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Fluorescent polymers have exciting applications in sensing, imaging, and probes. Agricultural waste is increasingly being used to develop fluorescent nanomaterials due to technology, cost, and waste management advantages. This study developed fluorescent carbon‐based nanomaterials, that is, potassium doped graphene oxide (K‐GO) from Quercus ilex waste and used them to optimize fluorescent epoxy nanocomposites. The resulting nanocomposites showed significant enhancement in tensile strength with only 0.05 wt% of the renewable nanomaterial. The developed fluorescent epoxy nanocomposites have enhanced thermal and mechanical properties and can be used in sensing, imaging, and other applications. Highlights: A greener and easier approach to synthesizing K‐GO from Quercus ilex seeds.Development of fluorescent epoxy composites with K‐GO.Tensile strength is enhanced by adding only 0.05 wt% K‐GO.Thermal stability was improved by adding K‐GO.Developed composites can be applied to sensing and UV‐shielding in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone diseases including bone defects, bone infections, osteoarthritis, and bone tumors seriously affect life quality of the patient and bring serious economic burdens to social health management, for which the current clinical treatments bear dissatisfactory therapeutic effects. Biomaterial‐based strategies have been widely applied in the treatment of orthopedic diseases but are still plagued by deficient bioreactivity. With the development of nanotechnology, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with adjustable metal ion composition and alterable interlayer structure possessing charming physicochemical characteristics, versatile bioactive properties, and excellent drug loading and delivery capabilities arise widespread attention and have achieved considerable achievements for bone disease treatment in the last decade. However, to the authors' best knowledge, no review has comprehensively summarized the advances of LDHs in treating bone disease so far. Herein, the advantages of LDHs for orthopedic disorders treatment are outlined and the corresponding state‐of‐the‐art achievements are summarized for the first time. The potential of LDHs‐based nanocomposites for extended therapeutics for bone diseases is highlighted and perspectives for LDHs‐based scaffold design are proposed for facilitated clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic dyes used in textile and dyeing industries are significantly dangerous to water ecosystems due to their high toxicity and non-biodegradability. Effective removal of dyes from wastewater is now a day a challenging task. Photocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable and eco-friendly technology that uses solar energy to remediate environmental pollution. Enhance photocatalytic activity is a major task towards industrial attractive applications. Tuning photocatalysts activity in the visible region while improving their efficiency involves processes as coupling semiconductors, aligning potential bands, reducing energy gaps, and improving carrier separation. In this study, we synthesized nanotubes based on CeO2 (1D) and nanosheets based on La2Ti2O7 (2D) to form NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunctions via a hydrothermal synthesis route. This approach offers notable advantages as novelty, green chemistry, high yield, efficiency, simple equipment, and intermediate temperature. The NT- CeO2 content in the heterojunctions influenced their catalytic activity, affecting physicochemical characteristics and photocatalytic performance. The 1D-2D NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunctions consisted of CeO2 nanotubes deposited on La2Ti2O7 nanosheets. Characterization techniques including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance were employed to confirm the junction formation, crystallinity, morphology, and characteristic vibrational modes of the NT- CeO2 @ La2Ti2O7 heterojunction. Photocatalytic tests revealed that the NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunction achieved over ~25% degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) within 150 minutes under visible light irradiation from a 150W power LED. The power consumption for RhB degradation using NTCeO2@ La2Ti2O7 heterojunction was superior to previous reports using Xe and Hg lamps in similar systems involving cerium oxide. Furthermore, RhB degradation was dependent on the initial dye concentration, with h+ and O2.- identified as the primary oxidative species responsible for RhB degradation. In summary, this study presents the synthesis of NTCeO2@ La2Ti2O7 heterojunction via the hydrothermal method for visible-light photocatalysis of Rhodamine-B degradation, utilizing the energy in the visible spectrum as a stimulation source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New possibilities for the development of biosensors that are ready to be implemented in the field have emerged thanks to the recent progress of functional nanomaterials and the careful engineering of nanostructures. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have exceptional physical, chemical, highly anisotropic, chemically active, and mechanical capabilities due to their ultra-thin structures. The diversity of the high surface area, layered topologies, and porosity found in 2D nanomaterials makes them amenable to being engineered with surface characteristics that make it possible for targeted identification. By integrating the distinctive features of several varieties of nanostructures and employing them as scaffolds for bimolecular assemblies, biosensing platforms with improved reliability, selectivity, and sensitivity for the identification of a plethora of analytes can be developed. In this review, we compile a number of approaches to using 2D nanomaterials for biomolecule detection. Subsequently, we summarize the advantages and disadvantages of using 2D nanomaterials in biosensing. Finally, both the opportunities and the challenges that exist within this potentially fruitful subject are discussed. This review will assist readers in understanding the synthesis of 2D nanomaterials, their alteration by enzymes and composite materials, and the implementation of 2D material-based biosensors for efficient bioanalysis and disease diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have attracted much attention for lubrication enhancement of grease. It is difficult to disperse nanosheets in viscous grease and the lubrication performances of grease under harsh conditions urgently need to be improved. In this study, the 2D talc nanosheets are modified by a silane coupling agent with the assistance of high-energy ball milling, which can stably disperse in grease. The thickness and size of the talc nanosheet are about 20 nm and 2 µm. The silane coupling agent is successfully grafted on the surface of talc. Using the modified-talc nanosheet, the coefficient of friction and wear depth can be reduced by 40% and 66% under high temperature (150 °C) and high load (3.5 GPa), respectively. The enhancement of the lubrication and anti-wear performance is attributed to the boundary adsorbed tribofilm of talc achieving a repairing effect of the friction interfaces, the repairing effect of talc on the friction interfaces. This work provides green, economical guidance for developing natural lubricant additives and has great potential in sustainable lubrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most anticancer drugs with broad toxicities are systematically administrated to cancer patients and their distribution in tumors is extremely low owing to hypoxia, which compromises the therapeutic efficacies of these cancer drugs. Consequently, a preponderant proportion of cancer drugs is distributed in off-target-healthy tissues, which often causes severe adverse effects. Precision cancer therapy without overdosing patients with drugs remains one of the most challenging issues in cancer therapy. Here, a novel concept of nanopoxia is presented, which is a tumor-hypoxia-based photodynamic nanoplatform for the release of therapeutic agents to achieve precision cancer therapy. Under tumor hypoxia, exposure of tumors to laser irradiation induces the fracture of polymer outer shell and produces anticancer reactive oxygen species, and switches 2D antimonene (Sb) nanomaterials to cytotoxic trivalent antimony to synergistically kill tumors. In preclinical cancer models, delivery of Sb nanomaterials to mice virtually ablates tumor growth without producing any detectable adverse effects. Mechanistically, the tumor hypoxiatriggered generation of trivalent antimony displays direct damaging effects on cancer cells and suppression of tumor angiogenesis. Together, the study provides a proof-of-concept of hypoxia-based precision cancer therapy by developing a novel nanoplatform that offers multifarious mechanisms of cancer eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current two-dimensional (2D) material based NH 3 sensors generally suffer from low response values and sluggish recovery dynamics, which is resulted from their inferior conductivity. Herein, high conductivity (0.045 S/m) of 2D hydrogen substituted graphyne (HsGY) nanosheets are successfully synthesized employing aqueous/organic interface method and using them for the first time for the detection of NH 3 at room temperature. The resultant gas sensing performance shows that the 2D HsGY nanosheets exhibit a high gas response value (4.9) to 100 ppm NH 3 and fast recovery time (108 s) at the room temperature. The NH 3 gas sensing mechanism is discussed by utilizing density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The present study provides novel gas sensing material for the development of high-performance room temperature NH 3 sensors. This study successfully synthesized two-dimensional hydrogen substituted graphyne (HsGY) nanosheets using an aqueous/organic interface method and applied them for the detection of NH 3 at room temperature for the first time. HsGY nanosheets exhibit excellent sensing performance towards NH 3 , due to their high conductivity and continuous thin gauze like morphology, which facilitates gas transport. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We outline the interaction of two-dimensional nanomaterial and cell barriers and their potential applications in major diseases. This paper aims to provide insights into the subsequent development of new smart nanomaterials capable of transport within cells. [Display omitted] The cell membrane serves as a barrier against the free entry of foreign substances into the cell. Limited by factors such as solubility and targeting, it is difficult for some drugs to pass through the cell membrane barrier and exert the expected therapeutic effect. Two-dimensional nanomaterial (2D NM) has the advantages of high drug loading capacity, flexible modification, and multimodal combination therapy, making them a novel drug delivery vehicle for drug membrane attachment and intracellular transport. By modulating the surface properties of nanocarriers, it is capable of carrying drugs to break through the cell membrane barrier and achieve precise treatment. In this review, we review the classification of various common 2D NMs, the primary parameters affecting their adhesion to cell membranes, and the uptake mechanisms of intracellular transport. Furthermore, we discuss the therapeutic potential of 2D NMs for several major disorders. We anticipate this review will deepen researchers' understanding of the interaction of 2D NM drug carriers with cell membrane barriers, and provide insights for the subsequent development of novel intelligent nanomaterials capable of intracellular transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borophene, a two-dimensional (2D) monolayer of elemental boron, has emerged as an intriguing material with superior characteristics including outstanding electronic, optical, chemical, mechanical, and catalytic properties. Due to superior properties, borophene has shown great prospects for a variety of novel applications in the field of energy storage devices, supercapacitors, sensors, and healthcare devices. This review provides an overview of various synthesis techniques to produce borophene nanostructures. Additionally, different simulation approaches have been discussed for studying the structural, electronic, and sensing properties of borophene and its composites. Besides synthesis, this review focuses on exploring the structural and morphological characteristics of borophene materials. Moreover, the uses of 2D borophene in gas sensing, humidity sensing, as well as other chemical sensing have been discussed. Lastly, the current challenges and prospects of this promising 2D nanomaterial have been extensively addressed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A semiconductor–metal–dielectric heterojunction system, generally useful in enhancing the efficiency of solar cells, is explored to design a high performance optical sensor based on surface plasmon resonance in near infrared (NIR). Silicon is considered as light coupling material and different 2D nanomaterials such as graphene, MoS 2 , and MoSe 2 are explored to enhance the sensor’s performance in terms of its figure of merit ( FOM ). An Al 2 O 3 interlayer with a few nanometers of thickness is introduced, which acts as a critical component to significantly enhance the sensor’s FOM . It is observed that an Al 2 O 3 interlayer of around 9 nm thickness is able to many-fold upturn the sensor’s FOM . As another important finding, silver layer thickness of around 60 nm is found to be highly useful to achieve high values of FOM . It is established through results that operating at longer NIR wavelength leads to greater FOM for any choice of 2D nanomaterial and any thickness of Al 2 O 3 interlayer. Proposed sensor provides significantly greater FOM than previous works on SPR sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional materials have aroused great interests because of their unique properties not seen in the bulk counterparts. The interface of the ZnS single sheet and substrates are studied in this paper. Different from isolated ZnS single sheet, here in this study, the ZnS single sheet has a remarkable corrugation feature because of the interaction between the ZnS single sheet and the substrate. The top-site Zn means an attractive reaction with the substrate while the top-site S means repulsive. For ZnS single sheet/Si(111) interface, the symmetry of the interface does not decrease after geometry optimization because the two layers have a good lattice matching. For ZnS single sheet/Ag(111) interface, an unbalanced interaction (attractive or repulsive) between the ZnS single sheet (Zn or S atom) and Ag surface leads to remarkable corrugation of the ZnS single sheet and the symmetry of the interface decreases. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrin αvβ8 is a heterodimeric transmembrane protein on macrophages. Nanosheets can activate the integrin and elicit immune responses, exhibiting adverse immunotoxicity. Understanding the mechanism of integrin activation regulated by nanosheets is crucial for safe and effective use of nanosheets in biomedical applications. Herein, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to clarify the interactions between integrin αvβ8 in the cell membrane and three types of nanosheets, graphene (GRA), hexagonal boron nitride (BN), and black phosphorus (BP). We observed that BP could adsorb the intracellular end of αv monomer and thus break the inner membrane clasp, an important hydrophobic cluster for maintaining the inactive state of integrin. The association between αv and β8 subunit is weakened, promoting the integrin activation. By contrast, GRA and BN exert little influence on the association state of the integrin. Interestingly, the puckered structure of BP affects the integrin activation, where BP with the armchair direction perpendicular to the membrane plane cannot unpack the integrin. Moreover, the perturbation effect of nanosheets on the membrane was also evaluated. BP shows a milder effect on membrane structures and lipid properties than GRA and BN. This work unravels the molecular basis on the activation of integrin mediated by three nanosheets, and suggests the toxicity and therapeutic effect of well-established nanomaterials in the immune system. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new green synthesis method for two-dimensional (2D) copper nanosheets is developed using methylsulfonylmethane (DMSO2). The chemical composition and light absorption of 2D copper nanosheets are also studied. A new green method is mainly to utilize DMSO2, which is environmentally friendly enough to be considered a food-grade chemical, unlike the conventional method using toxic chemicals, such as ammonia and hydrazine (N2H4). With a reducing agent, the aggregation of uncertain copper products was produced in the absence of DMSO2, while 2D copper nanosheets were formed in the presence of DMSO2. The optimum concentration of DMSO2 as a surfactant was determined to be 2 M, resulting in large surface areas with regular edges. FTIR spectrum confirmed C–H bonding from DMSO2 used to synthesize 2D copper nanosheets. The light absorption peak was revealed at 800 nm in the UV–vis spectrum. This proposed new green method not only has a simpler process than the conventional methods, such as hydrothermal method and chemical bath deposition, but also substitutes toxic chemicals with DMSO2. 2D copper nanosheets can be used for various applications, including conductive filler or ink in the flexible electronics and laser photonics fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as a non-invasive therapeutic modality that is alternative to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is extensively investigated for cancer treatments. Although conventional organic photosensitizers (PSs) are still widely used and have achieved great progresses in PDT, the disadvantages such as hydrophobicity, poor stability within PDT environment and low cell/tissue specificity largely limit their clinical applications. Consequently, nano-agents with promising physicochemical and optical properties have emerged as an attractive alternative to overcome these drawbacks of traditional PSs. Herein, the up-to-date advances in the fabrication and fascinating applications of various nanomaterials in PDT have been summarized, including various types of nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, and two-dimensional nanomaterials, etc. In addition, the current challenges for the clinical use of PDT, and the corresponding strategies to address these issues, as well as future perspectives on further improvement of PDT have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exfoliation of layered materials is a key to obtaining high‐performance 2D nanomaterials. Rapid and inexpensive exfoliation methods of the layered materials have been proposed recently. Along with the development, high‐throughput dimensional evaluation methods for the 2D nanomaterials are required as well. A novel method of dimensional evaluation for 2D nanomaterials is evolved. That can be characterized by utilization of synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction. A bulky amount of hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) particles in solvents via wet jet milling is exfoliated and h‐BN 2D nanomaterials in plenty is obtained. Employing the resultant h‐BN 2D nanomaterials as measurement specimens, validity of the dimensional evaluation method is verified. With the powerful characterization method at hand, it is expected that optimization of various exfoliation processes will flourish in the near term. 2D nanomaterials have unique and beneficial properties. The 2D nanomaterials can be fabricated via exfoliation of inorganic crystal particles. A high‐throughput method to evaluate size and thickness of the obtained 2D nanomaterials is proposed in the manuscript. The method can be characterized by employing synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black phosphorus (BP) is a monolayer/multilayer two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial, which has recently emerged as one of the most attractive 2D nanomaterials due to its fascinating physicochemical and optoelectronical properties. Layered BP may have promising applications in biomedical fields, such as drug delivery, photodynamic/photothermal therapy and bioimaging, although its intrinsic toxicity has not been fully elucidated yet. In the present study, the cytotoxicological effects of layered BP on both cell metabolic activity and membrane integrity were investigated. Layered BPs were prepared using a modified ultrasonication-assisted solution method, and their physicochemical properties were characterized. The dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity of layered BP was assessed against L-929 fibroblasts. Our findings indicate that the cytotoxicity of BPs is proportionally dependent on their concentration and exposure time, which is affected by the oxidative stress-mediated enzyme activity reduction and membrane disruption. On the other hand, layered BPs did not exhibit significant cytotoxicity at concentrations lower than 4 μg/mL. Therefore, it is suggested that layered BPs can be effectively utilized as therapeutic delivery carriers and imaging agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]