Phytochemical-mediated production of Nd2O3 nanoparticles using Indigofera tinctoria and their biochemical properties Daly Paul, Karthika Shetty, Chaithra J. Rai, Arjun Sunil Rao Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, 2026 Green synthesis has gained significant attention as an environmentally benign approach due to its ability to minimize waste, byproducts, and pollution, and utilize nontoxic solvents. This method employs biomass-derived reducing agents for metal salts, where phytochemicals act as in-situ reducing and capping agents, stabilizing the synthesized nanoparticles. Such biomolecules not only prevent nanoparticle agglomeration and lower toxicity but also enhance antibacterial activity, often resulting in synergistic effects. In this study, eco-friendly synthesis of neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) nanoparticles using Indigofera tinctoria leaf extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent is presented. This phytochemical-mediated route offers a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical synthesis methods and demonstrates potential for green-nanomaterial production. The biosynthesized Nd2O3 nanoparticles were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy to identify functional groups, XRD analysis to determine crystal structure and phase purity, and FESEM coupled with EDX analysis to examine surface morphology and elemental composition. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against four bacterial strains, revealing notable bactericidal properties. The nanoparticles exhibited moderate inhibition against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and stronger activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae). The antibacterial mechanism may involve cell-wall disruption, reactive oxygen species generation, or interference with intracellular components. Antioxidant scavenging activity increased significantly with concentration.
Zinc doping effects on the magnetic properties of Nd0.65Ca0.35Mn0.9Zn0.1O3 nanomanganite Daly Paul, K.N. Anuradha, S.V. Bhat International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2017 In this paper, we report the synthesis and magnetic properties of Nd0.65Ca0.35Mn0.9Zn0.1O3 manganite. Bulk (NZOB) and nanoparticles (NZON) of hole-doped Nd0.65Ca0.35Mn0.9Zn0.1O3 were prepared by sol gel method. These particles were characterised by XRD, TEM and EDAX. Magnetisation measurements were carried out in temperature range 10 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K by a SQUID magnetometer. The parent bulk Nd0.65Ca0.35MnO3 (NCMO) manganite exhibits charge order (CO) around the temperature 210 K followed by an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at the Neel temperature (TN = 120 K). With the doping of nonmagnetic Zn2+ cation, the valency balance is maintained by the creation of Mn4+ ions, which leads to ferromagnetism owing to the double exchange interaction between Mn3+ and Mn4+. Magnetisation measurements show that the ferromagnetic component enhances in nanoparticles (NZON) as compared to its bulk counterpart at low temperature, along with some amount of residual antiferromagnetism owing to the uncompensated surface spins. Further the temperature dependence of magnetisation (M*T vs. T) shows the melting of CO in both the samples. The ferromagnetic transition temperature (Tc) is found to be higher (~53 K) in nanosample (size about 20 nm) when compared with its bulk counterpart (~41 K).
