The effect of metal nanoparticles on the anaerobic digestion of sludge and the sludge bacterial community are still not well-understood, and both improvements and inhibitions have been reported. This study investigated the impact of 2, 10, and 30 mg/g TS silver and copper oxide nanoparticles (AgNPs and CuONPs) on the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of sludge and the bacterial community structure. The reactors were monitored for changes in tCOD, sCOD, TS, VS, biogas generation, and cell viability. Also, the relative abundance and taxonomic distribution of the bacterial communities were analyzed at the phylum and genus levels, including the genera involved in anaerobic digestion. Both AgNPs and CuONPs exhibited some inhibition on anaerobic digestion of sludge and biogas generation, and the inhibition was more evident at higher concentrations. CuONPs had a stronger inhibitory effect compared to AgNPs. After the introduction of AgNPs and CuONPs, cell viability initially decreased over the first two weeks but recovered after that. At high concentrations, AgNPs and CuONPs decreased the overall bacterial diversity, and inhibited the dominant bacterial species, allowing those in less abundance to flourish. The relative abundance of the bacteria responsible for hydrolysis and acidogenesis increased and the relative abundance of acetogenic bacteria decreased with higher AgNP and CuONP concentrations. The majority of the parameters measured for monitoring the anaerobic digestion performance and bacterial community were not statistically significant at 2 mg/g TS of AgNPs and CuONPs, which represents naturally present concentrations in wastewater sludge that are below the USEPA ceiling concentration limits.
This study synthesized polyacetal from the reaction of polyvinyl alcohol with para-nitrobenzaldehyde. Polyacetal/polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer blends were prepared using solution casting. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using onion peel extract as the reducing agent. Nanocomposites were fabricated by blending polyacetal/PVP with AuNPs and AgNPs at different ratios. XRD and FESEM characterized the AuNPs and AgNPs. FTIR, FESEM, TGA, and DSC characterized the polyacetal, polymer blends, and nanocomposites. DSC and TGA confirmed the improved thermal stability of the polymer blends and nanocomposites. Nanocomposites demonstrated higher efficacy in inhibiting lung cancer cell lines compared t
... Show MoreAbstract: Tin oxide thin films were deposited by direct current (DC) reactive sputtering at gas pressures of 0.015 mbar – 0.15 mbar. The crystalline structure and surface morphology of the prepared SnO2 films were introduced by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These films showed preferred orientation in the (110) plane. Due to AFM micrographs, the grain size increased non-uniformly as the working gas pressure increased.
Nano TiO2 thin films on glass substrates were prepared at a constant temperature of (373 K) and base vacuum (10-3 mbar), by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm wavelength. The effects of different laser energies between (700-1000)mJ on the properties of TiO2 films was investigated. TiO2 thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements have shown that the polycrystalline TiO2 prepared at laser energy 1000 mJ. Preparation also includes optical transmittance and absorption measurements as well as measuring the uniformity of the surface of these films. Optimum parameters have been identified for the growth of high-quality TiO2 films
... Show MoreIn this work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized from leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. jujube plant in Iraq and tested against fungal pathogens. Extract of leaves of Z. mauritiana mixed with 10-3 M AgNO3exposed to slight sunlight for 3 days. Characterization of AgNPs was done using UV-visible spectroscopy, SPM (scanning probe microscopy) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The change of solution color from pale brown to dark brown and the exhibited maximum peak at 445 nm accepted as an indicator to biosynthesized AgNPs. Aqueous extract of Ziziphus mauritiana is considered as biological reduced and stabilized agent for Ag+ to Ag0. AFM showed the formation of irregular shapes of AgNPs. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles ha
... Show MoreBackground: Nowadays, the environmentally friendly procedures must be developed to avoid using harmful compounds in synthesis methods. Their increase interest in creating and researching silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) because of their numerous applications in many fields especially medical fields such as burn, wound healing, dental and bone implants, antibacterial, viral, fungal, and arthropodal activities. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles mediated pigments have been widely used as antimicrobial agent against microorganisms. Silver nanoparticles had synthesized by using melanin from locally isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and used as antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms. Aim of the study: Isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
... Show MoreAlO-doped ZnO nanocrystalline thin films from with nano crystallite size in the range (19-15 nm) were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition technique. The reduction of crystallite size by increasing of doping ratio shift the bandgap to IR region the optical band gap decreases in a consistent manner, from 3.21to 2.1 eV by increasing AlO doping ratio from 0 to 7wt% but then returns to grow up to 3.21 eV by a further increase the doping ratio. The bandgap increment obtained for 9% AlO dopant concentration can be clarified in terms of the Burstein–Moss effect whereas the aluminum donor atom increased the carrier's concentration which in turn shifts the Fermi level and widened the bandgap (blue-shift). The engineering of the bandgap by low
... Show MoreAlO-doped ZnO nanocrystalline thin films from with nano crystallite size in the range (19-15 nm) were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition technique. The reduction of crystallite size by increasing of doping ratio shift the bandgap to IR region the optical band gap decreases in a consistent manner, from 3.21to 2.1 eV by increasing AlO doping ratio from 0 to 7wt% but then returns to grow up to 3.21 eV by a further increase the doping ratio. The bandgap increment obtained for 9% AlO dopant concentration can be clarified in terms of the Burstein–Moss effect whereas the aluminum donor atom increased the carrier's concentration which in turn shifts the Fermi level and widened the bandgap (blue-shift). The engineering of the bandgap by
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