Methodological Impact on Curing Kinetics of Bone Cement Based on Poly (Styrene--Methyl Methacrylate)-2D Nanofiller Nanocomposites.

Herein, we report the methodological impact on the curing kinetics of bone cement based on polymer nanocomposites prepared using different methods. Poly (styrene--methylmethacrylate)-2D nanofiller nanocomposites (P(S-MMA)-2D Nanofiller) were prepared using bulk and suspension polymerization methods to study the effect of the different methods. The prepared nanocomposites were well-characterized for chemical, thermal, mechanical, and structural characteristics using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), nano-indentation, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively.

Investigation of the Application of Reduced Graphene Oxide-SPION Quantum Dots for Magnetic Hyperthermia.

Integrating hyperthermia with conventional cancer therapies shows promise in improving treatment efficacy while mitigating their side effects. Nanotechnology-based hyperthermia, particularly using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), offers a simplified solution for cancer treatment. In this study, we developed composites of SPION quantum dots (FeO) with reduced graphene oxide (FeO/RGO) using the coprecipitation method and investigated their potential application in magnetic hyperthermia.

A 2D hybrid nanocomposite: a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries at high temperature.

Two-dimensional atomically thick materials including graphene, BN, and molybdenum disulfide (MoS) have been investigated as possible energy storage materials, because of their large specific surface area, potential redox activity, and mechanical stability. Unfortunately, these materials cannot reach their full potential due to their low electrical conductivity and layered structural restacking. These problems have been somewhat resolved in the past by composite electrodes composed of a graphene and MoS mixture; however, insufficient mixing at the nanoscale still limits performance.

Improving Water Retention in Sandy Soils with High-Performance Superabsorbents Hydrogel Polymer.

Improving the water retention capability of drained and sandy soils is vital for nurturing high-quality soil. This protective measure ensures the conservation of essential nutrients, such as fertilizers and organic matter; maintains soil quality; and prevents erosion. Superabsorbent hydrogels (SAHs) have emerged as promising solutions to boost water retention in sandy soils, typically characterized by a poor water-holding capacity.

Blackberry Seeds-Derived Carbon as Stable Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The suitability of biocarbons derived from blackberry seeds as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries has been assessed for the first time. Blackberry seeds have antibacterial, anticancer, antidysentery, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, and potent antioxidant properties and are generally used for herbal medical purposes. Carbon is extracted from blackberries using a straightforward carbonization technique and activated with KOH at temperatures 700, 800, and 900 °C.

2D Hybrid Nanocomposite Materials (h-BN/G/MoS) as a High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrode.

The nanocomposites of hexagonal boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide, and graphene (h-BN/G/MoS) are promising energy storage materials. The originality of the current work is the first-ever synthesis of 2D-layered ternary nanocomposites of boron nitrate, graphene, and molybdenum disulfide (h-BN/G/MoS) using ball milling and the sonication method and the investigation of their applicability for supercapacitor applications. The morphological investigation confirms the well-dispersed composite material production, and the ternary composite appears to be made of h-BN and MoS wrapping graphene.

Flexible and Freestanding MoS/Graphene Composite for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Two-dimensional atomically thick materials such as graphene and layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS) have been studied as potential energy storage materials because of their high specific surface area, potential redox activity, and mechanical flexibility. However, because of the layered structure restacking and poor electrical conductivity, these materials are unable to attain their full potential. Composite electrodes made of a mixture of graphene and MoS have been shown to partially resolve these issues in the past, although their performance is still limited by inadequate mixing at the nanoscale.

Dendritic Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles with Photosensitizers for Cell Imaging, siRNA Delivery and Protein Loading.

Dendritic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (DMON) are a new class of biodegradable nanoparticles suitable for biomolecule delivery. We studied the photochemical internalization (PCI) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of DMON to investigate new ways for DMON to escape from the endosomes-lysosomes and deliver biomolecules into the cytoplasm of cells. We added photosensitizers in the framework of DMON and found that DMON were loaded with siRNA or FVIII factor protein.

Insight into thermo-mechanical enhancement of polymer nanocomposites coated microsand proppants for hydraulic fracturing.

The present work reports the fabrication of ultra-high strength microsand proppants (100 mesh) through a polymer nanocomposite dual coating approach and gives insight into their thermo-mechanical reinforcements. The dual coating can be of 3D-cross-linked poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate)/divinylbenzene) (PS-PMMA/DVB) porous network and thermally cross-linked epoxy with graphene nanosheets. The inner layer of PS-PMMA/DVB was prepared using bulk polymerization of styrene (S) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) at 70 °C with a free radical initiator azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN).

Custom-made holey graphene scanning probe block co-polymer lithography.

Oxidative chemical etching of metal nanoparticles (NPs) to produce holey graphene (hG) suffers from the presence of aggregated NPs on the graphene surface triggering heterogeneous etching rates and thereby producing irregular sized holes. To encounter such a challenge, we investigated the use of scanning probe block co-polymer lithography (SPBCL) to fabricate precisely positioned silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on graphene surfaces with exquisite control over the NP size to prevent their aggregation and consequently produce uniformly distributed holes after oxidative chemical etching. SPBCL experiments were carried out printing an ink suspension consisting of poly(ethylene oxide--2-vinylpyridine) and silver nitrate on a graphene surface in a selected pattern under controlled environmental and instrumental parameters followed by thermal annealing in a gaseous environment to fabricate AgNPs.

PEG Coated FeO/RGO Nano-Cube-Like Structures for Cancer Therapy via Magnetic Hyperthermia.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have high saturation magnetization and are promising candidates for hyperthermia. They may act as magnetic heating agents when subjected to magnetic field in nano-based hyperthermia. In this work, cube-like FeO nanoparticles (labelled as cubic SPIONs) with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites were prepared by a microwave hydrothermal method.

Microwave Irradiation Synthesis and Characterization of Reduced-(Graphene Oxide-(Polystyrene-Polymethyl Methacrylate))/Silver Nanoparticle Nanocomposites and their Anti-Microbial Activity.

Herein, we report a facile process for the preparation of styrene and methyl-methacrylate copolymer nanocomposites containing reduced graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles ((R-(GO-(PS-PMMA))/AgNPs)) by using (i) microwave irradiation (MWI) to obtain R-(GO-(PS-PMMA))/AgNPs and (ii) the in situ bulk polymerization technique to produce RGO/AgNPs-(PS-PMMA). Various characterization techniques, including FT-IR, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, HR-TEM, DSC, and TGA analysis, were used to characterize the prepared nanocomposites. The Berkovich nanoindentation method was employed to determine the hardness and elastic modulus of the nanocomposites.

Two dimensional (2D) reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) based nanocomposites as anodes for high temperature rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

With lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries as energy storage devices, operational safety from thermal runaway remains a major obstacle especially for applications in harsh environments such as in the oil industry. In this approach, a facile method via microwave irradiation technique (MWI) was followed to prepare CoO/reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanocomposites as anodes for high temperature li-ion batteries. Results showed that the addition of h-BN not only enhanced the thermal stability of CoO/RGO nanocomposites but also enhanced the specific surface area.

Novel Synthesis of Holey Reduced Graphene Oxide/Polystyrene (HRGO/PS) Nanocomposites by Microwave Irradiation as Anodes for High-Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries.

To overcome the risk of exothermic lithium-ion battery overheating reactions, we fabricated a novel, high-temperature-stable anode material composed of holey reduced graphene oxide/polystyrene (HRGO/PS) nanocomposites synthesized through in situ bulk polymerization in the presence of HRGO via microwave irradiation. The HRGO/PS nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy analyses including field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. All characterization studies demonstrated homogenous dispersion of HRGO in the PS matrix, which enhanced the thermal and electrical properties of the overall nanocomposites.

Polymeric Reactor for the Synthesis of Superparamagnetic-Thermal Treatment of Breast Cancer.

Engineered superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have been studied extensively for their localized homogeneous heat generation in breast cancer therapy. However, challenges such as aggregation and inability to produce sub-10 nm SPIONs limit their potential in magnetothermal ablation. We report a facile, efficient, and robust in situ method for the synthesis of SPIONs within a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) reactor adsorbed onto reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (rGO) via the microwave hydrothermal route.

Template Assisted Microwave Synthesis of rGO-ZrO₂ Composites: Efficient Photocatalysts Under Visible Light.

In this research, cetyltetraethyl ammonium bromide template assisted microwave procedure was utilized to synthesize reduced graphene oxide-zirconia (rGO-ZrO₂) nanocomposites by varying the rGO composition (1, 2, 5 and 10 wt%). The physico-chemical characteristics of the nanocomposites were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffusive reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV-vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N2-physisorption techniques. The results from XRD, Raman and DSC studies indicate that the increase in rGO concentration resulted in the delay in ZrO₂ crystallization temperature and alteration of ZrO₂ phase from monoclinic to tetragonal due to an effective incorporation of rGO nanosheets in ZrO₂ structure.

Enhanced Electrochemical performance at high temperature of Cobalt Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites and its application in lithium-ion batteries.

We report a microwave irradiation method for the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) based CoO nanocomposites as anodes for lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries. The CoO/RGO nanocomposites displayed good electrochemical behavior as anodic materials for li-ion batteries when compared to pure CoO. The CoO/RGO nanocomposites with low RGO content resulted in stable electrochemical performance with 100% coulombic efficiency at a high current density of 500 mA/g for 50 cycles.

Designed Synthesis of Nanostructured Magnetic Hydroxyapatite Based Drug Nanocarrier for Anti-Cancer Drug Delivery toward the Treatment of Human Epidermoid Carcinoma.

Superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on hydroxyapatite nanorod based nanostructures (Fe₃O₄/HAp) were synthesized using hydrothermal techniques at 180 °C for 12 h and were used as drug delivery nanocarriers for cancer cell therapeutic applications. The synthesized Fe₃O₄/HAp nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)-analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The morphologies of the Fe₃O₄/HAp nanocomposites show 15 nm Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles dispersed in the form of rods.

Biogenic synthesis of Zinc oxide nanostructures from Nigella sativa seed: Prospective role as food packaging material inhibiting broad-spectrum quorum sensing and biofilm.

Bacterial spoilage of food products is regulated by density dependent communication system called quorum sensing (QS). QS control biofilm formation in numerous food pathogens and Biofilms formed on food surfaces act as carriers of bacterial contamination leading to spoilage of food and health hazards. Agents inhibiting or interfering with bacterial QS and biofilm are gaining importance as a novel class of next-generation food preservatives/packaging material.

Low temperature growth of ZnO nanotubes for fluorescence quenching detection of DNA.

In this work, large-scale and single-crystalline ZnO nanotubes were fabricated by a simple technique from an aqueous solution at a low temperature of 65 °C. According to detailed morphology, structural and compositional analyses showed that the ZnO nanotubes [diameter ~200 nm (wall thickness ~50 nm); length ~1 µm] have single-crystallite with wurtzite structure. As-prepared ZnO nanotubes showed an effective fluorescence quenching for the detection of calf thymus DNA.

Novel synthesis of holey reduced graphene oxide (HRGO) by microwave irradiation method for anode in lithium-ion batteries.

In this work, holey reduced graphene oxide (HRGO) was synthesized by the deposition of silver (Ag) nanoparticles onto the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets followed by nitric acid treatment to remove Ag nanoparticles by microwave irradiation to form a porous structure. The HRGO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultra violet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Raman spectroscopy. These novel HRGO exhibited high rate capability with excellent cycling stability as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Novel Biomimatic Synthesis of ZnO Nanorods Using Egg White (Albumen) and Their Antibacterial Studies.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is well-recognized as a biocompatible multifunctional material with outstanding properties as well as low toxicity and biodegradability. In this work, a simple and versatile technique was developed to prepare highly crystalline ZnO nanorods by introducing egg white to a bio-inspired approach. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern results indicated that the ZnO nanorods have single phase nature with the wurtzite structure.

Polystyrene-Poly(methyl methacrylate) Silver Nanocomposites: Significant Modification of the Thermal and Electrical Properties by Microwave Irradiation.

This work compares the preparation of nanocomposites of polystyrene (PS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and PSMMA co-polymer containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using bulk polymerization with and without microwave irradiation (MWI). The AgNPs prepared were embedded within the polymer matrix. A modification in the thermal stability of the PS/Ag, PMMA/Ag, and PSMMA/Ag nanocomposites using MWI and was observed compared with that of neat PSMMA, PS, and PMMA.

Microwave Irradiation Effect on the Dispersion and Thermal Stability of RGO Nanosheets within a Polystyrene Matrix.

Polystyrene-reduced graphene oxide (PSTY/RGO) composites were prepared via the bulk polymerization method using two different preparation techniques. The general approach is to use microwave irradiation (MWI) to enhance the exfoliation and the dispersion of RGO nanosheets within the PSTY matrix. In the first approach, a mixture of GO and styrene monomers (STY) were polymerized using a bulk polymerization method facilitated by microwave irradiation (MWI) to obtain R-(GO-PSTY) composites.