Silica-coated magnetic particles for efficient RNA extraction for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Molecular diagnostic methods to detect and quantify viral RNA in clinical samples rely on the purification of the genetic material prior to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Due to the large number of samples processed in clinical laboratories, automation has become a necessity in order to increase method processivity and maximize throughput per unit of time. An attractive option for isolating viral RNA is based on the magnetic solid phase separation procedure (MSPS) using magnetic microparticles.

Redox phase transformations in magnetite nanoparticles: impact on their composition, structure and biomedical applications.

Magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the most investigated nanomaterials so far and modern synthesis methods currently provide an exceptional control of their size, shape, crystallinity and surface functionalization. These advances have enabled their use in different fields ranging from environmental applications to biomedicine. However, several studies have shown that the precise composition and crystal structure of magnetite NPs depend on their redox phase transformations, which have a profound impact on their physicochemical properties and, ultimately, on their technological applications.

Shell-mediated control of surface chemistry of highly stoichiometric magnetite nanoparticles.

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles are one of the most studied nanomaterials for different nanotechnological and biomedical applications. However, Fe3O4 nanomaterials gradually oxidize to maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) under conventional environmental conditions leading to changes in their functional properties that determine their performance in many applications. Here we propose a novel strategy to control the surface chemistry of monodisperse 12 nm magnetite nanoparticles by means of a 3 nm-thick Zn-ferrite epitaxial coating in core/shell nanostructures.

New Insight into the Chemical Nature of the Plasmonic Nanostructures Synthesized by the Reduction of Au(III) with Sulfide Species.

We have studied the products of the controversial synthesis of HAuCl with NaS, which include gold nanostructures (Au NSs) that absorb in the near-infrared (NIR) region and are highly promising for photothermal therapies and other nanomedical applications. From high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering, we have found that only metallic Au NSs are formed as a result of this synthesis, with no detectable amount of gold sulfide or other oxidized gold species that could account for the NIR absorption. Different sulfur species are adsorbed on the Au NSs, mainly sulfides (monomeric sulfur) and polysulfides, similar to what is found on the planar gold surfaces, therefore precluding the idea that thiosulfate or other oxidized species are the actual reducing agents for Au(III) ions.

The Role of a Double Molecular Anchor on the Mobility and Self-Assembly of Thiols on Au(111): The Case of Mercaptobenzoic Acid.

The dynamics of the self-assembly process of thiol molecules on Au(111) is affected by the interplay between molecule-substrate and molecule-molecule interactions. Therefore, it is interesting to explore the effect of a second anchor to the gold surface, in addition to the S atom, on both the order and the feasibility of phase transitions in self-assembled monolayers. To assess the role of an additional O anchor, we have compared the adsorption of two mercaptobenzoic acid isomers, 2-mercaptobenzoic acid (2-MBA) and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), on Au(111).