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Ligand-free FeSn2 alloy nanoparticles were used as T2 weighted MRI contrast agents for imaging lung tumors in vivo.

Nanomaterial-mediated photocatalytic dye degradations are playing a key role in future environmental remedy applications. However, current photocatalysts are typically activated by ultraviolet (UV) and visible light, whereas near-infrared (NIR) light,...

Nanomaterial mediated phototherapies are believed to be promising candidates to overcome the bacterial drug resistance crisis. However, due to the lack of nanomaterials able to absorb long NIR light, especially in the NIR-III (1500-1850 nm) and -IV (2100-2300 nm) regimes, it was never investigated the utilization of NIR-III and NIR-IV light for in vivo treatments of cancer or bacterial infections. To this end, plasmonic metal-doped transition metal oxides (TMO) are attracting a great attention due to their tunable surface plasmon resonance absorption to the NIR region. Unique features with extendable NIR light absorption of plasmonic metal-doped transition metal oxides make their applications very attractive in several fields, but their utilization for bacterial infection treatments was not yet reported. Moreover, up-to-date bacterial eradication was limited to phototherapies in the NIR-I (700-950 nm) and NIR-II (1000-1350 nm) biological windows (BWs) and has not yet been studied in the NIR-III (1500-1870 nm) BW. To overcome these literature limitations, we engineered NIR-III (1550 nm) light activatable multifunctional plasmonic CuBi

Photo-induced electrochemical water splitting is a fascinating approach to overcome the present energy demands as well as environmental issues. To this end, near-infrared (NIR) photocatalysts stand out as promising candidates (where 53% of the solar light is NIR light) to solve the present energy crisis but the lack of NIR-activated photocatalysts has remained a great challenge for decades. Herein, for the first time, we report the synthesis of high-index faceted plasmonic Au nano-branched 12 tip nanostars, which can absorb the whole spectral region of electromagnetic radiation (UV-vis-NIR), for efficient water splitting. Moreover, the plasmonic hot spots on the Au 12 tip nanostars significantly promote the photoelectrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under NIR light (915 nm) with long-term stability. Remarkably, the Au 12 tip nanostars exhibit 250-fold enhancement of activity under 915 nm laser irradiation and 6.5-fold enhancement of activity under 532 nm laser irradiation, as compared to the Au NPs. Furthermore, the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) study confirmed that the significant photoelectrochemical (PEC) enhancement in the NIR light region could be attributed to the hot-electron injection/plasmonic hot spot mechanism upon localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) excitation. Overall, we anticipate that the present work would help to develop new NIR photoelectrocatalysts for meeting future energy demands.

Light-based theranostics have become indispensable tools in the field of cancer nanomedicine. Specifically, near infrared (NIR) light mediated imaging and therapy of deeply seated tumors using a single multi-functional nanoplatform have gained significant attention. To this end, several multi-functional nanomaterials have been utilized to tackle cancer and thereby achieve significant outcomes. The present review mainly focuses on the recent advances in the development of NIR light activatable multi-functional materials such as small molecules, quantum dots, and metallic nanostructures for the diagnosis and treatment of deeply seated tumors. The need for improved disease detection and enhanced treatment options, together with realistic considerations for clinically translatable nanomaterials will be the key driving factors for theranostic agent research in the near future. NIR-light mediated cancer imaging and therapeutic approaches offer several advantages in terms of minimal invasiveness, deeper tissue penetration, spatiotemporal resolution, and molecular specificities. Herein, we have reviewed the recent developments in NIR light responsive multi-functional nanostructures for phototheranostic applications in cancer therapy.

Ineffective site-specific delivery has seriously impeded the efficacy of nanoparticle-based drugs to a disease site. Here, we report the preparation of three different shapes (sphere, scroll, and oblate) to systematically evaluate the impact of the marginative delivery on the efficacy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided X-ray irradiation at a low dose of 1 Gy. In addition to the shape effect, the therapeutic efficacy is investigated for the first time to be strongly related to the structure effect that is associated with the chemical activity. The enhanced particle-vessel wall interaction of both the flat scroll and oblate following margination dynamics leads to greater accumulation in the lungs, resulting in superior performance over the sphere against lung tumor growth and suppression of lung metastasis. Furthermore, the impact of the structural discrepancy in nanoparticles on therapeutic efficacy is considered. The tetragonal oblate reveals that the feasibility of the charge-transfer process outperforms the orthorhombic scroll and cubic sphere to suppress tumors. Finally, surface area is also a crucial factor affecting the efficacy of X-ray treatments from the as-prepared particles.

Late diagnosis of lung cancer is one of the leading causes of higher mortality in lung cancer patients worldwide. Significant research attention has focused on the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based nano contrast agents to efficiently locate cancer tumors for surgical removal or disease diagnostics. Although contrast agents offer significant advantages, further clinical applications require improvements in biocompatibility, biosafety and efficacy.To address these challenges, we fabricated ultra-fine Iron Carbonate Nanoparticles (FeCOThe excellent biocompatibility and T2 weighted contrast abilities of FeCO

Due to the rapid growth of drug-resistant bacterial infections, there is an urgent need to develop innovative antimicrobial strategies to conquer the bacterial antibiotic resistance problems. Although a few nanomaterial-based antimicrobial strategies have been developed, the sensitized formation of cytotoxic reactive chlorine species (RCS), including chlorine gas and chlorine free radicals, by photo-activatable plasmonic nanoparticles for evading drug-resistant bacterial infections has not yet been reported. To address this challenge, herein, we report the synthesis of an unprecedented plasmonic core-shell Ag@AgCl nanocrystal through an in situ oxidation route for the photo-induced generation of highly cytotoxic RCS. We present the detailed in vitro and in vivo investigations of visible light activated Ag@AgCl nanostructure-mediated evasion of drug-resistant bacteria. In particular, the in vivo results demonstrate the complete reepithelialization of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infected wounds on skin upon phototherapeutic treatment mediated Ag@AgCl NCs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first unique example of using Ag@AgCl NCs as an external nanomedicine for photo-induced generation of RCS to mediate effective killing of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative drug resistance bacteria and healing of the subcutaneous abscesses in an in vivo mouse model.

Noninvasive treatments to treat the brain-related disorders have been paying more significant attention and it is an emerging topic. However, overcoming the blood brain barrier (BBB) is a key obstacle to most of the therapeutic drugs to enter into the brain tissue, which significantly results in lower accumulation of therapeutic drugs in the brain. Thus, administering the large quantity/doses of drugs raises more concerns of adverse side effects. Nanoparticle (NP)-mediated drug delivery systems are seen as potential means of enhancing drug transport across the BBB and to targeted brain tissue. These systems offer more accumulation of therapeutic drugs at the tumor site and prolong circulation time in the blood. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and advancements on various nanoplatforms (NF) and discusses the use of nanoparticles for successful cross of BBB to treat the brain-related disorders such as brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke.

An efficient feasible route for the one-pot synthesis of novel series of urea derivatives (2a–2j) from 2-amino-3-carbomethoxythiophene (1) via in situ isocyanate has been developed, and their corresponding anticancer activities were accomplished. The series of urea derivatives were characterized by using 1H, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopic analysis. The cytotoxic activities were evaluated against human cervical (HeLa) and human lung (NCI-H23) cancer cell lines. These studies revealed satisfactory activity for some of the compounds, which could potentially serve as lead compounds for drug discovery and development. Furthermore, molecular docking studies supported in identifying the potential binding sites between the urea derivatives and eukaryotic ribonucleotidereductase (RR). High ambiguity driven docking (HADDOCK) modelling was specifically employed to determine the model complex of RR and urea derivatives. The proposed model has provided a deep insight into the molecular level interactions of RR-urea model complexes in understanding the exact pharmacophore for designing highly potent RR inhibitors. Overall, the present work has shed light in developing a feasible and robust approach for the synthesis of novel urea derivatives of 2-amino-3-carbomethoxythiophene and identified a part of molecular structure that is responsible for a specific biological interaction leading to potential anticancer activities. We report herein, the experimental design, synthesis and characterization of a novel series of urea derivatives of 2-amino-3carbomethoxythiophene with pyrimidine amine and benzyl amine analogues as both derivatives which exhibited potential antitumor activity via one pot synthesis and subsequently studied the structure activity relationships (SAR), and anticancer activities. The docking studies identified a part of molecularstructure that is responsible for a specific biological interaction leading to the destruction of cancer cells.

Molybdenum Sulfide nanosheets (MoS2 NSs) have unique properties that allow its use in a wide range of applications. Unfortunately, a lack of green synthesis methods to achieve a high yield remains a challenge after decades. Herein we report a simple, ecofriendly, green and cost-effective approach to synthesize water soluble MoS2 NSs via probe/Tip sonication method. The sequential batch manner pathway allows us to attain a high yield of MoS2 NSs (~100%). The prepared MoS2 NSs were characterized using up-to-date surface science techniques. UV-visible-NIR spectroscopy allowed us to visualize the doublet peaks of pristine MoS2 at 610 and 680 nm concomitant with the inter-band transitions at 394 nm and 460 nm. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), the crystallites&rsquo, sizes were estimated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman Spectroscopy were performed with respect to the bulk MoS2. The energy difference between the Raman peaks revealed that our NSs are formed of 5&ndash, 6 layers. Further, we explored enzyme peroxidase mimetic properties of the synthesized MoS2 NSs. Results showed that the present MoS2 NSs offer excellent peroxidase mimicking properties. Most importantly, we observed that the optical properties and characteristics of MoS2 NSs synthesized by the current green method are similar to those of MoS2 NSs synthesized using conventional harsh methods reported in the literature. So that we strongly assume that the present method is a green alternative for the existing low yield and harsh experimental procedures to achieve water soluble MoS2 NSs in high yield. The synthesized soluble NSs are promising catalysts for the detection of toxic chemicals in the environment and/or for following enzymatic chromogenic reactions.

Conventional treatments fail to completely eradicate tumor or bacterial infections due to their inherent shortcomings. In recent years, photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as an attractive treatment modality that relies on the absorption of photothermal agents (PTAs) at a specific wavelength, thereby transforming the excitation light energy into heat. The advantages of PTT are its high efficacy, specificity, and minimal damage to normal tissues. To this end, various inorganic nanomaterials such as gold nanostructures, carbon nanostructures, and transition metal dichalcogenides have been extensively explored for PTT applications. Subsequently, the focus has shifted to the development of polymeric PTAs, owing to their unique properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, and low toxicity when compared to inorganic PTAs. Among various organic PTAs, polyaniline (PANI) is one of the best-known and earliest-reported organic PTAs. Hence, in this review, we cover the recent advances and progress of PANI-based biomaterials for PTT application in tumors and bacterial infections. The future prospects in this exciting area are also addressed.

Over the advancement of nanotechnology, a vast number of nanomaterials have been developed and successfully utilized in various applications. Specifically in biomedical applications, still it is a challenging to fabricate nanomaterials with good functional properties for acheiveing better therapeutics. To overcome the limitations of common nanomaterials, smart materials are grabbing more significant attention recently. In earlier days, these smart materials are often defined as a material which can respond in a timely manner to the surrounding environment. Thereafter, definition of smart materials has been expanded that the material that can stimuli by external factors and results a new kind of functional properties. Stimuli agents are further classified as light, temperature, electric, magnetic field, stress, pressure, pH, etc. These controlled abilities of smart materials make them particularly interesting to utilize in various applications such as controlled release of drugs, treatment of various diseases, biosensors, etc. So it is very important to know the various kind of smart nanomaterials and their unique properties under specific stimulating agents. Therefore, in the present chapter, we aim to show various classification of smart nanomaterials and its beneficial advantages in biomedical applications in the past to the future.