Efficient adsorptive removal of hazardous congo red dye using Ce-BTC@microcrystalline cellulose composite.

In this research, we developed a novel composite material, Ce-BTC@MCC, by combining a metal-organic framework (Ce-BTC) with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), a recyclable natural product. The surface features of the novel Ce-BTC@MCC composite were carefully investigated through infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and N-adsorption/desorption. The ratio of Ce-BTC to MCC in the composite was systematically optimized based on adsorption performance experiments.

Structural and biomedical investigations of novel ruthenium schiff base complexes.

Ruthenium(III) complexes with Schiff base ligands bearing diverse functional groups remain extensively underexplored, despite their promising potential in therapeutic applications. To address this gap, we designed and synthesized a new series of mononuclear octahedral Ru(III) complexes with the general formula [RuL], where L, L, and L are deprotonated Schiff bases derived from functionalized aromatic precursors. These complexes were characterized through a suite of physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques, including FT-IR, H-NMR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, TGA, and elemental analysis, to confirm their structural features and coordination environment.

Hydrothermal synthesis and structural optimization of BiO/BiWO nanocomposites for synergistic photodegradation of Indigo Carmine dye.

Future research directions aim to optimize the efficiency and sustainability of bismuth-based semiconductors for environmental remediation. In this study, potent BiO/BiWO composites were synthesized via a facile in situ hydrothermal-assisted impregnation of Bi onto WO nano-substrate. Comprehensive characterization using HR-TEM, SEM-EDX, PXRD, XPS, FTIR, PL, and DRS confirmed the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized materials.

Enhanced simultaneous voltammetric detection of lead, copper, and mercury using a MIL-101(Cr)-(COOH)@MWCNTs modified glassy carbon electrode.

Background: Electrochemical methods, particularly those utilizing sensors, offer distinct advantages over classical analytical methods. They are cost-effective, compatible with mass fabrication, suitable for remote sensing, and can be designed as handheld analyzers. In this context, MIL-101(Cr)-(COOH)₂@MWCNTs was utilized for the first time as a modifier for GCE for the sensitive voltammetric detection of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Hg(II).

Towards the preparation of sustainable superplasticizers for geopolymeric pastes via radiation-induced grafting of sulfonic group-bearing monomers onto corn starch.

To address escalating environmental and sustainability concerns of petroleum-based superplasticizers (SPs), this work aims to develop sustainable and eco-friendly starch-based SPs using gamma radiation for maintaining the desired workability of geopolymeric pastes. Specifically, two green SPs were prepared from starch via radiation-induced grafting of two sulfonic group-bearing monomers, namely 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) and 4-styrene sulfonic acid sodium salt (Na4SS). The grafting reaction was improved by initial modification of starch with glycidyl methacrylate to insert vinyl groups into the starch backbone.

Electrically driven reprogrammable phase-change metasurface reaching 80% efficiency.

Phase-change materials (PCMs) offer a compelling platform for active metaoptics, owing to their large index contrast and fast yet stable phase transition attributes. Despite recent advances in phase-change metasurfaces, a fully integrable solution that combines pronounced tuning measures, i.e.

Managing the Nitrogen Cycle via Plasmonic (Photo)Electrocatalysis: Toward Circular Economy.

As renewable energy sources are either intermittent in nature or remote in location, developing cost-effective, sustainable, modular systems and technologies to store and transport renewables at an industrial scale is imperative. Storing cheap renewable electricity into chemical bonds (i.e.

Role of Femtosecond Pulsed Laser-Induced Atomic Redistribution in Bimetallic Au-Pd Nanorods on Optoelectronic and Catalytic Properties.

Utilizing solar energy for chemical transformations has attracted a growing interest in promoting the clean and modular chemical synthesis approach and addressing the limitations of conventional thermocatalytic systems. Under light irradiation, noble metal nanoparticles, particularly those characterized by localized surface plasmon resonance, commonly known as plasmonic nanoparticles, generate a strong electromagnetic field, excited hot carriers, and photothermal heating. Plasmonic nanoparticles enabling efficient absorption of light in the visible range have moderate catalytic activities.

Localized Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy as a Life-saving Treatment Paradigm for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Lung failure is the main reason for mortality in COVID-19 patients, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To date, no drug has been clinically approved for treatment of COVID-19. Nanotechnology has a great potential in contributing significantly to the fight against COVID-19 by developing effective therapies that can selectively eradicate the respiratory virus load.

Dynamic Hybrid Metasurfaces.

Efficient hybrid plasmonic-photonic metasurfaces that simultaneously take advantage of the potential of both pure metallic and all-dielectric nanoantennas are identified as an emerging technology in flat optics. Nevertheless, postfabrication tunable hybrid metasurfaces are still elusive. Here, we present a reconfigurable hybrid metasurface platform by incorporating the phase-change material GeSbTe (GST) into metal-dielectric meta-atoms for active and nonvolatile tuning of properties of light.

Plasmonic and chiroplasmonic nanobiosensors based on gold nanoparticles.

Development of optical nanobiosensors has emerged as one of the most important bioresearch areas of interest over the past decades especially in the modern innovations in the design and utilization of sensing platforms. The application of nanobiosensors has been accelerated with the introduction of plasmonic NPs, which overcome the most of the limitations in the case of conventional optical nanobiosensors. Since the plasmonic AuNPs-based nanobiosensors provide high potential achievements to develop promising platforms in fully integrated multiplex assays, some well-developed investigations are clearly required to improve the current technologies and integration of multiple signal inputs.

Gold nanomaterials as key suppliers in biological and chemical sensing, catalysis, and medicine.

Background: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with unique physicochemical properties have received a great deal of interest in the field of biological, chemical and biomedical implementations. Despite the widespread use of AuNPs in chemical and biological sensing, catalysis, imaging and diagnosis, and more recently in therapy, no comprehensive summary has been provided to explain how AuNPs could aid in developing improved sensing and catalysts systems as well as medical settings.

Scope Of Review: The chemistry of Au-based nanosystems was followed by reviewing different applications of Au nanomaterials in biological and chemical sensing, catalysis, imaging and diagnosis by a number of approaches, and finally synergistic combination therapy of different cancers.

Plasmonic gold nanoparticles: Optical manipulation, imaging, drug delivery and therapy.

Over the past two decades, the development of plasmonic nanoparticle (NPs), especially gold (Au) NPs, is being pursued more seriously in the medical fields such as imaging, drug delivery, and theranostic systems. However, there is no comprehensive review on the effect of the physical and chemical parameters of AuNPs on their plasmonic properties as well as the use of these unique characteristic in medical activities such as imaging and therapeutics. Therefore, in this literature the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modeling of AuNPs was accurately captured toward precision medicine.

Gold Nanorod-Assisted Photothermal Therapy Decreases Bleeding during Breast Cancer Surgery in Dogs and Cats.

For localized tumors, gold nanorod (AuNR)-assisted plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a potentially effective alternative to traditional surgery, in which AuNRs absorb near-infrared light and convert it to heat in order to kill cancer cells. However, for large tumors (volume ≥ 20 cm), an uneven distribution of AuNRs might cause inhomogeneity of the heat distribution inside the tumor. Surgery is frequently recommended for removing large tumors, but it is associated with a high risk of cancer recurrence and metastasis.

Monitoring the dynamics of hemeoxygenase-1 activation in head and neck cancer cells in real-time using plasmonically enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

We report for the first time the usage of plasmonically enhanced Raman spectroscopy (PERS) to directly monitor the dynamics of pharmacologically generated hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) by evaluating the kinetics of formation of carbon monoxide (CO), one of the metabolites of HO-1 activation, in live cells during cisplatin treatment. Being an endogenous signaling molecule, CO plays an important role in cancer regression. Many aspects of HO-1's and CO's functions in biology are still unclear largely due to the lack of technological tools for the real-time monitoring of their dynamics in live cells and tissues.

Operando Investigation into Dynamic Evolution of Cathode-Electrolyte Interfaces in a Li-Ion Battery.

While Li-ion battery cathode-electrolyte interfaces (CEIs) have been extensively investigated in recent decades, accurately identifying the chemical nature and tracking the dynamics of the CEIs during electrochemical cycling still remain a grand challenge. Here we report our findings in the investigation into the dynamic evolution of the interface between a LiNiCoMnO (LNMC) cathode and an ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (EC/DMC)-based electrolyte using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) performed on a model cell under typical battery operating conditions. In particular, the strong SERS activity provided by a monolayer of Au nanocubes deposited on a model LNMC electrode (additive-free) enables quasi-quantitative assessment of the CEI evolution during cycling, proving information vital to revealing the dynamics of the species adsorbed on the LNMC surface as a function of cell potential.

Real-time tracking of the autophagy process in living cells using plasmonically enhanced Raman spectroscopy of fucoidan-coated gold nanoparticles.

To date, a variety of biological assays such as immunostaining, western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and flow cytometry have been used to analyze and trace important biological events and therapies. In addition to these techniques, the application of microscopic analytical techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-ToF) mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy is increasing, allowing information to be obtained at the molecular level. In this study, we have conducted real-time tracking of autophagy, a cellular process that has recently been attracting significant attention.

Electrochemical Synthesis of Ammonia from N and HO under Ambient Conditions Using Pore-Size-Controlled Hollow Gold Nanocatalysts with Tunable Plasmonic Properties.

An electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) could provide an alternative pathway to the Haber-Bosch process for clean, sustainable, and decentralized NH production when it is coupled with renewably derived electricity sources. Developing an electrocatalyst that overcomes sluggish kinetics due to the challenges associated with N adsorption and cleavage and that also produces NH with a reasonable yield and efficiency is an urgent need. Here, we engineer the size and density of pores in the walls of hollow Au nanocages (AuHNCs) by tuning their peak localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR); in this way, we aim to enhance the rate of electroreduction of N to NH.

Gold Nanorod Photothermal Therapy Alters Cell Junctions and Actin Network in Inhibiting Cancer Cell Collective Migration.

Most cancer-related deaths come from metastasis. It was recently discovered that nanoparticles could inhibit cancer cell migration. Whereas most researchers focus on single-cell migration, the effect of nanoparticle treatment on collective cell migration has not been explored.

Defect engineering in 1D Ti-W oxide nanotube arrays and their correlated photoelectrochemical performance.

Understanding the nature of interfacial defects of materials is a critical undertaking for the design of high-performance hybrid electrodes for photocatalysis applications. Theoretical and computational endeavors to achieve this have touched boundaries far ahead of their experimental counterparts. However, to achieve any industrial benefit out of such studies, experimental validation needs to be systematically undertaken.

UV Resonance Raman Study of Apoptosis, Platinum-Based Drugs, and Human Cell Lines.

As a noninvasive molecular analysis technique, ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy represents a label-free method suitable for characterizing biomolecules. Using UVRR spectroscopy, we collected spectral fingerprints of UV absorbing cellular components, including proteins, nucleic acids, and unsaturated lipids. This knowledge was used to guide the assignment of spectra derived from intact human cell lines (i.