Search results for "nanoparticle"
showing 10 items of 2198 documents
Toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Lumbriculus variegatus is a function of dissolved silver and promoted by low sediment pH
2018
Toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to benthic organisms is a major concern. The use of AgNPs in industry and consumer products leads to increasing release of AgNPs into the aquatic environment—sediments being the major sink. Effects of sediment pH on the toxicity of AgNPs to benthic oligochaeta Lumbriculus variegatus were studied in a 23‐d toxicity test. Artificially prepared sediments (pH 5 and 7) were spiked with varying concentrations of uncoated AgNP, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)‐coated AgNP, and silver nitrate (AgNO3) as dissolved Ag reference. Number of individuals and biomass change were used as endpoints for the toxicity. The toxic effects were related to the bioaccessible conce…
New hydroxyapatite- and selenium-based nanoformulations as potential antimicrobial tools for orthopedic implants
Contribution of Molecular Structure to Self-Assembling and Biological Properties of Bifunctional Lipid-Like 4-(
2019
The design of nanoparticle delivery materials possessing biological activities is an attractive strategy for the development of various therapies. In this study, 11 cationic amphiphilic 4-(N-alkylpyridinium)-1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) derivatives differing in alkyl chain length and propargyl moiety/ties number and position were selected for the study of their self-assembling properties, evaluation of their cytotoxicity in vitro and toxicity on microorganisms, and the characterisation of their interaction with phospholipids. These lipid-like 1,4-DHPs have been earlier proposed as promising nanocarriers for DNA delivery. We have revealed that the mean diameter of freshly prepared nanoparti…
Polymeric nanoparticles for siRNA delivery: Production and applications
2017
Gene therapy through the use of siRNA and a polymeric carrier are becoming an efficient therapeutic option to conventional pharmaceutical formulations for the treatment of deadly diseases, such as cancer, pulmonary, ocular and neurodegenerative diseases. However, several considerations regarding the stability, formulation, and efficacy have to be faced up until these systems could be considered to be a marketable pharmaceutical products for to extend siRNA application to clinical practice. This review is focused on the key challenges of siRNA therapeutics, with special attention on the faced obstacles and on the formulation-related difficulties, providing a list of requirements needed for o…
Cationic solid lipid nanoparticles complexed with genetic material for liver tumor treatment
2015
Concept Gene therapy is a growing field of medicine with great potential for the treatment of several diseases and it is based on the delivery of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, etc.,) to specific cells. To achieve their therapeutic effects, the nucleic acids need to cross several biological barriers and be protected from the degradation by nucleases, present in biological fluids and intracellular compartments, to successfully gain access to their intracellular targets. To overcome these hurdles, it is necessary to deliver the genetic material with biocompatible carriers able to facilitate its translocation across the cell membranes and protect it from being degraded while circulating in the blood…
Structural properties of core and surface of silica nanoparticles investigated by Raman spectroscopy
2013
We studied the experimental Raman spectra of various commercial silica nanoparticles of average diameter from 7 to 40 nm and specific surface from 50 to 380 m^2/g. We found that the peculiarities of the particles Raman spectra systematically depend on their specific surface. In detail, the peak position of the R band at about 440 cm ^-1 shifts towards high wavenumbers following an almost linear dependence on the specific surface. Similarly, the amplitudes of the D1 and D2 bands, at about 495 and 605 cm ^-1, respectively, increase linearly with the same quantity. Our results are interpreted in the frame of the shell model for the nanoparticles clarifying that the network of the core of the n…
Thioflavin-T doped silica nanoparticles by basic-catalyzed sol-gel synthesis
2014
We developed a basic-catalyzed sol-gel procedure that allows to synthesize silica nanoparticles functionalized with Thioflavin-T (ThT). During the synthesis, the formation of the doped silica nanoparticles was monitored by absorbance spectra indicating that the catalyst does not cause the total hydroxylation of the dye. Fluorescence measurements carried out on the ThT doped silica nanoparticles proved the attachment of ThT on silica and Raman spectroscopy provided information about the dye structure.
Visible luminescence of nanosilica: slow and fast contributions
2010
Luminescence properties induced by sintering of silica nanoparticles
2014
The effect of sintering on the optical properties of silica nanoparticles, a mean diameter of ~14 nm, are investigated by absorption and luminescence experiments. The sintering is induced by a thermal treatment of 1000 °C for 272 hours; after that the sample is transparent, and emits a bright luminescence under UV excitation. Time resolved photoluminescence spectra excited by a tunable laser source allows to evidence four bands around 2.0 eV, 2.4 eV, 2.7 eV and 3.4 eV, peculiar to defects induced by the sintering.