Nanometer Materials Research Articles

Antioxidant potential of Quartzetin and Rosemary extract as components of Nanometric apatite biopolymer materials for osteoplasty

Significant oxidative stress is induced in the bone implant surrounding tissues is a well-known problem. It's expected that the introduction of antioxidant substances (AOS) – Quercetin (Qu) and Rosemary Extract (RE) into apatite-biopolymer composites for osteoplasty as potential drug carriers will affect the antioxidant activity (AOA) and promote the natural process of the damaged bone tissues regeneration due to the active absorption of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present work was synthesized hydroxyapatite(HA)-Alginate(Alg) matrix, doped with micro-(ZnOMPs), nano-(ZnONPs) particles, Zn2+ ions and loaded with Qu and RE. The dependence of AOA on the method of Qu and RE loading, as well as the influence of the inorganic component (HA, ZnONPs/MPs, Zn2+) and exposure time in methanol, phosphate buffer (PBS), was analyzed. Hydrophilic RE and hydrophobic Qu are evenly distributed in the matrix volume under sonication, which can slow down their diffusion, contributing to prolonged activity. The highest AOA after 54h showed ZnONPs containing samples with Qu loaded both during synthesis (76.93 %) and saturation (93.97 %) and RE-saturated samples with ZnONPs and Zn2+ (88.53 and 75.33 %, respectively). The adsorption and retention of AOS by matrix components also take place.

A Review on Carbon Nanotubes Family of Nanomaterials and Their Health Field.

The use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which are nanometric materials, in pathogen detection, protection of environments, food safety, and in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as efficient drug delivery systems, is relevant for the improvement and advancement of pharmacological profiles of many molecules employed in therapeutics and in tissue bioengineering. It has contributed to the advancement of science due to the development of new tools and devices in the field of medicine. CNTs have versatile mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, in addition to their great potential for association with other materials to contribute to applications in different fields of medicine. As, for example, photothermal therapy, due to the ability to convert infrared light into heat, in tissue engineering, due to the mechanical resistance, flexibility, elasticity, and low density, in addition to many other possible applications, and as biomarkers, where the electronic and optics properties enable the transduction of their signals. This review aims to describe the state of the art and the perspectives and challenges of applying CNTs in the medical field. A systematic search was carried out in the indexes Medline, Lilacs, SciELO, and Web of Science using the descriptors "carbon nanotubes", "tissue regeneration", "electrical interface (biosensors and chemical sensors)", "photosensitizers", "photothermal", "drug delivery", "biocompatibility" and "nanotechnology", and "Prodrug design" and appropriately grouped. The literature reviewed showed great applicability, but more studies are needed regarding the biocompatibility of CNTs. The data obtained point to the need for standardized studies on the applications and interactions of these nanostructures with biological systems.

A Review of Advances in Graphene Quantum Dots: From Preparation and Modification Methods to Application

Graphene quantum dot (GQD) is a new type of carbon nanometer material. In addition to the excellent properties of graphene, it is superior due to the quantum limit effect and edge effect. Because of its advantages such as water solution, strong fluorescent, small size, and low biological toxicity, it has important application potential in various fields, especially in sensors and biomedical areas, which are mainly used as optical electrical sensors as well as in biological imaging and tumor therapy. In addition, GQDs have very important characteristics, such as optical and electrical properties. There are many preparation methods, divided into top-down and bottom-up methods, which have different advantages and disadvantages, respectively. In addition, the modification methods include heterogeneous doping, surface heterogeneity, etc. There are still many challenges in developing GQDs. For example, the synthesis steps are still hard to conduct, but as the inquiry continues to deepen, GQDs will be revolutionary materials in the future. In this work, the literature concerning research progress on GQDs has been reviewed and summarized, while the key challenges of their application have been pointed out, which may bring new insights to the application of GQDs.

With the synergistic effect of MnCo2O4/Co3V2O8 composite nanomaterials for high performance supercapacitor electrodes

In this work, MnCo2O4/Co3V2O8 composite nanomaterials were synthesized using a straightforward secondary hydrothermal and calcination process. Importantly, Co3V2O8 as a pseudocapacitive material with unique intercalation/delamination reaction, and the stored charge behavior of MnCo2O4 material is a battery-like behavior. These two different reaction mechanisms, when working in parallel, can produce an interfacial and synergistic effect, thus providing high reversible capacity and better electrochemical activity, and the composite has good electronic conductivity and superior electrochemical properties. The prepared MnCo2O4/Co3V2O8 nanomaterial provides a high specific capacitance of 1460 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and an excellent capacitance retention of 84.61 % (3500 cycles even at 10 A g−1). Hybrid supercapacitors consisting of MnCo2O4/Co3V2O8 and activated carbon (AC) have a great energy density of 37.5 mAh g−1. After 28,000 turns of uninterrupted constant current charging and discharging, it had an initial capacity ratio of 98.6 %. The electrochemical performance showed that the MnCo2O4/Co3V2O8 nanometer material has broad prospects and can provide a new idea for the electrode materials of supercapacitors.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Iron-Based Aerogels with Tailored Textural and Morphological Properties.

Iron aerogels have been synthesized by microwave heating for the first time. Therefore, it is essential to optimize this synthesis process to evaluate the possibility of obtaining nanometric materials with tailored properties and fitting them to the needs of different applications. Herein, the effect of the ratio between reagents and the time of synthesis on the final textural, morphological, and structural properties has been evaluated. The micro-meso-macroporosity of the samples can be tailored by modifying the ratio between reagents, whereas the time of synthesis has only a slight effect on the microporosity. Both the proportion between reagents and the time of synthesis are essential to controlling the nanometric morphology, making it possible to obtain either cluster- or flake-type structures. Regarding the chemical and structural composition, the samples are mainly composed of iron(II) and iron(III) oxides. However, the percentage of iron(II) can be modulated by changing the ratio between reagents, which implies that it is possible to obtain materials from highly magnetic materials to materials without magnetic properties. This control over the properties of iron aerogels opens a new line of opportunities for the use of this type of material in several fields of applications such as electrochemistry, electrocatalysis, and electrical and electronic engineering.

Application of Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistor (SiNW-FET) Biosensor with High Sensitivity.

As a new type of one-dimensional semiconductor nanometer material, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) possess good application prospects in the field of biomedical sensing. SiNWs have excellent electronic properties for improving the detection sensitivity of biosensors. The combination of SiNWs and field effect transistors (FETs) formed one special biosensor with high sensitivity and target selectivity in real-time and label-free. Recently, SiNW-FETs have received more attention in fields of biomedical detection. Here, we give a critical review of the progress of SiNW-FETs, in particular, about the reversible surface modification methods. Moreover, we summarized the applications of SiNW-FETs in DNA, protein, and microbial detection. We also discuss the related working principle and technical approaches. Our review provides an extensive discussion for studying the challenges in the future development of SiNW-FETs.

A relationship of porosity and mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered scandia stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coating

Porous ceramic materials are popularly accepted as thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) in insulating gas turbine parts working at high temperatures. In this research, three different types of Scandia stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) systems, a nanometric 10 mol% ScSZ (10-ScSZ), a micrometric 8 mol% ScSZ (8-ScSZ) and a combination of these two powders (10-8-ScSZ) have been developed by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) process. Varying SPS parameters, for instance, temperature, pressure and dwell time were applied to develop the different volumes of porosity in the materials. Subsequently, the microstructure of the materials has been studied and mechanical properties have been evaluated. All three materials demonstrate a reduced porosity level at high sintering temperature and pressure. However, the nanometric 10-ScSZ material shows a higher reduction of porosity from 51.8% to 11.1% at 30 MPa pressure and 40.2%–8.5% at 60 MPa pressure within the temperature range of 1000–1200 °C. Besides, the 10-8-ScSZ composite exhibits substantially increased porosity in comparison to its constituent parts. The results also show that the nanometric 10-ScSZ material exhibits a greater mechanical strength including Vickers microhardness of 81 HV, flexural strength of 361 MPa and elastic modulus of 187 GPa at 5% porosity level, as compared to the other two materials. Additionally, it is observed that all the mechanical properties for all three materials consistently decrease with the increase in porosity levels. While compared with the traditional atmospheric plasma spray (APS) processed ceramic coating, the porous ScSZ coating materials exhibit a larger elastic modulus. Therefore, the porous ScSZ developed by the SPS process could be a prospective alternative thermal barrier coating (TBC).

Environmentally Friendly Drilling Fluid Lubricant: A Review

The traditional drilling fluid lubricants are seriously polluted and have biologically lethal toxicity to the ecological environment. They cannot be used for a long time in the drilling site and lack thermal stability. So, the replacement of traditional lubricants with new environmentally friendly lubricants has become one of the important research directions of drilling fluid lubricants in recent years. In this Review, we highlight the state of the research for an environmentally friendly drilling fluid lubricant. Using bio-oil, synthetic esters, amides, and polyols as raw materials, the configuration mechanism, lubrication performance, and field construction status of environmentally friendly lubricants for drilling fluids in China and abroad were reviewed. After analyzing the potential of lubricants in various countries’ research, the development direction of environmentally friendly lubricants in the future is proposed, such as the modification of recycled vegetable oil, polysaccharides, alkyl glycosides, and nanometer material, for reference by relevant scholars.

Synthesis and characterization of new low molecular weight aluminum organometallic complexes using amino/imine type ligands with possible uses in Atomic Layer Deposition processes

The driver of development and innovation in the microelectronics industry is the miniaturization of the components that make up each technological node. This miniaturization has given rise to new challenges for traditional materials and the need for new fabrication methods with sub-nanometer precision.Based on this, numerous methods have emerged for the fabrication of this type of nanometer materials, among which chemical deposition processes stand out. An industrial example of this type of chemistry is the so-called ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition), which generates deposition of nanometric metal layers, using precursors in a gaseous state.The use of metallic precursors in gaseous state, generates that the process has as a key factor the correct molecular design of the inorganic/organometallic material, since the method imposes strict requirements to the chemical and physical properties of these compounds, such as thermal stability, volatility, synthetic scaling, among others. With this in mind, in this research, new aluminum complexes were synthesized using TMA and imino/amine type ligands with low molecular weight substituents (isopropyl, tertbutyl), to generate stable and volatile liquid complexes in inert atmosphere at room temperature.Finally, four liquid complexes are obtained, stable in nitrogen atmosphere, with yields of 70%. Due to the mentioned characteristics, these complexes could be used as precursors for the deposition of Al and Al2O3 films. In addition, it is demonstrated that the use of TMA in this type of ligands can generate a methylation in the chain of this molecule, which opens a new field in the development of aluminum organometallic complexes.

Flexible, sensitive and rapid humidity-responsive sensor based on rubber/aldehyde-modified sodium carboxymethyl starch for human respiratory detection

Natural polymers with abundant hydrophilic groups are potential candidates for humidity sensor designing. Unfortunately, most of natural polymers lack essential stretchability and high conductivity, which hinder their development in the field of flexible humidity sensor. Cooperation with rubbers and conductive nanometer materials is an effective method to make the best use of natural polymers in flexible humidity sensor. In this paper, a flexible and sensitive sensor with rapid response to humidity change is fabricated based on aldehyde-modified sodium carboxymethyl starch (ACMS), carboxylated styrene-butadiene rubber (XSBR) and Ag nanoflakes through film-forming method. The pre-prepared ACMS owns a better dispersibility in the aqueous phase and serves as reducing agent for formation of Ag nanoflakes. After the film-forming process, the composite film shows a strength of 5.66 MPa and a high stretchability with strain of 367 %. Besides, our sensor shows a rapider response to humidity change than the commercial electronic hygrometer that it takes only 1 s to respond to the humidity change from 25 % RH to 27 % RH. Therefore, the XSBR/ACMS/Ag sensor possesses an impressive sensitive response to slight sweat on human skin and breath, which could find applications in monitoring people's health and distinguish their physical condition.

The Applications of Nano-Piezoelectric Composite in Flexible Wearable Self-Powered System

Nanomaterials have permeated every sphere of life, industry, and research. Due to the unique piezoelectric properties of nanometer materials and piezoelectric types, it is possible to convert mechanical energy into electricity by certain mathematical relationships, equivalent to the energy supply for equipment. This capability allows for the creation of sensitive sensor elements that can perceive the external environment on various levels, including thermal, mechanical, electrical, and optical. The generation of piezoelectric nanogenerators indicates that nanomaterials devices can be expected to achieve a natural self-powered system without external power or only provide a small amount of energy, and play an irreplaceable role in the fields of microelectronics, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction. In this review, examples of nano-piezoelectric ceramic materials and nano-piezoelectric polymers that can be applied to flexible self-powered systems are listed, and the advantages and problems of these two kinds of materials in flexible self-powered systems are comprehensively analyzed. This paper focuses on the performance improvement of 0-3 nano-composites on the original piezoelectric ceramics and polymer materials and their application in the flexible wearable self-powered system. In addition, it summarizes the difficulties and challenges in their practical applications and provides future research directions for researchers.

Big Data in a Nano World: A Review on Computational, Data-Driven Design of Nanomaterials Structures, Properties, and Synthesis.

The recent rise of computational, data-driven research has significant potential to accelerate materials discovery. Automated workflows and materials databases are being rapidly developed, contributing to high-throughput data of bulk materials that are growing in quantity and complexity, allowing for correlation between structural-chemical features and functional properties. In contrast, computational data-driven approaches are still relatively rare for nanomaterials discovery due to the rapid scaling of computational cost for finite systems. However, the distinct behaviors at the nanoscale as compared to the parent bulk materials and the vast tunability space with respect to dimensionality and morphology motivate the development of data sets for nanometric materials. In this review, we discuss the recent progress in data-driven research in two aspects: functional materials design and guided synthesis, including commonly used metrics and approaches for designing materials properties and predicting synthesis routes. More importantly, we discuss the distinct behaviors of materials as a result of nanosizing and the implications for data-driven research. Finally, we share our perspectives on future directions for extending the current data-driven research into the nano realm.

Effect of periodic thickness on the helium bubble evolution and irradiation hardening in Cu/W(Re) multi-layered films under helium ion irradiation

Based on the basic understanding of prominent helium (He) bubble storage and defect annihilation in the dual-phase heterogeneous interfaces designed in nano-meter materials, the Cu/W(5.31 at.% Re) multilayered films with nominal periodic thickness (h) ranging from 2 nm to 50 nm were irradiated by 60 keV He+ at irradiation temperature of 725 K. At the fluence of 2×1017 cm-2, the lamellated interfaces in the Cu/W(Re) multilayered film of h = 2 nm were broken down due to the irradiation-induced intermixing between the Cu-W(Re) neighbouring interfaces, resulting in a stable distribution of bubble in grains or at grain boundaries. However, at He concentration peak region, the bubble clusters inside the Cu layers and the blurred interfaces were formed in the Cu/W(Re) multilayered film of h = 10 nm. The W phase structure was changed by the aggregated bubbles in lattices, and the Cu layers were damaged due to the distribution scope of aggregated bubble-cluster approximately increased to a critical periodic thickness (10 nm). The lamellated interfaces still kept stable at low He concentration region. The calculated bubble pressure and He density inside bubbles can effectively explain the lattice distortion induced partial phase transformation from α-W to γ-W in the W(Re) layers. Moreover, the effects of interfaces, He bubbles and dislocations on the increase of nano-hardness in the irradiated multilayers were discussed in detail.

Synthesis of Poly(styrene-vinyl sodium sulfonate-butyl acrylate-ethyl methacrylate) and Its Blocking Mechanism as a Nanometer Material in Water-Based Drilling Fluid

Nano-blocking technology has become a key to overcoming a prominent bottleneck in shale gas development. In this paper, poly(ST-VS-B-E) was synthesized by Michael addition reaction using styrene, vinyl sodium sulfonate, ethyl methacrylate, and butyl acrylate. Poly(ST-VS-B-E) was characterized by infrared spectroscopy analysis, laser scattering analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. The rheological properties of drilling fluid with poly(ST-VS-B-E) were studied by testing the drilling fluid’s properties. The results showed that the median particle size of poly(ST-VS-B-E) was 79.15 nm and it resisted a 359.25 °C high temperature. The yield point of the water-based drilling fluid with 2.5 wt% poly(ST-VS-B-E) added was 27 Pa, and the fluid loss was 3.1 mL, with good drilling fluid performance. Further test results from simulated mud cake filtration and the simulated core penetration showed that when the mass concentration of poly(ST-VS-B-E) was 2.5 wt%, the blocking rates were 66.67% and 93.33%, respectively, and the blocking performance increased gradually with the addition of poly(ST-VS-B-E). Poly(ST-VS-B-E) can be squeezed into the nano-pores of a shale formation under the action of pressure difference, so as to block the formation and prevent the entry of water-based drilling fluid filtrate. Poly(ST-VS-B-E) can serve as a potential nano-blocking material in water-based drilling fluids.

(Digital Presentation) Validation of Python-Based Automated Analysis Approach for Processing STEM/EDS Maps of Catalyst Samples in AEMFCs – a Comparative Study

Technological innovations in the field of materials science are often connected to the nanometric scale material evaluation which requires utilizing a combination of advanced characterization techniques. The extensive data acquired from these characterization techniques necessitates meticulous and efficient analysis, which can only be accomplished by automated digital image and data processing techniques. The development of such techniques will aid further advancements in the design of functional materials. In this work, we report a novel automatic analysis approach using data acquired by the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the component distribution and microstructure descriptors for an anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). The current research aims to validate the automated approach by comparison to a manual image processing method based on ImageJ reported in a previous study [1]. STEM and EDS data for three different Pd/CeOx-based catalyst samples with varying bulk atomic fractions of Ce/Pd were collected and analyzed. The STEM/EDS data was used to investigate how the interfacial contact area and agglomerate size distributions of Pd and Ce can be related to the microstructural-level interactions and processes and potentially affect the electrochemical performance of an anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). The comparison highlighted the strengths and limitations of both automated and manual approaches and offered substantial justification to predict how excessive Ce agglomeration can be linked to a reduction in the electrochemical performance of the fuel cell.[1] R. K. Singh et al., “Synthesis of CeOx-Decorated Pd/C Catalysts by Controlled Surface Reactions for Hydrogen Oxidation in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells,” Adv. Funct. Mater., vol. 30, no. 38, 2020, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202002087.

Hydrothermal synthesis of one-dimensional α-MoO3 nanomaterials and its unique sensing mechanism for ethanol

In gas sensor applications, the availability of highly sensitive and rapid response/recovery detector for ethanol gas is sparse. One-dimensional orthogonal crystalline molybdenum trioxide nanomaterials were synthesized by an economical and environmentally friendly hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy spectroscopy (EDS) were used to investigate the structure and morphology of the nanometer materials. The relevant characterization shows that nanobelts are highly crystalline layered structures with a width of about 200 nm and a length of a few micrometers. The synthesized ethanol gas sensors based on α-MoO3 semiconductor material show the highest response at 350 °C. Gas sensitivity tests indicated that α-MoO3 nanobelts respond well to 50 ∼ 600 ppm ethanol at optimal operating temperatures. The selectivity test among various reducing gases shows that the sensor responds better to ethanol compared to other gases such as xylene, NO2, CO, and H2 gases. This excellent sensing performance is attributed to the unique sensing mechanism formed in the layered MoO3 nanobelts through the catalytic reaction between ethanol and MoO3 lattice oxygen and adsorbed oxygen. The sensing mechanism of the co-catalytic effect of lattice oxygen and adsorbed oxygen on ethanol is also discussed in depth.

Preparation of superhard nanometer material cBN reinforced Ni-W-P nanocomposite coating and investigation of its mechanical and anti-corrosion properties

In this work, superhard nanoparticle cubic boron nitride (cBN) was introduced into Ni-W-P bath, and Ni-W-P/cBN composite coatings with different cBN concentrations were successfully prepared by pulse electrodeposition technique. In addition, the effects of different cBN dosages on the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of Ni-W-P/cBN composite coatings were also studied. Vickers microhardness tester and multifunctional material surface testing machine was used to evaluate the hardness and wear resistance of composite coatings. The corrosion resistance properties of the coatings were analyzed and characterized by EIS and potentiodynamic polarization. The results show that when the cBN content in the bath is 2 g/L, the comprehensive properties of the Ni-W-P/cBN composite coating are improved most significantly. Benefiting from the mechanical enhancement effect of cBN, the microhardness of the Ni-W-P/cBN (2 g/L) composite coating is increased to 543.0 HV, and the friction coefficient is reduced to 0.39 (the original Ni-W-P coating has a lower Microhardness 343.4 HV and higher friction coefficient 0.68). Furthermore, it is found that the corrosion resistance of the composite coating is greatly improved by electrochemical technology. The corrosion potential of Ni-W-P/cBN (2 g/L) composite coating is − 0.46 V, corrosion current is 9.3 μA/cm2 and corrosion rate is 0.11 mm/ year. (The corrosion potential of Ni-W-P coating is −0.53 V, corrosion current is 30.4 μA/cm2 and corrosion rate is 0.36 mm/ year).

The effects of silanized rubber and nano-SiO2 on microstructure and frost resistance characteristics of concrete using response surface methodology (RSM)

Waste rubber powder can be used to enhance the frost resistance of cement concrete. Conventionally, only the rubber powder is directly mixed into concrete, but its mechanical properties are reduced significantly. However, mixing modified rubber, nanometer materials, lime ash, and cement concrete can improve the frost resistance and compressive strength of concrete at the same time. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the potentiality of utilizing silanized rubber (SR) powder and nano-SiO2 (NS) to develop frost-resistant concretes. Determination of the frost-resistant effect of concrete mixture incorporated with SR and NS on the pore structure and mechanical characteristics was performed by response surface methodology (RSM). Results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests along with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) are reported to evaluate the effect of frost resistance from microstructure. Results of the conducted tests show that the combination of SR and NS has a synergistic effect, which makes the distribution of voids in concrete more uniform, and the damage of mass loss rate and relative dynamic modulus of elastic (RDME) after a freeze–thaw cycle is lower. At the optimum content of designed concrete, there is a high correlation between frost resistance and void structure.

Tuning of Carbon Microspheres and Graphene Structures with Hetero Atoms for Organic Dye Degradation and Heavy Metal Remediation - Influence of Fructose as a Precursor

In today’s context, there is a tremendous potential for the design of smart nanomaterials of carbon origin for multi-dimensional applications. The role-play of precursor is significant in the design of nanometric carbon materials apart from other experimental parameters. Correlation of the synthetic methodology, the microstructure of the product helps to tune and widen the applications aspect. The present study aimed to tune the simple ketose (reducing monosaccharide) of fructose to functionalize (with O, N, and S atoms) carbon layers, microspheres of carbon, to optimize the experimental conditions, and to establish the mechanism involved in the process. The study further explored the catalytic ability of the carbon samples in the degradation of thiazine and xanthene-based textile dyes and the sensing of heavy metal ions of chromium and copper. A simple hydrothermal process, fructose as a precursor, alkaline pH, and appropriate calcination temperature provided micro and nanostructures of carbon viz. carbon microspheres (CMs), graphene oxide (GO), sulfur doped graphene oxide (S-GO), and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO). In this study a simple mechanism for the conversion process is suggested. Further, the results of the preliminary screening study on the catalytic ability of the sulfur and nitrogen-doped graphene samples in the presence of UV and Visible light upon the degradation of methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), Rhodamine-B (Rh-B) dyes were satisfactory. The adsorbent and the ion exchange capacity of the carbon microspheres were found to be excellent. The results of the study will contribute positively to the treatment and management of industrial wastewater.

Different cellular mechanisms from low- and high-dose zinc oxide nanoparticles-induced heart tube malformation during embryogenesis

With the wide application of nanometer materials in daily life, people pay more attention to the potential toxicity of nanoparticles to human fetal development once the nanoparticles are absorbed into the human body during pregnancy. However, there was no directly solid evidence for ZnO NPs-caused congenital heart defects. Hence, we investigated the effect of ZnO NPs exposure on early cardiogenesis using the chicken/mouse embryo models. First, we showed ZnO NPs reduced H9c2 cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, while cell autophagy was significantly activated too on the same pattern. During early cardiogenesis, ZnO NPs exposure increased the chance of heart tube malformation, while precardiac cell apoptosis rises in the phenotype of closure defect and Bifida. The hypertrophy was also observed in late-stage chicken/mouse survival embryos exposed to ZnO NPs. Apart from cell apoptosis, high-dose ZnO NPs exposure led to massive programmed necrosis, and further experiments verified that ferroptosis remained primarily in ZnO NPs-induced programmed necrosis. We also revealed that the toxicology of low-dose ZnO NPs was mainly featured in the changes of expressions of key genes instead of causing precardiac cell death. MYL2 and CSRP3 could work as the downstream molecules of the above key genes in the context of ZnO NPs exposure to early cardiogenesis based on RNA sequencing. Taken together, this study for the first time revealed the potential risk of heart tube malformation induced by ZnO NPs exposure through different cellular mechanisms, which depended on low- or high-dose ZnO NPs.