Colloid Thermite Nanostructure: A Novel High Energy Density Material for Enhanced Explosive Performance

Ferric Oxide Colloid: Towards Green Nano-Fertilizer for Tomato Plant with Enhanced Vegetative Growth and Immune Response Against Fusarium Wilt Disease

Global food crisis due to climate change, pandemic COVID-19 outbreak, and Russia-Ukraine conflict leads to catastrophic consequences; almost 10 percent of the world’s population go to bed hungry daily. Narrative solution for green agriculture with high vegetation and crop yield is mandatory; novel nanomaterials can improve plant immunity and restrain plant diseases. Iron is fundamental nutrient element; it plays vital role in enzyme activity and RNA synthesis; furthermore it is involved in photosynthesis electron-transfer chains. This study reports on the facile synthesis of colloidal ferric oxide nanoparticles as novel nano-fertilizer to promote vegetation and to suppress Fusarium wilt disease in tomato plant. Disease index, protection percent, photosynthetic pigments, and metabolic indicators of resistance in plant as response to induction of systemic resistance (SR) were recorded. Results illustrated that Fe₂O₃ NPs had antifungal activity against F. oxysporum. Fe₂O₃ NPs (at 20 µg/mL) was the best treatment and reduced percent disease indexes by 15.62 and gave highly protection against disease by 82.15% relative to untreated infected plants. Fe₂O₃ NPs treatments in either (non-infected or infected) plants showed improvements in photosynthetic pigments, osmolytes, and antioxidant enzymes activity. The beneficial effects of the synthesized Fe₂O₃ NPs were extended to increase not only photosynthetic pigments, osmolytes contents but also the activities of peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), enzymes of the healthy and infected tomato plants in comparison with control. For, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities it was found that, application of Fe₂O₃ NPs (10 µg/mL) on challenged plants offered the best treatments which increased the activities of POD by (34.4%) and PPO by (31.24%). On the other hand, application of Fe₂O₃ NPs (20 µg/mL) on challenged plants offered the best treatments which increased the activities of CAT by (30.9%), and SOD by (31.33%).

Quo Vadis, Nanothermite? A Review of Recent Progress

One of the groups of pyrotechnic compositions is thermite compositions, so-called thermites, which consist of an oxidant, usually in the form of a metal oxide or salt, and a free metal, which is the fuel. A characteristic feature of termite combustion reactions, apart from their extremely high exothermicity, is that they proceed, for the most part, in liquid and solid phases. Nanothermites are compositions, which include at least one component whose particles size is on the order of nanometers. The properties of nanothermites, such as high linear burning velocities, high reaction heats, high sensitivity to stimuli, low ignition temperature, ability to create hybrid compositions with other high-energy materials allow for a wide range of applications. Among the applications of nanothermites, one should mention igniters, detonators, microdetonators, micromotors, detectors, elements of detonation chain or elements allowing self-destruction of systems (e.g., microchips). The aim of this work is to discuss the preparation methods, research methods, direction of the future development, eventual challenges or problems and to highlight the applications and emerging novel avenues of use of these compositions.