Development Of Novel Nanomaterials Research Articles

Nanomaterials in Brain Cancer Management with Special Emphasis on Personalized Therapy

Nanomaterials engineered for drug delivery penetrate the blood-brain barrier, ensuring direct access to cancerous cells, including carbon nanodots, liposomes, dendrimers, metallic nanoparticles, etc. By encapsulating therapeutic agents, nanomaterials enhance their stability and bioavailability, optimizing treatment efficacy. Furthermore, they enable real-time monitoring of treatment response, facilitating adjustments as needed. This strategy represents a significant advancement in oncology, offering a promising avenue for improving outcomes in brain cancer patients by maximizing therapeutic benefits while minimizing adverse effects. The discovery and development of novel nanomaterials and drug delivery systems based on nanotechnology are thus interesting topics for researchers working on the delivery of drugs to the brain and central nervous system. However, several challenges may be encountered in the development of nanomaterials and the commercialization of products. Further, the therapeutic outcomes may vary between patients. Thus, personalized therapy design for the delivery of nanomedicine may be a better option. The integration of personalized nanoparticle-based therapies holds great potential for transforming the landscape of brain cancer management, heralding a new era. Personalized therapy utilizing nanomaterials is revolutionizing brain cancer treatment by targeting tumours with precision while minimizing systemic toxicity. This approach tailors therapeutic interventions to individual patient profiles, accounting for tumor heterogeneity and patient-specific responses.

Construction of Smartphone-Integrated Nanozyme Sensor Based on Amino Acid-Modulated Gold Nanoparticles.

Amino acids are not only the building blocks of proteins but also lead to the development of novel nanomaterials with unique properties. Herein, we proposed a simple strategy to produce gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with peroxidase-like (POD-like) activities by using a series of amino acids as reducing agents, named Au NPs@M (M represents different amino acids). The Au NPs@His was identified as the nanozyme with the most potent catalytic performance, which was used in combination with smartphones to achieve rapid detection of hydrogen peroxide with a detection limit of 0.966 μM. It also enables rapid detection of glucose with a detection limit of 2.904 μM, highlighting the significant contribution of Au NPs@His in expediting the detection of critical biomolecules. This work not only provides a convenient and highly efficient method to identify glucose but also shows the potential of histidine as a reducing agent in constructing Au nanomaterials exerting enzyme-like catalysis.

Applications of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation in nanomedicine (QCM-D): a personal experience

Due to their unique physical and chemical properties, the potential application of nanomaterials in medicine is partic¬ularly attractive. Despite the many advantages that nanomaterials can offer as diagnostic and therapeutic tools, their transition from the bench to clinical practice is extremely challenging. One of the many barriers that nanomedicines may encounter is their toxicological effect. In fact, the development of novel nanomaterials / nanoparticles must pro¬ceed always in tandem with the assessment of any potential toxicological effects associated to them. Once nano¬materials reach the systemic circulation, they interact with endothelial cells, plasma proteins, and other blood compo¬nents. There is no doubt that the study of nanomaterials-blood interactions is crucial to warrant the biocompatibility of nanomaterials developed for human use.

Activity of pure flavonoid-based green silver nano particles against breast cancer: A combined experimental and computational investigation

Because of the wide range of applications in various industries, the development of novel nanomaterials is receiving more and more attention nowadays. A green route to synthesize one such versatile nanomaterial, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a pure flavonoid, quercetin has been explored in this study. The reducing and capping mechanism of quercetin was examined using density functional theory (DFT). Dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV–vis spectra (UV–Vis), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies confirmed that the synthesized AgNPs are stable, monodispersed, spherical shaped with an average size of 16 nm. A molecular docking study has identified the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein as a potential target for quercetin-capped AgNPs to fight against breast cancer. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has quantified the efficiency of quercetin-capped AgNPs over quercetin only in targeting breast cancer. These findings will be helpful in using quercetin-based AgNPs for drug discovery against breast cancer.

Electroreduction of CO2 on Cu, Fe, or Ni-doped Diamane Sheets: A DFT Study.

Poor mass transfer behavior and inherent activity limit the efficiency of traditional catalysts in electrocatalyzing carbon dioxide reduction reactions. However, the development of novel nanomaterials provides new strategies to solve the above problems. Herein, we propose novel single-metal atom catalysts, namely diamane-based electrocatalysts doped with Cu, Fe, and Ni, explored through density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We thoroughly investigated the doping pattern and energetics for different dopants. Furthermore, we systematically investigated the conversion process of CO2 to C1 or C2+ products, utilizing the free energy analysis of reaction pathways. Our results reveal that dopants could only be introduced into diamane following a specific pattern. Dopants significantly enhance the CO2 adsorption ability of diamane, with Fe and Ni proving notably more effective than Cu. After CO2 adsorption, Cu- and Fe-doped diamane prefer to catalyze CO2RR, while Ni-doped diamane favors hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The C-C coupling reaction on Cu-hollow diamane, Cu-bridge diamane, and Fe-hollow diamane tends to be from C2+ products. Among all examined catalysts, Cu-hollow diamane shows better electro-catalytic performance. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of and contributes to the development of diamane-based electro-catalysts for CO2RR.

Nanomaterials Regulate Bacterial Quorum Sensing: Applications, Mechanisms, and Optimization Strategies.

Anti-virulence therapy that interferes with bacterial communication, known as "quorum sensing (QS)", is a promising strategy for circumventing bacterial resistance. Using nanomaterials to regulate bacterial QS in anti-virulence therapy has attracted much attention, which is mainly attributed to unique physicochemical properties and excellent designability of nanomaterials. However, bacterial QS is a dynamic and multistep process, and there are significant differences in the specific regulatory mechanisms and related influencing factors of nanomaterials in different steps of the QS process. An in-depth understanding of the specific regulatory mechanisms and related influencing factors of nanomaterials in each step can significantly optimize QS regulatory activity and enhance the development of novel nanomaterials with better comprehensive performance. Therefore, this review focuses on the mechanisms by which nanomaterials regulate bacterial QS in the signal supply (including signal synthesis, secretion, and accumulation) and signal transduction cascade (including signal perception and response) processes. Moreover, based on the two key influencing factors (i.e., the nanomaterial itself and the environment), optimization strategies to enhance the QS regulatory activity are comprehensively summarized. Collectively, applying nanomaterials to regulate bacterial QS is a promising strategy for anti-virulence therapy. This review provides reference and inspiration for further research on the anti-virulence application of nanomaterials.

Scalable synthesis of Bi2O2S nanoplates with large piezoelectric potential induced by a built-in electric field in a [Bi2O2]2+ layer for the degradation of organic contaminants.

2D piezoelectric catalysts with strong piezoresponse and high piezoelectric potential have valuable applications in catalytic degradation of organic pollutants and antibiotics, but the development of novel nanomaterials with powerful piezopotential still remains a serious challenge. Bismuth oxysulfide (Bi2O2S) nanosheets possessing large piezoelectric potentials were prepared using a low-heating solid-state chemical reaction and used for the first time for piezoelectric catalysis in this work. Moreover, Bi2O2S nanosheets can degrade pollutants universally, and the degradation efficiencies of methyl blue and rhodamine B are as high as 97.7% and 92.9% within 60 min under ultrasonication, respectively, which is superior to most piezoelectric materials reported in the literature.

Graphene Used for Energy Conversion and Storage by Electrochemistry: A Brief Global Overview

Background: Graphene and its derivatives have been widely used in modern electrochemical- related technologies due to their versatile structure, tunable conductivity, and large specific surface area. However, there is a need to provide the latest global literature overview in this field. Methods: In this study, we reported a literature overview of current developments in the applications of graphene in energy conversion and storage by electrochemistry. In this overview, 1285 pieces of literature were retrieved and analyzed based on the web of science core database using bibliometric tools. Results: The major contributing countries are China and the United States. The most widespread fields are the development of novel nanomaterials and catalysts and approaches to improve the electrocatalytic performance of batteries and supercapacitors. The hotspots of current research include sodium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, sulfur-doped electrodes, and the study of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for oxygen and evolution reactions. Conclusion: With the continuous development in this field, scientists are committed to continuously improving the performance of energy equipment. The applications of graphene-based materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage are briefly summarized. The challenges and prospects for future research in this field are also discussed.

Modified Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Selected Food Azo Dyes: A Review

AbstractThere are plenty of evidence that consuming high levels of azo dyes, such as Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, Amaranth, Sudan, and Azorubine, is associated with serious health problems. Therefore, electrochemical sensors have been developed for their effective detection, also offering low cost, portability, and the fact that they do not require harmful solvents. They are customarily employed in several electrochemical techniques, including cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and square wave voltammetry. The most commonly employed materials in the manufacturing of electrochemical sensors are carbonaceous materials given their high stability, surface area, and conductivity. Employing these carbonaceous materials results in an enhanced sensitivity of electrochemical sensors when detecting azo dyes. To further improve the sensors, these materials are modified with metal oxides, polymers, polysaccharide, ionic liquids, and metal nanoparticles, allowing the detection of ultra‐sensitive traces of azo dyes. Therefore, this review provides an overview of the characteristics of modified carbonaceous materials and their applications for the detection of food azo dyes, along with a summary of the currently employed electroanalytical detection methods. Additionally, this review discusses the development of novel nanomaterials and their technological advances, while exploring their potential environmental and health impacts within the food industry.

Ethanol-Gas-Sensing Performances of Built-in ZrO2/Co3O4 Hybrid Nanostructures

The development of novel nanomaterials as highly efficient gas-sensing materials is envisaged as one of the most important routes in the field of gas-sensing research. However, developing stable, selective, and efficient materials for these purposes is a highly challenging task requiring numerous design attempts. In this work, a ZrO2/Co3O4 composite is reported, for the first time, as a gas-sensing material for the detection of ethanol. The sensitive and selective detection of ethanol gas at 200 °C has been demonstrated for the ZrO2/Co3O4 (0.20 wt%/0.20 wt%)-based sensor. Furthermore, the sensor showed a very low response/recovery time of 56 s and 363 s, respectively, in response to a pulse of 20 ppm of ethanol and good stability. The interesting gas-sensing property of ZrO2/Co3O4 can be ascribed to both the porous structure, which facilitates the interaction between the target gas and the sensing site, and the p–p-junction-induced built-in electric field. These results indicate that the ZrO2/Co3O4 composite can serve as a heterostructured nanomaterial for the detection of ethanol gas.

Enhancing electromagnetic absorption in microwave of epoxy resin through incorporated surface modified aluminum oxide nanoparticles

The development of novel nanomaterials with superior reflection loss (RL), thin thickness, wide bandwidth, and low density has recently received significant attention in an effort to increase their effectiveness in electromagnetic (EM) microwave absorption while maintaining an easy manufacturing process. Naturally, using conventional materials with magnetic or dielectric loss makes it difficult to achieve the last criterion and limitations the thickness of the absorber and mass production. In this work, microwave nanocomposites samples were prepared on epoxy resin with different percentages of the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide (epoxy/Al2O3) with surfaces treated by amino propyl and silane. The surface treatment was carried out to improve the adhesion, morphology, and EM properties of the samples to enhance the microwave absorption and the Shielding Effectiveness (SE). Therefore, the treated sample can be considered as potential candidate for high frequency EM absorption applications. Then, the study is followed by structural, morphological, thermal, and electrical characterization of the prepared samples in order to enhance the performances of the latters. The EM absorption and the shielding effectiveness were done in the X band frequency (8 GHz-12 GHz). The obtained results confirmed that the nanocomposites treated samples exhibit higher EM absorption performance and better electrical characteristics. Overall, these results put forward the role played by the addition of the nanoparticles films as high-performance materials in electronic devices and EM applications.

Coil-Helix Block Copolymers Can Exhibit Divergent Thermodynamics in the Disordered Phase.

Chiral building blocks have the ability to self-assemble and transfer chirality to larger hierarchical length scales, which can be leveraged for the development of novel nanomaterials. Chiral block copolymers, where one block is made completely chiral, are prime candidates for studying this phenomenon, but fundamental questions regarding the self-assembly are still unanswered. For one, experimental studies using different chemistries have shown unexplained diverging shifts in the order-disorder transition temperature. In this study, particle-based molecular simulations of chiral block copolymers in the disordered melt were performed to uncover the thermodynamic behavior of these systems. A wide range of helical models were selected, and several free energy calculations were performed. Specifically, we aimed to understand (1) the thermodynamic impact of changing the conformation of one block in chemically identical block copolymers and (2) the effect of the conformation on the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, χ, when chemical disparity was introduced. We found that the effective block repulsion exhibits diverging behavior, depending on the specific conformational details of the helical block. Commonly used conformational metrics for flexible or stiff block copolymers do not capture the effective block repulsion because helical blocks are semiflexible and aspherical. Instead, pitch can quantitatively capture the effective block repulsion. Quite remarkably, the shift in χ for chemically dissimilar block copolymers can switch sign with small changes in the pitch of the helix.

Histidine modulates amyloid-like assembly of peptide nanomaterials and confers enzyme-like activity

Amyloid-like assembly is not only associated with pathological events, but also leads to the development of novel nanomaterials with unique properties. Herein, using Fmoc diphenylalanine peptide (Fmoc–F–F) as a minimalistic model, we found that histidine can modulate the assembly behavior of Fmoc–F–F and induce enzyme-like catalysis. Specifically, the presence of histidine rearranges the β structure of Fmoc–F–F to assemble nanofilaments, resulting in the formation of active site to mimic peroxidase-like activity that catalyzes ROS generation. A similar catalytic property is also observed in Aβ assembled filaments, which is correlated with the spatial proximity between intermolecular histidine and F-F. Notably, the assembled Aβ filaments are able to induce cellular ROS elevation and damage neuron cells, providing an insight into the pathological relationship between Aβ aggregation and Alzheimer’s disease. These findings highlight the potential of histidine as a modulator in amyloid-like assembly of peptide nanomaterials exerting enzyme-like catalysis.

Biodegradable NIR-II Pseudo Conjugate Polymeric Nanoparticles Amplify Photodynamic Immunotherapy via Alleviation of Tumor Hypoxia and Tumor-Associated Macrophage Reprogramming.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has achieved great success in cancer treatment. Despite its great promise, the efficacy of photodynamic immunotherapy can be limited by the hypoxia in solid tumors which is closely related to the abnormal tumor vasculature. These abnormal vasculatures are a hallmark of most solid tumors and facilitate immune evasion. Therefore, tumor vascular normalization is developed as a promising strategy to overcome tumor hypoxia, resulting in improved cancer therapy. Here, a NIR-II bio-degradable pseudo-conjugate polymer (PSP)-based photodynamic polymer is designed to deliver a vascular normalization agent, i.e., regorafenib (Reg) in nanoparticles (NP-PDT@Reg). NP-PDT@Reg under 808nm laser irradiation (NP-PDT@Reg + L) can efficiently release Reg to improve the tumor hypoxia via vascular normalization, making more NP-PDT@Reg and oxygen enter the tumors. Moreover, NP-PDT@Reg + L can further result in generation of more reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eradicate tumor cells while inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) to activate anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, Reg can reprogram TAM from a pro-tumor M2 phenotype to a tumor-killing M1 phenotype as well, thereby reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Taken together, the current study provides an innovative perspective on the development of novel nanomaterials to overcome the limitations in photodynamic immunotherapy.

Carbon Quantum Dots Based on Marine Polysaccharides: Types, Synthesis, and Applications.

The marine environment offers a vast array of resources, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, that can be utilized to extract polysaccharides such as alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan, agarose, ulvan, porphyra, and many more. These polysaccharides found in marine environments can serve as carbon-rich precursors for synthesizing carbon quantum dots (CQDs). Marine polysaccharides have a distinct advantage over other CQD precursors because they contain multiple heteroatoms, including nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and oxygen (O). The surface of CQDs can be naturally doped, reducing the need for excessive use of chemical reagents and promoting green methods. The present review highlights the processing methods used to synthesize CQDs from marine polysaccharide precursors. These can be classified according to their biological origin as being derived from algae, crustaceans, or fish. CQDs can be synthesized to exhibit exceptional optical properties, including high fluorescence emission, absorbance, quenching, and quantum yield. CQDs' structural, morphological, and optical properties can be adjusted by utilizing multi-heteroatom precursors. Moreover, owing to their biocompatibility and low toxicity, CQDs obtained from marine polysaccharides have potential applications in various fields, including biomedicine (e.g., drug delivery, bioimaging, and biosensing), photocatalysis, water quality monitoring, and the food industry. Using marine polysaccharides to produce carbon quantum dots (CQDs) enables the transformation of renewable sources into a cutting-edge technological product. This review can provide fundamental insights for the development of novel nanomaterials derived from natural marine sources.

Lubrication and anti-wear behavior of duplex annealed nanodiamonds/PEO coating on Ti6Al4V: Functional mechanism of structural transformation

Titanium alloys have been widely used due to its low density, high strength and excellent corrosion resistance, but the poor tribological properties restrict its engineering application. Nanodiamond particles provide excellent lubrication and high wear resistance due to the unique physical-chemical properties, but the mismatched mechanical properties severely restrict the solid lubrication application of nanodiamond for titanium alloys. In this study, plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings were firstly prepared on Ti6Al4V substrates, and core-shell annealed nanodiamond particles obtained by high-temperature annealing at 1300 °C with nanodiamond core and graphitic outer shell were deposited on the PEO coatings. The plasma electrolytic oxidation-annealed nanodiamond coatings led to a 46.67 % and 96.13 % reduction of coefficient of friction and wear volume comparing to plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings. Annealed nanodiamond with unique core-shell structure can reduce the abrasion of friction pairs; and the friction-induced structural transformation of annealed nanodiamond particles in the top-layer tribofilm further enhanced the lubrication and wear-resistance. The proposed lubrication mechanism has implications for the development of novel nanomaterials with core-shell structure and duplex coating systems for engineering applications.

Hybrid material of α-Fe2O3 nanostructure with reduced graphene oxide: Enhanced dielectric and optical properties in relation to their composition and morphology

The enhancement in the optical and dielectric properties in advanced technologies demands the development of novel nanomaterials. The present study discusses the synthesis of iron oxide (α-Fe2O3) using chemical precipitation method and Hummer's modified method for reduced graphene oxide (rGO). A nanocomposite of both α-Fe2O3 and rGO is prepared by using sonication method which provide better interface between the ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials. XRD and TGA studies were performed to confirm the structural changes and compositional phases in the samples. FT-IR analysis confirms the presence of the various functional groups in addition to phase purity of the samples and stretching vibration bands of Fe-O for α-Fe2O3 NPs. TEM images displays the illustrious dispersion of α-Fe2O3 NPs on the rGO sheet of synthesized NC. UV–Vis investigation reveals that sample has an optical gap of about 2.25 eV and that this value increases with rGO addition. The attributes of dielectric characteristics like dielectric constant (ε′), loss tangent (tan δ), and ac conductivity (σac) are examined at different frequencies. These important electrical and dielectric results obtained for NC with desirable properties make it advanced multifunctional material for electronic devices.

Lateral Heterostructures of Graphene and h-BN with Atomic Lattice Coherence and Tunable Rotational Order.

In-plane heterostructures of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)exhibit exceptional properties, which are highly sensitive to the structure of the alternating domains. Nevertheless, achieving accurate control over their structural properties, while keeping a high perfection at the graphene-h-BN boundaries, still remains a challenge. Here, the growth of lateral heterostructures of graphene and h-BN on Rh(110) surfaces is reported. The choice of the 2D material, grown firstly, determines the structural properties of the whole heterostructure layer, allowing to have control over the rotational order of the domains. The atomic-scale observation of the boundaries demonstrates a perfect lateral matching. In-plane heterostructures floating over an oxygen layer have been successfully obtained, enabling to observe intervalley scattering processes in graphene regions. The high tuning capabilities of these heterostructures, along with their good structural quality, even around the boundaries, suggest their usage as test beds for fundamental studies aiming at the development of novel nanomaterials with tailored properties.

Synergistically Enhancing the Therapeutic Effect on Cancer, via Asymmetric Bioinspired Materials.

The undesirable side effects of conventional chemotherapy are one of the major problems associated with cancer treatment. Recently, with the development of novel nanomaterials, tumor-targeted therapies have been invented in order to achieve more specific cancer treatment with reduced unfavorable side effects of chemotherapic agents on human cells. However, the clinical application of nanomedicines has some shortages, such as the reduced ability to cross biological barriers and undesirable side effects in normal cells. In this order, bioinspired materials are developed to minimize the related side effects due to their excellent biocompatibility and higher accumulation therapies. As bioinspired and biomimetic materials are mainly composed of a nanometric functional agent and a biologic component, they can possess both the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials and the advantages of biologic agents, such as prolonged circulation time, enhanced biocompatibility, immune modulation, and specific targeting for cancerous cells. Among the nanomaterials, asymmetric nanomaterials have gained attention as they provide a larger surface area with more active functional sites compared to symmetric nanomaterials. Additionally, the asymmetric nanomaterials are able to function as two or more distinct components due to their asymmetric structure. The mentioned properties result in unique physiochemical properties of asymmetric nanomaterials, which makes them desirable materials for anti-cancer drug delivery systems or cancer bio-imaging systems. In this review, we discuss the use of bioinspired and biomimetic materials in the treatment of cancer, with a special focus on asymmetric nanoparticle anti-cancer agents.

Layered Double Hydroxides Derived from MIL-88A(Fe) as an Efficient Adsorbent for Enhanced Removal of Lead (II) from Water

The efficient removal of lead (II) from aqueous solution remains a big problem and the development of novel nanomaterials as adsorbents by various technologies to solve this problem is promising. This study contributed a novel nanostructure of MIL-88A-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as the adsorbent for Pb2+, which was synthesized by a two-step solvothermal method with MIL-88A(Fe) as the precursor. The as-prepared material featured a chestnut-like core-shell structure, and exhibited excellent removal performance towards Pb2+ from water in comparison to MIL-88A(Fe) and LDHs (directly synthesized). The adsorption of Pb2+ by the MIL-88A-LDHs conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximal adsorption capacity was 526.32, 625.00, and 909.09 mg g-1 at 278, 298, and 318 K, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters suggested that the adsorption was an endothermic, entropy-increasing, and spontaneous reaction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that the surface complexation was mostly responsible for Pb2+ elimination. The MIL-88A-LDHs can be readily regenerated and showed good cyclic performance towards Pb2+. Thus, the as-prepared MIL-88A-LDHs may hold promise for the elimination of aqueous heavy metals.