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Topic Review
AuNPs and Fibrous Materials
The use of nanoparticles is a multidisciplinary approach to provide UV blocking, antimicrobial, water repellent, colorant, flame retardant, sensing, and self-cleaning properties to textiles. Particularly, the antimicrobial textiles with improved functionalities find several applications, namely, in health and hygiene products, infection control, and barrier material. Depositing nanoparticles in textiles have been a promising strategy to achieve multifunctional materials. Particularly, antimicrobial properties are highly valuable due to the emergence of new pathogens and the spread of existing ones. Various techniques have been used by researchers to functionalize natural and synthetic fibers with AuNPs such as sputtering, electrostatic assembly, chemical reduction in solution, dip-coating, electroless plating, drop and dry, biosynthesis, and print pasting method.
  • 1.5K
  • 11 May 2021
Topic Review
Amperometric Biosensors and Biofuel Cells
Amperometric biosensors and biofuel cells are mostly based on immobilized enzymes or living cells. Among the many oxidoreductases, glucose oxidase (GOx) is used mostly in biosensor design. The same GOx can be well applied for the development of biofuel cells and self-charging capacitors based on the operation of biofuel cells. 
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) have shown promising potential as delivery vehicles and cellular markers for theranostic applications. Their high biocompatibility, superparamagnetic properties and exceptional surface-coating versatility have facilitated the development of IONs that adequately interact with biological environments. The strategical modification of ION architectures towards performing highly specialized functions has allowed the rational design of next-generation nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
  • 1.5K
  • 07 Jan 2021
Topic Review
TiO2 Photocatalysis
Catalysis on TiO2 nanomaterials in the presence of H2O and oxygen plays a crucial role in the advancement of many different fields, such as clean energy technologies, catalysis, disinfection, and bioimplants. Photocatalysis on TiO2 nanomaterials is well-established and has advanced in the last decades in terms of the understanding of its underlying principles and improvement of its efficiency. 
  • 1.5K
  • 17 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Thermophotovoltaic Cell
Generally, waste heat is redundantly released into the surrounding by anthropogenic activities without strategized planning. Consequently, urban heat islands and global warming chronically increases over time. Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems can be potentially deployed to harvest waste heat and recuperate energy to tackle this global issue with supplementary generation of electrical energy.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Seed-Layer Free ZnSnO3 Nanowires
ZnSnO3 semiconductor nanostructures have several applications as photocatalysis, gas sensors, and energy harvesting. However, due to its multicomponent nature, the synthesis is far more complex than its binary counter parts. The complexity increases even more when aiming for low-cost and low-temperature processes as in hydrothermal methods. Knowing in detail the influence of all the parameters involved in these processes is imperative, in order to properly control the synthesis to achieve the desired final product. Thus, this paper presents a study of the influence of the physical parameters involved in the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnSnO3 nanowires, namely volume, reaction time, and process temperature. Based on this study a growth mechanism for the complex Zn:Sn:O system is proposed. Two zinc precursors, zinc chloride and zinc acetate, were studied, showing that although the growth mechanism is inherent to the material itself, the chemical reactions for different conditions need to be considered.
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles therapy potential
Nanoparticles have become a powerful tool in oncology not only as carrier of the highly toxic chemotherapeutic drugs but also as imaging contrast agents that provide valuable information about the state of the disease and its progression. The enhanced permeation and retention effect for loaded nanocarriers in tumors allow substantial improvement of selectivity and safety of anticancer nanomedicines. Additionally, the possibility to design stimuli-responsive nanocarriers able to release their payload in response to specific stimuli provide an excellent control on the administered dosage.
  • 1.5K
  • 15 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Applications of Nanoparticles
In recent times, metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have been regarded as having important commercial utility. However, the potential toxicity of these nanomaterials has also been a crucial research concern. In this regard, an important solution for ensuring lower toxicity levels and thereby facilitating an unhindered application in human consumer products is the green synthesis of these particles. Although a naïve approach, the biological synthesis of metal oxide NPs using microorganisms and plant extracts opens up immense prospects for the production of biocompatible and cost-effective particles with potential applications in the healthcare sector. 
  • 1.5K
  • 07 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Magnetic Nanoparticles
Technological development is in constant progress in the oncological field. The search for new concepts and strategies for improving cancer diagnosis, treatment and outcomes constitutes a necessary and continuous process, aiming at more specificity, efficiency, safety and better quality of life of the patients throughout the treatment. Nanotechnology embraces these purposes, offering a wide armamentarium of nanosized systems with the potential to incorporate both diagnosis and therapeutic features, towards real-time monitoring of cancer treatment. Within the nanotechnology field, magnetic nanosystems stand out as complex and promising nanoparticles with magnetic properties, that enable the use of these constructs for magnetic resonance imaging and thermal therapy purposes. Additionally, magnetic nanoparticles can be tailored for increased specificity and reduced toxicity, and functionalized with contrast, targeting and therapeutic agents, revealing great potential as multifunctional nanoplatforms for application in cancer theranostics. This review aims at providing a comprehensive description of the current designs, characterization techniques, synthesis methods, and the role of magnetic nanoparticles as promising nanotheranostic agents. A critical appraisal of the impact, potentialities and challenges associated with each technology is also presented.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Bimetallic Ni-Based Catalysts CO2 Methanation
CO2 methanation has recently emerged as a process that targets the reduction in anthropogenic CO2 emissions, via the conversion of CO2 captured from point and mobile sources, as well as H2 produced from renewables into CH4. Ni, among the early transition metals, as well as Ru and Rh, among the noble metals, have been known to be among the most active methanation catalysts, with Ni being favoured due to its low cost and high natural abundance. However, insufficient low-temperature activity, low dispersion and reducibility, as well as nanoparticle sintering are some of the main drawbacks when using Ni-based catalysts. Such problems can be partly overcome via the introduction of a second transition metal (e.g., Fe, Co) or a noble metal (e.g., Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd and Re) in Ni-based catalysts. Through Ni-M alloy formation, or the intricate synergy between two adjacent metallic phases, new high-performing and low-cost methanation catalysts can be obtained.
  • 1.5K
  • 12 May 2021
Topic Review
Protein Nanotubes
Nanobiotechnology involves the study of structures found in nature to construct nanodevices for biological and medical applications with the ultimate goal of commercialization. Within a cell most biochemical processes are driven by proteins and associated macromolecular complexes. Evolution has optimized these protein-based nanosystems within living organisms over millions of years. Among these are flagellin and pilin-based systems from bacteria, viral-based capsids, and eukaryotic microtubules and amyloids. While carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and protein/peptide-CNT composites, remain one of the most researched nanosystems due to their electrical and mechanical properties, there are many concerns regarding CNT toxicity and biodegradability. Therefore, proteins have emerged as useful biotemplates for nanomaterials due to their assembly under physiologically relevant conditions and ease of manipulation via protein engineering. 
  • 1.5K
  • 30 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Graphene Growth on Alloy Catalysts
Chemical vapor deposition is the most promising technique for the mass production of high-quality graphene, in which the metal substrate plays a crucial role in the catalytic decomposition of the carbon source, assisting the attachment of the active carbon species, and regulating the structure of the graphene film. Due to some drawbacks of single metal substrates, alloy substrates have gradually attracted attention owing to their complementarity in the catalytic growth of graphene.
  • 1.5K
  • 19 Dec 2020
Topic Review
TiO2 for Removal of VOCs
Purification of air from the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) by the photocatalytic process has been confirmed to be very perspective. Although many various photocatalysts have been prepared and studied so far, TiO2 is still the most commonly used, because of its advantageous properties such as non-toxicity, relatively low cost and high stability. Surface modifications of TiO2 were extensively proceeded in order to increase photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst under both UV and visible light activations. High yield of VOCs decomposition can be achieved on TiO2, depending on its structure and preparation method. The contact time of reactant with the active sites of TiO2 surface will determinate the efficiency of the photocatalytic process. Although VOCs decomposition can occur under weak UV light, more intensive UV irradiation will guarante complete mineralisation process. 
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Apr 2021
Topic Review
ZrB2 Nanopowders Solid-State Synthesis
ZrB2 is of particular interest among ultra-high temperature ceramics because it exhibits excellent thermal resistance at high temperature, as well as chemical stability, high hardness, low cost, and good electrical and thermal conductivity, which meet the requirements of high-temperature components of hyper-sonic aircraft in extreme environments. In recent years, the development of ZrB2 powders’ synthesis method has broken through the classification of traditional solid-phase method, liquid-phase method, and gas-phase method, and there is a trend of integration of them. Solid-state synthesis, including the borothermic reduction method, carbothermic reduction method, and metallothermic reduction method, is mostly used because the process is simple and the raw materials are cheap and easily available. 
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Assembly of Protein Cages for Drug Delivery
Nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used as target delivery vehicles for therapeutic goods; however, compared with inorganic and organic nanomaterials, protein nanomaterials have better biocompatibility and can self-assemble into highly ordered cage-like structures, which are more favorable for applications in targeted drug delivery.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Natural Thermal Convection of Nanofluids
Nanofluids are considered as advanced heat transfer media for thermal management and conversion systems. Research on the convective heat transfer is of paramount importance for their numerous applications. This paper presents development of experimental research on the natural convection heat transfer of nanofluids in different geometries. Experimental results and available experiment-derived correlations for the natural thermal convection of nanofluids are critically analysed. Other features such as nanofluid preparation and thermophysical properties of nanofluids that are important for convection heat transfer are also briefly reviewed and discussed. It is demonstrated that there is considerable inconsistencies of available results on these properties and features of nanofluids.Although nanofluids exhibit enhanced thermophysical properties like viscosity and thermal conductivity, convective heat transfer coefficients were also observed to deteriorate in some cases when nanofluids were used, especially for higher concentration of nanoparticles (> 0.1 vol%). However, the underlying mechanisms are also not yet well-understood despite its great importance for practical applications.
  • 1.5K
  • 05 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Nano/Microplastics in Plants
The ubiquitous presence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in the environment is an undeniable and serious concern due to their higher persistence and extensive use in agricultural production.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Graphene-Based Ceramic Nanocomposites
In the present work, the state of the art of the most common additive manufacturing (AM) technologies used for the manufacturing of complex shape structures of graphene-based ceramic nanocomposites, ceramic and graphene-based parts is explained. The most important works about the fabrication of composites using graphene-based ceramic pastes by Direct Ink Writing (DIW) are disclosed in detail and illustrated with representative examples. Various examples of the most relevant approaches for the manufacturing of graphene-based ceramic nanocomposites by DIW are provided. Furthermore, different feedstock formulations and their corresponding rheological behavior were explained.
  • 1.5K
  • 21 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Nanomaterials in Electrochemical Sensing Area
Recently, nanomaterials have received increasing attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties, which make them of considerable interest for applications in many fields, such as biotechnology, optics, electronics, and catalysis. The development of nanomaterials has proven fundamental for the development of smart electrochemical sensors to be used in different application fields such, as biomedical, environmental, and food analysis. In fact, they showed high performances in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. 
  • 1.5K
  • 06 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Nanostructures as Drug Delivery Systems
Lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC) result from the self-assembly process of amphiphilic molecules, such as lipids, into water, being organized in different mesophases. The non-lamellar formed mesophases, such as bicontinuous cubic (forming cubosomes) and inverse hexagonal (forming hexosomes), attract great scientific interest in the field of pharmaceutical nanotechnology. Non-lamellar LLC nanosystems can be utilized as drug delivery nanosystems, as well as for protein, peptide, and nucleic acid delivery. They exhibit major advantages, including stimuli-responsive properties for the “on demand” drug release and the ability for controlled release, by manipulating their internal conformation properties and their administration by different routes. Moreover, non-lamellar LLC nanosystems exhibit unique adjuvant properties to activate the immune system, being ideal for the development of novel vaccines. 
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Jun 2022
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