Ionization Radiation Shielding Effectiveness of Lead Acetate, Lead Nitrate, and Bismuth Nitrate-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanorods Thin Films: A Comparative Evaluation

The fabrication of Nano-based shielding materials is an advancing research area in material sciences and nanotechnology. Although bulky lead-based products remain the primary choice for radiation protection, environmental disadvantages and high toxicity limit their potentials, necessitating less costly, compatible, eco-friendly, and light-weight alternatives. The theme of the presented investigation is to compare the ionization radiation shielding potentialities of the lead acetate (LA), lead nitrate (LN), and bismuth nitrate (BN)-doped zinc oxide nanorods-based thin films (ZONRs-TFs) produced via the chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The impact of the selected materials’ doping content on morphological and structural properties of ZONRs-TF was investigated. The X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analyses of both undoped and doped TFs revealed the existence of hexagonal quartzite crystal structures. The composition analysis by energy dispersive (EDX) detected the corrected elemental compositions of the deposited films. Field emission scanning electronic microscope (FESEM) images of the TFs showed highly porous and irregular surface morphologies of the randomly aligned NRs with cracks and voids. The undoped and 2 wt.% BN-doped TFs showed the smallest and largest grain size of 10.44 nm and 38.98 nm, respectively. The linear attenuation coefficient (µ) values of all the optimally doped ZONRs-TFs measured against the X-ray photon irradiation disclosed their excrement shielding potency. The measured µ values of the ZONRs-TFs displayed the trend of 1 wt.% LA-doped TF > 1 wt.% LN-doped TF > 3 wt.% BN-doped TF > undoped TFs). The values of μ of the ZONRs-TFs can be customized by adjusting the doping contents, which in turn controls the thickness and morphology of the TFs. In short, the proposed new types of the LA-, LN- and BN-doped ZONRs-TFs may contribute towards the development of the prospective ionization radiation shielding materials.

Estimation of Ecotoxicity of Bismuth by Catalase Activity Depending on the Chemical Compounds and Buffer Soils

The results of studies of changes in the activity of catalase in ordinary chernozem, brown forest soil and sierosands under pollution with different of the bismuth chemical compounds: bismuth oxide, carbonate and nitrate are presented. It has been established that bismuth contamination of different types of soils reduces catalase activity, regardless of the chemical compounds. The toxicity of bismuth increases with an increase in the dose applied to the soil. Based on the chemical bismuth compounds, the average toxicity series for soils by catalase activity is as follows: bismuth nitrate (86)> bismuth carbonate (90) ≥ bismuth oxide (93). The greatest ecotoxicity is shown by bismuth nitrate due to its good solubility and greater mobility in the soil solution of Bi3+. The bismuth oxide showed slightly less negative effects. The series of soil sensitivity to bismuth pollution has the following sequence: ordinary chernozem (95) > sierosands (89) ≥ brown forest soil (86). The most resistant to contamination with bismuth soil is ordinary chernozem, and the most sensitive soil is brown forest soil.

Nano-enabled Coordination Platform of Bismuth Nitrate and Cisplatin Prodrug Potentiates Cancer Chemoradiotherapy via DNA Damage Enhancement

The combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy) is a promising strategy with extensively studied and applied clinically. Meanwhile, radiosensitizers play an important role in improving clinical radiotherapy therapeutic efficacy. There...