TiO 2 contents up to 2.5 wt%. The irradiated CMC/starch/TiO 2 film showed higher thermal stability than CMC/starch film. Furthermore, the unirradiated and irradiated CMC/starch/TiO 2 edible films were applied to fresh strawberries by surface coating. The irradiated film showed a superior effect in prolonging the fruits’ shelf life. The antimicrobial activity of CMC/starch/TiO 2 film against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was increased by increasing the irradiation dose. In conclusion, CMC/starch/TiO 2 edible film exhibited the prerequisite behaviour for potential application in active food packaging.

Fish-borne zoonotic bacteria can endanger the health of human and aquatic organisms; the nanobiotechnology applications can help. Curcumin nanoparticles (NC) were synthesized using gum Arabic (GA) and the resulted NC was innovatively employed for mediating selenium nanoparticles (NSe), then each compound/composite was evaluated as candidates for inhibiting fish-borne pathogens ( Aeromonas hydrophila , Escherichia coli , Salmonella typhimurium , and Staphylococcus aureus ). The nanomaterials’ characterizations revealed the successfulness of their synthesis and conjugation. Promisingly, the NSe had particles’ diameter in the range of 2.4–15.8 nm and mean diameter of 6.1 nm, whereas the NC/NSe particles’ diameter was in the range of 15.4–92.3 nm and their mean diameter was 50.7 nm. The antibacterial activity of biosynthesized NC, NSe, and NC/NSe was validated quantitatively/qualitatively toward all examined bacteria; their powers were sorted as NC < NSe < NC/NSe. A. hydrophila was the most sensitive strain and S. aureus was the most resistant. The scan image of A. hydrophila cells exposed to NC/NSe indicated the high capability of nanocomposite to distort bacterial cells and lead them to death within 10 h of exposure. The biosynthesized NC, NSe, and NC/NSe are substantially advocated as natural biocides for controlling fish-borne zoonotic pathogens.

This study describes a new green method for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Cymbopogon proximus (CP) extract and evaluates their potential anticancer properties in HCT116 cells. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to successfully analyze the AgNPs. FTIR spectral analysis revealed the presence of phytochemicals that could be responsible for silver (Ag) ion reduction and AgNP capping. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay demonstrated that treating HCT116 cells with PC-AgNPs for 48 h caused cytotoxic effects, as evidenced by the existence of 20% cell viability. The RT-qPCR study revealed that the expression of two oncogenes (cathepsin B [CTSB] and epithelial cell adhesion molecule [EpCAM]) was significantly reduced in treated cells. The levels of various tumor suppressor genes, including adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), Beclin1 (BECN1), nuclear translocation of β-catenin (CTNNB1), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6, LRP5, TP53, and TNF, were dramatically reduced in cells treated with CP extract, but this was not the case in cells treated with CP extract. To conclude, CP-AgNPs have demonstrated their ability to induce cytotoxic action and exert antitumorigenic modulatory effects, particularly on the expression of CTSB and EpCAM in colon cancer cells, utilizing AgNPs as an antitumor therapeutic agent for 48 h is not recommended, and reducing the treatment time could be more effective.

Phalaris minor is the main and troublesome weed of wheat all over the globe. Chemical weed control is a quick and effective method for weed management. However, herbicides are criticized for environmental pollution and the development of resistance in weeds. Therefore, the present study was planned for chemical synthesis, characterization, and dose optimization of chitosan-based nanoparticles of clodinofop propargyl and fenoxaprop- p -ethyl for the management of Phalaris minor grown in wheat. Chitosan-based nanoparticles of clodinofop propargyl and fenoxaprop- p -ethyl were prepared by the ionic gelification technique. The nanoparticles (NPs) of clodinofop propargyl and fenoxaprop- p -ethyl were sprayed at 3–4 leaf stage of the P. minor weed. Seven different doses (D 0 = weedy check, D 1 = normal herbicide at recommended dose, D 2 = nano herbicide at the recommended dose of normal herbicide, D 3 = 5-fold lower dose of nano herbicide, D 4 = 10-fold lower dose of nano herbicide, D 5 = 15-fold lower dose of nano herbicide, and D 6 = 20-fold lower dose of nano herbicide) were used. Chitosan-based NPs of herbicides were characterized using UV absorbance, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. SEM demonstrated particles in the cluster form with porous structure and the average size ranged from 30 to 60 nm. XRD results confirmed the existence of (2 θ ) peak at 29.79 related to 160 anatase form in the NPs of clodinofop propargyl and 24.65 related to 76 anatase form in the case of fenoxaprop- p -ethyl. The FT-IR analysis of chitosan-based NPs of both the herbicides perfectly matched the standard parameters. UV-visible spectra exhibited absorption peaks at 300 and 330 nm, for the NPs of fenoxaprop- p -ethyl and clodinofop, respectively. The chitosan-based particles of clodinofop propargyl and fenoxaprop- p -ethyl at the recommended dose of normal herbicide caused 100% mortality and visual injury. However, a 5-fold lower dose of chitosan-based NPs of clodinofop propargyl and fenoxaprop- p -ethyl caused the maximum visual injury (94.00%), mortality (93.75%), minimum chlorophyll contents (7.47%), plant height (cm), fresh biomass (0.27 g), and dry biomass (0.08 g) of P. minor. The chitosan-based NPs of clodinofop propargyl and fenoxaprop- p -ethyl at a 10-fold lower dose of normal herbicides and recommended dose produced a similar effect on the previously mentioned traits of P. minor .

One-pot two sequential [3 + 2] cycloadditions of azomethine ylides with different dipolarophiles for diastereoselective synthesis of spirooxindole pyrrolizidines are introduced. This one-pot synthesis involving five components generates a highly condensed ring system bearing seven stereocenters diastereoselectively. The new method has high pot, atom, and step economy. Only two equivalents of water are released as a side product. Graphical abstract

Nanotechnology offers a solution to bacterial antibiotic resistance, which poses a serious threat to global health. Green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is gaining increasing attention due to its environmental benefits. This study aimed to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by microwave irradiation through silver nitrate reduction using starch and microalgae biomass; characterize them using UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, and X-ray diffraction; and evaluate their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli , Bacillus clausii , and Staphylococcus aureus using disk diffusion and broth dilution methods. Synthesized AgNPs showed a single peak related to surface plasmon resonance at 430 nm. Size range of spherical AgNPs was 40–150 or 90–400 nm for starch- or biomass-mediated NPs, respectively. Biomass-mediated AgNPs exhibited antibacterial activity with the inhibition zones of 8, 12, and 10.5 mm against E. coli , B. clausii , and S. aureus , respectively; those starch-mediated showed inhibition of 7, 13, and 12 mm, respectively. AgNPs’ minimum inhibitory concentrations were 6.25 μg·mL −1 toward both E. coli and S. aureus and 12.5 μg·mL −1 against B. clausii when using starch in biosynthesis, whereas they were 19.6 μg·mL −1 against both E. coli and S. aureus and 9.81 μg·mL −1 toward B. clausii when using biomass. Synthesized AgNPs have promising antibacterial potential.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have found a variety of applications in numerous industrial, medical, and environmental fields s, attributable to recent advances in the nanotechnology field. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NPs) have gained importance as metal oxide NPs due to their potential in various fields, particularly nanomedicine and other biomedicine fields. Several studies have confirmed that NPs produced via the biosynthesis route using natural resources have significant advantages such as fewer toxic contaminants, less subsequent complex chemical synthesis, environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and stability when compared to NPs produced by conventional methods, and its production with controlled shapes and sizes. Therefore, considerable effort is being expended to implement biological synthesis methods with these proven advantages. TiO 2 -NPs can be made using a variety of biological, chemical, and physical methods. Physicochemical methods are costly, emit high levels of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, and consume a lot of energy. On the other hand, the biological approach is an environmentally safe, cost-effective, dependable, convenient, and easy way to synthesize TiO 2 -NPs. In this review, the bio-mediated synthesis, as well as various biomedical applications of TiO 2 -NPs, were discussed.

Due to a recent lack of clean water as a result of an increasing water demand, new wastewater solutions are required. Many researchers have looked into the removal of organic dyes from wastewater, with adsorption being an easy and effective method for removing organic and inorganic contaminants from contaminated water. Conjugated modified polymers, primarily polyaniline (Pani), have been widely used in the wastewater treatment because of their unique properties, such as easy synthesis, tunable morphology, porous structure, good electrorheological property, biodegradability, and nontoxic nature. Modified surface polymers are more reactive for the removal of dyes from wastewater and have outstanding dye removal capabilities in the wastewater treatment. This review article elaborates on wastewater treatment by utilizing silica gel-impregnated polyaniline nanocomposites as adsorbents. The use of polyaniline-modified silica gel in dye migration behavior to the most suited system for the resolution of co-existing dyes is referred to as the separation of organic dyes from their mixtures. Adsorption of important organic dyes to optimize conditions for efficient organic dye removal and comparison with another commercially available adsorbent. Chemical modification with the introduction of acidic or basic surface functionality could increase cationic and anionic chemical adsorption, as well as charged organic species such as dyes. The carrier is thus obtained with a chelating reagent on the surface of a silica gel after impregnation with polyaniline.

Propolis is a natural bee product with phenolic components and flavonoid content. As propolis is hydrophobic, it is poorly absorbed by the body, querying the use of other technologies. This review focuses on the biosynthesis, characterization, and evaluation of some biological activities of nanoparticles (AgNPs and SeNPs). The nanoparticles were generated utilizing bee propolis extract, taking into account the benefits of green nanoparticle synthesis. Due to the smaller size, nano-propolis is more easily absorbed by the body. Nano-propolis has the potential to improve efficacy in the realms of medicine and biology. Green chemistry approach to nanoparticle synthesis offers several advantages, including process scaling, economic feasibility, and a safe technique to make nanoparticles. Bioreduced AgNPs can be employed as a therapeutic agent to treat a variety of human ailments. After deeply studying and reviewing different research studies, it was evaluated that the natural nanoparticles have the potential to be effective in the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections. Graphical abstract

Highly functionalized, high value added bioactive molecules are generally obtained by synthetic procedures that are highly selective, economical, with high atom economy, and environmentally friendly. Following these guidelines, the use of recoverable solid catalysts, nonpolluting substrates, or toxic organic solvent contributes greatly to these demands. In the last three decades, heteropolyacids (HPAs) and its derivatives have received great attention as recyclable solid catalysts, due to their strong Brönsted acidity, excellent oxidizing capacity under mild conditions, and various reuse cycles without appreciable loss of their catalytic activity. However, new activation methods should be investigated to improve the sustainability of a process using HPAs. In this review, we report the latest advances associated with the synthesis of potentially bioactive molecules using more energy efficient alternatives such as microwaves, ultrasound, mechanochemistry, and photochemistry to minimize the energy consumption associated with organic synthesis. The transformations studied include construction reaction, heterocycle synthesis, selective oxidation, and biomass recovery.

“Nanotechnology” is an emerging as a significant development tool for the green synthesis of noble nanomaterial. Green synthesis is superior to conventional chemical methods as it is less expensive, reduced pollution, and enhances human health and the environment safety. Nanomaterial and their green synthesis from plants became an interesting aspect of nanotechnologies due to the many benefits they provide to living beings, as well as their low cost and minimal harm to humans and the environment. They also have a wide range of applications in biomedical research, diagnostics, and drug discovery and also in catalysis. The current review focuses on the synthesis of nanoparticle from plants using greener approach and their novel applications. Graphical abstract

The preponderance of helminth contagions is constrained to tropical regions and can cause massive vulnerability to malnutrition, anemia, pneumonia, and eosinophilia. Many human parasitic diseases cause severe illness in endemic populations. The helminths transmitting through the gastro-intestinal tract may develop resistance to anthelmintic drugs. The phytotherapy, anthelmintic, and antimicrobial efficacy of Dodonaea viscosa leaf solvent extracts were examined. Phytochemical screening was carried out by ultraviolet (UV) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The anthelmintic activity was performed against a South Indian earth worm as a model by measuring the paralytic time. The antibacterial activity was performed against Bacillus subtilis , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Staphylococcus aureus , which stimulate the stomach helminths. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of chemical compounds from the UV spectrum, and alkenes and aromatic compounds were confirmed by FTIR. Higher concentrations of the D. viscosa extract showed a rapid paralytic effect with a rapid death rate and histopathology. The zone-of-inhibition study indicated the potent antibacterial activity of the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of D. viscosa against different bacterial species. The current research revealed that D. viscosa has significant anthelmintic and antibacterial activities and it can be used for further elucidation and characterization. Graphical abstract

Asthma, the respiratory disorder associated with bronchial hyper-responsiveness, affected 300 million people across the globe, with a prevalence of 4.05% in Saudi Arabia and causing 61.6% of hospital emergency room annual visits. Increased side effects of conventional drugs demand the necessity for the development of natural drugs. In this study, an herbal composite from Bacopa monnieri and Euphorbia hirta was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. In vitro bacterial inhibition and anti-asthmatic activity were evaluated using animal models. Ethanolic herbal composite (EHC) showed significant anti-pathogenic activities. GC-MS analysis identified potential bioactive compounds and FT-IR analysis revealed functional groups corresponding to plant composites. The EHC increased the preconvulsive time against 1% histamine aerosol compared to control animals. In sensitized + EHC-treated animals, total leukocyte, eosinophil, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and monocyte counts were found to be reduced as compared to sensitized and control groups. EHC decreased malondialdehyde and bicarbonate levels denoting the reduced oxidative burden and increased the antioxidant activity by increased intracellular glutathione (GSH) level. The EHC-treated group showed decreased inflammatory cell infiltration compared to the sensitized. A significant anti-asthmatic effect was observed in the EHC-treated group ( P < 0.05). Thus, herbal composites are used in the treatment of asthma and can be used as an alternative to commercially available pharmaceutical drugs.

This study explores the potential of the natural and cost-effective method of wound healing using Alternanthera sessilis by an in vitro study (using fibroblast L929 cells). Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus shows a zone of inhibition of 20 mm at 60 µg concentration in the antibiogram profile against the zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) wetted in fabrics synthesized from the Amaranthaceae family. Through characterization studies of the AS-ZnONPs, it was found that UV–visible spectra show a peak in the range of 350–460 nm, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra show a correlation peak in the range of 340–4,500 cm −1 , scanning electron microscope with electron diffraction analysis results in a peak in the range of 7.8–9.4, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope, which exposes the morphological character (diamond shape in a black and white background), shows a peak at 200 nm. This work shows that the leaf extract of A. sessilis might support the ancient method of wound healing.

2-Fluoro- N , N -diphenylbenzamide (2FNNDPBA), a natural nonlinear optical (NLO) single crystal, was incorporated from diphenylamine utilizing 2-fluoro benzoyl chloride as a side chain. The single crystals were successfully developed by a slothful evaporation arrangement approach utilizing ethyl acetate as a dissolvable solvent at room temperature. The synthesized compound fragmented ion peak ( m / z = 291) was affirmed by gas-chromatographic mass spectrometry investigation. The unit cell dimensions were assessed using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, which reveals that the crystals possess the orthorhombic system with space group Pbca . The existence of proton and carbon in a compound was affirmed by 1 H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance. The functional groups therein of 2FNNDPBA have been identified from FT-IR and FT-Raman studies and amide carbonyl stretching frequency peak appeared at 1,662 cm −1 . The lower cut-off wavelength of 2FNNDPBA is found to be 240 nm and the experimental and theoretical optical band gap was calculated as 3.21 and 3.1083 eV. The UV-Visible spectrum of 2FNNDPBA shows two high-flying peaks at 240 and 273 nm. Major weight losses were observed between 160°C and 275°C for the designated compound. The thermal property for 2FNNDPBA was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis investigation, which shows immense thermal strength up to 171°C. Density functional theory method with Gaussian 09 software for theoretical investigations of 2FNNDPBA for Mulliken charge analysis, highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest-lying unoccupied molecular orbital, and molecular electrostatic potential properties has been analyzed. The SHG productivity was proved by Kurtz-Perry powder strategy and has an efficiency 2.22 times that of standard potassium dihydrogen phosphate. The laser damage threshold of 2FNNDPBA crystals was discovered to be 1.18 GW·cm −2 . The hyperpolarizability simulations further show that the current material has an excellent NLO activity tendency. The melting point of the developed crystal is 158°C. Graphical abstract