Effects of the Absorption Behaviour of ZnO Nanoparticles on Cytotoxicity Measurements

ZnO absorbs certain wavelengths of light and this behavior is more pronounced for nanoparticles of ZnO. As many toxicity measurements rely on measuring light transmission in cell lines, it is essential to determine how far this light absorption influences experimental toxicity measurements. The main objective was to study the ZnO absorption and how this influenced the cytotoxicity measurements. The cytotoxicity of differently sized ZnO nanoparticles in normal and cancer cell lines derived from lung tissue (Hs888Lu), neuron-phenotypic cells (SH-SY5Y), neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y), human histiocytic lymphoma (U937), and lung cancer (A549) was investigated. Our results demonstrate that the presence of ZnO affected the cytotoxicity measurements due to the absorption characteristic of ZnO nanoparticles. The data revealed that the ZnO nanoparticles with an average particle size of around 85.7 nm and 190 nm showed cytotoxicity towards U937, SH-SY5Y, differentiated SH-SY5Y, and Hs888Lu cell lines. No effect on the A549 cells was observed. It was also found that the cytotoxicity of ZnO was particle size, concentration, and time dependent. These studies are the first to quantify the influence of ZnO nanoparticles on cytotoxicity assays. Corrections for absorption effects were carried out which gave an accurate estimation of the concentrations that produce the cytotoxic effects

Synthesis and characterization of Ti-doped MgMn2O4 cathode material for magnesium ion batteries

Magnesium batteries demonstrate potential candidate for next-generation energy storage devices because of their high energy density and low raw-materials costs. In comparison with lithium, magnesium is inherently much safer due to its air stable and environmental friendly. In the present work, magnesium manganese oxide (MgMn 2 O 4 ) with Ti-doped was synthesized by a self-propagating combustion method using citric acid as a reducing agent. The precursors of MgMn 2 O 4 and MgMn (2-x) Ti x O 4 , (x = 0.1) were annealed at 700 °C for 24 h. The prepared samples were further characterized by using Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Then, the optimized sample was used as cathode in magnesium ion battery using polymer-based electrolyte. The charge-discharge profile of the fabricated battery was discussed

The Role of Sintering Temperature and Dual Metal Substitutions (Al³⁺, Ti⁴⁺) in the Development of NASICON-Structured Electrolyte

The aim of this study is to synthesize Li1+xAlxTixSn2−2x(PO4) sodium super ion conductor (NASICON) -based ceramic solid electrolyte and to study the effect of dual metal substitution on the electrical and structural properties of the electrolyte. The performance of the electrolyte is analyzed based on the sintering temperature (550 to 950 °C) as well as the composition. The trend of XRD results reveals the presence of impurities in the sample, and from Rietveld Refinement, the purest sample is achieved at a sintering temperature of 950 °C and when x = 0.6. The electrolytes obey Vegard′s Law as the addition of Al3+ and Ti4+ provide linear relation with cell volume, which signifies a random distribution. The different composition has a different optimum sintering temperature at which the highest conductivity is achieved when the sample is sintered at 650 °C and x = 0.4. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis showed that higher sintering temperature promotes the increment of grain boundaries and size. Based on energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis, x = 0.4 produced the closest atomic percentage ratio to the theoretical value. Electrode polarization is found to be at maximum when x = 0.4, which is determined from dielectric analysis. The electrolytes follow non-Debye behavior as it shows a variety of relaxation times