Phytosynthesis of nanomaterials is advantageous since it is economical, ecofriendly, and simple, and, what is more, in the synthetic protocols, nontoxic chemicals and biocompatible materials are used. Here, a green synthetic methodology of nanoparticles (NPs) composed of silver (Ag) and silver chloride (AgCl) NPs is developed using a leaf extract of Solidago altissima as a reducing agent for the first time. Utilization of a terrestrial weed for the synthesis of Ag and AgCl NPs is a novel environmentally friendly approach considering that no toxic chemicals, external halide source, or elaborate experimental procedures are included in the process. The optical properties and elemental compositions of as-synthesized Ag and AgCl NPs are well characterized, and the degradation of an organic dye, i.e., rhodamine B (RhB), is investigated using the Ag and AgCl NPs. We find that degradation of RhB is effectively achieved thanks to both surface plasmon resonance and semiconductor properties of Ag and AgCl NPs. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering and antibacterial activities are also examined. The present approach to the synthesis of NPs using a weed may encourage the utilization of hazardous plants for the creation of novel nanomaterials.

Cardiac tissue engineering (CTE) aims to generate potential scaffolds to mimic extracellular matrix (ECM) for recreating the injured myocardium. Highly porous scaffolds with properties that aid cell adhesion, migration and proliferation are critical in CTE. In this study, electrospun porous poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA) porous scaffolds were fabricated and modified with different ECM derived proteins such as collagen, gelatin, fibronectin and poly-L-lysine. Subsequently, adult human cardiac fibroblasts (AHCF) were cultured on the protein modified and unmodified fibers to study the cell behavior and guidance. Further, the cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assessments of the respective fibers were performed to determine their biocompatibility. Excellent cell adhesion and proliferation of the cardiac fibroblasts was observed on the PLLA porous fibers regardless of the surface modifications. The metabolic rate of cells was on par with the conventional cell culture ware while the proliferation rate surpassed the latter by nearly two-folds. Proteome profiling revealed that apart from being an anchorage platform for cells, the surface topography has modulated significant expression of the cellular proteome with many crucial proteins responsible for cardiac fibroblast growth and proliferation.

Figure 5. Cytotoxicity assay results showing the viability of L929 cells under various concentrations of GO, ERGO and MRGO.

It still remains a crucial challenge to actively control carbon nanotube (CNT) structure such as the alignment, area density, diameter, length, chirality, and number of walls. Here, we synthesize an ultradense forest of CNTs of a uniform internal diameter by the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method using hollow nanoparticles (HNPs) modified with ligand as a catalyst. The diameters of the HNPs and internal cavities in the HNPs are uniform. A monolayer of densely packed HNPs is self-assembled on a silicon substrate by spin coating. HNPs shrink via the collapse of the internal cavities and phase transition from iron oxide to metallic iron in hydrogen plasma during the PECVD process. Agglomeration of catalytic NPs is avoided on account of the shrinkage of the NPs and ligand attached to the NPs. Diffusion of NPs into the substrate, which would inactivate the growth of CNTs, is also avoided on account of the ligand. As a result, an ultradense forest of triple-walled CNTs of a uniform internal diameter is successfully synthesized. The area density of the grown CNTs is as high as 0.6 × 10(12) cm(-2). Finally, the activity of the catalytic NPs and the NP/carbon interactions during the growth process of CNTs are investigated and discussed. We believe that the present approach may make a great contribution to the development of an innovative synthetic method for CNTs with selective properties.

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