Alginate-silver nanocomposites in the form of spherical beads and films were prepared using a green approach by using the aqueous extract of Ajwa date seeds. The nanocomposites were fabricated by in situ reduction and gelation by ionotropic crosslinking using calcium ions in solution. The rich phytochemicals of the date seed extract played a dual role as a reducing and stabilizing agent in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The formation of silver nanoparticles was studied using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, and a distinct surface plasmon resonance peak at 421 nm characteristic of silver nanoparticles confirmed the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The morphology of the nanocomposite beads and film was compact, with an even distribution of silver nanoclusters. The catalytic property of the nanocomposite beads was evaluated for the degradation of 2-nitrophenol in the presence of sodium borohydride. The degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 1.40 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ at 23 ℃ and an activation energy of 18.45 kJ mol⁻¹. The thermodynamic parameters, such as changes in enthalpy and entropy, were evaluated to be 15.22 kJ mol⁻¹ and −197.50 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, respectively. The nanocomposite exhibited properties against three clinically important pathogens (gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is among the most common cancers worldwide. Most of the anticancer agents have been showing a variety of side effects. Recently, bacterial proteins have been investigated as promising anticancer agents. Azurin is a bacterial cupredoxin protein secreted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and has been reported as a potent multi-targeting anticancer agent, which makes it an appropriate candidate for drug delivery. Azurin may be delivered to cancer cells using different carriers like polymeric micro and nanoparticles. In the present study, azurin was extracted from the bacterial host and loaded into chitosan particles. Then its effect on MCF-7 cell line was investigated. Chitosan-azurin particles were made using the ion gelation method. Results showed that chitosan-azurin particles are about 200 nm, and the loading of the protein in particles did not affect its integrity. The MTT assay showed a significant reduction in cell viability in azurin and chitosan-azurin-treated cells. The toxicity level after 5 days was 63.78% and 82.53% for free azurin and chitosan-azurin-treated cells, respectively. It seems using an appropriate carrier system for anticancer proteins like azurin is a promising tool for developing low side effect anticancer agents.

This work shows the results of the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the microalga Chlorella sp, using growth media with different concentrations of glycerol, between 5%–20%, and different light and temperature conditions. The synthesis of nanoparticles was studied using supernatants and pellets from autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultures of the microalga. The presence of nanoparticles was verified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and the samples showing the highest concentration of nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The mixotrophic growth conditions favored the excretion of exopolymers that enhanced the reduction of silver and thus the formation of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles obtained presented predominantly ellipsoidal shape with dimensions of 108 nm × 156 nm and 87 nm × 123 nm for the reductions carried out with the supernatants of the mixotrophic cultures with 5% and 10% glycerol, respectively.

Cobalt-based sulfides have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high theoretical specific capacity and reversible conversion reaction mechanisms. However, their practical application is hindered by volume expansion effects and relatively low rate performance. Guided by theoretical principles, this study synthesizes nanoscale Bi/CoS-C and Bi/Co₄S₃-C (denoted as Bi/CS-C) composite materials using Co and Bi₂S₃ as precursors via a solid-state ball milling method. The electrochemical properties of these materials were systematically investigated. When employed as anodes for LIBs, Bi/CoS-C and Bi/CS-C exhibit excellent rate capabilities. At current densities of 0.1, 0.5, 1, 4, and 10 A/g, the reversible capacities of Bi/CoS-C were 939.2, 730.7, 655.6, 508.1, and 319 mAh/g, respectively. In contrast, Bi/CS-C exhibited reversible capacities of 760.4, 637.6, 591.9, 484.3, and 295.4 mAh/g, respectively. Moreover, Co₄S₃, as an active component, enables superior long-cycle performance compared to CoS. After 300 cycles at 0.2 A/g, the Bi/CoS-C and Bi/CS-C electrodes retained capacities of 193.1 and 788.8 mAh/g, respectively. This study demonstrates that nanostructure design and carbon-based composite materials can effectively mitigate the volume expansion issue of cobalt-based sulfides, thereby enhancing their rate performance and cycling stability. This strategy provides new insights for the development of high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and is expected to accelerate their practical application in next-generation energy storage devices.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been known to possess exceptional electric, biochemical, and optical characteristics and are ‘the topic of discussion’ these days, especially relating to the field of biomedicine. Several plants, bacteria, and fungi have been utilized for the generation of AuNPs, besides other physical and chemical methods. While some studies have been reported with gold nanoparticles, less are aimed at fungi and its optimization factors. These parameters can allow us to design AuNPs of our choice depending on the use. The present review focuses on and inspects AuNPs with green synthesis through fungus optimization parameters followed by applications, aiming specifically at their antibacterial activity. Their antibacterial characteristics can open new doors for the pharmaceutical industry in the future.

Zero-valent iron is a moderately reducing reagent that is both non-toxic and affordable. In the present work, iron nanoparticles were synthesized using bitter guard leaf extract (Momordica charantia L.) (BGL-Fe NP). Using leaf samples from bitter protectant extract, iron nanoparticles were synthesized with secondary metabolites such as flavonoids and polyphenols acting as capping and reducing agents. Polyphenols reduce Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ to nanovalent iron or iron nanoparticles. Iron nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing iron chloride as a precursor with bitter protective leaf extract in an alkaline environment. The obtained BGL-Fe NPs were calcined for 4 h at various temperatures of 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C. The obtained samples were coded as BGL-Fe NPs-4, BGL-Fe NPs-5, and BGL-Fe NPs-6, respectively. The synthesized BGL-Fe NPs were systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-Vis and TG-DTA analysis. The obtained BGL-Fe NPs were then used as an adsorbent to remove the aqueous solution of basic methylene blue (MB) dye. MB concentration was monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy.