Photocatalytic activity of the biogenic mediated green synthesized CuO nanoparticles confined into MgAl LDH matrix.

The global concern over water pollution caused by organic pollutants such as methylene blue (MB) and other dyes has reached a critical level. Herein, the Allium cepa L. peel extract was utilized to fabricate copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. The CuO was combined with MgAl-layered double hydroxides (MgAl-LDHs) via a co-precipitation method with varying weight ratios of the CuO/LDHs. The composite catalysts were characterized and tested for the degradation of MB dye. The CuO/MgAl-LDH (1:2) showed the highest photocatalytic performance and achieved 99.20% MB degradation. However, only 90.03, 85.30, 71.87, and 35.53% MB dye was degraded with CuO/MgAl-LDHs (1:1), CuO/MgAl-LDHs (2:1), CuO, and MgAl-LDHs catalysts, respectively. Furthermore, a pseudo-first-order rate constant of the CuO/MgAl-LDHs (1:2) was 0.03141 min-1 while the rate constants for CuO and MgAl-LDHs were 0.0156 and 0.0052 min-1, respectively. The results demonstrated that the composite catalysts exhibited an improved catalytic performance than the pristine CuO and MgAl-LDHs. The higher photocatalytic performances of composite catalysts may be due to the uniform distribution of CuO nanoparticles into the LDH matrix, the higher surface area, and the lower electron and hole recombination rates. Therefore, the CuO/MgAl-LDHs composite catalyst can be one of the candidates used in environmental remediation.

Graphene-based biosensors for detecting coronavirus: a brief review.

The coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease has affected the globe with 770 437 327 confirmed cases, including about 6 956 900 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) as of September 2023. Hence, it is imperative to develop diagnostic technologies, such as a rapid cost-effective SARS-CoV-2 detection method. A typical biosensor enables biomolecule detection with an appropriate transducer by generating a measurable signal from the sample. Graphene can be employed as a component for ultrasensitive and selective biosensors based on its physical, optical, and electrochemical properties. Herein, we briefly review graphene-based electrochemical, field-effect transistor (FET), and surface plasmon biosensors for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 target. In addition, details on the surface modification, immobilization, sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) of all three sensors with regard to SARS-CoV-2 were reported. Finally, the point-of-care (POC) detection of SARS-CoV-2 using a portable smartphone and a wearable watch is a current topic of interest.

Citric Acid Catalyst-Assisted Bioactive Glass with Hydrogen Peroxide for In Vitro Bioactivity and Biodegradability Using Sol-Gel Method.

In this study, carbon-free and completely soluble hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was utilized in place of conventional surfactants as a pore-forming agent. Citric acid was also used in low concentration for the hydrolysis reaction. A sol-gel method was used to prepare bioactive glass (BG) specimens of H2O2-untreated BG, 1M, 2M, and 3M H2O2-treated BGs. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm with the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method were used for analyzing the samples' phase, surface morphology, chemical composition, constituent composition, pore size, and specific surface area respectively. In vitro bioactivity, as well as biodegradability tests, was performed on samples by immersing them in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. According to the results, BG particles treated with 2 M H2O2 exhibited higher specific surface area (SSA), which is 189.55 cc/g, and better in vitro bioactivity and biodegradability.

g-C3N4-Co3O4 Z-Scheme Junction with Green-Synthesized ZnO Photocatalyst for Efficient Degradation of Methylene Blue in Aqueous Solution.

A simple wet chemical ultrasonic-assisted synthesis method was employed to prepare visible light-driven g-C3N4-ZnO-Co3O4 (GZC) heterojunction photocatalysts. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electromicroscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), ultraviolet (UV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are used to characterize the prepared catalysts. XRD confirms the homogenous phase formation of g-C3N4, ZnO, and Co3O4, and the heterogeneous phase for the composites. The synthesized ZnO and Co3O4 by using cellulose as a template show a rod-like morphology. The specific surface area of the catalytic samples increases due to the cellulose template. The measurements of the energy band gap of a g-C3N4-ZnO-Co3O4 composite showed red-shifted optical absorption to the visible range. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity decreases due to the formation of heterojunction. The PL quenching and EIS result shows that the reduction of the recombination rate and interfacial resistance result in charge carrier kinetic improvement in the catalyst. The photocatalytic performance in the degradation of MB dye of the GZC-3 composite was about 8.2-, 3.3-, and 2.5-fold more than that of the g-C3N4, g-C3N4-ZnO, and g-C3N4-Co3O4 samples. The Mott-Schottky plots of the flat band edge position of g-C3N4, ZnO, Co3O4, and Z-scheme g-C3N4-ZnO-Co3O4 photocatalysts may be created. Based on the stability experiment, GZC-3 shows greater photocatalytic activity after four recycling cycles. As a result, the GZC composite is environmentally friendly and efficient photocatalyst and has the potential to consider in the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater.