Ionic liquid based surfactant-free microemulsion as a new protocol for preparation of visible light active poly(methyl methacrylate)/TiO nanocomposite.

The practical application of sensitized TiO nanocomposites is very satisfying due to their high photon utilization in visible light, simple recovery without affecting the photocatalytic performance, high energy efficiency, low potential environmental risk, and low operational costs. The objective of this study is developing the ionic liquid (IL)-based surfactant-free microemulsion, as a soft template, for preparation of a novel type of sensitized poly(methyl methacrylate)/TiO nanocomposite (PMMA/TiO/IL). For this purpose, a series of visible light-responsive PMMA/TiO/IL transparent nanocomposites were prepared in microemulsion composed of methyl methacrylate monomer, 1-buthyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF]), and 1-buthanol as amphi-solvent.

Formulation, characterization, and in vitro/ex vivo evaluation of quercetin-loaded microemulsion for topical application.

The aim of this study was to develop a new microemulsion formulation for topical application of poorly soluble drug named quercetin. In order to design suitable microemulsion system, the pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of microemulsion systems were constructed at different surfactant/co-surfactant ratios using tween 80 as surfactant, transcutol P as a co-surfactant and oleic acid as an oil phase. Some physicochemical properties such as droplet size, density, refractive index, electrical conductivity, pH, surface tension, and viscosity of the microemulsion systems were measured at 298.

Applications of a new type of poly(methyl methacrylate)/TiO2 nanocomposite as an antibacterial agent and a reducing photocatalyst.

A new type of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/TiO2 nanocomposite film sensitized by ionic liquids with a low dosage of TiO2 nanoparticles was prepared based on a microemulsion method. The photocatalytic activity, via the photoreduction of 4-nitrophenole (4-NP) to 4-aminophenole (4-AP) by NaBH4, and the photocatalytic-based antibacterial activity, for the destruction of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, of the prepared nanocomposite film were investigated. The conditions for the maximum efficiency in the presence of visible light irradiation have been evaluated.

Effect of surfactant type on platinum nanoparticle size of composite Pt/α-Al₂O₃ catalysts synthesized by a microemulsion method.

A facile method for the generation of platinum-on-alumina hybrid materials with high-surface area is presented, employing a microemulsion-based synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Pt nanoparticles (NPs) supported on α-Al2O3 were prepared by the reduction of metal ions in water-in-oil microemulsion systems stabilized by a range of different surfactants with cationic, anionic and nonionic headgroups, namely AOT, CTAB, Tween80 and TX-100. The synthesized materials were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Effect of nano-zinc oxide on doxorubicin- induced oxidative stress and sperm disorders in adult male Wistar rats.

Background: Doxorubicin (DOX), an anthracycline antibiotic, is a widely used anticancer agent. In spite of its high antitumor efficacy, the use of DOX in clinical chemotherapy is limited due to diverse toxicities, including gonadotoxicity.

Objective: We investigated the protective effect of nano-zinc oxide (nZnO) as an established antioxidant on DOX-induced testicular disorders.

Photorecovery of nanoparticles from an organic solvent.

Commercial silica nanoparticles were dispersed in toluene, stabilized by a mixture of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) and a photolyzable anionic surfactant sodium hexylphenylazosulfonate (C6PAS). Selective photolysis of the interfacial C6PAS component induces colloid instability, resulting in flocculation and eventual phase separation of the silica nanoparticles. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to follow the photochemical breakdown of C6PAS; diffusion coefficient measurements by dynamic light scattering were employed to monitor the photoinduced flocculation; and silica contents in the toluene, before and after UV light irradiation, were determined gravimetrically.

Tuning aggregation of microemulsion droplets and silica nanoparticles using solvent mixtures.

The effect of solvent on stability of water-in-oil microemulsions has been studied with AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate) and different solvent mixtures of n-heptane, toluene and dodecane. Dynamic light scattering DLS was used to monitor the apparent diffusion coefficient D(A) and effective microemulsion droplet diameter on changing composition of the solvent. Interdroplet attractive interactions, as indicated by variations in D(A), can be tuned by formulation of appropriate solvent mixtures using heptane, toluene, and dodecane.

Amino acids partitioning in aqueous two-phase system of polypropylene glycol and magnesium sulfate.

The counter-current chromatography method using aqueous two-phase systems, which is a form of liquid-liquid partition chromatography, could be applied for separation of the amino acids. This method needs some information about the partition coefficient of the amino acids in such systems. In this work, partitioning of amino acids d-alanine, l-valine and l-leucine was investigated in aqueous two-phase system of polypropylene glycol (PPG425)+MgSO4+H2O at 298.