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A parameter study of ultrashort pulse laser‐induced modifications in the bulk of ZnS crystals is reported. Experimental results on these modifications and their dependence on the pulse energy, writing speed, and depth are presented, with an emphasis on cross‐sectional morphology and induced refractive index changes. Localized permanent material modifications have been inscribed in the bulk of the crystal using a laser with a center emission wavelength of 2.09 μm and a pulse duration of ≈4 ps. The morphology strongly depends on the laser and optical focusing parameters, in particular, on the pulse energy and processing speed, with a significant shift in depth dependence for short pulse‐to‐pulse separations. Depending on the applied pulse energy, distortions of the lateral profile of the refractive index changes appear in the form of oscillatory features in the transverse plane relative to the inducing laser beam. The true extent of the modified material is revealed by the alternating lateral profile with largest induced negative refractive index change, Δn, of −3.88 × 10−2 ± 0.18. Such parametric insight is of critical importance for the understanding and optimization of the fabrication process and for realizing compact 3D photonic devices in the bulk of materials in a reproducible manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnS is a II-VI semiconductor with a wide bandgap. ZnS-based nanomaterials have been produced in a variety of morphologies with unique properties and characteristic features. An extensive collection of research activities is available on various synthetic methodologies to produce such a wide variety of ZnS-based nanomaterials. In this comprehensive review, we thoroughly covered all the different synthetic techniques employed by researchers across the globe to produce zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional ZnS-based nanomaterials. Depending on their morphologies and properties, ZnS-based nanomaterials have found many applications, including optoelectronics, sensors, catalysts, batteries, solar cells, and biomedical fields. The properties and applications of ZnS-based nanostructures are described, and the scope of the future direction is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum dots (QDs) have attracted significant interest because of their tunable bandgaps, which enable numerous applications in fields such as photovoltaics, biomedicine, and materials science. This study explores various core electron treatments in the density functional theory (DFT) analysis of II-VI semiconductor quantum dots and their bulk counterparts. We compared All-electron (AE), Effective Core Potential (ECP), All-Electron Relativistic (AER), and DFT-Semicore pseudopotential (DSPP) treatments. Our findings indicate that the AE treatment aligns closely with the experimental results for smaller QDs, whereas the accuracy of DSPP increases with larger QDs. DSPP provides an optimal balance between computational efficiency and accuracy, making it suitable for studying II-VI QDs. Notably, the bandgap behavior varies, being direct for zinc and cadmium chalcogenides, whereas mercury chalcogenides are zero-gap semiconductors (semimetals). The inner bonds of the QDs exhibit an ionic character, whereas the terminal bonds display a covalent character. This study enhances our understanding of the structural and electronic properties of II-VI quantum QDs, aiding their application in various technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of pressure on the structural and electronic properties of the two binary compounds SrSe and SrTe have been investigated in the present work. The calculations were carried out with the CASTEP code which uses the density functional theory (DFT) based on the pseudopotential and plane-wave (PW-PP) method. To evaluate the exchange and correlation energy, we used the generalized gradient approximation (GGA-PBE). Our results show that, at ambient conditions, the two studied compounds are more stable in the NaCl-type phase (B1). Under the effect of pressure, the two materials undergo a phase transition to crystallize in the CsCl-like structure (B2) at pressures equal to 16 GPa and 12.33 GPa for the compounds SrSe and SrTe, respectively. Analysis of the band structure under conditions of pressure and zero temperature shows that the two compounds are indirect semiconductors. Under the effect of pressure, our calculations predict that the two compounds change electronically to become metals at pressures greater than 46 GPa for SrSe and 13 GPa for SrTe. To give a quantitative description of the variation of the structural and electronic parameters of the two structures with the pressure, we extracted the parametric functions of these parameters as a function of the pressure. Our results are presented and compared with a different experimental and theoretical works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental data of the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity σ(T) and the Hall coefficient RH(T) on single crystal samples of n-type CdS reported in literature are reviewed and have been critically analysed including hopping conduction in an impurity band. It is shown that the experimental data of σ(T) and RH(T) reported in almost previous studies can be simultaneously fitted using a common set of the values of material parameters for calculating free-electron conduction, i.e. the conduction and the density-of-state effective mass of electrons, the acoustic-phonon deformation potential, the Fröhlich coupling constant and the piezoelectric coupling coefficient, whereas wide ranges of values for these material parameters had been adopted in different studies. The correct assignment of impurity conduction mechanisms in n-type CdS single crystals is presented. In addition, reasonable explanations are given for unresolved enigmas regarding impurity pairing, unexpected large Hall mobility at low temperatures, and the effect of electric field on hopping Hall mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a first-principles investigation of the energy bandgaps of Cd1−xZnxTe, Cd1−xZnxSe and Cd1−xZnxS semiconductor alloys in zinc-blende crystals. The theoretical analysis is based on the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method within both generalized gradient and local density approximations. Tran–Blaha-modified Becke–Johnson exchange potential was invoked to accurately provide bandgaps and their bowing parameters. A moderate nonlinear dependence with average bowing parameters around b ~ 0.49 eV for Cd1−xZnxTe, b ~ 0.68 eV Cd1−xZnxS, and b ~ 0.63 eV for Cd1−xZnxSe was found. The origin of the nonlinearity is discussed in light of Zunger's approach to conclude that it arises mainly from volume deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The II–VI semiconductor thin films have vast applications in optoelectronics. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is one such material, which has proved to be useful in the fabrication of solar cells, photodetectors, etc. In the present work, CdTe thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by thermally evaporating CdTe powder under a high vacuum. The optimum film thickness for photovoltaic applications was determined by performing a detailed characterization of the films. The thermal evaporated CdTe films were found to be polycrystalline with a cubic structure. Considerable improvement in the crystallinity was observed with the increase in thickness. The lattice constant, dislocation density, strain, and stress have also been analyzed. The optical properties of the CdTe films have been observed to change with thickness. The maximum optical absorption was found in the near infrared region. The photoluminescence spectra showed a prominent peak, corresponding to the band-edge transition of the CdTe films. The electrical properties of the films were found to improve with thickness. The films yield maximum photocurrent at 820 nm. Based on the detailed characterization, the film thickness of 950 nm was found to be most suitable for photovoltaic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible photodetectors exhibit many advantages such as a good bendability, foldability, and even stretchability as well as weight light, which have triggered a widely concerned in wearable electronics including wearable monitoring, wearable image sensing, self‐powered integrated electronics, etc. Recently, various II–VI semiconductor nanostructures have become promising candidates in flexible photodetectors due to their unique characteristics, such as direct bandgap semiconductors, excellent optical and electric properties, high quantum efficiency, and inherent mechanical flexibility. Herein, the most recent progress on low‐dimensional (0D, 1D, 2D, and related heterostructures) II–VI semiconductors based flexible photodetectors and their application in wearable electronic is reviewed. First, a brief introduction of the main sensing mechanisms and key figures of merits for photodetectors is presented. Then, the recent progresses on flexible photodetectors are provided, in which the functional materials synthesis methods are also discussed. More importantly, the applications of the flexible photodetectors are summarized, including wearable monitoring sensors, image sensors, and self‐powered integrated wearable electronics. Finally, the challenges and the future research direction of the flexible photodetectors are discussed, meanwhile the outlook for the development of flexible photodetectors in the future integration of wearable electronic is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peculiar and unique growth mechanisms involved in semiconductor nanowires (NWs) pave the way to the achievement of new crystallographic phases and remarkable material properties, and hence, studying polytypism in semiconductor NWs arouses a strong interest for the next generation of electronic and photonic applications. In this context, the growth of ZnS nanowires has been investigated, as bulk ZnS compound exhibits numerous unstable polytypes at high temperatures, but their stable occurrence is highly anticipated in a nanowire due to its special quasi-dimensional shape and growth modes. In this work, the idea is to provide a change in the growth mechanism via the physical state of catalyst droplet (liquid or solid) and hence, study the induced structural modifications in ZnS nanowires. The HRTEM images of VLS (via liquid alloyed catalyst) grown ZnS NWs show periodic stacking faults, which is precisely identified as a stacking sequence of cubic or hexagonal individual planes leading to an astonishing 15R crystal polymorph. This crystallographic phase is observed for the first time in nanowires. Contrastingly, NWs grown with VSS (via solid catalyst) show crystal polytypes of zinc blende and wurtzite. We calculate and discuss the role of cohesive energies in the formation of such ZnS polytypes. Further, we present the selection rules for the crystallization of such 15R structure in NWs and discuss the involved VLS and VSS growth mechanisms leading to the formation of different crystal phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdTe photovoltaics has achieved one of the lowest levelized costs of electricity among all energy sources. However, for decades, carrier lifetimes have been inferior to those of other prevalent solar cell materials. This quality has inhibited common methods to improve solar cell efficiency such as back‐surface fields, electron reflectors, or bifacial solar cells. In this work, a significant increase in carrier lifetime to values exceeding 200 ns in fully functional CdTe solar cells is demonstrated. The increased lifetime is achieved by large CdSeTe grains at the absorber/emitter interface, intragrain passivation in the absorber layer, and chemical passivation by forming nanoscale oxidized tellurium species at the transparent conducting oxide interface. The carrier lifetime is correlated to the open‐circuit voltage and enables paths for back‐surface manipulation and novel cell architectures to further improve CdTe photovoltaic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform a systematic comparison of the finite-temperature structure and properties of four bulk semiconductors (PbS, PbTe, ZnS, and ZnTe) predicted by eight popular exchange-correlation functionals from quasi-harmonic lattice-dynamics calculations. The performance of the functionals in reproducing the temperature dependence of a number of material properties, including lattice parameters, thermal-expansion coefficients, bulk moduli, heat capacities, and phonon frequencies, is evaluated quantitatively against available experimental data. We find that the phenomenological over- and under-binding characteristics of the local-density approximation and the PW91 and Perdew-Burke-Enzerhof (PBE) generalised-gradient approximation (GGA) functionals, respectively, are exaggerated at finite temperature, whereas the PBEsol GGA shows good general performance across all four systems. The Tao-Perdew-Staroverov-Scuseria (TPSS) and revTPSS meta-GGAs provide relatively small improvements over PBE, with the latter being better suited to calculating structural and dynamical properties, but both are considerably more computationally demanding than the simpler GGAs. The dispersion-corrected PBE-D2 and PBE-D3 functionals perform well in describing the lattice dynamics of the zinc chalcogenides, whereas the lead chalcogenides appear to be challenging for these functionals. These findings show that quasi-harmonic calculations with a suitable functional can predict finite-temperature structure and properties with useful accuracy, and that this technique can serve as a means of evaluating the performance of new functionals in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic band structures of B- and C-doped ZnO monolayers (ML) at high doping concentration are studied based on spin-polarized plane-wave DFT with Projector Augmented Wave Potentials and Generalized Gradient Approximation. Our results show that both the B- and C-doped structures at 3.13% impurity atom per supercell exhibit half-metallic ferromagnetic behaviour due to the spin-polarized 2p orbitals of the dopant atom, which are localized within the energy gap of the host lattice. A net magnetic moment of 1μB and 2μB are, respectively, found in the B- and C-doped structures mainly due to the partially filled dopant atom 2 p orbitals. Due to ferromagnetic coupling, magnetic moments from the neighbouring Zn atoms and the subsequent O atoms also contribute to the net magnetic moment. At a higher doping concentration of 6.25% impurity atom per supercell, both the materials completely transformed into metal. It is also found that while C doping maintains its ferromagnetic property at this doping concentration, the B-doped ZnO ML becomes antiferromagnetic metal. Our findings would provide valuable theoretical data for material scientists in fabrication of the doped ZnO ML in laboratory [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One‐dimensional (1D) hyperbranched heterostructures (HBHSs) with abundant interfaces are rendered with various interfacial phenomena and functionalities. However, the rational synthesis of 1D HBHSs with desired spatial architecture and specific interface remains a great challenge. Here, we report a seeded growth method for controlled synthesis of two extraordinary types of HBHSs, in which high‐intensity of CdS branches selectively grow on 1D nanowire (NW) trunks with different growth behaviors. The composition of the HBHSs can be further tuned by combining with cation exchange method, which enriches the variety of the HBHSs. The optoelectronic devices based on a single HBHS were fabricated and exhibit a better photoresponse performance compared with that of a single NW trunk. This advance provides a strategy for the controlled synthesis HBHSs with complex morphology and offers a platform for exploring their applications for photo harvesting and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One‐dimensional (1D) hyperbranched heterostructures (HBHSs) with abundant interfaces are rendered with various interfacial phenomena and functionalities. However, the rational synthesis of 1D HBHSs with desired spatial architecture and specific interface remains a great challenge. Here, we report a seeded growth method for controlled synthesis of two extraordinary types of HBHSs, in which high‐intensity of CdS branches selectively grow on 1D nanowire (NW) trunks with different growth behaviors. The composition of the HBHSs can be further tuned by combining with cation exchange method, which enriches the variety of the HBHSs. The optoelectronic devices based on a single HBHS were fabricated and exhibit a better photoresponse performance compared with that of a single NW trunk. This advance provides a strategy for the controlled synthesis HBHSs with complex morphology and offers a platform for exploring their applications for photo harvesting and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various sizes and morphologies of noble metal/zinc oxide hybrid materials have promising applications in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Generally, organic agents used during the synthesis of metal nanoparticles will inexorably induce organic pollution on the surface of SERS substrate, resulting in a negative effect on detection sensitivity. Herein, a stable and clean 3D flower‐like ZnO/Ag hierarchical microstructure SERS substrate was designed and fabricated via a simple photocatalytic method. This synthetic strategy does not involve usage of any organic agents, which ensures the cleanness and free of impurities interferences. As anticipated, the as‐fabricated 3D flower‐like ZnO/Ag SERS substrates with high surface‐to‐volume ratio increased numerous hot spots, and exhibited excellent detection sensitivity to Rhodamine 6G. A linear relationship between the Raman intensity and the concentration of Rhodamine 6G ranging from 10−11 to 10−4 M was realised. This work demonstrated a performance‐enhanced SERS sensor based on microflower‐like ZnO@Ag hybrids, which provides a potential method to develop highly sensitive and stable SERS sensor for organic molecules detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Letter reports the synthesis of nanoceramic composite ZnAl2O4TiO2 by using a cost‐effective and straight forward sol–gel route. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) showed the ZnAl2O4 cubic structure along with the mixed anatase‐ and rutile‐phases of TiO2. Rietveld refinement is performed using XRD pattern to study the structural parameters. Raman investigation endorsed the corresponding vibration peaks of TiO2 and ZnO. Field‐emission scanning electron microscopy evidenced the agglomerated spherical nanoparticles. Energy‐dispersive spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the elementary peaks of Zn, Al, and Ti at 4.5, 1.5, and 1 eV, respectively. LCR measurement revealed the decreased dielectric permittivity with the rise in frequency and temperature. This dielectric characteristic is attributed to the dipole movement of the charge carriers. Furthermore, the authors present the investigation of the conductivity and impedance of the prepared dielectric ceramic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors proposed a flexible microresonator based on nanowires composed of Ⅱ–Ⅵ compounds to detect the small strain caused by external motion. The nanowire ring resonator is embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) flexibility to improve the coupling efficiency. In this work, CdS nanowire is fabricated onto a PDMS flexible substrate. With the help of a fibre tip, the single nanowire is manipulated under a microscope, allowing the curved line to be a ring and making the litter overlapping. This overlap increases coupling efficiency and sensor performance. The ring cavity has the parameters of diameter 1 µm, length 75 µm and radius ∼10 µm. Experiments demonstrated the process of fabricating a strain sensor and detected peak shifts. This resonant wavelength appeared red‐shift and linear tuned when stretching the flexible substrate. The quality factor was about 2000 and the gauge factor was about 80 nm per stretching unit. Being a small structure and high sensitivity, the sensor can be integrated into the chip. This promotes the development of miniaturisation to some extent. As a result, this work is beneficial to optical manipulation, further being extended to the tunable light source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuneful behaviours of nano sized materials have been considered as challenge among researchers to explore the possibility of engaging in diverse applications. In particular, the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructured materials offer effective metallic behaviours to enhance the applications in the fuel oxidation, pigments, nonlinear optics and solar energy conversion. In the presented research, ZnO nanoparticles are successfully synthesised by (sol–gel and sol–gel and precipitation) techniques, respectively. The physicochemical behaviours of ZnO nanocrystals were inspected by x‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, thermo‐gravimetric analysis, N2 physisorption and NH3 temperature‐programmed desorption techniques. The results revealed that Sol–gel method at lower pH produced smaller particle sizes with larger surface area and well‐established morphology in shorter time at lower temperature conditions, in comparison to precipitation method with higher pH, time and temperature conditions, showed bigger particles with smaller surface area, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida albicans (C. albicans) infection shows a growing burden on human health, and it has become challenging to search for treatment. Therefore, this work focused on the antifungal activity, and cytotoxic effect of biosynthesised nanostructures on human ovarian tetracarcinoma cells PA1 and their corresponding mechanism of cell death. Herein, the authors fabricated advanced biosynthesis of uncoated α‐Fe2 O3 and coated α‐Fe2 O3 nanostructures by using the carbohydrate of Spirulina platensis. The physicochemical features of nanostructures were characterised by UV–visible, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The antifungal activity of these nanostructures against C. albicans was studied by the broth dilution method, and examined by 2′, 7′‐dichlorofluorescein diacetate staining. However, their cytotoxic effects against PA1 cell lines were evaluated by MTT and comet assays. Results indicated characteristic rod‐shaped nanostructures, and increasing the average size of α‐Fe2 O3 @ZnO nanocomposite (105.2 nm × 29.1 nm) to five times as compared to α‐Fe2 O3 nanoparticles (20.73nm × 5.25 nm). The surface coating of α‐Fe2 O3 by ZnO has increased its antifungal efficiency against C. albicans. Moreover, the MTT results revealed that α‐Fe2 O3 @ZnO nanocomposite reduces PA1 cell proliferation due to DNA fragmentation (IC50 18.5 μg/ml). Continual advances of green nanotechnology and promising findings of this study are in favour of using the construction of rod‐shaped nanostructures for therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulphonylureas are extensively used in the treatment of type II diabetes; however, these drugs have complications of hypoglycaemia and weight gain. The current study aims at developing a potent antidiabetic drug that has lesser side effects and better management of its associated conditions. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesised using Syzygium cumini seed extract with an average size of 18.92 nm. In vitro studies on rat insulinoma (RIN‐5F) cells revealed that cells treated with synthesised ZnO NPs showed a dose‐dependent increase in insulin secretion. Streptozotocin‐fructose‐induced type II diabetic rats treated with ZnO NPS exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.01) in the blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low‐density lipoprotein levels and increase (p < 0.01) in serum insulin and liver antioxidant enzyme levels proclaiming its role as a hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic drug. Treatment of ZnO NPs in diabetic rats exhibited an increased number of beta cells which was responsible for its increased insulin levels and reduced glucose levels. From the overall observations, biosynthesised ZnO NPs exhibited an efficacious hypoglycaemic effect in diabetic rats, so it can be suggested as a potent antidiabetic drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal behaviour of the surge arrester is vital to assess its operational condition. The surge arrester usually shows a process of temperature rising during a long-term operation, particularly after subjecting to a surge. Therefore, the research on the temperature characteristics of ZnO arresters contributes to achieve the goal of the performance changes of the ZnO arresters over different temperatures. In this study, based on four types of ZnO arresters from different factories, the variation of the volt–ampere curve, DC characteristic parameters and non-linear coefficient of the whole ZnO arrester at different temperatures were analysed. The relationship between the temperature and non-linear coefficients was obtained through the method of the extraction of the non-linear coefficients. Through the multiple impulse current tests, the temperature of the arrester was well calculated by measuring the corresponding volt–ampere curve, and the relationship between the surface temperature and V–I characteristics of the arrester is verified by the impulse test results. The obtained results provide a new idea for the application of the surface temperature of the arrester in the performance monitoring of the arrester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, regenerated cellulose films with different pore sizes were prepared using cellulose, which can control the synthesis reaction of nano‐ZnO and thus regulate its morphology. The results show that with 0, 4, and 8 g of cellulose applied, average pore sizes of samples increased from 7.0 nm to 14.4 and 20.1 nm, respectively. When no cellulose was used, only large Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O (ZHC) flakes were prepared. Long ZnO nano‐sheets and ZHC flakes with a mass fraction of 0.51 and 0.33, respectively, were prepared by adding 4 g cellulose; and ZnO nano‐sheets with a mass fraction of 0.73, with 0.04 ZHC, were synthesised while using 8 g cellulose. The results reveal that the addition of cellulose can improve the average pore diameter of films and enhance the reaction rate of ZnO, resulting in the formation of ZnO nano‐sheets/regenerated cellulose films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Letter reports the multilevel resistive switching characteristics of bipolar bi‐layer nanodevice made of Ag/Al2O3(10 nm)/ZnO (5 nm)/fluorine‐doped tin oxide for the first time, exhibiting five distinguishable resistive states including both high resistance state (HRS) and low resistance state (LRS). Among five distinct memory states, three resistive states are attained with RESET voltages and two are attained with SET voltages. The distinguishable resistive levels obtained with RESET voltages 2.3, 3.0 and 3.8 V are 1300, 2700 and 4320 Ω, respectively, whereas two stable resistive levels attained with SET voltages 0.8 and 1.70 V are 3000 and 100 Ω, respectively. Moreover, the proposed device excels in its Roff/Ron ratio of 354 obtained with HRS/LRS at −1.4 V as well as the ratio of intermediate states IRS1, IRS2, IRS3 to HRS becomes 15, 04 and 27, respectively. Further, the conduction mechanism as well as the switching mechanism are demonstrated. Finally, the cycle‐to‐cycle as well as device‐to‐device variability in device characteristics and statistical distribution of their resistance levels are also analysed and report that devices in the sample are also exhibiting stable multilevel capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Letter presents the electrodeposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures by varying the negative potential and investigation of structural, optical, and morphological characteristics. UV–vis spectroscopy investigation showed the redshift of the absorption peak with the increased negative potential. Using Tauc relation, the optical bandgap values estimated to be 3.09, 2.97, 2.93, 2.91, 2.90, and 2.84 eV corresponding to the samples prepared at potential −0.5, −0.7, −0.9, −1.1, −1.3 and −1.5 V. Fluorescence spectra exhibited the UV emission band at wavelength 392 nm along with a peak at 650 nm corresponds to the second‐order nature of ZnO. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the various vibration modes at 403, 493, and 702 cm−1 originated by the ZnO nanostructures. X‐ray diffraction pattern revealed the hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO. Scanning electron microscopy investigation evidenced the distinct morphology of ZnO with the increased negative potential; however, the dense and perpendicularly oriented ZnO nanorods are prepared at highest negative potential as compared to rice grain‐like ZnO structure prepared at least negative potential. Furthermore, the prepared nanostructures are used as dye‐sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) photoanodes, while the DSSC‐Z6 showed the increased cell efficiency up to 1.2%, due to the aligned growth of the ZnO nanorods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical porous zinc oxide (ZnO)/silver (Ag) microspheres were prepared by two‐step method. The porous ZnO microspheres were prepared firstly, and then Ag nanoparticles were evenly anchored on the surface of ZnO microspheres by Sn2+ activation method. The results show that ZnO is wurtzite phase, and Ag particles are only coated on the surface of ZnO microspheres. Compared with pure ZnO, there are two obvious absorption peaks of Ag‐doped ZnO, which corresponds to the ultraviolet absorption peak of ZnO and the plasma resonance absorption peak of Ag, respectively. The intensities of photoluminescence peak of ZnO/Ag microspheres are significantly lower than that of pure ZnO. Moreover, ZnO/Ag microspheres show higher photocatalytic activity than ZnO, which may be attributed to the existence of highly dispersed Ag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo‐current characteristics in close space sublimation processed multi‐facetted Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) micro‐granular films were studied under AM1.5, blue and green laser illuminations to assess the energy dependent charge transport characteristics. Photo‐current under AM1.5 illumination (100 mW/cm2) resulted in three times more than dark current while it was observed 2.4 and 2.5 times more in case of blue and green laser illuminations, respectively. While all the three illuminations (AM1.5, blue and green lasers) were capable to generate photo‐electrons in CdTe, the variation in magnitude was articulated to the effect of grain boundaries present across the charge transport pathways as evidenced from the surface morphology examined by scanning electron microscopic studies which asserted that CdTe films were micro‐granular in nature separated by grain boundaries. It is elucidated in the measurements that charge carriers under the illumination of AM1.5 light, acquired energy to overcome the grain boundaries easily compared to the charge carriers produced by blue and green light sources as evidenced from the photo‐current measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the biochemical, molecular, and histopathological mechanisms involved in the hypoglycaemic effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in experimental diabetic rats. ZnONPs were prepared by the sol–gel method and characterised by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). To explore the possible hypoglycaemic and antioxidant effect of ZnONPs, rats were grouped as follows: control group, ZnONPs treated group, diabetic group, and diabetic + ZnONPs group. Upon treatment with ZnONPs, a significant alteration in the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and the levels of insulin, haemoglobin A1c, and the expression of cluster of differentiation 4+ (CD4+), CD8+ T cells, glucose transporter type‐4 (GLUT‐4), tumour necrosis factor, and interleukin‐6 when compared to diabetic and their control rats. ZnONPs administration to the diabetic group showed eminent blood glucose control and restoration of the biochemical profile. This raises their active role in controlling pancreas functions to improve glycaemic status as well as the inflammatory responses. Histopathological investigations showed the non‐toxic and therapeutic effect of ZnONPs on the pancreas. TEM of pancreatic tissues displayed restoration of islets of Langerhans and increased insulin‐secreting granules. This shows the therapeutic application of ZnONPs as a safe anti‐diabetic agent and to have a potential for the control of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flower‐like and hexagonal flake‐like ZnO microstructures were synthesised by a microwave method using ammonia water and sodium hydroxide as precipitant, respectively. The products were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and photoluminescence. The photocatalytic activity of the flower‐like and hexagonal flake‐like ZnO microstructures was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. The results indicated that the best flower‐like ZnO microstructure was obtained when the experimental conditions were [Zn2+] = 0.025 mol l−1, [Zn2+]:[NH3·H2O] = 1:1.5, microwave power = 231 W. Under the same reaction conditions, hexagonal flake‐like ZnO can be obtained by using sodium hydroxide as precipitant. The MO in aqueous solution was completely eliminated by flower‐like ZnO after 120 min of UV light irradiation. Under identical conditions, the degradation of MO in aqueous solution was completely finished within 150 min in the presence of hexagonal flake‐like ZnO. The flower‐like ZnO sample showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with the hexagonal flake‐like ZnO for the MO degradation, which could be attributed to the presence of more active centres and hence can have more opportunities to contact with MO molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a typical MXene material, Ti3C2, was selected as a co‐catalyst and then integrated with ZnO via a facile hydrothermal strategy. The phase composition, morphology, and photophysical properties of as‐prepared samples were investigated by XRD, field emission SEM, ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, and fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. In addition, the results of the photocatalysis experiment showed that the photocatalytic activity of ZnO can be improved significantly through the hybridisation with Ti3C2, which arises from the inhibition of the photogenerated carriers recombination. Furthermore, the theoretical analysis indicated that the high‐quantum efficiency arises from the appropriate Fermi level position of Ti3C2. This work demonstrated that Ti3C2 will show great potential for constructing novel and efficient photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work reports the realisation of high‐quality crystalline CdS/Mn3O4 (CM) nanocomposites by a simple cost‐effective chemical method in air atmosphere. The authors have performed theoretical calculations and experimental analysis in order to understand the synthesised nanocomposites. X‐ray diffraction results showed that the CM nanocomposites were cubic and orthorhombic mixed structure which is in good agreement with the theoretical studies. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images of CM confirmed the formation of well distributed nanocomposites. The outcomes of DFT calculations provide results for the bandgap calculation of pure CdS, Mn3O4 and the CM nanocomposites. Photoluminescence studies with interesting visible light absorption demonstrated the great potentiality of the as‐synthesised nanocomposites towards photocatalytic applications that could be a detailed research scope for the authors' future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering of highly lattice-mismatched semiconductor alloys has attracted considerable interest recently. However, strong internal strains and cluster variety are the main disadvantages of such alloys. Zinc blende ZnBVI-rich CdxZn1−xOyB1−yVI (BVI = S, Se, Te) with 4O10Cd identical clusters are proposed to resolve these problems. The decrease in the internal strains is a cause of the cluster formation in ZnS- and ZnSe-rich alloys. The favorable CdO and ZnTe bonding is an additional reason for the cluster occurrence in ZnTe-rich alloys. The cohesive energies of CdSe and ZnSe, stiffness coefficients, bond stretching and bond bending elastic constants of CdSe are calculated. The majority of Cd and oxygen atoms should be in 4O10Cd clusters up to 800°C if the ZnS- and ZnSe-rich alloy contents are, respectively, y ≥ 2.5 × 10−4 and y > 3 × 10−4, and x ≈ 2.5y. The obtained results demonstrate that CdxZn1−xOyB1−yVI materials are promising semiconductors with significantly reduced internal strains and identical polyatomic clusters containing oxygen tetrahedrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound healing has long been recognised as a major clinical challenge for which stablishing more effective wound therapies is necessary. The generation of metallic nanocomposites using biological compounds is emerging as a new promising strategy for this purpose. In this study, four metallic nanoparticles (NPs) with propolis extract (Ext) and one without propolis including ZnO/Ext, ZnO/Ag/Ext, ZnO/CuO/Ext, ZnO/Ag/CuO/Ext and ZnO/W were prepared by microwave method and assessed for their wound healing activity on excision experimental model of wounds in rats. The developed nanocomposites have been characterised by physico‐chemical methods such as X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses. The wounded animals treated with the NPs/Ext in five groups for 18 days. Every 6 days, for measuring wound closure rate, three samples of each group were examined for histopathological analysis. The prepared tissue sections were investigated by haematoxylin and Eosin stainings for the formation of epidermis, dermis and muscular and Masson's trichrome staining for the formation of collagen fibres. These findings toughly support the probability of using this new ZnO/Ag/Ext materials dressing for a wound care performance with significant effect compared to other NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pectin‐conjugated CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals were prepared by using a microwave‐assisted approach without the addition of any external ligands. The prepared cubic phase CdS/ZnS nanocrystals were uniform and mono‐dispersed with sizes of 6–9 nm. The charge and long‐chain structure of pectin molecules effectively prevented the aggregation of CdS/ZnS nanocrystals. In addition, pectin molecules have multiple functional groups, such as O–H, C=O, and COO−, which could conjugate with the surface of samples to control the growth of CdS/ZnS nanocrystals. Thermogravimetric analysis provided evidence that the obtained products are inorganic–organic hybrid materials. Based on the analysis of ultraviolet–visible spectra, it was found that the formation of ZnS shell led to a red‐shift and an enhancement of absorption of CdS/ZnS nanocrystals compared with that of CdS. Photocatalytic activity of CdS/ZnS nanocrystals was monitored by the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The presence of ZnS shell inhibited photo‐corrosion and photo‐dissolution of CdS nanocatalyst, thus resulting in a significant enhancement of photocatalytic activity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel systematic technological process for ZnO‐thin‐film transistors (TFTs) fabrication was developed which turned out to achieve near‐zero threshold voltage devices with good performance and stability. A deuterium implantation method was realised as well to fabricate depletion n‐type ZnO TFTs. The inverters based on enhancement/depletion ZnO TFTs reached nearly full swing (0.01–5 V at 5 V VDD) and pretty large noise margin (VNML = 1.01 and VNMH = 3.61 V). Moreover, a transparent radio‐frequency identification (RFID) tag chip based on ZnO TFTs was developed. This tag with an anti‐collision algorithm for ISO‐14443 type‐A was first realised under 5 µm ZnO‐TFT technology. The proposed RFID tag exhibits ultra‐low‐power dissipation of <19.5 µW at 3 V VDD and a reasonable chip area of 4.7 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The versatility of the use of zinc oxide in numerous applications has attracted the attention of various academic research workers and industries. Various micro and nanostructures of zinc oxide have been explored owing to different growth methods and applications. In this research work, zinc oxide nanoflower is grown on a glass substrate using un‐complicated and a low‐cost hydrothermal method. Hydrolysis of zinc nitrate is done in a basic medium. The main criteria followed for such a structural growth is the control of the pH of the solution precursor. The grown structure is further characterised by using the scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. Synthesised zinc oxide nanostructure is utilised as a piezoelectric material in a nanogenerator. The maximum power per unit area of 2.6 mW/m2 is achieved. Simulation results of the similar zinc oxide nanostructure is also presented, which substantiate the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO thin film with different morphologies from seed, array to grass was grown by simple aqueous solution method under room temperature. The morphologies, structure, optical properties and photocatalytic properties of the samples were characterised by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, fluorescence spectrometer, UV–Vis spectrophotometer and photocurrent response. The results showed that the ZnO arrays and grassy ZnO were both hexagonal wurtzite with uniform distribution and regular growth on the glass substrate. ZnO thin film with different morphologies affected the utilisation efficiency of the ultraviolet light. Multiple light reflections inside the grassy ZnO greatly increase the light efficiency. The methyl blue degradation rate of grassy ZnO photocatalyst was superior under the UV light compared to the other ZnO morphologies. Grassy ZnO showed favourable stability after five cycles. The comparison of the ZnO semiconductor in different dimensions is helpful for further research on other photocatalysts as well as their potential application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the authors reported the hybrid architecture of carbon nanotube (CNT)–zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire as a multi‐functional probe in amperometric immunosensor for the detection of urine albumin. Low‐cost substrate such as glass is possible because of novel low‐temperature growth process of CNT/ZnO nanowires as a multi‐function electrode in this sensor. Based on Schottky like behaviour this structure exhibit excellent high current density to achieve higher performance. Measurement of urine albumin is a new way for early detection of diabetic and also low concentration of it in culture media is also considered in order to verify the conversion of stem cells to liver cells. Human albumin serum antibody is used as a selective and sensitive part. The amperometric performance of immunosensor is studied and showed excellent performance for detection of albumin in urine samples. Very high linear range (from 3.3 ng/µl to 3.3 mg/µl) with a correlation coefficient of 0.825 and low detection limit (3.3 ng/µl or 4.96 × 10−8 mol l−1) are the main characteristics of this sensor. Due to the high dynamic range and sensitivity, this sensor was also used in medical diagnosis and biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extracellular biosynthesis method has been developed to prepare cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) with strong fluorescence emission by incubating cheap Cd and Se inorganic salts with Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria. Ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the biosynthesised CdSe QDs have an average size of 3.1 nm, the excellent optical properties with fluorescence emission around 494 nm, and the good crystallinity. It was found that addition of 80 mg of mercaptosuccinic acid resulted in the formation of CdSe QDs with highest PL intensity. Furthermore, Fourier‐transform infrared spectra of as‐synthesised CdSe QDs confirmed the presence of a surface protein capping layer. The biosynthesised CdSe QDs were incorporated into the yeast cells as illustrated by laser confocal scanning microscopy images, showing a great potential in bio‐imaging and bio‐labelling application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to improve the electrical properties of dielectric liquids. An examination of the dielectric properties of mineral oil‐based nanofluids was carried out, using three different nanoparticle types: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and barium titanate, each with a mean diameter not exceeding 100 nm. The test samples were divided into two groups, including mineral oil mixed with nanoparticles at a concentration of 0.01 and 0.03% volume fraction, respectively. Determination of the AC breakdown voltage of the unmodified mineral oil and the nanofluid samples was performed through testing at temperatures varying within the range of 35–90°C in accordance with the standards of IEC 60156. Furthermore, testing was also performed to determine the dielectric dissipation factor (tanδ) for each of the liquid samples according to IEC 60247. From the study, it was shown that the performance of nanofluid was significantly affected by increasing the temperature. It could be observed from the findings that the use of nanoparticles in creating mineral oil‐based nanofluids had potential to bring a number of advantages in terms of dielectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents finite element time‐domain simulation of a SiO2/36°‐YX LiTaO3 Love wave (LW) delay line to explore coupled resonance phenomenon with ZnO nanorods designed on the top surface of the device. The effect of variation in ZnO nanorods height on the propagation of LW, mode‐transitions, area‐averaged stress, insertion loss, and mass sensitivity of the device is studied. Simulation results show that at the critical height of ZnO nanorods, coupled resonance occurs that causes a sharp swing in the phase shift indicating a transition from inertial to elastic loading. Coupled resonance increases the acoustic impedance of the device and also the average stress between nanorod and substrate interface. Simulation of mass loading is performed by applying an incremental surface mass density on the active area of the device. A nanorod packing density of 1μm−2 gives a high mass sensitivity of 728m2kg−1 which is more than ten times the sensitivity of a plain LW device. At the coupled resonant height, the insertion loss of the sensor increases, and a swing of about 1 dB is observed with variation in the nanorod height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(111)-oriented CdZnTe semiconductor material exhibits a crystal polarity and hence, a face terminated by Cd atoms, conventionally called (111) A face with an opposite face terminated by Te atoms, called (111) B face. These A and B faces have different properties. Their mechanical properties have been studied by mechanical indentation. Sample surfaces were carefully prepared and mechanically and chemically polished, while the crystalline orientation and material defectivity was monitored on both faces using x-ray rocking curve measurements around the (222) orientation in order to evaluate faces with similar quality. The elastic moduli and hardness values of the A and B faces of CdZnTe were similar. Hardness increased from 0.60 GPa to 0.90 GPa with Zn concentration on the B face as a result of solution strengthening. Crack formation and propagation was carefully studied. Both toughness value and crack resistance were affected by polarity. A model involving plastic dislocation flow is proposed to interpret the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HgCdTe (MCT) is a widely used semiconductor material used for manufacturing high-quality infrared detectors. At Sofradir, HgCdTe is grown by liquid phase epitaxy on lattice-matched CdZnTe substrates. Low threading dislocation densities (TDD) in the low 1 × 104 dislocations/cm2 are routinely obtained. Despite these low TDD levels, these dislocations are known to affect the electrical properties of photodiodes. Dislocation electrical behavior needs a deeper understanding in order to improve the manufacturing technology and the photodiode performance. In this study, we use Vickers micro-indentations to inject extra dislocations into dedicated areas of n on p mid-wave infrared photodiodes. The photodiodes were then characterized and analyzed theoretically thanks to I(V) and I(t) measurements under F/3 flux conditions (typical focal plane array illumination) at 110 K. Microindentations were performed close to the photodiodes in order to inject controlled high to very high dislocation densities. The effect of such an injection was then studied in depth on photodiodes. The electrical results have shown that the temporal variation of the current I(t) is mostly affected by the generation of extra dislocations. The same type of degradation of I(t) was observed in focal plane arrays, which confirms that dislocations play an important role in the generation of noise defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial activity of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanocomposites (NCs) has received wide spread attention in biomedical applications. In this direction, the authors prepared zinc oxide (ZnO), iron oxide (Fe3 O4), and their composite including reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by hydrothermal method. The structural and microstructural properties of the synthesised NPs and NCs were investigated by XRD, FT‐IR, UV‐Vis, TGA, and TEM analysis. PEG‐coated ZnO and Fe3 O4 form in hexagonal wurtzite and inverse spinel structures, respectively. ZnO forms in rod‐shaped (aspect ratio of ∼3) morphology, whereas well‐dispersed spherical‐shaped morphology of ∼10 nm is observed in Fe3 O4 NPs. The ZnO/Fe3 O4 composite possesses a homogeneous distribution of above two phases and shows a very good colloidal stability in aqueous solvent. These synthesised particles exhibited varying antibacterial activity against gram‐positive strain Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and gram‐negative strain Escherichia coli (E. coli). The nanocomposite exhibits a better cidal effect on E. coli when compared to S. aureus when treated with 1 mg/ml concentration. Further, the addition of rGO has intensified the anti‐bacterial effect to a much higher extent due to synergistic influence of individual components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of solar panels declines from its rated (standard testing conditions) value under low irradiance which typically occurs in the mornings, evenings and on cloudy days. In this work, the authors evaluate cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film panels due to their increasing market share and assess their low irradiance performance in comparison with conventional crystalline‐Silicon (c‐Si) panels. The performance of both material systems is analysed for a 4‐year period to evaluate their performance in terms of their relative change in efficiency and energy yield. Further analysis on a high‐resolution 8‐day measured data for winters and summers shows that CdTe panels provide ∼1.09% higher specific energy yield compared to c‐Si panels. This primarily occurs due to higher CdTe bandgap and better spectral response at lower insolation levels resulting in an enhanced relative efficiency with respect to c‐Si panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New drug delivery system (ZnO@CMS) of the redox and pH dual‐stimuli responsive based on colloidal mesoporous silica nanoparticles (CMS) has been designed, in which zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO QDs) as a capping agent was conjugated on the surface of nanoparticles by amide bonds. The release behaviour of doxorubicin (DOX) as the model drug from ZnO@CMS (ZnO@CMS‐DOX) indicated the redox and pH dual‐stimuli responsive properties due to the acidic dissolution of ZnO QDs and cleavage of the disulphide bonds. The haemolysis and bovine serum albumin adsorption assays showed that the modification of ZnO QDs on the mesoporous silica nanoparticles modified by mercapto groups (CMS‐SH)(ZnO@CMS) had better biocompatibility compared to CMS‐SH. The cell viability and cellular uptake tests revealed that the ZnO@CMS might achieve the antitumour effect on cancer cells due to the cytotoxicity of ZnO QDs. Therefore, ZnO@CMS might be potential nanocarriers of the drug delivery system in cancer therapy. The in vivo evaluation of ZnO@CMS would be carried out in future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, newly structured nanoparticles are synthesised and incorporated in the transformer oil for enhancing the dielectric properties. A new nanocrystalline series of zinc oxide (ZnO) and ZnO partially substituted by lanthanum oxide is presented for the first time, where the precursor technique is utilised to create the nano‐powders. Different partial substitutions facilitate to manipulate nanocrystalline sizes, and therefore the effect on nanofluid dielectric characteristics is attained. Another factor during the laboratory nanoparticles preparation is considered that the precursor is annealed at different temperatures. The nanocrystalline phase compositions are experimentally examined and evaluated using X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Accordingly, single‐phase and multi‐phase nanocrystalline powders are ascertained. The transformer oil incorporated with nanoparticles is prepared and its dielectric strength is measured using an oil breakdown voltage tester. The measured dielectric strength of transformer oil with and without nanoparticles is statistically evaluated using Weibull distribution. The most appropriate nanofluid and concentration are estimated experimentally. Toward interpreting the nanofluid dielectric enhancement, their electric field distribution is numerically evaluated at different nanoparticle concentrations using COMSOL multiphysics. This study supports the analysis and optimisation of transformer oil dielectric performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bio‐green methods of synthesis nanoparticles (NPs) have advantages over chemo‐physical procedures due to cost‐effective and ecofriendly products. The goal of current investigation is biosynthesis of zinc oxide NPs (ZnO‐NPs) and evaluation of their biological assessment. Water extract of Brassica napus pollen [rapeseed (RP)] prepared and used for the synthesis of ZnO‐NPs and synthesised ZnO‐NP characterised using ultraviolet–visible, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Antioxidant properties of ZnO‐NPs, cytotoxic and pro‐apoptotic potentials of NPs were also evaluated. The results showed that ZnO‐NPs have a hexagonal shape with 26 nm size. ZnO‐NPs synthesised in RP (RP/ZnO‐NPs) exhibited the good antioxidant potential compared with the butylated hydroxyanisole as a positive control. These NPs showed the cytotoxic effects against breast cancer cells (M.D. Anderson‐Metastasis Breast cancer (MDA‐MB)) with IC50 about 1, 6 and 6 μg/ml after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure, respectively. RP/ZnO‐NPs were found effective in increasing the expression of catalase enzyme, the enzyme involved in antioxidants properties of the cells. Bio‐green synthesised RP/ZnO‐NPs showed antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. The results of the present study support the advantages of using the bio‐green procedure for the synthesis of NPs as an antioxidant and as anti‐cancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the authors have successfully prepared the polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐coated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) and studied its effect in pancreatic cancer cells. The authors have observed a nanosized particle with spherical shape. In this study, the authors have demonstrated the cytotoxic effect of ZNP and PZNP in PANC1 cells. To be specific, PZNP was more cytotoxic compared to that of ZNP in PANC1 cancer cells. The authors have further showed that apoptosis is the main mode of cytotoxic activity. It is worth noting that PEGylation of ZNP did not decrease the cell killing activity of zinc particles, whereas it further increases its anticancer effect in the pancreatic cancer cells. The authors have observed a significant upregulation of proapoptotic BAX while expression of antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 was significantly downregulated indicating the potent anticancer effect of zinc nanoparticles. Overall, PEGylation of ZNP could be an effective strategy to improve the stability, while at the same time, its anticancer activity could be enhanced for better therapeutic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their unique properties, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are invested in many industries, commercial products, and nanomedicine with potential risk for human health and the environment. The present study aims to focus on alterations that might be induced by ZnO NPs in the nephron ultrastructure. Male Wister Albino rats were subjected to ZnO NPs at a daily dose of 2 mg/kg for 21 days. Kidney biopsies were processed to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultrastructural pathology examinations. Exposure to ZnO NPs‐induced ultrastructural alterations in the proximal convoluted tubules (PCTs) and to lesser extent in the distal ones (DCTs), while the loops of Henle were almost not affected. The glomeruli demonstrated dilatation, partial mesangial cells loss, matrix ballooning, slits filtration widening, and basement membrane thickening. Moreover, PCT revealed cytoplasmic necrosis, vacuolation, erosion, and disorganisation of the apical microvilli together with mitochondrial swelling and cristae destruction. The nuclei of the renal cells exhibited nuclear deformity, heterochromatin accumulation, and apoptotic activities. The findings indicate that ZnO nanomaterial have the potential to affect the nephron ultrastructure suggesting alteration in the kidney functions. More work is needed for better understanding the toxicity and pathogenesis of ZnO oxide nanomaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondrosarcoma is the second‐most malignant cancer of the bone and routine treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have not responded to the treatment of this cancer. Due to the resistance of chondrosarcoma to radiotherapy, the combination of therapeutic methods has been considered in recent years. In this study, a novel combination approach is used that allows photodynamic therapy to be activated by X‐rays. The synthesis of Mn‐doped zinc sulphide (ZnS) quantum dots was carried out and chlorin e6 photosensitiser attached by covalent and non‐covalent methods and their application as an intracellular light source for photodynamic activation was investigated. The toxicity of each nanoparticles was evaluated on chondrosarcoma cancer cells (SW1353) before and after radiation. Also, the effect nanoparticle‐photosensitiser conjugated type was investigated in the therapeutic efficacy. The characterisation test (SEM, TEM, EDS, TGA, XRD and ICP analyses) was shown successful synthesis of Mn‐doped ZnS quantum dots. Chondrosarcoma cancer cell viability was significantly reduced when cells were treated with MPA‐capped Mn‐doped ZnS quantum dots‐chlorin e6 with spermine linker and with covalent attachment (P ≤ 0.001). These results indicate that X‐ray can activate the quantum dot complexes for cancer treatment, which can be a novel method for treatment of chondrosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]