Copper Sulfate Research Articles

Medicinal Properties of Cobalt and Copper Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Limonia acidissima Leaf Extract

Aim: The present investigation was undertaken to synthesize Cobalt and copper nanoparticles (NPs) using Limonia acidissima L. leaf extract and to test their few medicinal properties like antimicrobial antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. Methodology: Limonia acidissima plant leaves were collected from the vicinity of the College and the study was completed in 11 months. The hot aqueous leaf extract and soxhlet extract using ethyl acetate as solvent were prepared. Phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract showed the presence of Tannins, Flavonoids, Alkaloids and absence of Phenols. The leaf extract was then used to make Cobalt and copper nanoparticles (NPs) using Cobalt acetate and Copper sulphate respectively. Results: The formation of NPs was checked by color change and confirmed with UV–visible spectrophotometry. The typical peaks of Co-NPs were detected in the range of maximum wavelength between 380-520 nm and that for Cu NPs was detected between 260-580 nm. The antimicrobial activity of the synthesized NPs of both metal oxides was then tested against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and also against two Candida sps. Cobalt NPs exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against all tested organisms but Copper NPs showed no antimicrobial activity. The both NPs were also tested for antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Comparatively the Copper NPs possessed higher antioxidant and anti-diabetic activity than the cobalt nanoparticles. Conclusion: Thus, this underutilized plant from India can be further exploited for more medicinal properties and bring it into pharmaceutical usage.

Influence of copper salts on the physical and mechanical properties of copper–graphite composite materials

We investigated composite materials based on electrolytic copper powder containing 1 and 5 wt. % powder of colloidal graphite the addition of trace amounts of copper sulfate and acetate. The materials were obtained through double cold pressing in a mold at a pressure of 600 MPa, intermediate sintering (annealing) in hydrogen at a temperature of 870 °C, and final sintering in vacuum at the copper premelting temperature. To analyze the influence of copper salts on the density, porosity, electrical resistivity, and strength of copper–graphite composite materials, we employed X-ray phase analysis, scanning electron microscopy, conducted strength tests in three-point bending, and determined electrical resistivity. We established that higher graphite content results in increased porosity and electrical resistivity of composite materials, along with decreased strength. In the materials containing copper sulfate, copper is reduced from the salt in the form of nanodispersed particles on the surfaces and inside graphite flakes, leading to a decrease in electrical resistivity compared to copper–graphite composites without salt additives. When copper acetate was added to the composite material, copper is reduced from the salt mainly on the surfaces of graphite particles in the form of microdispersed particles and their aggregations, as the copper acetate solution does not wet the graphite. In this case, the electrical resistivity was somewhat higher than that of the composite with sulfate but lower than that of the material without salts. The bending strength of the studied materials decreased as salts were introduced due to increased porosity and emerging defects in the crystal structure of graphite during its intercalation with copper.

Structural simulation and performance evaluation of a novel synthesized ZIF in the adsorption of MO from aqueous solutions.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are desirable materials widely applied as adsorbent for wastewater treatment. This study synthesizes and applies a novel structured ZIF with organic ligand of 2-methyl imidazole and metal salt of copper (II) sulfate as adsorbent. Its morphology and structure were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and mapping analysis. After structural analysis, the adsorbent structure was simulated and determined using Avogadro and Gaussian software. The removal efficiency of prepared ZIF in the removal of methyl orange from aqueous solution was evaluated. The effect of pH, the concentration of the dye in solution, dosage of the adsorbent, and the contact time between adsorbent and solution on the methyl orange removal were examined using central composite design of response surface methodology in five levels. The maximum dye removal of 99% was obtained for 2g adsorbent/L, pH of 3.3, and initial dye concentration of 121mg/L after 127min contact time. In addition, to reduce the economic costs and energy consumption, the synthesis time was also reduced and used to show the applicability of the adsorbent prepared and understand its advantages and disadvantages in removing methyl orange dye from aqueous solutions. This molecular adsorbent is stable, and it can be stored for months. On the other hand, this ZIF can be easily recovered and reused many times. In this research, after five times of recovery, there was no significant change in the effectiveness of the adsorbent.

Development of CuO Nanoparticles from the Mucus of Garden Snail Cornu aspersum as New Antimicrobial Agents.

Several biologically active compounds involved in the green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles have been isolated from snail mucus and characterized. This paper presents a successful method for the application of snail mucus from Cornu aspersum as a bioreducing agent of copper sulfate and as a biostabilizer of the copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs-Muc) obtained. The synthesis at room temperature and neutral pH yielded nanoparticles with a spherical shape and an average diameter of 150 nm. The structure and properties of CuONPs-Muc were characterized using various methods and techniques, such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-PAGE), up-conversion infrared spectroscopy Fourier transform (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Raman spectroscopy and imaging, thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DSC), etc. Mucus proteins with molecular weights of 30.691 kDa and 26.549 kDa were identified, which are involved in the biogenic production of CuONPs-Muc. The macromolecular shell of proteins formed around the copper ions contributes to a higher efficiency of the synthesized CuONPs-Muc in inhibiting the bacterial growth of several Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis NBIMCC2353, Bacillus spizizenii ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Listeria innocua NBIMCC8755) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC8739, Salmonella enteitidis NBIMCC8691, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ATCC 17666) bacteria compared to baseline mucus. The bioorganic synthesis of snail mucus presented here provides CuONPs-Muc with a highly pronounced antimicrobial effect. These results will expand knowledge in the field of natural nanomaterials and their role in emerging dosage forms.

Accumulation and Potential Remediation of Copper in Golf Course Putting Greens

The objective of this study was to determine the potential accumulation of copper (Cu) within a USGA golf green profile and analyze potential remediation techniques of soils containing toxic Cu concentrations. Accumulation study utilized: copper phthalocyanine pigment (Par), copper hydroxide (Junction DF), varying concentrations of copper sulfate (CuSO4) within irrigation, and combinations of each. Products were applied over 13 weeks at Clemson University horticulture greenhouses with samples taken at thatch depth, 0-5.1 cm below thatch, and 5.1-10.2 cm below thatch at conclusion of study. Average Cu concentrations in thatch layer was 634.7 kg Cu ha-1, with 0 - 5.1 cm and 5.1 - 10.2 cm depth concentrations of 11.26 and 6.84 kg Cu ha-1, respectively. Remediation studies exposed 5 mg Cecil sandy loam to 15 ml 1000 ppm of CuSo4-Cu followed by 4 sequential 20 ml filtration cycles of 1 N ammonium sulfate, 1 N calcium nitrate, 1 N gypsum, or water. Single filtration of ammonium sulfate removed similar or greater amount of Cu than cumulative impact of 4 filtrations of any other products with 2064 mg Cu kg-1. Studies suggest that the management or removal of thatch may alleviate toxic accumulation of copper, however the use of ammonium sulfate in irrigation water may provide additional remediation options to turfgrass managers.

Three-dimensional dendritic biosynthetic copper oxide nanoparticles: A novel approach for enhanced leaf deposition and retention to reduce environmental impact

Copper-based fungicides are commonly utilized as protective germicides; however, their susceptibility to rain-induced washing leads to a substantial copper exposure, resulting in significant environmental pollution and potential ecological risks. This study focuses on the biosynthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles at room temperature, utilizing copper sulfate pentahydrate and tea seed cake extract as reactive raw materials. The obtained copper oxide nanoparticles exhibit a distinctive dendritic three-dimensional topology. Notably, these copper oxide nanoparticles demonstrate superior wettability and spreadability on tomato, rice, and wheat leaves compared to the commercial formulation of copper hydroxide (Kocide). The retention amount of copper oxide nanoparticles on the surface of plant leaves after rain washing exhibited a 75.89% to 84.31% increase compared to that of Kocide, attributed to the structural chimerism of copper oxide nanoparticles and the micro-nano structure of leaves. Regarding antimicrobial activity against Magnaporthe oryzae and Clavibacter michiganense, copper oxide nanoparticles showed better residual activity and a longer persistent period than Kocide. Safety experiments demonstrated that copper oxide nanoparticles had minimal adverse effects on wheat plants, while in vivo studies in zebrafish revealed their effectiveness in reducing toxicity by over five-fold compared to Kocide. Furthermore, soil ecosystem assessments highlighted the high biocompatibility of copper oxide nanoparticles with Escherichia coli. Consequently, the prepared copper oxide nanoparticles hold significant promise as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional copper-based fungicides.

Evaluation of novel copper-based antimicrobial admixtures for biocorrosion mitigation of cement paste

Copper-based antimicrobial admixtures have been favoured for mitigating microbially induced concrete corrosion (MICC) owing to their practical bactericidal abilities. However, concerns regarding the leachability of hazardous components and the long-term efficacy of these admixtures have hindered their industrial application, with limited understanding of their comparative antimicrobial performance and mechanisms. In this work, three conventional copper compounds (copper sulphate, copper acetate, and copper oxide) and two newly synthesized copper-modified admixtures (copper-exchanged montmorillonite and copper-chelated chitosan) were evaluated and compared in terms of their impact on the properties, biocorrosion resistance, and environmental impact of cement paste. The findings revealed that the inclusion of copper-containing admixtures led to increased slump flow, extended setting time, improved compressive strength, lowered porosity, and reduced corrosion depth in the cement paste. Compared with copper sulphate and copper oxide, copper acetate exhibited superior engineering properties, antimicrobial performance, and reduced copper ion leaching. Cu-modified montmorillonite emerged as the most effective copper-based antimicrobial agent, considerably reducing the corrosion depth of cement paste by 32.8 % with the lowest copper leaching, suggesting its potential as a sustainable solution for antimicrobial concrete applications. In contrast, adding chitosan led to poor mechanical and adverse antimicrobial performance, indicating its limited potential as a carrier for synthesized antimicrobial agents.

Comparative efficacy of stannous fluoride and copper sulfate footbath solutions for the treatment and prevention of digital dermatitis in lactating dairy cows

The objective of this study was to determine whether a novel footbath solution containing stannous fluoride (SnF2) was superior to 5% copper sulfate solution for the treatment and prevention of digital dermatitis (DD) in dairy cattle. Study 1 was conducted over 4 weeks in Missouri and involved 34 lactating Holstein-Friesian cows with hind feet DD lesions. Cows in group SF walked through a footbath containing a proprietary formulation of SnF2 once weekly, whereas cows in group CS walked through a 5% CuSO4 footbath once daily for 5 d each week. Study 2 was conducted over 8 weeks in California and involved 40 lactating Holstein-Friesian cows with hind feet DD lesions. Cows in group SF walked through a SnF2 footbath for 3 consecutive days then once a week for the following 7 weeks. Cows in group CS walked through a 5% CuSO4 footbath 3 times each week for 8 weeks. Data collection included lesion type, lesion area, locomotion score, and pain score. Digital dermatitis was actively transmitted in study 1, and lesion area and locomotion scores were lower in group SF than group CS. In contrast, DD was not actively transmitted in study 2, and lesion area and locomotion scores were similar in groups SF and CS. Stannous fluoride delayed the development of active DD lesions in study 1 compared with copper sulfate, with a lower relative risk (0.57, P < 0.001) of a hind foot developing an active DD lesion over 28 d. However, SnF2 decreased the rate that active DD lesions transitioned to M3, M4, or M0 lesions compared with 5% copper sulfate in both studies, with the relative risk of a hind foot with an active DD lesion transitioning to M3, M4, or M0 in group SF being slightly lower in study 1 (0.83, P = 0.042) and study 2 (0.90, P = 0.020) than group CS. Our findings demonstrated that walking cows through a stannous fluoride footbath once per week in a herd undergoing active transmission of infection was more effective in preventing active DD lesions, but less effective in treating active DD lesions, than walking cows through a copper sulfate footbath 4 times per week. The novel SnF2 footbath solution shows promise for controlling DD in dairy herds that want an alternative footbath solution to CuSO4 and are interested in limiting the environmental accumulation of copper.

Discrimination of hydration states of hydrated salts using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Water-sensitive nature of terahertz radiation has been exploited here to discriminate the hydration states of different hydrated salts, such as Cobalt Chloride Hexahydrate (CoCl2.6H2O), Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O), Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate (MgCl2.6H2O), and Calcium Chloride Dihydrate (CaCl2.2H2O). Hydration states of these salts have been prepared by heating them in an oven at different temperature for specific time on the basis of thermo-gravimetric analysis. The prepared samples were analyzed using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). The variation in absorption coefficient and refractive indices of these hydrated salts in terahertz spectral regime (0.2–1.6 THz) are linked with the change of hydration states, which has been used for their discrimination. The results have been validated with X-ray diffraction analysis. The present work indicates that THz-TDs can be considered a promising technique to fulfill the ever increasing demand of the analysis of these hydrated salts.

Photodegradation of Phenol under Visible Light Irradiation Using Cu-N-codoped ZrTiO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; Composite as a High-Performance Photocatalyst

Codoping of nitrogen and copper into zirconium titanate composite (Cu-N-codoped ZrTiO4) was carried out through a sol-gel process. This study aimed to investigate the effect of copper and nitrogen dopants on the photocatalytic activity of ZrTiO4 composite in degrading phenol. To prepare the composite, an aqueous suspension of zirconia (ZrO2) alongside a fixed amount of urea and various amount of copper sulfate was added dropwise into diluted titanium(IV) tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in ethanol. The composites were calcined at temperatures of 500, 700, and 900 °C. Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) mapping, and specular reflectance UV-visible spectrophotometry (SR UV-vis) were used for their characterization of composite. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by adding the composite into a 10 mg L−1 phenol solution for various irradiation time spans. The remaining concentration of phenol solution was determined by absorption at 269 nm. Cu-N-codoped ZrTiO4 composite containing 5% Cu calcined at 500 °C demonstrated the highest observed rate constant and a significant band gap decrease from 3.13 to 2.68 eV.

PROCESSING OF COPPER ELECTROLYTE FOR ZINC-CONTAINING PRODUCT

Abstract. Waste solutions from the electrolytic production of copper contain significant amounts of copper and nickel sulfates, sulfuric acid, arsenic and other components of the copper electrolyte. The processing of such solutions is considered in this work not only from the point of view of environmental protection, but also in terms of extracting various valuable components from the electrolyte into commercial products. A thermodynamic analysis of the interactions between barium and arsenic, as well as their compounds in the Ba(AsO2)2-Ba3(AsO4)2-H2O system was carried out based on the E-pH diagram. The possibility of using barium compounds as a precipitant for arsenic from copper electrorefining solutions has been demonstrated. The efficiency of removing arsenic (more than 84%) from the electrolyte using barium oxide in the form of sparingly soluble barium arsenate has been established. By adding calculated amounts of zinc oxide into the working solution, it is possible to form solutions containing certain concentrations of Cu, Ni, and Zn. By further adding zinc oxide into the solution, its deep dehydration was achieved. The resulting copper-nickel-zinc and nickel-zinc solutions are the raw material for producing non-ferrous metal alloys using the electromembrane method.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

The Influence of Lyophilization Pretreatment and Whey Content on Whey and Gelatin-Based Hydrogels.

Whey and gelatin, natural polymers within the protein category, find widespread use in hydrogel formulations applied across the food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. This study presents new characteristics of hydrogels based on whey, gelatin, and copper sulfate as a consequence of the additional steps in the preparation method, specifically refrigeration and freezing storage followed by lyophilization. The water state in hydrogels prior to lyophilization impacts the morphological appearance, with refrigerated hydrogels exhibiting a more regular and dense pore distribution, as shown by the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images. This observation aligns with the higher mobility of polymer chains indicated by T2 distributions in 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (RMN) relaxometry measurements. Changes in the intensity and amide-specific wavenumbers of the FTIR spectra of whey and gelatin proteins are evident in the Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) spectra of crosslinked and frozen hydrogels before lyophilization. Moreover, the reinforcing effect in the hydrogel matrix, noted in mechanical tests, is attributed to increased polymer chain content and copper sulfate crosslinking.

Green synthesis of copper nanoparticles by using pineapple peel waste: in vitro characterizations and antibacterial potential.

A considerable amount of fruit waste is being produced every day worldwide. The green synthesis of metal nanoparticles from fruit peel waste can be an innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods. Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were synthesized by a green method using the pineapple peels extract (PLX) and copper sulfate pentahydrate. The formation of CuNPs was visually identified and detected by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The CuNPs were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The antioxidant and reducing power of CuNPs were conducted by %DPPH scavenging and electron transfer-based ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, respectively. The antibacterial properties of CuNPs were determined in gram-positive, and gram-negative bacteria. The results showed that the CuNPs were spherical in shape with mean particle size 290.5nm. The zeta potential of the nanoparticles was found to be -12.3mV indicating the instability in the colloidal state. The FTIR study confirmed the peaks of phytochemicals present in the PLX and the nanoparticles supporting the use of pineapple peels as stabilizing, reducing and capping agents. Both the DPPH and reducing power assay depicted that the synthesized CuNPs had significant antioxidant activity. However, the synthesized CuNPs had strong inhibitory capacity against both gram-positive and gram-negative test organisms. Thus, the CuNPS could be used for its viable antibacterial potential to preserve fruits, flowers, and vegetables from bacterial contamination.

Recovery of copper sulfate from acidic mine waters by membrane crystallization

The recovery of valuable resources from acid mine waters has attracted high interest in moving forward to a circular economy approach. In this work, acidic solutions were processed by a MCr process for the first time, allowing the recovery of copper in the form of copper sulfate crystals. PP and PTFE membranes were investigated at different temperatures (40–80 °C), showing a remarkable water flux decrease over time due to a severe accumulation of crystals on the surface of both PP and PTFE membranes, favoring the heterogeneous crystallization of CuSO4 on the membrane surface instead to the acid solution bulk. The flowrate and acid concentration were also evaluated to find operational conditions that can control crystal accumulation. The high accumulation of crystals was observed for all operating conditions except for a highly acidic condition of 100 g/L acid, where the membrane visually responded by repelling the crystals accumulation on the surface. The membranes were wholly characterized, observing a dramatic impact on the membrane morphology. Results show that copper crystallization by membranes is challenging. Still, considering new membrane materials, operating conditions could allow the process's feasibility.

Additive concentration and nozzle moving speed influence on local copper deposition for electrochemical 3D-printing

The local deposition process from copper sulfate electrolyte was investigated depending on nozzle moving speed and additive concentration in the electrolyte. A 2×2 cm square model was created and sliced in Ultimaker Cura software, uploaded in a 3D printer, and printed from the copper electrolyte on the stainless-steel surface. Low additive concentration in the electrolyte was found to influence dendrite formation in the corner sections of a square model. Nozzle movement speed was found to influence the deposition area and the thickness of the metal. The lowest tested nozzle movement speed of 5 s / voxel increased the deposition area by nearly 40 % in horizontal direction compared to 2.5 s / voxel. Further increase of nozzle movement speed to 1.6 s / voxel does not change the deposition area. The thickness in the corners increases by 2.5 times compared to the straight section of the square when the nozzle movement speed increases from 5 to 1.6 s / voxel. The non-uniform thickness of the deposited metal is caused by a considerable reduction of nozzle movement speed when it moves through the corner. The results obtained in this work can be further used to develop electrochemical 3D printing technology.

Using total adenosine triphosphate (tATP) measurements for cyanobacterial bloom monitoring and response assessment during algaecide treatments

Total adenosine triphosphate (tATP) was investigated for its potential as a rapid indicator of cyanobacterial growth and algaecide effectiveness. tATP and other common bloom monitoring parameters were measured over the growth cycles of cyanobacteria and green algae in laboratory cultures and examined at a drinking water source during an active bloom. Strong correlations (R2>0.78) were observed between tATP and chlorophyll-a in cyanobacteria cultures. tATP offered greater sensitivity by increasing two orders of magnitude approximately 7 d before changes in chlorophyll-a or optical density were observed in Lyngbya sp. and Dolichospermum sp. cultures. Increases in tATP per cell coincided with the onset of exponential growth phases in lab cultures and increase in cell abundance in field samples, suggesting that ATP/cell is a sensitive indicator that may be used to identify the development of blooms. Bench-scale trials using samples harvested during a bloom showed that tATP exhibited a clear dose-response during copper sulfate (CuSO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment compared to chlorophyll-a and cell counts, indicating that cellular production and storage of ATP decreases even when live and dead cells cannot be distinguished. During Copper (Cu) algaecide application at a reservoir used as a drinking water source, tATP and cell counts decreased following initial algaecide application; however, the bloom rebounded within 10 d showing that the Cu algaecide only has limited effectiveness. In this case, tATP was a sensitive indicator to bloom rebounding after algaecide treatments and correlated positively with cell counts (R2=0.7). These results support the use of tATP as a valuable complementary bloom monitoring tool for drinking water utilities to implement during the monitoring and treatment of cyanobacterial blooms.

Toxic Trio: Zinc, Copper, and Mercury's Effects on Earthworm Enzymes

The impact of heavy metal exposure on earthworm enzyme activities, specifically lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), xanthine oxidase (XOD), lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), was investigated in Perionyx excavatus. In control earthworms, LDH activities were 0.120 µmoles/mg protein/hour in the skin, 0.087 µmoles/mg protein/hour in the ovary, 0.062 µmoles/mg protein/hour in the testis, and 0.096 µmoles/mg protein/hour in the intestine. Exposure to mercuric chloride, copper sulfate, and zinc sulfate resulted in significant decreases in LDH activities by 10% to 19.35%, 4.16% to 22.58%, and 5.74% to 15%, respectively. Similarly, SDH activities declined by 10% to 23% with mercuric chloride, 6.89% to 17.91% with copper sulfate, and 4.13% to 16.66% with zinc sulfate treatments. MDH activities also decreased dramatically across all organs, with statistically significant reductions. GDH activities showed varied responses, while XOD activities uniformly decreased. Lipid peroxidation increased significantly after heavy metal exposure. SOD activities increased with mercuric chloride and copper sulfate, while catalase activities decreased with all three treatments. GST activities were significantly reduced by all treatments, particularly by mercuric chloride and copper sulfate. These findings underscore the substantial impact of heavy metal exposure on earthworm enzyme activities, suggesting potential cellular stress and metabolic disturbances.

Biosynthesis of Cu-In-S Nanoparticles by a Yeast Isolated from Union Glacier, Antarctica: A Platform for Enhanced Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells.

In recent years, the utilization of extremophile microorganisms for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles, featuring enhanced properties and diverse compositions, has emerged as a sustainable strategy to generate high-quality nanomaterials with unique characteristics. Our study focuses on the biosynthesis of Cu-In-S (CIS) nanoparticles, which has garnered considerable attention in the past decade due to their low toxicity and versatile applications in biomedicine and solar cells. Despite this interest, there is a notable absence of reports on biological methods for CIS nanoparticle synthesis. In this research, three yeast species were isolated from soil samples in an extreme Antarctic environment-Union Glacier, Ellsworth Mountains. Among these isolates, Filobasidium stepposum demonstrated the capability to biosynthesize CIS nanoparticles when exposed to copper sulfate, indium chloride, glutathione, and cysteine. Subsequent purification and spectroscopic characterization confirmed the presence of characteristic absorbance and fluorescence peaks for CIS nanoparticles at 500 and 650 nm, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles with a size range of 3-5 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the composition of the nanoparticles, revealing the presence of copper, indium, and sulfur. The copper/indium ratio ranged from 0.15 to 0.27, depending on the reaction time. The biosynthesized CIS nanoparticles showed higher photostability than biomimetic nanoparticles and demonstrated successful application as photosensitizers in quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSC), achieving a conversion efficiency of up to 0.0247%. In summary, this work presents a cost-effective, straightforward, and environmentally friendly method for CIS nanoparticle synthesis. Furthermore, it constitutes the first documented instance of a biological procedure for producing these nanoparticles, opening avenues for the development of environmentally sustainable solar cells.

Induction of micronuclei in blood and histopathological alterations in gill, kidney and liver of Channa punctatus (Bloch, 1793) exposed to copper sulphate

Copper is one of the most toxic metals to fish and causes cytotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. The accumulation of copper in an aquatic environment directly impacts man and the aquatic ecosystem. The present study aimed to determine the effect of copper sulphate (CuSO4) accumulation on the induction of micronuclei in blood and histological changes in kidney and liver of the fish Channa punctatus. The test chemical LC50 was determined after 96 hours during the first experiment. Later in the second experiment, the test animal was exposed to three sub-lethal concentrations of CuSO4 [0.1 mg/l (96 h-LC50/40), 0.2 mg/l (96 h-LC50/20) and 0.4 mg/l (96 h-LC50/10)]. Physico chemical parameters of the test medium, such as pH, temperature, hardness, alkalinity, and dissolved oxygen, were observed throughout the experiment, and all values were within the ranges necessary for the fish's survival. At intervals of 7, 14, 21, and 28 days, the control (without any test chemical) and copper sulphate exposed Groups' blood, liver, kidney, and gill tissues were taken to evaluate changes in genotoxic and histological parameters. Micronuclei (MN) induction and nuclear abnormalities (NAs) were observed at regular intervals. After 28 days, the MN frequency in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 0.78±0.006, 8.40±0.052, 10.37±0.098 and 10.90±0.024 respectively. A significant (P&lt; 0.05) rise in MN frequencies and NAs indicated fish erythrocytes' DNA damage. Histological analysis of the liver, kidney, and gills revealed serious tissue injury such as necrosis, vacuolization, and degeneration after 28 days in the exposed Groups. The present study observed changes due to genotoxicity and histology, giving the most comprehensive understanding of CuSO4 stress on the fish C. punctatus and its risks to human health.

Antimicrobial Activity of Green Synthesized Copper Nanoparticles (CuNPs) Using Aqueous Extract of &lt;i&gt;Psidium guajava&lt;/i&gt; on Clinical Bacteria Isolates

The eco-friendly synthesis of nanoparticles using an aqueous plant extract as a capping and stabilizing agent has garnered substantial attention, particularly in pharmaceuticals and drug delivery applications. This study focused on utilizing copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4·5H2O) as a precursor to synthesize copper nanoparticles at both pH 4-5 and pH 8, with Psidium guajava (leaves and fruits) extract playing a crucial role. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified four major functional groups at distinct peaks, confirming their responsibility for capping and stabilizing the synthesized P.g-CuNPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed spherical shapes with an average particle size range of 20-30 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis confirmed the presence of pure copper (Cu) at 54.15%. The antimicrobial study demonstrated that P.g-CuNPs synthesized at pH 4-5 exhibited complete growth inhibition of all tested bacterial strains at varying concentrations. Furthermore, serially diluted P.g-CuNPs (pH 5) inhibited Salmonella spp, E. coli, and Streptococcus spp at 100 μg/mL, while P.g-CuNPs (pH 8) only inhibited E. coli at the same concentration. Notably, acid-based synthesized P.g-CuNPs exhibited higher efficacy in the antimicrobial study compared to their alkaline-based counterparts. This study suggests the potential biomedical applications of P.g-CuNPs, including therapeutic drugs for microbial infectious diseases, integration into textile coatings, and nanocapsulation for food storage to extend shelf life.