l-Cysteine-Conjugated Ruthenium Hydrous Oxide Nanomaterials with Anticancer Active Application.

Bioactive nanomaterials, namely: ruthenium hydrous oxide (or ruthenium oxy-hydroxide), RuOx(OH)y and also a surface-conjugated novel material of the same within the template of an amino acid molecule, l-cysteine, have been studied. These compounds have been prepared through a simple wet chemical route, under physiological conditions, such that they could be suitably used in anticancer applications. Several physical methods were used for the nanomaterial characterization, e.g.: thermal analysis of the as prepared ruthenium hydrous oxide by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) followed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). This confirms that the material is a precursor for anhydrous nanocrystalline ruthenium oxide (RuO2), as is affirmed by powder X-ray diffraction pattern. Also, optical spectroscopic absorption (UV-vis and FT-IR) study of these nanoparticles (NPs) to ascertain their surface conjugation with l-cysteine have been performed. Besides these, surface morphology of the NPs were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) along with their elemental purity check through energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Their surface chemical microenvironments were examined by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS). The hydrodynamic size of the prepared NPs were measured through dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies. Further, biological consequences of these NPs on cancerous HeLa cells and their cytotoxicity effects have been reported with MTT assay, such an application has not been reported so far.

Co-Ni Layered Double Hydroxide for the Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Organic Molecules: An Approach to Lowering the Overall Cell Voltage for the Water Splitting Process.

Electrocatalytic oxidation of simple organic molecules offers a promising strategy to combat the sluggish kinetics of the water oxidation reaction (WOR). The low potential requirement, inhibition of the crossover of gases, and formation of value-added products at the anode are benefits of the electrocatalytic oxidation of organic molecules. Herein, we developed cobalt-nickel-based layered double hydroxide (LDH) as a robust material for the electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols and urea at the anode, replacing the WOR. A facile synthesis protocol to form LDHs with different ratios of Co and Ni is adapted. It demonstrates that the reactants could be efficiently oxidized to concomitant chemical products at the anode. The half-cell study shows an onset potential of 1.30 V for benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction (BAOR), 1.36 V for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR), 1.33 V for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), and 1.32 V for urea oxidation reaction (UOR) compared with 1.53 V for WOR. Notably, the hybrid electrolyzer in a full-cell configuration significantly reduces the overall cell voltage at a 20 mA cm-2 current density by ∼15% while coupling with the BAOR, EOR, and GOR and ∼12% with the UOR as the anodic half-cell reaction. Furthermore, the efficiency of hydrogen generation remains unhampered with the types of oxidation reactions (alcohols and urea) occurring at the anode. This work demonstrates the prospects of lowering the overall cell voltage in the case of a water electrolyzer by integrating the hydrogen evolution reaction with suitable organic molecule oxidation.

Tailored synthesis of ultra-stable Au@Pd nanoflowers with enhanced catalytic properties using cellulose nanocrystals.

A green strategy for the synthesis of bimetallic core-shell Au@Pd nanoflowers (NFs) employing banana pseudo-stem-derived TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystals (TCNC) as both capping and shape-directing agent via seed-mediated method is presented. Flower-like nanostructures of Au@Pd bound to TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystals (TCNC-Au@Pd) were decorated on amino-functionalized graphene (NH2-RGO) without losing their unique structure, allowing them to be deployed as an efficient, reusable and a green alternative heterogeneous catalyst. The decisive role of TCNC in the structural metamorphosis of nanoparticle morphology were inferred from the structural and morphology analyses. According to our study, the presence of -OH rich TCNC appears to play a pivotal role in the structured evolution of intricate nanostructure morphology. The feasibility of the bio-supported catalyst has been investigated in two concurrently prevalent model catalytic reactions, namely the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the best model reactions in fuel cell and industrial catalytic applications, respectively.

Glycine-Induced Electrodeposition of Nanostructured Cobalt Hydroxide: A Bifunctional Catalyst for Overall Water Splitting.

Herein, an interconnected α-Co(OH)2 structure with a network-like architecture was used as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the overall water splitting reaction in alkaline medium. The complexing ability of glycine with a transition metal was exploited to form [Co(gly)3 ]- dispersion at pH 10, which was used for the electrodeposition. High-resolution TEM, UV/Vis-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to confirm that the as-synthesized materials had an α-Co(OH)2 phase. The electrocatalytic oxygen and hydrogen evolution activity of the glycine-coordinated α-Co(OH)2 was found to be approximately 320 and 145 mV, respectively, at 10 mA cm-2 . The material required approximately 1.60 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode; RHE) to achieve the benchmark of 10 mA cm-2 for overall water splitting with a mass activity of approximately 63.7 A g-1 at 1.60 V (vs. RHE). The chronoamperometric response was measured to evidence the stability of the material for overall water splitting for up to 24 h. Characterization of the catalyst after the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions was performed by XPS and showed the presence of a CoII /CoIII oxidation state.

Biomimetic Method To Assemble Nanostructured Ag@ZnO on Cotton Fabrics: Application as Self-Cleaning Flexible Materials with Visible-Light Photocatalysis and Antibacterial Activities.

A bioinspired mineralization route to prepare self-cleaning cotton fabrics by functionalizing their surface with nanostructured Ag@ZnO is demonstrated herein. In a polyamine-mediated mineralization process, while the nucleation, organization and coating of ZnO is done directly from water-soluble zinc salts under mild conditions, the entrapped polyamine in the ZnO matrix acts as reducing agent to generate Ag(0) from Ag(I) at room temperature. The Ag@ZnO coated cotton fabrics are characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, XRD, and UV-vis-DRS to confirm the formation and coating of Ag@ZnO particles on individual threads of the fabric. The presence of Ag nanoparticles not only enables the ZnO-coated fabrics exhibiting improved photocatalytic property but also allows for visible-light-driven activities. Furthermore, it exhibits efficient antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, besides these multifunctional properties, the polyamine-mediated bioinspired approach is expected to pave way for functionalization of flexible substrates under mild conditions as desirable for the development and fabrication of smart, lightweight, and wearable devices for various niche applications.