Engineered Nanoparticles Research Articles

Effects of soil colloids on the aggregation and degradation of engineered nanoparticles (Ti3C2Tx MXene)

Soil colloid is a nonnegligible factor when evaluating the environmental risk of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the groundwater. In this study, the environmental fate of an emerging ENP (Ti3C2Tx MXene) in the groundwater was investigated for the first time, which currently poses a severe environmental risk due to its cytotoxicity but has received little attention. The colloidal dispersion stability and degradation kinetics of Ti3C2Tx MXene in the groundwater were evaluated by considering the effects of soil colloids prepared from sodium humate (SH), montmorillonite (MT), and a natural soil (NS) under variable solution chemistry. The results showed that the affinity of soil colloids with Ti3C2Tx followed an SH > MT > NS sequence. Increasing SH concentration led to Ti3C2Tx disaggregation by enhancing the electrical and steric repulsive forces, while MT and NS resulted in hetero-aggregation because of the elevated collision frequency. SH and MT enhanced the critical coagulation concentrations of Ti3C2Tx by 100 and 10 folders, respectively, via surface coating process, while NS slightly reduced due to the bridging effects induced by the soluble cations. The soil colloids promoted Ti3C2Tx degradation compared with their absence and in an SH > MT ≫ NS sequence. SH and MT were through forming Ti–O–C and Si–O–Ti bonds with Ti3C2Tx via their carboxyl and hydroxyl groups, respectively, rendering the Ti3C2Tx surface more reactive and faster degradation. NS showed a weak promotion effect because of its less affinity with Ti3C2Tx and limited organic matter and clay contents with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. This study demonstrated the unstable environmental behaviors of Ti3C2Tx in the groundwater and mitigated its environmental risk concerns.

Matrix metalloproteinase-directed precise targeting and smart drug delivery of biodegradable gold nanodandelions as CT imaging guided anticancer therapy

Systemic adverse effects and poor accumulation at tumor sites constitute important limitations of current chemotherapy in the battle against the majority of cancers. Even though utilization of nanoparticle technology is the preferred treatment modality for improving drug delivery efficiency, achieving controlled drug release and image-guided therapy still pose challenges. In this paper, we developed a tumor microenvironment-responsive gold nanodandelions encapsulating doxorubicin (GNDs@gelatin/DOX) for tumor-targeted imaging and drug delivery. High surface-area GNDs were prepared through a gelatin-mediated process which showed great DOX-loading efficiency. Specifically, GNDs@gelatin/DOX is cleavable by gelatinase (e.g., matrix metalloproteinases −2 and −9) to release the cancer therapeutic agent and aggregate in tissues where these enzymes are upregulated. We demonstrate that GNDs@gelatin/DOX accumulated preferentially in matrix metalloproteinases-2/-9 (MMP-2/-9) overexpressed tumor after intravenous injection, which is useful for computed tomography (CT) imaging-guided chemotherapeutics. Intriguingly, GNDs@gelatin/DOX exhibited the capacity to control and prolong Dox release induced suppression of tumor growth and less cardiotoxicity compared with conventional doxorubicin. In addition, our results show that the alternation of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) can attenuate MMP activity, and thus reduce the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutics. It is noteworthy that in vivo CT imaging and subsequent inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) of harvested tissues revealed that GNDs was found to transport into the gastrointestinal tract and substantial elimination from the mice with prolonged time. In aggregate, GNDs@gelatin/DOX is a highly promising chemotheranostic agent for clinical translation.

NANOPARTICLES IN EMERGING PARENTERAL DRUG THERAPY: AN OVERVIEW

Aim: The aim of the study was to discuss the recent researches done over the nanoparticles and types of nanoparticles being useful in the parenteral delivery of drugs. Materials and methods: Different types of nanoparticles are developed i.e., liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, nano-capsules, dendrimers, nanotubes, nanowires, nanocrystals and nanobots. Nanoparticles are very beneficial in pharmacy and health sciences as in cancer therapy, biological binders, drug carriers, targeted therapy etc. to boost the healthcare system. It aids in the improvement of medication solubility and bioavailability, as well as the reduction of toxicity, improved release, and better formulation options. It's worth noting that various commercial oral medications have been created using nanoparticle technology to improve API absorption. Nano-milling process is used to increase absorption of nano-parenteral. Conclusion: Active targeting is useful in oncology, especially for the treatment of malignancies, because it can reduce side effects. Consider tiny miniature robots that your doctor will inject into vein to look for cancer cells or administer a medicine. We anticipate that this system will modify cancer immunotherapy and provide novel therapeutic options in the near future. Keywords: Nanoparticles, Nanowires, Nano-parenteral, Therapy, Liposomes

Probing Neuro-Endocrine Interactions Through Remote Magnetothermal Adrenal Stimulation.

Exposure to stressful or traumatic stimuli may alter hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathoadrenal-medullary (SAM) reactivity. This altered reactivity may be a component or cause of mental illnesses. Dissecting these mechanisms requires tools to reliably probe HPA and SAM function, particularly the adrenal component, with temporal precision. We previously demonstrated magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) technology to remotely trigger adrenal hormone release by activating thermally sensitive ion channels. Here, we applied adrenal magnetothermal stimulation to probe stress-induced HPA axis and SAM changes. MNP and control nanoparticles were injected into the adrenal glands of outbred rats subjected to a tone-shock conditioning/extinction/recall paradigm. We measured MNP-triggered adrenal release before and after conditioning through physiologic (heart rate) and serum (epinephrine, corticosterone) markers. Aversive conditioning altered adrenal function, reducing corticosterone and blunting heart rate increases post-conditioning. MNP-based organ stimulation provides a novel approach to probing the function of SAM, HPA, and other neuro-endocrine axes and could help elucidate changes across stress and disease models.

Macrophage membrane-biomimetic adhesive polycaprolactone nanocamptothecin for improving cancer-targeting efficiency and impairing metastasis

The recent remarkable success and safety of mRNA lipid nanoparticle technology for producing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines has stimulated intensive efforts to expand nanoparticle strategies to treat various diseases. Numerous synthetic nanoparticles have been developed for pharmaceutical delivery and cancer treatment. However, only a limited number of nanotherapies have enter clinical trials or are clinically approved. Systemically administered nanotherapies are likely to be sequestered by host mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), resulting in suboptimal pharmacokinetics and insufficient drug concentrations in tumors. Bioinspired drug-delivery formulations have emerged as an alternative approach to evade the MPS and show potential to improve drug therapeutic efficacy. Here we developed a biodegradable polymer-conjugated camptothecin prodrug encapsulated in the plasma membrane of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. Polymer conjugation revived the parent camptothecin agent (e.g., 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin), enabling lipid nanoparticle encapsulation. Furthermore, macrophage membrane cloaking transformed the nonadhesive lipid nanoparticles into bioadhesive nanocamptothecin, increasing the cellular uptake and tumor-tropic effects of this biomimetic therapy. When tested in a preclinical murine model of breast cancer, macrophage-camouflaged nanocamptothecin exhibited a higher level of tumor accumulation than uncoated nanoparticles. Furthermore, intravenous administration of the therapy effectively suppressed tumor growth and the metastatic burden without causing systematic toxicity. Our study describes a combinatorial strategy that uses polymeric prodrug design and cell membrane cloaking to achieve therapeutics with high efficacy and low toxicity. This approach might also be generally applicable to formulate other therapeutic candidates that are not compatible or miscible with biomimetic delivery carriers.

Significance of Non-DLVO Interactions on the Co-Transport of Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Soil Nanoparticles in Porous Media.

Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory is typically used to quantify surface interactions between engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), soil nanoparticles (SNPs), and/or porous media, which are used to assess environmental risk and fate of ENPs. This study investigates the co-transport behavior of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with positively (goethite nanoparticles, GNPs) and negatively (bentonite nanoparticles, BNPs) charged SNPs in quartz sand (QS). The presence of BNPs increased the transport of MWCNTs, but GNPs inhibited the transport of MWCNTs. In addition, we, for the first time, observed that the transport of negatively (BNPs) and positively (GNPs) charged SNPs was facilitated by the presence of MWCNTs. Traditional mechanisms associated with competitive blocking, heteroaggregation, and classic DLVO calculations cannot explain such phenomena. Direct examination using batch experiments and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, asymmetric flow field flow fractionation (AF4) coupled to UV and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (AF4-UV-ICP-MS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated that MWCNTs-BNPs or MWCNT-GNPs complexes or aggregates can be formed during co-transport. Non-DLVO interactions (e.g., H-bonding and Lewis acid-base interaction) helped to explain observed MWCNT deposition, associations between MWCNTs and both SNPs (positively or negatively), and co-transport. This research sheds novel insight into the transport of MWCNTs and SNPs in porous media and suggests that (i) mutual effects between colloids (e.g., heteroaggregation, co-transport, and competitive blocking) need to be considered in natural soil; and (ii) non-DLVO interactions should be comprehensively considered when evaluating the environmental risk and fate of ENPs.

Abstract 1870: A simple and quantitative immunoassay for evaluation of receptor occupancy and antibody binding capacity in fixed cells or tissue samples for immune-directing antibody development

Abstract Receptor occupancy (RO) assays are used to quantify the binding of therapeutic antibodies to their targets on the cell surface. This method can be used to in early drug discovery to determine the antibody binding capacity (ABC) of drug candidates to cells in culture to hone the desired drug characteristics during candidate screening or lead optimization. This method can also be used in xenografts or patient tissues to create pharmacodynamic (PD) data that directs the efficacy hypothesis and biomarker selection for clinical trials. The current approaches use flow cytometry on fresh specimens, which introduces many technical and logistical challenges and does not retain spatial information about the tissue. Here we introduce a new, simple method which can be performed on Formalin Fixed, Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) cells or tissues. This approach eliminates the challenges of flow cytometry methods, provides the type of quantitative data needed, and maintains the tissue contexture to study the effects of immune-directing antibodies in patient tissue samples. We describe a method for developing a standard curve to determine antibody binding capacity (ABC) using our Quanticell ™ fluorescent nanoparticle technology. We demonstrate this in a typical bispecific antibody use case, where both the immune-directing (CD3) and targeting (Her2) arms of the bispecific are modulated to create the desired efficacy characteristics. We demonstrate the establishment of a standard calibration curve for Her2 (BT474/Her2+) and CD3 (Jurkat/CD3+) in cells with titrated amounts of anti-Her2 and anti-CD3 antibodies which target the extracellular domain necessary for these studies. We also show how the same Quanticell assay can be used in clinical tissue, to evaluate the localization of the drug targets and immune cells within the tissue context of human patient samples necessary to understand how pharmacodynamic properties of the drug can modulate immune contexture changes. The Quanticell™ method is a simple immunohistochemistry (IHC) based method which allows extremely sensitive detection of therapeutic antibodies bound on FFPE fixed cells or tissue, which thus does not require the use of flow cytometry in fresh tissues, allowing simple use from early discovery through clinical research studies. Importantly, the Quanticell™ method is capable of detecting a very large and linear dynamic range of analyte concentration to allow full quantification of ABC for RO studies. Critically, the Quanticell™ method retains the tissue context, allowing for simultaneous and spatial evaluation of multiple analytes such as the target of the antibody and the immune contexture. This method allows for a consistent method for RO studies that can be applied to early discovery, translational, and clinical research to optimize drug efficacy. Citation Format: Atsuro Tatsumi, Keisuke Morichika, Caroline Morel, Omid Ghasemi, Hiroyuki Yokota, Joseph S. Krueger. A simple and quantitative immunoassay for evaluation of receptor occupancy and antibody binding capacity in fixed cells or tissue samples for immune-directing antibody development [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1870.

Vaccines and Therapeutics: Quality System Approach to Clinical Applications

Molecular bio-science developments involve applications of mRNA vaccines focused on diagnostic, prophylactic, and therapeutic aspects of COVID-19 related infectious diseases. These applications offer potential solutions for many of the current challenges in treating virus related infectious diseases. The goal of vaccine design and development is to manufacture and consistently produce a vaccine that is safe and effective. The vaccine discovery starts with design input in terms of identification of etiologic agent, immunogenicity, adjuvant, basic scientific concepts, non-clinical and clinical studies, and finally vaccine licensure (FDA approvals). The Lipid Nanoparticle Technology (LNT) for messenger RNA is being used for COVID-19 vaccines. This technology comprises of identifying and mapping signature features of the virus which encompasses the readability of the virus’s blueprint, its neutralization and activation processes in order to deliver antibody proteins to protect the vaccine recipients’ bodies from encounters with the virus. The administering regimens are studied in clinical research laboratory and study materials are tested in suitable bench testing and biological models projecting vaccine candidate’s prophylactic immune response that is safe and effective. The vaccine manufacturing process requires critical quality control points (CQCPs) monitoring in order to maintain the steriochemical and immunological characteristics of the vaccine molecules and enable production of the vaccine in increasingly dosage quantities for ultimate human use. These aspects of vaccine development are well integrated into the total vaccinology life cycle (TVLC) regulatory requirements. The ultimate regulatory safety and efficacy requirements of the vaccine are proven through phases of clinical trials (class I, II, and III studies). The final process for human use to produce safe vaccine is part of pivotal clinical trials and data under the US FDA’s premarket approval process for full-scale production and availability of safe vaccines for clinical use.
 Keywords: mRNA Vaccines, Diagnosis, Prophylaxis, Therapy, COVID-19

Expanding the Multiplexing Capabilities of Raman Imaging to Reveal Highly Specific Molecular Expression and Enable Spatial Profiling.

Profiling the heterogeneous landscape of cell types and biomolecules is rapidly being adopted to address current imperative research questions. Precision medicine seeks advancements in molecular spatial profiling techniques with highly multiplexed imaging capabilities and subcellular resolution, which remains an extremely complex task. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging offers promise through the utilization of nanoparticle-based contrast agents that exhibit narrow spectral features and molecular specificity. The current renaissance of gold nanoparticle technology makes Raman scattering intensities competitive with traditional fluorescence methods while offering the added benefit of unsurpassed multiplexing capabilities. Here, we present an expanded library of individually distinct SERS nanoparticles to arm researchers and clinicians. Our nanoparticles consist of a ∼60 nm gold core, a Raman reporter molecule, and a final inert silica coating. Using density functional theory, we have selected Raman reporters that meet the key criterion of high spectral uniqueness to facilitate unmixing of up to 26 components in a single imaging pixel in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated the utility of our SERS nanoparticles for targeting cultured cells and profiling cancerous human tissue sections for highly multiplexed optical imaging. This study showcases the far-reaching capabilities of SERS-based Raman imaging in molecular profiling to improve personalized medicine and overcome the major challenges of functional and structural diversity in proteomic imaging.

DoE-derived continuous and robust process for manufacturing of pharmaceutical-grade wide-range LNPs for RNA-vaccine/drug delivery

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology has become extremely demanding for delivering RNA-products and other drugs. However, there is no platform to manufacture pharmaceutical-grade LNPs with desired particle size from a wide range in continuous mode. We have developed a unique platform to obtain any specific size-range of LNPs from 60 to 180 nm satisfying pharmaceutical regulatory requirements for polydispersity index, sterility, dose uniformity and bio-functionality. We applied design of experiment (DoE) methodology and identified the critical process parameters to establish the process for global application. Cross-point validation within the response map of DoE confirmed that the platform is robust to produce specific size (± 10 nm) of LNPs within the design-range. The technology is successfully transformed to production scale and validated. Products from R&D, pilot and production batches for a candidate SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-vaccine generated equivalent biological responses. The data collectively established the robustness and bio-uniformity of doses for global RNA-vaccine/drug formulation.

A two-dimensional nanoparticle characterization method combining differential mobility analyzer and single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with an atomizer-enabled sample introduction (ATM-DMA-spICP-MS): Toward the analysis of heteroaggregated nanoparticles in wastewater

Characterizing engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in complex environmental matrices remains a challenging task. This work presents a two-dimensional size analysis method by combining differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) with a new atomizer (ATM)-enabled sample introduction that is relatively easy to operate. The tailing of electrical mobility size distributions was solved by heating the aerosol flow, where water-shelled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were dehydrated, effectively eliminating the tailing. The improved method has a good sizing performance and can resolve the size fractions of mixed 30 nm and 50 nm AuNPs. It can reliably analyze 7.8 × 105 to 1.9 × 107 # of 50 nm AuNPs (or 4.1 × 105 to 107 # NPs/mL, equivalent to 0.6 to 14.3 μg Au/L) with a linear response and a limit of detection of 7.8 × 105 # AuNPs (equivalent to 4.1 × 105 # AuNPs/mL) that is relevant to NP concentrations in surface water and wastewater samples. The potential of this method to analyze environmental samples was demonstrated by characterizing AuNPs and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) spiked in wastewater, where both NPs were revealed to form heteroaggregates with colloids existing in wastewater. The method can even directly analyze nanosized Ag particles inherent in the wastewater before adding external AgNPs. The result indicates that ATM-DMA-spICP-MS is a relatively simple two-dimensional size analysis method that has a great potential to characterize heteroaggregated NPs in aqueous environmental samples.

A self-healing liquid metal anode for lithium-ion batteries

The gallium-based liquid metal as one of the self-healing materials has gained wide attention, especially in the energy storage system. However, volume expansion with the “liquid–solid-liquid” transformation process still leads to un-controlled electrode failure, which stimulates the irreversibility of liquid metal and hinders their self-healing effect as the anode for lithium-ion batteries. Herein, the polypyrrole (PPy) with highly conductive and adhesive features is first introduced to fasten the liquid metal nanoparticles (gallium-tin alloy, EGaSn) in the integrated electrode and applied as the anode for lithium-ion batteries. A tightly PPy wrapped EGaSn nanoparticles structure is formed during the in-situ polymerization synthesis process, which effectively avoids the detachment of solid alloyed products. Based on the features of PPy, polyacrylic acid is added to facilitate strengthening the integrity of the electrode by constructing the hydrogen bond. The “dual-insurance” design endows the EGaSn to exhibit superior electrochemical kinetics and an astonishing self-healing effect. As a result, the customized anode displays superior cycling stability (499.8 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 1.0 A g−1) and rate capability (350 mAh g−1 at 2.0 A g−1). This work enriches the electrode engineering technology of liquid metal nanoparticles and opens up a new way to customize the self-healing anode for lithium-ion batteries.

Exciting Times for Lipid Nanoparticles: How Canadian Discoveries Are Enabling Gene Therapies.

In this brief perspective, we describe key events in the history of the lipid-based nanomedicine field, highlight Canadian contributions, and outline areas where lipid nanoparticle technology is poised to have a transformative effect on the future of medicine.

Autologous Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells (BMMC)-Associated Anti-Inflammatory Nanoparticles for Cardiac Repair after Myocardial Infarction.

To investigate the effect of transplantation of stem cells from the bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) associated with 15d-PGJ2-loaded nanoparticles in a rat model of chronic MI. Chronic myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by the ligation of the left anterior descending artery in 40 male Wistar rats. After surgery, we transplanted bone marrow associated with 15d-PGJ2-loaded nanoparticle by intramyocardial injection (106 cells/per injection) seven days post-MI. Myocardial infarction was confirmed by echocardiography, and histological analyses of infarct morphology, gap junctions, and angiogenesis were obtained. Our results from immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated the presence of angiogenesis identified in the transplanted region and that there was significant expression of connexin-43 gap junctions, showing a more effective electrical and mechanical integration of the host myocardium. This study suggests that the application of nanoparticle technology in the prevention and treatment of MI is an emerging field and can be a strategy for cardiac repair.

Uranium in groundwater in parts of India and world: A comprehensive review of sources, impact to the environment and human health, analytical techniques, and mitigation technologies

Uranium concentration/contamination in groundwater is currently a subject of concern all over the world due to related severe health problems to humans, as groundwater is the main drinking water source in rural and urban India and also in several parts of the world. Uranium concentration in groundwater in shallow aquifers in various states such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh of India varies from 0 to 1443 ng/ml exceeding the permissible levels by WHO for drinking water (30 ng/ml), at several places. Very high concentrations ranging up to 1400 ng/ml were reported in some areas in other countries such as Canada, the USA, Mongolia, Burundi, Zambia, Nigeria, South Korea, Pakistan, Jordon, Afghanistan, China, and Myanmar. Various natural aspects which influence the uranium concentration in groundwater such as bedrock geology, water chemistry, and redox conditions, and anthropogenic sources such as mining activities (uranium, coal, and phosphate rock), nuclear activities, agricultural practices of using phosphate fertilizers, and prevalence of excessive nitrate in some areas, are described with examples. Some of the important analytical techniques for the precise and accurate determination of elemental and isotopic concentrations of uranium in water samples, such as LED fluorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), high-resolution ICP-MS (HR-ICP-MS), and multi-collector ICP-MS (MC-ICP-MS), are described. A number of advancements have taken place in remediation technologies for the removal of uranium in drinking water using different physical, chemical, and biological methods including rainwater harvesting. Various mitigation strategies for the effective removal of uranium from water during treatment, such as bioremediation using biochars from different sources, nanoparticle technology, and adsorption by magnesium (Mg)-iron (Fe)-based hydrotalcite-like compounds (MF-HT), are described in detail.

Hygienic Assessment of Personal Protective Equipment for Workers Exposed to Engineering Nanoparticles: A Systematic Review

Background: The production and use of nanomaterials keeps demonstrating a significant annual increase leading to enhanced health risks for humans and especially those exposed to nanoparticles at workplaces. While the knowledge of potential toxicity related to nanotechnologies is still evolving and other more sophisticated risk management strategies are being developed, evaluated and put into practice, personal protective equipment for those handling nanoparticles should be available immediately. Objective: To summarize and systematize information about personal protective equipment already used and recommended for use by workers exposed to nanoparticles in the occupational setting. Materials and methods: We used data analysis methods based on review and generalization of contemporary research data found in Medline, PubMed, and Scopus abstract and citation databases and on information portals as of January 2022. The article selection criterion was availability of information about hygienic assessment of personal protective equipment for workers occupationally exposed to nanoparticles; having reviewed over 528 original articles, we chose 39 full-text publications. Results: We established that the principles of certification of filters and their further use for protection against nanoparticles under industrial conditions are not always observed in the production of filters, especially in terms of their pore size. Data on the use of special protective clothing is very limited and shows that available protective equipment may not ensure the required level of protection. Conclusion: This literature review has revealed problems in the regulatory framework and practical hygienic assessment of personal protective equipment against nanoparticles, one of which is the discrepancy between real working conditions and processes simulated in the laboratory. We have established that particle diameter, charge and shape, air flow rate and humidity, as well as the model and type of filters determine the efficiency of respiratory protective equipment used to protect workers against nanoparticles in the workplace air.

Designer Metasurfaces for Antireflective Applications Enabled by Advanced Nanoparticle Technology (Advanced Optical Materials 10/2022)

Designer Metasurfaces for Antireflective Applications Enabled by Advanced Nanoparticle Technology (Advanced Optical Materials 10/2022)

Affinity Sedimentation and Magnetic Separation With Plant-Made Immunosorbent Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Protein Purification.

The virus-based immunosorbent nanoparticle is a nascent technology being developed to serve as a simple and efficacious agent in biosensing and therapeutic antibody purification. There has been particular emphasis on the use of plant virions as immunosorbent nanoparticle chassis for their diverse morphologies and accessible, high yield manufacturing via plant cultivation. To date, studies in this area have focused on proof-of-concept immunosorbent functionality in biosensing and purification contexts. Here we consolidate a previously reported pro-vector system into a single Agrobacterium tumefaciens vector to investigate and expand the utility of virus-based immunosorbent nanoparticle technology for therapeutic protein purification. We demonstrate the use of this technology for Fc-fusion protein purification, characterize key nanomaterial properties including binding capacity, stability, reusability, and particle integrity, and present an optimized processing scheme with reduced complexity and increased purity. Furthermore, we present a coupling of virus-based immunosorbent nanoparticles with magnetic particles as a strategy to overcome limitations of the immunosorbent nanoparticle sedimentation-based affinity capture methodology. We report magnetic separation results which exceed the binding capacity reported for current industry standards by an order of magnitude.

Achieving long cycle sodium-ion storage by an “top-down” size control strategy on Sn-based anode

Size control is one of the important strategies to improve the sodium-ion storage performance of Sn-based anode materials. However, the traditional control strategy of “bottom-up” methods still needs to be improved because of their complex processes to obtain nanostructures in Sn anodes. Herein, a simple “top-down” strategy is adopted to realize ultra-small Sn nanoparticles (∼25 nm). This strategy employs in-situ phase transformation technology of Sn nanoparticles, decreasing the size of Sn nanoparticles from 125 to 25 nm successfully. Benefiting from this nanostructure, these ultra-small Sn nanoparticles achieve long cycle sodium-ion storage performance during cycling. As an anode material for sodium-ion batteries, the electrode exhibits a reversible capacity of 387.2 mAh•g−1 after 500 cycles at a current density of 1 A•g−1. Further characterization shows that it has good kinetics performance and structural stability. This work can provide ideas toward the structural design of Sn-based anode to obtain high electrochemical performance in future.

Designer Metasurfaces for Antireflective Applications Enabled by Advanced Nanoparticle Technology

AbstractOptic processing advances have shifted system limitations, with current constraints consisting of antireflective (AR) coatings applied to optics and the inability to reduce size, weight, and price. Metasurfaces, and more broadly metaoptics, provide an avenue to overcome these limitations. The ability to generate substrate‐engraved metasurfaces that can be tailored is demonstrated within a broad design space to satisfy large‐area AR applications for bandpass or broadband needs, demonstrating an optically equivalent surface roughness standard deviation of only 5 Å. Using an advanced nanoparticle masking approach, two metasurfaces are fabricated: 1) vertical sidewall nanofeature metasurface (MS) for AR applications at 351 nm, and 2) sloped sidewall MS designed for broadband AR applications. For the 351 nm MS, the reflectance is measured to be 0.127%. In the case of the sloped sidewall MS, the reflectance is measured to be <0.25% over 400–700 nm and <1% over 400–1100 nm. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a broadband AR capable of this performance. The tunability of these structures, with a parameter space spanning even more remarkable designs such as broader bands and acceptance angles, coupled with high laser‐induced damage durability and mechanical robustness, displays the strength of metasurfaces for AR applications.