Nano LIFE

Silica is regarded as a significant inorganic material widely employed for various purposes. The rapid advancement of the method of extracting silica from plant matter has led to the substantial application of silica in industry. One of the most essential plants in the world that provides humans with carbohydrates is rice. One of the primary agricultural wastes that contains significant amounts of silicate is rice husk (RH). An overview of thermal and chemical approaches for producing nanosilica from rice husks is provided in this paper. This paper examines RH silica’s sustainable uses, particularly in functional materials for the environment and biomedical. Regarding environmental concerns, RH-silica materials can be employed in integrated processes, adsorption and catalysis to purify gas and decontaminate wastewater. RH-silica compounds are used in biosensing and bioimaging in the biomedical field. To summarize, high-silica biomass has the potential to serve as a cheap supply of precursors for the development of high-value silicon and silica compounds that may find use in many applications.

Green nanomaterial synthesis is the process of producing various metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) utilizing bioactive reagents. It attempts to reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability by employing mild reaction conditions and safe materials. Researchers have demonstrated a strong interest in using natural biomolecules extracted from plants to synthesize MNPs. The individual biomolecules in this plant extract function as reducing, capping, and stabilizing substances in the green production of stable MNPs using their related metal ion precursor solution. The advantages of this method are that it is environmentally friendly, does not require energy, and is cheap and quick. Recently, MNPs have been developed in the field of cancer due to various qualities, including their increased reactive surfaces and small specified volume, which make them suited for traditional small pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical compounds. MNPs, such as gold (AuNPs), silver (AgNPs) and copper (CuNPs), are increasingly being used as anticancer agents. This review describes the synthesis of three MNPs: AuNPs, AgNPs and CuNPs nanoparticles from plant extracts. AgNPs are the most often used synthetic NPs, accounting for more than 25% of all consumer items. AgNPs are generally employed for antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral purposes. Also, the anti-cancer activities of the MNPs were explained. The challenges and predicted developments for future studies are addressed, which are critical for real-world applications. In the future, new types of NPs will be generated employing modern technology, with a wide range of uses in numerous industries.

This research aims to develop a novel approach, employing cold plasma technology for preparing nanoparticles of silver oxide by Anethum graveolens (dill) leaf extract as a natural reducing agent. This investigation evaluated the properties of antibacterial and antibiofilm-prepared nanoparticles. Initially, dill leaf extract was prepared to stabilize and reduce the size of silver oxide nanoparticles. Improved synthesis and optimal conditions for nanoparticle formation were achieved through the application of cold plasma technology. The results obtained showed that the prepared silver oxide nanoparticles have strong antibacterial properties and that they have antibacterial activity against a different group of bacteria that cause diseases such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The results also showed the effectiveness of nanoparticles in preventing the formation of bacterial biofilms, as the highest rate of inhibition was for gram-positive bacteria S. aureus. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of plant extracts and cold plasma technology when combined in producing nanoparticles with improved properties, which may push toward the employment of these materials in developing innovative and sustainable solutions in various scientific and applied fields.

AlO is a prevalent oxide compound composed of aluminum and oxygen, with the chemical formula Al₂O₃. This study aims to prepare aluminum oxide nanoparticles using aluminum nitrate nonahydrate Al(NO${}_3{)}_3\cdot$ 9H₂O through direct exposure to a plasma jet system using argon gas, as plasma is the fourth state of matter and a common effective method. The major study in the preparation of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles, which is a physical method, examines the effect of aluminum oxide nanoparticles against bacteria and fungi. Different methods were used for diagnosis. The X-ray diffraction examination showed an average particle size of 37.8 nm. It was also found through the UV-Vis examination that a surface plasmon resonance was formed at 300 nm with an energy gap value of 4.21 eV. The electron microscope field emission scanning (FE-SEM) was used to study the surface morphology. The results of biological testing showed that aluminum oxide nanoparticles have high antibacterial and antifungal activity.

This research set out to provide a faster, easier, and more efficient process for nanoparticle (NP) synthesis of aluminum oxide NPs preparation by microwave irradiation, using plant extracts separately and in the same way (tea, coffee, rosemary), which is an easy-to-use and inexpensive method. The structural properties were investigated by X-ray diffractometer analysis technique (XRD). The X-ray analysis shows the structure has a polycrystalline nature with a hexagonal phase. The optical properties were studied using ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer, where the energy gap was determined. The surface morphology properties of the prepared aluminum NPs were examined by atomic force microscope (AFM). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy verified the presence of Al-O, C–O, and C–H bonds, this study confirms the high reducing and capping capacity of aluminum NPs via biomolecules found in the plant extract. The inhibitory activity of these Al₂O₃-NPs was observed, along with their potential to enter the bacterial cell wall and hinder its activity.