Clays enhanced with niobium: potential in wastewater treatment and reuse as pigment with antibacterial activity

• Silvia Jaerger,
• Patricia Appelt,
• Mario Antônio Alves da Cunha,
• Fabián Ccahuana Ayma,
• Ricardo Schneider,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Fauze Jacó Anaissi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 141–154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.13

• /bjnano.16.13 Abstract Bentonite clay sourced from the Guarapuava region, Brazil, was modified with niobium oxide (BEOx) and niobium phosphate (BEPh) to act as an adsorbent and photocatalyst in the remediation of wastewater containing methylene blue (MB) dye. Additionally, colored materials were evaluated

• , play a crucial role in industries requiring coloring, such as textile, food, cosmetics, rubber, printing, paper, and plastic. Globally, an estimated 7 × 105 tons of dyes are produced, with 10–15% typically disposed of as wastewater pollutants [2]. Among the most used dyes, methylene blue (MB) is an

• Parana State, Brazil, was purchased from a local supplier. Niobium phosphate (NbOPO4) and niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) were provided as donations by Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM). Methylene blue, with molecular mass of 319.8513 g·mol−1, was obtained from Nuclear (Brazil). Clay

Characterization of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GP258

• Prashantkumar Siddappa Chakra,
• Aishwarya Banakar,
• Shriram Narayan Puranik,
• Vishwas Kaveeshwar,
• C. R. Ravikumar and
• Devaraja Gayathri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 78–89, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.8

• electronic transition, making them suitable for further applications in photocatalysis, electronics, and optoelectronics. Photocatalytic study ZnO NPs were utilized in a photocatalytic degradation test to reduce the concentration of the harmful dye methylene blue (MB). A solution containing 20 mg of ZnO NP

• showed significant photocatalytic activity by degrading methylene blue under UV illumination, achieving a remarkable 74.15% decolorization within 60 min, with a slightly lower energy of UV light, that is, 392 nm whereas above authors reported 385 nm. Our ZnO NPs shows a zeta potential value of −60 mV

• quantify the surface electric charge of the ZnO NPs, assessing their stability. DLS measurements followed with an acquisition time of 120 s per run, providing data for the intensity-weighted size distribution. The photocatalytic activity was analyzed by studying the degradation of methylene blue in a 20

Functional morphology of cleaning devices in the damselfly Ischnura elegans (Odonata, Coenagrionidae)

• Silvana Piersanti,
• Gianandrea Salerno,
• Wencke Krings,
• Stanislav Gorb and
• Manuela Rebora

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1260–1272, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.102

• slides, stained with 1% methylene blue with sodium borate, and observed and photographed using a KOPPACE microscope camera KP-2100 (KOPPACE, Kepuaisi Science Technology, Shenzhen, China) mounted on a light microscope Leica DMLB (Leica Microsystem GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany). Scanning electron microscopy

Effect of wavelength and liquid on formation of Ag, Au, Ag/Au nanoparticles via picosecond laser ablation and SERS-based detection of DMMP

• Sree Satya Bharati Moram,
• Chandu Byram and
• Venugopal Rao Soma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1054–1069, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.86

• selecting an appropriate excitation wavelength for enhanced molecular detection. Experimental Materials Dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP, C3H9O3P, 98% pure); methyl salicylate (MS, C₈H₈O₃, 99% pure), methylene blue (MB, C16H18ClN3S), and thiram (C6H12N2S4) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. All chemicals

Intermixing of MoS₂ and WS₂ photocatalysts toward methylene blue photodegradation

• Maryam Al Qaydi,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Michael Lejeune,
• Abdellatif Bouchalkha,
• Mimoun El Marssi,
• Steevy Cordette,
• Chaouki Kasmi and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.68

• are evaluated for photodegradation (PD) of methylene blue under solar simulator irradiation. Our findings revealed that WS2 exhibited the highest PD efficiency of 67.6% and achieved an impressive PD rate constant of 6.1 × 10−3 min−1. Conversely, MoS2 displayed a somewhat lower PD performance of 43.5

• several cycles. This finding underscores the advantageous outcomes of intermixing WS2 and MoS2, shedding light on the development of an efficient and enduring photocatalyst for visible-light-driven photodegradation of methylene blue. Keywords: methylene blue; MoS2/WS2 composite; photocatalysis

• removal, or synthetic dye degradation [4][5][6]. For instance, methylene blue (MB), which is considered one of the most used synthetic organic dyes in various industrial and medical applications, poses serious risks as a pollutant to water resources [7]. Indeed, MB is a potential carcinogen and mutagen

Green synthesis of biomass-derived carbon quantum dots for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

• Dalia Chávez-García,
• Mario Guzman,
• Viridiana Sanchez and
• Rubén D. Cadena-Nava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 755–766, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.63

• , Mexico 10.3762/bjnano.15.63 Abstract Water pollution, significantly influenced by the discharge of synthetic dyes from industries, such as textiles, poses a persistent global threat to human health. Among these dyes, methylene blue, particularly prevalent in the textile sector, exacerbates this issue

• activity of the CQDs in degrading methylene blue was evaluated under both sunlight and incandescent light irradiation, with measurements taken at 20 min intervals over a 2 h period. The CQDs, with sizes ranging from 1–10 nm, demonstrated notable optical properties, including upconversion and down

• -conversion luminescence. The results revealed effective photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under sunlight, highlighting the potential for scalable production of these cost-effective catalytic nanomaterials for synthetic dye degradation. Keywords: biomass; carbon dots; catalysis; methylene blue

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under visible light by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles/graphene quantum dots

• Vo Chau Ngoc Anh,
• Le Thi Thanh Nhi,
• Le Thi Kim Dung,
• Dang Thi Ngoc Hoa,
• Nguyen Truong Son,
• Nguyen Thi Thao Uyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Uyen Thu,
• Le Van Thanh Son,
• Le Trung Hieu,
• Tran Ngoc Tuyen and
• Dinh Quang Khieu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 475–489, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.43

• degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. The catalyst can be recycled with an external magnetic field and displays suitable stability. Also, it was reused in three successive experiments with a loss of efficiency of about 5%. The CF/GQDs are considered as an efficient photocatalyst for MB

• degradation and other dyes. Keywords: cobalt ferrite; graphene quantum dots; methylene blue; Introduction Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have unique properties, including photoluminescence, biocompatibility, slight chemical toxicity, inertness, and excellent photostability [1][2]. Graphene quantum dots

• /GQDs nanoparticles. Magnetic properties, morphology, structure, and fluorescence of the nanocomposites were studied, and the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue as a dye model and the mechanism of methylene degradation were also addressed. Experimental Materials Cobalt(II) nitrate hexahydrate

Nanomaterials for photocatalysis and applications in environmental remediation and renewable energy

• Viet Van Pham and
• Wee-Jun Ong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 722–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.58

• studies [20][21][22]. Besides, Nhu et al. [23] used rosin as a green chemical approach to fabricate ZnO nanoparticles, exhibiting a high photocatalytic activity for both methylene blue (100%) and methyl orange (82.78%) decomposition after 210 min under UV radiation. Moreover, the advantages in the

The microstrain-accompanied structural phase transition from h-MoO₃ to α-MoO₃ investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction

• Zeqian Zhang,
• Honglong Shi,
• Boxiang Zhuang,
• Minting Luo and
• Zhenfei Hu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 692–700, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.55

• File 1 shows photodegradation experiments of methylene blue irradiated by ultraviolet light. The photodegradation rate of methylene blue was quantitatively estimated by pseudo-first-order kinetics. The reaction rate constants (k) are 0.01625, 0.01882, and 0.01258 min−1 for the samples calcinated at 300

Quercetin- and caffeic acid-functionalized chitosan-capped colloidal silver nanoparticles: one-pot synthesis, characterization, and anticancer and antibacterial activities

• Akif Hakan Kurt,
• Elif Berna Olutas,
• Fatma Avcioglu,
• Hamza Karakuş,
• Mehmet Ali Sungur,
• Cansu Kara Oztabag and
• Muhammet Yıldırım

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 362–376, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.31

• standard bacterial strains, 5% sheep blood agar and eosin methylene blue (EMB) media were used. The inoculated plates were kept in an oven at 35 ± 2 °C for 18–24 h. Sterile Müller Hinton broth fluid tubes were prepared in 0.5 McFarland turbidity standard for each bacterial strain. The bacteria were

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• the chemical and biochemical oxygen demand and inhibits photosynthesis. Additionally, the uptake of dye molecules or their by-products in excess may be mutagenic, teratogenic, or carcinogenic [68][69]. Myocardial depression and hypertension are reportedly exacerbated by oral exposure to methylene blue

• shown adequate photocatalytic activity, a large specific surface area, and an abundance of channels, all of which are advantageous for photocatalysis. For instance, Dang et al. [123] used a microwave-assisted method to synthesise 3-D nanostructured Bi2WO6 nanoparticles and reported 92% methylene blue

• reported. Anwar et al. [189], for instance, reported that the photocatalytic degradation performance of both pollutants decreases with increasing initial concentrations of paracetamol and methylene blue dye. The decrease in the removal was attributed to the fact that high concentrations prevent light

Rapid and sensitive detection of box turtles using an electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a gold/graphene nanocomposite

• Abu Hashem,
• M. A. Motalib Hossain,
• Ab Rahman Marlinda,
• Mohammad Al Mamun,
• Khanom Simarani and
• Mohd Rafie Johan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1458–1472, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.120

• electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The thiol-modified synthetic DNA probe was immobilised on modified SPCEs to facilitate hybridisation with the reverse complementary DNA. The turtle DNA was distinguished based on hybridisation-induced electrochemical change in the presence of methylene blue compared to

• differentiate BT DNA from DNAs of other animals by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using methylene blue (MB) as a redox species. Results and Discussion Design of a unique probe for BT The identification and differentiation of different species is difficult because related species share many

• peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes [64]. Methylene blue is a very prominent intercalator for DNA-based sensors and biosensors [31][65][66][67][68][69]. For example, Plaxco's group reported the preparation of electrode-immobilised methylene-blue-modified oligonucleotides for electrochemical DNA and aptamer

LED-light-activated photocatalytic performance of metal-free carbon-modified hexagonal boron nitride towards degradation of methylene blue and phenol

• Nirmalendu S. Mishra and
• Pichiah Saravanan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1380–1392, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.114

• plots) and charge trapping analysis confirmed the dominance of e−, O2−•, and •OH as dominant reactive oxygen species. The carbon modification could effectively remove 93.83% of methylene blue (MB, 20 ppm solution) and 48.56% of phenol (10 ppm solution) from the aqueous phase in comparison to HBN which

• -responsive material with improved charge carrier density (2.97 × 1019 cm−3). The LED light harvesting properties were analysed through various established characterization techniques and the photocatalysis was verified by eliminating the aqueous phase methylene blue (MB: 93.83%) and phenol (48.56%) moieties

Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles toward highly efficient photocatalysis and antibacterial application

• Vo Thi Thu Nhu,
• Nguyen Duy Dat,
• Le-Minh Tam and
• Nguyen Hoang Phuong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1108–1119, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.94

• electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The fabricated ZnO NP samples are crystalline with a grain size of 30–100 nm. The ZnO NPs were used as catalysts for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under visible and UV light. The results indicate

• applications. Nava et al. [26] prepared ZnO NPs using Camellia sinensis extracts and applied ZnO NPs to degrade methylene blue (MB). Ambika et al. [12] synthesized ZnO by a green method using a precursor from the Vitex negundo plant extract and zinc nitrate, and antimicrobial properties of ZnO NPs were

• ) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were provided by Xilong Scientific Co., Ltd. Methylene blue and methyl orange were purchased from Merck Co., Ltd. Nutrients and agar powder were provided by Titan Co., Ltd. All reagents were of analytical grade. ZnCl2 and NaOH were diluted in DI water with low conductivity

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

• to have excellent biocompatibility with cells [70]. Ramanarayanan and Swaminathan utilized guava leaves to prepare CDs, which were then utilized for the synthesis of a CD-TiO2 nanocomposite. The CD-TiO2 nanocomposite possesses good photocatalytic ability to degrade methylene blue dye [71]. White

• was 17.2% [29]. Grass was used as a natural source to prepare immensely photoluminescent N-CDs through a hydrothermal method. Six different dyes, that is, acid blue, acid red, eosin Y, eriochrome black T, methyl orange, and methylene blue underwent degradation in the presence of radiation, which

Solar-light-driven LaFe_xNi_1−xO₃ perovskite oxides for photocatalytic Fenton-like reaction to degrade organic pollutants

• Chao-Wei Huang,
• Shu-Yu Hsu,
• Jun-Han Lin,
• Yun Jhou,
• Wei-Yu Chen,
• Kun-Yi Andrew Lin,
• Yu-Tang Lin and
• Van-Huy Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 882–895, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.79

• decompose the methylene blue molecules. Accordingly, the synthesis condition of pH 0, calcination temperature at 700 °C, and Fe/Ni ratio = 7/3 could form LaFe0.7Ni0.3O3 perovskite oxides as highly efficient photocatalysts. Moreover, various conditions during the photocatalytic degradation were verified

• : LaFeO3; LaNiO3; methylene blue (MB); perovskite oxides; photocatalyst; Introduction With the advancement of science and technology, the world's population is increasing, leading to the fact that factories are consuming more and more resources. Water inevitably plays a vital role in industrial

• , methylene blue, and rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. Their optimal sample was LaFe0.85Cu0.15O3, which could remove dyes much more efficiently due to more generation of hydroxyl radicals than pure LaFeO3 [31]. Ni-doped LaFeO3 was ubiquitously employed as a photo/thermal catalyst or a catalyst

Sodium doping in brookite TiO₂ enhances its photocatalytic activity

• Boxiang Zhuang,
• Honglong Shi,
• Honglei Zhang and
• Zeqian Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 599–609, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.52

• , oxalic acid, and sodium hydroxide. It exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity in methylene blue solution (MB), which is about three times higher than that of the quasi-spherical brookite TiO2. The crystal structure of NaxTi1−xO2 was determined by the Rietveld refinement method and verified by the

• %), and methylene blue (≥98.0%) were purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co. Tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT, ≥99.0%) and sodium hydroxide (≥98%) were purchased from Aladdin Biochemical Technology Co. Absolute ethanol (AR, ≥99.7%) was purchased from Beijing Innochem. Science & Technology Co. All reagents

• methylene blue (MB) solution at room temperature under UV light generated by a PLS-SXE300 Xenon lamp with a 365 nm band filter. Following the method reported by Wang et al. [22], 15 mg of the catalyst was dispersed into 75 mL of the MB solution (10 mg/L). Before UV light irradiation, the suspension was

Zinc oxide nanostructures for fluorescence and Raman signal enhancement: a review

• Ioana Marica,
• Fran Nekvapil,
• Maria Ștefan,
• Cosmin Farcău and
• Alexandra Falamaș

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 472–490, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.40

• to the LUMO of the analyte is in fact the dominant process. For example, spherical ZnO NPs of 45–50 nm diameter showed SERS activity by themselves, detecting nanomolar concentrations of methyl orange and methylene blue [8]. SERS effects can be obtained due to charge transfer between semiconductor

• band. According to the authors, one of the reasons for this phenomenon was the coupling between surface plasmon absorption of Au NPs and photoluminescence of ZnO nanorods. However, the ZnO–Au nanostructures showed a high SERS activity, demonstrated for methylene blue (MB) with a limit of detection of

A comprehensive review on electrospun nanohybrid membranes for wastewater treatment

• Senuri Kumarage,
• Imalka Munaweera and
• Nilwala Kottegoda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 137–159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.10

• eriochrome black T (EBT) are anionic dyes, while basic blue 41 (BB41), toluidine blue O (TBO), methylene blue (MB), methyl violet (MV), and rhodamine blue (RhB) are cationic organic dyes [74]. Textile, tannery, paper, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food and paper industries are responsible for the release

The role of deep eutectic solvents and carrageenan in synthesizing biocompatible anisotropic metal nanoparticles

• Nabojit Das,
• Akash Kumar and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 924–938, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.69

• emerged as a promising candidate for industrial applications. Silver nanoparticles synthesized using carrageenan as a reducing and stabilizing agent showed promising results in removing organic dyes such as methylene blue and rhodamine B [111]. Magnetic iron nanoparticles were synthesized using κ-, ι-, or

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

Boosting of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via chlorine doping of polymeric carbon nitride

• Malgorzata Aleksandrzak,
• Michalina Kijaczko,
• Wojciech Kukulka,
• Daria Baranowska,
• Martyna Baca,
• Beata Zielinska and
• Ewa Mijowska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 473–484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.38

• visible light compared to catalysts doped with one heteroatom [39]. Other studies showed that S- and P-doped photocatalysts showed significantly increased photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue under visible light compared to bulk PCN. The improvement was attributed to lone-pair

Unravelling the interfacial interaction in mesoporous SiO₂@nickel phyllosilicate/TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for photocatalytic activity

• Bridget K. Mutuma,
• Xiluva Mathebula,
• Isaac Nongwe,
• Bonakele P. Mtolo,
• Boitumelo J. Matsoso,
• Rudolph Erasmus,
• Zikhona Tetana and
• Neil J. Coville

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1834–1846, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.165

• systems and humanity. For instance, textile dyes of the methylene family, such as methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and methyl violet (MV), have detrimental toxicological and ecological effects on human life and the environment [1][2]. Thus, considerable efforts have been garnered towards finding

Nanocasting synthesis of BiFeO₃ nanoparticles with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

• Thomas Cadenbach,
• Maria J. Benitez,
• A. Lucia Morales,
• Cesar Costa Vera,
• Luis Lascano,
• Francisco Quiroz,
• Alexis Debut and
• Karla Vizuete

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1822–1833, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.164

• as rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange, or methylene blue [8]. Due to the increasing demand for safe water, wastewater itself, coming from all types of industries including the textile industry, is considered to be a reliable alternative source of water. Thus, it is becoming part of the solution to the

Highly sensitive detection of estradiol by a SERS sensor based on TiO₂ covered with gold nanoparticles

• Andrea Brognara,
• Ili F. Mohamad Ali Nasri,
• Beatrice R. Bricchi,
• Andrea Li Bassi,
• Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay,
• Matteo Ghidelli and
• Nathalie Lidgi-Guigui

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1026–1035, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.87

• soaking in HAuCl4 solution, as composite SERS substrates for the detection of methylene blue. They reported a successful SERS enhancement, compared to bare Si substrates, with an enhancement factor of ca. 106 and a lower detection limit of 100 nM. Li et al. [15] studied Au NP-coated TiO2 nanotube arrays