Advances in Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis Processing of Noble Metal Nanoparticles-Review

Exploring synthesis and applications of green nanoparticles and the role of nanotechnology in wastewater treatment

Current research endeavours are progressively focussing towards discovering sustainable methods for synthesising eco-friendly materials. In this environment, nanotechnology has emerged as a key frontier, especially in bioremediation and biotechnology. A few areas of nanotechnology including membrane technology, sophisticated oxidation processes, and biosensors. It is possible to create nanoparticles (NPs) via physical, chemical, or biological pathways in a variety of sizes and forms. These days, the investigation of plants as substitutes for NP synthesis methods has drawn a lot of interest. Toxic water contaminants such as methyl blue have been shown to be removed upto 70% by nanoparticles. In our article, we aimed at focussing the environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness towards the green synthesis of nanoparticles. Furthermore it offers a comprehensive thorough summary of green NP synthesis methods which can be distinguished by their ease of use, financial sustainability, and environmentally favourable utilization of plant extracts. This study highlights how green synthesis methods have the potential to transform manufacturing of NPs while adhering to environmental stewardship principles and resource efficiency.

Synthesis of nano-hydroxyapatite using emulsion, pyrolysis, combustion, and sonochemical methods and biogenic sources: a review

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is comparable to materials in bone because its chemical components are similar to those contained in animal bone, and thus, its bioactive and biocompatible properties are similar. There are applications for HAp and relevant calcium phosphate in the medical and industrial sectors, and due to the rising demand for HAp nanoparticles, considerable work has been performed to develop a variety of synthetic pathways that incorporate scientifically and practically novel aspects. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine how changes in reaction parameters will successfully influence crucial HAp features. HAp can also be synthesized from biogenic sources such as HAp-rich fish scales or animal bones as an alternative to chemical precursors. Various preparation techniques produce crystals with varying sizes, but it has been found that nano-sized HAp exhibits a greater number of bioactive properties as compared to micron-sized HAp. Rather than considering conventional methods, this review focuses on alternative approaches such as emulsion, pyrolysis, combustion, and sonochemical methods along with waste bio-sources (biogenic sources) to obtain HAp. We summarize the currently accessible information pertaining to each synthesis process, while also focusing on their benefits and drawbacks.

Bimetallic Nanoalloy Catalysts for Green Energy Production: Advances in Synthesis Routes and Characterization Techniques

Bimetallic Nanoalloy catalysts have diverse uses in clean energy, sensing, catalysis, biomedicine, and energy storage, with some supported and unsupported catalysts. Conventional synthetic methods for producing bimetallic alloy nanoparticles often produce unalloyed and bulky particles that do not exhibit desired characteristics. Alloys, when prepared with advanced nanoscale methods, give higher surface area, activity, and selectivity than individual metals due to changes in their electronic properties and reduced size. This review demonstrates the synthesis methods and principles to produce and characterize highly dispersed, well-alloyed bimetallic nanoalloy particles in relatively simple, effective, and generalized approaches and the overall existence of conventional synthetic methods with modifications to prepare bimetallic alloy catalysts. The basic concepts and mechanistic understanding are represented with purposely selected examples. Herein, the enthralling properties with widespread applications of nanoalloy catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis are also presented, especially for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER), Oxidation Reduction Reaction (ORR), Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER), and alcohol oxidation with a particular focus on Pt and Pd-based bimetallic nanoalloys and their numerous fields of applications. The high entropy alloy is described as a complicated subject with an emphasis on laser-based green synthesis of nanoparticles and, in conclusion, the forecasts and contemporary challenges for the controlled synthesis of nanoalloys are addressed.

Study of Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated with SARS-CoV-2 S1 Spike Protein Fragments

This study reports on the successful conjugation of SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike protein fragments with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that were synthesised with Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (USP). This method enables the continuous synthesis of AuNPs with a high degree of purity, round shapes, and the formation of a surface that allows various modifications. The conjugation mechanism of USP synthesized AuNPs with SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike protein fragments was investigated. A gel electrophoresis experiment confirmed the successful conjugation of AuNPs with SARS-CoV-2 S1 fragments indirectly. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic O1s and N1s peaks, which indicated that specific binding between AuNPs and SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike protein fragments takes place via a peptide bond formed with the citrate stabiliser. This bond is coordinated to the AuNP's surface and the N-terminals of the protein, with the conjugate displaying the expected response within a prototype LFIA test. This study will help in better understanding the behaviour of AuNPs synthesised with USP and their potential use as sensors in colorimetric or electrochemical sensors and LFIA tests.

Antifungal Effect of Polymethyl Methacrylate Resin Base with Embedded Au Nanoparticles

Full and partial restorations in dentistry must replicate the characteristics of the patient's natural teeth. Materials must have good mechanical properties and be non-toxic and biocompatible. Microbes, which can form biofilms, are constantly in contact with restorations. In this study, we investigate how well Candida albicans adheres to a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin base with gold (Au) nanoparticles. We synthesized Au nanoparticles and characterized them. The average size of Au nanoparticles embedded in PMMA was 11 nm. The color difference ΔE between PMMA and PMMA/Au composites was 2.7 and was still esthetically acceptable to patients. PMMA/Au surfaces are smoother and more hydrophilic than pure PMMA surfaces, and the isoelectric point of both types of surfaces was 4.3. Above the isoelectric point, PMMA/Au surfaces are more negatively charged than PMMA surfaces. The added Au nanoparticles decreased the tensile strength, while the hardness did not change significantly. Adhesion measurements showed that PMMA surfaces modified with Au nanoparticles reduced the extent of microbial adhesion of Candida albicans.

Study of Ni/Y2O3/Polylactic Acid Composite

This study demonstrates the successful synthesis of Ni/Y₂O₃ nanocomposite particles through the application of ultrasound-assisted precipitation using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. They were collected in a water suspension with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the stabiliser. The presence of the Y₂O₃ core and Ni shell was confirmed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and with electron diffraction. The TEM observations revealed the formation of round particles with an average diameter of 466 nm, while the lattice parameter on the Ni particle's surface was measured to be 0.343 nm. The Ni/Y₂O₃ nanocomposite particle suspensions were lyophilized, to obtain a dried material that was suitable for embedding into a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. The resulting PLA/Ni/Y₂O₃ composite material was extruded, and the injection was moulded successfully. Flexural testing of PLA/Ni/Y₂O₃ showed a slight average decrease (8.55%) in flexural strength and a small decrease from 3.7 to 3.3% strain at the break, when compared to the base PLA. These findings demonstrate the potential for utilising Ni/Y₂O₃ nanocomposite particles in injection moulding applications and warrant further exploration of their properties and new applications in various fields.

Physicochemical Properties of Gold Nanoparticles for Skin Care Creams

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have now been used in skin care creams for several years, with marketed anti-aging, moisturizing, and regenerative properties. Information on the harmful effects of these nanoparticles is lacking, a concern for the use of AuNPs as cosmetic ingredients. Testing AuNPs without the medium of a cosmetic product is a typical method for obtaining this information, which is mainly dependent on their size, shape, surface charge, and dose. As these properties depend on the surrounding medium, nanoparticles should be characterized in a skin cream without extraction from the cream's complex medium as it may alter their physicochemical properties. The current study compares the sizes, morphology, and surface changes of produced dried AuNPs with a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilizer and AuNPs embedded in a cosmetic cream using a variety of characterization techniques (TEM, SEM, DLS, zeta potential, BET, UV-vis). The results show no observable differences in their shapes and sizes (spherical and irregular, average size of 28 nm) while their surface charges changed in the cream, indicating no major modification of their primary sizes, morphology, and the corresponding functional properties. They were present as individually dispersed nanoparticles and as groups or clusters of physically separated primary nanoparticles in both dry form and cream medium, showing suitable stability. Examination of AuNPs in a cosmetic cream is challenging due to the required conditions of various characterization techniques but necessary for obtaining a clear understanding of the AuNPs' properties in cosmetic products as the surrounding medium is a critical factor for determining their beneficial or harmful effects in cosmetic products.

Principles and applications of sono-optogenetics

Optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience research through its spatiotemporally precise activation of specific neurons by illuminating light on opsin-expressing neurons. A long-standing challenge of in vivo optogenetics arises from the limited penetration depth of visible light in the neural tissue due to scattering and absorption of photons. To address this challenge, sono-optogenetics has been developed to enable spatiotemporally precise light production in a three-dimensional volume of neural tissue by leveraging the deep tissue penetration and focusing ability of ultrasound as well as circulation-delivered mechanoluminescent nanotransducers. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the sono-optogenetics method from the physical principles of ultrasound and mechanoluminescence to its emerging applications for unique neuroscience studies. We also discuss a few promising directions in which sono-optogenetics can make a lasting transformative impact on neuroscience research from the perspectives of mechanoluminescent materials, ultrasound-tissue interaction, to the unique neuroscience opportunities of "scanning optogenetics".

Exosomes and ultrasound: The future of theranostic applications

Biomaterials and pertaining formulations have been very successful in various diagnostic and therapeutic applications because of its ability to overcome pharmacological limitations. Some of them have gained significant focus in the recent decade for their theranostic properties. Exosomes can be grouped as biomaterials, since they consist of various biological micro/macromolecules and possess all the properties of a stable biomaterial with size in nano range. Significant research has gone into isolation and exploitation of exosomes as potential theranostic agent. However, the limitations in terms of yield, efficacy, and target specificity are continuously being addressed. On the other hand, several nano/microformulations are responsive to physical or chemical alterations and were successfully stimulated by tweaking the physical characteristics of the surrounding environment they are in. Some of them are termed as photodynamic, sonodynamic or thermodynamic therapeutic systems. In this regard, ultrasound and acoustic systems were extensively studied for its ability towards altering the properties of the systems to which they were applied on. In this review, we have detailed about the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of exosomes and ultrasound separately, consisting of their conventional applications, drawbacks, and developments for addressing the challenges. The information were categorized into various sections that provide complete overview of the isolation strategies and theranostic applications of exosomes in various diseases. Then the ultrasound-based disease diagnosis and therapy were elaborated, with special interest towards the use of ultrasound in enhancing the efficacy of nanomedicines and nanodrug delivery systems, Finally, we discussed about the ability of ultrasound in enhancing the diagnostic and therapeutic properties of exosomes, which could be the future of theranostics.

Borate Bioactive Glasses (BBG): Bone Regeneration, Wound Healing Applications, and Future Directions

Since the early 2000s, borate bioactive glasses (BBGs) have been extensively investigated for biomedical applications. The research so far indicates that BBGs frequently exhibit superior bioactivity and bone healing capacity compared to silicate glasses. They are also suitable candidates as drug delivery devices for infection or disease treatment such as osteoporosis. Additionally, BBGs are also an excellent option for wound healing applications, which includes the availability of commercial (FDA approved) microfibrous BBG dressings to treat chronic wounds. By addition of modifying ions, the bone or wound healing capacity of BBGs can be enhanced. For instance, addition of copper ions into BBGs was shown to drastically increase blood vessel formation for wound healing applications. Moreover, addition of ions such as magnesium, strontium, and cobalt improves bone healing. Other recent research interest related to BBGs is focused on nerve and muscle regeneration applications, while cartilage regeneration is also suggested as a potential application field for BBGs. BBGs are commonly produced by melt-quenching; however, sol-gel processing of BBGs is emerging and appears to be a promising alternative. In this review paper, the physical and biological characteristics of BBGs are analyzed based on the available literature, the applications of BBGs are discussed, and future research directions are suggested.

Modeling and Parameterization of the Evaporation and Thermal Decomposition of an Iron(III) Nitrate Nonahydrate/Ethanol Droplet for Flame Spray Pyrolysis

Flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) is a promising approach to generate nanoparticles from precursor solutions, where the convective droplet heating and evaporation of the single precursor solution droplet play a key role. Depending on the precursor solution under consideration, reactions inside the liquid may occur. The present numerical study concerns the heating, evaporation, and thermal decomposition of single droplets of iron(III) nitrate nonahydrate (INN) and ethanol at an initial temperature of 293.15 K in hot convective air at atmospheric pressure. If the ambience is below the thermal decomposition temperature (Tth) of the INN, iron nitrate particles are directly formed inside the particle, whereas at ambient temperatures beyond Tth, the iron nitrate thermally decomposes into gaseous Fe2O3 and N2O5. Vaporization and thermal decomposition govern the process, depending on the droplet surface temperature. If the ambient temperature is larger than a specific value T+, thermal decomposition is very fast and vaporization dominates the total process time, whereas at lower ambient temperatures, the vaporization is slower, which causes a lower final droplet surface temperature, leading to considerably longer thermal decomposition, which dominates the total process time under that condition. The ambient temperature at which this reversed behavior occurs depends on initial INN loading of the particle and the relative velocity but is largely independent of the initial droplet size. These new results are very useful in choosing the process temperature, which is recommended to lie beyond the ambient air temperature of T+ to assure that the total process time is kept short. The numerical results are parameterized for use in more complex simulations of FSP.

Sonoproduction of nanobiomaterials - A critical review

Ultrasound (US) demonstrates remarkable potential in synthesising nanomaterials, particularly nanobiomaterials targeted towards biomedical applications. This review briefly introduces existing top-down and bottom-up approaches for nanomaterials synthesis and their corresponding synthesis mechanisms, followed by the expounding of US-driven nanomaterials synthesis. Subsequently, the pros and cons of sono-nanotechnology and its advances in the synthesis of nanobiomaterials are drawn based on recent works. US-synthesised nanobiomaterials have improved properties and performance over conventional synthesis methods and most essentially eliminate the need for harsh and expensive chemicals. The sonoproduction of different classes and types of nanobiomaterials such as metal and superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs), lipid- and carbohydrate-based NPs, protein microspheres, microgels and other nanocomposites are broadly categorised based on the physical and/or chemical effects induced by US. This review ends on a good note and recognises US-driven synthesis as a pragmatic solution to satisfy the growing demand for nanobiomaterials, nonetheless some technical challenges are highlighted.

Optimisation of a Side Inlet for H2 Entry into an Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis Device

An ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) device consists of an evaporation and two reaction zones of equal length, into which an aerosol with a precursor compound enters, and where nanoparticles are formed in the final stage. As part of this research, we simulated the geometry of a side inlet, where the reaction gas (H2) enters into the reaction tube of the device by using numerical methods. Mixing with the carrier gas (N2) occurs at the entry of the H2. In the initial part, we performed a theoretical calculation with a numerical simulation using ANSYS CFX, while the geometries of the basic and studied models were prepared with Solidworks. The inlet geometry of the H2 included a study of the position and radius of the inlet with respect to the reaction tube of the USP device, as well as a study of the angle and diameter of the inlet. In the simulation, we chose the typical flows of both gases (N2, H2) in the range of 5 L/min to 15 L/min. The results show that the best geometry is with the H2 side inlet at the bottom, which the existing USP device does not allow for. Subsequently, temperature was included in the numerical simulation of the basic geometry with selected gas flows; 150 °C was considered in the evaporation zone and 400 °C was considered in the other two zones—as is the case for Au nanoparticle synthesis. In the final part, we performed an experiment on a USP device by selecting for the input parameters those that, theoretically, were the most appropriate—a constant flow of H2 5 L/min and three different N2 flows (5 L/min, 10 L/min, and 15 L/min). The results of this study show that numerical simulations are a suitable tool for studying the H2 flow in a UPS device, as the obtained results are comparable to the results of experimental tests that showed that an increased flow of N2 can prevent the backflow of H2 effectively, and that a redesign of the inlet geometry is needed to ensure proper mixing. Thus, numerical simulations using the ANSYS CFX package can be used to evaluate the optimal geometry for an H2 side inlet properly, so as to reconstruct the current and improve future USP devices.

Synthesis by spray pyrolysis of gold nano species confined in iron oxide nanospheres effective in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol

The highly effective Au/Fe₂O₃-@Au/Fe₂O₃nanoreactors for the 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction are successfully obtained by one-pot synthesis using the spray pyrolysis (SP) technique. The Au/Fe₂O₃-@Au/Fe₂O₃nanoreactors manifest superior catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-NP in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) compared to gold-iron oxide nanoreactors prepared via a colloidal approach. The negative effect of the reaction product accumulation, the 4-aminophenol (4-AP), on the catalytic reduction of 4-NP over Au/Fe₂O₃-@Au/Fe₂O₃is examined by a direct pre-injection of 4-AP to the reaction media. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first experimental evidence of gold active sites blocking by 4-AP. All obtained samples are characterized by the yolk-shell spherical hollow structure mainly consisted of two embedded hollow nanospheres. The reduction of iron oxide precursor concentration diminishes the diameter of final iron oxide nanospheres. According to STEM-EDS analysis and STEM, Au nano species are uniformly dispersed on both iron oxide nanospheres. The SP technique presently used to synthesize Au/Fe₂O₃-@Au/Fe₂O₃nanoreactors manifests high potential for the one-pot fabrication of a large variety of nanoreactors with various active materials applied as heterogeneous catalysts in numerous catalytic processes.

Advances in Understanding of the Application of Unit Operations in Metallurgy of Rare Earth Elements

Unit operations (UO) are mostly used in non-ferrous extractive metallurgy (NFEM) and usually separated into three categories: (1) hydrometallurgy (leaching under atmospheric and high pressure conditions, mixing of solution with gas and mechanical parts, neutralization of solution, precipitation and cementation of metals from solution aiming purification, and compound productions during crystallization), (2) pyrometallurgy (roasting, smelting, refining), and (3) electrometallurgy (aqueous electrolysis and molten salt electrolysis). The high demand for critical metals, such as rare earth elements (REE), indium, scandium, and gallium raises the need for an advance in understanding of the UO in NFEM. The aimed metal is first transferred from ores and concentrates to a solution using a selective dissolution (leaching or dry digestion) under an atmospheric pressure below 1 bar at 100 °C in an agitating glass reactor and under a high pressure (40–50 bar) at high temperatures (below 270 °C) in an autoclave and tubular reactor. The purification of the obtained solution was performed using neutralization agents such as sodium hydroxide and calcium carbonate or more selective precipitation agents such as sodium carbonate and oxalic acid. The separation of metals is possible using liquid (water solution)/liquid (organic phase) extraction (solvent extraction (SX) in mixer-settler) and solid-liquid filtration in chamber filter-press under pressure until 5 bar. Crystallization is the process by which a metallic compound is converted from a liquid into a crystalline state via a supersaturated solution. The final step is metal production using different methods (aqueous electrolysis for basic metals such as copper, zinc, silver, and molten salt electrolysis for REE and aluminum). Advanced processes, such as ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, microwave assisted leaching, and can be combined with reduction processes in order to produce metallic powders. Some preparation for the leaching process is performed via a roasting process in a rotary furnace, where the sulfidic ore was first oxidized in an oxidic form which is a suitable for the metal transfer to water solution. UO in extractive metallurgy of REE can be successfully used not only for the metal wining from primary materials, but also for its recovery from secondary materials.

NdFeB Magnets Recycling Process: An Alternative Method to Produce Mixed Rare Earth Oxide from Scrap NdFeB Magnets

Neodymium iron boron magnets (NdFeB) play a critical role in various technological applications due to their outstanding magnetic properties, such as high maximum energy product, high remanence and high coercivity. Production of NdFeB is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, for this reason, demand for the rare earth elements (REE) will not only remain high but it also will increase even more. The recovery of rare earth elements has become essential to satisfy this demand in recent years. In the present study rare earth elements recovery from NdFeB magnets as new promising process flowsheet is proposed as follows; (1) acid baking process is performed to decompose the NdFeB magnet to increase in the extraction efficiency for Nd, Pr, and Dy. (2) Iron was removed from the leach liquor during hydrolysis. (3) The production of REE-oxide from leach liquor using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method. Recovery of mixed REE-oxide from NdFeB magnets via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method between 700 °C and 1000 °C is a new innovative step in comparison to traditional combination of precipitation with sodium carbonate and thermal decomposition of rare earth carbonate at 850 °C. The synthesized mixed REE- oxide powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Morphological properties and phase content of mixed REE- oxide were revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. To obtain the size and particle size distribution of REE-oxide, a search algorithm based on an image-processing technique was executed in MATLAB. The obtained particles are spherical with sizes between 362 and 540 nm. The experimental values of the particle sizes of REE- oxide were compared with theoretically predicted ones.

Gold Inks for Inkjet Printing on Photo Paper: Complementary Characterisation

Nowadays, cost-effective, available, and flexible paper-based electronics play an essential role in the electronics industry. Herein, we present gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a potential raw material for gold inks in the future for such purposes. AuNPs in this research were synthesised using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) technique from two precursors: gold (III) chloride tetrahydrate and gold (III) acetate. Synthesised AuNPs were collected in a suspension composed of deionised (D.I.) water and the stabiliser polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). AuNPs' suspensions were subjected to the rotavapor process to obtain gold inks with higher Au concentration (>300 ppm). ICP-MS measurements, the size and shape of AuNPs, ζ-potential, Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry measurements, and scanning electron microscop y (SEM) of gold inks were carried out in order to find the optimal printing parameters. In the final stage, the optical contact angle measurements were performed using a set of polar to non-polar liquids, allowing for the determination of the surface free energy of gold inks. Inkjet printing of gold inks as defined stripes on photo paper were tested, based on the characterisation results.