Electron plasma diagnostics in ELTRAP by electron cyclotron resonance heating method.

Electron cyclotron resonance heating method of Particle-in-Cell code was used to analyze heating phenomena, axial kinetic energy, and self-consistent electric field of confined electron plasma in ELTRAP device by hydrogen and helium background gases. The electromagnetic simulations were performed at a constant power of 3.8 V for different RF drives (0.5 GHz- 8 GHz), as well as for 1 GHz constant frequency at these varying amplitudes (1 V-3.8 V). The impacts of axial and radial temperatures were found maximum at 1.8 V and 5 GHz as compared to other amplitudes and frequencies for both background gases. These effects are higher at varying radio frequencies due to more ionization and secondary electrons production and maximum recorded radial temperature for hydrogen background gas was 170.41 eV. The axial kinetic energy impacts were found more effective in the outer radial part (between 0.03 and 0.04 meters) of the ELTRAP device due to applied VRF through C8 electrode. The self-consistent electric field was found higher for helium background gas at 5 GHz RF than other amplitudes and radio frequencies. The excitation and ionization rates were found to be higher along the radial direction (r-axis) than the axial direction (z-axis) in helium background gas as compared to hydrogen background gas. The current studies are advantageous for nuclear physics applications, beam physics, microelectronics, coherent radiation devices and also in magnetrons.

Biogenic synthesis of levofloxacin-loaded copper oxide nanoparticles using Cymbopogon citratus: A green approach for effective antibacterial applications.

Despite the success of antibiotics in medicine, the treatment of bacterial infection is still challenging due to emerging resistance and suitable drug delivery system, therefore, innovative approaches focused on nanoparticles based antimicrobial drug delivery systems are highly desired. This research aimed to synthesize Cymbopogon citratus (C. citratus) aqueous extract-mediated copper oxide (CuO-Nps) conjugated with levofloxacin (LFX). The synthesized CuO NPs-LFX nano conjugate was confirmed by analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and infrared and ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy. Antibacterial activities were assessed in vitro through the agar well diffusion method against six bacterial strains of clinical relevance. CuO NPs confirmed by UV-Vis analysis absorption peak observed at 380 nm. TGA analysis showed 8.98% weight loss between the 400-800 °C temperature range. The functional group's presence was confirmed by FTIR analysis. Spherical shape nanoparticles with an average particle size of 55 nm were recorded by FESEM. Results from agar well diffusion assay showed that CuO NPs-LFX prohibited the development of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at all established concentrations, and the antibacterial propensity was more pronounced as compared to bare CuO NPs, Levofloxacin and C. citratus aqueous extract alone. The results showed that gram-negative bacteria are more susceptible to CuO NPs-LFX nano conjugate and at 10 µgmL-1 concentration, form a 10.1 mm zone of inhibition (ZOI), whereas gram-positive bacteria on the same concentration form 9.5 mm ZOI. LFX-loaded CuO NPs antibacterial activity was observed higher than plant extract, bare CuO NPs, and standard drug (Levofloxacin). This study provides a novel approach for the fabrication of biogenic CuO NPs with antibacterial drug levofloxacin and their usage as nano antibiotic carriers against pathogenic bacteria, especially antibiotic-resistant microbes.

Defects oriented hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2 and MnTiO2 nanoparticles as photocatalysts for wastewater treatment and antibacterial applications.

Pure and manganese-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles (MnTiO2-NPs) were synthesized by the defect-oriented hydrothermal approach. The synthesized material was then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The agar well diffusion method assessed the antibacterial efficiency of TiO2 and MnTiO2-NPs against E. coli and S. aureus. Zone of inhibition (ZOI) formed by pure TiO2 was observed as 12 mm and 11.5 mm against E. coli and S. aureus, while for MnTiO2-NPs it was observed as 19 mm (E. coli) and 21 mm (S. aureus). The concentration of synthesized nanoparticles (10 mg/ml, and 20 mg/ml) was used for antibacterial studies. The efficacy of the pure and MnTiO2-NPs as an active photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye was also assessed using a UV light. It was observed that the photodegradation efficiency of 1 g of MnTiO2-NPs was higher than the same amount of pure TiO2. The results suggest that the photocatalyst concentration directly impacts the photodegradation of MB dye. The pH value was found to influence the photodegradation of MB dye at higher pH values. Based on the obtained results, MnTiO2-NPs were observed as a promising agent for microbial resistance and water remediation.

Structural, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Pure and Ni-Fe-Codoped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by a Sol-Gel Autocombustion Method.

Pure and Ni-Fe-codoped Zn1 - 2xNixFexO (x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04) nanoparticles were effectively synthesized using a sol-gel autocombustion procedure. The structural, optical, morphological, and magnetic properties were determined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), scanning electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer techniques. The XRD confirmed the purity of the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. XRD analysis further indicated that Fe and Ni successfully substituted the lattice site of Zn and generated a single-phase Zn1-2xNixFexO magnetic oxide. In addition, a significant morphological change was observed with an increase in the dopant concentration by using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The UV-vis spectroscopy analysis indicated the redshift in the optical band gap with increasing dopant concentration signifying a progressive decrease in the optical band gap. The vibrating sample magnetometer analysis revealed that the doped samples exhibited ferromagnetic properties at room temperature with an increase in the dopant concentration. Dopant concentration was confirmed by using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The current results provide a vital method to improve the magnetic properties of ZnO nanoparticles, which may get significant attention from researchers in the field of magnetic semiconductors.

Optimization of physical and dielectric properties of Co-doped ZnO nanoparticles for low-frequency devices.

In this study, zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) doped with cobalt (Co) were synthesized using a simple coprecipitation technique. The concentration of Co was varied to investigate its effect on the structural, morphological, optical, and dielectric properties of the NPs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of both undoped and Co-doped ZnO-NPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of the synthesized NPs, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to verify their purity. The band gap of the NPs was evaluated using UV-visible spectroscopy, which revealed a decrease in the energy gap as the concentration of Co2+ increased in the ZnO matrix. The dielectric constants and AC conductivity of the NPs were measured using an LCR meter. The dielectric constant of the Co-doped ZnO-NPs continuously increased from 4.0 × 10-9 to 2.25 × 10-8, while the dielectric loss decreased from 4.0 × 10-8 to 1.7 × 10-7 as the Co content increased from 0.01 to 0.07%. The a.c. conductivity also increased with increasing applied frequency. The findings suggest that the synthesized Co-doped ZnO-NPs possess enhanced dielectric properties and reduced energy gap, making them promising candidates for low-frequency devices such as UV photodetectors, optoelectronics, and spintronics applications. The use of a cost-effective and scalable synthesis method, coupled with detailed material characterization, makes this work significant in the field of nanomaterials and device engineering.

Qualitative and Quantitative Investigation of Biochar-Cu0 Composite for Nickel Adsorption.

The current investigation deals with the treatment of water pollution that is caused by the leaching of nickel ions from the metallurgical industry and new-energy batteries. Therefore, an eco-friendly treatment of nickel through the use of a composite of cotton stalk biochar with nanozerovalent copper has been presented in this investigation signifying the impact of zerovalent copper in enhancing the adsorption capacity of biochar for nickel adsorption. Thermogravimetric analysis data showed the adsorbent to be significantly stable in the higher thermal range, whereas transmission electron microscopy analysis confirmed the particles to be 27 nm and also showed the cubic geometry of the particles. A much closer scanning electron microscopy analysis shows the morphology of particles to be cubic in shape. Batch adsorption indicated a positive influence of pH increase on adsorption due to the electrostatic attraction between positive nickel ions and post point of zero charge (pHPZC) negative surface of copper biochar composite (pH > 5.5). A high adsorption rate was observed in the first 60 min, whereas adsorption increased with the increase in temperature from 303 to 318 K. Kinetic modeling confirmed the pseudo-first-order to fit best to the data. The apparent activation energy (11.96 kJ mol-1) is indicative of the chemical nature of the process. The adsorption data fitted well to the Langmuir adsorption model. The negative values of apparent ΔG° and the positive values of apparent ΔH° indicate the spontaneity and endothermicity of the process, respectively, whereas the positive values of apparent ΔS° point toward increased randomness during the process. Postadsorption XPS suggests the adsorption of nickel on the surface of biochar composites in the form of Ni(OH)2 and NiO(OH).

Montmorillonite modified Ni/Mg/Al ternary layered double hydroxide nanoflowers with enhanced adsorption features.

A hydrothermal technique was employed to synthesize Ni/Mg/Al ternary L.D.H.s modified with montmorillonite (NMA-MMT-LDHs). Many characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (S.E.M.), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (B.E.T.), were used to assess the physiochemical properties of the produced analytes. Congo red and methylene blue were utilized as model dyes to treat textile waste with the synthesized analytes. The batch adsorption model was utilized to conduct the adsorption experiments under varying contact time, adsorbent dosage, and solution pH conditions. A pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir adsorption model control the adsorption process. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities of C.R. and M.B. were determined to be 344 and 200 mg/g, respectively. As the quantity of dosage increased from the 0.01-0.04 g, the percent removal efficiency (%) increased from 75 to 87 % for S2-LDH, 84-88 % for S2-MMT, 86-93 % for S3-MMT, and 95-97% for S4-MMT for C.R. dye and 82-85 % for S2-LDH, 83-89 % for S2-MMT, 83-91 % for S3-MMT, and 84-92 % for S4-MMT for M.B. dye. The removal percentage of C.R. dye for adsorbents S2-LDH, S2-MMT, S3-MMT, and S4-MMT were 75 %, 84 %, 86 %, and 95 %, respectively and 82 %, 83 %, 83 %, and 85 %, respectively for the M.B. dye removal. The presence of MMT significantly increases the affinity of Ni/Mg/Al-LDHs (NMA-LDHs), and the designed production technique can be used to produce a variety of compositionally distinct adsorbent materials.

Porous Hierarchical Ni/Mg/Al Layered Double Hydroxide for Adsorption of Methyl Orange from Aqueous Solution.

A basic urea technique was successfully used to synthesize Mg/Al-Layered double hydroxides (Mg/Al LDHs), which were then calcined at 400 °C to form Mg/Al-Layered double oxides (Mg/Al LDOs). To reconstruct LDHs, Mg/Al LDOs were fabricated with different feeding ratios of Ni by the co-precipitation method. After synthesis, the Ni/Mg/Al-layered double hydroxides (NMA-LDHs) with 20% and 30% Ni (S1 and S2) were roasted at 400 °C and transformed into corresponding Ni/Mg/Al-layered double oxides (NMA-LDOs) (S1a and S2b, respectively). The physiochemical properties of synthesized samples were also evaluated by various characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET). The adsorption behavior of methyl orange (MO) onto the synthesized samples was evaluated in batch adsorption mode under varying conditions of contact time, adsorbent quantity, and solution pH. As the dosage amount increased from 0.01-0.04 g, the removal percentage of MO dye also increased from 83% to 90% for S1, 84% to 92% for S1a, 77% to 87% for S2, and 93% to 98% for S2b, respectively. For all of the samples, the adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium adsorption data were well fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich models for methyl orange (MO). Finally, three adsorption-desorption cycles show that NMA-LDHs and NMA-LDOs have greater adsorption and reusability performance for MO dye, signifying that the design and fabrication strategy can facilitate the application of the natural hydrotalcite material in water remediation.

Enhanced Thermal Stability and Synergistic Effects of Magnesium and Iron Borate Composites against Pathogenic Bacteria.

A simple process based on the dual roles of both magnesium oxide (MgO) and iron oxide (FeO) with boron (B) as precursors and catalysts has been developed for the synthesis of borate composites of magnesium and iron (Mg2B2O5-Fe3BO6) at 1200°C. The as-synthesized composites can be a single material with the improved and collective properties of both iron borates (Fe3BO6) and magnesium borates (Mg2B2O5). At higher temperatures, the synthesized Mg2B2O5-Fe3BO6 composite is found thermally more stable than the single borates of both magnesium and iron. Similarly, the synthesized composites are found to prevent the growth of both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) pathogenic bacteria on all the tested concentrations. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of the synthesized composite increases with an increase in concentration and is more pronounced against S. aureus as compared to E. coli.

Synthesis of Boron-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanosheets by Using Phyllanthus Emblica Leaf Extract: A Sustainable Environmental Applications.

The use of Phyllanthus emblica (gooseberry) leaf extract to synthesize Boron-doped zinc oxide nanosheets (B-doped ZnO-NSs) is deliberated in this article. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows a network of synthesized nanosheets randomly aligned side by side in a B-doped ZnO (15 wt% B) sample. The thickness of B-doped ZnO-NSs is in the range of 20-80 nm. B-doped ZnO-NSs were tested against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Escherichia coli. Against gram-negative bacterium (K. pneumonia and E. coli), B-doped ZnO displays enhanced antibacterial activity with 26 and 24 mm of inhibition zone, respectively. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mean free path (MFP), half-value layer (HVL), and tenth value layer (TVL) of B-doped ZnO were investigated as aspects linked to radiation shielding. These observations were carried out by using a PTW® electron detector and VARIAN® irradiation with 6 MeV electrons. The results of these experiments can be used to learn more about the radiation shielding properties of B-doped ZnO nanostructures.

Effect of Cu Doping on ZnO Nanoparticles as a Photocatalyst for the Removal of Organic Wastewater.

Environmental problems with chemical and biological water pollution have become a major concern for society. Providing people with safe and affordable water is a grand challenge of the 21st century. The study investigates the photocatalytic degradation capabilities of hydrothermally prepared pure and Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) for the elimination of dye pollutants. A simple, cost-effective hydrothermal process is employed to synthesize the Cu-doped ZnO NPs. The photocatalytic dye degradation activity of the synthesized Cu-doped ZnO NPs is tested by using methylene blue (MB) dye. In addition, the parameters that affect photodegradation efficiency, such as catalyst concentration, starting potential of hydrogen (pH), and dye concentration, were also assessed. The dye degradation is found to be directly proportional to the irradiation time, as 94% of the MB dye is degraded in 2 hrs. Similarly, the dye degradation shows an inverse relation to the MB dye concentration, as the degradation reduced from 94% to 20% when the MB concentration increases from 5 ppm to 80 ppm. The synthesized cost-effective and environmentally friendly Cu-doped ZnO NPs exhibit improved photocatalytic activity against MB dye and can therefore be employed in wastewater treatment materials.

Cytotoxic and photocatalytic studies of hexagonal boron nitride nanotubes: a potential candidate for wastewater and air treatment.

Boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials are rapidly being investigated for potential applications in biomedical sciences due to their exceptional physico-chemical characteristics. However, their safe use demands a thorough understanding of their possible environmental and toxicological effects. The cytotoxicity of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) was explored to see if they could be used in living cell imaging. It was observed that the cytotoxicity of BNNTs is higher in cancer cells (65 and 80%) than in normal cell lines (40 and 60%) for 24 h and 48 h respectively. The influence of multiple experimental parameters such as pH, time, amount of catalyst, and initial dye concentration on percentage degradation efficiency was also examined for both catalyst and dye. The degradation effectiveness decreases (92 to 25%) as the original concentration of dye increases (5-50 ppm) due to a decrease in the availability of adsorption sites. Similarly, the degradation efficiency improves up to 90% as the concentration of catalyst increases (0.01-0.05 g) due to an increase in the adsorption sites. The influence of pH was also investigated, the highest degradation efficiency for MO dye was observed at pH 4. Our results show that lower concentrations of BNNTs can be employed in biomedical applications. Dye degradation properties of BNNTs suggest that it can be a potential candidate as a wastewater and air treatment material.

Biogenic Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticles of 18.27 nm by Zanthozylum armatum and Determination of Biological Potentials.

Nanotechnology has become a dire need of the current era and the green synthesis of nanoparticles offers several advantages over other methods. Nanobiotechnology is an emerging field that contributes to many domains of human life, such as the formulation of nanoscale drug systems or nanomedicine for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Medicinal plants are the main sources of lead compounds, drug candidates and drugs. This work reports the green synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the aqueous bark extract of Zanthozylum armatum, which was confirmed by a UV absorption at 457 nm. XRD analysis revealed an average size of 18.27 nm and SEM showed the particles' spherical shape, with few irregularly shaped particles due to the aggregation of the AgNPs. FT-IR revealed the critical functional groups of phytochemicals which acted as reducing and stabilizing agents. The bark extract showed rich flavonoids (333 mg RE/g) and phenolic contents (82 mg GAE/g), which were plausibly responsible for its high antioxidant potency (IC50 = 14.61 µg/mL). Extract-loaded AgNPs exhibited the highest but equal inhibition against E. coli and P. aeruginosa (Z.I. 11.0 mm), whereas methanolic bark extract inhibited to a lesser extent, but equally to both pathogens (Z.I. 6.0 mm). The aqueous bark extract inhibited P. aeruginosa (Z.I. 9.0 mm) and (Z.I. 6.0 mm) E. coli. These findings-especially the biosynthesis of spherical AgNPs of 18.27 nm-provide promise for further investigation and for the development of commercializable biomedical products.

Characterization of various acrylate based artificial teeth for denture fabrication.

Acrylic resins-based artificial teeth are frequently used for the fabrication of dentures has and contribute a very strong share in the global market. However, the scientific literature reporting the comparative analysis data of various artificial teeth is scarce. Focusing on that, the present study investigated various types of commercially available artificial teeth, composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Artificial teeth are characterized for chemical analysis, morphological features, thermal analysis, and mechanical properties (surface hardness, compressive strength). Different types of artificial teeth showed distinct mechanical (compression strength, Vickers hardness) and thermal properties (thermal gravimetric analysis) which may be attributed to the difference in the content of PMMA and type and quantity of different fillers in their composition. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results exhibited that vinyl end groups of PMMA degraded above 200 °C, whereas 340-400 °C maximum degradation temperature was measured by differential thermal analysis (DTA) for all samples. Crisma brand showed the highest compressive strength and young modulus (88.6 MPa and 1654 MPa) while the lowest value of Vickers hardness was demonstrated by Pigeon and Vital brands. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs showed that Crisma, Pigeon, and Vital exhibited characteristics of a brittle fracture; however, Artis and Well bite brands contained elongated voids on their surfaces. According to the mechanical analysis and SEM data, Well bite teeth showed a significantly higher mechanical strength compared to other groups. However, no considerable difference was observed in Vickers hardness of all groups. Graphical abstract.

Detection and Quantification of Precious Elements in Astrophyllite Mineral by Optical Spectroscopy.

With many advantages over well-established methods, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has emerged as a useful analytical technique for the compositional analysis of multi-elemental geological materials. In this study, LIBS was employed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of a rare mineral, astrophyllite, bearing precious elements of industrial and technological interest. The experiment was carried out using second harmonic generation of Nd:YAG laser of pulse width 5 ns and repetition rate of 10 Hz. Microplasma was produced by focusing laser beam on an astrophyllite target, and optical emissions from the generated plasma were recorded in the spectral range of 200-720 nm with the help of a LIBS2000+ detection system. On analyzing the optical spectra, existence of 15 elements in astrophyllite target were revealed. These elements include: Ti, W, Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Na, Ni, Si and H. For quantification, calibration-free method was used. Only ten elements, namely Ti, W, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ca, Mg, Ni, Si and Al, were quantified with relative weight concentrations of 55.39%, 18.79%, 18.30%, 4.05%, 2.66, 0.43%, 0.18%, 0.12%, 0.06% and 0.02%, respectively. To benchmark these results, XRF analysis was performed, which confirmed the presence of all the elements detected in the optical spectrum of the sample, except for Na, Li, and H. The concentrations of these ten elements as measured by XRF were in reasonable agreement, especially for the major elements. The presence of a significant amount of Ti and W in an astrophyllite sample, found in Pakistan, highlights the economic value of this mineral. This study may be of further interest in commissioning LIBS technology for exploration of minerals in the region.

Enhanced Optical and Antibacterial Activity of Hydrothermally Synthesized Cobalt-Doped Zinc Oxide Cylindrical Microcrystals.

Cobalt (Co) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) microcrystals (MCs) are prepared by using the hydrothermal method from the precursor's mixture of zinc chloride (ZnCl2), cobalt-II chloride hexahydrate (CoCl2·6H2O), and potassium hydroxide (KOH). The smooth round cylindrical morphologies of the synthesized microcrystals of Co-doped ZnO show an increase in absorption with the cobalt doping. The antibacterial activity of the as-obtained Co-doped ZnO-MCs was tested against the bacterial strains of gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes) via the agar well diffusion method. The zones of inhibition (ZOI) for Co-doped ZnO-MCs against E. coli and K. pneumoniae were found to be 17 and 19 mm, and 15 and 16 mm against S. Aureus and S. pyogenes, respectively. The prepared Co-doped ZnO-MCs were thus established as a probable antibacterial agent against gram-negative bacterial strains.

Synergistic effects of Cu-doped ZnO nanoantibiotic against Gram-positive bacterial strains.

A viable hydrothermal technique has been explored for the synthesis of copper doped Zinc oxide nanoparticles (Cu-doped ZnO-NPs) based on the precursor's mixture of Copper-II chloride dihydrate (CuCl2.2H2O), Zinc chloride (ZnCl2), and potassium hydroxide (KOH). X-ray diffraction (XRD) reported the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the synthesized Cu-doped ZnO-NPs. The surface morphology is checked via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), whereas, the elemental compositions of the samples were confirmed by Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The as-obtained ZnO-NPs and Cu-doped ZnO-NPs were then tested for their antibacterial activity against clinical isolates of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia) bacteria via agar well diffusion method. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) for Cu-doped ZnO-NPs was found to be 24 and 19 mm against S. Aureus and S. pyogenes, and 18 and 11 mm against E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively. The synthesized Cu-doped ZnO-NPs can thus be found as a potential nano antibiotic against Gram-positive multi-drug resistant bacterial strains.

Structural, Optical and Antibacterial Efficacy of Pure and Zinc-Doped Copper Oxide against Pathogenic Bacteria.

Copper oxide and Zinc (Zn)-doped Copper oxide nanostructures (CuO-NSs) are successfully synthesized by using a hydrothermal technique. The as-obtained pure and Zn-doped CuO-NSs were tested to study the effect of doping in CuO on structural, optical, and antibacterial properties. The band gap of the nanostructures is calculated by using the Tauc plot. Our results have shown that the band gap of CuO reduces with the addition of Zinc. Optimization of processing conditions and concentration of precursors leads to the formation of pine needles and sea urchin-like nanostructures. The antibacterial properties of obtained Zn-doped CuO-NSs are observed against Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria via the agar well diffusion method. Zn doped s are found to have more effective bacterial resistance than pure CuO. The improved antibacterial activity is attributed to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.

Concept of 'Ihtiraq' in Unani Medicine - A correlation with oxidative stress, and future prospects.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In recent years, oxidative stress (OS) and the generation of ROS have been recognized as a fundamental pathology contributing, at least partially, to a number of important diseases. However, the therapeutic application has been simplistically limited to using antioxidants with little correction of diseases, and many biomarkers of OS, although confirming and quantifying the magnitude of this pathology, are not suggestive of the underlying causes behind generation of a large amount of free radicals. Unfortunately, research has not noted the multi-implication parallel phenomenon of Ihtiraq (Combustion) in Unani Medicine, which possesses much richer etiopathological sub-typing and much more variegated selective and specific treatments (and prophylactics) corresponding to each sub-type of Ihtiraq; the identification of each sub-type's molecular counterparts can be used to develop not only sub-types of OS pathologies and corresponding selective treatments/prophylactics but also non-biomolecular factors. Eminent Unani physicians described a deteriorative phenomenon, which they termed as 'Ihtiraq' which stands for extreme metabolism or 'combustion' and is recognized as a fundamental pathology, contributing as a major factor to the development of chronic diseases. Further, Unani Medicine also possesses a pathophysiological phenomenon called 'Hararat Ghariba' (Unnatural Heat) whose diverse associations with Ihtiraq may be correlatable as upstream, parallel, or downstream associations of OS and consequent pathologies. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study is to: 1. Explore the correlation of the phenomenon and etiopathology of Ihtiraq and OS and the treatment and prevention of the pathologies arising from them. 2. Extrapolate Ihtiraq, its types, causes, prevention, and treatment to OS, hitherto existing as a fundamental and monolithic pathology of increased ROS, to hypothesize its molecular-level sub-typing, as well as to propose selective interventions in these molecular sub-types of OS in place of the existing use of only basic antioxidants such as Vitamin C. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This review is presented with a noteworthy insight into Unani concepts and a thorough study of classical Unani literature by Ibn Sina (10th century), Zakaria Razi (9th century), Ibn Rushd (12th century), Ibn al-Nafees (13th century), Majusi (10th century), and Jurjani (11th century), and comparative detailed study of modern concepts of OS from literature databases, as well as Google, recent researches, and review articles. RESULT: The study showed very close correspondences between the phenomenon, etiopathology, and treatment and prevention of Ihtiraq in Unani Medicine and OS in contemporary biomolecular medicine. It also revealed sub-types of Ihtiraq and corresponding selective Unani treatments and prophylactics including drugs and non-drug factors. CONCLUSION: After a comprehensive study and analysis of the most recent researches and classical theories, it can be stated that OS can be seen as a molecular level expression of Ihtiraq. Further, various components of Ihtiraq may be used to hypothesize molecular sub-types of OS and propose corresponding specific interventions.

Defect-mediated photoluminescence enhancement in ZnO/ITO via MeV Cu++ ion irradiation.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires play a pivotal role in the nanoworld due to their broad range of characteristics and applications. In this work, structural and optical properties of ZnO nanowires grown on indium doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass have been modified by copper (Cu++) ions irradiation at constant energy of 0.7 MeV. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) are used to examine changes in the nanowires. XRD results show that the crystallite size first decreases and then increases with high ion dose while peaks' intensity decreases continuously with increasing the dose. The absence of (102) plane after irradiation depicts the defects formation. FESEM clearly shows the damage that occurred in the density of nanowires and also depicts the reduced charging effect with increasing dose. The PL spectra indicate the strong near-band edge peak and green luminescence enhancement has been recorded due to low dose ion irradiation.