The corrosion inhibition activity of a newly synthesized Schiff base (SB) from 3-acetyl-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-(2H)-pyran-2-one and 2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)diethylamine was investigated on the corrosion of mild steel in 1 M HCl solution using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic techniques. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Raman spectroscopic techniques were used to study the chemical interactions between SB and mild steel surface. SB was found to be a relatively good inhibitor of mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl. The inhibition efficiency increases with increase in concentration of SB. The inhibition activity of SB was ascribed to its adsorption onto mild steel surface, through physisorption and chemisorption, and described by the Langmuir adsorption model. Quantum chemical calculations indicated the presence of atomic sites with potential nucleophilic and electrophilic characteristics with which SB can establish electronic interactions with the charged mild steel surface.

Afzelia africana seeds were obtained from three locations, Abakaliki, Enugu and Nsukka, all in the Eastern part of Nigeria and de-hulled. The seed oil was extracted with (40 - 60°C) petroleum ether and the oil was separated from the solvent using a rotary evaporator. Result of analysis shows that the acid value, saponification value, specific gravity, free fatty acid and refractive index of the oil samples were lowest for the samples obtained from Nsukka. The average moisture content of the seeds from the various locations was 5.56 ± 0.5%. The crude protein (26.44%) and oil content (33.32%) did not vary significantly with location or environment. The various oils were found to contain no less than 0.60 mg/100 g of oxalate, 0.70 mg/kg of phytate and neither tannins or cyanogenic glycosides. This paper empirically highlights the possible industrial applications as well as the safety of the seed oil. Key words: Afzelia Africana seed oil, phytate, crude protein, average molecular weight, anti-nutritional factors.

Globally, cancer is one of the deadliest diseases, needing a meticulous diagnosis and targeted treatment plan to achieve an initial prognosis, followed by precision and optimization in treatment. Nonselective targeting, difficulty in accurately monitoring treatment end-results, serious drug side-effects, and severity of disease resulting in metastasis are the key flaws of traditional techniques. Nanotechnology and nanoparticles possess special features to completely transform the field of diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A holistic strategy that employs a dual function of diagnosis and therapy while utilizing a nanocarrier is referred to as a nanotheranostic. The nanotheranostic framework was created to surmount a variety of biological and physiological obstacles, effectively delivering the cargo to the intended target location, while simultaneously facilitating therapeutic intervention, surveillance, and validation to demonstrate improved treatment effectiveness. As a result, a nanotheranostic platform can be useful for targeted drug delivery, release, and distribution assessment, in addition to patient classification and survival. Nanotheranostic techniques also lead to reduced drug side-effects compared with conventional therapies. In this review, we outline current studies on nanotheranostics and their advantages over conventional treatment strategies, the applications and challenges/limitations of nanotheranostics, and the mechanisms of targeting in breast and prostate cancers.

Chrysophyllum albidium seed shell, an abundant, biodegradable and inexpensive natural resource was used as a precursor to bioadsorbent production for the removal of suspended and dissolved particles (SDP) from initially coagulated Brewery Effluent (BRE). Influence of key parameters such as contact time, bioadsorbent dose, pH and temperature were investigated using batch mode. The thermal behavior studies were evaluated using Thermogravimetric and Differential scanning calorimetric analyses. The morphological observations and functional groups of the bioadsorbents were determined using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium, thermodynamics and kinetic of SDP adsorption on H3PO4-treated shell and NH4Cl-treated shell were examined at specified temperatures. Equilibrium data sufficiently fitted the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.99; SSE < 0.09). The pseudo-second order kinetic model provided the best correlation (R2 > 0.99; SSE < 0.14) with the experimental data. The values of ΔG° and ΔH° indicated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the process. This study demonstrated that C. albidium seed shell could be utilized as low cost, renewable, ecofriendly bioadsorbent for the uptake of SDP from BRE.

This study aimed at developing low-cost adsorbents from waste rice husk which is a nuisance to farmers through sulfuric (H₂SO₄) and phosphoric (H₃PO₄) acid treatment. The raw rice husk (RRH) was treated with 85% H₃PO₄ and H₂SO₄ and calcined at 500 °C in a muffle furnace. The effects of initial methyl orange (MO) concentrations, adsorbent dosage and contact time on the dye removal process was studies. The adsorbents were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FITR), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The infrared spectral data revealed the emergence of a new peak at 1097.27 cm⁻¹ in the phosphoric acid modified RH (MH₃PO₄RH) along with shifts and reductions in the intensities of functional groups. The adsorption peaks at 3377.12, 3336.73 and 3449.99 cm⁻¹ for the RH indicates the existence of hydrogen-bonded OH stretching. In RH, the C–H Stretching vibration at 2923.00, 2844.20 and 2925.57 cm⁻¹ respectively revealed the alkane functional group being present. The peaks around 2143.06 – 2378.09 cm⁻¹ indicate the presence of C≡C stretching while the peaks around 1671.63 – 1741.96 cm⁻¹ correspond to C = O stretching that may be attributed to the hemicelluloses. The surface morphology changed, as seen in SEM and EDX photos, with rougher cavities and a higher proportion of carbon content, which may have an impact on the adsorptive qualities. The surface area of RRH, 0.32 m²/g increased by 14.5 fold in M \({H}_{3}\) P \({O}_{4}\) RH and sulphoric acid modified RH (M \({H}_{2}\) S \({O}_{4}\) RH) by 22 fold. Additionally, after being treated with acids, the rice husk’s surface structure changed from being non-porous to porous. The percentage adsorption of MO was discovered to increase with the contact time increase, initial MO concentration and dosage. For MH₃PO₄RH, the Langmuir isotherm was the most suitable to explain the adsorption process, while the Freundlich isotherm was the most suitable for MH₂SO₄RH.. The Langmuir maximum monolayer adsorption capacity were 166.7 (M \({H}_{2}\) S \({O}_{4}\) RH) and 312.5 mg/g (M \({H}_{3}\) P \({O}_{4}\) RH). The M \({H}_{2}\) S \({O}_{4}\) RH kinetics data were fitted well to the pseudo-second order adsorption model with a higher coefficient of correlation R² \(=\) 0.999. An endothermic, spontaneous and positive enthalpy and entropy change were observed, indicating the affinity of MO molecules to the adsorbent surface. Graphical Abstract