Ultrasound-driven facile fabrication of Pd doped SnO2 hierarchical superstructures: Structural, growth mechanism, dermatoglyphics, and anti-cancer activity.

This research introduces a novel method that leverages Spirulina extract (S.E) as a bio-surfactant in the ultrasound-assisted synthesis (UAS) of Pd3+ (0.25-10 mol%) doped tin oxide (SnO2) self-assembled superstructures. Nanotechnology has witnessed significant advancements in recent years, driven by the exploration of novel synthesis methods and the development of advanced nanomaterials tailored for specific applications. Metal oxide nanoparticles, particularly SnO2, have garnered considerable attention due to their versatile properties and potential applications in various fields, including gas sensing, catalysis, and biomedical engineering. The study explores how varying influential parameters like S.E concentration, sonication time, pH, and sonication power can influence the resulting superstructures' morphology, size, and shape. A theoretical model for forming different hierarchical superstructures (HS) is proposed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the crystalline tetragonal rutile phase of the SnO2:Pd HS. Raman spectroscopy reveals a red shift in the A1g mode, indicating phonon confinement due to various defects in the SnO2 structure. Further characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provides insights into particle size, surface morphology, elemental composition, and binding energy. The study also demonstrates the application of optimized SnO2:3Pd HS in developing latent fingerprints (LFPs) on different surfaces using a simple powder dusting (PD) method, with the fingerprints (FPs) visualized under normal light. A mathematical model developed in Python-based software is used to analyze various features of the developed FPs, including pore properties such as number, position, inter-spacing, area, and shape. Additionally, an in vitro MTT assay shows concentration-dependent anticancer activity of SnO2:3Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on MCF7 cell lines, highlighting their potential as a promising cancer treatment option. Overall, the study suggests that the optimized HS can serve as multifunctional platforms for biomedical and dermatoglyphics applications, demonstrating the versatility and potential of the synthesized materials.

Zinc silicate phosphor: Insights of X-ray induced and temperature enabled luminescence.

The present investigation deals with the effect of calcination temperature on the structural and thermoluminescent (TL) properties of Zn2 SiO4 materials. For this study, Zn2 SiO4 was prepared via a simple hydrothermal route and calcinated at temperatures from 700°C to 1100°C in an air atmosphere. TL data of all Zn2 SiO4 samples showed two peaks at around 240°C and 330°C due to the formation of the luminescence centre during X-ray irradiation. More interestingly, the Zn2 SiO4 sample calcinated at 900°C exhibited a shift in the TL peak (282°C and 354°C) with an optimal TL intensity attributed to its good crystallinity with a well-defined hexagonal plate-like morphology. X-ray-irradiated Zn2 SiO4 samples calcinated at 900°C exhibited a high-temperature TL glow curve peak, suggesting that the present material could be used for high-temperature dosimetry applications.

Ho3+-Induced ZnO: Structural, Electron Density Distribution and Antibacterial Activity for Biomedical Application.

The current investigation focused on the synthesis and characterization of Zn1-xHoxO (X = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08) materials. The rare-earth Ho3+-doped ZnO materials have been prepared using a chemical precipitation process. The phase pure hexagonal structured ZnO crystal system has been observed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization. The detailed structural analysis of prepared materials has been investigated by the Rietveld refinement method. The surface morphology and elemental composition of the prepared materials have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX). The presence of vibrational links associated with various functional groups has been displayed by FTIR spectroscopy. The energy gap of synthesized materials has been studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy. To study the luminescence activity of produced materials, photoluminescence (PL) analysis has been utilized. The light-green emission at around 507 nm has been obtained by synthesized materials under 380-nm excitation. In addition, the electron density distribution has been accomplished in synthesized materials. At 6% of Ho3+, substituted ZnO exposes the maximum covalent and ionic nature between Zn-O bond along with horizontal and vertical axis, respectively. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of synthesized materials has been done through Proteus vulgaris and Enterococcus faecalis. Following that the destruction of human red blood cells has been examined by hemolysis investigation. All experimental results suggested that the 6% of Ho3+ dopant is the optimized level of ZnO host lattice. The present work paves a promising path to get efficient material for biomedical applications.