Highly stable antibacterial silver nanoparticles as selective fluorescent sensor for Fe³⁺ ions

Tannin-encapsulated electrospun nanofibrous membrane of cellulose nanowhiskers-reinforced polysulfone for colorimetric detection of iron(III)

A nanocomposite of tannic acid and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW)-reinforced polysulfone (PSF) was used to develop a metallochromic nanofibrous membrane sensor for iron(III) in aqueous media. Tannic acid was used as an active detecting probe, whereas the CNW@PSF composite was employed as a hosting material. Cellulose nanowhiskers (7-12 nm) were obtained from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). According to the coloration parameters, a bathochromic shift from colorless (415 nm) to purple (561 nm) occurs when ferric cations bind to the phenolic hydroxyls of the tannic acid probe. The concentration of ferric was found to be directly correlated to the extent of the color change, demonstrating a detection limit of 0.1-250 ppm. This could be attributed to the creation of a coordinative complex between ferric ions and phenolic tannic acid. The generated nanofibers were inspected by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrospun nanofibrous membrane showed an average diameter between 75 and 150 nm. The tannic acid-containing nanofibers are remarkably reusable and simple. The tannic acid-encapsulated polysulfone nanofibrous membrane was used to detect various metal ions, demonstrating a high selectivity for Fe3+. The ideal pH range for the identification of Fe3+ was determined to be in the range of 4.25-6.75.

Selective and Comparative Study of B/nZVCu-Fe and B/nZVCu-Zn Nanoparticles as Fluorescent Probe for Dopamine in Presence of its Interference Molecules

This work focuses on the synthesis of Bentonite supported nano zero valent bimetallic nanoparticles (B/nZVCu-M NPs) to be utilized for fast and highly sensitive, reversible, fluorescent determination of dopamine (DA) in the presence of dopamine, other biomolecules and ions. The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy(XPS), Powder X-Ray Diffraction(PXRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM) revealed the formation of nanoparticles with size ranging from 15 to 20 nm. The composition was revealed by Fourier Transform Infrared(FTIR) Spectoscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) Analysis. The Limits of Detection(LOD) were noted to be 5.57nM and 6.07nM. The binding of DA is noted to be reversible with respect to EDTA2-. Furthermore, the developed sensor exhibited good repeatability, satisfactory long-term stability, and was successfully used for the selective detection of dopamine sample with desired recoveries or reversibilities. The main aim of our work is to selectively detect dopamine in presence of its major interferents and biomolecules that are normally present/ co-exist with dopamine in biological systems.

Recent applications of coinage metal nanoparticles passivated with salicylaldehyde and salicylaldehyde-based Schiff bases

Salicylaldehyde (SD) and its derivatives are effective precursors for generating coinage metal (gold, silver, and copper) nanoparticles (NPs). These NPs have a variety of potential environmental applications, such as in water purification and sensing, and those arising from their antibacterial activity. The use of SD and its derivatives for synthesizing coinage NPs is attractive due to several factors. First, SD is a relatively inexpensive and readily available starting material. Second, the synthetic procedures are typically simple and can be carried out under mild conditions. Finally, the resulting NPs can be tailored to have specific properties, such as size, shape, and surface functionality, by varying the reaction conditions. In an alkaline solution, the phenolate form of SD was converted to its quinone form, while ionic coinage metal salts were converted to zero-valent nanoparticles. The capping in situ produced quinone of coinage metal nanoparticles generated metal-enhanced fluorescence under suitable experimental conditions. The formation of iminic bonds during the formation of Schiff bases altered the properties (especially metal-enhanced fluorescence) and applications.

Green metallochromic cellulose dipstick for Fe(III) using chitosan nanoparticles and cyanidin-based natural anthocyanins red-cabbage extract

Environmentally-friendly, cyanidin(Cy)-based anthocyanin isolated from red-cabbage served as a spectroscopic probe imprinted onto chitosan nanoparticles (CsNPs), which were in turn integrated onto cellulose paper strip (CPS) as a host matrix to develop a metallochromic solid state sensor for real-time selective determination of ferric ions in an aqueous medium. The ferric transition metal ions in aqueous environments were detected using a novel, simple, portable, fast responsive, low-cost, real-time, environmentally safe, reversible and colorimetric sensor based on chitosan nanoparticles as a hosting biopolymer and cyanidin phenol chromophore as a biomolecular probe. In order to use the cyanidin biomolecule as a pH indicator and chelating agent, it was purified from red-cabbage and added into the CsNPs biosensor film. The colorimetric shift increased in direct proportion to the ferric ion concentration. As a result, the current research that was both qualitative and quantitative was carried out. While the Cy-CsNPs-CPS sensor showed high selectivity for ferric ions, no color change was detected for other metal cations. It was discovered that the detection process occurred as a result of a coordination complex formed between the active sites of phenolic cyanidin and Fe(III) ions.

Arum italicum mediated silver nanoparticles: Synthesis and investigation of some biochemical parameters

The science world advancing day by day contributes to living systems in many areas with the development of nanotechnology. Besides being easily obtained from plants, the advantages it brings increase the importance of nanotechnology. Environmentally friendly, economical, and compatible with plants are just a few of the advantages it brings. Silver metal is one of the most preferred active ingredients in nanoparticle synthesis. Arum italicum is used in the treatment of various diseases in the health sector due to the structures it contains. In our study, nanoparticle synthesis was made by using Ag metal with Arum italicum plant. Then, the antimicrobial, DNA damage prevention and DPPH radical quenching activity of Ag NPs/Ai nanoparticles were investigated. The interaction of the plant with Ag, analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis), scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), Fourier-converted infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) methods has been done. It has been observed that Ag NPs/Ai clusters formed by Arum italicum with Ag have an antibacterial effect against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli pathogens. However, an antifungal effect hasn't been observed against Candida albicans fungus. Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria exerted a stronger effect than an antibiotic. It is seen that Ag NPs/Ai has a protective and anti-damage effect against DNA damage. The antioxidant effect of Ag NPs/Ai is remarkable when DPPH radical quenching activity is compared to positive control BHA and BHT.

Silver Nanoparticles for Conductive Inks: From Synthesis and Ink Formulation to Their Use in Printing Technologies

Currently, silver nanoparticles have attracted large interest in the photonics, electrics, analytical, and antimicrobial/biocidal fields due to their excellent optical, electrical, biological, and antibacterial properties. The versatility in generating different sizes, shapes, and surface morphologies results in a wide range of applications of silver nanoparticles in various industrial and health-related areas. In industrial applications, silver nanoparticles are used to produce conductive inks, which allows the construction of electronic devices on low-cost and flexible substrates by using various printing techniques. In order to achieve successful printed patterns, the necessary formulation and synthesis need to be engineered to fulfil the printing technique requirements. Additional sintering processes are typically further required to remove the added polymers, which are used to produce the desired adherence, viscosity, and reliable performance. This contribution presents a review of the synthesis of silver nanoparticles via different methods (chemical, physical and biological methods) and the application of silver nanoparticles under the electrical field. Formulation of silver inks and formation of conductive patterns by using different printing techniques (inkjet printing, screen printing and aerosol jet printing) are presented. Post-printing treatments are also discussed. A summary concerning outlooks and perspectives is presented at the end of this review.

Naked-eye detection of cysteine/homocysteine through silver nano-resonators and specific identification of homocysteine through nanoresonator–thiosulphate conjugate

The citrate capped AgNPs synthesized through a modified previous report exhibit naked eye sensing towards cysteine/homocysteine along with SERS characteristics. Their thiosulphate conjugate detects selectively only homocysteine.

Silver nanoparticles-chitosan composites activity against resistant bacteria: tolerance and biofilm inhibition

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles-chitosan composites (AgNPs) with different morphologies and particle size distributions against resistant bacteria and biofilm formation. Four different samples were prepared by a two-step procedure using sodium borohydride and ascorbic acid as reducing agents and characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectra, scanning transmission electron microscopy. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the AgNPs were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) against clinical isolates multidrug-resistant and strains of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). An assay was performed to determine the MICs during 20 successive bacteria exposures to AgNPs to investigate whether AgNPs induce tolerance in bacteria. The antibiofilm activities of AgNPs were also evaluated by determining the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC). The spherical AgNPs present diameters ranging from 9.3 to 62.4 nm, and some samples also have rod-, oval-, and triangle-shaped nanoparticles. The MIC and MBC values ranged from 0.8 to 25 μg/mL and 3.1 to 50 μg/mL, respectively. Smaller and spherical AgNPs exhibited the highest activity, but all the AgNPs developed in this study exhibit bactericidal activity. There was no significant MIC increase after 20 passages to the AgNPs. Regarding the antibiofilm activity, MBICs ranged from 12.5 to 50 μg/mL. Again, smaller and spherical nanoparticles presented the best results with phenotypic inhibition of production of slime or exopolysaccharide (EPS) matrix. Thus, it was concluded that AgNPs have a promising potential against resistant bacteria and bacteria that grow on biofilms without inducing tolerance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11051-021-05314-1.

Facile green synthesis of silicon nanoparticles from Equisetum arvense for fluorescence based detection of Fe(iii) ions

Fluorescent silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) might be one of the excellent candidates for use as optical markers in biological profiling and diagnostic applications. To exploit this perspective, they ought to be essentially synthesized from any green precursor rich in silicon. Stable dispersibility in water along with prolonged luminescence under different conditions is also desired. Moreover, one of the main challenges is to produce such optically (photoluminescence) stable and water-dispersible SiNPs. In our present work, we have reported the synthesis of a highly stable silicon nanoparticle aqueous suspension via a single-step microwave-assisted facile green route. Our as-prepared SiNPs exhibit inherent stable dispersibility, strong fluorescence, and photo-stable behavior. The experimental results demonstrate that the synthesized SiNPs are highly suitable for the detection of Fe(iii) ions. This optical sensing study opens a new avenue for use of SiNPs as a valuable optical probe in chemosensory applications. Our results provide a single-step methodology for the synthesis of highly stable SiNPs from a biological precursor, which can be used as a promising tool for various chemical and biological applications.

Silver nanoparticles and Fe(III) co-regulate microbial community and N2O emission in river sediments

The effects of environmental concentration silver nanoparticles (ecAgNPs) on microbial communities and the nitrogen cycling in river sediments remain largely uncharacterized. As a fundamental component of sediments, Fe(III) can interact with AgNPs and participate in nitrogen transformation processes. N₂O is an important intermediate in nitrogen transformation processes and can be a potent greenhouse gas with significant environmental effects. However, the impacts of the co-existence of AgNPs and Fe(III) on microbial communities and N₂O emission in river sediments are still unclear. In the present study, mesocosm experiments were conducted to assess the changes of microbial communities and N₂O emission in response to the co-existence of AgNPs and environmental concentration Fe(III). Our results revealed that the microbial community diversity and N₂O emission in river sediments responded differently to ecAgNPs (0.05 mg/kg) and high-polluting concentration AgNPs (hcAgNPs, 5 mg/kg), which was further regulated by the environmental concentration Fe(III) (1 mg/g and 10 mg/g). After ecAgNPs treatments, a marked increase was observed in microbial diversity compared to hcAgNPs treatments, regardless of the Fe(III) concentration in the sediment. The β-NTI index indicated that AgNPs had stronger impacts on phylogenetic distance of bacterial communities in sediments containing 1 mg/g Fe(III) than that containing 10 mg/g Fe(III). In sediments containing 1 mg/g Fe(III), ecAgNPs did not affect N₂O emission, but hcAgNPs significantly inhibited the emission of N₂O. However, in sediments containing 10 mg/g Fe(III), N₂O emission was significantly stimulated upon exposure to ecAgNPs, but the inhibition effect of hcAgNPs was barely observed. Functional prediction and real-time PCR analyses indicated that AgNPs and Fe(III) predominantly affected N₂O emissions by affecting the abundance of the nirK gene. Our results provide new insights into the ecological impacts of the co-existence of environmental concentration AgNPs and Fe(III) in altering microbial communities and nitrogen transformation functions in river sediments.

The Role of Calix[n]arenes and Pillar[n]arenes in the Design of Silver Nanoparticles: Self-Assembly and Application

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are an attractive alternative to plasmonic gold nanoparticles. The relative cheapness and redox stability determine the growing interest of researchers in obtaining selective plasmonic and electrochemical (bio)sensors based on silver nanoparticles. The controlled synthesis of metal nanoparticles of a defined morphology is a nontrivial task, important for such fields as biochemistry, catalysis, biosensors and microelectronics. Cyclophanes are well known for their great receptor properties and are of particular interest in the creation of metal nanoparticles due to a variety of cyclophane 3D structures and unique redox abilities. Silver ion-based supramolecular assemblies are attractive due to the possibility of reduction by “soft” reducing agents as well as being accessible precursors for silver nanoparticles of predefined morphology, which are promising for implementation in plasmonic sensors. For this purpose, the chemistry of cyclophanes offers a whole arsenal of approaches: exocyclic ion coordination, association, stabilization of the growth centers of metal nanoparticles, as well as in reduction of silver ions. Thus, this review presents the recent advances in the synthesis and stabilization of Ag (0) nanoparticles based on self-assembly of associates with Ag (I) ions with the participation of bulk platforms of cyclophanes (resorcin[4]arenes, (thia)calix[n]arenes, pillar[n]arenes).

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Curcuma longa L. and coating on the cotton fabrics for antimicrobial applications and wound healing activity

The cotton fabrics are a cosmopolitan in usage due to their extraordinary features. The clothes are a very good medium for the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The nanoparticles have diverse benefits in the biomedical field like drug carrier and as antimicrobials. The current investigation was aimed to synthesize the metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from the aqueous extract of Curcuma longa leaf and evaluating their antimicrobial and wound healing potential of AgNPs coated cotton fabric. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by HR-TEM and FT-IR examinations. The formulated AgNPs were coated with cotton fabrics to test their efficiency against the pathogenic microorganisms. The existence of AgNPs in the cotton fabrics was confirmed via the SEM along with EDX analysis. The antimicrobial potential of fabricated AgNPs and its coated cotton fabrics was inspected against the human pathogenic strains. The wound healing efficacy was examined in the L929 cells. The HR-TEM analysis proved the existence of spherical shaped AgNPs. In the antimicrobial activity, the CL-AgNPs loaded cotton fabric was exhibited an appreciable decrease in the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The crude extract, as well as formulated AgNPs, also exhibited the noticeable antimicrobial potency against the S.aureus, P.aeruginosa, S.pyogenes, and C.albicans. The AgNPs loaded cotton fabrics was displayed the potent wound healing activity in the fibroblast (L929) cells. Consequently, it was concluded that the formulated AgNPs from C.longa coated cotton fabrics may be utilized for the variety of applications in hospital patients and even medical workers to prevent the microbial infection.

A Sensitive Isoniazid Capped Silver Nanoparticles - Selective Colorimetric Fluorescent Sensor for Hg2+ Ions in Aqueous Medium

Novel isonicotinic acid hydrazide functionalized silver nanoparticles (INH-AgNPs) were synthesized by wet chemical method and used for the detection of Hg²⁺ ions in aqueous medium. The INH-AgNPs exhibit good absorbance and emission peaks by sensing Hg²⁺ ions with visible color changes. The detection of Hg²⁺ ions was confirmed by FT-IR, EDAX spectra and by the changing morphology of INH-AgNPs, and after addition of Hg²⁺ was confirmed by SEM and TEM imaging studies. Based on the emission intensity the probe INH-AgNPs exhibit a lowest detection limit (LOD) of Hg²⁺ to 0.18 nM. The association constant (K_a) of INH-AgNPs + Hg²⁺ ions is calculated using the Bensei-Hildebrand equation. Also, the probe is successfully utilized for the detection of Hg²⁺ ions in real water samples obtained from different fields, which showed good results.

Ficus retusa-stabilized gold and silver nanoparticles: Controlled synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and sensing properties

Ficus retusa was used as reducing and stabilizing agent in the green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles with high dispersion stability and controllable size and shape. The controlling of reaction conditions i.e. contact time, extract quantity, metal concentration, and pH value enables the tuning of the particle size and size distribution of the metal nanoparticles. UV-visible spectroscopy was used to follow the spectral profile changes of the surface plasmon resonance of the metal nanoparticles due to different treatments. The surface plasmon resonance varies between 400 and 432 nm and between 522 and 554 nm for silver and gold nanoparticles, respectively, depending on the different reaction parameters. Atomic force and transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the success of preparation of spherical silver (15 nm) and gold (10-25 nm) nanoparticles with narrow size-distribution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested the phenolic compounds play the key role in the reduction and stabilizing of metal ions. The colorimetric sensitivity of silver and gold nanoparticles to detect the presence of heavy metals in water was studied.

Rutin-modified silver nanoparticles as a chromogenic probe for the selective detection of Fe3+ in aqueous medium

The use of rutin-modified silver nanoparticles for selective detection and sensitive quantification of Fe³⁺ in aqueous solution is described.

Facile construction & modeling of a highly active thiacalixphenyl[4]arene-protected nano-palladium catalyst for various C–C cross-coupling reactions

A newly designed and synthesized thiacalixphenyl[4]arene tetraacetohydrazide (TPTAH) has been utilized for the construction of palladium nanoparticles (TPTAH-PdNPs), which are found to be catalytically active for the C–C cross-coupling reactions such as the Suzuki–Miyaura, Heck, and Stille reactions.

A dual-purpose silver nanoparticles biosynthesized using aqueous leaf extract of Detarium microcarpum: An under-utilized species

The need for green synthesis of emerging industrial materials has led to the biosynthesis of nanoparticles from plants to circumvent the adverse by-products of chemical synthesis. In this study, the leaf extract of Detarium mirocarpum Guill & Perr, a small tree belonging to the family Fabaceae (Legume), was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles (DAgNPs). DAgNPs were characterized using spectroscopic techniques (Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy) which showed hydroxyl and carbonyl functional groups to be responsible for their synthesis. DAgNPs were observed to be crystalline and spherical. The average size, determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was 17.05nm. The antioxidant activity of DAgNPs ranked from moderate to good. The ability of DAgNPs to sense Hg(2+) and Fe(3+) ions in aqueous medium was also investigated. The quenching of the SPR peak at 430nm was used to monitor the toxic and heavy metal ions with linear ranges of 20-70µgmL(-1) and 10-40µgmL(-1) for Hg(2+) and Fe(3+), respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) obtained for Hg(2+) was 2.05µgmL(-1) and 6.21µgmL(-1), respectively and for Fe(3+) was 5.01µgmL(-1) and 15.21µgmL(-1), respectively. The intra- and inter-day assessments of accuracy and repeatability gave relative errors less than 1% in all instances. DAgNPs can therefore provide a convenient method of sensing the toxic metals easily.

A new and highly selective turn-on fluorescent sensor with fast response time for the monitoring of cadmium ions in cosmetic, and health product samples

Cadmium (Cd) which is an extremely toxic could be found in many products like plastics, fossil fuel combustion, cosmetics, water resources, and wastewaters. It is capable of causing serious environmental and health problems such as lung, prostate, renal cancers and the other disorders. So, the development of a sensor to continually monitor cadmium is considerably demanding. Tetrakis(4-nitrophenyl)porphyrin, T(4-NO2-P)P, was synthesized and used as a new and highly selective fluorescent probe for monitoring cadmium ions in the "turn-on" mode. There was a linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and the concentration of Cd(II) in the range of 1.0×10(-6) to 1.0×10(-5)molL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.276μM. To examine the most important parameters involved and their interactions in the sensor optimization procedure, a four-factor central composite design (CCD) combined with response surface modeling (RSM) was implemented. The practical applicability of the developed sensor was investigated using real cosmetic, and personal care samples.

A review on fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles for optical sensing applications

Fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles are immerging novel materials that can be adopted for a large number of optical bioassays and chemical sensing probes.

Hydrophilic silver nanoparticles with tunable optical properties: application for the detection of heavy metals in water

Due their excellent chemo-physical properties and ability to exhibit surface plasmon resonance, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have become a material of choice in various applications, such as nanosensors, electronic devices, nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. In particular, from the environmental monitoring perspective, sensors based on silver nanoparticles are in great demand because of their antibacterial and inexpensive synthetic method. In the present study, we synthesized AgNPs in water phase using silver nitrate as precursor molecules, hydrophilic thiol (3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt, 3MPS) and sodium borohydride as capping and reducing agents, respectively. The AgNPs were characterized using techniques such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ζ-potential) measurements and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Further, to demonstrate the environmental application of our AgNPs, we also applied them for heavy metal sensing by detecting visible color modification due to SPR spectral changes. We found that these negatively charged AgNPs show good response to nickel (II) and presented good sensibility properties for the detection of low amount of ions in water in the working range of 1.0-0.1 ppm.

Diglycolamide-functionalized resorcinarene for rare earths extraction

Efficient extraction of rare earth elements from nitric acid solution has been performed with tetrafunctionalized resorcinarene.

Fluorescence quenching for chloramphenicol detection in milk based on protein-stabilized Au nanoclusters

In the present study, we report a simple and rapid method for sensitive and selective determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) based on fluorescence of bovine serum albumin-stabilized Au nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs). The BSA-AuNCs exhibit strong red emission. Upon addition of CAP to BSA-AuNCs, the fluorescence intensity of AuNCs shows a dramatic decrease attributing to the photo-induced electron transfer process from the electrostatically attached CAP to the BSA-AuNCs. The effects of pH, amount of BSA-AuNCs, temperature and reaction time on the detection of chloramphenicol were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, trace amounts of CAP could be detected. The linear working range is 0.10-70.00 μM with a detection limit 33 nM (S/N=3). In addition, the proposed method has been successfully applied to the detection of CAP in milk samples and largely improves the application of spectral method for quantitative analysis of CAP.