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The growing emphasis on green technology has increased interest in cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods for nanoparticle synthesis. In this study, lithium oxide nanoparticles (LiO NPs) were synthesized via a green route using Trigonella foenum-graecum leaf extract as both a reducing and capping agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The UV-Vis spectra revealed strong absorption corresponding to the characteristic band of LiO NPs, with a red shift observed as the weight fraction increased. XRD confirmed the formation of LiO NPs with a monoclinic structure and an average crystallite size of 29.5 nm. SEM analysis showed nearly spherical, aggregated nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of LiO NPs was evaluated through the degradation of methyl orange under UV-Vis irradiation. In addition, the antibacterial activity of LiO NPs was tested against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella abony, and Bacillus subtilis), gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), and the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. At a 50
Despite the notable efficacy of the NaOH-catalyzed Triton-X 100 system in fractionating lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), a significant gap remains in understanding the mechanistic pathways that drive this process. This study uses a dual-faceted approach, combining laboratory experiments with computational simulations to elucidate the mechanisms of delignification and lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) disruption. Under optimized conditions, both cellulose and hemicellulose recoveries reached around 88.5%, with delignification attaining an impressive 92.3%. Substantial changes in the physicochemical properties of the pretreated substrates were observed, including the removal of lignin and LCC-associated linkages, an enhanced crystallinity index (1.2-1.9 times), and an increase in surface area (1.2-1.4 times) compared to controls. This pretreatment system also facilitated frequent lignin depolymerization, leading to pronounced dissolution of syringyl and ferulate units. Furthermore, mechanical analyses demonstrated that this system promoted the highest interaction energy formations during LCB fractionation compared to individual NaOH or Triton-X 100 treatments alone. Self-consistent field analysis indicated that the combined system achieved core energy densities of -247.4 a.u. with veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether (VG, as a lignin model) and -209.9 a.u. with phenolic glycoside (PG, as an LCC model), both more energy-dense than individual methods. The combined system also exhibited the highest interaction energy formation due to robust hydrogen bonding, with total energies of -49.41 kcal/mol for VG and -44.59 kcal/mol for PG, underscoring the critical role of these interactions in achieving effective delignification and LCC disruption.
Fluid dynamics requires a comprehensive understanding of energy dissipation, heat and mass transfer phenomena, since it directly impacts thermal efficiency, flow stability, and energy conservation in various industrial and engineering applications. With this motivation, the present study investigates the magnetized flow of Prandtl mixed hybrid nanofluids across an exponentially stretched surface. The hybrid nanofluid is formed with nanoparticles of Titanium oxide (TiO2) and Copper (Cu) in water as the base fluid. The governing set of equations is formulated as an extension of the Prandtl fluid model to investigate the physical effects of chemical processes, heat radiation, bioconvection, and energy dissipation. The nonlinear ordinary differential equations are derived after successfully implementing appropriate transformations on governing equations and are solved numerically via the Differential Transform Method (DTM). The graphical illustration of non-dimensional velocity, temperature, and concentration is obtained through MATLAB and discussed with proper physical justification for various terms such as magnetic parameter, chemical reaction, radiation parameter, Sherwood number, Nusselt number, and friction parameter. The outcomes are validated with a comparison of previous published work. Results reveal that hybrid nanofluids significantly enhance heat transfer efficiency compared to conventional nanofluids. Increasing the Eckert and Biot numbers raises temperature, while a stronger magnetic field reduces fluid velocity. Increasing magnetic parameter reduces velocity by 42 % (NF) and 37.5 % (HNF), while increasing Eckert number raises temperature by 67 % (NF) and 53 % (HNF), highlighting strong magnetic and viscous dissipation effects. The findings of this study have significant applications in oil extraction, heat exchanger optimization, and MHD propulsion systems, where energy dissipation and thermal radiation play a crucial role.
Microbial infections and cancer remain significant global health challenges, accounting for high morbidity and mortality rates. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising avenue for addressing these issues. The study aimed to synthesize and characterize zinc oxide nanoparticles (Z-1) and zinc oxide@mesoporous carbon nanocomposite (Z-2) using an aqueous extract of S. verticillata and evaluate them for their antimicrobial, anti-angiogenic, and anticancer activity. The XRD analysis confirmed that the Z-1 and Z-2 samples have a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure, and their size ranged from 32 to 44 nm. The nanoparticles exhibited a confined size distribution of nanogranules, as shown by FESEM, with Z-2 having a larger surface area than Z-1. The Z-2 exhibited superior antifungal activity compared to Z-1, with inhibition zones of 15 mm and 11 mm against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans, respectively. It also showed stronger antibacterial activity than Z-1, with inhibition zones of 26 mm (Bacillus subtilis), 24 mm (Staphylococcus aureus), 21 mm (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and 17 mm (Escherichia coli). Additionally, Z-2 demonstrated significant antimycobacterial activity, inhibiting Mycobacterium avium by 11.35-77.16 % and Mycobacterium tuberculosis by 12.85-69.99 %. The anticancer activity was higher for Z-2, with an IC50 value of 78.50 mu g/mL, compared to Z-1, which had an IC50 value of 103.25 mu g/mL. The synthesized nanoparticles showed higher selectivity towards cancer cells, with selectivity index (SI) values of 3.55 for Z-2 and 3.13 for Z-1. Additionally, Z-2 significantly suppressed vascularization in the CAM model. Therefore, the results suggested that Z-2 showed more enhanced antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-angiogenic activity than Z-1.
The structure and properties of polycrystalline Mg1-xCdx NdyFe2-yO4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) (y = 0.02) are investigated through co-precipitation of oxalate from high-purity sulfate solutions. The samples are sintered at 500 degrees C for five hours. The ferrite phase and cubic spinel structure are confirmed by TG-DTA, XRD, EDS, and Raman spectroscopy. As the Cd2+ content increases, the lattice constant exhibits a nonlinear change, reflecting intricate interactions within the crystal structure. Crystallite size, calculated using the Scherrer formula, ranges from 28.69 to 32.05 nm. As the Cd2+ content increases, the surface morphology shows a corresponding increase in grain size. The IR spectrum reveals two significant absorption bands corresponding to the tetrahedral and octahedral sites. Raman shifts dependent on rare earth doping affect the optical and magnetic properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the elemental composition, oxidation, and transition states of the synthesized Mg0.5Cd0.5Nd0.02Fe1.98O4 nanoparticles. A study is conducted to determine the gas sensing properties of Mg1-xCdx NdyFe2-yO4, (x = 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) (y = 0.02) thick films in detecting liquid petroleum gas (LPG), ethanol (C2H5OH), and chlorine (Cl2). The Mg-Cd-Nd ferrite ethanol sensor, Mg0.5Cd0.5Nd0.02Fe1.98O4, responds to 100 ppm ethanol gas at 350 degrees C, a response that is significantly higher than reported in other studies. Mg0.5Cd0.5Nd0.02Fe1.98O4 is highly selective for ethanol detection compared to other gases and demonstrates satisfactory repeatability and stability.
