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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 July 2020) | Viewed by 35778

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Dr. Mihai V. Putz

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1. Laboratory of Structural and Computational Physical-Chemistry for Nanosciences and QSAR, Biology-Chemistry Department, West University of Timisoara, Str. Pestalozzi 16, 300115 Timisoara, Romania
2. Laboratory of Renewable Energies-Photovoltaics, R&D National Institute for Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter–INCEMC–Timisoara, Str. Dr. Aurel Podeanu 144, 300569 Timișoara, Romania
Interests: quantum physical chemistry; nanochemistry; reactivity indices and principles; electronegativity; density functional theory; path integrals; enzyme kinetics; QSAR; epistemology and philosophy of science
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Dear Colleagues,

From their advent, nanoscience and nanotechnology appear to deal with the deep structure of matter, substances and/or fields in mutual interaction. However, there are considerable misconceptions nowadays regarding nanoscience about whether it is scaled in time, in space, or in energy. In fact, the real nano-revolution refers to the ability to intervene and model matter at the nano-dimension rather than only describing it in this realm. For this reason, the present Special Issue emerged as an essential service to the international community working with the nano-world at the molecular level in various ways: from the frontiers of new nano-insights to the exotic limiting nano-design and synthesis, towards innovative structures (materials) and functions (methods). As such, the study of nano-matter by nano-interaction (nano-materials and nano-methods) may truly close the dual circle of nano-science (controlling the matter of a substance, i.e., field complementarity and observability) with that of nano-technology (optimizing the matter for the structure and function). After all, the aim of the nano-materials and endeavors for methods should be to make an impact on the integral and integrated (holistic) nano-econo-ecological cycle at large by monitoring the best (re)circulation of natural resources and their transformation for the betterment of everyday life, from the nano-sci-ground to multi-tech-users. This will promote a sustainable knowledge-based economy and society.

Therefore, the main directions of the present Special Issue include, but are not limited to

Nanochemistry of Carbon-Based Systems; Physical Chemistry of Hybrid Nanostructures; Molecular Machines: Design, Synthesis, Functioning; Multiscale Models in Complex Nanochemical Systems; Nanochemistry for Bioactive Compounds; Renewable NanoSystems; Renewable Electro-Nano-Chemistry; Magnetic Nanomaterials; Spectral NanoMethods; Nanotechnovation Management; Strategic Management of R&D in the Nanotech-Based Economy.

Prof. Dr. Mihai V. Putz
Guest Editor

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Keywords

nanotechnology end-points
renewable energy
carbon-based materials
zero-dimensional materials (metal clusters)
1D materials (nanowires)
2D materials (thin films)
chemical interaction
supramolecular chemistry (host-guest relationship, surfactants and micelles, biological supramolecular host species)
self-assembly
template synthesis (macro/meso/micro porous template materials), etc.

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Related Special Issue

Nano-Materials and Methods in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (19 articles)

Published Papers (9 papers)

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19 pages, 4566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adsorption Studies of Volatile Organic Compound (Naphthalene) from Aqueous Effluents: Chemical Activation Process Using Weak Lewis Acid, Equilibrium Kinetics and Isotherm Modelling

by Adeola A. Akinpelu, Zaira Zaman Chowdhury, Shahjalal Mohd. Shibly, Abu Nasser Mohd Faisal, Irfan Anjum Badruddin, Md. Mahfujur Rahman, Md. Al Amin, Suresh Sagadevan, Omid Akbarzadeh, T. M. Yunus Khan, Sarfaraz Kamangar, Khalisanni Khalid, R. Saidur and Mohd Rafie Johan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(4), 2090; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22042090 - 19 Feb 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3479

Abstract

This study deals with the preparation of activated carbon (CDSP) from date seed powder (DSP) by chemical activation to eliminate polyaromatic hydrocarbon—PAHs (naphthalene—C₁₀H₈) from synthetic wastewater. The chemical activation process was carried out using a weak Lewis acid of zinc acetate dihydrate salt (Zn(CH₃CO₂)₂·2H₂O). The equilibrium isotherm and kinetics analysis was carried out using DSP and CDSP samples, and their performances were compared for the removal of a volatile organic compound—naphthalene (C₁₀H₈)—from synthetic aqueous effluents or wastewater. The equilibrium isotherm data was analyzed using the linear regression model of the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equations. The R² values for the Langmuir isotherm were 0.93 and 0.99 for naphthalene (C₁₀H₈) adsorption using DSP and CDSP, respectively. CDSP showed a higher equilibrium sorption capacity (q_e) of 379.64 µg/g. DSP had an equilibrium sorption capacity of 369.06 µg/g for C₁₀H₈. The rate of reaction was estimated for C₁₀H₈ adsorption using a pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and Elovich kinetic equation. The reaction mechanism for both the sorbents (CDSP and DSP) was studied using the intraparticle diffusion model. The equilibrium data was well-fitted with the pseudo-second order kinetics model showing the chemisorption nature of the equilibrium system. CDSP showed a higher sorption performance than DSP due to its higher BET surface area and carbon content. Physiochemical characterizations of the DSP and CDSP samples were carried out using the BET surface area analysis, Fourier-scanning microscopic analysis (FSEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and Fourier-transform spectroscopic analysis (FTIR). A thermogravimetric and ultimate analysis was also carried out to determine the carbon content in both the sorbents (DSP and CDSP) here. This study confirms the potential of DSP and CDSP to remove C₁₀H₈ from lab-scale synthetic wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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15 pages, 2989 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the Core Formulation on Features and Drug Delivery Ability of Carbamate-Based Nanogels

by Filippo Pinelli, Fabio Pizzetti, Óscar Fullana Ortolà, Alessandro Marchetti, Arianna Rossetti, Alessandro Sacchetti and Filippo Rossi

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(18), 6621; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21186621 - 10 Sep 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2572

Abstract

In the last years, nanogels have emerged as one of the most promising classes of novel drug delivery vehicles since they can be employed in multiple fields, such as various therapeutics or diagnostics, and with different classes of compounds and active molecules. Their features, such as a high volume to surface ratio, excellent drug loading and release ability, as well as biocompatibility and tunable behavior, are unique, and, nowadays, great efforts are made to develop new formulations that can be employed in a wider range of applications. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-polyethylenimine (PEI) nanogels probably represent the baseline of this class of biomaterials and they are still largely employed and studied. In any way, the possibility to exploit new core formulations for nanogels is certainly very interesting in order to understand the influence of different polymer chains on the final properties of the system. In this research, we explore and make a comparison between PEG-PEI nanogels and two other different formulations: pluronic F127-PEI nanogels and PEG-Jeffamine nanogels. We propose nanogels synthesis methods, their chemical and physical characterization, as well as their stability analysis, and we focus on the different drug delivery ability that these structures exhibit working with different typologies of drug mimetics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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20 pages, 4342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proliferation and Cluster Analysis of Neurons and Glial Cell Organization on Nanocolumnar TiN Substrates

by Alice Abend, Chelsie Steele, Sabine Schmidt, Ronny Frank, Heinz-Georg Jahnke and Mareike Zink

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(17), 6249; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176249 - 28 Aug 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3630

Abstract

Biomaterials employed for neural stimulation, as well as brain/machine interfaces, offer great perspectives to combat neurodegenerative diseases, while application of lab-on-a-chip devices such as multielectrode arrays is a promising alternative to assess neural function in vitro. For bioelectronic monitoring, nanostructured microelectrodes are required, which exhibit an increased surface area where the detection sensitivity is not reduced by the self-impedance of the electrode. In our study, we investigated the interaction of neurons (SH-SY5Y) and glial cells (U-87 MG) with nanocolumnar titanium nitride (TiN) electrode materials in comparison to TiN with larger surface grains, gold, and indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. Glial cells showed an enhanced proliferation on TiN materials; however, these cells spread evenly distributed over all the substrate surfaces. By contrast, neurons proliferated fastest on nanocolumnar TiN and formed large cell agglomerations. We implemented a radial autocorrelation function of cellular positions combined with various clustering algorithms. These combined analyses allowed us to quantify the largest cluster on nanocolumnar TiN; however, on ITO and gold, neurons spread more homogeneously across the substrates. As SH-SY5Y cells tend to grow in clusters under physiologic conditions, our study proves nanocolumnar TiN as a potential bioactive material candidate for the application of microelectrodes in contact with neurons. To this end, the employed K-means clustering algorithm together with radial autocorrelation analysis is a valuable tool to quantify cell-surface interaction and cell organization to evaluate biomaterials’ performance in vitro. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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14 pages, 14206 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrical and Magnetodielectric Properties of Magneto-Active Fabrics for Electromagnetic Shielding and Health Monitoring

by Madalin Bunoiu, Eugen Mircea Anitas, Gabriel Pascu, Larisa Marina Elisabeth Chirigiu and Ioan Bica

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(13), 4785; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21134785 - 6 Jul 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2561

Abstract

An efficient, low-cost and environmental-friendly method to fabricate magneto-active fabrics (MAFs) based on cotton fibers soaked with silicone oil and iron oxide microfibers (mFe) at mass fractions 2 wt.%, 4 wt.% and 8 wt.% is presented. It is shown that mFe induce good magnetic properties in MAFs, which are subsequently used as dielectric materials for capacitor fabrication. The electrical properties of MAFs are investigated in a static magnetic field with intensities of 0 kA/m, 160 kA/m and 320 kA/m, superimposed on a medium-frequency electric field. The influence of mFe on the electrical capacitance and dielectric loss tangent is determined, and it can be observed that the electrical conductivity, dielectric relaxation times and magnetodielectric effects are sensibly influenced by the applied magnetic and electric fields. The results indicate that the MAFs have electrical properties which could be useful for protection against electromagnetic pollution or for health monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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15 pages, 3267 KiB

Open AccessArticle

MnO₂ Heterostructure on Carbon Nanotubes as Cathode Material for Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

by Sonti Khamsanga, Mai Thanh Nguyen, Tetsu Yonezawa, Patchanita Thamyongkit, Rojana Pornprasertsuk, Prasit Pattananuwat, Adisorn Tuantranont, Siwaruk Siwamogsatham and Soorathep Kheawhom

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(13), 4689; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21134689 - 30 Jun 2020

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 6799

Abstract

Due to their cost effectiveness, high safety, and eco-friendliness, zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are receiving much attention nowadays. In the production of rechargeable ZIBs, the cathode plays an important role. Manganese oxide (MnO₂) is considered the most promising and widely investigated intercalation cathode material. Nonetheless, MnO₂ cathodes are subjected to challenging issues viz. limited capacity, low rate capability and poor cycling stability. It is seen that the MnO₂ heterostructure can enable long-term cycling stability in different types of energy devices. Herein, a versatile chemical method for the preparation of MnO₂ heterostructure on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MNH-CNT) is reported. Besides, the synthesized MNH-CNT is composed of δ-MnO₂ and γ-MnO₂. A ZIB using the MNH-CNT cathode delivers a high initial discharge capacity of 236 mAh g⁻¹ at 400 mA g⁻¹, 108 mAh g⁻¹ at 1600 mA g⁻¹ and excellent cycling stability. A pseudocapacitive behavior investigation demonstrates fast zinc ion diffusion via a diffusion-controlled process with low capacitive contribution. Overall, the MNH-CNT cathode is seen to exhibit superior electrochemical performance. This work presents new opportunities for improving the discharge capacity and cycling stability of aqueous ZIBs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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17 pages, 1852 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Employing Nanostructured Scaffolds to Investigate the Mechanical Properties of Adult Mammalian Retinae Under Tension

by Kantida Juncheed, Bernd Kohlstrunk, Sabrina Friebe, Valentina Dallacasagrande, Patric Maurer, Andreas Reichenbach, Stefan G. Mayr and Mareike Zink

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(11), 3889; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21113889 - 29 May 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3598

Abstract

Numerous eye diseases are linked to biomechanical dysfunction of the retina. However, the underlying forces are almost impossible to quantify experimentally. Here, we show how biomechanical properties of adult neuronal tissues such as porcine retinae can be investigated under tension in a home-built tissue stretcher composed of nanostructured TiO₂ scaffolds coupled to a self-designed force sensor. The employed TiO₂ nanotube scaffolds allow for organotypic long-term preservation of adult tissues ex vivo and support strong tissue adhesion without the application of glues, a prerequisite for tissue investigations under tension. In combination with finite element calculations we found that the deformation behavior is highly dependent on the displacement rate which results in Young’s moduli of (760–1270) Pa. Image analysis revealed that the elastic regime is characterized by a reversible shear deformation of retinal layers. For larger deformations, tissue destruction and sliding of retinal layers occurred with an equilibration between slip and stick at the interface of ruptured layers, resulting in a constant force during stretching. Since our study demonstrates how porcine eyes collected from slaughterhouses can be employed for ex vivo experiments, our study also offers new perspectives to investigate tissue biomechanics without excessive animal experiments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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15 pages, 4552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nano-Zn Increased Zn Accumulation and Triglyceride Content by Up-Regulating Lipogenesis in Freshwater Teleost, Yellow Catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco

by Shi-Cheng Ling, Mei-Qin Zhuo, Dian-Guang Zhang, Heng-Yang Cui and Zhi Luo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(5), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21051615 - 27 Feb 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3121

Abstract

The present study was conducted to explore the mechanism of nano-Zn absorption and its influence on lipid metabolism in the intestine of yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco. Compared to ZnSO₄, dietary nano-Zn addition increased the triglyceride (TG) content, enzymatic activities of malic enzyme (ME) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), and up-regulated mRNA levels of 6pgd, fas, acca, dgat1, pparγ, and fatp4. Using primary intestinal epithelial cells of yellow catfish, compared to the ZnSO₄ group, nano-Zn incubation increased the contents of TG and free fatty acids (FFA), the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6GPD), ME, and FAS, up-regulated mRNA levels of lipogenic genes (6pgd, g6pd, fas, dgat1, and pparγ), genes of lipid transport (fatp4 and ifabp), and Zn transport genes (znt5, znt7, mt, and mtf1), and increased the protein expression of fatty acid transport protein 4 (FATP4) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Further studies found that nano-Zn absorption was via the clathrin-dependent endocytic mechanism. PPARγ mediated the nano-Zn-induced increase in TG, and nano-Zn increased Zn accumulation and induced TG accumulation by activating the PPARγ pathway and up-regulating lipogenesis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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21 pages, 19578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microbicidal Dispersions and Coatings from Hybrid Nanoparticles of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate), Poly (Diallyl Dimethyl Ammonium) Chloride, Lipids, and Surfactants

by Rodrigo Tadeu Ribeiro, Carolina Nascimento Galvão, Yunys Pérez Betancourt, Beatriz Ideriha Mathiazzi and Ana Maria Carmona-Ribeiro

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(24), 6150; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20246150 - 6 Dec 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3859

Abstract

Hybrid and antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs) of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in the presence of poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium) chloride (PDDA) were previously obtained by emulsion polymerization in absence of surfactant with low conversion. In the presence of amphiphiles such as cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (DODAB) or soybean lecithin, we found that conversion increased substantially. In this work, the effect of the amphiphiles on the NPs core-shell structure and on the antimicrobial activity of the NPs was evaluated. NPs dispersions casted on silicon wafers, glass coverslips or polystyrene substrates were also used to obtain antimicrobial coatings. Methods for characterizing the dispersions and coatings were based on scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, determination of thickness, rugosity, and wettability for the coatings and determination of colony-forming unities (log CFU/mL) of microbia after 1 h interaction with the coatings or dispersions. The amphiphiles used during PMMA/PDDA/amphiphile NPs synthesis reduced the thickness of the NPs PDDA shell surrounding each particle. The antimicrobial activity of the dispersions and coatings were due to PDDA—the amphiphiles were either washed out by dialysis or remained in the PMMA polymeric core of the NPs. The most active NPs and coatings were those of PMMA/PDDA/CTAB—the corresponding coatings showed the highest rugosity and total surface area to interact with the microbes. The dispersions and coatings obtained by casting of the NPs dispersions onto silicon wafers were hydrophilic and exhibited microbicidal activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. In addition, a major effect of reduction in particle size revealed the suitability of nanometric and cationic NPs (sizes below 100 nm) represented by PMMA/PDDA/CTAB NPs to yield maximal microbicidal activity from films and dispersions against all microbia tested. The reduction of cell viability by coatings and dispersions amounted to 6–8 logs from [PDDA] ≥ minimal microbicidal concentration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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Review

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15 pages, 2205 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Progress in Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composites in Tissue Engineering and Regeneration

by Gangadhar Lekshmi, Siva Sankar Sana, Van-Huy Nguyen, Thi Hong Chuong Nguyen, Chinh Chien Nguyen, Quyet Van Le and Wanxi Peng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(17), 6440; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176440 - 3 Sep 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5024

Abstract

Scaffolds are important to tissue regeneration and engineering because they can sustain the continuous release of various cell types and provide a location where new bone-forming cells can attach and propagate. Scaffolds produced from diverse processes have been studied and analyzed in recent decades. They are structurally efficient for improving cell affinity and synthetic and mechanical strength. Carbon nanotubes are spongy nanoparticles with high strength and thermal inertness, and they have been used as filler particles in the manufacturing industry to increase the performance of scaffold particles. The regeneration of tissue and organs requires a significant level of spatial and temporal control over physiological processes, as well as experiments in actual environments. This has led to an upsurge in the use of nanoparticle-based tissue scaffolds with numerous cell types for contrast imaging and managing scaffold characteristics. In this review, we emphasize the usage of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and CNT–polymer composites in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and also summarize challenges and prospects for their potential applications in different areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Materials and Methods 2.0)

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