Nanotechnology Research Research Articles

The current state of electrospinning technology and its prospects for the future

With the development of nanotechnology and modern research methods, the use of biodegradable polymer materials in various sectors of human life is of interest not only to the scientific world community, but also i a way to solve one of the global problems related to resource conservation and environmental protection. Polyvinyl alcohol-based materials have been widely used in various fields due to their biological and physical properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, antimicrobial ability, non-toxicity and the ability to easily form a film. One of the methods of obtaining polymer films that exist today is electrospinning, the advantages of which are the relative simplicity of the technological process and the possibility of obtaining continuous nanofibers from both synthetic and natural polymers. In this work, the influence of various process parameters on the formation of nanofiber mats from a biodegradable synthetic polymer by electrospinning was studied. The technology of wet spinning, melt spinning and dry spinning is discussed. A number of experimental studies have been carried out to identify optimal modes of obtaining nanofibers from polyvinyl alcohol with the most homogeneous structure without the formation of defects.

Evaluation of Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Seed Germination Potential of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles from Bark Extract of Ailanthus excelsa Roxb.

Nanotechnology, an emerging scientific domain promises potential applications in varied sectors. Currently, research in nanotechnology focuses on the optimization of nanoparticle synthesis. Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an economic and non-toxic alternative to conventional methods. In the present study, aqueous bark extract of Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. was used for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). UV-Visible Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of AgNPs with an absorption Surface Plasmon peak at 450nm. Biosynthesized AgNPs and bark extract were investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for determining the functional groups in phytochemicals that act as reducing and capping agents in the synthesis process. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) analysis denotes that AgNPs were predominantly spherical, with an average size of 18.84 ± 2.28nm. The bark extract was evaluated qualitatively by preliminary phytochemical screening. Antioxidant potential of biosynthesized AgNPs and bark extract were analyzed using the DPPH method in which biosynthesized AgNPs showed significant free radical scavenging potential. Antibacterial properties of biosynthesized AgNPs were analysed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Biosynthesized AgNPs and bark extract were also checked for Germination Percentage, Germination Speed Index and Seedling Vigor Index on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Moong (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) seeds. The present study infers that Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. act as a potential source of green synthesis of AgNPs and may help to build a resilient system for its commercial applications in various fields.

An impact of radiation on laminar flow of dusty ternary nanofluid over porous stretching/shrinking sheet with mass transpiration

The goal of current research is to determine the laminar boundary layer problem for the two-dimensional flow of ternary dusty nanoparticles through a porous stretching/shrinking sheet in the presence of radiation and mass transpiration. Generalized partial differential equations are converted to nonlinear ordinary differential equations after demonstrating an appropriate similarity transformation. Exact solutions are subsequently provided for the resulting system of equations. The development of ternary dusty nanofluids has significantly improved the heat transmission process for manufacturing and industrial applications, as well as in nanotechnology research. The influence of the various interesting parameters on the flow and heat transfer is analyzed and discussed in detail through plotted graphs. It was found that the basic similarity equations admit two phases for both stretching/shrinking surfaces. Graphs are used to illustrate the findings of this work. We found that the velocity fields increase with an increase in the inverse Darcy number value for the case stretching sheet while opposite effects can be observed in the shrinking case. Moreover, the magnitude of particle interaction parameter enhances as the solution domain raises. The findings disclose that the performance of ternary nanofluid phase heat transfer is improved compared to dusty phase performance.

Electrochemical Biosensors for Whole Blood Analysis: Recent Progress, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.

Whole blood, as one of the most significant biological fluids, provides critical information for health management and disease monitoring. Over the past 10 years, advances in nanotechnology, microfluidics, and biomarker research have spurred the development of powerful miniaturized diagnostic systems for whole blood testing toward the goal of disease monitoring and treatment. Among the techniques employed for whole-blood diagnostics, electrochemical biosensors, as known to be rapid, sensitive, capable of miniaturization, reagentless and washing free, become a class of emerging technology to achieve the target detection specifically and directly in complex media, e.g., whole blood or even in the living body. Here we are aiming to provide a comprehensive review to summarize advances over the past decade in the development of electrochemical sensors for whole blood analysis. Further, we address the remaining challenges and opportunities to integrate electrochemical sensing platforms.

Highly photoactive rGO-MnO2/CuO nanocomposite photocatalyst for the removal of metanil yellow dye and bacterial resistance against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

The superior photocatalytic, biological, and electrochemical properties of metal oxide nanocomposites have made them an important part of contemporary nanotechnology research. Nanocomposite involving MnO2 and CuO has been widely utilized for catalytic and electrochemical applications. However, the different oxidation states of MnO2 and lower band gap of CuO limits the efficiency of the devices involving the composite of these two semiconductors. As a result, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is integrated into the MnO2/CuO matrix. rGO-MnO2/CuO and MnO2/CuO nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized using one-pot green synthesis and chemical precipitation respectively. rGO decorated MnO2/CuO NC was green synthesized from graphene oxide using Alternanthera sessilis leaf extract. XRD detected peaks related to orthorhombic structured MnO2 and monoclinic structured CuO for both the composites. Star shaped nanostructures are observed for rGO incorporated MnO2/CuO nanocomposite. MC and rMC composites have band gaps of 2.16 and 2.04 eV, respectively. FTIR spectrum showed the characteristic peaks for MnO2 and CuO in the rGO-MnO2/ CuO composite. Raman active Ag and Bg CuO modes occur at 270 and 450 cm−1 and Mn-O symmetric vibrations at 590 and 540 cm−1. The incorporation of rGO into the MnO2/CuO composite increased its photocatalytic activity from 87 % to 96 % against the degradation of metanil yellow dye by increasing its electron conductivity, adsorption capacity, and light absorption capacity. The MnO2/CuO nanocomposite with rGO demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity, with a zone of inhibition of 24 mm compared to 13 mm for the control and 18 mm for the MnO2/CuO composite.

Using the Rods as Collector and Study of its Effect on Morphology and Uniformity of Nanofibers via Electrospinning

Nanotechnology research has lacked to provide new studies on nanofibers using the electrospinning method, the reasons are attributed that all parameters have been covered by previous studies. Believing that science is in a state of constant renewal leads to the possibility to study a parameter that has not been studied before, which affects the morphology of nanofibers. One of the disadvantages of nanofibers manufacturing is the formation of beads, and controlling the parameter helps reduce these beads. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images reveal the formation of nanofibers and surface topography observations by atom force microscopy (AFM) indicates that the roughness is improved by changing the distance between rods of the collector. The rods function as a collector for nanofibers, changing this parameter improves the morphology and diameter of the nanofibers.

Advances in near-infrared-activated lanthanide-doped optical nanomaterials: imaging, sensing, and therapy

As the population ages, cancer has become a major health concern. Although surgical treatment, chemoradiotherapy, and other clinical treatments have become dominant, their strong invasiveness and intolerable toxic side effects seriously affect patients' quality of life. Therefore, developing non-invasive optical therapy with high safety is of great significance. In the last two decades of development, great progress has been made in lanthanide doped nanoparticles on biomedical applications under near-infrared (NIR) light due to their unique properties. These nanomaterials have been used in a wide range of applications, including bioluminescence marker detection, in vitro and in vivo imaging, photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and other therapeutic applications. These therapies have been rapidly developed in the profession involving oncology due to their non-invasive, spatiotemporal controllability, and high efficiency. For this key review, the applications based on lanthanide nanoparticles have been listed as follows: bioimaging, biosensors, PDT and PTT. Some emerging biological applications of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles currently at the forefront of the nano/biological interface are also discussed. Finally, this review summarizes the future opportunities and challenges of nanotechnology research based on lanthanide-doped nanoparticles.

Recent Progress in Polyaniline and its Composites for Supercapacitors.

Polyaniline (PANI) has piqued the interest of nanotechnology researchers due to its potential as an electrode material for supercapacitors. Despite its ease of synthesis and ability to be doped with a wide range of materials, PANI's poor mechanical properties have limited its use in practical applications. To address this issue, researchers investigated using PANI composites with materials with highly specific surface areas, active sites, porous architectures, and high conductivity. The resulting composite materials have improved energy storage performance, making them promising electrode materials for supercapacitors. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in PANI-based supercapacitors, focusing on using electrochemically active carbon and redox-active materials as composites. We discuss challenges and opportunities of synthesizing PANI-based composites for supercapacitor applications. Furthermore, we provide theoretical insights into the electrical properties of PANI composites and their potential as active electrode materials. The need for this review stems from the growing interest in PANI-based composites to improve supercapacitor performance. By examining recent progress in this field, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art and potential of PANI-based composites for supercapacitor applications. This review adds value by highlighting challenges and opportunities associated with synthesizing and utilizing PANI-based composites, thereby guiding future research directions.

Review: Electrochemical biosensors based on ZnO nanostructures

In the last few decades’ electrochemical biosensors have witnessed vast developments due to the broad range of different applications, including health care and medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring and assessment, food industry, and drug delivery. Integration of nanostructured material with different disciplines and expertise of electrochemistry, solid-state physics, material science, and biology has offered the opportunity of a future generation of highly rapid, sensitive, stable, selective, and novel electrochemical biosensor devices. Among metal oxide nanomaterials, ZnO nanostructures are one of the most important nanomaterials in today’s nanotechnology research. Such nanostructures have been studied intensely not only for their extraordinary structural, optical, and electronic properties but also for their prominent performance in diverse novel applications such as photonics, optics, electronics, drug delivery, cancer treatment, bio-imaging, etc. However, functionality of these nanomaterials is eventually dictated by the capability to govern their properties including shape, size, position, and crystalline structure on the nanosized scale. This review aims to update the outstanding advancement in the developments of the enzymatic and non-enzymatic biosensors using a different structure of ZnO nanomaterials. After a coverage of the basic principles of electrochemical biosensors, we highlight the basic features of ZnO as a potential anticancer agent. focused attention gives to functionalized biosensors based on ZnO nanostructures for detecting biological analytes, such as glucose, cholesterol, L-lactic acid, uric acid, metal ions, and pH.

Exploring the potential of antimalarial nanocarriers as a novel therapeutic approach

Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease that affects millions of people worldwide, especially in developing countries. Despite advances in conventional therapies, drug resistance in malaria parasites has become a significant concern. Hence, there is a need for a new therapeutic approach. To combat the disease effectively means eliminating vectors and discovering potent treatments. The nanotechnology research efforts in nanomedicine show promise by exploring the potential use of nanomaterials that can surmount these limitations occurring with antimalarial drugs, which include multidrug resistance or lack of specificity when targeting parasites directly. Utilizing nanomaterials would possess unique advantages over conventional chemotherapy systems by increasing the efficacy levels while reducing side effects significantly by delivering medications precisely within the diseased area. It also provides cheap yet safe measures against Malaria infections worldwide-ultimately improving treatment efficiency holistically without reinventing new methods therapeutically. This review is an effort to provide an overview of the various stages of malaria parasites, pathogenesis, and conventional therapies, as well as the treatment gap existing with available formulations. It explores different types of nanocarriers, such as liposomes, ethosomal cataplasm, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, polymeric nanocarriers, and metallic nanoparticles, which are frequently employed to boost the efficiency of antimalarial drugs to overcome the challenges and develop effective and safe therapies. The study also highlights the improved pharmacokinetics, enhanced drug bioavailability, and reduced toxicity associated with nanocarriers, making them a promising therapeutic approach for treating malaria.

Plant nanobionics: Fortifying food security via engineered plant productivity

The world's human population is increasing exponentially, increasing the demand for high-quality food sources. As a result, there is a major global concern over hunger and malnutrition in developing countries with limited food resources. To address this issue, researchers worldwide must focus on developing improved crop varieties with greater productivity to overcome hunger. However, conventional crop breeding methods require extensive periods to develop new varieties with desirable traits. To tackle this challenge, an innovative approach termed plant nanobionics introduces nanomaterials (NMs) into cell organelles to enhance or modify plant function and thus crop productivity and yield. A comprehensive review of nanomaterials affect crop yield is needed to guide nanotechnology research. This article critically reviews nanotechnology applications for engineering plant productivity, seed germination, crop growth, enhancing photosynthesis, and improving crop yield and quality, and discusses nanobionic approaches such as smart drug delivery systems and plant nanobiosensors. Moreover, the review describes NM classification and synthesis and human health-related and plant toxicity hazards. Our findings suggest that nanotechnology application in agricultural production could significantly increase crop yields to alleviate global hunger pressures. However, the environmental risks associated with NMs should be investigated thoroughly before their widespread adoption in agriculture.

A Delphi Study on Technical and Socio-Economic Perspectives of Nanotechnology and ICT Industries Relations

By using the Delphi technique and a case study on Malaysia’s nanotechnology research and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industries, this paper aims to determine the development and convergence of nanotechnology and ICT innovation systems from the perspective of science-industry relations. A total of 25 experts have provided their opinions and consensus on the present stage and possible future scenarios of nanotech-ICT development from four dimensions: technology landscape, economic viability, governance, and social acceptance. Results from two survey rounds indicate that the Malaysian ICT innovation system is presently economically viable and easily accepted by the market. The best-case scenario can be achieved with the help of nanotechnology. This would also require the implementation of policies and regulations from government. Although industrial and social adoption and the acceptance of nanotechnology are already strong, government is responsible for creating various programs to ensure greater awareness and development of knowledge.

Measuring complex refractive index through deep-learning-enabled optical reflectometry

Optical spectroscopy is indispensable for research and development in nanoscience and nanotechnology, microelectronics, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Advanced optical spectroscopy tools often require both specifically designed high-end instrumentation and intricate data analysis techniques. Beyond the common analytical tools, deep learning methods are well suited for interpreting high-dimensional and complicated spectroscopy data. They offer great opportunities to extract subtle and deep information about optical properties of materials with simpler optical setups, which would otherwise require sophisticated instrumentation. In this work, we propose a computational approach based on a conventional tabletop optical microscope and a deep learning model called ReflectoNet. Without any prior knowledge about the multilayer substrates, ReflectoNet can predict the complex refractive indices of thin films and 2D materials on top of these nontrivial substrates from experimentally measured optical reflectance spectra with high accuracies. This task was not feasible previously with traditional reflectometry or ellipsometry methods. Fundamental physical principles, such as the Kramers–Kronig relations, are spontaneously learned by the model without any further training. This approach enables in-operando optical characterization of functional materials and 2D materials within complex photonic structures or optoelectronic devices.

Gold-iron oxide (Au/Fe3O4) magnetic nanoparticles as the nanoplatform for binding of bioactive molecules through self-assembly.

Nanomedicine plays a crucial role in the development of next-generation therapies. The use of nanoparticles as drug delivery platforms has become a major area of research in nanotechnology. To be effective, these nanoparticles must interact with desired drug molecules and release them at targeted sites. The design of these "nanoplatforms" typically includes a functional core, an organic coating with functional groups for drug binding, and the drugs or bioactive molecules themselves. However, by exploiting the coordination chemistry between organic molecules and transition metal centers, the self-assembly of drugs onto the nanoplatform surfaces can bypass the need for an organic coating, simplifying the materials synthesis process. In this perspective, we use gold-iron oxide nanoplatforms as examples and outline the prospects and challenges of using self-assembly to prepare drug-nanoparticle constructs. Through a case study on the binding of insulin on Au-dotted Fe3O4 nanoparticles, we demonstrate how a self-assembly system can be developed. This method can also be adapted to other combinations of transition metals, with the potential for scaling up. Furthermore, the self-assembly method can also be considered as a greener alternative to traditional methods, reducing the use of chemicals and solvents. In light of the current climate of environmental awareness, this shift towards sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry would be welcomed.

Biosynthesis, and characterization of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) obtained from the extract of waste of strawberry

Nanotechnology has become a promising approach and gain the appreciable recognition due to have biomedical application. Nanoparticles exhibited unique characteristic and play an effective role in area of science. The synthesis of nanoparticles with desire size and shape is an important field of research in nanotechnology. Herein we synthesized the zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using zinc acetate as precursor and extract of waste strawberry extract as a reducing agent and stabilizing agent. Further, obtained ZnO NPs characterized by UV–vis, FTIR, EDX, XRD, and TEM analysis. The UV–vis result confirm ZnONPs formation with its surface Plasmon resonance peak (SPR) at 311 nm due to the collective oscillations of electrons in the conduction band in UV–vis spectra. XRD peaks also meet the standard of ZnONPs peaks and indicated that the prepared material consists of particles in nanoscale range. The SEM and TEM analyze the morphology, shape and size in range 50 nm with spherical shape. The FTIR was tested the functional group liable for the synthesis of ZnONPs.Graphical

Theoretical design and discovery of two‐dimensional materials for next‐generation flexible piezotronics and energy conversion

AbstractTwo‐dimensional (2D) materials are at the epicenter of the current nanotechnology research for its intriguing properties. It has the advantage of high flexibility, high surface to volume ratio, robust mechanical strength and are stackable in contrary to bulk materials. Piezoelectric effect is exploited in 2D layered nanomaterials with broken inversion symmetry and non‐zero band gap for applications in energy harvesting and energy conversion. Density functional theory (DFT) is a powerful tool to predict the piezoelectric properties of 2D materials. This mini review emphasizes the importance and discusses the challenges of different methods within DFT‐based framework to compute piezoelectric properties. Recent simulation works of piezoelectric engineering in novel 2D semiconductors for in‐plane and out‐of‐plane piezoelectricity are reviewed. Various controlling parameters and techniques for piezoelectric effect are also discussed. Theoretical predictions pave the path for experimental exploration of 2D materials exhibiting strong piezoelectric properties and to replace the commercially used lead‐based toxic materials in future devices.

XRD and cytotoxicity assay of submitted nanomaterial industrial samples in the Philippines

Abstract Distinct properties that nanomaterials possess compared to their bulk counterparts are attributed to their characteristic high surface area to volume ratios, and the prevalence of structure and shape effects at the nanoscale. However, these interesting properties are also accompanied by health hazards that are not seen in bulk materials. In the context of Philippine research and industry, the issue of nanosafety and the creation of nanotechnology guidelines have long been overlooked. This is of particular importance considering that nanotechnology research in the Philippines leans heavily towards medicinal and agricultural applications. In this study, nanomaterial samples from the industry submitted through the Philippine Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) were analyzed using XRD and MTT cytotoxicity assay. XRD results show significant band broadening in the diffraction patterns of halloysite nanoclay, bentonite nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, and CaCO3 nanoparticles, indicating that samples were in the nanometer range. The diffraction pattern of TiO2, however, did not exhibit band broadening, which may be due to the tendency of TiO2 nanoparticles to aggregate. Submitted samples were also assessed for their effect on cell viability using MTT cytotoxicity assay. Among these samples, only silver nanoparticles exhibited cytotoxicity to the AA8 cell line.

The potency of functionalized nanomaterials for industrial applications

Functionalized nanomaterials are highly beneficial and possess superior properties compared to their traditional counterparts. These properties include improved physical, chemical, mechanical and other characteristics, which enable functionalized nanomaterials to surpass their conventional counterparts. They are increasingly being utilized for innovation and development in a wide range of industrial fields. This study examines the utility of functionalized nanomaterials in the engineering, medical and food industries, as well as their applications in environmental conservation and the impact of nanotechnology on energy and environmental sustainability, integrated water resources management and human factors engineering. Additionally, the study explores the potential of nanotechnology and nanomaterials research in the future. In terms of methodology, the authors utilized various credible academic sources such as Google Scholar, SCOPUS, the Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Science Direct. The publications were narrowed down to those that provided the most satisfactory responses to their research questions.

Biogenic Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) Produced by Indigenous Microorganisms Isolated from Banana (Musa spp) Soils

This research focused on the screening of indigenous microorganisms isolated from banana soils for their capability to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) extracellularly. Ninety-five isolates were screened for AgNP production. The cell-free extracts of these isolates were added to silver nitrate (AgNO3) aqueous solution and were observed for color changes from original pale yellow to dark brown. Ten isolates (3 bacteria and 7 fungi) were found capable of producing AgNPs. Bacterial isolates B2, B3, and B5 were molecularly identified as Bacillus aryabhattai, Priestia megaterium, and B. megaterium, respectively. The AgNPs produced by these bacterial isolates were circular and showed an absorbance peak at approximately 420 nm. On the other hand, the fungal isolates F2, F3, and F43 were molecularly identified as Penicilliumcitrinum, P. glaucoroseum, and P. oxalicum. The AgNPs produced by the Penicillium spp were aggregated, circular and showed absorbance peaks at 420 nm. The other four fungal isolates, F7, F24, F29, and F40, were identified as Aspergillus flavus, A. terreus, and A. japonicum (F29 and F40), respectively. The AgNPs produced by the Aspergillus spp. were circular and showed absorbance peaks between 420 nm and 450 nm. The continuous search for novel isolates that can carry out the biogenic synthesis of AgNPs remains the focus of nanotechnological research. This study confirms microorganisms of Bacillus, Penicillium, and Aspergillus genera can effectively biosynthesize AgNPs.

Valorization of Lignin Based Nanoparticle from Grass Biomass: An Overview on Synthesis, Characterization and Application

The Lignin-related nanomaterials have received a lot of attention from the academic and industry communities in the present nanotechnology research area. Advanced performance can be provided by converting lignin into micro and nanostructures, which may be formed using practical standard apparatus. To improve the functionality of the applications, tunable lignin nanoparticles may also be produced. Because lignin contains a variety of chemical moieties and has a unique network structure, it has useful qualities such UV absorbance, biodegradability, stabilizing and reinforcing effects, as well as anti-fungal and antibiotic action. Thus, the nanoscale transformation of lignin and its translation into nanomaterials might definitely open up new possibilities for the development of novel materials with intriguing features.