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Amylase is an enzyme used to hydrolyze starch in order to obtain different products that are mainly used in the food industry. The results reported in this article refer to the immobilization of α-amylase in gellan hydrogel particles ionically cross-linked with Mg2+ ions. The obtained hydrogel particles were characterized physicochemically and morphologically. Their enzymatic activity was tested using starch as a substrate in several hydrolytic cycles. The results showed that the properties of the particles are influenced by the degree of cross-linking and the amount of immobilized α-amylase enzyme. The temperature and pH at which the immobilized enzyme activity is maximum were T = 60 °C and pH = 5.6. The enzymatic activity and affinity of the enzyme to the substrate depend on the particle type, and this decreases for particles with a higher cross-linking degree owing to the slow diffusion of the enzyme molecules inside the polymer’s network. By immobilization, α-amylase is protected from environmental factors, and the obtained particles can be quickly recovered from the hydrolysis medium, thus being able to be reused in repeated hydrolytic cycles (at least 11 cycles) without a substantial decrease in enzymatic activity. Moreover, α-amylase immobilized in gellan particles can be reactivated via treatment with a more acidic medium.

Background: Theranostics, a novel concept in medicine, is based on the use of an agent for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. Nanomaterials provide promising novel approaches to theranostics. Carbon Dots have been shown to exhibit anti-tumoral properties in various cancer models. The aim of the present study is to develop gadolinium, Fe3+, and Mn2+-doped N-hydroxyphthalimide-derived Carbon Dots. The resulted doped Carbon Dots should preserve the anti-tumoral properties while gaining magnetic resonance imaging properties. Methods: Normal and cancer cell lines have been treated with doped Carbon Dots, and the cell viability has been measured. The doped Carbon Dots that exhibited the most prominent anti-tumoral effect accompanied by the lowest toxicity have been further in vivo tested. Magnetic resonance imaging evaluates both in vitro and in vivo the possibility of using doped Carbon Dots as a contrast agent. Results: According to the results obtained from both the in vitro and in vivo experimental models used in our study, Mn2+-doped Carbon Dots (Mn-CDs-NHF) exhibit anti-tumoral properties, do not significantly impair the cell viability of normal cells, and reduce lung metastasis and the volume of mammary primary tumors while allowing magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions: Our findings prove that Mn-CDs-NHF can be used as theranostics agents in pre-clinical models.

In this study a new approach for aerogel preparation is presented, along with the screening of obtained aerogel towards air decontamination potential. The synthesis method allows the tuning of the porosity degree of the aerogel by changing the amount of the solvent (water), which dictates the physical appearance of the obtained aerogel (compacted or expanded). Experiments have been carried out under dynamic conditions, by using isobutylene (ISB) as model pollutant and activated carbon as a reference sorbent. At low contaminant loading, the obtained aerogels exhibit comparable performance with that observed for activated carbon, otherwise the activated carbon presents the highest performance at higher loadings. The physical appearance of the aerogel appears to influence the ISB removal performance. Influence of gas flowrate and ISB concentration on the performance response is depicted. The obtained results reveal new perspectives in developing and using aerogels (ultralight materials) for the removal of air contaminants in special applications such as those related to gas safety (for example, the gas masks that should assure not only quality, but also comfort).

This paper investigates, through computational methods, the spectral properties of (2-hydroxy ethyl) methacrylate used as ligand in a luminescent complex based on europium, aiming to show that the absorption spectra is determined by the ligand type and the emission spectra is specific for each lanthanide.

Metastatic breast cancer dominates the female cancer-related mortality. Tumour-associated molecules represents a crucial for early disease detection and identification of novel therapeutic targets. Nanomaterial technologies provide promising novel approaches to disease diagnostics and therapeutics. In the present study we extend the investigations of antitumoral properties of Carbon Dots prepared from N-hydroxyphthalimide (CD-NHF) precursor. We evaluate the effect of CD-NHF on tumour cell migration and invasion in vitro and their impact on tumour progression using an in vivo model. Furthermore, we investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in CD-NHF antitumour effects. In vivo mammary tumours were induced in Balb/c female mice by injecting 4T1 cells into the mammary fat pad. Conditional treatment with CD-NHF significantly impair both migration and invasion of metastatic breast cancer cells. The presence of CD-NHF within the 3D cell cultures strongly inhibited the malignant phenotype of MDA-MB-231, 4T1 and MCF-7 cells in 3D culture, resulting in culture colonies lacking invasive projections and reduction of mammospheres formation. Importantly, breast tumour growth and metastasis dissemination was significantly reduced upon CD-NHF treatments in a syngeneic mouse model and is associated with down-regulation of Ki67 and HSP90 expression. CD-NHF nanostructures provide exciting perspective for improving treatment outcome in breast cancer.

The preparation and investigation of Fe(III) doped carbon nanodots (CNDs) with intense green photoluminescence and emission dependence on the dispersion medium are reported. Their unusual photoluminescence is especially highlighted in water where the initial blue emission is gradually shifted to intense deep green, while in other common solvents (chloroform, acetone etc.) this behavior has not been observed. Through embedding in a polymer matrix (e.g., PVA) the color transition becomes reversible and dependent on water content, ranging from a full blue emission, when completely dried, to an intense green emission, when wetted. The preparation path of the Fe(III) doped CNDs undergoes two main stages involving the initial obtaining of Fe(III)–N–Hydroxyphthalimide complex and then a thermal processing through controlled pyrolysis. Morphostructural investigations of the prepared Fe(III) doped CNDs were performed through TG, FT-IR, XPS, DLS, TEM and AFM techniques whereas absolute PLQY, steady state and lifetime fluorescence were used to highlight their luminescence properties. The results issued from structural and fluorescence investigations bring new insights on the particular mechanisms involved in CNDs photoluminescence, a topic still open to debate.

Highly luminescent composites were prepared through embedding newly developed carbon dots (C-Dots) derived from N-hydroxyphthalimide in PS, PVC and PC polymer matrices. N-hydroxyphthalimide was found to be an excellent precursor for obtaining C-Dots through a simple pyrolytic process. The C-Dots prepared by the described method are highly luminescent with an absolute quantum yield of 79.95 % which is among the highest values reported up to date. The resulted composites preserve the remarkable photoluminescent properties of the embedded C-Dots. The composites were processed in thin films or various shaped monoliths. Prior to embedment, the composition and morphology of the prepared C-Dots were investigated by XPS, FT-IR, P-XRD, DLS TEM and fluorescence spectroscopy whereas the prepared composites were investigated by AFM. Due to their truly remarkable photoluminescent properties and facile fabrication, the prepared C-Dots and related composites could be of interest for applications ranging from sensors to solar energy conversion and light-emitting devices. As will be described later, one suggested straightforward application is the UV protection of various sensitive surfaces provided by thin layers of prepared composites.

In this work, red, green and blue emitting composites with remarkable photoluminescence properties were obtained through embedding Eu3+, Tb3+ and Y3+ complexes with 2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)pyridine in poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(n-vinyl pyrrolidone) matrices which were processed in thin or thick films. Interestingly, through embedding in the polymer matrices, their luminescence properties are markedly enhanced compared to the free complexes. PLQY values were enhanced from an average 25–30% to 52–69%, while the emission purity, especially in the case of Eu3+ containing composites, was greatly improved. The prepared composites were investigated through FT-IR analysis while the emphasis on fluorescence spectroscopy provided important details regarding the impact of embedding the complexes in the polymer matrices; luminescence lifetime, absolute PLQY and chromaticity parameters were investigated in detail. The morphology of the composite films was investigated through AFM and SEM. Based on their remarkable photoluminescence properties we are suggesting their implementation in AMLCD displays in a new approach which could replace the RGB colour filters, thus bringing several potential advantages over the current approach. The facile preparation and emission characteristics should be important arguments for their implementation as photonic conversion media in various optoelectronic devices. Other applications like full colour watermarks in special purpose papers could easily take advantage of the prepared composites.

Co(II), Cd(II) and Rh(III) complexes with 2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)pyridine (Htzp) as ligand were synthesized and investigated. The neutral mononuclear complexes with a generic [M(tzp)n] structure have been prepared from Htzp and corresponding transition metals chlorides at 2:1 and 3:1, respectively molar ratios in H2O–EtOH. The resulted crystalline complexes were investigated through magnetic and molar conductivity measurements, elemental analysis, FT-IR, mass spectroscopy, thermal analysis, UV-Vis and P-XRD. The experiments indicate that Htzp acts as bidentate anionic ligand, [Co(tzp)2]·1.5H2O and [Cd(tzp)2] are in the tetragonal coordination, whereas six coordinate octahedral [Rh(tzp)3]·H2O complex undergoes a weak tetragonal distortion. In case of Co(II) complex, an interesting feature was revealed through fluorescence spectroscopy, as the fluorescent emission intensity of the free ligand is dependent on the Co(II) solution content. Through complexation, the fluorescence is gradually quenched according to the Co(II) aqueous solution content, which may recommend it as a method of detection of Co(II) presence in waste water.

Fluorescent carbon dots were prepared via a simple and straightforward one-step pyrolytic process using N-hydroxysuccinimide. The prepared C-dots present remarkable photoluminescence with blue to green shifting emission and absolute quantum yields varying from 14 to 31% as a function of the excitation wavelength and selected dispersion media. Interestingly, up-conversion from NIR to the visible range was not only instrumentally recorded but even visually observable. Further, the composition and morphology of the prepared C-dots were studied using XPS, FT-IR, Raman, P-XRD, DLS and AFM as investigation methods. Since the majority of C-dot studies are biased towards fluorescent labeling in cellular imaging, their photoluminescence properties, physicochemical stability and ease of fabrication are expected to play a key role in applications ranging from sensors to efficient solar energy conversion or high performance optoelectronic devices.

Large transparent photoluminescent monoliths were prepared by embedding newly synthesized Eu(III), Tb(III) and Y(III) complexes with 2-(1H-1,2,4-Triazol-3-yl)pyridine ligand in silica matrices through a modified sol-gel process. The remarkable luminescent properties of the free complexes were preserved in silica matrix, resulting in red, green and blue monoliths with a shape that may be tailored during the gelation process according to specific applications. Prior to embedment, the complexes prepared at 1/3 metal to ligand ratio were investigated through elemental analysis, thermal analysis, FT-IR, mass and fluorescence spectroscopy while the obtained silica monoliths were supplementary investigated through SEM and fluorescence spectroscopy. The emission peaks are located at 612 nm for the monolithic silica embedded Eu(III) complex, at 542 nm for the monolithic silica embedded Tb(III) complex and at 482 nm respectively for the silica monolith containing the Y(III) complex. Their excellent photoluminescent properties may recommend them as photonic conversion materials in various optoelectronic applications.

The aim of this study is to investigate several electrode configurations and establish the effects of alternating current (AC), alternating pulse current (APC), and direct current (DC) on an electrocoagulation (EC) process conducted in a batch reactor. Indigo Carmine (IC) was considered as pollutant model. The investigated electrode configurations consisted in aluminum/aluminum, mild steel/mild steel, and aluminum/mild steel pairs. The effects of electrode configurations and current regimes on the removal efficiency, energy consumption, electrical operating costs, and electrode dissolution rate are discussed. The most powerful electrode configuration for IC removal from aqueous solutions by EC consisted in an anode of mild steel and a cathode of aluminum. EC operated in AC mode resulted in low efficiencies in any electrode configuration of those considered. Contrariwise, APC provided higher performance to the EC process in comparison with DC. Also, it led to higher dissolution rates in case of alu...

The present work describes a modified colloidal synthesis route for the preparation of CdSe nanocrystals, which were further embedded in a polystyrene matrix. Used as a reaction medium, glycerin makes it possible to obtain nanocrystals at lower temperatures in all process stages and an easier separation from the reaction mass. The influence of two different cadmium compounds used as primary cadmium sources over the quality of synthesized CdSe nanocrystals is established. Having a double role, namely in the formation of a cadmium precursor and that of a surface capping agent, three saturated monocarboxylic fatty acids are tested. The synthesis path is refined by evaluating the luminescent properties of CdSe nanocrystals resulting from each test. The obtained CdSe nanocrystals were further embedded in a polystyrene matrix, resulting in a highly luminescent composite. The solution-processed highly luminescent composite might be used as a conversion layer in various optoelectronic devices.

The preparation of two highly luminescent europium(III) and terbium(III) complexes with succinimide (SI) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHSI) were reported, which were further investigated through elemental chemical analysis, thermal analysis, FT-IR, powder X-ray diffraction, SEM and fluorescence spectroscopy. Data collected through these analysis revealed the formation of the Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes with the above mentioned ligands at a metal to ligand (M:L) molar ratio of 1:3. Interesting conclusions regarding the efficient sensitization through the coordination site of the lanthanide luminescent centers were retained from the photoluminescent spectra investigation. Strong luminescence emission was observed in case of Eu(III)-SI and Tb(III)-NHSI complexes while the corresponding Eu(III)-NHSI and Tb(III)-SI complexes exhibited no photo luminescent properties. Newly obtained luminescent lanthanide complexes may be of particular interest for various applications in optoelectronics.

2-(1H-1,2,4-Triazol-3-yl)pyridine was investigated as suitable ligand for the preparation of new Y(III), Sm(III), Eu(III), Gd(III) and Tb(III) complexes. Elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, thermal analysis, FT-IR and P-XRD methods were used to investigate their structural configuration. All the prepared complexes are highly luminescent, having an impressive visual emission under UV excitation. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed in case of Sm(III), Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes intense metal centered specific narrow band emissions from the f–f transitions within 4f orbitals, while in case of Gd(III) and Y(III) complexes intense wide band emissions were recorded most probable due the heavy atom effect over the excited intraligand states. The excitation peaks are conveniently located in UV-A region for all prepared complexes apart from Sm(III) complex where the excitation peak is located within the violet region of the spectrum. The remarkable luminescent properties might recommend these complexes for applications in optical devices, as photonic conversion media.

This paper reports the synthesis and investigation of a polymer composite based on poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA) and polyaniline (PANI) directly obtained in an aqueous PSSA medium, with improved conductivity and solubility in polar solvents. The oxidative polymerization reaction of aniline takes place in-situ with PSSA as protonating agent. The synthesis was tested at three PSSA/PANI molar ratios, an intense green colored aqueous composite solution being obtained in each case. For comparison purposes, commercially available polyaniline and PSSA were also investigated. PSSA-PANI composites, PANI and PSSA were investigated through thermal analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. Thin films of PSSA/PANI complex were spin coated on glass substrates which were further investigated through Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Also, thin films of PSSA-PANI were deposited on interdigitated electrodes for dielectric measurements.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of operating conditions and establish the mechanism of xanthene dye removal from aqueous solutions by electrocoagulation (EC) using a batch-stirred cell operated under galvanostatic regime. The influence of the operating parameters such as: initial pH and dye concentration, electrolysis time, current density, electrode configuration, and electrical current type on the EC performances was investigated. EC tests were performed at current density values ranging from 45 to 109 A/m, initial dye concentrations ranged between 0.1 and 1 g/L, and initial pH values adjusted in the range from 3 to 9. The effects of several electrode configurations (aluminum–aluminum, mild steel–mild steel, and aluminum–mild steel) and current regimes (direct current and alternating pulsed current) on the removal efficiency and energy and material consumption are also discussed. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were employed in order to elucidate the decolorization mechanism of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye by EC in aqueous solutions. With this aim in view, chemical coagulation tests were also carried out. The best performance was obtained when the EC process was conducted with iron-based electrode configuration in alternative pulse current (APC) mode. It was found that the removal of R6G is due to the co-precipitation of polymeric iron flocs with the phenyl-xanthene radicals remained in the bulk solution after the demethylation and deamination processes. Furthermore, the flocs are separated by flotation with the support of the molecular hydrogen generated at the cathode (in particular at relatively high values of current density) or by sedimentation.

International audience; The paper reports the preparation of two photoluminescent polymer composites by embedding two newly prepared Tb(III) and Eu(III) complexes into poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) matrices using maleimide as ligand. In the first step, the photoluminescent complexes were prepared at 1:3 metal-to-ligand ratio. Prior to the embedment into the polymer matrix the complexes were investigated by chemical and thermal analysis, FT-IR, powder X-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectroscopy. The prepared composites preserve the photoluminescent properties of the complexes and provide them with long-term stability. Thin films of the composites were spin-coated on glass slides and investigated by SEM and AFM techniques. The remarkable photoluminescent properties of the composites prepared in bulk or deposited in thin films on various substrates recommend them for applications in optical devices as photonic conversion mediums.

A coupling process between Electrocoagulation (EC) and GAC was employed to separate dyes from aqueous solutions. The removal of an indigoid dye, namely C.I. Acid Blue 74, was tested. A novel approach for optimizing EC-based techniques is presented. In addition to maximizing removal efficiency, minimizing consumptions of energy and electrode materials were also targeted by means of multi-objective optimization in order to reduce the specific costs. A very good cost-efficiency feature of EC/GAC coupling process operated under optimal conditions to treat wastewater from dyestuff has been revealed. The independent variables considered were the current density, influent pH, contact time, granular activated carbon dose, and initial dye concentration. Simple maximization of color removal efficiency and multi-objective optimization were compared. Two different constraints were considered for each type of optimization. The determined costs outline the cheapness feature of the EC/GAC system as a potential dye waste...

International audience; The paper describes the preparation of a new photoluminescent silica aerogel by embedding a new Tb(III) complex in a silica matrix by using N-hydroxysuccinimide as ligand. The Tb(III) complex prepared at a metal to ligand ratio of 1:3 (mol%) exhibits strong photoluminescence as a result of specific radiative transitions within the Tb(III) cation with the most intense peak located at 543 nm due to 5D4 ? 7F5 transition. The synthesized complex was doped in the silica matrix through a catalyzed sol-gel process. After ageing in ethanol, the alcogel was dried under supercritical regime by exchanging the ethanol with liquid carbon dioxide followed by supercritical evaporation. The leaching of the free complex from the alcogel during ageing and solvent exchange phases was found to be minimal most likely due to the interactions between chemical groups of complex with those specific to silica matrix. The obtained regular shaped monolithic aerogel preserved the remarkable photoluminescent properties and also improved the thermal stability of the free complex. Both, the free complex and doped aerogel were characterized through thermal analysis, FT-IR, powder X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. For comparison purposes, an undoped silica aerogel was also prepared and investigated through FT-IR, BET analysis and powder X-ray diffraction. The excellent photoluminescent properties might recommend the prepared aerogel for applications in optoelectronic devices where photonic conversion materials are required.

International audience; The paper reports the preparation of two luminescent xerogels through embedding in a silica matrix of Tb(III) and Eu(III) complexes using succinimide (SI) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHSI) as ligands. In the first stage, Tb(III) and Eu(III) complexes with N-hydroxysuccinimide and succinimide were prepared at 1:3 metal to ligand ratio. Strong luminescent emission was observed only in case of Eu(III)-SI and Tb(III)-NHSI complexes while the Eu(III)-NHSI and Tb(III)-SI complexes exhibited none or weak photoluminescent properties. In the second stage, the selected highly luminescent complexes were embedded in silica matrices via a sol-gel procedure leading to the formation of xerogels with transparent-glassy aspect which keep the remarkable photoluminescence properties of the free complexes. The selected, highly luminescent free complexes and their correspondent silica xerogels were investigated through thermal analysis, powder XRD, SEM, FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopy. Their excellent photoluminescent properties and excitation spectra, conveniently located in UV-A region, might recommend these materials for applications in optoelectronic devices where photonic conversion layers are required.

In this paper, the study of obtaining new coordination compounds of Ni (II) and Co(II) using as ligand, N-hydroxy-succinimide, was presented. Also, the stability constants of these compounds in aqueous medium were determined. The obtaining conditions and the stability of the new compounds were accomplished in aqueous solutions using characteristic methods for coordination compounds: pH-metry, conductometry and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. The combination ratios and the stability constants were determined with methods characteristic for studies in solutions. From experimental data resulted that the combination ratio of central metallic atoms with the ligand N-hydroxy-succinimide was: 1:1 and respectively 1:2. In the experiments were used salts of NiCl 2 ·6H 2 O and CoCl 2 ·6H 2 O. The optimal domain of pH stability of the studied compounds is limited between 5.74 - 5.86 for Co- N-hydroxy-succinimide (for molar ratio 1:1 and 1:2) and respectively 5.69 - 5.87 for Ni-N-hydroxysuccinimide( for molar ratio 1:1 and 1:2, too). It is important to mention that these compounds were used with very good results in determination of wastewaters from textile, metallurgical, chemical and food industry. Complexion reactions with this ligand are very sensitive for the cations in this paper mentioned. Therefore it is used most often with success in analytical chemistry and also it is posibil to use as sensors. The new complex compounds has electronics transitions at λ = 517 nm for both complexes Co-N-hydroxy-succinimide at molar ratio 1:1 and 1:2 and also at the same λ = 397nm for Ni-N-hydroxysuccinimide at molar ratio 1:1 and 1:2. These complexes compounds was separated and recrystallized from aqueous solution. From the spectrophotometric data it was determined the type and the nature of the electronics transitions by Dq parameters.

Due to the major negative impact of heavy metal ions toward human health and environment,, even at low concentrations, the development of simple, fast and not expensive detection methods of heavy metals is a major challenge for the scientists. Among the different analytical methods for the analysis of heavy metal ions, the corresponding methods based on electrochemical sensors are discussed in this review, due to their above mentioned advantages. Several types of electrochemical sensors and their analytical applications based on electrochemical methods such as: potentiometry, voltammetry and amperometry, are presented. The electrochemical sensors could revolutionize the field of real-time and on-line environmental analysis, due to their high performances as: low detection limits, a wide linear response range, good stability and reproducibility.

Among the organic pollutants, the chlorinated phenols represent an important class of compounds having a stable world market of ca. 100 kt per year. Due to their aryl structure and presence of the chlorine atom, chlorinated phenols are exceptionally recalcitrant toward chemical reactions aimed at their reduction. Adsorption from liquid phase has received special interest due to its flexibility and simplicity in operation. Especially adsorption using activated carbon (AC) has been recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency as one of the best available control technologies due to the high surface area, large adsorption capacities and porous structure of AC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the adsorption mechanisms of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) from aqueous solutions on AC-based magnetic composites. Three different granular activated carbon materials (GAC), L27, S21 and X17, were selected based on their chemical surface properties to prepare magnetic composites through the co-precipitation method. Two kinds of composites, magnetic composites (M-L27, M-S21 and M-X17), and pre-oxidized magnetic composites (M-L27/HNO3, M-S21/HNO3 and MX17/HNO3) were tested. Significant lower values of surface area were obtained in case of pre-oxidized magnetic composites due to their higher hydrophilicity. L27-based adsorbents lead to the fastest kinetics of 4-CP adsorption, whereas S21-based adsorbents have the highest values of adsorption capacity. The highest Fe content of 4.41% was achieved in case of M-L27 composite.

In the present study, the antitumoral potential of three gel formulations loaded with carbon dots prepared from N-hydroxyphthalimide (CD-NHF) was examined and the influence of the gels on two types of skin melanoma cell lines and two types of breast cancer cell lines in 2D (cultured cells in normal plastic plates) and 3D (Matrigel) models was investigated. Antitumoral gels based on sodium alginate (AS), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and the carbomer Ultrez 10 (CARB) loaded with CD-NHF were developed according to an adapted method reported by Hellerbach. Viscoelastic properties of CD-NHF-loaded gels were analyzed by rheological analysis. Also, for both CD-NHF and CD-NHF-loaded gels, the fluorescence properties were analyzed. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and mitochondrial activity were analyzed according to basic methods used to evaluate modulatory activities of putative anticancer agents, which include reference cancer cell line culture assays in both classic 2D and 3D cultures. Using the rheological measurements, the mechanical properties of gel formulations were analyzed, all samples presented gel-like rheological characteristics. The presence of CD-NHF within the gels induces a slight decrease of the dynamic moduli, indicating a flexible gel structure. The fluorescence investigations showed that for the gel-loaded CD-NHF, the most intense emission peak was located at 370 nm (upon excitation at 330 nm). 3D cell cultures displayed visibly larger structure of tumor cells with less active phenotype appearance. The in vitro results for tested CD-NHF-loaded gel formulations revealed that the new composites are able to affect the number, size, and cellular organization of spheroids and impact individual tumor cell ability to proliferate and aggregate in spheroids.