Synthesis of hierarchical CuO microspheres: Photocatalytic and antibacterial activities

In this work, hierarchical CuO micropeony was synthesized by an environmentally benign reflux condensation approach without using any surfactant or templates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the formation of CuO exhibiting monoclinic crystal structure. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) further confirmed the formation of single phase CuO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the hierarchical CuO architecture is composed of numerous interpenetrating nanosheets that radiated from the center to form floral pattern with a diameter of 1–2 μm. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of CuO exhibited both UV and visible emissions. The photocatalytic activity of hierarchical CuO microsphere was evaluated by monitoring the photodegradation of methyl orange dye while the antibacterial activity was studied against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria's. Results demonstrated that CuO hierarchical architecture possesses good photocatalytic as well as antibacterial activity.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnS nanobelts based on substitution reaction

ZnS nanobelts have been fabricated by ion-exchange reaction using pure Zn powder and CdS nanopowder as starting materials. The morphology and microstructure of ZnS nanobelts were measured by scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the products consist of a large quantity of ZnS nanobelts, and the nanobelts are grown as bunches randomly distributed on the substrate. The root of the bunch shows that the nanobelts are grown from a site. The ZnS nanobelts have a uniform cross-section along their lengths, and typical lengths of several tens to several hundreds of micrometers. Au nanoparticles are located at or close to the tips of the ZnS nanobelts, served as the catalyst for the growth of the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. In addition, the nanocombs, nanosaws and nanosprings of ZnS are also found in the products.     

Design,synthesis and antifungal activities of novel pyrrole- and pyrazole-substituted coumarin derivatives

Molecular Diversity - We synthesized a series of novel pyrrole- and pyrazole-substituted coumarin derivatives and evaluated their antifungal activity against six phytopathogenic fungi...     

Highly bacterial resistant silver nanoparticles: synthesis and antibacterial activities

In this article, we describe a simple one-pot rapid synthesis route to produce uniform silver nanoparticles by thermal reduction of AgNO₃ using oleylamine as reducing and capping agent. To enhance the dispersal ability of as-synthesized hydrophobic silver nanoparticles in water, while maintaining their unique properties, a facile phase transfer mechanism has been developed using biocompatible block co-polymer pluronic F-127. Formation of silver nanoparticles is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis spectroscopy. Hydrodynamic size and its distribution are obtained from dynamic light scattering (DLS). Hydrodynamic size and size distribution of as-synthesized and phase transferred silver nanoparticles are 8.2 ± 1.5 nm (σ = 18.3%) and 31.1 ± 4.5 nm (σ = 14.5%), respectively. Antimicrobial activities of hydrophilic silver nanoparticles is tested against two Gram positive (Bacillus megaterium and Staphylococcus aureus), and three Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris and Shigella sonnei) bacteria. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values obtained in the present study for the tested microorganisms are found much better than those reported for commercially available antibacterial agents.     

Designing N-halamine based antibacterial surface on polymers: Fabrication, characterization, and biocidal functions

We demonstrate a valuable method to generate reactive groups on inert polymer surfaces and bond antibacterial agents for biocidal ability. Polystyrene (PS) surfaces were functionalized by spin coating of sub-monolayer and monolayer films of poly(styrene-b-tert-butyl acrylate) (PS-PtBA) block copolymer from solutions in toluene. PS-PtBA self-assembled to a bilayer structure on PS that contains a surface layer of the PtBA blocks ordering at the air-polymer interface and a bottom layer of the PS blocks entangling with the PS substrate. The thickness of PtBA layer could be linearly controlled by the concentration of the spin coating solution and a 2.5 nm saturated monolayer coverage of PtBA was achieved at 0.35% (w/w). Carboxyl groups were generated by exposing the tert-butyl ester groups of PtBA on saturated surface to trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to bond tert-butylamine via amide bonds that were further chlorinated to N-halamine with NaOCl solution. The density of N-halamine on the chlorinated surface was calculated to be 1.05 × 10⁻⁵ mol/m² by iodimetric/thiosulfate titration. Presented data showed the N-halamine surface provided powerful antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Over 50% of the chlorine lost after UVA irradiation could be regained upon rechlorination. This design concept can be virtually applied to any inert polymer by choosing appropriate block copolymers and antibacterial agents to attain desirable biocidal activity.     

Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial action of hollow titania spheres

Hollow titania spheres were synthesized using the cationic polystyrene lattices which were prepared by polymerization in suspension of styrene using 2,2′-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AMPA) as an initiator. These cationic colloidal particles were dispersed in absolute ethanol in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) and mixed with ethanolic solutions of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP). Subsequently, hollow spheres of titania compounds were obtained by calcinations of the so-coated polystyrene lattices at elevated temperature in air. The hollow titania spheres were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Moreover, antibacterial action of illuminated hollow titania spheres on pure culture of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was studied. A decrease of E. coli concentration was observed after illumination of bacteria in the presence of hollow titania spheres.     

Combination of ultrasound-peracetic acid washing and ultrasound-assisted aerosolized ascorbic acid: A novel rinsing-free disinfection method that improves the antibacterial and antioxidant activities in cherry tomato

Traditional ultrasound (US)-assisted disinfection is only effective during washing. Coating is an effective method to control microbial growth after washing; however, cross-contamination can occur during immersion in the coating aqueous solution. Tap water (TW) rinsing is generally used to remove sanitizer residues after US-assisted washing; however, the Food and Drug Administration stated that rinsing is unnecessary when the peracetic acid (PAA) concentration does not exceed 80 ppm. In this study, we proposed a novel US-assisted hurdle technology of 80 ppm PAA combined with low-frequency US (25 kHz) during washing, followed by US-assisted aerosolization processing (nonimmersion coating). Ascorbic acid (AA), a safe and low-cost agent, was selected as the aerosolization solution. Cherry tomatoes were selected as the model, and the proposed method was compared with traditional US-assisted disinfection methods (US-10 ppm free chlorine washing + TW rinsing and US-5 ppm chlorine dioxide washing + TW rinsing) to analyze the disinfection efficacy and quality changes. During storage, US-PAA + 1%AA facilitated additional 0.7–0.9, 0.6–0.8, 0.7–1.0, and 0.5–1.0 log CFU/g reductions in the counts of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, aerobic mesophilic counts, and molds and yeasts, respectively, as compared with traditional US-assisted methods. Sensory properties, color index, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and weight loss were not negatively affected by any of the treatments. Firmness was slightly reduced after all treatments; however, the firmness of the samples was maintained during storage, in contrast with the decreased firmness observed in the control. Phenolic content and antioxidant activity significantly increased after all treatments. Further analysis of two key enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase) involved in phenolic synthesis showed that their levels significantly increased following all treatments, leading to an increase in phenolic content and antioxidant activity. This result also indicated that US-assisted washing could act as an abiotic elicitor to increase nutritional content. Overall, US-PAA + 1%AA treatment served as an effective method for disinfecting produce during washing and for controlling microbial growth after washing without prolonging the processing time, which is an advantage over traditional US-assisted washing.     

Thiazolidine-2,4-dione-linked ciprofloxacin derivatives with broad-spectrum antibacterial,MRSA and topoisomerase inhibitory activities

Molecular Diversity - A series of ciprofloxacin/thiazolidine-2,4-dione hybrids 3a-m were prepared and identified by IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR and elemental analysis. The antibacterial activity results of...     

Ultrasound mediation for one-pot sonosynthesis and deposition of magnetite nanoparticles on cotton/polyester fabric as a novel magnetic,photocatalytic, sonocatalytic,antibacterial and antifungal textile

A magnetic cotton/polyester fabric with photocatalytic, sonocatalytic, antibacterial and antifungal activities was successfully prepared through in-situ sonosynthesis method under ultrasound irradiation. The process involved the oxidation of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ via hydroxyl radicals generated through bubbles collapse in ultrasonic bath. The treated samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry. Photocatalytic and sonocatalytic activities of magnetite treated fabrics were also evaluated toward Reactive Blue 2 decoloration under sunlight and ultrasound irradiation. Central composite design based on response surface methodology was applied to study the influence of iron precursor, pH and surfactant concentration to obtain appropriate amount for the best magnetism. Findings suggested the potential of one-pot sonochemical method to synthesize and fabricate Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on cotton/polyester fabric possessing appropriate saturation magnetization, 95% antibacterial efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus and 99% antifungal effect against Candida albicans, 87% and 70% dye photocatalytic and sonocatalytic decoloration along with enhanced mechanical properties using only one iron rich precursor at low temperature.     

The modification of pomegranate polyphenol with ultrasound improves mechanical,antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of tuna skin collagen-chitosan film

To produce an edible film with high mechanical and physicochemical properties, Tuna skin collagen-chitosan (TSC-CTS) composite films were prepared by incorporating ultrasound (UT) and pomegranate polyphenols including gallic acid (GA), tannic acid (TA), and ellagic acid (EA), respectively. The tensile strength and the DPPH scavenging activity of the GA-UT-TSC-CTS film (ultrasound frequency of 28 ± 0.5 kHz, power of 100 W/L, sweep frequency cycle of 100 ms, duty ratio of 77% and time of 10 min; GA concentration of 1.0 g/L and reaction time of 10 min) were increased by 47.03% and 24.16 folds, respectively compared to the control (TSC-CTS film). Meanwhile, light transmittance and water vapor permeability of the GA-UT-TSC-CTS film were decreased by 29.26% and 15.70%, respectively. These positive modification results were attributed to the altered structure during the film formation process, which were verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetry results. Moreover, the GA-UT-TSC-CTS film possessed moderate thermal stability and color indexes and improved antibacterial activity. The antibacterial effect of the film against Bacillus subtilis was the highest, followed by Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the combination modification of gallic acid and ultrasound was an efficient modification method to improve the mechanical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of edible TSC-CTS films.     

Morphology, photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of radial spherical ZnO nanorods controlled with a diblock copolymer

Radial spherical ZnO nanorods were synthesized directly from an aqueous zinc acetate dihydrate solution in the presence of the poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide) copolymer at a mole ratio of Zn²⁺:OH⁻ = 1:10. The diameter of the hexagonal facet and the length of each rod decreased with an increase of the copolymer concentrations. The blue-shift in the optical band gap was caused by an increase of the compressed lattice. The efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution increased with an increase of their surface areas. However, the decrease of their sizes did not improve their antibacterial activities.     

Synthesis,antioxidant activity and SAR study of novel spiro-isatin-based Schiff bases

Molecular Diversity - A new series of 21 Schiff bases of spiro-isatin was synthesized, and their DPPH, CUPRAC and ABTS cation radical scavenging abilities were investigated for antioxidant...     

Ultrasonic effects on the degradation kinetics,preliminary characterization and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Phellinus linteus mycelia

In this study, a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide PL-N isolated from the alkaline extract of Phellinus linteus mycelia was degraded by ultrasound. Results showed that ultrasound treatment at different ultrasonic intensities decreased the intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight of PL-N, as well as narrowed the molecular weight distribution. A larger reduction in intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight was caused by a higher ultrasonic intensity. The degradation kinetics model was fitted to (1/M_t − 1/M₀) = k·t, and the reaction rate constant (k) increased with increasing ultrasonic intensity. Ultrasound degradation did not change the primary structure of PL-N, and scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the morphology of the original PL-N was different from that of degraded PL-N fractions. Antioxidant activity assays in vitro indicated that the degraded PL-N fraction with low molecular weight had stronger hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity and higher TEAC and FRAP values.     

Synthesis and antifungal activity of dehydroabietic acid-based 1,3,4-thiadiazole-thiazolidinone compounds

In an attempt to search for new natural products-based antifungal agents, a series of novel dehydroabietic acid derivatives bearing a 1,3,4-thiadiazole-thiazolidinone moiety were designed and synthesized. The primary bioassay used showed that at a concentration of \(50\,\upmu \hbox {g}/\hbox {mL}\), the target compounds 3c, 3f, and 3n exhibited excellent antifungal activity (91.3 % inhibition) against Gibberella zeae, which was equivalent to the commercial antifungal drug azoxystrobin (positive control).     

Bioactive compounds and antibacterial activities in crystallized honey liquefied with ultrasound

The effect of ultrasound on the crystal size, phenols, flavonoids, Maillard products and antibacterial activity of crystallized honeys was studied. Three multifloral honeys (M), one monofloral (MO) and one honeydew (HD) honey were used. Ultrasound was performed at 42 kHz for different times (0, 5, 10 and 15 min). The antibacterial activities were tested against Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In all honeys, the parameters analyzed had significant differences ((P < 0.05)). After 15 min of ultrasound the HD had increments of 44 mg of gallic acid/100 g of honey in phenols, and some M showed increase in flavonoids (5.64 mg of quercitin /100 g of honey) and improvement in inhibition against Salmonella typhimurium was 13.1%. In some honeys the correlation between phenols or flavonoids and antibacterial activity were significant ((P < 0.05)). No correlation was found between Maillard products and antibacterial activity. The ultrasound treatment effect on the crystal size, phenols, flavonoid, Maillard products, and antibacterial activity of crystallized honeys were different in each honey.     

Copper and Graphene activated ZnO nanopowders for enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities

ZnO, ZnO:Cu and ZnO:Cu:Graphene nanopowders were synthesized via a facile wet chemical method. The XRD studies show that the synthesized samples have hexagonal wurtzite structure. It is found that graphene addition induces a decrease in crystallite size. UV–vis absorption spectra of the samples show sharp absorption edges around 380 nm. Photoluminescence studies reveal that the incorporation of copper and graphene in ZnO facilitates the efficient photo generated electron–hole pair separation. It is found that the ZnO:Cu and ZnO:Cu:Graphene nanopowder exhibit improved photocatalytic efficiency for the photodegradation of Methylene Blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. Moreover, improved antibacterial activity of ZnO:Cu:Graphene nanopowder against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is observed.