Tannic acid NPs – Synthesis and immobilization onto a solid surface in a one-step process and their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties

Tannic acid nanoparticles were synthesized from an aqueous solution without the use of stabilizers via a sonochemical process. In order to avoid the dissolution of the formed nanoparticles, the sonochemical reaction was performed in the presence of a cotton fabric: following their formation, the tannic acid nanoparticles were embedded into the cotton substrate in a one-step process. The bioactive properties of the tannic acid coated surface were examined towards the inhibition of myeloperoxidase and collagenase, two major enzymes related with inflammatory processes. In addition, the antibacterial activity of the tannic acid nanoparticles coated textiles was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

Sonochemical temperature controlled synthesis of pellet-, laminate- and rice grain-like morphologies of a Cu(II) porous metal–organic framework nano-structures

Nano-structures of the Cu(II) metal–organic framework, {Cu(BDT)(DMF)·CH₃OH·0.25DMF}_n (1), which BDT²⁻ is 1,4-benzeneditetrazolate, have been synthesized by the reaction of H₂BDT with Cu(NO₃)₂·6H₂O via ultrasonic irradiation in three different temperatures, which causes different morphologies. The products were characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. This study demonstrates that sonochemistry is a suitable method for preparation of metal–organic framework nano-structures and temperature is an effective parameter on morphologies of Cu(II) metal–organic framework nano-structures.     

Depositing nanoparticles inside millimeter-size hollow tubing

The inner and the outer walls of hollow tubing with an inner diameter of 0.4-0.9 cm and an outer diameter of 0.6-1.3 cm were coated with silver nanoparticles (NPs) by a one-step process using ultrasound irradiation. The structure and morphology of the nanoparticles (NPs) inside the hollow tubing and on the outer surface were characterized using methods such as XRD, TEM, HR-TEM, and HRSEM. The inner surface of the tubing was found to be coated with more silver than the outer surface. The coating was done on tubing made of rubber, PVC, Teflon and polyethylene. Sonochemistry is demonstrated as a method for depositing nanoparticles on the inner wall of a tube.     

Structural evolution,growth mechanism and photoluminescence properties of CuWO4 nanocrystals

Copper tungstate (CuWO₄) crystals were synthesized by the sonochemistry (SC) method, and then, heat treated in a conventional furnace at different temperatures for 1 h. The structural evolution, growth mechanism and photoluminescence (PL) properties of these crystals were thoroughly investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns, micro-Raman spectra and Fourier transformed infrared spectra indicated that crystals heat treated and 100 °C and 200 °C have water molecules in their lattice (copper tungstate dihydrate (CuWO₄·2H₂O) with monoclinic structure), when the crystals are calcinated at 300 °C have the presence of two phase (CuWO₄·2H₂O and CuWO₄), while the others heat treated at 400 °C and 500 °C have a single CuWO₄ triclinic structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed a change in the morphological features of these crystals with the increase of the heat treatment temperature. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution-TEM images and selected area electron diffraction were employed to examine the shape, size and structure of these crystals. Ultraviolet–Visible spectra evidenced a decrease of band gap values with the increase of the temperature, which were correlated with the reduction of intermediary energy levels within the band gap. The intense photoluminescence (PL) emission was detected for the sample heat treat at 300 °C for 1 h, which have a mixture of CuWO₄·2H₂O and CuWO₄ phases. Therefore, there is a synergic effect between the intermediary energy levels arising from these two phases during the electronic transitions responsible for PL emissions.     

Sonochemically assisted synthesis of zinc-doped maghemite

Nanoparticles of zinc-doped maghemite were prepared using ultrasonic radiation. As a precursor, a suspension of maghemite in an alkaline aqueous solution of zinc nitrate at pH 9 was sonicated. The zinc-doped maghemite nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and SQUID magnetometry. The Mössbauer measurements, which cover the temperature range 4.2 K to room temperature, were acquired in zero field and an applied field of 5 T. The results show that by using ultrasound radiation, zinc Zn²⁺ can substitute for Fe³⁺ up to a composition close to zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄), which has a random distribution of Fe³⁺ ions over both A and B sublattices in the spinel structure with an inversity parameter of δ = 0.322. This leads to a maximum saturation magnetization (M_s) of 64.1 emu/g at 300 K and 73.5 emu/g at 2 K.     

Ultrasound-enhanced chemiluminescence tomography in biological tissue

This paper reports ultrasound-assisted optical imaging of chemiluminescent probes in biological tissue. A focused low power ultrasound sonochemically enhances a peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (CL) that involves indocyanine green (ICG) as luminescent pigments. By scanning the focus, it produces tomographic images of CL in scattering media. The authors demonstrate imaging using a slab of porcine muscle measuring 50 × 50 × 75 mm, in which a capsuled CL reagent is embedded at 25 mm depth. Spatial resolution of imaging and concentration characteristics of CL reagents to enhanced CL intensity are also studied to evaluate the potential for use in bio-imaging applications with exploring the CL enhancement mechanisms. CL enhancement ratio, defined as the ratio of ultrasonically enhanced CL intensity to the base intensity without ultrasound irradiation, was found to be constant even in varying ICG and oxidizer concentrations, implying to be applicable for quantitative determination of these molecules.     

Sonication-Assisted Synthesis of Bimetallic Hg/Pd Alloy Nanoparticles for Catalytic Reduction of Nitrophenol and its Derivatives

In this article, we report a facile approach for the synthesis of an inexpensive catalyst of bimetallic Hg/Pd alloys comprising nanoparticles with various structures using a unique ultrasonic reaction that is conducted without the use of any reducing agent. The nanoparticles of Hg/Pd alloys (HgPd and Hg₂Pd₅) were achieved for the first time by sonicating an aqueous solution of Palladium (II) nitrate with metallic liquid mercury, as evidenced by XRD. EDS further confirmed the presence of Pd and Hg elements in the alloy. The surface morphology and structure of the nanoparticles have been systematically investigated by HRSEM, HRTEM and SAED pattern. In order to explore the catalytic activity of the as-synthesized nanoalloys, the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and a few other nitrophenol derivatives were investigated. Excellent catalytic activity was obtained for Hg/Pd (1:1) alloy, and the rate constant for the reduction of 4-NP with Hg/Pd at room temperature was found to be 58.4 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹, which is possibly the highest ever reported. The catalyst exhibited superior stability and reusability when compared with those reported in the literature for other catalysts based on noble metals.     

Sonication enhances the stability of MnO2 nanoparticles on silk film template for enzyme mimic application

We have developed an in-situ method using sonication (3 mm probe sonicator, 30 W, 20 kHz) and auto-reduction (control) to study the mechanism of the formation of manganese dioxide (MnO₂) on a solid template (silk film), and its resulting enzymatic activity on tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) substrate. The fabrication of the silk film was first optimized for stability (no degradation) and optical transparency. A factorial approach was used to assess the effect of sonication time and the initial concentration of potassium permanganate (KMnO₄). The result indicated a significant correlation with a fraction of KMnO₄ consumed and MnO₂ formation. Further, we found that the optimal process conditions to obtain a stable silk film with highly catalytic MnO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) was 30 min of sonication in the presence of 0.5 mM of KMnO₄ at a temperature of 20–24 °C. Under the optimal condition, we monitored in-situ the formation of MnO₂ on the silk film, and after thorough rinsing, the in-situ catalysis of 0.8 mM of TMB substrate. For control, we used the auto-reduction of KMnO₄ onto the silk film after about 16 h. The result from single-wavelength analysis confirmed the different kinetics rates for the formation of MnO₂ via sonication and auto-reduction. The result from the multivariate component analysis indicated a three components route for sonication and auto-reduction to form MnO₂-Silk. Overall, we found that the smaller size, more mono-dispersed, and deeper buried MnO₂ NPs in silk film prepared by sonication, conferred a higher catalytic activity and stability to the hybrid material.     

Self-assembled 3D sphere-like SrMoO4 and SrMoO4:Ln3+ (Ln = Eu,Sm, Tb,Dy) microarchitectures: Facile sonochemical synthesis and optical properties

Three-dimensional (3D) well-defined SrMoO₄ and SrMoO₄:Ln³⁺ (Ln = Eu, Sm, Tb, Dy) hierarchical structures of obvious sphere-like shape have been successfully synthesized using a large-scale and facile sonochemical route without using any catalysts or templates. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the samples. The intrinsic structural feature of SrMoO₄ and external factor, namely the ultrasonic time and the pH value, are responsible for the ultimate shape evolutions of the product. The possible formation mechanism for the product is presented. Additionally, the PL properties of SrMoO₄ and SrMoO₄:Ln³⁺ (Ln = Eu, Sm, Tb, Dy) hierarchical structures were investigated in detail. The Ln³⁺ ions doped SrMoO₄ samples exhibit respective bright red–orange, yellow, green and white light of Eu³⁺, Sm³⁺, Tb³⁺ and Dy³⁺ under ultraviolet excitation, and have potential application in the field of color display. Simultaneously, this novel and efficient pathway could open new opportunities for further investigating about the properties of molybdate materials.     

High-frequency acoustic emissions generated by a 20 kHz sonochemical horn processor detected using a novel broadband acoustic sensor: a preliminary study

This paper describes the application of a novel broadband acoustic sensor to evaluating the acoustic emissions from cavitation produced by a typical commercial 20 kHz sonochemical horn processor. Investigations of the reproducibility of the processor, and of the variation in cavitation emissions as a function of output setting and sensor location are described, and resulting trends discussed in terms of the broadband integrated power in the megahertz frequency range. Companion studies with a conventional membrane hydrophone have illustrated for the first time that cavitation emissions produced by a sonochemical horn processor can extend to frequencies beyond 20 MHz, and the sensor shows that significant nonlinearity can be seen in measured cavitation activity with increasing nominal output power.