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Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) represent an interesting inorganic material widely utilized across various fields including sensing, antimicrobial applications, optical coatings, water purification, fuel additives, absorbents, and catalysis, owing to their exceptional broad energy band gap, surface affinity, and strong chemical and thermal durability. In this investigation, MgO NPs were successfully synthesized through a green approach employing fruit extract from the gingerbread tree (Hyphaene thebaica). Analysis via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed their agglomerated quasi-spherical shape with a size range of 20–60 nm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern exhibited prominent peaks at planes (200) and (220), indicating the high crystallinity of MgO NPs with a crystallite size of 32.6 ± 5 nm while Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis highlighted the composition comprises 40.47% Magnesium and 48.64% Oxygen by weight. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed characteristic Mg-O bonds through peaks at 560 cm−1 and 866 cm−1, while Raman spectroscopy affirmed the cubic structure of MgO. Subsequently, the photocatalytic performance of MgO NPs under visible light irradiation was evaluated. Remarkably, the addition of 1 g/L of MgO nano-catalyst resulted in a degradation efficiency of 98% after 110 min on methylene blue dye, showcasing the high catalytic activity of MgO NPs. This remarkable photocatalytic efficiency emphasizes the potential of MgO NPs in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green synthesis aligns with the global demand for eco-friendly and sustainable technologies, reducing the dependency on harmful chemicals and high-energy processes typically used in conventional synthesis techniques. This study highlights a novel green synthesis route for nickel cobaltite nanoparticles (NiCO2O4 NPs) utilizing Hyphaene thebaica extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized NiCO2O4 NPs, with sizes ranging from 20 to 30 nm, exhibited uniform diamond-like structures as confirmed by SEM and TEM imaging. XRD analysis verified the polycrystalline nature of these nanoparticles, while EDS measurements confirmed the elemental composition of Ni and Co. The presence of functional groups was subsequently verified through FT-IR analysis, and Raman spectroscopy further confirmed phase formation. Electrochemical evaluations revealed significant pseudocapacitive behavior, showing a specific capacitance of 519 F/g, demonstrating their potential for high-performance supercapacitors. To further assess the applicability of the synthesized NiCO2O4 NPs, their photocatalytic activity against methylene blue (MB) dye was investigated, resulting in a 99% degradation rate. This impressive photocatalytic efficiency highlights their potential application in environmental remediation. Overall, this work underscores the significant potential of green synthesis methods in producing high-performance nanomaterials while simultaneously reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerium oxide nanoparticles possess unique properties that make them promising candidates in various fields, including cancer treatment. Among the proposed synthesis methods for CNPs, biosynthesis using natural extracts, offers an eco-friendly and convenient approach for producing CNPs, particularly for biomedical applications. In this study, a novel method of biosynthesis using the aqueous extract of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves was used to synthesize CNPs. Scanning electron microscopy and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques revealed that the synthesized CNPs exhibit a flower-like morphology. The particle size of CNPs obtained using Powder X-ray diffraction peaks and TEM as 13.43 and 39.25 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the effect of biomolecules during the synthesis process and the formation of CNPs. The cytotoxicity of biosynthesized samples was evaluated using the MTT method demonstrating the potential of these samples to inhibit MCF-7 cancerous cells. The viability of the MCF-7 cell line conducted by live/dead imaging assay confirmed the MTT cytotoxicity method and indicated their potential to inhibit cancerous cells. Furthermore, the successful uptake of CNPs by MCF-7 cancer cells, as demonstrated by confocal microscopy, provides evidence that the intracellular pathway contributes to the anticancer activity of the CNPs. In general, results indicate that the biosynthesized CNPs exhibit significant cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 cancerous cell line, attributed to their high surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At psychrophilic temperatures (<20 °C), anaerobic digestion produces less methane (CH4). For psychrophilic anaerobic digestion (PAD) to be successful, investigation of cold-adapted microbial consortia involved in methane production is critical. This study aimed to investigate the microbial community driving enhanced methane production from the cold-adaptation process and bioaugmentation of PAD with cold-adapted inoculum (BI). Microbial consortia in cattle manure (CM) and food waste (FW) were adapted and applied during batch PAD of CM and FW to bioaugment methane production at 15 °C. Cold adaptation and PAD with BI resulted in cumulative specific methane yields of 0.874 ± 0.231 and 0.552 ± 0.089 L CH4 g−1 volatile solids, respectively, after 14 weeks, while the absence of BI (control) led to acidification and no methane production during PAD. Following 16S rRNA V4–V5 amplicon sequencing and metagenomic analyses, Methanosarcina was revealed as a key driver of methanogenesis during cold adaptation and PAD bioaugmentation. Furthermore, based on the predictive functional and metabolic analysis of the communities, possible synergies were proposed in terms of substrate production and utilization by the dominant microbial groups. For instance, during methane production, Bacteroides and Methanobrevibacter were possibly involved in a syntrophic relationship, which promoted methanogenesis by Methanosarcina. These findings provide insight into the prospective microbial synergies that can be harnessed and/or regulated in cold-adapted inoculum for the improvement of methane production during PAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burning fossil fuels emits a significant amount of CO 2 , causing climate change concerns. CO 2 Capture and Storage (CCS) aims to reduce emissions, with fullerenes showing promise as CO 2 adsorbents. Recent research focuses on modifying fullerenes using an electric field. In light of this, we carried out DFT studies on some B, N, and P doped C 20 ( C 20 - n X n , n = 0, 1, 2, and 3; X = B, N, and P) in the absence and presence of an electric field in the range of 0-0.02 a.u.. The cohesive energy was calculated to ensure their thermodynamic stability showing, that despite having lesser cohesive energies than C 20 , they appear in a favorable range. Moreover, the charge distribution for all structures was depicted using the ESP map. Most importantly, we evaluated the adsorption energy, height, and CO 2 angle, demonstrating the B and N-doped fullerenes had the stronger interaction with CO 2 , which by far exceeded C 20 's, improving its physisorption to physicochemical adsorption. Although the adsorption energy of P-doped fullerenes was not as satisfactory, in most cases, increasing the electric field led to enhancing CO 2 adsorption and incorporating chemical attributes to CO 2 -fullerene interaction. The HOMO–LUMO plots were obtained by which we discovered that unlike the P-doped C 20 , the surprising activity of B and N-doped C 20 s against CO 2 originates from a high concentration of the HOMO-LUMO orbitals on B, N and neighboring atoms. In the present article, we attempt to introduce more effective fullerene-based materials for CO 2 adsorption as well as strategies to enhance their efficiency and revealing adsorption nature over B, N, and P-doped fullerenes and in the end, hope to encourage more experimental research on these materials within growing electric field for CO 2 capture in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we described the biofabrication of samarium oxide nanoparticles (HT-Sm 2 O 3 NPs) by applying the aqueous fruit extract of Hyphaene thebaica was utilized as an eco-friendly chelating agent. The prepared NPs were subjected to various physicochemical properties and potential in biomedical applications. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed sharp peaks that corroborated with the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS) card no. 00-042-1464. Crystallite size obtained from Debye-Scherrer approximation and Williamson-Hall (W-H) plot was 28.73 and 69.3 nm, respectively. Optical bandgap was calculated by employing Kubelka-Munk (K-M) function and was found to be ~4.58 eV. Raman shift was observed at 121, 351, 424 - , and 561 cm -1 . Photoluminescence (PL) spectra revealed two major peaks positioned at 360 and 540 nm. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis of HT-Sm 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) showed that they predominantly have spherical to cuboidal shapes. Additionally, the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern presented spotty rings, indicating a high level of crystallinity in these NPs. The potential nanomedicine applications were studied using diverse bioassays using different treatments. The antioxidant activity demonstrated 45.71% ± 1.13% inhibition at 1000 μg/mL. Brine shrimp lethality assay revealed the highest cytotoxicity of 46.67% ± 3.33% at 1000 μg/mL and LC 50 value of 1081 μg/mL. HT-Sm 2 O 3 NPs exhibited inhibition of angiogenesis (20.41% ± 1.18%) at of 1000 μg/mL. MTT assay results indicated that HT-Sm 2 O 3 NPs exhibit inhibitory effects on cell lines. Specifically, these NPs showed an IC 50 value of 104.6 μg/mL against 3T3 cells. Against MCF-7 cells, the NPs demonstrated an IC 50 value of 413.25 μg/mL. Additionally, in the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the newly synthesized NPs showed an IC 50 value of 320 μg/mL. The antidiabetic assessment through α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition assays revealed, an IC 50 value of 380 μg/mL for α-glucosidase and 952 μg/mL for α-amylase was calculated. Overall, our study suggested that the Sm 2 O 3 NPs possess moderate anticancer, cholinesterase inhibition, and antidiabetic potential, however, needs further assessment. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: In this work, nano-samaria is synthesized using an eco-friendly and green approach. The nanoparticles were characterized using techniques such as Raman, HR-TEM, FTIR, DRS, XRD, and so on, and the applications were studied using multiple in vitro bioassays for Diabetes, Alzheimer, and Cancer. The nano-samaria revealed good potential for potential biomedical applications., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Burning fossil fuels emits a significant amount of CO 2 , causing climate change concerns. CO 2 Capture and Storage (CCS) aims to reduce emissions, with fullerenes showing promise as CO 2 adsorbents. Recent research focuses on modifying fullerenes using an electric field. In light of this, we carried out DFT studies on some B, N, and P doped C 20 ( C 20 - n X n , n = 0, 1, 2, and 3; X = B, N, and P) in the absence and presence of an electric field in the range of 0-0.02 a.u.. The cohesive energy was calculated to ensure their thermodynamic stability showing, that despite having lesser cohesive energies than C 20 , they appear in a favorable range. Moreover, the charge distribution for all structures was depicted using the ESP map. Most importantly, we evaluated the adsorption energy, height, and CO 2 angle, demonstrating the B and N-doped fullerenes had the stronger interaction with CO 2 , which by far exceeded C 20 's, improving its physisorption to physicochemical adsorption. Although the adsorption energy of P-doped fullerenes was not as satisfactory, in most cases, increasing the electric field led to enhancing CO 2 adsorption and incorporating chemical attributes to CO 2 -fullerene interaction. The HOMO-LUMO plots were obtained by which we discovered that unlike the P-doped C 20 , the surprising activity of B and N-doped C 20 s against CO 2 originates from a high concentration of the HOMO-LUMO orbitals on B, N and neighboring atoms. In the present article, we attempt to introduce more effective fullerene-based materials for CO 2 adsorption as well as strategies to enhance their efficiency and revealing adsorption nature over B, N, and P-doped fullerenes and in the end, hope to encourage more experimental research on these materials within growing electric field for CO 2 capture in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s).)