Nanocrystallite Size Research Articles

Dielectric and Magneto-dielectric properties of GdFeO3 modified PbTiO3 nanofibrous mats obtained through electrospinning technique

This study intends to create and analyze electrospun nanofibrous mats of GdFeO3 doped PbTiO3 i.e Pb0.8Gd0.2Ti0.8Fe0.2O3 (GF-PT) using sol gel method. The polyvinylpyrrolidone PVP/GF-PT material was attempted to generate a highly viscous sol that is used to transform into nanofibers utilizing various parameters. The crystallographic parameters were estimated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, which supported single phase tetragonal structure. Also, Scherer equation was used to calculate the typical nanocrystallite size of the manufactured nanofibrous mats, and the result was 15.92 nm. The morphological investigations showed that a variety of factors, such as applied voltage, flow rate, and needle-collector distance, had a significant impact on the average diameter of nanofibrous mats. The nanofibers displayed ferromagnetic behavior and exhibited residual magnetism of approximately 0.0257 emu/g. The created nanofibers exhibit significant magneto-electric (ME) coupling characteristics having the highest magneto-dielectric response (MDR) at 1.2 T of about −38.62 % and the calculated magneto- dielectric coefficient value is −275.05 emu2/g2.

Nano-crystallite bones of Oreochromis niloticus and Katsuwonus pelamis for the photocatalytic degradation of Congo red dye

The bones of two fish species, Oreochromis niloticus and Katsuwonus pelamis, were chosen in this research for evaluating their photocatalytic efficacy under solar radiation. The fish bones were isolated and conditioned before analyzing crystallographic parameters. The samples were characterized by using different instrumental techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy (FESEM), and optical bandgap. From the XRD data, various types of crystallographic information such as crystallite size, microstrain, lattice parameters, dislocation density, degree of crystallinity, crystallinity index, Hydroxylapatite (HAp), the volume fraction of β-TCP, β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) percentage, and specific surface area were evaluated. Different model equations such as the Sahadat-Scherrer model, Linear Straight-line model, Monshi–Scherrer's method, and Williamson–Hall plot were employed to justify the nano-crystallite size. The photocatalytic efficacy of the two types of samples was explored by changing the catalyst concentration, dye concentration, interaction time, pH of the solution, etc. under solar irradiation.

Nanocrystalline PbS thin film produced by alkaline chemical bath deposition: effect of inhibitor levels and temperature on the physicochemical properties

Abstract In this study, nanocrystalline PbS film coating on a glass slide was done using the chemical bath deposition method. PbS film was deposited in an alkaline solution using Pb(NO3)2, CS(NH2)2, and the inhibitor (Na2S2O3) for 30–120 min at room temperature (25 °C) and 40 °C, and inhibitor levels were investigated in the range of 3.2 mM–12.7 mM. The physicochemical properties of the obtained thin films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, MAPPING, atomic force microscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle and X-ray diffraction analyses. The relationship between nanocrystallite size, distribution, pin-hole development, and synthesis conditions were examined using image processing and surface response methodology. The band gap of the produced PbS thin film was calculated using FT-IR analysis results (0.41 eV).

Defect characteristics of cadmium oxide nanocrystallites synthesized via a chemical precipitation method

In this study, we synthesized cadmium oxide nanocrystallites measuring 16 nm–30 nm via a chemical precipitation method at synthesis temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 800 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis identified well-defined peaks with no indication of mixed or impurity phases. The samples were also characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The band gap energies measured by optical absorption varied between 2.32 eV and 2.38 eV, thereby indicating quantum confinement effects over the entire range of nanocrystallite sizes. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopic measurements demonstrated the localized surface plasmonic resonance behavior of the samples. Positron annihilation studies were conducted to identify and quantify the vacancy type defects, sizes, and concentrations. Increased annihilation of positrons occurred on the surfaces of nanocrystallites with dimensions less than the thermal diffusion length of positrons (∼25.4 nm). In crystallites larger than this limit, positrons were trapped in the non-stoichiometric defects within the crystallites, as demonstrated by both the positron lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening measurements. Defects played a major role in determining the favorable properties of these cadmium oxide nanocrystallites because defects and parameters such as the synthesis temperature were strongly correlated.

Electrooxidation of ammonia at high-efficiency RuO2-ZnO/Al2O3 and PdO-ZnO/Al2O3 mesoporous catalysts; an innovative strategy towards clean fuel technology

Ammonia is an ideal alternative of hydrogen with high hydrogen content and environmental safety but production of hydrogen from ammonia is deterred by developing active and affordable catalysts. Herein, we report PdO and RuO2 promoted ZnO/Al2O3 ternary materials as efficient and robust electrocatalysts towards AEO. Little weight percentages of PdO and RuO2i.e., 0.1 %, 0.5 % and 1 % are added into 20 % ZnO/Al2O3 via co-impregnation method followed by rotatory ball milling to achieve uniform morphology. Prepared metal oxide catalysts exhibited nanocrystallite sizes and mesoporous structure thereby enhancing the electronic and catalytic properties. Adsorption-desorption isotherms and BJH diagrams revealed mesoporous structure of the catalysts with nanosized pores endorsing high surface area. Electroanalytical techniques applied to study AEO using 1 M NH3 showed that the developed materials effectively electro-catalyzed the reaction observed in alkaline medium i.e. 0.1 M KOH. Varying scan rate indicated it as a diffusion controlled process offering high diffusion coefficient. Ternary metal oxides gave the promoted and improved catalytic output displaying high current density “j” (307 µA cm−2 and 742 µA cm−2 at 10 mV s−1) and low charge transfer resistance “Rct” (24.1 and 9.7 kΩ) with RuO2-ZnO/Al2O3 and PdO-ZnO/Al2O3, respectively. These electrochemical possessions are attributed to half-filled d-orbitals of Pd and Ru. In this way, PdO and RuO2 promoted ZnO mixed metal oxide electrocatalysts reported for the first time could be employed to accelerate high-performance efficient energy generating technologies.

Composite nanofibers electrospun from cerium, titanium, and zinc precursors

Non-woven fibers were produced by sol-gel and electrospinning methods, from a solution containing cerium nitrate, zinc acetate, titanium isopropoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, acetic acid, ethanol, and water. The fibers were calcined at various temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 °C and were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Raman spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Structural characterization revealed the fluorite nanocrystalline phase of ceria (CeO2) at all temperatures, the wurtzite zinc oxide (ZnO) phase in the 300–500 °C range, and a variety of zinc titanate phases (such as ZnTiO3, Zn2Ti3O8 and Zn2TiO4) at higher temperatures. Titania (TiO2) phases were not observed following calcination up to 900 °C. The average ceria nanocrystallite size increases with calcination temperature, as revealed by XRD and confirmed by the Phonon Confinement Model (PCM) of Raman spectra. The opposite trend is observed for the BET specific surface area of the nanofibers, where this value decreases with calcination temperatures above 400 °C. These nanofibers containing ceria and zinc titanates are potential candidates for photocatalytic applications.

Finite Element Simulation and Experimental Investigation of Nanostructuring Burnishing AISI 52100 Steel Using an Inclined Flat Cylindrical Tool

This article is devoted to the development of a sliding burnishing scheme using a flat cylindrical indenter. The previously established patterns of nanostructured state formation in the AISI 52100 steel subsurface layer showed a need to create a special tool with a variable tilt angle of the indenter and with force regulation. A new tool with a cubic boron nitride indenter opens wide possibilities for nanostructuring burnishing of hardened bearing steel. Firstly, a flat cylindrical indenter has high durability due to repeated rotation around its axis. Secondly, the change of the tilt angle to the treated surface allows controlling the contact compression pressure and plastic shear deformation, which determines the formation of a nanostructured state of the material by the method of severe plastic deformation (SPD). The purpose of the work is to determine the optimal parameters of the process and tool in order to form a nanostructure and significantly increase surface layer microhardness. The goal was achieved by the methods of finite element modeling (FEM) and experimental studies of burnishing when the indenter tilt angle changes from 0.5° to 2.5° under dry processing conditions. Numerical simulation of the process made it possible to establish optimal values of the indenter tilt angle of 2° and the burnishing force 250 N according to the criteria of maximum contact pressure and cumulative deformation. The experimental studies of cumulative deformations and the coefficient of friction by the method of burnishing a split disc and dynamometry of the process confirmed the FEM results. The transmission microscopy, durometry, and 3D surface profilometry showed the sensitivity of nanocrystallite sizes, microhardness, and roughness to an indenter tilt angle and confirmed the optimality of the established tilt angle value.

Annealing Temperature-Dependent Photoelectrochemical Property of Zinc Oxide/Graphene Nanocomposite and the Application for Fabricating a “Signal-Off” Photoelectrochemical Aptasensing for ATP

Designing a sensitized structure to improve the inherent performance of photoactive materials is an effective strategy for improving the sensitivity of “signal-off” photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensing. Here, we present a facile thermal-treatment route for fabricating ZnO/graphene sensitized structure (ZnO/GR nanocomposite) via using zinc sulfate and graphene oxide (GO) as starting materials. The PEC performance of ZnO/GR nanocomposite can be controlled by the annealing temperature. It was found that the annealing temperature greatly affects the phase transition and nanocrystallite size of the prepared nanostructure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that ZnO began to form at the decomposition temperature of 530 °C, indicating that the existence of GO can greatly decrease the decomposition temperature of zinc sulfate from 930 °C to 530 °C. The morphology characterization illustrated an increase in the average ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) nanocrystallite size from <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 30 to <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 100 nm when the annealing temperature was varied from 530 °C to 700 °C. Furthermore, we investigated the PEC behavior of these different nanostructures obtained under various temperatures, and the significant photocurrent intensity of ZnO/GR nanocomposite was also obtained at the annealing temperature of 700 °C because the well distributed and increased crystallite size can reduce the recombination rate of electron–hole pairs on the ZnO/GR nanocomposite thin films. Finally, a “signal-off” PEC sensor was designed for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection based on a ZnO/GR-700 °C nanocomposite as photoactive materials and an ATP-binding aptamer as the recognition element. This “signal-off” PEC aptasensor exhibited a wide linear range from 5 to 3000 nM with a low detection limit of 1.66 nM.

Enhanced fermentative biohydrogen production from milk processing wastewater by magnetic spinel ferrites nanoparticles

ABSTRACT In the present study, metal ferrites nanoparticles (MFNPs), comprising nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4), cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4), and copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs), were synthesized and characterized for investigating their effect on biohydrogen production by thermophilic dark fermentation of milk processing wastewater (MPWW). The MFNPs were synthesized using the chemical coprecipitation method and were characterized using XRD, SEM-EDS, and VSM analysis. According to the characterization results, the average nanocrystallite sizes of NiFe2O4, CoFe2O4 and CuFe2O4 spinels were 25.8 nm, 33 nm, and 20.7 nm, respectively. The NPs prepared were pure and showed a ferromagnetic behavior. Dark fermentation tests revealed that the MFNPs had a promoting effect on biohydrogen production. In comparison with the control assay, biohydrogen yield was enhanced by 2.71, 2.58, and 2 folds higher for optimal concentrations of CuFe2O4, NiFe2O4, and CoFe2O4, respectively. The maximum biohydrogen yield of 246.13 ± 3.69 mL/g VS was obtained by adding 2 mg/L of CuFe2O4 NPs. The experimental data of MFNPs-assisted dark fermentation were well predicted by the Gompertz kinetic model.

Electrolyte pH dependence of composition, roughness parameters, particle diameter and magnetic features of nanostructured Fe-Co-Ni/ITO deposits prepared by electrochemical deposition method.

The composition, structural features, surface morphology, roughness parameters, particle size, and magnetic features of nanostructured Fe-Co-Ni deposits manufactured on conducting indium tin oxide-coated glasses at various electrolyte pH values are studied. The deposit produced at low electrolyte pH contains slightly higher Fe and Co contents but lower Ni content compared to deposits fabricated at high pH values. Further composition analysis confirms that the reduction rates of Fe2+ and Co2+ are higher than the Ni2+ reduction rate. The films consist of nano-sized crystallites with a strong [111] preferred orientation. The results also reveal that the crystallization of the thin films is affected by the electrolyte pH. Surface analysis shows that the deposit surfaces are composed of nano-sized particles with different diameters. The mean particle diameter and surface roughness decrease as the pH of the electrolyte decreases. The effect of the electrolyte pH on the morphology is also discussed in terms of surface skewness and kurtosis parameters. Magnetic analysis shows that the resultant deposits have in-plane hysteresis loops with low and close SQR parameters ranging from 0.079 to 0.108. The results also reveal that the coercive field of the deposits increases from 29.4Oe to 41.3Oe as the electrolyte pH decreases from 4.7 to 3.2.

Water remediation capability of cubic-phase CdS nanoparticles as photocatalyst on photodegradation of aqueous rhodamine 6G dye under UV irradiation

Cubic-phase cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles were formulated through dropwise precipitation. XRD analysis shows that the CdS has an average nanocrystallite size of approximately 3.36 nm. FTIR results reveals that a strong band appeared around 600 cm-1 is due to Cd-S bonds. SEM image demonstrates that many tiny spherical nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed on the sample surface. The CdS nanoparticles show a prominent UV-Vis absorption peak at 506 nm with a direct band gap of 2.24 eV. CdS nanoparticles has induced remarkable photobleaching effect on the highly stable R6G dye solution under UV illumination, which is applicable for future wastewater treatment.

Slow coarsening of tetragonal zirconia nanocrystals in a phase-separated sodium borosilicate glass

A Zr4+-containing sodium borosilicate glass (ZNBS) and a zirconium-free reference glass (NBS) were prepared by melt quenching. Thermal analysis revealed two glass transitions, indicating that both glasses exhibit phase separation into boron- and silica-rich domain structures already after quenching to room temperature. Electron micrographs showed that annealing of NBS and ZNBS glasses initiated the coarsening of these domains and the precipitation of metastable t-ZrO2 in the boron-rich matrix of the ZNBS glass. The coarsening kinetics of the silica-rich domains followed the theoretical predictions (power law exponent = 1/3), while the coarsening of the t-ZrO2 crystallites was much slower. The time evolution of the average size of t-ZrO2 nanocrystallites from small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) experiments revealed a coarsening exponent of ∼1/6. This slow coarsening of t-ZrO2 is assumed to be confined by the domain structure of the primary phase separation.

Growth, structural and vibrational properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films prepared by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature

The main objective of this paper is to produce the hydrogen-free and hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H(x)) thin films deposited onto the single-crystalline Si(100) wafer by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) at a substrate temperature of ∼ 300 K. Sputtering was effectuated by a microwave plasma in a mixture of argon and hydrogen (Ar + (H2(x)) gasses taken at different proportions of hydrogen dilution: x = 0, 2.5, and 5 sccm (standard cubic centimeter per minute). The deposition rates of the nc-Si:H were fully controlled, and the thickness of these films was ∼ 200 and 300 Å. Pt-capping layer was deposited in order to protect the nc-Si:H layer from oxidation. The thickness of the capping layer was fixed at ∼ 5 Å.The effects of the hydrogen flow rate and post-growth thermal treatment on the crystalline structure and morphology of as-grown nanocrystalline silicon thin films were systematically investigated by ultraviolet and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) and micro-Raman spectroscopy methods. From the measured data, the average nanocrystallite sizes, surface morphology and other important characteristics of these thin films were analyzed. The grown nc-Si:H thin films may be used as a semiconducting electrode material for electrochemical proton production, which is of great technological importance, especially for solid-state electrochromic device applications.

Influence of manganese ions in calcium silicate glass–ceramics on optical, mechanical, and magnetic properties

Nanocrystalline calcium silicate powder was synthesized by adding different ratios of MnO2 ranging from 0.00 to 2.00 wt% to detect its effect on the structure and physical properties. The pseudowollastonite triclinic and low combeite of hexagonal phase with nanocrystallite size less than 85.0 nm were confirmed by the XRD technique and average particle size ranging from 7.8 to 27.9 nm as detected by HR-TEM micrograph images. Stretching and bending vibration of the O–Si–O band were shifted to higher values upon the addition of MnO2 were verified by FT-IR. Increasing both the density and ultimate strength with a reduction in the porosity leads to an improvement in the mechanical properties with the addition of MnO2. Additionally, the increasing MnO2 content showed an improvement in magnetic and optical properties, which exhibited a decrement in the optical band gap Eg from 3.9 to 1.6 eV. Hence, the MnO2 acts as a structural network modifier of calcium silicate glass–ceramics. Furthermore, the estimated values of the Lande g-factor (2.01534–2.01731) for the d5 system of the Mn2+ displayed a negative shift from the free electron (2.0023), and the hyperfine splitting constant A value was 87 × 10−4 cm−1, indicating that the Mn2+ ions are in an ionic environment.

Sol-Gel Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Y3−xMxAl5−yVyO12 (M—Na, K) Garnet-Type Compounds

In this study, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the new garnets Y3−xNaxAl5O12, Y3−xKxAl5O12, Y3Al5−yVyO12, and Y3−xNaxAl5−yVyO12 with various stoichiometric compositions were successfully synthesized by the aqueous sol-gel method. All obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). It was determined from the XRD results that the formation of monophasic Y3−xNaxAl5O12, Y3−xKxAl5O12, Y3Al5−yVyO12, and Y3−xNaxAl5−yVyO12 garnets is possible only at limited doping levels. The highest substitutional level of doped metal was observed for the YAG doped with sodium (x = 1), and the lowest substitutional level was observed for the YAG doped with vanadium (y = 0.05). Furthermore, the obtained FTIR spectroscopy results were in good agreement with the XRD analysis data, i.e., they confirmed that the YAG is the main crystalline phase in the end products. The SEM was used to study the morphology of the garnets, and the results obtained showed that all synthesized samples were composed of nano-sized agglomerated crystallites.

A Comparison between Porous to Fully Dense Electrodeposited CuNi Films: Insights on Electrochemical Performance.

Nanostructuring of metals is nowadays considered as a promising strategy towards the development of materials with enhanced electrochemical performance. Porous and fully dense CuNi films were electrodeposited on a Cu plate by electrodeposition in view of their application as electrocatalytic materials for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Porous CuNi film were synthesized using the hydrogen bubble template electrodeposition method in an acidic electrolyte, while fully dense CuNi were electrodeposited from a citrate-sulphate bath with the addition of saccharine as a grain refiner. The prepared films were characterized chemically and morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Rietveld analysis of the XRD data illustrates that both CuNi films have a nanosized crystallite size. Contact angle measurements reveal that the porous CuNi film exhibits remarkable superhydrophobic behavior, and fully dense CuNi film shows hydrophilicity. This is predominately ascribed to the surface roughness of the two films. The HER activity of the two prepared CuNi films were investigated in 1 M KOH solution at room temperature by polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique. Porous CuNi exhibits an enhanced catalysis for HER with respect to fully dense CuNi. The HER kinetics for porous film is processed by the Volmer-Heyrovsky reaction, whereas the fully dense counterpart is Volmer-limited. This study presents a clear comparison of HER behavior between porous and fully dense CuNi films.

LUMINESCENCE OF COLLOIDAL CdSe:Cu NANOCRYSTALS

The luminescence of Colloidal CdSe:Cu nanocrystals was studied. It is shown that copper doping does not lead to a noticeable change in the size of nanocrystallites. The change in the band gap width can be explained by the inter- impurity Coulomb interaction. It is shown that copper doping leads to quenching of exciton luminescence of CdSe. It is established that the long-wave luminescence of CdSe:Cu is caused by transitions within the donor- acceptor pairs, which include intrinsic and impurity Cu defects.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–Ni–Gd alloy synthesised by powder metallurgy

ABSTRACT The hexagonal close-packed structure renders magnesium weak at room and high temperatures for structural applications despite its low density. Inducing thermally stable and coherent second phases would enhance/retain the strength of Mg-based alloys even at high temperatures. This paper aims to develop a high-strength Mg-based nanocomposite. A master alloy composed of Ni and Gd was cast and the composition of Mg97.56Ni1.22Gd1.22 (at.-%) was prepared using ball milling for 150 h. XRD plots of the as-milled powder having nano-size crystallites confirm the partial dissolution of the master alloy. Consolidation through sintering with 5, 7 and 9 h of exposure at 550°C and extrusion at 500°C resulted in the formation of Mg5Gd, Mg2Ni, Gd2O3 and MgO phases. The extruded samples possessed a high strength of 804 MPa, which can be attributed to ultra-fine grains and dispersoid strengthening by homogeneously distributed second-phase particles in the 100–200 nm range.

Modified carbon paste ion selective electrode for determining Cr(iii) ions in aqueous solutions and some real samples using tetragonal zirconia nanoparticles.

Tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO2) nanoparticles (ionophore) are used in newly designed and improved ion selective electrodes for chromium ion detection as an alternative, low-cost, high-precision, and selectivity method. Tetragonal zirconia nanoparticles were synthesized using a modified co-precipitation technique and calcined at 1000 °C for an hour. The phase composition, surface area, microstructure, pore size and particle size of synthesized t-ZrO2 nanoparticles were examined using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) attached with an EDAX unit, respectively. Results from XRD showed that the t-zirconia was synthesized and have nanocrystallites size about 20.2 nm. The nano size of t-ZrO2 was confirmed by the SEM and TEM (the particle size between 26.48 and 40.4 nm), the mesoporous character (average pore size about 4.868 nm) and large surface area (76.2802 m2 g-1) was confirmed by BET analysis. The paste composition with 67.3 : 30.5 : 2.7 (wt%) graphite, t-ZrO2, and TCP, respectively, exhibited the best results. With a detection limit of 1.0 × 10-8 mol L-1, the electrode displayed a good Nernstian slope of 19.50 ± 0.10 mV decade-1 over the concentration range from 1.0 × 10-2 to 1.0 × 10-8 mol L-1 of Cr(iii) ions. The built-in sensor displayed a quick response time (7 s), was highly thermally stable in the range of 10 to 60 °C without departing from Nernstian behaviour and could be used for about 60 days in the pH range of 2.0 to 6.0. The electrode demonstrated excellent selectivity for the Cr(iii) ion towards a variety of metal ions. For chromium ion determination, numerous spiked real samples, including honey, water, tea, coffee, milk, cheese, and cosmetics, were used. Validation methods were used, and the results showed that there is no significant difference between the two methods (ICP and ISE) at a 95% confidence level. In several real water samples, the estimated limits of detection, limits of quantification, percent recovery, standard deviation, and relative standard deviation showed the effectiveness of the proposed electrode in the potentiometric detection of Cr(iii) ions.

Anticancer and cytotoxicity evaluation of silver-cinnamon nanoshells

New types of surface functionalized silver-cinnamon nanoshells (Ag-CNSs) were produced in deionized water using PLAL method and characterized. Anticancer effectiveness and cytotoxicity of these Ag-CNSs against liver hepatocellular carcinoma cancer (HepG2) and normal (WRL68) cell lines was evaluated. XRD and EDX analyses of Ag-CNSs showed their excellent crystallinity and elemental compositions. HRTEM micrographs displayed the existence of cinnamon protein-capped spherical Ag nanocrystallites of size 11.12 ± 1.32 nm. These ultra-sensitive Ag-CNSs with wide surface area revealed an improved fluorescence and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption. The achieved Ag-CNSs exhibited strong anticancer activity (high cytotoxicity, log IC50 ≈ 59.1 %), indicating the feasibility of developing novel drugs for cancer cure. It was shown that via the surface functionalization, the anticancer efficacy of the proposed Ag-CNSs can be tailored.