Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Vernonia amygdalina plant extract and its antimicrobial activities

The green nanoparticles synthesis method from leaves extract revealed full an economical, sustainable and eco-friendly method. In this study, the leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina was as a reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). M/DW binary solvent was selected for its relatively better extraction performance than methanol, ethanol, distilled water and ethanol/distilled water. Furthermore, the effect of solvent ratio of M/DW, precursor concentration, ratio of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) to plant extract, temperature, time and pH on the synthesis of AgNPs was carried out. Greenly synthesized Agents was confirmed using UV-Vis spectroscopy and characterized by XRD and FT-IR. Besides, its antimicrobial activities were also evaluated using agar diffusion techniques. The UV-Vis spectra showed specific Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) absorption peaks between 411 nm and 430 nm which revealed the formation of AgNPs during the synthesis. The nanoparticle synthesis was further confirmed by XRD analysis. Phytochemical screening test and FT-IR analysis of V. amygdalina leaves extract revealed the existence of phenolic, Tannin, saponins and flavonoid groups, which capped the nanoparticles during the synthesis. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized AgNPs were evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria (S. pyogenes and S. aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and P. aeruginosa) and higher inhibition zones were observed.

Ultrafine bubbles as an augmenting agent for ozone-based advanced oxidation

In this study, the influence of nanobubbles (NBs) application in ozone (O₃) based advanced oxidation processes (AOP) is investigated. The results demonstrate the potential of NBs application to O₃ - based AOP. It was observed that NBs suppress the negative influence of pH and operating temperatures on the efficiency of ozonation. In addition, the application of NBs tends to improve the solubility of O₃ and the rate of mass transfer under the influence of a broad range of temperature and pH conditions. The results of this research indicate that application of NBs minimized the reduction in concentration of dissolved O₃ with an increase in temperature. Furthermore, application of NBs highly improved the OH radical formation in acidic conditions. The results of this research depicted for first time that the application of NBs strongly encourages the initiation of reactions involving OH radicals. It was found by this research that NBs can boost the concentration of OH radicals up to 3.5 fold compared to equivalent MB-supported ozonation systems. This is assumed to improve the efficiency of currently existing conventional bubble supported O₃ - based AOP systems.

Micro and nanobubble technologies as a new horizon for water-treatment techniques: A review

This review article organizes the studies conducted on the areas of microbubbles and nanobubbles with a special emphasis on water treatment. The basic definitions of bubble types and their size ranges are also presented based on the explanations of different researchers. The characterization parameters with state-of-the-art measuring and analysis techniques of microbubble and nanobubble technologies are summarized. Some major applications of these technologies in water-treatment processes are reviewed and briefly discussed. Based on the reviews, various potential areas for research and bubble application gaps in water and wastewater treatment technologies are identified for further study. The article is prepared in such a way that it provides a step-by-step acquaintance to the subject matter with the objective of focusing on the application of microbubbles and nanobubbles in water-treatment technology.