In-situ deposition of silver−iron oxide nanoparticles on the surface of fly ash for water purification

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Manganese-Ferrite/Silver Nanocomposite Combined with Two Essential Oils

The antimicrobial activity of metal nanoparticles obtained by biogenic routes has been extensively reported. However, their combined use with other antimicrobial formulations, such as essential oils, remains scarcely explored. In this work, a manganese-ferrite/silver nanocomposite (MnFe₂O₄/Ag-NC) was synthesized in a two-step procedure: first, MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were produced by a coprecipitation method, followed by in situ biogenic reduction of silver ions using Galega officinalis. MnFe₂O₄/Ag-NC was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (SEM-EDX), and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM-SQUID). The antibacterial activity if MnFe₂O₄/Ag-NC was evaluated against Pseudomonas syringae by determining its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the presence of two essential oils: eucalyptus oil (EO) and garlic oil (GO). The fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) was also calculated to determine the interaction between MnFe₂O₄/Ag-NC and each oil. The MIC of MnFe₂O₄/Ag-NC was eightfold reduced with the two essential oils (from 20 to 2.5 µg mL⁻¹). However, the interaction with EO was synergistic (FIC: 0.5), whereas the interaction with GO was additive (FIC: 0.75). Additionally, a time-kill curve analysis was performed, wherein the MIC of the combination of MnFe₂O₄/Ag-NC and EO provoked a rapid bactericidal effect, corroborating a strong synergism. These findings suggest that by combining MnFe₂O₄/Ag-NC with essential oils, the necessary ratio of the nanocomposite to control phytopathogens can be reduced, thus minimizing the environmental release of silver.

Utilization of Tires Waste-Derived Magnetic-Activated Carbon for the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Wastewater

The present study focuses on fabrication of magnetic activated carbon (M-AC) using tire waste and its potential investigation for adsorption of Cr (VI) from wastewater. The composite material (M-AC) was synthesized by pyrolysis followed by in situ magnetization method, and characterized by FTIR, FESEM, EDX, and XRD analysis. The maximum adsorption of Cr (VI) ion over composite adsorbent was found (~99.5%) to occur at pH 2, sample volume 10 mL, adsorbent dose 100 mg, contact time 30 min. The adsorption process was endothermic, feasible, spontaneous, and was found to follow pseudo second order of the reaction. The Cr ion could be completely desorbed (~99.3%) from the composite adsorbent by using 20 mL of 2 M NaOH solution. The composite adsorbent was regenerated by continuous adsorption and desorption for 5 consecutive cycles by using 10 mL 0.1 M HCl solution. M-AC also performed well in case of tannery wastewater by removing about 97% of Cr (VI).

Possible applications of coal fly ash in wastewater treatment

Management of coal fly ash as a particulate byproduct of coal burning has become an issue to be solved right away due to environmental concerns related to soil, water, and air pollution. Many attempts have been made by researchers for the conversion of coal fly ash into useful products while searching feasible avenues for its sustainable utilization. Wastewater remediation using coal fly ash is one such attempt solving both waste management and water quality issues. The characteristics like morphology, surface area, porosity, and chemical composition (silica, alumina, iron oxide, titania, etc.) make coal fly ash amenable material for potential application in wastewater treatment. Few reports have summarized the coal fly ash utilization in wastewater treatment but solely discussed the adsorption. Besides adsorption, the current paper aims to highlight the possibilities of using coal fly ash in wastewater treatment by different technologies that extend the utilization scope in the domains of filtration, Fenton process, photocatalysis, and coagulation. The promising use of coal fly ash as an adsorbent, membrane filter, Fenton catalyst, photocatalyst, and as an integral part of these structures is reviewed. Finally, the current trends and future prospects on utilization modes of coal fly ash in wastewater treatment are stated.

Síntesis y caracterización de nanocompuestos Fe3 O4 /Ag: su efecto contra Enterobacter aerogenes y Enterococcus faecalis

En el presente trabajo, se reporta la síntesis y caracterización de nanopartículas magnéticas de magnetita/plata (Fe3O4/Ag) para el estudio de sus propiedades antibacterianas frente a las bacterias Enterobacter aerogenes (Gramnegativa) y Enterococcus faecalis (Gram-positiva). Las nanopartículas magnéticas de magnetita (MNPs) se sintetizaron por el método de solgel, usando bromuro de cetiltrimetilamonio (CTAB) como surfactante. Posteriormente, en la dispersión coloidal de magnetita, se llevó a cabo la reducción química in situ de iones de plata, usando glucosa como agente reductor y polivinilpirrolidona (PVP) como agente dispersante, para obtener un nanocompuesto magnético Fe3O4/Ag. El análisis morfológico y espectroscópico de las nanopartículas de Fe3O4 y del nanocompuesto de Fe3O4/Ag fue realizado mediante la espectroscopia infrarroja con transformada de Fourier (FTIR), Raman, y Mössbauer (MS), además de la técnica de difracción de rayos X (DRX), la microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM) y espectroscopia de energía dispersiva de rayos X (EDS). Las nanopartículas de Fe3O4 resultaron esféricas con un diámetro medio de 10 nm y el nanocompuesto de Fe3O4/Ag con un tamaño medio de 28 nm, el test antibacteriano indicó que el uso del nanocompuesto de Fe3O4/Ag a una concentración de 5 mg·mL-1 permite una inhibición total del crecimiento de los microorganismos estudiados a partir de una concentración inicial 108 bacterias mL-1.

In-situ synthesis of AgNPs in the natural/synthetic hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds: Fabrication, characterization and antimicrobial activities

Silver nanoparticles embedded within a nanofibrous polymer matrix have significant attention in recent years as an antimicrobial wound dressing materials. Herein, we have fabricated a novel Ag-polyurethane-zein hybrid nanofibrous scaffold for wound dressing applications. AgNPs were synthesized in-situ via reduction of silver nitrate in electrospinning solution. Varying mass composition of the components showed the pronounced effect on the morphology and physicochemical properties of the composite fibers. Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images revealed that PU and zein with mass ratio 2:1 produced the bead-free continuous and uniformly distributed nanofibers. Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) confirmed the well interaction between component polymers. Compared to the pristine PU nanofibers, composite fibers showed enhanced tensile strength, young׳s modulus and surface wettability. The antibacterial capacity of the nanofibrous membrane was evaluated against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacterial strains via a zone of inhibition test, and the results showed high antibacterial performance for Ag incorporated composite mat. Experimental results of cell viability assay and microscopic imaging revealed that as-fabricated scaffolds have an excellent ability for fibroblast cell adhesion, proliferation and growth. Overall, as-fabricated antibacterial natural/synthetic composite scaffold can be a promising substrate for repairing skin defects.