Rilparencel (Renal Autologous Cell Therapy-REACT®) for Chronic Kidney Disease and Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: Phase 2 Trial Design Evaluating Bilateral Kidney Dosing and Redosing Triggers.

INTRODUCTION: Autologous cell-based therapies (CBT) to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) with diabetes are novel and can potentially preserve renal function and decelerate disease progression. CBT dosing schedules are in early development and may benefit from individual bilateral organ dosing and kidney-dependent function to improve efficacy and durability. The objective of this open-label, phase 2 randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate participants' responses to rilparencel (Renal Autologous Cell Therapy-REACT®) following bilateral percutaneous kidney injections into the kidney cortex with a prescribed dosing schedule versus redosing based on biomarker triggers. METHODS: Eligible participants with type 1 or 2 diabetes and CKD, eGFR 20-50 mL/min/1.73 m2, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) 30-5,000 mg/g, hemoglobin >10 g/dL, and glycosylated hemoglobin <10% were enrolled. After a percutaneous kidney biopsy and bioprocessing ex vivo expansion of selected renal cells, participants were randomized 1:1 into two cohorts determined by the dosing scheme. Cohort 1 receives 2 cell injections, one in each kidney 3 months apart, and cohort 2 receives one injection and the second dose only if there is a sustained eGFR decline of ≥20 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or UACR increase of ≥30% and ≥30 mg/g, confirmed by re-testing. CONCLUSION: The trial is fully enrolled with fifty-three participants. Cell injections and follow-up clinical visits are ongoing. This multicenter phase 2 RCT is designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of rilparencel with bilateral kidney dosing and compare two injection schedules with the potential of preserving or improving kidney function and delaying kidney disease progression among patients with stages 3a-4 CKD with diabetes.

Building Resilient communities: Techno-economic assessment of standalone off-grid PV powered net zero energy (NZE) villages.

The use of renewable energy resources for off-grid electricity production has gained more importance in recent decades for meeting the energy needs of remote areas, even with limited resources. This research aims to provide an optimized and cost-effective approach for generating electricity in rural areas. By using current methodology, a stand alone energy source of PV is designed for development of NZE village. Solar irradiance of the selected location is 6.16 kWh/m2/day while the estimated electric load data for whole village is 64.259 kWh. Electric load and solar irradiance of the loaction is used in the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) to design and analyze the techno-economic feasibility of the stand alone PV system to meet the load requirements. The study obtained the total Net Present Cost (NPC) of $0.511 M and the Cost Of Electricity (COE) is 2.26$/unit through the HOMER analysis, which is further refined by performing sensitivity analysis using parameters such as PV panel price, battery price, solar irradiance, variations in electric load and discount rates. According to the results, system is feasibile by annual electricity production of 30,078 kWh with initial capital investment of $0.434 M. This analysis compared the system performance and showed that it is economically and technically viable to meet the complete electricity needs of the village with a payback period of 7.2 years. Research can be utilized for policy making and implementation of NZE approach in remote areas by the government.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Properties of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized from Apis mellifera Honey.

Green approaches for nanoparticle synthesis have emerged as biocompatible, economical, and environment-friendly alternatives to counteract the menace of microbial drug resistance. Recently, the utilization of honey as a green source to synthesize Fe2O3-NPs has been introduced, but its antibacterial activity against one of the opportunistic MDR pathogens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, has not been explored. Therefore, this study employed Apis mellifera honey as a reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3-NPs). Subsequent to the characterization of nanoparticles, their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties were appraised. In UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis, the absorption band ascribed to the SPR peak was observed at 350 nm. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of Fe2O3-NPs, and the crystal size was deduced to be 36.2 nm. Elemental analysis by EDX validated the presence of iron coupled with oxygen in the nanoparticle composition. In ICP-MS, the highest concentration was of iron (87.15 ppm), followed by sodium (1.49 ppm) and other trace elements (<1 ppm). VSM analysis revealed weak magnetic properties of Fe2O3-NPs. Morphological properties of Fe2O3-NPs revealed by SEM demonstrated that their average size range was 100-150 nm with a non-uniform spherical shape. The antibacterial activity of Fe2O3-NPs was ascertained against 30 clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, with the largest inhibition zone recorded being 10 mm. The MIC value for Fe2O3-NPs was 30 µg/mL. However, when mingled with three selected antibiotics, Fe2O3-NPs did not affect any antibacterial activity. Momentous antioxidant (IC50 = 22 µg/mL) and anti-inflammatory (IC50 = 70 µg/mL) activities of Fe2O3-NPs were discerned in comparison with the standard at various concentrations. Consequently, honey-mediated Fe2O3-NP synthesis may serve as a substitute for orthodox antimicrobial drugs and may be explored for prospective biomedical applications.

Advanced Urea Precursors Driven NiCo2O4 Nanostructures Based Non-Enzymatic Urea Sensor for Milk and Urine Real Sample Applications.

The electrochemical performance of NiCo2O4 with urea precursors was evaluated in order to develop a non-enzymatic urea sensor. In this study, NiCo2O4 nanostructures were synthesized hydrothermally at different concentrations of urea and characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Nanostructures of NiCo2O4 exhibit a nanorod-like morphology and a cubic phase crystal structure. Urea can be detected with high sensitivity through NiCo2O4 nanostructures driven by urea precursors under alkaline conditions. A low limit of detection of 0.05 and an analytical range of 0.1 mM to 10 mM urea are provided. The concentration of 006 mM was determined by cyclic voltammetry. Chronoamperometry was used to determine the linear range in the range of 0.1 mM to 8 mM. Several analytical parameters were assessed, including selectivity, stability, and repeatability. NiCo2O4 nanostructures can also be used to detect urea in various biological samples in a practical manner.

Green Synthesis of NiO Nanoflakes Using Bitter Gourd Peel, and Their Electrochemical Urea Sensing Application.

To determine urea accurately in clinical samples, food samples, dairy products, and agricultural samples, a new analytical method is required, and non-enzymatic methods are preferred due to their low cost and ease of use. In this study, bitter gourd peel biomass waste is utilized to modify and structurally transform nickel oxide (NiO) nanostructures during the low-temperature aqueous chemical growth method. As a result of the high concentration of phytochemicals, the surface was highly sensitive to urea oxidation under alkaline conditions of 0.1 M NaOH. We investigated the structure and shape of NiO nanostructures using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In spite of their flake-like morphology and excellent crystal quality, NiO nanostructures exhibited cubic phases. An investigation of the effects of bitter gourd juice demonstrated that a large volume of juice produced thin flakes measuring 100 to 200 nanometers in diameter. We are able to detect urea concentrations between 1-9 mM with a detection limit of 0.02 mM using our urea sensor. Additionally, the stability, reproducibility, repeatability, and selectivity of the sensor were examined. A variety of real samples, including milk, blood, urine, wheat flour, and curd, were used to test the non-enzymatic urea sensors. These real samples demonstrated the potential of the electrode device for measuring urea in a routine manner. It is noteworthy that bitter gourd contains phytochemicals that are capable of altering surfaces and activating catalytic reactions. In this way, new materials can be developed for a wide range of applications, including biomedicine, energy production, and environmental protection.

Biogenic Preparation of ZnO Nanostructures Using Leafy Spinach Extract for High-Performance Photodegradation of Methylene Blue under the Illumination of Natural Sunlight.

To cope with environmental pollution caused by toxic emissions into water streams, high-performance photocatalysts based on ZnO semiconductor materials are urgently needed. In this study, ZnO nanostructures are synthesized using leafy spinach extract using a biogenic approach. By using phytochemicals contained in spinach, ZnO nanorods are transformed into large clusters assembled with nanosheets with visible porous structures. Through X-ray diffraction, it has been demonstrated that leafy spinach extract prepared with ZnO is hexagonal in structure. Surface properties of ZnO were altered by using 10 mL, 20 mL, 30 mL, and 40 mL quantities of leafy spinach extract. The size of ZnO crystallites is typically 14 nanometers. In the presence of sunlight, ZnO nanostructures mineralized methylene blue. Studies investigated photocatalyst doses, dye concentrations, pH effects on dye solutions, and scavengers. The ZnO nanostructures prepared with 40 mL of leafy spinach extract outperformed the degradation efficiency of 99.9% for the MB since hydroxyl radicals were primarily responsible for degradation. During degradation, first-order kinetics were observed. Leafy spinach extract could be used to develop novel photocatalysts for the production of solar hydrogen and environmental hydrogen.

Design of Nickel Supported Hierarchical ZSM-5/USY Zeolite Bifunctional Catalysts for One-Pot Menthol Synthesis via Liquid-Phase Citral Hydrogenation.

Nickel-supported hierarchical zeolite catalysts were prepared through a desilication reassembly process under optimized conditions and applied in one-pot menthol synthesis. In this work, the hierarchical zeolite-supported metal bifunctional catalysts were prepared with the help of desilication re-assembly and wetness impregnation techniques and applied in menthol synthesis via citral hydrogenation. The prepared catalysts were characterized using PXRD, BET, FE-TEM, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, pyridine adsorption, and ICP-OES techniques. As a result, the physicochemical and acidic properties, such as mesopore surface area, metal dispersion, acidity, catalytic activity, and strong Lewis acid sites of pure microporous ZSM-5/USY zeolites, were significantly improved. Consequently, with the occurrence of superior physicochemical and acidic properties, the Ni/HZ-0.5 M catalyst exhibited outstanding catalytic activity (100% conversion, TOF 7.12 h-1) and menthol selectivity (83%, 4 h) with uniform stability at 100 °C, 1.0 MPa hydrogen. Similarly, the cracking rate decreased with the decrease in Bronsted acid sites.

Facile Synthesis and Fabrication of NIPAM-Based Cryogels for Environmental Remediation.

Herein, polymeric cryogels containing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) were synthesized by cryo-polymerization at subzero temperature. The synthesized cryogels were loaded with silver and palladium nanoparticles by the chemical reduction method at room temperature using the reducing agent NaBH4. Moreover, for comparison with cryogels, pure poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel and its silver hybrid were also prepared by the conventional method at room temperature. The chemical structure and functional group analysis of the pure cryogels was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The synthesis of hybrid cryogels was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction technique and energy dispersive X-ray. The pore size and surface morphology of the pure cryogels, their respective hybrid cryogels and of conventional hydrogels were studied by using the scanning electron microscopy technique. The hybrid cryogels were successfully used as a catalyst for the degradation of methyl orange dye. The degradation performance of the hybrid cryogels was much better than its counterpart hybrid hydrogel for methyl orange dye. The effect of temperature and amount of catalyst on catalytic performance was studied by UV-visible spectroscopy. The reduction follows pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. In addition, the antibacterial activities of these cryogels were evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, ATCC: 2593) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, ATCC: 25922). Both hybrid cryogels have shown much better antibacterial activity for these two strains of bacteria compared to pure cryogels. The results indicate that these cryogels are potential candidates for water purification systems as well as biomedical applications.

ZnO Nanostructures Doped with Various Chloride Ion Concentrations for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue in Alkaline and Acidic Media.

In this study, chloride (Cl−) ions were successfully doped into ZnO nanostructures by the solvothermal method. The effect of various Cl− concentrations on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO towards the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under the illumination of ultraviolet light was studied. The as-prepared Cl−-doped ZnO nanostructures were analyzed in terms of morphology, structure, composition and optical properties. XRD data revealed an average crystallite size of 23 nm, and the XRD patterns were assigned to the wurtzite structure of ZnO even after doping with Cl−. Importantly, the optical band gap of various Cl ion-doped ZnO nanostructures was successively reduced from 3.42 to 3.16 eV. The photodegradation efficiency of various Cl− ion-doped ZnO nanostructures was studied for MB in aqueous solution, and the relative performance of each Cl ion-doped ZnO sample was as follows: 20% Cl−-doped ZnO > 15% Cl−-doped ZnO > 10% Cl−-doped ZnO > 5% Cl−-doped ZnO > pristine ZnO. Furthermore, the correlation of the pH of the MB solution and each Cl ion dopant concentration was also investigated. The combined results of varying dopant levels and the effect of the pH of the MB solution on the photodegradation process verified the crucial role of Cl− ions in activating the degradation kinetics of MB. Therefore, these newly developed photocatalysts could be considered as alternative materials for practical applications such as wastewater treatment.

Concerns of iodized salt and its effects for women seeking antenatal care in Pakistan.

Background and Objective: Pregnant women are the most susceptible group for Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) whose neonate are at the risk of brain impairment, if they are iodine deficient in utero. The study was carried out to analyze the concerns and effects regarding iodized salt and IDD in women seeking antenatal care in Pakistan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Obstetrics OPD at Civil Hospital Karachi from April 2017 to January 2018. In this study, antenatal care seeking women (n=360) visiting obstetric outpatient department (OPD) at public sector tertiary care hospital of Karachi were interviewed face to face using a structured questionnaire. Systematic random sampling method was employed. Kruskal Wallis test was applied to assess the significance among study variables. Results: Sixty-three (63.6%) of pregnant women heard about iodized salt. Approximately 40.6% of them received iodized salt related information through mass media. Ninety (90.6%) were ignorant that their unborn child needs iodine for brain development. A statistically significant association was found between the educational status (p<0.001), household income (p<0.001), age (p=0.016), ethnicity (p=0.018), trimester (p=0.005) with the knowledge of study participants regarding iodized salt and IDD. Conclusion: There is an immense need to address the present concerns of women seeking antenatal care by advocacy and health education on individual and at mass level regarding the use of iodized salt among women seeking antenatal care. Advocacy can be done by governmental initiatives, medical personnel and through mass media in all tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan.

Mn3O4@ZnO Hybrid Material: An Excellent Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Synthetic Dyes including Methylene Blue, Methyl Orange and Malachite Green.

In this study, we synthesized hybrid systems based on manganese oxide@zinc oxide (Mn3O4@ZnO), using sol gel and hydrothermal methods. The hybrid materials exhibited hierarchical morphologies and structures characterized by the hexagonal phase of ZnO and the tetragonal phase of Mn3O4. The hybrid materials were tested for degradation of methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and malachite green (MG) under ultraviolet (UV) light illumination. The aim of this work was to observe the effect of various amounts of Mn3O4 in enhancing the photocatalytic properties of ZnO-based hybrid structures towards the degradation of MB, MO and MG. The ZnO photocatalyst showed better performance with an increasing amount of Mn3O4, and the degradation efficiency for the hybrid material containing the maximum amount of Mn3O4 was found to be 94.59%, 89.99%, and 97.40% for MB, MO and MG, respectively. The improvement in the performance of hybrid materials can be attributed to the high charge separation rate of electron-hole pairs, the co-catalytic role, the large number of catalytic sites, and the synergy for the production of high quantities of oxidizing radicals. The performance obtained from the various Mn3O4@ZnO hybrid materials suggest that Mn3O4 can be considered an effective co-catalyst for a wide range of photocatalytic materials such as titanium dioxide, tin oxide, and carbon-based materials, in developing practical hybrid photocatalysts for the degradation of dyes and for wastewater treatment.

A Study of the Structural and Surface Morphology and Photoluminescence of Ni-Doped AlN Thin Films Grown by Co-Sputtering.

Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a semiconductor material possessing a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with a large band gap of 6.2 eV. AlN thin films have several potential applications and areas for study, particularly in optoelectronics. This research study focused on the preparation of Ni-doped AlN thin films by using DC and RF magnetron sputtering for optoelectronic applications. Additionally, a comparative analysis was also carried out on the as-deposited and annealed thin films. Several spectroscopy and microscopy techniques were considered for the characterization of structural (X-ray diffraction), morphological (SEM), chemical bonding (FTIR), and emission (PL spectroscopy) properties. The XRD results show that the thin films have an oriented c-axis hexagonal structure. SEM analysis validated the granular-like morphology of the deposited sample, and FTIR results confirm the presence of chemical bonding in deposited thin films. The photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra exhibit different peaks in the visible region when excited at different wavelengths. A sharp and intense photoluminescence peak was observed at 426 nm in the violet-blue region, which can be attributed to inter-band transitions due to the incorporation of Ni in AlN. Most of the peaks in the PL spectra occurred due to direct-band recombination and indirect impurity-band recombination. After annealing, the intensity of all observed peaks increases drastically due to the development of new phases, resulting in a decrease in defects and a corresponding increase in the crystallinity of the thin film. The observed structural, morphological, and photoluminescence results suggest that Ni: AlN is a promising candidate to be used in optoelectronics applications, specifically in photovoltaic devices and lasers.

Facile synthesis of a luminescent carbon material from yogurt for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue.

The present study is focused on yogurt as a simple, inexpensive, abundant, and green source for the preparation of luminescent carbon material for enhancing the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). It introduces an ecological and sustainable approach for the large-scale production of carbon material using the direct thermal annealing of yogurt in a muffle furnace. The size of the as-prepared carbon material is about 200-300 nm, with average particle size distribution of 355 nm. The material exhibits clear luminescence under illumination with ultraviolet light. The synthesized carbon material shows an outstanding degradation functionality of MB under the irradiation of ultraviolet (UV) light in aqueous media. Various dye degradation parameters such as initial dye concentration, catalyst dose, pH of dye solution, and scavenger effects have been investigated. The optimum MB concentration was found to be 2.3 × 10-5 M with a degradation efficiency of 94.8%. The degradation was highly enhanced at pH 11 with a degradation efficiency of 98.11%. The degradation of MB under highly alkaline conditions was mainly governed by the high amount of hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, the scavenger study confirmed that the hydroxyl radicals were mainly involved in the degradation process. The degradation kinetics of MB followed first order kinetics with large values of rate constant. The reusability was also studied to ensure the stability of the as-prepared carbon material during the degradation of MB. The preparation of carbon materials with efficient photosensitivity for the degradation of organic dyes from yogurt shows a green and innovative methodology. Therefore, it can be of great interest for future studies related to energy and environmental applications.

Renewable and eco-friendly ZnO immobilized onto dead sea sponge floating materials with dual practical aspects for enhanced photocatalysis and disinfection applications.

In this study, we have investigated the role of natural dead sea sponge (DSS, Porifera) as a three-dimensional (3D) porous host substrate for the immobilization of nanostructured ZnO material towards the development of ZnO based floating photocatalysts for efficient removal of methylene blue (MB) dye under the illumination of sunlight. After photodegradation, the treated water after dye degradation contains several pathogens, different disinfectants or chemical reagents that are essentially used. This is not the case for DSS as it can naturally kill any pathogens during the wastewater treatment process. To explore these functions, ZnO nanosheets were incorporated onto DSS via hydrothermal protocol and the as prepared ZnO/DSS hybrid material exhibited approximately âˆ¼100% degradation efficiency for the removal of MB. Importantly, the degradation kinetics associated with the fabricated ZnO/DSS was remarkably accelerated as evidenced by the high values of degradation reaction rate constants (3.35 × 10-2min-1). The outperformance of ZnO/DSS could be attributed to the adsorption caused by its 3D porous structure together with the high rapid oxidation of MB. Furthermore, the high charge separation of electron-hole pairs, natural porosity, and abundant catalytic sites offered by the hybrid ZnO/DSS floating photocatalyst have enabled quantitative (∼100%) degradation efficiency for MB. Finally, the excellent reusability results confirm the feasibility of using natural ZnO/DSS-based photocatalyst for practical solution of wastewater treatment and other environmental problems.

Psyllium-Husk-Assisted Synthesis of ZnO Microstructures with Improved Photocatalytic Properties for the Degradation of Methylene Blue (MB).

Wastewater from the textile industry is chronic and hazardous for the human body due to the presence of a variety of organic dyes; therefore, its complete treatment requires efficient, simple, and low cost technology. For this purpose, we grew ZnO microstructures in the presence of psyllium husk, and the role of psyllium husk was to modify the surface of the ZnO microstructures, create defects in the semiconducting crystal structures, and to alter the morphology of the nanostructured material. The growth process involved a hydrothermal method followed by calcination in air. Additionally, the psyllium husk, after thermal combustion, added a certain value of carbon into the ZnO nanomaterial, consequently enhancing the photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of methylene blue. We also investigated the effect of varying doses of photocatalyst on the photocatalytic properties towards the photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution under the illumination of ultraviolet light. The structure and morphology of the prepared ZnO microstructures were explored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The degradation of methylene blue was monitored under the irradiation of ultraviolet light and in the dark. Also, the degradation of methylene blue was measured with and without photocatalyst. The photodegradation of methylene blue is highly increased using the ZnO sample prepared with psyllium husk. The photodegradation efficiency is found to be approximately 99.35% for this sample. The outperforming functionality of psyllium-husk-assisted ZnO sample is attributed to large surface area of carbon material from the psyllium husk and the synergetic effect between the incorporated carbon and ZnO itself. Based on the performance of the hybrid material, it is safe to say that psyllium husk has high potential for use where surface roughness, morphology alteration, and defects in the crystal structure are vital for the enhancing the functionality of a nanostructured material. The observed performance of ZnO in the presence of psyllium husk provides evidence for the fabrication of a low cost and efficient photocatalyst for the wastewater treatment problems.

A green approach for the preparation of ZnO@C nanocomposite using agave americana plant extract with enhanced photodegradation.

The present study demonstrates the crucial role of agave americana extract in enhancing the optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) through thermal treatment method. Various analytical and surface science techniques have been used to identify the morphology, crystalline structure, chemical composition, and optical properties, including scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV-visible spectroscopy techniques. The physical studies revealed the transformation of ZnO nanorods into nanosheets upon addition of an optimized amount of agave americana extract, which induced large amount of amorphous carbon deposited onto ZnO nanostructures as confirmed by HRTEM analysis. The use of increasing amount of americana extract has significantly reduced the average crystallite size of ZnO nanostructures. The resultant hybrid system of C@ZnO has produced a significant effect on the ultraviolet light-assisted photodegradation of malachite green (MG) dye. The photocatalyst dose was fixed at 10 mg for each study whereas the amount of agave americana extract and MG dye concentration are varied. The functionality of hybrid system was greatly enhanced when the amount of agave americana extract increased while dye concentration kept at lower level. Ultimately, almost 100% degradation efficiency was achieved via the prepared hybrid material, revealing combined contribution from synergy, stabilization of ZnO due to excess of carbon together with the high charge separation rate. The obtained results suggest that the driving role of agave americana extract for surface modification of photocatalyst can be considered for other nanostructured photocatalysts.

Effective Removal of Methylene Blue by Surface Alteration of TiO2 with Ficus Carica Leaf Extract under Visible Light.

The present study describes the use of a leaf extract from Ficus carica as a source of natural antioxidants for the surface alteration of bulk titanium dioxide (TiO2) in two steps. First, the hydro-thermal treatment of the bulk TiO2 material was carried out and followed by thermal annealing at 300 °C for 3 h in air. The role of the leaf extract of Ficus carica on the performance of the bulk TiO2 material for the removal of methylene blue (MB) was also studied. Various analytical techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to explore the crystalline structure, morphology, and composition. The bulk TiO2 material after the leaf-extract treatment exhibited mixed anatase and rutile phases, a flower-like morphology, and Ti, O, and C were its main elements. The average crystallite size was also calculated, and the obtained values for the bulk TiO2 material, 18.11 nm, and the treated bulk TiO2 material with various amounts, 5, 10, and 15 mL, of leaf extract were 16.4, 13.16, and 10.29 nm respectively. Moreover, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy validated the typical metal-oxygen bonds and strengthened the XRD results. The bulk TiO2 material chemically treated with Ficus carica has shown outstanding activity towards the degradation of MB under sunlight. The 15 mL of Ficus carica extract significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the bulk TiO2 material towards the degradation of MB. The dye degradation efficiency was found to be 98.8%, which was experimentally proven by the Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopoyy (FTIR) analysis. The obtained performance of the bulk TiO2 material with Ficus carica revealed excellent surface modifying properties for poorly-performing photocatalysts towards the degradation of synthetic dyes when used in their pristine form. The presented approach suggests that Ficus carica could be of great interest for tuning the surface properties of materials, either in the form of nano-size or bulk-phase in a particular application.

Effective adsorption of cadmium and lead using SO3H-functionalized Zr-MOFs in aqueous medium.

Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) from industrial wastewater can bioaccumulate in the living organisms of water bodies, posing serious threats to human health. Therefore, efficient remediation of heavy metal ions of Cd (II) and Pb (II) in aqueous media is necessary for public health and environmental sustainability. In the present study, water stable Zirconium (Zr) based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with SO3H functionalization were synthesized by solvothermal method and used first time for the adsorption of Cd (II) and Pb (II). Synthesis of UiO-66-SO3H, nano-sized (<100 nm) MOFs, was confirmed by FTIR, XRD, FESEM and BET. Effects of contact time, pH and temperature were investigated for adsorption of Cd (II) and Pb (II) onto SO3H-functionalized Zr-MOFs. The UiO-66-SO3H displayed notable rejections of 97% and 88% towards Cd (II) and Pb (II), respectively, after 160 min at 25 °C and pH (6) with an initial concentration of 1000 mg/L. Adsorption capacities of Cd (II) and Pb (II) were achieved as 194.9154 (mg/g) and 176.6879 (mg/g), respectively, at an initial concentration of 1000 mg/L. The Pseudo second-order kinetic model fitted well with linear regression (R2) of value 1. The mechanism was confirmed mainly as a chemisorption and coordination interaction between sulfone group (-SO3H) and metal ions Cd (IIa) and Pb (II). These results may support effective adsorption and can be studied further to enrich and recycle other heavy metals from wastewater.

Gelatin- and Papaya-Based Biodegradable and Edible Packaging Films to Counter Plastic Waste Generation.

Most of the food packaging materials used in the market are petroleum-based plastics; such materials are neither biodegradable nor environmentally friendly and require years to decompose. To overcome these problems, biodegradable and edible materials are encouraged to be used because such materials degrade quickly due to the actions of bacteria, fungi, and other environmental effects. In this work, commonly available household materials such as gelatin, soy protein, corn starch, and papaya were used to prepare cost-effective lab-scale biodegradable and edible packaging film as an effective alternative to commercial plastics to reduce waste generation. Prepared films were characterized in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), optical transparency, and tensile strength. FTIR confirmed the addition of papaya and soy protein to the gelatin backbone. WVTR of the gelatin-papaya films was recorded to be less than 50 g/m2/day. This water vapor barrier was five times better than films of pristine gelatin. The gelatin, papaya, and soy protein films exhibited transparencies of around 70% in the visible region. The tensile strength of the film was 2.44 MPa, which improved by a factor of 1.5 for the films containing papaya and soy protein. The barrier qualities of the gelatin and gelatin-papaya films maintained the properties even after going through 2000 bending cycles. From the results, it is inferred that the prepared films are ideally suitable for food encapsulation and their production on a larger scale can considerably cut down the plastic wastage.

PdO@CoSe2 composites: efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation in alkaline media.

In this study, we have prepared cobalt selenide (CoSe2) due to its useful aspects from a catalysis point of view such as abundant active sites from Se edges, and significant stability in alkaline conditions. CoSe2, however, has yet to prove its functionality, so we doped palladium oxide (PdO) onto CoSe2 nanostructures using ultraviolet (UV) light, resulting in an efficient and stable water oxidation composite. The crystal arrays, morphology, and chemical composition of the surface were studied using a variety of characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It was also demonstrated that the composite systems were heterogeneous in their morphology, undergoing a shift in their diffraction patterns, suffering from a variety of metal oxidation states and surface defects. The water oxidation was verified by a low overpotential of 260 mV at a current density of 20 mA cm-2 with a Tafel Slope value of 57 mV dec-1. The presence of multi metal oxidation states, rich surface edges of Se and favorable charge transport played a leading role towards water oxidation with a low energy demand. Furthermore, 48 h of durability is associated with the composite system. With the use of PdO and CoSe2, new, low efficiency, simple electrocatalysts for water catalysis have been developed, enabling the development of practical energy conversion and storage systems. This is an excellent alternative approach for fostering growth in the field.