Interaction Of Metal Ions Research Articles

Advancing analytical and graphical methods for binary and ternary mixtures: The toxic interactions of divalent metal ions in human lung cells

Advancing analytical and graphical methods for binary and ternary mixtures: The toxic interactions of divalent metal ions in human lung cells

Nanoflower-like NiCoFe layered hydroxide by in-situ electrochemical corrosion as highly efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation

Layered double hydroxides have been widely applied for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the alkaline water electrolysis. However, the issues of poor connection between the catalyst and nickel foam and the specific mechanisms for active sites has not been fully documented. In this study, the in-situ nickel foam etching in a mixed solution of ferric chloride and cobalt nitrate at low temperatures was adopted for NiCoFe layered ternary hydroxides (NiCoFe LTHs) synthesis with a better tight integration. Physicochemical characterization indicated that the NiCoFe LTHs could grow directly through corroding nickel foam with a nano-flower-like morphology and structures. That is favorable for electron transfer from the catalytic layer to the conductive substrate. With the transition metal ions interaction and the tight integration construction, NiCo1Fe4-LTH-T60/NF presented an enhanced electrolysis performance with the overpotential of 234 mV (1.464 V vs. RHE) at current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH electrolyte. The Tafel slope for NiCo1Fe4-LTH-T60/NF electrode was 36.19 mV dec−1 for an enhanced OER kinetics. Besides, it demonstrated faster interfacial charge transfer process, better intrinsic electrochemical activity and stability in large current stability testing. It was revealed that the synergistic effect of the transition metal ions interaction enhancement and the mechanism of oxygen evolution elementary reaction for NiCo1Fe4-LTH-T60/NF during the water electrolysis by the electrochemical and theoretical calculation. This work provides theoretical basis and experimental support for the design and synthesis of future OER catalyst and substrate, which is significant for hydrogen and oxygen generation from water electrolysis.

Effects of electrode/electrolyte materials on heavy-metal removal in industrial wastewater with flow capacitive deionization method

The expansion of industrial facilities poses a significant environmental risk due to the generation of extensive wastewater containing complex components that effluent human health. Flow-electrode Capacitive Deionization (FCDI) technology has emerged as a promising solution for wastewater treatment due to its unlimited adsorption capacity and continuous long-term operations compared to conventional systems. This study investigates the efficiency of the FCDI system in purifying industrial wastewater by extracting complex heavy metal ions, intending to achieve complete recycling and zero discharge. Different electrolyte/electrode materials were investigated to achieve high removal efficiency, including electrolytes such as sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), and electrodes such as active carbon (AC) and C65 carbon black (C65 CB) used in lithium-ion batteries. We found that the innovative combination of Na2SO4 electrolyte with 0.1 g of C65 CB exhibited an exceptional salt removal efficiency of 90 %, surpassing NaCl electrolyte which showed 68 % efficiency. Additionally, we observed higher adsorption with C65 CB slurry compared to AC when using Na2SO4 electrolyte. To deepen our insights, Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to explore heavy metal ions interactions with electrode/electrolyte and membrane materials under an electric field. The results indicated that Ni2+ ions had the highest passage rate of 80 % across the membrane, followed by Cr2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+. Furthermore, superior adsorption of Ni2+ ions onto the C65 CB electrode was noted, contributing to enhanced charge transfer and overall conductivity. Furthermore, we evaluated the economic and environmental implications associated with implementing the FCDI system in practical. This study presents a novel approach by using C65 carbon black (CB) with Na2SO4 as the electrolyte, indicating high adsorption efficiency at low carbon loading electrode. This combination offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution for improving complex heavy metal ion removal in FCDI systems. Overall, our study’s findings significantly contribute to offering crucial insights into optimizing FCDI technology for efficient heavy metal ions removal in industrial wastewater treatment using lithium-ion battery anode/cathode electrode material.

Chitosan/CNDs coated Cu electrode surface has an electrical potential for electrical energy application

Polymers and nanomaterials had been widely applied at electrochemical chemosensor and biosensor. Developing technical energy is still much needed, especially using natural environmental friendly material. Both chitosan of biopolymer and carbon nanodots (CNDs) of nanomaterials are highly studied due to their extraordinary properties. The research focus on chitosan and chitosan/CNDs nanocomposite surface that was applied for electrical energy. Nanocomposite was coated on Cu electrode surface by using electroplating method. The coated electrode was dipped into oil samples. The dipped nanocomposite then was characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, and Chemosensor. Nanocomposite structure is still maintain its chemical compound, confirmed by FTIR and XRD, which still maintain amine group; hydroxyl group; and crystalinity of chitosan after CNDs intercoporation. Nanocomposite surface morphology show magnetite particle distribution that spreaded on the surface of electrode for both chitosan and CNDs nanocomposite, which is confirmed by SEM. The free dipping method is based on the sensitive material chitosan/CNDs as a chemosensor; the pressure process on the surface of the chitosan/CNDs sensitive material causes the interaction of metal ions and acid compounds, which involves an iontophoresis process where oil atoms that have been excited in the evaporation process will experience atomic vibrations due to electron transport which then the active groups on the Chemosensor directly absorb and bind metals and acids in oil use a chemisorption process which leads to the transfer of charge from the adsorption particles to the chemosensor surface to fill the holes so that a potential difference occurs in the form of electrical pulses which will then be captured by the Arduino system which will be converted into digital data. This process makes technological energy production in the form of electrical energy faster.

Impact of Metal Ions on Cellular Functions: A Focus on Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Differentiation.

Metals play a crucial role in the human body, especially as ions in metalloproteins. Essential metals, such as calcium, iron, and zinc are crucial for various physiological functions, but their interactions within biological networks are complex and not fully understood. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are essential for tissue regeneration due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types. This review article addresses the effects of physiological and unphysiological, but not directly toxic, metal ion concentrations, particularly concerning MSCs. Overloading or unbalancing of metal ion concentrations can significantly impair the function and differentiation capacity of MSCs. In addition, excessive or unbalanced metal ion concentrations can lead to oxidative stress, which can affect viability or inflammation. Data on the effects of metal ions on MSC differentiation are limited and often contradictory. Future research should, therefore, aim to clarify the mechanisms by which metal ions affect MSC differentiation, focusing on aspects such as metal ion interactions, ion concentrations, exposure duration, and other environmental conditions. Understanding these interactions could ultimately improve the design of biomaterials and implants to promote MSC-mediated tissue regeneration. It could also lead to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies in regenerative medicine.

Design of Point Charge Models for Divalent Metal Cations Targeting Quantum Mechanical Ion–Water Dimer Interactions

Divalent metal cations are of vital importance in biochemistry and materials science, and their structural and thermodynamic properties in aqueous solution have often been used as targets for the development of ion models. This study presented a strategy for designing nonbonded point charge models of divalent metal cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+) and Cl− by targeting quantum mechanics (QM)-based ion–water dimer interactions. The designed models offered an accurate representation of ion–water interactions in the gas phase and showed reasonable performance for non-targeted properties in aqueous solutions, such as the ion–water oxygen distance (IOD), coordination number (CN), and density and viscosity of MgCl2 and CaCl2 solutions at low concentrations. Our metal cation models yielded considerable overestimates of the hydration free energies (HFEs) of the ions, whereas the Cl− model displayed good performance. Together with the overestimated density and viscosity of the salt solutions, these results indicated the necessity of re-optimizing ion–ion interactions and/or including polarization effects in the design of ion models. The designed Mg2+ model was capable of maintaining the crystal metal-binding networks during MD simulation of a metalloprotein, indicating great potential for biomolecular simulations. This work highlighted the potential of QM-based ion models to advance the study of metal ion interactions in biological and material systems.

Microscopic and macroscopic analysis of hexavalent chromium adsorption on polypyrrole-polyaniline@rice husk ash adsorbent using statistical physics modeling

This paper contributed with new findings to understand and characterize a heavy metal adsorption on a composite adsorbent. The synthesized polypyrrole–polyaniline@rice husk ash (PPY–PANI@RHA) was prepared and used as an adsorbent for the removal of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI). The adsorption isotherms of Cr(VI) ions on PPY–PANI@RHA were experimentally determined at pH 2, and at different adsorption temperatures (293, 303, and 313 K). Multi-layer model developed using statistical physics formalism was applied to theoretically analyze and characterize the different interactions and ion exchanges during the adsorption process for the elimination of this toxic metal from aqueous solutions, and to attribute new physicochemical interpretation of the process of adsorption. The physicochemical structures and properties of the synthesized PPY–PANI@RHA were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Fitting findings showed that the mechanism of adsorption of Cr(VI) on PPY–PANI@RHA was a multi-ionic mechanism, where one binding site may be occupied by one and two ions. It may also be noticed that the temperature augmentation generated the activation of more functional groups of the composite adsorbent, facilitating the interactions of metal ions with the binding sites and the access to smaller pore. The energetic characterization suggested that the mechanism of adsorption of the investigated systems was exothermic and Cr(VI) ions were physisorbed on PPY-PANI@RHA surface via electrostatic interaction, reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), hydrogen bonding, and ion exchange. Overall, the utilization of the theory of statistical physics provided fruitful and profounder analysis of the adsorption mechanism. The estimation of the pore size distribution (PSD) of the polypyrrole-polyaniline@rice husk ash using the statistical physics approach was considered stereographic characterization of the adsorbent (here PPY–PANI@RHA was globally a meso-porous adsorbent). Lastly, the mechanism of Cr(VI) removal from wastewater using PPY-PANI@RHA as adsorbent was macroscopically investigated via the estimation of three thermodynamic functions.

A colorimetric Ag+ chemosensor based on a cyclometalated ruthenium complex with deprotonated 2-phenylbenzimidazole

A cyclometalated ruthenium complex (1) using 2-phenylbenzimidazole as a C,N-ligand was developed as a colorimetric chemosensor to detect Ag+ ions. Upon the addition of Ag+ ions, the absorption spectra of complex 1 demonstrated no change in CH3CN solution. However, an excellent solution color change from dark-green to purple and absorption spectral change with a blue-shift of 27 nm (from 612 to 585 nm) were clearly observed after Ag+ ions were added to the solution of 1 with 2-fold of fluoride (denoted as 1 + F−). When Ag+ ions were replaced by other common metal ions, the solution color changed from green to red. Therefore, the solution of 1 + F− can be used to distinguish Ag+ from the other common metal ions. The absorption intensity at 612 nm exhibited a good linear correlation for the detection of Ag+ ion from 0 to 4 µM with a detection limit of 0.34 µM. According to the absorption and 1HNMR spectral changes of complex 1, the reaction mechanism is proposed to be as a coordination between silver ion and the deprotonated nitrogen in imidazole. However, the interactions of other metal ions with 1 + F− are related to a proton transfer process.

Serum protein albumin and chromium: Mechanistic insights into the interaction between ions, nanoparticles, and protein

The interaction of human proteins and metal species, both ions and nanoparticles, is poorly understood despite their growing importance. These materials are the by-products of corrosion processes and are of relevance for food and drug manufacturing, nanomedicine, and biomedical implant corrosion. Here, we study the interaction of Cr(III) ions and chromium oxide nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin in physiological conditions. This study combined electrophoretic mobility measurements, spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry with principal component analysis. It was determined that neither metal species resulted in global albumin unfolding. The Cr(III) ions interacted strongly with amino acids found in previously discovered metal binding sites, but also were most strongly implicated in the interaction with negatively charged acid residues, suggesting an electrostatic interaction. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was found to bind to the Cr2O3 nanoparticles in a preferential orientation, due to electrostatic interactions between the positive amino acid residues and the negative chromium oxide nanoparticle surface. These findings ameliorate our understanding of the interaction between trivalent chromium ions and nanoparticles, and biological macromolecules.

Chiral Supramolecular Self-Assembly Catalysts with Enhanced Metal Ion Interaction for Higher Enantioselectivity.

Understanding the interaction between metal ions as catalytic centers and supramolecular scaffolds as chiral substrates plays an important role in developing chiral supramolecular catalysts with high enantioselectivity. Herein, we found that compared with l-norleucine chiral amphiphile (l-NorC16), l-methionine chiral amphiphile (l-MetC16) with the only heteroatom of S site difference in the hydrophilic group can form a similar supramolecular chiral nanoribbon (NR) with the bilayer structure through the self-assembly approach; yet, the interaction between the Cu(II) ion catalytic centers and supramolecular scaffolds is reinforced, favoring the chirality transfer and therefore enhancing their catalytic enantioselectivity of Diels-Alder reaction from 23% [l-NorC16-NR-Cu(II)] to 78% [l-MetC16-NR-Cu(II)]. Our work demonstrates a new strategy from the perspective of strengthening the metal ion-supramolecular scaffold interaction for the preparation of chiral supramolecular catalysts with good catalytic enantioselectivity.

Strategies for the development of metalloimmunotherapies.

Metal ions play crucial roles in the regulation of immune pathways. In fact, metallodrugs have a long record of accomplishment as effective treatments for a wide range of diseases. Here we argue that the modulation of interactions of metal ions with molecules and cells involved in the immune system forms the basis of a new class of immunotherapies. By examining how metal ions modulate the innate and adaptive immune systems, as well as host-microbiota interactions, we discuss strategies for the development of such metalloimmunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and other immune-related diseases.

Assessing the Impact of Hexavalent Chromium (Cr VI) at Varied Concentrations on Spirulina platensis for Growth, Metal Sorption, and Photosynthetic Responses.

Spirulina platensis, a photosynthetic cyanobacterium, has garnered attention for its potential role in environmental remediation due to its ability to absorb and metabolize toxic heavy metals. Understanding its response toward toxicity of one of the most common contaminants, Cr(VI) is crucial for assessing its efficacy in bioremediation efforts. This study aims to investigate the physiological and biochemical responses of Spirulina platensis to varying concentrations of Cr(VI) from 0.5 to 5ppm, shedding light on its potential as a bioindicator for environmental contamination and its suitability for bioremediation purposes. The impact of Cr(VI) on cell density, biosorption, pigment levels, nutrient content, fluorescence response, and photosynthetic efficiency was examined. The study revealed a gradual reduction in cell density, biomass production, and biosorption efficiency with increasing Cr(VI) concentrations. Pigment levels, carbohydrate, protein, and lipid content showed significant decreases, indicating physiological stress. Fluorescence response and photosynthetic efficiency were also adversely affected, suggesting alterations in electron transfer dynamics. A threshold for chromium toxicity was observed at 0.5ppm, beyond which significant physiological disturbances occurred. This investigation highlights the sensitivity of Spirulina platensis to Cr(VI) toxicity and its potential as a bioindicator for heavy metal contamination. Metal sorption was highest in 0.5ppm Cr(VI) with 56.56% removal. Notably, at lower concentrations, Cr(VI) acted as an intermediate electron acceptor, enhancing the electron transport chain and potentially increasing biomass under controlled conditions. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the mechanisms underlying heavy metal stress in microalgae for effective environmental remediation strategies. The research highlights the dual role of chromium(VI) in influencing S. platensis, depending on the concentration, and underscores the importance of understanding metal ion interactions with photosynthetic organisms for potential applications in bioremediation.

Bimetallic Photo-Activated and Steerable Janus Micromotors as Active Microcleaners for Wastewater.

Photoactive colloidal motors whose motion can be controlled and even programed via external magnetic fields have significant potential in practical applications extending from biomedical fields to environmental remediation. Herein, we report a "three in one" strategy in a Co/Zn-TPM (3-trimethoxysilyl propyl methacrylate) bimetallic Janus colloidal micromotor (BMT-micromotor) which can be controlled by an optical field, chemical fuel, and magnetic field. The speed of the micromotors can be tuned by light intensity and with the concentration of the chemical fuel of H2O2, while it could be steered and programed through magnetic field due to the presence of Co in the bimetallic part. Finally, the BMT-micromotors were employed to effectively remove rubidium metal ions and organic dyes (methylene blue and rhodamine b). Benefited of excellent mobility, multiple active sites, and hierarchical morphology, the micromotors exhibit excellent adsorption capacity of 103 mg·g-1 to Rb metal ions and high photodegradation efficiency toward organic dyes in the presence of a lower concentration of H2O2. The experimental characterizations and DFT calculations confirmed the strong interaction of Rb metal ions on the surface of BMT-micromotors and the excellent decomposition of H2O2 which enhanced the photodegradation process. We expect the combination of light and fuel sensitivity with magnetic controllability to unlock an excess of opportunities for the application of BMT-micromotors in water treatments.

Synergistic and antagonistic adsorption mechanisms of copper(II) and cefazolin onto bio-based chitosan/humic composite: A combined experimental and theoretical study

In this study, a bio-based chitosan adsorbent modified by humic was synthesized. The adsorbent exhibited amphoteric adsorption properties and had a higher adsorption capacity for Cu(II) and cefazolin (CEF) than its precursors. The impacts of pH on the speciation and adsorption of Cu(II) and CEF were analyzed. The synergistic and antagonistic adsorption in Cu(II)/CEF co-existing system were systematically investigated. The adsorption amount of CEF significantly increased by 84 %, owing to the bridge effect of Cu(II). While the uptake of Cu(II) decreased by 29 % at CEF concentration of 0.3 mmol/L, due to the formation of organic ligand complex between Cu(II) and CEF with low affinity to the adsorbent. The adsorption mechanisms of Cu(II) and CEF were analyzed by XPS and Density functional theory (DFT). Through DFT calculations, the interaction configurations of Cu(II) and CEF on adsorbent as well as Cu(II)-CEF complexes were configurated. The possible Cu(II)-CEF complexes configuration were optimized, and the complex configuration (Cu-N2/O1/O2) was the most stable combination structure with the lowest binding energy (−2066.61 kJ/mol). Interaction region indicator (IRI) model further elucidated the chemical and weak interactions between CEF and Cu(II) in coexisting system. In addition, the influence of common inorganic electrolytes on the adsorption of Cu(II) and CEF was assessed. The adsorbent could be stably recycled for five cycles with little loss, indicating the potential application in the treatment of combined pollution. This study proposed more insights into the interactions of heavy metal ions and antibiotics in the coexistence system onto the adsorbents containing amine and carboxyl groups.

Multifunctional roles of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils on the enhancement of mechanical and conductive properties of acrylic-based hydrogels for temperature response and human motion sensing

Simultaneously having competitive mechanical properties, fatigue-resistant stability, temperature adaptability, excellent conductivity and sensitivity has been a challenge in the design of acrylic-based conductive hydrogels if they are meant for application in electronic skin mimics capable of sensory and stimulus responses. In this work, an acrylic-based conductive hydrogel with both excellent mechanical and electrical properties was prepared based on an integrated strategy employing the multifunctionality of TEMPO-oxidized CNFs (TOCNFs) and metal ion interaction. The TOCNFs with their abundant –COOH groups played a key role in the hydrogel by a) well-dispersing polyacrylic acid (PAA) chains in the hydrogel to form a homogeneous and porous multi-network, b) furnishing more –COOH to interact with Fe3+, c) forming more hydrogen bonds with PAA and glycerol, and d) offering high modulus to the final hydrogel. The obtained optimal hydrogel showed competitive mechanical properties (0.88 MPa at 70 % compressive strain; 0.24 MPa at 873 % tensile strain) and fatigue-resistant properties (56.5 % strength retention after 500 cycles of 50 % compression; 51.7 % strength retention after 20 cycles of 200 % tensile), high electrical conductivity (2.45 S m−1) and sensitivity (GF up to 2.62 for tensile strains over 100 %), while still maintaining a high electrical conductivity (1.67 S m−1) at −25 °C. Accordingly, the hydrogel prepared in this work was able to act as an electronic skin that responds to temperature variations and detect human body movement of pressing, writing, stretching and bending with highly sensitive conductive signals, which endows it great potential for applications in humanoid robotics and multi-scenario strain sensing.

Mesoporous polymer supported Metal-Based deep eutectic solvents for enhanced capture of Low-Content Ammonia

The capture the low-content NH3 from industrial streams, and recycle it as the feedstocks for industrial processes is very important. In this work, we reported the use of mesoporous polydivinylbenzene (PDVB) as the support of metal-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) containing choline chloride (ChCl) and metal chlorides (SnCl2, FeCl3 or ZnCl2) for NH3 capture. The structure of composite materials was characterized in details, and the NH3 capture performance and mechanism of them were also examined in depth. Owing to the coordination interaction of metal ions with NH3, along with the hydrogen-bond interaction of − OH and Cl− with NH3, the DES@PDVB composites exhibit considerably high low-content NH3 capacities. The optimized sample ChCl + 2ZnCl2@PDVB-1.5 can adsorb 7.43 mol/kg of NH3 at 25 ℃ and 0.122 bar, which is advantageous over most other adsorbents fabricated in the literature. The mechanism of NH3 capture by DES@PDVB composites was also illustrated through spectroscopic characterizations.

Enhanced luminescent properties of poly(sodium acrylate)-based composite and its selective interaction towards copper ions

This study investigates the luminescent properties and metal ion interactions of europium when combined with a polymer chain of poly (sodium acrylate) (PSA) and a phenanthroline (Phen) molecule, which acts as an efficient antenna. The study of interactions between lanthanide ions and various compounds in different matrices is crucial, providing valuable insights into the molecular environment, and enabling a deeper understanding of processes affecting their luminescence. In this study, we investigated the luminescent properties of the Eu(PSA)Phen complex and its remarkable capacity for selective interaction with Cu2+ ions in an aqueous solution. From this selective interaction, we conducted a series of detailed studies that provided valuable insights into the mechanisms of luminescence suppression, information about the europium chemical environment, and other related aspects. The luminescence of Eu(PSA)Phen is significantly quenched by Cu2+ ions, driven by both static and dynamic mechanisms. The presence of the PSA polymer chain and Phen molecules within the composite exerts a profound influence on energy transfer processes, enabling selective responses to Cu2+ ions, even in the presence of competing cations. Additionally, we observed a preferential interaction of the PSA molecule in the Eu(PSA)Phen composite with Cu2+ ions over the N groups of phenanthroline. These findings underscore the compound potential as a versatile tool in various fields, ranging from material science to biosensing, where rapid and selective metal ion detection is of paramount importance.

Physico-Chemical Aspects of Metal–Fulvic Complexation

The interactions of metal ions with fulvic acids were investigated from the point of view of the thermodynamic aspects of complexation as well as the size and charge of the formed complexes. Thermodynamic aspects were studied by means of isothermal titration calorimetry. Particle size distribution was determined by the method of dynamic light scattering and charge by the measurement of zeta potential. Complexation resulted in changes in particle size and charge. The particle size distribution was trimodal for fulvic acids and bimodal for fulvic complexes with calcium and magnesium, while copper–fulvic complexes had only one size fraction. The compensation of the negative charge of carboxylic and phenolic functional groups by positively charged metal ions resulted in an increase in zeta potential which became closer to zero in the case of copper–fulvic complexes. However, all metal–humic complexes behaved as colloidally unstable, which resulted in visually observable sedimentation. Calorimetric measurements provided positive values for changes in enthalpy, which indicated endothermic processes. In contrast, quantum chemical calculations as well as experiments with model compounds provided negative values indicating exothermic processes. Changes in Gibbs energy were determined as negative and changes in entropy as positive.

Enhanced adsorption and removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solution by amino-functionalized ZIF-8

Zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), which is a special subgroup of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), was synthesized and modified by ethylenediamine (ZIF-8-EDA) to prepare an efficient adsorbent for the high sorption of Cd2+ ions from solution. The synthesized and modified ZIF-8 (ZIF-8-EDA) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The optimum conditions for dosage of adsorbent, initial ion concentration, pH, and contact time were 0.05 g/l, 50 mg/l, 6, and 60 min, respectively, for cadmium ion sorption from aqueous solutions with a removal efficiency of 89.7% for ZIF-8 and 93.5% for ZIF-8-EDA. Adsorption kinetics and equilibrium data were analyzed using the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The Langmuir model fitted the equilibrium data better than the Freundlich model. According to the Langmuir equation, the maximum uptake for the cadmium ions was 294.11(mg/g). The calculated thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS°) indicated that the adsorption process was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic at 20–50 °C. Based on the results, the amino functionalized ZIF-8 had improved adsorption performance due to the replacing of the starting linker with organic ligands that had effective functional groups, leading to chemical coordination due to the interaction of metal ions with the non-bonding pair of electrons on the N atoms of the amino functional group. The selectivity toward metal ion adsorption by ZIF-8-EDA was Cd2+ > Pb2+ > Ni2+‏.

Exploring Bimetallic Nanoparticles in Alzheimer's Therapy: A Novel Bio-Assisted Synthesis with Multitarget Potential.

Unlocking the potential of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in biomedical applications represents a leading endeavor in contemporary research. Among these, gold NPs (AuNPs) and silver NPs (AgNPs) have shown promising strides in combatting complex neurodegenerative ailments like Alzheimer's disease. Yet, the unexplored realm of bimetallic Au/Ag-NP harbors immense potential, concealing undiscovered opportunities for enhanced therapeutic effectiveness through the synergistic interaction of metal ions. Nonetheless, the limitations of traditional synthesis methods have restricted the preparation, biocompatibility, and versatility of these NPs, prompting an urgent requirement for innovative approaches. Biobased synthetic methodologies have emerged as a noteworthy solution to address these challenges. Our study ventures into uncharted terrain, harnessing collagen-mimicking peptide nanofibers as a bioactive template for the synthesis of bimetallic NPs. These green NPs exhibit remarkable activity in inhibiting amyloid β (Aβ) protein aggregation with almost 74% inhibition, surpassing the individual impacts of Au and Ag NPs, which show inhibition percentages of 66 and 43, respectively. The bimetallic Au/Ag-NPs not only demonstrate powerful inhibition of Aβ, but they also demonstrate inhibitory activity against esterase (∼50%) and against reactive oxygen species (ROS) (∼75%), metamorphosing into multifaceted therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease. Au/Ag-NPs have proven highly beneficial in surpassing cellular barriers, as evidenced by studies on tissue penetration, 3D uptake, and endosomal escape, and these attributes also hold promise for the future treatment modalities. The findings indicate that the intrinsic traits of Au/Ag-NPs provide numerous mechanistic benefits, such as inhibiting Aβ and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and reducing stress related to ROS, in addition to their advantageous internalization properties. This research represents a notable advancement in the development of multitargeted treatments for neurodegenerative disorders using bimetallic NPs, diverging from the prevalent emphasis on AuNPs in the current literature.