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When exposed to different relative humidities (RHs), the optical properties of atmospheric aerosols will change because of changes in the aerosol particle size and complex refractive index (RI), which will affect haze formation and global climate change. The potential contributions of ultrafine particles to the atmospheric optical characteristics and to haze spreading cannot be ignored because of their high particle number concentrations and strong diffusibility; measurement of the optical properties of wet ultrafine particles is thus highly important for environmental assessment. Therefore, a surface plasmon resonance microscopy with azimuthal rotation illumination (SPRM-ARI) system is designed to determine the RIs of single particle aerosols with diameters of less than 100 nm in the hygroscopic growth process. Measurements are taken using mixed single particles with different mass ratios. The RIs of mixed single aerosols at different RHs are retrieved by measuring the scattering light intensity using the SPRM-ARI system and almost all the RIs of the bicomponent particles with different mass ratios decrease with increasing water content under high RH conditions. Finally, for each of the bicomponent particles, the maximum standard deviations for the retrieved RI values are only 2.06×10

Photocatalytic oxidation of toxic pollutants is a proficient technique to solve the problems associated with the treatment of bisphenol-A which is classified as 1B reprotoxic substance. In this paper, Ag2C2O4/Ag@GNS nanocomposite whereas Ag and graphene nanosheets (GNS) used as the charge carriers, which is combined through peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the removal of bisphenol-A (BiP-A) for the first time. The XRD, UV-DRS, SEM, and TEM studies were performed to confirm the phase structure and the purity. Ag2C2O4/Ag@GNS nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic performance and removal rate when compared with pure Ag2C2O4 and pure GNS. In Ag2C2O4/Ag@GNS photocatalyst, the deposited Ag on the surface of Ag2C2O4 rods effectively formed a metal and semiconductor heterostructure, thus photogenerated charge carriers were separated easily by the surface plasmon resonance effect (SPR) effect of noble Ag. Hence charge carriers lifetime has been extended to a great extent for the better photocatalytic performance. The experimental results confirmed that the O2−, OH, SO4− radicals were played major role in the photolysis process. Furthermore, the effect of the photocatalyst & PMS concentration, pH and co-existing ions towards the BiP-A degradation were studied in detail. According to the mass spectroscopy studies BiP-A pollutant was effectively deteriorated into smaller molecules and CO2, H2O. Furthermore, we have proposed the possible degradation pathway and photocatalytic mechanism for better understanding.

Silver nanoparticles are known to have antimicrobial properties. In the present paper, antibacterial activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles coated on low density poly ethylene films was evaluated against Escherichia coli as the representative organism. Silver nanoparticles were biosynthesized using banana peel extract as the reducing agent and characterized by means of UV–Visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray analyses. Formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by the Surface Plasmon Resonance spectrum with absorption maxima at 431 nm. Particles were seen to be highly polydispersed with the average size in the range of 50–390 nm. Presence of elemental silver was confirmed by the Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles showed excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli in the agar well diffusion test, with the zone of inhibition diameter measuring 19 mm. The silver nanoparticle coated low density poly ethylene film was prepared successfully and our antimicrobial studies revealed that the coated films declined the growth profile of bacteria starting from the log phase. Hence biosynthesized silver nanoparticles incorporated low density poly ethylene films can be suggested as an active packaging material for food packaging after further characterization and migration studies.

Structured RNAs bind ligands and are attractive targets for small-molecule drugs. A wide variety of analytical methods have been used to characterize RNA-ligand interactions, but our experience is that most have significant limitations in terms of material requirements and applicability to complex RNAs. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) potentially overcomes these limitations, but we find that the standard experimental framework measures notable nonspecific electrostatic-mediated interactions, frustrating analysis of weak RNA binders. SPR measurements are typically quantified relative to a non-target reference channel. Here, we show that referencing to a channel containing a non-binding control RNA enables subtraction of nonspecific binding contributions, allowing measurements of accurate and specific binding affinities. We validated this approach for small-molecule binders of two riboswitch RNAs with affinities ranging from nanomolar to millimolar, including low-molecular-mass fragment ligands. SPR implemented with reference subtraction reliably discriminates specific from nonspecific binding, uses RNA and ligand material efficiently, and enables rapid exploration of the ligand-binding landscape for RNA targets.

Self-organization facilitates the formation of specific structures as a result of constituent interactions. In this study, the bottom of a 600 nm hole array photoresist template, which was deposited with a hydrophobic atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator, was wetted by treatment with oxygen plasma. After the removal of the photoresist template, ring patterns of the ATRP initiator were formed at the interface between the hydrophobic and wetting regions. Poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) was grafted from the ring array of the initiator to immobilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a uniform ring array on a silicon substrate via repeated swelling/shrinking cycles. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak of the PDMAEMA-AuNP hybrid ring (PAHR) red-shifted after 12 swelling/shrinking cycles. In comparison to gold nanoparticles, scalable gold nanorings can effectively develop a variety of nanostructures to design LSPR-based sensors and optimize the sensing accuracy and stability. To detect epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAM) during the structural change from a ring to a disk, antiEpCAM was anchored onto the PAHR as a biosensor during swelling/shrinking. The coupling of antiEpCAM and EpCAM led to asymptotical convergence from rings to disks as well as blue shifts of the LSPR peaks. Linear correlation between the blue shift and EpCAM concentration showed a limit of detection of ∼27 pg mL

Quantitative determination and in situ monitoring of molecular chirality at extremely low concentrations is still challenging with simple optics because of the molecular-scale mismatch with the incident light wavelength. Advances in spectroscopy

Current tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detect either the constituent nucleic acids/proteins of the viral particles or antibodies specific to the virus, but cannot provide information about viral neutralization by an antibody and the efficacy of an antibody. Such information is important about individuals' vulnerability to severe symptoms or their likelihood of showing no symptoms. We immobilized online SARS-CoV-2 spike (S1) protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) into separate surface plasmon resonance (SPR) channels of a tris-nitrilotriacetic acid (tris-NTA) chip to simultaneously detect the anti-S1 antibody and viral particles in serum samples. In addition, with a high-molecular-weight-cutoff filter, we separated the neutralized viral particles from the free antibody molecules and used a sensing channel immobilized with Protein G to determine antibody-neutralized viral particles. The optimal density of probe molecules in each fluidic channel can be precisely controlled through the closure and opening of the specific ports. By utilizing the high surface density of ACE2, multiple assays can be carried out without regenerations. These three species can be determined with a short analysis time (12 min per assay) and excellent sensor-to-sensor/cycle-to-cycle reproducibility (RSD5%). When coupled with an autosampler, continuous assays can be performed in an unattended manner at a single chip for up to 6 days. Such a sensor capable of assaying serum samples containing the three species at different levels provides additional insights into the disease status and immunity of persons being tested, which should be helpful for containing the SARS-CoV-2 spread during the era of incessant viral mutations.

Plasmonic nanoparticles produce a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) under optical excitation. The LSPR of nanoparticles can shift in response to changes in the local dielectric environment and produce a color change. This color change can be observed by the naked eye due to the exceptionally large extinction coefficients (10

Microplastics represent an emerging environmental problem worldwide, raising ecological and food safety concerns. Compared to microplastics, there is growing evidence of an even higher abundance of submicro- and nanoplastics in the environment, but a reliable monitoring method for detecting these smaller-sized plastics is lacking. Herein we presented the application of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for this purpose. Particles of polystyrene (PS; 600 nm) were used as the probe analyte. Gold nanourchins (AuNU; 50 nm), i.e. urchin-shaped nanoparticles with irregular spikes around the core, were used as the SERS-active substrate. The effectiveness of SERS on PS was evaluated at a single-particle level with different numbers of AuNU in order to determine the minimum conditions required for the onset of the SERS effect. Our findings suggest that SERS of a single particle of PS can be induced by as few as 1-5 particles of AuNU, and that the use of excitation wavelength at 785 nm is appropriate to meet the red-shifted surface plasmon resonance of AuNU upon aggregation. These specifications provide additional information for the development of SERS-based tools for detecting plastic particles1 µm in food and environmental samples.

Plasmonic metal nanoparticles (e.g., Ag, Au, and Cu) constitute a class of materials that interact with light via the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Numerous studies have reported substantial enhancements in the rates of chemical reactions on illuminated plasmonic nanoparticle catalysts compared to corresponding systems in the absence of illumination. There are two mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the LSPR-induced chemical reactivity. One mechanism assumes a local plasmon-induced hot charge-carrier-mediated activation of the reactants, while the other assumes an LSPR-induced equilibrium heating of the catalyst, which leads to energy transfer to and chemical reaction of the adsorbed reactants. In this contribution, we developed a setup amenable to accurate in situ catalyst temperature and kinetic reaction rate measurements. We employed this setup to study the LSPR-induced rate enhancement in a case study of the CO oxidation reaction on plasmonic, monometallic Ag nanoparticle catalysts supported on α-Al

Most label-free techniques rely on measuring refractive index or mass change on the sensor surface. Thus, it is challenging for them to measure small molecules or enzymatic processes that only induce a minor mass change on the analyte molecules. Here, we have developed a technique by combining Surface Plasmon Resonance sensing with an Oscillating Biomolecule Layer approach (SPR-OBL) to enhance the sensitivity of traditional SPR. In addition to the inherent mass sensitivity, SPR-OBL is also sensitive to the charge and conformational change of the analyte; hence it overcomes the mass limit and is able to detect small molecules. We show that the multimetric SPR-OBL measurement allows for sensing any changes regarding mass, charge, and conformation, which expands the detection capability of SPR.

The need for self-referencing is extremely important in the field of biosensing. In this manuscript, we report on the study, design, and validation of a dual-region self-referencing fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance biosensor. One region is intended to measure and monitor the binding events of the biological sample under test, while the other one is designed to be used as a reference channel to compensate for external factors, such as bulk refractive index modifications and temperature oscillations, that can negatively affect the biomolecular interaction measurement. Two different configurations for the biosensor probe are presented and investigated here, both theoretically and experimentally. First, the theoretical performance of the proposed biosensor probes, in terms of surface plasmon resonance wavelength shift, was simulated using a numerical model. Afterward, they were experimentally validated in sucrose-water solutions and showed a response to refractive index and temperature changes with sensitivities up to 2000 nm/RIU and 1.559 nm/°C, respectively. Finally, an aptamer-based bioassay and a high-resolution melting assay were successfully implemented on the two proposed configurations, demonstrating the feasibility of analyzing the binding events and measuring other external signal modifications simultaneously using the same biosensor probe. ispartof: ACS SENSORS vol:7 issue:11 pages:3360-3368 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Phytoglycogen (PG) is a polysaccharide produced in the kernels of sweet corn as soft, highly branched, compact nanoparticles. Its tree-like or dendritic architecture, combined with a high-safety profile, makes PG nanoparticles attractive for use in biological applications, many of which rely on the association or binding of small biomolecules. We have developed a methodology to functionalize surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor surfaces with PG nanoparticles, and we demonstrate the utility of the PG-functionalized SPR sensor by measuring the binding affinity of the tetrameric concanavalin A (ConA) protein to both native PG nanoparticles and smaller, softer acid-hydrolyzed PG nanoparticles. We measure comparable values of the equilibrium association constant

The construction of open hot-spot structures that facilitate the entry of analytes is crucial for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Here, metallic niobium nitride (NbN) three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical networks with open nanocavity structure are first found to exhibit a strong visible-light localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect and extraordinary surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance. The unique nanocavity structure allows easy entry of molecules, promoting the utilization of electromagnetic hot spots. The NbN substrate has a lowest detection limit of 1.0 × 10

Chiral plasmonic nanostructures have facilitated a promising method for manipulating the polarization state of light. While a precise structural modification at the nanometer-scale-level could offer chiroptic responses at various wavelength ranges, a system that allows fast response control of a given structure has been required. In this study, we constructed uniformly arranged chiral gold helicoids with cobalt thin-film deposition that exhibited a strong chiroptic response with magnetic controllability. Tunable circular dichroism (CD) values from 0.9° to 1.5° at 550 nm wavelength were achieved by reversing the magnetic field direction. In addition, a magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) study revealed that the gap structure and size-related surface plasmon resonance induced MCD peaks. We demonstrated the transmitted color modulation, where the color dynamically changed from green-to-red, by controlling the field strength and polarizer axis. We believe current work broadens our understanding of magnetoplasmonic nanostructure and expands its potential applicability in optoelectronics or optical-communications.

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is the major component of all boney tissues in mammals. Because of this omnipresence in the living world, HAp possesses an exceptional biocompatibility. The downside of this omnipresence, however, comes in the form of its mild to moderate biological activities. One means of augmenting these activities involves the doping of HAp with foreign ions. Here, the first synthesis and characterization of HAp doped with germanium ions is being reported. Germanium was deliberately integrated into the crystal lattice of HAp in the form of germanate anions. Approximately two thirds of the germanate ions introduced into the hydrothermal solution got incorporated into the HAp lattice, yielding the approximate stoichiometry of Ca10-x(PO4)5.62+y(GeO3)0.38(OH)2-z. Germanates replaced the phosphates of stoichiometric HAp and induced the expansion of the HAp lattice both along the screw axis of the calcium ion hexagons and in the direction parallel to the basal plane. Simultaneously, the larger size and the triple valency of the germanate ion as compared to the smaller and trivalent phosphates prompted the bond distortion and charge compensation through defect formation, which reduced the crystallinity and increased the microstrain of the HAp lattice. Vibrational spectroscopic analyses corroborated these crystallographic effects by demonstrating the enhanced heterogeneity of the environments surrounding the active modes after germanate ions were incorporated into HAp. Conforming to La Châtelier's principle, this reduction of the crystallographic order increased the capacity of the material for integration of adventitious carbonates. However, the inclusion of germanate ions induced a partial shift of these carbonates to the hydroxyl channel sites, thus decreasing the ratio of the B-type carbonation to the A-type carbonation. Introduced into HAp, germanium acted as a superb regulator of the particle size and morphology, enhancing their fineness and uniformity. Inclusion of germanate ions also increased the electrophoretic mobility and hydrodynamic surface charge density of the particles by reducing their size and by inducing a more stochastic distribution of terminal ionic groups due to the bending of the crystal facets. Overall, the doping of HAp with germanate ions facilitated the production of narrowly dispersed nanorods with a moderately enhanced structural disorder and with a pronounced potential for the biomedical niche. © 2022 The Author(s)

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are highly produced in developed countries for a variety of products. Consequently, AgNPs end up being introduced in aquatic systems all over the world, and usually deposited in riverine sediments, from where they can be taken up by aquatic organisms and transferred along the food chain. The analysis of AgNPs in natural samples is not an easy task, because of their low presence and complicated reactions, which can change their speciation. The objective of this work is to help in this challenge, developing a method applicable to analyse sediment samples from any place around the world where AgNPs are suspected to be present. Firstly, four methods for the synthesis of AgNPs were investigated by Ultraviolet–visible (UV–VIS) spectroscopy and particle size analysis. The methods differed in the reducing agent used and in the concentration of the stabilising agent applied. The method including NaBH4 and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate) resulted to be more adequate as the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) band position and width indicated. This conclusion was corroborated considering the hydrodynamic diameters and polydispersity indices of the synthesised AgNPs. The Z-average hydrodynamic diameter and the UV–VIS spectrum of AgNPs synthesised using this method indicated that the AgNPs remained kinetically stable for at least 10 days. Finally, ten potential extraction solutions were investigated, in terms of maximal extraction efficiency, but minimal effects on AgNP dissolution and aggregation. The candidate solutions ranged from deionized water and salts to strong acids and bases. The intensity of the SPR band concluded that using NaOH media the synthesised AgNPs was kinetically stable. Moreover, TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) images showed that the AgNPs in NaOH retained their shape and size after 10 days. Therefore, NaOH media turned out to be the best potential extractant for the analysis of sediment samples.

The optoelectronic application of gold nanoparticles is majorly influenced by certain unique features they exhibit, like surface plasmon resonance, ready functionalization and ease of conjugation with bio-analytes etc. Production of gold nanoparticles through laser ablation is the simplest method with the advantage of obtaining high purity particles. In this work, the saturation and reverse saturation behaviour during ultrafast absorption in laser ablated gold nanoparticles is studied using the Z-scan technique. The Z-scan experiment is conducted using 800 nm, 84 MHz and 120 fs intense laser pulses at different excitation intensities from 6.23 GW/cm2 to 23.37 GW/cm2. The open aperture Z-scan measurements show distinct positive region till an excitation of 17 GW/cm2 after which there is a clear cross-over into negative trend. The strength of this negative wing increases with the excitation intensity, which is featured by the nonlinear absorption due to the two-photon and three-photon absorption contributions with their respective coefficients in the range of 10-3. The optical limiting nature of these gold nanoparticles is demonstrated. An understanding of these nonlinear optical properties provides better insight in their application towards biomedical diagnostics and optical switching and limiting.

11 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, We report on the synthesis of hyaluronan (HA) brush-like copolymers and their application as antagonists of tumorigenic CD44-HA interactions. HA (4.8 kDa, ca. 24 saccharides) was grafted on 2-hydrohyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) by end-on oxime ligation. The obtained copolymers were compared with low and high molecular weight HA in terms of hydrolysis kinetics in the presence of hyaluronidase (isothermal titration calorimetry) and interactions with CD44 (surface plasmon resonance). The results evidenced that the high molecular weight HA and HA-g-HEMA have a much higher affinity to CD44 than low molecular weight HA. Additionally, slower enzymatic degradation was observed for the copolymer, making it an excellent candidate for active targeting of tumorigenic CD44-HA interactions. We, therefore, investigated the effect of the copolymer on cancer cell lines with different expression of CD44 and observed an efficient declustering of CD44 that is usually associated with reduction of metastasis and drug resistance, The authors thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for funding (Grants. SFRH/BD/114847/2016, PTDC/QUI-POL/28117/2017, and CEECIND/00814/2017)

The capabilities to manipulate light-matter interaction at the nanoscale lie at the core of many promising photonic applications. Optical nanoantennas, made of metallic or dielectric materials, have seen a rapid development for their remarkable optical properties facilitating the coupling of electromagnetic waves with subwavelength entities. However, high-throughput and cost-effective fabrication of these nanoantennas is still a daunting challenge. In this work, we provide a versatile nanofabrication method capable of producing large scale optical nanoantennas with different shapes. It is developed from colloidal lithography with no dry etching required. Furthermore, both metallic and all-dielectric nanoantennas can be readily fabrication in a high-throughput fashion. Au and Si nanodisks were fabricated and employed to assemble heterostructures with monolayer tungsten disulfide. Strong coupling is observed in both systems between plasmon modes (Au nanodisks) or anapole modes (Si nanodisks) with excitons. We believe that this nanofabrication method could find a wide range of applications with the diverse optical nanoantennas it can engineer.

A novel electrochemical luminescence (ECL) sensing system is designed based on the catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) cascade nonmetallic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect for ultrasensitive and selective miRNA-21 detection. In the CHA cycles, much more target miRNA-21 is captured to amplify the detection signal and enhance sensitivity. Meanwhile, the specific recognition between streptavidin (SA) and biotin, together with the SPR effect of SnS

In this study, the effect of plasmon resonance on magneto-plasmonic spherical core-shell nanocomposite enclosed in a dielectric host medium is theoretically investigated by applying electrostatic approximation (esa) and Maxwell-Garnet effective medium theories to obtain magneto-optical parameters such as; effective electric permittivity and magnetic permeability as well as the corresponding extinction cross-sections. Likewise, for a fixed size of QDs (of radius nm) numerical analysis was performed to determine the plasmonic resonance effect by varying the parameters such as the metal fraction (β) and the dielectrics (εh) of the host medium on the magneto-plasmonic nanostructures (nss). The results depict that graphs of absorption, scattering, and extinction cross-sections as a function of wavelength have two positions of resonance peaks. The first set of peaks are in the ultraviolet (uv) and the second located in visible regions. These peaks originated from the strong coupling between a regular periodic vibrations of surface plasmons of silver (Ag) with the excitonic state of the dielectric/semiconductor at the internal ( ) and external (Ag/host) interfaces. As β increases, the absorption and scattering cross-sections are blue-shifted in the first peak and red shifted the second set of peaks. Similarly, as εh increases or as β decreases, the sets of resonance peaks for extinction cross-section gets enhanced; while keeping one of these parametric quantities fixed at once. The resulting surface plasmon resonance effect might be utilized in a variety of applications that combines both the plasmonic and magnetic core-shell nanostructures ranging from UV to Visible spectral regions.

Aims: The study aims to develop advanced antibacterial agents as nanoparticles instead of antibiotics due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is capable of causing many diseases, including severe bacterial pneumonia. There is a need for an efficient antibacterial agent to kill these pathogens. Objective: The objective of the study is to synthesize advanced antibacterial agents as nanoparticles for biomedical applications that can play a vital role in killing Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Method: A novel fabricated growth of hydrophilic spiky gold nanoparticles (SGNPs) via reduction method is reported. Results: The surface plasmon resonance peak of the synthesized SGNPs was tuned under the near-infrared range. The SGNPs have anisotropic and spiky morphology with 68 nm size and -58 mV surface charge. They are pure, possessing adsorption similar to the organic material. Pseudomonas aeruginosa treated with synthesized SGNPs showed 60% bacterial death at the concentration of 100 μM. Conclusion: This work consists of the novel synthesis of SGNPs via a safe and simple reduction method. The synthesized SGNPs exhibit strong antibacterial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa measured using a microplate assay test. The result showed that these SGNPs are ideal for biomedical applications.

This thesis is an investigation into the operation and optimization of a series of optical fibre surface plasmon resonance (OFSPR) based hydrogen sensors. All devices we investigate are based on a multimode optical fibre that employs a multilayer stack sensing structure coated on the core of the cladding-stripped fibre. For the first time, we investigate the use of a PdY alloy as the H2 sensitive layer in an OFSPR sensor. The alloying of Pd with Y significantly improves durability and permeability. We show that the sensor operates at a level comparable to a pure Pd sensor. We investigate the influence that the thickness of each multilayer component has on sensor performance, and demonstrate a series of optimal sensing configurations that maximize sensor performance for a range of incident light wavelengths. Next, we investigate the operation of a nanocomposite based multilayer structure consisting of Pd nanoparticles embedded in a SiO2 dielectric matrix. We investigate the influence that multilayer component thicknesses, and nanocomposite volume fraction have on performance, and compare operation to an individual multilayer based device. We investigated the operation of a dual-channel sensor by including additional channels along the fibre core. We determined the influence that the thickness of each multilayer component has on the performance of both channels, propose a specific optimal sensor, and demonstrate the operation of additional multi-channel configurations. Lastly, we demonstrate the first evidence of surface plasmon and waveguide mode resonance stimulated at equal wavelengths, using a single multilayer sensing configuration. We characterized the origin of each resonance mode. We demonstrate a drastic improvement in sensor figure of merit compared to that determined using the widely referenced optimal OFSPR sensing configuration. This improvement is attributed to the co-operation between the SPR & TE resonance modes. yes

Detecting, identifying, and characterizing molecules and structures as the substance of life are essential steps toward unveiling their role as a sole entity or more commonly as a part of a larger molecular assembly for specific biological functionalities. Next, it is of pivotal importance to translate the acquired knowledge of molecular structures and their activity to a more comprehensive understanding of the biological process, such as the biochemical foundations of diseases or metabolic disorders. The aim and ultimate outcomes of this thesis were to address these two aspects by offering new analytical strategies such as focusing on the molecular structure assessment of small molecules, including drug metabolites and potential biomarkers, and drug targets. Addressing challenges encountered in protein characterization and protein interactions studies. And lastly, taking a step forward and analyzing a dynamic chemical reaction in an online fashion by mass, tandem mass, and ion mobility spectrometry.

Optical biosensors based on plasmonic sensing schemes combine high sensitivity and selectivity with label-free detection. However, the use of bulky optical components is still hampering the possibility of obtaining miniaturized systems required for analysis in real settings. Here, a fully miniaturized optical biosensor prototype based on plasmonic detection is demonstrated, which enables fast and multiplex sensing of analytes with high- and low molecular weight (80 000 and 582 Da) as quality and safety parameters for milk: a protein (lactoferrin) and an antibiotic (streptomycin). The optical sensor is based on the smart integration of: i) miniaturized organic optoelectronic devices used as light-emitting and light-sensing elements and ii) a functionalized nanostructured plasmonic grating for highly sensitive and specific localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection. The sensor provides quantitative and linear response reaching a limit of detection of 10−4 refractive index units once it is calibrated by standard solutions. Analyte-specific and rapid (15 min long) immunoassay-based detection is demonstrated for both targets. By using a custom algorithm based on principal-component analysis, a linear dose–response curve is constructed which correlates with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 3.7 µg mL−1 for lactoferrin, thus assessing that the miniaturized optical biosensor is well-aligned with the chosen reference benchtop SPR method.

There is little data regarding the use of sedation and anesthesia for neonatal imaging, with practice patterns varying widely across institutions.To understand the current utilization of sedation and anesthesia for neonatal imaging, and review the current literature and recommendations.One thousand, two hundred twenty-six questionnaire invitations were emailed to North American physician members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology using the Survey Monkey platform. Descriptive statistical analysis of the responses was performed.The final results represented 59 institutions from 26 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces. Discrepant responses from institutions with multiple respondents (13 out of 59 institutions) were prevalent in multiple categories. Of the 80 total respondents, slightly more than half (56%) were associated with children's hospitals and 44% with the pediatric division of an adult radiology department. Most radiologists (70%) were cognizant of the neonatal sedation policies in their departments. A majority (89%) acknowledged awareness of neurotoxicity concerns in the literature and agreed with the validity of these concerns. In neonates undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 46% of respondents reported attempting feed and bundle in all patients and an additional 46% attempt on a case-by-case basis, with most (35%) using a single swaddling attempt before sedation. Sedation was most often used for neonatal interventional procedures (93%) followed by MR (85%), nuclear medicine (48%) and computed tomography (31%). More than half of respondents (63%) reported an average success rate of greater than 50% when using neonatal sedation for MR.Current practice patterns, policies and understanding of the use of sedation and anesthesia for neonatal imaging vary widely across institutions in North America, and even among radiologists from the same institution. Our survey highlights the need for improved awareness, education, and standardization at both the institutional level and the societal level. Awareness of the potential for anesthetic neurotoxicity and success of non-pharmacologic approaches to neonatal imaging is crucial, along with education of health care personnel, systematic approaches to quality control and improvement, and integration of evidence-based protocols into clinical practice.

Circularly polarized optical excitation of plasmonic nanostructures causes coherent circulating motion of their electrons, which in turn, gives rise to strong optically induced magnetization - a phenomenon known as the inverse Faraday effect (IFE). In this study we report how the IFE also significantly decreases plasmon damping. By modulating the optical polarization state incident on achiral plasmonic nanostructures from linear to circular, we observe reversible increases of reflectance by 78% as well as simultaneous increases of optical field concentration by 35.7% under 10^9 W/m^2 continuous wave (CW) optical excitation. These signatures of decreased plasmon damping were also monitored in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field (0.2 T). The combined interactions allow an estimate of the light-induced magnetization, which corresponds to an effective magnetic field of ~1.3 T during circularly polarized CW excitation (10^9 W/m^2). We rationalize the observed decreases in plasmon damping in terms of the Lorentz forces acting on the circulating electron trajectories. Our results outline strategies for actively modulating intrinsic losses in the metal, and thereby, the optical mode quality and field concentration via opto-magnetic effects encoded in the polarization state of incident light.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomena have been widely studied to detect biomolecules because of their high sensitivity and ability to determine biomolecular interactions with kinetic information. However, highly selective detection in specific concentration ranges relevant to target biomolecules is still a challenging task. Recently, we developed bioresponsive nanoscale hydrogels to selectively intensify SPR signals through multivalent protein binding (MPB) events with target biomolecules, including IL-2, where we were able to demonstrate exceptional selectivity for target biomolecules with minimal responses to nonspecific and monovalent binding events. In this work, we systematically explored the relationship between the physical properties of MPB-capable nanoscale hydrogels and their SPR response induced in the presence of the programmed cell death protein 1 antibody (PD-1Ab) as a model target biomolecule. First, we developed a synthetic protocol by controlling various reaction parameters to construct a library of nanoscale poly(

Elucidating the active components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is essential to understand the mechanisms of TCM and promote its rational use as well as TCM-derived drug development. Recent studies have shown that surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology is promising in this field. In the present study, we propose an SPR-based integrated strategy to screen and analyze the major active components of TCM. We used Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) as an example to identify the compounds that could account for its anti-inflammatory mechanism via tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1 (TNF-R1). First, RPA extraction was analyzed using an SPR-based screening system and the potential active ingredients were collected, enriched, and identified as paeoniflorin and paeonol. Next, the affinity constants of the paeoniflorin and paeonol were determined as 4.9 and 11.8 μM, respectively. Then, SPR-based competition assays and molecular docking were performed to show that the two compounds could compete with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) while binding to the subdomain 1 site of TNF-R1. Finally, in biological assays, the two compounds suppressed cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by TNF-α in the L929 cell line. These findings prove that SPR technology is a useful tool for determining the active ingredients of TCM at the molecular level and can be used in various aspects of drug development. The SPR-based integrated strategy is reliable and feasible in TCM studies and will shed light on the elucidation of the pharmacological mechanism of TCM and facilitate its modernization.

The simplification of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) detection can further promote the development of optical biosensing application in point-of-care testing. In this study, we proposed a simple light emitting diode (LED) based single-wavelength LSPR sensor modulated with bio-electron transfers for the detection of electroactive biomolecules. Indium tin oxide electrode loaded with nanocomposites of polyaniline coated gold nanorod was used as LSPR chip, and the applied electric potential was scanned at the LSPR chip for single-wavelength LSPR biosensing. Under the scanning of applied potentials, biological electron transfer of redox reaction was employed to demonstrate the bioelectronic modulation of single-wavelength LSPR for selective electroactive biomolecule detection. Without any additional recognition material, electroactive biomolecules uric acid and dopamine were detected directly with a sensitivity of 5.05 μmol/L and 7.11 μmol/L at their specific oxidation potentials, respectively. With the simplified optical configuration and selective bioelectronic modulation, the single-wavelength LSPR sensor is promising for the development of simple, low-cost, and high specificity optical biosensor for point-of-care testing of electroactive biomolecules.

To sensitively detect the electrode surface roughness change in the initial process of the lithium electrodeposition/dissolution processes in ionic liquids (ILs), electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (ESPR) measurements were performed in an in situ manner on a gold electrode in a glyme-Li salt solvate IL, tetraglyme/lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide ([Li(G4)⁺][FSA⁻]), and an IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide ([C₄mim⁺][FSA⁻]), containing 100 mM Li⁺[FSA⁻]. The SPR angle shifts (Δθ[SPR]) were tracked simultaneously with the repetitively recorded cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of the Li underpotential deposition (UPD)/underpotential stripping (UPS). Δθ[SPR] increased/decreased in the UPD/UPS processes, sensitively responding to the refractive index change at the IL/electrode interface. The time derivative Δθ[SPR] curves basically reproduced CVs but were significantly less influenced by residual current, indicating that ESPR was an effective in situ method to track the Li UPD/UPS processes. In [Li(G4)⁺][FSA⁻], the shift in Δθ[SPR]per deposited Li amount did not change as the CV scan was repeated, indicating no change in surface roughness. In contrast, in [C₄mim⁺][FSA⁻], the same parameter increased with an increase in the scan number, reflecting the increase in surface roughness as confirmed by Fresnel reflectivity simulations. The comparison of ESPR results with the simulations suggests that for both ILs, the surface of the deposited Li layer was smoothened during the period after the Li UPD and before the Li UPS in CVs.

In this study, a high-performance fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (FO-SPR) sensor using a dome array with nanogaps (DANG) is proposed for label-free real-time detection of biomolecules. A novel and simple method using polymer beads enables high sensitivity by allowing hotspots with nanometer spacing between the Au dome and the surrounding film. The nanodome structure, which comprises a polymer core and a Au shell, induces a localized surface plasmon, expands the sensing area, and extensively enhances the electromagnetic field. The refractive index sensitivity of the FO-SPR sensor with nanostructures, i.e., with nanogaps and nanodomes, was found to be 7.8 times higher than that of the FO-SPR sensor without nanostructures. The proposed sensor achieved a low detection limit of 38 fg/mL while quantifying thyroglobulin antibody-antigen interactions and exhibited excellent selectivity. In addition, it helped detect serum samples with a 103% recovery rate.

Thrombus treatment faces great challenges because of the difficulties in the early diagnosis and prevention, and targeted thrombolytic therapy. As a result, there is an urgent need to explore unique strategies to achieve the multiple targets of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention (DTP) by integrating them into one nanosystem. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a classical type of inorganic nanomaterials with gold, is emergingly found effective in all stages of thrombus therapy due to the superiority of good optical properties, surface plasmon resonance, and biocompatibility. In this review, we focused on the multifunctional roles of AuNPs including visual diagnosis through optical imaging and biomarkers, thrombolytic therapy by photothermal effect and targeting delivery, and prevention of thrombosis in blood vessels and re-embolism of artificial im-plants. Especially, the application prospects of AuNPs and the optimization strategies of their nanocomposites are highlighted and discussed. It is anticipated to provide insight on the development of a more potential integrated platform for precise thrombus therapy.

In this perspective, we have highlighted the current literature and explained the synthesis, structure, morphology, modification strategies, and photocatalytic applications of emerging BiPO4-based photocatalysts. Since BiPO4 is a large bandgap photocatalyst, it uses UV light for the excitation of electrons, and also, the recombination of charge carriers is an issue in BiPO4. Various novel modification strategies of BiPO4 photocatalysts viz. defect modifications, heterojunction formation, phase-junctions, surface plasmon resonance, Schottky junction have been successfully proposed and highlighted. These modifications enhance the light absorption and inhibit the recombination of charge carriers BiPO4 photocatalyst. Finally, future aspects for further research on BiPO4-based photocatalysts are also explored. It expects that BiPO4-based photocatalysts represent a promising strategy for developing practical photocatalysts for energy and environmental remediation applications.

For better use of solar energy, the development of efficient broadband photocatalyst has attracted extraordinary attention. In this study, a ternary composite consisting of Sr2LaF7:Yb3+,Er3+ upconversion (UC) nanocrystals and Bi nanoparticles loaded BiOBr nanosheets with oxygen vacancies (OVs, SLFBB) was designed and synthesized by multistep solvent-thermal method. Mechanisms of in-situ formation of Bi nanoparticles and OVs in BiOBr/Sr2LaF7:Yb3+,Er3+ composites (SFLB) are clarified. The Bi metal and OVs enhanced the light-harvesting capacity in the region of visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR), and promoted the separation of electron–hole (e−/h+) pairs. Furthermore, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Bi metal can improve the energy transfer from Sr2LaF7:Yb3+,Er3+ to BiOBr via nonradiative energy transfer process, resulting in enhancing the light utilization from upconverting NIR into Vis light. Due to the synergistic effects of UC function, SPR and OVs, the SFLBB exhibited obviously enhanced photocatalytic ability for the degradation of BPA with a rate of 8.9 × 10−3 min−1, which is about 2.78 times higher than 3.2 × 10−3 min−1 of BiOBr (BOB) under UV–Vis-NIR light irradiation. This work provides a novel strategy for the project of high-efficiency Bismuth-based broadband photocatalysts, which is helpful to further understand the mechanism of enhanced photocatalysis by UC function and plasmonic effect.

Gold nanorods (AuNRs), as relatively common materials used in biomedical areas, have been synthesized by means of many methods. However, the conventional seed-mediated method is limited by complex operations and low yield. Besides, for further applications of AuNRs, well monodispersed AuNRs and tunable longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) remain to be improved. Herein, we report a one-pot method for synthesizing AuNRs without seeding agents. In this method, we use phenols as reducing agents and hydrochloric acid and nitric acid are used to regulate the pH of the growth solution. AuNRs with the longest LSPR peak position reaching 1340 nm are prepared. Furthermore, by systematically optimizing concentrations of the reagents involved in the growth solution, different aspect ratios of AuNRs are synthesized. The facile synthesis, controllability aspect ratio, and long LSPR peak make our method promising for wider applications of AuNRs.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is an interfacial phenomenon, and the plasmonic sensors are based on the optical excitation of the collective oscillations of free electrons at a metal-dielectric interface. Here, we present the new development of an incoherent broadband (IBB)-SPR probe combining the wavelength interrogation technique with polarization-multiplexing (PM). The performance characteristics of the so-called PMIBB-SPR strategy was validated for the detection of nonenzymatic aqueous urea samples as a representative example for plasmonic sensing with an excellent wavelength and phase sensitivities of 0.1363 nm/mM and 10.34597 mM/deg, respectively. We further explored the missing link between plasmonic polariton resonance (PPR) and polarization modulation via the measurements of the Stokes parameters of the reflected light. This deepens our understanding of the fundamentals of polarization-multiplexed SPR phenomenon at the interface. This study thus paves the way to develop a new-generation analytical technique with the aim of tracking various real-time chemical and biological molecular interactions occurring at the interfaces.

Biologically inspired synthesis of nanoparticles was found to be more attractive in metal nanoparticle synthesis. The present study reported an in-situ biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Solanum trilobatum aqueous leaf extract. On this basis, the aqueous leaf extract of S. trilobatum acted as a reducing agent and stabilizing agent to synthesize highly stable AgNPs at ambient temperature. Eventually, the synthesized and stabilized AgNPs surface plasmon resonance was near 430 nm through a UV–visible (UV–vis) spectrophotometer. Here, the stability of the silver colloids monitored through zeta potential and mean particle size was evaluated through diffraction light scattering (DLF). Further, the average particle size was found to be 27.6 nm and spherical, confirmed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, colloidal AgNPs and aqueous extract are found to be rich sources of antioxidants and exhibit higher free radical scavenging ability. Thus, efficient inhibition with COX1 and COX2 enzymes and the protective effect with human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stability showed significant results. These features, suggesting the possibility of the AgNPs useful to disease-modifying for treating inflammatory disorders and associated complications.

The present work exhibits a novel design of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor, which comprises CaF2 prism, TiO2, metal (Ag/Au), PtSe2, 2D materials (graphene/ transition metal dichalcogenides (MoS2/WS2)) and sensing medium, for point-of-care detection of various stages of malaria diseases. The transfer matrix method (TMM) is employed to examine the angular reflectivity of the proposed structure after judiciously optimizing the layer thicknesses and layer numbers. Phase interrogation technique is utilised to validate the position of occurrence of resonance angles. Additionally, the proposed SPR structure is designed using COMSOL Multiphysics, to assay the electric field intensity and electric field enhancement factor near the edge of 2D material-sensing layer interface. Simulation upshots revealed that the use of new class of 2D materials catapult the sensor performance to a new height compared to the traditional SPR configuration. A maximum sensitivity of 240.10°/RIU, quality factor of 78.46 RIU-1 and detection accuracy of 1.99 is attained for Ag-based SPR configuration with bilayer of WS2. Sensing parameters are compared with previously reported works to prove the superiority of the present research. Moreover, the real-time and label-free detection of malaria diseases makes the suggested sensor worth to fabricate as a SPR chip with the recent nanofabrication technologies.

Nanoparticles or drug carriers which can selectively bind to cells expressing receptors above a certain threshold surface density are very promising for targeting cells overexpressing specific receptors under pathological conditions. Simulations and theoretical studies have suggested that such selectivity can be enhanced by functionalizing nanoparticles with a bimodal polymer monolayer (BM) containing shorter ligated chains and longer inert protective chains. However, a systematic study of the effect of these parameters under tightly controlled conditions is still missing. Here, we develop well-defined and highly specific platforms mimicking particle–cell interface using surface chemistry to provide a experimental proof of such selectivity. Using surface plasmon resonance and atomic force microscopy, we report the selective adsorption of BM-functionalized nanoparticles, and especially, a significant enhanced selective behavior by using a BM with longer protective chains. Furthermore, a model is also developed to describe the repulsive contribution of the protective brush to nanoparticle adsorption. This model is combined with super-selectivity theory to support experimental findings and shows that the observed selectivity is due to the steric energy barrier which requires a high number of ligand–receptor bonds to allow nanoparticle adsorption. Finally, the results show how the relative length and molar ratio of two chains can be tuned to target a threshold surface density of receptors and thus lay the foundation for the rational design of BM-functionalized nanoparticles for selective targeting.

Surface plasmon resonance is a very well-established surface sensitive technique for label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions, generating thousands of publications each year. An inconvenient effect that complicates interpretation of SPR results is the "bulk response" from molecules in solution, which generate signals without really binding to the surface. Here we present a physical model for determining the bulk response contribution and verify its accuracy. Our method does not require a reference channel or a separate surface region. We show that proper subtraction of the bulk response reveals an interaction between poly(ethylene glycol) brushes and the protein lysozyme at physiological conditions. Importantly, we also show that the bulk response correction method implemented in commercial instruments is not generally accurate. Using our method, the equilibrium affinity between polymer and protein is determined to be

Hexagonal cesium tungsten bronze (CsxWO3) nanocrystals have attracted great attention in the field of energy-efficient windows, which exhibit the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect and small polaron transfer in near-infrared radiation (NIR). The enhancement of the LSPR effect can be achieved by introducing aliovalent dopant into the crystal lattice, but the improvement of small polaron transfer remains a challenge. Herein, CsxWO3 nanocrystals with oxygen defects were successfully prepared by a facile one-pot method. The introduction of oleylamine in the precursor can induce the formation of oxygen defects in the crystal lattice, which leads to a higher absorption coefficient. The spectrally selective coating prepared by CsxWO3 nanocrystals with oxygen defects exhibited superior spectral selectivity with TVis, TNIR, Tlum, and Tsol of 67.11%, 11.21%, 72.59% and 49.12%, respectively.

The semiconductor-based photocatalysts with local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect can extend light response to near-infrared region (NIR), as well as promote charge-carriers transfer, which provide a novel insight into designing light-driven photocatalyst with excellent photocatalytic performance. Here, we designed cost-effective wide-spectrum Zn2In2S5/W18O49 composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance based on a dual-channel charge transfer pathway. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Z-scheme heterostructure and unique LSPR effect, the interfacial charge-carriers transfer rate and light-absorbing ability of Zn2In2S5/W18O49 were enhanced significantly under visible and NIR (vis-NIR) light irradiation. More reactive oxygen species (ROS) were formed by efficient molecular oxygen activation, which were the critical factors for both Escherichia coli (E. coli) photoinactivation and tetracycline (TC) photodegradation. The enhancement of molecular oxygen activation (MOA) ability was verified via quantitative analyses, which evaluated the amount of ROS through degrading nitrotetrazolium blue chloride (NBT) and p-phthalic acid (TA). By combining theoretical calculations with diverse experimental results, we proposed a credible photocatalytic reaction mechanism for antibiotic degradation and bacteria inactivation. This study develops a new insight into constructing promising photocatalysts with efficient photocatalytic activity in practical wastewater treatment.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are promising drug and gene carriers. Upon intravenous administration, LNPs' experience different degree of cellular uptake depending on their formulation. Currently, in vitro and in vivo studies are the gold standard for assessing the fate of nano carriers once administered, but they are time consuming and expensive. In this work, we propose a time and cost-effective method to screen a wide range of LNP formulations and select the most promising candidates for in vitro and in vivo studies. Two different approaches were explored to investigate the binding affinity between LNPs and serum proteins using sensor functionalisation with either protein specific antibody or PEG specific antibody. The first approach allowed to identify the presence of a specific protein in the protein corona of lipid particles (reconstituted and native high-density lipoproteins (rHDL and HDL), and low-density lipoproteins LDL); while the second one provided a versatile platform for the immobilisation of pegylated-particles in order to follow the interaction with serum proteins and hence predict the composition of LNP protein corona. Sensing was done using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) but the approach is extendable to other surface sensing techniques such as Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) or ellipsometry.

The ability of plasmonic nanostructures to efficiently harvest light energy and generate energetic hot carriers makes them promising materials for utilization in photocatalytic water spitting. Apart from the traditional Au and Ag based plasmonic photocatalysts, more recently the noble–metal–free alternative plasmonic materials have attracted ever–increasing interest. Here we report the first use of plasmonic zirconium nitride (ZrN) nanoparticles as a promising photocatalyst for water splitting. Highly crystalline ZrN nanoparticles with sizes dominating at 30–50 nm were synthesized that exhibit intense visible and near–infrared absorption due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Without utilizing any noble metal cocatalysts such as Pt, the plasmonic ZrN nanoparticles alone showed stable photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution in aqueous solution with methanol as sacrificial electron donor. The addition of a cobalt oxide (CoOx) cocatalyst can facilitate the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and further improve the photocatalytic activity. The optimized CoOx modified ZrN photocatalyst was observed not only to activate the O2 evolution reaction with presence of electron acceptor, but also to drive overall water splitting for the simultaneous H2 and O2 evolution in the absence of any sacrificial agents.

A plasmonic Cu6Sn5/polyaniline (Cu6Sn5/PANI) nanocomposite was synthesized by chemical reduction and hydrothermal methods. The best photocatalytic overall water splitting performance was achieved by the Cu6Sn5/PANI3wt% composite, which contains 3 wt% PANI, which is approximately three times more than that of pure Cu6Sn5. Meanwhile, Cu6Sn5/PANI3wt% exhibited excellent photocatalytic stability for water splitting during the stability investigation. The dramatic promotion of the photocatalytic activity performance can be ascribed to the cocatalyst PANI. The existence of PANI can remarkably promote the separation and transfer efficiency of the photoinduced electron-hole pairs, and therefore enhance the photocatalytic activity. Our results also verify that the photogenerated charge comes from plasmonic Cu6Sn5 with the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, which is different from traditional semiconductor-based photocatalysts. This work sheds some light on plasmonic photocatalyst development and provides an alternative pathway for photocatalytic reactions.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) enhanced photocatalysis has fascinated much interest and considerable efforts have been devoted toward the development of plasmonic photocatalysts. In the past decades, noble metal nanoparticles (Au and Ag) with LSPR feature have found wide applications in solar energy conversion. Numerous metal-based photocatalysts have been proposed including metal/semiconductor heterostructures and plasmonic bimetallic or multimetallic nanostructures. However, high cost and scarce reserve of noble metals largely limit their further practical use, which drives the focus gradually shift to low-cost and abundant nonmetallic nanostructures. Recently, various heavily doped semiconductors (such as WO3-x, MoO3-x, Cu2–xS, TiN) have emerged as potential alternatives to costly noble metals for efficient photocatalysis due to their strong LSPR property in visible-near infrared region. This review starts with a brief introduction to LSPR property and LSPR-enhanced photocatalysis, the following highlights recent advances of plasmonic photocatalysts from noble metal to semiconductor-based plasmonic nanostructures. Their synthesis methods and promising applicability in plasmon-driven photocatalytic reactions such as water splitting, CO2 reduction and pollution decomposition are also summarized in details. This review is expected to give guidelines for exploring more efficient plasmonic systems and provide a perspective on development of plasmonic photocatalysis.

Alphaviruses are continuously re-emerging and pose a global threat to human health and currently no antiviral drug is commercially available for alphaviral infections. Alphavirus non-structural protein nsP4, which possesses RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity, is a potential antiviral target. To date, no antiviral drug is commercially available against alphaviruses. Since RdRp is the key virus-specific enzyme involved in viral genome replication, this study identifies and validates the antiviral efficacy of small molecules targeting alphavirus RdRp. Purified nsP4 was characterized using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay, and the binding affinities of divalent metal ions, ribonucleotides, and in vitro transcribed viral RNA oligonucleotides were obtained in the micromolar (μm) range. Further, four potential inhibitors, piperine (PIP), 2-thiouridine (2TU), pyrazinamide (PZA), and chlorogenic acid (CGA), were identified against nsP4 RdRp using a molecular docking approach. The SPR assay validated the binding of PIP, 2TU, PZA, and CGA to purified nsP4 RdRp with K