Green synthesis provides a sustainable route for functional nanomaterials, yet linking their electronic structure to multifunctional performance remains challenging. In this work, CuO nanorods were synthesized using Allium bourgeaui subsp. bourgeaui extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. XRD, FT-IR, UV-Vis, SEM, and EDS analyses confirmed monoclinic CuO nanorods (194.93 nm) with a band gap of 1.84 eV. The nanorods achieved 51.33% methylene blue (MB) degradation under UV light, demonstrating photocatalytic activity. A CuO/TCNQ composite enabled dopamine detection with a 0.214 & micro;M detection limit. As an interlayer in an Al/CuO/n-Si photodiode, the device operated in self-powered mode, exhibiting 7.13 mA/W responsivity, 3.06 photosensitivity, and 1.49 & times; 109 Jones detectivity under solar illumination. These results highlight green-synthesized CuO as a versatile material for photocatalytic, sensing, and optoelectronic applications.
This study investigates silver-platinum (Ag@Pt and Pt@Ag) core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by Q-switched Nd:YAG (1064 nm) laser ablation in deionized water for catalytic applications. Monometallic Ag and Pt NPs were synthesized by ablating the respective metal targets. Core-shell structures were fabricated via sequential ablation, forming Pt shells on Ag cores (5-10 min) and Ag shells on Pt cores. The nanostructures were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, SEM/EDX, XRD, and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. UV-Vis spectra showed dual LSPR peaks with Pt red-shift and Ag blue-shift, confirming core-shell formation. FDTD simulations revealed strong near-field enhancement at the interface, promoting charge transfer. The NPs exhibited a crystalline face-centered cubic structure, spherical morphology, and distinct core-shell contrast. Catalytic activity was evaluated via NaBH4-assisted degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange ( 10-5 M ), achieving approximate to 99-100% degradation with rate constants up to similar to 10.9 min-1.
This study investigates the photodegradation of methyl orange dye using the Pd/NiFe2O4/chitosan nanobiocatalyst under sunlight irradiation. The characterization of Pd/NiFe2O4/chitosan was examined using FESEM, TEM, and XRD analyses, which confirms its successful synthesis and desirable morphological properties. The key parameters, which including the initial concentration of dye (5-20 ppm), solution pH (5-10), and catalyst amount (5-25 mg) were evaluated. The optimal conditions were determined to be an initial dye concentration of 5 ppm, a pH of 9, and a photocatalyst amount of 15 mg, resulting in a degradation efficiency of 96% within 60 min. Kinetic studies showed that the degradation process follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. Scavenger experiments indicated that superoxide radicals are primarily responsible for the degradation mechanism, while hydroxyl radicals and holes (h+) act as species with lower activity. The photocatalyst exhibited excellent stability and reusability, maintaining high efficiency over six consecutive cycles without a noticeable decrease in performance.
In the present study, Na- and K-doped CuFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized at varying copper and iron concentrations. The synthesized NPs were characterized for crystalline, structural and morphological, elemental composition, and optical properties by using XRD, SEM/TEM, EDX, and UV-Vis spectroscopy methods, respectively. XRD shows that the crystallite size of Na-doped CuFe2O4 (Na-CuFe2O4) is between 16 to 16.32 nm while that of K-doped CuFe2O4 (K-CuFe2O4) is between 32 to 34.6 nm. The SEM and TEM analyses represent the variable morphology of the doped NPs. However, the SEM-EDS confirm the doping of Na and K, along with their elemental composition. The UV-Vis analysis shows that the band gap lies between 1.40-1.49 and 1.19-1.44 eV for Na-CuFe2O4 NPs and K-CuFe2O4 NPs, respectively. Further, the so synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated for multifunctional applications: antibacterial, antioxidant, and photocatalytic dye degradation.
This study investigates the modeling and optimization of sunlight-driven photodegradation of methyl orange using a sustainable TiO2/SiO2 composite incorporating green-synthesized Fe2O3 nanoparticles prepared with Salvia officinalis extract. The photocatalytic efficiency was assessed under solar irradiation, highlighting the eco-friendly, energy-efficient design of the process. A sequential Design of Experiments strategy was employed: a Plackett-Burman design identified initial dye concentration, pH, and NaCl concentration as key operational parameters, followed by a Box-Behnken design with Response Surface Methodology for modeling and optimization. Under optimized conditions (35 mg/L dye, pH 2.8, 2 mol/L NaCl), complete degradation (100%) was achieved. The photocatalyst exhibited excellent stability and reusability over five cycles, with efficiency decreasing only slightly from 99.1% to 90.2%, primarily due to surface fouling. These findings demonstrate the robustness and strong potential of this green nanocomposite for sustainable, sunlight-driven wastewater treatment.
Rapid and ultrasensitive monitoring of Cd2+ in aquatic environments remains a critical challenge due to its high toxicity and persistence. This work develops a green, ligand-free colorimetric sensing platform using phytochemical-capped gold nanoparticles synthesized from Acacia mangium leaf extract (AuNPs-Am). The plant-derived polyphenolic compounds act simultaneously as reducing and surface-coordinating agents, enabling one-step nanoparticle synthesis while introducing abundant oxygen-donor binding sites. Upon Cd2+ exposure, coordination interactions at the AuNPs-Am interface induce nanoparticle aggregation, leading to localized surface plasmon resonance modulation and a visible color change. Quantitative analysis based on the absorbance difference (A(530)-A(564)) exhibits a linear range of 8.896-889.6 & micro;M (R-2 = 0.9953) with detection and quantification limits of 0.09 and 0.30 & micro;M, respectively. The sensor shows strong selectivity against competing metal ions and reliable performance in real water samples with recoveries of 91.40-110.48%. This approach demonstrates a rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally benign strategy for Cd2+ detection.
The study introduces a green synthesis method for producing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Urtica dioica (UD) leaf extracts. Characterization of the biosynthesized UD-AgNPs confirmed the production of crystalline, spherical AgNPs with an average diameter of 6 nm. Antioxidant capacities of UD extracts and UD-AgNPs were evaluated. In vitro testing was conducted on human pancreatic adenocarcinoma PANC-1 cells and normal HUVECs to assess viability and cytotoxicity. Additionally, the synergistic effects of combining UD-AgNPs with gemcitabine (UD-AgNPs + GEM) were investigated. UD-AgNPs demonstrated significant reduction in viability of PANC-1 cells (IC50 561.6 mu g/mL at 72 h) without toxicity to normal HUVECs. When combined with gemcitabine, UD-AgNPs synergistically enhanced cytotoxicity (IC50 245.6 mu g/mL) and induced apoptosis in PANC-1 cells. SEM and TEM analysis revealed uniform spherical UD-AgNPs with an average size of 15-31 nm. Flow cytometry indicated late-stage apoptosis induction by UD-AgNPs + GEM, supported by gene expression changes (upregulation of Bax and CASP3, downregulation of Bcl-2). The study highlights the anticancer potential of green-synthesized UD-AgNPs, particularly in combined treatment with gemcitabine, suggesting promising implications for pancreatic cancer therapy. Further validation through in vivo studies is warranted to confirm these synergistic effects clinically.
