Manufactured Nanomaterials Research Articles

Influence of Graphene Nanoplatelets and Post-Curing Conditions on the Mechanical and Viscoelastic Properties of Stereolithography 3D-Printed Nanocomposites.

This study presents an innovative approach to improving the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of 3D-printed stereolithography (SLA) nanocomposites by incorporating graphene nanoplatelets (xGNP) into photopolymer matrices. Utilizing an SLA 3D printer, photopolymer formulations with xGNP concentrations of up to 0.25 wt% were successfully produced. Post-print curing was carried out using two different methods: ultraviolet (UV) curing and high-temperature curing at 160 °C. Mechanical characterization using nanoindentation showed a significant increase in elastic modulus by 104% and an increase in hardness by 85% for nanocomposites containing 0.25 wt% xGNP. Furthermore, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed a 39% improvement in storage modulus for samples without post-curing and an improvement of approximately 30% for samples subjected to high-temperature curing. These significant improvements highlight xGNP's potential to not only increase the performance of SLA 3D-printed components but also streamline the manufacturing process by reducing or eliminating energy-intensive post-curing steps. This innovative integration of graphene nanoplatelets paves the way for the production of high-performance, functional 3D-printed products and offers significant advances for various industries with a high impact. The results highlight the transformative role of nanomaterials in additive manufacturing and position this work at the forefront of materials science and 3D printing technology.

Microwave-assisted green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using pistia stratiotes for anticancer and antibacterial applications

Green synthesis techniques have recently become more popular due to the expanding interest in nanotechnology and the need for ecologically friendly synthesis processes. This work examines the environment friendly production of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) by a microwave-assisted technique, utilizing Pistia Stratiotes leaf extract as a reducing agent. The optical and structural properties of the produced ZnO NPs were analyzed using UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and x-ray Diffraction (XRD). The findings indicated that the ZnO NPs displayed shapes consisting spherical, flower and sheet, with an average size of 35 nm which was verified by SEM and TEM. The XRD examination confirmed the presence of a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure, while the FTIR analysis identified a distinct peak at 578 cm−1, which indicates the stretching mode of Zn-O bonds. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the substance were evaluated against Staphylococcus Aureus, Escherichia Coli, and Candida Albicans. The results demonstrated notable effectiveness, as indicated by inhibition zones measuring 16–20.4 mm, 17–21.3 mm, and 13–17.2 mm correspondingly. In addition, the ZnO NPs exhibited specific anti-cancer effects on SK-MEL-28 melanoma cell lines, with an IC50 value of 51.05 μg ml−1, suggesting potential uses in therapy. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using microwave-assisted green synthesis to create ZnO NPs with favorable characteristics for biomedical purposes, with a particular focus on sustainable manufacturing of nanomaterials. The results indicate that these ZnO NPs show great potential for application in antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer therapies, leading to developments in the field of medical nanotechnology.

Synthesis and Characterization of MgO-QU/GO Nanocomposite and its Antioxidant Study in Zebrafish

The use and manufacture of nanomaterials are expanding, which is concerning for human health. Graphene oxide (GO), magnesium oxide (MgO), and quercetin (QU) have typically had significant growth because of their diverse range of applications in nanomedicine. They are utilised in the treatment of cancer, medication delivery, tissue engineering, healing of wounds, and biosensor. In this work, MgO-QU/GO nanocomposite was synthesized and its antioxidant was tested in a zebrafish model. Further obtained MgO-QU/GO nanocomposite was characterized through UV, XRD, FTIR, and SEM with EDAX analysis. Zebrafish adult seven test groups were used in the experiment with each group containing 10 fish follows fish fed the control, and exposed to MgO-QU/GO nanocomposite concentration 0+0.0+20.0+40.0+80.0+20+0.0+40+0.0+80+0 mg/L. The outcome shows that the toxicity of the utilised nanocomposite was comparatively low after zebrafish were exposed to MgO-QU/GO and recovered. Exploratory MgO-QU/GO treatment to zebra fish significant by decreased the Lipid Peroxidation (LPO) and elevated the antioxidant. These findings imply that nanocomposite at the concentration considered here might be a workable substitute for water recovery as they have no negative effects on the long-term life and welfare of humans and animals.

Phytic acid extracted cellulose nanocrystals for designing self-healing and anti-freezing hydrogels’ flexible sensor

Phytic acid (PA), a naturally occurring organic acid, has been extensively researched in various fields such as flame retardants, electroactive materials, metal coatings and flexible sensors. This study proposes a method for extracting cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) utilizing PA and ingeniously applies them to hydrogels, endowing the hydrogels with exceptional mechanical properties, anti-freezing capabilities and high electrical conductivity. First of all, the CNCs@PA and PA were integrated into a multi-component network consisting of hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (HPEI), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and zinc chloride (ZnCl2), and their complex interactions resulted in the formation of a robust three-dimensional structure. Consequently, the hydrogels formed after just a single freeze–thaw cycle exhibited exceptional mechanical properties (2.6 MPa) and a significant self-healing ability (92.3 %). Moreover, the strategic addition of PA to the hydrogels effectively immobilizes H2O, providing anti-freeze properties and enabling the hydrogels to maintain their structure and performance even at −20.0 °C. Notably, following hydrolysis, PA generates a substantial number of hydrogen ions, markedly enhancing the conductivity (2.3 S/m) and a sensitivity gauge factor (GF = 2.5) of the hydrogels. This work offers a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and scalable method for the manufacturing of nanomaterials, and opens new avenues for creating anti-freeze wearable flexible sensors.

Synthesis of citral-tryptamine fused selenium nanospheres (CT@SeNP's) and exploration of their anticancer, antibacterial, and electrochemical sensor applications

A broad spectrum of antibiotics with multiple mechanisms of action is urgently required to combat the growing public health threat posed by drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms. Biomedical researchers have concentrated on creating novel antibacterial and anticancer therapies due to the limited availability of conventional antibacterial and anticancer medications. In this study citral-tryptamine molecule was synthesized and characterized using 1HNMR , 13CNMR , LCMS and FT-IR spectral techniques and various biological properties of synthesized molecules were investigated using several in silico approaches such as molecular docking, ADME, PASS analysis and bioactive score. Using citral-tryptamine molecule, selenium nanoparticles (CT@SeNP's) were synthesized and characterized using different spectral and imaging techniques such as UV–Visible spectra, SEM, FTIR, EDX, XRD and DLS. EDX and mapping were used to investigate the relevant atoms and their distribution. Three significant signals from the EDX corresponding to C atom (15.4 %), along with signals from the Se atom (80.9 %) and the N atom (3.7 %). CT@SeNP's showed excellent antibacterial property against MRSA. The minimum inhibitory concentration of CT@SeNP's was found to be 20±0.36 mm with a good zone of inhibition in a dose dependent manner. CT@SeNP's was treated with both normal and cervical cancer cell lines such as SiHa to investigate the dose optimization and cytotoxicity by MTT assay. The nanoparticle showed an IC50 value is 0.68 µM and the data strongly suggested that CT@SeNP's could have a high potential in future medication development against MRSA and cervical cancer cells. The proper development and manufacturing of electrocatalytic nanomaterials are essential for enhancing the performance of non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors. The electrochemical sensing of H2O2 was enhanced by nanocomposite CT@SeNPs, which have a low detection limit of 60.96 nM and can detect H2O2 in a wide range of concentrations, from 25 µM to 250 µM. Thus, an efficient sensing platform for non-enzymatic H2O2 detection was discovered by this investigation.

Macrophage-Targeting DNA Nanomaterials: A Future Direction of Biological Therapy.

DNA can be used for precise construction of complex and flexible micro-nanostructures, including DNA origami, frame nucleic acids, and DNA hydrogels. DNA nanomaterials have good biocompatibility and can enter macrophages via scavenger receptor-mediated endocytosis. DNA nanomaterials can be uniquely and flexibly designed to ensure efficient uptake by macrophages, which represents a novel strategy to regulate macrophage function. With the development of nanotechnology, major advances have been made in the design and manufacturing of DNA nanomaterials for clinical therapy. In diseases accompanied by macrophage disturbances including tumor, infectious diseases, arthritis, fibrosis, acute lung injury, and atherosclerosis, DNA nanomaterials received considerable attention as potential treatments. However, we lack sufficient information to guarantee precise targeting of macrophages by DNA nanomaterials, which precludes their therapeutic applications. In this review, we summarize recent studies of macrophage-targeting DNA nanomaterials and discuss the limitations and challenges of this approach with regard to its potential use as a biological therapy.

Understanding Biomineralization Mechanisms to Produce Size-Controlled, Tailored Nanocrystals for Optoelectronic and Catalytic Applications: A Review.

Biomineralization, the use of biological systems to produce inorganic materials, has recently become an attractive approach for the sustainable manufacturing of functional nanomaterials. Relying on proteins or other biomolecules, biomineralization occurs under ambient temperatures and pressures, which presents an easily scalable, economical, and environmentally friendly method for nanoparticle synthesis. Biomineralized nanocrystals are quickly approaching a quality applicable for catalytic and optoelectronic applications, replacing materials synthesized using expensive traditional routes. Here, we review the current state of development for producing functional nanocrystals using biomineralization and distill the wide variety of biosynthetic pathways into two main approaches: templating and catalysis. Throughout, we compare and contrast biomineralization and traditional syntheses, highlighting optimizations from traditional syntheses that can be implemented to improve biomineralized nanocrystal properties such as size and morphology, making them competitive with chemically synthesized state-of-the-art functional nanomaterials.

Recent progress in hierarchical nanostructures for Ni-based industrial-level OER catalysts.

Exploring efficient and low-cost oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts reaching the industrial level current density is crucial for hydrogen production via water electrolysis. In this feature article, we summarize the recent progress in hierarchical nanostructures for the industrial-level OER. The contents mainly concern (i) the design of a hierarchical structure; (ii) a Ni-based hierarchical structure for the industrial current density OER; and (iii) the surface reconstruction of the hierarchical structure during the OER process. The work provides valuable guidance and insights for the manufacture of hierarchical nanomaterials and devices for industrial applications.

THE PREPARATION OF NANOPARTICLE FILMS BASED ON LIGHT WELDING TECHNOLOGY

Continuous improvements in scientific research methods have led to increasingly in-depth technological applications of nanomaterials. Currently, research on nanomaterials is no longer limited to analyzing their physical properties, but also focuses on ways to achieve efficient and low-cost nanomaterial synthesis. Nanoparticle films (NFs) are a type of nanomaterial that can be applied in multiple fields. In this study, we investigated ways to improve the self-assembly technology at the water-vapor interface using light welding (LW) technology in order to enhance the mechanical strength and achieve low-cost nanomaterial preparation of high conductivity and flexible metal NFs. The results showed that the resistance of NFs significantly decreased after improving the self-assembly technology at the water-vapor interface using the LW technology. After 60 minutes of light treatment, the resistance of silver NFs decreased by about 53 Ω and the resistance of the gold NFs decreased by about 9 Ω. After photo-welding treatment, the catalytic activity of the self-supporting porous gold film was the highest with a peak current density of 24.6 μA/cm<sup>2</sup>. The results obtained in this research study can be employed to improve the preparation technology of fluid self-assembled nanomaterials. LW technology can be utilized to achieve low-cost manufacturing of nanomaterials with high strength and expand the application field of NFs.

Electrochemical Dewatering of Cellulosic Nanomaterials

Cellulose is the most abundant biomass material in nature utilized for the manufacturing of cellulosic nanomaterials that exhibit great potential in a variety of industrial applications. Although cellulosic nanomaterial is cost-effective to produce, it is not economical to ship long distances while containing significant water content (>95 wt.%). Therefore, a need has been identified by manufacturers to develop energy-efficient, dewatering or drying of cellulosic nanomaterials.Accordingly, Faraday Technology in collaboration with GranBio USA, manufacturers of cellulosic nanomaterials, is addressing this need by developing electrochemical based dewatering system and process to dewater cellulosic nanomaterials while maintaining material properties when dried and re-dispersed. Energy-efficient (70% reduction in energy requirements compared to thermal dewatering), environmentally beneficial (51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions), economical (31% reduction in cost/ton of dried material), and industrially viable electrochemical based dewatering approach to process up to 2 tons/year of dried nanocellulose at alpha-scale has been demonstrated. The approach is capable of achieving >50 wt.% final solids and 18 wt.% final solids, that could be rehydrated under vortex and confirmed for re-dispersibility. Material properties (structure, particle size) were maintained by the dewatered cellulosic nanomaterials. Specifically, this talk will discuss the results of these advancements. Acknowledgements: The financial support of DOE Contract No. DE-SC0018787 is acknowledged.

Exposure concentration ratios and biological responses play a critical role in determining the joint toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles and As(V) to the organism: The case study in marine algae Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Environmental risks of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) have been widely investigated while the understanding for joint toxicity mechanism of MNMs with other contaminants is still limited. This limitation may be attributed to variations in the concentration ratios of MNMs and co-existing contaminants in the real environment. To better assess the joint toxicity and clarify its underlying mechanisms, this study exposed Phaeodactylum tricornutum to different concentration combinations of nano-sized titanium dioxide (nTiO2) and As(V) at toxic unit (TU) ratios of 1:4,1:1, and 4:1. The results demonstrated that the joint toxicity modes of nTiO2 and As(V) varied with the TU ratios exhibiting synergism for 1:4, partially addition for 1:1, and antagonism for 4:1. Specifically, at low TU ratio of 1:4, the adsorption of As(V) by nTiO2 together with the subsequent internalization of nTiO2 promoted a significant enrichment of As in algae. Simultaneously, the up-regulation of pst (phosphate transporter) genes in charge of the As(V) transport molecular further exacerbated the enrichment of inorganic As in algae, while the down-regulation of ArsM (arsenite S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferases) genes in charge of the As metabolism inhibited As biotransformation from toxic inorganic to nontoxic organic, causing the aggravated accumulation of toxic inorganic As in algae. At higher TU ratios of 1:1 and 4:1, the accumulation of As decreased in algae due to the higher sedimentation of nTiO2 and thus the lower internalization of As-adsorbed nTiO2, as well as the down-regulation of pst genes restricting the transportation of As(V) into algal cells, which jointly accelerated the As biotransformation from toxic inorganic to nontoxic organic. Our results suggest that more attention should be paid to exposure concentration ratios of MNMs and co-existing contaminants and biological responses including bioavailability, bioaccumulation, biotransformation, which would play a critical role in determining the joint toxicity to the organism.

Application and development prospects of nanomaterials in multiple fields

Nanomaterials have unique structures and characteristics that allow them to exhibit far superior or new properties in many aspects than conventional materials. With the continuous progress in materials science research, the manufacturing and processing technologies of nanomaterials have also been fully developed in recent years. Nanomaterials of different types, structures, and compositions have been applied in many fields, such as construction, energy, environmental protection, and electronics, providing new ideas for solving many problems. In this paper, we first review the basic definition and properties of nanomaterials, then analyze and discuss the cases of nanomaterials already in use or promising design solutions in medicine, solar energy and textiles. This paper also summarize their advantages and manufacturing difficulties. All of these areas have mature nanomaterial products in use, and they provide ideas for further research and development in the future.

Smart Textile Optoelectronics for Human‐Interfaced Logic Systems

AbstractTextiles with a freedom of form factor, unlimited scalability, and high programmability provide an ideal platform for constructing wearable optoelectronic systems. The emerging wearable technologies, like artificial intelligence and Internet of Things, have driven the development of textile optoelectronics from simple functional blocks to sophisticated logic systems, offering a seamless, breathable, and programmable on‐body platform to synergistically sense, analyze, store, and feedback information in response to complex commands. In the past few years, the creation of such smart textile optoelectronics‐based logic systems is boosted by nanomaterial science and manufacturing integration technologies and has revolutionized human–machine interaction paradigms in numerous emerging fields. Herein, in this review, the recent progress of smart textile optoelectronics for human‐interfaced logic systems is timely summarized. This review begins with a concise discussion about the wearability evaluation and integration consideration of textile optoelectronic devices. Then, important breakthroughs in human‐interfaced logic systems based on smart textile optoelectronics are demonstrated by highlighting their representative device, working principle, and application scenarios. Finally, the existing challenges and potential directions in the field of textile optoelectronics‐integrated logic systems are analyzed.

The use of electrospinning in the development of systems for buccal drug delivery: a review

Electrospinning is a simple, low cost and versatile technology used for the manufacture of nanomaterials. The electrospun nanofibers produced are characterized by high porosity and large specific surface area, factors that make the membranes potentially useful in the development of systems for drug release. When it comes to drug release in the oral cavity, the nanofibers are highlighted due to the advantage of easy modulation of the drug release profile, by monitoring the morphology, porosity, chemical composition of the fibers and the electrospinning technique. In this sense, this study developed a literature review on the use of the electrospinning technique to obtain buccal drug delivery systems. Scientific articles published in the databases Science Direct and Embase were used, with the following descriptors and their combinations: [electrospinning] and [buccal drug delivery]. Articles published between 2013 and 2023 were considered. For the inclusion of the studies, the following criteria were used: articles published in English, experimental studies, and the descriptors should appear in the title, abstract, or keywords. Fourteen articles were included in the final analysis and from them it was verified the wide use of the electrospinning technique for the development of buccal drug delivery systems and the employment of active substances of various pharmacological classes. The analyzed studies conclude that the use of electro-spinning of drugs associated with other pharmaceutical excipients are promising tools in the development of drug delivery systems in the oral cavity, since they avoid first-pass hepatic metabolism, enzymatic degradation of the drug, present ease of administration and allow easy removal of the system in case of adverse events.

Current Understanding and Prospects of Silver Nanoparticles-Based Biosensor

Due to their distinctive optical potential, controlled plasmonic features, control over size and shape, and ability to manipulate their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and their response to their surroundings, silver nanoparticle attracts special attention in the fields of the biosensor. Silver (Ag) is an appealing tool in many domains, including diagnosis, medicine delivery, environment, electronics, and as an antibacterial agent. Ag nanoparticle applications are ubiquitous today in the fields of biosensors. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of using Ag nanoparticles to improve the specific detection of clinical indicators. The development of nanotechnology has greatly benefited the field of biosensors since nanomaterials have a high surface-to-volume ratio that enables them to operate with greater sensitivity and effectiveness. Utilizing interdisciplinary study in biology, chemistry, and material science, recent advancements in nanotechnology encouraged the manufacture of nanomaterials in a variety of shapes and sizes. In the context of disease diagnosis, this review highlighted the use of Ag nanoparticles in biosensors to detect small molecules to bigger entire cells. This paper also discusses how to make a glucose biosensor more sensitive. It describes how the detection performance of biomolecules including DNA, protein, tiny molecules, and complete cells can be improved. For future applications in the field of diagnosis, this review helps in developing an overall understanding of the clinical importance of Ag nanoparticles. These biosensors can be implemented in the field of diagnosis to speed up the response time.

ROS-based nanomedicines for anti-inflammatory therapies

Graphical abstract Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important signaling molecules that play key roles in the progression of inflammatory disorders. Owing to a mismatch of the antioxidant level to balance the overproduction of ROS, the induced chronic inflammation can lead to several type of diseases such as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes or neurodegenerative disorders. Over the last years, nanomedicine has shown tremendous promise in ROS-regulating approaches. The development of advanced redox-active nanomaterials opened the range of possibilities to anti-inflammatory therapies, with the production of ROS-responsive nanosystems enabling targeted drug delivery or with the manufacture of ROS-scavenging nanomaterials reducing ROS excess levels. This review summarizes the latest developments and novel designs of ROS-based nanomedicines and discusses their therapeutical strategies and applications.

Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles to Study its Effect on the Skin using IR Thermography

The aim of the research is the infrared imaging technique IR Imaging was used to detect temperature changes and their effects on the skin.In this study, ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were prepared by Green's synthesis method. This method is considered the safest, easiest, and cheapest way to manufacture nanomaterials. The optical and structural properties of ZnO NPs have been studied by various techniques such as UV visible, X-ray diffraction, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Transmission electron microscopy. ZnO NPs had a UV- visible absorption peak at around 300 nm. ZnO's average crystallite diameter was calculated to be 15.41 nm using Scherrer's equation, which was derived from the width at half maximum of the peak more intense on the 101 planes at 36.28°. The Field emission scanning electron microscopy data showed that the synthesized ZnO NPs have a consistent shape and size throughout their range, these NPs are characterized by their diameter and were assembled into cylindrical clusters of varying diameters, with an average size of 106. Different magnifications of the ZnO NPs examined by Transmission electron microscopy showed that the majority of the particles were homogeneously scattered. Infrared thermal imaging technique (IRT) is used to clarify the change in temperature with the effect of the substance on the skin. The material was placed on the skin in two ways and put on the rabbit's front and back feet. When mixing the powder material of ZnO NPs with distilled water, and mixing the powder material of ZnO NPs with commercial Vaseline, we notice in both cases a temperature rise. The radiance was calculated for each image related to the change of temperature in the band (3-5) µm. The highest value in the range (3-5) µm for image R2 with radiation was (0.9209). The total spectral radioactive emission is proportional to the area under the curves and shifts towards shorter wavelengths with increasing temperature.

Customized Production of Holey Graphene Oxides via a Continuous Flow Process.

Continuous flow manufacturing is an innovative technology mainly applied in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries that is progressively being adapted to the manufacturing of nanomaterials to overcome the challenge of reproducing a product with consistent characteristics at a large scale. Here, a flow photochemical system is designed and prototyped for the synthesis of holey graphene oxides (hGOs). Compared to existing methods for the synthesis of hGO, the process is fast, highly scalable, and controllable. Through a combination of rigorous data analysis using machine learning algorithms on transmission electron microscope images and systematic studies of process parameters, it is demonstrated that characteristics of the produced hGO (i.e., porosity and pore size) are remarkably reproducible to the extent that it can be predicted by empirical models of processing-property correlations. Depending on the tailored nanopore structures, the synthesized hGOs out-performed GO in a range of applications that can benefit from the nanoporous two-dimensional (2D) sheets such as in supercapacitors, gas adsorption, and nanofiltration membranes. These results are significant in offering new perspectives on the low-cost industrialization of 2D nanomaterials.

Ecotoxicity Analysis and Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials for the Environmental Remediation

AbstractThe evolution of a safe‐by‐design work premised on nanotechnology relies on the regulation of healthcare, safety, and environmental concerns throughout the manufacture, handling, preservation, assimilation, and disposal of nanomaterials. The practically infinite potential for nanoparticles to be functionalized, chemically interacted with, and added to new products necessitates a new management method for the safe and hazard‐free application of nanotechnology. Nanomaterials (NMs) like silver NMs and nanomaterial composites have a limited quantity of accurate toxicity and ecotoxicological evidence, which has a severe effect on the ecosystem. Due to the intricate and cross‐disciplinary architecture for several components and processes at the nanoscale, risk assessment in the field of nanotechnology necessitates an integrated interdisciplinary approach. In this review, the study begins by providing an insight into the general characteristics of nanoparticle synthesis and ecotoxicity assessments using a variety of green solutions. In addition, there are sections on safety protocols that encourage industrialists to use NMs more effectively in their operations.

The influence of composition of asphaltenes of different genesis on the properties of carbon materials manufactured from them by plasma processing

The results of experimental studies of carbon materials, which are formed in the plasma of a direct current (DC) arc discharge initiated in open air from the asphaltenes of different origins, extracted from the natural asphaltite and from the oil of the Sredne-Ugutskoye Oilfield, are presented. The influence of the initial asphaltene composition on the composition and properties of the resulting carbon materials is analyzed. The initial asphaltenes and the samples of the carbon materials are characterized by the methods of X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, X-ray fluorescence analysis, IR-Fourier spectroscopy, laser diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The changes in the composition and structure of the asphaltenes are determined before and after their plasma treatment and the hypotheses are put forward concerning the chemical processes causing the changes in the molecular structure of the samples. As a result of plasma treatment of asphaltenes (100 A, 30 s), it was shown that graphitization occurs, as well as oxidation, and a decrease in sulfur content. Moreover, nanotubes and nano-onions have been detected using electron microscopy. Petroleum asphaltenes after plasma treatment give a less thermostable carbon material, but with a lower content of heteroatoms, and with a large amount of sulfur in the composition of sulfoxide structural fragments. This method is shown to be a promising technology for processing the petroleum feedstock enriched with heavy asphaltene components for the manufacture of carbon nanomaterials: nanotubes, nano-onions and polyhedral graphite.