This study presents the successful implementation of ZnO thin films (denoted as z01, z02, and z03) through magnetron sputtering in the photocatalytic production of hydrogen using a low-intensity UV source (3 mW cm⁻²). The one-step synthesis process demonstrates simplicity and scalability. The deposited coatings, with thicknesses ranging from 62 to 209 nm, exhibit a hexagonal crystalline structure and display visible luminescence in the yellow-red range, attributed to point defects in the ZnO lattice. Among the samples, z03 (62 nm in thickness) exhibited the most promising performance in photocatalytic hydrogen production, achieving a rate of (5387.2 ± 151.6) µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ when utilizing methanol as a hole scavenger. These findings hold great potential for upscaling such coatings in energy harvesting applications. The present work opens new avenues for efficient and scalable hydrogen production, contributing to improving clean energy technologies.

The presence of pharmaceuticals in water resources is a growing concern worldwide due to their potential health impacts on aquatic life and humans. Therefore, there is a need to develop effective and sustainable technologies for removing these contaminants from water and wastewater. Magnetic nanomaterials have emerged as promising materials for this purpose due to their fast kinetics, easy magnetic separation, and reuse. This review is important as it highlights the significance of developing sustainable technologies using magnetic iron-based nanomaterials for removing pharmaceutical contaminants from water resources. This review investigated the application of magnetic nanomaterials for removing pharmaceuticals from water resources through adsorption and advanced oxidation processes. Here, the synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanomaterials and analytical detection techniques were evaluated. The review findings indicate that magnetic nanomaterials effectively removed pharmaceuticals from water through adsorption and advanced oxidation processes. More importantly, the removal processes remained effective for many cycles. However, only 22% of the studies demonstrated the application of magnetic nanomaterials on real water samples, as 78% stopped at experiments using distilled water in the laboratory. Further research on multi-component systems and real water samples is necessary to fully evaluate the potential of magnetic nanomaterials for pharmaceutical removal from water resources.

Extensive interest has been poured into the production of sustainable nanomaterials. We report the fabrication of cerium oxide nanomaterial (CNP)utilizing crude extracts of Andrographis paniculata. This synthesis route devises a sustainable approach with the implementation of a less energy-intensive process and avoids hazardous chemicals. The crude extracts of Andrographis paniculata (cAP) act simultaneously as a reducing and stabilizing agent and support the nucleation of CNP leading to unique physiochemical properties. The cAP-CNP conjugate is found in the size range of 150nm with signature UV peaks at 310 nm indicating Ce⁺⁴ surface oxidation state. Scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction analysis of cAP-CNP conjugate indicates the ultra-structure of dry powder and polycrystalline signature peaks with 111, 200, 220 and 311 crystal planes indicating pure cubic fluorite structure. Further cAP-CNP conjugate also reports high H₂O₂(80%)and moderate superoxide anion (40%) antioxidative scavenging. The cAP-CNPnanomaterial conjugates exhibit excellent antimicrobial behavior with a reduction of 60% E.colibacterial growth. Similarly,cAP-CNP conjugate exhibits alpha-amylase inhibition (80%) activity indicating its prospects in diabetics’management.In-vitro analysis results the biocompatibility with 85% skin keratinocyte cell growth. Anti-inflammatory assay revealed IL-6 (89%) and TNF-alpha (81%) reduced expression. Overall, cAP-CNP demonstrates a sustainable approach to prospective biomedical applications.

Red-light emitting Cadmium Sulfide_0.8 Selenide_0.2 /Zinc Sulfide (CdS_0.8Se_0.2/ZnS) based quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized by hot injection method and utilized as the emissive layer in the quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) with the device structure of Indium Tin Oxide/Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): Polystyrene Sulfonate /Polyvinylcarbazole(or Poly(N,N′-bis-4-butylphenyl-N,N′-bisphenyl)benzidin)/QD/ZincOxide/LithiumFluoride/ Aluminum [ITO/ PEDOT: PSS/PVK(or p-TPD)/QD/ZnO/LiF/Al]. QD inks were formulated and prepared in octane: decane; (1/1, v/v) solvent system and mixed with the nonionic surfactant, TritonX-100, to make the QD inks inkjet printable. In addition to the inkjet printing technique, spin coating was also employed to form the QD emissive layer for comparing device performance. Compared to the p-TPD-based QLED device, the PVK-based device fabricated via spin coating exhibited ~6-fold higher performance in terms of luminance and efficiency values. In the case of using the ink-jet printer, ~2-fold higher maximum luminance value and slightly lower external quantum efficiency at the lower current density region were obtained in the p-TPD-based device. Furthermore, compared to the PVK layer, the p-TPD layer provided higher device stability regardless of the coating method at the higher current density regions. We suggest that the coating method applied and the choice of hole transport layer (HTL) materials may control the device parameters.

 In this study, the detailed phytochemical composition of two medicinal plants was investigated and their importance in silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesis was highlighted. Aqueous extracts from the leaves of both plants were used for various analytical techniques, including UV-vis spectroscopy, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thin layer chromatography (TLC). Quantification of total phenolics and flavonoids in different fractions of plant extracts revealed significant concentrations. TLC profiling showed a higher abundance of free phenolic and flavonoid compounds compared to bound forms in both plants, suggesting that they contribute significantly to total phenolic and flavonoid content. UV-vis spectra from 200 to 600 nm revealed the presence of aromatic rings and chromophores in leaf extracts. Furthermore, the GC-MS analysis identified several bioactive compounds, some of which were found to be common between these two species. The results demonstrate that various bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, carotenoids and terpenoids were present in these plant species. These compounds efficiently serve as both reducing and stabilizing agents during phytofabrication of AgNPs, consequently eliminating the need for the use of hazardous chemicals.

Colon cancer ranked second in terms of incidence in the world, yearly it shows an increase in the tendency of mortality. It is estimated that by the year 2035 total number of deaths will increase by 75 %. The treatment of cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, however, they are limited due to their targeted therapeutic potential and side effects. In the case of a conventional drug delivery system, it is desired that the drug delivery system should be able to protect the therapeutic from degradation and safety target to the desired site. Cyclodextrin-based nanosponges (NS) are a versatile platform for colon cancer treatment, surpassing the limitations of conventional drug delivery systems. Nanosponge offers several advantages such as improved drug solubility, enhanced stability, targeted delivery, and potential for combination therapy due to its highly cross-linked structure. The fabrication of NS includes the use of biopolymers for the controlled release of drugs from pores through diffusion. These pores can efficiently encapsulate a wide range of therapeutic agents, enabling regulated release, and addressing challenges associated with poor solubility and limited stability of drugs used in the management of colon cancer. Additionally, their functionalization enables targeted drug delivery to colon cancer cells, minimizing off-target effects. Though several benefits are associated with NS, further research is needed to address regulatory considerations and scale up NS for translation into clinical practice. Overall, cyclodextrin-based NS holds promise in revolutionizing colon cancer treatment and improving patient outcomes.

Ketoconazole (KTZ) is a commonly prescribed antifungal drug used to treat several tropical and systemic fungus infections. The topical bioavailability of KTZ is limited due to extremely low water solubility and high molecular weight. The present investigation aimed to develop a ketoconazole nanocrystals formulation to improve the biomimetic attributes. The ketoconazole nanocrystals were prepared using a top-down media milling technique with a size of less than 800 nm and a narrow polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.434. The simplex lattice design was used to further investigate the effect of change in the proportion of different stabilizers on critical product attributes such as particle size and PDI. The result of the in vitro drug release and anti-fungal study proved the superiority of the optimized KTZ nanocrystal in inhibiting fungal infection and suspension of pure drug. The optimized nanocrystals entrapped within Carbopol-934P gel had higher permeability through cellulose membrane compared, to the marketed product (2 % ketoconazole % w/w Ketodoc Cream®) with sustained release for 24 h. Moreover, the release profile indicated diffusion-controlled release from gel following Korsmeyer-Peppas. The present investigation successfully demonstrated the application of simplex lattice design and desirability function in optimizing ketoconazole nanocrystals to improve its transdermal application.