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Topic Review
CeO2-based transition metal catalysts
The rational design and fabrication of highly-active and cost-efficient catalytic materials constitutes the main research pillar in catalysis field. In this context, the fine-tuning of size and shape at nanometer scale can exert an intense impact not only on the inherent reactivity of catalyst’s counterparts but also on their interfacial interactions, opening up new horizons for the development of highly active and robust materials. The main implications of ceria nanoparticles’ shape engineering (rods, cubes, polyhedra) in catalysis are revealed, on the ground of some of the most pertinent heterogeneous reactions, such as CO2 hydrogenation, CO oxidation, and N2O decomposition. It is clearly revealed that shape functionalization can remarkably affect the intrinsic features and in turn the reactivity of ceria nanoparticles. More importantly, by combining ceria nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) of specific architecture with various transition metals (e.g., Cu, Fe, Co, Ni) remarkably active multifunctional composites can be obtained due mainly to the synergistic metal-ceria interactions, providing the design principles of earth-abundant metal oxide catalysts for various real-life environmental and energy applications.
  • 2.1K
  • 22 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Water-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins are essential micronutrients in diets that ensure the biochemical functions of the human body and prevent diseases. They act as antioxidants, hormones, and mediators for cell signaling, cell/tissues regulators, and differentiation. They are sensitive compounds that are degraded during cooking and storage processes by factors such as light, heat, oxygen, moisture, pH, time, and reducing agents. Consequently, vitamin encapsulation can overcome limitations associated with external agents such as oxidants, heat, and low solubility, and promotes effective delivery into the body. Water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins are two main groups of this type of micronutrient. Water-soluble vitamins are important for growth, development, and human body function. 
  • 2.1K
  • 23 May 2022
Topic Review
Effect of Nanoparticles on Plant Physiological Activity
Due to their unique characteristics, nanoparticles are increasingly used in agricultural production through foliage spraying and soil application. The use of nanoparticles can improve the efficiency of agricultural chemicals and reduce the pollution caused by the use of agricultural chemicals.
  • 2.0K
  • 08 May 2023
Topic Review
Chorioallantoic Membrane Assay in Nanotoxicology
Nanomaterials unveil many applicational possibilities for technical and medical purposes, which range from imaging techniques to the use as drug carriers. Prior to any human application, analysis of undesired effects and characterization of their toxicological profile is mandatory. To address this topic, animal models, and rodent models in particular, are most frequently used. However, as the reproducibility and transferability to the human organism of animal experimental data is increasingly questioned and the awareness of animal welfare in society increases at the same time, methodological alternatives are urgently required. The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay is an increasingly popular in ovo experimental organism suitable for replacement of rodent experimentation.
  • 2.0K
  • 08 Dec 2020
Topic Review
PbS Quantum Dots
Quantum dots are very interesting materials for different opto-electronic applications.  Among the different quantum dots available, semiconductor quantum dots of PbS became very popular and are extensively studied. This chapter focuses on the current understanding of the superlattice formation process induced via self-assembly of PbS quantum dots as probed by the Grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering techniques (GISAXS/GIWAXS).
  • 2.0K
  • 06 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Conductive Electrospun Nanofiber Mats
Conductive nanofiber mats can be used in a broad variety of applications, such as electromagnetic shielding, sensors, multifunctional textile surfaces, organic photovoltaics, or biomedicine. Here we give an overview of the most recent applications of such conductive electrospun nanofiber mats.
  • 2.0K
  • 23 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Nanomaterials in Dentistry
       Nanomaterials are commonly considered as those materials in which the shape and molecular composition at a nanometer scale can be controlled. Subsequently, they present extraordinary properties that are being useful for the development of new and improved applications in many fields, including medicine. In dentistry, several research efforts are being conducted, especially during the last decade, for the improvement of the properties of materials used in dentistry.
  • 2.0K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Self-Assembled III-V Semiconductor Quantum Dots
A fundamental understanding of the growth of semiconductors is essential for the optimization of quantum dot-based optoelectronic devices. Droplet epitaxy has proven to be the successful versatile growth method for instance growing quantum dots with a small fine structure splitting for quantum information technology. Precise control and tuning of the quantum dots for various applications is only possible through a detailed understanding of the growth mechanism at the atomic level, which creates the need for atomic-scale structural and composition characterization. We present an overview of the results of detailed structural and composition analysis by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy and atom probe tomography of quantum dots grown by self-assembled droplet epitaxy where we focus mainly on strain-free GaAs/AlGaAs and strained InAs/InP QDs.
  • 2.0K
  • 19 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Focused-Ion-Beam for chiral photonics
Focused ion beam (FIB) processing which enabled scientific and technological advances in the realization and study of micro- and nano-systems in many research areas, such as nanotechnology, material science, and the microelectronic industry. Recently, its applications have been extended to the photonics field, owing to the possibility of developing systems with complex shapes, including 3D chiral shapes. Micro-/nano-structured elements with precise geometrical features at the nanoscale can be realized by FIB processing, with sizes that can be tailored in order to tune optical responses over a broad spectral region. In this entry, we give an overview of the recent efforts in this field which have involved FIB processing as a nanofabrication tool for photonics applications. In particular, we focus on FIB-induced deposition and FIB milling, employed to build 3D nanostructures and metasurfaces exhibiting intrinsic chirality. 
  • 2.0K
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Nano Skin Care Formulations
The term “cosmeceutical” was first mentioned in 1984 by Dr. Albert Kligman (University of Pennsylvania), who used it to describe a new category of products that could be classified as more than just cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. According to Dr. Kligman, a cosmeceutical is “a topical preparation that is sold as a cosmetic but has performance characteristics suggestive of a pharmaceutical effect” and therefore might have a pharmaceutical therapeutic effect, but not essentially a biological therapeutic benefit. Since the discovery of the anti-ageing effects of tretinoin, the use of alpha hydroxy acids as exfoliants and for skin rejuvenation, and the use of vitamin C in topical formulations as an antioxidant, the market for cosmeceuticals has grown exponentially and has taken over the personal care industry. Since the term “cosmeceutical” is not yet well established, it is often used in the cosmetic industry to emphasise the specific mechanism of action of the ingredients included in modern skin care formulations. Despite the confusion about their definition and scope, about 40% of dermatologist prescriptions around the world are cosmeceuticals. Nowadays, the use of nanotechnology to improve the efficacy of APIS is a great success.
  • 2.0K
  • 21 Oct 2021
Topic Review
PH-Sensitive Cubosome Liquid Crystalline Nanocarriers
Cubosomes are soft biocontinuous nanoparticles whose 3D geometry can be engineered to render the structures responsive to pH variations, which is of large interest to the production of efficient drug delivery materials. We have reviewed the literature to provide a state of the art in this regard and shed lights on prominent perspectives and strategies for pH-sensitive cubosomes development, taking advantage of the pH changes of the biological media at targeted application sites.
  • 2.0K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Technological Uses of Thioketal in Drug Delivery Systems
To take advantage of ROS-specific cleavage, different technological uses of Thioketal (TK) functional group have been proposed in the design of selective and improved “smart” nanosystems, including as linker to connect a drug on the surface of nanoparticles, form prodrugs, as a core component of the Drug Delivery System (DDS) to directly control its structure, to control the opening of drug-releasing gates or to change the conformation of the nano-systems. This allows to overcome the major limitations of conventional DDS counterparts, including uncontrolled drug release and off-target effects, by controlling the degradation kinetics, drug release kinetics, or even increasing potential administration routes. 
  • 1.9K
  • 01 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Peptide Applications Using Microfluidics
Peptides possess multifunctional roles within therapeutic formulations, ranging from enhancing target specificity to acting as the active component of the medicine. By applying the platform of microfluidics, the range of applications for peptides has been seen to rise exponentially. Various therapeutic applications of peptides are listed in this review.
  • 1.9K
  • 11 May 2021
Topic Review
Noble Metal Nanoparticles in SERS
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has become one of the most attractive analytical techniques due to its versatility and high sensitivity for a variety of analytes like dyes, food additives, pesticides, explosives, DNA, and other biomolecules at very low concentrations. Furthermore, SERS analysis possesses a broad range of properties: it is non-destructive, portable, easy to perform, highly sensitive, fast, cost-effective, and can be used when samples are present in water since the background signal is negligible. SERS substrates may consist of metallic nanoparticles, roughened metallic surfaces, or nanoengineered surfaces with metallic nanoparticles deposited on a solid support.  
  • 1.9K
  • 20 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Two-Dimensional MoTe2 Hetero-Phase Homojunctions
Two-dimensional (2D) hetero-phase homojunctions comprise a semiconducting phase of a material as the channel and a metallic phase of the material as electrodes. In particular, MoTe2 exhibits intriguing properties and its phase is easily altered from semiconducting 2H to metallic 1T′ and vice versa, owing to the extremely small energy barrier between these two phases. MoTe2 thus finds potential applications in electronics as a representative 2D material with multiple phases. 
  • 1.9K
  • 19 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Biodegradable Packaging Materials
Food packaging is used to protect food products from physical, chemical, or biological stresses in their environment, thereby improving their quality and extending their shelf life. A variety of packaging materials have traditionally been used for this purpose, including plastic, glass, metal, paper, wood, and textiles. Some of these materials, particularly plastics, cause considerable environmental damage during their manufacture and after their disposal. For0 this reason, there has been great interest in developing biodegradable forms of packaging materials that are more sustainable to produce, that rapidly decompose after disposal, and that do not cause as much environmental pollution. These packaging materials can be constructed from biodegradable film-forming materials such as proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids. Moreover, their functional performance can be enhanced by incorporating organic or inorganic nanoparticles or nanofibers. For instance, nano-forms of clay, iron oxide (Fe2O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) can be used (inorganic nanoparticles), as well as nano-forms of chitin and cellulose and their derivatives (organic nanoparticles). The resulting nanocomposites often have enhanced technofunctional characteristics such as improved optical, mechanical and barrier properties, as well as some novel functional attributes, such as antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, that can prolong the shelf life of packaged foods. Moreover, it is possible to incorporate sensing materials into biodegradable films to provide information about the quality, freshness, or safety of packaged foods. 
  • 1.9K
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Nanomaterials in Neurodegenerative Disease Biomarkers
The unique and outstanding properties of nanomaterials (such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, gold, silver and magnetic nanoparticles, polymers and quantum dots) have been contributing to enhance the electrochemical and optical behavior of transducers while offering a suitable matrix for the immobilization of biological recognition elements. Therefore, optical and electrochemical immuno- and DNA-biosensors with higher sensitivity, selectivity and longer stability have been reported. This review aims to provide insights into the conjugation of nanomaterials with different transducers highlighting their crucial role in the construction of biosensors for detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) main biomarkers.
  • 1.9K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Smart ECM-Based Electrospun Biomaterials
Electrospinning is a well-known technique to produce fibers that mimic the three dimensional microstructural arrangements of the extracellular matrix fibers. Natural and synthetic polymers are used in the electrospinning process; moreover, a blend of them provides composite materials that have demonstrated the potential advantage of supporting cell function and adhesion. Recently, the decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM), which is the noncellular component of tissue that retains relevant biological cues for cells, has been evaluated as a starting biomaterial to realize composite electrospun constructs. The properties of the electrospun systems can be further improved with innovative procedures of functionalization with biomolecules. Among the various approaches, great attention is devoted to the “click” concept in constructing a bioactive system, due to the modularity, orthogonality, and simplicity features of the “click” reactions. Here, we provide an overview of current approaches that can be used to obtain biofunctional composite electrospun biomaterials and propose a design of a smart ECM-based electrospun system suitable for skeletal muscle tissue regeneration.
  • 1.9K
  • 24 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Architectures of Polyacrylic Acid
Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is a non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer that gained lots of interest in recent years. PAA nano-derivatives can be obtained by chemical modification of carboxyl groups with superior chemical properties in comparison to unmodified PAA.
  • 1.9K
  • 01 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Wind Energy based on Triboelectric Nanogenerators
The utilization of various distributed energy is becoming a prominent research topic due to the rapid development of the Internet of Things and wireless condition monitoring systems. Among the various distributed energy sources, wind energy has the advantages of being widely distributed, renewable and pollution-free, and is a very promising mechanical energy for power supply. Traditional wind energy harvesting methods based on electromagnetic and piezoelectric effects have issues with complex structure, large size, severe mechanical structures, and high installation costs. The low frequency and irregular nature of ambient mechanical energy makes these methods generally inefficient and inevitably hinders the further exploitation of wind energy. The triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) based on frictional charging and electrostatic effects can also be used for wind power generation and are increasingly favored by researchers as TENGs are easier to be miniaturized and assembled, and can realize large-scale manufacturing in comparison.
  • 1.9K
  • 28 Sep 2022
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