Journal of Applied Sciences and Nanotechnology

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has attracted significant interest for water treatment applications due to its non-toxic nature and high photocatalytic activity. In this study, TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using two different methods to evaluate their photocatalytic performance in degrading organic contaminants from wastewater. Sample S1 was prepared via the sol–gel method, while sample S2 was synthesized using a hydrothermal approach. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that both samples crystallized in the tetragonal anatase phase, with average crystallite sizes of 12 nm for S1 and 29 nm for S2. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed spherical particles with uniform morphology for both samples. Optical absorbance measurements conducted using UV–vis spectrophotometry yielded estimated band gap energies of 3.2 eV for S1 and 3.0 eV for S2. Both samples demonstrated notable photocatalytic activity; however, S2 exhibited superior degradation efficiency against organic pollutants, indicating that the hydrothermally synthesized TiO2 possesses enhanced photocatalytic properties. These results underscore the potential of TiO2 particularly that synthesized via hydrothermal methods, as an effective photocatalyst for wastewater treatment applications.

In this work, Al2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized using the DC reactive sputtering technique. A highly pure aluminum target was sputtered within a gas mixture containing oxygen. The structural characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles were introduced by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). An inter-electrode distance of 4 cm can describe the operation parameters, Ar: O2 gas mixing ratio of 50:50, applied voltage of 1500 V and discharge current of 25 mA. The prepared samples showed a polycrystalline structure with an amorphous nature due to the formation of nanoparticles, which were approximately spherical with a minimum size of 21 nm and an average grain size of 40.7 nm. Some agglomerations were observed in the prepared samples. The elemental composition analysis revealed that the prepared material contains aluminum and oxygen with no traces of other elements. The stoichiometry and homogeneity of the prepared material were also shown. All functional groups corresponding to the vibrational modes of the Al2O3 molecule were confirmed. The energy band gap of the prepared nanomaterial was determined based on its absorption spectrum and measured to be 4.46 eV; this demonstrates a promising approach for producing highly pure metal oxide nanomaterial by the DC reactive sputtering technique.

This study seeks to identify an environmentally sustainable method for utilizing the synergetic effects of window glass (WG), ceramic powder (CP), and ultrafine cerium oxide (UFC) in developing concrete containing 25% coarse ceramic aggregate. Four different mixtures were formulated. The first represents control, consisting of 100% ordinary Portland cement (OPC), two other mixtures were composed of 10% WG, 10% CP and 80% OPC, and the fourth mixture consisted of four compositions of 79.5% OPC, 10% WG, 10% CP, and 0.5% UFC. The effect of these additives on recycled ceramic concrete (RA) properties, including workability and setting time, compressive strength, total water absorption, permeable pore ratio, electrical resistivity, and corrosion resistance, was studied. The results showed that when 10% WG and 0.5% UFC were combined, the components' synergistic effect was more noticeable. It had a compressive strength of 44.53, 48.83, and 56.17MPa after 28, 90, and 180 days, which is higher than the ternary mixtures of Portland cement, ultrafine cerium oxide, and ceramic powder, as well as the quaternary mixtures of Portland cement, WG powder, CP, and UFC. Moreover, it recorded a lower corrosion rate than the reference mix (RA-C), ternary mix (RA-CP10UFC0.5), and quaternary mixes (RA-CP10WG10UFC0.5) mixes. Meanwhile, the quaternary mix (RA-CP10WG10UFC0.5) showed 40% and 45% lower porosity and water absorption than the control mixture and 54% higher electrical resistivity values compared to the control mixture and ternary mixtures (RA-WG10UFC0.5 and RA-CP10UFC0.5) at 180 days.

Perovskite solar cells have rapidly advanced due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties, but achieving uniform crystallization and stability remains challenging. This review examines solvent-assisted annealing, including solvent-vapor and anti-solvent treatments as a strategy to modulate perovskite crystallization for enhanced device performance. Solvent vapors (e.g. DMF, DMSO, alcohol mixtures) introduced during thermal annealing sustain a supersaturated environment that extends nucleation and enables Ostwald ripening, yielding markedly larger grain sizes and improved crystallinity. Studies show that solvent annealing can increase MAPbI3 carrier diffusion lengths beyond 1 μm and maintain >14.5% efficiency even for films up to 1 μm thick. Advanced schemes, such as combined DMSO-water vapor annealing, have produced nearly single-crystal grains and devices with 19.5% power conversion efficiency (PCE), by reducing defect-mediated recombination. These microstructural gains translate into higher PCE and stability: solvent-annealed films exhibit fewer trap sites and inhibited moisture degradation. Finally, we address scalability: ambient solvent-antisolvent treatments have yielded >5 μm grains with 100% film coverage in large-area Perovskite solar cells. Overall, solvent annealing emerges as a powerful tool for tailoring perovskite films. This review synthesizes the mechanisms and performance benefits of solvent annealing and evaluates its prospects for scalable, industrialized PSC fabrication. By identifying key challenges and emerging solutions, it aims to guide future research efforts toward more efficient and manufacturable perovskite solar technologies.

Zinc oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have a promising potential in antibacterial and anticancer treatments because of their ease of production, low toxicity, and versatility in application. This review encompasses recently developed synthesis, characterizing and biomedical applications of ZnO-NPs. Green synthesis methodologies, sol-gel, and precipitation influence the biological effectiveness of ZnO-NPs, these methods particularly affect key characteristics such as particle size, shape and surface charge. These properties play crucial roles in antibacterial effectiveness, which facilitates their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bacterial cell membrane disruption, leading to bacterial cell death. The efficiency of ZnO-NP in cancer treatment is also reviewed because the nanoparticles selectively affect cancer cells, which generate apoptosis and cease cell proliferation. Additional novel applications of ZnO-NPs further highlight their benefits because they improve the precise delivery of the drug and enhance its bioavailability. Additionally, ZnO-NPs had future uses in photodynamic therapy as their light-triggered ROS generation results in localized and selective bactericidal and anticancer effects without affecting normal cells. This review provides a comparative evaluation of recent findings on the antibacterial and anticancer properties of ZnO-NPs, as well as exploring the possible directions for futural research; in addition, it emphasizes improving the functional characteristics of ZnO-NPs for enhancing the therapeutic impact and reducing the unfavorable influences that may expand the list of possible clinical uses of ZnO-NPs.