Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pengjia Qi, Ziwei Xu, Tingting Zhou, Tong Zhang, Hongran Zhao
Summary: Chitosan-functionalized mesoporous silica MCM-41 composite materials were prepared which exhibited improved sensitivity and reliability in QCM sensors compared to individual chitosan and MCM-41 sensors. The optimal sensor showed excellent properties such as negligible humidity hysteresis, short response and recovery times, and good long-term stability. The adsorption mechanism of water molecules on the sensitive films was investigated using Langmuir adsorption isotherm model and Gibbs free energy.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Qiang-Wei Zhan, Yan Huang
Summary: Flash nano-precipitation (FNP) efficiently produces phospholipids stabilized nanoparticles with more uniform coverage and different stability depending on the core content. The study reveals that particle size and stability can be precisely predicted using specific models and theories.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ester Canepa, Davide Bochicchio, Giorgia Brosio, Paulo Henrique Jacob Silva, Francesco Stellacci, Silvia Dante, Giulia Rossi, Annalisa Relini
Summary: Membrane fusion is essential for eukaryotic cell functionality and is regulated by specialized proteins, lipid composition, and ion environment. Liposomes decorated with amphiphilic Au nanoparticles (AuLips) have been shown to act as tunable fusion machinery, triggered by divalent ions and tunable by liposome cholesterol content. This research provides new mechanistic details on the fusogenic activity of AuNPs and demonstrates their potential as artificial fusogenic agents for biomedical applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jugal Suthar, Alberto Alvarez-Fernandez, Esther Osarfo-Mensah, Stefano Angioletti-Uberti, Gareth R. Williams, Stefan Guldin
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released from various cell types and contain biomolecular content for health and disease identification. However, the heterogeneity of EVs and complexity of biofluids pose challenges to current analytical approaches. This study explores nanostructuring the sensor electrode surface to enhance detection capabilities and achieves significant improvement.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Kaimin Wu, Feizhi Kong, Jingjing Zhang, Ying Tang, Yao Chen, Long Chao, Libo Nie, Zhao Huang
Summary: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common form of genetic variation in the human genome, and are closely related to individual differences. SNP detection with simple preparation and operational procedures, high affinity and specificity, and cost-effectiveness has been a challenge. This review provides an overview on improvements for SNP biosensing based on fluorescent and electrochemical methods, and presents the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of each method.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Nils Luedecke, Marek Bekir, Stephan Eickelmann, Matthias Hartlieb, Helmut Schlaad
Summary: Inspired by mussel proteins, a platform for protein-repellent macromolecules based on poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) carrying catechol and cationic functional groups was developed. The polymers with catechol units showed a strong tendency to form surface-bound layers on different substrates, while the ones with additional cationic units were able to form defined and durable polymer films. These coatings prevented the attachment of model proteins, offering a biomimetic approach to nonfouling surface coatings.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Ilia Chiniforooshan Esfahani, Hongwei Sun
Summary: The micropillar-enhanced QCM viscosity measurement device developed in this work achieves ultra-sensitive viscosity measurement of a sample droplet by utilizing the coupled vibration between micropillars and quartz substrate.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tian Xu, Yan Hong, Zhengbiao Gu, Li Cheng, Caiming Li, Zhaofeng Li
Summary: This study comprehensively demonstrated the interfacial adsorption and assembly of dissolved OSA-D/CS electrostatic complexes with different structures. The OSA-D/CS complexes exhibited increased wetting stability and adsorption rate to the interface compared with single-component systems, reinforced by molecular dynamics simulations. Their soft structures and entanglement of molecular chains led to the formation of thick and highly viscoelastic multilayer adsorbed films, resisting deformation against shearing forces.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Changyong Wu, Liya Fu, Yue Wang, Chunli Wan
Summary: This study investigated the adsorption characteristics of marine dissolved organic matters (MDOMs) on the solid-liquid interface in coastal waters. It found that the organic macromolecules in MDOMs have viscoelastic properties and the adsorption process is dynamic, with MDOMs concentration being an important driving force. The three macromolecules in MDOMs, including acidic polysaccharides, protein-like, and polycarboxylate-type humic acids, exhibit different adsorption abilities and characteristics at the solid-liquid interface, with acidic polysaccharides showing sustained adsorption ability.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wael A. Amer, Ahmed F. Rehab, Mona E. Abdelghafar, Nagy L. Torad, Ahmed S. Atlam, Mohamad M. Ayad
Summary: Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized using a green and economical hydrothermal method, and their optical and structural properties were studied. The sensing properties of CQDs, particularly towards volatile formaldehyde, were investigated, showing high sensitivity and potential for formaldehyde vapor detection.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Bin Zhou, Yan Hao, Zhiyong Wang, Pei Wei, Lianfeng Du, Qiang Xia
Summary: The study developed a real-time QCM cytosensor for evaluating cell viscoelasticity and discovered significant differences in energy dissipation changes between MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. Curcumin was found to induce cell apoptosis and suppress energy dissipation in MDA-MB-231 cells, showing a good linear relationship between cell viscoelasticity inhibition and apoptosis rate. The QCM sensor accurately monitored these changes, providing a new model for cell apoptosis assessment.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Matthew D. Eaton, Daniel Domene-Lopez, Qifeng Wang, Mercedes G. Montalban, Ignacio Martin-Gullon, Kenneth R. Shull
Summary: The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is used as a non-destructive and efficient tool to characterize thin thermoplastic starch (TPS) films, revealing that starch films plasticized with an ionic liquid show superior plasticization and stabilized properties at low humidity compared to those plasticized with glycerol.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Marta Guerini, Giorgia Condro, Paola Perugini
Summary: Various mucoadhesive systems have been studied to increase drug delivery system residence time and prolong drug release. This study evaluated the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan-based Microstructured Lipid Carrier (CH-MLC) using a novel approach of compacting chitosan and mucin into a tablet and assessing mucoadhesion on a non-mucoadhesive substrate. The results showed that chitosan maintained strong adhesion with mucin even in the presence of fluids and when encapsulated in microparticles. Furthermore, the release of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) from the microparticles demonstrated the penetration enhancement effect of chitosan and the potential for prolonged release.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wei Wu, Jinxing Ma, Jun Xu, Zhiwei Wang
Summary: Compared to PAM with a low charge density, high charge-density PAM (70%) improves sludge flocculation and apparent filtration performance by enhancing structural strength. The bonding between biomolecules and PAM leads to floc aggregation, water displacement, and ultimately improved dewaterability.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Umit Celik, Kuebra Celik, Ihsan Kehribar, Suleyman Celik, Mehmet Z. Baykara
Summary: Forming a fundamental understanding of tribological processes on the atomic scale has the potential to revolutionize the control of friction and wear in macroscopic mechanical systems. However, current methods for studying tribology at the nanoscale, such as atomic force microscopy, are limited in scanning speed compared to macroscopic mechanical processes. In this study, a new method combining atomic force microscopy with quartz crystal microbalance measurements is proposed for high-speed nanoscale tribology.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Marta Vinha Vieira, Roberto Bianchini Derner, Elenara Lemos-Senna
Summary: Haematococcus pluvialis produces a significant amount of carotenoids, particularly astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant compound. This study encapsulated the carotenoids into poly-lactide-co-glycolide nanocapsules to develop a thermosensitive hydrogel with sustained release of carotenoids, showing promising antioxidant activity for prolonged skin protection.
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
H. Bonnet, L. Coche-Guerente, E. Defrancq, N. Spinelli, A. Van der Heyden, J. Dejeu
Summary: This study aims to investigate and explain the phenomenon of negative SPR signals, suggesting that it reflects major changes in ligand conformation due to target binding. The research found that the conformation change of biomolecules can induce a negative or positive complex RH deviation, depending on its sequence and immobilization mode.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yoko Sakai-Otsuka, Yu Ogawa, Toshifumi Satoh, Wen-Chang Chen, Redouane Borsali
Summary: A carbohydrate-based fullerene derivative was synthesized and applied to a lamellar-forming high-chi block copolymer system to realize an ordered donor/acceptor network. Through thermal annealing, a well-defined D/A lamellar structure with sub-10 nm domain features was achieved. The molecules of the derivative were localized in phase-separated nanodomains without disrupting the lamellar morphology, showing potential for new strategies in blend synthesis.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Daniela Coelho, Beatriz Veleirinho, Leticia Mazzarino, Thais Alberti, Elizandra Buzanello, Regina Eva Oliveira, Rosendo Augusto Yunes, Milene Moraes, Mario Steindel, Marcelo Maraschin
Summary: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a global public health issue, and the use of synthetic chalcones shows promise in developing molecules with anti-leishmaniasis activity.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Laure Bar, Christophe Nguyen, Mathieu Galibert, Francisco Santos-Schneider, Gudrun Aldrian, Jerome Dejeu, Remy Lartia, Liliane Coche-Guerente, Franck Molina, Didier Boturyn
Summary: Antibodies are not only important for clinical diagnostics and biopharmaceutical analysis, but also as drugs for treating various diseases. The identification of antibody-epitope binding sites, particularly for designing monoclonal antibody mimics like rituximab, is crucial for medical and bioanalytical applications. Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody used to treat cancers and autoimmune disorders, binds to targeted cells via the recognition of the CD20 epitope, with its binding area located on the surface of rituximab.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Patrizia Ana Bricarello, Giuliano Pereira de Barros, Jaqueline Seugling, Raissa Podesta, Maria Beatriz Velerinho, Leticia Mazzarino
Summary: Cochliomyia hominivorax is a dipteran that causes severe parasitic infections in animals and humans. Current treatments are toxic and environmentally harmful, prompting the need for alternative solutions. This study found that a topical formulation containing nanoemulsified Citronella essential oil had high efficacy against C. hominivorax eggs and larvae, highlighting its potential as a herbal alternative for treatment.
JOURNAL OF ASIA-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Douglas Rodrigues Reis, Guilherme Zin, Elenara Lemos-Senna, Alan Ambrosi, Marco Di Luccio
Summary: A versatile and innovative membrane emulsification system was studied for preparing oil/water emulsions from spearmint essential oil, utilizing a modified premix method known as forced-air premix (FAP). The FAP method, compared to traditional premix method, showed early shearing and detachment of oil droplets influenced by airflow velocity. Operating pressure increase resulted in reduced droplet size and span values, and higher surfactant concentration and forced airflow in FAP method influenced droplet size reduction and emulsion dispersion. Stable emulsions were obtained after 28 days of storage.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marcos Antonio Villetti, Adryana Rocha Clementino, Ilaria Dotti, Patricia Regina Ebani, Eride Quarta, Francesca Buttini, Fabio Sonvico, Annalisa Bianchera, Redouane Borsali
Summary: Nanoparticles of MH-b-PS@TMC obtained through standard nanoprecipitation method displayed small size, high encapsulation efficiency, and higher cytotoxicity towards MCF-7 cells, indicating their effectiveness as a delivery system for lipophilic anticancer drugs.
Article
Polymer Science
Anette Lofstrand, Alexei Vorobiev, Muhammad Mumtaz, Redouane Borsali, Ivan Maximov
Summary: Vapor phase infiltration into a self-assembled block copolymer can enhance the etch selectivity for pattern transfer. By optimizing the process parameters, it was found that a high concentration of alumina infiltration can be achieved by reducing the exposure time and using appropriate precursor pulse durations. These results are significant for further understanding of the mechanisms involved in sequential infiltration synthesis and for optimizing carbohydrate-based etch masks for sub-10 nm pattern transfer.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jean-Sebastien Benas, Fang-Cheng Liang, Wei-Chen Chen, Chung-Wei Hung, Jung-Yao Chen, Ye Zhou, Su-Ting Han, Redouane Borsali, Chi-Ching Kuo
Summary: This review discusses the encapsulation of perovskite materials with block copolymers (BCPs) and highlights the use of Lewis acid base interaction to improve the stability of perovskite materials.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Taiki Nishimura, Satoshi Katsuhara, Chaehun Lee, Brian J. Ree, Redouane Borsali, Takuya Yamamoto, Kenji Tajima, Toshifumi Satoh, Takuya Isono
Summary: This study introduces a novel block copolymer system by utilizing carbohydrates and inorganic hybrids, synthesized through click reactions. The block copolymers demonstrated various microphase-separated structures in both bulk and thin film states, with potential for nanopatterning applications after reactive ion etching.
Proceedings Paper
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Anette Lofstrand, Reza Jafari Jam, Muhammad Mumtaz, Karolina Mothander, Tommy Nylander, Alexei Vorobiev, Ahibur Rahaman, Wen-Chang Chen, Redouane Borsali, Ivan Maximov
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful pattern transfer of 6 nm half-pitch horizontal cylinders into silicon using sequential infiltration synthesis, with an increasing alumina content after each infiltration cycle and reaching 2.4 vol% after four cycles. A dry etching process for sub-10 nm patterns was developed, achieving an etch selectivity of more than 2:1 of silicon over alumina-like etch mask material. These results are expected to be useful for nanofabrication and applications in the sub-10 nm regime.
ADVANCES IN PATTERNING MATERIALS AND PROCESSES XXXVIII
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Carine Zuglianello, Andres F. Chamorro, Vanessa A. de Oliveira, Francisco H. Xavier Junior, Elenara Lemos-Senna
Summary: Nanoparticles composed of pramlintide and dextran sulfate exhibited narrow size distribution, negative zeta potential, high molecular association efficiency, and nanogel behavior. The assembly with dextran sulfate increased the alpha-helical content of pramlintide, stabilizing the peptide in its bioactive form. Peptide release from nanoparticles was salt concentration-dependent and likely occurred through complex dissociation under physiological conditions.
JOURNAL OF THE BRAZILIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Roniele B. I. Mibielli, Thaise Gerber, Leticia Mazzarino, Maria Beatriz Veleirinho, Rosendo A. Yunes, Marcelo Maraschin
Summary: Carvacrol has antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacteria, but its use is limited by its hydrophobic nature, volatility, and susceptibility to oxidation. Nanoencapsulation provides a protective barrier and improves dispersibility of bioactive compounds. A UV spectrophotometry method was developed to quantify carvacrol in a nanoemulsion, showing linear calibration and high accuracy.
REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE FARMACOGNOSIA-BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOGNOSY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Anette Lofstrand, Reza Jafari Jam, Karolina Mothander, Tommy Nylander, Muhammad Mumtaz, Alexei Vorobiev, Wen-Chang Chen, Redouane Borsali, Ivan Maximov
Summary: Sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) was used to prepare nanostructured surface layers by infiltrating alumina-like material into poly(styrene)-block-maltoheptaose block copolymer under vapor-phase trimethyl aluminum and water. The preferential reaction of precursors in the maltoheptaose film compared to the hydroxyl-terminated polystyrene film was revealed by specular neutron reflectometry. The infiltration depth increased with cycle number, allowing for transfer of sub-10 nm patterns to silicon substrates at a high aspect ratio of approximately 2:1.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2021)
