Journal of Nanoparticle Research最新文献

This study explores the enhancement of thermoelectric performance in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via targeted sulfur doping at the central region of the nanotube structure. Carbon nanotubes exhibit very good electrical conductivity, providing unique advantages at the nanoscale. However, CNTs have very high thermal conductivity which limits the thermoelectric efficiency, measured by the value of merit (ZT). To explore this mechanism of CNT doping, a multi-scale computational study has been developed using the density functional tight binding (DFTB) and non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) formalism to study the effect of sulfur addition on the electronic structure of each single-walled CNT and the phonon transport properties of the CNT. Computational studies show that sulfur dopants introduce localized electronic states near the Fermi level that significantly increase the Seebeck coefficient while preserving the high electrical conductivity of CNTs. The sulfur atoms also act as phonon scatterers, thereby spreading the heat flux and reducing the thermal conductivity of the lattice while scattering phonons. The combination of these electronic and phononic improvements results in significant improvements in the ZT values of typical thermoelectric-based cycles. These results provide a practical route to effectively reduce interdependent thermoelectric parameters, and inform the future development of CNT-based materials for new energy conversion applications.

The pulsed plasma in liquid (PPL) method is a simple and versatile technique for synthesizing metal nanoparticles (NPs). Depending on the type of solution employed, this method can yield metal NPs as well as carbide and nitride nanoparticles. PPL experiments were conducted using Ni electrodes in various solutions, including ultra-pure water (UPW), ethylene glycol (EG), ethanol (EtOH), and xylene, and the resulting products were characterized. The results revealed that different solvent combinations led to the formation of metallic, carbon-dissolved metallic, and metal carbide NPs. When UPW was used, metallic Ni NPs were obtained as the main phase along with oxide phases. In contrast, a mixed solution of UPW and EG produced only metallic Ni NPs. The addition of EtOH to this UPW-EG mixture resulted in lattice expansion owing to interstitial carbon dissolution, with the carbon content increasing in proportion to the EtOH concentration. The Ni₃C phase appeared near the solubility limit. The highest carbon incorporation was achieved when xylene was used, yielding a two-phase system consisting of carbon-dissolved Ni and Ni₃C NPs. X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption fine structure, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses confirmed that the synthesized NPs, typically smaller than 10 nm, exhibited solvent-dependent structural features, including metallic Ni, carbon-dissolved Ni, and Ni₃C phases. These results demonstrate the versatility of the PPL method for tailoring the structural phases of Ni NPs and highlight its potential for synthesizing metastable dual-phase nanomaterials.

Superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were specifically designed with a polydopamine (PDA) and folic acid (FA) coating to enhance the availability of organic functional groups at the surface, facilitating the interactions with transition metal ions and drugs. Such nanoparticles were here denoted Fe₃O₄@PDA-FA. Their synthesis and characterization were carefully performed, including thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurements, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The capture of cobalt(II), copper(II), and zinc(II) ions was successfully demonstrated, revealing the great potential of the Fe₃O₄@PDA-FA nanoparticles in magnetic nanohydrometallurgy (MNHM). The Fe₃O₄@PDA-FA nanoparticles also exhibited good performance in the capture and magnetic transport of buparvaquone, a drug with pharmacological activity against leishmaniasis, as well as antitumor action. The observed drug capture response exhibited a pronounced enhancement in the presence of cobalt(II) ions, which seems to play a role in mediating the interaction between the target molecule and the PDA-FA coating.

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Synthesized ZrZnS (ZZS) nanocrystals (NCs) demonstrate solvent-mediated morphological control and changes. In ethanol, ZZS NCs adopt well-defined cuboidal structures with uniform facets, whereas a dichloromethane-isopropanol (DCM:IPA, 1:1 v/v) system promotes the formation of irregular hexagonal nanostructures, revealing solvent-ratio-dependent anisotropic growth under dark incubation. The positively charged ZZS NCs (confirmed by zeta potential, ζ) were further functionalized with an anti-cancer drug (gefitinib/GFT, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) and miR-146, a dual-functional miRNA regulating immune response and cancer progression. The resulting GFT-miR146@ZZS NCs exhibited efficient cellular uptake in LLC malignant cells. In vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrated significant inhibition (~ 90%) of lung cancer cell proliferation and tumor repolarization via modulation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Tumor microenvironment (TME) suppresses M2-phenotype TAMs (pro-tumorigenic) and promotes repolarization to M1-phenotype TAMs (anti-tumorigenic). This synergistic approach highlights the potential of ZZS NCs as a versatile platform for combinatorial cancer therapy.

Heavy metals' soil contamination seriously threatens plant health and agricultural productivity. In response, nanoparticles have emerged as a promising solution to mitigate heavy metal-induced stress in plants. This review examines the effects of various heavy metals such as lead, chromium, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, copper, mercury, and nickel, which are highly toxic to plants and other organisms, whereas metals like barium, antimony, molybdenum (Mo), thallium, and tin are generally considered less harmful. This review focuses on the role of nanoparticles in reducing metal toxicity in plants and improving their physiology. Nanoparticles such as zinc oxide (ZnO), iron oxide (Fe₃O₄), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) have demonstrated the ability to boost plant growth, enhance photosynthetic efficiency, and strengthen antioxidant defenses under heavy metal stress. These nanoparticles reduce the uptake of harmful metals, improve nutrient absorption, and regulate gene expression related to stress responses. Additionally, Mo, an essential micronutrient, helps mitigate the effects of heavy metals by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, reducing oxidative damage, and facilitating osmolyte accumulation. Gene suppression or regulation induced by heavy metal stress and the upregulation of specific genes by nanoparticles is critical to stress alleviation in various plant species. The combined action of Mo and nanoparticles presents a promising approach to increasing plant tolerance to heavy metal toxicity. This review emphasizes the importance of understanding the mechanisms through which nanoparticles alleviate stress and the potential of Mo in conjunction with nanotechnology as a sustainable strategy to address heavy metal pollution in agricultural systems.

Nanomaterials have been associated with adverse effects on human health due to structural alterations following cellular internalization. However, from a therapeutic perspective, they offer advantages for cancer treatment by inhibiting processes such as cell division, motility, and invasion, which are key functions regulated by the cytoskeleton. Based on that, we aimed to examine the potential impact of titanium dioxide nanofibers (TiO₂-NF) on the cytoskeleton disruption and their effects on cell and nuclear morphology, motility, cell cycle, and mitotic index in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Results showed that TiO₂-NF exposure (1, 10, or 50 μg/cm² TiO₂-NF for 24 h) increased cell granularity and reduced cell size, consistent with nanofiber uptake. The cytoskeletal architecture was markedly disrupted, as evidenced by alterations in both the actin and microtubule networks associated with impaired cell motility. TiO₂-NF predominantly accumulated near the nuclei, leading to their deformation and a slight increase in the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase, which was accompanied by an increased mitotic index. These structural disruptions were also associated with impaired cell motility and cell cycle progression. The findings of this study highlight the potential usage of TiO₂-NF as a candidate for targeted cytoskeleton-based cancer therapy in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

To understand the research progress and trends of nanoagents for breast cancer treatment, this paper presents a bibliometric analysis using data collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database for the period from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2023. The analysis was conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace, focusing on the number of annual publications, co-authors, co-occurrences of co-citations, countries, institutions, authors, documents, and keywords. A total of 2996 papers were included. The results showed that the number of publications on breast cancer nanoagents began to grow rapidly after 2015, with the total citation frequency continuing to increase, indicating that the scope and depth of related research results are gradually expanding and deepening. China published the most papers (41.36%, 1239 papers), followed by the USA (26.50%, 793 papers) and India (10.50%, 314 papers). However, the total citation frequency of the USA is the highest, indicating that the influence of Chinese scholars’ papers in this field still needs improvement. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has the largest number of papers among the issuing organizations. Research hotspots in breast cancer nanoformulations focus on nanoparticle drug delivery systems and in vivo and in vitro treatments of breast cancer. Significant increases in searches were observed for keywords such as solid lipid nanoparticles, albumin-bound paclitaxel, iron oxide nanoparticles as drug carriers, in vivo targeted drug delivery systems of anticancer drugs, and combining photodynamic therapy to improve the tumor microenvironment. This indicates a promising research field. In the future, more attention should be paid to research directions such as the application of nanoscale device technology in anti-breast cancer therapy, reproducible and scalable nanoparticle synthesis, screening and evaluation, and the incorporation of new molecular entities and novel therapeutic agents to promote clinical integration and development.

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Nanoparticles (NPs) exhibiting X-ray-excited UV-C luminescence can be used in radiation therapy to deactivate cancer cells through photochemical reactions of DNA with UV-C quanta. Colloidal solutions of monoclinic La_1−xPr_xPO₄ NPs (x = 0.01–0.3), luminescent in the UV-C range (220–280 nm), with different morphologies, from nanofiber (diameter and length not larger than 15 and 600 nm, respectively) to short nanorod (diameter and length not larger than 8 and 35 nm, respectively), were obtained by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. For possible biomedical use, the synthesis parameters (pH = 8, anion excess coefficient = 2) were determined, at which nanorods of suitable sizes (diameter and length not larger than 10 and 80 nm, respectively) with the brightest UV-C luminescence among all synthesized nanorods were obtained. A gradual increase in the optimal concentration of Pr³⁺ ions with maximum luminescence brightness from 4 mol-% for nanofibers to 6 mol-% for short nanorods was established. The shift of the intensity ratio of UV-C transitions toward the long-wave 4f¹5d¹→³H₆ transition was shown for nanofibers, whereas for nanorods all 4f¹5d¹→³H_4,5,6 transition intensities were approximately equal. A new laser ultramicroscopy method based on the detection of elastically scattered light with subsequent nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to calculate the hydrodynamic radii and to monitor the colloidal behavior of NPs in pH-modified aqueous media. The highest sedimentation and aggregation stability of NPs was found in an acidic medium (pH = 4), and temporary stability was also found in alkaline media (pH = 8, 10).

The traceability of GSR is critical in forensic investigations, as it can link a suspect to the use of a firearm. Traditional collection methods can make it challenging to visualize and document GSR patterns clearly in situ, particularly in dark or complex environments. This study investigates the synthesis, characterization, and application of ZnO Quantum Dots, synthesized using a modified sol–gel method, as fluorescent markers for the detection of GSR. This was then characterized using XRD, FTIR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, PL spectroscopy, TCSPC, and Thermogravimetric Analysis. XRD confirmed the high crystallinity of ZnO QDs with an average particle size in the range between 3–5 nm, TEM provided high-resolution images revealing uniform spherical nanoparticles, FT-IR identified functional groups and confirmed the chemical composition, UV–Vis spectroscopy determined the optical absorption properties, while PL spectroscopy showed a strong emission peak at 577 nm, indicating high fluorescence intensity, TCSPC measured the fluorescence lifetime and decay kinetics, revealing a lifetime of 5.9 ns and TGA assessed the thermal stability and decomposition temperatures. These nanoparticles were then incorporated into the propellant powders of various ammunition to evaluate their effectiveness as fluorescent markers for GSR. The tagged ammunition was fired and the obtained GSR imaged under UV light and VSC revealed the presence of yellow, fluorescent particles. The stability of the fluorescent signal was tested under various conditions, confirming the robustness of the material as GSR markers and proved as an effective tool providing an innovative approach for GSR detection that enhances the efficiency of crime scene investigations.

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