Nanoscale Horizons最新文献

Nanodiamonds (ND) possess unique properties, including high biocompatibility, tunable surface chemistry, and stable photoluminescence, that make them highly attractive for biomedical applications. In this study, we synthesized gold-coated nanodiamonds (NDAu) using a green chemistry route based on Nymphaea alba root extract as a natural reducing agent. The hybrids were produced from two types of ND with median diameters of 50 nm and 230 nm, which were subjected to different thermal treatments prior to the gold coating to modulate their surface properties. The functionalized particles were comprehensively characterized using a combination of spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, PIXE), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and zeta potential. These techniques evidenced the impact of the thermal treatments on the NDs, reported the influence of the plant extracts on the final nanoparticles, as well as confirmed and quantified the presence of metallic gold in this material. Moreover, we carried out biological evaluation on A549 lung cell line to assess their cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and impact on cell survival. Our results confirmed the efficacy of the gold-coating method, elucidating the modifications in particles structural, physical and chemical properties due to functionalization, and the interaction with cells. These nanoparticles could then be used for various biomedical applications, such as drug delivery or as potential radiosensitizers.

Immunotherapies show heterogeneous response in patients and identifying those likely to benefit from these therapies remains challenging. This is in part because histopathology, the current clinical standard, cannot accurately predict response. Dynamic changes occur in both tumor cells and immune cells in vivo during and after treatment which are not captured by histopathology or by single biomarker imaging. To address this urgent need, this study leverages multiplexed profiling of both CD8⁺ T cells and VEGFR2⁺ expressing tumor cells in 4T1 murine breast cancer tumors with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using multiplexed gold nanostars (MGNs). MGNs are conjugated with antibodies targeting each cell type and Raman labels to enable multiplexing. Real time SERS in vivo imaging enables detection of dynamic longitudinal changes in CD8 and VEGFR2 in response to STING + TLR9 (stimulator of interferon genes + toll like receptor 9) immunotherapies, a treatment that increases tumor immunogenicity through a type I interferon response. MGNs also distinguished nonresponders of immunotherapies where 4T1 tumors were treated with antiOX40 antibodies. In vivo endpoints were validated ex vivo with flow cytometry analysis of immune cell population, cytokine analysis, STING activation, and immunofluorescence (IF) imaging of key markers (CD8, VEGFR, CD31, Ki67, and STING). Further, high resolution SERS maps provided a spatial context of CD8 and VEGFR2 distribution that showed the molecular makeup of tumors in responder and nonresponder mice. Biomarker distribution in ex vivo SERS aligned with in vivo findings and showed moderate to strong correlations via a Pearson's correlation to quantification of IF markers in tumors.

Superamphiphobic coatings, capable of repelling both water and low-surface-tension liquids, hold immense potential for applications in self-cleaning, anti-fouling, and anti-icing. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by reliance on organic solvents, poor mechanical durability, and complex fabrication processes. Herein, fully waterborne superamphiphobic coatings are developed using waterborne polyurethane and fluorinated polysiloxane-modified silica nanoparticles (F-POS@SiO₂). The F-POS@SiO₂ dispersion is synthesized via acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and condensation of silanes in water mediated by fluorinated surfactants, eliminating the need for any organic solvents. When combined with waterborne polyurethane and applied sequentially via simple spray-coating, the resulting coatings exhibit hierarchical micro-/nanostructures and low surface energy. These features collectively endow the coatings with excellent static and dynamic repellency toward water and oils, robust mechanical durability, chemical resistance, thermal and UV stability, and anti-icing behavior. The coatings maintain performance across a range of substrates, offering a sustainable and scalable strategy for fabricating superamphiphobic surfaces with broad practical potential.

The way in which nanoparticles interact with cells in basic cell culture models depends not only on the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles and the biological properties of different cell types but also on the geometry used for the cell culture. In this study, the effect of cell culture geometry on the uptake of nanoparticles is compared quantitatively. HeLa cells are used for the entire study in order to minimize cell-specific effects. Polymer-coated gold nanoparticles with similar surface chemistry, but different sizes, C are used as the model system. Four different cell culture geometries were investigated: adherent cells with static medium above them, adherent cells with medium flowing above them in a microfluidics channel, adherent cells where the cell culture is slowly rotated, and suspended cells in a rotating culture. The size-dependent uptake of the different nanoparticles by the cells under these culture conditions is analyzed in terms of elemental intracellular gold per cell. The results show that relating the uptake of nanoparticles to their physicochemical properties may depend on the applied cell culture geometry. While adherent cells in the static culture favor uptake of larger nanoparticles, suspended cells in rotation culture preferentially take up smaller nanoparticles. Direct comparison of the uptake of six different nanoparticle types in cells in four different cell culture geometries enables quantitative analysis. This study suggests that the geometry of in vitro cell culture systems should be optimized with respect to the in vivo scenarios they emulate. While this fact is known and has been discussed by several groups, in this work, the effects can be quantitatively discussed, thanks to a systematic direct comparison.

Molecular interactions involving nucleic acids constitute a fundamental paradigm in biological systems, governing processes ranging from gene expression to cellular signaling. Quantitative characterization of the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of these interactions is critical not only for deciphering molecular mechanisms but also for rational design in biomedical engineering and nanomaterials science. This review systematically surveys six major categories of quantitative methods used to study nucleic acid interactions: spectroscopic methods, separation-based methods, calorimetric methods, surface-based binding assays, single-molecule methods, and DNA nanotechnology-based methods. Each category is discussed with respect to its principal advantages and inherent limitations. While conventional methods such as electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and spectroscopic titrations have provided foundational insights, they often exhibit constraints in sensitivity, throughput, or applicability under physiologically relevant conditions. Recent advances in DNA nanotechnology, leveraging its inherent programmability and structural precision, have enabled the development of novel quantitative platforms. These include DNA origami-based single-molecule methods and homogeneous assays that support accurate and native thermodynamic profiling, significantly enhancing sensitivity and adaptability in physiologically relevant contexts. This review systematically surveys established methodologies and critically evaluates emerging DNA nanotechnology-driven strategies, highlighting their potential to advance the quantitative analysis of nucleic acid interactions.

From a theoretical perspective, ion transport through micrometer or nanometer-sized pores under a cross-pore electric field can be described well by the Hall equation, involving only the bulk conductivity, if the solution is not too dilute. For dilute solutions, it is predicted that the surface conduction will become important, especially in nanopores. Nonetheless, this remains unsupported by experiments, especially for micropores, where the experimentally observed ion conductance is intuitively thought to be dominated by bulk conduction. Herein, our electrical measurements of ion transport through silicon nitride pores having diameters ranging from sub-µm up to a few µm show that the surface conduction can be significant and non-negligible in such large pore systems, especially at solution concentrations lower than 1 mM. In the latter case, the observed surface conductivity of the order of 1 nS can dominate over the bulk contribution, yielding a Dukhin length comparable to or even larger than the pore size and a Dukhin number up to 10. The surface conduction can be further enhanced by covering the silicon nitride surface with two-dimensional (2D) crystals such as graphene, graphene oxide, or monolayer titania sheets. The resulting surface conductivity is seen to increase upon increasing the solution concentration and can be increased by up to one or two orders of magnitude. Our observations provide insights into ion transport in micropore systems and suggest the possibility of exploiting surface conduction in such large pores for new technologies that were previously believed to apply only to nanopores.

DNA hydrogels have emerged as promising natural biomaterials for next-generation energy storage systems, offering a unique combination of biocompatibility, programmability, tunability, and self-assembly capabilities. Traditionally developed using synthetic DNA strands or DNA origami, efforts are turning toward naturally derived genomic DNA, such as that obtained from salmon sperm, chicken blood, and other biowaste sources, offering a more sustainable and cost-effective route. These hydrogels possess inherent sequence diversity and tunable network structures, making them ideal candidates for enhancing ionic conductivity, mechanical stability, and electrochemical performance in devices like batteries and supercapacitors. This review explores the foundational principles, synthesis strategies, and recent advancements in using DNA hydrogels as components in batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells. Compared to traditional materials, DNA hydrogels provide sustainable advantages such as biodegradability, mechanical flexibility, and designable structures that respond to environmental stimuli. While challenges like limited conductivity, stability, and scaling issues remain, ongoing research is addressing these through chemical modifications, hybrid composites, and integration with nanomaterials. Looking ahead, the development of smart, multifunctional DNA hydrogels holds significant potential to transform energy storage technologies and contribute to global sustainability goals. This review highlights key opportunities and calls for interdisciplinary efforts to fully realize the capabilities of DNA hydrogels in future energy systems.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) offer exceptional theoretical energy density and an ultra-low reduction potential, making them a leading candidate for next-generation energy storage. However, challenges such as dendritic lithium growth and electrolyte instability hinder their commercial viability by causing capacity decline and safety risks. This study presents an electrolyte formulation based on a single-salt, single-solvent system of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) in diethylene glycol diethyl ether (DEGDEE). The key advantage of this system stems from a unique, anion-participating solvation structure, engineered through the molecular design of the DEGDEE solvent. This structure, particularly at an optimized concentration of 1.75 M LiFSI in DEGDEE, facilitates the formation of protective layers on both the anode and cathode that effectively stabilize interfacial side-reactions, leading to a significant enhancement in cycle life. The resulting Li‖Cu cells exhibit an average Coulombic efficiency of ∼98% at both 25 °C and 60 °C, and Li‖Li symmetric cells demonstrate ultra-stable cycling for over 1500 h with a minimal polarization of ∼0.02 V. When paired with practical LiFePO₄ cathodes, the full cell achieves a specific capacity of 147 mAh g⁻¹ attaining 85.4% capacity retention over 1000 cycles at 25 °C and 163 mAh g⁻¹ with 95.7% over 200 cycles at 60 °C, all while maintaining a high efficiency (99.8%) at 1.0C. This work demonstrates that engineering the Li⁺ solvation structure through rational solvent design provides a powerful strategy for creating highly stable interfaces, advancing LMBs toward practical, high-performance energy storage.

This study presents the first detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a vital biomarker for acute coronary syndrome diagnosis (ACS), in human interstitial fluid (ISF) collected via electroporation. Measurements were performed using molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles as synthetic recognition elements and a heat-transfer method within a microfluidic system, yielding results within 15–20 min. This approach demonstrated reliable cTnI quantification across a wide, physiologically relevant concentration range of 0.1 to 1000 pg mL⁻¹ in spiked ISF, achieving an excellent detection limit of 1.85 ± 0.32 pg mL⁻¹. Comparisons with conventional patient sample fluids were conducted by repeating experiments with cTnI-spiked plasma and serum, which exhibited similar detection limits of 1.78 ± 0.28 and 1.80 ± 0.22 pg mL⁻¹, respectively. The developed sensor offers a rapid, highly sensitive, non-invasive, and cost-effective platform for point-of-care ACS diagnosis in ISF, potentially improving patient outcomes and easing healthcare burdens.

Bone tumors represent a category of malignant diseases with high risks of recurrence and metastasis. Surgical resection, as the primary treatment modality, often fails to eliminate microscopic tumor foci, and the postoperative recurrence rate remains high. In recent years, photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a novel, minimally invasive therapeutic strategy, demonstrating remarkable potential in suppressing tumor recurrence and metastasis. However, traditional PTT still faces challenges such as low photothermal conversion efficiency, insufficient tumor-targeting ability, and the limitations of monomodal therapy, which restrict its clinical applications. To address these issues, various inorganic nanocomposites have been developed that can integrate multiple functions, such as targeted drug delivery and imaging diagnosis, thereby enhancing treatment specificity while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. This review summarizes the current status and challenges of inorganic nanocomposites for PTT in bone tumors and explores their design, performance, and therapeutic mechanisms. Through the continuous optimization of material design and therapeutic strategies, this approach may pave the way for more effective, precise, and minimally invasive therapies in clinical oncology.