Electrospun nylon-6 spider-net like nanofiber mat containing TiO2 nanoparticles: A multifunctional nanocomposite textile material

In this study, electrospun nylon-6 spider-net like nanofiber mats containing TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) were successfully prepared. The nanofiber mats containing TiO₂ NPs were characterized by SEM, FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA and EDX analyses. The results revealed that fibers in two distinct sizes (nano and subnano scale) were obtained with the addition of a small amount of TiO₂ NPs. In low TiO₂ content nanocomposite mats, these nanofiber weaves were found uniformly loaded with TiO₂ NPs on their wall. The presence of a small amount of TiO₂ NPs in nylon-6 solution was found to improve the hydrophilicity (antifouling effect), mechanical strength, antimicrobial and UV protecting ability of electrospun mats. The resultant nylon-6/TiO₂ antimicrobial spider-net like composite mat with antifouling effect may be a potential candidate for future water filter applications, and its improved mechanical strength and UV blocking ability will also make it a potential candidate for protective clothing.     

Diverse biotechnological applications of multifunctional titanium dioxide nanoparticles: An up‐to‐date review

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the topmost widely used metallic oxide nanoparticles. Whether present in naked form or doped with metals or polymers, TiO₂ NPs perform immensely important functions. However, the alteration in size and shape by doping results in improving the physical, chemical, and biological behaviour of TiO₂ NPs. Hence, the differential effects of various TiO₂ nanostructures including nanoflakes, nanoflowers, and nanotubes in various domains of biotechnology have been elucidated by researchers. Recently, the exponential growth of research activities regarding TiO₂ NPs has been observed owing to their chemical stability, low toxicity, and multifaceted properties. Because of their enormous abundance, plants, humans, and environment are inevitably exposed to TiO₂ NPs. These NPs play a significant role in improving agricultural attributes, removing environmental pollution, and upgrading the domain of nanomedicine. Therefore, the currently ongoing studies about the employment of TiO₂ NPs in enhancement of different aspects of agriculture, environment, and medicine have been extensively discussed in this review.     

Growth of ZnO nanorods on TiO2 nanoparticles films and their application to the electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells

A ZnO nanorods (NRs)/TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) film has been prepared by electrochemical deposition of ZnO NRs growth on P25 TiO₂ NPs film surfaces. It was found that ZnO NRs/TiO₂ NPs could significantly improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells owing to its relatively enhanced light-scattering capability and efficient charge transport efficiency. The overall energy-conversion efficiency (η) of 3.48 % was achieved by the formation of ZnO NRs/TiO₂ NPs film, which is 33 % higher than that formed by TiO₂ NPs alone (η = 2.62 %). The charge recombination behavior of cells was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectra, and the results showed that ZnO NRs/TiO₂ NPs film has the longer electron lifetime than TiO₂ NPs alone, which could facilitate the reduction of recombination processes and thus would promote the photocatalysis and solar cell performance.     

Dye sensitized solar cell of TiO2 nanoparticle/nanorod composites prepared via low-temperature synthesis in oleic acid

Titania (TiO₂) nanorods (NRs) and nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using oleic acid as a surfactant and employed as photoanodes for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) fabrication. The synthesized NRs and NPs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The photovoltaic performances were compared between NRs, NPs, and their composites. The results showed that the power conversion efficiencies (η) of the composites depend on the relative compositions of NRs and NPs in photoanodes, reaching the greatest at 10% NR content. η of the pure NRs DSSC was lower than that of the NPs DSSC. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the highest η at 10% NRs is mainly due to reduced charge transport resistance at the TiO₂/dye/electrolyte interface and electrolyte diffusion resistance, overcoming the reduction of the number of adsorbed dye molecules.     

Controllable synthesis and photocatalytic activities of water-soluble TiO2 nanoparticles

Water-soluble anatase, mixed-phase (anatase and rutile) and rutile TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) or nanorods were synthesized under mild solution conditions using polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) as a stabilizer and HCl as a phase controlling reagent. The photocatalytic properties of these NPs with different crystal phases were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation experiments of methyl orange (MO). As-prepared pure anatase TiO₂ NPs show a higher photocatalytic activity than other samples and commercial P25, which may be related to the high crystallinity, the pure anatase phase, small size and the enhanced absorbability associated with the existence of PEG 400 on the NP surface.     

Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic activity of TiO2/polyaniline core-shell nanocomposite

Polyaniline (PANI) as a promising conducting polymer has been used to prepare polyaniline/TiO₂ (PANI/TiO₂) nanocomposite with core-shell structure as photocatalyst. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles with an average crystal size of 21?nm were encapsulated by PANI via the in situ polymerization of aniline on the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles. FT?CIR, UV-Vis-NIR, XRD, SEM and TEM techniques were used to characterize the PANI/TiO₂ core-shell nanocomposite. Photocatalytic activity of PANI/TiO₂ nanocomposite was investigated under both UV and visible light irradiations and compared with unmodified TiO₂ nanoparticles. Results indicated deposition of PANI on the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles which improved the photocatalytic activity of pristine TiO₂ nanoparticles.     

Analysis of the cytotoxicity of differentially sized titanium dioxide nanoparticles in murine MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts

There is an increased use of nanophase titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in bone implants and scaffolds. However, nano-debris is generated at the bone-biomaterial interface. Therefore, TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) of many sizes were investigated for cytotoxic effects on murine MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts. These TiO₂ NPs induced a time- and dose-dependent decrease in cell viability. There was a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane permeability following short-term exposure of the cells to TiO₂ NPs. These NPs also increased granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) gene expression. Compared with the 32 nm TiO₂ NPs, 5 nm TiO₂ NPs were more toxic, induced more apoptosis, increased mitochondrial membrane permeability and stimulated more GM-CSF expression at a high concentration (≥100 μg/ml). The results implied that the differential toxicity was associated with variations in size, so more attention should be given to the toxicity of small NPs for the design of future materials for implantation.     

Facile synthesis of copper oxide nanotubes decorated by TiO2 nanoparticles,optical and photocatalytic activity in water

Copper oxide nanotubes decorated by TiO₂ nanoparticles (CNTNs) were fabricated by simple three-step method. First, deposition of copper onto cellulose fibres, then thermal oxidation of copper and cellulose fibres and last simply mixing copper oxide nanotubes and TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs). Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that the synthesised nanotubes were monoclinic-structured polycrystalline CuO with diameter and wall thickness of approximately 50～100 nm and 20～25 nm, respectively. Moreover, the diameter of the TiO₂ NPs is about 20～30 nm. Optical properties of the solutions containing copper oxide nanotubes decorated by TiO₂ NPs were studied. Discrete dipole approximation was used for the calculation of absorption, scattering and extinction cross sections of the deposited CNTNs on a glass substrate. Our simulation results show that there are good agreements between the experimental date and the simulation results. Moreover, the photocatalytic tests were done by methyl orange under visible light (λ = 633 nm) irradiation for prepared samples.     

Effect of particle size on in vitro cytotoxicity of titania and alumina nanoparticles

Aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used in nanotechnology-based products. Recently, researchers and the public have raised concerns about the adverse effects of these NPs in biological systems, particularly in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible adverse effects of these two common metal oxide NPs on human lung epithelium cells (A549) and to investigate NP size-dependent effects on these cells, considering both the primary and hydrodynamic particle size. NPs were found to inhibit cell viability and proliferation at the highest concentration level (10?mg/mL) included in this study, as measured by a clonogenic assay. Moreover, cell viability, proliferation and metabolism were impaired to a greater extent by the smaller NPs (5?nm TiO₂ and 10?nm Al₂O₃) relative to the larger particles (200?nm TiO₂ and 50?nm Al₂O₃) included in this study, as measured by cell proliferation and metabolism. Notably, the observed cytotoxic effects correlated to the primary size, rather than the hydrodynamic size. Similarly, NP cytotoxicity was found to be correlated with the NP surface area. These findings highlight the importance of including primary size and surface area information in NP characterisation in cytotoxicity studies.     

Low doses of TiO2-polyethylene glycol nanoparticles stimulate proliferation of hepatocyte cells

This paper describes the effect of low concentrations of 100 nm polyethylene glycol-modified TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂-PEG NPs) on HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Proliferation of HepG2 cells increased significantly when the cells were exposed to low doses (<100 μg ml^–1) of TiO₂-PEG NPs. These results were further confirmed by cell counting experiments and cell cycle assays. Cellular uptake assays were performed to determine why HepG2 cells proliferate with low-dose exposure to TiO₂-PEG NPs. The results showed that exposure to lower doses of NPs led to less cellular uptake, which in turn decreased cytotoxicity. We therefore hypothesized that TiO₂-PEG NPs could affect the activity of hepatocyte growth factor receptors (HGFRs), which bind to hepatocyte growth factor and stimulate cell proliferation. The localization of HGFRs on the surface of the cell membrane was detected via immunofluorescence staining and confocal microscopy. The results showed that HGFRs aggregate after exposure to TiO₂-PEG NPs. In conclusion, our results indicate that TiO₂-PEG NPs have the potential to promote proliferation of HepG2 cells through HGFR aggregation and suggest that NPs not only exhibit cytotoxicity but also affect cellular responses.     

Facile synthesis of nano-TiO2/stellerite composite with efficient photocatalytic degradation of phenol

In this paper, we report a kind of nano-TiO₂/stellerite composite with enhanced photoactivity, which was synthesized by a typical homogeneous precipitation method followed by a calcination crystallization process using natural stellerite as support. The as-prepared composites were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that TiO₂ loading amounts and calcination temperatures had significant influence on the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation properties of phenol. Moreover, it was indicated that the TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) with smaller grain size (around 12.0?nm) and narrower size distributions were uniformly deposited on the surface of stellerite as a layer of film. Compared with commercial P25, the received composite exhibited more superior photocatalytic degradation performance towards phenol. The enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance should result from the better dispersibility of TiO₂ NPs and higher separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. This work may set foundation for the practical application of this new composite photocatalyst in the field of wastewater treatment.     

Effect of electric field on the properties of bismuth oxide nanoparticles prepared by laser ablation in water

In this work, preparation and characterization of α-Bi₂O₃ by pulsed laser ablation in water under effect of electric field is presented. UV–visible measurements showed that a red shift in the absorption spectra of Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles (NPs) was observed when the electric field increased. Applying electric field during laser ablation of Bi₂O₃ led to increasing the particle size. The morphological investigation, carried out using atomic force microscope, showed that the root mean square roughness and the grain sizes of Bi₂O₃ NPs are increase after applied of the electric field. Energy dispersive X-ray investigations confirm the complete oxidation of ablated bismuth after applying of electric field. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the structure of Bi₂O₃ remained polycrystalline with small diffraction intensity around (102) plane after applying of electric field.     

Photodeposition of Ag and Cu binary co-catalyst onto TiO2 for improved optical and photocatalytic degradation properties

This paper deals with the influence of binary co-deposition of Ag and Cu metals on TiO₂ photocatalyst to investigate its adsorption, optical and photocatalytic properties relative to monometallic (Ag/Cu) deposition. Hence, different proportion of Ag and Cu has been simultaneously deposited on TiO₂ in an inert (argon) atmosphere under UV irradiations. It was found that the plasmonic absorption bands appeared in the visible region (480 and 640?nm for Ag and Cu, respectively) due to the binary deposition of Ag-Cu nanoparticles (～9–20?nm) onto TiO₂ surface as revealed by TEM size analysis and EDS/elemental mapping. The fluorescence spectrum of Ag-Cu-TiO₂ showed higher quenching of emission peak intensities at λ?>?450?nm in a different extent due to efficient charge separation as compared to respective monometallic (Ag/Cu)-TiO₂ nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activities of binary Ag-Cu-TiO₂ for the degradation of methylene blue and salicylic acid under UV and visible irradiations were found to be notably higher than monometallic deposited TiO₂. The reaction rates and CO₂ formation exhibited due to binary deposition always gives enhanced photoactivity which could be useful for removal of toxic environmental pollutants under solar radiations.     

Novel synthesis of quaternary nanocomposites based on chemical vapor grown graphene for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Pd-Pt/graphene-TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile ultrasonic and hydrothermal method. For the functionalization of graphene, large area graphene obtained by chemical vapor deposition method was oxidized by 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid. The functionalized graphene oxide was decorated with TiO₂. And then, Pt and Pd nanoparticles were dispersed on graphene surface, simultaneously. The characterizations of “as-prepared” samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Raman, specific surface area (BET) and with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The photocatalytic activity of the Pd-Pt/graphene-TiO₂ nanocomposite catalyst was evaluated by H₂ evolution under UV light. Pd-Pt/graphene-TiO₂ (Pd-Pt/G-TiO₂) exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than control experimental group samples (TiO₂, G-TiO₂, Pd/G-TiO₂ and Pt/G-TiO₂) under UV light irradiation.     

Effect on interfacial charge transfer resistance by hybrid co-sensitization in DSSC applications

TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal process to prepare metal oxide based photoanode for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) fabrication. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the formation of tetragonal TiO₂. High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals the presence of agglomerated TiO₂ particles and the average particle size is found to be 14 nm. The UV–Visible absorption spectrum ensures the absorption maximum at 268 nm. The band gap energy of TiO₂ nanoparticles was found to be 3.3 eV which lies in the ultra-violet (UV) region. Impedance studies of TiO₂ nanoparticles show an increase in conductivity with an increase in bias voltage. In the present work, the UV active TiO₂ nanoparticles are employed for the fabrication of DSSC based on the hybrid co-sensitization of natural dye (Eugenia Jambolana) and organic dye (Eosin). The interfacial charge transfer resistance phenomena of the DSSC determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is discussed in detail. Photovoltaic efficiency of 0.1377 % is achieved for the fabricated DSSC with co-sensitization of natural and organic dyes.     

Photoelectrochemical performance of Ag nanoparticles on TiO2 films prepared by aerosol pyrolysis

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) layers were prepared by the pyrolysis of an ethanolic solution of di-iso-propoxy-titanium bis(acetylacetonate) in aerosol form, and then electrodeposited with Ag nanoparticles on their surface. The morphology and photoelectrochemical properties of the resulting Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on TiO₂ films were found to be significantly tuned by varying the electrodeposition time in an aqueous electrolyte containing AgNO₃ and KNO₃. Photocurrent density–voltage curves and electrochemical impedance spectra revealed that the Ag NPs remarkably improved the short-circuit current density and open circuit voltage, and considerably reduced the electrochemical impedance. Therefore, Ag NPs deposition enhanced the photo-absorption of the TiO₂ layer, excited photoelectrons by localised surface plasmon resonance, promoted photo-induced charge separation, and prevented electron–hole recombination.     

Nanostructured mesoporous Au/TiO2 for photocatalytic degradation of a textile dye: the effect of size similarity of the deposited Au with that of TiO2 pores

Mesoporous Au/TiO₂ nanocomposites with different Au particle size (7.3–11.8 nm) were synthesized via deposition–precipitation method. The synthesized nanocomposites have been characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS, DLS, ICP-OES, N₂ sorpometry, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Au/TiO₂ showed higher quantum yield and greater photocatalytic efficiency compared to pure TiO₂ under both ultraviolet and sunlight illumination. The increase of the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO₂ upon deposition with gold nanoparticles, Au NPs, is due to the interface electron transfer from Au nanoparticles to TiO₂ under visible light illumination and from TiO₂ to Au nanoparticles under UV illumination. For the first time, the effect of Au particle sizes when it is very similar to the interparticles pores of TiO₂ has been investigated. The highest reaction rate (5.7 × 10^?2 min^?1) and degradation efficiency of Safranin-O (SO) dye (97 %) were observed when the deposited gold nanoparticles are the smallest among the studied samples (sAu/TiO₂). In spite of blocking a high percentage of the TiO₂ pores, the sAu/TiO₂ sample demonstrated a complete degradation of SO dye in 50 min which is more efficient than any other reported catalysts in the literature.     

Electrospun titania fibers by incorporating graphene/Ag hybrids for the improved visible-light photocatalysis

A novel graphene/Ag nanoparticles (NPs) hybrid (prepared by a physical method (PM)) was incorporated into electrospun TiO₂ fibers to improve visible-lightdriven photocatalytic properties. The experimental study revealed that the graphene/Ag NPs (PM) hybrid not only decreased the bandgap energy of TiO₂, but also enhanced its light response in the visible region due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect. In addition, compared with those of TiO₂ fibers incorporating the graphene/Ag NPs hybrid (prepared by a chemical method (CM)), TiO₂-graphene/Ag NPs (PM) fibers exhibited a higher surface photocurrent density and superior photocatalytic performance, i.e., the visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity was enhanced by 2 times. The main reasons include a lower surface defect density of the graphene/Ag NPs (PM) hybrid, a smaller particle size (10 nm) and a higher dispersity of Ag NPs, which promote the rapid transfer of photoexcited charge carriers and inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. It is expected that this kind of ternary electrospun fibers will be a promising candidate for applications in water splitting, solar cells, CO₂ conversion and optoelectronic devices, etc.     

Structural phase analysis,band gap tuning and fluorescence properties of Co doped TiO2 nanoparticles

This paper reports on structural and optical properties of Co (0, 3, 5 & 7 mol%) doped TiO₂ (titania) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by employing acid modified sol–gel method. The crystalline phase of the pure and doped NPs was observed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) followed by Raman scattering technique. Field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy give the morphological details. Fourier transform infrared spectra indicate the bonding interactions of Co ions with the titania lattice framework. Optical studies were attained with UV–visible absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. XRD analysis reveals that all prepared samples have pure anatase phase with tetragonal symmetry devoid of any other secondary phase. The average crystallite size of all samples was calculated using Scherrer’s formula and was found to vary from 8 to 10 nm with doping concentration of Co. The Raman spectroscopy further confirmed the formation of TiO₂ in anatase structure in both pure and Co doped TiO₂ NPs. The most intense Raman active E_g peak of TiO₂ NPs shifted to higher energy on doping. Both UV–visible and fluorescence spectra show a blue shift in their absorption and band edge emission subsequently on increasing with Co percentage in titania host matrix, wherever there is an indication of quantum confinement effect with widening of band gap on decreasing in NPs size. There is also a possibility of strong Coulomb interaction effect on the optical processes involving the Co ions. However, the intensities of different emission spectra are not the same but decrease profoundly for doping samples due to concentration quenching effect.     

Methotrexate-conjugated L-lysine coated iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles for inhibition of MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Methotrexate (MTX), a stoichiometric inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase enzyme, is a chemotherapeutic agent for treating a diversity of neoplasms. In this study, we design and developed a new formulation of MTX that serves as drug carrier and examined its cytotoxic effect in vitro. This target drug delivery system is dependent on the release of the MTX within the lysosomal compartment. The iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (IONPs) were first surface-coated with L-lysine and subsequently conjugated with MTX through amidation between the carboxylic acid end groups on MTX and the amine groups on the IONPs surface. MTX-conjugated L-lysine coated IONPs (F-Lys-MTX NPs) was characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The cytotoxicity of the void of MTX and F-Lys-MTX NPs were compared to each other by MTT assay of the treated MCF-7 cell lines. The results showed that the ζ-potential of F-Lys-MTX NPs was about ?5.49?mV and the average size was 43.72?±?4.73?nm. Model studies exhibited the release of MTX via peptide bond cleavage in the presence of proteinase K and at low pH. These studies specify that F-Lys-MTX NPs have a very remarkable anticancer effect, for breast cancer cell lines.