Evaluation of Adsorptive Capture and Release Efficiency of MNPs-SA@Cu MOF Composite Beads Toward U(VI) and Th(IV) Ions from an Aqueous Media.

Effluent from nuclear power plants, rocks, and minerals contains hazardous radionuclides that adversely affect human health and seriously threaten the environment. To address this issue, simple, economic, and sustainable magnetite nanoparticle loaded sodium alginate copper metal-organic framework composite beads (MNPs-SA@Cu MOF composite beads) have been designed, and their performance has been evaluated under varying conditions of pH, time, adsorbent dose, and initial concentration and have been studied by batch adsorption studies for optimizing the adsorption conditions. In this work, MNPs-SA@Cu MOF composite beads have been prepared in situ for the adsorptive removal of uranium [U(VI)] and thorium [Th(IV)] ions from an aqueous solution. The synthesized MNPs-SA@Cu MOF composite beads were characterized by model analytical techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Here, 6 mg of adsorbent with 10 mL of 50 mg/L uranium and thorium ion solution at pH 5 was capable of removing the U(VI) and Th(IV) ions with 99.9 and 97.7% removal efficiencies, respectively. The obtained results showed that the adsorption behavior of the adsorbent for U(VI) and Th(IV) follows pseudo-second-order kinetics, and Langmuir isotherm fitted well with a maximum adsorption capacity of 454.54 and 434.78 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption mechanism indicated that electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding are the main driving forces for removing the U(VI) and Th(IV) ions. It can be reused for up to 10 adsorption-desorption cycles with minimal loss of removal efficiency. The easy synthesis method of MNPs-SA@Cu MOF composite beads and the high removal efficiency of U(VI) and Th(IV) ions reveal that they can potentially treat radionuclide waste effectively.

Batch Experimental Studies and Statistical Modeling for the Effective Removal of Tetracycline from Wastewater Using Bimetallic Zn-Cu-Metal-Organic Framework@Hydrogel Composite Beads.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is on an upsurge as more and more broad-spectrum antibiotics are being used haphazardly, resulting in imbalances in the ecosystem and disrupting common/systematic clinical protocols. To combat this issue, metal-organic framework embedded zinc-copper-benzenedicarboxylate@calcium alginate composite beads (Zn-Cu-BDC@CA CBs) were synthesized and utilized for the adsorption of tetracycline (TC) from water. The surface morphology, presence of functional groups, surface area, and thermal stability of Zn-Cu-BDC@CA CBs were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Batch adsorption experiments were also carried out to optimize the adsorption performance of Zn-Cu-BDC@CA CBs for TC by adjusting the key parameters, including pH of the solution, contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and initial concentration of TC. From the RSM model, 96.8% removal of TC takes place under the optimum conditions (pH = 7.3, mass = 17.2 mg, concentration = 21.3 ppm, time = 3.4 h, and temperature = 31.8 °C), which aligns closely with the experimental batch study, where the addition of 20 mg of adsorbent to a 20 mL TC solution (20 mg/L) at a pH of 7 and a temperature of 27 °C yielded an impressive TC removal efficiency of 96.55% within 180 min. Zn-Cu-BDC@CA CBs possess homogeneous adsorption surfaces, and TC is adsorbed via monolayer chemisorption, according to the results derived from the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process is both endothermic and spontaneous. In their entirety, the synthesized Zn-Cu-BDC@CA CBs exhibit certain operational advantages, such as simple separation, satisfactory adsorption performance, and decent recyclability, indicating their viability for industrial application of elimination of TC residues from aquatic environments.

Waste to value transformation: Converting Carica papaya seeds into green fluorescent carbon dots for simultaneous selective detection and degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride in water.

Rampant use of antibiotics has resulted in their seepage into groundwater and ultimately ending up in the food chain, causing antimicrobial resistance. To address this issue, it is imperative to not only quantitatively detect but eliminate them from water. An eco-friendly, one-step microwave-induced pyrolysis of waste papaya seeds (PS) with ethylenediamine (EDA) for just 5min gave green fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (PS-CDs), which are capable of detecting and photocatalytically degrading TC. The fluorescence properties of PS-CDs displayed that it has high sensitivity and selectivity towards sensing of TC with a detection limit as low as 120 nM. Also, the method gave satisfactory recovery results when extrapolated to determine TC in spiked milk, orange juice, tap water, and honey samples. On the other hand, PS-CDs alone potentially function as an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of TC. PS-CDs' dual functionality provides an effectual method for the simultaneous detection and degradation of TC by a single nanoprobe.

Cholic Acid-Peptide Conjugates as Potent Antimicrobials against Interkingdom Polymicrobial Biofilms.

Interkingdom polymicrobial biofilms formed by Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans pose serious threats of chronic systemic infections due to the absence of any common therapeutic target for their elimination. Herein, we present the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of membrane-targeting cholic acid-peptide conjugates (CAPs) against Gram-positive bacterial and fungal strains. Structure-activity investigations validated by mechanistic studies revealed that valine-glycine dipeptide-derived CAP 3 was the most effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial against S. aureus and C. albicans CAP 3 was able to degrade the preformed single-species and polymicrobial biofilms formed by S. aureus and C. albicans, and CAP 3-coated materials prevented the formation of biofilms. Murine wound and catheter infection models further confirmed the equally potent bactericidal and fungicidal effect of CAP 3 against bacterial, fungal, and polymicrobial infections. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CAPs, as potential broad-spectrum antimicrobials, can effectively clear the frequently encountered polymicrobial infections and can be fine-tuned further for future applications.

Circular economical approach of extracting nanocarbons from waste pea peel for sensing of p-nitrophenol and its conversion into paracetamol.

An important paradigm shift towards the circular economy is to prioritize waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and recovery before disposal is necessary. In this context, a sustainable protocol of converting waste pea peel (wPP) into low-cost carbon nanomaterials for sensing and conversion of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) into value-added paracetamol is being reported. Two fractions of the carbonaceous nanomaterials were obtained after the hydrothermal treatment (HT) of wPP, firstly an aqueous portion containing water-soluble carbon dots (wPP-CDs) and a solid residue, which was converted into carbonized biochar (wPP-BC). Blue-colored fluorescent wPP-CDs displayed excitation-dependent and pH-independent properties with a quantum yield (QY) of 8.82 %, which were exploited for the fluorescence sensing of p-NP with 4.20 µM limit of detection. Pyrolyzed biochar acting as an efficient catalyst effectively reduces p-NP to p-aminophenol (p-AP) in just 16 min with a 0.237 min-1 rate of conversion. Furthermore, the produced p-AP was converted into paracetamol, an analgesic and antipyretic drug, to achieve zero waste theory. Thus, this study provides the execution of sustainable approaches based on the integral valorization of biowaste that can be further recycled and reused, offering an effective way to attain a profitable circular economy.

Sustainable carbon nano-onions as an adsorbent for the efficient removal of oxo-anions.

The increasing threats of oxo-anions in drinking water have posed a serious threat to human health, aquatic environment, ecology, and sustainability. Accordingly, developments of cost-effective and sustainable nanomaterials for water remediation are on top priority and highly sought in global research community. Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) are one of the emerging nanomaterials for water purification because of its unique morphology, surface reactivity, high density of surface-active sites, and microporous structure. Herein, flaxseed oil-derived CNOs are utilized as efficient adsorbent for the removal of toxic oxo-anions. Aside from the green and economic nature, CNOs provide high adsorption efficiency ~ 806.45 mg g-1 for the removal of [Formula: see text] (99.9%) from aqueous system at ambient temperature, neutral pH in 70 min. The adsorption of [Formula: see text] onto CNOs was well fitted in pseudo-second order kinetics and followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The adsorption process was determined to be exothermic and spontaneous from the resulting thermodynamic characteristics. Furthermore, the high hydrophobic nature of CNOs make it recycling simpler. The real-life applicability of CNOs towards [Formula: see text] removal was tested in tap water, river water, and dam water. With all these observed results, CNOs show promise for practical water remediation applications.

Biomass-derived carbon nano-onions for the effective elimination of organic pollutants and oils from water.

Oil spillage and leakage of organic solvents have caused severe environmental and ecological damages. It is of great significance to develop a cost-efficient and green adsorbent material with high uptake efficiency to separate the oil-water mixture. In this work, biomass-derived CNOs were first time explored in the adsorption of organic pollutants and oils from water. Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) with hydrophobicity and oleophilicity were cost-effectively synthesized in an energy efficient flame pyrolysis process using flaxseed oil as a carbon source. The as-synthesized CNOs without any further surface modification have shown high adsorption efficiency in removing organic solvents and oils from the oil-water mixture. The CNOs could adsorb diverse organic solvents such as pyridine (36.81 mg g-1), dichloromethane (90.95 mg mg-1), aniline (76 mg mg-1), toluene (64 mg mg-1), chloroform (36.25 mg mg-1), methanol (49.25 mg mg-1), and ethanol (42.25 mg mg-1). The uptake capacity for petrol and diesel over CNOs was observed at 36.68 mg mg-1 and 58.1 mg mg-1, respectively. The adsorption of pyridine followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir's isotherm model. Moreover, the adsorption efficiency of CNOs towards the remediation of pyridine was almost similar in real-water samples when tested in tap water, dam water, groundwater, and lake water. Similarly, the practical applicability for the separation of petrol and diesel was also verified in the real sample (sea water) and has been proven to be excellent. By simple evaporation, the recovered CNOs can be reused for more than 5 cycles. CNOs exhibit the promising potential to be used in practical applications for oil-polluted water treatment.

Non-toxic and biodegradable κ-carrageenan/ZnO hydrogel for adsorptive removal of norfloxacin: Optimization using response surface methodology.

Antibiotic resistance is increasing globally due to increased prescription and easy dispensing of antibiotic drugs universally. Hence, to mitigate this effect, efficient, biodegradable, and non-toxic adsorbents are required to be developed. Carrageenan (CG), a natural polymer, having multiple functional groups, provides a backbone for crosslinking with borax and incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles that formed borax-cross-linked κ-carrageenan (CG/Bx/ZnO) hydrogel which is used for efficient adsorption of norfloxacin from water. Surface morphology of as-synthesized hydrogel revealed the rough surface, which was determined by FESEM. Surface area of CG/Bx/ZnO hydrogel was found to be 22.90 m2/g with 3.41 nm pore radius. Systematic batch adsorption studies revealed that 99.4 % removal efficiency could be achieved at a dosage level of 20 mg/L of norfloxacin with 10 mg of hydrogel at pH of 4 in 8 h at room temperature. Experimentally optimized key parameters affecting the overall efficiency of adsorption matched well with the results assessed from ANOVA using Box-Behnken composite design model. The adsorption process was well fitted with the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm with 1282.05 mg/g adsorption capacity. Thermodynamic study results show that adsorption is spontaneous and endothermic. The CG/Bx/ZnO hydrogel demonstrated excellent repeatability with minimal loss in norfloxacin adsorption for seven cycles.

MIL-88B(Fe) MOF modified screen-printed electrodes for non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of malathion.

An enzyme-free electrochemical approach for ultra-trace quantification of the organophosphate insecticide malathion is proposed in this study. It is premised on screen-printed carbon electrodes modified by the MIL-88B(Fe) metal-organic framework (MOF). A one-pot solvothermal method was used to synthesise MIL-88B(Fe). The surface modification of electrodes allowed for increased electroactive surface area and accelerated electron transport on the electrode. Inhibition in the redox signal of MIL-88B(Fe) was observed due to the affinity between metal centres of the MOF and the functional groups of malathion, leading to an accurate determination of malathion. The proposed sensor effectively quantified malathion in the wide concentration range of 1 × 10-12 M to 1 × 10-6 M. The limit of detection for malathion was 0.79 pM. The proposed sensor also possessed excellent stability, repeatability, and anti-interference characteristics. Furthermore, the proposed sensor demonstrated satisfactory malathion recovery in spiked vegetable samples.

Sulphonated poly(ethersulfone)/carbon nano-onions-based nanocomposite membranes with high ion-conducting channels for salt removal via electrodialysis.

Herein, we are reporting the carbon nano onions (CNO)-based sulphonated poly(ethersulfone) (SPES) composite membranes by varying CNO content in SPES matrix for water desalination applications. CNOs were cost-effectively synthesized using flaxseed oil as a carbon source in an energy efficient flame pyrolysis process. The physico- and electrochemical properties of nanocomposite membranes were evaluated and compared to pristine SPES. Moreover, the chemical characterisation of composite membranes and CNOs were illustrated using techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and universal tensile machine (UTM). In the series of nanocomposite membranes, SPES-0.25 composite membrane displayed the highest water uptake (WU), ion exchange membrane (IEC) and ionic conductivity (IC) values that were enhanced by 9.25%, ~ 44.78% and ~ 6.10%, respectively, compared to pristine SPES membrane. The electrodialytic performance can be achieved maximum when membranes possess low power consumption (PC) and high energy efficiency (Ee). Therefore, the value of Ee and Pc for SPES-0.25 membrane has been determined to be 99.01 ± 0.97% and 0.92 ± 0.01 kWh kg-1, which are 1.12 and 1.11 times higher than the pristine SPES membrane. Hence, integrating CNO nanoparticles into the SPES matrix enhanced the ion-conducting channels.

Bimetallic Mn/Fe MOF modified screen-printed electrodes for non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of organophosphate.

This study presents a novel strategy to fabricate an electrochemical sensor based on a screen-printed electrode (SPE) modified by a bimetallic Mn2+/Fe3+ metal-organic framework (MnFe-MOF) for the direct determination of organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos. Square wave voltammetry technique was employed for the electroanalysis, and the limit of detection remained as low as 0.85 nM or 0.29 ppb in a wide linearity range of 1.0 × 10-9 to 1.0 × 10-7 M. The sensor also demonstrated exceptional repeatability and anti-interference performance. Moreover, MnFe-MOF was synthesized using terephthalic acid as the building block using a one-pot solvothermal approach. Multiple characterization studies confirmed the formation of the MOF. The bimetallic MnFe-MOF exhibited high adsorption and electrocatalytic properties towards chlorpyrifos due to the hetero-metal synergism arising between the Mn2+ and Fe3+ ions, owing to which it was employed as the electrode material for non-enzymatic electro-determination of chlorpyrifos. The proposed sensor displayed a satisfactory recovery of the spiked pesticide in real-sample matrices.

Quick and hassle-free smartphone's RGB-based color to photocatalytic degradation rate assessment of malachite green dye in water by fluorescent Zr-N-S co-doped carbon dots.

Sunlight active blue emissive zirconium, nitrogen, and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (Zr-N-S-CDs) have been synthesized by microwave-induced pyrolysis for achieving efficient photocatalytic degradation of pollutant malachite green dye (MG) in water. Surface morphology studies using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of spherical-shaped CDs with an absorbance peak at 350 nm and emission peak at 437 nm in UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Surface functional groups, elemental composition, and metal/non-metal co-doping were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. To understand the photocatalytic performance of Zr-N-S-CDs, various parameters, such as the source of energy, concentration of dye, catalyst dosage, and change in pH, were investigated. MG dye (20 ppm) at a pH 7 with 0.5 mg/mL of Zr-N-S-CDs could be photodegraded efficiently in 90 min under sunlight (99%) compared to dark and artificial light conditions. Moreover, real-time analysis of degradation rate could be conveniently calculated by integrating the colorimetric responses of MG dye with RGB values obtained by the "Color Picker" app of a smartphone. The degradation rate obtained using a smartphone (97.89%) was found to be in agreement with the UV-vis spectroscopy (99%), thus, providing a new, handy, and instrument-free route for speedy and quantitative estimation of the degradation of hazardous MG dye by Zr-N-S-CDs.

Green synthesis of guar gum/Ag nanoparticles and their role in peel-off gel for enhanced antibacterial efficiency and optimization using RSM.

Polysaccharide-based guar gum (GG) biopolymer is used via a hydrothermal process to synthesize silver nanoparticles. The GG biopolymer act as a reducing and stabilizing agent. Moreover, GG was used for preparing peel-off masks to provide the desired consistency of formulation and synthesis of nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent. This work presents the novel GG/Ag nanoparticles peel-off gel and evaluates the antibacterial efficiency. The synthesized Ag-nanoparticles analyzed by UV-spectroscopy reflect a prominent peak at 413 nm. The size and distribution of nanoparticles were examined by TEM images obtained from the 6 to 18 nm range. We demonstrate the efficiency of peel-off facial gel as an antibacterial and preservative-free cosmetic product at different temperature ranges. The RSM study was used for parameter optimization of peel-off gel for extrudability, spreadability, and drying time by employing a CCD. The results show that the optimized GG, PVA, and ethanol concentration were 3.47, 8.30, and 5.80 w/w%, respectively, with 0.02 w/w% Ag nanoparticles. The peel-off gel antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (11 ± 0.1 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (10 ± 0.3 mm), and Propionibacterium acnes (11 ± 0.3 mm). The peel-off gel was prepared from natural ingredients; due to this, it is non-toxic for human skin.

Comparison of Maxillary Molar Roots with Maxillary Sinus in High-resolution CBCT: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The maxillary sinus is a pyramidal-shaped osseous cavity, and maxillary molars are found to be in close proximity to the sinus floor or even protruding into it. The present study was conducted to measure the relation between the roots and sinus floor and also the thickness of the bone using CBCT to determine age and gender differences. Materials and Methods: The individuals were separated into two groups based on age: Those under 40 and those over 40 years. There were 25 men and 25 females in the study. Axial, coronal, and sagittal slices of the CBCT images were obtained. Results: The first molar root distance and cortical bone thickness varied significantly between men and women, as well as across different ages. Mesiobuccal root with sinus floor was shown to have a substantial mean value for both sexes (P = 0.049 and P = 0.003). In females, the thickness of the buccal plate was 1.291 mm, whereas, in men, it was 2.447 mm (P = 0.000). There was a substantial difference in the thickness of the buccal plate between men and women who were at least 40 years old (P = 0.000). Conclusion: This study suggests how important it is to look at anatomical features and bone thickness when determining a person's age and gender.

P-27/HP endolysin as antibacterial agent for antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus of human infections.

Staphylococcus aureus causes a wide range of suppurative infections in humans and animals. Due to its high virulence, ability to adopt various environmental conditions, and acquired multiple drug resistance, treatment of such infections has become difficult. Therefore, there is an immense need to develop alternate drug modalities to control this pathogen. In past few years, phage-encoded endolysin therapy has emerged as a new hope not only due to its ability to specifically kill the target bacteria irrespective of their antibiotic sensitivity but also because of minimum or no side effects, a problem associated with antibiotic therapy. In this article, we report purification of a broad spectrum anti-staphylococcal endolysin (P-27/HP endolysin) encoded by phage P-27/HP isolated from sewage water. On SDS-PAGE endolysin resolved in three polypeptides of molecular weights 33.5, 48.6, and 62.2 kDa. Endolysin exhibited maximum in vitro lytic activity at temperature between 35 and 40°C and pH 7.0. In vivo experiments revealed considerable (99.9%) elimination of S. aureus 27/HP from spleens of endolysin-treated mice and had saved them from death due to bacteremia caused by S. aureus 27/HP challenge infection. Thus, P-27/HP endolysin offers suitable substitute of antibiotics to control S. aureus infections.

Efficacy of polyvalent bacteriophage P-27/HP to control multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus associated with human infections.

Emergence of multidrug resistant strains has created serious problem for safe eradication of Staphylococcus aureus infections. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel antibacterial agents to control this pathogen. Bacteriophages kill bacteria irrespective of their antibiotic sensitivity and thus they can be used as potent prophylactic/therapeutic agent to treat such infections. Here, we report isolation of broad host range anti-staphylococcal lytic bacteriophage P-27/HP from sewage water. This phage was able to inhibit 17 of 28 (60%) human disease associated S. aureus isolates. In vitro studies revealed its strong lytic efficacy to diminish S. aureus 27/HP population (c.f.u.) by more than 5.0 logs (P < 0.0001) (equivalent to 99.99%) in 3 h at 0.01 MOI. In vivo lytic efficacy analysis showed that a single subcutaneous injection of phage P-27/HP (10(7) p.f.u.) was sufficient to protect S. aureus 27/HP infected (5 × 10(8) c.f.u.) mice from bacteremia and subsequent death. A considerable decline of more than 6 logs (99.9%) in splenic S. aureus 27/HP c.f.u. count was noted at the 3 days of phage treatment. In conclusion, our results suggest that phage P-27/HP is polyvalent in nature and has high-lytic potential towards S. aureus, thus, a therapy employing this phage would be efficacious to control S. aureus infections.

Cholic-Acid-Derived Amphiphiles Can Prevent and Degrade Fungal Biofilms.

Infections caused by fungal species via their existence as biofilms on medical devices can cause organ damage via candidiasis and candidemia. Different Candida species like Candida albicans can pose a serious threat by resisting host's immune system and by developing drug resistance against existing antimycotic agents. Therefore, targeting of fungal membranes can be used as an alternative strategy to combat the fungal infections. Here, we present screening of different amphiphiles based on cholic acid against different Candida strains as these amphiphiles can act as potent membrane-targeting antimycotic agents. Structure-activity correlations, biochemical assays and electron microscopy studies showed that amphiphiles having 4 and 6 carbon chains are most potent, safe and can act on the fungal membranes. Candida albicans did not show emergence of drug resistance on repeated usage of these amphiphiles unlike fluconazole. We show that these amphiphiles can prevent the formation of biofilms and also have the ability to degrade preformed biofilms on different substrates including acrylic teeth. We further demonstrate that amphiphiles 4 and 6 can clear the Candida albicans wound infections and prevent the biofilm formation on indwelling devices in murine models. Therefore, amphiphiles derived from cholic acid and their coatings provide suitable alternatives for inhibiting the fungal infections.

Antipyrine based Schiff's base as a reversible fluorescence turn "off-on-off" chemosensor for sequential recognition of Al3+ and F- ions: A theoretical and experimental perspective.

A Schiff's base probe (L) based on antipyrine has been intended, synthesized and assessed as a turn "off-on-off" probe for successive recognition of Al3+ and F-. The probe L act out as a turn "on" fluorescence probe towards Al3+ in methanol at pH 6 which turned "off" by F- at 433 nm. The 1:1 binding stoichiometry of L + Al3+ complex was revealed by Job's plot and approved by ESI-HRMS data. The binding constant and limit of detection of probe L for Al3+ were found to be 2.951 × 107 M-1 and 0.61 × 10-7 M respectively, which is lesser than the acceptable limit (0.74 × 10-7 M) in drinking water. The proposed binding sites and the mode of interaction of probe L was studied and validated by 1H NMR titration and 27Al NMR spectroscopic studies. To get detailed vision into binding mechanism and optimized structure of receptor L and L + Al3+, L + Al3+ + F- complex, theoretical calculations using DFT/DND and TDDFT method were performed. Furthermore, probe L can mimic INHIBIT logic function using Al3+ and F- being logic inputs and examining the fluorescence maxima at 433 nm as output.