Animal models, particularly rodents, are major translational models for evaluating novel anticancer therapeutics. In this review, different types of nanostructure-based photosensitizers that have advanced into the in vivo evaluation stage for the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer are described. This article focuses on the in vivo efficacies of the nanostructures as delivery agents and as energy transducers for photosensitizers in animal models. These materials are useful in overcoming solubility issues, lack of tumor specificity, and access to tumors deep in healthy tissue. At the end of this article, the opportunities made possible by these multiplexed nanostructure-based systems are summarized, as well as the considerable challenges associated with obtaining regulatory approval for such materials. The following questions are also addressed: (1) Is there a pressing demand for more nanoparticle materials? (2) What is the prognosis for regulatory approval of nanoparticles to be used in the clinic?
Magnetic collection of the microalgae Chlorella sp. from culture media facilitated by low-gradient magnetophoretic separation is achieved in real time. A removal efficiency as high as 99% is accomplished by binding of iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) to microalgal cells in the presence of the cationic polyelectrolyte poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as a binder and subsequently subjecting the mixture to a NdFeB permanent magnet with surface magnetic field ≈6000 G and magnetic field gradient <80 T m(-1) . Surface functionalization of magnetic NPs with PDDA before exposure to Chlorella sp. is proven to be more effective in promoting higher magnetophoretic removal efficiency than the conventional procedure, in which premixing of microalgal cells with binder is carried out before the addition of NPs. Rodlike NPs are a superior candidate for enhancing the magnetophoretic separation compared to spherical NPs due to their stable magnetic moment that originates from shape anisotropy and the tendency to form large NP aggregates. Cell chaining is observed for nanorod-tagged Chlorella sp. which eventually fosters the formation of elongated cell clusters.
Observation of visible light trapping in zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) correlated to the optical and photoelectrochemical properties is reported. In this study, ZnO NR diameter and c-axis length respond primarily at two different regions, UV and visible light, respectively. ZnO NR diameter exhibits UV absorption where large ZnO NR diameter area increases light absorption ability leading to high efficient electron-hole pair separation. On the other hand, ZnO NR c-axis length has a dominant effect in visible light resulting from a multiphoton absorption mechanism due to light reflection and trapping behavior in the free space between adjacent ZnO NRs. Furthermore, oxygen vacancies and defects in ZnO NRs are associated with the broad visible emission band of different energy levels also highlighting the possibility of the multiphoton absorption mechanism. It is demonstrated that the minimum average of ZnO NR c-axis length must satisfy the linear regression model of Z p,min = 6.31d to initiate the multiphoton absorption mechanism under visible light. This work indicates the broadening of absorption spectrum from UV to visible light region by incorporating a controllable diameter and c-axis length on vertically aligned ZnO NRs, which is important in optimizing the design and functionality of electronic devices based on light absorption mechanism.
In this paper, 2D borophene is synthesized through a liquid-phase exfoliation. The morphology and structure of as-prepared borophene are systemically analyzed, and the Z-scan is used to measure the nonlinear optical properties. It is found that the saturable absorber (SA) properties of borophene make it serve as an excellent broadband optical switch, which is strongly used for mode-locking in near- and mid-infrared laser systems. Ultrastable pulses with durations as short as 792 and 693 fs are successfully delivered at the central wavelengths of 1063 and 1560 nm, respectively. Furthermore, stable pulses at a wavelength of 1878 nm are demonstrated from a thulium mode-locked fiber laser based on the same borophene SA. This research reveals a significant potential for borophene used in lasers helping extending the frontiers of photonic technologies.
A noticeable interest and steady rise in research studies reporting the design and assessment of smart adsorbents for sequestering aqueous metal ions and xenobiotics has occurred in the last decade. This motivates compiling and reviewing the characteristics, potentials, and performances of this new adsorbent generation's metal ion and xenobiotics sequestration. Herein, stimuli-responsive adsorbents that respond to its media (as internal triggers; e.g., pH and temperature) or external triggers (e.g., magnetic field and light) are highlighted. Readers are then introduced to selective adsorbents that selectively capture materials of interest. This is followed by a discussion of self-healing and self-cleaning adsorbents. Finally, the review ends with research gaps in material designs.
Targeted drug delivery is one of the key challenges in cancer nanomedicine. Stoichiometric and spatial control over the antibodies placement on the nanomedicine vehicle holds a pivotal role to overcome this key challenge. Here, a DNA tetrahedral is designed with available conjugation sites on its vertices, allowing to bind one, two, or three cetuximab antibodies per DNA nanostructure. This stoichiometrically definable cetuximab conjugated DNA nanostructure shows enhanced targeting on the breast cancer cells, which results with higher overall killing efficacy of the cancer cells.
Cellular microenvironments are generally sophisticated, but crucial for regulating the functions of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Despite tremendous effort in this field, the correlation between the environmental factors-especially the extracellular matrix and soluble cell factors-and the desired cellular functions remains largely unknown because of the lack of appropriate tools to recapitulate in vivo conditions and/or simultaneously evaluate the interplay of different environment factors. Here, a combinatorial platform is developed with integrated microfluidic channels and nanofibers, associated with a method of high-content single-cell analysis, to study the effects of environmental factors on stem cell phenotype. Particular attention is paid to the dependence of hPSC short-term self-renewal on the density and composition of extracellular matrices and initial cell seeding densities. Thus, this combinatorial approach provides insights into the underlying chemical and physical mechanisms that govern stem cell fate decisions.
The ability to control the subcellular localization of nanoparticles within living plants offers unique advantages for targeted biomolecule delivery and enables important applications in plant bioengineering. However, the mechanism of nanoparticle transport past plant biological membranes is poorly understood. Here, a mechanistic study of nanoparticle cellular uptake into plant protoplasts is presented. An experimentally validated mathematical model of lipid exchange envelope penetration mechanism for protoplasts, which predicts that the subcellular distribution of nanoparticles in plant cells is dictated by the particle size and the magnitude of the zeta potential, is advanced. The mechanism is completely generic, describing nanoparticles ranging from quantum dots, gold and silica nanoparticles, nanoceria, and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). In addition, the use of imaging flow cytometry to investigate the influence of protoplasts' morphological characteristics on nanoparticle uptake efficiency is demonstrated. Using DNA-wrapped SWNTs as model nanoparticles, it is found that glycerolipids, the predominant lipids in chloroplast membranes, exhibit stronger lipid-nanoparticle interaction than phospholipids, the major constituent in protoplast membrane. This work can guide the rational design of nanoparticles for targeted delivery into specific compartments within plant cells without the use of chemical or mechanical aid, potentially enabling various plant engineering applications.
Direct conversion of syngas to dimethyl ether (DME) through the intermediate of methanol allows more efficient DME production in a simpler reactor design relative to the conventional indirect route. Although Cu/ZnO-based multicomponent catalysts are highly active for methanol synthesis in this process, the sintering issue of Cu during the prolonged reaction generally deteriorates their performance. In this work, Cu/ZnO catalysts in a novel octahedron structure are prepared by a two-step pyrolysis of Zn-doped Cu-BTC metal-organic framework (MOF) in N2 and air. The catalyst CZ-350/A, hybrid of MOF-derived Cu/ZnO sample CZ-350 and γ-Al2 O3 for methanol dehydration, displays the best activity for DME formation (7.74% CO conversion and 70.05% DME selectivity) with the lowest deterioration rate over 40 h continuous reaction. Such performance is superior to its counterpart CZ-CP/A made via the conventional coprecipitation method. This is mainly due to the confinement of Cu nanoparticles within the octahedron matrix hindering their migration and aggregation. Besides, partial reduction of ZnO in the activated CZ-350 prompts the formation of Cu+ -O-Zn, further facilitating the DME production with the highest selectivity compared to literature results. The results clearly indicate that Cu and ZnO distribution in the catalyst architecture plays an important role in DME formation.
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) is a kind of ideal metal-free photocatalysts for artificial photosynthesis. At present, pristine g-C3 N4 suffers from small specific surface area, poor light absorption at longer wavelengths, low charge migration rate, and a high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which significantly limit its performance. Among a myriad of modification strategies, point-defect engineering, namely tunable vacancies and dopant introduction, is capable of harnessing the superb structural, textural, optical, and electronic properties of g-C3 N4 to acquire an ameliorated photocatalytic activity. In view of the burgeoning development in this pacey field, a timely review on the state-of-the-art advancement of point-defect engineering of g-C3 N4 is of vital significance to advance the solar energy conversion. Particularly, insights into the intriguing roles of point defects, the synthesis, characterizations, and the systematic control of point defects, as well as the versatile application of defective g-C3 N4 -based nanomaterials toward photocatalytic water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction and nitrogen fixation will be presented in detail. Lastly, this review will conclude with a balanced perspective on the technical and scientific hindrances and future prospects. Overall, it is envisioned that this review will open a new frontier to uncover novel functionalities of defective g-C3 N4 -based nanostructures in energy catalysis.
Development of CAR-T therapy led to immediate success in the treatment of B cell leukemia. Manufacturing of therapy-competent functional CAR-T cells needs robust protocols for ex vivo/in vitro expansion of modified T-cells. This step is challenging, especially if non-viral low-efficiency delivery protocols are used to generate CAR-T cells. Modern protocols for CAR-T cell expansion are imperfect since non-specific stimulation results in rapid outgrowth of CAR-negative T cells, and removal of feeder cells from mixed cultures necessitates additional purification steps. To develop a specific and improved protocol for CAR-T cell expansion, cell-derived membrane vesicles are taken advantage of, and the simple structural demands of the CAR-antigen interaction. This novel approach is to make antigenic microcytospheres from common cell lines stably expressing surface-bound CAR antigens, and then use them for stimulation and expansion of CAR-T cells. The data presented in this article clearly demonstrate that this protocol produced antigen-specific vesicles with the capacity to induce stronger stimulation, proliferation, and functional activity of CAR-T cells than is possible with existing protocols. It is predicted that this new methodology will significantly advance the ability to obtain improved populations of functional CAR-T cells for therapy.
Water pollution caused by the massive use of medicines has caused significant environmental problems. This work first reports the synthesis and characterization of the Cu7 S4 /CuCo2 O4 (CS/CCO) yolk-shell microspheres via hydrothermal and annealing methods, and then investigates their photocatalytic performance in removing organic water pollutants. The 10-CS/CCO composite with yolk-shell microspheres exhibits the highest photodegradation rate of carbamazepine (CBZ), reaching 96.3% within 2 h. The 10-CS/CCO also demonstrates more than two times higher photodegradation rates than the pure (Cu7 S4 ) CS and (CuCo2 O4 ) CCO. This outstanding photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the unique yolk-shell structure and the Z-scheme charge transfer pathway, reducing multiple reflections of the acting light. These factors enhance the light absorption efficiency and efficiently transfer photoexcited charge carriers. In-depth, photocatalytic degradation pathways of CBZ are systematically evaluated via the identification of degradation intermediates with Fukui index calculation. The insights gained from this work can serve as a guideline for developing low-cost and efficient Z-scheme photocatalyst composites with the yolk-shell structure.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) is a primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can act as a chemical signal in developing and progressing serious and life-threatening diseases like cancer. Due to the stressful nature of H2 O2 , there is an urgent need to develop sensitive analytical approaches to be applied to various biological matrices. Herein, a portable point-of-care electrochemical system based on MXene-Co3 O4 nanocomposites to detect H2 O2 in different cancer cell-lines is presented. The developed sensor is affordable, disposable, and highly selective for H2 O2 detection. This approach achieves a dynamic linear range of 75 µm with a LOD of 0.5 µm and a LOQ of 1.6 µm. To improve the practical application, the level of ROS is evaluated both in cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and DU145, respectively, to breast and prostate cancers, and in healthy HaCat cells. Moreover, the same cancer cells are treated with transforming growth factor-β1, and MXene-Co3 O4 modified strip is capable to monitorROS variation. The results are satisfactory compared with the cellular ROS fluorescent assay based on DCFH/DCFH-DA. These results open new perspectives for real-time monitoring of cancer progression and the efficacy of the therapy.
The surface properties of biomaterials interact directly with biological systems, influencing cellular responses, tissue integration, and biocompatibility. Surface topography plays a critical role in cardiac tissue engineering by affecting electrical conductivity, cardiomyocyte alignment, and contractile function. Current methods for controlling surface properties and topography in cardiac tissue engineering scaffolds are limited, expensive, and lack precision. This study introduces a low-cost, one-step degradation process to create scaffolds with well-defined micro-grooves from multilayered 3D printed poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane composites. The approach provides control over erosion rate and surface morphology, allowing easy tuning of scaffold topographical cues for tissue engineering applications. The findings reported in this study provide a library of easily tuneable scaffold topographical cues. A strong dependence of neonatal rat cardiomyocyte (NRCM) contact guidance with the multilayers' dimension and shape in partially degraded polylactic acid (PLA)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) samples is observed. NRCMs cultured on samples with a layer thickness of 13 ± 2 µm and depth of 4.7 ± 0.2 µm demonstrate the most regular contractions. Hence, the proposed fabrication scheme can be used to produce a new generation of biomaterials with excellent controllability determined by multilayer thickness, printing parameters, and degradation treatment duration.
Metal sulfides are promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their structural diversity and high theoretical capacity, but the severe capacity decay and inferior rate capability caused by poor structural stability and sluggish kinetics impede their practical applications. Herein, a cobalt-doped amorphous VS4 wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (i.e., Co0.5-VS4/rGO) is developed through a Co-induced defect engineering strategy to boost the kinetics performances. The as-prepared Co0.5-VS4/rGO demonstrates excellent rate capacities over 10 A g-1 and superior cycling stability at 5 A g-1 over 1600 cycles, which is attributed to the defects formed by Co doping, the formed amorphous structure and the robust rGO substrate. The great features of Co0.5-VS4/rGO anode are further confirmed in sodium-ion capacitors when the active carbon cathode is used. Additionally, the relationships between metal doping, the derived defects, the amorphous structure, and the sodium storage of VS4 are uncovered. This work provides deep insights into preparing amorphous functional materials and also probes the potential applications of metal sulfide-based electrode materials for advanced batteries.
Semiconductor-based materials utilized in photocatalysts and electrocatalysts present a sophisticated solution for efficient solar energy utilization and bias control, a field extensively explored for its potential in sustainable energy and environmental management. Recently, 3D printing has emerged as a transformative technology, offering rapid, cost-efficient, and highly customizable approaches to designing photocatalysts and electrocatalysts with precise structural control and tailored substrates. The adaptability and precision of printing facilitate seamless integration, loading, and blending of diverse photo(electro)catalytic materials during the printing process, significantly reducing material loss compared to traditional methods. Despite the evident advantages of 3D printing, a comprehensive compendium delineating its application in the realm of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis is conspicuously absent. This paper initiates by delving into the fundamental principles and mechanisms underpinning photocatalysts electrocatalysts and 3D printing. Subsequently, an exhaustive overview of the latest 3D printing techniques, underscoring their pivotal role in shaping the landscape of photocatalysts and electrocatalysts for energy and environmental applications. Furthermore, the paper examines various methodologies for seamlessly incorporating catalysts into 3D printed substrates, elucidating the consequential effects of catalyst deposition on catalytic properties. Finally, the paper thoroughly discusses the challenges that necessitate focused attention and resolution for future advancements in this domain.