Article
Energy & Fuels
Seo Ju Kim, Mingi Choi, Taeeun Mun, Deok Yoon Woo, Wonyoung Lee
Summary: This study reports the feasibility and opportunity of nanostructured and defect-engineered electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells operating at intermediate temperatures (500-700 degrees C). The nanostructured electrode with the lowest sintering temperature of 800 degrees C exhibits significantly higher specific surface area and oxygen vacancy concentration compared to the electrode sintered at 1200 degrees C. The cell with a sintering temperature of 800 degrees C demonstrates outstanding performance and stability under different temperatures and current densities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Xiao Sun, Pritam Sharma, Giacinta Parish, Adrian Keating
Summary: This study focused on refining microfabrication processes to enable electrical studies of high porosity porous silicon films, with the goal of optimizing the electrical properties for microelectronic and optoelectronic sensors. The impact of measurement techniques on these fragile films was also evaluated, with findings indicating the need for methods to isolate the porous silicon from the substrate to ensure accurate measurements.
MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Mariano Hernan Talou, Javier Oswaldo Bolanos Rivera, Maria Andrea Camerucci
Summary: Porous Si/C/O/(N) ceramic bodies were prepared by direct consolidation of liquid silicon-based preceramic polymer/porogen systems followed by burnout and N2 pyrolysis. The material was characterized by porosity analysis, phase evolution study, and microstructure analysis. The ceramics exhibited hierarchical porosity with larger irregular pores and a smaller volume of meso- and micropores. The presence of meso- and micropores contributed to the high specific surface area achieved in the material pyrolyzed at 1500 degrees C.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
L'udmila Hodasova, Jordi Sans, Brenda G. Molina, Carlos Aleman, Luis Llanes, Gemma Fargas, Elaine Armelin
Summary: This study describes the design and manufacture of a novel porous zirconia scaffold utilizing polymer-infiltrated ceramic network and 3D printing technologies. By employing specific ceramic pastes and a biocompatible adhesive, the scaffold was effectively reinforced and pores were adequately filled. The new system demonstrated reduced bacteria proliferation during incubation, showing promising potential for biomedical applications.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fan Wang, Peng Li, Wei Li, Dihua Wang
Summary: This study developed a controllable and facile electrolysis route to prepare Si nanotubes, Si nanowires, and Si nanoparticles from halloysite clay. The HCl-etching temperature and electrolysis potential were found to play key roles in controlling the morphologies of Si. Additionally, Si nanotubes exhibited better Li storage performance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ling Liu, Yinghui Cai, Zhikun Zhao, Chengwei Ma, Chunli Li, Daobin Mu
Summary: The study demonstrates that the fabrication of the hybrid solid electrolyte SSP allows for high ionic conductivity and good interfacial compatibility. The fast Li+ mobility and multiple Li+ transport channels in SSP contribute to its long cycling stability and excellent rate performance in batteries.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Shawn M. Maguire, Connor R. Bilchak, John S. Corsi, Samuel S. Welborn, Theresa Tsaggaris, Jamie Ford, Eric Detsi, Zahra Fakhraai, Russell J. Composto
Summary: The research focuses on fabricating bicontinuous polymer-infiltrated scaffold metal composites by infiltrating polymer into nanoporous gold films. The polymer infiltration process enhances properties such as ion conductivity and mechanical reinforcement, while also stabilizing gold nanopores against temporal coarsening. These polymer/metal hybrids offer broad tunability for designing functional network composite structures with diverse applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
R. A. Shishkin, Y. V. Yuferov
Summary: There is a high demand for new high-performance materials with high resistance to abrasive and erosive loads in modern industry. A composite material was proposed, obtained by infiltrating a SiC porous oxide bonded preform with a basalt rock melt at 1400 degrees C in air. The composite material reduced porosity significantly and improved hardness and fracture toughness compared to the original preform and basalt glass ceramics. It also showed a thermal expansion coefficient similar to dense polycrystalline SiC.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Joakim Riikonen, Jimi Rantanen, Rinez Thapa, Nguyen T. Le, Severinne Rigolet, Philippe Fioux, Petri Turhanen, Nelli K. Bodiford, Jhansi R. Kalluri, Timo Ikonen, Tuomo Nissinen, Benedicte Lebeau, Jouko Vepsalainen, Jeffery L. Coffer, Vesa-Pekka Lehto
Summary: A fast and scalable method for producing nanostructured SiC from plant materials through magnesiothermic reduction was developed in this study, resulting in SiC with a crystallite size below 10nm and a high surface area. This approach paves the way for large-scale production of nanostructured SiC using renewable resources and also demonstrates the use of SiC as a metal adsorbent in applications such as wastewater remediation.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chencheng Zhang, Shengli Pu, Zijian Hao, Boyu Wang, Min Yuan, Yuxiu Zhang
Summary: A novel and compact magnetic field sensor is proposed and experimentally investigated in this study. The sensor consists of a tapered single mode fiber coupled with a nanostructured magnetic fluid-infiltrated photonic crystal fiber, which is easy to fabricate. The response of magnetic fluid to magnetic field is utilized to measure the intensity of magnetic field.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yu Zhang, Zilun Qin, Xiaomin Huo, Dandan Song, Bo Qiao, Suling Zhao
Summary: A new strategy was reported to prepare a short wavelength light filter based NIR-PDs by introducing an interface layer, achieving the effective filtering out of short wavelength light component in the signal spectrum. The device showed high external quantum efficiency, detectivity, responsivity, and quick response time, demonstrating significant advantages over other reported NIR photodetectors.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Dan Yang, Xi Nan Yang, Ming Liu, Li Xia Chen, Qing Li, Hang Cong, Zhu Tao, Xin Xiao
Summary: In this study, a supramolecular polymer Q[5]@BPEIH with a pore structure was prepared by loading Cucurbit [5]uril on polymer BPEIH, which showed high efficiency in adsorbing and removing organic micropollutants in water. The adsorbent exhibited better performance than traditional activated carbon, especially in the adsorption of 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene and Neutral Red pollutants. It also showed excellent adsorption properties for other pollutants such as 1-naphthylamine, Amaranth, Metallic Yellow, 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid pyrene, Methyl Orange, Crystal Violet, and I-2. The low synthesis cost, simple preparation process, high product yield, fast adsorption speed, and strong removal ability make Q[5]@BPEIH a promising candidate for rapid sewage disposal.
MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Shahzad Ahmed, Arshiya Ansari, Moin Ali Siddiqui, Afzal Khan, Pranay Ranjan
Summary: Silicon (Si), the most abundant material on earth's crust, holds a promising future in the electronic industry. However, its indirect bandgap limits its use in optoelectronic devices. In this study, we modified the Si structure into porous silicon (PS) to overcome this limitation. PS exhibited a direct bandgap and an energy gap of 1.73 eV, making it a potential material for visible range photodetectors.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Syeda Ramsha Ali, Muhammad Zahir Iqbal, Mian Muhammad Faisal, Meshal Alzaid
Summary: This paper reports the application of zinc-based metal-organic framework nanomaterials as a supercapattery device. The material was synthesized using the facile hydrothermal technique and characterized using various methods. The device shows excellent performance and cyclic stability, and stores energy through both diffusion-controlled and surface-controlled contributions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Niranjala Fernando, Hugo Veldhuizen, Atsushi Nagai, Sybrand van der Zwaag, Amor Abdelkader
Summary: Nanoporous polymers are interesting materials for electrochemical applications due to their large surface areas and redox-active sites. This study introduces a layer-by-layer fabrication technique to enhance the electrochemical performance of porous polymer-based supercapacitors. By separating the active layer and conductive layer, the direct contact with the electrolyte and polymer material is greatly enhanced, resulting in a significant contribution of fast faradic surface reactions to the overall capacitance. The layered-electrode supercapacitor outperforms other reported devices in terms of specific gravimetric capacitance and energy density, with outstanding cyclability.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Edoardo De Tommasi, Anna Chiara De Luca
Summary: The aim of this review article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the main metallization techniques applied to diatom biosilica and the principal applications of diatom-based plasmonic devices, mainly in the fields of biochemical sensing, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Valeria Nocerino, Bruno Miranda, Chiara Tramontano, Giovanna Chianese, Principia Dardano, Ilaria Rea, Luca De Stefano
Summary: Recent advances in the fabrication of smart nanomaterials and nanostructured surfaces have found widespread applications in the biomedical field. Nanosensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance offer unprecedented optical features that can reduce costs, analytic times, and the need for expensive lab equipment. Furthermore, they hold promise for the design of nanoplatforms with multiple functionalities and integration with microelectronics and microfluidics. This review summarizes the design strategies, fabrication approaches, and bio-applications of plasmonic nanoparticles arranged in colloids, nanoarrays, and nanocomposites. The main biomedical applications and strengths and limitations of currently available plasmonic nanodevices are highlighted.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Monica Terracciano, Flavia Fontana, Andrea Patrizia Falanga, Stefano D'Errico, Giulia Torrieri, Francesca Greco, Chiara Tramontano, Ilaria Rea, Gennaro Piccialli, Luca De Stefano, Giorgia Oliviero, Helder A. Santos, Nicola Borbone
Summary: Redox-responsive silica drug delivery systems were synthesized using eco-friendly diatomite source to achieve on-demand release of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) in tumor reducing microenvironment, inhibiting immune check-point PD-1/PD-L1 in cancer cells. The systems showed safety and advantages in controlling and enhancing PNA release, paving the way for targeted immunotherapy.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Chiara Tramontano, Joao Pedro Martins, Luca De Stefano, Marianna Kemell, Alexandra Correia, Monica Terracciano, Nicola Borbone, Ilaria Rea, Helder A. Santos
Summary: A nanoparticle-based drug delivery system has been developed for oral administration, which targets colorectal cancer cells and enhances drug efficacy.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Giovanna Chianese, Ines Fasolino, Chiara Tramontano, Luca De Stefano, Claudio Imparato, Antonio Aronne, Luigi Ambrosio, Maria Grazia Raucci, Ilaria Rea
Summary: Materials that produce free radicals have attracted attention for environmental and biomedical applications. In this study, photoluminescent ZrO2-acetylacetonate nanoparticles (ZrO2-acac NPs) were designed to generate O-2(center dot-) without light activation for the treatment of osteosarcoma (OS). The surface of ZrO2-acac NPs was modified with hyaluronic acid (HA) to increase their uptake and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in OS cells. The results showed that the generation of O-2(center dot-) was toxic to OS cells and could enhance the efficacy of conventional drugs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Monica Terracciano, Simas Rackauskas, Andrea Patrizia Falanga, Sara Martino, Giovanna Chianese, Francesca Greco, Gennaro Piccialli, Guido Viscardi, Luca De Stefano, Giorgia Oliviero, Nicola Borbone, Ilaria Rea
Summary: The physicochemical properties of three different ZnO tetrapodal nanostructures (ZnO-Ts) synthesized by a combustion process were studied and evaluated for label-free biosensing purposes. The chemical reactivity of ZnO-Ts was explored by quantifying the available functional hydroxyl groups (-OH) on the transducer surface necessary for biosensor development. The best ZnO-T sample was chemically modified and bioconjugated with biotin as a model bioprobe, confirming their suitability for biosensing applications through streptavidin target detection experiments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Martino, Chiara Tammaro, Gabriella Misso, Michela Falco, Marianna Scrima, Marco Bocchetti, Ilaria Rea, Luca De Stefano, Michele Caraglia
Summary: MicroRNA (miRNA) are small nucleotides that regulate physiological functions and diseases, especially in cancer. Detection methods such as RT-qPCR, microarrays, and small RNA sequencing have been used for the past 30 years. The advent of nanotechnology has allowed the development of nanostructured biosensors, which offer advantages such as portability, large surface-volume ratio, and increased sensitivity. This review explores the role of nanostructured biosensors in miRNA detection, particularly using electrochemical and optical sensing methods, and highlights the properties and applications of different nanomaterials.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Chiara Tramontano, Luca De Stefano, Ilaria Rea
Summary: Colorectal cancer is a common and deadly cancer worldwide. While screening programs and surgical techniques have reduced mortality in non-metastatic patients, survival rates for metastatic CRC remain low. Conventional chemotherapies cause harmful side effects, but nanomedicine, specifically diatomite nanoparticles, offer a potential solution. These nanoparticles can deliver chemotherapeutic agents to specific targets, reducing off-target effects. This review explores the use of diatomite-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of colorectal cancer, focusing on anti-angiogenetic drugs, antimetastatic drugs, and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Edoardo De Tommasi, Silvia Romano, Vito Mocella, Fabrizio Sgrignuoli, Vittorino Lanzio, Stefano Cabrini, Gianluigi Zito
Summary: The non-trivial polarization topology of bound states in the continuum (BICs) can provide new strategies in nanophotonics by engineering the system's geometric parameters and energy-momentum dispersion. In this study, the topological states associated with the optical field radiated by BICs are investigated when the Dirac-cone-degeneracy is lifted. The theoretical emergence of half-integer topological charges and their experimental demonstration using spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion are shown. The device can also generate vortices with different orbital angular momentum depending on the illumination, improving optical multiplexing potential.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Luigia Serpico, Stefania Dello Iacono, Aniello Cammarano, Luca De Stefano
Summary: Polymeric materials, especially hydrogels, have been widely used in biomedical applications, particularly as wound dressings, due to their non-toxic, biocompatible, biodegradable properties and the ability to absorb exudates. Hydrogels actively contribute to skin repair and protect wounds from microbial invasion. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels-based wound dressings are advantageous as they can respond to specific environmental stimuli. In this review, the structure and functions of human skin, wound healing phases, recent advances in stimuli-responsive hydrogels-based wound dressings, and a bibliometric analysis of the field are summarized.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amina Antonacci, Valeria Frisulli, Lucas Braganca Carvalho, Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto, Bruno Miranda, Luca De Stefano, Udo Johanningmeier, Maria Teresa Giardi, Viviana Scognamiglio
Summary: A completely green biosensor was designed using eco-friendly materials to detect herbicides encapsulated in biodegradable nanoparticles for sustainable agriculture. The nanocarriers delivered herbicides to the correct location, reducing their impact on plants and the agricultural and food industries. Comprehensive information about nanoformulated herbicides in agricultural fields is crucial to support farmers in decision-making.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
