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Topic Review
Polypyrrole-Based Metal Nanocomposite Electrode Materials
Metallic nanostructures (MNs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) play a pivotal role by articulating their significance in high-performance supercapacitors along with conducting polymers (CPs). The interaction and synergistic pseudocapacitive effect of MNs with CPs have contributed to enhance the specific capacitance and cyclic stability. Among various conjugated heterocyclic CPs, polypyrrole (PPy) (prevalently knows as “synthetic metal”) is exclusively studied because of its excellent physicochemical properties, ease of preparation, flexibility in surface modifications, and unique molecular structure–property relationships. Numerous researchers attempted to improve the low electronic conductivity of MNs and MOFs, by incorporating conducting PPy and/or used decoration strategy. This was succeeded by fine-tuning this objective, which managed to get outstanding supercapacitive performances.
  • 880
  • 21 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Nanoparticles in Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery
Nanotechnology in Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery deals with the application of materials based on nanometer scale to the recovery of difficult-to-access oil from reservoirs. Additional recoveries (after brine flooding) up to 15% of the original oil in place, or higher when combined with smart water or magnetic fields, have been found with formulations consisting of simple nanoparticles in water or brine. The functionalization of nanoparticles and their combination with surfactants and/or polymers take advantage of the synergy of different EOR methods and can lead to higher additional recoveries. The cost, difficulty of preparation, and stability of the formulations are problems that face practical applications.
  • 880
  • 06 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Heteroatom-Doped Metal-Free Carbon Nanomaterials
In comparison to the undoped carbon nanomaterials, heteroatoms such as nitrogen-, sulphur-, boron-, phosphorous-, etc., incorporated nanomaterials have become well-accepted as potential electrocatalysts in water splitting, supercapacitors and dye-sensitized solar cells. 
  • 880
  • 08 Feb 2022
Topic Review
PN Drugs Against Intracellular Infections
Polymeric nanocarriers (PNs) are a promising alternative for delivering intracellularly antimicrobials of high toxicity, low solubility and low bioavailability to reduce dose and side effects and improve their therapeutic efficacy. They may prevent unwanted drug interactions and degradation thus decreasing the development of resistance in microorganisms. 
  • 877
  • 25 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Clinical Applications
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has become a powerful analytical technique, widely used for the detection of various analytes at low concentrations. In comparison to many other analytical methods, SERS is a highly sensitive, fast, humidity-independent analytical method with a high potential for multiplexed detection. SERS advantages over fluorescence, for instance, include good robustness/low photobleaching and capabilities for label-free detection, while SERS can be applied for in situ monitoring, in vivo biosensing, and even single molecule detection. Due to these advantages, SERS is widely used in molecular biology, biomedicine, and environmental science. Furthermore, SERS is capable of detecting single molecules Factors such as pH, the degree of nanoparticle (NP) aggregation, temperature and substrate composition can have a significant impact on the reproducibility and enhancement of SERS applications.
  • 876
  • 28 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Radiation-Assisted Synthesis of Polymer-Based Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology is the science and technology of making and using very small structures called nanomaterials. As the scales of the constructions become smaller, the conventional methods of making these structures—lithography, etching, micromolding—reach physical limits and it becomes extremely difficult to apply these top-down methods at nanoscale dimensions. To overcome the limitations and create smaller and ordered structures, a so-called “bottom-up” approach must be used. As the component size decreases in nanofabrication, the “bottom-up” approach is being increasingly used in the preparation of nanomaterials, which are materials with at least in one dimension less than 100 nm in size.
  • 874
  • 10 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Polymeric-Micelle-Based Delivery Systems for Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids can modulate gene expression specifically. They are increasingly being utilized and show huge potential for the prevention or treatment of various diseases. However, the clinical translation of nucleic acids faces many challenges due to their rapid clearance after administration, low stability in physiological fluids and limited cellular uptake, which is associated with an inability to reach the intracellular target site and poor efficacy. For many years, tremendous efforts have been made to design appropriate delivery systems that enable the safe and effective delivery of nucleic acids at the target site to achieve high therapeutic outcomes. Among the different delivery platforms investigated, polymeric micelles have emerged as suitable delivery vehicles due to the versatility of their structures and the possibility to tailor their composition for overcoming extracellular and intracellular barriers, thus enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Many strategies, such as the addition of stimuli-sensitive groups or specific ligands, can be used to facilitate the delivery of various nucleic acids and improve targeting and accumulation at the site of action while protecting nucleic acids from degradation and promoting their cellular uptake. Furthermore, polymeric micelles can be used to deliver both chemotherapeutic drugs and nucleic acid therapeutics simultaneously to achieve synergistic combination treatment. 
  • 874
  • 16 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Microfluidic Devices for Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells
CTCs (circulating tumor cells) are well-known for their use in clinical trials for tumor diagnosis. Capturing and isolating these CTCs from whole blood samples has enormous benefits in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In general, various approaches are being used to separate malignant cells, including immunomagnets, macroscale filters, centrifuges, dielectrophoresis, and immunological approaches. These procedures, on the other hand, are time-consuming and necessitate multiple high-level operational protocols. In addition, considering their low efficiency and throughput, the processes of capturing and isolating CTCs face tremendous challenges. Meanwhile, recent advances in microfluidic devices promise unprecedented advantages for capturing and isolating CTCs with greater efficiency, sensitivity, selectivity and accuracy. In a very short span of time, microfluidics has emerged in several technological advancements. There are a variety of materials for microfluidic device fabrication, each with different properties according to the requirements. Based on the required specific characteristics of the fabrication material and product requirements, different techniques are used for the development of the device. Another major aspect is the cost of the involved material. In most cases, used devices are disposed of. Thus, the method involved should be economically feasible.
  • 873
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Applications of Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides
Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) nanosheets have shown extensive applications due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. However, the low light absorption efficiency limits their application in optoelectronics. By rolling up 2D TMDCs nanosheets, the one-dimensional (1D) TMDCs nanoscrolls are formed with spiral tubular structure, tunable interlayer spacing, and opening ends. Due to the increased thickness of the scroll structure, the light absorption is enhanced. Meanwhile, the rapid electron transportation is confined along the 1D structure. 
  • 872
  • 31 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Gold Nanoparticles: The Guest
Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) have received a growing attention due to their fascinating physiochemical properties and promising range of biomedical applications including sensing, diagnosis and cancer photothermal ablation. AuNP enjoy brilliant optical properties and ability to convert light into local heat and function as a “nanoheaters” to fight cancer. However, AuNP are poor drug delivery systems as they do not have reservoirs or matrices to achieve an acceptable drug loading efficiency. On the other end, liposome-based nanocarriers do not exhibit such optical properties but are excellent platform for drug loading and they have been proven clinically with a true presence in the market since the FDA approved Doxil® in 1995. 
  • 871
  • 20 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Nanosilica-toughened epoxy resins
Surface-modified silica nanoparticles are available as concentrates in epoxy resins inindustrial quantities for nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, they are used in many epoxy resin formulationsfor various applications like fiber-reinforced composites, adhesives or electronic components; even inspace vehicles like satellites. Some of the drawbacks of “classic” epoxy toughening using elastomersas a second phase, like lower modulus or a loss in strength can be compensated by using nanosilicatogether with such tougheners. Apparently, there exists a synergy as toughness and fatigueperformance are increased significantly. This work intends to provide an overview regarding thepossibilities of nanotoughening with silica, the industrial applications of such epoxy resin formulationsand the most recent research results. Furthermore an overview of other material improvements achieved by the modification of epoxy resins with nanosilica is given.
  • 870
  • 05 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Hydrogels and Graphene Quantum Dots
The graphene quantum dot (GQD), unlike the other graphene derivatives, is known to have distinctive optical properties showing size and edge-dependent fluorescence properties
  • 870
  • 15 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Metal Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Biological Extracts
Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) are especially interesting due to properties such as optical polarizability, electrical conductivity, photocatalysis and antimicrobial activity, which makes them useful for many applications in areas from electronics to pharmaceutics.
  • 870
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
The Engineering of Graphene
For space applications, graphene is used mainly in combination with metals or polymers, giving rise to nanocomposites where the graphene insertion greatly influences the features of the host matrix. The engineering of graphene-based composites and the design of materials with the on-demand combination of tailored properties are therefore a primary goal of space-related technologies. The unusual combination of mechanical, electrical, electronic, optical, and thermal properties of graphene have led to a focus on great efforts in the set-up of techniques for the mass-production of graphene-like nanostructures that are able to offer solutions to a variety of technological problems.
  • 870
  • 15 Feb 2023
Topic Review
III-V Semiconductor Nanowire Ordered Arrays
Ordered arrays of vertically aligned semiconductor nanowires are regarded as promising candidates for the realization of all-dielectric metamaterials, artificial electromagnetic materials, whose properties can be engineered to enable new functions and enhanced device performances with respect to naturally existing materials. In this review we account for the recent progresses in substrate nanopatterning methods, strategies and approaches that overall constitute the preliminary step towards the bottom-up growth of arrays of vertically aligned semiconductor nanowires with a controlled location, size and morphology of each nanowire. While we focus specifically on III-V semiconductor nanowires, several concepts, mechanisms and conclusions reported in the manuscript can be invoked and are valid also for different nanowire materials.
  • 869
  • 27 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Lipids and Polymers Targeted Therapies
Solid lipid nanoparticles are just a solid core of lipids formed by one of the following techniques at 37 °C: high-pressure homogenization, double emulsion, high-shear homogenization, or emulsifier evaporation. The lipid core can be then functionalized using a PEGylated layer or by alternate adsorption. Solid lipid nanoparticles either have one drug incorporated inside their core during fabrication, or they may contain more than one drug. In general, both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs can be inserted. For instance, solid lipid nanoparticles are characterized by biocompatibility, low toxicity, good stability, and enhancement of entrapped lipophilic drugs. Polymeric nanoparticles can be identified as an interaction of two opposite polymeric materials that form a cross-linked network and condensed core. This core can be further functionalized by a PEGylated layer or coated by a lipid monolayer. Hanafy et al. optimized hybrid polymeric lipid nanoparticles by using chitosan-oleic acid after blocking its free fatty acid. This strategy reduced the cytotoxicity that can be generated by oleic acid. Hybrid polymeric lipid nanoparticles can be co formulated in the shape of micelles by  using polymer self-assembly, while drugs can either be attached during fabrication or inserted after fabrication. Recently, polymeric materials in the shape of hydrogel materials, mucoadhesive materials, and stimuli-responsive polymers have been developed. Polymeric nanoparticles are characterized by controlled drug release, stability inside cells, and easy and cost-effective formulation. However, the disadvantage of polymeric NPs is mostly associated with the type of organic solvent used during fabrication and the polymer cytotoxicity.
  • 868
  • 22 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Applications of Nanomaterials in Electrochemical Devices
Nanomaterials have gained significant attention as a remarkable class of materials due to their unique properties and the fact that they encompass a wide range of samples with at least one dimension ranging from 1 to 100 nm. The deliberate design of nanoparticles enables the achievement of extremely large surface areas. In the field of cost-effective electrochemical devices for energy storage and conversion applications, nanomaterials have emerged as a key area of research. 
  • 868
  • 20 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Bone Remodeling
Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are extensively used in bone-related studies as biomaterials due to their unique magnetic properties and good biocompatibility. Through endocytosis, IONPs enter the cell where they promote osteogenic differentiation and inhibit osteoclastogenesis in vivo. This result is further supported by in-vivo findings, showing that osteoblasts and osteoclasts internalize the IONPs, yielding superior bone regeneration and weaker bone resorption. Therefore, IONPs  have a potential clinical application value to promote bone regeneration and prevent osteoporosis.
  • 867
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
RB6 Nanowires
With the rise of topological insulator samarium hexaboride (SmB6), rare-earth hexaboride (RB6) nanowires are the focus of the second wave of a research boom. Recent research has focused on new preparation methods, novel electronic properties, and extensive applications. 
  • 863
  • 21 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Heterogeneous Catalysts
Nanomaterials are significant carriers for enzymes in heterogeneous biocatalysis.  Large amounts of the active phase can be immobilized due to the large specific surface area.  An interesting approach combines the stabilization of enzymes in ionic liquids and an immobilization of the active phase on a solid support, which allows to biocatalyst's recycling and its application in continuous flow and batch processes. 
  • 859
  • 29 Sep 2021
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