Researchers from India have shared an eco-friendly method for the fabrication of metal nanoparticles in their latest article available as a pre-proof in the journal Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management.
Importance of Metal Nanoparticles
Metal nanoparticles in simple words could be defined as nanoscale derivatives of pure metals such as gold, thallium, and silver, or their compounds. Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) feature a metal core formed of synthetic metal or metal oxide that is generally surrounded by an organic or inorganic substance or metal oxide shell.
The production of noble metallic nanoparticles has evolved into an enthralling process of scientific study. Because of their exceptional toxicological and photonic characteristics, silver and gold nanoparticles have received a great deal of attention, opening the way for extraordinary applicability in electromagnetic, semiconductors, photonics, biomedical, biosensing, catalytic, and medicinal domains.
Preparation Methods
Metal nanoparticles are often produced by reducing matching metal salt solutions with reduction enhancing substances such as sodium borohydride and citrate under severe experimental parameters. Furthermore, encapsulating entities are required, with amine or thiol-containing organic ligands and other surfactants being used to create these nanoparticles.
Previously, phyto-mediated reduction processes employing plant extracts have been used in the manufacture of metal nanoparticles to fulfill the green standard in reactions by avoiding hazardous chemicals.
Despite significant progress in the manufacture and usage of MNPs across the world, there is still a significant gap in information about the toxicity-related consequences of these on health and the environment.
Why Carbon Dots (CDs) are Important?
Carbon dots (CDs), a recent addition to the nano-carbon family distinguished by carbon nucleus related functional group, possesses exceptional biochemical and optoelectronic properties features such as adjustable fluorescence, high water dispersion, low cytotoxicity, and excellent stability.
C-dots are a novel type of luminous small-carbon nanocomposites with particle sizes less than 10 nm. Because of these characteristics, they have emerged as attractive candidates in detection, catalyst supports, bio-imaging, illumination, biomedical applications, and other domains.
Future research will focus on the creation of various morphologies, dimensions, and target-specific carbon dots. The synthetic paths to CDs, like any other nanomaterial, are loosely classed as top-down and bottom-up processes.
Greener Methods of Carbon Dot Synthesis
A great deal of attention has been dedicated to the implementation of green solutions for manufacturing CDs from affordable environmental assets in a greener and environmentally friendly manner.
Plant sources such as peppermint, coriander, banana peel, lemon, and others have been used as an alternative to synthetic antecedents in the manufacture of carbon nanodots.
CDs have recently been found for their reducing nature as well. Despite the fact that CDs have been discovered as a sustainable reduction tool for noble metal nanoparticles production via environmental initiatives, this topic is still in its infancy.
In the present study, carbon dots generated from the foliage of organic herbs, Plectranthus amboinicus (PA-CDs) and Leucas lavandulifolia (LA-CDs), have shown excellent reduction status.
News
X Marks the Spot: AI’s Treasure Maps Lead to Early Disease Detection
Medical diagnostics expert, doctor’s assistant, and cartographer are all fair titles for an artificial intelligence model developed by researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Their new model accurately identifies tumors [...]
Scientists Discover Method To Identify Alzheimer’s Disease Before It Progresses to Dementia
Researchers at Aarhus University have discovered a method to identify Alzheimer’s disease before it progresses to dementia, potentially opening up new avenues for treatment. A groundbreaking study could pave the way for early detection [...]
Startling Discovery: COVID-19 Virus Can Stay in the Body More Than a Year After Infection
The COVID-19 virus can persist in the blood and tissue of patients for more than a year after the acute phase of the illness has ended, according to new research from UC San Francisco that offers potential [...]
New bioengineered protein design shows promise in fighting COVID-19
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have been racing to develop effective treatments and preventatives against the virus. A recent scientific breakthrough has emerged from the work of researchers aiming to combat [...]
Sugar-coated gold nanoparticles can quickly eliminate bacterial infections, no antibiotics required
If left to their own devices, bacteria on our teeth or wounded skin can encase themselves in a slimy scaffolding, turning into what is called biofilm. These bacteria wreak havoc on our tissue and, [...]
Liquid Lightning: Nanotechnology Unlocks New Energy
EPFL researchers have discovered that nanoscale devices harnessing the hydroelectric effect can harvest electricity from the evaporation of fluids with higher ion concentrations than purified water, revealing a vast untapped energy potential. Evaporation is a natural [...]
Unmasking the Illusion: AI-Generated Faces Challenge Perceptions
Research shows survey participants duped by AI-generated images nearly 40 percent of the time. If you recently had trouble figuring out if an image of a person is real or generated through artificial intelligence [...]
New Discovery Reveals How Cells Defend Themselves During Stressful Situations
Stress granules play a crucial role in the stress response, arising from the aggregation of non-translating mRNAs and proteins. Although significant knowledge exists about stress granules, the mechanisms behind their mRNA localization remain partially [...]
Scientists use a new type of nanoparticle that can both deliver vaccines and act as an adjuvant
Many vaccines, including vaccines for hepatitis B and whooping cough, consist of fragments of viral or bacterial proteins. These vaccines often include other molecules called adjuvants, which help to boost the immune system's response [...]
Not Science Fiction: How Optical Neural Networks Are Revolutionizing AI
A novel architecture for optical neural networks utilizes wavefront shaping to precisely manipulate the travel of ultrashort pulses through multimode fibers, enabling nonlinear optical computation. Present-day artificial intelligence systems rely on billions of adjustable [...]
Turning skin cells into limb cells sets the stage for regenerative therapy
In a collaborative study, researchers from Kyushu University and Harvard Medical School have identified proteins that can turn or “reprogram” fibroblasts — the most commonly found cells in skin and connective tissue — into [...]
AI reveals prostate cancer is not just one disease
Artificial Intelligence has helped scientists reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer, which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future. A Cancer Research UK-funded study, published in Cell Genomics, has revealed [...]
New Study Finds That Persistent COVID-19 Infections Are Surprisingly Common
Recent research conducted by the University of Oxford has found that a high proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the general population lead to persistent infections lasting a month or more. The findings have been published in the journal Nature. [...]
Innovative nanosheet method revolutionizes brain imaging for multi-scale and long-term studies
The human brain has billions of neurons. Working together, they enable higher-order brain functions such as cognition and complex behaviors. To study these higher-order brain functions, it is important to understand how neural activity [...]
Scientists Have Discovered a Potential Universal Antivenom
Scientists at Scripps Research identified antibodies that protect against a host of lethal snake venoms. Scripps Research scientists have developed an antibody that can block the effects of lethal toxins in the venoms of [...]
Scientists discover the human brain is even more powerful than we thought
The human brain could be far more powerful than we ever imagined, scientists have discovered. Researchers have identified cell messaging which have never been uncovered before, which suggests our brains are capable of more than previously realised. It’s [...]