Journal of Metastable and Nanocrystalline Materials Vol. 42

Abstract: Zinc oxide has taken over modern studies for its suitability for the electronics, sensors, and optical devices industries related to its structural, optical, and electrical properties. This study tries to improve the properties of zinc oxide by doping it with some materials with distinctive properties to add their properties to zinc oxide. So, potassium has been used for its electrical properties, manganese for its high stability, and cobalt for its optical properties. Experiments were done in the same conditions using the chemical weight sol-gel synthesis method. making Zn_0.96 X _0.04O (X = K, Mn, and Co) nanoparticles (NPs). Then, checked how their growth changed the structure of zinc oxide. Using XRD to fix structure and be sure that the doped X completely dissolved in ZnO without changing the structure of the wurtzite. The diffraction patterns demonstrated that all ZnO nanoparticles had hexagonal wurtzite structures and no impurity phase. The crystal sizes using the Scherrer formula are 19.48 nm for pure ZnO, 27.49 nm for Zn_0.96 K_0.04 O, 24.6 nm for Zn_0.96 Mn_0.04 O, and 44 nm for Zn_0.96 Co _0.04 O. The SEM image shows hexagonal wurtzite structure with particles 32 nm in size for pure ZnO and 28, 34, and 54 nm in size for Zn_0.96 X _0.04O, where X = K, Mn, and Co, respectively. The intensity of the Raman spectrum goes down for all X values of Zn_0.96 X _0.04O (X = K, Mn, and Co), and the E_2H peak is found between 430 and 450 cm^-1. The peak intensities get weaker with Mn and Co doping and stronger with K doping. However, the positions of the peaks move slightly when doping, which suggests that the K, Mn, and Co added to ZnO don't change the hexagonal wurtzite structure. This fits well with the XRD patterns that were seen. Rather, it can control the size of the crystal according to the purpose of its use, whether electrical, optical, or for manufacturing sensors.

Abstract: The use of innovative engineering materials, such as conducting polymers or surfactants, in thin films has shifted the focus of solar cell production from rare elements towards low-cost, abundant, and non-toxic alternatives. This research aims to synthesize and characterize an enhanced, low-cost Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (CZTS) material for solar cell applications using Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant through the chemical bath deposition (CBD) process. The precursor solution for film growth was prepared from the sources of copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, tin chloride, thiacetamides, and CTAB in a volume ratio of 2:2:2:2:1. CTAB was employed as a capping agent to improve the optical, morphological, and solid-state properties of the CZTS films. Following deposition, the samples were annealed for one hour period at a temperature of 200°C. The deposited films were analyzed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Raman Spectroscopy. SEM analysis revealed a dense structure with extremely small nanopores and compacted grains, suggesting that the presence of CTAB in the film enhanced the morphology and improved the conductivity of the CZTS film. Optical properties are assessed using a 756S UV-VIS-NIR Spectrophotometer, and the results demonstrated low absorbance, reflectance, and transmittance. Bandgap values of 1.34 eV, 1.38 eV, and 1.48 eV were obtained, closely matching the 1.45 eV value of pure CZTS. The addition of the polymer significantly increased electrical conductivity, as evidenced by the well-formed particle structure observed in XRD and SEM images.

Abstract: Using Sol-Gel and impregnation processes, the GaNFe₂O₃ and GaNFe₂O₃-PPY nanocomposites were synthesized with varying concentrations of PPY 3%, 10%, and 30% by weight. Using the Sci Finder software could not trace any report in the literature for this synthesized Ga_(2x+2)NFe_2(49-x)O₃-PPY nanocomposites. The prepared gallium nitride ferrite and gallium nitride ferrite-Polypyrrole samples were subjected to structural analysis using X-ray diffraction. The X-Ray diffraction characterization confirmed Nano state formation. From the XRD spectra the dislocation density, average crystallite size, number of unit cells, and porosity were calculated and analyzed . It has been observed that with increment of unit cells and dopant concentration there is a decrease of dislocation density of gallium nitride ferrite. When the concentration of PPY is increased in gallium nitride ferrite-Polypyrrole nano composites, the dislocation density increases and the number of unit cells decreases. The porosity is increased as the concentration of PPY is increased from 3%,10% to 30% when compared to GaNFe₂O₃ nano ferrites.

Abstract: The structures of sodium zirconate were studied in this research, which formed after the alkali fusion process. In this process, zircon is decomposed using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at high temperatures to separate zirconium from impurities, resulting in high-purity zirconia which has potential as a dental material. The study aims to control the formation of Na₂ZrO₃ phase and to minimize the reactions between Zircon, NaOH, and crucible materials, such as porcelain, silicon carbide (SiC), and alumina to prevent contamination. To enhance reaction efficiency, a pre-treatment process was introduced, including wet milling and NaOH leaching. Then, the pre-treated zircon sand was reacted with NaOH in a 1 ZrSiO₄ : 6 NaOH molar ratio. Results showed color changes in the crucibles, indicating interactions between crucible materials and NaOH. But there is no change observed in alumina crucible which means that it is not reacted with either NaOH or ZrSiO₄. Different pre-treatment and crucible materials influenced the crystal size of Na₂ZrO₃ phase which give the lowest crystal size of 24.69 nm when using porcelain crucible. After the recovery process was finished high-purity full tetragonal zirconia phase is achieved which can be further processed as a artificial dental application. In artificial tooth application, pure zirconia with high strength is needed, thus controlling crystal and grain sizes is a crucial factor which affect the properties.

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease with an increasing prevalence. Conventional treatments, such as insulin injections, often result in unstable blood glucose levels. This study explores a glucose-responsive drug delivery system based on Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) integrated with Glucose Oxidase (GOx) and gold nanoparticles (AuNP) for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM-2) treatment. The combination of pH-sensitive ZIF-8 with glucose-responsive GOx aims to regulate glucose fluctuations via controlled drug release. Characterization results show that synthesized ZIF-8 maintains its structure and morphology, even after the integration of metformin, GOx, and AuNP, confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) analyses. In vivo testing demonstrated that Met-GOx@ZIF8/AuNP effectively stabilizes blood glucose levels in diabetic mice, indicating its high potential as a glucose-responsive DM-2 therapy. In vivo experiments showed that metformin encapsulated in ZIF-8 with GOx and AuNP significantly improved glycemic control compared to conventional treatment. This system offers a promising solution for patients with busy lifestyles by providing a controlled, glucose-responsive drug release.

Abstract: Imidazole is an aromatic and alkaloid diazole that shows prominent anticancer properties. Regulating the imidazole compound into nano-drugs in the size range 10-200 nm enhances the effectiveness of imidazole as an anti-cancer agent, thus enhancing therapeutic potential. In this study, imidazole nano drug dispersion was prepared using the re-precipitation method. The dispersion of various imidazole derivative compounds, namely 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-2-methoxyphenol (Vanilin), 2-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole (O-Me), 2,4,5-Triphenylimidazole (Benzaldehid) and 2-(4-nitrophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole (Nitro) were screened. The dispersion stability was evaluated in a mimic biological environment using phosphate buffer saline (PBS) for 24 hours, and the size of the nanodrugs was determined. The results showed that 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-2-methoxyphenol had the best size of 203 nm, and no aggregation was observed even after 24h. This result indicates that 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-2-methoxyphenol (Vanilin) meets the requirement of enhanced permeability retention (EPR) effect and is a prominent candidate as an effective anti-cancer agent.

Abstract: This study observed the properties of gelatin as tissue-mimicking materials for quality assessment of image quality in the quantitative T2 MRI method. Images for spin-spin relaxation time (T2) measurement were acquired using MRI 3 Tesla system. T2 values were measured by acquiring T2 images from gelatin samples as tissue-mimicking materials with five different concentrations: 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%. The decay rate of signal intensity values over various echo-time (TE) was used to plot an exponential graph for T2 values, with spin-spin relaxation rate (R2) as the reciprocal of T2. The signal intensities and T2 values were observed to determine the relation between gelatin concentration and those parameters. The gelatin concentration is inversely proportional to T2 value, but no relation is found between gelatin concentration and signal intensity. The result shows that gelatin concentration of 30% has potential for tissue-mimicking materials for white matter and spinal cord. This study is potentially developed for further studies of tissue-mimicking materials for phantom development in quantitative MRI.