Cultural Studies

Figure: the Popular and  the  Political in Pakistan deconstructs the common belief that figurative representation is forbidden in Islam. the book argues that the blasphamous implications associated with the representation of the figure are a contemporary socio-political phenomenon. the puritanical orthodox movements in the subcontinent resisted imperialism with an attempt to establish differences from the other i.e the British as the imperialist and the Hindus as the religious Others. This puritanical belief system implicates the cultural identity of Pakistan when analysed against the continuation of the presence of figurative forms in the shrines and religious posters within popular cultural practices of Lahore.

Figure: the popular and the political in Pakistan, deconstructs the common belief that figurative representation is forbidden in Islam. the book posits that this belief, tinged with 'religious' emotions was part of of a systematic process of theocratic indoctrination which helped the military regime established its legitimacy in Pakistan. The book argues that puritanical belief system, complicates the cultural identity of Pakistan when analysed against the continuation of the presence of figurative forms in the shrines and religious posters within popular cultural practices of Lahore. The book further explores the trajectory of the figure in relation to folk-urban male cinema board painters and 'trained artists'. while examining the male gaze within the painterly canvas of male artists and the cinema boards with lascivious  females luring to male desire surrounding the city landscapes, the book further breakdown the constructed belief and tells a story of Pakistani' male's fantasies and subversion of the state's authority.

Green and eco-friendly synthesis of palladium nanoparticles NPs is carried out under facile and eco-friendly conditions using an aqueous solution of Salvadora persica L. (SP) root extract (RE) as a bioreductant, which is commonly known as Miswak. The as-synthesized Pd NPs were characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, including, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, ICP-MS and TEM. Detailed investigations of the Pd NPs have confirmed that the polyphenolic phytomolecules present in the RE of Miswak not only act as a bioreductant by facilitating the reduction and growth of Pd NPs, but they also functionalize the surface of Pd NPs and stabilized them in various solvents. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of the green synthesized Pd NPs was also tested toward the Suzuki coupling reactions of various aryl halides in aqueous media. The as-prepared Pd NPs exhibited superior catalytic activity and reusability for the Suzuki coupling reaction in aqueous and aerobic conditions. The kinetics of the reaction studied by GC revealed that the conversion of various aryl halides to biphenyl takes place in a short time.

Due to their excellent physicochemical properties and synergistic effect, graphene metallic NPs based nanocomposites have gained significant attention in various technological fields including catalysis. Here we demonstrate a single pot, facile and environmental friendly synthesis of catalytically active palladium(Pd)@graphene nanocomposites (SP-HRG-Pd) by the simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide (GRO) and PdCl 2 using Salvadora persica L. (miswak) root extract (RE) as bioreductant. The synthesis of SP-HRG-Pd was confirmed by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, including ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), Raman and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The polyphenolic (flavonoids) and terpenoids rich contents of the miswak RE not only facilitated the reduction of graphene oxide and PdCl 2 but also ensured the homogeneous binding of the Pd NPs on graphene, and through stabilization of the surface of SP-HRG-Pd nanocomposites. This also led to the enhanced dispersibility of as synthesized nanocomposites in aqueous solutions. The as-prepared SP-HRG-Pd nanocomposites also demonstrated excellent catalytic activity toward the selective oxidation of aromatic alcohols. Furthermore, in order to study the effect of calcination temperature and concentration of Pd NPs on the catalytic activities of nanocomposites, different samples of SP-HRG-Pd nanocomposites containing different amounts of Pd using various concentrations of Pd precursor were prepared and calcined at various temperatures.

This work reports the zirconia (ZrOx) nanoparticles doped MnCO3 catalysts prepared by facile and simple coprecipitation technique and the synthesis of zirconia-manganese carbonate [X% ZrOx–MnCO3] (where X% = 0–7%) catalyst which upon calcination at 400°C is converted to zirconia-manganese dioxide [1% ZrOx–MnO2] and when calcined at 500°C is converted to zirconia-manganic trioxide [1% ZrOx–Mn2O3]. A comparative catalytic study was performed to investigate the catalytic efficiency between carbonate and oxides for the selective oxidation of 1-phenylethanol by using molecular O2 as a clean oxidant. The influence of several parameters such as w/w% of ZrOx, reaction time, calcination temperature, catalyst amount, and reaction temperature has been thoroughly examined using oxidation of 1-phenylethanol as a model substrate. The 1% ZrOx–MnCO3 precalcined at 300°C exhibited the best catalytic efficiency. It was found that ZrOx nanoparticles also play an essential role in enhancing the effecti...

The green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) has attracted tremendous attention in recent years because these protocols are low cost and more environmentally friendly than standard methods of synthesis. In this article, we report a simple and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of silver NPs using an aqueous solution of Pulicaria glutinosa plant extract as a bioreductant. The as-prepared silver NPs were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, the effects of the concentration of the reductant (plant extract) and precursor solution (silver nitrate), the temperature on the morphology, and the kinetics of reaction were investigated. The results indicate that the size of the silver NPs varied as the plant extract concentration increased. The as-synthesized silver NPs were phase pure and well crystalline with a face-centered cubic structure. Further, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the plant extract not only acted as a bioreductant but also functionalized the NPs' surfaces to act as a capping ligand to stabilize them in the solvent. The developed eco-friendly method for the synthesis of NPs could prove a better substitute for the physical and chemical methods currently used to prepare metallic NPs commonly used in cosmetics, foods, and medicines.

A green, one-step approach for the preparation of graphene/Ag nanocomposites (PE-HRG-Ag) via simultaneous reduction of both graphene oxide (GRO) and silver ions using Pulicaria glutinosa plant extract (PE) as reducing agent is reported. The plant extract functionalizes the surfaces of highly reduced graphene oxide (HRG) which helps in conjugating the Ag NPs to HRG. Increasing amounts of Ag precursor enhanced the density of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on HRG. The preparation of PE-HRG-Ag nanocomposite is monitored by using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The as-prepared PE-HRG-Ag nanocomposities display excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity, and significantly increased the intensities of the Raman signal of graphene.

The antibacterial properties of nanoparticles (NPs) can be significantly enhanced by increasing the wettability or solubility of NPs in aqueous medium. In this study, we investigated the effects of the stabilizing agent on the solubility of silver NPs and its subsequent effect on their antimicrobial activities. Silver NPs were prepared using an aqueous solution of Pulicaria glutinosa plant extract as bioreductant. The solution also acts as a capping ligand. During this study, the antimicrobial activities of silver NPs, as well as the plant extract alone, were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Micrococcus luteus. Silver NPs were prepared with various concentrations of the plant extract to study its effect on antimicrobial activity. Interestingly, various concentrations of P. glutinosa extract did not show any effect on the growth of tested bacteria; however, a significant effect on the antimicrobial property of plant extract capped silver NPs (Ag-NPs-PE) was observed. For instance, the half maximal inhibitory concentration values were found to decrease (from 4% to 21%) with the increasing concentrations of plant extract used for the synthesis of Ag-NPs-PE. These results clearly indicate that the addition of P. glutinosa extracts enhances the solubility of Ag-NPs-PE and, hence, increases their toxicity against the tested microorganisms.

Nano-gold and silver particles supported on manganese oxide were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The catalytic properties of these materials were investigated for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol using molecular oxygen as a source of oxygen. The catalyst was calcined at 300, 400 and 500°C. They were characterized by electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface area. It was observed that the calcination temperature affects the size of the nanoparticle, which plays a significant role in the catalytic process. The catalyst calcined at 400°C, gave a 100% conversion and >99% selectivity, whereas catalysts calcined at 300 and 500°C gave a conversion of 69.51% and 19.90% respectively, although the selectivity remains >99%.

Dodecyl sul�de, dodecyl amine, and hexylamine were shown to act as surrogate ligands (L) via metastable gold nanoparticles. By collating analytical and spectroscopic data obtained simultaneously, empirical formula Au 24 L was assigned. ese impurity-free nanoparticles obtained in near quantitative yields showing exceptional gold assays (up to 98%Au) were prepared by a modi�cation of the two-phase method. Replacement reactions on the Au 24 L showed that Au:L ratios may be increased (up to Au 55 :L (L= (H 25 C 12) 2 S)) or decreased (Au 12 :L (L= H 2 NC 12 H 25 and H 2 NC 6 H 13)) as desired. is work encompassing the role of analytical techniques used, that is, elemental analysis, variable temperature 1 H NMR, FAB mass spectrometry, �V-Vis spectroscopy, thin �lm X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) has implications in the study of size control, purity, stability, and metal assays of gold nanoparticles.

Vanadia nanoparticles supported on nickel manganese mixed oxides were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The catalytic properties of these materials were investigated for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol using molecular oxygen as oxidant. It was observed that the calcination temperature and the size of particles play an important role in the catalytic process. The catalyst was evaluated for its oxidation property against aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, which was found to display selectivity towards aromatic alcohols. The samples were characterized by employing scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Recently, green reduction of graphene oxide (GRO) using various natural materials, including plant extracts, has drawn significant attention among the scientific community. These methods are sustainable, low cost, and are more environmentally friendly than other standard methods of reduction. Herein, we report a facile and eco-friendly method for the bioreduction of GRO using Salvadora persica L. (S. persica L.) roots (miswak) extract as a bioreductant. The as-prepared highly reduced graphene oxide (SP-HRG) was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Various results have confirmed that the biomolecules present in the root extract of miswak not only act as a bioreductant but also functionalize the surface of SP-HRG by acting as a capping ligand to stabilize it in water and other ...

Recently, graphene and graphene-based materials have been increasingly used for various biological applications due to their extraordinary physicochemical properties. Here, we demonstrate the anticancer properties and apoptosis-inducing ability of silver doped highly reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites synthesized by employing green approach. These nano composites (PGE-HRG-Ag) were synthesized by using Pulicaria glutinosa extract (PGE) as a reducing agent and were evaluated for their anticancer properties against various human cancer cell lines with tamoxifen as the reference drug. A correlation between the amount of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of highly reduced graphene oxide (HRG) and the anticancer activity of nanocomposite was observed, wherein an increase in the concentration of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of HRG led to the enhanced anticancer activity of the nanocomposite. The nanocomposite PGE-HRG-Ag-2 exhibited more potent cytotoxicity than standard drug in A549 cells, a human lung cancer cell line. A detailed investigation was undertaken and Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis demonstrated that the nanocomposite PGE-HRG-Ag-2 showed G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis in A549 cells. Studies such as, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Annexin V-FITC staining assay suggested that this compound induced apoptosis in human lung cancer cells.