An Amiable Design of Cobalt Single Atoms as the Active Sites for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Desalinated Seawater.

Green fuel from water splitting is hardcore for future generations, and the limited source of fresh water (<1%) is a bottleneck. Seawater cannot be used directly as a feedstock in current electrolyzer techniques. Until now single atom catalysts were reported by many synthetic strategies using notorious chemicals and harsh conditions. A cobalt single-atom (CoSA) intruding cobalt oxide ultrasmall nanoparticle (Co3 O4 USNP)-intercalated porous carbon (PC) (CoSA-Co3 O4 @PC) electrocatalyst was synthesized from the waste orange peel as a single feedstock (solvent/template). The extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) and theoretical fitting reveal a clear picture of the coordination environment of the CoSA sites (CoSA-Co3 O4 and CoSA-N4 in PC). To impede the direct seawater corrosion and chlorine evolution the seawater has been desalinated (Dseawater) with minimal cost and the obtained PC is used as an adsorbent in this process. CoSA-Co3 O4 @PC shows high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity in transitional metal impurity-free (TMIF) 1 M KOH and alkaline Dseawater. CoSA-Co3 O4 @PC exhibits mass activity that is 15 times higher than the commercial RuO2 . Theoretical interpretations suggest that the optimized CoSA sites in Co3 O4 USNPs reduce the energy barrier for alkaline water dissociation and simultaneously trigger an excellent OER followed by an adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM).

Tuning the interfacial electronic transitions of bi-dimensional nanocomposites (pGO/ZnO) towards photocatalytic degradation and energy application.

The two-dimensional carbonaceous nanocomposites tend to have extreme capacitance and catalysis activity because of their surface tunability of oxygenated moieties aiding in photocatalytic degradation. Herewith, we performed microwave-assisted alkaline treatment of graphene oxide sheets to attain defective sites on the graphitic surface by altering microwave parameters. The synergism of zinc oxide (ZnO) on the graphitic surface impacts electronic transitions paving paths for vacant oxygen sites to promote photocatalytic degradation and catalytic activity. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized material for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) because of its susceptibility in industrial effluents, and the degradation rate was estimated to be around 87.5% within a short span of 30 min by utilizing UV irradiation. Concomitantly, the pGO/ZnO coated substrate exhibits a specific capacity of 561.7 mAh/g and incredible coulombic efficiency illustrating pseudocapacitive nature. Furthermore, on subjecting the composite modified electrode to oxygen evolution catalysis due to the vacant sites located at the lattice edges attributing to the d-d coulombic interaction within the local electron clouds possessing a low overpotential of 205 mV with a Tafel slope of 84 mV/dec. This modest approach boosts an eco-friendly composite to develop photocatalytic degradability and bifunctional catalytic activity for futuristic necessity.

Influence of 2D template-assisted (SBA-15) metal oxide Co3O4 for pseudocapacitive and dye degradation application.

Cobalt oxide (Co3O4) is a low-cost material exhibiting excellent physicochemical and photocatalytic properties indicating its potential use for next-generation eco-friendly energy storage and photocatalytic degradation applications. In this study, Co3O4 nanoarcs were synthesized using SBA-15 as a template by microwave-assisted method to form an S15/m-Co3O4 product. Characterization was done by low and wide-angle X-Ray diffraction, and Fourier transformed infra-red spectroscopic studies confirming the presence of S15/m-Co3O4. Scanning Electron Microscope images proved the agglomerated nanotube and nanoarcs like the structure of SBA-15 and S15/m- Co3O4, respectively. Electrochemical studies included cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge, retention capacity, and electron impedance spectroscopy studies in a 3-electrode system. S15/m-Co3O4 nanoarcs, as the electrode material, was revealed to have a specific capacity of 87.5 C/g in 1 M KOH solution. Upon running 1000 cycles, the material had excellent capacity retention of 87%. The S15/m-Co3O4 product also underwent photocatalytic degradation studies. The Rhodamine R6G dye degradation by S15/m-Co3O4 under UV irradiation exhibited a high degradation percentage of 97.7%, following the first-order kinetics. S15/m-Co3O4 has proven to be biocompatible and can be used to enhance supercapacitors which are an ideal alternative to conventional batteries for energy storage applications. Thus, the data produced proves S15/m-Co3O4 nanoarcs is an excellent electrode material for pseudocapacitive application and a catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of dye molecules.

Graphitic carbon-encapsulated V2O5 nanocomposites as a superb photocatalyst for crystal violet degradation.

To materialize the excellent photocatalyst for crystal violet dye-degradation, the graphitic carbon-encapsulated vanadium pentoxide (GC-V2O5) nanocomposites were synthesized through the simple sonication method by using the green tea waste-derived GC nanoflakes and the sonochemically synthesized V2O5 nanorods. The nanocomposites were confirmed to comprise an aggregated morphology, in which the orthorhombic V2O5 nanorods were well anchored with the intertwingled GC nanoflakes. Owing to the encapsulation of defective V2O5 by conductive GC, the GC-V2O5 nanocomposites exhibited the enhanced photocatalytic dye-degradation efficiency up to 98.4% within 105 min. Namely, the encapsulated GC nanosheets might compensate the native defects (i.e., charge traps) on the V2O5 surface; hence, the charge transport could be enhanced during the dye-degradation process while the photocarrier recombination could be suppressed. The results suggest the conducting layer-encapsulated semiconducting oxide nanocomposites (e.g., GC-V2O5) to be of good use for future green environmental technology, particularly, as a superb photocatalyst for dye degradation.

Analytical insights of COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2). Genomic analysis has revealed that bat and pangolin coronaviruses are phylogenetically related to SARS-CoV-2. The actual origin and passage history of the virus are unknown, but human-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed. Several diagnostic techniques have been developed to detect COVID-19 in this prevailing pandemic period. In this review, we provide an overview of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses. The origin, structure, current diagnostic techniques, such as molecular assays based on oligonucleotides, immunoassay-based detection, nanomaterial-based biosensing, and distinctive sample based detection are also discussed. Furthermore, our review highlights the admissible treatment strategies for COVID-19 and future perspectives on the development of biosensing techniques and vaccines for the diagnosis and prevention of the disease, respectively.

Curcumin-Conjugated Gold Clusters for Bioimaging and Anticancer Applications.

Curcumin-conjugated gold clusters (CUR-AuNCs) were synthesized using a "green" procedure and utilized as an anticancer and a bioimaging agent. Curcumin is a well-known anticancer agent, which forms a cluster when reacting with a gold precursor under mild alkali condition. A fluorescence spectroscopy analysis showed that the CUR-AuNCs emitted red fluorescence (650 nm) upon visible light (550) irradiation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the stretching and bending nature between the gold atoms and curcumin. Meanwhile, transmission electron microscopy analysis showed a cluster of approximately 1-3 nm with a uniform size. Time-resolved fluorescence analysis demonstrated that the red fluorescence was highly stable. Moreover, laser confocal imaging and atomic force microscopy analysis illustrated that a cluster was well distributed in the cell. This cluster exhibited less toxicity in the mortal cell line (COS-7) and high toxicity in the cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). The results demonstrated the conjugation of curcumin into the fluorescent gold cluster as a potential material for anticancer therapy and bioimaging applications.

Red Fluorescent Copper Nanoclusters for Fluorescence, Smartphone, and Electrochemical Sensor Arrays to Detect the Monkeypox A29 Protein.

An Orthopox zoonotic viral infection called monkeypox (MPXV) is the leading infectious disease globally. MPXV can easily spread from human to human through direct and indirect sexual contact; therefore, accurate and early detection of MPXV is crucial for reducing mortality. Fluorescence-based materials have received significant attention in recent years for biomedical applications. In this study, we synthesized red-fluorescent copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) with a size of less than 10 nm, which was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and atomic force microscopy (Bio-AFM) analysis. The synthesized CuNCs had a high fluorescence nature and were utilized for the detection of the MPXV (A29P) by an antigen-antibody conjugation using fluorescence, smartphone colorimetric, and electrochemical sensing techniques. The antigen (A29P) and antibody (Ab A29) interaction mechanisms were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis. Furthermore, fluorescence and electrochemical sensing were performed in PBS with detection limits of 0.096 and 0.114 nM, respectively. For real-world applications, the prepared immunosensor array can detect A29P in spiked serum samples, and point-of-care (POC) analysis, a smartphone-integrated sensor array, was used to measure the RGB color changes. The results showed that synthesized CuNCs are potential materials for detecting A29P via fluorescence and smartphone colorimetric and electrochemical sensing techniques.

Synthesis and surface engineering of Ag chalcogenide quantum dots for near-infrared biophotonic applications.

Quantum dots (QDs), a novel category of semiconductor materials, exhibit extraordinary capabilities in tuning optical characteristics. Their emergence in biophotonics has been noteworthy, particularly in bio-imaging, biosensing, and theranostics applications. Although conventional QDs such as PbS, CdSe, CdS, and HgTe have garnered attention for their promising features, the presence of heavy metals in these QDs poses significant challenges for biological use. To address these concerns, the development of Ag chalcogenide QDs has gained prominence owing to their near-infrared emission and exceptionally low toxicity, rendering them suitable for biological applications. This review explores recent advancements in Ag chalcogenide QDs, focusing on their synthesis methodologies, surface chemistry modifications, and wide-ranging applications in biomedicine. Additionally, it identifies future directions in material science, highlighting the potential of these innovative QDs in revolutionizing the field.

Fabrication of label-free immunoprobe for monkeypox A29 detection using one-step electrodeposited molybdenum oxide-graphene quantum rods.

Monkeypox is a zoonotic viral infection caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), which belongs to the Poxviridae family of the Orthopoxvirus (OPXV) genus. Monkeypox is transmitted from animals to humans and humans to humans; therefore, the accurate and early detection of MPXV is crucial for reducing mortality. A novel graphene-based material, graphene quantum rods (GQRs) was synthesized and confirmed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In this study, molybdenum oxide was electrodeposited and one-pot electrodeposition of MoO3-GQRs composite on carbon fiber paper (CFP) enabled by an antibody (Ab A29)/MoO3-GQRs immunoprobe was developed for the early diagnosis of MPXV protein (A29P). Several studies were conducted to analyze the MoO3-GQRs composite, and the prepared Ab A29/MoO3-GQRs immunoprobe selectively bound to the A29P antigen that was measured using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analysis and impedance spectroscopy. The antigen-antibody interaction was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. DPV analysis showed a wide linear range of detection from 0.5 nM to 1000 nM, a detection limit of 0.52 nM, and a sensitivity of 4.51 µA in PBS. The prepared immunoprobe was used to analyze A29P in serum samples without reducing electrode sensitivity. This system is promising for the clinical analysis of A29P antigen and offers several advantages, including cost-effectiveness, ease of use, accuracy, and high sensitivity.

Fluorescent-Based Neurotransmitter Sensors: Present and Future Perspectives.

Neurotransmitters (NTs) are endogenous low-molecular-weight chemical compounds that transmit synaptic signals in the central nervous system. These NTs play a crucial role in facilitating signal communication, motor control, and processes related to memory and learning. Abnormalities in the levels of NTs lead to chronic mental health disorders and heart diseases. Therefore, detecting imbalances in the levels of NTs is important for diagnosing early stages of diseases associated with NTs. Sensing technologies detect NTs rapidly, specifically, and selectively, overcoming the limitations of conventional diagnostic methods. In this review, we focus on the fluorescence-based biosensors that use nanomaterials such as metal clusters, carbon dots, and quantum dots. Additionally, we review biomaterial-based, including aptamer- and enzyme-based, and genetically encoded biosensors. Furthermore, we elaborate on the fluorescence mechanisms, including fluorescence resonance energy transfer, photon-induced electron transfer, intramolecular charge transfer, and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, in the context of their applications for the detection of NTs. We also discuss the significance of NTs in human physiological functions, address the current challenges in designing fluorescence-based biosensors for the detection of NTs, and explore their future development.

Drug Delivery Application of Functional Nanomaterials Synthesized Using Natural Sources.

Nanomaterials (NMs) synthesized from natural sources have been attracting greater attention, due to their intrinsic advantages including biocompatibility, stimuli-responsive property, nontoxicity, cost-effectiveness, and non-immunogenic characteristics in the biological environment. Among various biomedical applications, a breakthrough has been achieved in the development of drug delivery systems (DDS). Biocompatibility is necessary for treating a disease safely without any adverse effects. Some components in DDS respond to the physiological environment, such as pH, temperature, and functional group at the target, which facilitates targeted drug release. NM-based DDS is being applied for treating cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and dermal and ophthalmic diseases. Metal nanomaterials and carbon quantum dots are synthesized and stabilized using functional molecules extracted from natural sources. Polymers, mucilage and gums, exosomes, and molecules with biological activities are directly derived from natural sources. In DDS, these functional components have been used as drug carriers, imaging agents, targeting moieties, and super disintegrants. Plant extracts, biowaste, biomass, and microorganisms have been used as the natural source for obtaining these NMs. This review highlights the natural sources, synthesis, and application of metallic materials, polymeric materials, carbon dots, mucilage and gums, and exosomes in DDS. Aside from that, challenges and future perspectives on using natural resources for DDS are also discussed.

A Brief Review of Graphene-Based Biosensors Developed for Rapid Detection of COVID-19 Biomarkers.

The prevalence of mutated species of COVID-19 antigens has provided a strong impetus for identifying a cost-effective, rapid and facile strategy for identifying the viral loads in public places. The ever-changing genetic make-up of SARS-CoV-2 posts a significant challenfge for the research community to identify a robust mechanism to target, bind and confirm the presence of a viral load before it spreads. Synthetic DNA constructs are a novel strategy to design complementary DNA sequences specific for antigens of interest as in this review's case SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Small molecules, complementary DNA and protein-DNA complexes have been known to target analytes in minimal concentrations. This phenomenon can be exploited by nanomaterials which have unique electronic properties such as ballistic conduction. Graphene is one such candidate for designing a device with a very low LOD in the order of zeptomolar and attomolar concentrations. Surface modification will be the significant aspect of the device which needs to have a high degree of sensitivity at the same time as providing a rapid signaling mechanism.

Green synthesized carbon quantum dots from maple tree leaves for biosensing of Cesium and electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) synthesized from biological sources play a significant role in biomedical and environmental applications, including bioimaging, biosensing, metal ions detection and electrocatalytic oxidations. Herein, we synthesized blue-emitting carbon quantum dots using maple tree leaves via a one-step hydrothermal process to detect Cesium ions selectively. The synthesized CQDs' functional group composition, morphology, and pH stability was analytical and morphologically investigated. The maple leaves derived carbon quantum dots (M-CQDs) exhibited blue fluorescence, and their sizes ranged from 1 to 10 nm. They exhibited emission at 445 nm upon excitation at 360 nm. M-CQDs PL intensity was highly stable for about 100 d without any changes and confirmed that the as-prepared CQDs could be used as a probe for Cesium ion sensing. M-CQDs were effectively used as Cesium sensing probes based on the electron transfer process and simultaneously used as a catalyst for glycerol electrooxidation. The PL intensity of M-CQDs was quenched while adding the varies concentration of Cesium ions in the linear range from 100 µM to 100 nM with the detection limit of (LOD) 160 nM, simultaneously electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol showed an onset potential of 1.32 V at a current density of 10 mA/cm2.

Zn-MOF decorated bio activated carbon for photocatalytic degradation, oxygen evolution and reduction catalysis.

An emerging global necessity for alternative resources combined with maximum catalytic efficiency, low cost, and eco-friendly composite remains a hotspot in the scientific society. Hereby, a novel protocol is approached to design a heterostructure of Zinc MOF decorated on the surface of 2D activated carbon (AC) through a simplistic approach. To begin with, analytical, morphological and spectroscopical studies were performed to identify the functional moieties, cruciate-flower like morphology and oxidative state of atoms present in the composite Zn-MOF @AC. The photocatalytic material aids in degrading both cationic and anionic dye in a UV (254 nm) irradiated environment at a rate of 86.4% and 77.5% within 90 mins. Subsequently, the hybrid materials are coated on the carbon substrate to evaluate the catalytic activity using oxygen evolution and reduction reaction process. The mechanical insight for the catalytic activity relies on the electronic transitions of atoms on the edges of the sheets ascribing to d-d energy levels between the interfacial electron movement. Our composite exhibits an overpotential of 0.7 V and a Tafel slope of 70 mV/dec for the oxygen reduction reaction. This study proposes an alternate approach for developing MOF decorated carbon-based composites for photocatalytic degradability and energy necessity.

Treatment of textile wastewater containing mixed toxic azo dye and chromium (VI) BY haloalkaliphilic bacterial consortium.

Scientific empowerment in this century created a positive and negative impact on the ecosystem's biotic and abiotic components. The current scenario of emerging recalcitrant pollutants in the environment is encountered using various remediation approaches are enforced and applied. The need for mineralization of the toxic pollutants to non - toxic forms accomplished the application of microbes (bacteria, fungi and algae) and plants individually or in a combined manner. The current research on the removal of pollutants from synthetic textile wastewater containing 1200 ppm concentration of mixed azo dyes -Reactive red (RR), Reactive Brown (RB) & Reactive Black (RBl) and 300 ppm Cr (VI) metal using haloalkaliphilic bacterial strains LBKVG1, LBKVG2, LBKVG3 & LBKVG4 in a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR), showed decolorization of 82 ± 0.5% of mixed azo dyes and degradation 56 ± 0.5% of Cr (VI) metal at 37 °C and pH 8.5 in the fifth day of the study. The isolated bacterial strains in the consortium were molecularly and morphologically characterized by 16SrRNA sequencing and SEM analysis. FT-IR and GC-MS analysis scrutinized the metabolites obtained. The findings suggest the degradation of hazardous pollutants even at higher concentrations and attempt to decolourize the mixed azo dyes simultaneously using the eco-friendly bacterial consortium.

Surface-constructing of visible-light Bi2WO6/CeO2 nanophotocatalyst grafted PVDF membrane for degradation of tetracycline and humic acid.

The synthesis of Bi2WO6 and CeO2 photocatalytic nanomaterials exhibit a great ability to photodegrade the antibiotics and shown excellent oxidation of various organic pollutants. Heterostructure 1:1 & 2:1 Bi2WO6/CeO2 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized via the facile sono-dispersion method and exquisite photocatalytic activity. The 0.5 wt% of nanocomposites were well-grafted on PVDF membrane surface via an in-situ polymerization method using polyacrylic acid. The fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra demonstrated that the network formation in PVDF induced by the -COOH functional group in acrylic acid. The grafted membrane morphology and strong binding ability over the membranes were validated by scanning electron microscope with energy dispersion (SEM-EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The permeate flux of 49.2 L.m-2 h-1 and 41.65 L.m-2 h were observed for tetracycline and the humic acid solution respectively for 1 wt% of PVP and 0.5 wt% of photocatalytic nanomaterials in PVDF membrane. The tetracycline and humic acid photodegradation rate of 82% and 78% and total resistance of 1.43 × 1010 m-1 and 1.64 × 1010 m-1, 83.5% and 77% flux recovery ratio were observed with N5 membrane. The 2:1 Bi2WO6/CeO2 nanocomposite grafted membrane showed a high permeate flux and better photodegradation ability of organic pollutants in the wastewater.

TriMOF synergized on the surface of activated carbon produced from pineapple leaves for the environmental pollutant reduction and oxygen evolution process.

Facile and modest synthesis of significantly effective and less-cost catalysts for environmental pollutant degradation and oxygen evolution holds substantial potential in environmental and energy fields. Hereby, Trimetallic organic frameworks (TriMOF) consisting of Fe, Co, and Zn synergized on the surface of activated carbon (AC) from pineapple leaves tend to show exponential catalytic activity due to the more excellent ionic conductivity, catalytic stability and multiple active sites provided by different metal precursors. Furthermore, the developed nanocomposite was coated on the stainless-steel electrode substrate at room temperature, delivering greater electrocatalytic surface area and numerous active sites. The oxidation reaction kinetics drives the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with a minimal time of 12 min @ >97 % efficiency. Furthermore, on electrocatalytic oxidation of water splitting process due to the presence of multiple metallic, active sites, the overpotential is at 370 mV having Tafel slope of 40 mV/dec and electrochemically active surface area of is 9.9 mF/cm2. This superior catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and electrocatalytic water oxidation process is attributed to the developed composite's active centre and conductivity.

The role of sodium dodecyl sulfate mediated hydrothermal synthesis of MoS2 nanosheets for photocatalytic dye degradation and dye-sensitized solar cell application.

The novel properties and exciting behavior of two-dimensional nanosheet-based materials have piqued the interest of research all over the world. In this study, bulk molybdenum disulfide (bulk MoS2) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-mediated molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS2-SDS NS) were synthesized via a facile sonication and hydrothermal process. The findings from the characterization revealed that the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant reduces the crystal phase and changes the structural morphology of bulk MoS2. Furthermore, the photocatalytic and photovoltaic performance of bulk MoS2 and MoS2-SDS NS were also investigated. The results show that by using methylene blue dye, the photocatalytic efficiency increased from 56.30% to 91.84% at 150 min under UV-Visible light irradiation, and the photo-conversion efficiency (PEC (%)) of the dye-sensitized solar cell increased from 1.47% to 3.81% for bulk MoS2 and MoS2-SDS NS, respectively. Finally, we discussed in-depth the effect of SDS surfactants on MoS2, which can improve their photovoltaic and photocatalytic performance.

Application of a novel nanocomposite containing micro-nutrient solubilizing bacterial strains and CeO2 nanocomposite as bio-fertilizer.

Chemical fertilizers are used in modern agricultural practice to increase plant output. They possess anthropogenic compounds which are hazardous, result in poor soil quality, poor crop nutrition and pollutes the water table. Currently, food crops that lack in micro-nutrients (Zn, silicates and Se) can be enriched with micronutrients by use of fertilizers. Eco-friendly bio-fertilizers have been proved to provide a known population of microorganisms that create a mutual benefit to the plants & the rhizosphere soil. Nanomaterials are often used in plant fertilizer formulation, allowing for controlled release and targeted delivery of beneficial nanoscale components, as well as to boost plant production and reduce environmental pollutants. In the present study we identified a multipotent micronutrient solubilizing bacterium (MSB) - Pseudomonas gessardi and Pseudomonas azotoformans as a bio-fertiliser. Comparative study of the formulated MSB, with nanocomposite prepared with the soya chunks as natural carrier material and chemically synthesized cerium oxide was performed on the growth of fenugreek for its effectiveness. The SEM images of nanocomposite showed the non-uniform distribution of CeO2 in bio-inoculant with an average size of 25.24 nm. The current study deals with increase in the shoot and root length of the fenugreek plant with only 75 ppm of CeO2 in nanocomposite, thereby preventing bioaccumulation of Ce in soil. This work gives a potential use of CeO2 nanocomposite with MSB bio-inoculants which could be applied to soil deficient with the micronutrients that can enhance the crop yield.

Biological approach in deinking of waste paper using bacterial cellulase as an effective enzyme catalyst.

Paper has become the basic elixir in everyone's activities and usage of paper has increased day by day, the waste generated by paper is also enormous. The primary source of paper is wood (tree) yet, waste paper is environmentally good and biodegradable; however, it is the primary source of deforestation. Current research aims to find an alternate way to recycle paper in the biological approach. Hence in our work, twelve cellulose-producing bacteria were isolated, out of which one bacterial strain proved to be the best. Cellulase enzyme was extracted and purified, and used for enzymatic de-inking of photocopy papers. The optimal conditions for cellulase synthesis were at 60 °C, glucose as the only carbon source, and potassium nitrate as the nitrogen source. The enzyme demonstrated excellent de-inking at a lower pulp consistency of 3% with a 20% enzyme dose. The cellulose and hemicellulose levels decreased, which can be attributed to fiber breaking. Further, the changes in the functional groups identified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and the changes in the surface morphology of the pulp fibers were obtained using scanning electron microscope analysis.