Daria Pęziak

Novel nanostructured hematite–spongin composite developed using an extreme biomimetic approach

The marine sponge Hippospongia communis (Demospongiae: Porifera) is a representative of bath sponges, which possess characteristic mineral-free fibrous skeletons made of a structural protein – spongin. This fibrous skeleton is mechanically robust, resistant to acidic treatment, and thermally stable up to 160 °C. Due to these properties, we decided to use this biological material for the first time for the hydrothermal synthesis of hematite (α-Fe2O3) via catalyzed hydrolysis of FeCl3 to obtain a hematite–spongin composite. The material obtained was studied with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The α-Fe2O3–spongin-based composite was tested for its potential application as an anode material in a capacitor. The results indicate that components constructed using this novel composite material have a positive effect on the capacitance of energy storing devices.

Different antibacterial activity of novel theophylline-based ionic liquids – Growth kinetic and cytotoxicity studies

The aim of this study was to investigate novel theophylline-based ionic liquids and their cytotoxic effects towards model Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli, respectively). Growth kinetics, respiratory rates and dehydrogenase activities were studied in the presence of ionic liquids at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000mg/L. Additionally, the influence of ionic liquids on bacterial cells associated with specific interactions based on the structure of cell wall was evaluated. This effect was assessed by viability tests and scanning electron microscope observations. The obtained results confirmed that ionic liquids exhibit different levels of toxicity in relation to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Those effects are associated with the chemical structure of the cationic species of the ionic liquids and their critical micelle concentration value. It was established that the presence of an alkyl or allyl group increased the toxicity, whereas the presence of an aryl group in the cation decreased the toxic effect of ILs. Results presented in this study also revealed unexpected effects of self-aggregation of E. coli cells. Overall, it was established that the studied ILs exhibited higher toxicity towards Gram-positive bacteria due to different interactions between the ILs and the cell membranes. These findings may be of importance for the design of ILs with targeted antimicrobial properties.