Hybrid Nanostructures Research Articles

Nanonet-/fiber-structured flexible ceramic membrane enabling dielectric energy storage

Ceramics are considered intrinsically brittle at macro scale due to the lack of slip mechanism and pre-existing defects, which greatly limits their potential applications in emerging fields including wearable electronic devices and flexible display. In this contribution, we developed BiFeO₃/SiO₂ dual-networks with exceptional flexibility through a coupled electronetting/electrospun method. The hybrid nanostructured networks endow the material with high tensile strength (2.7 MPa), excellent flexibility (80% recoverable deformation), and robust fatigue resistance performance (maintain flexibility after a 1000-cyclic compress test). After <i>in-situ</i> compounded with dielectric polymer via a layer-by-layer solution casting method, the resultant three-dimensional (3D) composite film exhibits a twice higher dielectric constant (<i>ε</i>_r) than polyether imide (PEI) film. More importantly, the breakdown strength of the 3D composite film is almost the same as that of the PEI film, resulting in an enhanced energy density of ~6.0 J/cm³ and a high efficiency of 80% at 4.58 MV/cm. The unique structure, combined with the excellent balance between mechanical and dielectric properties in flexible structures, is of critical significance to the design of flexible functional ceramics and broadening their applications in wearable electric devices.

Construction of ZIF-67/MIL-88(Fe, Ni) catalysts as a novel platform for efficient overall water splitting

Constructing bifunctional non-precious metal electrocatalysts is necessary for effective overall water splitting (OWS), but challenging. Herein, a novel hybrid nanostructure of ZIF-67/MIL-88(Fe, Ni), denoted as Co-M-Fe/Ni(x) (x represents the mass of ZIF-67), was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal and in-situ growth method, and showed a highly efficient and stable bifunctionality of both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolyte. The Co-M-Fe/Ni(150) exhibited excellent OER performance with a low overpotential of 269 mV and 149 mV @ 10 mA cm−2 for OER and HER in 1 mol L−1 KOH, respectively. With Co-M-Fe/Ni(150) as cathode and anode, the integrated OWS device had achieved low potential of 1.52 V @ 10 mA cm−2, exhibiting its excellent performance of OWS. Based on the results of experiments, ZIF-67 and MIL-88(Fe, Ni), as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which have a large specific surface area, uniform distribution of porous structures facilitates charge transmission, promoting the penetration of electrolytes, and improves electron transfer rate. The mechanism of the superior electrocatalytic performance of Co-M-Fe/Ni(150) may be attributed to the synergy of ZIF-67 and MIL-88(Fe, Ni). This work provides guidance for the rational design or optimization of non-noble composites for energy conversion.

MoSe2 and NiCo2O4/NiO Based HybridNanostructure as Novel Electrocatalyst for High Performance Rechargeable Zinc-Air Battery

Efficient air electrocatalysts are needed to develop eco-friendly rechargeable Zinc-air (Zn-air) batteries for renewable energy storage. Here, we investigate the electrocatalytic activity of hydrothermally synthesized MoSe2, NiCo2O4/NiO and NiCo2O4/NiO-MoSe2 hybrid nanostructure by performing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) studies. The NiCo2O4/NiO-MoSe2 hybrid nanostructure (Tafel slope∼ 54 mV decade−1) shows best electrocatalytic activity and stability for OER study among synthesized electrocatalysts. Further, the oxygen reduction behaviors of prepared catalysts have been observed in oxygen saturated electrolyte solution. The excellent electrocatalytic activity of hybrid nanostructure can be associated with its high electrochemical active surface area, number of active sites and possibly due to the presence of selenium vacancies and edges in MoSe2. Furthermore, we demonstrate Zn-air batteries with these electrocatalysts as air cathode, showing open circuit potential of 1.42 V, the specific capacity of 1023 mA h gZn−1 and energy density of 1195 W h kgZn−1, with high durability for hybrid nanostructure-based Zn-air battery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating pristine MoSe2 and NiCo2O4/NiO-MoSe2 hybrid nanostructure-based cathodes for Zn-air batteries with excellent specific capacity and energy density.

Plasmon-Exciton Interaction in Perspective Hetero-Systems

Surface plasmons and excitons have been widely studied experimentally and theoretically for various material systems. However, a number of aspects require further deeper study and understanding, among which the connection of these quasi-particles occupies an important place. New physical effects arise when plasmons and excitons in nanostructures begin to be localized at certain small distances, as a result, we can talk about their coupling. Complex systems containing the excitation of plasmons and excitons, as well as their coupling, show interesting optical properties that they cannot exhibit individually. In this type of system, the plasmon enhances the coupling between the system and the external field, and the exciton controls certain spectral properties, which opens up new possibilities for tuning their optical response. The transferred energy between plasmons and excitons becomes an important factor affecting their interaction when the resonance frequency of the localized plasmon is very close to the molecular energy transition frequency. Two types of coupling can occur depending on the ratio between the strength of the coupling and the energy losses of individual components in the system, namely strong and weak. In addition to the mutual coupling between the plasmon and the exciton, their different linewidths and ability to couple to an external field provide a variety of means to tune the optical properties of hybrid systems. Thus, it enables precise control of light at the nanometer scale, opening up possibilities for new electronics and photonics applications. In this review, we highlight the features of weak and strong modes of plasmon-exciton coupling, modern trends, and perspectives in the study of hetero-systems semiconductor–metal, metal–2D material, semiconductor–molecule, etc. Semiconductor-metal hybrid nanostructures open up exciting opportunities for the study of quantum phenomena, optical processes, and multiparticle interactions and confidently lead to application in new photonics devices.

Piezotronic Effect Induced Schottky Barrier Decrease to Boost the Plasmonic Charge Separation of BaTiO3-Au Heterojunction for the Photocatalytic Selective Oxidation of Aminobenzyl Alcohol.

Charge carrier transfer efficiency as a crucial factor determines the performance of heterogeneous photocatalysis. Here, we demonstrate a simple nanohybrid structure of BaTiO3-Au (BTO-Au) for the efficient selective oxidization of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde upon piezotronic effect boosted plasmonic photocharge carrier transfer. With the aid of ultrasonic mechanical vibration, the reaction rate of the photocatalytic organic conversion would be considerably accelerated, which is about 4.2 and 6.2 times higher than those driven by sole visible light irradiation and sole ultrasonication, respectively. Photoelectrochemical tests under ultrasonic stimuli reveal the BTO-Au catalytic system is independent of the light intensity, showing a consistent photocurrent density, over a wide range of incident light brightness. The largely enhanced photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the synergetic effect of surface plasmonic resonance (SPR)-piezotronic coupling by which a built-in electric field induced by the piezotronic effect significantly favors the oriented mobilization of energetic charge carriers generated by the SPR effect at the heterojunction. Notably, a decrease of the Schottky barrier height of ∼0.3 eV at the BTO-Au interface is verified experimentally, due to the band bending of BTO induced by the piezotronic effect, which can greatly augment the hot electron transfer efficiency. This work highlights the coupling of the piezotronic effect with SPR within the BTO-Au nanostructure as a versatile and promising route for efficient charge transfer in photocatalytic organic conversion.

Advanced refractive index sensor using 3-dimensional metamaterial based nanoantenna array

Photonic researchers have increasingly exploiting nanotechnology. Due to the advent of numerous prevalent nanosized manufacturing methods that enable adequate shaped nanostructures to be manufactured and investigated as a method of exploiting nano-structured. Owing of the variety of optical modes, hybrid nanostructures that integrate dielectric resonators with plasmonic nanostructures also offer enormous potentials. In this work, we have explored a hybrid coupled nano-structured antenna with stacked lithium tantalate (LiTaO3)/Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) multilayer operating at infrared ranging from 400 nm-2000 nm. Here, the sensitivity response has been explored of the hybrid nano-structured array made up of the gold metal elliptical disk placed on the top of a quartz substrate and excite the different modes in both materials. It shows large electromagnetic confinement at the separation distance (d) of the dimers due to strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The influence of the structural dimensions is investigated to optimise the sensitivity of stacked elliptical dimers. The designed hybrid coupled nano-structure with the combination of gold (Au) and Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) /Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) with h 1 = h 2 = 10 nm each 10 layer exhibits bulk sensitivity (S), which is the spectrum shift unit per refractive index (RI) change in the surrounding medium was calculated to be 730 and 660 nm/RIU with major axis, (a) = 100 nm, minor axis, (b) = 10 nm, separation distance (d) = 10 nm, height, (h) = 100 nm (with or without stacked). The outcomes from the proposed hybrid nanostructure have been compared with a single metallic (only gold) elliptical paired nano-structure to show a significant improvement in the sensitivity using hybrid nano-structure. Depending on these findings, we demonstrated a roughly two-fold increase in sensitivity (S) by utilising a hybrid nano linked nano-structure with respect to identical nano structure, which competes with traditional sensors with the same height, (h) based on localised surface plasmon resonances. Our innovative plasmonic hybrid nanostructures provide a framework for developing plasmonic nanostructures for use in various sensing applications.

Modeling of surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on Ag/BiFeO3/Ni using 2D nanomaterial perovskite MAPbBr3

In the present work, the sensing performance analysis of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for biological and chemical applications is reported. The structure studied consists of a silver nanofilm, the hybrid nanostructure of bismuth ferrite material (BiFeO 3 ), and a nickel nanofilm covered by a layer of perovskite CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 (MAPbBr 3 ) nanomaterial. Our analyses are based on the finite element method (FEM) and a monochromatic excitation of wavelength 633 nm. We numerically analyzed performance parameters such as angular sensitivity, sensitivity enhancement, factor of merit (FoM) and electric field distribution. We have shown that the proposed SPR biosensor exhibits very good detection performance in terms of sensitivity and FoM. Compared with the conventional SPR structure, the 2D nanomaterials have excellent properties, such as stronger absorption capacity, which improves the biological and chemical sensing ability of the sensor. The sensitivity and FoM of the optimized biosensor reaches 408 deg/RIU with 240% enhancement, and 93.12 RIU −1 with 138.78% improvement respectively, when the perovskite material layer covered the BK7/Ag/BiFeO 3 /Ni hybrid nanostructure; for a 0.005 RIU variation in the refractive index of the sensing medium. Therefore, our proposed design and study would be practically suitable for bio/chemical sensing and in biomedical application has excellent performance, with the available fabrication technologies. • We proposed a SPR nanostructured as a high multi-functional detection biosensor by the MAPbBr 3 perovskite nanomaterial layer: BK7/Ag/BiFeO 3 /Ni/MAPbBr 3 . • The optimized nanostructure shows the highest angular sensitivity of 408 deg/RIU. • Highest sensitivity enhancement 240% for bimetallic/nanomaterials based SPR biosensor. • This study demonstrated high FoM of 105.78 RIU {-1} with an enhancement of 171.23%.

Microporous vertically aligned CNT nanocomposites with tunable properties for use in flexible heat sinks

Effective thermal management of electronic systems depends on the heat transfer efficiency or the heat dissipation capability, and the thermal conductivity of heat sink components, which has a critical impact on the performance of the devices. The rapidly growing field of microelectronics creates an enormous need for next-generation flexible, lightweight heat sinks. In this work, flexible, microporous nanocomposites are fabricated utilizing a unique yet easily tunable processing method, targeting heat-sink applications. The highly porous and low-density nanohybrid structures were fabricated in a unique processing technique using conformally pyrolytic carbon (PyC) coated vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) infiltration. Simply by varying the concentration of the PDMS in the VACNT structure, the microporosity can be tuned from 50% to 93%, and at the same time, the density of the structure varies from 0.11 g/cm 3 to 0.51 g/cm 3 . The through-thickness thermal conductivity of the VACNT – PDMS nanocomposites did not vary substantially with increasing PDMS concentration, and the highest performance samples exhibited 14.1 W/mK thermal conductivity. The highly flexible nanocomposite structure also showed excellent mechanical resiliency and exhibited complete recovery from 80% compressive strain. The final heat-sink structure with fins was fabricated by a controlled laser etching technique. Analysis of the flexible VACNT array heat sink showed a significant ∼27% reduction in thermal resistance with an air velocity of 1.5 m/s, and about ∼40% improvement in the output performance of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) on which it was mounted. The high thermal conductivity of VACNTs and the large surface area provided by the microporous structure, as well as the laser-etched fins all together contributed to better thermal management performance.

A copper oxide functionalized neodymium oxide hybrid nanostructure interconnected with modified glassy carbon electrode (CuO–Nd2O3/GCE) for electrochemical determination of Malathion pesticide

A copper oxide functionalized neodymium oxide hybrid nanostructure interconnected with modified glassy carbon electrode (CuO–Nd2O3/GCE) for electrochemical determination of Malathion pesticide

Effect of additive concentration on crystalline surface of ZnO nanostructures morphology for enhanced humidity sensing

Zinc oxide (ZnO) possesses unique nanostructures. Most ZnO nanostructures have yet seen its use as coating for fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. The properties of zinc oxide nanostructure can be greatly influenced by different additives added with the precursor. This study reports on the influence of different concentration of hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) additive towards the humidity sensing capability of zinc oxide coated on FBG sensors. The synthesis of zinc oxide nanostructure was through a modified hydrothermal method. Morphology observation has confirmed a unique hybrid of nanoflake, and porous hemispherical growth of zinc oxide accompanied with elemental analysis for validation. Sensor response towards change in relative humidity is improved by 400% with functional range between 40 and 80 RH%. The concentration of HMT to achieve such performance is 0.05 ​M with a zinc acetate precursor. The device shows potency with its hybrid nanostructure when integrated with FBG based humidity sensor. Due to its functional range, it can detect relative humidity contents in the air for various industries. The fabricated sensing device is suited for use in industries with several magnetic equipment and requiring many sensor nodes for mapping of data.

Chitosan-Mediated Environment-Friendly Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles with Enhanced Photonic Reactivity

We developed a very simple, efficient and environment-friendly synthesis method for the manufacturing of high-performance chitosan-capped gold nanoparticles that could be used for biosensing applications. Gold nanoparticles were prepared through the spontaneous reduction of chloroauric acid by chitosan, which was used as both a reducing and a stabilizing agent. The samples were heated to a temperature of 60 °C under ultrasonic conditions. The composite system made of chitosan as a matrix and gold nanoparticles demonstrated a high stability in an aqueous buffer solution. The nanoparticles displayed an enhancement in photonic performance compared with the same property of individual components as a result of surface plasmon resonance at the interface between the structural phases of the hybrid structure. The enhanced photonic reactivity of the hybrid nanostructure may offer new insights for future possible biosensing applications.

Nanofabrication of hybrid nanomaterials: Macroscopically aligned nanoparticles pattern via directed self‐assembly of block copolymers

AbstractPeriodic hybrid nanostructured materials based on aligned inorganic nanoparticles within self‐assembled copolymer matrixes aimed to harness the collective properties of generated functional nanomaterials. The nanoparticles are desirable for their useful magnetic, optical, catalytic, and electronic properties owed to the quantum confinement effect. For instance, gold, palladium and platinum as nanoparticles, have shown significant change in the physiochemical properties in comparison to their bulk materials. If the nanoparticles are aligned into well‐defined macroscopic periodic nanostructures in diverse of morphologies, the unique collective properties are significantly enhanced. These unique properties can be transformed to improve the performance of storage media, multi‐contact tracks solar panels and optoelectronic devices. Within this review, the nanofabrication tools will be presented as an alternative route to conventional top‐down methods for the fabrication of periodic nanostructured hybrid materials. A simple approach is reviewed to fabricate periodic nanostructured hybrid systems based on the directed assembly of inorganic nanoparticles into well‐defined periodic three‐dimensional nanostructures provided by the self‐assembling ability of block copolymers. The fabrications of varieties morphologies and the formation mechanism at different dimensions will be discussed as well as the characterization techniques. Finally, several applications of the proposed hybrid nanostructures are highlighted for the next generation of miniaturized devices.

Solution-processed UV–visible photodetector based on Ag enfold g-C3N4 nanosheets with MWCNT nanotube hybrid nanostructure

Developing high-performance and low cost photodetector through solution process technique is highly desirable for achieving practical application. In the present work, we have fabricated the Ag-g-C3N4/MWCNT hybrid composites based photodetector by spin coating technique. The structural and morphological properties of the samples were carried out by XRD, XPS, TEM and FESEM analysis to confirm the crystalline nature of Ag-g-C3N4/MWCNT hybrid nanocomposites. Then, the fabricated photodetector exhibits good response from UV to visible region (i.e 200-600 nm) with the lower dark current. The spectral response, external quantum efficiency, response time, and recovery time of the fabricated photodetector are 0.9 A/W (534 nm), 151%, 0.31 s and 0.47 s respectively.

Cavity expansion and nanohybrid copper phytate@halloysite coated with polyphosphazene for reducing smoke release and fire hazard of epoxy resin

Halloysite (Hal) nanotubes have become a good nano-carrier of flame retardant systems. In the present work, cavity expansion of Hal was achieved by etching with sulfuric acid to improve its loading capacity. Then, copper phytate was synthesized and encapsulated in the Hal to obtain Phyt-Cu@Hal. Finally, a sulfonyldiphenol-containing polyphosphazene derivative (PZS) was polymerized and wrapped on Phyt-Cu@Hal external surface to form a hierarchical nanohybrid structure (Phyt-Cu@Hal@PZS). Herein, Phyt-Cu encapsulated in Hal acts as catalyzing and char-forming agents while the wrapped PZS acts as an interfacial compatibilizer which can improve the dispersion and flame retardancy of Phyt-Cu@Hal@PZS in the EP matrix. The flame retardancy and smoke suppression of the corresponding EP nanocomposites were significantly enhanced due to the synergistic effect of Phyt-Cu@Hal@PZS. After adding 5 wt% Phyt-Cu@Hal@PZS, the peak heat release rate and smoke release rate were reduced maximally by 34.3% and 42.1%, respectively. Moreover, the char residue was also greatly enhanced which is 97.3 times higher than that of neat EP. The flame retardant mechanism of Phyt-Cu@Hal@PZS was assumed that the Phyt-Cu immobilized within the Hal could distinctly inhibit the flammable pyrolysis products; the external PZS layer promotes the char formation of EP matrix; the nanoscale combination of Phyt-Cu, Hal and PZS could further enhance the catalyzing carbonization to produce a physical barrier effect.

Biodesulfurization of Dibenzothiophene by Decorating Rhodococcus erythropolis IGTS8 Using Montmorillonite/Graphitic Carbon Nitride

Fossil fuels are the main sources of human energy, but their combustion releases toxic compounds of sulfur oxide. In the oil industry, using the optimal methods to eliminate sulfur compounds from fossil fuels is a very important issue. In this study, the performance of montmorillonite/graphitic carbon nitride (a new hybrid nanostructure) in increasing the biodesulfurization activity of Rhodococcus erythropolis IGTS8 was investigated. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used for the characterization of the nanoparticles. The effective factors in this process were determined. Optimum conditions for microorganisms were designed using the Design Expert software. Experiments were performed in a flask. The results indicated that the biodesulfurization activity of a microorganism in the presence of the nanostructure increases by 52%. In addition, in the presence of the nanostructure, the effective factors are: 1. concentration of the nanostructure; 2. concentration of sulfur; 3. cell concentration. In the absence of the nanostructure, the only effective factor is the concentration of sulfur. Through analysis of variance, the proposed models were presented to determine the concentration of the 2-hydroxy biphenyl produced by the microorganisms (biodesulfurization activity) in the presence and absence of the nanostructure. The proposed models were highly acceptable and consistent with experimental data. The results of a Gibbs assay showed that the biodesulfurization efficiency of in the presence of the nanostructure was increased by about 52%, which is a very satisfactory result. The biodesulfurization activity of decorated cells in a bioreactor showed a significant increase compared with nondecorated cells. Almost a two-fold improvement in biodesulfurization activity was obtained for decorated cells compared with free cells.

Improved finite element method for flow, heat and solute transport of Prandtl liquid via heated plate

In the current study, a vertical, 3D-heated plate is used to replicate the generation of heat energy and concentration into Prandtl liquid. We discuss how Dufour and Soret theories relate to the equations for concentration and energy. In order to see how effectively particles, interact with heat and a solvent, hybrid nanoparticles are used. It does away with the phenomena of viscous dissipation and changing magnetic fields. The motivation behind the developed study is to optimize solvent and heat storage uses in the biological and industrial domains. This article's major goal is to explore the aspects of thermal energy and mass transfer that influence how nanoparticles, hybrid nanoparticles, and 3D melting surface sheets behave. Variable thermal efficiency and variable mass transfer are combined. The system of generated PDEs (difference equations) includes the concentration, velocity, and heat energy equations. The numerical calculations are done for Silver (Ag), Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) nanoparticles with Ethylene glycol (C2H6O2) as the base fluid using a boundary layer approach to the mathematical formulation. The system of ODEs is formulated through transformations in order to find a solution. A Galerkin finite element algorithm (G-FEA) is adopted to analyze various aspects versus different parameters. It has been found that motion into hybrid nanoparticles is reduced by motion into nanoparticles. Additionally, differences in heat energy and solvent particle sizes are associated with modifications in magnetic, Dufour, Eckert, and Soret numbers. In contrast to hybrid nanostructures, the output of thermal energy is usually observed to be substantially higher. The magnetic field parameter decreases the particle velocity. In contradiction to the Eckert number, bouncy parameter, and magnetic parameter set values, the maximum quantity of heat energy is obtained. variable thermal conductivity's function. The 3D heated vertical surface convective heat transfer of nanofluids and hybrid nanofluids under the impact of a heat source, thermal radiation, and viscous dissipation has not yet been studied, as far as the authors are aware.

DNA Nanostructure-Guided Plasmon Coupling Architectures

DNA Nanostructure-Guided Plasmon Coupling Architectures

Exploiting bioderived humic acids: A molecular combination with ZnO nanoparticles leads to nanostructured hybrid interfaces with enhanced pro-oxidant and antibacterial activity

The waste-to-wealth strategy is encouraging the design of a plethora of new value-added materials, by exploiting the chemical and biological richness of biowastes. Humic Acids (HA) are mostly intriguing because of their amphiphilic supramolecular associations which are responsible for several assets, such as adsorption ability towards small molecules, metal ion chelation, redox behavior, and antibacterial activity. The molecular combination of HA with semiconductor nanoparticles represents a valuable strategy to obtain nanostructured hybrid materials and interfaces with advanced features. Concurrently, it permits to overcome intrinsic limits of such organic fraction, including poor stability, fast conformational dynamics, or rapid reactivity in aqueous media. Herein, hybrid HA/ZnO nanoparticles are synthetized through a bottom-up strategy, exerting an improved pro-oxidant behavior by generating Reactive Oxygen Species, even without light irradiation, favoring an enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity against different bacterial pathogens. Several techniques, including SEM/TEM, DLS, ζ-potential, XRD, FTIR, TGA/DSC, EPR and DRUV, allows to define the structure-property-function relationships, thus highlighting the crucial role of a fine conjugation amongst the metal oxide precursor and bioderived fraction to drive the pro-oxidant activity. This study provides strategic guidelines to easily produce low-cost organo-inorganic nanomaterials with redox and biocide properties, aimed at coping environmental and health issues.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Magnetic triazine-based dendrimer as a versatile nanocarrier for efficient antiviral drugs delivery

Nanoscale engineering is an efficient method for the treatment of multiple infectious diseases. Due to the controllable functionalities, surface properties, and internal cavities, dendrimer-based nanoparticles represent high performance in drug delivery, making their application attractive in pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry. In this study, a dendritic nanostructure (Fe3O4@SiO2@TAD-G3) was designed and fabricated by grafting a triazine-based dendrimer on a magnetic nanomaterial. The structure of synthesized hybrid nanostructure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, elemental mapping, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The prepared nanostructure (Fe3O4@SiO2@TAD-G3) combines the unique properties of magnetic nanoparticles and a hyperbranched dendrimer for biomedical applications. Its dual nature and highly exposed active sites, could make the transportation of drugs to targeted sites of interest through the magnetic field. A study was conducted on model drugs loading (Favipiravir and Zidovudine) and in vitro release behaviour of Fe3O4@SiO2@TAD-G3, which was monitored by ultraviolet spectroscopy. The dendritic nanostructure exhibited high drug-loading capacity for Favipiravir (63.2%) and Zidovudine (76.5%). About (90.8% and 80.2%) and (95.5% and 83.4%) of loaded Favipiravir and Zidovudine were released from Fe3O4@SiO2@TAD-G3 at pH 1.5 and 6.8 respectively, within 600 min and at 37 °C. The initial fast release attributed to the drug molecules on the surface of nanostructure while the drugs incorporated deeply into the pores of the Fe3O4@SiO2@TAD-G3 released with a delay. We proposed that Fe3O4@SiO2@TAD-G3 could be tested as an effective carrier in the targeted (cellular or tissue) delivery of drugs. We think that the prepared nanostructure will not deposit in the liver and lungs due to the small size of the nanoparticles.

Nanostructured Nickel-based Non-enzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Sensors.

Glucose detection is considered a significant area and has remained the topic of considerable attention. Remarkable technological advancements have been observed in diabetes monitoring in the past decades. This continual progress helps to track recent trends in development as well as identify challenging issues in glucose sensor construction. Thus, a comprehensive synopsis of the most recent advancements and developments in the study of nickel (Ni) nanostructure-based sensors for efficient trace-level glucose detection, following non-enzymatic and electrochemical methods, is provided in this review. Moreover, this review is intensively focused on the methodologies for the structure, morphology, preparation, and enforcement of a variety of Ni nanostructures, including Ni nanosheets with metals, Ni nanospheres with metals/mixed metals, Ni-metal nanocomposites, metal nanoparticles-decorated Ni nanowires, Ni nanoparticles, Ni-decorated metal nanotube arrays, Ni nanoneedles and nanorods with metals, nanoporous, nanoplates, nanocoated Ni with metal composites, and Ni-composed hybrid nanostructures. Various demonstrations and categorizations are provided on Ni-based nanostructures for a clear understanding for diverse readers.