Nanoparticles (NPs) have unique properties compared to their bulk counterparts, and they have potentials for various applications in many fields of life science. Green-synthesized NPs have garnered considerable interest due to their inherent features such as rapidity, eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using an aqueous extract of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana as a reducing agent. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The antimicrobial potential of the synthesized ZnO NPs against bacterial and fungal strains was examined by the disk diffusion method, and they showed a promising antibacterial and antifungal potential. The catalytic activity of the synthesized ZnO NPs in reducing methylene blue (MB) and eosin was studied via UV-Vis spectroscopy. The decolorization percentages of the MB and Eosin Y dyes were 84% and 94%, respectively, which indicate an efficient degradation of the ZnO NPs. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of the ZnO NPs on the HeLa cell line was evaluated via in vitro assay. The MTT assay results demonstrate a potent cytotoxic effect of the ZnO NPs against the HeLa cancer cell line.

In recent times, nanoparticles have been the focal point of research in nanoscience due to their wide scope of potential applications in all fields of science. Iron oxide (Fe ₃ O ₄ ) nanoparticles (NPs) show incredible magnetic saturation, stability, biocompatibility, and intuitive properties on the surface, which makes them ideal for being utilized in several ways. In the present study, Fe ₃ O ₄ NPs were synthesized by co-precipitation and further coated with silica (SiO ₂ ) to avoid aggregation. Synthesized nanoparticles (Fe ₃ O ₄ @SiO ₂ ) were individually functionalized using glycine and malonic acid and characterized by various spectroscopies and microscopies techniques. XRD diffraction analysis showed that the presence of SiO ₂ did not alter the diffraction pattern peaks, which represented the existence of Fe ₃ O ₄ . The presence of Fe ₃ O ₄ and SiO ₂ nanoparticles were further confirmed using EDS. Transmission electron microscope micrographs of the synthesized nanoparticles exhibited spherical shape and confirmed the increase in particle size after coating with SiO _2. Also, the analysis of dynamic light scattering showed that the particle size of Fe ₃ O ₄ @SiO ₂ functionalized with malonic acid (229.433 nm) was greater than those functionalized with glycine (57.2496 nm). However, the surface area was greater in Fe ₃ O ₄ @SiO ₂ -glycine (104.8 m ² /g) than Fe ₃ O ₄ @SiO ₂ -malonic acid (26.15 m ² /g). The key findings suggest that the synthesized core-shell Fe ₃ O ₄ @SiO ₂ nanoparticles are a promising candidate for a wide array of applications in the field of medicine and environmental science.

The thiophene nucleus has been recognized as an important entity in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds with promising pharmacological characteristics. A number of new heterocyclic compounds incorporating thiophene species have been prepared from the titled enaminone via the reaction with different nucleophiles and electrophiles. The structure elucidation of the designed compounds was derived from their spectral information. The results of antimicrobial activity of the prepared compounds revealed that derivatives 7b and 8 exhibited activity comparable to the standard drugs ampicillin and gentamicin for all tested bacteria species. Additionally, compound 3 displayed potent activity against Aspergillus fumigates, whereas compounds 5, 6, and 7a showed good activity against Syncephalastrum racemosum. We have synthesized a number of new thiophene-containing compounds. The results of antimicrobial activity of the prepared compounds revealed that changing the substituents at position-2 of thiophene ring significantly affect their biological activity. The pyridine side chain derivatives in compounds 7a, 7b and 8 showed excellent antimicrobial activity.

Ethyl 5-acetyl-4-methyl-2-(phenylamino)thiophene-3-carboxylate (2) and there derivatives 3a–c, 4, 6a–c and 9a–f were synthesized. The structure of compound 2 was deduced by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, FT-IR, MS, microanalysis, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The compound crystallized in the monoclinic system, with space group P2₁/c and cell coordinates a = 8.5752(16) Å, b = 21.046(4) Å, c = 8.2941(12) Å, β = 101.131(6)°, V = 1468.7(4) ų, and Z = 4. Compounds 2, 3a–c, 4, 5a–c and 9a–f were subjected into in vitro antimicrobial activity tests. Compounds 3a and 3c were more potent than standard drug amphotericin B, showing MIC values of 23.8 ± 0.42 and 24.3 ± 0.68, respectively, against Aspergillus fumigatus while the standard drug MIC was 23.7 ± 0.1. Compound 3c was also more potent (MIC 24.8 ± 0.64) than the standard drug amphotericin B (MIC 19.7 ± 0.2) against Syncephalastrum racemosum. Compounds 4 and 9f also showed promising anti-microbial activity. Molecular modeling was performed for the most active compounds.

A new series of pyrazolylpyridines was prepared by reaction of ethyl-3-acetyl-1,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate with the appropriate aldehyde, malononitrile, or ethyl acetoacetate and an excess of ammonium acetate under reflux in acetic acid. Similarly, two novel bipyridine derivatives were prepared by the above reaction using terephthaldehyde in lieu of benzaldehyde derivatives. In addition, a series of 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidines was synthesized by a reaction of 6-(pyrazol-3-yl)pyrimidine-2-thione with a number of hydrazonoyl chlorides in dioxane and in the presence of triethylamine. The structure of the produced compounds was established by elemental analyses and spectral methods, and the mechanisms of their formation was discussed. Furthermore, the pyrazolyl-pyridine derivatives were tested as anticancer agents and the results obtained showed that some of them revealed high activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG2) cell lines.