Bi-template assisted synthesis of mesoporous manganese oxide nanostructures: Tuning properties for efficient CO oxidation.

A simple soft bi-templating process was used for the synthesis of mesoporous manganese oxide nanostructures using KMnO4 as a precursor and polyethylene glycol and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as templates in the presence of benzaldehyde as an organic additive in alkaline media, followed by calcination at 400 °C. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic analysis of the calcined products confirmed the existence of stoichiometric (MnO2 and Mn5O8) and non-stoichiometric mixed phases (MnO2 + Mn5O8) of Mn oxides obtained by tuning the concentration of the additive and the synthesis time. The surface properties of the prepared Mn oxides were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Clinical Outcome of Hydroxyapatite Coated, Bioactive Glass Coated, and Machined Ti6Al4V Threaded Dental Implant in Human Jaws: A Short-Term Comparative Study.

Introduction: Growing aspect of endosseous implant research is focused on surface modification of dental implants for the purpose of improving osseointegration. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical outcome (ie, osseointegration) of hydroxyapatite coated, bioactive glass coated and machined titanium alloy threaded dental implants in human jaw bone after implantation.

Materials And Methods: One hundred twenty-six implants (45 hydroxyapatite coated, 41 bioactive glass coated, and 40 machined titanium implants) have been placed in incisor areas of 62 adult patients.

Exposure of composite tannery effluent on snail, Pila globosa: A comparative assessment of toxic impacts of the untreated and membrane treated effluents.

Effluent from tannery industries can significantly affect the aquatic environment due to the presence of a variety of recalcitrant components. The present study focuses on a comparative assessment of the toxic impacts of an untreated tannery effluent and membrane treated effluents using snail, Pila globosa as an aquatic model. Composite tannery effluent collected from a common effluent treatment plant was selected as the untreated effluent.

Zirconia based superhydrophobic coatings on cotton fabrics exhibiting excellent durability for versatile use.

A fluorinated silyl functionalized zirconia was synthesized by the sol-gel method to fabricate an extremely durable superhydrophobic coating on cotton fabrics by simple immersion technique. The fabric surfaces firmly attached with the coating material through covalent bonding, possessed superhydrophobicity with high water contact angle ≈163 ± 1°, low hysteresis ≈3.5° and superoleophilicity.

Eggshell membrane: A natural substrate for immobilization and detection of DNA.

Chemically modified eggshell membranes (ESM) have been explored as potentially novel platforms for immobilization of oligonucleotides and subsequent detection of target DNA. The fibrous network of the native ESM as well those functionalized with acetic acid or n-butyl acetate has been examined by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The formation of surface functional moieties has been confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Surface modified multifunctional ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for hydrophobic and hydrophilic anti-cancer drug molecule loading.

Multifunctional ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via thermolysis of Fe-oleate and Zn-oleate precursors. Monodisperse, single phase ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with an average particle size of ∼22 nm, exhibiting green emission (λmax∼ 480 nm) and ferromagnetism at room temperature (saturation magnetization of 48.46 emu gm(-1)) have been formed by this novel approach.

Enhanced stability of Zn2SnO4 with N719, N3 and eosin Y dye molecules for DSSC application.

In view of the increased prospects of Zn2SnO4 as an alternative photoanode for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), we synthesized phase pure Zn2SnO4 nanostructures by a cost effective sonochemical technique. In order to establish the stability of this alternative photoanode in DSSCs, we further explored the interaction of the synthesized Zn2SnO4 with commonly used photosensitizers in DSSCs, such as N3, N719 and eosin Y. Based on the time dependent optical studies we could establish the prominence of anchoring groups in controlling the dye loading.

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of laser processed NiTi alloy.

Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS™), a commercially available additive manufacturing technology, has been used to fabricate dense equiatomic NiTi alloy components. The primary aim of this work is to study the effect of laser power and scan speed on microstructure, phase constituents, hardness and corrosion behavior of laser processed NiTi alloy. The results showed retention of large amount of high-temperature austenite phase at room temperature due to high cooling rates associated with laser processing.

Anabaena sp. mediated bio-oxidation of arsenite to arsenate in synthetic arsenic (III) solution: Process optimization by response surface methodology.

Blue green algae Anabaena sp. was cultivated in synthetic arsenite solution to investigate its bio-oxidation potential for arsenic species. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed based on a 3-level full factorial design considering four factors, viz.

Fabrication of hierarchical ZnO/CdS heterostructured nanocomposites for enhanced hydrogen evolution from solar water splitting.

ZnO/CdS heterostructured nanocomposites were fabricated with enhanced light harvesting capability and photostability using sequential sonochemical and hydrothermal methods from ZnO rods and particles. Interestingly, in the composite made up of CdS sensitized ZnO rods, both ZnO and CdS exist in the hexagonal wurtzite form with different morphologies. On the other hand, in the composite made up of CdS sensitized ZnO particles, ZnO exists in the hexagonal wurtzite form, whereas CdS in the cubic form but with a similar morphology.

Nanoindentation Study of Phase-pure Highly Crystalline Hydroxyapatite Coatings Deposited by Microplasma Spraying.

The present contribution has originated from a critical biomedical engineering issue e.g., loosening of metallic prostheses fixed with poly(methyl methylacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement especially in the case of hip joint replacement which ultimately forces the patient to undergo a revision surgery.

Ligand-assisted soft-chemical synthesis of self-assembled different shaped mesoporous Co3O4: efficient visible light photocatalysts.

Mesoporous self-assembled cobalt oxide (Co3O4) of different shapes was synthesized by a facile soft-chemical process using cobalt nitrate, oxalic acid and phosphoric acid in the presence of cationic templates, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, and pyridinium bromide at 75 °C/2 h followed by calcination at 300 °C. The effect of cationic templates of the samples on the physico-chemical properties, and the photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of Chicago Sky Blue 6B was studied. Pyridinium bromide and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide facilitated formation of particles with different shaped morphology compared to cetyltrimethylammonium bromide.

Converted marine coral hydroxyapatite implants with growth factors: in vivo bone regeneration.

Herein we report rabbit model in vivo bone regeneration of hydrothermally converted coralline hydroxyapatite (HCCHAp) scaffolds without (group I) and with growth factors namely insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) (group II) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) (group III). All HCCHAp scaffolds have been characterized for phase purity and morphology before implantation. Calcined marine coral was hydrothermally converted using a mineralizer/catalyst to phase pure HAp retaining original pore structure and geometry.

A simple, fast and cost-effective method of synthesis of cupric oxide nanoparticle with promising antibacterial potency: Unraveling the biological and chemical modes of action.

Background: Gradual attainment of bacterial resistance to antibiotics led us to develop a robust method of synthesis of stable, colloidal cupric oxide nanoparticle of physiological pH with potential antibacterial action.

Methods: Cu(II) oxide NP was synthesized by reduction-oxidation of CuCl2, using polyvinyl alcohol as stabilizer. Characteristics and antibacterial activity of the particles were investigated by techniques like UV-Vis spectrophotometry, DLS, AFM, TEM, EDS, FTIR, AAS, agar plating, FACS, gel electrophoresis and XPS.

Mesoporous alumina films: effect of oligomer formation toward mesostructural ordering.

Alumina films with Im3̅m, Ia3d, and onion-like mesopores have been synthesized using a single sol composition derived from an modified alumina precursor (MAP), partial acetylacetone (acac) chelated aluminum secondary butoxide (ASB/acac = 1:0.5). We observed that MAP undergoes oligomerization with aging time and the differently aged MAP generates different micellar structures in the presence of P123 in alumina sols, and forms differently ordered mesostructured coatings.

Formation of self-assembled defect-free Zn2SnO4 nanostructures from binary oxides without the Kirkendall effect.

In this Communication, we report a facile approach to synthesize a technologically important oxide Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) by a temperature-dependent solid-state reaction without the Kirkendall effect. Single-phase defect-free ZTO was formed upon calcination of a homogeneous 2:1 mixture of reactive ZnO rods and SnO2 nanoparticles at 1000 °C. We also observed interesting photocatalytic and photovoltaic properties from the synthesized ZTO material.

Development and effect of different bioactive silicate glass scaffolds: in vitro evaluation for use as a bone drug delivery system.

Local drug delivery systems to bone have attracted appreciable attention due to their efficacy to improve drug delivery, healing and regeneration. In this paper, development and characterization of new formulations of bioactive glass into a porous scaffold has been reported for its suitability to act as a drug delivery system in the management of bone infections, in vitro. Two new glass compositions based on SiO2-Na2O-ZnO-CaO-MgO-P2O5 system (BGZ and MBG) have been developed which after thorough chemical and phase evaluation, studied for acellular static in vitro bioactivity in SBF.

Pd-Ni alloy nanoparticle doped mesoporous SiO₂ film: the sacrificial role of Ni to resist Pd-oxidation in the C-C coupling reaction.

A Pd-Ni alloy nanoparticle (NP) doped mesoporous SiO2 film was synthesized using a one pot inorganic-organic sol-gel process in the presence of structure director P123. Pure Pd and Ni NP containing films were also synthesized as controls. Overall a composition of 10 mol% metal (in the case of Pd-Ni, 5 mol% of each metal) and 90 equivalent mol% SiO2 was maintained in the heat-treated films.

Al2O3 influence on structural, elastic, thermal properties of Yb(3+) doped Ba-La-tellurite glass: evidence of reduction in self-radiation trapping at 1μm emission.

Ba-La-tellurite glasses doped with Yb(3+) ions have been prepared through melt quenching technique by modifying their composition with the inclusion of varied concentration of Al2O3 to elucidate its effects on glass structural, elastic, thermal properties and Yb(3+) ion NIR luminescence performance. The FTIR spectral analysis indicates Al2O3 addition is promoting the conversion of BOs from NBOs which have been generated during the process of depolymerisation of main glass forming TeO4 units. The elastic properties of the glass revealed an improved rigidity of the glass network on addition of Al2O3.

Synthesis of morphology controllable porous Co3O4 nanostructures with tunable textural properties and their catalytic application.

Porous cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanorod (50-100 nm) and nanosheet-like (70-100 nm) particles were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method at 150 °C for 2-5 h and 12-24 h, respectively, using aqueous-based precursors like cobalt nitrate, urea and water in the absence of any templating agents followed by their calcination at 300 °C. Morphology and textural properties were tuned by changing the synthesis time at 150 °C. A 3D architecture of Co3O4 was formed by the self-assembly of nanostructured (nanorod and nanosheet) particles.

Application of isolated bacterial consortium in UMBR for detoxification of textile effluent: comparative analysis of resultant oxidative stress and genotoxicity in catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) exposed to raw and treated effluents.

A bacterial consortium isolated from activated sludge was identified to be Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Shigella sp.

Defects in chemically synthesized and thermally processed ZnO nanorods: implications for active layer properties in dye-sensitized solar cells.

We have carried out the effect of post annealing temperatures on the performance of solution-grown ZnO rods as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. Keeping our basic objective of exploring the effect of native defects on the performance of DSSC, we have synthesized ZnO rods having length in the range of 2-5 μm by a modified sonication-induced precipitation technique. We performed extensive characterization on the samples annealed at various temperatures and confirmed that annealing at 300 °C results in ZnO rods with minimum native defects that have been identified as doubly ionized oxygen vacancies.

Stable Ni nanoparticle-reduced graphene oxide composites for the reduction of highly toxic aqueous Cr(VI) at room temperature.

Inherent properties of graphene can be experienced by integrating it with different nanomaterials to form unique composite materials. Decorating the surface of graphene sheets with nanoparticles (NPs) is one of the recent approaches taken up by scientists all over the world. This article describes a simple synthesis route to preparing stable Ni NP-reduced graphene oxide (Ni-RGO) composite material.

TiO2 nanoparticles doped SiO2 films with ordered mesopore channels: a catalytic nanoreactor.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) incorporated ordered 2D hexagonal mesoporous silica (SiO2) films on a glass substrate were fabricated for use as a catalytic nanoreactor. Films were prepared using a tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) derived SiO2 sol and a commercially available dispersion of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in the presence of pluronic P123 as the structure directing agent. The effect of TiO2 doping (4-10 mol% with respect to the equivalent SiO2) into the ordered mesoporous SiO2 matrix was thoroughly investigated.