Eco-friendly alginate-starch-based water super-absorbent beads spherically shaped and uniformly fabricated via spherification and radiation-assisted polymerization

This research focuses on developing a new method to fabricate water super-absorbent polymer (SAP) beads via spherification and radiation-assisted polymerization. The effects of parameters such as pH, concentration of monomer, presence of cassava starch as well as radiation dose on gel fraction and swelling ratio were investigated to determine an optimum condition. Chemical and physical properties of the prepared SAP beads were characterized using FTIR, TGA, SEM and UTM. Results showed that SAP beads can be successfully formulated in uniform size and shape. Swelling ratio of the fabricated SAP beads was approximately 360 g/g of their original dry weight. The formed SAP beads can undergo re-swelling for more than 5 cycles, while simultaneously being capable of maintaining their swelling ratio

Crystal structure of a new europium(III) compound based on thiopheneacrylic acid

A europium(III) coordination compound based on thiopheneacrylic acid (Htpa), triaquatris[3-(thiophen-2-yl)prop-2-enoato-κ2O,O′]europium(III)–3-(thiophen-2-yl)prop-2-enoic acid (1/3), [Eu(C7H5O2S)3(H2O)3]·3C7H6O2S or [Eu(tpa)3(H2O)3]·3(Htpa) (1), where tpa is the conjugate base of Htpa, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 crystallizes in the trigonal space group R3. The structure of 1 consists of a discrete molecular complex [Eu(tpa)3(H2O)3] species and the Htpa molecule. In the crystal, the two components are involved in O—H...O [ring motif R22(8)] and C—H...π hydrogen-bonding interactions. These interactions were further investigated by Hirshfeld surface analysis, which showed high contributions of H...H, H...C/C...H and H...O/O...H contacts to the total Hirshfeld surfaces

Starch-Based Super Water Absorbent: A Promising and Sustainable Way to Increase Survival Rate of Trees Planted in Arid Areas

This research aimed to scale up the production of starch-based super water absorbent (SWA) and to validate the practical benefits of SWA for agricultural applications. SWA was successfully prepared in an up-scaling production by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylic acid onto cassava starch. Chemical characterization by FTIR and thermal characterization by TGA showed results that differentiated starting materials from the prepared SWA, thus confirming effective preparation of starch-based SWA via radiation-induced graft polymerization. SEM results visibly revealed a highly porous morphology of the synthesized SWA, substantiating its high swelling ability. Results from the field tests, performed for two seasons, revealed that the prepared SWA was able to increase the survival rate of young rubber trees planted in arid area by up to 40%, while simultaneously enhancing the growth characteristics of the young rubber trees

One-pot synthesis of iron oxide - Gamma irradiated chitosan modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica for effective methylene blue dye removal

The development of adsorption technology and the processing of radiation have both been influenced by chitosan adsorbent (γ-chitosan), a raw material with unique features. The goal of the current work was to improve the synthesis of Fe-SBA-15 utilizing chitosan that has undergone gamma radiation (Fe-γ–CS–SBA-15) in order to investigate the removal of methylene blue dye in a single hydrothermal procedure. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), High angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), small- and wide-angle X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize γ–CS–SBA-15 that had been exposed to Fe. By using N2-physisorption (BET, BJH), the structure of Fe-γ–CS–SBA-15 was investigated. The study parameters also included the effect of solution pH, adsorbent dose and contact time on the methylene blue adsorption. The elimination efficiency of the methylene blue dye was compiled using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The results of the characterization show that the Fe-γ–CS–SBA-15 has a substantial pore volume of 504 m2 g−1 and a surface area of 0.88 cm3 g−1. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) of the methylene blue is 176.70 mg/g. The γ-CS can make SBA-15 operate better. It proves that the distribution of Fe and chitosan (the C and N components) in SBA-15 channels is uniform

Targeted Gold Nanohybrids Functionalized with Folate-Hydrophobic-Quaternized Pullulan Delivering Camptothecin for Enhancing Hydrophobic Anticancer Drug Efficacy

This study presented a green, facile and efficient approach for a new combination of targeted gold nanohybrids functionalized with folate-hydrophobic-quaternized pullulan delivering hydrophobic camptothecin (CPT-GNHs@FHQ-PUL) to enhance the efficacy, selectivity, and safety of these systems. New formulations of spherical CPT-GNHs@FHQ-PUL obtained by bio-inspired strategy were fully characterized by TEM, EDS, DLS, zeta-potential, UV-vis, XRD, and ATR-FTIR analyses, showing a homogeneous particles size with an average size of approximately 10.97 ± 2.29 nm. CPT was successfully loaded on multifunctional GNHs@FHQ-PUL via intermolecular interactions. Moreover, pH-responsive CPT release from newly formulated-CPT-GNHs@FHQ-PUL exhibited a faster release rate under acidic conditions. The intelligent CPT-GNHs@FHQ-PUL (IC50 = 6.2 μM) displayed a 2.82-time higher cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cells (Chago-k1) than CPT alone (IC50 = 2.2 μM), while simultaneously exhibiting less toxicity toward normal human lung cells (Wi-38). These systems also showed specific uptake by folate receptor-mediated endocytosis, exhibited excellent anticancer activity, induced the death of cells by increasing apoptosis pathway (13.97%), and arrested the cell cycle at the G0-G1 phase. The results of this study showed that the delivery of CPT by smart GNHs@FHQ-PUL systems proved to be a promising strategy for increasing its chemotherapeutic effects