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Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) were prepared by chemical coprecipitation method using ferric chloride (FeCl3) and heptahydrate ferrous sulfate (FeSO4·7H2O) salts employing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a precipitant. To determine the size, shape, and chemical makeup of the produced magnetite nanoparticles, the generated powders were examined by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and X-ray diffractometer. It was found that the magnetite powder had made a face-centered cubic crystal structure and spherical-like particle form with particle diameters of about 30 nm. The magnetic properties of magnetite nanoparticles were evaluated using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The obtained superparamagnetic properties of the produced nanoparticles, with saturation magnetization and coercivity of 50.75 emu/g and 30.09 Oe, respectively, allow them for applications in drug delivery, MRI contrast agent, catalysis, degradation of antibiotics, antibacterial activity, removal of heavy metals and organic dyes, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were prepared by the sol–gel method and the structural, morphological, and optical properties were investigated at different sintering temperatures of 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900°C. A tetragonal structure of anatase, mixed (anatase–rutile), and rutile phases are observed in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Pure anatase phase formation occurred at 500°C, whereas anatase-to-rutile phase transformation began at 600°C, and reaching complete conversion to rutile at 800°C. The average crystallite size increased from 23 to 34 nm for anatase and 38 to 62 nm for the rutile when sintering temperature increased from 500 to 900°C. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) result presented the increase of grain size (25–100 nm) with increasing the sintering temperature. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra demonstrated the presence of TiO2 vibrational bonds in all samples. The optical bandgaps of the sintered TiO2 nanoparticles decreased with rising sintering temperature. Photoluminescence spectra exhibited three characteristic peaks centered at 380, 450, and 550 nm. The emission intensity increased with increasing the sintering temperature. The Mie analysis was also studied to calculate scattering cross-section, forward scattering, and asymmetry for different grain sizes. The results showed that by increasing the nanoparticle diameters, the peaks of all spectra are redshifted for larger grain sizes and cross-section peaks shift to high values. In this study, the sintering temperature is observed to have a strong influence on crystalline phase transformation, microstructure, and optical properties of TiO2 nanoparticles. The TiO2 sample sintered at 900°C shows the best result to be used as luminescent material due to the low optical bandgap energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, nontoxic origin-mediated synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles acquires further recognition because of the key role of bioapplications. The plant Cissus quadrangularis is one most prominent herbs used in the treatment of diabetes, asthma, tissue regeneration, etc. In this study, we tested the process of copper oxide nanoparticle synthesis and their role in many functions from Cissus quadrangularis. The synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles uses plant extract and characterization by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), atomic force microscope (AFM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The synthesized nanoparticles were analyzed for their biomedical applications such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activity and antiproteinase action. The results show that the C. quadrangularis plant-mediated nanoparticles may be used in many biomedical applications related to arthritis, diabetes, and the production of various antimicrobial products in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plugging of nanopores in low-permeability coal reservoirs is an important factor that affects productivity reduction. However, the mechanism of plugging of the nanopores in coal reservoirs remains unclear. In this study, the coal samples from the Anze coalbed methane block of the North China Oilfield are used as the research object. Experiments are conducted on the mechanism of nanopore plugging by the variation of nanopore permeability based on the pressure oscillation method and the nanopore (scanning electron microscope) method. The research shows that the foreign working fluid invades a coal sample; the sample changes from being hydrophobic to being water absorbent within a certain period. The instability caused by the expansion of coal clay mineral particles promotes the dispersion and shedding of particles, and the migration of particles is accelerated under the shear stress of the working fluid. In addition, the viscosity and pressure difference of the working fluid are important factors that affect particle plugging. The viscosity of the fluid increased by two times, and permeability decreased by 1.21 times. As the pressure difference increases by two times, permeability can be reduced by up to two orders of magnitude. The findings of this study can help for better understanding of the mechanism of plugging of the nanopores in coal reservoirs and the reasons of production reduction in low-permeability coal reservoirs. Such findings provide theoretical support for the selection of the working fluid, and reasonable production pressure difference can effectively reduce the damage on coal permeability in a low-permeability coal reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ce0.5Sr0.5 (Co0.8Fe0.2)1−x ZrxO3−δ (CSCFZ) powders were synthesized by the sol-gel method and characterized to study structural and electrochemical properties. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) patterns of all samples give nanosized particles of a high-degree crystalline cathode having a cubic-type perovskite structure of space group Pm-3m with the existence of oxygen vacancies in the lattices. The results have the perovskite phase with average crystallite sizes of 26.57 nm, 18.14 nm, 18.13 nm, and 18.12 nm with porosities of 9.93%, 9.87%, 9.50%, and 9.08% for x = 0, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed the presence of pores on the microstructure. Average grain sizes of prepared samples found from SEM images were in the range of 105.30–183.02 nm. The partial substitution of zirconium at the B-site shows more stable materials than the host without decreasing the porosity that much. The results of electronic conductivity analyzed by the four-probe dc technique show that the conductivity of synthesized materials increases with the increment of both dopant concentration and temperature by the decrement of area specific resistances. The electrical conductivity of CSCFZ steadily increased with the increment of temperature which reached 42.76 Scm−1 at around 450°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the polyamide (PA) membrane surface has been modified by coating of nanomaterials including graphene oxide (GO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) to enhance membrane separation and antifouling properties. The influence of surface modification conditions on membrane characteristics has been investigated and compared with a base membrane. Membrane surface properties were determined through scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy. Membrane separation performance was determined through the possibility for the removal of methylene blue (MB) in water. Membrane antifouling property was evaluated by the maintained flux ratios (%) after 120 minutes of filtration. The experimental results showed that the appearance of hydrophilic groups after coating of GO and TiO2 nanocomposite materials with or without UV irradiation onto membrane surface made an improvement in the separation property of the coated membranes. The membrane flux increased from 28% to 61%; meanwhile, the antifouling property of the coated membranes was improved clearly, especially for UV-irradiated PA/GO-TiO2 membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green synthesis approach was successful used extract was successful in preparing bimetallic zero-valent Iron/Copper nanoparticles [FB-nZVFe/Cu]. Scanning Electron Microscope [SEM], Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy [FTIR], and Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy [EDX] showing the synthesizing of FB-nZVFe/Cu. The removal efficiency of Caffeine [5 mg L−1] reached 86% under the conditions [0.2 g L−1, 45 min, and pH 5]. The adsorption data are more appropriate by the Langmuir model [R2 = 0.9987] with qmax = 34.34 mg g −1. Kinetic results showed that Caffeine uptake is following pseudo-second-order. Langmuir and pseudo-second-order are more appropriate in linear and non-linear models. Overall, FB-Fe/Cu is a committed green substance for removal Caffeine from aqueous solutions. Functional parameters affect investigated using the Linear regression analysis, we found them to account for over 98% of the variables affecting the removal procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of obtaining calcium carbonate nanoparticles from Achatina fulica shell through mechanochemical synthesis to be used as a modifying filler for polymer materials has been studied. The process of obtaining calcium carbonate nanopowders includes two stages: dry and wet milling processes. At the first stage, the collected shell was dry milled and undergone mechanical sieving to ≤50 μm. The shell particles were wet milled afterward with four different solvents (water, methanol, ethylene glycol, and ethanol) and washed using the decantation method. The particle size and shape were investigated on transmission electron microscopy, and twenty-three particle counts were examined using an iTEM image analyzer. Significantly, nanoparticle sizes ranging from 11.56 to 180.06 nm of calcium carbonate was achieved after the dry and wet milling processes. The size particles collected vary with the different solvents used, and calcium carbonate synthesis with ethanol offered the smallest organic particle size with the average size ranging within 13.48-42.90 nm. The effect of the solvent on the chemical characteristics such as the functional group, elemental composition, and carbonate ion of calcium carbonate nanopowders obtained from Achatina fulica shell was investigated. The chemical characterization was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive spectroscope (EDX). The effect of milling procedures on the mechanical properties such as tensile strength, stiffness, and hardness of prepared nanocomposites was also determined. This technique has shown that calcium carbonate nanoparticles can be produced at low cost, with low agglomeration, uniformity of crystal morphology, and structure from Achatina fulica shell. It also proved that the solvents used for milling have no adverse effect on the chemical properties of the nano-CaCO3 produced. The loading of calcium carbonate nanoparticles, wet milled with different solvents, exhibited different mechanical properties, and nanocomposites filled with methanol-milled nano-CaCO3 offered superior mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of obtaining calcium carbonate nanoparticles from Achatina fulica shell through mechanochemical synthesis to be used as a modifying filler for polymer materials has been studied. The process of obtaining calcium carbonate nanopowders includes two stages: dry and wet milling processes. At the first stage, the collected shell was dry milled and undergone mechanical sieving to ≤50 μm. The shell particles were wet milled afterward with four different solvents (water, methanol, ethylene glycol, and ethanol) and washed using the decantation method. The particle size and shape were investigated on transmission electron microscopy, and twenty-three particle counts were examined using an iTEM image analyzer. Significantly, nanoparticle sizes ranging from 11.56 to 180.06 nm of calcium carbonate was achieved after the dry and wet milling processes. The size particles collected vary with the different solvents used, and calcium carbonate synthesis with ethanol offered the smallest organic particle size with the average size ranging within 13.48-42.90 nm. The effect of the solvent on the chemical characteristics such as the functional group, elemental composition, and carbonate ion of calcium carbonate nanopowders obtained from Achatina fulica shell was investigated. The chemical characterization was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive spectroscope (EDX). The effect of milling procedures on the mechanical properties such as tensile strength, stiffness, and hardness of prepared nanocomposites was also determined. This technique has shown that calcium carbonate nanoparticles can be produced at low cost, with low agglomeration, uniformity of crystal morphology, and structure from Achatina fulica shell. It also proved that the solvents used for milling have no adverse effect on the chemical properties of the nano-CaCO3 produced. The loading of calcium carbonate nanoparticles, wet milled with different solvents, exhibited different mechanical properties, and nanocomposites filled with methanol-milled nano-CaCO3 offered superior mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel nanopolymeric composite powdered material was prepared by physical immobilization of the sol‐gel prepared zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2NPs) into poly (acrylonitrile‐ co‐pyrrole) (poly (AN‐co‐py)) copolymer. The prepared copolymer composite was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transfer infrared spectrophotometer (FT‐IR). SEM images investigated its homogeneous spherical morphological structure with an average diameter of 60 nm. The potential of this nanopolymeric composite material to remove a basic dye (Basic Red 46) was evaluated in a batch process. The improvement in material dosage, solution pH, and temperature has positive impact on the dye decolonization process. The maximum dye decolonization was 87.7% that recorded using 0.5 g from the composite matrix within 150 min. The kinetic data analysis indicated that the dye adsorption is a second‐order process. The results indicated that the prepared nanopolymeric composite could be an alternative for more costly adsorbents used for dye removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physico-chemical characteristics and inhibitory effects of commercial colloidal silver nanoparticles were investigated against food-borne pathogens to obtain silver nanoparticles as a potential effective antimicrobial agent in the food industry. Using scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, the structure and presence of silver nanoparticles were confirmed. The application of silver nanoparticles at concentration of 2 and 0.25 µg mL−1 inhibited the growth of tested pathogenic strains. The use of Ag nanoparticles is a crucial aspect, as diverse pathogenic microbes have developed mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial compounds. The obtained results show that the effectiveness of solutions comprising nano silver depends on the dilution of silver nanoparticles, the susceptibility of the microorganism and the chemical composition. These nanomaterials, which can be produced in a simple, cost-effective manner and which are non-toxic, may be suitable for the formulation of new types of antimicrobial agents. Practical Applications Nanotechnology and nanoscale products development are playing increasingly significant roles in pioneering, emerging technologies and solutions. The development of colloidal or nanoscaled silver particles in recent years is one such evidence of the announced advantages of using an engineered nanoparticle, in this instance for health and food protection. The use of silver nanoparticles to prevent food commodities and water from contamination has received increasing amounts of attention within the last decade, especially due to its potential for wider application, high degrees of reactivity, and cost-effectiveness relatively to conventional applications. To prevent food poisoning, i.e., pathogenic strains, Ag nanoparticles are nowadays put in surface disinfectants, cutting boards or table tops. Conducted research addresses the challenges considering and assessing the expected health benefits connected with antimicrobial activity and the potential weaknesses of this emerging environmentally friendly nanotechnology, notably important for decision makers, engineers and scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schiff-bases of chitosan (CS) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS)/silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been synthesized, characterized, and evaluated as antimicrobial agents against two Gram +ve bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram −ve bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in addition to Candida albicans as a fungus. The in situ reactions of CS and/or CMCS with some pyrazole aldehyde derivatives in acidic media containing silver nitrate to yield silver nanoparticles loaded onto CS and CMCS/Schiff-bases were carried out. Characterizations of the prepared compounds via FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, and TGA were carried out. Schiff-bases/silver nanoparticles of CS and CMCS showed higher antimicrobial activity than the blank CS and CMCS. The presence of AgNO3 (3% wt%) displayed high antibacterial efficiencies with inhibition zones in the extent of 19–39 mm. TEM analysis showed that the size of the silver nanoparticles is in the range of 4–28 nm for the prepared nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin films of Se35Te65-xGex (x = 0, 3, 6, 9, 12) nanoparticles were synthesized using thermal evaporation method. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and absorption and transmission spectra. XRD results show that these films are of amorphous nature, while SEM images show nanoparticles with average particle size around 30 nm. No significant changes are observed in morphology of the deposited films by changing concentrations of Te and Ge. The optical behaviors of these films have been studied using the absorption and transmission spectra in the spectral region 400- 1100 nm. The absorption, extinction coefficients and refractive index were obtained and investigated in more detail. The optical band gap (Eg ) values were also determined and are found to decrease from 0.83 to 0.69 eV by increasing the concentration of Ge from 0 to 12. The transmission spectra for the thin films of Se35Te65-xGex nanoparticles show strong absorption at wavelength less than 500 nm and become highly transparent at wavelength above 800 nm. No significant changes in the transmission spectra are observed by increasing concentration of Ge. These results might be useful for development of optical disks and other semiconducting devices based on these nanochalcogenides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles consisting of human therapeutic drugs are suggested as a promising strategy for targeted and localized drug delivery to tumor cells. In this study, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles were prepared in order to investigate potentials of localized drug delivery for tumor environment due to pH sensitivity of chitosan nanoparticles. Optimization of chitosan and 5-FU encapsulated nanoparticles production revealed 148.8±1.1 nmand 243.1±17.9 nmparticle size diameters with narrow size distributions, which are confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The challenge was to investigate drug delivery of 5-FU encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles due to varied pH changes. To achieve this objective, pH sensitivity of prepared chitosan nanoparticle was evaluated and results showed a significant swelling response for pH 5 with particle diameter of ∼450 nm. In vitro release studies indicated a controlled and sustained release of 5-FU from chitosan nanoparticles with the release amounts of 29.1-60.8% due to varied pH environments after 408 h of the incubation period. pH sensitivity is confirmed by mathematical modeling of release kinetics since chitosan nanoparticles showed stimuli-induced release. Results suggested that 5-FU encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles can be launched as pH-responsive smart drug delivery agents for possible applications of cancer treatments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-ion-(Ag, Co, Ni and Pd) doped titania nanocatalysts were successfully deposited on glass slides by layer-by-layer (LbL) selfassembly technique using a poly(styrene sulfonate sodium salt) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) polyelectrolyte system. Solid diffuse reflectance (SDR) studies showed a linear increase in absorbance at 416 nm with increase in the number of m-TiO2 thin films. The LbL assembled thin films were tested for their photocatalytic activity through the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible-light illumination. From the scanning electron microscope (SEM), the thin films had a porous morphology and the atomic force microscope (AFM) studies showed "rough" surfaces. The porous and rough surface morphology resulted in high surface areas hence the high photocatalytic degradation (up to 97% over a 6.5 h irradiation period) using visible-light observed. Increasing the number of multilayers deposited on the glass slides resulted in increased film thickness and an increased rate of photodegradation due to increase in the availability of more nanocatalysts (more sites for photodegradation). The LbL assembled thin films had strong adhesion properties which made them highly stable thus displaying the same efficiencies after five (5) reusability cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous research showed that poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanoparticles incorporating DNA with hydrogen bonds obtained by high hydrostatic pressurization are able to deliver DNA without any significant cytotoxicity. To enhance transfection efficiency of PVA/DNA nanoparticles, we describe a novel method to prepare PVA/DNA nanoparticles encapsulating nanoscaled hydroxyapatites (HAps) prepared by high hydrostatic pressurization (980MPa), which is designed to facilitate endosomal escape induced by dissolving HAps in an endosome. Scanning electron microscopic observation and dynamic light scattering measurement revealed that HAps were significantly encapsulated in PVA/HAp/DNA nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and transgene expression of PVA/HAp/DNA nanoparticles were investigated using COS-7 cells. It was found that, in contrast to PVA/DNA nanoparticles, their internalization and transgene expression increased without cytotoxicity occurring. Furthermore, a similar level of transgene expression between plasmid DNA and PVA/HAp/DNA nanoparticles was achieved using in vivo hydrodynamic injection. Our results show a novel method of preparing PVA/DNA nanoparticles encapsulating HAp nanocrystals by using high hydrostatic pressure technology and the potential use of HAps as an enhancer of the transfection efficiency of PVA/DNA nanoparticles without significant cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were produced using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) at different deposition temperatures (300-700°C). All the samples were heat treated at their respective deposition temperatures and at a fixed temperature of 400°C. A scanning electron microscope (SEM), a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the nanoparticles in terms of size and crystallinity. The photocatalytic activity was investigated via degradation of methylene blue under UV light. The effects of post deposition heat treatment are discussed in terms of crystallinity, nanoparticle size as well as photocatalytic activity. Crystallinity was found to have a much larger impact on photocatalytic activity compared to nanoparticle size. Samples having a higher degree of crystallinity were more photocatalytically active despite being relatively larger in size. Surprisingly, the photocatalytic activity of the samples reduced when heat treated at temperatures lower than the deposition temperature despite showing an improvement in crystallinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of mechanical stirring on the morphology of hexagonal layer-structure birnessite nanoparticles produced from decomposition of KMnO4 in dilute aqueous H2SO4 is investigated, with characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 adsorption (BET).Mechanical stirring during an initial stage of synthesis is shown to produce black birnessite containing nanofibers, whereas granular particulates of brown birnessite are produced without stirring. This is the first reduction synthesis of black birnessite nanoparticles with dendritic morphology without any use of organic reductant, and suggests that a particular morphology can arise from structural preferences of Mn in acidic conditions rather than particular organic reactants. These results enlighten the possibility of synthesizing nanoparticles with controlled size and morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, casein nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized separately and the synthesized nanoparticles were incorporated into the bilayer film. Casein nanoparticles were produced using desolvation techniques, whereas AgNPs were synthesized using casein protein. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), field emission electron microscope (FESEM), and UV–Visible spectra. UV spectra and SEM revealed that the pH had a significant effect on the size of both casein nanoparticles and AgNPs. AgNPs, synthesized at pH 13, were spherical in shape with average particle size of 10–25 nm and were stable up to 80 days. All the synthesized AgNPs showed 7–14 mm of zone of inhibition against growth of Escherichia coli. Incorporation of AgNPs and casein nanoparticles into sodium alginate/casein bilayer film improved the oxidative stability of packed almond oil during storage. Peroxide value of oil was increased from 8.02 meq/kg to 11.5 meq/kg only when stored in nanoparticles containing biopolymer film. Practical applications: Edible film is a better alternative of plastic materials, but poor shelf life and mechanical properties of the film restrict the application of edible films in food Industries. Incorporation of antibacterial agent can improve the shelf life of biodegradable film. So, in present investigation, casein nanoparticles and AgNPs were synthesized separately. Casein nanoparticles were produced using desolvation techniques, whereas AgNPs were synthesized through mediation of casein protein. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, FESEM, and UV–Visible spectra. The synthesized nanoparticles were incorporated into pectin–sodium alginate/casein bilayer film. Incorporation of AgNPs and casein nanoparticles in bilayer improved the oxidative stability of almond oil during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]