Each month, the ISGS Newsletter features an interesting and striking micrograph (or series of micrographs) chosen from a recent issue of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology or from unpublished sources such as PhD theses, etc (with full attribution given). If you know of any interesting images that might be suitable, please contact the ISGS Newsletter Editor for inclusion. The micrographs can be optical, SEM, TEM, AFM, etc, and a brief description of the samples should be provided.
The first is taken from the work of Abdel-Khalek, Rayan, Askar, Maksoud and El-Bahnasawy entitled “Synthesis and characterization of SrFeO 3- δ nanoparticles as antimicrobial agent” (JSST, (2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10971-020-05431-8). Apart from their promising antimicrobial activity for wastewater treatment, optical spectroscopic studies suggest that the nanoparticles have potential photocatalytic activity. In addition, thermal and magnetic studies provide evidence for the multiferroic nature of the materials.
The second series of micrographs is from the work of Ge, Li, Li and Zhao entitled “Fabrication of HAP/Ag/SSD ternary nanocomposite and its antibacterial properties” (JSST, (2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-020-05418 -5). This paper investigates the sustained antibacterial properties of hydroxyapatite/silver/silver sulfadiazine ternary nanocomposite rods with a hierarchical structure. Mesoporous HAP nanorods (a) were initially used as a substrate onto which silver nanoparticles were loaded (b). Silver sulfadiazine was then produced in situ on the surface of the HAP/Ag nanorods to produce HAP/Ag/SSD (c).
