Iron NPs Research Articles

Influence of biochar amendment and foliar application of iron oxide nanoparticles on growth, photosynthesis, and cadmium accumulation in rice biomass

The majority studies used the biochar or nanoparticles alone in metal-contaminated soils while less is known about the combined use of these amendments in metal-contaminated soils. We aimed to explore the efficiency of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe NPs) and biochar on cadmium (Cd) uptake in rice in pot trial. An experiment was performed under ambient environmental conditions in a Cd-contaminated soil with and without biochar addition (1.0% w/w), and different Fe NP concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30 mg/L) were foliar sprayed at different time intervals (at 3rd, 4th, and 5th weeks of nursery transplantation in the pots) during the plant growth. After harvesting, rice growth, photosynthesis, Cd and Fe contents in rice tissues, and soil bioavailable Cd and soil pH were measured. Iron NPs enhanced the dry weights of rice tissues, chlorophyll concentrations, and gas exchange characteristics and the impact of NPs was further increased when the biochar was applied along with NPs. Iron NPs significantly decreased the intake of Cd in rice shoots by 31 and 42% and in rice roots by 26 and 39% with the foliar spray of Fe NPs (30 mg/L) without and with biochar, respectively. Foliar spray of Fe NPs reduced the total Cd accumulation by shoots, whereas the total Cd accumulation in the roots increased. The co-presence of Fe NPs and Cd enhanced the Fe concentrations in shoots of rice by 52 and 33% and in roots of rice by 32 and 21% when 30 mg/L Fe NPs were supplied with and without biochar, respectively. The effects of Fe NPs were higher with biochar application than without biochar except Fe concentrations in rice seedlings where the opposite trend was observed. The increase in biomass, Fe concentrations in tissues, and decrease in Cd levels in plants clearly demonstrate that Fe NPs + biochar could be a promising technique for the utilization of Cd-contaminated soils in the future.

Effect of Iron Nanoparticles on the Development of Fish Farm Feeds

Two hundred and seventy monosex males Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with an average body weight of 16.65±0.2 g/fish were used to investigate the effect of dietary replacement of inorganic iron by different levels of Fe-NPs on growth performance, body composition and health status of A. hydrophila challenged Nile tilapia fish. Fish maintained on 30% protein level, Six different experimental diets supplemented with 0.0 (T1), 85.0 mg inorganic Fe/kg (T2) and 85.0, 63.75, 42.5 and 21.25mg Fe-NPs/kg (T3-T5) were fed to triplicates groups of fish. It was found that the final body weight, weight gain, SGR, FCR and PER were significantly improved in the fish fed on the iron-supplemented diets compared to those fed on the iron-deficient diet (T1). Blood pictures and serum biochemical were significantly increased before and after A. hydrophila infection in the iron-supplemented groups compared to the iron-deficient diet group. The dietary administration of iron NPs improved the antioxidant enzymatic activities (CAT and TAC) irrespective of the different iron sources in the basal diet. Moreover, it was observed that the diets containing 63.75 and 42.5 mg/kg of Fe-NPs exhibited the best survival rate compared to the other groups.

Utility of macrophages in an antitumor strategy based on the vectorization of iron oxide nanoparticles.

Many solid tumors and their metastases are still resistant to current cancer treatments such as chemo- and radiotherapy. The presence of a small population of Cancer Stem Cells in tumors is held responsible for relapses. Moreover, the various physical barriers of the organism (e.g. blood-brain barrier) prevent many drugs from reaching the target cells. In order to alleviate this constraint, we suggest a Trojan horse strategy consisting of intravascular injection of macrophages loaded with therapeutic nanoparticles (an iron nanoparticle-based solution marketed under the name of FERINJECT®) to bring a high quantity of the latter to the tumor. The aim of this article is to assess the response of primary macrophages to FERINJECT® via functional assays in order to ensure that the macrophages loaded with these nanoparticles are still relevant for our strategy. Following this first step, we demonstrate that the loaded macrophages injected into the bloodstream are able to migrate to the tumor site using small-animal imaging. Finally, using synchrotron radiation, we validate an improvement of the radiotherapeutic effect when FERINJECT®-laden macrophages are deposited at the vicinity of cancer cells and irradiated.

Effective photocatalysis of direct dyes under sunlight by silver, iron, and zinc nanoparticles doped on cotton

Photo-oxidation processes assisted by nanomaterials are gaining attraction due to their potential applications. To explore reduction of organic pollutants by nanoparticles, this work was carried out using standard direct dyes that are frequently used in textile industries. The zinc, silver and iron NPs were separately impregnated on cotton to reduce the release in the water source. The selection of nanoparticles impregnated on cotton is based on photodynamic and photocatalytic capability of metals. The characterizations of composite materials revealed 11 to 26 nm particles size layered on cotton threads. Photocatalysis results indicate that nanoparticles impregnated on cotton exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activities under neutral pH condition. AgCt (Ag nanoparticles doped cotton) demonstrated maximum degradation of Orange-26 and Blue-199, 63 and 54%, respectively within 90 min. ZnCt (ZnO nanoparticles doped cotton) also showed good results (46 and 43% degradation) against two dyes. The photo-degradation of direct dyes were observed in the order as Orange-26 > Blue-199 > Green-26 > Fast-Pink > Yellow-44 > Red-80 > Violet-51 by AgCt. The study concludes that nanoparticles impregnated on cotton efficiently catalyze dyes under sunlight condition so can used for degradation of organic pollutants from wastewater.

IN VITRO EFFECTS OF IRON NANOPARTICLES ON SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI ADULT WORMS AND ITS INTERMEDIATE HOST SNAIL, BIOMPHALARIA ALEXANDRINA

Due to increasing problems of the resistance associated with praziquantel, the drug of choice for treatment of schistosomiasis, alternative therapies were tried. The present work evaluated the effect of iron nanoparticles (iron NPs) on S. mansoni and B. alexandrina in vitro. The mortality rate of adults was observed after exposure during a period of 48 hrs. Worms exposed to 30 & 60mg/L of iron nanoparticles showed 20% & 77% mortality after 3 hrs, respectively. Snails exposure to different concentration of iron NPs (1- 40mg/L) died (100%) at, 40mg/L after 24 hours of exposure. The commonest surface ultrastructural changes were exposing of blebs everywhere, cracks, erosion, and incomplete fusion of some tubercles that lost most of their spines. Perforation was noticed on some areas of the tegument. The ventral sucker sinks incompletely inside the tegumental surface, sloughing was observed and perforation was noticed on the body surface. Also, collapsed tegumental architecture, huge oedematous structures were lounged from collapsed tegument.

Biofouling performance of RO membranes coated with Iron NPs on graphene oxide

Biofouling performance was evaluated for polyamide commercial RO membranes coated with iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) and graphene oxide (GO), under controlled conditions using a cross-flow system. Feed water obtained from the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, was pretreated, sterilized and inoculated with a high concentration (109 CFU mL−1) of Bacillus halotolerans MCC1, isolated from the Sea of Cortez. The zeta potential was determined for FeNPs and GO–FeNPs. XRD, roughness, contact angle, permeance and flux were determined for the coated and uncoated membranes. To evaluate the anti-biofouling effect, total organic carbon, total cell count, optical density and percentage of live/dead cells were determined for the biofilm. The GO–FeNP coating showed less agglomeration tendency and surface roughness compared to pure FeNP, and contact angle (49.1° ± 4.3°) similar to the uncoated membrane (50.2° ± 4.3°). Despite reducing the membrane permeance, the FeNP and GO–FeNP coatings presented larger fluxes after fouling (18% and 5.3% larger, respectively) than the fouled uncoated membrane. This was corroborated by both FeNP and GO–FeNP coated membranes presenting reduced biofilm layer thickness (89% and 65% thinner), total cell count (67% and 40% lower), optical density (40% and 48% lower) and total organic carbon (91% and 98% lower), than the uncoated membrane.

Sustainable one-step strategy towards low temperature curable superparamagnetic composite based on smartly designed iron nanoparticles and cardanol benzoxazine

A sustainable method for PBz:iron NPs composite based on cardanol, an agro-waste, exhibiting a versatile crosslinked network with superparamagnetic properties.

Stenotrophomonas and Microbacterium: Mediated Biogenesis of Copper, Silver and Iron Nanoparticles—Proteomic Insights and Antibacterial Properties Versus Biofilm Formation

Nanoparticle biosynthesis mediated by plants, microbes, fungus or algae is a safe and eco-friendly approach addressing various applications in the medicine, cosmetics, biosensors and agricultural industry. Morphology of the synthesized particles depends largely on the type of organism involved, culture-conditions like temperature, pH and the substrate-concentration. This paper reports the synthesis of copper, silver and iron NPs by exposing living cells of D−4 strain of Microbacterium marinilacus and III−5 strain of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia to aqueous solutions of Cu2+, Ag2+ and Fe3+ ions. These strains were isolated from Damodar-river sediments in Burnpur, Asansol, India and identified by 16S rDNA-sequencing and phylogenetic-tree analysis. NCBI GenBank Accession No. was KT346339 for III−5 and KT346340 for D−4 isolates respectively. UV-spectrophotometer-analysis of culture supernatant and scanning electron microscopy confirmed biogenesis of the nanoclusters. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy further confirmed the nano-dimension of the particles. Atomic force microscopy revealed the conformation of nanoparticles. Antibacterial properties of the synthesized particles against gram positive Bacillus cereus and gram negative Escherichia coli were studied through agar-plate-well-diffusion. Effects of the particles on growth of S. maltophilia PM102 were monitored. Data-analysis with one-way-ANOVA and Tukey’s-HSD-test was done. Protein-profile of the isolates in the presence and absence of nanoparticles was studied through SDS-PAGE.

Metal-organo-zinc oxide materials: Investigation on the structural, optical and electrical properties

This study reports the modification of synthetic ZnO nanoparticles by Hexamethylemediamine (HMD) grafting and an in-situ dispersion of iron nanoparticles (FeoNPs). The changes in structural, optical and electrical properties of the resulting Metal-Organo-Zinc oxide (MOZ) were investigated. Covalent surface-grafting of HMD within ZnO mesopores was confirmed by Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that dispersion of fine iron NPs occurs mainly inside ZnO mesopores, producing a slight structure expansion. This was accompanied by a significant improvement of the electrical conductivity. Iron NP incorporation and HMD grafting resulted in a slight decrease in the optical band gap energy in the metal-organo-zinc oxide. Slight shifts towards higher wavelengths are attributed to change in the acceptor capacity level induced by iron nanoparticles. The capacitance, conductance and relaxation phenomenon of the material were studied by means of impedance spectroscopy measurements at several temperatures. Both FeoNPs incorporation and HMD grafting appear to be, at least partly, responsible for conductance variations. The effects of the surface groups of ZnO–HMD–Fe and charge transfer were found to be almost proportional to the capacitance. These properties make these materials to be regarded as promising electrode materials for high-efficiency energy storage.

Properties of SBA-15 modified by iron nanoparticles as potential hydrogen adsorbents and sensors

SBA-15-Fe was synthesized via the incorporation of Fe0 nanoparticles (Fe(0)-Nps) in the mesoporous channels. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that dispersion of fine iron NPs occurs mainly inside the channels of SBA-15, producing a slight structure compaction. This was accompanied by a significant improvement of both the affinity towards hydrogen and electrical conductivity, as supported by hydrogen adsorption tests and impedance measurements. CO2 thermal programmed desorption measurements revealed an attenuation of the acid character of the solid surface. This was explained in terms of strong iron interaction with the lattice oxygen atoms that reduces the SiO–H bond polarity. The close vicinity of fine Fe(0)-Nps combined with the large pore size of SBA-15 appear to contribute to a synergistic improvement of the electrical conductivity. The results reported herein open new prospects for SBA-15 as potential adsorbents for hydrogen storage and carriers for hydrogen sensors. The use of iron in lieu of noble metals for designing such materials is a novelty, because such applications of iron-loaded silica have not been envisaged so far due to the high reactivity of iron towards air and water. The development of such technologies, if any, should address this issue.

Decolourisation of Direct Orange S dye by ultra sonication using iron oxide nanoparticles

Biosynthesised iron oxide nanoparticles (INPs) less than 100 nm were used to decolourise the textile dye, Direct Orange S by the process of ultra sonication. The parameters tested for the decolourisation of the Direct Orange S dye were the INP concentration (0.2–1g/l), pH (3–11) and H2O2 concentration (2–8 ml/l). The rate of decolourisation process was performed by both stirrer and ultra sonicator method using the first-order kinetics ln(c/c0). The percentage of dye removal for the optimum conditions such as INP, 1g/l (87.2%); pH, 9 (85.5%) and H2O2 concentration 8 ml/l (86.5%) were observed. The Direct Orange S dye was degraded efficiently by sonolysis (60 min) than by the magnetic stirrer method (120 min). High-performance liquid chromatography results showed that the peak for Direct Orange S dye was not present when the dye sample was treated by either H2O2 + INP or INP alone. Use of biosynthesised iron NPs in Direct Orange S dye (azo dye) decolourisation by a simple non-toxic Fenton reaction is a safe and novel approach. Industrialisation of this technique will be an economical way to decolorise the textile dyes present in water systems.

Toxicity assessments of nanoscale zerovalent iron and its oxidation products in medaka (Oryzias latipes) fish

Iron-based nanotechnologies are increasingly used for environmental remediation; however, toxicologic impacts of iron nanoparticles on the aquatic ecosystem remain poorly understood. We treated larvae of medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) with thoroughly characterized solutions containing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-stabilized nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI), aged nanoscale iron oxides (nFe-oxides) or ferrous ion (Fe[II]) for 12–14days’ aqueous exposure to assess the causal toxic effect(s) of iron NPs on the fish. With the CMC-nZVI solution, the dissolved oxygen level decreased, and a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was generated as Fe(II) oxidized to ferric ion (Fe[III]); with the other two iron solutions, these parameters did not significantly change. CMC-nZVI and Fe(II) solutions caused acute lethally and sublethally toxic effects in medaka larvae, with nFe-oxide-containing solutions causing the least toxic effects. We discuss modes of toxic action of iron NPs and chronic toxic effects in terms of hypoxia, Fe(II) toxicity and ROS-mediated oxidative damage.

Immobilization of Zerovalent Iron Nanoparticles into Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Potential Environmental Applications

We present a facile approach to immobilizing zerovalent iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs) into electrospun polymer nanofibrous mats. Electrospun poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibrous mats were treated at an elevated temperature to render them water stable. The water-insoluble nanofibrous mats were then used as nanoreactors to complex ferric iron for subsequent formation and immobilization of ZVI NPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies show that the smooth, uniform morphology of the electrospun nanofibrous mats does not significantly change after immobilization with ZVI NPs. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the polymer nanofibers before and after the immobilization of ZVI NPs. We show that the formed ZVI NPs are uniformly distributed into the electrospun nanofibers with a mean particle size of 1.6 nm. The produced ZVI NP-containing polymer nanofibrous mats exhibit a superior capability to decolorize acid fuchsine solution, a model dye in wastewater of printing and dyeing industry. Findings from this study suggest a significant potential of using the electrospun nanofibers as nanoreactors to synthesize reactive iron NPs for a broad range of environmental remediation applications providing a foundation for further rational design of various composite nanofibrous materials for various applications.