The pharmaceutical triclosan induced oxidative stress and physiological disorder in marine organism and nanoparticles as a potential mitigating tool

Environmental research plays a crucial role in formulating novel approaches to pollution management and preservation of biodiversity. This study aims to assess the potential harm of pharmaceutical triclosan (TCS) to non-target aquatic organism, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Furthermore, our study investigates the potential effectiveness of TiO2 and ZnO nanomaterials (TiO2 NPs and ZnO NPs) in degrading TCS. To ascertain the morphology, structure, and stability of the nanomaterials, several chemical techniques were employed. To evaluate the impact of TCS, TiO2 NPs, and ZnO NPs, both physiological (filtration rate (FR) and respiration rate (RR)), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were measured in M. galloprovincialis gills and digestive gland. The mussel's responses varied depending on the contaminant, concentration, and organ, underscoring the significance of compiling these factors in ecotoxicity tests. The main toxic mechanisms of TCS and ZnO NPs at a concentration of 100 μg/L were likely to be a decrease in FR and RR, an increase in oxidative stress, and increased lipid peroxidation. Our findings indicate that a mixture of TCS and NPs has an antagonist effect on the gills and digestive gland. This effect is particularly notable in the case of TCS2 = 100 μg/L combined with TiO2 NP2 = 100 μg/L, which warrants further investigation to determine the underlying mechanism. Additionally, our results suggest that TiO2 NPs are more effective than ZnO NPs at degrading TCS, which may have practical implications for pharmaceutical control in marine ecosystems and in water purification plants. In summary, our study provides valuable information on the impact of pharmaceuticals on non-target organisms and sheds light on potential solutions for their removal from aqueous environments.

Recent advances in the use of composite titanium dioxide nanomaterials in the food industry

Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) nanomaterials have attracted significant attention due to their good biocompatibility and potential for multifunctional applications. In the last few years, there has been growing interest in the use of TiO2 nanomaterials in the food industry. However, a systematic review of the synthesis methods, properties, and applications of TiO2 nanomaterials in the food industry is lacking. In this review, we provide a summary of the synthesis and properties of TiO2 nanomaterials and their composites, with a focus on their applications in the food industry. We also discuss the potential benefits and risks of using TiO2 nanomaterials in food applications. This review aims to promote food innovation and improve food quality and safety.

Antimicrobial behavior of nanocoated orthodontic micro-implants: An in vitro study

OBJECTIVE

The need to overcome the failure of orthodontic micro-implants which might reach to 30% has led to the development of different methods, one of which is nanoparticle deposition.

AIM OF STUDY

To evaluate the anti-microbial efficiency of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles (NP) when used as a coating for orthodontic micro-implants.

METHODS

Thirty titanium alloy micro-implants were used in the presented study. They were divided into three groups according to the coating method and the coating materials used: the control group without surface coating; the titanium dioxide (TiO2)-coated group, in which direct current (DC) spattering was used to coat the micro-implants with a TiO2 layer; and the TiO2 and zinc oxide (TiO2ZnO)-coated group, in which the micro-implants were coated with a TiO2 layer via direct current (DC) spattering and a zinc oxide (ZnO) layer via laser vacuum. The micro-implant surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The antibacterial susceptibility was assessed using gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

RESULTS

SEM and EDS tests confirmed the coating of the micro-implants in the TiO2- and TiO2ZnO-coated groups. The micro-implants in the TiO2- and TiO2ZnO-coated groups demonstrated higher antibacterial ability than the control group.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the significance of improving the surface of orthodontic micro-implants by coating them with TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles to improve osseointegration and prevent biofilm formation.

Titanium dioxide-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries: structure and synthesis

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have high energy density, long life, good safety, and environmental friendliness, and have been widely used in large-scale energy storage and mobile electronic devices. As a cheap and non-toxic anode material for LIBs, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has a good application prospect. However, its poor electrical conductivity leads to unsatisfactory electrochemical performance, which limits its large-scale application. In this review, the structure of three TiO2 polymorphs which are widely investigated are briefly described, then the preparation and electrochemical performance of TiO2 with different morphologies, such as nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, and nanospheres, and the related research on the TiO2 composite materials with carbon, silicon, and metal materials are discussed. Finally, the development trend of TiO2-based anode materials for LIBs has been briefly prospected.

GC/MS screening of buckthorn phytochemicals and their use to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye in water

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were biosynthesized. According to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis, chalcone, the main phytochemical, is probably complexed with Zn ions that are then oxidized to ZnO NPs by atmospheric O₂ during heating. The ZnO NPs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. Sphere-like ZnO NPs were formed with 11 nm mean crystallite size, 5.2 m² g^-1 surface area, and 0.02 cm³ g^-1 total pore volume. The synthesized ZnO showed excellent photocatalytic degradation (96.5±0.24% in 1 hour at 25 °C) of malachite green (MG) in aqueous solutions under ultraviolet light at optimum conditions; pH 10, MG initial concentration of 20 mg L^-1, and ZnO dose of 1.5 g L^-1. Also, ZnO showed very good reusability (92.9± 0.2% after five runs). The experimental data obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics (R² = 0.92). The photocatalysis process was dependent on the following species in the order: OH^. > electron/positive hole pairs > O₂^.-. Moreover, photodegradation efficiency decreased in the presence of CO₃^2-, HCO₃^-, and Cl^-, but increased in the presence of NO₃^- and SO₄^2- ions. Thus, the green synthesized ZnO NPs can be applied as an efficient photocatalyst for the removal of MG from aqueous media.

Does the photocatalytic activity of nanoparticles protect the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon toxicity?

In the present study, five NPs (containing ZnO, Au-ZnO, Cu-ZnO, TiO₂, and Au-TiO₂) were characterized using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, in order to observe their behavior under environmental change. The applicability of NPs for degradation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo(a)pyrene, fluoranthene, and benzanthracene, using UV irradiation showed the high photocatalytic efficiency of doped NPs for the removal of the study pollutants. To predict the environmental impact and interaction between NPs and PAHs on marine organisms, Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels were exposed to concentrations of each chemical (50 and 100 μg/L) for 14 days. The mussel's response was determined using the oxidative stress biomarker approach. Measured biomarkers in the mussel's digestive gland showed possible oxidative mechanisms in a concentration-dependent manner occurring after exposure to PAHs and NPs separately. Overall, this finding provides an interesting combination to remove PAHs in water, and the incorporation of chemical element into the crystallographic structure of NPs and the combination of two different NPs to form a binary hybrid NPs are promising materials.

Spacing prior to decorating TiO2 nanowires with dewetted Au nanoparticles for boosting photoelectrochemical water oxidation

Dewetted Au nanoparticles are used as masks to space out TiO2 nanowires, which restrict the planar coalescence of nanowires and favor the successive decoration of Au nanoparticles by dewetting, thus boosting the PEC water oxidation performance.

Rapid preparation of terbium-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles and their enhanced photocatalytic performance

Further applications of photocatalysis were limited by the high recombination probability of photo-induced electron-hole pairs in traditional titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs). Herein, we modified them with rare earth metal via a facile sol-gel method, using tetrabutyl titanate as a precursor and terbium (III) nitrate hexahydrate as terbium (Tb) source. The resulting samples with different Tb doping amounts (from 0 to 2%) have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscope. The photocatalytic performance of Tb-doped TiO₂ was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue. The effects of Tb doping amount and initial pH value of solution were investigated in detail. The composite with Tb doping amount of 1.0 wt% showed the highest photocatalytic performance. It exhibited approximately three times enhancement in photocatalytic activity with a reaction rate constant of 0.2314 h^-1 when compared with that of commercial P25 (0.0827 h^-1). In addition, it presented low toxicity on zebrafishes with 96 h-LC₅₀ of 23.2 mg l^-1, and has been proved to be reusable for at least four cycles without significant loss of photocatalytic activity. A probable photocatalytic mechanism of Tb-doped TiO₂ was proposed according to the active species trapping experiments. The high photocatalytic performance, excellent reusability and low toxicity of Tb-doped TiO₂ indicated that it is a promising candidate material in the future treatment of dye wastewater.

Synthesis and Characterization of TiO₂ Nanoparticles for the Reduction of Water Pollutants

The aim of this manuscript was the optimization of the synthesis of TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) with conditions that could be easily reproducible at the industrial level. Several procedures were tested and those with C₁₂H₂₈O₄Ti and CO(NH₂)₂ as precursors seemed the most promising and, consequently, were improved with different molar ratios, lower temperatures and the addition of NH₄Cl as a secondary dopant of nitrogen. The obtained samples were studied with analytical techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). To complete the study, dye degradation and bacteriological tests were also performed. The results indicate that it is possible to obtain TiO₂ NPs at lower temperatures with respect to those used in the literature; the best candidate that could satisfy all the requirements was a sample with a molar ratio of C₁₂H₂₈O₄Ti:CO(NH₂)₂ at 2:1 and obtained at 50 °C.