Nano-sized Structures Research Articles

Magnetic Filling of Microporous Silicon: An Interlink of Optical and Magnetic Behavior

In the frame of this work microporous silicon (mPSi) is filled with magnetic metals (Ni, Co) resulting in a composite system with specific magnetic properties. The results are compared with mesoporous silicon (PSi) loaded with Ni nanoparticles (NPs) of comparable size. The mPSi offers luminescence in the visible, whereat this behavior is due to the small structure size in the range of a few nanometers (2 – 5 nm) [1]. The morphology of mesoporous silicon shows straight pores with a diameter up to 50 nm.The mPSi samples are fabricated by anodization of a moderately doped p-type silicon wafer in a 10 wt% hydrofluoric acid solution. The challenging metal filling of these pores is carried out under cathodic conditions by pulsed electrodeposition. As electrolytes aqueous NiSO4 and CoSO4 solutions are employed. The microporous silicon offers a branched morphology and thus also the deposited nanosized metal structures are interconnected. The structure size of the porous samples is estimated by photoluminescence measurements to 5 nm which also determines the size of the deposits. Mesoporous silicon is produced by anodization of a highly n-doped silicon wafer resulting in straight pores of about 50 nm in diameter [2]. The loading of these samples with Ni NPs is also performed by electrodeposition.Magnetic filling of meso- and microporous silicon, respectively means a change in the morphology as well as in the structure size of the magnetic precipitations and both influence the magnetic behavior of the composite system drastically. In the case of mPSi also the luminescence is influenced in its intensity and wavelength by the magnetic filling. The magnetic properties are investigated with a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and a SQUID, respectively. A luminescence spectrometer is used to measure the intensity and the peak position of the photoluminescence spectrum. The structure is investigated by SEM and TEM.Field dependent magnetization measurements show a distinct difference between Ni filled mPSi and PSi loaded with Ni NPs. Considering mPSi filled with Ni and Co a strong magnetic anisotropy between the two magnetization directions applying a magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to the surface, respectively is observed, whereas in the case of Co this behavior is even more pronounced. Figure 1 depicts the hysteresis of mPSi and mesoporous silicon filled with Ni. The coercivities do not vary in a broad range between Ni and Co samples but the saturation field differs drastically between the two materials. In contrast mesoporous silicon loaded with Ni NPs offers only a small magnetic anisotropy caused by weak magnetic interactions between the Ni deposits.Since the microporous silicon offers photoluminescence the huge magnetic anisotropy is of interest for magneto-optical applications.Figure 1: Comparison of field dependent magnetization of mPSi and mesoporous silicon filled with Ni.[1] Handbook of Porous Silicon, Ed. L. Canham, Springer Int. Publishing, 2018.[2] P. Granitzer, K. Rumpf, Semiconductor Science and Technology 31, 4004, 2016. Figure 1

Extracellular vesicles as drug vectors for precise cancer treatment.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized vesicle structures secreted from a variety of cells, which carry numerous biological macromolecules, participate in cell signal transductionand avoid immune system clearance. EVs have a plethora of specific signal recognition factors, and many studies have shown that they can play an important role in the precise treatment of tumors. This review aims to compile the applications of EVs as nanocarriers for antitumor drugs, gene drugsand other nanomaterials with anticancer capability. Additionally, we systematically summarize the preparation methodology and expound upon how to improve the drug loading and cancer-targeting capacity of EVs. We highlight that EV-based drug delivery has the potential to become the future of precise cancer treatment.

Preparation of nanostructured CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy by hot pressing sintering gas atomized powders

Pre-alloyed CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) powders were prepared by gas atomization and consequently hot pressing sintered (HPS) at 1100 °C for 2 h for fabrication bulk materials. Sintered equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi HEA exhibited a homogeneous FCC structured single-phase solid solution and equiaxed grains with an average size of ∼16 μm. Analyses using TEM showed that sheet-like metastable structures with a size of ∼55 to 160 nm were formed in the sintered bulks. The nano-sized metastable structures were inherited from the gas atomized CoCrFeMnNi powders with nano-sized crystallites formed during the rapid solidification process. The room temperature yield and ultimate tensile strength of sintered HEA reached 358 and 778 MPa, respectively, and the alloy kept excellent plasticity of ∼28 %. Investigations of the deformation substructures at specific strain levels with EBSD revealed the sintered CoCrFeMnNi HEA kept FCC structured single phase and the main deformation mechanism was dislocation slip. The strengthening mechanism can be attributed to the combination effects of grain refinement and the presence of nano-sized metastable structures.

Extracellular Vesicle Application as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Ischemic Stroke.

Ischemic stroke (IS) accounts for most of the cases of stroke onset, and due to short therapeutic time window for thrombolysis and numerous limited treatment measures and contraindications, lots of patients cannot receive satisfying therapeutic effects resulting in high disability and mortality worldly. In recent years, extracellular vesicles (EVs), as nanosized membrane-structured vesicles secreted from almost all cells, especially from stem/progenitor cells, have been reported to exert significant beneficial effects on IS from multiple approaches and notably ameliorate neurological outcome. Moreover, based on nano-size and lipid bilayer structure, EVs can easily penetrate the blood-brain barrier and migrate into the brain. In this review, we mainly systematically summarize the therapeutic effects of EVs on IS and explore their potential applications. Simultaneously, we also discuss administration routines, dosages, experimental observation time, and some key issues of EV application during IS treatment. It contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the progress of EV treatment for IS and providing confident evidence for further EV clinical application widely.

Printable PICN Composite Mechanically Compatible with Human Teeth

Polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) composites are mechanically compatible with human enamel, and are therefore promising dental restorative materials. Fabrication technology for PICN composites used in tooth restorative material has been established through computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) milling, however, to date, has not been successfully developed using 3-dimensional (3D) printing. This study aimed to develop a 3D-printable PICN composite as a restorative material. The PICN composite was fabricated using a specific method based on 3D printing. A 3D-printable precursor slurry containing a high concentration of silica nanoparticles was produced and 3D-printed using stereolithography (SLA). The 3D-printed object was sintered to obtain a nano-porous object, and subsequently infiltrated and polymerized with resin monomer. Three different fabrication condition combinations were used to produce the 3D-printed PICN composites, which were characterized based on microstructure, mechanical properties, inorganic content, physicochemical properties, and overall shrinkage. The 3D-printed PICN composites were also compared to 2 commercially available CAD/CAM composite blocks, namely a PICN composite and a dispersed-filler composite. The 3D-printed PICN composites exhibited a nano-sized dual-network structure comprising a silica skeleton with infiltrated resin. The 3D-printed PICN composite exhibited a similar Vickers hardness to enamel, and a similar elastic modulus to dentin. The 3D-printed PICN composite exhibited comparable flexural strength (>100 MPa) to the CAD/CAM block, and acceptable water sorption and solubility for practical use. Further, the 3D-printed model-crown underwent isotropic shrinkage during sintering without fatal deformation. Overall, the potential of this 3D-printable PICN composite as a restorative material with similar mechanical properties to human teeth was successfully demonstrated.

Green Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization and Biomedical Applications of Carbon Nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes are nano-sized cylindrical chicken wire-like structures made of carbon atoms. Carbon nanotubes have applications in electronics, energy storage, electromagnetic devices, environmental remediation and medicine as well. The biomedical applications of carbon nanotubes can be owed to features like low toxicity, non-immunogenicity, high in vivo stability and rapid cell entry. Carbon nanotubes have a great prospect in the treatment of diseases through diagnostic as well as therapeutic approaches. These nanostructures are interesting carriers for delivery and translocation of therapeutic molecules e.g. proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, drugs, etc. to various organs like the brain, lungs, liver, and pancreas. Commonly used methods to synthesize carbon nanotubes are arc discharge, chemical vapor deposition, pyrolysis, laser ablation etc. These methods have many disadvantages such as operation at high temperature, use of chemical catalysts, prolonged synthesis time and inclusion of toxic metallic particles in the final product requiring additional purification processes. In order to avoid these setbacks, various green chemistry-based synthetic methods have been devised, e.g., those involving interfacial polymerization, supercritical carbon dioxide drying, plant extract assisted synthesis, water- assisted synthesis, etc. This review will provide a thorough outlook of the eco-friendly synthesis of carbon nanotubes reported in the literature and their biomedical applications. Besides, the most commonly used spectroscopic techniques used for the characterization of carbon nanotubes are also discussed.

One-step synthesis of amino acid-derived HTC/NiO/Ni(OH)2@Ni cathode for high performance supercapacitors

Binder-free nano-sized structure composed of pseudocapacitive materials covered by carbon is concerned to be the next-generation electrode for supercapacitor due to the avoidance of binder and additional electrode preparation, high capacitance of the pseudocapacitive materials, and high conductivity of carbon. Here, a serial of amino acids chosen as hydrothermal carbon (HTC) source were loaded on conductive substrate surface of Ni foam (NF), which constructed binder-free electrodes by a one-step hydrothermal process. Because of its weak oxidative and acid properties, an in-situ redox reaction occurred in the existence of L-glutamic acid, in which Ni is also simultaneously converted into nanostructured NiO/Ni(OH)2 (HTC/NiO/Ni(OH)2@NF). It is discovered that HTC/NiO/Ni(OH)2@NF electrode derived from L-glutamic acid at 2 g L-1 and 160 °C exhibited a battery-like behavior and superior charge/discharge performances, i.e., a specific capacitance of 2586 F g−1 (1293 C g−1) at 2.8 A g−1, and an excellent stability of 91.30% retention after 20,000 cycles.

Photo‐Induced Self‐Cleaning and Wettability in TiO2 Nanocolumn Arrays Obtained by Glancing‐Angle Deposition with Sputtering

AbstractIn this work, the preparation of regular nanosized columnar structures of titanium dioxide by means of glancing angle deposition with magnetron sputtering (MS‐GLAD) followed by thermal annealing is reported. MS‐GLAD gives rise to metallic titanium columnar structures with regular width and length that after thermal treatment are fully oxidized to form TiO2 nanocolumns that maintain the morphological features of the original metallic ones. Further functionalization with gold by means of multiple ion cluster source results in well‐dispersed Au nanoparticles across the nanocolumns’ surface with a narrow size distribution centered at ca. 8.5 nm. The obtained nanostructures show photocatalytic self‐cleaning activity as shown by the elimination of an organic layer deposited on their surface and the detection of hydroxyl radicals. Photoelectrochemical measurements show a better charge separation at the Au/TiO2 interface. In addition, wettability studies show that the degree of hydrophobicity of the surface is increased by the presence of nanocolumns, both in the dark and under UV illumination. This behavior is not modified by the presence of Au nanoparticles on the surface. The obtained results open up interesting implications in the tunability of the properties of nanostructured thin films for this kind of photo‐activated application.

A review on the impact of conductive nanoparticles (CNPs) in anaerobic digestion: Applications and limitations

The development of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process and its mild operating conditions of complex organic carbon distinguish it from conventional energy technologies and make it highly desirable to meet a sustainable green energy technology. Although, the effectiveness of this AD method is often constructed by few issues such as surface heterogeneity, ammonia inhibition, poor methane production, slow microbe growing rates, and slow mass transfer which needs rectification. Conductive nanoparticles (CNPs) helps to increase anaerobic digestion rates as nano-sized structures with specific physicochemical properties interact with the substrate and microorganisms. CNPs as additive have resulted in high efficiency for the AD process because of their unique physicochemical characteristics, i.e. high surface area, high active sites, high reactivity levels, high specificity, self-assembly, increased mobility, and AD media transmission. This review concentrates on the recent attempts to examine the impact of CNPs, pro and cons on biogas production while using a metal oxide, zero-valent metals, and nano-carbon materials. The traditional view of binding CNPs to living organisms and the current view of mechanisms for improving aerobic digestive performance with metal CNPs. Furthermore, the effect of the physical parameter and kinetic limitations has discussed by the mathematical modeling that essential to observe, optimize simulate, and predict the behavior of microbes at different conditions in the AD process. Later the methanogenic activity and chemical content inhibition of CNPs on the AD system was discussed. Finally, future prospects and other recommendations discussed as conclusive remarks, which help in the substantial use of CNPs to the AD process.

Realizing high conversion of syngas to gasoline-range liquid hydrocarbons on a dual-bed-mode catalyst

Achieving high conversion of syngas to fuels and basic chemicals with excellent selectivity and stability remains a challenge. Here, we report an 80.6% selectivity of gasoline-range C 5–11 hydrocarbons at 86.3% CO conversion over a dual-bed catalyst (CZA + Al 2 O 3 )/N-ZSM-5(97) that consists of an upper-bed syngas-to-dimethyl ether (DME) catalyst (CZA + Al 2 O 3 ) and a lower-bed DME-to-gasoline catalyst (nano-sized N-ZSM-5(97) zeolite). This dual-bed catalyst exhibits an excellent stability in a 110-h reaction test. The iso / n -paraffin ratio in the C 5–11 is up to 18. For the lower-bed zeolite catalyst, the nano-sized structure is beneficial to reduce coke and prolong lifetime; meanwhile, the low acid content is advantageous to increase C 5–11 selectivity. The 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one species can be definitely detected and identified in the spent lower-bed micro-sized M-ZSM-5(18) catalyst. They are regarded as intermediates to generate polycyclic aromatics, which generally lead to catalyst deactivation. The dual-bed catalyst (CZA + Al 2 O 3 )/N-ZSM-5(97) suggests a promising application in producing gasoline from syngas. • High and selective conversion of syngas to gasoline is achieved by a dual-bed catalyst • The dual-bed catalyst contains upper CZA + Al 2 O 3 and lower N-ZSM-5(97) catalysts • Nano-sized structure of N-ZSM-5(97) is beneficial to reduce coke and prolong lifetime • The low acid content of N-ZSM-5(97) helps to increase gasoline selectivity Because of the gradual depletion and non-renewability of petroleum, the use of non-petroleum resources instead of petroleum is of great significance. This alternative route can be generally achieved through syngas chemistry. The primary transportation fuel gasoline, which contains hydrocarbons with 5–11 carbons and is now almost derived from petroleum, can also be produced from non-petroleum syngas by some methods. However, stably obtaining high gasoline selectivity at high syngas conversion is still challenging. We have achieved this goal by designing a dual-bed catalyst (CZA + Al 2 O 3 )/N-ZSM-5(97) that includes a syngas-to-dimethyl ether (DME) catalyst CZA + Al 2 O 3 in the upper bed and a DME-to-gasoline catalyst N-ZSM-5(97) in the lower bed. This dual-bed catalyst suggests a promising application in producing gasoline from syngas. An 80.6% selectivity of gasoline-range hydrocarbons at 86.3% CO conversion can be achieved over a dual-bed catalyst that consists of a syngas-to-DME catalyst CZA + Al 2 O 3 (a mixture of CuZnAl methanol synthesis catalyst and acidic γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst) in the upper bed and a DME-to-gasoline catalyst N-ZSM-5(97) (nano-sized H-ZSM-5 zeolite with Si/Al ratio = 97) in the lower bed. The dual-bed catalyst suggests a promising application in producing gasoline from syngas.

Mechanisms and Product Options of Magnesiothermic Reduction of Silica to Silicon for Lithium-Ion Battery Applications

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been one of the most predominant rechargeable power sources due to their high energy/power density and long cycle life. As one of the most promising candidates for the new generation negative electrode materials in LIBs, silicon has the advantages of high specific capacity, a lithiation potential range close to that of lithium deposition, and rich abundance in the earth’s crust. However, the commercial use of silicon in LIBs is still limited by the short cycle life and poor rate performance due to the severe volume change during Li++ insertion/extraction, as well as the unsatisfactory conduction of electron and Li+ through silicon matrix. Therefore, many efforts have been made to control and stabilize the structures of silicon. Magnesiothermic reduction has been extensively demonstrated as a promising process for making porous silicon with micro- or nanosized structures for better electrochemical performance in LIBs. This article provides a brief but critical overview of magnesiothermic reduction under various conditions in several aspects, including the thermodynamics and mechanism of the reaction, the influences of the precursor and reaction conditions on the dynamics of the reduction, and the interface control and its effect on the morphology as well as the final performance of the silicon. These outcomes will bring about a clearer vision and better understanding on the production of silicon by magnesiothermic reduction for LIBs application.

Surface Modification of Titanium Alloy by Anodic Oxidation Method to Improve its Biocompatibility

Surface modification of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) has been performed by anodic oxidation method within various concentration ranges of sulphuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) electrolyte. It describes the oxidation kinetics of the anodizing process and critical analysis of process parameters like concentration of electrolyte, voltage, time and anodic current density, was performed to obtain homogenized nano-sized porous structure on the titanium substrate. XRD (X-ray diffraction technique) and FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy) were utilized for phase analysis as well as for morphological survey. XRD report revealed that porous structure appeared at 0.4 M concentration of the electrolyte and at anodic voltage of 20 V. Anatase to rutile phase transformation was observed at 0.5 M of H 2 SO 4 . Tribological test of anodized as well as nonanodized surface performed on pin-on-disc type tribometer suggested that anodized surface possessed high wear resisting strength compared to bare metal surface. The present study tries to enhance the biocompatible features especially bone cell attachment or cell proliferation of titanium alloy by improved surface characteristics.

Development of a dual delivery of levofloxacin and prednisolone acetate via PLGA nanoparticles/ thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogel for postoperative management: An in-vitro and ex-vivo study

Post-operative endophthalmitis (POE) is one of the most dreadful complications after intraocular surgery. For cataract surgery patients, both commercially available topical 0.5% levofloxacin and 1% prednisolone acetate (PA) ophthalmic solution require at least 3 to 4 times application daily. In this study, we develop a dual drug delivery system composed of the thermosensitive chitosan/gelatin-based hydrogel containing PA and levofloxacin-loaded nanoparticles (LNPs). LNPs with negative surface charge show the monodisperse (polydispersity index ~0.045), nanosize (~154.7 nm) and sphere-like structure. The optimal concentration of LNPs and PA to corneal epithelial cells was 5 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL, respectively. The developed dual drug delivery system (PAgel-LNPs) could gel at 34 °C within 63 s. The osmolarity of PAgel-LNPs was 301.2 ± 1.5 mOsm/L. PAgel-LNPs showed a sustained-release profile for 7 days. Post-treatment of PAgel-LNPs in TNF-α-damaged corneal epithelial cells could decrease the inflammation (inflammatory genes (TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-3 andMMP-9) and IL-6 production) and cell death. In ex-vivo rabbit model of S. aureus keratitis, the anti-inflammation and anti-bacterial property have been demonstrated. These results suggest that thermosensitive PAgel-LNPs may have the potential to use for the prevention of POE.

Enhanced light extraction efficiency and viewing angle characteristics of microcavity OLEDs by using a diffusion layer

The viewing angle characteristics and light extraction efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with a micro-cavity structure were enhanced. This was accomplished by inserting a diffusion layer composed of nano-sized structures of a transparent polymer poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) combined with a zinc oxide (ZnO) semi-planarization layer with a high refractive index (n = 2.1) into the devices. The PMMA nanostructures were fabricated by employing a reactive ion etching (RIE) process. The height and density of the PMMA nanostructures were controlled by varying the speed at which the PMMA was spin-coated onto the substrate. The insertion of the diffusion layer into the micro-cavity OLEDs (MC-OLEDs) improved the external quantum efficiency (EQE) by as much as 17% when compared to that of a MC-OLED without a diffusion layer. Furthermore, adjustment of the viewing angle from 0° to 60° halved the peak shift distance of the electroluminescence (EL) spectra from 42 to 20 nm. Additionally, changing the viewing angle from 0° to 60° changed the color coordinate movement distance of the MC-OLED with the diffusion layer to 0.078, less than half of the distance of the MC-OLED without the diffusion layer (0.165).

Using plasmonics and nanoparticles to enhance the efficiency of solar cells: review of latest technologies

With the advances in the field of plasmonics, techniques for trapping and localizing light have become more feasible at the nanoscale. Several works have shown that plasmonics-based photovoltaic devices have yielded an improved absorption capability, enabling the design of thin-layered photovoltaic absorbers. In this review, we shed light on recent advances that employ plasmonics and nano-sized structures and thin-film technologies intended to increase solar cell efficiency. In this work, we provide an overview of the challenges associated with developing high-efficiency solar cells. Despite significant efforts by numerous groups to improve the efficiency of solar cells, practical realization of these concepts has yet to materialize. The conclusions made here hope to encourage researchers to re-examine the factors and challenges that could have created barriers to full realization of all concepts proposed over the past 15 years. In fact, because of the immense impact of improving the efficiency of solar cells on the environment and economy, it is hoped that this review encourages new technology paradigms that can be translated into commercially viable products.

Flexoelectric effect in dielectrics under a dynamic load

Health monitoring of structures can be improved if a more universal two-way electromechanical coupling, the flexoelectric effect, is utilized. It is a coupling between the electric polarization and the strain gradients. In the direct flexoelectricity, the electric polarization is induced by strain gradients, which yield also a finite higher-order stress tensor in the considered phenomenological theory. Because of the size-effect in higher-grade theories of continua, the polarization in piezoelectric solids under a non-uniform strains in nano-sized structures is significantly influenced by flexoelectricity. This effect is substantially enhanced near the crack defects, in regions with large strain gradients. The mixed finite element method (FEM) is developed from the variational formulation of flexoelectric boundary value problems. The C0 continuous approximation is applied independently for both the displacements and displacement gradients. The kinematic constraints between them are satisfied by collocation at some internal points of elements. The developed computational method is applied to general 2D boundary value problems with cracks under a dynamic load. The influence of flexoelectricity on the induced electric potential and the crack opening displacement is investigated.

Current Microscopy Strategies to Image Fungal Vesicles: From the Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion to the Inner Structure of Isolated Vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized structures that play important roles in a variety of biological processes among members of the Eukaryota domain. They have been studied since the 1940s and a broader use of different microscopy techniques to image either isolated vesicles or vesicles within the intracellular milieu (trafficking) has been limited by their nanometric size, usually below the resolution limit of most standard light microscopes. The development of genetically encoded fluorescent proteins and fluorescent probes able to switch between "on" and "off" states, as well the improvement in computer-assisted microscopy, photon detector devices, illumination designs, and imaging strategies in the late Twentieth century, boosted the use of light microscopes to provide structural and functional information at the sub-diffraction resolution, taking advantage of a nondestructive analytical probe such light, and opening new possibilities in the study of life at the nanoscale. As well, traditional and novel electron microscopy techniques have been widely used in the characterization of subcellular compartments, either isolated or in situ, providing a comprehensive understanding of their functional role in many cellular processes. Here, we present basic aspects of some of these techniques that have already been applied and their potential application to the study of fungal vesicles.

Active refractive index control using a stably evaporable perfluororesin for high-outcoupling-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes

A significant enhancement of outcoupling efficiency of OLEDs is demonstrated by the active refractive index control of amorphous organic semiconductors using a stably evaporable perfluororesin, which forms a nano-sized phase-separation structure.

Analyzing dynamic response of nonlocal strain gradient porous beams under moving load and thermal environment

This research presents dynamic response analysis of a porous functionally graded (FG) nanobeam under a moving point load. The nanobeam formulation has been established with the use of a higher-order refined beam model and nonlocal strain gradient theory (NSGT) including two scale factors named nonlocal and strain gradient factors. The porous FG material has been modeled via modified power-law functions which contain porosity volume according to even or uneven porosity dispersions. Moreover, graded nonlocality has been considered in order to provide a better modeling of size effects for FG nano-size structures. The governing equations of the nanobeam have been discretized with the use of differential quadrature method (DQM) and inverse Laplace transform approach has been utilized to calculate the dynamic deflections. The main findings of the present research indicate the influences of nonlocal strain gradient factors, moving load speed, pore amount, porosity distribution and elastic medium on dynamic deflection of FG nanobeams.

In-vitro characterization and cytotoxicity study of flutamide loaded cyclodextrin nanosponges

Cyclodextrin based nanosponge (CDNS) as a novel delivery system with solubility improvement ability was chosen for flutamide (FLT) encapsulating. This antiandrogen drug is commonly used for prostate cancer, and has low bioavailability through oral usage. The scope of this study was to characterize the best formulation of CDNSs for FLT loading and investigate their cell cytotoxicity. Two types of CDNSs were synthesized, and in-vitro tests such as particle size, zeta potential, loading percent, DSC, FTIR, and release tests were analyzed. Cellular study of the plain and loaded form of carrier was also tested in the PC3 cell line. DLS and TEM confirmed the nano-sized and sponge like structure of CDNSs. FTIR and DSC analysis showed the encapsulation of FLT into CDNSs. CDNS 1:4 showed not only high encapsulation but also a fast dissolution rate of FLT in comparison with CDNS 1:2. CDNS 1:4 with efficient cellular uptake (93.41% after 3 h) had almost no toxicity against the PC3 cell line. Free FLT displayed about two folds more toxic than FLT-CDNSs after 24 and 48 h at 0.1 mg/mL concentrations. Finally, CDNS 1:4 can be introduced as a non-toxic delivery system for FLT with dissolution rate improvement characteristic.