Including Carbon Nanomaterials Research Articles

Reproductive Toxicity of Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Review.

The unique characteristics of nanoparticles (NPs) have captivated scientists in various fields of research. However, their safety profile has not been fully scrutinized. In this regard, the effects of NPs on the reproductive system of animals and humankind have been a matter of concern. In this article, we will review the potential reproductive toxicity of various types of NPs, including carbon nanomaterials, dendrimers, quantum dots, silica, gold, and magnetic nanoparticles, reported in the literature. We also mention some notable cases where NPs have elicited beneficial effects on the reproductive system. This review provides extensive insight into the effects of various NPs on sperm and ovum and the outcomes of their passage through blood-testis and placental barriers and accumulation in the reproductive organs.

A Review on Non-Noble Metal Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), a powerful spectroscopic technique owing to its abundant vibrational fingerprints, has been widely employed for the assay of analytes. It is generally considered that one of the critical factors determining the SERS performance is the property of the substrate materials. Apart from noble metal substrates, non-noble metal nanostructured materials, as emerging new substrates, have been extensively studied for SERS research by virtue of their superior biocompatibility, good chemical stability, outstanding selectivity, and unique physicochemical properties such as adjustable band structure and carrier concentration. Herein, in this review, we summarized the research on the analytical application of non-noble metal SERS substrates from three aspects. Firstly, we started with an introduction to the possible enhancement mechanism of non-noble metal substrates. Then, as a guideline for substrates design, several main types of materials, including carbon nanomaterials, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), metal oxides, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), and conjugated polymers were discussed. Finally, we especially emphasized their analytical application, such as the detection of pollutants and biomarkers. Moreover, the challenges and attractive research prospects of non-noble metal SERS substrates in practical application were proposed. This work may arouse more awareness of the practical application of the non-noble metal material-based SERS substrates, especially for bioanalysis.

Exploring Microbial-Based Green Nanobiotechnology for Wastewater Remediation: A Sustainable Strategy

Water scarcity due to contamination of water resources with different inorganic and organic contaminants is one of the foremost global concerns. It is due to rapid industrialization, fast urbanization, and the low efficiency of traditional wastewater treatment strategies. Conventional water treatment strategies, including chemical precipitation, membrane filtration, coagulation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, adsorption, and photolysis, are based on adopting various nanomaterials (NMs) with a high surface area, including carbon NMs, polymers, metals-based, and metal oxides. However, significant bottlenecks are toxicity, cost, secondary contamination, size and space constraints, energy efficiency, prolonged time consumption, output efficiency, and scalability. On the contrary, green NMs fabricated using microorganisms emerge as cost-effective, eco-friendly, sustainable, safe, and efficient substitutes for these traditional strategies. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art microbial-assisted green NMs and strategies including microbial cells, magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), bio-augmentation and integrated bioreactors for removing an extensive range of water contaminants addressing the challenges associated with traditional strategies. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the efficacies of microbe-assisted green NM-based water remediation strategy with the traditional practices in light of crucial factors like reusability, regeneration, removal efficiency, and adsorption capacity has been presented. The associated challenges, their alternate solutions, and the cutting-edge prospects of microbial-assisted green nanobiotechnology with the integration of advanced tools including internet-of-nano-things, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence have been discussed. This review opens a new window to assist future research dedicated to sustainable and green nanobiotechnology-based strategies for environmental remediation applications.

Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-based Luminescent ATP Sensors

: Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) plays a significant role in biological processes and the ATP level is closely associated with many diseases. In order to detect ATP in live cells, tissues, and body fluids with high sensitivity and selectivity, researchers have developed various sensing strategies. Particularly, owing to the distinct physicochemical properties of nanomaterials and the high sensitivity of fluorescence, a lot of efforts have been devoted to developing nanomaterials-based approaches for fluorescent ATP sensing in recent years. In this review, we focus on the current development of nanomaterial-based fluorescent ATP sensors and discuss the sensing mechanisms in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of ATP sensing using different kinds of nanomaterials, including carbon nanomaterials, metal nanoparticles, semiconductor quantum dots, metal-organic frameworks, and up-conversion nanoparticles have been thoroughly compared and discussed. Finally, current challenges and future prospects in this field are examined.

Application of nanomaterials decorated with cyclodextrins as sensing elements for environment analysis.

Environmental pollution has brought adverse socio-economic consequences. Organic pollutants and heavy metals are the main culprits of environmental pollution. It is of great importance to develop novel, simple, rapid, sensitive, and low-cost detection approaches for sensing trace pollutants in environmental samples. A lot of detection strategies which are based on varieties of nanomaterials have been developed for environmental analysis in past decades. In this review, we retrospect a variety of nanomaterials decorated with cyclodextrins (CDs), including carbon nanomaterials decorated with CDs, noble metal nanomaterials decorated with CDs and other nanomaterials decorated with CDs, and their application in environmental analysis. CDs is a type of ideal modifying molecules which could recognize targets, improve the solubility and dispersibility of corresponding functionalized materials, and enhance the detecting performance of designed sensors. CDs have been widely immobilized to carbon nanomaterials, noble metal nanomaterials, phosphorene (BP) nanocomposites, metal organic framework (MOF), and magnetic nanomaterials, and these nanocomposites have been utilized as the sensing elements for different target analytes. Immobilizing CDs on different nanomaterials could extremely expand the development of new sensing systems for environmental analysis based on these materials, greatly broaden the species of sensing targets, and apparently improve their sensing performance. Herein, the nanomaterials decorated with CDs, as sensing elements for environmental analysis, were reviewed including the types of nanomaterials decorated with CDs and their applications in various sensing strategies for environmental analysis. Finally, the perspectives of the nanomaterials decorated with CDs used as sensing elements were also discussed.

Design Strategies of Non-Noble Metal-Based Electrocatalysts for Two-Electron Oxygen Reduction to Hydrogen Peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) is a highly value-added and environmentally friendly chemical with various applications. The production of H2 O2 by electrocatalytic 2e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has drawn considerable research attention, with a view to replacing the currently established anthraquinone process. Electrocatalysts with low cost, high activity, high selectivity, and superior stability are in high demand to realize precise control over electrochemical H2 O2 synthesis by 2e- ORR and the feasible commercialization of this system. This Review introduces a comprehensive overview of non-noble metal-based catalysts for electrochemical oxygen reduction to afford H2 O2 , providing an insight into catalyst design and corresponding reaction mechanisms. It starts with an in-depth discussion on the origins of 2e- /4e- selectivity towards ORR for catalysts. Recent advances in design strategies for non-noble metal-based catalysts, including carbon nanomaterials and transition metal-based materials, for electrochemical oxygen reduction to H2 O2 are then discussed, with an emphasis on the effects of electronic structure, nanostructure, and surface properties on catalytic performance. Finally, future challenges and opportunities are proposed for the further development of H2 O2 electrogeneration through 2e- ORR, from the standpoints of mechanistic studies and practical application.

Carbon Based Nanocomposites for Electrochemical Sensing of Adenine and Guanine Purine Bases: A Review

Electrochemical sensing (ECS) is one of the most preferred detection techniques for the analysis of biomolecules such as purine bases (PB) which is based on transducing of biochemical reactions to electric signal (impedance, current, voltage, etc.). The sensitivity and fast signal responding nature of ECS technique to quantify PB, depends on the surface characteristics of working electrodes (WE), since all electrochemical reactions during sensing of PB is generally detected on the surface of WE. In this context, carbon electrodes have been widely studied and used WEin ECS techniques because of their promising electrochemical properties. Moreover, the modification of carbon electrode surfaces with carbon based nanocomposites (CNC) has displayed effective outcomes with good reproducibility, stability, and improved sensitivity in PB quantification via electrochemical methods. CNC including carbon nanomaterials, metal/ metal oxides nanoparticles and polymers, are frequently used electrode modifier due to their extraordinary conductivity and surface to volume ratio. This review provides a critical analysis of the CNC electrochemical sensor with examination of more suitable/efficient sensors for the quantitative detection of PB. Among various PB, the adenine and guanine bases are overviewed in the present review for their electrochemical quantification. In addition, the recent progress in CNC for WE surface modification used in ECS of Adenine and Guanine is also discussed.

Carbon nanomaterial-derived lung burden analysis using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and proteinase K digestion

BackgroundThe quantification of nanomaterials accumulated in various organs is crucial in studying their toxicity and toxicokinetics. However, some types of nanomaterials, including carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), are difficult to quantify in a biological matrix. Therefore, developing improved methodologies for quantification of CNMs in vital organs is instrumental in their continued modification and application.ResultsIn this study, carbon black, nanodiamond, multi-walled carbon nanotube, carbon nanofiber, and graphene nanoplatelet were assembled and used as a panel of CNMs. All CNMs showed significant absorbance at 750 nm, while their bio-components showed minimal absorbance at this wavelength. Quantification of CNMs using their absorbance at 750 nm was shown to have more than 94% accuracy in all of the studied materials. Incubating proteinase K (PK) for 2 days with a mixture of lung tissue homogenates and CNMs showed an average recovery rate over 90%. The utility of this method was confirmed in a murine pharyngeal aspiration model using CNMs at 30 μg/mouse.ConclusionsWe developed an improved lung burden assay for CNMs with an accuracy > 94% and a recovery rate > 90% using PK digestion and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. This method can be applied to any nanomaterial with sufficient absorbance in the near-infrared band and can differentiate nanomaterials from elements in the body, as well as the soluble fraction of the nanomaterial. Furthermore, a combination of PK digestion and other instrumental analysis specific to the nanomaterial can be applied to organ burden analysis.

Recent progress in nanomaterial-based electrochemical and optical sensors for hypoxanthine and xanthine. A review.

This review (with 160 ref.) summarizes the progress that has been made in the methods for chemical or biochemical sensing of hypoxanthine and xanthine, which are produced as part of purine metabolism and are precursors of uric acid. An introduction discusses the importance of hypoxanthine and xanthine as analytes due to their significance in the clinical and food science, together with the conventional methods of analysis. A large section covers methods for the electrochemical hypoxanthine and xanthine sensing. It is divided into subsections according to the nanomaterials used including carbon nanomaterials, meal oxide nanoparticles, metal organic frameworks, conductive polymers, and bio-nanocomposites. A further large section covers optical methods for hypoxanthine and xanthine sensing, with subsections on nanomaterials including carbon nanomaterials, nanosheets, nanoclusters, nanoparticles, and their bio-nanocomposites. A concluding section summarizes the current status, addresses current challenges, and discusses future perspectives. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of the hypoxanthine and xanthine electrochemical and optical sensors incorporating various nanomaterials like graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNT), quantum dots (QD), nanoparticles and polymers, which are implemented in clinical and food analysis.

Nanomaterials-based Electrochemical Immunosensors.

With the development of nanomaterials and sensor technology, nanomaterials-based electrochemical immunosensors have been widely employed in various fields. Nanomaterials for electrode modification are emerging one after another in order to improve the performance of electrochemical immunosensors. When compared with traditional detection methods, electrochemical immunosensors have the advantages of simplicity, real-time analysis, high sensitivity, miniaturization, rapid detection time, and low cost. Here, we summarize recent developments in electrochemical immunosensors based on nanomaterials, including carbon nanomaterials, metal nanomaterials, and quantum dots. Additionally, we discuss research challenges and future prospects for this field of study.

PO-515 Novel water-solube [60]fullerene nanotherapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer treatment

IntroductionThe rapid development of nanotechnology is of great interest to researchers focused on translational medicine and novel targeted cancer treatment. This novel ‘nano’ approach has been used by medicinal chemist to design potential drugs which could easily broke almost any biological barriers. It has been published earlier, that engineered nanoparticles, including carbon nanomaterials, could enter tumours via their leaky vessels system and retain due to a weak drainage in the tumour microenvironment. Here we prestent the synthesis of water-soluble d-glucosamine derivatives used as drug delivery tools and selective FYN and LCK kinase inhibitor for pancreatic cancer treatment.Material and methodsHuman PDAC line PANC-1, ASCP-1 and PAN-O2 was obtained from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, USA) or from National Cancer Institute. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were measured on a Bruker 400 MHz NMR Spectrometer with TMS as an internal standard. MS datasets were collected using Autoflex II MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, and MS electrospray ionisation time-of-flight (ESI-microTOF) mass spectrometer, both instruments from Bruker Daltonics Inc (Fremont, CA). High-resolution spectra were performed using Shimadzu IT-ToF LC-MS System and flash chromatography was performed using Agilent 971-FP Flash Purification System.Results and discussionsTo date we have designed and synthesised three glucosamine-based, water-soluble [60]fullerene derivatives with high wate solubility up to 400 mg/ml. It was observed that all fullerenes form two aggregate fraction 20–30 nm and 400–500 nm. Initial dark cytotoxicity studies on pancreatic cancer cell line PANC1 have been carried out using flow cytometry and propidium iodide (PI) apoptosis staining. It has been shown that all 3 glycofullerenes are non-toxic even in high concentrations (up to 1 mg/ml, incubation 3 and 24 hours). Moreover, synthesised [60]fullerene derivative localises preferentially in the nucleus of PSC cells, with some localization in the cell cytoplasm.ConclusionOur results show predominant cellular nuclear internalisation of our novel hexakis glucosamine C60 derivative. In addition, synthesised nanotherapeutic is inherently non-toxic up to concentrations of 1 mg/ml, and displays strong photodynamic cytotoxic behaviour, when illuminated with both blue and green light. Moreover designed nanotherapeutic is showing selective inhibition to two kinases FYN A and LCK.MS thanks National Science Centre (Poland) for the support (grant UMO- 2016/23/D/NZ7/00912)

МОДИФИЦИРОВАНИЕ ЦЕМЕНТА МАЛОСЛОЙНЫМ ГРАФЕНОМ

Improving the performance characteristics of concrete and, above all, the compression and bending strength is a very urgent task. This problem is usually solved by modifying concrete with various organic and inorganic products of the chemical industry. In the last decade, nanomaterials, including carbon nanomaterials, are actively used as modifiers. Few-layer graphene and graphene oxide are the most promising modifiers. Few-layer graphene can be produced on an industrial scale using the liquid-phase shear exfoliation of crystalline graphite. This technology is fundamentally different from that of producing few-layer graphene from graphite oxide since it does not use strong acids and ultrasound processing, which reduces the cost of the finished product by ten folds. The paper presents the results of the study of the process of modifying cement mixtures with the few-layer graphene produced by the liquid-phase shearing exfoliation of graphite. The modification was carried out by using slurry as mixing water with the few-layer graphene concentrations of 0.02 to 0.07 % relative to cement. To determine the strength characteristics of cement, 40×40×160 mm sample beams were made. Cement solutions and samples were prepared in full compliance with the Standards. The samples were tested for compression and three-point bending. It was experimentally established that the maximum relative strength is achieved at the 0.05–0.06 wt. % concentration (relative to cement) of few-layer graphene, and the further increase in concentration does not lead to the increase in strength. In particular, the compressive strength increases 1.7–2.5 times, when the bending strength increases 1.2–1.5 times. It should be particularly noted that as the compressive strength of a control sample (not modified with the few-layer graphene) increases, the modification effectiveness decreases.

Bringing transparent microelectrodes to market: Evaluation for production and real-world applications

Event Abstract Back to Event Bringing transparent microelectrodes to market: Evaluation for production and real-world applications Michael Mierzejewski1, Pranoti Kshirsagar1, Udo Kraushaar1, Gerhard Heusel1, Ramona Samba2 and Peter D. Jones1* 1 Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, Germany 2 NMI Technologie Transfer GmbH, Germany Introduction Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are used for a number of applications in electrophysiology, with the ability to record field action potentials (fAP) from cardiomyocytes and neurons, as well as selectively induce a potential on an electrode in the array. This technology makes high throughput monitoring of field potentials possible, but the materials used in commercially-available MEAs can inhibit visual recording or stimulation. While transparent conductors such as indium tin oxide (ITO) are used for conducting traces, the need for microelectrodes to have stable, low electrochemical impedance has necessitated the use of opaque materials such as titanium nitride (TiN), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), and platinum iridium (Pt/Ir). Any bright-field microscopy will lead to a shadow being cast onto the cells above the electrode, resulting in a loss of potentially useful information. To remedy this issue, several groups have been working on transparent microelectrode materials such as Au-mesh coated with conducting polymer [1] and carbon nanomaterials [2-5]. To the best of our knowledge, no MEA with transparent microelectrodes is currently commercially available. The purpose of this project is to evaluate multiple transparent materials to complement those opaque materials currently on the market. Specifically, we are investigating the material properties, suitability for scalable production, stability against sterilization and during cell culture, and evaluating their application in opto- and electrophysiology in cardiac and neural applications. This technology has the potential to advance the current trend of combining electrophysiology with optophysiology. Materials and Methods We are evaluating various transparent materials against state-of-the-art titanium nitride (TiN) microelectrodes. Standard (opaque) and transparent titanium nitride microelectrodes have been fabricated in an 8x8 MEA configuration with ITO traces, SiNx as the insulator, electrode size of 30 µm, and pitch of 200 µm. Carbon nanomaterials and conducting polymers are also being considered as potential materials for transparent electrodes. Impedance spectroscopy was performed with a Bio-logic VMP3 potentiostat at an amplitude of 10 mV from 1 Hz to 100 kHz. Noise measurements were performed using 150 mM phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as the medium, utilizing a MEA2100-system from Multi Channel Systems (MCS). Cardiomyocytes were isolated from embryonic chicken ventricles after 13 days in incubation, and 80 k cells were subsequently plated on each MEA after coating with nitrocellulose. Recordings were taken of these samples in a 3 % Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) medium after 6 days in vitro. Optical transmission measurements were taken with a bright-field Zeiss microscope, performing a line scan across the electrodes. Results and Discussion Characterization of the transparent electrodes showed an increase in transparency, noise, and impedance in comparison to the standard electrodes. An increase in impedance of ~150 kΩ (Figure 1b) led to an increase in peak-to-peak noise of 10 µV when compared against standard opaque electrodes. This increase of impedance and noise is accompanied by a 40 % absolute increase in transmission of light in the visible spectrum (400–700 nm) as shown in Figure 1d. The electrodes were then compared against each other in a real world application. Measurement of fAP from the cardiomyocytes showed the effect of the increased noise and transmission observed during the characterization. This increase in noise affected the clarity of the cardiomyocyte recordings, but cellular activity such as the repolarization event in Figure 1c was still visible. While the recordings were impacted by the characteristics of the transparent material, the increased transmission allowed for cells on top of the electrode to be visible under bright-field spectroscopy. Conclusion and Outlook Preliminary results show that increased transparency can be attained in exchange for increased impedance, and subsequent increased noise. The increase in transparency does allow for the ability to view cells which would normally be obstructed by the electrode. This will provide new capabilities for specific applications where observation or optical stimulation of the cells is important to the application. With continued work on this project we aim to further evaluate transparent TiN as well as materials including carbon nanomaterials and conducting polymers. Along with testing the impedance and noise of all the electrodes, we plan to put the MEAs through real world scenarios to see how well they can be used in research applications. This will include investigating the limits that the MEAs can withstand regarding standard cleaning and sterilization procedures, as well as how well the MEAs withstand extended or repeated cell cultures. Figure 1 Figure 2 Acknowledgements We thank the NMI TT GmbH for supporting MEA fabrication, Sandra Buckenmaier for cardiomyocyte cell culturing and Simon Dickreuter for optical transmittance measurements.

Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Improving Neural Interfaces

AbstractA successful biomaterial–neural tissue interface should demonstrate biocompatibility, cytocompatibility, the ability to integrate properly within neural tissues, and the prolonged maintenance of desired electrical properties. Neural electrodes implanted in vivo often experience degradation of these properties due to implant micromotion, mechanical mismatch, an extensive foreign‐body response, and the formation of glial scar tissue that interfere with signal transmission. However, recent advances in nanotechnology and nanomaterials show great promise to address these problems due to their biologically inspired surface features and enhanced electrical properties. This review will discuss how nanomaterials and nanotechnology are being used to fabricate advanced neural electrodes that demonstrate greater bio‐integration properties, enhanced prolonged electrical properties, and an improved signal specificity down to the single molecule range. First, an overview of current biomaterial–neural tissue interface technology is provided, followed by an examination of conventional and newly developed micro‐ and nano‐fabrication methodologies. Nanomaterials that have shown the most promise for neural interfacial applications are then discussed, including carbon nanomaterials, conductive polymers, and hybrid nanomaterials. The purpose of this review is to describe recent advances in nanotechnology for improved biomaterial–neural tissue interfaces, and identify their advantages and disadvantages from a researcher's perspective.

Recent Progress in Flexible Electrochemical Capacitors: Electrode Materials, Device Configuration, and Functions

With increasing demand for portable, flexible, and even wearable electronic devices, flexible energy storage systems have received increasing attention as a key component in this emerging field. Among the options, supercapacitors, commonly referred to as ultracapacitors or electrochemical capacitors, are widely recognized as a potential energy storage system due to their high power, fast charge/discharge rate, long cycling life‐time, and low cost. To date, considerable effort has been dedicated to developing high‐performance flexible supercapacitors based on various electrode materials; including carbon nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, porous carbon materials, carbon paper, and textile), conducting polymers (e.g., polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene), and hybrid materials. A brief introduction to the field is provided and the state‐of‐the‐art is reviewed with special emphasis on electrode materials and device configurations.

ChemInform Abstract: Electroanalysis of Antioxidants in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: State‐of‐the‐Art and Perspectives

AbstractReview: 154 refs.

Electroanalysis of antioxidants in pharmaceutical dosage forms: state-of-the-art and perspectives

Recent developments and future trends in electroanalytical chemistry of antioxidants in pharmaceutical dosage forms are discussed. The advantages of constant-current coulometry and different types of voltammetry in particular rapid response, sensitivity, selectivity, and low detection limits are demonstrated. The special attention is paid to various types of chemically modified electrodes including carbon nanomaterials, nanoparticles of metals, self-organized systems, and their combination. The data presented confirm that electroanalysis can be considered as alternative or additional technique to spectrophotometric and separation methods for determination of antioxidants in pharmaceuticals.

Inorganic nanostructured materials for high performance electrochemical supercapacitors

Electrochemical supercapacitors (ES) are a well-known energy storage system that has high power density, long life-cycle and fast charge-discharge kinetics. Nanostructured materials are a new generation of electrode materials with large surface area and short transport/diffusion path for ions and electrons to achieve high specific capacitance in ES. This mini review highlights recent developments of inorganic nanostructure materials, including carbon nanomaterials, metal oxide nanoparticles, and metal oxide nanowires/nanotubes, for high performance ES applications.