Superhydrophobic (SH) property is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has a wide range of potential applications such as antiicing, anticorrosion, electrowetting, blood typing, and so forth, and therefore, inspires the researchers to mimic them over artificial surfaces to achieve desired properties.Low surface energy and suitable surface roughness are the two key factors that play a vital role in developing SH surfaces. Hence, when the target substrate is introduced with suitable roughness and consequently functionalized with low surface energy, SH can be incorporated. Owing to the SH's wide range of inherent properties such as stain-resistant, self-cleaning, flame retardant, oil/water separation, and so forth as well as tunable functionalities such as electrical conductivity, photocatalytic activity, UV-protection, and so forth, the development of SH fabrics has gained a lot of research attention in recent years. In this context, the present review focuses on the different applications of SH fabrics and their recent research progress.
Recently, there has been an upsurge among people around the world in maintaining a sustainable and hygienic environment. This is due to the over-exploitation of recourses causing environmental pollution and spreading bacterial infections. In this regard, scientists are motivated to develop smart coatings where environmental pollutants and bacterial cells are degraded when in contact with their surfaces.In our previous report, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using the precipitation technique, showing good photocatalytic and antibacterial activity [1]. In this context, the present study details the use of ZnO NPs as pigment for the fabrication of alkyd resin-based self-cleaning coating. The coating was developed by mixing ZnO NPs and alkyd resin along with the additives using the ball milling technique. The developed coating was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and water contact angle measurements.To elucidate the self-cleaning and hygienic behaviour of the ZnO/alkyd resin coating, the dried coating was exposed to crystal violet (CV) solution as a model dye pollutant and bacterial strains to assess its photocatalytic and antibacterial activity. The droplets of CV solution placed over the coating almost degraded after 360 min of exposure to sunlight owing to the presence of ZnO NPs in the coating. Further, the coating exhibits reasonable antibacterial activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa whereas it displays low antibacterial activity against S. aureus.Even though, the self-cleaning coating shows promising results, tuning the activity of the photo-catalytic pigment can improve the pollutant degradation efficiency and elevate bactericidal activity.ZnO NPs-impregnated alkyd resin coating for self-cleaning applications is novel.
Hydroponics, also known as controlled environment agriculture, is a method of cultivating plants and herbs without soil using mineral-supplemented solutions. Agriculture biotechnology enhances its wings on developing genetically modified plants for expanding crop yield and introducing characteristic features such as growing seasonal crops throughout the year, weather-resistant, and pest resistance. Compared to traditional agriculture, hydroponic cultivation yields high-quality crops with 90% more efficient use of water. Therefore, hydroponic cultivation could be considered a succeeding future of agriculture. In this context, understanding agriculture through the hydroponic route is vital for the efficient cultivation of crops. This review elaborates on the different classes of hydroponic systems and the factors that enable the systematic elements of the frame-up.The significant intent of this review is to provide information on distinct hydroponic systems.The present review reports a comprehensive discussion about the significance of the hydroponics system, its mechanism, nutrient solution preparation, types of hydroponic setup, and the challenges faced and would light up the knowledge in the same.This review focus on the current feasible hydroponic method of crop cultivation.
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