Amount Of Silver Nanoparticles Research Articles

Multifunctional heating film as susceptor for induction-welded single-lap carbon fiber reinforced polyetherketoneketone thermoplastic composite joints: Thermal and mechanical behavior

In this study, a novel multifunctional film known as susceptor, containing silver nanoparticles, was proposed to improve the induction welding performance of unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced polyetherketoneketone (CF/PEKK) thermoplastic composites. A group of Ag/PEKK films was synthesized with different amounts of silver nanoparticles. Good thermal performance was obtained, including the maximum temperature and thermal growth time constant, leading to the selection of films with 60 wt.% and 70 wt.% silver nanoparticles. In addition, the mechanical performance was evaluated for single-lap joints fabricated with the selected films and stainless-steel mesh. Specifically, the highest interlaminar shear strength and single-lap shear strength of 25.2 MPa and 20.9 MPa, respectively, were achieved with a susceptor containing 60 wt.% silver nanoparticles. The mechanism of these increases in thermal and mechanical performance is discussed using numerical and experimental methods (non-destructive test and optical microscope observation). In conclusion, the multifunctional heating film incorporated into the adhesive can improve the thermal and mechanical efficiency of single-lap joints of thermoplastic composites fabricated using the induction welding method.

Comparison between the Nature and Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Active and Inactive Fungal Biomass Forms on Cervical Cancer Cells

Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) can be produced by active and inactive forms of biomass, but their properties have not been compared. Recent research is attempting to reveal their differences in shape, size, amount, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis induction. The biomass of Fusarium oxysporum was divided into four groups and pretreated in the following devices: room temperature (RT) and refrigerator (for preparation of active biomass forms), autoclave, and hot air oven (for preparation of inactive biomass forms). Samples were floated in ddH2O, and SNPs were produced after the addition of 0.1699 g/L AgNO3 in the ddH2O solution. SNP production was confirmed by visible spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SNPs were washed, and their concentration was determined by measuring atomic emission spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES). For antibacterial activity, the plate-well diffusion method was used. MTT and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide assays were used for cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction, respectively. The maximum absorbance peaks for SNPs pretreated in RT, refrigerator, autoclave, and hot air oven were 404, 402, 412, and 412 nm, respectively. The SNPs produced were almost the same shape and size, and the XRD results confirmed the presence of SNPs in all samples. Due to the differences in the type of bacterial strains used, the SNPs produced showed some differences in their antibacterial activity. The MTT assay showed that the amounts of SNPs in their IC50 dose based on the results of ICP-OES were 0.40, 0.45, 0.66, and 0.44 ppm for the samples pretreated in the hot air oven, autoclave, and refrigerator, and RT, respectively. The apoptosis induction results showed that the biologically engineered SNPs induced more apoptosis (about 34.25%) and less necrosis (about 13.25%). In conclusion, the type and activity of SNPs produced by the active and inactive forms of fungal biomass did not change. Therefore, use of the inactive form of biomass in the future to avoid environmental contamination is reccommended.

A comparative investigation of the synergistic correlation (mechanical-hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity vs. structural behaviors) of a series of surface-metalized polyacrylonitrile fibers by silver nanoparticles (AgPAN): An in-situ surface metallization protocol

Research problem The demand for polymeric materials is increasing day by day, provided that they have excellent virtues to meet desired needs. The best way to obtain high-quality polymeric materials was surface treatment in multiple methods. All the methods that have been used were expensive, multi-stage, harmful to the environment, and other shortages. Therefore, we sought in our paper to invent and develop a surface metallization protocol under green and safe conditions, based on integrating two safe methods for preparing nanomaterials (electrospinning/ultrasound) in one-pot. Aim of this work The main objective of this work is to answer a question that has been neglected in other papers: how does in-situ metallization affect the crystalline behavior of the semi-crystalline phase of the PAN matrix depending on different amounts of MA NPs and their synergy for the rest of the properties (morphological and structural) is presented, in first degree. In the second degree, an explanation of the synergy mechanism between the mechanical/hydrophilic properties and the modified structural properties of metalized fibers has explained. Results Here, an unaccustomed and green methodology to metalize the polyacrylonitrile, PAN, surface is reported with the intention of fashioning of a stable fibrous structure and the best specifications. The in-situ metallization process is essentially based on a loading of various amount of silver nanoparticles, as MA NPs “MA NPs”, (1 wt%, 4 wt%, 7 wt% and 10 wt%), which prepared by ultrasound irradiation assisted with a little amount of a reducer system (hydrazine/NaOH), on the PAN surface. The physiochemical characterization of as-synthesized fibrous samples was consisted of two parts: (i) characterization of sample nature (utilizing of XRD and UV-Vis. techniques), (ii) the chemical structure/morphological characterization (utilizing FESEM, TEM and AFM techniques) with performing all relevant measurements. From crystalline and UV-Vis. assessments, the observed shift in the diffraction peaks towards lower angles and slight shifts in the absorption bands of PAN (1 0 0) in the 1AgPAN and 4AgPAN samples, containing smaller-sized nanoparticles, are overt results of an improvement in the crystalline traits of the parent matrix. The FT-IR data revealed the intensification and overlapping of the IR-bands “C= N, C≡ N, N-H, C=O and O-H” without band shifting for fibrous samples with low content of MA NPs (1AgPAN and 4AgPAN samples). The intercalation of the MA NPs between the chains of the molecular matrix and the strong interconnection/hydrogen bonds between both components explain not only the change of the crystalline properties of the crystalline matrix but also the homogeneous distribution and creation of a stable layer of the MA NPs on the 0AgPAN surface, confirmed by the FESEM and TEM images. The results of the study of mechanical properties showed that the loading of small spherical particles onto the polymeric matric, in particular 1AgPAN and 4AgPAN samples, was positively reflected on the improvement of the mechanical performances and the related values, not in the 7AgPAN and 10AgPAN samples. Because the MA NPs have a hydrophobic character, loading them onto the bare polymeric fiber surface made the metalized fibers a stronger hydrophobic than that of hydrophilic character, which is consistent with differences in surface roughness (increasing Ra values). The main focus of this paper was to study the synergy of structural properties with each other. So, the results of the synergistic relationship study showed that the low amount of the MA NPs led to a comprehensive and positive correlation between all structural properties and in turn affected the mechanical properties-hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties. Noting that the fibers of the 1AgPAN and 4AgPAN samples had the best structural stability, compared to the fibers of the 0AgPAN, 7AgPAN and 10AgPAN samples, when they were: decreasing in Z value, increasing fiber diameter/particle size “P.S.”, increasing RCR and C.D. values and decreasing D.D, alteration in values obtained of the mechanical behavior and the increasing of contact angle “CA” values for water “H2O” droplets and decreasing for ethylene glycol “EG”. As a final result, the changes observed in the aforementioned measurements were reasonably regular and gradual for fibers with low MA NPs content, while the same measurements were significantly deteriorated in the case of fibers with higher MA NPs contents.

Estimation of 2,4-dichlorophenol photocatalytic removal using different artificial intelligence approaches

Abstract Photocatalytic degradation is one of the effective methods to remove various pollutants from domestic and industrial effluents. Several operational parameters can affect the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation. Performing experimental methods to obtain the percentage degradation (%degradation) of pollutants in different operating conditions is costly and time-consuming. For this reason, the use of computational models is very useful to present the %degradation in various operating conditions. In our previous work, Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposite containing different amounts of silver nanoparticles (Fe3O4/TiO2/Ag) were synthesized, characterized by various analytical techniques and applied to degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). In this work, a series of models, including stochastic gradient boosting (SGB), artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), the improvement of ANFIS with genetic algorithm (GA-ANFIS), and particle swarm optimization (PSO-ANFIS) were developed to estimate the removal percentage of 2,4-DCP. The model inputs comprised of catalyst dosage, radiation time, initial concentration of 2,4-DCP, and various volumes of AgNO3. Evaluating the developed models showed that all models can predict the occurring phenomena with good compatibility, but the PSO-ANFIS and the SGB models gave a high accuracy with the coefficient of determination (R 2) of 0.99. Moreover, the relative contributions, and the relevancy factors of input parameters were evaluated. The catalyst dosage and radiation time had the highest (32.6%), and the lowest (16%) relative contributions on the predicting of removal percentage of 2,4-DCP, respectively.

Novel covalent organic polymer-supported Ag nanoparticles as a catalyst for nitroaromatics reduction

Herein, we propose a Schiff-base covalent organic polymer (COP) prepared by a condensation reaction between 2,4,6-tris-(2-methoxy-4-formyl-phenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine and p-phenylenediamine. The different amounts of silver nanoparticles were trapped by O and N atoms in the COP and synthesized Ag-COP was used as the catalyst for nitroaromatics reduction. The catalyst structure was confirmed using FTIR, XRD, BET, FESEM, ICP, and TGA analysis. The results show that Ag nanoparticles were evenly distributed on the external part or embedded in the interlayer slots of the COP. Ag-COP catalysts were selected as an efficient nanocatalyst for the reduction of nitroaromatics. The apparent rate kinetic constant (Kapp) and the activity parameter (k') were calculated to be 0.0122 s−1 and 4.06 s−1 g−1, respectively. The catalyst showed a 96.5% conversion after seven successive runs without losing its catalytic activity. The superiority of the COP nanoparticles as an effectual pattern for the elimination of industrial contaminants was confirmed by the results of this experimental research.

Substrate-Independent, Regenerable Anti-Biofouling Coating for Polymeric Membranes.

Biofouling is a common but significant issue in the membrane process as it reduces permeate flux, increases energy costs, and shortens the life span of membranes. As an effective antibacterial agent, a small amount of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) immobilized on membrane surfaces will alleviate the membrane from biofouling. However, loading AgNPs on the membrane surface remains a challenge due to the low loading efficiency or the lack of bonding stability between AgNPs and the membrane surface. In this study, a substrate-independent method is reported to immobilize silver nanoparticles on polymeric membrane surfaces by firstly modifying the membrane surface with functional groups and then forming silver nanoparticles in situ. The obtained membranes had good anti-biofouling properties as demonstrated from disk diffusion and anti-biofouling tests. The silver nanoparticles were stably immobilized on the membrane surfaces and easily regenerated. This method is applicable to various polymeric micro-, ultra-, nano-filtration and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes.

Embedding of green synthesized silver nanoparticles into polymer matrix

The aim of this study was to prepare and analyse polymer matrix composite (PMC) thin films and micro-fibres doped with different amounts of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). AgNPs were synthesized by green method. The process of synthesis was observed and analysed by UV–visible and Fourier transform infrared analyses. The morphology and size of synthesized AgNPs was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray techniques. Synthesized nanoparticles were uniform, near spherical, with mean diameter ~20 nm. Polyvinyl alcohol–silver (PVA–AgNPs) composite films (prepared by spin-coating) and micro-fibres (prepared by electrospinning) with different amount of nanoparticles (~6 and ~20% of AgNPs) were prepared. The distribution of AgNPs in composites was observed by the SEM. The observation showed the presence of clusters of AgNPs in polymer matrix. Significant changes in distribution was observed after increasing the amount of AgNPs. The antimicrobial activity of prepared thin films and micro-fibres was tested against one cell algae Parachlorella kesleri and compared to colloidal AgNPs. The toxicity tests showed good toxic effect on both AgNPs colloid and PVA–AgNPs composites.

Pyrene Associates As a New Highly Sensitive Sensor for Monitoring the Content of Silver Nanoparticles in Aqueous Media

A study is performed of the luminescence of pyrene molecules solubilized in a supramolecular ordered structure formed as a result of the self-organization of molecules of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in the presence of trace amounts of aggregated silver nanoparticles (NPs). The study is performed using dilute aqueous solutions of CTAB and at CTAB concentrations that exceed the critical micelle concentration. The formation of a number of pyrene associates (high-energy excimers) that glow in the short-wavelength region of the optical spectrum is observed, relative to the glow of a low-energy dimer (470 nm), and the intensity of the glow of the resulting associates depends on the concentration of silver aquasol introduced into the considered solution. The phenomenon is explained by the location of pyrene molecules near the surfaces of aggregated silver nanoparticles, which have high-density electromagnetic fields caused by surface plasmon resonance. It is found that pyrene associates can be used as sensors for determining trace amounts of silver NPs in aqueous media.

ВОЛЬТАМПЕРОМЕТРИЧЕСКОЕ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЕ ПЕРОКСИДА ВОДОРОДА C ПОМОЩЬЮ СЕНСОРОВ НА ОСНОВЕ НАНОЧАСТИЦ СЕРЕБРА В ОБЪЕКТАХ ТЕХНОГЕННОГО И ГЕОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЯ

Актуальность работы связана с необходимостью определения низких содержаний пероксида водорода в объектах техногенного и геологического происхождения. Цель: разработать сенсор с повышенной чувствительностью на основе наночастиц серебра для контроля окружающей среды и определить концентрацию пероксида водорода в водных объектах. Объекты: артезианская и дождевая вода, собранная в черте города и пригорода. Методы: просвечивающая электронная микроскопия, вольтамперометрия. Результаты. Форма и размер наночастиц серебра зависят от природы восстановителя. При использовании двух восстановителей боргидрида и цитрата натрия получают частицы сферической формы наименьшего размера – от 0,5 до 17,5 нм. При использовании цитрата натрия получают наночастицы серебра большего диаметра – от 10 до 55 нм, различной формы: сферические, призматические и треугольные. Наночастицы серебра, полученные с использованием боргидрида натрия, агломерированы в цепочки размером до 65 нм. Особенностью электровосстановления нанофаз серебра, полученных в присутствии цитрата натрия, на поверхности графитового электрода в 0,1 М NaOH является восстановление ионов серебра из комплексных соединений [Ag(OH)2]–. Предложен механизм электрохимических процессов перехода нанофаз серебра, полученных с использованием различных восстановителей. Этот механизм не зависит от природы восстановителя. Установлено, что катодный максимум при Ек=0,08 В соответствует процессу восстановления пероксида водорода. Зависимость катодного максимума от концентрации пероксида водорода, полученного с использованием сенсора на основе наночастиц серебра в присутствии цитрата натрия, была линейной в диапазоне от 0,1 до 1 нМ, предел обнаружения составил 0,087 нМ. Определена концентрация пероксида водорода в дождевой и артезианской воде. Предложен простой чувствительный сенсор на основе наночастиц серебра, полученный с использованием восстановителя цитрата натрия. Этот сенсор имеет широкий диапазон концентраций для определения пероксида водорода.

Application of poly(vinyl alcohol)-assisted silver nanoparticles immobilized β-keratinase composite as topical antibacterial and dehairing agent

For developing an environmentally friendly, antibacterial, dehairing topical formulation, a β-keratinase enzyme (20.1 kDa) purified from Bacillus subtilis strain RM-01 was coupled to silver nanoparticles(AgNPs) of 8.0 ± 2.0 nm dimensions, prepared using poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. The Plackett–Burman factorial design demonstrated that the pH of the buffer, amount of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), and concentration of β-keratinase enzyme play the most significant role in the Ag NP-enzyme-binding process. Biophysical techniques using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to characterize the free Ag NPs as well as AgNPs immobilized by β-keratinase. Binding of β-keratinase to Ag NPs resulted in a 5.6-fold increase in specific activity, a considerable increase in Vmax with a corresponding decrease in Km values towards keratin, and a significant improvement of the thermal and storage stabilities of immobilized enzyme compared to free enzyme. The enhanced antibacterial potency, dehairing activity, and organoleptic analysis of AgNPs immobilized with β-keratinase supports the industrial application of β-keratinase-immobilized Ag NPs in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Antibacterial activity of a glass ionomer containing silver nanoparticles against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis.

Nano-sized metal particles exhibit special biological, chemical, and physical properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of incorporating silver nanoparticles into a resin-modified glass ionomer (GI) on its antimicrobial property. Antibacterial action of GI samples containing 0, 40, 80 ppm silver nanoparticles against standard strains of Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus mutans were assessed by agar diffusion and direct contact tests. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Duncan test (P < 0.05). Agar diffusion test showed no bacterial inhibition zone, but direct contact test exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against S. sanguinis and S. mutans in resin containing 80 ppm of nanosilver. Incorporation of a certain amount of silver nanoparticles into GI can increase its antimicrobial activity compared to the original material.

Synthesis and biological activity of new polymeric silver-containing nanocomposites

The formation of new polymeric nanocomposites with silver nanoparticles incorporated into the matrix of 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole copolymers with vinyl acetate was studied. Water-soluble nanocomposites containing different amounts of silver nanoparticles with an average size of 6–13 nm were synthesized varying the reaction conditions. The physicochemical, optical, thermal, and structural properties of the nanocomposites were studied by IR and UV spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic absorption analyses, and thermogravimetry. The antimicrobial activity of the initial copolymers and related nanocomposites was evaluated with respect to test microorganisms.

Microstructure and Electroconductivity using Silver Nano Particles of Pterocarpus Indicus W. Leaf Extracts Films

Indonesian is one of the enormous biodiversity countries in the world. Various types of tropical plants exist in Indonesia, one of which is Pterocarpus Indicus W (PIW). PIW is one of the ornamental plants and has a wide range of compound content including flavonoids. Flavonoids are natural polymer compounds with a chemical formula of C6-C3-C6. There are many kinds of flavonoids which could exist in various plants, one of which is quercetin. Quercetin is a unique bioflavonoid that has antioxidant activity. We have performed an extraction of Flavonoid using the maceration method which subsequently doped with several amounts of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). It is suggested that transforming PIW-AgNPS in the form of the film will increase the crystallinity compare to its pristine form. The growth of this crystallinity will enhance the expected properties of the material. The films were prepared based on the content of Ag NPs, i.e., for 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05 g. It was found that the microstructure of PIW extract showed that flavonoids belonged to flavonoid with quercetin type. The XRD data analyses showed an increase in the crystallinity of the flavonoid PIW-Ag film indicated by the peak at 2θ = 38.51° of (111) Bragg’s plane influenced by increase of Ag NPs. From the SEM image, we found that AgNPs exist in the sample and also further revealed by TEM analysis. The conductivity of the flavonoid PIW-Ag film shows a linear increase along with the addition of Ag doping.

Photoactive n-type oxide AZO-AgNP-AZO multilayer films for photovoltaic application

We report on the simulation of the absorption cross-section of an aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) - silver nanoparticles (AgNP)-AZO multilayer structure by the finite element method in Comsol Multiphysics. A key feature of our approach is consideration of two plasmon materials such as AgNP and highly doped AZO. The simulation is based on the Drude-Lorentz-Sommerfeld model. The absorption cross section spectra were obtained for structures with different thicknesses of AZO layers and different amounts of silver nanoparticles, and at a different incidence of illumination. As a result, several resonance peaks were detected in the absorption cross-section spectra. The enhancement of absorption in the visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum is associated with plasmon oscillations of interacting silver nanoparticles and a plasmon resonance in an AZO nanolayer, respectively. The presence of several resonances in the visible region, as well as the resonance in the near-IR region, makes this material promising for photovoltaics.

The effect of nano-silver packaging in increasing the shelf life of nuts: An in vitro model.

Nano packaging is currently one of the most important topics in food packaging technologies. The aim of the application of this technology in food packaging is increasing shelf life of foods by preventing internal and external corruption and microbial contaminations. Use of silver nanoparticles in food packaging has recently attracted much attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nano-silver packaging in increasing the shelf life packages of nuts in an In vitro model. In this experimental study, the effects of different nano-silver concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 3 percent) on biological and chemical properties of 432 samples of nuts including walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios were evaluated during 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 months. In most samples, different concentrations of nano-silver (1, 2 and 3 %) significantly reduced total microbial count, mold and coliform counts compared to control group and the 3% nano-silver concentration was more effective than other concentrations (P<0.05). Moreover, using this packaging yielded an antioxidant effect especially when 2% and 3% nano-silver concentrations were used. Nano-silver also prevented growth of mold and so prevented aflatoxin production in all treatment groups. Results of chemical and biological tests showed that the silver nanoparticles had a significant effect on increasing the shelf life of nuts. The highest shelf life belonged to pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts with 20, 19, 18 and 18 months, respectively. The shelf life was associated with amount of silver nanoparticles. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed when 3% nano-silver concentration was used in pistachios. The shelf life of control groups in similar storage conditions were calculated for an average of 13 months. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate the efficacy of nano-silver packing in increasing shelf life of nuts. Hence, use of nano-silver packaging in food industry, especially in food packaging is recommended.

Biological evaluation of silver nanoparticles incorporated into chitosan-based membranes.

To evaluate the antibacterial potential and biological performance of silver nanoparticles in chitosan-based membranes. Electrospun chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) membranes with different amounts of silver nanoparticles were evaluated for antibacterial properties and cytotoxicity in vitro and for tissue response in a rabbit subcutaneous model. The nanoparticles displayed dose-dependent antibacterial properties against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, without showing noticeable cytotoxicity. The membranes with silver nanoparticles evoked a similar inflammatory response compared with the membranes without silver nanoparticles. The antibacterial effect, combined with the findings on cyto- and biocompatibility warrants further investigation to the usefulness of chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) membranes with silver nanoparticles, for clinical applications like guided tissue regeneration.

Mussel-inspired dopamine-mediated graphene hybrid with silver nanoparticles for high performance electrochemical energy storage electrodes

Abstract To facilitate the immobilization of the silver nanoparticles with high crystallinity and stability, the mussel-inspired dopamine is functionalized on the surface of the graphene. Considering the unique adhesive property of a catechol group in the dopamine toward metallic ions, a large amount of silver nanoparticles can be coated on the surface of the dopamine-functionalized graphene. To use the high surface area of graphene, large-sized graphene sheets are prepared using the microwave heat treatment of graphite powder followed by chemical oxidation and exfoliation. In addition, the large-area graphene sheets are selectively collected by a pH-assisted fractionation technique and are confirmed by the green-light filtered optical microscopic images. The dopamine-mediated graphene hybrid with silver nanoparticles shows superior electrochemical activity with enhanced electrical conductivity by promoting the decoration of stable silver nanoparticles on the surface of graphene. The resulting hybrid exhibits 7.6 times and 1.6 times higher electrochemical capacitance than that of the bare and graphene/silver hybrid-modified glassy carbon electrodes, respectively.

MAPLE synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/silver nanocomposite electrodes: Influence of target composition and gas ambience

Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO films with different amounts of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been deposited on quartz and silicon substrates by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). The morphology, structure, chemical composition, and optical and electrochemical properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, and cyclic voltammetry measurements. The properties of the films obtained with two types of GO precursors have been compared. A reduction of the amount of oxygen containing groups is observed with the increase of the Ag concentration, which leads to a decrease of the optical band gap. Moreover, the deposition in nitrogen gas ambience leads to the N-doping of rGO material. The films obtained with the highest amount of Ag and with nitrogen doping show potential to be used in energy storage electrodes.

Evidence for particle-specific and coating-related uptake of silver nanoparticles

Present data indicate that the quantification of silver nanoparticle internalization revealed a clear particle-specific and coatingrelated uptake. Furthermore, a high amount of silver nanoparticles is taken up in cell models of higher complexity. Thus, an underestimation of particle effects in vitro might be prevented by considering cell models with greater proximity to the in vivo situation.

In vitro and in vivo antifungal properties of silver nanoparticles against Rhizoctonia solani, a common agent of rice sheath blight disease.

Sheath blight disease in rice has caused major crop losses worldwide. Managing the causal agent of disease Rhizoctonia solani Kühn is difficult because of its broad host range and formation of sclerotia which can survive in harsh environmental conditions; therefore developing innovative disease management methods without application of hazardous chemicals has been considered as the main concern to maintain sustainable agriculture. This presented research has revealed the negative impact of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) on R. solani and disease progress both in vitro and in vivo. The adverse effects of the SNPs on R. solaniare significantly dependent on the quantity of SNPs, sprayed at different concentrations in vitro. The highest inhibition level against sclerotia formation and mycelia growth are 92 and 85%, respectively, at a SNPs concentration of 50 ppm. In vivo glasshouse experiments also showed that SNPs at the same concentration favourably affects both the fresh and dry weight of rice plants with a remarkable suppressive effect on the lesion development in leaves.