Effect of Copper Oxide on Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Activity of Reduced Graphene Oxide for Eosin B

Nowadays incorporation of few oxygen groups between the layers of graphite have shown potential approach for industrialization of graphene oxide for different potential applications. During the strong oxidation process in modified Hummers method, these oxygen based functional groups may increase the distance, weakening the van der Waals forces and facilitation the exfoliation of graphite layers from. The reduced graphene oxide/copper oxide (rGO-CuO) is highly potentially active and selective catalyst for many environmental applications. Different wt. % of Cu(II) and loaded on rGO surface to form a nanocomposite, which were prepared by hydrothermal method. The influence of hydrothermal temperature, rGO sheet and loaded CuO on structure of graphene was systematically investigated. The structure and optical properties of the obtained hybrid composite was evaluated employing scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, UV-visible and infrared spectroscopies. The photocatalytic activities of rGO-CuO nanocomposites for the degradation of Eosin B acid red under sunlight were investigated. The results revealed the decrease in percentage photocatalytic degradation rate occurred on rGO-CuO, because a single sheet of rGO can shield the light from reaching the surface of CuO photocatalyst. It is possible to provide a new way to use the host rGO as prepared by hydrothermal method for water remediation applications.

Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Pongamia pinnata Plant Leaves Extract

We reported a simple, green and eco-friendly approach for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Pongamia pinnata plant leaves acts as reducing agent as well as capping agent. Biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results suggested that the zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by aqueous extract of Pongamia pinnata plant leaves with high purity, mostly spherical in shape with an average size of 23.5 nm.

Kinetics and Isotherms Studies of methylene blue Basic Dye from Aqueous Solution onto Selenicereus grandiflorus Activated Carbon

The present experiment explains the effectiveness of adsorption studies of methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions on activated carbon from Selenicereus grandiflorus (SG) treated with conc. sulfuric acid. The sulphuric acid-treated Selenicereus grandiflorus activated carbon (SGAC) was used as low-cost adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solution. It suggests an ideal alternative method to adsorption of dye compared to other expensive treatment options. The adsorption studies have been conducted at different experimental parameters, i.e., pH, contact time, adsorbent dose and initial dye concentration. The batch mode experiments were conducted by different adsorbent dose (0.03-0.150 g per 50 mL), pH of the solution (2-12), effect of time (3-18 min), initial dye concentration (10 mg/L), point of zero charge and regeneration of spent adsorbent studies. Langmuir model shows better fit to the equilibrium data (R2 = 0.966) than Freundlich model. The adsorption capacity (Qm) of SGAC increases with increasing dosage where Qm is 16.17 mg g-1.

Polymer Composite Film Based on Polyethylene and Organoclay

Clay is an inorganic material with hydrophilic surface which cannot interact well with hydrophobic polymer as a reinforcement filler phase. However, surface modification allows useful applications as fillers in composite fabrication with most hydrophobic polymers. To achieve this, native clay was activated by mineral acids, modified through acetylation using commercial vinegar to convert the hydrophilic clay surface to hydrophobic one, capable of interaction with polyethylene. The formulated composite films were biodegraded after one month of test experiment carried out at different locations. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of composite films evidently showed that surface compatible, dispersible and exfoliated type composites were formed. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed the presence of C=O, -COO-, -CH3 and -C-CH3 due to acetylation. Absorption studies using water, acid/base show that the composite films exhibited good resistance to these solvents. Biodegradation studies showed high microbial activities with samples buried at refuse dump sites. EDX results revealed the presence of kaolinite and montmorillonite as major minerals, whereas radioactive elements were detected in the studied clay. This study demonstrated the useful application of commercial vinegar for the modification of clay for better surface interaction with polyethylene for composite formulation.

Human Cancer Cells, Tissues and Tumors Treatment Using Dysprosium Nanoparticles

In present study, thermoplasmonic characteristics of dysprosium nanoparticles with spherical, coreshell and rod shapes are investigated. In order to investigate these characteristics, interaction of synchrotron radiation emission as a function of the beam energy and dysprosium nanoparticles were simulated using 3D finite element method. Firstly, absorption and extinction cross-sections were calculated. Then, increases in temperature due to synchrotron radiation emission as a function of the beam energy absorption were calculated in dysprosium nanoparticles by solving heat equation. The results show that the dysprosium nanorods are more appropriate option for using in optothermal human cancer cells, tissues and tumors treatment method.

Crystal Structures and Cytotoxicity of Four Silver(I)carboxylate Complexes with 1,2-Ethylenediamine Analogues

Four silver(I) compounds, [Ag(dapn)(dnbc)]n·1.5nH2O (1), [Ag(en)]n[Ag(dnbc)2]n·2nH2O (2), [Ag(en)]n[Ag(nbc)2]n·2nH2O (3) and [Ag(dapn)]n -(nbc)n·2nH2O (4), where dapn = 1,2-diaminopropane, dnbc = 3,5-dinitrobenzoate, en = 1,2-diaminoethane and nbc = 4-nitrobenzoate, have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The Ag(I) ions show T-shaped coordination geometry in compound 1 but linear coordination geometry in compounds 2, 3 and 4. There are ligand-unsupported Ag…Ag interaction in compounds 2 and 3 with Ag…Ag distance of 3.177 ~3.267 Å. All the four complexes showed high cytotoxicity properties.

A Comprehensive Review: Development of Biosensors Based on Graphene-Mesoporous Combined Materials

Reliable data obtained from analysis of DNA, proteins, bacteria and other disease-related molecules or organisms in biological samples have become a fundamental and crucial part of human health diagnostics and therapy. After a brief summary of the implication of template based ordered mesoporous materials in electrochemical science, the various types of inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid mesostructured used to date in electroanalysis and the corresponding electrode configurations are described. The development of non-invasive tests that are rapid, sensitive, specific and simple would allow patient discomfort to be prevented, delays in diagnosis to be avoided and the status of a disease to be followed up. The use of biosensors for the early diagnosis of diseases has become widely accepted as a point-of-care diagnosis with appropriate specificity in a short time. To allow a reliable diagnosis of a disease at an early stage, highly sensitive biosensors are required as the corresponding biomarkers are generally expressed at very low concentrations. In past 50 years, various biosensors have been researched and developed encompassing a wide range of applications. This contrasts the limited number of commercially available biosensors. Lately, graphene-based materials have been considered as superior over other nanomaterials for the development of sensitive biosensors. The advantages of graphenebased sensor interfaces are numerous, including enhanced surface loading of desired ligand due to the high surface-to-volume ratio, excellent conductivity and a small band gap that is beneficial for sensitive electrical and electrochemical read-outs, as well as tunable optical properties for optical read-outs such as fluorescence and plasmonics. In this paper, we review the advances made in recent years on graphenebased biosensors in the field of medical diagnosis.

Microwave Assisted Synthesis Polyaniline-Vanadium Oxide Nanocomposites and their Electrochemical Studies

In this article, we reported microwave assisted processing of vanadium oxide-polyaniline nanocomposite (PANI/V2O5). Firstly, polyaniline (PANI) is synthesized by oxidative polymerization method and vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles. In the second step, intercalation of PANI in V2O5 framework are carried out in the microwave at 80 ºC for 30 min in Teflon crucibles. The XRD exhibited a set of well-defined peak support the crystal nature of nanocomposites. FTIR studies of the composite supported the intercalation of PANI with V2O5. The peaks obtained by cyclic voltammetry shows marginal separation between anodic peaks at 3.6 and 3.7 V for polyaniline and shifted to the higher potential for PANI/V2O5 nanocomposite. Also, the electrical conductivity is found to be 10-6 S cm-1 for PANI and higher electrical conductivity, 10-4 S cm-1 for nanocomposites.