An antibacterial and conductive bionanocomposite (BNC) film consisting of polypyrrole (Ppy), zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs), and chitosan (CS) was electrochemically synthesized on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate by electrooxidation of 0.1 M pyrrole in aqueous solution containing appropriate amounts of ZnO NPs uniformly dispersed in CS. This method enables the room temperature electrosynthesis of BNC film consisting of ZnO NPs incorporated within the growing Ppy/CS composite. The morphology of Ppy/ZnO/CS BNC was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. ITO–Ppy/CS and ITO–Ppy/ZnO/CS bioelectrodes were characterized using the Fourier transform infrared technique, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The electrical conductivity of nanocomposites was investigated by a four-probe method. The prepared nanocomposites were analyzed for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. The results demonstrated that the antioxidant activity of nanocomposites increased remarkably by addition of ZnO NPs. The electrical conductivity of films showed a sudden decrease for lower weight ratios of ZnO NPs (5 wt%), while it was increased gradually for higher ratios (10, 15, and 20 wt%). The nanocomposites were analyzed for antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results indicated that the synthesized BNC is effective against all of the studied bacteria, and its effectiveness is higher for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The thermal stability and physical properties of BNC films were increased by an increase in the weight ratio of ZnO NPs, promising novel applications for the electrically conductive polysaccharide-based nanocomposites, particularly those that may exploit the antimicrobial nature of Ppy/ZnO/CS BNCs.

Polyimide/SiO₂ composite films were prepared from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and poly(amic acid) (PAA) based on aromatic diamine (4-aminophenyl sulfone) (4-APS) and aromatic dianhydride (3,3,4,4-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride) (BTDA) via a sol-gel process in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The prepared polyimide/SiO₂ composite films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The FTIR results confirmed the synthesis of polyimide (4-APS/BTDA) and the formation of SiO₂ particles in the polyimide matrix. Meanwhile, the SEM images showed that the SiO₂ particles were well dispersed in the polyimide matrix. Thermal stability and kinetic parameters of the degradation processes for the prepared polyimide/SiO₂ composite films were investigated using TGA in N₂ atmosphere. The activation energy of the solid-state process was calculated using Flynn–Wall–Ozawa’s method without the knowledge of the reaction mechanism. The results indicated that thermal stability and the values of the calculated activation energies increased with the increase of the TEOS loading and the activation energy also varied with the percentage of weight loss for all compositions.

Nanocrystalline SnO_x (x = 1–2) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by a simple chemical bath deposition method. Triethanolamine was used as complexing agent to decrease time and temperature of deposition and shift the pH of the solution to the noncorrosive region. The films were characterized for composition, surface morphology, structure and optical properties. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that SnO_x thin films consist of a polycrystalline structure with an average grain size of 36 nm. Atomic force microscopy studies show a uniform grain distribution without pinholes. The elemental composition was evaluated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The average O/Sn atomic percentage ratio is 1.72. Band gap energy and optical transition were determined from optical absorbance data. The film was found to exhibit direct and indirect transitions in the visible spectrum with band gap values of about 3.9 and 3.7 eV, respectively. The optical transmittance in the visible region is 82%. The SnO_x nanocrystals exhibit an ultraviolet emission band centered at 392 nm in the vicinity of the band edge, which is attributed to the well-known exciton transition in SnO_x. Photosensitivity was detected in the positive region under illumination with white light.

Cross-coupling of aryl halides and arylboronic acids in the presence of carbon monoxide, also called carbonylative Suzuki coupling, to form two new carbon–carbon bonds in the production of synthetically and biologically important biaryl ketones, has been widely studied.

In this research copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were incorporated in the biodegradable hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) matrix using the simple and low cost chemical reduction method for application as food packaging material. The properties of Cu/HPMC bionanocomposites (BNCs) were studied as a function of the CuSO₄ concentration. Surface morphology of the film was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical analysis and water vapor barrier properties of HPMC/Cu nanocomposites were analyzed. It was observed that mechanical and water vapor barrier properties of the films were improved by the concentration of CuSO₄. The antibacterial activity of HPMC/Cu thin films were evaluated based on the diameter of inhibition zone in a disk diffusion test against Gram positive bacteria, ie, Streptococus A., S. epidermidis, S.aureus , B.cereus and Gram negative bacteria, ie, E. coli, E. faecalis, Salmonella, P. aeruginosa using Mueller Hinton agar at different concentration of CuSO₄. The results revealed a greater bactericidal effectiveness for nanocomposite films containing 5 % of CuSO₄. Packages prepared from HPMC/Cu nanocomposite films were used for meat packaging. The films were filled with meat and then stored at 4 °C. Microbial stability of the meat was evaluated after 3, 7, 10 and 15 days of storage. The results showed that microbial growth rate significantly reduced as a result of using this nanocomposite packaging material.