Ammi visnaga is a biennial or annual herbaceous plant belonging to the family Apiaceae. For the first time, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using an extract of this plant. Biofilms are a rich source of many pathogenic organisms and, thus, can be the genesis of various disease outbreaks. In addition, the treatment of cancer is still a critical drawback for mankind. The primary purpose of this research work was to comparatively analyze antibiofilms against Staphylococcus aureus, photocatalytic activity against Eosin Y, and in vitro anticancer activity against the HeLa cell line of silver nanoparticles and Ammi visnaga plant extract. The systematic characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was carried out using UV–Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, and X-ray diffraction microscopy (XRD). The initial characterization was performed with UV-Vis spectroscopy, where a peak appeared at 435 nm, which indicated the SPR band of the silver nanoparticles. AFM and SEM were performed to determine the morphology and shape of the nanoparticles, while EDX confirmed the presence of Ag in the spectra. The crystalline character of the silver nanoparticles was concluded with XRD. The synthesized nanoparticles were then subjected to biological activities. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by determining the inhibition of the initial biofilm formation with Staphylococcus aureus using a crystal violet assay. The response of the AgNPs against cellular growth and biofilm formation was found to be dose dependent. Green-synthesized nanoparticles showed 99% inhibition against biofilm and bacteria, performed excellent anticancer assay with an IC50 concentration of 17.1 ± 0.6 µg/mL and 100% inhibition, and photodegradation of the toxic organic dye Eosin Y up to 50%. Moreover, the effect of the pH and dosage of the photocatalyst was also measured to optimize the reaction conditions and maximum photocatalytic potential. Therefore, synthesized silver nanoparticles can be used in the treatment of wastewater contaminated with toxic dyes, pathogenic biofilms, and the treatment of cancer cell lines.
Over the past few years, thermoelectrics have gained interest with regard to thermoelectricity interconversion. The improvement in the efficiency of the thermoelectric material at an ambient temperature is the main problem of research. In this work, silicon–germanium (SiGe) thin films, owing to superior properties such as nontoxicity, high stability, and their integrability with silicon technologies, were studied for thermoelectric applications. P-type SiGe thin films were deposited on quartz substrates by DC/RF magnetron sputtering and annealed at three different temperatures for 1 hour. Significant enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient was achieved for the sample annealed at 670 °C. A high power factor of 4.1 μWcm−1K−2 was obtained at room temperature.
This research presents the synthesis of Fe-doped ZnS nanocomposites via a chemical route, exploring their photocatalytic activity against amoxicillin (AMX) and evaluating their hydrogen production potential. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by several state-of-the-art analytical techniques, such as XRD, SEM, PL, UV adsorption, Raman, TEM, and AFM. The photocatalytic performance revealed significant degradation of AMX under optimal conditions. Specifically, Fe-doped ZnS nanocomposites achieved a degradation efficiency of 94% within 120 min at a photocatalyst dosage of 110 mg. The pristine ZnS nanoparticles exhibited a hydrogen production rate of 23.6 µmol·g−1·h−1, whereas Fe doping substantially enhanced this rate to 526.6 µmol·g−1·h−1 under optimized conditions. The optimal temperature for hydrogen production was 200 °C, with maximum efficiency at pH 7. Furthermore, the recyclability tests demonstrated that the photocatalyst maintained a considerable hydrogen production rate over multiple cycles, underscoring its potential for commercial nanotechnology and environmental science applications.
Iron (Fe) doped zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles were prepared by thermolysis with varying concentrations of iron. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed the zinc blende cubic structure of ZnS. The effect of iron on lattice parameters such as crystallite size, micro strains, and dislocation density was examined. The defect chemistry inside the samples was analyzed by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The variation in PL intensity introduced by doping can be used in optical applications. The optical parameters of nanostructures were investigated with different doping and the incorporation of Fe substitute for Zn ions using UV-Visible (UV-Vis).