Thin silica shell on AgPO nanoparticles augments stability and photocatalytic reusability.

Semiconductor photocatalysts are promising cost-effective materials for degrading hazardous organic contaminants in water. AgPO is an efficient visible-light photocatalyst for the oxidation of water and dye degradation. The excited AgPO photocatalyst uses a hole to oxidise water or organic contaminants except the electron, which reduces Ag to Ag.

Nitric oxide releasing photoresponsive nanohybrids as excellent therapeutic agent for cervical cancer cell lines.

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) that can release nitric oxide (NO) on visible-light irradiation were prepared using 2-mercapto-5-nitro benzimidazole (MNBI) as stabilizer. These nanoparticles meet overall prerequisites for biomedical applications like small sizes, water solubility, and stability. It was found that even a very low dosage of MNBI-stabilized GNPs exhibit appreciable tumor cell mortality against cervical cancer cell lines, demonstrating the role of NO in killing cancer cells.