Exploring the potential of broadband Tamm plasmon resonance for enhanced photodetection.

Tamm plasmon polaritons (TPPs) have emerged as a promising platform for photodetector applications due to their strong light-matter interaction and potential for efficient light absorption. In this work, a design for a broadband photodetector (PD) based on the optical Tamm plasmon (OTS) state generated in a periodic metal-semiconductor-distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) geometry is proposed. The transfer matrix method (TMM) was used to study the propagation of electromagnetic waves through the proposed structure.

N-Heterocyclic imino-catalyzed 1,4-regioselective azide-alkyne cycloaddition (AAC): a metal-free approach.

An unprecedented synthetic approach has been devised to efficiently synthesize regioselective 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. This technique relies on the use of innovative metal-free highly basic N-heterocyclic imino catalysts. The experimental observations have been supported further by TD-DFT computational studies.

Efficient Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of α-MSH Using Chitosan-Based Versatile Nanoconjugates.

The application of antimicrobial peptides has emerged as an alternative therapeutic tool to encounter against multidrug resistance of different pathogenic organisms. α-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), an endogenous neuropeptide, is found to be efficient in eradicating infection of various kinds of , including methicillin-resistant (MRSA). However, the chemical stability and efficient delivery of these biopharmaceuticals (i.

Kinetics of Nanomedicine in Tumor Spheroid as an Model System for Efficient Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery With Insights From Mathematical Models.

Numerous strategies have been developed to treat cancer conventionally. Most importantly, chemotherapy shows its huge promise as a better treatment modality over others. Nonetheless, the very complex behavior of the tumor microenvironment frequently impedes successful drug delivery to the tumor sites that further demands very urgent and effective distribution mechanisms of anticancer drugs specifically to the tumor sites.

Supramolecularly enabled pH- triggered drug action at tumor microenvironment potentiates nanomedicine efficacy against glioblastoma.

The crucial balance of stability in blood-circulation and tumor-specific delivery has been suggested as one of the challenges for effective bench-to-bedside translation of nanomedicines (NMs). Herein, we developed a supramolecularly enabled tumor-extracellular (T) pH-triggered NM that can maintain the micellar structure with the entrapped-drug during systemic circulation and progressively release drug in the tumor by rightly sensing heterogeneous tumor-pH. Desacetylvinblastine hydrazide (DAVBNH), a derivative of potent anticancer drug vinblastine, was conjugated to an aliphatic ketone-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(amino acid) copolymer and the hydrolytic stability of the derived hydrazone bond was efficiently tailored by exploiting the compartmentalized structure of polymer micelle.

Nuclear and perinuclear targeting efficiency of quantum dots depends on density of peptidic targeting residues on their surface.

Targeted delivery to the cell nucleus can enhance the efficiency of drugs with nuclear site of action (some anti-cancer agents, DNA drugs, etc.), and can reduce their toxicity. Such targeting can be attained using nano-drug delivery systems (nano-DDSs) decorated with nuclear targeting sequences (such as nuclear localization sequence peptides, NLS).

Imaging Cancer Cells Expressing the Folate Receptor with Carbon Dots Produced from Folic Acid.

Development of new imaging tools for cancer cells in vitro and in vitro is important for advancing cancer research, elucidating drug effects upon cancer cells, and studying cellular processes. We showed that fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) synthesized from folic acid can serve as an effective vehicle for imaging cancer cells expressing the folate receptor on their surface. The C-dots, synthesized through a simple one-step process from folic acid as the carbon source, exhibited selectivity towards cancer cells displaying the folate receptor, making such cells easily distinguishable in fluorescence microscopy imaging.

Efficient Subcellular Targeting to the Cell Nucleus of Quantum Dots Densely Decorated with a Nuclear Localization Sequence Peptide.

Organelle-targeted drug delivery can enhance the efficiency of the intracellularly acting drugs and reduce their toxicity. We generated core-shell type CdSe-ZnS quantum dots (QDs) densely decorated with NLS peptidic targeting residues using a 3-stage decoration approach and investigated their endocytosis and nuclear targeting efficiencies. The diameter of the generated QDs increased following the individual decoration stages (16.

Limited Efficiency of Drug Delivery to Specific Intracellular Organelles Using Subcellularly "Targeted" Drug Delivery Systems.

Many drugs have been designed to act on intracellular targets and to affect intracellular processes inside target cells. For the desired effects to be exerted, these drugs should permeate target cells and reach specific intracellular organelles. This subcellular drug targeting approach has been proposed for enhancement of accumulation of these drugs in target organelles and improved efficiency.

Delivery of drugs to intracellular organelles using drug delivery systems: Analysis of research trends and targeting efficiencies.

Targeting of drug delivery systems (DDSs) to specific intracellular organelles (i.e., subcellular targeting) has been investigated in numerous publications, but targeting efficiency of these systems is seldom reported.

Inhibition of amyloid fibril growth and dissolution of amyloid fibrils by curcumin-gold nanoparticles.

Inhibition of amyloid fibrillation and clearance of amyloid fibrils/plaques are essential for the prevention and treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders involving protein aggregation. Herein, we report curcumin-functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au-curcumin) of hydrodynamic diameter 10-25 nm, which serve to inhibit amyloid fibrillation and disintegrate/dissolve amyloid fibrils. In nanoparticle form, curcumin is water-soluble and can efficiently interact with amyloid protein/peptide, offering enhanced performance in inhibiting amyloid fibrillation and dissolving amyloid fibrils.

Carbohydrate coated, folate functionalized colloidal graphene as a nanocarrier for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs.

Although graphene based drug delivery has gained significant recent interest, the synthesis of colloidal graphene based nanocarriers with high drug loading capacities and with targeting ligands at the outer surface is a challenging issue. We have synthesized carbohydrate coated and folate functionalized colloidal graphene which can be used as a nanocarrier for a wide variety of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. The synthesized colloidal graphene is loaded with paclitaxol, camptothecin, doxorubicin, curcumin and used for their targeted delivery to cancer cells.

Synthesis of nanobioconjugates with a controlled average number of biomolecules between 1 and 100 per nanoparticle and observation of multivalency dependent interaction with proteins and cells.

Multivalency of nanoparticle and associated cooperative binding with biological interface is an important aspect in the development of nanoparticle based bioimaging probes. However, the preparation of such a nanobioconjugate with a controlled number of biomolecules per nanoparticle, typically between 1 and 100, is challenging. Here we report a generalized two-step bioconjugation method to prepare nanobioconjugates with a varied average number of biomolecules between 1 to 100 per nanoparticle that can be applied to different nanoparticles and biomolecules.

Silicon nanoparticle based fluorescent biological label via low temperature thermal degradation of chloroalkylsilane.

A simple low temperature colloid-chemical synthetic method is reported for size controlled synthesis of hydrophobic silicon nanoparticles in the 1-10 nm range. These silicon nanoparticles show size dependent tunable visible emission from blue to red with fluorescence quantum yield in the range of 6-13%. These silicon nanoparticles can be subjected to extensive surface chemistry without significant loss of their fluorescence properties.

Doped semiconductor nanocrystal based fluorescent cellular imaging probes.

Doped semiconductor nanocrystals such as Mn doped ZnS, Mn doped ZnSe and Cu doped InZnS, are considered as new classes of fluorescent biological probes with low toxicity. Although the synthesis in high quality of such nanomaterials is now well established, transforming them into functional fluorescent probes remains a challenge. Here we report a fluorescent cellular imaging probe made of high quality doped semiconductor nanocrystals.

Carbon nanoparticle-based fluorescent bioimaging probes.

Fluorescent nanoparticle-based imaging probes have advanced current labelling technology and are expected to generate new medical diagnostic tools based on their superior brightness and photostability compared with conventional molecular probes. Although significant progress has been made in fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystal-based biological labelling and imaging, the presence of heavy metals and the toxicity issues associated with heavy metals have severely limited the application potential of these nanocrystals. Here, we report a fluorescent carbon nanoparticle-based, alternative, nontoxic imaging probe that is suitable for biological staining and diagnostics.

Thiol-directed synthesis of highly fluorescent gold clusters and their conversion into stable imaging nanoprobes.

Fluorescent gold clusters (FGCs) with tunable emission from blue to red and quantum yields in the range of 6-17% have been synthesized by simple modification of the conditions used for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles, namely by replacing the stronger reducing agent with a controlled amount of thiol. Various functional FGCs with hydrodynamic diameters of 5-12 nm have been successfully synthesized and used as cell labels. The results of our investigations strongly indicate that FGCs composed of Au(0) are more stable imaging probes than commonly reported red/NIR-emitting FGCs with a composition of Au(0)/Au(I), as this combination rapidly transforms into nonfluorescent large clusters on exposure to light.