Intracellular biosynthesis of Au and Ag nanoparticles using ethanolic extract of Brassica oleracea L. and studies on their physicochemical and biological properties

In this present study, we reported broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) as a potential candidate for the synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs) in green chemistry method. The synthesized metal nanoparticles are evaluated their antimicrobial efficacy against different human pathogenic organisms. The physico-chemical properties of gold nanoparticles were analyzed using different analytical techniques such as a UV–Vis spectrophotometer, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrophotometer. In addition, gold and silver NP antimicrobial efficacy was checked by disc diffusion assay. UV–Vis color intensity of the nanoparticles was shown at 540 and 450 nm for gold and silver nanoparticles respectively. Higher magnification of the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy image shows the variable morphology of the gold nanoparticles such as spherical, rod and triangular shapes and silver nanoparticles were seen in spherical shapes. The average spherical size of the particles was observed in 24–38 nm for gold and 30–45 nm for silver NPs. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the presence of gold nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles which were crystalline in nature. Additionally, the functional metabolites were identified by the Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. IR spectra revealed phenols, alcohols, aldehydes (sugar moieties), vitamins and proteins are present in the broccoli extract which are accountable to synthesize the nanoparticles. The synthesized gold and silver NPs inhibited the growth of the tested bacterial and fungal pathogens at the concentration of 50 μg/mL respectively. In addition, broccoli mediated gold and silver nanoparticles have shown potent antimicrobial activity against human pathogens.     

Comparative toxicity of silver nanoparticles and silver ions to Escherichia coli

With the increase in silver(Ag)-based products in our lives, it is essential to test the potential toxicity of silver nanoparticles(Ag NPs) and silver ions(Ag ions) on living organisms under various conditions. Here, we investigated the toxicity of Ag NPs with Ag ions to Escherichia coli K-12 strain under various conditions. We observed that both Ag NPs and Ag ions display antibacterial activities, and that Ag ions had higher toxicity to E. coli K-12 strain than Ag NPs under the same concentrations. To understand the toxicity of Ag NPs at a cellular level, reactive oxygen species(ROS) enzymes were detected for use as antioxidant enzymatic biomarkers. We have also studied the toxicity of Ag NPs and Ag ions under various coexistence conditions including: fixed total concentration, with a varied the ratio of Ag NPs to Ag ions; fixed the Ag NPs concentration and then increased the Ag ions concentration; fixed Ag ions concentration and then increasing the Ag NPs concentration.Exposure to Ag NPs and Ag ions clearly had synergistic toxicity; however, decreased toxicity(for a fixed Ag NPs concentration of 5 mg/L, after increasing the Ag ions concentration) to E. coli K-12 strain. Ag NPs and Ag ions in the presence of L-cysteine accelerated the bacterial cell growth rate, thereby reducing the bioavailability of Ag ions released from Ag NPs under the single and coexistence conditions. Further works are needed to consider this potential for Ag NPs and Ag ions toxicity across a range of environmental conditions.Environmental Significance Statement: As silver nanoparticles(Ag NPs)-based products are being broadly used in commercial industries, an ecotoxicological understanding of the Ag NPs being released into the environment should be further considered. Here, we investigate the comparative toxicity of Ag NPs and silver ions(Ag ions) to Escherichia coli K-12 strain, a representative ecotoxicological bioreporter. This study showed that toxicities of Ag NPs and Ag ions to E. coli K-12 strain display different relationships when existing individually or when coexisting, and in the presence of L-cysteine materials. These findings suggest that the toxicology research of nanomaterials should consider conditions when NPs coexist with and without their bioavailable ions.     

氧化铜纳米颗粒(CuO NPs)对土壤环境因子与砷生物有效性的影响

氧化铜纳米颗粒（CuO NPs）可以通过农药和肥料施用、意外泄露或污水灌溉进入As污染农田土壤,从而对土壤环境因子和As生物有效性产生影响.本试验选取两种不同类型土壤（安徽宿松黄棕壤和黑龙江海伦黑土）进行人工As污染,添加不同浓度的CuO NPs,探究90 d淹水-落干过程中CuO NPs对As污染农田环境因子和As生物有效态的影响.结果表明,CuO NPs进入土壤后12 h内快速溶解产生Cu²⁺,且在黄棕壤中的溶解速度较黑土迅速.CuO NPs可在短时间内降低土壤pH,提高土壤氧化还原电位（E_h）,降低土壤电导率（EC）,但随着培养时间增加土壤EC逐渐提高.一定时间内CuO NPs在两种类型土壤中可降低51.0%~82.5%土壤浸出液中的As和15.7%~66.5%的As生物有效性,减少淹水时Fe （II）的含量.但在土壤落干时期产生一定的“纳米效应”从而促进了Fe （II）的产生.研究表明,CuO NPs进入As污染农田改变了土壤环境因子,一定时间内降低了土壤As生物有效性.     

聚丙烯塑料-锯末干混合制备高介孔率柱状活性炭

以聚丙烯塑料和梧桐锯末为原材料,无水K2CO3为活化剂,采用干混合法制备高介孔率柱状活性炭.通过单因素实验,探究了塑料含量、盐料比、活化温度及活化时间对活性炭吸附亚甲基蓝(MB)性能的影响.结果表明:当塑料含量为20%、盐料比为2.5、活化温度为950℃、活化时间为80 min时,所制备的活性炭具有较高的MB吸附量(322.9 mg·g-1).所制备的活性炭具有发达的微观孔隙结构,其比表面积达到1461.99m2·g-1,平均孔径为3.23 nm,总孔容为1.04 cm3·g-1,其中,介孔孔容为0.80 cm3·g-1,介孔率超过70%,充分说明该方法可制备优质高介孔率柱状活性炭.     

Long-term effects of silver nanoparticles on performance of phosphorus removal in a laboratory-scale vertical flow constructed wetland

Silver nanoparticles(AgNPs) have been widely used in many fields,which raised concerns about potential threats to biological sewage treatment systems.In this study,the phosphorus removal performance,enzymatic activity and microbial population dynamics in constructed wetlands(CWs) were evaluated under a long-term exposure to Ag NPs(0,50,and 200 μg/L) for 450 days.Results have shown that Ag NPs inhibited the phosphorus removal efficiency in a short-term exposure,whereas caused no obviously negative effects from a long-term perspective.Moreover,in the coexisting CW system of Ag NPs and phosphorus,competition exhibited in the initial exposure phase,however,cooperation between them was observed in later phase.Enzymatic activity of acid-phosphatase at the moderate temperature(10–20°C) was visibly higher than that at the high temperature(20–30℃) and CWs with Ag NPs addition had no appreciable differences compared with the control.High-throughput sequencing results indicated that the microbial richness,diversity and composition of CWs were distinctly affected with the extension of exposure time at different Ag NPs levels.However,the phosphorus removal performance of CWs did not decline with the decrease of polyphosphate accumulating organisms(PAOs),which also confirmed that adsorption precipitation was the main way of phosphorus removal in CWs.The study suggested that Ag NPs and phosphorus could be removed synergistically in the coexistence system.This work has some reference for evaluating the influences of Ag NPs on the phosphorus removal and the interrelation between them in CWs.     

自组装纳米金修饰玻碳电极检测亚硝酸根

将N-［3-(三甲氧硅基)丙基］-乙二胺与金溶胶通过自组装制备亚硝酸根的电化学传感器.原子力显微镜图(AFM) 显示纳米金自组装在氨基硅烷修饰的玻碳电极表面.由于质子化的氨基硅烷与带负电的亚硝酸根间的相互作用以及纳米金对亚硝酸根具有较好的催化作用,亚硝酸根在该修饰电极上的氧化电位与在玻碳电极上的氧化电位相比负移了140 mV.利用微分脉冲伏安法和微分脉冲安培法研究了亚硝酸根电流响应信号与浓度间的关系.在最优实验条件下,亚硝酸根的氧化峰电流与其浓度在5.0×10^-7～1.0×10^-3 mol·L^-1的浓度范围内呈良好的线性关系, 检测限可达到2.0×10^-7 mol·L^-1(信噪比为3). 用分光光度法及本研究提出的方法对实际样品中亚硝酸根的测定进行了比较,测定结果的差异很小.本研究所提出的测定亚硝酸根的方法具有较高的灵敏度和较好的重现性.     

Shellac-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for removal of cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solution

This study describes a new effective adsorbent for cadmium removal from aqueous solution synthesized by coating a shellac layer, a natural biodegradable and renewable resin with abundant hydroxyl and carboxylic groups, on the surface of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) imaging showed shellac-coated magnetic nanoparticle (SCMN) adsorbents had a core-shell structure with a core of 20 nm and shell of 5 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic analysis suggested the occurrence of reaction between carboxyl groups on the SCMN adsorbent surface and cadmium ions in aqueous solution. Kinetic data were well described by pseudo second-order model and adsorption isotherms were fitted with both Langmuir and Freundlich models with maximum adsorption capacity of 18.80 mg/g. SCMN adsorbents provided a favorable adsorption capacity under high salinity conditions, and cadmium could easily be desorbed using mild organic acid solutions at low concentration.     

Adsorption performance of CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 in NO removal at low temperature

CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 samples were synthesized using hard-templating and evaporationinduced self-assembly(EISA) methods,respectively.The pore structures of CMK-3 and CFDU-15 as well as commercial activated carbon were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction,field emission scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and N_2 adsorption–desorption.Adsorption of NO was investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis,temperature-programmed desorption of NO + O_2,and in situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.The results show that the CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 materials possessed ordered and uniform structures.The coadsorption capacity of NO and O_2 decreased in the sequence CMK-3(88.6 mg/g) C-FDU-15(71.7 mg/g) AC(25.3 mg/g).There were two main adsorption species on CMK-3 and CFDU-15:nitrite and nitrate.Nitrite is converted to nitrate easily.However,the adsorption species were more complex on AC,with nitrite being the main species.Moreover,CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 exhibit excellent regeneration efficiency compared with AC.The excellent NO adsorption performance of CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 was associated with their ordered mesoporous structures and high surface areas.The research provides more options for NO adsorption in the future.     

电化学微传感器检测水中痕量铜离子

为改善微电极在阳极溶出伏安法检测重金属离子过程中低电流响应和低电催化能力的缺点,提出了一种在碳纤维微电极表面合成还原氧化石墨烯/纳米金材料制得还原氧化石墨烯纳米金修饰碳纤维微电极（rGO/AuNPs CFMEs）的方法.通过SEM表征,所制备的rGO/AuNPs CFMEs具有比表面积高、吸附能力强和催化活性好的特点,因此改性微电极适合作为方波阳极溶出伏安法（SWASV）测定水中铜离子（Cu²⁺）的工作电极.在构建微传感器测试水中痕量铜离子系统后,对pH值、电导率、富集时间和富集电位等检测条件进行了优化.在pH值为4,电导率为36.1S/m,富集时间为360s,富集电位为-1.2V的最佳条件下,铜的线性范围和检出限分别0~1.0μmol/L和2.4nmol/L.此外,微传感器的可重复性、长期稳定性以及选择性也得到了验证.