Ion-Fluid Transport-Control Feedback along Nanopore Networks.

Biological signaling correlates with the interrelation between ion and nanofluidic transportation pathways. However, artificial embodies with reconfigurable ion-fluid transport interaction aspects remain largely elusive. Herein, we unveiled an intimate interplay between nanopore-driven advancing flow and ion carriage for the spontaneous imbibition of aqueous solutions at the nanoporous thin film level.

Fe-Ni porphyrin/mesoporous titania thin film electrodes: a bioinspired nanoarchitecture for photoelectrocatalysis.

Porphyrin and porphyrinoid derivatives have been extensively studied in the assembly of catalysts and sensors, seeking biomimetic and bioinspired activity. In particular, Fe and Ni porphyrins can be used for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) by immobilization of these molecular catalysts on semiconductor materials. In this study, we designed a hybrid material containing a crystalline mesoporous TiO thin film in which the catalytic centres are Ni-porphyrin (NiP), Fe-porphyrin (FeP), and a NiP/FeP bimetallic system to assess whether the coexistence of both metalloporphyrins improves the OER activity.

Enhancement of electrocatalysis through magnetic field effects on mass transport.

Magnetic field effects on electrocatalysis have recently gained attention due to the substantial enhancement of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on ferromagnetic catalysts. When detecting an enhanced catalytic activity, the effect of magnetic fields on mass transport must be assessed. In this study, we employ a specifically designed magneto-electrochemical system and non-magnetic electrodes to quantify magnetic field effects.

Hybrid mesoporous electrodes evidence CISS effect on water oxidation.

Controlling product selectivity is essential for improving the efficiency of multi-product reactions. Electrochemical water oxidation is a reaction of main importance in different applications, e.g.

Advances in Nanomaterials and Composites Based on Mesoporous Materials as Antimicrobial Agents: Relevant Applications in Human Health.

Nanotechnology has emerged as a cornerstone in contemporary research, marked by the advent of advanced technologies aimed at nanoengineering materials with diverse applications, particularly to address challenges in human health. Among these challenges, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has risen as a significant and pressing threat to public health, creating obstacles in preventing and treating persistent diseases. Despite efforts in recent decades to combat AMR, global trends indicate an ongoing and concerning increase in AMR.

Sunlight-Driven Photocatalysis for a Set of 3D Metal-Porphyrin Frameworks Based on a Planar Tetracarboxylic Ligand and Lanthanide Ions.

Metal-porphyrin frameworks (MPFs) with trivalent lanthanide ions are the most sought-after materials in the past decade. Their porosities are usually complemented by optical properties imparted by the metal nodes, making them attractive multifunctional materials. Here, we report a novel family of 3D MPFs obtained through solvothermal reactions between tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin () and different lanthanide sources, yielding an isostructural family of compounds along the lanthanide series: [Ln(DMF)()] for Ln = La, Ce, Nd, Pr, Er, Y, Tb, Dy, Sm, Eu, Gd, and Tm.

Ordered Mesoporous Electrodes for Sensing Applications.

Electrochemical sensors have become increasingly relevant in fields such as medicine, environmental monitoring, and industrial process control. Selectivity, specificity, sensitivity, signal reproducibility, and robustness are among the most important challenges for their development, especially when the target compound is present in low concentrations or in complex analytical matrices. In this context, electrode modification with Mesoporous Thin Films (MTFs) has aroused great interest in the past years.

A Comparative Study of PMETAC-Modified Mesoporous Silica and Titania Thin Films for Molecular Transport Manipulation.

The manipulation and understanding of molecular transport across functionalized nanopores will take us closer to mimicking biological membranes and thus to design high-performance permselective separation systems. In this work, Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of (2-methacryloyloxy)-ethyltrimethylammonium chloride (METAC) was performed on both mesoporous silica and mesoporous titania thin films. Pores were proven to be filled using ellipsometry and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS).

Core surface labelling of mesoporous silica nanoparticles: advancing the understanding of nanoparticle fate and design of labelling strategies.

Despite great interest in the use of silica mesoporous nanoparticles (MSNs) in drug delivery little is known on their biological fate. Positron emission tomography (PET) studies of radiolabelled MSNs face a major difficulty due to the degradation of the MSNs during circulation as it is difficult to assign activity values to either the MSNs or their degradation products. Here, a PET study is conducted using two strategies of labelling.

Impact of PEGylation on the degradation and pore organization in mesoporous silica nanoparticles: A study of the inner mesoporous structure in physiologically relevant ionic conditions.

The degradation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) in the biological milieu due to silica hydrolysis plays a fundamental role for the delivery of encapsulated drugs and therapeutics. However, little is known on the evolution of the pore arrangement in the MSNs in biologically relevant conditions. Small Angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies were performed on unmodified and PEGylated MSNs with a MCM-48 pore structure and average sizes of 140 nm, exposed to simulated body fluid solution (SBF) at pH 7.

Droplets in underlying chemical communication recreate cell interaction behaviors.

The sensory-motor interaction is a hallmark of living systems. However, developing inanimate systems with "recognize and attack" abilities remains challenging. On the other hand, controlling the inter-droplet dynamics on surfaces is key in microengineering and biomedical applications.

Zinc porphyrin/mesoporous titania thin film electrodes: a hybrid material nanoarchitecture for photocatalytic reduction.

In this work, photocatalytic reduction of methyl viologen is achieved using zinc tetra(4--methylpyridyl)porphine (ZnP) functionalized mesoporous titania thin films (MTTF). Metalloporphyrins are the core of natural systems that harvest energy from the sun. Thus, a bioinspired approach is used, taking advantage of ZnP sensitizing capabilities and MTTF organized structure.

Introduction to celebrating Latin American talent in chemistry.

In celebration of the excellence and breadth of Latin American research achievements across the chemical sciences, we are delighted to present an introduction to the themed collection, Celebrating Latin American talent in chemistry.

Importance of the Structural and Physicochemical Properties of Silica Nanoshells in the Photothermal Effect of Silica-Coated Au Nanoparticles Suspensions.

In this work, monodisperse silica-coated gold nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and used for obtaining aqueous colloidal dispersions with an optimum relationship between colloidal stability and photothermal activity. The idea behind this design was to produce systems with the advantages of the presence of a silica shell (biocompatibility, potential for surface modification, and protecting effect) with a minimal loss of optical and thermal properties. With this aim, the photothermal properties of NPs with silica shells of different thicknesses were analyzed under conditions of high radiation extinction.

In Vivo Tracking of the Degradation of Mesoporous Silica through Zr Radio-Labeled Core-Shell Nanoparticles.

While mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are extensively studied as high-potential drug delivery platforms, the successful clinical translation of these nanocarriers strongly depends on their biodistribution, biodegradation, and elimination patterns in vivo. Here, a novel method is reported to follow the in vivo degradation of MSNs by tracking a radioactive label embedded in the silica structure. Core-shell silica nanoparticles (NPs) with a dense core and a mesoporous shell are labeled with low quantities of the positron emitter Zr, either in the dense core or in the mesoporous shell.

Determination of Antibacterial Activity of Film Coatings Against Four Clinically Relevant Bacterial Strains.

Antibacterial coatings have currently gained great importance in biomedical technology investigations. Because of the spatial arrangement of the film coatings, evaluation of antibacterial activity presents a new challenge regarding traditional bacterial counting methods. In this protocol, four clinically relevant pathogens, , and were incubated on titania mesostructured thin film coatings for 24 h.

Nanopore-Mediated Spontaneous Dilution of Droplets: When Evaporation Turns to a Dilutor.

Droplet evaporation on surfaces is ubiquitous and affects areas as diverse as climate, microbiology, the chemical industry, and materials science. While solute concentration is the universally taken-for-granted behavior in drop evaporation, the present work shows that saline droplets evaporating on nanoporous thin-film surfaces can get diluted rather than concentrated. The driving mechanism of this phenomenon is attributed to the flow drawn from the drop through the nanopores by an annular peripheral evaporation.

E-waste upcycling for the synthesis of plasmonic responsive gold nanoparticles.

One of the current challenges in circular economy is the ability to transform waste into valuable products. In this work, waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was used as a gold source to prepare stable gold nanoparticles (AuNP). The proposed methodology involves a series of physical and chemical separation steps, carefully designed according to the complex nature of the selected WEEE and the targeted product.

BSA-capped gold nanoclusters as potential theragnostic for skin diseases: Photoactivation, skin penetration, in vitro, and in vivo toxicity.

BSA-capped gold nanoclusters are promising theragnostic systems that can be excited to render both fluorescence emission and reactive oxygen species. Although their synthesis and photoluminescence properties are already well described, more accurate information about their use as photosensitizers is required in order to advance towards health applications. In this work, we have obtained BSA-capped gold nanoclusters and characterized their photophysics by different techniques.

Light-Induced Polymer Response through Thermoplasmonics Transduction in Highly Monodisperse Core-Shell-Brush Nanosystems.

Smart nanosystems that transduce external stimuli to physical changes are an inspiring challenge in current materials chemistry. Hybrid organic-inorganic materials attract great attention due to the combination of building blocks responsive to specific external solicitations. In this work, we present a sequential method for obtaining an integrated core-shell-brush nanosystem that transduces light irradiation into a particle size change through a thermoplasmonic effect.

Nanopore-Enhanced Drop Evaporation: When Cooler or More Saline Water Droplets Evaporate Faster.

The evaporation of water droplets on surfaces is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature and has critical importance in a broad range of technical applications. Here, we show a substantial enhancement of liquid evaporation rate when droplets are on nanoporous thin film surfaces. We also reveal how this nanopore-enhanced evaporation leads to counterintuitive phenomena: cooler or more saline water droplets evaporate faster.

Mild Homogeneous Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles through the Epoxide Route: Kinetics, Mechanisms, and Related One-Pot Composites.

A new one-pot homogeneous methodology at room temperature to obtain Au nanoparticles (AuNP) on the basis of the epoxide route is presented. The proposed method takes advantage of the homogenous generation of OH moieties driven by epoxide ring-opening, mediated by chloride nucleophilic attack. Once reached alkaline conditions, the reducing medium allows the quantitative formation of AuNP under well-defined kinetic control.

iRGD-guided tamoxifen polymersomes inhibit estrogen receptor transcriptional activity and decrease the number of breast cancer cells with self-renewing capacity.

Background: Tamoxifen (Tam) is the most frequent treatment for estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. We recently showed that fibronectin (FN) leads to Tam resistance and selection of breast cancer stem cells. With the aim of developing a nanoformulation that would simultaneously tackle ER and FN/β1 integrin interactions, we designed polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone polymersomes polymersomes (PS) that carry Tam and are functionalized with the tumor-penetrating iRGD peptide (iRGD-PS-Tam).

Gold Recycling at Laboratory Scale: From Nanowaste to Nanospheres.

The market for products based on nanotechnology, and with it the use of nanomaterials and the generation of nanowaste, increases day by day. Among the vast variety of nanomaterials available, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are among the most studied and applied in commercial products. This current situation requires both the development of recovery methods to reduce the amount of nanowaste produced, and new synthetic methods that allow the reuse of recovered gold for new nanomaterial production, keeping in mind both economical and ecological considerations.