Search

X-ray-based analytics are routinely applied in many fields, including physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. The full potential of such techniques in the life sciences and medicine, however, has not yet been fully exploited. We highlight current and upcoming advances in this direction. We describe different X-ray-based methodologies (including those performed at synchrotron light sources and X-ray free-electron lasers) and their potentials for application to investigate the nano-bio interface. The discussion is predominantly guided by asking how such methods could better help to understand and to improve nanoparticle-based drug delivery, though the concepts also apply to nano-bio interactions in general. We discuss current limitations and how they might be overcome, particularly for future use in vivo.

The design and use of materials in the nanoscale size range for addressing medical and health-related issues continues to receive increasing interest. Research in nanomedicine spans a multitude of areas, including drug delivery, vaccine development, antibacterial, diagnosis and imaging tools, wearable devices, implants, high-throughput screening platforms, etc. using biological, nonbiological, biomimetic, or hybrid materials. Many of these developments are starting to be translated into viable clinical products. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in nanomedicine and highlight the current challenges and upcoming opportunities for the field and translation to the clinic.

The rise of two-dimensional (2D) materials research took place following the isolation of graphene in 2004. These new 2D materials include transition metal dichalcogenides, mono-elemental 2D sheets, and several carbide- and nitride-based materials. The number of publications related to these emerging materials has been drastically increasing over the last five years. Thus, through this comprehensive review, we aim to discuss the most recent groundbreaking discoveries as well as emerging opportunities and remaining challenges. This review starts out by delving into the improved methods of producing these new 2D materials via controlled exfoliation, metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and wet chemical means. We look into recent studies of doping as well as the optical properties of 2D materials and their heterostructures. Recent advances towards applications of these materials in 2D electronics are also reviewed, and include the tunnel MOSFET and ways to reduce the contact resistance for fabricating high-quality devices. Finally, several unique and innovative applications recently explored are discussed as well as perspectives of this exciting and fast moving field.

Abstract: A solution precursor route has been used to synthesize a series of nanocrystalline rare-earth borates. Amorphous precursor powders are precipitated during an aqueous reaction between RE 3+ and NaBH4, and the isolated powders can be annealed in air at 700°C to form YBO3, NdBO3, SmBO3, EuBO3, GdBO3, and HoBO3. YBO3:Eu formed using this strategy shows red-orange emission properties that are similar to high-quality nanocrystals prepared by other methods. The materials have been characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, powder XRD, SEM, DSC, UV–Vis fluorimetry, and TEM with EDS and element mapping. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of adding Pt to a Pd/SiO2 catalyst for the direct formation of H2O2 in ethanol that contains H2SO4 and halide ions (Cl− or Br−) has been investigated. The addition of only 5atom% Pt to a catalyst that contained 0.5wt.% Pd resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in the rate of peroxide formation with only a small decrease in selectivity. The addition of substantially more Pt caused a decrease in the selectivity; whereas, the peroxide formation rate depended on the amount of Pt, as well as the type and amount of the halide. The Pt had no significant effect on the particle size distribution of the supported bimetallic catalysts. The positive role of Pt on the rate of H2O2 formation can be understood in terms of an electronic modification through which Pt partially reverses the negative influence that the halides have on hydrogen activation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Europium titanate, EuTiO3, is a paraelectric/antiferromagnetic cubic perovskite with T N=5.5K. It is predicted that compressive strain could induce simultaneous ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism in this material, leading to multiferroic behavior. As an alternative to epitaxial strain, we explored lattice contraction via chemical substitution of Eu2+ with the smaller Ca2+ cation as a mechanism to tune the magnetic properties of EuTiO3. A modified sol–gel process was used to form homogeneously mixed precursors containing Eu3+, Ca2+, and Ti4+, and reductive annealing was used to transform these precursors into crystalline powders of Eu1− x Ca x TiO3 with x=0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.80, and 1.00. Powder XRD data indicated that a continuous Eu1− x Ca x TiO3 solid solution was readily accessible, and the lattice constants agreed well with those predicted by Vegard''s law. SEM imaging and EDS element mapping indicated a homogeneous distribution of Eu, Ca, and Ti throughout the polycrystalline sample, and the actual Eu:Ca ratio agreed well with the nominal stoichiometry. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility vs. temperature indicated antiferromagnetic ordering in samples with x≤0.60, with T N decreasing from 5.4K in EuTiO3 to 2.6K in Eu0.40Ca0.60TiO3. No antiferromagnetic ordering above 1.8K was detected in samples with x>0.60. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Partial cation exchange reactions provide a synthetic pathway for rationally constructing heterostructured nanoparticles that incorporate different materials at precise locations. Multiple sequential partial cation exchange reactions can produce libraries of exceptionally complex heterostructured nanoparticles, but the first partial exchange reaction is responsible for defining the intraparticle frameworks that persist throughout and help to direct subsequent exchanges. Here, we studied the partial cation exchange behavior of spherical nanoparticles of roxbyite copper sulfide, Cu 1.8 S, with substoichiometric amounts of Zn 2+ . We observed the formation of ZnS-Cu 1.8 S-ZnS sandwich spheres, which are already well known in this system, as well as ZnS-Cu 1.8 S Janus spheres and Cu 1.8 S-ZnS-Cu 1.8 S central band spheres, which have not been observed previously as significant subpopulations of samples. Aliquots taken during the formation of the heterostructured nanoparticles suggest that substoichiometric amounts of Zn 2+ limit the number of sites per particle where exchange initiates and/or propagates, thereby helping to define intraparticle frameworks that are different from those observed using excess amounts of exchanging cations. We applied these insights from mixed-population samples to the higher-yield synthesis of ZnS-Cu 1.8 S Janus spheres, as well as the higher-order derivatives ZnS-(CdS-Cu 1.8 S), ZnS-(CdS-ZnS), and ZnS-(CdS-CoS), which have unique features relative to previously reported analogues. These results demonstrate how the diversity of intraparticle frameworks in spherical nanoparticles can be expanded to produce a broader range of downstream heterostructured products., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)