Zinc oxide‐cadmium(II) sulfide heterostructure as a potential photocatalyst for preparing substituted chromenes and its anti‐liver cancer activity

Abstract

There are ongoing studies on the potential use of chromene derivatives in liver cancer therapy. They have shown promising results in preclinical studies for liver cancer, including inhibiting tumor growth and inducing apoptosis. Herein, the nanosized hybrid material zinc oxide (ZnO)–cadmium sulfide (CdS) is prepared using a green and ecofriendly procedure. The nanomaterial was characterized by FE‐SEM, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray, DRS, X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic proficiency of ZnO–CdS was then scrutinized in the fabrication of some 4H‐chromenes in a mild condition. The outcomes of this study revealed that the nanophotocatalyst has high photocatalytic reactivity and acceptable reusability in the desired condensation reaction. Furthermore, a preliminary in vitro cellular toxicity assay was performed on ZnO–CdS nanoparticles using HepG2 cancer cell line through MTT assay.