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Topic Review
Forward Osmosis
Forward osmosis (FO), the most common osmotically driven membrane process, stands out as the most promising alternative for RO processes due to its inherently low fouling tendency, easier fouling removal, and energy efficiency when compared to pressure-driven–type membrane processes.
  • 2.4K
  • 21 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Chitosan Films Barrier improvement
Chitosan is produced commercialy by deacetylation of chitin (a molecule derivative from glucose, and the second most plentiful natural polysaccharide found on our planet after cellulose) and chitosan films have been studied for food preservation, since they are biocompatible, biodegradable, and bioactive. However, their performance, in terms of water and gases barrier properties, needs to be improved.
  • 2.4K
  • 22 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered a promising nanomaterial for diverse applications owing to their attractive physicochemical properties such as high surface area, superior mechanical and thermal strength, electrochemical activity, and so on.
  • 2.4K
  • 10 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Solid Adsorbents for CO2 Capture
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is considered to be a promising technology in reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration. Among the CO2 capture technologies, adsorption has grabbed significant attention owing to its advantageous characteristics discovered in recent years. Solid adsorbents have emerged as one of the most versatile CO2 adsorbents. 
  • 2.4K
  • 23 Feb 2023
Topic Review
AOP Framework
This review outlines the current status and next steps for the development and use of the AOP framework in decision making regarding the safety of MNs. Opportunities and challenges toward the advancement and adoption of AOPs as part of an integrated approach to testing and assessment (IATA) of MNs are identified and specific actions proposed to advance the development, use and acceptance of the AOP framework and associated testing strategies for MN risk assessment and decision making. The intent of this review is to reflect the views of a diversity of stakeholders including experts, researchers, policymakers, regulators, risk assessors and industry representatives on the current status, needs and requirements to facilitate future use of AOPs in MN risk assessment. It incorporates the views and feedback of experts that participated in two workshops hosted as part of an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) project titled, “Advancing AOP Development for Nanomaterial Risk Assessment and Categorization” as well as the position of several EU-funded nanosafety research consortia.
  • 2.4K
  • 09 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Nanofluids
Nanofluids are advanced category of fluids that are formed by dispersing nano scaled particles within non-dissolving conventional fluids. What makes such suspensions favourable to many thermal applications is that the developed thermal property of the fabricated fluid becomes somewhere within the range of that of the added solid particles and that of the conventional basefluid used. Nevertheless, the main challenges that faces the commercialization of such class of fluids are: 1- maintaining the physical stability of the dispersion, which otherwise can leads to a degradation in the effective thermophysical properties with time; and 2- the accompanied increase in effective viscosity of the mixture that generally cause the pressure losses in the system to increase, and hence the pumping power demands rises accordingly.    
  • 2.4K
  • 26 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Plasmonic biosensing schemes for virus
The uncertain proportions of pandemic outbreaks have triggered the need of reliable and cost-effective protocols easily adaptable to the changing virulence of virus strains. In recent years, plasmonic biosensors are being increasingly applied for clinical diagnosis of viral and other infectious diseases. Typical plasmonic biosensing strategies rely on the versatility of SPR and LSPR as label-free detection systems capable of monitoring binding interactions in a short period of time. Nevertheless, the incorporation of technological advancements has precipitated the development of nanomaterial-based applications for improving the sensitivity and specificity of classical configurations. The unique optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures has been exploited in combination with SERS colorimetric, fluorescence or luminescence enhancement for viral diagnosis. Likewise, the development of plasmonic virus sensing approaches has also benefitted from the variety of virus biomarkers. Thus, a high number of virus plasmonic biosensors have prompted the advance of novel functionalization strategies to achieve the effective coverage of the biological receptor while ensuring the affinity and specificity towards the target viral nucleic acids, proteins or whole virus. The huge potential for single virus detection along with the effectiveness and simplicity of current plasmonic configurations will impact on the routine surveillance of virus in clinical settings during this decade.
  • 2.4K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Blood-Brain Barrier: Functionalised Chitosan
The major impediment to the delivery of therapeutics to the brain is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB allows for the entrance of essential nutrients while excluding harmful substances, including most therapeutic agents; hence, brain disorders, especially tumors, are very difficult to treat. Chitosan is a well-researched polymer that offers advantageous biological and chemical properties, such as mucoadhesion and ease of functionalization. Chitosan-based nanocarriers (CsNCs) establish ionic interactions with the endothelial cells, facilitating the crossing of drugs through the BBB by adsorptive mediated transcytosis. This process is further enhanced by modifications of the structure of chitosan, owing to the presence of reactive amino and hydroxyl groups. Finally, by permanently binding ligands or molecules, such as antibodies or lipids, CsNCs have shown a boosted passage through the BBB, in both in vivo and in vitro studies which will be discussed in this review.
  • 2.4K
  • 21 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Magnetic Guiding
Magnetic guidance is understood as a remote, untethered and contact-free control of the movements of an object via magnetic interactions. The movements should happen on arbitrary trajectories inside a container caused by an external device. The concept of remote magnetic guiding is developed from the underlying physics for bijective force generation over the inner volume of magnet systems. This concept can equally be implemented by electro- or permanent magnets. 
  • 2.3K
  • 07 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Catalytic Mechanism of Photocatalysts Based on GCN Heterogeneous
In the current world situation, population and industrial growth have become major problems for energy and environmental concerns. Extremely noxious pollutants such as heavy metal ions, dyes, antibiotics, phenols, and pesticides in water are the main causes behind deprived water quality leading to inadequate access to clean water. In this connection, graphite carbon nitride (GCN or g-C3N4) a nonmetallic polymeric material has been utilized extensively as a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for a variety of environmental applications.
  • 2.3K
  • 16 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Halide Perovskites
Halide perovskites (HPs), with an excellent photoactive nature, dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and pyroelectric properties, have been potential candidates for obtaining flexible nanogenerator-based self-powered sensors including light, pressure, and temperature. Additionally, the photo-stimulated dielectric, piezoelectric, and triboelectric properties of HPs make them efficient entrants for developing bimodal and multimode sensors to sense multi-physical signals individually or simultaneously. 
  • 2.3K
  • 30 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Hydrogen Production through Heterojunction Semiconductors for Environmental Remediation
Today, as a result of the advancement of technology and increasing environmental problems, the need for clean energy has considerably increased. In this regard, hydrogen, which is a clean and sustainable energy carrier with high energy density, is among the well-regarded and effective means to deliver and store energy, and can also be used for environmental remediation purposes. Renewable hydrogen energy carriers can successfully substitute fossil fuels and decrease carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and reduce the rate of global warming. Hydrogen generation from sustainable solar energy and water sources is an environmentally friendly resolution for growing global energy demands. Among various solar hydrogen production routes, semiconductor-based photocatalysis seems a promising scheme that is mainly performed using two kinds of homogeneous and heterogeneous methods, of which the latter is more advantageous. During semiconductor-based heterogeneous photocatalysis, a solid material is stimulated by exposure to light and generates an electron–hole pair that subsequently takes part in redox reactions leading to hydrogen production.
  • 2.3K
  • 07 May 2022
Topic Review
Lignin Nanoparticles and Their Nanocomposites
Lignin nanomaterials have emerged as a promising alternative to fossil-based chemicals and products for some potential added-value applications, which benefits from their structural diversity and biodegradability. This review elucidates a perspective in recent research on nanolignins and their nanocomposites. It summarizes the different nanolignin preparation methods, emphasizing anti-solvent precipitation, self-assembly and interfacial crosslinking. Also described are the preparation of various nanocomposites by the chemical modification of nanolignin and compounds with inorganic materials or polymers. Additionally, advances in numerous potential high-value applications, such as use in food packaging, biomedical, chemical engineering and biorefineries, are described.
  • 2.3K
  • 25 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Nanoparticles-Loaded Hydrogel System
Hydrogels are three-dimensional porous structures produced with hydrophilic polymers through physical or chemical cross-linking methods and can be prepared from a wide range of natural and synthetic polymers. Nanoparticles (NPs) are colloidal structures designed and produced to transport drugs across biological barriers. Their optimal size range is approximately between 100 and 200 nm. They protect drugs from degradation, increasing their half-life, improving drugs’ bioavailability, and providing a sustained and localized release.
  • 2.3K
  • 07 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Targeted Delivery of Exosomes to the Brain
Delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) is difficult because of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Therapeutic delivery across the tight junctions of the BBB can be achieved through various endogenous transportation mechanisms. Receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) is one of the most widely investigated and used methods. Drugs can hijack RMT by expressing specific ligands that bind to receptors mediating transcytosis, such as the transferrin receptor (TfR), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), and insulin receptor (INSR). Cell-penetrating peptides and viral components originating from neurotropic viruses can also be utilized for the efficient BBB crossing of therapeutics. Exosomes, or small extracellular vesicles, have gained attention as natural nanoparticles for treating CNS diseases, owing to their potential for natural BBB crossing and broad surface engineering capability. RMT-mediated transport of exosomes expressing ligands such as LDLR-targeting apolipoprotein B has shown promising results.
  • 2.3K
  • 13 May 2022
Topic Review
Two-Dimensional Materials in Photodetector
A photodetector converts optical signals to detectable electrical signals. Lately, self-powered photodetectors have been widely studied because of their advantages in device miniaturization and low power consumption, which make them preferable in various applications, especially those related to green technology and flexible electronics. Since self-powered photodetectors do not have an external power supply at zero bias, it is important to ensure that the built-in potential in the device produces a sufficiently thick depletion region that efficiently sweeps the carriers across the junction, resulting in detectable electrical signals even at very low-optical power signals. Therefore, two-dimensional (2D) materials are explored as an alternative to silicon-based active regions in the photodetector. In addition, plasmonic effects coupled with self-powered photodetectors will further enhance light absorption and scattering, which contribute to the improvement of the device’s photocurrent generation.
  • 2.3K
  • 06 May 2021
Topic Review
Gold Nanoparticles and Their Biomedical Applications
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have the ability to absorb and scatter light, and can convert optical energy into heat using nonradiative electron relaxation dynamics and surface chemistry. Moreover, gold nanoparticles can be used as drug carriers, making them very attractive and versatile nanoparticles. The features of AuNPs that make them particularly attractive in biomedicine are their excellent stability and biocompatibility, ease to functionalize their surfaces, their low toxicity, and their drug transferability. Other features, such as shape and size adaptation, have certainly drawn attention for the use of gold nanoparticles in many fields.
  • 2.3K
  • 19 May 2022
Topic Review
Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles in Bone
Bone injuries and diseases constitute a burden both socially and economically, as the consequences of a lack of effective treatments affect both the patients’ quality of life and the costs on the health systems. This impended need has led to a recent focus on the development of efficacious bone tissue engineering solutions. Here, the use of biomaterial-based nanoparticles for the delivery of therapeutic factors is summrised. Among the biomaterials being considered to date, calcium phosphates have emerged as one of the most promising materials for bone repair applications due to their osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity and their ability to be resorbed in the body. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles have received particular attention as non-viral vectors for gene therapy, as factors such as plasmid DNAs, microRNAs (miRNA) and silencing RNA (siRNAs) can be easily incorporated on their surface. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles loaded with therapeutic factors have also been delivered to the site of bone injury using scaffolds and hydrogels. Here an overview of the use of calcium phosphate nanoparticles as carriers for therapeutic factors for application in bone tissue engineering is provided.
  • 2.3K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Magneto-Fluorescent Nanosystems for Biomodal Imaging
The various imaging techniques used in clinic have advantages and disadvantages. The advent of nanotechnology offers the possibility to combine several imaging agents within the same nano-object. This will allow to perform multi-imaging and thus obtain additional information during the same clinical procedure. Here, the focus are made on the potentialities of biomodal agents labeled for MRI and optical imaging. The three main associations for obtaining magneto-fluorescent objects will be presented: (1) association by covalent bonding; (2) encapsulation in matrices; (3) dispersion in nanoassemblies.
  • 2.3K
  • 13 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Scalable Synthesis of Mesoporous TiO2
Increasing environmental concern, related to pollution and clean energy demand, have urged the development of new smart solutions profiting from nanotechnology, including the renowned nanomaterial-assisted photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. In this framework, increasing efforts are devoted to the development of TiO2-based nanomaterials with improved photocatalytic activity. A plethora of synthesis routes to obtain high quality TiO2-based nanomaterials is currently available. Nonetheless, large-scale production and the application of nanosized TiO2 is still hampered by technological issues and the high cost related to the capability to obtain TiO2 nanoparticles with high reaction yield and adequate morphological and structural control. 
  • 2.3K
  • 26 Jul 2021
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