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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 30656

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Prof. Dr. Minas M. Stylianakis

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos P.B 1939, Heraklion, E-GR-71410 Crete, Greece
2. Institute of Electronic Structure & Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), 100, N. Plastira Str., Vasilika Vouton, GR-70014 Heraklion Crete, Greece
Interests: graphene; 2D nanomaterials; biomedical applications; biomaterials; drug delivery systems; materials science; chemistry; enviromental applications; water treatment technologies
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Dr. Athanasios Skouras

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Guest Editor

Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
Interests: drug delivery; liposomes; nanoparticles; biodegradable polymers; pharmaceutical technology; hydrogels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Graphene and other 2D structured materials provide extraordinary distinctive optical, thermal, electronic, and mechanical properties. In addition, due to their biocompatibility, graphene derivatives and other 2D nanomaterials are applied in several biomedical applications such as biosensors, cell labelling, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems. Toxicity issues have led to the development of numerous approaches for these materials in order to promote their use in the field of biomedicine by extensively using graphene derivatives, composites, or nanocomposites. Although the investigation of 2D materials in the biomedical field has been discussed in numerous articles, published in various journals, our scope is to concentrate on new insights in the field in a specific Special Issue.

The present Special Issue of Molecules focuses on the use of 2D materials in several biomedical applications. This Special Issue intends to provide a broad coverage of recent research progress and insights addressing various aspects in the field of biomedicine. In this context, we invite researchers to submit their original research contributions (articles, communications, as well as review and perspective articles) on 2D-materials-induced nanomedicine applications such as tissue engineering, regenerative nanomedicine, biosensing, drug delivery, wound healing, and diagnostics.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Graphene-based materials;
2D materials;
Biomaterials;
Biomedicine;
Drug delivery systems;
Biosensors;
Cell labelling;
Tissue engineering;
Regenerative nanomedicine

Prof. Dr. Minas M. Stylianakis
Dr. Athanasios Skouras
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nanomaterials
graphene
biopolymers
composites
biosensors
drug delivery systems
cell labelling
tissue engineering
diagnostics
nanomedicine

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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15 pages, 4234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interaction of Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles with Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Visualized in the Cell-IQ System

by Sergey Lazarev, Sofya Uzhviyuk, Mikhail Rayev, Valeria Timganova, Maria Bochkova, Olga Khaziakhmatova, Vladimir Malashchenko, Larisa Litvinova and Svetlana Zamorina

Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4148; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104148 - 17 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2147

Abstract

Graphene oxide is a promising nanomaterial with many potential applications. However, before it can be widely used in areas such as drug delivery and medical diagnostics, its influence on various cell populations in the human body must be studied to ensure its safety. We investigated the interaction of graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in the Cell-IQ system, evaluating cell viability, mobility, and growth rate. GO nanoparticles of different sizes coated with linear or branched polyethylene glycol (P or bP, respectively) were used at concentrations of 5 and 25 μg/mL. Designations were the following: P-GOs (Ø 184 ± 73 nm), bP-GOs (Ø 287 ± 52 nm), P-GOb (Ø 569 ± 14 nm), and bP-GOb (Ø 1376 ± 48 nm). After incubating the cells with all types of nanoparticles for 24 h, the internalization of the nanoparticles by the cells was observed. We found that all GO nanoparticles used in this study exerted a cytotoxic effect on hMSCs when used at a high concentration (25 μg/mL), whereas at a low concentration (5 μg/mL) a cytotoxic effect was observed only for bP-GOb particles. We also found that P-GOs particles decreased cell mobility at a concentration of 25 μg/mL, whereas bP-GOb particles increased it. Larger particles (P-GOb and bP-GOb) increased the rate of movement of hMSCs regardless of concentration. There were no statistically significant differences in the growth rate of cells compared with the control group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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17 pages, 3985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemico-Physical Properties of Some 1,1′-Bis-alkyl-2,2′-hexane-1,6-diyl-bispyridinium Chlorides Hydrogenated and Partially Fluorinated for Gene Delivery

by Michele Massa, Mirko Rivara, Thelma A. Pertinhez, Carlotta Compari, Gaetano Donofrio, Luigi Cristofolini, Davide Orsi, Valentina Franceschi and Emilia Fisicaro

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3585; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083585 - 20 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1392

Abstract

The development of very efficient and safe non-viral vectors, constituted mainly by cationic lipids bearing multiple charges, is a landmark for in vivo gene-based medicine. To understand the effect of the hydrophobic chain’s length, we here report the synthesis, and the chemico-physical and biological characterization, of a new term of the homologous series of hydrogenated gemini bispyridinium surfactants, the 1,1′-bis-dodecyl-2,2′-hexane-1,6-diyl-bispyridinium chloride (GP12_6). Moreover, we have collected and compared the thermodynamic micellization parameters (cmc, changes in enthalpy, free energy, and entropy of micellization) obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments for hydrogenated surfactants GP12_6 and GP16_6, and for the partially fluorinated ones, FGPn (where n is the spacer length). The data obtained for GP12_6 by EMSA, MTT, transient transfection assays, and AFM imaging show that in this class of compounds, the gene delivery ability strictly depends on the spacer length but barely on the hydrophobic tail length. CD spectra have been shown to be a useful tool to verify the formation of lipoplexes due to the presence of a “tail” in the 288–320 nm region attributed to a chiroptical feature named ψ-phase. Ellipsometric measurements suggest that FGP6 and FGP8 (showing a very interesting gene delivery activity, when formulated with DOPE) act in a very similar way, and dissimilar from FGP4, exactly as in the case of transfection, and confirm the hypothesis suggested by previously obtained thermodynamic data about the requirement of a proper length of the spacer to allow the molecule to form a sort of molecular tong able to intercalate DNA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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14 pages, 4107 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Graphene@Curcumin-Copper Paintable Coatings for the Prevention of Nosocomial Microbial Infection

by Mohammad Oves, Mohammad Omaish Ansari, Mohammad Shahnawaze Ansari and Adnan Memić

Molecules 2023, 28(6), 2814; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062814 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1982

Abstract

The rise of antimicrobial resistance has brought into focus the urgent need for the next generation of antimicrobial coating. Specifically, the coating of suitable antimicrobial nanomaterials on contact surfaces seems to be an effective method for the disinfection/contact killing of microorganisms. In this study, the antimicrobial coatings of graphene@curcumin-copper (GN@CR-Cu) were prepared using a chemical synthesis methodology. Thus, the prepared GN@CR-Cu slurry was successfully coated on different contact surfaces, and subsequently, the GO in the composite was reduced to graphene (GN) by low-temperature heating/sunlight exposure. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the coated GN@CR-Cu for the coating properties, X-ray photon scattering were used for structural characterization and material confirmation. From the morphological analysis, it was seen that CR and Cu were uniformly distributed throughout the GN network. The nanocomposite coating showed antimicrobial properties by contact-killing mechanisms, which was confirmed by zone inhibition and scanning electron microscopy. The materials showed maximum antibacterial activity against E. coli (24 ± 0.50 mm) followed by P. aeruginosa (18 ± 0.25 mm) at 25 µg/mL spot inoculation on the solid media plate, and a similar trend was observed in the minimum inhibition concentration (80 µg/mL) and bactericidal concentration (160 µg/mL) in liquid media. The synthesized materials showed excellent activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. These materials, when coated on different contact surfaces such medical devices, might significantly reduce the risk of nosocomial infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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10 pages, 1975 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Visible-Light-Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Silver and Copper Co-Doped Titania Formed on Titanium via Chemical and Thermal Treatments

by Kanae Suzuki, Misato Iwatsu, Takayuki Mokudai, Maiko Furuya, Kotone Yokota, Hiroyasu Kanetaka, Masaya Shimabukuro, Taishi Yokoi and Masakazu Kawashita

Molecules 2023, 28(2), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020650 - 9 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2186

Abstract

Dental implants made of titanium (Ti) are used in dentistry, but peri-implantitis is a serious associated problem. Antibacterial and osteoconductive Ti dental implants may decrease the risk of peri-implantitis. In this study, titania (TiO₂) co-doped with silver (Ag) at 2.5 at.% and copper (Cu) at 4.9 at.% was formed on Ti substrates via chemical and thermal treatments. The Ag and Cu co-doped TiO₂ formed apatite in a simulated body fluid, which suggests osteoconductivity. It also showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, which was enhanced by visible-light irradiation. This enhancement might be caused by the synergistic effect of the release of Ag and Cu and the generation of •OH from the sample. Dental implants with such a Ag and Cu co-doped TiO₂ formed on their surface may reduce the risk of peri-implantitis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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14 pages, 7439 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polysaccharides as Green Fuels for the Synthesis of MgO: Characterization and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activities

by Nayara Balaba, Silvia Jaerger, Dienifer F. L. Horsth, Julia de O. Primo, Jamille de S. Correa, Carla Bittencourt, Cristina M. Zanette and Fauze J. Anaissi

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010142 - 24 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2138

Abstract

The synthesis of structured MgO is reported using feedstock starch (route I), citrus pectin (route II), and Aloe vera (route III) leaf, which are suitable for use as green fuels due to their abundance, low cost, and non-toxicity. The oxides formed showed high porosity and were evaluated as antimicrobial agents. The samples were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline periclase monophase of the MgO was identified for all samples. The SEM analyses show that the sample morphology depends on the organic fuel used during the synthesis. The antibacterial activity of the MgO-St (starch), MgO-CP (citrus pectin), and MgO-Av (Aloe vera) oxides was evaluated against pathogens Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538P) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739). Antifungal activity was also studied against Candida albicans (ATCC 64548). The studies were carried out using the qualitative agar disk diffusion method and quantitative minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests. The MIC of each sample showed the same inhibitory concentration of 400 µg. mL⁻¹ for the studied microorganisms. The formation of inhibition zones and the MIC values in the antimicrobial analysis indicate the effective antimicrobial activity of the samples against the test microorganisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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18 pages, 6501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electroanalysis of Ibuprofen and Its Interaction with Bovine Serum Albumin

by Muhammad Dilshad, Afzal Shah and Shamsa Munir

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010049 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2375

Abstract

The current work presents a sensitive, selective, cost-effective, and environmentally benign protocol for the detection of ibuprofen (IBP) by an electrochemical probe made of a glassy carbon electrode modified with Ag-ZnO and MWCNTs. Under optimized conditions, the designed sensing platform was found to sense IBP up to a 28 nM limit of detection. The interaction of IBP with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry. IBP−BSA binding parameters such as the binding constant and the stoichiometry of complexation were calculated. The results revealed that IBP and BSA form a single strong complex with a binding constant value of 8.7 × 10¹³. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example that reports not only IBP detection but also its BSA complexation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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12 pages, 2504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficient Preparation of Small-Sized Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets by Polymer-Assisted Ball Milling

by Qi Zhang, Fengjiao Xu, Pei Lu, Di Zhu, Lihui Yuwen and Lianhui Wang

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 7810; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27227810 - 12 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1872

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets (TMDC NSs) have attracted growing interest due to their unique structure and properties. Although various methods have been developed to prepare TMDC NSs, there is still a great need for a novel strategy combining simplicity, generality, and high efficiency. In this study, we developed a novel polymer-assisted ball milling method for the efficient preparation of TMDC NSs with small sizes. The use of polymers can enhance the interaction of milling balls and TMDC materials, facilitate the exfoliation process, and prevent the exfoliated nanosheets from aggregating. The WSe₂ NSs prepared by carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC)-assisted ball milling have small lateral sizes (8~40 nm) with a high yield (~60%). The influence of the experimental conditions (polymer, milling time, and rotation speed) on the size and yield of the nanosheets was studied. Moreover, the present approach is also effective in producing other TMDC NSs, such as MoS₂, WS₂, and MoSe₂. This study demonstrates that polymer-assisted ball milling is a simple, general, and effective method for the preparation of small-sized TMDC NSs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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12 pages, 2694 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theoretical Study on the Aggregation and Adsorption Behaviors of Anticancer Drug Molecules on Graphene/Graphene Oxide Surface

by Pengyu Gong, Yi Zhou, Hui Li, Jie Zhang, Yuying Wu, Peiru Zheng and Yanyan Jiang

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6742; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196742 - 10 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2049

Abstract

Graphene and its derivatives are frequently used in cancer therapy, and there has been widespread interest in improving the therapeutic efficiency of targeted drugs. In this paper, the geometrical structure and electronic effects of anastrozole(Anas), camptothecin(CPT), gefitinib (Gefi), and resveratrol (Res) on graphene and graphene oxide(GO) were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Meanwhile, we explored and compared the adsorption process between graphene/GO and four drug molecules, as well as the adsorption sites between carriers and payloads. In addition, we calculated the interaction forces between four drug molecules and graphene. We believe that this work will contribute to deepening the understanding of the loading behaviors of anticancer drugs onto nanomaterials and their interaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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9 pages, 3018 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nanoindentation of Graphene/Phospholipid Nanocomposite: A Molecular Dynamics Study

by Vladislav V. Shunaev and Olga E. Glukhova

Molecules 2021, 26(2), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26020346 - 11 Jan 2021

Viewed by 2269

Abstract

Graphene and phospholipids are widely used in biosensing and drug delivery. This paper studies the mechanical and electronic properties of a composite based on two graphene flakes and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) phospholipid molecules located between them via combination of various mathematical modeling methods. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that an adhesion between bilayer graphene and DPCC increases during nanoindentation of the composite by a carbon nanotube (CNT). Herewith, the DPPC molecule located under a nanotip takes the form of graphene and is not destroyed. By the Mulliken procedure, it was shown that the phospholipid molecules act as a “buffer” of charge between two graphene sheets and CNT. The highest values of electron transfer in the graphene/DPPC system were observed at the lower indentation point, when the deflection reached its maximum value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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Review

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20 pages, 1845 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Principle of Nanomaterials Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensors and Its Potential for Dopamine Detection

by Faten Bashar Kamal Eddin and Yap Wing Fen

Molecules 2020, 25(12), 2769; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25122769 - 15 Jun 2020

Cited by 61 | Viewed by 10544

Abstract

For a healthy life, the human biological system should work in order. Scheduled lifestyle and lack of nutrients usually lead to fluctuations in the biological entities levels such as neurotransmitters (NTs), proteins, and hormones, which in turns put the human health in risk. Dopamine (DA) is an extremely important catecholamine NT distributed in the central nervous system. Its level in the body controls the function of human metabolism, central nervous, renal, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems. It is closely related to the major domains of human cognition, feeling, and human desires, as well as learning. Several neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease are related to the extreme abnormalities in DA levels. Therefore, the development of an accurate, effective, and highly sensitive method for rapid determination of DA concentrations is desired. Up to now, different methods have been reported for DA detection such as electrochemical strategies, high-performance liquid chromatography, colorimetry, and capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry. However, most of them have some limitations. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy was widely used in biosensing. However, its use to detect NTs is still growing and has fascinated impressive attention of the scientific community. The focus in this concise review paper will be on the principle of SPR sensors and its operation mechanism, the factors that affect the sensor performance. The efficiency of SPR biosensors to detect several clinically related analytes will be mentioned. DA functions in the human body will be explained. Additionally, this review will cover the incorporation of nanomaterials into SPR biosensors and its potential for DA sensing with mention to its advantages and disadvantages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials for Biomedical Applications)

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