Influence of laser beam profile on morphology and optical properties of silicon nanoparticles formed by laser ablation in liquid.

In this study, silicon nanoparticles (NPs) were produced by pulsed laser ablation in a liquid, aiming to investigate the influence of a laser beam profile on the properties of the resultant NPs. Morphology, inner structure, and phase composition of the formed NPs were characterized by means of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies, and the correlation of the NP properties with the laser beam profile was studied. Three different beam profiles were selected, namely, a Bessel beam produced using an axicon, an annular profile formed using a combination of an axicon and a converging lens, and a Gaussian beam focused on the surface of a Si target using the same converging lens.

Molecular design of cross-linked single-ion polymer electrolytes enabling robust LiF-rich solid electrolyte interface for stable lithium metal batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with high ionic conductivity, high lithium-ion transference number (t), and good mechanical properties are highly desired for solid-state lithium metal batteries. However, developing SPEs with both high ionic conductivity and high t remains a challenge. Herein, a novel network structure single-ion polymer electrolyte (SIPU) with high ionic conductivity (0.

Direct observation of two-channel photodissociation of carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin subunits.

Determining dynamics of bond breaking between carbon monoxide (CO) and heme proteins is essential to understand the interplay between protein function and dynamics, which is one of the fundamental challenges of physical biology. There is an ongoing debate about the mechanism of CO photodissociation from the heme iron. Here we use picosecond to millisecond transient mid-infrared spectroscopy to determine the dynamics of CO photodissociation from the isolated human hemoglobin chains.

Metabolic Reprogramming of Tumors: Induced Immunosuppression and Therapeutic Prospects of Nanoscale Drug Delivery Systems.

The initiation, progression, and metastasis of tumors are accompanied by metabolic reprogramming. Within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), the impact of metabolic alterations in tumor cells is often overlooked, leading to therapeutic failure. In reality, tumor cells and immune cells within TIME compete for nutrients, inducing hypoxia, acidosis, and other conditions that collectively foster an immunosuppressive microenvironment.

Enhancement of pharmacotherapeutic activity of antibiotic "Amphotericin B" due to its photosensitizing properties.

The problem of increasing the efficacy of fungal infection treatment is a pressing issue in modern medicine due to increasing resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to antifungal drugs. At the same time, the development of new antifungal drugs is a complex, lengthy, and expensive task, since there is a close evolutionary relationship between fungal eukaryotes and human somatic cells. The aim of this work is to enhance the pharmacotherapeutic activity of the widely used antifungal polyene antibiotic "Amphotericin B".

Editorial: Special Issue "Liquid Crystals II".

The Special Issues of the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) are well-known and highly appreciated in the scientific community [...

Deciphering key nano-bio interface descriptors to predict nanoparticle-induced lung fibrosis.

Background: The advancement of nanotechnology underscores the imperative need for establishing in silico predictive models to assess safety, particularly in the context of chronic respiratory afflictions such as lung fibrosis, a pathogenic transformation that is irreversible. While the compilation of predictive descriptors is pivotal for in silico model development, key features specifically tailored for predicting lung fibrosis remain elusive. This study aimed to uncover the essential predictive descriptors governing nanoparticle-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Multi-analytical study for the art historical science: The mystery of the "Portrait of a young man in a wide-brimmed hat with a feather".

In this work, we performed a comprehensive spectroscopic analysis of the "Portrait of a Young Man in a Wide-Brimmed Hat with a Feather" authored by an unknown artist and housed in the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. Previously this portrait was a part of the Myatlev collection (St. Petersburg, Russia).

The Interaction Of Homodimer Styrylcyanine Dyes With Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate And Triton X-100.

Solubilization of the styrylcyanine dye Sbt ((E)-2-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)-3-methylbenzo[d]thiazol-3-ium iodide) and its homodimers Dbt-5 and Dbt-10 in aqueous solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate and Triton X-100 has been studied by steady state and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. At low concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate in solution, between Sbt, Dbt-5 dyes molecules and surfactant ion pairs are formed followed by the formation non-luminescent H-aggregates. The nature of the interaction between molecules of dyes and surfactants has been revealed.

Surface Engineering of Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Diagnostics and Drug Delivery.

Data published in 2020 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization show that breast cancer (BC) has become the most common cancer globally, affecting more than 2 million women each year. The complex tumor microenvironment, drug resistance, metastasis, and poor prognosis constitute the primary challenges in the current diagnosis and treatment of BC. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONPs) have emerged as a promising nanoplatform for diagnostic tumor imaging as well as therapeutic drug-targeted delivery due to their unique physicochemical properties.

Evidence-Based Certification of Quantum Dimensions.

Identifying a reasonably small Hilbert space that completely describes an unknown quantum state is crucial for efficient quantum information processing. We introduce a general dimension-certification protocol for both discrete and continuous variables that is fully evidence based, relying solely on the experimental data collected and no other unjustified assumptions whatsoever. Using the Bayesian concept of relative belief, we take the effective dimension of the state as the smallest one such that the posterior probability is larger than the prior, as dictated by the data.

Improvement of signal propagation in the optoelectronic artificial spiking neuron by vibrational resonance.

Experimental evidence of vibrational resonance (VR) in the optoelectronic artificial spiking neuron based on a single photon avalanche diode and a vertical cavity laser driven by two periodic signals with low and high frequencies is reported. It is shown that a very weak subthreshold low-frequency (LF) periodic signal can be greatly amplified by the additional high-frequency (HF) signal. The phenomenon shows up as a nonmonotonic resonant dependence of the LF response on the amplitude of the HF signal.

Development of plasma technology for the preparation and modification of energy storage materials.

The development of energy storage material technologies stands as a decisive measure in optimizing the structure of clean and low-carbon energy systems. The remarkable activity inherent in plasma technology imbues it with distinct advantages in surface modification, functionalization, synthesis, and interface engineering of materials. This review systematically expounds upon the principles, classifications, and application scenarios of plasma technology, while thoroughly discussing its unique merits in the realm of modifying electrode materials, solid-state electrolytes, and conductive carbon materials, which are widely used in lithium-ion batteries, sodium ion batteries, metal air batteries and other fields.

Identification by methods of steady-state and kinetic spectrofluorimetry of endogenous porphyrins and flavins sensitizing the formation of reactive oxygen species in cancer cells.

The question about acceptor molecules of optical radiation that determine the effects of photobiomodulation in relation to various types of cells still remains the focus of attention of researchers. This issue is most relevant for cancer cells, since, depending on the parameters of optical radiation, light can either stimulate their growth or inhibit them and lead to death. This study shows that endogenous porphyrins, which have sensitizing properties, may play an important role in the implementation of the effects of photobiomodulation, along with flavins.

Simultaneous remediation of diesel-polluted soil and promoted ryegrass growth by non-thermal plasma pretreatment.

The remediation of petroleum-polluted soil has garnered significant global attention. In this study, a pot-culture experiment was conducted to assess the feasibility of using non-thermal plasma (NTP) as an efficient and economic-friendly pretreatment method in the phytoremediation of diesel-polluted soil. The remediation effectiveness was evaluated via both the removal of diesel and the ryegrass growth.

Electric field-assisted laser ablation fabrication and assembly of zinc oxide/carbon nanocomposites into hierarchical structures for supercapacitor electrodes.

One of the major challenges in the field of electrochemical energy storage device performance improvement is the development of suitable synthetic materials for electrodes that can provide high power and high energy density features combined with their long-term stability. Here, we have developed a novel two-step approach based on DC glow discharge plasma pre-treatment of a carbon cloth substrate followed by electric field-assisted laser ablation for the synthesis of ZnO/C nanocomposites in a liquid and their simultaneous assembly into hierarchically organized nanostructures onto the pre-processed carbon cloth to produce a supercapacitor electrode. To form such nanostructures, a processed carbon cloth was included in the electrical circuit as a cathode during laser ablation of zinc in water, while a zinc target served as an anode.

Dynamic Spectral Modulation Enabled by Conductive Polymer-Integrated Plasmonic Nanodisk-Hole Arrays.

The electrically driven optical performance modulation of the plasmonic nanostructure by conductive polymers provides a prospective technology for miniaturized and integrated active optoelectronic devices. These features of wafer-scale and flexible preparation, a wide spectrum adjustment range, and excellent electric cycling stability are critical to the practical applications of dynamic plasmonic components. Herein, we have demonstrated a large-scale and flexible active plasmonic nanostructure constructed by electrochemically synthesizing nanometric-thickness conductive polymer onto spatially mismatched Au nanodisk-hole (AuND-H) array on the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate, offering low-power electrically driven switching of reflective light in a wide wavelength range of 550-850 nm.

Luminescence of In(III)Cl-etioporphyrin-I.

The luminescent and photophysical properties of the etioporphyrin-I complex with indium(III) chloride, InCl-EtioP-I were experimentally studied at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures in pure and mixed toluene solutions. At 77 K, in a 1:2 mixture of toluene with diethyl ether, the quantum yield of phosphorescence reaches 10.2%, while the duration of phosphorescence is 17 ms.

Photostability and phototoxicity of graphene quantum dots interacting with red blood cells.

Here we discuss fluorescent properties of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) interacting with the membranes of red blood cells. We report the results of spectroscopic, microscopic, and photon-counting measurements of the GQDs in different surroundings for uncovering specific features of the GQD fluorescence, and describe two observed phenomena important for implementation of the GQDs as fluorescent labels and agents for drug delivery. Firstly, the GQDs can suffer from photodegradation but also can be stabilized in the presence of antioxidants (reduced glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, or 1,4-hydroquinone).

Nonclassical Mechanism of Metal-Enhanced Photoluminescence of Quantum Dots.

Metal-enhanced photoluminescence is able to provide a robust signal even from a single emitter and is promising in applications in biosensors and optoelectronic devices. However, its realization with semiconductor nanocrystals (e.g.

Light Enhancement of Green Up-Conversion Emission from Er-Doped Silica Microspheres by Carbon Quantum Dot Coatings.

Combination of high quality cavity such as glass microsphere and emitting nano-particle coating layers can create novel strongly emitting devices. Herein, we demonstrate an erbium-doped silica microsphere coated by dual-emission carbon quantum dots, which have the sizes of 3-5 nm, emitting green up-conversion with narrow line-width green light at wavelength of 537 nm. The dual-emission carbon quantum dots fabricated by hydrothermal process and have luminescent emission wavelengths in the range of 410-550 nm.

Effect of the isotiazole adjuvants in combination with cisplatin in chemotherapy of neuroepithelial tumors: experimental results and modeling.

Chemotherapy is one of the main treatment options for cancer, but it is usually accompanied with negative side effects. The classical drugs combination with synergistic adjuvants can be the solution to this problem, allowing reducing therapeutic dose. Elucidating the mechanism of adjuvant action is of key importance for the selection of the optimal agent.

Fluorescent Properties of Cyanine Dyes As a Matter of the Environment.

In non-viscous aqueous solutions, the cyanine fluorescent dyes Cy3 and Cy5 have rather low fluorescence efficiency (the fluorescence quantum yields of Cy3 and Cy5 are 0.04 and 0.3, respectively [1, 2]) and short excited state lifetimes due to their structural features.