Nanocapsules of ZnO Nanorods and Geraniol as a Novel Mean for the Effective Control of Botrytis cinerea in Tomato and Cucumber Plants

Inorganic-based nanoparticle formulations of bioactive compounds are a promising nanoscale application that allow agrochemicals to be entrapped and/or encapsulated, enabling gradual and targeted delivery of their active ingredients. In this context, hydrophobic ZnO@OAm nanorods (NRs) were firstly synthesized and characterized via physicochemical techniques and then encapsulated within the biodegradable and biocompatible sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), either separately (ZnO NCs) or in combination with geraniol in the effective ratios of 1:1 (ZnOGer1 NCs), 1:2 (ZnOGer2 NCs), and 1:3 (ZnOGer2 NCs), respectively. The mean hydrodynamic size, polydispersity index (PDI), and ζ-potential of the nanocapsules were determined at different pH values. The efficiency of encapsulation (EE, %) and loading capacity (LC, %) of NCs were also determined. Pharmacokinetics of ZnOGer1 NCs and ZnOGer2 NCs showed a sustainable release profile of geraniol over 96 h and a higher stability at 25 ± 0.5 °C rather than at 35 ± 0.5 °C. ZnOGer1 NCs, ZnOGer2 NCs and ZnO NCs were evaluated in vitro against B. cinerea, and EC50 values were calculated at 176 μg/mL, 150 μg/mL, and > 500 μg/mL, respectively. Subsequently, ZnOGer1 NCs and ZnOGer2 NCs were tested by foliar application on B. cinerea-inoculated tomato and cucumber plants, showing a significant reduction of disease severity. The foliar application of both NCs resulted in more effective inhibition of the pathogen in the infected cucumber plants as compared to the treatment with the chemical fungicide Luna Sensation SC. In contrast, tomato plants treated with ZnOGer2 NCs demonstrated a better inhibition of the disease as compared to the treatment with ZnOGer1 NCs and Luna. None of the treatments caused phytotoxic effects. These results support the potential for the use of the specific NCs as plant protection agents against B. cinerea in agriculture as an effective alternative to synthetic fungicides

Impact of Coated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Photosystem II of Tomato Plants

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have emerged as a prominent tool in agriculture. Since photosynthetic function is a significant measurement of phytotoxicity and an assessment tool prior to large-scale agricultural applications, the impact of engineered irregular-shaped ZnO NPs coated with oleylamine (ZnO@OAm NPs) were tested. The ZnO@OAm NPs (crystalline size 19 nm) were solvothermally prepared in the sole presence of oleylamine (OAm) and evaluated on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry. Foliar-sprayed 15 mg L−1 ZnO@OAm NPs on tomato leaflets increased chlorophyll content that initiated a higher amount of light energy capture, which resulted in about a 20% increased electron transport rate (ETR) and a quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII) at the growth light (GL, 600 μmol photons m−2 s−1). However, the ZnO@OAm NPs caused a malfunction in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of PSII, which resulted in photoinhibition and increased ROS accumulation. The ROS accumulation was due to the decreased photoprotective mechanism of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and to the donor-side photoinhibition. Despite ROS accumulation, ZnO@OAm NPs decreased the excess excitation energy of the PSII, indicating improved PSII efficiency. Therefore, synthesized ZnO@OAm NPs can potentially be used as photosynthetic biostimulants for enhancing crop yields after being tested on other plant species

Leaf age-dependent effects of foliar-sprayed CuZn nanoparticles on photosynthetic efficiency and ROS generation in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

Young and mature leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana were exposed by foliar spray to 30 mg L&minus;1 of CuZn nanoparticles (NPs). The NPs were synthesized by a microwave-assisted polyol process and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). CuZn NPs effects in Arabidopsis leaves were evaluated by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging analysis that revealed spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (&Phi;PS&Iota;&Iota;) and the redox state of the plastoquinone (PQ) pool (qp), measured 30 min, 90 min, 180 min, and 240 min after spraying. Photosystem II (PSII) function in young leaves was observed to be negatively influenced, especially 30 min after spraying, at which point increased H2O2 generation was correlated to the lower oxidized state of the PQ pool. Recovery of young leaves photosynthetic efficiency appeared only after 240 min of NPs spray when also the level of ROS accumulation was similar to control leaves. On the contrary, a beneficial effect on PSII function in mature leaves after 30 min of the CuZn NPs spray was observed, with increased &Phi;PS&Iota;&Iota;, an increased electron transport rate (ETR), decreased singlet oxygen (1O2) formation, and H2O2 production at the same level of control leaves.An explanation for this differential response is suggested

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COPPER (II) COMPLEXES WITH ANTIFLAMMATORY DRUGS AS LIGANDS

THE COPPER (II) COMPLEXES OF TOLMETIN [CH3C6H5COC4H2N(CH3)CH3COOH], NAPROXEN [CH3OC10H6CH(CH3)COOH]AND IBUPROFEN [(CH3)2CHCH3C6H4CH(CH3)COOH] COMMON ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS WERE PREPARED AND CHARACTERIZED. THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTSA DIMERIC STRUCTURE FOR THE DMSO ADDUCTS AND MONOMERIC FORM FOR THE PY ANALOGUES. THE NEW COMPLEXES WERE STUDIED AND CHARACTERIZED EITHER IN SOLUTION AND IN SOLID STATE. WE HOPE THAT THE NEW COMPLEXES SHOULD BE BETTER ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS THAN THE PARENT LIGANDS-DRUGS.ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΑΣΤΗΚΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΣΥΜΠΛΟΚΑ ΤΟΥ ΔΙΣΘΕΝΟΥΣ ΧΑΛΚΟΥ ΜΕ ΑΝΤΙΦΛΕΓΜΟΝΩΔΗΦΑΡΜΑΚΑ ΩΣ LIGANDS. ΤΑ LIGANDS-ΦΑΡΜΑΚΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΟ NAPROXEN [CH3OC10H6CH(CH3)COOH], ΤΟ IBUPROFEN [(CH3)2CHCH3C6H4CH(CH3)COOH] ΚΑΙ ΤΟ TOLMETIN [CH3C6H5COC4H2N(CH3)CHCOOH). ΤΑ ΣΥΜΠΛΟΚΑ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΣΕ ΣΤΕΡΕΑ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΜΕ ΑΝΑΛΥΤΙΚΕΣ, ΦΑΣΜΑΤΟΣΚΟΠΙΚΕΣ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΥΣ (IR, UV, EPR), ΜΑΓΝΗΤΙΚΕΣ ΜΕΤΡΗΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΘΛΑΣΗ ΑΚΤΙΝΩΝ Χ. ΣΕ ΔΙΑΛΥΜΑ ΤΑ ΣΥΜΠΛΟΚΑ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΜΕ ΦΑΣΜΑΤΟΣΚΟΠΙΑ (UV, EPR, 1H-PMR), ΑΓΩΓΙΜΟΜΕΤΡΙΚΕΣ ΜΕΤΡΗΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΚΟΜΑ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΕ Η ΟΞΕΙΔΟΑΝΑΓΩΓΙΚΗ ΣΥΜΠΕΡΙΦΟΡΑ ΑΥΤΩΝ ΜΕ ΤΗΜΕΘΟΔΟ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΚΛΙΚΗΣ ΒΟΛΤΑΜΕΤΡΙΑΣ. ΠΙΣΤΕΥΕΤΑΙ ΟΤΙ Η ΠΑΡΟΥΣΑ ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΘΑ ΒΟΗΘΗΣΕΙ ΣΤΗ ΠΕΡΑΙΤΕΡΩ ΕΥΡΕΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΒΙΟΔΡΑΣΤΙΚΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΣΥΜΠΛΟΚΩΝ ΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΦΛΕΓΜΟΝΩΔΩΝ ΦΑΡΜΑΚΩΝ

The Effect of Polyol Composition on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Magnetite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Particle Hyperthermia

A study of the influence of polyols, with or without an additional reducing agent, on crystallites&rsquo; size and magnetic features in Fe3O4 nanoparticles and on their performance in magnetic particle hyperthermia is presented. Three different samples were synthesized by thermal decomposition of an iron precursor in the presence of NaBH4 in a polyol. So far, triethylene glycol (TrEG) and polyethylene glycol (PEG 1000 and PEG 8000) that exhibit different physical and chemical properties have been used in order to investigate the influence of the polyols on the composition and the size of the NPs. Additionally, the presence of a different reducing agent such as hydrazine, has been tested for comparison reasons in case of TrEG. Three more samples were prepared solvothermally by using the same polyols, which led to different crystallite sizes. The magnetic core of the nanoparticles was characterized, while the presence of the surfactant was studied qualitatively and quantitatively. Concerning the magnetic features, all samples present magnetic hysteresis including remanence and coercivity revealing that they are thermally blocked at room temperature. Finally, a study on the influence of the MNPs heating efficiency from their size and the field amplitude was accomplished. In our polyol process the main idea was to control the specific loss power (SLP) values by the nanoparticles&rsquo; size and consequently by the polyol itself

Diverse Surface Chemistry of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles to Optimize Copper(II) Removal from Aqueous Media

Water pollution by heavy metals is one of the most serious worldwide environmental issues. With a focus on copper(II) ions and copper complex removal, in the present study, ultra-small primary CoFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with octadecylamine (ODA) of adequate magnetization were solvothermally prepared. The surface modification of the initial MNPs was adapted via three different chemical approaches based on amine and/or carboxylate functional groups: (i) the deposition of polyethylimide (PEI), (ii) covalent binding with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), and (iii) conjugation with both PEI and DTPA, respectively. FT-IR, TGA, and DLS measurements confirmed that PEI or/and DTPA were successfully functionalized. The percentage of the free amine (&minus;NH2) groups was also estimated. Increased magnetization values were found in case of PEI and DTPA-modified MNPs that stemmed from the adsorbed amine or oxygen ligands. Comparative UV&ndash;Vis studies for copper(II) ion removal from aqueous solutions were conducted, and the effect of time on the adsorption capacity was analyzed. The PEI-modified particles exhibited the highest adsorption capacity (164.2 mg/g) for copper(II) ions and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics, while the polynuclear copper(II) complex Cux(DTPA)y was also able to be immobilized. The nanoadsorbents were quickly isolated from the solution by magnetic separation and regenerated easily by acidic treatment

Editorial: Modern Chemical Routes for Controlled Synthesis of Bimetallic Nanostructures

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CCDC 757459: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures