Nanostructured Composite Materials Research Articles

Diagnosis and Biomarker Screening of Endometrial Cancer Enabled by a Versatile Exosome Metabolic Fingerprint Platform.

Exosomes have emerged as a revolutionary tool for liquid biopsy (LB), as they carry specific cargo from cells. Profiling the metabolites of exosomes is crucial for cancer diagnosis and biomarker discovery. Herein, we propose a versatile platform for exosomal metabolite assay of endometrial cancer (EC). The platform is based on a nanostructured composite material comprising gold nanoparticle-coated magnetic COF with aptamer modification (Fe3O4@COF@Au-Apt). The unique design and novel synthesis strategy of Fe3O4@COF@Au-Apt provide the material with a large specific surface area, enabling the efficient and specific isolation of exosomes. The exosomes captured Fe3O4@COF@Au-Apt can be directly used as the laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) matrix for rapid exosomal metabolic patterns. By integrating these functionalities into a single platform, the analytical process is simplified, eliminating the need for additional elution steps and minimizing potential sample loss, resulting in large-scale exosomal metabolic fingerprints. Combining with machine learning algorithms on the metabolic patterns, accurate discrimination between endometrial patients (EGs) and benign controls (CGs) was achieved, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the blind test cohort was 0.924. Confusion matrix analysis of important metabolic fingerprint features further demonstrates the high accuracy of the proposed approach toward EC diagnosis, with an overall accuracy of 94.1%. Moreover, four metabolites, namely, hydroxychalcone, l-acetylcarnitine, elaidic acid, and glutathione, have been identified as potential biomarkers of EC. These results highlight the great value of the integrated exosome metabolic fingerprint platform in facilitating low-cost and high-throughput characterization of exosomal metabolites for cancer diagnosis and biomarker discovery.

Electro-mechanical analysis of nanostructured polymer matrix composite materials for 3D printing using machine learning

Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) techniques like 3D printing have emerged as a potentially game-changing example of digital manufacturing. However, high entry barriers of a tiny material library, different processing defects, and unpredictable product quality are still holding back its widespread use in the industry. Due to its remarkable success in data tasks like classification, regression, and clustering, machine learning (ML) has recently gained a great deal of interest in the subject of the material library. This paper examines the current state of ML applications in several key areas of AM, including polymer matrix composite materials and machine parameter optimization. Composite filaments have been extruded using Polylactic Acid (PLA) as it is a biodegradable material and shows how High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) enhances physical strength. All the parameters for the filament extruder have been designed by machine learning. Thermal stability is a significant concern for polymers that have been overcome by introducing Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles. The microstructure, surface texture, electro-mechanical behavior, and other general features of extruded filaments made from recycled plastics have been investigated. The extrusion temperature, approximated using ML, is in excellent agreement with the surface texture and microstructure of the polymers, as confirmed by FESEM, EDX, and Particle analysis. Extruded filaments experienced 2500 Vs and confirmed their non-conductivity up to 77.7GΩ. Tensile strength and elongation at break, two measures of mechanical properties, have been examined. Incorporation of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles improved mechanical properties significantly. When it comes to 3D printing, the physical properties and potential uses of each composite material are different.

Graphene oxide–lithium-ion batteries: inauguration of an era in energy storage technology

Abstract A significant driving force behind the brisk research on rechargeable batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) in high-performance applications, is the development of portable devices and electric vehicles. Carbon-based materials, which have finite specific capacity, make up the anodes of LiBs. Many attempts are being made to produce novel nanostructured composite anode materials for LiBs that display cycle stability that is superior to that of graphite using graphene oxide. Therefore, using significant amounts of waste graphene oxide from used LiBs represents a fantastic opportunity to engage in waste management and circular economy. This review outlines recent studies, developments and the current advancement of graphene oxide-based LiBs, including preparation of graphene oxide and utilization in LiBs, particularly from the perspective of energy storage technology, which has drawn more and more attention to creating high-performance electrode systems.

On the fatigue behaviour of epoxy-based nanostructured composite materials

Epoxy composites and nanocomposites enable the creation of high-performance structures and innovative designs. However, there is limited research focused on their fatigue characterization. The purpose of this study is to analyze the fatigue resistance results of nanostructured composite materials made with an epoxy matrix of Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol F and 9,9-bis(3-chloro-4-aminophenyl) fluorine (DGEBF-CAF) reinforced with 5%wt of elastomeric nanoparticles with an average diameter of 200 nm. The tests are conducted at variable load and frequency using Rotating Bending (R-B) and Tensile-Tensile (T-T) tests, and the results are compared to those obtained with pure resin. The occurrence of thermal fatigue phenomena during the tests is monitored using a thermal camera. The results confirm that pure epoxy resin exhibits poor crack propagation resistance due to its low ductility and toughness, and the introduction of a second phase leads to an improvement of approximately 3 times in T-T tests and 5 times in R-B tests.

A review on CO<sub>2</sub> capture over novel adsorbents: Progress in robust zeolite adsorbent development

Indubitably, the combustion of fossils fuels has really hampered the preservation of the environment as it raises the content of CO2 in the atmosphere which consequentially results in global warming. Adsorption process remains the popular technique owing to its cost-effectiveness, faster reaction rates and flexible design. This review detailed the research progress in preparation of modified zeolite-based and novel adsorbents towards enhanced CO2 capture. In addition, the review presents an overview on available techniques of capturing CO2 and mechanism of reaction. Large surface area, distinctive mechanical characteristics and uniform dispersion of the exchangeable cations in the porous framework is prerequisite for high adsorption capacity and stability over zeolite materials. Novel nanostructured and polymeric zeolite composite materials seem promising because they offer solutions to energy-related problems while also contributing to environmental preservation. It is anticipated that this review could offer a conclusive roadmap in the pursuit of a cost-effective, industrially potent adsorbent suited for enhance CO2 capture.

Technology for Producing Composite Nano-structured Material Based on Natural Resources of the KR

The history of development and current state of the coal sector of Kyrgyzstan is considered. The possibilities of obtaining carbon nanomaterials from carbons, such as carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, sphere particles, graphene, graphene oxide, graphene quantum dots and carbon dots, are analyzed. The optimal moisture content and density of low-dimensional carbon powder were determined. A special mold was used to produce a composite from carbon powders.

A Study on Particulate Release when Machining Nano-structured Polymeric Composites

This paper presents a quantitative assessment of particles released when machining nanostructured composite materials. Two different nanocomposite materials (graphene/epoxy and halloysite nanoclay/polyester) were micro machined using carbide end mills under various cutting conditions. A portable particulate monitor (Turnkey Dustmate, laser light scattering monitor) was used at different locations at a distance from the machining zone (starting from 10 cm to 1 m) to measure the released PM10, PM2.5, PM1 concentrations (diameter <10, <2.5 and <1 µm, respectively, with a lower limit of 0.5 µm). DustMate results showed that concentrations across the three size categories were well below workplace exposure limits.

Atomic layer deposition of magnetic thin films: Basic processes, engineering efforts, and road forward

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is known as a key enabler of the continuous advances in device engineering for microelectronics. For instance, the state-of-the-art transistor technology depends entirely on ALD-grown high-κ materials. Another application branch where ALD could potentially play a similar important role in future is the magnetic thin film devices. Spin-based devices based on high-quality magnetic thin films are anticipated to provide high-efficiency operations with low power consumption. The strict quality demands the magnetic thin films must fulfill in the next-generation applications form the strong bases for the efforts to implement ALD in this application area. In this first comprehensive review on the topic, our aim is to provide an insightful account of the ALD processes so far developed for magnetic materials and to highlight the application-relevant magnetic properties of the thus fabricated thin films. Moreover, we discuss the various innovative engineering efforts made toward different multi-layered and nanostructured composite materials and complex architectures uniquely enabled by the sophisticated self-terminated film-growth mechanism of ALD. The review is finished with a brief outlook toward the future prospects and challenges in the field.

A Nanocomposite Sol-Gel Film Based on PbS Quantum Dots Embedded into an Amorphous Host Inorganic Matrix.

In this study, a sol-gel film based on lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots incorporated into a host network was synthesized as a special nanostructured composite material with potential applications in temperature sensor systems. This work dealt with the optical, structural, and morphological properties of a representative PbS quantum dot (QD)-containing thin film belonging to the Al2O3-SiO2-P2O5 system. The film was prepared using the sol-gel method combined with the spin coating technique, starting from a precursor solution containing a suspension of PbS QDs in toluene with a narrow size distribution and coated on a glass substrate in a multilayer process, followed by annealing of each deposited layer. The size (approximately 10 nm) of the lead sulfide nanocrystallites was validated by XRD and by the quantum confinement effect based on the band gap value and by TEM results. The photoluminescence peak of 1505 nm was very close to that of the precursor PbS QD solution, which demonstrated that the synthesis route of the film preserved the optical emission characteristic of the PbS QDs. The photoluminescence of the lead sulfide QD-containing film in the near infrared domain demonstrates that this material is a promising candidate for future sensing applications in temperature monitoring.

One-step assembly of TA-FeIII supramolecular shell on AgNPs surface for regulating fluorescence intensity of quantum dots

During surface-enhanced fluorescence processes, the spatial spacing layer on the surface of noble metals plays an important role in regulating the fluorescence intensity. We propose a method for regulating fluorescence intensity using the AgNPs@TA-FeIII composite nanostructured materials as the substrate and using characteristic fluorescence of graphene quantum dots as the detection signal. Tannins-FeIII (TA-FeIII) nanofilms were prepared with a one-step assembly method, which is simple, fast, green, and safe. This work is expected to help the application of polyphenol metal nanofilm technology in the field of surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF).

Study of the pH Effect on the Sorption Properties of Nanostructured Graphene-Containing Composite Materials Modified with Polyaniline for Removal of Various Chemical Nature Polutants

Study of the pH Effect on the Sorption Properties of Nanostructured Graphene-Containing Composite Materials Modified with Polyaniline for Removal of Various Chemical Nature Polutants

A joint experimental and theoretical study on Structural, Vibrational and morphological properties of newly synthesized nanocomposites involving Hydroxyapatite-alt-Polyethylene Glycol (HAP/PEG)

In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of new nanocomposite materials based on hydroxyapatite (HAP) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with two different ratios (80/20 and 60/20). The structural properties of the synthesized nanocomposite (HAP/PEG) compound based on chemical composition and morphologicalfeatures of thesurface were analyzed using advanced techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy-Energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), which all confirmed the formation of the composite. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) computational codes are used, in practice, to predict the structural, optoelectronic properties and quantum chemical parameters of the synthesized nanocomposite compounds. Our results revealed that the nanostructured compositematerials containing the fragile HAP (with a weak hardness value) and the rigid PEG (with a strong hardness value) led to the development of a novel nanocomposite material exhibiting improved hardness compared to pure HAP. Moreover, the HAP/PEG nanocomposite exhibited a high level of molecular stability.

Novel low-macroscopic-field emission cathodes for electron probe spectroscopy systems

The current state of electron probe methods [including energy loss spectroscopy of inelastically scattered electrons (EELS)] is considered. The analysis concerning the issues of their application, challenges, and limitations is performed. Particular attention is paid to the fundamental limitations and the means to overcome those during electron probe methods’ subsequent development for the study of composite nanostructured materials. It is emphasized that the emitted electron energy spectrum dispersion (or electron energy distribution function width) is one of the main factors limiting a further increase in EELS energy resolution, although the use of direct detection sensors and monochromators allows one to approach the physical limit of this method. Novel low-macroscopic-field electron emitters are synthesized and investigated. Their properties are analyzed and compared with previously obtained specimens. Both energy and temporal resolutions of an EEL system utilizing the suggested cathodes are estimated. The comparison of its characteristics with the corresponding parameters of classical facilities is performed. The obtained results indicate the possibility to achieving a significant growth in energy and temporal resolutions as well as a decrease in the detection threshold of chemical elements with trace concentrations while maintaining relatively high emission current density values.

Molecular conformation of polyelectrolytes inside Layer-by-Layer assembled films

Among all methods available for the preparation of multifunctional nanostructured composite materials with remarkable functional properties, Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly is currently one of the most widely used techniques due to its environmental friendliness, its ease of use and its versatility in combining a plethora of available colloids and macromolecules into finely tuned multicomponent architectures with nanometer scale control. Despite the importance of these systems in emerging technologies, their nanoscopic 3D structure, and thus the ability to predict and understand the device performance, is still largely unknown. In this article, we use neutron scattering to determine the average conformation of individual deuterated polyelectrolyte chains inside LbL assembled films. In particular, we determine that in LbL-films composed of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) multilayers prepared from 2 M sodium chloride solutions the PSS chains exhibit a flattened coil conformation with an asymmetry factor of around seven. Albeit this highly non-equilibrium state of the polymer chain, its density profiles follow Gaussian distributions occupying roughly the same volume as in the bulk complex.

Recent advances in cerium oxide-based nanocomposites in synthesis, characterization, and energy storage applications: A comprehensive review

Since advancements in energy conversion technologies and energy storage devices, the use of supercapacitors has become more prevalent recently. Their high energy density, consistent cycle life, and extended lifetimes of supercapacitors have been thought to be their key benefits. The development of supercapacitor technology has also been greatly aided by sustainability nanotechnology. Cerium oxide (CeO2) is a type of ceramic material that is demonstrated as having a positive electrochemical behavior among a variety of widely used materials. A prospective active material for supercapacitor applications is CeO2, together with its nanostructured composite materials, which is the subject of extensive research. Recent developments in this field necessitated the requirement to develop an alternative, thus giving rise to the supercapacitor. Supercapacitors utilize the same fundamental formulas as normal capacitors. Those characteristics enable it to behave at densities of energy and power that are higher than that of battery and ordinary capacitors, respectively. Due to their unique physicochemical characteristics, rare-earth minerals have garnered a lot of research interest as electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. Therefore, in this review, cerium composite-based electrode materials, cerium oxides and composite, ceria nano enzyme behavior, and rare earth oxide have all been covered as far as energy storage device applications are concerned.

Исследование влияния pH на сорбционные свойства наноструктурированных графенсодержащих композитных материалов, модифицированных полианилином, в процессах извлечения поллютантов различной химической природы

Liquid-phase sorption is a multi-stage process, the success of which depends on many factors. One of the key parameters that determines the extraction efficiency is the liquid medium pH value. In this study, the effect of the pH value of model aqueous solutions containing separately heavy metal ions (using zinc and lead ions as an example), as well as organic dyes methylene blue (MB) and sunset yellow (SY), was evaluated. The required pH value was achieved by preparing the solutions in appropriate buffer systems. As a sorbent, a nanostructured composite material was used, represented by a matrix of carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide modified with polyaniline, where phenol-formaldehyde resin acted as a binding agent. Various forms of this material were considered — xerogel, cryogel, aerogel, as well as their carbonized modifications. As a result of experimental studies, it was found that for all used heavy metal ions (zinc and lead) and MB for all sorbents forms, the maximum adsorption capacity was noted at pH = 6. At the anionic dye SY adsorption, the best result was achieved at pH = 2.

Design and Characterization of Nanostructured Titanium Monoxide Films Decorated with Polyaniline Species

The fabrication of nanostructured composite materials is an active field of materials chemistry. However, the ensembles of nanostructured titanium monoxide and suboxide species decorated with polyaniline (PANI) species have not been deeply investigated up to now. In this study, such composites were formed on both hydrothermally oxidized and anodized Ti substrates via oxidative polymerization of aniline. In this way, highly porous nanotube-shaped titanium dioxide (TiO2) and nano leaflet-shaped titanium monoxide (TiOx) species films loaded with electrically conductive PANI in an emeraldine salt form were designed. Apart from compositional and structural characterization with Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Raman techniques, the electrochemical properties were identified for each layer using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Based on the experimentally determined EIS parameters, it is envisaged that TiO-based nanomaterials decorated with PANI could find prospective applications in supercapacitors and biosensing.

Low temperature energy- efficient synthesis methods for bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for environmental remediation application: A review.

Bismuth-based composite materials have unique structural, chemical, optical, and electrical properties that are highly beneficial in Photocatalysis. The layered structure and tunable bandgap properties of the Bismuth-based composites are advantageous for the absorption of solar light efficiently. Also, these properties help the separation and recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, leading to enhancement in the photocatalytic activity. Synthesis of the catalyst at a lower temperature to produce catalyst reduces the production cost and electrical energy consumption. This review provides an overview of the recent development in Bismuth-based composite nanostructured photocatalytic materials, mainly using low-temperature driven synthesis methods. Herein, we have mainly summarized the primarily used low temperature-based synthetic routes, particularly in the temperature range of 50-300°C for synthesizing Bismuth-based composite materials. In addition to this, the photocatalytic mechanism, the textural, structural, electronic, and photocatalytic properties of the synthesized photocatalysts are discussed. The literature shows that the surface area of the composite Bismuth-based photocatalytic materials synthesized using the low-temperature synthetic route is in the range of 1.5-81m2/g and can be activated by solar, ultraviolet, and Light Emitting Diode (LEDs) light irradiation based on the synthetic route. Their photocatalytic performance and structural stability are excellent and utilized for several runs. The comprehensive understanding of the low-temperature synthesis of Bismuth-based composite materials for visible light-activated photocatalytic applications provided will be useful for developing photocatalytic materials on an industrial scale due to energy-efficient synthetic routes. Furthermore, the prospects of low temperature-driven Bismuth-based composite synthesis routes are discussed.

Magnetic Core-Shell Iron Oxides-Based Nanophotocatalysts and Nanoadsorbents for Multifunctional Thin Films.

In recent years, iron oxides-based nanostructured composite materials are of particular interest for the preparation of multifunctional thin films and membranes to be used in sustainable magnetic field adsorption and photocatalysis processes, intelligent coatings, and packing or bio-medical applications. In this paper, superparamagnetic iron oxide (core)-silica (shell) nanoparticles suitable for thin films and membrane functionalization were obtained by co-precipitation and ultrasonic-assisted sol-gel methods. The comparative/combined effect of the magnetic core co-precipitation temperature (80 and 95 °C) and ZnO-doping of the silica shell on the photocatalytic and nano-sorption properties of the resulted composite nanoparticles were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy monitoring the discoloration of methylene blue (MB) solution under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and darkness, respectively. The morphology, structure, textural, and magnetic parameters of the investigated powders were evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) measurements, and saturation magnetization (vibrating sample magnetometry, VSM). The intraparticle diffusion model controlled the MB adsorption. The pseudo- and second-order kinetics described the MB photodegradation. When using SiO2-shell functionalized nanoparticles, the adsorption and photodegradation constant rates are three–four times higher than for using starting core iron oxide nanoparticles. The obtained magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were tested for films deposition.

Graphene Oxide and Biomolecules for the Production of Functional 3D Graphene-Based Materials.

Graphene and its derivatives have been widely employed in the manufacturing of novel composite nanomaterials which find applications across the fields of physics, chemistry, engineering and medicine. There are many techniques and strategies employed for the production, functionalization, and assembly of graphene with other organic and inorganic components. These are characterized by advantages and disadvantages related to the nature of the specific components involved. Among many, biomolecules and biopolymers have been extensively studied and employed during the last decade as building blocks, leading to the realization of graphene-based biomaterials owning unique properties and functionalities. In particular, biomolecules like nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes, as well as viruses, are of particular interest due to their natural ability to self-assemble via non-covalent interactions forming extremely complex and dynamic functional structures. The capability of proteins and nucleic acids to bind specific targets with very high selectivity or the ability of enzymes to catalyse specific reactions, make these biomolecules the perfect candidates to be combined with graphenes, and in particular graphene oxide, to create novel 3D nanostructured functional biomaterials. Furthermore, besides the ease of interaction between graphene oxide and biomolecules, the latter can be produced in bulk, favouring the scalability of the resulting nanostructured composite materials. Moreover, due to the presence of biological components, graphene oxide-based biomaterials are more environmentally friendly and can be manufactured more sustainably compared to other graphene-based materials assembled with synthetic and inorganic components. This review aims to provide an overview of the state of the art of 3D graphene-based materials assembled using graphene oxide and biomolecules, for the fabrication of novel functional and scalable materials and devices.