Zinc solubilization and organic acid production by the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium pingshaense sheds light on its key ecological role in the environment.

We report for the first-time higher zinc (Zn) solubilization efficiency and plant growth promotion by an entomopathogenic fungus (EPF), Metarhizium pingshaense IISR-EPF-14, which was earlier isolated from Conogethes punctiferalis, a pest of global importance. The Zn solubilizing efficiency of the fungus varied depending on the type of insoluble source of Zn used, which was observed to be 1.6 times higher in Zn(PO)-amended media compared to ZnO media.

Pure red upconverted and near-infrared luminescence properties of Er -doped SnO nanocrystals for lighting applications.

Tin oxide (SnO ) nanocrystalline powders doped with erbium ion (Er ) in different molar ratios (0, 3, 5, and 7 mol%) were prepared using a solid-state reaction technique. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible absorption, visible upconversion, and near-infrared luminescence techniques. XRD analysis revealed the tetragonal rutile structure of SnO and the average crystallite size was about 32 nm.

Soil polluted with nano ZnO reveals unstable bacterial communities and decoupling of taxonomic and functional diversities.

Due to relentless production and disposal of nano zinc oxide (nZnO), it has become critical to comprehend the serious risks large-scale accumulation of nZnO pose to bacterial communities in soil. The primary objective was to evaluate the changes in bacterial community structure and associated functional pathways through predictive metagenomic profiling and subsequent validation through Quantitative Realtime PCR in soil spiked with nZnO (0, 50, 200, 500 and 1000 mg Zn kg) and similar levels of bulk ZnO (bZnO). The results revealed that soil microbial biomass-C, -N, -P, soil respiration and enzyme activities decreased markedly at higher ZnO levels.

Tailoring the Emission Behavior of WO Thin Films by Eu Ions for Light-Emitting Applications.

The article reports the successful fabrication of Eu-doped WO thin films via the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS) technique. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing the tunable visible emission (blue to bluish red) from a WO:Eu thin film system using RFMS. X-ray diffractograms revealed that the crystalline nature of these thin films increased upto 3 wt% of the Eu concentration.