Search results for "Inorganic nanoparticles"
showing 6 items of 6 documents
Gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the controlled delivery of drugs in cancer cells
2015
In recent years, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been used as effective supports for the development of controlled-release nanodevices that are able to act as multifunctional delivery platforms for the encapsulation of therapeutic agents, enhancing their bioavailability and overcoming common issues such as poor water solubility and poor stability of some drugs. In particular, redox-responsive delivery systems have attracted the attention of scientists because of the intracellular reductive environment related to a high concentration of glutathione (GSH). In this context, we describe herein the development of a GSH-responsive delivery system based on poly(ethylene glycol)- (PEG-)…
Synergy of Miniemulsion and Solvothermal Conditions for the Low-Temperature Crystallization of Magnetic Nanostructured Transition-Metal Ferrites
2017
Crystalline first-row transition-metal (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) ferrites were prepared by an unprecedented synergetic combination of miniemulsion synthesis and solvothermal route, pursuing unconventional conditions in terms of space confinement, temperature, and pressure. This synergy allowed for obtaining six different crystalline ferrites at much lower temperature (i.e., 80 °C) than usually required and without any postsynthesis thermal treatment. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that analogous ferrites synthesized by miniemulsion at ambient pressure or in bulk (i.e., from an aqueous bulk solution and not in the confined space of the miniemulsion droplets) either at ambient pressure o…
A Step into the Future: Applications of Nanoparticle Enzyme Mimics.
2018
We describe elementary concepts, up-to-date developments, and perspectives of the emerging field of nanoparticle enzyme mimics (so-called "nanozymes") at the interface of chemistry, biology, materials, and nanotechnology. The design and synthesis of functional enzyme mimics is a long-standing goal of biomimetic chemistry. Metal complexes, polymers and engineered biomolecules capturing the structure of natural enzymes or their active centers have been made to achieve high rates and enhanced selectivities. Still, the design of new "artificial enzymes" that are not related to proteins but with capacity of production and stability at industrial level, remains a goal. Inorganic nanoparticles bea…
Halloysite Nanotubes for Cleaning, Consolidation and Protection
2017
Herein, we report our recent research concerning the development of halloysite based protocols for cleaning, consolidation and protection purposes. Surface modification of halloysite cavity by anionic surfactants was explored to fabricate inorganic micelles able to solubilize hydrophobic contaminants. Hybrid dispersions based on halloysite and ecocompatible polymers were tested as consolidants for paper and waterlogged archaeological woods. Encapsulation of deacidifying and flame retardant agents within the halloysite lumen was conducted with aim to obtain nanofiller with a long-term protection ability. The results prove the suitability and versatility of halloysite nanotubes, which are per…
Solids Go Bio: Inorganic Nanoparticles as Enzyme Mimics
2016
A longstanding goal of biomimetic chemistry is the design and synthesis of functional enzyme mimics. The past three decades have seen a wide variety of materials, including metal complexes, polymers and other biomolecules, that mimic the structures and functions of naturally occurring enzymes. Among these, inorganic nanoparticles offer huge potential, because they are more stable than their natural counterparts, while having large surface areas and sizes comparable to those of natural enzymes. Therefore, a considerable number of “artificial enzymes” derived from inorganic nanomaterials have been reported. This microreview highlights the recent progress in the field of enzymatically active i…
Photoactive Hybrid Materials based on Conjugated Porous Polymers and Inorganic Nanoparticles
2021
This review explores the current state‐of‐the‐art for functional photoactive hybrids containing inorganic nanoparticles (magnetic and metal) and conjugated organic porous polymers (CPPs). Albeit new in the field, with the first hybrid material of this kind reported in 2012, those materials have gained increasing interest in applications such as sensing, heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, and lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). This review describes the two main synthetic strategies for those materials, namely, 1) using the chemical and morphological features (e.g., porosity and complexation sites) of CPPs to in situ form nanoparticles and 2) fabricating the nanoparticle for templating CPPs.…