Multifractal Analysis and Experimental Evaluation of MCM-48 Mesoporous Silica as a Drug Delivery System for Metformin Hydrochloride.

: This study explored the potential of MCM-48 mesoporous silica matrices as a drug delivery system for metformin hydrochloride, aimed at improving the therapeutic management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objectives included the synthesis and characterization of MCM-48, assessment of its drug loading capacity, analysis of drug release profiles under simulated physiological conditions, and the development of a multifractal dynamics-based theoretical framework to model and interpret the release kinetics. : MCM-48 was synthesized using a sol-gel method and characterized by SEM-EDX, TEM, and nitrogen adsorption techniques.

Novel nanohybrid iron (II/III) phthalocyanine-based carbon nanotubes as catalysts for organic pollutant removal: process optimization by chemometric approach.

In the present study, two iron phthalocyanine (FePc)-based nanocatalysts were synthesized and fully characterized. The carbon nanotubes (CNT) functionalized in an easy way with either Fe(II)Pc or Fe(III)Pc exhibit a very good catalytical activity. The activity in real wastewater effluent was comparable with the activity in distilled water.

Mucoadhesive Mesoporous Silica Particles as Versatile Carriers for Doxorubicin Delivery in Cancer Therapy.

Due to their structural, morphological, and behavioral characteristics (e.g., large volume and adjustable pore size, wide functionalization possibilities, excellent biocompatibility, stability, and controlled biodegradation, the ability to protect cargoes against premature release and unwanted degradation), mesoporous silica particles (MSPs) are emerging as a promising diagnostic and delivery platform with a key role in the development of next-generation theranostics, nanovaccines, and formulations.

Conjugated Polymer Modifying TiO Performance for Visible-Light Photodegradation of Organics.

Up to now, the use of TiO has been considered a promising advanced technology for organic pollutants removal from air or water, since it has high biological and chemical stability, high photoactivity, low toxicity, and low-cost production. However, there are issues to be addressed in enhancing TiO performance, and one of the current key issues is redesigning UV-active photocatalysts and making them active in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This way, solar light absorption will be insured, and thus, a more efficient photocatalyst could be obtained.

Adsorption Capacity of Silica SBA-15 and Titanosilicate ETS-10 toward Indium Ions.

Indium is an extremely important element for industry that is distributed in the Earth's crust at very low concentrations. The recovery of indium by silica SBA-15 and titanosilicate ETS-10 was investigated at different pH levels, temperatures, times of contact and indium concentrations. A maximum removal of indium by ETS-10 was achieved at pH 3.

CoFeO@HaP as Magnetic Heterostructures for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment.

The aim of this study was to synthesize a CoFeO@HaP nanocomposite (HaP-Hydroxyapatite) through the coprecipitation method in aqueous solution, with the purpose of using it in adsorption processes for the removal of Congo Red dye from aqueous solutions. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to characterize the synthesized material, identifying absorption bands specific to the functional groups of cobalt ferrite (Fe-O and Co-O at 603 and 472 cm) and hydroxyapatite PO at 1035, 962, 603 and 565 cm. Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed the cubic spinel structure of cobalt ferrite (S.

Green Synthesis of Advanced Carbon Materials Used as Precursors for Adsorbents Applied in Wastewater Treatment.

Huge amounts of vegetable waste, mainly resulting from the food industry, need large areas for storage, as they could cause hazardous environmental impact, leading to soil and water pollution or to CO emissions during accidental incineration. This work was aimed at recycling certain lignocellulosic waste (walnut shells, kernels of peach, apricot, and olive) to design advanced carbon material precursors (ACMP) to be used for obtaining nano-powders with high applicative potential in pollution abatement. Both waste and ACMP were characterized using proximate and elemental analysis, and by optical microscopy.

Optimization of Arsenic Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Amidoxime Resin Hosted by Mesoporous Silica.

The paper reports on the performances of cross-linked amidoxime hosted into mesoporous silica (AMOX) in the removal of As(III) and As(V). The optimum pH for sorption of As(III) and As(V) was pH 8 and pH 5, respectively. The PFO kinetic model and the Sips isotherm fitted the best the experimental data.

New Polymeric Adsorbents Functionalized with Aminobenzoic Groups for the Removal of Residual Antibiotics.

In this paper, we present the synthesis of new polymeric adsorbents derived from macroporous chloromethylated styrene-divinylbenzene (DVB) copolymers with different cross-linking degrees functionalized with the following aminobenzoic groups: styrene-6.7% DVB (PAB1), styrene-10% DVB (PAB2), and styrene-15% DVB (PAB3). The new polymeric products, PAB1, PAB2, and PAB3, were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and EDX, SEM, and BET analysis, respectively.

Cu(II)/Guanidine Functionalized Disiloxane Complex of Supramolecular Structures for Visible Light-Driven Photocatalysis of Congo Red.

The present study focuses on the synthesis of a new guanidine-functionalized disiloxane used as a ligand to obtain copper(II) complexes linked through hydrogen bonding into supramolecular structures. A two-step procedure was used to prepare the guanidine functionalized disiloxane ligand. Firstly, the hydrosilylation reaction between the siloxane precursor, namely 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane (DS), and the allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) was performed in the presence of a platinum catalyst resulting in glycidoxypropyldisiloxane (DS-PMO) intermediary compound.

Experimental Studies on the Removal of Aluminium Ions from Synthetic Aqueous Solution by Hydroxyapatites.

In this work we have presented the results obtained in the adsorption behavior of hydroxyapatite with different treatment towards aluminium ions from synthetic wastewaters. Experiments were performed in batch technique at different pH values, temperatures, sorbent dosage, contact time and initial aluminium concentration. The thermodynamic studies on the adsorption process of aluminium onto hydroxyapatite indicated that the process is spontaneous and endothermic.

Magnetic silica particles functionalized with guanidine derivatives for microwave-assisted transesterification of waste oil.

This study aimed to develop a facile synthesis procedure for heterogeneous catalysts based on organic guanidine derivatives superbases chemically grafted on silica-coated FeO magnetic nanoparticles. Thus, the three organosilanes that were obtained by reacting the selected carbodiimides (N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), N,N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC), respectively 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) were used in a one-pot synthesis stage for the generation of a catalytic active protective shell through the simultaneous hydrolysis/condensation reaction with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The catalysts were characterized by FTIR, TGA, SEM, BET and XRD analysis confirming the successful covalent attachment of the organic derivatives in the silica shell.

Tailoring Mesoporous Titania Features by Ultrasound-Assisted Sol-Gel Technique: Effect of Surfactant/Titania Precursor Weight Ratio.

A mesoporous titania structure has been prepared using the ultrasound-assisted sol-gel technique in order to find out a way to tailor its structure. The TiO obtained was compared to the same version of titania but synthesized by a conventional sol-gel method with the objective of understanding the effect of ultrasound in the synthesis process. All synthesis experiments were focused on the preparation of a titania photocatalyst.

Plants of the Spontaneous Flora with Beneficial Action in the Management of Diabetes, Hepatic Disorders, and Cardiovascular Disease.

The current pharmacological agents advised for the management of diabetes as well as cardiovascular and hepatic diseases are subject to numerous studies for safety and efficacy. Therefore, it is worth looking into alternative therapeutic aids such as natural products of medicinal plants. By a broad review of in vitro and in vivo studies on the various dandelion, chicory, and mulberry extracts, this work highlights their bioactive compounds and therapeutic action when used as a prevention and management aid in public health such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hepatic disorders like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Investigation of a biosystem based on Arthrospira platensis for air revitalisation in spacecrafts: Performance evaluation through response surface methodology.

Arthrospira platensis is featured as a promising microalgae candidate for the development of the biosystems for air revitalisation in spacecrafts and life support in space. An enhanced configuration of a sparged type photobioreactor (PBR), containing 5 L of A. platensis culture, which was equipped with an external LED lighting tube around the reactor, was used in this study.

Superadsorbents for Strontium and Cesium Removal Enriched in Amidoxime by a Homo-IPN Strategy Connected with Porous Silica Texture.

In light of the fact that two with good compatibility are better than one, the homo-interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) strategy was used in this work to design novel amidoxime (AOX)-interpenetrating networks into porous silica (PSi) with the final aim to enhance the sorption performances of composite sorbents toward Cs and Sr. To achieve this goal, first, a homo-IPN of poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) was constructed inside the channels of two kinds of porous silica, one mesoporous (PSi1) and one macroporous (PSi2), the textural properties of silica being exploited in controlling the sorption performances of the composites. The novel composites were fully characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the nitrogen sorption/desorption isotherms (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis).

Current Functionality and Potential Improvements of Non-Alcoholic Fermented Cereal Beverages.

Fermentation continues to be the most common biotechnological tool to be used in cereal-based beverages, as it is relatively simple and economical. Fermented beverages hold a long tradition and have become known for their sensory and health-promoting attributes. Considering the attractive sensory traits and due to increased consumer awareness of the importance of healthy nutrition, the market for functional, natural, and non-alcoholic beverages is steadily increasing all over the world.

Development of Porous Titania Structure with Improved Photocatalytic Activity: Response Surface Modeling and Multi-Objective Optimization.

Porous titania was successfully synthesized by an ultrasound-assisted sol-gel route. The synthesis process was empirically modeled and optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM). Input variables adopted for optimization dealt with the weight ratio of precursors () and the sonication time (), representing the used factors in the synthesis procedure.

Removal of heavy metal ions from multi-component aqueous solutions by eco-friendly and low-cost composite sorbents with anisotropic pores.

Copper, nickel, zinc, chromium, and iron ions are the prevailing contaminants in the aqueous effluents resulting from the photo-etching industry. In this context, we investigate here the metal ion sorption performance of an ion-imprinted cryogel (IIC), consisting of low-cost materials coming from renewable resources, towards multi-component metal ion solutions. The IIC sorbent, which is based on a chitosan matrix embedding a natural zeolite, was synthesized using a straightforward strategy by coupling copper-imprinting and unidirectional ice-templating methods.

Novel rare earth (RE-La, Er, Sm) metal doped ZnO photocatalysts for degradation of Congo-Red dye: Synthesis, characterization and kinetic studies.

Synthesis and characterization of novel ZnO:RE nanostructured materials doped with 1% rare-earth elements (RE = La, Er, Sm) and their testing for photocatalytic applications were reported. The materials were obtained via electrospining, followed by calcination at 700 C. The samples were characterized in terms of surface morphology (SEM, TEM), crystalline structure (XRD) and band gap energies.

Elemental and macromolecular modifications in Triticum aestivum L. plantlets under different cultivation conditions.

Young wheat plantlets (wheatgrass), represent a significant source of minerals, enzymes, vitamins, while also rich in phenolics and chlorophylls, with considerable bioactivities. As the biosynthesis of such compounds may be influenced by growth conditions, the current research assesses wheatgrass composition in soil based and hydroponic systems, using water with different elemental composition. FTIR spectroscopy did not reveal significant variations between juice and extracts cultivated in different setups.

Development of New Bexarotene-loaded Mesoporous Silica Systems for Topical Pharmaceutical Formulations.

The present study reports the first time use of MCM-41 mesoporous silica as highly efficient carrier for bexarotene - an antineoplastic agent specific for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma treatment. Bexarotene is highly toxic and poor-water soluble, having low bioavailability in the conventional pharmaceutical forms. Comparative uptake of bexarotene on amino-functionalized silica host at various functionalization degrees is discussed in details taking into account all structural features, of matrix as well as properties of the drug molecules.

Inhibition of bcl-2 and cox-2 Protein Expression after Local Application of a New Carmustine-Loaded Clinoptilolite-Based Delivery System in a Chemically Induced Skin Cancer Model in Mice.

Our research has focused on in vitro and in vivo evaluations of a new Carmustine (BCNU)-loaded clinoptilolite-based delivery system. Two clinoptilolite ionic forms-hydrogen form (HCLI) and sodium form (NaCLI)-were prepared, allowing a loading degree of about 5-6 mg BCNU/g of zeolite matrix due to the dual porous feature of clinoptilolite. Clinoptilolite-based delivery systems released 35.

Evaluation of Adsorption Capacity of Montmorillonite and Aluminium-pillared Clay for Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2.

Adsorption capacity of the two adsorbents was investigated as a function of contact time between adsorbent and heavy metal ions solutions, the initial heavy metals concentration of the synthetic wastewater, pH value, temperature and adsorbent mass. Preliminary experiments at different pH values between 2.0 and 7.

TiO2-coated mesoporous carbon: conventional vs. microwave-annealing process.

The study of coating mesoporous carbon materials with titanium oxide nanoparticles is now becoming a promising and challenging area of research. To optimize the use of carbon materials in various applications, it is necessary to attach functional groups or other nanostructures to their surface. The combination of the distinctive properties of mesoporous carbon materials and titanium oxide is expected to be applied in field emission displays, nanoelectronic devices, novel catalysts, and polymer or ceramic reinforcement.