Nanoscience & Nanotechnology-Asia - Volume 14, Issue 4, 2024

The discharging of crystal violet dye can contaminate water and soil, which causes serious environmental pollution and health problems for human beings. Sb2O3/Ca5Al6O14 nanoscale composites possess good catalytic performance for crystal violet removal. This study aimed to research the effects of the Sb2O3 content, content of the nanoscale composites, and metallic cations on the photocatalytic activity of the Sb2O3/Ca5Al6O14 nanoscale composites.

The objective was to synthesize Sb2O3/Ca5Al6O14 nanoscale composites by a simple route and research the photocatalytic activity for crystal violet degradation.

Sb2O3/Ca5Al6O14 nanoscale composites were obtained via a simple route using Ca aluminate nanosheets and Sb acetate. The photocatalytic activity of the Sb2O3/Ca5Al6O14 nanoscale composites was evaluated using crystal violet as a model pollutant.

The obtained nanoscale composites consisted of orthorhombic Ca5Al6O14 and orthorhombic Sb2O3 phases, nanosheets with a thickness of about 50 nm, and nanoparticles with a size of less than 100 nm. Sb2O3 enhanced the light absorption ability of the Ca aluminate nanosheets. The nanoscale composites with the Sb2O3 content of 20wt.% decreased to 3.03 eV, which is beneficial for improving the photo-degradation ability of the organic pollutants. The reaction ratio constant k for crystal violet (CV) degradation was 0.045 min^-1 and 0.055 min^-1 using the nanoscale composites with Sb2O3 content of 10wt.% and 20wt.%, respectively, which was 1.4 and 1.7 times higher than that of the Ca aluminate nanosheets (0.032 min^-1). Hydroxyl radicals (^●OH), hole (h⁺), and superoxide radicals (^●O2⁻) were reaction-active species for CV removal. Sb2O3/Ca5Al6O14 nanoscale composites exhibited fast interfacial charge transfer and efficient separation ability of photo-induced electron-hole pairs, which enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the Ca aluminate nanosheets for CV degradation.

The Sb2O3/Ca5Al6O14 nanoscale composites can be easily separated and reused, showing great potential for practical application in wastewater treatment.

The current research aimed to determine ways to improve the bioavailability of andrographolide (AGP) for use in colon cancer treatment by developing and evaluating microsponges loaded with the drug.

Utilising the quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion approach, microsponges containing AGP were synthesised. A total of ten formulations were prepared using different concentrations of drug, polymer and other excipients. Particle size, shape, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterise the microsponges that were created. To find out the rate at which the microsponges would expel their contents, researchers measured their release dynamics. In vitro anticancer activity of formulation was determined using HT29 cells.

Results showed that the percentage yield of the formulations ranged from 10.85-41.03%. The highest drug concentration was achieved in formulation F8 with a particle size of 33.7 nm. SEM analysis demonstrated that the particles were round and possessed a rough and porous surface. Increasing the ratio of ethyl cellulose to AGP reduces surface roughness. The microsponge's DSC difractogram reveals prominent peaks at 18°, 24°, and 38° (2 θ) with reduced intensity, suggesting that the microsponges' crystalline character has diminished. In vitro drug release study showed 93.85% release upto 12 hours. Mathematical models showed normal release of the formulations with “n” values greater than 0.90 of all the formulations. Formulation F8 decreased the HT-29 cells' ability to survive. The percentage of cell cytotoxicity was 75.54 at 100μg/ml. Since AGP microsponges had a detrimental effect on the survival of colorectal cancer cells.

It can be concluded from the study that prepared formulations possess anticancer properties against cancerous cells and can be used as an alternative anticancer drug.

Green synthesis is the method of producing metal and metal oxide nanoparticles from the extraction of plant materials. This study aims to synthesize iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) using an aqueous extract of Murraya koenigii leaves as an eco-friendly approach and subsequently characterize the synthesized FeNPs to understand their structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties.

The aqueous extract of Murraya koenigii leaves and 0.1M ferric chloride solution were combined at room temperature in a 1:2 volume ratio. The synthesized FeNPs were characterized using analysis methods of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), UV-visible (UV-vis) and Tacu plot.

SEM images discovered that the particles were in the nanoscale range and their morphology appeared spherical shape. The EDX study was used to identify the composition of the elements of synthesized FeNPs. The crystal structure of the synthesised FeNPs was shown in the XRD spectrum. The FTIR spectrum showed many distinctive bands and the bands revealed active components for functional groups in the synthesized FeNPs. The UV-vis spectrum revealed an absorbance peak range of 240-310 nm for FeNP formation with a maximal peak at 273 nm. The band gap energy of the synthesized FeNPs was found to be 2.07 eV using the Tauc plot method. Also, the synthesized FeNPs exhibited a significant antibacterial effect against bacterial pathogens.

The results of the characterization methods strongly suggest that the aqueous leaf extract of Murraya koenigii can be used as a reducing and stabilizing agent in the green synthesis of FeNPs.