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Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 33564

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Dr. Periakaruppan Prakash

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Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College, Madurai 625 009, Tamil Nadu, India
Interests: nanomaterials; electrocatalysis; sensors; supercapacitors; hydrogen evolution; microbes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanoparticles are gaining more scientific interest as they act as a bridge between atomic/molecular structures and bulk materials. The fascinating and unanticipated characteristics of the nanoparticles surpass the contributions made by the small bulk materials. This potential of the nanoparticles leads to the advent of novel well-performing catalytic materials and technologies. Alternatively, the nanocomposites that integrate nanoparticles into the matrices of other materials exhibit extraordinary flexibility and stability with much enhancement in their fundamental properties. Numerous nanoparticles are synthesized and nanocomposites fabricated by researchers using various methods and techniques. The area is still wide open to discover the optimum ways to improve the yield of the nanomaterials and, importantly, the reproducibility. Similarly, the synergy arises out of compositing the nanomaterials and potential applications, thereby leading to enormous investigations, and such is the scope of the present Special Issue, which focuses on “Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites”. This Special Issue aims to offer a forum for the prompt publication of original and high-quality research with an emphasis on synthesis, assembly, characterization, the simulation of nanostructures and their potential applications. Research and review articles are welcomed.

Dr. Periakaruppan Prakash
Guest Editor

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Keywords

nanoparticles
nanocomposites
synthesis
fabrication
assembly
applications

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phase Transition Behaviors of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Nanogels with Different Compositions Induced by (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate and Ethyl Gallate

by Ke Deng, Yafei Wang, Lei Wang, Xianli Fan, Zhenyu Wu, Xue Wen, Wen Xie, Hong Wang, Zheng Zhou, Pengfei Chen and Xianggui Chen

Molecules 2023, 28(23), 7823; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28237823 - 28 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1243

Abstract

Phase transition behaviors of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanogels with different compositions induced by (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and ethyl gallate (EG) has been investigated systematically. Monodisperse poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide) (P(NIPAM-co-NMAM)) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (P(NIPAM-co-HEMA)) nanogels with different feeding monomer ratios were prepared by emulsion polymerization. P(NIPAM-co-NMAM) nanogels exhibit rapid isothermal phase transition behavior in EGCG solutions with low concentration (10⁻³ mol/L) in less than 10 minutes. The thermosensitive phase transition behaviors of nanogels are affected not only by the copolymerized monomers but also by the concentrations of EGCG and EG in aqueous solutions. Nanogels remain in a shrunken state and do not exhibit thermosensitive phase transition behaviors in EGCG solutions (≥5 mmol/L), whereas they display thermo-responsive phase transition behaviors in EG solutions. The volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) shifts to lower temperatures with increasing EG concentration. The diameters of P(NIPAM-co-NMAM) nanogels decrease with increasing EG concentration at temperatures between 29 and 33 °C. In contrast, the diameters of P(NIPAM-co-HEMA) nanogels increase with increasing EGCG concentration at temperatures between 37 and 45 °C. The results demonstrate the potential of nanogels for simple detection of EG and EGCG concentrations in aqueous solutions over a wide temperature range, and EGCG can serve as a signal for the burst-release of drugs from the P(NIPAM-co-NMAM)-based carriers at physiological temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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14 pages, 3390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Synthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles from the Leaves of Aegle marmelos and Their Antimicrobial Activity and Photocatalytic Activities

by Syed Ghazanfar Ali, Uzma Haseen, Mohammad Jalal, Rais Ahmad Khan, Ali Alsalme, Hilal Ahmad and Haris Manzoor Khan

Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7499; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227499 - 9 Nov 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2216

Abstract

The leaves of the Aegle marmelos plant were used for the green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and further characterized by different techniques, including (Ultra Violet-Visible) UV-Vis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The UV-Vis showed a peak at 330 nm, which may be due to the Surface Plasmon Resonance phenomenon. XRD analysis showed the crystalline nature of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs). In contrast, SEM showed that nanoparticles were not aggregated or clumped, EDX showed the presence of elemental copper., and further, the TEM analysis revealed the average particle size of copper oxide nanoparticles to be 32 nm. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcusaureus (S. aureus) was found to be 400 µg/mL, whereas for Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Candida dubliniensis (C. dubliniensis) it was 800 µg/mL. The zone of inhibition in the well diffusion assay showed the antimicrobial activity of copper oxide nanoparticles, and it also showed that as the concentration of copper oxide nanoparticles increased, the zone of inhibition also increased. Further, the electron microscopic view of the interaction between copper oxide nanoparticles and C. albicans cells showed that CuO NPs were internalized and attached to the cell membrane, which caused changes in the cellular structure and caused deformities which eventually led to cell death. The prepared CuO NPs showed significant photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes in the presence of sunlight. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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14 pages, 9067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Barium Lanthanum Oxide Nanosheets in Photocatalytic and Forensic Applications: One-Pot Synthesis and Characterization

by Sanjay S. Majani, Meghana, Sowmyashree S H, Sowjanyashree J, Sahaja Umesh, Chandan Shivamallu, Muzaffar Iqbal, Raghavendra G. Amachawadi, Venkatachalaiah K N and Shiva Prasad Kollur

Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7228; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207228 - 23 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1419

Abstract

The present work elucidates the fabrication of Barium Lanthanum Oxide nanosheets (BaLa₂O₄ NSs) via a simple one-pot precipitation method. The acquired results show an orthorhombic crystal system with an average crystallite size of 27 nm. The morphological studies revealed irregular-shaped sheets stacked together in a layered structure, with the confirmation of the precursor elements. The diffused reflectance studies revealed a strong absorption between 200 nm and 350 nm, from which the band-gap energy was evaluated to be 4.03 eV. Furthermore, the fluorescence spectrum was recorded for the prepared samples; the excitation spectrum shows a strong peak at 397 nm, attributed to the ⁴F_7/2→⁴G_11/2 transition, while the emission shows two prominent peaks at 420 nm (⁴G_7/2→⁴F_7/2) and 440 nm (⁴G_5/2→⁴F_7/2). The acquired emission results were utilized to confirm the color emission using a chromaticity plot, which found the coordinates to be at (0.1529 0.1040), and the calculated temperature was 3171 K. The as-prepared nanosheets were utilized in detecting latent fingerprints (LFPs) on various non-porous surfaces. The powder-dusting method was used to develop latent fingerprints on various non-porous surfaces, which resulted in detecting all the three ridge patterns. Furthermore, the as-synthesized nanosheets were used to degrade methyl red (MR) dye, the results of which show more than 60% degradation at the 70th minute. It was also found that there was no further degradation after 70 min. All the acquired results suggest the clear potential of the prepared BaLa₂O₄ NSs for use in advanced forensic and photocatalytic applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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19 pages, 3773 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Pluchea indica Leaf Extract: Antimicrobial and Photocatalytic Activities

by Abdulaziz A. Al-Askar, Amr H. Hashem, Nadeem I. Elhussieny and Ebrahim Saied

Molecules 2023, 28(12), 4679; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28124679 - 9 Jun 2023

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3422

Abstract

Nanotechnology is playing a critical role in several essential technologies with nanoscale structures (nanoparticles) in areas of the environment and biomedicine. In this work, the leaf extract of Pluchea indica was utilized to biosynthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) for the first time and evaluated for antimicrobial and photocatalytic activities. Different experimental methods were used to characterize the biosynthesized ZnONPs. The biosynthesized ZnONPs showed maximum Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) absorbance at a wavelength of 360 nm. The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the ZnONPs exhibits seven strong reflection peaks, and the average particle size was 21.9 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrum analysis reveals the presence of functional groups that help in biofabrication. The existence of Zn and O was confirmed by the Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum and the morphology by SEM images. Antimicrobial studies showed that the biosynthesized ZnONPs have antimicrobial efficacy against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans where inhibition zones at concentration 1000 µg/mL were 21.83 ± 0.76, 13.0 ± 1.1, 14.9 ± 0.85, 24.26 ± 1.1, 17.0 ± 1.0, 20.67 ± 0.57 and 19.0 ± 1.0 mm respectively. Under both dark and sunlight irradiation, the photocatalytic activity of ZnONPs was evaluated towards the degradation of the thiazine dye (methylene blue-MB). Approximately 95% of the MB dye was broken down at pH 8 after 150 min of sunlight exposure. The aforementioned results, therefore, suggest that ZnONPs synthesized by implementing environmentally friendly techniques can be employed for a variety of environmental and biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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20 pages, 8651 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication and Characterization of Ag-Graphene Nanocomposites and Investigation of Their Cytotoxic, Antifungal and Photocatalytic Potential

by Sidra Batool Malik, Asma Gul, Javed Iqbal Saggu, Banzeer Ahsan Abbasi, Beenish Azad, Javed Iqbal, Mohsin Kazi, Wadie Chalgham and Seyed Arshia Mirjafari Firoozabadi

Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4139; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104139 - 17 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2283

Abstract

In the present study, we aimed to synthesize (Ag)_1−x(GNPs)_x nanocomposites in variable ratios (25% GNPs–Ag, 50% GNPs–Ag, and 75% GNPs–Ag) via an ex situ approach to investigate the incremental effects of GNPs (graphene nanoparticles) on AgNPs (silver nanoparticles). The prepared nanocomposites were successfully characterized using different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopic analysis. For the evaluation of morphological aspects, shape, and percentage elemental composition, SEM and EDX analyses were employed. The bioactivities of the synthesized nanocomposites were briefly investigated. The antifungal activity of (Ag)_1−x(GNPs)_x nanocomposites was reported to be 25% for AgNPs and 66.25% using 50% GNPs–Ag against Alternaria alternata. The synthesized nanocomposites were further evaluated for cytotoxic potential against U87 cancer cell lines with improved results (for pure AgNPs IC₅₀: ~150 µg/mL, for 50% GNPs–Ag IC₅₀: ~12.5 µg/mL). The photocatalytic properties of the nanocomposites were determined against the toxic dye Congo red, and the percentage degradation was recorded as 38.35% for AgNPs and 98.7% for 50% GNPs–Ag. Hence, from the results, it is concluded that silver nanoparticles with carbon derivatives (graphene) have strong anticancer and antifungal properties. Dye degradation strongly confirmed the photocatalytic potential of Ag-graphene nanocomposites in the removal of toxicity present in organic water pollutants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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15 pages, 6914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytocannabinoids: Chromatographic Screening of Cannabinoids and Loading into Lipid Nanoparticles

by Aleksandra Zielińska, Raquel da Ana, Joel Fonseca, Milena Szalata, Karolina Wielgus, Faezeh Fathi, M. Beatriz P. P. Oliveira, Rafał Staszewski, Jacek Karczewski and Eliana B. Souto

Molecules 2023, 28(6), 2875; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062875 - 22 Mar 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2498

Abstract

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN) and Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) are receiving increasing interest as an approach to encapsulate natural extracts to increase the physicochemical stability of bioactives. Cannabis extract-derived cannabidiol (CBD) has potent therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. In this work, physicochemical characterization was carried out after producing Compritol-based nanoparticles (cSLN or cNLC) loaded with CBD. Then, the determination of the encapsulation efficiency (EE), loading capacity (LC), particle size (Z-Ave), polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential were performed. Additionally, the viscoelastic profiles and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) patterns were recorded. As a result, CBD-loaded SLN showed a mean particle size of 217.2 ± 6.5 nm, PDI of 0.273 ± 0.023, and EE of about 74%, while CBD-loaded NLC showed Z-Ave of 158.3 ± 6.6 nm, PDI of 0.325 ± 0.016, and EE of about 70%. The rheological analysis showed that the loss modulus for both lipid nanoparticle formulations was higher than the storage modulus over the applied frequency range of 10 Hz, demonstrating that they are more elastic than viscous. The crystallinity profiles of both CBD-cSLN (90.41%) and CBD-cNLC (40.18%) were determined. It may justify the obtained encapsulation parameters while corroborating the liquid-like character demonstrated in the rheological analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study confirmed the morphology and shape of the developed nanoparticles. The work has proven that the solid nature and morphology of cSLN/cNLC strengthen these particles’ potential to modify the CBD delivery profile for several biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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14 pages, 7390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Controllable Preparation of Gold Nanocrystals with Different Porous Structures for SERS Sensing

by Yazhou Qin, Dewang Fang, Yulun Wu, Yuanzhao Wu and Weixuan Yao

Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2316; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052316 - 2 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2365

Abstract

Porous Au nanocrystals (Au NCs) have been widely used in catalysis, sensing, and biomedicine due to their excellent localized surface plasma resonance effect and a large number of active sites exposed by three-dimensional internal channels. Here, we developed a ligand-induced one-step method for the controllable preparation of mesoporous, microporous, and hierarchical porous Au NCs with internal 3D connecting channels. At 25 °C, using glutathione (GTH) as both a ligand and reducing agent combined with the Au precursor to form GTH–Au(I), and under the action of the reducing agent ascorbic acid, the Au precursor is reduced in situ to form a dandelion-like microporous structure assembled by Au rods. When cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C₁₆TAB) and GTH are used as ligands, mesoporous Au NCs formed. When increasing the reaction temperature to 80 °C, hierarchical porous Au NCs with both microporous and mesoporous structures will be synthesized. We systematically explored the effect of reaction parameters on porous Au NCs and proposed possible reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, we compared the SERS-enhancing effect of Au NCs with three different pore structures. With hierarchical porous Au NCs as the SERS base, the detection limit for rhodamine 6G (R6G) reached 10⁻¹⁰ M. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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11 pages, 5933 KiB

Open AccessArticle

NO₂ Sensing Capability of Pt–Au–SnO₂ Composite Nanoceramics at Room Temperature

by Jiannan Song, Zhongtang Xu, Menghan Wu, Xilai Lu, Zhiqiao Yan, Feng Chen and Wanping Chen

Molecules 2023, 28(4), 1759; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28041759 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1731

Abstract

Composite ceramics of metal oxides and noble metals have received much attention for sensing reducing gases at room temperature. Presently, composite ceramics of SnO₂ and noble metals have been prepared and investigated for sensing oxidizing NO₂ at room temperature. While dramatic increases in resistance were observed for both 1 wt% Pt–SnO₂ and 5 wt% Au–SnO₂ composite nanoceramics after being exposed to NO₂ at room temperature, the largest increase in resistance was observed for 1 wt% Pt–5 wt% –Au–SnO₂ composite nanoceramics among the three composites. The response to 0.5 ppm NO₂-–20% O₂–N₂ was as high as 875 at room temperature, with a response time of 2566 s and a recovery time of 450 s in the air of 50% relative humidity (RH). Further investigation revealed that water molecules in the air are essential for recovering the resistance of Pt–Au–SnO₂ composite nanoceramics. A room temperature NO₂-sensing mechanism has been established, in which NO₂ molecules are catalyzed by Pt–Au to be chemisorbed on SnO₂ at room temperature, and desorbed from SnO₂ by the attraction of water molecules in the air. These results suggest that composite ceramics of metal oxides and noble metals should be promising for room temperature sensing, not only reducing gases, but also oxidizing gases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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Review

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20 pages, 3343 KiB

Open AccessReview

Silver Nanoparticles for Waste Water Management

by Geetha Palani, Herri Trilaksana, R. Merlyn Sujatha, Karthik Kannan, Sundarakannan Rajendran, Kinga Korniejenko, Marek Nykiel and Marimuthu Uthayakumar

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3520; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083520 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 5860

Abstract

Rapidly increasing industrialisation has human needs, but the consequences have added to the environmental harm. The pollution caused by several industries, including the dye industries, generates a large volume of wastewater containing dyes and hazardous chemicals that drains industrial effluents. The growing demand for readily available water, as well as the problem of polluted organic waste in reservoirs and streams, is a critical challenge for proper and sustainable development. Remediation has resulted in the need for an appropriate alternative to clear up the implications. Nanotechnology is an efficient and effective path to improve wastewater treatment/remediation. The effective surface properties and chemical activity of nanoparticles give them a better chance to remove or degrade the dye material from wastewater treatment. AgNPs (silver nanoparticles) are an efficient nanoparticle for the treatment of dye effluent that have been explored in many studies. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs against several pathogens is well-recognised in the health and agriculture sectors. This review article summarises the applications of nanosilver-based particles in the dye removal/degradation process, effective water management strategies, and the field of agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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33 pages, 7076 KiB

Open AccessReview

Metal Oxides Nanoparticles: General Structural Description, Chemical, Physical, and Biological Synthesis Methods, Role in Pesticides and Heavy Metal Removal through Wastewater Treatment

by Zahrah Alhalili

Molecules 2023, 28(7), 3086; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28073086 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 59 | Viewed by 8701

Abstract

Nanotechnology (NT) is now firmly established in both the private home and commercial markets. Due to its unique properties, NT has been fully applied within multiple sectors like pharmacy and medicine, as well as industries like chemical, electrical, food manufacturing, and military, besides other economic sectors. With the growing demand for environmental resources from an ever-growing world population, NT application is a very advanced new area in the environmental sector and offers several advantages. A novel template synthesis approach is being used for the promising metal oxide nanostructures preparation. Synthesis of template-assisted nanomaterials promotes a greener and more promising protocol compared to traditional synthesis methods such as sol-gel and hydrothermal synthesis, and endows products with desirable properties and applications. It provides a comprehensive general view of current developments in the areas of drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, agriculture, and remediation. In the field of wastewater treatment, we focus on the adsorption of heavy metals and persistent substances and the improved photocatalytic decomposition of the most common wastewater pollutants. The drinking water treatment section covers enhanced pathogen disinfection and heavy metal removal, point-of-use treatment, and organic removal applications, including the latest advances in pesticide removal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites)

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