Green Adeptness in the Synthesis and Stabilization of Copper Nanoparticles: Catalytic,Antibacterial, Cytotoxicity,and Antioxidant Activities

Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) are of great interest due to their extraordinary properties such as high surface-to-volume ratio, high yield strength, ductility, hardness, flexibility, and rigidity. CuNPs show catalytic, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal activities along with cytotoxicity and anticancer properties in many different applications. Many physical and chemical methods have been used to synthesize nanoparticles including laser ablation, microwave-assisted process, sol-gel, co-precipitation, pulsed wire discharge, vacuum vapor deposition, high-energy irradiation, lithography, mechanical milling, photochemical reduction, electrochemistry, electrospray synthesis, hydrothermal reaction, microemulsion, and chemical reduction. Phytosynthesis of nanoparticles has been suggested as a valuable alternative to physical and chemical methods due to low cytotoxicity, economic prospects, environment-friendly, enhanced biocompatibility, and high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The review explains characterization techniques, their main role, limitations, and sensitivity used in the preparation of CuNPs. An overview of techniques used in the synthesis of CuNPs, synthesis procedure, reaction parameters which affect the properties of synthesized CuNPs, and a screening analysis which is used to identify phytochemicals in different plants is presented from the recent published literature which has been reviewed and summarized. Hypothetical mechanisms of reduction of the copper ion by quercetin, stabilization of copper nanoparticles by santin, antimicrobial activity, and reduction of 4-nitrophenol with diagrammatic illustrations are given. The main purpose of this review was to summarize the data of plants used for the synthesis of CuNPs and open a new pathway for researchers to investigate those plants which have not been used in the past.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract Proposed Mechanism for Antibacterial activity of copper nanoparticles.

     

Nb Substituted Cu0.5Tl0.5Ba2(Ca3Nb1)Cu5O_{14-\delta} and Cu0.5Tl0.5Ba2(Ca4Nb1)Cu6O_{16-\delta} Superconductors

The effects of higher electro-negativity Nb substitution on the Ca site in Cu_0.5Tl_0.5Ba₂ (Ca₃Nb₁)Cu₅O $_{14-\delta}$ and Cu_0.5Tl_0.5Ba₂(Ca₄Nb₁)Cu₆O $_{16-\delta}$ superconductors have been investigated. The Nb doping has been found to increase the oxygen contents in Cu_0.5Tl_0.5Ba₂O $_{16-\delta}$ charge reservoir layer of the final compound. The post-annealing in the N₂ atmosphere has been found to improve the superconducting properties; however, O₂ annealing produced the material with inferior superconducting properties. The quantity of diamagnetism is increased with post-annealing in the nitrogen atmosphere; as N₂ annealing helps in the formation of material with optimum carriers concentration in the CuO₂ planes, which is done by the change in the charge state of thallium from Tl³⁺ to Tl¹⁺. The Nb substitution has been found to develop the higher CuO₂ planner phases such as Cu_0.5Tl_0.5Ba₂Can _?2Nb₁Cun ₂ n+4?δ (n=5,6) with enhanced T _c's.     

A revised viscoelastic micropolar nanofluid model with motile micro‐organisms and variable thermal conductivity

In the present study, a magnetized micropolar nanofluid and motile micro‐organism with variable thermal conductivity over a moving surface have been discussed. The mathematical modeling has been formulated using a second‐grade fluid model and a revised form of the micropolar fluid model. The governing fluid contains micro‐organisms and nanoparticles. The resulting nonlinear mathematical differential equations have been solved with the help of the homotopy analysis method. The graphical and physical features of buoyancy force, micro‐organisms, magnetic field, microrotation, and variable thermal conductivity have been discussed in detail. The numerical results for Nusselt number, motile density number, and Sherwood number are presented with the help of tables. According to the graphical effects, it is noted that the buoyancy ratio and the bioconvection parameter resist the fluid motion. An enhancement in the temperature profile is observed due to the increment in thermal conductivity. Peclet number tends to diminish the motile density profile; however, the viscoelastic parameter magnifies the motile density profile.     

Biohydrogen production from Imperata cylindrica bio-oil using non-stoichiometric and thermodynamic model

This paper presents a non-stoichiometric and thermodynamic model for steam reforming of Imperata cylindrica bio-oil for biohydrogen production. Thermodynamic analyses of major bio-oil components such as formic acid, propanoic acid, oleic acid, hexadecanoic acid and octanol produced from fast pyrolysis of I. cylindrica was examined. Sensitivity analyses of the operating conditions; temperature (100–1000 °C), pressure (1–10 atm) and steam to fuel ratio (1–10) were determined. The results showed an increase in biohydrogen yield with increasing temperature although the effect of pressure was negligible. Furthermore, increase in steam to fuel ratio favoured biohydrogen production. Maximum yield of 60 ± 10% at 500–810 °C temperature range and steam to fuel ratio 5–9 was obtained for formic acid, propanoic acid and octanol. The heavier components hexadecanoic and oleic acid maximum hydrogen yield are 40% (740 °C and S/F = 9) and 43% (810 °C and S/F = 8) respectively. However, the effect of pressure on biohydrogen yield at the selected reforming temperatures was negligible. Overall, the results of the study demonstrate that the non-stoichiometry and thermodynamic model can successfully predict biohydrogen yield as well as the composition of gas mixtures from the gasification and steam reforming of bio-oil from biomass resources. This will serve as a useful guide for further experimental works and process development.     

Modelling of simultaneous methanogenesis and denitrification in an upflow packed-bed biofilm reactor

The performance of an upflow packed-bed biofilm reactor was investigated by considering simultaneous methanogenesis and denitrification reactions under step and sinusoidal variations of feed concentration and temperature. For simultaneous step inputs of 20 mg dm⁻³ of NO₃⁻—N and 60 mg dm⁻³ of methanol, the proposed model shows that major conversion of both the substrates takes place in the first half of the reactor. However, when the inlet concentration of methanol is subjected to sinusoidal variation, while that of NO₃⁻—N is maintained stepwise, the exit concentration of both methanol and NO₃⁻—N follow a sinusoidal response. On the other hand, when the inputs are reversed (methanol stepwise and NO₃⁻—N sinusoidal), the response exhibits similar behaviour. For sinusoidal variation of feed temperature the exit concentration profiles of both substrates also follow a sinusoidal pattern. For methanol, the mean steady state conversion under sinusoidal variation is higher than the corresponding steady state concentration when feed temperature is constant at 30°C. The model predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data available in the literature. ©1997 SCI