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Chemical additive and physical template‐free electrochemical methods to prepare carbon‐supported nanostructures of catalyst metals represent an emerging technology. Formation of the metal nano/microstructures depends not only on the electrochemical method/parameters but also on the nature of the underlying carbon material. Here, we present a comparative evolution of unevenly distributed coral‐like aggregates of nanocuboid‐shaped gold nanostructures (AuNCBs) on the oxidised form of boron, nitrogen‐doped carbon nanoonions (oxi‐B,N‐CNO) compared to evenly distributed bud‐like aggregates of cubic shaped gold nanostructures on bare glassy carbon electrode under a similar electrochemical approach. The synthesis method provided the best availability of the surface active sites, whereas the shape of the structures showed a direct influence of both outer‐sphere and inner‐sphere electron transfer reactions. The higher sensitivity of AuNCBs@oxi‐B,N‐CNO compared to individual components and bare carbon/gold electrodes toward the inner‐sphere oxidative reaction of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC) was exploited in order to develop an electrochemical assay method with sensitivity and linear dynamic range of (4.70 ± 0.25) × 10−4 C∙cm−2∙mM−1 and 0.2–2.5 mM, respectively in acetate buffer (pH 4.45). Furthermore, the sensor design was deployed in the quantitation of NAC in pharmaceutical preparations, resulting in 89%–106% recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial "Women in neuroengineering and neurotechnologies" discusses the underrepresentation of women in science, particularly in the fields of Neuroengineering and Neurotechnologies. Despite progress, biases and stereotypes still hinder women's advancement in these areas. The editorial highlights initiatives to increase visibility and promote gender equality in science. It also features research articles and opinions by women scientists, addressing topics such as decoding hand movements and visual rehabilitation for visually impaired children. Additionally, the editorial emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, equal opportunities, and diversity in STEM fields to achieve sustainable development goals. [Extracted from the article]

The biodegradability of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) in the environment and organisms needs to be understood, and it is highly essential to estimate their in vivo fate, especially for clinical applications. It is also important to investigate their metabolites formation to fully understand their biocompatibility. Herein, we explored the biodegradability of multilayer fullerenes, better known as carbon nano‐onions (CNOs), by treating them with human myeloperoxidase (hMPO) isolated from the neutrophils, plant enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and the photo‐Fenton (PF) reaction. High‐resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and mass spectrometry (MS) results confirmed that CNOs are not bio‐persistent. Moreover, these results indicate that the oxidized (functionalized) CNOs can undergo faster biodegradation than the pristine CNOs. The possible by‐products of biodegradation of CNOs were characterized using mass spectrometry. An understanding of the biodegradation properties of CNOs and their metabolites is fundamental for future biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer, responsible for approximately 10 million lives annually, urgently requires innovative treatments, as well as solutions to mitigate the limitations of traditional chemotherapy, such as long‐term adverse side effects and multidrug resistance. This review focuses on Carbon Dots (CDs), an emergent class of nanoparticles (NPs) with remarkable physicochemical and biological properties, and their burgeoning applications in bioimaging and as nanocarriers in drug delivery systems for cancer treatment. The review initiates with an overview of NPs as nanocarriers, followed by an in‐depth look into the biological barriers that could affect their distribution, from barriers to administration, to intracellular trafficking. It further explores CDs′ synthesis, including both bottom‐up and top‐down approaches, and their notable biocompatibility, supported by a selection of in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo studies. Special attention is given to CDs′ role in bioimaging, highlighting their optical properties. The discussion extends to their emerging significance as drug carriers, particularly in the delivery of doxorubicin and other anticancer agents, underscoring recent advancements and challenges in this field. Finally, we showcase examples of other promising bioapplications of CDs, emergent owing to the NPs flexible design. As research on CDs evolves, we envisage key challenges, as well as the potential of CD‐based systems in bioimaging and cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocomposite hydrogels have attracted researchers' attention in recent years to achieve superior performances in a variety of materials applications. In this work, we describe the outcome of three different strategies to combine a self-assembling tripeptide and carbon nano-onions (CNOs), through covalent and non-covalent approaches, into supramolecular and nanostructured hydrogels. Importantly, the tripeptide coated the nano-onions and extended their aqueous dispersions' stability by several hours. Furthermore, CNOs could be loaded in the tripeptide hydrogels at the highest level ever reported for nanocarbons, indicating high compatibility between the components. The materials were formed in phosphate-buffered solutions, thus paving the way for biological applications, and were characterized by several spectroscopic, microscopic, thermogravimetric, and rheological techniques. In vitro experiments demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]