Mechanisms of Antibacterial Activity of MgO: Non‐ROS Mediated Toxicity of MgO Nanoparticles Towards Escherichia coli

The toxicity of metal oxide nanomaterials and their antimicrobial activity is attracting increasing attention. Among these materials, MgO is particularly interesting as a low cost, environmentally‐friendly material. The toxicity of MgO, similar to other metal oxide nanomaterials, is commonly attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the toxicity of three different MgO nanoparticle samples, and clearly demonstrated robust toxicity towards Escherichia coli bacterial cells in the absence of ROS production for two MgO nanoparticle samples. Proteomics data also clearly demonstrate the absence of oxidative stress and indicate that the primary mechanism of cell death is related to the cell membrane damage, which does not appear to be due to lipid peroxidation.     

Intracellular Uptake and Toxicity of Ag and CuO Nanoparticles: A Comparison Between Nanoparticles and their Corresponding Metal Ions

An increased understanding of nanoparticle toxicity and its impact on human health is essential to enable a safe use of nanoparticles in our society. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of a Trojan horse type mechanism for the toxicity of Ag‐nano and CuO‐nano particles and their corresponding metal ionic species (using CuCl₂ and AgNO₃), i.e., the importance of the solid particle to mediate cellular uptake and subsequent release of toxic species inside the cell. The human lung cell lines A549 and BEAS‐2B are used and cell death/membrane integrity and DNA damage are investigated by means of trypan blue staining and the comet assay, respectively. Chemical analysis of the cellular dose of copper and silver is performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy, and confocal Raman microscopy are employed to study cellular uptake and particle‐cell interactions. The results confirm a high uptake of CuO‐nano and Ag‐nano compared to no, or low, uptake of the soluble salts. CuO‐nano induces both cell death and DNA damage whereas CuCl₂ induces no toxicity. The opposite is observed for silver, where Ag‐nano does not cause any toxicity, whereas AgNO₃ induces a high level of cell death. In conclusion: CuO‐nano toxicity is predominantly mediated by intracellular uptake and subsequent release of copper ions, whereas no toxicity is observed for Ag‐nano due to low release of silver ions within short time periods.     

磷酸钙纳米粒子的潜在毒性:物理化学性质的影响、评价方法和可能的毒性机制

磷酸钙是骨和牙的主要无机成分,具有良好的生物活性和生物相容性。研究表明,当磷酸钙粒子尺寸降到纳米尺度时具有一些独特的理化性能,如小尺寸效应和表面效应等,有望拓展其在生物医学领域中的应用,如作为治疗肿瘤的靶向药物载体和疾病诊断的基因载体等。但上述应用均需与机体直接接触,因此,评价磷酸钙纳米粒子潜在的毒性风险非常必要。有研究发现磷酸钙纳米粒子的理化性能,包括尺寸、形貌、表面性能和结晶度等均会影响纳米粒子与机体及细胞的相互作用,可能导致纳米粒子产生一定毒性。总结了磷酸钙纳米粒子的物理化学性能对其潜在毒性的影响及可能机制,综述了材料毒性评价的主要方法,希望能为磷酸钙纳米材料的设计及生物相容性评价标准的制定提供一定的理论依据。     

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles: Advances in Biodistribution,Toxicity, and Preclinical Exploration

Antioxidant nanoparticles have recently gained tremendous attention for their enormous potential in biomedicine. However, discrepant reports of either medical benefits or toxicity, and lack of reproducibility of many studies, generate uncertainties delaying their effective implementation. Herein, the case of cerium oxide is considered, a well‐known catalyst in the petrochemistry industry and one of the first antioxidant nanoparticles proposed for medicine. Like other nanoparticles, it is now described as a promising therapeutic alternative, now as threatening to health. Sources of these discrepancies and how this analysis helps to overcome contradictions found for other nanoparticles are summarized and discussed. For the context of this analysis, what has been reported in the liver is reviewed, where many diseases are related to oxidative stress. Since well‐dispersed nanoparticles passively accumulate in liver, it represents a major testing field for the study of new nanomedicines and their clinical translation. Even more, many contradictory works have reported in liver either cerium‐oxide‐associated toxicity or protection against oxidative stress and inflammation. Based on this, finally, the intention is to propose solutions to design improved nanoparticles that will work more precisely in medicine and safely in society.     

All Roads Lead to the Liver: Metal Nanoparticles and Their Implications for Liver Health

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) are frequently encountered in daily life, and concerns have been raised about their toxicity and safety. Among which, they naturally accumulate in the liver after introduction into the body, independent of the route of administration. Some NPs exhibit intrinsic pharmaceutical effects that are related to their physical parameters, and their inadvertent accumulation in the liver can exert strong effects on liver function and structure. Even as such physiological consequences are often categorically dismissed as toxic and deleterious, there are cell type‐specific and NP‐specific biological responses that elicit distinctive pharmacological consequences that can be harnessed for good. By limiting the scope of discussion to metallic NPs, this work attempts to provide a balanced perspective on their safety in the liver, and discusses both possible therapeutic benefits and potential accidental liver damage arising from their interaction with specific parenchymal and nonparenchymal cell types in the liver.     

Construction of Chiral,Helical Nanoparticle Superstructures: Progress and Prospects

Chiral nanoparticle (NP) superstructures, in which discrete NPs are assembled into chiral architectures, represent an exciting and growing class of nanomaterials. Their enantiospecific properties make them promising candidates for a variety of potential applications. Helical NP superstructures are a rapidly expanding subclass of chiral nanomaterials in which NPs are arranged in three dimensions about a screw axis. Their intrinsic asymmetry gives rise to a variety of interesting properties, including plasmonic chiroptical activity in the visible spectrum, and they hold immense promise as chiroptical sensors and as components of optical metamaterials. Herein, a concise history of the foundational conceptual advances that helped define the field of chiral nanomaterials is provided, and some of the major achievements in the development of helical nanomaterials are highlighted. Next, the key methodologies employed to construct these materials are discussed, and specific merits that are offered by each assembly methodology are identified, as well as their potential disadvantages. Finally, some specific examples of the emerging applications of these materials are discussed and some areas of future development and research focus are proposed.     

Enhancing Tungsten Oxide Gasochromism with Noble Metal Nanoparticles: The Importance of the Interface

Crystalline tungsten trioxide (WO₃) thin films covered by noble metal (gold and platinum) nanoparticles are synthesized via wet chemistry and used as optical sensors for gaseous hydrogen. Sensing performances are strongly influenced by the catalyst used, with platinum (Pt) resulting as best. Surprisingly, it is found that gold (Au) can provide remarkable sensing activity that tuned out to be strongly dependent on the nanoparticle size: devices sensitized with smaller nanoparticles display better H₂ sensing performance. Computational insight based on density functional theory calculations suggested that this can be related to processes occurring specifically at the Au nanoparticle-WO₃ interface (whose extent is in fact dependent on the nanoparticle size), where the hydrogen dissociative adsorption turns out to be possible. While both experiments and calculations single out Pt as better than Au for sensing, the present work reveals how an exquisitely nanoscopic effect can yield unexpected sensing performance for Au on WO₃, and how these performances can be tuned by controlling the nanoscale features of the system.     

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Salacia chinensis: Characterization and its Antibacterial Activity

The aim of the present research work was to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Salacia chinensis plant extract and to evaluate its antibacterial activity. AgNPs were successfully synthesized and formation of AgNPs was confirmed by visual color change and UV (ultraviolet) spectroscopy. Prepared AgNPs were purified and characterized by using dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDAX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV peak at 434 nm confirmed the formation of AgNPs. DLS studies showed that AgNPs size prepared in all conditions were in the range of 100–200 nm. XRD studies revealed crystalline nature of AgNPs. EDAX studies confirmed the presence of silver in colloidal dispersion and images were recorded by using SEM and TEM. Synthesized AgNPs were found to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In conclusion, AgNPs could serve as a good alternative in treatment of bacterial infections in this era of multidrug resistance.     

红外光谱法在金属氧化物纳米材料研究中的应用

红外光谱法是材料研究中的一种重要的分析手段.综述了红外光谱法在金属氧化物纳米材料的制备、表征、计算机模拟等方面的应用.在此基础上,指出了红外光谱法在金属氧化物纳米材料中应用的发展方向.     

Liquid-Phase Preparation and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have been prepared by a wet chemical method, from zinc acetate and LiOH ethanol-based solutions. The resulted nanoparticles were dispersed in a solvent. The effect of solvent (ethanol or butanol) and surfactant (polyethylene glycol-PEG 200) on the average size and size distribution of the nanoparticles was investigated by light scattering measurements. Smaller size was observed for ZnO nanoparticles dispersed in butanol and PEG 200. The statistical parameters of the Gaussian size distribution curves were calculated. ZnO nanoparticles have been prepared to be used as seeds on a substrate for the growth of ZnO nanowires. The morphology, surface roughness, crystalline structure, and orientation of the nanoparticles deposed on silicon substrate were characterized by atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction, respectively.     

Nanoarchitectured Structure and Surface Biofunctionality of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), one of the important porous materials, have garnered interest owing to their highly attractive physicochemical features and advantageous morphological attributes. They are of particular importance for use in diverse fields including, but not limited to, adsorption, catalysis, and medicine. Despite their intrinsic stable siliceous frameworks, excellent mechanical strength, and optimal morphological attributes, pristine MSNs suffer from poor drug loading efficiency, as well as compatibility and degradability issues for therapeutic, diagnostic, and tissue engineering purposes. Collectively, the desirable and beneficial properties of MSNs have been harnessed by modifying the surface of the siliceous frameworks through incorporating supramolecular assemblies and various metal species, and through incorporating supramolecular assemblies and various metal species and their conjugates. Substantial advancements of these innovative colloidal inorganic nanocontainers drive researchers in promoting them toward innovative applications like stimuli (light/ultrasound/magnetic)-responsive delivery-associated therapies with exceptional performance in vivo. Here, a brief overview of the fabrication of siliceous frameworks, along with discussions on the significant advances in engineering of MSNs, is provided. The scope of the advancement in terms of structural and physicochemical attributes and their effects on biomedical applications with a particular focus on recent studies is emphasized. Finally, interesting perspectives are recapitulated, along with the scope toward clinical translation.     

Artificial Photosynthesis with Polymeric Carbon Nitride: When Meeting Metal Nanoparticles,Single Atoms,and Molecular Complexes

Artificial photosynthesis for solar water splitting and CO₂ reduction to produce hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels has been considered as one of the most promising ways to solve increasingly serious energy and environmental problems. As a well‐documented metal‐free semiconductor, polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) has been widely used and intensively investigated for photocatalytic water splitting and CO₂ reduction, owing to its physicochemical stability, visible‐light response, and facile synthesis. However, PCN as a photocatalyst still suffers from the fast recombination of electron‐hole pairs and poor water redox reaction kinetics, greatly restricting its activity for artificial photosynthesis. Among the various modification approaches developed so far, decorating PCN with metals in different existences of nanoparticles, single atoms and molecular complexes, has been evidently very effective to overcome these limitations to improve photocatalytic performances. In this Review article, a systematic introduction to the state‐of‐the‐art metal/PCN photocatalyst systems is given, with metals in versatility of nanoparticles, single atoms, and molecular complexes. Then, the recent processes of the metal/PCN photocatalyst systems in the applications of artificial photosynthesis, e.g., water splitting and CO₂ reduction, are reviewed. Finally, the remaining challenges and opportunities for the development of high efficiency metal/PCN photocatalyst systems are presented and prospected.