Synthesis of p-CuO/n-ZnO heterostructure by microwave hydrothermal method and evaluation of its photo and bio-catalytic performance.

The use of photocatalysts without noble metals is of great interest in the industrial field for the degradation of organic pollutants. In this study, a CuO/ZnO heterostructure was synthesized using the microwave hydrothermal method and characterized using various analytical techniques. The synthesized CuO/ZnO photocatalyst exhibited a low bandgap energy of 2.4 eV, enabling efficient visible light absorption. The photocatalytic activity of the CuO/ZnO heterostructure was evaluated for the degradation of Methyl Orange (MO) dye and showed a high degradation efficiency of 99 % due to its excellent electron-hole charge separation. The biological activity of the synthesized CuO/ZnO catalyst was further investigated through protein docking studies, which showed promising results. The CuO/ZnO was also evaluated for its anticancer and antibacterial properties. It exhibited effective anticancer activity against prostate cancer cells (PC-3) in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 6.87 ± 8. In addition, it demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereous and Pseudomonas aeruginola. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of CuO/ZnO heterostructures as promising materials for various applications in the fields of photocatalysis, biomedicine and antimicrobial materials. Future research in this area will focus on further optimizing the properties of the CuO/ZnO heterostructure to enhance its performance in these applications.

Synthesis, optimization and applications of ZnO/polymer nanocomposites.

Polymer composites have established an excellent position among the technologically essential materials because of their wide range of applications. An enormous research interest has been devoted to zinc oxide (ZnO) based polymer nanocomposites, due to their exceptional electrical, optical, thermal, mechanical, catalytic, and biomedical properties. This article provides a review of various polymer composites consisting of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) as reinforcements, exhibiting excellent properties for applications such as the dielectric, sensing, piezoelectric, electromagnetic shielding, thermal conductivity and energy storage. The preparation methods of such composites including solution blending, in situ polymerization, and melt intercalation are also explained. The current challenges and potential applications of these composites are provided in order to guide future progress on the development of more promising materials. Finally, a detailed summary of the current trends in the field is presented to progressively show the future prospects for the development of ZnO containing polymer nanocomposite materials.

Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and enhanced photocatalytic activity and toxicity studies of a rhombohedral Fe2O3 nanomaterial.

The present investigation focuses on the synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) via a facile hydrothermal route. The material has been characterized by using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), photoluminescence (PL), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques. However, the application of Fe2O3 metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) tied with their inimitable chemical and physical nature is thought to emphasize their exploitable medical and biological applications nowadays. Rhodamine-B (RB) was used for photocatalytic degradation studies by using rhombohedral Fe2O3, afterwards the material was recycled and utilized for toxicity assessments. Undeniably, a meticulous assessment is needed of the factors that influence the biocompatibility and is essential for the safe and sustainable development of the emerging chemically synthesized metal oxide nanoparticle (MONPs). The toxicity assessment of Fe2O3 is necessary to know the bioaccumulation and local or systemic toxicity associated to them. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of Fe2O3 and its histological alterations of the heart tissue of albino Wistar rat. The synthesized materials high dose was found to be highly stable and we found more toxicity against the skin melanoma cells (B16-F10), human embryonic kidney (HEK), 293 cells depending on dose. Finally, Escherichia coli, (MTCC 7410) bacterial cell wall damage studies were also conducted to provide a clear determination of rhombohedral nanomaterial behaviour. The fusion of these biocompatibility investigations paves a way for further applications in utilization of these materials in future eco-friendly applications.