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The present study aimed to develop the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using the green method, with Aloe barbadensis leaf extract as a stabilizing and capping agent. In vitro antitumor cytotoxic activity, as well as the surface-functionalization of ZnO-NPs and their drug loading capacity against doxorubicin (DOX) and gemcitabine (GEM) drugs, were also studied. Morphological and structural properties of the produced ZnO-NPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersion X-ray diffraction (EDX), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared analysis (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared ZnO-NPs had a hexagonal shape and average particle size of 20–40 nm, with an absorption peak at 325 nm. The weight and atomic percentages of zinc (50.58% and 28.13%) and oxygen (26.71% and 60.71%) were also determined by EDAX (energy dispersive x-ray analysis) compositional analysis. The appearance of the FTIR peak at 3420 m–1 confirmed the synthesis of ZnO-NPs. The drug loading efficiency (LE) and loading capacity (LC) of unstabilized and PEGylated ZnO-NPs were determined by doxorubicin (DOX) and gemcitabine (GEM) drugs. DOX had superior LE 65% (650 mg/g) and higher LC 32% (320 mg/g) than GEM LE 30.5% (30 mg/g) and LC 16.25% (162 mg/g) on ZnO-NPs. Similar observation was observed in the case of PEG-ZnO-NPs, where DOX had enhanced LE 68% (680 mg/g) and LC 35% (350) mg/g in contrast to GEM, which had LE and LC values of 35% (350 mg/g) and 19% (190 mg/g), respectively. Therefore, DOX was chosen to encapsulate nanoparticles, along with the untreated nanoparticles, to check their in vitro antiproliferative potential against the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line (MDA-MB-231) through the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay. This drug delivery strategy implies that the PEGylated biogenically synthesized ZnO-NPs occupy an important position in chemotherapeutic drug loading efficiency and can improve the therapeutic techniques of triple breast cancer.

Ceramic-Titanium matrix composites have recently attracted significant interest as a new type of biomaterials protecting the brain from external force and infections of cranial defects due to its biocompatibility and good mechanical and corrosion properties matched with the bone tissue. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is one of powder technology techniques that can be utilised in the fabrication of final net complex and irregular shape parts used for cranial reconstruction and maxillofacial trauma by reconstruction and cranioplasty. The present work studies the effect of alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) short fibers reinforcement addition on the nanomechanical properties estimated by the nanoindentation measurements of the Ti-12Mo-6Zr and its correlation with the microstructure. Al 2 O 3 short fibers/Ti-12Mo-6Zr of different Al 2 O 3 reinforcement short fibers content up to 5 wt.% were fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering technique. Powders of Ti, Mo, and Zr powders were mechanically wet milled with different wt.% of Al 2 O 3 reinforced short fibers. The mechanically mixed Al 2 O 3 short fibers/Ti-12Mo-6Zr samples of different compositions were consolidated by SPS at 1000  o C for 5 min under vacuum and 50 Mpa compaction pressure. Optical microscopy (OM), high-resolution scanning electronic microscopy (HRSEM) conducted with Electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) unite and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) are used to evaluate the particle size and shape, surface morphology, microstructure, the chemical compositions and the phase identifications for the investigated samples. The samples were determined by the rule of mixture (ROM) as well as the Archimedes’ principle. The nanomechanical properties were estimated by measuring the nanoindentation of the produced Al 2 O 3 short fibers/Ti-12Mo-6Zr sintered samples using a Berkovich indenter with continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) method. The hardness and the Young modulus were estimated from the obtained data of the applied load-displacement in the depth curves. The obtained Al 2 O 3 short fibers/Ti-12Mo-6Zr composites have good mechanical properties which revealed the efficiency of the sintering process by spark plasma sintering. Also, the estimated hardness and Young’s modulus are increased by increasing the content of the Al 2 O 3 reinforcement nanoparticles from 1 to 5 wt.% in the Ti-12Mo-6Zr metal matrix. Based on our findings of the nanoindentation studies; it was expected that the produced Al 2 O 3 short fibers/Ti-12Mo-6Zr new composites have appropriate physical and mechanical properties for cranial reconstruction applications.

Nanomaterials have gained much attention in the field of environmental remediation, largely due to their high surface area-to-volume ratio and other unique physical, chemical, and biological characteristics that emerge due to its size effects. Metallic nanoparticles are traditionally manufactured using wet chemical processes; however, the chemicals utilized are generally hazardous and combustible. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles using a variety of plant resources is considered a green technology because it does not use toxic chemicals. This work focuses on the green synthesis of biogenetic silver nanoparticles and their use in the sequestration of colorants from aqueous solution. The extract of aquatic macrophyte Salvinia molesta (water hyacinth) has been employed to prepare silver nanoparticles by chemical reduction reaction. In the UV-visible spectrum of the synthesized silver nanoparticles, the absorbance peak was detected in the 420–430 nm range. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were used to sequester methylene blue (MB) dye in aqueous solution. About 121.04 mg/g was found as the highest adsorption capacity of methylene blue dye on the silver nanoparticles according to the Langmuir isotherm. It was observed that the experimental results and the pseudo-second order kinetics are in good agreement. As a result, the biosynthesized silver nanoparticle might be a potential adsorbent material in the field of environmental rehabilitation and cleanup.

This paper investigates a new type of metal matrix composite, namely elemental metal matrix composites (EMMC), where a matrix contains elemental metal powders joined at selective interfaces with other property-enhancing powders to strategically preserve properties of individual constituents. These composites have the potential advantage of reduced demands on high-temperature processing while boasting unique multifunctional properties. cBN-reinforced nickel alloy 20/Cu80 composites (with cBN content ranging from 0 to 5 wt.%) were fabricated using a powder metallurgy processing sequence. The saturation magnetization, the coercivity, electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and hardness of the EMMCs were investigated. An increase in cBN content from 1 to 5 wt.% resulted in a slight decline in the relative green and sintered density by about 5% and thermal conductivity from 155.95 to 59.16 W/(m.K) while increasing the electrical resistivity from 4.59 to 12.10 µΩ cm, saturation magnetization from 9.51 to 11.94 emu/g, and hardness from 164 to 206 HV. However, the coercivity decreased from 4 to 2.7 Oe. In accordance with the rule of mixtures and the Maxwell model, an increase in thermal conductivity with an increase in cBN content is predicted. However, using Wiedemann–Franz law (using experimental electrical resistivity measurements) shows a decline in thermal conductivity with increase in cBN content, due to multiple factors related to the sintered EMMCS including porosity, cBN agglomeration, and reduced interfacial bonding between powder constituents.

The present work is aimed to assess the protective influence of zinc oxide resveratrol nanoparticles against oxidative stress-associated testicular dysfunction. The number of 50 male albino rats were randomly separated into five groups ( n  = 10): Group I, control: rats gavage distilled water orally; Group II, Levofloxacin: rats that administered Levofloxacin (LFX) softened in distilled water at a dosage of 40 mg/kg −1 BW orally every other day; Group III, Zn-RSV: rats administered with Zn-RSV (zinc oxide resveratrol in distilled water at a dose 20 mg/kg −1 BW orally every other day; Group IV, (LFX + Zn-RSV): rats that were administered with Levofloxacin along with Zn-RSV nPs; Group V, Levofloxacin + Zn: rats were administered with Levofloxacin and Zno at a dose of 20 mg/kg −1 BW orally every other day as mentioned before. This study lasted for 2 months. Sera were collected to assess luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone values. Testicular tissues were utilized to evaluate levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and catalase (CAT). Semen samples were utilized to measure their quality (motility, concentration, and vitality). Histopathological and immune histochemical techniques investigated the morphological changes in the testis. Rats treated with Levofloxacin showed significantly lower levels of serum LH, testosterone, FSH, testicular enzymatic NO, catalase, SOD, BAX, and BCL-2 immune reactivity and sperm quality but significantly greater testicular malondialdehyde and caspase-3 immuno-reactivity Compared to both control and zinc oxide resveratrol treatment. Zinc oxide resveratrol nanoparticles ameliorated the harmful side effects of Levofloxacin. Improvements were more pronounced in the co-treatment (LFX + Zn-RSV) Zinc oxide resveratrol group than in the co-treatment (LFX + Zno) Zinc oxide group. Zinc oxide resveratrol nanoparticles could be a possible solution for levofloxacin oxidative stress-induced fertility problems.

This study recommends Carbopol/zinc oxide (ZnO) hybrid nanoparticles gel as an efficient antibacterial agent against different bacterial species. To this end, ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using chemical precipitation derived from a zinc acetate solution with ammonium hydroxide as its precipitating agent under the effect of ultrasonic radiation. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were stabilized simultaneously in a freshly prepared Carbopol gel at a pH of 7. The chemical composition, phase identification, particle size and shape, surface charge, pore size distribution, and the BET surface area of the ZnO nanoparticles, as well as the Carbopol/ZnO hybrid Nanoparticles gel, were by XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, DLS, Zeta potential and BET instruments. The results revealed that the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were well-dispersed in the Carbopol gel network, and have a wurtzite-crystalline phase of spherical shape. Moreover, the Carbopol/ZnO hybrid nanoparticles gel exhibited a particle size distribution between ~9 and ~93 nm, and a surface area of 54.26 m2/g. The synthesized Carbopol/ZnO hybrid nanoparticles gel underwent an antibacterial sensitivity test against gram-negative K. pneumonia (ATCC 13883), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) bacterial strains, and were compared with ampicillin as a reference antibiotic agent. The obtained results demonstrated that the synthesized Carbopol/ZnO hybrid nanoparticles gel exhibited a compatible bioactivity against the different strains of bacteria.

Carbon fibers of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) type were coated with nickel nanoparticles using a chemical reduction method in alkaline hydrazine bath. The carbon fibers were firstly heated at 400 °C and then chemically treated in hydrochloric acid followed by nitric acid to clean, remove any foreign particles and functionalized its graphitic surfaces by introducing some functional groups. The functionalized carbon fibers were coated with nickel to produce 10 wt% Cf/Ni nanocomposites. The uncoated heat treated and the nickel coated carbon fibers were investigated by SEM, EDS, FTIR and XRD to characterize the particle size, morphology, chemical composition and the crystal structure of the investigated materials. The nickel nanoparticles were successfully deposited as homogeneous layer on the surface of the functionalized carbon fibers. Also, the deposited nickel nanoparticles have quazi-spherical shape and 128–225 nm median particle size. The untreated and the heat treated as well as the 10 wt% Cf/Ni nanocomposite particles were further reinforced in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer separately by melt blending technique to prepare 0.5 wt% Cf-EVA polymer matrix stretchable conductive composites. The microstructures of the prepared polymer composites were investigated using optical microscope. The carbon fibers as well as the nickel coated one were homogenously distributed in the polymer matrix. The obtained samples were analyzed by TGA. The addition of the nickel coated carbon fibers to the EVA was improved the thermal stability by increasing the thermal decomposition temperature T max1 and T max2 . The electrical and the mechanical properties of the obtained 10 wt% Cf/Ni nanocomposites as well as the 0.5 wt% Cf-EVA stretchable conductive composites were evaluated by measuring its thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrical resistivity by four probe method and tensile properties. The electrical resistivity of the fibers was decreased by coating with nickel and the 10 wt% Cf/Ni nanocomposites has lower resistivity than the carbon fibers itself. Also, the electrical resistivity of the neat EVA is decreased from 3.2 × 10 10 to 1.4 × 10 4  Ω cm in case of the reinforced 0.5 wt% Cf/Ni-EVA polymer composite. However, the ultimate elongation and the Young’s modulus of the neat EVA polymer was increased by reinforcing with carbon fibers and its nickel composite.

This study investigates the enhancement of Cu-Fe-Ni-Co medium-entropy alloy (MEA) composites reinforced with 20 wt. % tungsten carbide (WC) and graphene nanosheets (GNs) at 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 wt. %. Powders were ball-milled, cold-pressed, and sintered at 1250°C under vacuum conditions involving liquid phase-assisted sintering due to the partial melting of Cu, which promoted densification and chemical homogenization. The baseline alloy exhibits a dominant FCC solid-solution structure with a crystallite size of 96.34nm and a hardness of ∼200 HV. The addition of WC refined the crystallite size to 75nm and increased the hardness to 221 HV, accompanied by the formation of secondary carbide phases (Co[sub.2]W[sub.4]C- and WC-related phases). Incorporating GNs further enhanced hardness progressively to ∼240, ∼300, and ∼400 HV at 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 wt. % GNs, respectively, due to synergistic strengthening mechanisms including dislocation hindrance, grain-boundary strengthening, load transfer, and in situ formation of W- and Co-based carbides. The compressive yield and ultimate strengths of the base alloy (806MPa and 874MPa) increased to 1140MPa and 1340MPa for the 1.4 wt. % GN composite. Wear resistance also improved significantly, with the wear rate decreasing from 0.031mg/min for the base alloy to 0.017mg/min for composites containing 1.2-1.4 wt. % GNs, attributed to grain refinement, graphene lubricity, and stable tribolayer formation. Overall, these results demonstrate the synergistic effect of WC and GNs in substantially enhancing the mechanical and tribological performance of Cu-Fe-Ni-Co MEAs through coupled microstructural refinement and phase evolution.

Using plant extracts has been interesting as possible eco-friendly methods to synthesis and stabilize different types of nanoparticles. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) can be used as effective adsorbent due to their high surface area to volume ratio and high spontaneous adsorption properties. In this research, ZnO-NPs were synthesized and stabilized to use as an effective adsorbent material for removing two carcinogenic azo dyes: Malachite green and Congo red. It is also used as an antibacterial active material to enhance mouse skin wound healing. The fabrication and stabilization of ZnO-NPs were performed using Aloe barbadensis leaf extract. The morphology and structure of the as-synthesized ZnO-NPs were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The fabricated ZnO-NPs were applied as an adsorbent for the removal of Malachite green, a cationic azo dye, and Congo red, an anionic azo dye. The ZnO-NPs achieved adsorption efficiency of 90.7% for Malachite green azo dye within 90 min at the maximum amount of 70 mg/ml. Congo red dye was adsorbed at the efficiency of 92.30% within 120 min at 80 mg/ml maximum concentration of ZnO-NPs. Using the batch process, different parameters (time, pH, amount of adsorbent) during the adsorption process were elucidated. The results confined the applicability of ZnO-NPs as an efficient adsorbent for Malachite green and Congo red dyes. Also, the synthesised ZnO-NPs demonstrated a powerful antimicrobial activity against four types of bacterial strains of Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus licheniformis and Escherichia coli, and two types of fungi strains of Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. The healing efficiency of mouse wound was studied using ZnO-NP/silica gel (ZnO-NP/SG) dressings due to its extensive evidence on healing property. The microscopic investigations of the wound area are reduced significantly using ZnO-NP/SG-30 ppm dressings within 11 days of observation as compared to ZnO-NPs of the control sample. These findings elaborated that as-synthesized dressing enhanced the skin repairing on the wound surface and support its usage in the future.

With extensive production and various applications of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), there is a controversy regarding the ecotoxicological impacts of SiNPs. Therefore, the current study was aimed to assess the acute toxicity of silica nanoparticles in male Rattus norvegicus domestica after 24 and 96 h. Hematological, serum biochemical, stress biomarker, and immune-antioxidant parameters were addressed. Chemical composition, crystal structure, and the particle shape and morphology of SiNPs were investigated using XRD, FTIR, BET, UV-Vis, and SEM, while TEM was used to estimate the average size distribution of particles. For the exposure experiment, 48 male rats were divided into four groups (12 rat/group) and gavaged daily with different levels of zero (control), 5, 10, and 20 mg of SiNPs corresponding to zero, 31.25, 62.5, and 125 mg per kg of body weight. Sampling was carried out after 24 and 96 h. Relative to the control group, the exposure to SiNPs induced clear behavioral changes such as inactivity, lethargy, aggressiveness, and screaming. In a dose-dependent manner, the behavior scores recorded the highest values. Pairwise comparisons with the control demonstrated a significant ( p < 0.05) decrease in hematological and immunological biomarkers [lysozymes and alternative complement activity (ACH50)] with a concomitant reduction in the antioxidant enzymes [catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)] in all exposed groups to SiNPs. On the contrary, there was a noticeable increase in biochemical parameters (glucose, cortisol, creatinine, urea, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), total protein, and albumin) and hepato-renal indicators, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), of all SiNP-exposed groups. It was observed that SiNPs induced acute toxicity, either after 24 h or 96 h, post-exposure of rats to SiNPs evidenced by ethological changes, hepato-renal dysfunction, hyperlipemia, and severe suppression in hematological, protein, stress, and immune-antioxidant biomarkers reflecting an impaired physiological status. The obtained outcomes create a foundation for future research to consider the acute toxicity of nanoparticles to preserve human health and sustain the environment.