Increased oxidative stress in metabolic disorders has revealed promising alternatives for antioxidative therapeutics. Herein, we present synthesis and evaluations of Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) conjugated with Andrographolide (Ad-CNP). Characterization revealed a uniform particle size of 106 nm for bare CNP and 120 nm for Ad-CNP conjugates. UV-visible spectroscopy showed an absorbance peak at 230nm, indicating a high Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ oxidation state. X-ray diffraction confirmed a pure cubic fluorite structure with a polycrystalline nature with peaks at 111, 200, 220, and 311. In terms of reactive oxygen species scavenging, bare CNPs demonstrated Catalase mimetic activity of 41.5%, whereas the Ad-CNP conjugates showed 47% scavenging activity. The Superoxide Dismutase mimetic activity was significantly increased due to synergy up to 77% of Ad-CNP whereas bare CNPs showed 57% activity.  The CNPs exhibited notable antibacterial efficacy, diminishing microbial proliferation by 69% for bare CNPs and 82% for Ad-CNP. Biocompatibility testing with human skin keratinocytes validated the safety of the nanoparticles, and anti-inflammatory assays indicated decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. The synergistic combination of CNPs with Andrographolide demonstrated significant potential as a potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory agent, making it a prospective candidate for antioxidative therapeutic research aimed at diminishing oxidative stress.

The present paper examines the fluctuations in activation energy of amorphous-crystalline phase transition of Se_79-xTe₁₅In₆Pb_x (x = 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) chalcogenide glasses using computational iso-conversional analysis for the data obtained under non-isothermal conditions using differential scanning calorimetric technique at four different heating rates; 5, 10, 15 and 20 K/min. This study examines how the activation energy of crystallization (E_c) varies with the degree of conversion (χ) and temperature (T) using an algorithm developed in Python named as HPU-B-MASS. The Python algorithm incorporates iso-conversional methods; Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW), Tang & Chen and Starink methods to analyze the variation of  with both χ and T. It is found that E_c is not constant but varies with χ as well as T. The iso-conversional analysis of the investigated glasses indicates that the assumption of constant E_c is not appropriate. E_c obtained for the investigated alloys from different methods are different. This difference can be attributed to the fact that these methods are based on approximations involved in obtaining the final equation of different formalisms. Furthermore, our findings suggest an increased propensity for crystallization in glasses with Pb content as compared to the parent ternary alloy.

In this study, the compatibility of Quercetin (QC) nanocomposites with some selective food-grade pharmaceutical excipients was assessed using various thermal (DSC and TGA), non-thermal (P-XRD, FT-IR, and RAMAN spectroscopy, and FESEM) techniques. All the techniques were simultaneously used and correlated to detect the QC's compatibility with the selected excipients (CO, CCO, OA, T20, T60, and T80). DSC-TG studies showed that QC-CO and QC-T60 samples exhibited irregular degradation patterns, causing the drug's transformation from crystalline to amorphous. P-XRD results showed that the crystalline behavior of QC was retained in all the samples. However, the peak intensities were reduced and shifted in some samples. The D_avg. value for all samples, including pure QC, was 26.80-76.07 nm. FT-IR and RAMAN studies demonstrated that bonds including –C=O stretching, C-C stretching (ring A), and -OH bonds (in ring A, B, and C) in pure QC play a crucial role in its interaction with excipients. Furthermore, the excipients' effect on QC's morphology using FESEM showed smoothening, fragmentation, and agglomeration of the drug. In conclusion, the possible drug-excipient incompatibility can be potentially determined with the help of these analytical methods. The physicochemical studies from this work may provide immense knowledge for the researchers and manufacturers involved in quercetin-based pharmaceutical and/or nutraceutical formulations.

In the present work, MWCNTs were used in wt.% of 0.075, 0.15, and 0.3 in epoxy resin, and then glass fabric-epoxy polymer (GF-EP) composites were fabricated using VARIM setup. The mechanical and wear properties of GF-EP composites were compared with and without the addition of MWCNTs. Maximum improvement in tensile and flexural performance was seen in GF-EP composites at 0.15 weight percent MWCNT addition compared to a neat GF-EP one, based on static testing such as tensile and flexural tests. High-cycle fatigue test results show a relatively higher cycle count with 0.15 wt.% MWCNTs addition in the GF-EP composite compared to the GF-EP without the addition of MWCNTs. The wear performance also improved with a lower friction coefficient as well as a lower track depth and width for MWCNTs with added GF-EP than plain GF-EP composite. Therefore, in addition to decreasing surface softening and improving the wear performance of glass fabric epoxy composites, MWCNTs (0.15 weight percent) increased the interfacial adhesion at the fiber-matrix interface. This study establishes an optimum ratio of 0.15 wt.% of MWCNTs addition in glass fabric-epoxy polymer composites for enhancement in their mechanical and wear performance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Supercapacitors have emerged as efficient energy storage devices, offering high power density, long cycle life, and rapid charge-discharge capabilities. Advanced materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene oxide (GO) stand out due to their exceptional electrochemical properties, including open structures and chirality, with capacities ranging from 300 to 1300 mAh g^-1. However, the search for cost-effective and highly conductive materials continues to challenge researchers. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have surfaced as strong candidates due to their vast surface area, inherent conductivity, and affordability. Nonetheless, the relatively low conductivity of pristine MOFs necessitates composite integration for optimal performance. This review focuses on cerium-based MOF (Ce-MOF) composites, analyzing their structural and electrochemical properties. Key aspects, including synthesis methods, structural characterization, and electrochemical evaluation through cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques, are discussed in detail. The integration of functional composites into MOFs enhances cycling stability and minimizes capacitance loss over extended use. This review aims to inspire further research into Ce-MOF composites, underscoring their potential as high-performance materials for supercapacitor applications.

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.

Multifunctional polymer networks fortified with the power of graphene and its derivatives as nano-inclusions have excellent sound absorption efficiency in broad frequency range, high loss factor, and matching impedance with that of water along with exceptional thermal, mechanical, and tribological properties are found to be the pre-eminent material for the underwater acoustic applications, particularly for the military tactics. To develop a stealthy underwater acoustic material, various factors need to be carefully considered, including matching acoustic impedance, glass transition temperature, loss factor, tan δ value, compression set and other mechanical properties, thermal stability, adhesion, and other tribological properties, which is briefly summarized in this review. Strategical development of hybrid nano-inclusions, viscoelastic polymer networks, nanocomposites as well as various interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs), assiduous synthesis and surface modification of graphene are pivotal key approaches that need to be appraised. Simulation studies focusing on various potential models need to be developed for the feasibility studies and designing of the underwater acoustic material.