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The present study deals with the synthesis, characterization, and testing of a novel composite, zirconium(IV) phosphate-coated polyaniline (ZrPO4@PANI), toward the adsorption- and surface-controlled toxicity applications. Following the synthesis of the ZrPO4@PANI composite using the sol–gel route, various characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction were employed to confirm its surface functionality, morphology and agglomeration, and crystallinity and crystal nature, respectively. The composite was found to be effective toward the adsorptive removal of the methylene blue dye (an organic pollutant) as against the changes in the dye concentration, dose, pH, and so forth. Also, to understand the MB adsorption kinetics, the experimental data were evaluated using the Langmuir and Freundlich models and the results were described in accordance with the Langmuir isotherm model (an adsorption capacity of 120.48 mg/g at ambient temperature). In addition, the tests conducted using pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic models confirmed the existence of pseudo-second-order rates. Furthermore, the calculation of thermodynamic parameters for the MB adsorption, namely, changes in enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs’ free energy, exhibited a spontaneous, feasible, and exothermic nature. Finally, the comparative studies of in vitro toxicity and flow cytometry confirmed that the copresence of ZrPO4 along with PANI significantly improved the biocompatibility. The outcome of the experimental results implies that the composite is capable enough of serving as the safe and low-cost adsorbent, in addition to supporting the effective capping of the surface toxicity of PANI.

This work addresses manufacture, testing and simulation of foot valve lever (FVL) for monoblock pump industry, using a cost-effective casting design process. The impact of different types of sands, such as air-set, dry and sodium silicate as well as gating designs, namely H-, U- and O-type, were studied with respect to surface roughness and porosity. The mold pattern was produced using additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Both experimental and numerical investigations were performed on the temperature distribution of molten metal at random locations for the different gating configurations or designs, considering mold filling and solidification. It was evident from the experimental investigation that contribution of air-set sand and O-type gating architecture showed limited consistency effects. Importantly, gating architecture was the most influential parameter to determine all specified quality outcomes, independent of sand mold. An order of O

This study aimed to examine the integrity of two-cavity sand casting products in relation to the angular orientation of gating design. Two angular orientations of 60° and 45° were investigated experimentally and numerically and compared with the efficiency of a 90° gating system. The FLOW three-dimensional (3D) simulation was conducted to detect smooth filling and describe the pattern of molten aluminium LM4 (Al–Si5Cu3) alloy flow. From the results obtained, the turbulent flow was observed with vortex, which created a larger surface gap to allow air entrapment in molten metal. For both instances, casting discontinuities such as blow holes, pin holes, sponge shrinkage, sand inclusions, and dross were observed on the cut 2 mm machined surfaces of the moulded components with various degrees of intensity. Visual analysis, optical microscopy, ultrasonic and X-ray measurements were conducted to check the accuracy of the experimental components. All the defect detection methods depicted the fewest manufacturing defects with 45° angular orientation, which was attributed to uninterrupted flow of molten metal and low backflow strain. The component with 90° exhibited significant defects due to turbulent flow, entrapment of air bubbles, lack of mould filling, and uneven solidification. These factors consequently caused irregular cracks in the material. Therefore, practically, 45° angular orientation of gating design with two-cavity mould set-up is hereby recommended for optimum/best quality sand casting of aluminium LM4 (Al–Si5Cu3) alloy components, as required in many manufacturing companies.

The present study deals with the green synthesis, physical characterization, and antibacterial activity testing of various metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) formed by making use of the star fruit ext...

Cadmium oxide (CdO) had long been investigated for decades as prototypical wide-band-gap transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) possessing excellent n-type ability having its implications in the field of photo electronics. Despite this, there exists an uncertainty on the toxicity of CdO content during the synthesis and product retrieval which limits their use in biological applications. In this context, an approach to enhance the inbuilt properties of CdO particles by the means of loading (in coating form) with gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) to generate Au@CdO nanoconstructs (NCs) has been reported. Thus, formed Au@CdO NCs have been characterized by various spectroscopic and electron microscopic analysis for the structural, optical, and biological properties. For example, the UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed a typical λmax of CdO at 302 nm, and for the Au@CdO, a shift toward 496 nm was observed. The diffraction pattern demonstrated the crystalline phase corresponding to (1 1 1) plane with mean grain sizes of 24.9 and 30.6 nm for the CdO and Au@CdO, respectively. The FTIR and optical studies highlighted the intermolecular bonding with an increased bandgap confirming the efficient coating of Au onto CdO. The FESEM demonstrated spherical-to-elliptical-shaped anisotropic particles following the coating of CdO with Au and the grain size getting increased from 30 to 42 nm. On testing of the photocatalytic activity, we found that the Au@CdO NCs efficiently degraded the Rhodamine B dye (96% in 180 min) following the irradiation under artificial UV light. Furthermore, the Au@CdO NCs showed a significant antimicrobial effect at 80 μg/mL associated with a decline in the cell count. Alongside, the IC50 of Au@CdO against A549 and PBMC cells was fixed at 46.87 and 55.14 μg/mL, respectively. Such multifaceted Au@CdO NCs possessing optical properties might present themselves as the potential candidates for the extended photocatalytic and biomedical applications.

Polylactic acid (PLA), although has many interesting physicochemical characteristics, the strong hydrophobicity and a lack of antibacterial activity restricting its widespread application in the medical sector. In a view of addressing some of the limitations of PLA, the current study aimed to test the antibacterial efficacy of active metal-doped bioceramic/PLA composite formed by the fused deposition manufacturing (FDM) technique. For the testing, we prepared polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) bound silver-hydroxyapatite (Ag-HAp) composite and further applied as a low-temperature coating onto the PLA scaffold designed for the appropriate cell development, differentiation, and bio-mineral establishment. From the analysis, we revealed that the larger surface area of three-dimensional (3D) printed composite material having the matrix porosity makes it a perfect biocompatible material with no loss to its mechanical potency. The HAp/PLA and Ag-HAp/PLA composites were tested for the hemocompatibility, and antibacterial activity (gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria). Further, the mechanical property of the Ag-HAp/PLA scaffold was tested. The results demonstrated that the Ag-HAp/PLA composite offers the biocompatibility and antibacterial ability and therefore can serve as the potential bone implant material. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) hybrid composites builds vertically due to the achievement of custom-made properties with lightweight. However, these materials have finding limitations in exceptional circumstances due to the unpredicted sustainability. Hence, it is necessary to create the database for the durable and sustainable low-density FRP hybrid composites with the support of significant experimental investigations. This review paper is mainly covers durability studies of various FRP hybrid composites under different environmental conditions. The thermal ageing, hydrothermal ageing, sea water, acid and alkali environment, ultraviolet radiation and stress cycle effects were extensively discussed with suitable scientific evidence in this work. Further, most of the FRP composites are rapidly degraded by underwater conditions at high temperatures. The failure mechanisms such as delamination, degradation of fibre and matrix, poor interfacial adhesion, matrix surface cracking, etc. are found to be dominant in the FRP composites under the hydrothermal and acid environment conditions also covered. The combination of natural/synthetic hybrid composites and addition of some nano fillers enhance the durability performance of hybrid composites significantly. However, ageing properties of hybrid polymer composites in different environment conditions need to study for various applications. The review process revealed that the life cycles of hybrid FRP composites mainly affected by stress cycle based on continuous usage.

The present study deals with the synthesis and characterization of cadmium mercury thiocyanate bis(N-methyl formamide) or CMTN crystals where they were grown in two critical steps. In the first step, cadmium mercury thiocyanate (CMTC) single crystals were grown by intriguing cadmium chloride, mercuric chloride, and ammonium thiocyanate in 1:1:4 ratio and mixed with solvent by a slow solvent evaporation technique. The second step involves the reaction between CMTC and N-methyl formamide (NMF) in a 1:2 ratio leading to the formation of CMTN crystals. The growth parameters of CMTN grown crystals were optimized at different pHs (1- 5) and the solubility curve has also been reported. On characterization, the orthorhombic crystallinity having Pna21 space group of as-grown CMTN crystals has been revealed by single X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and the lattice cell parameters are found to be a = 15.195 A, b = 7.722A, c = 16.162 A, and α = β = γ = 90°. Single the phase crystallinity of CMTN is observed by powder XRD pattern and the increase in the intensity of index peaks shows that there exists good coordination between the CMTC and NMF compounds. The FTIR analysis supported the presence of surface ligands groups of thiocyanate, while the Raman spectroscopy confirmed for the coordination of thiocyanate ions in the CMTN compound and thus both established for the metal-ligand bonding. The UV-vis spectroscopy showed the optical transparency of CMTN to have the cutoff wavelength at 335 nm and the Kurtz powder method for studying the second harmonic generation (SHG) output power is 5 times higher than the reference. Further increase of dielectric constant and dielectric loss with respect to the changes in frequency makes it a suitable material for the construction of photonic and non-linear optical (NLO) devices.

The present work deals with the synthesis and characterization of p-Toluidinium picrate (PTP), an organic non-linear optical single crystal, produced by the solvent evaporation growth technique at room temperature condition. For the physical characterization, different instrumental techniques like powder XRD analysis for the crystallinity, FTIR, and laser Raman spectral analyses for the nature of chemical bonding and functionality, the ultraviolet spectrum for the optical absorption properties, etc were employed. Following the instrumental analysis, on testing of the photoluminescence properties, we observed the first emission peak at 359 nm in the UV region, and two other emission peaks around 443 nm and 460 nm corresponding to the blue emission region. Also, we investigated PTP's dielectric behaviour at different frequencies and room temperature, where the solid-state parameters such as plasma energy, Penn gap, Fermi energy, and polarizability were measured. Based on the overall analysis of optical, photoluminescence, and dielectric properties, it can be mentioned that the synthesized PTP crystals might have potential applications in the development of semiconducting, supercapacitor, and non-linear optical devices.

In the present study, an amino acid derivatives, L-alanine (LA) and Bismuth nitrate-doped L-alanine (BNLA) crystals were grown by the slow evaporation technique. The crystal structure and quality of the grown crystal were examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) and powder XRD. The X-ray diffraction analysis of LA and BNLA crystals confirmed the orthorhombic crystal system without any internal structural grain boundaries. The optical properties of the LA and BNLA crystals have been determined using UV-Visible spectroscopy and Photoluminescence (PL). The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the crystal was measured using Kurtz powder technique. The dielectric constant measurement was performed at room temperature for different frequencies. Photoconductivity tests show that the LA and BNLA crystals have negative photoconductivity value. On testing of the retentivity or remanent magnetization, the BNLA crystal has increased values as compared to the pure LA crystals, in addition to the observation of changes in coercivity. Further, the observation of maximum intensity peak for the BNLA crystal at 346.9 nm pointed out that the crystal has blue fluorescence emission. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of the grown crystal were studied using Z-scan technique. The enhancement in nonlinear refractive index and third-order NLO susceptibility value shows that the grown BNLA crystals may be of good quality and less in defect than that of pure LA crystals.

This innovative work presents mechanical, physical and chemical characterization and analysis of newly extracted fiber from naturally resourced plant stem, named Spinifex littoreus fibers (SLF). This is a novel natural, biodegradable and sustainable reinforcement for an improved composite. Initially, the chemical constituents of SLF, such as cellulose, lignin, moisture and wax content were studied. The raw SLF surfaces were modified by chemical treatment with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and silane. A polyester matrix was reinforced with all the treated SLF, before the mechanical properties (tensile strengths) of the composites were determined. Among all the surface chemically treated SLF/polyester composite samples, the Ca(OH)2 treated sample exhibited the highest tensile strength. Further microscopic examination was carried out to validate this result. Also, this analysis established the mechanism of failure of the tensile fractured composite samples, using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), among other techniques.

The present study aims to develop a hydroxyapatite (HAP) based scaffold composite for orthopaedic applications and for that, we adopt a Casein (Cs) micelle assisted synthesis route for the formation of a composite. Following the synthesis and characterization of various fluorine (2% and 5%) substituted HAPs (FHAP), they have been tested for the release of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) drug and antimicrobial efficacy. The physicochemical characterization such as FTIR and Raman confirms the successful formation of the HAP composites. Similarly, the powder XRD and FESEM analysis have used for the confirmation of crystallinity and morphological behaviour, respectively. The elemental composition has confirmed using EDX analysis. The antimicrobial studies indicate that the 5% FHAP sample is possessing superior antifungal and antibacterial activities and the highest activity has been observed against the gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) with an inhibition zone of 47 mm while the gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) has only 38 mm inhibition zone. The CIP drug release profile has been controlling with the Cs/5% FHAP sample. Therefore, this composite has carried out for the scaffold formation with the use of chitosan-alginate matrices. Further, characterization of chitosan-alginate/5% FHAP scaffold composite indicates porous, biodegradable, considerable water uptake and retention ability, along with the maintenance of controlled CIP drug-releasing properties. Based on the analysis, the as-synthesized chitosan-alginate/5% FHAP scaffold composite can be suitable for the biomedical and bioengineering applications of bone tissue growth and as an implant.

To overcome some of the limitations of activated carbon like efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reusability, the present work deals with Cu(I)-based polyaniline (PANI) composite for the removal of reactive orange 16 (RO16) dye. Following the synthesis and characterization of formed Cu(I)-PANI composite, the batch experiments performed for the removal of RO16 dye indicated that the composite has the capacity to reduce the coloring from RO16. The experiments were conducted for the study of effects against changes in pH, time, and dose at room temperature, where we observed for a pH impact on the dye adsorption capacity in the range of 2–12. Among all, the optimal RO16 removal was found to be 94.77% at a pH of 4 and in addition, the adsorption kinetics confirmed to be pseudo-second-order with more suitability towards the Langmuir isotherm, where it is presumed to be the formation of a monolayer of dye molecule at the homogeneous absorbent surface. The calculated maximum capacity, qm, determined from the Langmuir model was 392.156 mg/g. Further application of isotherms to attain thermodynamic parameters, a slight positive value of ΔS° for RO16 adsorption was observed, meaning that there is an increased randomness in the irregular pattern at the specific Cu(I)-PANI interface for an adsorption process. This mechanism plays an essential role in maintaining the effects of water pollution, and, based on the analysis therefore, it is prominent that the Cu(I)-PANI composite can be employed as a promising and economical adsorbent for the treatment of RO16 and other dye molecules from the sewage in wastewater.

A portable electrochemical aptamer-antibody based sandwich biosensor has been designed and successfully developed using an aptamer bioreceptor immobilized onto a screen-printed electrode surface for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) detection in clinical sputum samples. In the sensing strategy, a CFP10-ESAT6 binding aptamer was immobilized onto a graphene/polyaniline (GP/PANI)-modified gold working electrode by covalent binding via glutaraldehyde linkage. Upon interaction with the CFP10-ESAT6 antigen target, the aptamer will capture the target where the nano-labelled Fe3O4/Au MNPs conjugated antibody is used to complete the sandwich format and enhance the signal produced from the aptamer–antigen interaction. Using this strategy, the detection of CFP10-ESAT6 antigen was conducted in the concentration range of 5 to 500 ng/mL. From the analysis, the detection limit was found to be 1.5 ng/mL, thereby demonstrating the efficiency of the aptamer as a bioreceptor. The specificity study was carried out using bovine serum albumin (BSA), MPT64, and human serum, and the result demonstrated good specificity that is 7% higher than the antibody–antigen interaction reported in a previous study. The fabricated aptasensor for M. tuberculosis analysis shows good reproducibility with an relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.5%. Further analysis of M. tuberculosis in sputum samples have shown good correlation with the culture method with 100% specificity and sensitivity, thus making the aptasensor a promising candidate for M. tuberculosis detection considering its high specificity and sensitivity with clinical samples.

Titanium oxide (TiO2) is one of the most scrutinized material because of its in-built fundamental properties and has been developed as an outstanding photo-catalytic material intended for many different industrial applications. In order to further explore the properties of TiO2, we prepared Copper-loaded TiO2 (Cu-TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) for inhibiting the growth of bacterial cells and also to serve as a chemical sensor. The physico-chemical characteristics of the synthesized Cu-TiO2 NPs were characterized by many different techniques for the crystallinity, bonding and functionality, morphology, elemental composition, and absorption characteristics. From the results, we confirm for the formation of anatase phase of TiO2 having a tetragonal crystal system, while the morphology studies indicated that the Cu dope TiO2 has spherical morphology. The elemental analysis confirmed for the inclusion of Cu into TiO2 crystal lattice and the absorption spectroscopic analysis helped for the bandgap calculation and visible light absorption property of Cu-TiO2 NPs. The metal nanoclusters of Cu are observed to be deposited on different phases and sites of TiO2 resulting in the inter-band transitions. Further, the sensitivity of Cu-TiO2 as a chemical sensor is determined by fabricating the electrode at the FTO glass substrate where the ethanol sensitivity was found to be little increased/enhanced with Cu loading. Finally, the antibacterial activity of Cu-TiO2 NPs was confirmed by its activity against various bacterial cultures and are found to be efficient.

A new series of lanthanum(III) complexes was synthesized using a p-anisidine-appended 1-hydroxy-2-acetonapthanone (3) Schiff base and characterized via spectroscopic methods. The ligand was synthesized via sonication and the crystalline product was characterized using X-ray crystallography. The genotoxicity of the compound was assessed primarily by the bacterial reverse mutation (Ames) test and the in vitro mammalian chromosome aberration test; in both cases, the samarium complex 5 was found to be non-mutagenic. The anti-tumor activity of complexes 4, 5, and 6 was assayed against HeLa tumor cells and screened using the MTT assay. The IC50 value of complex 5 was found to be 34 ± 1.2 μg mL−1 and this compound exhibited superior activity towards the cells compared to 4 and 6. These results were further confirmed by Hoechst 33258 staining and AO/EI dual staining, which indicated that the cells underwent an apoptosis mechanism in a dose-dependent manner. The apoptosis was further confirmed by the formation of ladders in the DNA fragmentation assay, and the western blot analysis of complex 5 suggested that the cells underwent the caspase-3-dependent pathway with PARP cleavage. Furthermore, the docking studies of complex 5 with HSA showed that it was situated in a hydrophilic cavity held by the electrostatic attraction of four hydrogen-bonding interactions. PDB ID:1BNA binds with complex 5 via strong π–π stacking interactions, which facilitate binding with the major grooves of DNA strands. The above-mentioned results illustrate that for complex 5, mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis occurs via caspase-3 activation. Complex 5 binds with DNA via intercalation because of S-phase cell cycle arrest in the HeLa cells.

The tissue engineering (TE) field is an integrated discipline that makes use of principles from both engineering and natural sciences so as to achieve the replacement, repair, and improve the functions of diseased cells and the associated malfunctioning of tissues through the involvement of biological materials. In this context, the present study deals with the efficacy of biomaterial scaffold modified with a plant extract towards the regeneration of bone tissue. To that aim, we fabricated porous hydroxyapatite (HAP) scaffolds via a template-assisted polymer sponge replication technique using gum ghatti (GG) as a natural binding agent. With the use of a polymer replication method for the formation of porous HAP scaffolds, the unique formulation of water and GG plant extract as a solvent were examined. Thus, the formed scaffolds were thoroughly characterized to determine their structural, functional, and morphological, as well as mechanical properties by making use of many instrumental techniques. Following the physical characterization, the degradation stability and bioactivity of the scaffolds were assessed using simulated body fluid (SBF). Furthermore, some preliminary investigations such as cytotoxicity, biocompatibility, and cell proliferation tests were performed by seeding MDCK cell lines. From the analysis of the results, we indicate that the prepared HAP scaffold is a suitable material due to its ability to form a spongy bone architecture that is mechanically stable and has a highly interconnected micro and macroporous nature with a pore size of ∼200–500 μm. In addition, from the results of bioactivity and biocompatibility studies, therefore, we propose that the prepared unique formulations might be developed as suitable porous scaffold materials for bone tissue engineering applications.

In this work, nanospherical hydroxyapatite (HAP) was prepared that has combined properties of controlled drug delivery, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activity to have applications in the biomedical sector. The composite was formed by the sintering of HAP in the presence of Gum acacia (GA) as an emulsifier (at 600 °C) and the composite's physical properties like nucleation, size, shape, crystallinity, and surface area were characterized using spectroscopic, electron microscopic and BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) studies. Typical results of the FTIR study revealed the presence of characteristic phosphate and carbonate groups of HAP and XRD provided the mean crystallite size of GA-HAP in the range of 20–50 nm. The electron micrograph of GA-HAP showed nanorods with a smooth surface interspersed in GA with particle size

The present study deals with the synthesis, characterization, and testing of photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of organic dyes and for that, nitrogen-rich graphitic carbon nitride/cuprous oxide (g-C3N4@Cu2O) composite was synthesized with improved photocatalytic performance using the hydrothermal method. For the characterization of composite, many different techniques are employed such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the chemical functionality and bonding, diffused reflectance ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy for the optical properties, powdered X-ray diffraction patterning for the phase purity and crystal orientations, field emission scanning electron microscopy for the surface morphology, thermogravimetric analysis for the thermal stability, and dynamic light scattering spectroscopy for the zeta-potentials. On testing, we observed significant effects of photocatalytic activity in terms of the degradation of various dyes like methylene blue, rhodium-B, thymol blue, and blue ink solution under the UV light irradiation using 8 W xenon lamp. Such a significant activity of the composite can be linked to the increased light absorption, charge separation efficiency, and specific surface area as indicated by the UV–vis DRS analysis. Further, the mechanistic analysis confirmed the active role played by the holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (·O2−) for photocatalytic dye degradation.

The monitoring of chemical and antibiotic residues like amoxicillin, penicillin, tetracycline, and vancomycin in the food originating from the animal and plant sources can prevent the humans from getting exposed to the antibiotic-induced allergic reactions and also decreased immunity towards the microbial population. By taking into consideration the necessity of developing effective and sensitive techniques for milk containing Penicillin G antibiotics in an easy and cost-effective mode, the present work deals with the electrochemical sensor made up of nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs). In order to enhance the chemical stability and biocompatibility, the NiNPs were crosslinked with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and the formed composite was thoroughly characterized using the physical characterization techniques. In addition, the qualitative analysis results confirmed the nanocomposite’s synergetic effect towards the oxidation of Penicillin G. Further, the quantitative analysis towards the use of a nanocomposite electrode due to the changes in pH, scan rate, accumulation time and potential, nanoparticle (NP) amount, etc. was optimized. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation of Penicillin G with this composite were detected to be 0.00031 μM and 0.00100 μM, respectively. Overall, from the results, it can be indicated that the fabricated NiNP sensor can find its applications as a potential electrode material for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of Penicillin G in liquid samples.

In continuation to our earlier work on nickel (Ni)-arsenate (As) composite, the current work deals with the electrical conductivity and mechanical resistivity of the same composite by means of its further reinforcement with the polylactic acid (PLA) polymer. For the PLA-Ni-As composite, we understand from the electrochemical studies that the conductivity is strongly influenced by the temperature and due to the presence of external electrolyte. The DC electrical conductivity approach used for the temperature dependency provided the information that the conductivity falls in the semiconductor zone ranging at 10−3 S cm−1, thereby indicating that it followed the Arrhenius equation. In addition, we found in terms of the mechanical properties that the PLA-Ni-As composite outperformed the plain, untreated Ni-As composite by reducing the activation energy. For the mechanical resistivity studies we found that the 25% PLA-loaded Ni-As material significantly improved the tensile strength and modulus, elongation at break %, impact properties and also the flexural strength and modulus as against the plain and other combinations due to enhanced interfacial interactions. The cell viability and proliferations studies tested against two different cell lines provided the information that the presence of polymer reduces the toxic response of arsenic material. From the cumulative analysis therefore, we indicate that the PLA-Ni-As composite can be a potential candidate to find its uses in the electrochemical and solar cells, in addition to automotive and aerospace industry.

In this study, we studied the DNA extraction capability of poly(4,4′-cyclohexylidene bisphenol oxalate) following the surface modification and composite formation with that of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs). The physical characterization techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed for the poly(bisphenol Z oxalate)-MCC-magnetite composite during different stages of its formation. The results confirmed the successful modification of the polymer surface. On testing in the presence of three types of binding buffers, a high value of 72.4% (out of 10,000 ng/μL) efficiency with a total yield of DNA at 2×106 ng and absorbance ratio of A260/A280 (1.980) was observed for the 2 M GuHCl/EtOH binding buffer. These results were compared against the other two buffers of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and NaCl. The lowest value of DNA extraction efficiency at 8125 ng/μL of 58.845% with absorbance ratios of A260/A280 (1.818) for PBS was also observed. The study has concluded an enhancement in the DNA extraction efficiency when the polymer is in the composite stage along with cellulose and magnetite particles as compared against the bare polymer.

In view of the methyl orange (MO) dye on everyday applications in the textile, food, leather, paper, printing, and pharmaceuticals industry, in addition to its toxic behaviour on human health, we have developed a biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA)-based cerium dioxide (CeO2)-graphene oxide (GO) composite by means of a sol-gel technique and tested its efficacy. For the study, the PLA polymer obtained is of renewable agriculture waste origin (sugarcane bagasse) and was isolated by means of fermentation of the feedstock followed by the polymerization of lactic acid. The instrumental techniques such as the powdered x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy etc. were employed for the physical characterization of the material. The various parameters such as the kinetics, desorption, regeneration, pH, isotherm theories, and ionic strength were tested towards the adsorption of MO dye onto the surface of GO-PLA-CeO2 composite. The outcome of the study exhibited that the GO-PLA-CeO2 composite revealed promising behaviour for the dye removal, which was allocated to the efficacy of GO, PLA, and CeO2 properties. Also, the adsorption process of GO-PLA-CeO2 is completely dependent on the initial concentration of MO and the adsorption equilibrium fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm. In addition, the electrochemical characterization of the composite was studied by means of CV and impedance measurements. Based on the outcome of the results, it can be said that the GO-PLA-CeO2 composite may be applied as a suitable electrode material along with its efficient adsorption properties for the removal of MO dye from wastewater.

Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems are an emerging technology for the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer therapy with low/no toxicity to the non-cancer cells. With that view, the present work reports the synthesis, characterization, and testing of Mn:ZnS quantum dots (QDs) conjugated chitosan (CS)-based nanocarrier system encapsulated with Mitomycin C (MMC) drug. This fabricated nanocarrier, MMC@CS-Mn:ZnS, has been tested thoroughly for the drug loading capacity, drug encapsulation efficiency, and release properties at a fixed wavelength (358 nm) using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer. Followed by the physicochemical characterization, the cumulative drug release profiling data of MMC@CS-Mn:ZnS nanocarrier (at pH of 6.5, 6.8, 7.2, and 7.5) were investigated to have the highest release of 56.48% at pH 6.8, followed by 50.22%, 30.88%, and 10.75% at pH 7.2, 6.5, and 7.5, respectively. Additionally, the drug release studies were fitted to five different pharmacokinetic models including pesudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Higuchi, Hixson–Crowell, and Korsmeyers–Peppas models. From the analysis, the cumulative MMC release suits the Higuchi model well, revealing the diffusion-controlled mechanism involving the correlation of cumulative drug release proportional to the function square root of time at equilibrium, with the correlation coefficient values (R2) of 0.9849, 0.9604, 0.9783, and 0.7989 for drug release at pH 6.5, 6.8, 7.2, and 7.5, respectively. Based on the overall results analysis, the formulated nanocarrier system of MMC synergistically envisages the efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the target cancerous sites, able to sustain it for a longer time, etc. Consequently, the developed nanocarrier system has the capacity to improve the drug loading efficacy in combating the reoccurrence and progression of cancer in non-muscle invasive bladder diseases.

Background The primary role of bone tissue engineering is to reconcile the damaged bones and facilitate the speedy recovery of the injured bones. Whilst, some of the investigated metallic implants suffer from stress-shielding, palpability, biocompatibility, etc. Consequently, the biodegradable scaffolds fabricated from polymers have gathered much attention from researchers and thus helped the tissue engineering sector by providing many alternative materials whose functionality is similar to that of natural bones. Material and methods Herein, we present the fabrication and testing of a novel composite, magnesium (Mg)-doped hydroxyapatite (HAp) glazed onto polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds where polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) used as a binder. For the composite formation, Creality Ender-3 pro High Precision 3D Printer with Shape tool 3D Technology on an FSD machine operated by Catia design software was employed. The composite has been characterized for the crystallinity (XRD), surface functionality (FTIR), morphology (FESEM), biocompatibility (hemolytic and protein absorption), and mechanical properties (stress-strain and maximum compressive strength). Results The powdered XRD analysis confirmed the semicrystalline nature and intact structure of HAp even after doping with Mg, while FTIR studies for the successful formation of Mg-HAp/PVA@PLA composite. The FESEM provided analysis indicated for the 3D porous architecture and well-defined morphology to efficiently transport the nutrients, and the biocompatibility studies are supporting that the composite is blood compatible with the surface being suitable enough for the protein absorption. Finally, the composite's antibacterial activity (against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and the test of mechanical properties supported for the enhanced inhibition of active growth of microorganisms and maximum compressive strength, respectively. Conclusion Based on the research outcomes of biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, and mechanical resistance, the fabricated Mg-HAp/PVA@PLA composite suits well as a promising biomaterial platform for orthopedic applications by functioning towards the open reduction internal fixation of bone fractures and internal repairs.

&nbsp, In the present report, we provide the results of the molecular biology studies of spiroheterocyclic hybrids, where the derivatives are found to possess potential anticancer activity towards cancer cells. A series of spiroxindole&ndash, pyrrolidine heterocyclic hybrids were evaluated for cell viability and proliferation against HepG2 cancer cells at concentrations in the range of 12.5&ndash, 200 &micro, g/mL over two different time periods of 24 and 48 h. In addition, the highly active compounds were also verified for their behavior towards noncancer cells (L929 cells), and it was found that the tested derivatives were not aggressive due to the observation of only limited cell loss, as compared to the cancer cells. Further analysis of the observed toxicity mechanism showed the apoptotic pathway was mediated by oxidative stress, with the involvement of caspases.

Although the material hydroxyapatite (HAP) has excellent porous, biocompatible, and biodegradable properties, its mechanical strength and microbial inhibition rate are not adequate for its direct use in bone tissue engineering or in constructing artificial teeth. To overcome some of its limitations, in the present study, we have formed an organic-inorganic composite with an altered internal structureviadoping selenium (Se) cations into the lattice of HAP. We have synthesized Se-substituted HAP (Se-HAP) composites with different Se/P ratios (0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 M)viaa wet chemical route in which two different sets of samples were collected (1) after only precipitation (referred to as the precipitation method) and (2) after precipitation followed by sonication (referred to as the sonochemical method). FTIR and Raman spectroscopic analyses confirmed the successful doping of Se into the HAP matrices, while powder XRD studies indicated their highly crystalline nature, which was significantly influenced by Se doping. The XRD data also showed that the Se-HAP particles formed by the precipitation method have a size of 56 nm and those formed by the sonochemical method have a size of 29 nm. Morphological analysis by means of SEM and TEM indicated that the sonochemical method produces well-defined rod-shaped particles, while the precipitation method produces particles with agglomerated structures. Hemolytic studies confirmed that the Se-HAP particles are biocompatible, and that the hemolytic ratio increases with the Se content. In addition, antibacterial studies indicated that Se-HAP responds quite well against a Gram-positive strain (S. aureus), on a par with the response to a Gram-negative strain (P. aeruginosa). Finally,in vitrocell viability and proliferation studies indicated an increase in the proliferation capacity of non-cancer cells (NIH-3T3 fibroblasts) and a considerable reduction in the viability of cancer cells (MG-63 osteosarcoma). Based on the overall analysis, the Se-HAP samples formed by the sonochemical approach could have potential for biomedical applications in bone cell repair, growth, and regeneration.

Structurally interesting N-pyridinylmethyl engrafted bisarylmethylidenepyridinones with high functionality have been constructed in good yield. The structural interpretation of these compounds has been done with the aid of spectroscopic analysis and further established by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Following physical characterization, the synthesized compounds were tested for their in vitro anticancer activity against HepG2 cancer cells and it was found that all of the compounds exhibited some level of activity. We observed a significant level of cell viability losses to the cancer cells, while only smaller losses to the non-cancer cells were observed. Besides, the mechanistic investigation of toxicology revealed that the cancer cells were undergoing apoptotic pathway, induced by the generation of oxidative stress and the involvement of caspases. The analysis provides preliminary evidence for the successful control of cancer cells with a minimal effect on healthy normal cells because of the high IC50 levels and cell death mechanisms.

DNA gyrase and Topoisomerase IV are promising antibacterial drug targets as they regulate bacterial DNA replication and topology. In a quest for novel DNA topoisomerase inhibitors, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted that involves computational prediction of binding sites and molecular modelling followed by green synthesis and biological evaluation of antibacterial activity of spirobenzimidazo quinazolines derivatives. Using basic quantum chemistry principles, we evaluated spirobenzimidazo quinazolines derivatives with their pharmacokinetic profiles. Based on the results of the aforesaid in-silico studies, we synthesized a series of titled compounds using green synthetic methodology that were validated as potential antimicrobial agents. Quantum chemoinformatics based predicted activity for the synthesized compounds 9b, 9c, and 9j was concomitant with biological evaluation of broadspectrum antibacterial activity. Biological evaluation revealed that inhibition of biofilm formation was due to their potential antibacterial activity. We believe that the novel spirobenzimidazo quinazolines have the potential to be alternatives to aminocoumarins and classical quinazolines upon detailed target specific biological studies.

In the present study, iminodiacetic acid (IDA)-modified kenaf fiber, K-IDA formed by the chemical modification of plant kenaf biomass was tested for its efficacy as a sorbent material towards the purification of waste water. The K-IDA fiber was first characterized by the instrumental techniques like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, elemental analysis (CHNSO), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On testing for the biosorption, we found that the K-IDA has an increment in the adsorption of Cu2+ ions as compared against the untreated fiber. The Cu2+ ions adsorption onto K-IDA fits very well with the Langmuir model and the adsorption maximum achieved to be 91.74mg/g. Further, the adsorption kinetics observed to be pseudo second-order kinetics model and the Cu2+ ions adsorption is a spontaneous endothermic process. The desorption study indicates a highest percentage of Cu2+ of 97.59% from K-IDA under 1M HCl solution against H2SO4 (72.59%) and HNO3 (68.66%). The reusability study indicates that the efficiency did not change much until the 4th cycle and also providing enough evidence for the engagement of our biodegradable K-IDA fiber towards the removal of Cu2+ ions in real-time waste water samples obtained from the electroplating and wood treatment industries.

The present report deals with the synthesis, characterization and testing of an ethyl cellulose–calcium(II) hydrogen phosphate (EC–CaHPO4) composite, where a sol–gel synthesis method was applied for the preparation of the composite so as to test its efficacy towards the electrochemical, biological, and adsorption related applications. The physical properties of the composite were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet– visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, and fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. On testing, the mechanical properties indicated that the composite is highly stable due to the cross-linked rigid framework and the enhanced interactions offered by the EC polymer supported for its binding very effectively. In addition, the conductivity of EC–CaHPO4 is completely governed by the transport mechanism where the electrolyte concentration has preference towards the adsorption of ions and the variations in the conductivity significantly affected the material’s performance. We observed an increasing order of KCl > NaCl for the conductivity when 1:1 electrolytes were applied. Further, the material was tested for its usefulness towards the purification of industrial waste waters by removing harmful metal ions from the samples collected near the Aligarh city, India where the data indicates that the material has highest affinity towards Pb2+, Cu2+, Ni2+ and Fe3+ metal ions. Finally, the biological efficiency of the material was confirmed by means of testing the antibacterial activity against two gram positive (staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus thuringiensis) and two gram negative bacteriums (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Patoea dispersa). Thus, from the cumulative study of outcomes, it indicates that the EC–CaHPO4 composite found to serve as a potential smart biomaterial due to its efficiency in many different applications that includes the electrical conductivity, adsorption capability, and antimicrobial activity.

In the present study, we have evaluated the gas sensing and photocatalytic activity of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) conjugated titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) formed by the hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite were characterized for the physicochemical properties such as the nature of crystallinity, functionalization, and morphology by making use of the powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. On testing the gas sensing properties, we found that the rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite can serve as the chemoresistive-type sensor because of its sensitivity and selectivity towards different concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen at room temperature conditions. However, the rGO-TiO2 sensor’s response and recovery speed towards hydrogen and oxygen needs further optimization. Test of photocatalytic activity of TiO2-rGO catalyst for the removal of two model contaminant dyes, RhB and MB showed effective removal, with respective degradation percentages of about 80 and 90% within the first 50 min of irradiation under visible light irradiation. Besides, MB was more effectively degraded using TiO2-rGO than pure TiO2 during the first 30 min of irradiation and this enhanced activity can be attributed to the increased capacity of light absorption, the efficiency of charge carriers separation, and the specific surface area maintained by the rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite to effectively utilize the photo-generated holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (O2− ), responsible for the degradation of the dye. Based on the overall analysis, the formation of rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite can significantly improve the gas sensing and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 NPs and thus can be potential for practical applications in future nanotechnology.

The present study deals with the synthesis, characterization, and testing of tantalum nitride- tantalum oxynitride (Ta3N5-TaON) coupled organic polymers (poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-polyaniline; PEDOT-PANI) for the electrochemical oxidation and dye degradation applications. The ammonolysis followed by chemical oxidation was employed for the formation of Ta3N5-TaON-PEDOT-PANI nanohybrids, and instrumental techniques such as powder XRD, XPS, FESEM, HR TEM, and UV–Vis analysis were used for the investigation of physicochemical properties. Further, the efficiency of formed nanohybrids was evaluated by taking the active electrocatalytic behavior towards mebendazole (MBZ) oxidation and photocatalytic dye (methylene blue and methyl red) degradations under UV–Visible light illumination. From the analysis of the results, the Ta3N5-TaON-PEDOT-PANI nanohybrids showed excellent activity and stability towards MBZ oxidation and photocatalytic dye degradation, i.e., the highest dye degradation efficiency of > 97% was obtained. Also, the MBZ degradation efficiency was continued for>500 min even after the test. Further from the photocatalytic results, a plausible dye degradation mechanism was proposed based on UV–Vis spectra and thereby confirming the potential catalytic oxidation and degradation behavior of Ta3N5-TaON-PEDOT-PANI nanohybrids.

The current study presents about the effect of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) filler on the thermal and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of epoxy composites as a function of temperature. In this study hand lay-up method was used to fabricate CNF reinforced Epoxy nanocomposites with CNF loading of 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% into epoxy resin. The obtained thermal and DMA results illustrates that thermal stability, char content, storage modulus (E'), loss modulus (E") and glass transition temperature (Tg) increases for all CNF/epoxy nanocomposites compared to the pure epoxy. Thermal results revealed that 0.75% offers superior resistance or stability towards heat compared to its counterparts. In addition, 0.75% CNF/epoxy nanocomposites confers highest value of storage modulus as compared to 0.5% and 1% filler loading. Hence, it is concluded that 0.75% CNFs loading is the minimal to enhance both thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of the epoxy composites and can be utilized for advance material applications where thermal stability along with renewability are prime requirements.

In this, we developed superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to be appropriate for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer cells by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetically controlled hyperthermia/drug delivery (respectively). For the preparation of composite, we started with SPIONs, followed by its coating with gold to form SPIONs@Au, which further conjugated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) protein by making use of the cysteamine (Cyst) space linker and finally loaded with 5-Fluororacil (5-Fu) anticancer drug to form SPIONs@Au-Cyst-LHRH_5-Fu composite. Thus formed composite was thoroughly characterized by making use of the instrumental analysis such as HRTEM, EDAX, DLS, TGA, XPS, UV-vis, FTIR, HPLC and SQUID magnetics. We found from the analysis that the particles are spherical in shape, monodispersed with a size distribution of around 6.9nm in powdered dry form, while in solution phase it is 8.7nm. The UV-vis, FTIR, and HPLC studies confirmed for the loading of the 5-Fu drug onto the surface of SPIONs core and the maximum amount of drug that got adsorbed to be about 42%. The SQUID magnetic studies provided the information for the superparamagnetic behavior of the drug loaded SPIONs and the saturation magnetization (Ms) values observed to be about 11emu/g and the blocking temperature (TB) of 348K. On testing the particles to see the effects of magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) due to some changes in the solvent medium and oscillating frequency, the material seems to be highly active in aqueous medium and the activity gets increased with respect to the applied frequency of oscillation (430Hz>230Hz>44Hz). From the heat release studies, the calculated specific power loss (SPL) values for the SPIONs@Au-Cyst-LHRH_5-Fu composite are at the highest of 1068W/g in water (430Hz) vs the least of 68W/g in toluene (44Hz). Further, the drug release studies tested under the influence of magnetic field provided the information that the composite released its entire loaded drug following an exposure to the magnetic field (430Hz over 4h time), while only 53% (over 5h) for the controlled measurements of no magnetic field, thereby supporting to have the magnetic field so as to observe the externally controlled drug release effects. Finally, the results of the study provide the information that the SPIONs@Au-Cyst-LHRH_5-Fu composite can be potential for theranostic applications of cancer through the phenomenon of applying for MRI, magnetically controlled hyperthermia and drug delivery externally.

A- and D-ring-modified luotonin-inspired heterocycles have been synthesized and were evaluated for their activity against the viability of four cancer cell lines in vitro, namely, MCF7, HCT116, JURKAT, and NCI-H460. The analysis of results indicated that two of the synthesized derivatives displayed good inhibition against the growth of the human colon cancer HCT116 cell line, with potencies lower than but in the same order of magnitude as camptothecin (CPT). These two luotonin analogues also showed an activity similar to that of the highly potent alkaloid CPT as inhibitors of topoisomerase I and also inhibited topoisomerase II. These results show that complete planarity is not a strict requirement for topoisomerase inhibition by luotonin-related compounds, paving the way to the design of analogues with improved solubility.

Novel hexacyclic cage-like hybrid heterocycles have been synthesized in excellent yields employing a relatively less explored non-stabilized azomethine ylides derived from acenaphthenequinone and tyrosine with functionalized dipolarophiles using [3 + 2] cycloaddition strategy. The synthesized hexacyclic cage-like hybrid heterocycles were characterized by spectroscopic analysis. Following the physical characterization, these cage-like hybrid heterocycles were tested for their biological activity by means of different cancer (A549 and Jurkat cells) and non-cancer (BRL-3A and PCS-130) in vitro cell culture systems. The results of the study under tested concentrations (up to 100 &mu, M) indicated that these compounds are not affecting any viability to the cell growth of non-cancer cells, while providing significant anticancer activity against both of the cancer cells. Further analysis of in-depth mechanistic study for the cell death indicated that these compounds are exhibiting late apoptosis or early necrosis pathway to the cells where it is operated by the induction of caspases.

The synthesis of semiconductor metal/metal oxide nanoparticles (NP) via the green synthesis routes is desirable due to its effectiveness, economical, and eco-friendly nature of the products. The present study aims to synthesize the titanium dioxide (TiO2) NP via the green synthesis route, using Myristica fragrans plant extract as the reducing agent, where the photocatalytic activity was evaluated. The physicochemical and morphological properties of TiO2 NP have been analyzed using spectroscopic and electron microscopic techniques. From the analysis, the powdered X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated the formation of very well crystalline TiO2 particles in the anatase phase, while the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Ti O bonds, and UV–Vis spectroscopy proofed the optical properties. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis provided the surface morphological characteristics and the formation of spherical shape particles; and the electron diffraction X-ray analysis (EDX) indicated the elemental composition. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 NP was evaluated based on the degradation rate of two aqueous dye solutions, i.e. methylene blue (MB) and congo red (Con-R) using the 8 W Xenon lamp as the light source for the visible irradiation. The degradation activity of the Con-R dye is slightly higher (99% degradation in 45 min) than that of the MB dye (97% degradation in 60 min). Both degradations activity followed the first-order kinetic model. The high activity of TiO2 NP on both dyes was supported by the increased absorption of light, associated charge separation efficiency, and specific surface area as provided by the UV–Vis DRS analysis. The plant extract mediated the synthesis of TiO2 which formed stable particles without losing the semiconducting and photocatalytic properties, where the holes (h+) and superoxide radicals ( O2−) contributed to the enhanced degradation of dye. The antibacterial activity of the TiO2 NP (50 and 100 µg/mL; 6 h) synthesized was evaluated by testing against two different bacterial cultures of K. pneumoniae and S. aureus. The results proved that the particles became active only in the presence of UV light exposed and no significant differences in bacterial inhibition efficiency between the two cell types (79% and 72%) as observed. The antibacterial activity of the TiO2 NP was proven by the epifluorescence microscopic analysis, total viable count (TVC), and zone of inhibition (ZOI).

In the present study, we have evaluated the photocatalytic potentials of ceria (CeO2) loaded graphitic carbon nitride (GCN; g-C3N4) composite towards the degradation of two different organic dyes. The CeO2/GCN composite following its formation by the co-precipitation route, the physicochemical properties like crystallinity, functionality, optical, and morphology are being studied using various instrumental techniques such as powdered X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms–infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (UV–Vis), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). From the analysis, the XRD studies indicated that the composite has the cubic structure of ceria and hexagonal phase for the GCN. The FTIR analysis supported for the successful formation of CeO2/GCN composite and UV–Vis provided the optical properties indicated to have the bandgap energy values of 3.12 and 2.86 eV for pure CeO2 and CeO2/GCN composite (respectively). Also, the FESEM confirmed for the surface morphology of CeO2/GCN composite, and finally, the test of photocatalytic activity studied in the presence of visible light irradiation towards the degradation of Methyl blue (MB) and Rhodamine-B (Rh-B) dyes indicated for the superior activity of CeO2/GCN composite as compared to the single-phase GCN and pure CeO2. Based on the cumulative analysis of results, it can be informed that the CeO2/GCN composite can be useful for the sustainable means of degradation of organic dyes (MB and Rh-B) by taking advantage of the synergistic impact of the two components of CeO2 and GCN.