Electrical and Electrochemical Characteristics of Withania somnifera Leaf Extract Incorporation Sodium Alginate Polymer Film for Energy Storage Applications

Enhancing tomato plant growth in a saline environment through the eco-friendly synthesis and optimization of nanoparticles derived from halophytic sources

Using green synthesis methods to produce halophytic nanoparticles presents a promising and cost-effective approach for enhancing plant growth in saline environments, offering agricultural resilience as an alternative to traditional chemical methods. This study focuses on synthesizing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles derived from the halophyte Withania somnifera, showcasing their potential in ameliorating tomato growth under salinity stress. The biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles was initially optimized (i.e., salt concentration, the amount of plant extract, pH, and temperature) using a central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) together with UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) to comprehensively characterize the biosynthesized ZnO NPs. The central composite design (CCD) based response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by adjusting salt concentration, plant extract, pH, and temperature. The ZnO NPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). FT-IR showed an absorption peak of ZnO between 400 and 600 cm-1, while SEM showed irregular shapes ranging between 1.3 and 6 nm. The data of EDX showed the presence of Zn (77.52%) and O (22.48%) levels, which exhibited the high purity synthesized ZnO under saline conditions. Introducing ZnO nanoparticles to tomato plants resulted in a remarkable 2.3-fold increase in shoot length in T23 (100 mg/L ZnO nanoparticles + 50 mM NaCl). There was an observable increase in foliage at T2 (20 mg L-1 ZnO) and T23 (100 mg L-1 ZnO-NPs + 50 mM NaCl). Tomato plants treated with T2 (20 mg L-1 ZnO) and T23 (100 mg L-1 ZnO-NPs + 50 mM NaCl) improved root elongation compared to the control plant group. Both fresh and dry leaf masses were significantly improved in T1 (10 mg L-1 ZnO) by 7.1-fold and T12 (10 mg L-1 ZnO-NPs + 100 mM NaCl) by 0.8-fold. The concentration of Zn was higher in T12 (10 mg L-1 ZnO NPs + 100 mM NaCl) among all treatments. Our findings prove that utilizing ZnO nanoparticles under saline conditions effectively promotes tomato plants' growth, thereby mitigating the negative impacts of salt stress.

Datura metel L. leaf extract mediated sodium alginate polymer membrane for supercapacitor and food packaging applications

Datura metel L. leaf extract mediated sodium alginate polymer membrane was successfully made using the solution casting technique. Electric, electrochemical, physicochemical and antimicrobial analyses of the prepared film were investigated. Functional groups of polysaccharides are identified in FTIR analysis and crystallinity/amorphous of the prepared samples was studied using XRD analysis. The prepared polymer membrane (DmMSA2) exhibits the ionic conductivity of 2.18 × 10^-4 Scm^-1, maximum specific capacitance of 131 F/g at a current density of 0.2 A/g and also exhibits a significant effect of antimicrobial activity against human pathogens. Hence, Datura metel L. leaf extract mediated polymer membranes are promising candidates for solid-electrolyte in supercapacitor devices and antimicrobial agents in food packaging applications.