A Silver-Loaded Exfoliated Graphite Nanocomposite Anti-Fouling Electrochemical Sensor for Bisphenol A in Thermal Paper Samples

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized separately and loaded onto the expanded layers of exfoliated graphite (EG) to form a silver nanoparticle-exfoliated graphite nanocomposite (AgNPs-EG). The AgNPs-EG was compressed into a pellet (0.6 cm in diameter) and used to prepare an electrochemical sensor for bisphenol A (BPA) in standard samples and in thermal paper. The synthesized materials were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray. The electrochemical behavior of BPA on the AgNPs-EG sensor was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry. Under optimized experimental conditions, the oxidation peak current was linearly proportional to bisphenol A concentrations in the range from 5.0 to100 μM, with a coefficient of determination (R2 ) of 0.9981. The obtained limit of detection of the method was 0.23 μM. The fabricated sensor was able to overcome electrode fouling with good reproducibility (RSD = 2.62%, n = 5) by mechanical polishing of the electrode on emery paper. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine bisphenol A in thermal paper samples and demonstrated good accuracy of 93.1 to 113% recovery.

3-Methoxyphenol chemical sensor fabrication with Ag2O/CB nanocomposites

The proposed chemical sensor based on Ag₂O/CB nanocomposites is developed by electrochemical approach for the detection of hazardous selective 3-methoxyphenol chemical sensor for the safety of the environment sector in a broad scale.

Room-temperature synthesis of silica supported silver nanoparticles in basic ethanol solution and their antibacterial activity

A facile and environmentally friendly route was developed to synthesize silica supported silver nanoparticles through the reduction of Ag⁺ ions in basic ethanol solution without adding any other reducing agents or surfactants at room temperature.

Controlled growth of silver nanoparticles on carbon fibers for reinforcement of both tensile and interfacial strength

We have developed an electro-chemical deposition approach to synthesize various structures of Ag NPs on carbon fibers. This improved both the tensile strength and the interfacial property as much as 57.2% and 27.2%, respectively.

The study of the antimicrobial activity of colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles prepared using food stabilizers

The bactericidal effect of colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles based on food stabilizers, gum arabic and chitosan, against bacterial cultures of microorganisms in food production is described. The antibacterial activity of nanotechnology products containing different amounts of stabilizing additives when applied to solid pH-neutral substrates is studied. For its evaluation a method making it possible to take into account the capability of nanoparticles to diffuse in solid media was applied. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of nanoparticles used against Erwinia herbicola, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis, Sarcina flava were found. A suggestion was made concerning the influence of the spatial structure of bacteria on the antibacterial activity of colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles. The data concerning the antibacterial activity and minimal inhibiting concentrations of nanoparticles may be used for development of products suppressing activity of microorganisms hazardous for food production.

Arginine-assisted immobilization of silver nanoparticles on ZnO nanorods: an enhanced and reusable antibacterial substrate without human cell cytotoxicity

Silver-based hybrid nanomaterials are gaining interest as potential alternatives for conventional antimicrobial agents. Herein, we present a simple, facile and eco-friendly approach for the deposition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on ZnO nanorods, which act as a nanoreactor for in situ synthesis and as an immobilizing template in the presence of arginine. The presence of arginine enhanced the stability of ZnO deposition on the glass substrate by hindering the dissolution of zinc under alkaline conditions. Various Ag/ZnO hybrid nanorod (HNR) samples were screened to obtain a high amount of silver immobilization on the ZnO substrate. Ag/ZnO HNRs displayed potent antibacterial ability and could achieve 100% kill for both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis strains under various test conditions. The hybrid material mediated its dual mode of antibacterial action through direct contact-killing and release of silver ions/nanoparticles and showed superior bactericidal performance compared to pure ZnO nanorods and colloidal AgNPs. No significant decline in antibacterial efficacy was observed even after the same substrate was repeatedly reused multiple times. Interestingly, the amount of Ag and Zn release was much below their maximal limit in drinking water, thus preventing potential health hazards. Immobilized AgNPs showed no cytotoxic effects on the human hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2). Moreover, treating cells with the antibacterial substrate for 24 hours did not lead to significant generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The good biocompatibility and bactericidal efficacy would thus make it feasible to utilize this immobilization strategy for preparing new-generation antibacterial coatings.

Synthesis and characterization of a polyurethane ionene/zinc chloride complex with antibacterial properties

Antibacterial polyurethane ionene/zinc chloride complexes were synthesized and their properties were systematically investigated.

Antibacterial hybrid cellulose–graphene oxide nanocomposite immobilized with silver nanoparticles

An antibacterial hybrid GO–AgNPs cellulose membrane was prepared. Incorporation of GO created a more porous structure of the regenerated cellulose membrane, improved the deposition of AgNPs and demonstrated an effective antibacterial activity with minimal release of Ag ions.

Therapeutic potential of electromagnetic fields for tissue engineering and wound healing

Ability of electromagnetic fields (EMF) to stimulate cell proliferation and differentiation has attracted the attention of many laboratories specialized in regenerative medicine over the past number of decades. Recent studies have shed light on bio-effects induced by the EMF and how they might be harnessed to help control tissue regeneration and wound healing. Number of recent reports suggests that EMF has a positive impact at different stages of healing. Processes impacted by EMF include, but are not limited to, cell migration and proliferation, expression of growth factors, nitric oxide signalling, cytokine modulation, and more. These effects have been detected even during application of low frequencies (range: 30-300 kHz) and extremely low frequencies (range: 3-30 Hz). In this regard, special emphasis of this review is the applications of extremely low-frequency EMFs due to their bio-safety and therapeutic efficacy. The article also discusses combinatorial effect of EMF and mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and bone tissue engineering. In addition, we discuss future perspectives of application of EMF for tissue engineering and use of metal nanoparticles activated by EMF for drug delivery and wound dressing.