Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Rong Yan, Lai Xu, Quhe Wang, Zheng Wu, Hua Zhang, Li Gan
Summary: The study compared the mucoadhesion of cationic nanoparticles and mucous permeability of MPPs on ocular bioavailability. Both cationic and MPP nanosuspensions showed effective delivery of CsA to anterior ocular tissues, with the cationic nanosuspension achieving relatively higher bioavailability. The results suggest that cationic nanosuspension could be a promising ocular drug delivery system.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Konstantin M. Neyman, Sergey M. Kozlov
Summary: Metal-support interactions play a significant role in determining the properties of nanocomposite materials. However, comprehensive studies of the interfaces between metal nanoparticles and oxide supports are still limited due to experimental challenges. This Perspective highlights the combination of theory and experiment to investigate interfacial charge transfer, the nature of nanoparticle-support interactions, and the impact of oxide nanostructuring on the properties of supported metal particles. These studies contribute to the understanding of metal-oxide interactions in industrially employed nanocomposites and the design of interfaces with unique properties for future applications.
NPG ASIA MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manuela Vitulo, Elisa Gnodi, Raffaella Meneveri, Donatella Barisani
Summary: This article introduces the application of nanoparticles in the oral administration route, including the functionalization of nanoparticles drug carriers, nanoparticles for local treatment in the intestine, and potential concerns and side effects of nanoparticles used as food additives.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Huibin He, Xiaoxue Shen, Zhihong Nie
Summary: Nanoparticle assembly is a versatile tool for creating new structural materials with unique properties that go beyond individual nanoparticles. To achieve desired properties and functions, precise control over the interactions between nanoparticle building blocks is necessary. This review summarizes recent advancements in engineering interparticle interactions between nanoparticles, particularly inorganic ones of different sizes, shapes, and compositions, by using structurally defined polymers grafted or absorbed on the nanoparticle surfaces. The discussion focuses on various interactions dominating the assembly, as well as the influence of external fields on polymer-modified nanoparticles.
PROGRESS IN POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Ivany C. Romero-Sanchez, Laura E. Castellano, Marco Laurati
Summary: This study experimentally investigates the mechanisms to control the blunt-end induced effective attractions between densely packed spherical dsDNA brushes. By analyzing the effects of parameters such as functionality, salinity, and dsDNA fragment length on the brush and dsDNA fragment conformation, it is found that a decrease in functionality or an increase in salt content leads to the reduction of effective attractions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emilia Jakubowska, Bartlomiej Milanowski, Janina Lulek
Summary: Nanosizing was successfully achieved by combining liquid antisolvent precipitation with ultrasound, reducing the particle size of cilostazol to nanoscale and improving its dissolution characteristics. The study showed that the combination of precipitation-sonication is a successful bottom-up method in enhancing the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs like cilostazol while maintaining stability in nanosuspension.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ben Tadgell, Luis M. Liz-Marzan
Summary: Chiral plasmonic nanoparticles interact with biomolecules in distinct ways and can be probed using circular dichroism spectroscopy, offering potential advantages in biosensing and biomedical applications.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yingyan Huang, Judy Tsz-Shan Lum, Wai-Kit Ho, Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung
Summary: This study investigated the impact of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) and heavy metals on human health using in vitro and mouse models. The results showed that ENPs decreased the bioaccessibility of heavy metals during the digestive process and increased their bioaccumulation in organs. The size of the nanoparticles and redox reactions on their surface could enhance the toxic effects. This study provides the first step in understanding the effects of ENPs and heavy metals on mammalian health in the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bing Li, Steven M. Abel
Summary: Studied the equilibrium properties of hinge-like nanoparticles adsorbed on an elastic membrane. The configurations of individual particles can be controlled by changing adsorption strength and hinge stiffness, and strong adhesive interaction drives particle aggregation.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mark John Siringan, Abhiram Dawar, Jianyuan Zhang
Summary: The importance of nanoparticles in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields has increased due to their attractive surface modification, high drug-loading, and improved pharmacokinetics. Fullerenes, a carbon allotrope, have precise molecular structures, potent radical-scavenging activity, photoactivatable reactive-oxygen species generation, and the ability to confine metal atoms and clusters. They have been applied in various biological contexts, including drug delivery, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and photodynamic therapy, and magnetic resonance imaging. This review focuses on the interaction of fullerene materials with biological systems and their structural influence on cellular interactions.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Emilia Jakubowska, Michal Bielejewski, Bartlomiej Milanowski, Janina Lulek
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of freeze-drying on the particle size of bottom-up processed cilostazol nanosuspension after redispersion. Optimal freeze-drying conditions were identified, and the freeze-dried nanocrystals retained their original size, polymorphic form, and improved dissolution rate.
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Nancy M. Elbaz, Andrew Owen, Steve Rannard, Tom O. McDonald
Summary: This work demonstrates the use of a titration method to produce multilayered coatings on a nanosuspension, enhancing the release behavior and stability of curcumin. The results show that a pH-responsive outer layer delays curcumin release in acidic conditions and facilitates its release in neutral conditions. Increasing the number of layers improves the stability of curcumin in the nanosuspension and reduces its toxicity.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qishuai Feng, Xianyun Xu, Chen Wei, Yingze Li, Min Wang, Cheng Lv, Jiaojiao Wu, Yalei Dai, Yu Han, Maciej S. Lesniak, Haiming Fan, Ling Zhang, Yu Cheng
Summary: This study systematically investigated the dynamic interactions between the FDA-approved iron oxide nanoparticle ferumoxytol and immune cells in brain tumors. The results demonstrated the key role of dynamic biointeractions in determining the efficiency of targeting tumor cells and the fate of nanoparticles in vivo.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hao Shen, Zihao Yang, Yilin Xiong, Qi Cao, Kunyu Xu, Meiqin Lin, Juan Zhang, Zhaoxia Dong
Summary: Due to their distinctive anisotropic shapes and rich potential properties, amphiphilic Janus polymer nanosheets (AJPN) have garnered extensive attention. In this study, an organic-based AJPN was synthesized with polystyrene as the hydrophobic side and carboxyl groups presented at the hydrophilic side. The colloidal stability and aggregation kinetics of AJPN suspension were quantitatively measured under different conditions. Rheolaser optical microrheology was used to explore the migration behaviors and rheological properties of AJPN aqueous solution for the first time. The results revealed that AJPN solution exhibited thermodynamically unstable solid suspension properties, which differ significantly from those of common hydrophilic polymers.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Su-Bin Kim, Na-Kyung Yoo, Soo-Jin Choi
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of interactions between ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and polyphenols (quercetin and rutin) on cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, ex vivo intestinal absorption, and solubility. The results showed that these interactions increased the cytotoxicity, intestinal absorption, and solubility of ZnO NPs, but had no effect on the antioxidant activity of the polyphenols. The interactions were more pronounced with quercetin than with rutin.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Nina M. Kovalchuk, Mark J. H. Simmons
Summary: Surfactants are used in microfluidic systems to stabilize drops and study phenomena in industrial processes. The dynamics of surfactants play a crucial role in drop formation, movement in channels, coalescence, and surfactant adsorption. This review discusses the effects of surfactant dynamics on microfluidic operations and the advantages and challenges of measuring dynamic interfacial tension using microfluidics.
ADVANCES IN COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pei Sean Goh, Zahra Samavati, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Be Cheer Ng, Mohd Sohaimi Abdullah, Nidal Hilal
Summary: Membrane technology has gained popularity in industries for separation processes, desalination, and wastewater treatment. The development of nanocomposite membranes that merge nanotechnology and membrane technology has become a rapidly growing research area, motivated by the need for high-performance liquid separation membranes. The unique morphology and topology of nanostructured materials, such as TiO2, have attracted attention due to their hydrophilicity, antibacterial, and photocatalytic properties. This review provides an overview of the modifications of liquid separation membranes using TiO2 as an example of multidimensional nanomaterials, discussing their performance and advantages.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Neveen AlQasas, Asma Eskhan, Daniel Johnson
Summary: The surface energies (gamma), Hansen solubility parameters (HSP), and cohesive energy density are related. Modifications of solid surfaces can affect the surface properties, such as energy and adhesion characteristics, as well as HSP. In membrane technologies, the use of multi layered membranes like TFC is common, but it is difficult to selectively determine the HSP for the surface or top layer of a membrane.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raed A. Al-Juboori, Muayad Al-Shaeli, Saif Al Aani, Daniel Johnson, Nidal Hilal
Summary: The concerns of exceeding planetary limits on reactive nitrogen levels are well-documented. A significant amount of anthropogenic nitrogen is released in wastewater. Nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment consumes substantial energy, making nitrogen recovery an attractive solution to save energy and meet regulatory discharge limits. Membrane technologies play a crucial role in effective nitrogen recovery systems.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Konstantia Nathanael, Sibo Cheng, Nina M. Kovalchuk, Rossella Arcucci, Mark J. H. Simmons
Summary: The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is optimized using a T-junction microfluidic system and a machine learning approach. The reduction of silver nitrate with tannic acid in the presence of trisodium citrate is used to synthesize AgNPs. The study uses a decision tree-guided design of experiment method to determine the size of AgNPs.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Asma Eskhan, Neveen AlQasas, Daniel Johnson
Summary: Biofouling of polymeric membranes is a significant issue in water desalination and treatment applications. Understanding the mechanisms of biofouling is crucial for controlling it and developing effective mitigation strategies. This study employed biofoulant-coated colloidal AFM probes and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) to investigate the biofouling mechanisms of two model biofoulants (BSA and HA) on commonly used polymer films. The Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO) and extended-DLVO (XDLVO) models were applied to analyze the adhesion interactions between the biofoulants and polymer films. The XDLVO model showed better predictability and correlation with the experimental data compared to the DLVO model.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Farah Ahmed, Daniel Johnson, Raed Hashaikeh, Nidal Hilal
Summary: While the water industry has made significant technological strides, it still lags behind other sectors in adopting innovative techniques. Factors such as the long lifetimes and costs of existing water infrastructure, risk aversion due to public health concerns, and limited financing hinder innovation. Regulations and the involvement of environmental, social, and political actors can play a role in accelerating innovation in the water sector.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lijo Francis, Nidal Hilal
Summary: In this study, an electrohydrodynamic atomization or electrospraying technique was used to deposit carbon nanotubes (CNT) on a commercially available PTFE membrane for Membrane Distillation (MD) process. The modified PTFE-CNT membrane showed improved water contact angle, liquid entry pressure (LEP), and pore size distribution compared to the PTFE membrane. The functional PTFE-CNT membrane demonstrated superior desalination performance with less cake layer formation and high rejection of inorganic salts during continuous MD process operation.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Muzamil Khatri, Lijo Francis, Nidal Hilal
Summary: Obtaining fresh drinking water is a challenge due to changes in agricultural, industrial, and societal demands. This review focuses on the use of electrospun nanofiber-based membranes (ENMs) for improved water reclamation through physical and chemical modifications. The integration of nanomaterials in ENMs shows promise for membrane distillation (MD) processes, enhancing their efficiency and performance. However, further improvements are needed to achieve efficient membranes with enhanced water flux, anti-fouling, and anti-scaling characteristics.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Konstantia Nathanael, Federico Galvanin, Nina M. Kovalchuk, Mark J. H. Simmons
Summary: By using a T-junction microfluidic system and design of experiments, regression-analysis and response surface methodology, a predictive numerical model was established to optimize the synthesis parameters of silver nanoparticles, controlling their size for various industrial and consumer applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kewei Zhu, Sibo Cheng, Nina Kovalchuk, Mark Simmons, Yi-Ke Guo, Omar K. Matar, Rossella Arcucci
Summary: In this study, the use of deep learning generative models is proposed to predict drop coalescence in chemical engineering. By training the predictive models with generated synthetic data, the lack of training data and label imbalance problem can be overcome. A novel generative model called DSCVAE is developed for labelled tabular data, which is capable of generating consistent and realistic samples compared to the standard CVAE. By enhancing random forest and gradient boosting classifiers on synthetic data and evaluating their performances based on real experimental data, numerical results show a considerable improvement in prediction accuracy, with DSCVAE outperforming the standard CVAE. This research provides valuable insights into handling imbalanced data for classification problems, particularly in chemical engineering.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Neveen AlQasas, Daniel Johnson
Summary: This study reports a new method using UV-vis spectroscopy to determine the relative dissolution of proteins in different solvents and evaluate the Hansen solubility parameters (HSP) of proteins. The method allows qualitative determination of protein dissolution in various solvents and provides a more reliable ranking for HSP calculation compared to observation alone. The results were compared to previous studies and showed good agreement.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Paula Pico, Konstantia Nathanael, Alessio D. Lavino, Nina M. Kovalchuk, Mark J. H. Simmons, Omar K. Matar
Summary: In this study, the production of silver nanoparticles under different operating conditions was investigated using a combination of population balance modelling and computational fluid dynamics. The results showed that the process parameters have an impact on the size and distribution of the nanoparticles.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)