Utilizing protein nanofibrils as a scaffold for enhancing nutritional value in toned milk.

Toned milk is a lower-fat, healthier alternative to whole milk that still contains all essential nutrients. A number of methods have been developed to improve the functionality of toned milk and make it more appealing to the consumers. However, these methods often involve extensive processing techniques and can be expensive. Therefore, alternative methods are needed. Proteins are well known for their ability to form well-defined nanofibril materials that can be used as a scaffold for various applications. In this article, a straightforward self-assembly process was used to load inulin into protein nanofibrils, creating unique composite nanofibrils. Characterization using AFM and SEM revealed well-defined composite nanofibrils with an average diameter of 4-6 nm and lengths ranging from 0.25 µm up to 10 µm. FT-IR and in-vitro release assays show that inulin was successfully attached to prepared protein nanofibrils. The composite nanofibrils were tested on toned milk to enhance the physico/chemical properties and nutritional values. The findings can be applied to the food industry to create a number of novel functional food products cost-effectively.

Bioinspired Multifunctional Silver Nanoparticles for Optical Sensing Applications: A Sustainable Approach.

Silver nanoparticles developed via biosynthesis are the most fascinating nanosized particles and encompassed with excellent physicochemical properties. The bioinspired nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes have attracted huge attention due to their stability, low cost, environmental friendliness, and use of less hazardous chemicals. This is an ideal method for synthesizing a range of nanosized metal particles from plants and biomolecules. Optical biosensors are progressively being fabricated for the attainment of sustainability by using opportunities offered by nanotechnology. This review focuses mainly on tuning the optical properties of the metal nanoparticles for optical sensing to explore the importance and applications of bioinspired silver nanoparticles. Further, this review deliberates the role of bioinspired silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in biomedical, agricultural, environmental, and energy applications. Profound insight into the antimicrobial properties of these nanoparticles is also appreciated. Tailor-made bioinspired nanoparticles with effectuating characteristics can unsurprisingly target tumor cells and distribute enwrapped payloads intensively. Existing challenges and prospects of bioinspired Ag NPs are also summarized. This review is expected to deliver perceptions about the progress of the next generation of bioinspired Ag NPs and their outstanding performances in various fields by promoting sustainable practices for fabricating optical sensing devices.

Green nanobiopolymers for ecological applications: a step towards a sustainable environment.

To minimize the usage of non-renewable resources and to maintain a sustainable environment, the exploitation of green nanobiopolymers should be enhanced. Biopolymers are generally developed from various microorganisms and plants in the specified condition. This review article discusses the current advances and trends of biopolymers, particularly in the arena of nanotechnology. In addition, discussion on various synthesis steps and structural characterization of green polymer materials like cellulose, chitin, and lignin is also encompassed. This article aims to coordinate the most recent outputs and possible future utilization of nanobiopolymers to the ecosystem with negligible effects by promoting the utilities of polymeric materials like polycaprolactones, starch, and nanocellulose. Additionally, strategic modification of cellulose into nanocellulose via rearrangement of the polymeric compound to serve various industrial and medical purposes has also been highlighted in the review. Specifically, the process of nanoencapsulation and its advancements in terms of nutritional aspects was also presented. The potential utility of green nanobiopolymers is one of the best cost-effective alternatives concerning circular economy and thereby helps to maintain sustainability.

Molecularly imprinted polymer-based optical immunosensors.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are artificial antibodies for a target molecule. The review focuses mainly on mechanistic steps involved in forming MIPs and the role of co-monomers and porogen. In addition, the electronic transition between different energy levels is explained with the help of the Jablonski diagram. Diverse receptor and target molecules for anchoring artificial MIPs are discussed, accentuating the synergetic effects obtained. The binding efficiency, selectivity, and sensitivity of various optical sensors are discussed intensively. In addition to this, we focused on synthesis, physical forms, characterization techniques, and microorganism detection of imprinted polymers. A brief investigation on the use of MIPs in cancer diagnosis is also included, and attention is extended to the important challenges faced in using imprinted polymers.

Potentialities of fluorescent carbon nanomaterials as sensor for food analysis.

Food safety and quality are among the most significant and prevalent research areas worldwide. The fabrication of appropriate technical procedures or devices for the recognition of hazardous features in foods is essential to safeguard food materials. In the recent era, developing high-performance sensors based on carbon nanomaterial for food safety investigation has made noteworthy progress. Hence this review briefly highlights the different detection approaches (colorimetric sensor, fluorescence sensor, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, surface plasmon resonance, chemiluminescence, and electroluminescence), functional carbon nanomaterials with various dimensions (quantum dots, graphene quantum dots) and detection mechanisms. Further, this review emphasizes the assimilation of carbon nanomaterials with optical sensors to identify multiple contaminants in food products. The insights of carbon-based nanomaterials optical sensors for pesticides and insecticides, toxic metals, antibiotics, microorganisms, and mycotoxins detection are described in detail. Finally, the opportunities and future perspectives of nanomaterials-based optical analytical approaches for detecting various food contaminants are discussed.

Synthesis and photometric properties of efficient white-emitting phosphor of M-AMG transition metal complexes for OLED applications.

Progression in lighting sources mainly depended on new, robust energy-efficient diodes due to their advanced photometric properties. All organic light-emitting sources are constant energy-efficient devices and will be the light of the future. We explore the potential of transition metal complexes by focusing on cobalt(II), nickel(II), and copper (II) with aminoguanidine naphthoate as white phosphors in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The phosphors synthesized at optimized temperature were characterized structurally and thermally by spectral, thermal, and diffraction techniques. The photophysical studies of the target compound in several organic solvents having divergent polarity were also studied, and the results were exhibited. Photometric properties of the complexes were studied using photoluminescence, CIE (Commission internationale de l'éclairage) chromaticity coordinates, correlated color temperature, color purity, Duv, and TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) to verify the applicability of complexes as phosphors. Excellent luminescence property with a high coloring index for (Cu(2NA-AMG-2H2 O)) opens the advanced avenue for light sources and serves as vital constituents for light-emitting diodes.

Design and synergistic effect of nano-sized epoxy-NiCo2O4 nanocomposites for anticorrosion applications.

In the present work, we evaluated the corrosion inhibition properties of a ligand and mixed metal oxide nanocomposite. The ligand and mixed nickel-cobalt complex were synthesized using 1-naphthoic acid and aminoguanidine with the formulae [C11H7O2(CN4H5)(CN4H6)]·H2O and {Ni-Co[(CH5N4)2(C11H7O2)2]}·H2O, respectively. After their synthesis, physicochemical techniques such as CHNS analysis, infrared and UV-visible spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterize both the synthesized ligand and nickel-cobalt complex. The metal oxide prepared from the decomposition of the metal complex was also characterized using several techniques to confirm its bonding and structure. In addition, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the epoxy-ligand and epoxy-NiCo2O4 nanocomposite on mild steel (MS) in 3 M hydrochloric acid (HCl), 1.5 M sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and 0.5 M phosphoric acid (H3PO4) solution was examined and compared using weight loss measurements, Tafel plots, isotherms and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results from the electrochemical studies disclosed that the epoxy coating of mixed metal oxides with 0.8 ppm concentration yielded excellent corrosion protection. The SEM images of mild steel and mild steel coated with epoxy-ligand/epoxy-NiCo2O4 in HCl confirmed the anti-corrosive behavior of the synthesized compounds. Hence, the as-prepared material can be a next-generation tool for sustainable anti-corrosive coatings.