Radiation Shielding efficiency of lead-tungsten-boron glasses with Sb, Al, and Bi against gamma, neutron and charge particles

We report on newly developed nuclear shielding glass system based on lead-tungsten-boron (PWB) for radiation applications against photon, neutron and charge particles. This newly developed system contains also different additions, in low concentrations, such as Sb, Al and Bi. The gamma/photon shielding performance was tested by using FLUKA Monte Carlo. Moreover, the shielding efficiency of the present system is examined against charged particles (light and heavy ones) and neutrons. The highest gamma/photons attenuation is observed in the lowest incident energy and this is at the region of the photoelectric absorption. We also observe that the values of effective atomic number (Zeff) show a peak at 100 keV incident energy. The reduction of these values is higher for photon energy range 0.1-1 MeV than below 80 keV energies. The lowest half value layer (d1/2), reflecting the best shielding efficiency, is recorded for the PWB-Bi system. The PWB-Bi system demonstrates promising performance better than many of commercial and standard systems and heavy concretes.

Radiation attenuation of boro-tellurite glasses for efficient shielding applications

The borotellurite glasses whose chemical structure is (29.5-0.4x)CaO + 10CaF2 + (60-0.6x)B2O3 + xTeO2+ 0.5Yb2O3 (where x=10, 16, 22, 31, and 54 % mole. represent TCCBY1-TCCBY5, respectively) are Pb-free, thermally stable, and transparent glasses with attractive optical features for technological applications. The gamma-photons, electrons, protons, neutrons, carbon ions, fast neutrons, and fast neutron interaction parameters of these glasses are presented in this study to better understand the role of TeO2 in influencing their radiation shielding properties and radiation protection applications. The photon mass attenuation coefficient was evaluated by XCOM computation and simulation using the FLUKA code. The FLUKA code was also used to evaluate the mass stopping powers of the charged radiations, while neutrons' cross sections were evaluated using standard expressions. For 0.015 MeV-15 MeV photons, the mass attenuation coefficients of the glasses fell from 17.9499 to 0.0246 cm2/g for TCCBY1, 20.5628 to 0.0263 cm2/g for TCCBY2, 23.2756 to 0.079 cm2/g for TCCBY3, 26.7487 to 0.0298 cm2/g for TCCBY4, and 33.3591 to 0.0335 cm2/g for TCCBY5. The photon half-value layer at 15 keV is reduced by about 19.57%, 32.68%, 48.84%, and 63.89% when the TeO2 content increases from 10 mol to 16, 22, 31, and 54 mol, respectively. TeO2 was found to suppress photon buildup in the glasses. The mass stopping powers of charged radiation increased as glass density decreased. The addition of TeO2 into the glass structure increased the ability of the TCCBY glass to absorb fast neutrons by up to 54 % mole. The gamma radiation and fast neutron moderating ability of TCCBY5 glass compared to common shields and other materials is exceptional. The glass is recommended for the design of Pb-free, transparent, and efficient radiation protection structures.

Photocatalytic degradation and electrochemical energy storage properties of CuO/SnO2 nanocomposites via the wet-chemical method

Integrating semiconducting functional materials is a way to enlarge the photoexcitation, energy range, and charge separation, greatly elongating the photocatalytic efficiency to enhance the chemical and physical properties of the materials. This work depicts and investigates the impact of cuprous oxide (CuO) and tin dioxide (SnO₂)-based catalysts with various CuO concentrations on photocatalytic and supercapacitor applications. Moreover, three distinct composites were made with varied ratios of CuO (5, 10, and 15% wt. Are designated as AT-1, AT-2, and AT-3) with SnO₂ to get an optimized performance. The photocatalytic properties indicate that the CuO/SnO₂ nanocomposite outperformed its bulk equivalents in photocatalysis using Methyl blue (MB) dye in a photoreactor. The results were monitored using a UV-visible spectrometer. The AT-1 ratio nanocomposite displayed 96% photocatalytic degradation compared to pure SnO₂ and CuO. CV analysis reveals a pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanism from 0.0 to 0.7 V in a potential window in an aqueous medium. The capacitive performance was also investigated for all electrodes, and we observed that a high capacitance of 260/155 F/g at 1/10 A/g was attained for the AT-1 electrode compared to others, specifying good rate performance.

Binder-free cupric-ion containing zinc sulfide nanoplates-like structure for flexible energy storage devices

Researchers have been enthusiastic about developing high-performance electrode materials based on metal chalcogenides for energy storage applications. Herein, we developed cupric ion-containing zinc sulfide (ZnS:Cu) nanoplates by using a solvothermal approach. The as-synthesized ZnS:Cu nanoplates electrode was characterized and analyzed by using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, and XPS. The binder-free flexible ZnS:Cu nanoplates exhibited excellent specific capacitance of 545 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1. The CV and GCD measurements revealed that the specific capacitance was mainly attributed to the Faradaic redox mechanism. Further, the binder-free flexible ZnS:Cu nanoplates electrode retained 87.4% along with excellent Coulombic efficiency (99%) after 5000 cycles. The binder-free flexible ZnS:Cu nanoplates exhibited excellent conductivity, specific capacitance, and stability which are beneficial in energy storage systems. These findings will also open new horizons amongst material scientists toward the new direction of electrode development.

Alumina supported copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO/Al2O3) as high-performance electrocatalysts for hydrazine oxidation reaction

Direct hydrazine liquid fuel cell (DHFC) is perceived as effectual energy generating mean owing to high conversion efficiency and energy density. However, the development of well-designed, cost effective and high performance electrocatalysts is the paramount to establish DHFCs as efficient energy generating technology. Herein, gamma alumina supported copper oxide nanocatalysts (CuO/Al₂O₃) are synthesized via impregnation method and investigated for their electrocatalytic potential towards hydrazine oxidation reaction. CuO with different weight percentages i.e., 4%, 8%, 12%, 16% and 20% are impregnated on gamma alumina support. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the cubic crystal structure and nanosized particles of the prepared metal oxides. Transmission electron microscopy also referred to the cubic morphology and nanoparticle formation. Electrochemical oxidation potential of the CuO/Al₂O₃ nanoparticles is explored via cyclic voltammetry as the analytical tool. Optimization of conditions and electrocatalytic studies shown that 16% CuO/Al₂O₃ presented the best electronic properties towards N₂H₂ oxidation reaction. BET analysis ascertained the high surface area (131.2546 m² g¹) and large pore diameter (0.279605 cm³ g^-1) for 16% CuO/Al₂O₃. Nanoparticle formation, high porosity and enlarged surface area of the proposed catalysts resulted in significant oxidation current output (600 μA), high current density (8.2 mA cm^-2) and low charge transfer resistance (3.7 kΩ). Electrooxidation of hydrazine on such an affordable and novel electrocatalyst opens a gateway to further explore the metal oxide impregnated alumina materials for different electrochemical applications.

Bioinspired engineered nickel nanoparticles with multifunctional attributes for reproductive toxicity

Nickel nanoparticles (Ni-NPs) have potential applications in high-tech sectors such as battery manufacturing, catalysis, nanotube printing and textile. Apart from their increasing utilisation in daily life, there are concerns about their hazardous nature as they are highly penetrable in biological systems. The carcinogenic and mutagenic ability of Ni-NPs is evident but the research gaps are still there concerning the safety evaluation of Ni-NPs regarding male reproductive ability. This controlled randomized research was planned to assess the male reproductive toxicity of Ni-NPs in Sprague Dawley rats. Ni-NPs of spherical shape and mean particle size of 56 nm were used in the study, characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD. The twenty-five healthy rats (200-220 g) were used for toxicity investigation of Ni-NPs and divided into five groups; negative control (0 Ni-NPs), placebo group (0.9% saline) and three Ni-NPs treated groups (@ 15, 30 and 45 mg/kg BW). The results of 14 days of intraperitoneal exposure to Ni-NPs revealed that a higher dose (45 mg/kg BW) of Ni-NPs caused a significant reduction in body weight, serum testosterone, daily sperm production while the testis index and Ni accumulation and histological changes (necrosis in basement membrane and seminiferous tubules, vacuole formation) in testicular tissues increased with increasing dose of Ni-NPs. It can be concluded from the study that Ni-NPs have potential reproductive toxicity. This study provided the baseline data of Ni-NPs toxicity for the male reproductive system and can be applied for risk assessment in Ni-NPs based products.

Electrochemical corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy 6101 with cerium-based coatings in an alkaline environment

Chromium-free materials as eco-friendly coatings with higher corrosion resistance are crucial in various industrial processes. Herein, we report the deposition of cerium-based conversion, a chromium-free, eco-friendly chemical conversion coating for aluminum alloy 6101, by the dip coating method. Immersion in cerium salt precursors assisted with hydrogen peroxide was performed for the deposition of cerium-based conversion coatings on aluminum alloy 6101 at different bathing temperatures. The electrochemical corrosion behavior was assessed in an alkaline solution of sodium hydroxide (pH 11), including mass loss measurements, free corrosion risk, polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the coatings were composed of Ce (III) and Ce (IV) oxides. Surface modifications and surface degradation of the coating and substrate after immersion in corrosive media were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, energy dispersive scanning analysis demonstrated the elemental composition before and after corrosion of the cerium salt conversion-based coating. The results demonstrated that selectively deposited cerium-based conversion coatings improved the corrosion resistance by up to 96% in a strong corrosive alkaline media.

The synthesis of nanocellulose-based nanocomposites for the effective removal of hexavalent chromium ions from aqueous solution

The present study reports the synthesis of a polydopamine (PDA)/nanocellulose (NC) nanocomposite for the effective removal of chromium ions from water. PDA was used to modify NC surface producing a nanocomposite namely PDA/NC, by in situ polymerization of dopamine on the surface of NC. Thereafter, the as-synthesized nanocomposite was characterized using familiar techniques such as Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. All results indicated the successful combination of PDA and NC in one nanocomposite. The PDA/NC nanocomposite was evaluated for the removal of hexavalent Cr(vi) ions from an aqueous solution. The adsorption conditions, such as pH, contact time, and initial Cr(vi) concentration, were optimized. Adsorption kinetic studies revealed that Cr(vi) removal on the surface of PDA/NC nanocomposite followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Furthermore, isotherm studies revealed that Cr(vi) removal followed the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity (q m) of 210 mg/g. The adsorption mechanism study indicated that the Cr(vi) removal was reached via complexation, adsorption, and chemical reduction. The reusability of a PDA/NC nanocomposite for the removal of Cr(vi) ions was studied up to five cycles with acceptable results. The high adsorption capacity and multiple removal mechanisms validated the effective applicability of PDA/NC nanocomposite as a useful adsorbent for the removal of Cr(vi) ions from aqueous solution.

Pisonia Alba Assisted Synthesis of Nanosilver for Wound Healing Activity

Wound infection is a major clinical challenge, impacting patient morbidity and mortality, with significant economic implications. Our research focused on how Pisonia Alba (PA) leaves, which are used to treat wounds, are used to synthesize silver nanoparticles and study their wound healing property. UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and s electron microscope (SEM) analysis were employed to evaluate the synthesized silver nanoparticles. Using DLS and Zeta potential analysis, the size and stability of the Pisonia Alba capped silver nanoparticle were investigated. The results showed that Pisonia Alba extract stabilized silver nanoparticles are 63.88 nm in size and have a spherical shape. Antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of synthesized silver nanoparticles against pathogenic organisms Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria were investigated. The in vitro cell scratch wounding assay is used to investigate the wound healing properties of synthesized nanoparticles. Pisonia Alba stabilized silver nanoparticles (PA@AgNPs), in comparison to Pisonia Alba (PA) extract, show effective wound healing characteristics by inducing the formation of collagen and serving as a capable wound healing agent.

Synthesis and application of 0D/2D nanocomposite for the nanomolar level detection of antiandrogen drug

In this work, Sr@FeNi-S nanostructures were synthesized through chemical approach. The as synthesized nanostructures were explored for the fabrication of a nanocomposite based potentiometric flutamide (FLU) sensor. A conducting graphene...

Magnetic Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon Nanocomposite for Pb(II) Adsorption from Aqueous Solution

We report in the present study the in situ formation of magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4 or Fe) within porous N-doped carbon (Fe3O4/N@C) via simple impregnation, polymerization, and calcination sequentially. The synthesized nanocomposite structural properties were investigated using different techniques showing its good construction. The formed nanocomposite showed a saturation magnetization (Ms) of 23.0 emu g-1 due to the implanted magnetic nanoparticles and high surface area from the porous N-doped carbon. The nanocomposite was formed as graphite-type layers. The well-synthesized nanocomposite showed a high adsorption affinity toward Pb2+ toxic ions. The nanosorbent showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 250.0 mg/g toward the Pb2+ metallic ions at pH of 5.5, initial Pb2+ concentration of 180.0 mg/L, and room temperature. Due to its superparamagnetic characteristics, an external magnet was used for the fast separation of the nanocomposite. This enabled the study of the nanocomposite reusability toward Pb2+ ions, showing good chemical stability even after six cycles. Subsequently, Fe3O4/N@C nanocomposite was shown to have excellent efficiency for the removal of toxic Pb2+ ions from water.

Synthesis of Polymer-Based Magnetic Nanocomposite for Multi-Pollutants Removal from Water

A magnetic polymer-based nanocomposite was fabricated by the modification of an Fe3O4/SiO2 magnetic composite with polypyrrole (PPy) via co-precipitation polymerization to form PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 for the removal of Congo red dye (CR) and hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) ions from water. The nanocomposite was characterized using various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), vibration sample magnetometer, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results confirm the successful fabrication of the nanocomposite in the size of nanometers. The effect of different conditions such as the contact time, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, and initial concentration on the adsorption process was investigated. The adsorption isotherm suggested monolayer adsorption of both contaminants over the PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite following a Langmuir isotherm, with maximum adsorption of 361 and 298 mg.g-1 for CR dye and Cr(VI), respectively. Furthermore, the effect of water type on the adsorption process was examined, indicating the applicability of the PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite for real sample treatment. Interestingly, the reusability of the nanocomposite for the removal of the studied contaminants was investigated with good results even after six successive cycles. All results make this nanocomposite a promising material for water treatment.

Clay-Polymer Nanocomposites: Preparations and Utilization for Pollutants Removal

Nowadays, people over the world face severe water scarcity despite the presence of several water sources. Adsorption is considered as the most efficient technique for the treatment of water containing biological, organic, and inorganic contaminants. For this purpose, materials from various origins (clay minerals, modified clays, zeolites, activated carbon, polymeric resins, etc.) have been considered as adsorbent for contaminants. Despite their cheapness and valuable properties, the use of clay minerals as adsorbent for wastewater treatment is limited due to many factors (low surface area, regeneration, and recovery limit, etc.). However, clay mineral can be used to enhance the performance of polymeric materials. The combination of clay minerals and polymers produces clay-polymers nanocomposites (CPNs) with advanced properties useful for pollutants removal. CPNs received a lot of attention for their efficient removal rate of various organic and inorganic contaminants via flocculation and adsorption ability. Three main classes of CPNs were developed (exfoliated nanocomposites (NCs), intercalated nanocomposites, and phase-separated microcomposites). The improved materials can be explored as novel and cost-effective adsorbents for the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from water/wastewater. The literature reported the ability of CPNs to remove various pollutants such as bacteria, metals, phenol, tannic acid, pesticides, dyes, etc. CPNs showed higher adsorption capacity and efficient water treatment compared to the individual components. Moreover, CPNs offered better regeneration than clay materials. The present paper summarizes the different types of clay-polymers nanocomposites and their effective removal of different contaminants from water. Based on various criteria, CPNs future as promising adsorbent for water treatment is discussed.

Dose- and duration-dependent cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in human hepato carcinoma cells due to CdTe QDs exposure

Nanotechnology has achieved more commercial attention over recent years, and its application has increased concerns about its discharge in the environment. In this study, we have chosen human hepatic carcinoma (HuH-7) cells because liver tissue has played an important role in human metabolism. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine DNA damaging and apoptotic potential of cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs; average particle size (APS) 10 nm, 1-25 µg/ml) on HuH-7 cells and the basic molecular mechanism of its cellular toxicity. Cytotoxicity of different concentrations of CdTe QDs on HuH-7 cells was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) tests. Moreover, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane potential, DNA damage, and Hoechst 33342 fluorescent staining morphological analysis of necrotic/apoptotic cells were detected; cellular impairment in mitochondria and DNA was confirmed by JC-1 and comet assay, respectively. A dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity effect of CdTe QDs exposure was observed HuH-7 cells; the significant (p < 0.05) cytotoxicity was found at 25 μg/ml of CdTe QDs exposure. The percentage of cytotoxicity of CdTe QDs (25 μg/ml) in HuH-7 cells reached 62% in 48 h. CdTe QDs elicited intracellular ROS generation and mitochondrial depolarization, and DNA integrity cells collectively advocated the apoptotic cell death at higher concentration. DNA damage was observed in cells due to CdTe QDs exposure, which was mediated by oxidative stress. This study exploring the effects of CdTe QDs in HuH-7 cells has provided valuable insights into the mechanism of toxicity induced by CdTe QDs.