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This research introduces an innovative composite, the cross-linked alginate-rice husk ash-graphene oxide-chitosan nanoparticles (CL-ARCG-CNP), designed for the effective adsorption of lead ions (Pb 2+ ) in water treatment applications. Comprehensive characterization was performed using techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR TEM), Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. These analyses revealed notable structural and morphological features. The CL-ARCG-CNP composite demonstrated a significant surface area of approximately 148.44 m 2 /g, achieving an impressive adsorption capacity of 242.5 mg/g and a removal efficiency of 95.2 % after 240 min of contact duration. The adsorption process conformed to the Freundlich isotherm model (R 2 : 0.998) and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R 2 : 0.9992). Thermodynamic studies confirmed the spontaneity and endothermic nature of the adsorption process. Reusability tests showed that the composite could be reused for up to five cycles with minimal loss in adsorption capacity. These findings indicate that the CL-ARCG-CNP composite is highly effective for the removal of Pb 2+ ions from aqueous solutions, making it a promising material for wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, Ziziphus spina christi leaves was used to synthesize a trimetallic CuO/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite by a simple and green method. Many characterizations e.g. FTIR, UV-vis DRS, SEM-EDX, TEM, XRD, zeta-size analysis, and DLS, were used to confirm green-synthesized trimetallic CuO/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite. The green, synthesized trimetallic CuO/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite exhibited a spherical dot-like structure, with an average particle size of around 7.11 ± 0.67 nm and a zeta potential of 21.5 mV. An extremely homogeneous distribution of signals, including O (79.25%), Cu (13.78%), Zn (4.42%), and Ag (2.55%), is evident on the surface of green-synthetic nanocomposite, according to EDX data. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to effectively use an industrially produced green trimetallic CuO/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite as a potent antimicrobial agent by employing different statistically experimental designs. The highest yield of green synthetic trimetallic CuO/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite was (1.65 mg/mL), which was enhanced by 1.85 and 5.7 times; respectively, by using the Taguchi approach in comparison to the Plackett-Burman strategy and basal condition. A variety of assays techniques were utilized to evaluate the antimicrobial capabilities of the green-synthesized trimetallic CuO/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite at a 200 µg/mL concentration against multidrug-resistant human pathogens. After a 36-h period, the tested 200 µg/mL of the green-synthetic trimetallic CuO/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite effectively reduced the planktonic viable counts of the studied bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which showed the highest percentage of biofilm reduction (98.06 ± 0.93 and 97.47 ± 0.65%; respectively)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The increasing threat of spoilage bacterial infections, driven by the resistance of bacteria to many antimicrobial treatments, is a significant worldwide public health problem, especially concerning food preservation. To tackle these difficulties, this research investigates the possibility of using packaging sheets that include antimicrobial agents and increasing the prolonged storage time by preventing the bioburden of foodborne pathogens. This approach uses metal nanoparticles' ability to prevent harmful bacteria that cause food spoiling. Gallium nanoparticles (GaNPs) were created using a water-based extract from Andrographis paniculata leaves as a bioreducing agent. The GaNPs were added to a film made of sodium alginate (SA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The study showed that incorporating GaNPs into polymer films resulted in films with a desirable contact angle and decreased water vapor permeability. Significantly, the developed films demonstrated increased efficiency against E.coli O157 compared to other species. Also, it exhibited increased vulnerability to bacterial strains at the biofilm stage, surpassing PVP-SA/GaNPs-0. Remarkably, the toxicity tests showed that the films exhibited no cytotoxicity. Overall, the films indicated their potential for avoiding bacterial bioburden, prolonging the shelf life of perishable products, and contributing to diverse antimicrobial applications in the food industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper explores the photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) dye in textile wastewater employing a novel CuO@A-TiO 2 /Ro-TiO 2 nanocomposite. The nanocomposite was synthesized via a hydrothermal technique, resulting in a monoclinic phase of leaf-shaped CuO loaded on a hexagonal wurtzite structure of rod-shaped ZnO, as confirmed by FE-SEM and XRD analyses. Optical experiments revealed band gap energies of 1.99 eV for CuO, 2.19 eV for ZnO, and 3.34 eV for the CuO@A-TiO 2 /Ro-TiO 2 nanocomposite. Photocatalytic degradation experiments showcased complete elimination of a 100 mg/L RO16 solution (150 mL) after 120 min of UV light illumination and 100 min of sunlight illumination, emphasizing the nanocomposite's efficiency under both light sources. The study further delves into the application of the CuO@A-TiO 2 /Ro-TiO 2 nanocomposite for the degradation of actual textile wastewater samples under sunlight irradiation. The results underscore the nanocomposite's remarkable efficacy in treating RO16 in textile wastewater, positioning it as a promising candidate for sustainable and efficient wastewater treatment applications. This research contributes valuable insights into the development of advanced photocatalytic materials for textile dye degradation in wastewater treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study reports the synthesis of a mesoporous Mo and N codoped anatase TiO 2 nanocomposite with many oxygen vacancies using a simple one-step hydrothermal method and subsequent calcination treatment. Both Mo and N were effectively co-incorporated into the anatase phase of TiO 2 without MoO x phase segregation. The codoped catalyst demonstrated a mesoporous architecture with a surface area of 107.48 m 2 g -1 and a pore volume of 0.2974 cm 3 g -1 . X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that both Mo and N dissolved in the TiO 2 lattice and created induced oxygen vacancies. The interaction of the dopants (Mo and N) and oxygen vacancies clearly affected TiO 2 crystal formation. Photocatalytic performance of the nanocomposite was investigated in terms of the decomposition of methyl orange at a concentration of 50 mg L -1 in an aqueous solution. The results revealed a significant methyl orange degradation of up to 99.6% after 30 min irradiation under a UV light. The impressive performance of the nanocomposite is assigned to the synergetic effect of important factors, including the co-doping of metallic (Mo) and non-metallic (N) elements, oxygen vacancy defects, bandgap, crystallite size, mesoporous structure, and BET surface area., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The doping of TiO 2 with metals and non-metals is considered one of the most significant approaches to improve its photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) was examined in relation to the impact of Bi-doping of TiO 2 . The doped TiO 2 with various concentrations of metal was successfully synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The XRD results revealed that the anatase phase, with an average crystallite size of 16.2 nm, was the main phase of TiO 2 . According to the anatase texture results, it was found that the doping of TiO 2 increased the specific surface area for Bi 2 O 3 @TiO 2 without a change in the crystal structure or the crystal phase of TiO 2 . Also, XPS analysis confirmed the formation of Ti 4+ and Ti 3+ as a result of doping with Bi. The activities of both pure TiO 2 and Bi-doped TiO 2 were tested to study their ability to decolorize MO dye in an aqueous solution. The photocatalytic degradation of MO over Bi 2 O 3 @TiO 2 reached 98.21%, which was much higher than the 42% achieved by pure TiO 2 . Doping TiO 2 with Bi increased its visible-light absorption as Bi-doping generated a new intermediate energy level below the CB edge of the TiO 2 orbitals, causing a shift in the band gap from the UV to the visible region, thus enhancing its photocatalytic efficiency. In addition, the effects of the initial pH, initial pollutant concentration, and contact time were examined and discussed., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)