In this study, the antibacterial and antifungal properties of silver nanoparticles synthesized with the aqueous plant extract of Acer oblongifolium leaves were defined using a simplistic, environmentally friendly, reliable, and cost-effective method. The aqueous plant extract of Acer oblongifolium, which served as a capping and reducing agent, was used to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles. UV visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the biosynthesized Acer oblongifolium silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus paramycoides and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) were used to test the AgNPs’ antibacterial activity. The presence of different functional groups was determined by FTIR. The AgNPs were rod-like in shape. The nanoparticles were more toxic against Escherichiacoli than both Bacillus cereus and Bacillus paramycoides. The AgNPs had IC₅₀ values of 6.22 and 9.43 and mg/mL on HeLa and MCF-7, respectively, proving their comparatively strong potency against MCF-7. This confirmed that silver nanoparticles had strong antibacterial activity and antiproliferative ability against MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines. The mathematical modeling revealed that the pure nanoparticle had a high heat-absorbing capacity compared to the mixed nanoparticle. This research demonstrated that the biosynthesized Acer oblongifolium AgNPs could be used as an antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer agent in the future.

Good stability and reproducibility are important factors in determining the place of any material in their respective field and these two factors also enable them to use in various applications. At present, transition metal carbides (TMCs) have high demand either in the two-dimensional (2D) form (MXene) or as nanocomposites, nanoparticles, carbide films, carbide nano-powder, and carbide nanofibers. They have shown good stability at high temperatures in different environments and also have the ability to show adequate reproducibility. Metal carbides have shown a broad spectrum of properties enabling them to engage the modern approach of multifacet material. Several ways have been routed to synthesize metal carbides in their various forms but few of those gain more attention due to their easy approach and better properties. TMCs find applications in various fields, such as catalysts, absorbents, bio-sensors, pesticides, electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL), anti-pollution and anti-bacterial agents, and in tumor detection. This article highlights some recent developments in the synthesis methods and applications of TMCs in various fields.

Methanol electrochemical oxidation in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is considered to be an efficient pathway for generating renewable energy with low pollutant emissions. NiO−CuO and Ni_0.95Cr_0.05O_2+δ thin films were synthesized using a simple dip-coating method and tested for the electro-oxidation of methanol. These synthesized electrocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy. Different electrochemical techniques were used to investigate the catalytic activity of these prepared electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation, including linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry (CA). In the presence of 0.3 M methanol, the current densities of NiO−CuO and Ni_0.95Cr_0.05O_2+δ thin films were found to be 12.2 mA·cm⁻² and 6.5 mA·cm⁻², respectively. The enhanced catalytic activity of NiO−CuO and Ni_0.95Cr_0.05O_2+δ thin films may be a result of the synergistic effect between different metal oxides. The Chronoamperometry (CA) results of the mixed metal oxide thin films confirmed their stability in basic media. Furthermore, the findings of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of mixed metal oxide thin films demonstrated a lower charge transfer resistance as compared to the pure NiO, CuO, and Cr₂O₃ thin films.

Due to the synergistic effect, the Cr₂O₃–Mn₂O₃ composite has shown efficient charge transfer and hole trapping process for water splitting.