Communication in Physical Sciences

Preparation of Conductive Antibacterial Film of Organoclay Origin

2024-12-19T15:06:34+00:00

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 12(1): 070-083

Authors: Azeh Yakubu^*, Musah Monday, Mathew John Tsado, Ameh Ohiga Alfa Ebune, Ibrahim

Fatima, Umar Musa Tanko, Badeggi Umar Muhammad, Abdulkarim Muhammed Awwal, Muhammad Aishetu Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ahmed Aliyu, Ismail Haruna¹, Muhammad Karima Taniand Nasiru Ibrahim

Received: 12 May 2024/Accepted 15 November 2024

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/cps.v12i1.7

This study presents the synthesis and characterization of novel conductive antibacterial thin films derived from Kashikoko and Kaffin-Koro biopolymers, modified with phenylamine and silver nitrate. The average thickness of the films was measured to be 0.33 mm for Kashikoko/PA, 0.40 mm for Kashikoko/CMC/EG, and 0.30 mm for Kaffin-Koro/PA, demonstrating their structural integrity. Electrical conductivity measurements revealed that the Kashikoko/PA/0.3 sample exhibited the highest conductivity at 1818 S/cm, while the Kashikoko/PA/1.0 sample recorded a lower conductivity of 950 S/cm. Antimicrobial efficacy was assessed by measuring the inhibition zones against E. coli, Salmonella, and S. aureus. The results showed that the Kashikoko/CMC/EG/PA/1g/AgNO3 exhibited the largest inhibition zone of 34 mm against E. coli. At the same time, the Kaffin-Koro/CMC/EG/PA/0.2/AgNO₃ displayed a zone of inhibition ranging from 19-36 mm across all tested pathogens, with the highest activity against S. aureus (36 mm). These findings indicate that the developed nanocomposite films possess significant electrical conductivity and antimicrobial properties, making them suitable for applications in active food packaging and biomedical fields.

Resource recovery from Sugar Cane Biomass for the Synthesis of Silicon Nanoparticles

2024-12-12T07:58:41+00:00

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 12(1): 026-037

Authors: Irene Edem Johncross, Abidemi Obatoyinbo Ajayi and Abidemi Obatoyinbo Ajayi

Received: 19^th May 2024/Accepted : 09 November 2024/First Published: 14 November 2024

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/cps.v12i1.4

This study presents a green synthesis approach for silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiONPs) using plantain peels, highlighting their structural and surface properties, potential applications, and environmental benefits. UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy revealed a peak absorption at 341 nm, corresponding to a bandgap of 3.87 eV, confirming the semiconductor nature of the synthesized SiONPs. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis displayed a prominent peak at 69.24°, indicative of high crystallinity and minimal amorphous content, with a calculated crystallite size of 0.23 nm based on Scherrer’s equation. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis showed a surface area of 198.98 m²/g, exceeding literature values and suggesting enhanced adsorption properties. Additional analyses using Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH), Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR), and Density Functional Theory (DFT) models indicated a mesoporous structure with an average pore diameter of 5.5545 nm and a pore volume of 0.0371 cc/g, suitable for applications requiring high surface area-to-volume ratios. Compared to reported values for SiONPs synthesized by traditional methods, the SiONPs obtained from plantain peel demonstrate promising structural integrity and mesoporosity. This research emphasizes the feasibility of using agro-waste for nanoparticle synthesis, offering a sustainable alternative with potential applications in environmental remediation and catalytic processes.

Evaluating The Performances of Estimators of Population Mean Weight of Babies in FMC, Imo State Under Simple Random Sampling Scheme

2024-12-12T06:33:21+00:00

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 12(1): 020-025

Authors: Loveline Chiamaka Okoro and Emmanuel John Ekpenyong

Received: 12 August 2024/Accepted: 04 November 2024

Gestational age plays a vital role in obstetrics. Accurately estimating the average gestational age in pregnant women will help ascertain the growth of the fetus and it is also essential in structuring prenatal care, including decisions about timing and route of delivery. . This study compares the efficiency of some existing estimators of population mean using simple random sampling scheme. The estimators were compared using a real data on gestational age incorporating the weight of babies as auxiliary variable. Three samples of (n = 100, 150, 200) were selected from the population for the analysis. Of all the estimators compared, result showed that the classical regression estimator and Kadilar (2016) estimator which approximates to the regression estimator are equally efficient and also proved to be the most efficient estimators with a lowest mean squared errors and highest percent relative efficiencies. Thus, and can used to estimate the population mean of the auxiliary variable in practice.

Molecular Docking Studies on Eudesmane Sesquiterpenes as Potential Anti-leishmanial Agents

2024-12-08T12:39:58+00:00

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 12(1): 012-019

Author: Taye Temitope Alawode

Received : 12 July 2024/Accepted 20 October 2024

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/cps.v12i1.2

In this study, potential inhibitors against Leishmania were identified by docking 30 bioactive compounds from the methanol extract of Solanum erianthum leaves with key Leishmania protein targets. Among the screened compounds, six demonstrated strong binding affinities, with docking scores ranging from −9.2 to −11.4 kcal/mol, particularly against enzymes like trypanothione reductase and arginase, which are crucial for Leishmania’s survival. Experimental validation using in vitro assays confirmed the inhibitory activity of the top three compounds, showing IC₅₀ values between 10 to 25 µM. The findings suggest that compounds from Solanum erianthum have the potential to act as lead inhibitors for Leishmania proteins, especially with binding affinity values 30–50% higher than standard inhibitors. Further experimental tests, including enzyme inhibition assays and Leishmania-infected animal models, will be conducted to evaluate their in vivo efficacy. Lead optimization, including structural modifications, is recommended to enhance potency, with a focus on improving pharmacokinetic properties. Visual representations, including protein-ligand interaction diagrams, demonstrated strong hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, which are critical for the compounds' inhibitory effects.

GC-MS Characterization and Anti-Anaemic/Haematological Activity of Ethanol Extract of Solanum Aethiopicum Leaves

2024-12-17T16:40:18+00:00

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 12(1): 052-069

Authors: Stella Mbanyeaku Ufearoh*, Onyinyechi Uloma Akoh, Christian Odih, Felicia Uchechukwu Okwunodulu

11 August 2024/Accepted:10 November 2024

We aimed to investigate the GC-MS analysis of the ethanolic leaf extract of Solanum aethiopicum and assess the effect of the extract on haematological parameters in PHZ-induced anaemia in rats. The rats used in the study were divided into five groups. Group 1 served as normal control and received food and distilled water throughout the experiment, group II stood for anaemia-induced rats serving as a negative control, group III represented anaemia-induced rats that received 5 mg/kg of the standard drug (ferrous sulphate), groups IV and V were anaemia-induced rats that were administered 200 and 400 mg/kg of S. aethiopicum ethanolic leaf extract respectively. GC-MS analyses of the ethanol leaf extract revealed 15 bioactive compounds, most of which have antioxidant and other biological potentials. PHZ reduced the level of the haematological parameters: packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) count indices, haemoglobin (Hb) level, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) except for white blood cell count (WBC). The ethanolic leaf extract of S. aethiopicum extract though dose-dependent reversed the decrease in the haematological parameters indicating that the plant has anti-anaemic/haemolytic properties.

Resource recovery from Sugar Cane Biomass for the Synthesis of Silicon Nanoparticles

2024-12-12T06:58:55+00:00

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 12(1): 026-037

Authors: Irene Edem Johncross, Abidemi Obatoyinbo Ajayi and Abidemi Obatoyinbo Ajayi

Received: 19^th May 2024/Accepted : 09 November 2024/First Published: 14 November 2024,

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/cps.v12i1.4

Investigation of the Structural and electronic properties of Ternary AB₂X₄ based material via Density Functional Theory (DFT) for Optoelectronic Applications

2024-12-10T16:45:59+00:00

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 12(1): 01-011

Authors: Isaac Chukwutem Abiodun, Monday Edward Edem and, Obasesam Ebri Agbor

Received: 12 August 2024Accepted: 01 October 2024/

Developing inexpensive, non-toxic, high-efficiency, earth-abundant optoelectronics material is critical for implementing electronic devices. CdAl2S4 is a promising earth-abundant absorber AB₂X₄ material that has attracted attention recently for optoelectronic applications including solar cells and light-emitting diodes. However, very little is known about the relationship between structural and electronic properties such as the band gap, density of state, and partial density of state. This information is, however, very essential for the design and fabrication of CdAl2S4 optoelectronics devices to achieve higher power conversion efficiencies. In this article, first-principles calculation based on the state-of-the-art methodology of density functional theory (DFT) has been employed to comprehensively characterize the structural and electronic properties of CdAl2S4 material. From band structure analysis, CdAl2S4 is demonstrated to have a direct band gap with a predicted band gap of 2.322 eV. It is evident from the calculated Total Density of State (TDOS) and Partial Density of State (PDOS) that CdAl2S4 exhibited the characteristics of a semiconductor and it is a potential material for optoelectronic applications. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of AB₂X₄ materials' structural and electronic behaviors, paving the way for their development in next-generation optoelectronic technologies.