Bovine serum albumin functionalized blue emitting Ti3 C2 MXene quantum dots as a sensitive fluorescence probe for Fe3+ ion detection and its toxicity analysis.

In the present work, an improved class of protein functionalized fluorescent 2D Ti3 C2 MXene quantum dots (MXene QDs) was prepared using a hydrothermal method. Exfoliated 2D Ti3 C2 sheets were used as the starting precursor and transport protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used to functionalize the MXene QDs. BSA-functionalized MXene QDs exhibited excellent photophysical property and stability at various physiological parameters. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the BSA@MXene QDs were quasispherical in shape with a size of ~2 nm. The fluorescence intensity of BSA@MXene QDs was selectively quenched in the presence of Fe3+ ions. The mechanism of fluorescence quenching was further substantiated using time-resolved fluorescence and Stern-Volmer analysis. The sensing assay showed a linear response within the concentration range 0-150 µM of Fe3+ ions with excellent limit of detection. BSA@MXene QDs probe showed good selectivity toward ferric ions even in the presence of other potential interferences. The practical applicability of BSA@MXene QDs was further tested in real samples for Fe3+ ion quantification and the sensor had good recovery rates. The cytotoxicity studies of the BSA@MXene QDs toward the human glioblastoma cells revealed that BSA@MXene QDs are biocompatible at lower doses and showed significant cytotoxicity at higher dosages.

Potassium permanganate dye removal from synthetic wastewater using a novel, low-cost adsorbent, modified from the powder of Foeniculum vulgare seeds.

In this study, Seeds powder of Foeniculum vulgare was used to prepare a novel adsorbent, the modification of the prepared adsorbent was done by each of ZnCl2, oxalic acid, and CuS, all samples have been characterized by different techniques and examined for Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) adsorption. Among the four modified and unmodified adsorbents, the sample modified by oxalic acid has the highest percentage removal for KMnO4 adsorption (%R = 89.36). The impact of KMnO4 concentration, adsorbent dose, contact temperature, contact time, and solution pH on the adsorption performance was also investigated. The experimental data of this adsorption was analyzed by different kinetic and isotherm models. As Constants of thermodynamic ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° have been also evaluated. Surface area, pore volume, and pore size of the modified oxalic acid F. vulgare seeds powder adsorbent were determined as 0.6806 m2 g-1, 0.00215 cm3 g-1, and 522.063 Å, as pHZPC also was stated to be 7.2. The R2 values obtained from applying different isotherm and kinetic models (0.999 and 0.996) showed that the adsorption performance of KMnO4 follows the Langmuir and Pseudo 2nd order models. Furthermore, high adsorption capacities of 1111.11, 1250.00, and 1428.57 mg g-1 were achieved at three temperatures that were used in this study. Constants of thermodynamic ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° values indicate chemical and spontaneous adsorption at the adsorbent surface. Therefore, the modified adsorbent can be used to remove KMnO4 dye from pollutant water samples.

Preparation, characterization, and biological activity study of thymoquinone-cucurbit[7]uril inclusion complex.

In this study, the formation of a host-guest inclusion complex between cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and thymoquinone (TQ) was investigated in aqueous solution. The formation of a stable inclusion complex, CB[7]-TQ, was confirmed by using different techniques, such as 1H NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy. The aqueous solubility of TQ was clearly enhanced upon the addition of CB[7], which provided an initial indication for supramolecular complexation. The complexation stoichiometry and the binding constant of the inclusion complex were determined through a combination of two sets of titration methods, including UV-visible and fluorescence displacement titrations. Both methods suggested the formation of a 1 : 1 stoichiometry between CB[7] and TQ with moderate binding affinity of 3 × 103 M-1. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also performed to verify the structure of the resulted host-guest complex and to support the complexation stoichiometry. The theoretical calculations were in agreement with experimental results obtained by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Most importantly, the cytotoxic effect of the CB[7]-TQ complex was investigated against cancer and normal cell lines. The results showed that the anticancer activity of TQ against MDA-MB-231 cells was enhanced by the complexation with CB[7], while no significant effect was observed in MCF-7 cells. The results also confirmed the low toxicity of the CB[7] host molecule that supports the use of CB[7] as a drug carrier.