TiO2 Microwave Synthesis, Electrophoretic Deposition of Thin Film, and Photocatalytic Properties for Methylene Blue and Methyl Red Dyes

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of TiO2 thin film was carried out at room temperature on low cost steel substrate using microwave synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) of TiO2. Synthesized NPs and EPD thin film were characterized at different stages of synthesis for its crystal structure, morphology, elemental analysis, and surface area. Spherical particle morphology and formation of TiO2 were confirmed by scanning electron micrograph (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Synthesized NPs were formed in anatase phase having crystallite size of about 12.3 nm from Scherrer's formula using full width half maxima (FWHM). Surface area was found to be 43.52 m2/g by BET giving particle size of 33 nm. Photocatalytic (PC) behavior of TiO2 NPs and EPD TiO2 film on steel substrate was investigated under UV light for two commercial dyes and their photocatalysis efficiency was analyzed. NPs have shown better efficiency for methylene blue (MB) dye than EPD film whereas EPD film have shown higher PC activity for methyl red (MR) dye.

Treatment of Anemia Progression via Magnetite and Folate Nanoparticles In Vivo

Iron deficiency anemia is a major global public health problem. Food fortification with iron (Fe) can be an effective strategy to control iron deficiency. An iron oxide nanoparticle (NP) is a new physical and chemical property form. These properties (small particle size, unique physical properties) make nanoiron a great scientific interest especially in the treatment of anemia. The study aimed to reduce anemia by nanoparticles (NPs). Forty-eight adult female Sprague-Dewily rats were divided into four groups (12 rats each). Group A represented a negative control. Other groups were fed standard diet iron free and three time of require zinc to reach anemic. Group B fed standard diet with ferrous sulfate until the improvement of the situation of anemia or for 8 weeks. Groups C and D were divided into three subgroups; each subgroup was fed a dose from magnetite or folate coated magnetite NPs. Results showed that symptoms of loss of appetite and severe lethargy demonstrate that magnetite and folate-coated magnetite nanoparticles have serious toxicological effects in vivo. Some doses from NPs improve blood picture during 2 weeks but change in histopathology examinations were occur in some groups within 2 weeks. Nanoparticles were considered the toxicological hazards especially the size of less than 54 nm.

Heterogeneous Catalysis of C–O Bond Cleavage for Cellulose Deconstruction: A Potential Pathway for Ethanol Production

Due to difficulty deconstructing the linkages between lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose during the conversion of cellulose to sugar, the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol is limited. This can be overcome by using a high surface-area metal catalyst. In this study, high surface-area metal NPs were synthesized using 20 mM of chloroplatinic acid and cobalt chloride prepared in THF with 0.1 mM of generation four poly(amido)amine (PAMAM) terminated dendrimer (G4-NH2) prepared in methanol and stirred for 2 hours under nitrogen. Subsequently, Pt+2 and Co+2 ions were reduced to metal zero via introduction of sodium borohydride and centrifuged for complete separation. The resulting product was heated for 2.5 hours at ~200°C. After cooling, 2.0 grams of crushed peanut shells was added to 40 mL of distilled tert-butyl methyl ether along with the separated metal nanocatalyst and refluxed on condenser at 20% for 24 hours. UV-Vis and XRD analyses show the formation of Pt and Co nanoparticles using dendrimer templating methodology. Both TLC and HPLC show that, upon introduction of the metal catalyst into the suspension of “cellulose” in TBME, separation of the cellulose into small molecules is evident. That is, release of sugar molecules via C–O bond cleavage is facilitated by the formed nanocatalysts.

Factorial Design Studies and Biopharmaceutical Evaluation of Simvastatin Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Improving the Oral Bioavailability

Statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, which lower the cholesterol level through reversible and competitive inhibition; they are involved in the biosynthesis of cholesterol and other sterols. Simvastatin exhibits poor oral bioavailability (<5%) and undergoes extensive microsomal metabolism by CYP enzymes. CYP3A4 is the major metabolizing enzyme that metabolizes lactone form of simvastatin and significantly lowers intestinal uptake. The hydrophobic properties of simvastatin prevent complete dissolution of the drug in the intestinal fluid which also contributes to its lower bioavailability. SLNs are alternative carrier system to polymeric nanoparticles. SLNs are in submicron size range (1–1000 nm). To overcome the hepatic first pass metabolism and to enhance the bioavailability, intestinal lymphatic transport of drugs can be exploited. In the present study, attempt has been made to prepare solid lipid nanoparticles of simvastatin to improve the bioavailability. SLNs of simvastatin were prepared with Trimyristin by hot homogenization followed by ultrasonication method. The SLNs were characterized for various physicochemical properties and analytical techniques like PXRD, DSC to study thermal nature and morphology of formulation and excipients. Promising results of the study indicated the applicability of simvastatin solid lipid nanoparticles as potential tools for improvement of bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs.

Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis Using Monosaccharides and Their Growth Inhibitory Activity against Gram-Negative and Positive Bacteria

Using various monosaccharides as reductant, we synthesized Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in seconds employing the household microwave method described earlier. The Ag NPs containing colloidal solution showed distinctive colors with varying λmax. The sizes of the NPs formed varied significantly from 10 to 35 nm in good agreement with the localized plasmon resonance ranged from ~300 to ~600 nm. The antimicrobial properties of these NPs were compared in Gram-negative and positive bacteria in liquid culture. Gram-positive bacteria were highly susceptible compared to Gram-negative microbes—the additional lipopolysaccharide layer covering the peptidoglycan cell wall in the latter somewhat lessens the effect. The results indicated that larger NPs produced by glucose inhibited bacterial growth better than the smallest NPs produced by ribose. This may be attributed to the higher aggregation rate for larger NPs on cell wall. SEM analysis showed accumulation of NPs on cell surface and defect in budding, further supporting the cell wall interaction with Ag NPs. These observations suggested that the growth inhibition of Ag NPs is mediated by interfering with the bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan.

Structural and Magnetic Properties of Microwave Assisted Sol-Gel Synthesized La0.9Sr0.1MnO3 Manganite Nanoparticles

The structural and magnetic properties of nanoparticles of La0.9Sr0.1MnO3 (LSMO) were studied using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and magnetic measurements. The XRD refinement result indicates that samples crystallize in the rhombohedral structure with R-3C space group. The dc magnetization measurements revealed that samples exhibit no hysteretic behavior at room temperature, symptomatic of the superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior. The results of ac magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the susceptibility data are not in accordance with the Néel-Brown model for SPM relaxation but fit well with conventional critical slowing down model which indicates that the dipole-dipole interactions are strong enough to cause superspin-glass-like phase in LSMO samples.

Silver Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis, Characterization, and Their Usage in Determination of Mercury Contamination in Seafoods

We demonstrate that silver nanoparticles undergo an interaction with Hg2+ found in traces. The PEG-PVP-stabilized Ag nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via a reduction approach and characterized with surface plasmon resonance UV/Vis spectroscopy. By utilizing the redox reaction between Ag nanoparticles and Hg2+, and the resulted decrease in UV/Vis signal, we develop a colorimetric method for detection of Hg2+ ion. A linear and inversely proportional relationship was found between the absorbance intensity of the Ag nanoparticles and the concentration of Hg2+ ion over the range from 10 ppm to 1 ppm at absorption on 411 nm. The detection limit for Hg2+ ions in homogeneous aqueous solutions is estimated to be 1 ppm. This system shows excellent selectivity for Hg2+. The results found have potential implications in the development of new colorimetric sensors for easy and selective detection and monitoring of mercuric ions in aqueous solutions. The proposed method was successfully applied to quantify the amount of mercury in seafood.

Biosynthesis of Self-Dispersed Silver Colloidal Particles Using the Aqueous Extract of P. peruviana for Sensing dl-Alanine

We report the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a single step using edible fruit aqueous extract of P. peruviana that essentially involved the concept of green chemistry. Yellowish-brown color appeared upon adding the broth of P. peruviana to aqueous solution of 1 mM AgNO3 which indicates the formation of AgNPs. The maximum synthesis of these nanoparticles was being achieved in nearly 2 hrs at 28°C. The synthesis of AgNPs was followed by AgNPs UV-visible spectroscopy. Particle size and morphology of AgNPs were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. These studies revealed that the AgNPs characterized were spherical in shape with diameter ranging from 31 to 52 nm. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the AgNPs present are approximately 63.42 percent by weight in the colloidal dispersion. The absorption spectra of the AgNPs in absence and presence of dl-alanine show a distinguish shift in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands. Thus, these nanoparticles may be used as a chemical sensor for dl-alanine present in the human blood.

Nanotechnology in Cancer Drug Delivery and Selective Targeting

Nanoparticles are rapidly being developed and trialed to overcome several limitations of traditional drug delivery systems and are coming up as a distinct therapeutics for cancer treatment. Conventional chemotherapeutics possess some serious side effects including damage of the immune system and other organs with rapidly proliferating cells due to nonspecific targeting, lack of solubility, and inability to enter the core of the tumors resulting in impaired treatment with reduced dose and with low survival rate. Nanotechnology has provided the opportunity to get direct access of the cancerous cells selectively with increased drug localization and cellular uptake. Nanoparticles can be programmed for recognizing the cancerous cells and giving selective and accurate drug delivery avoiding interaction with the healthy cells. This review focuses on cell recognizing ability of nanoparticles by various strategies having unique identifying properties that distinguish them from previous anticancer therapies. It also discusses specific drug delivery by nanoparticles inside the cells illustrating many successful researches and how nanoparticles remove the side effects of conventional therapies with tailored cancer treatment.

Synthesis and Characterization of Electrophoretically Deposited Nanostructured LiCoPO4 for Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries

Nanosized LiCoPO4 (LCP) was prepared using a simple sol-gel method. For the first time, electrophoretic deposition process was employed to fabricate a LiCoPO4 cathode material in order to improve the electrochemical performance. The prepared powder was deposited on titanium plate by electrophoretic deposition and their electrochemical properties were studied. The electrochemical properties were analyzed by using cyclic voltagramm studies, impedance studies, and charge/discharge tests. The thickness of the prepared cathode material was found to be 11-12 µm by using scanning electron microscope. The initial specific capacity and the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of the prepared cathode was 103 mAh/g and 851 Ω, respectively. The charge/discharge profiles showed moderate columbic efficiency of 70%.