Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are one of the most widely used nanoparticulate materials due to their antimicrobial properties. However, the current use of ZnO NPs is hindered by their potential cytotoxicity concerns, which are likely attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the dissolution of particles to ionic zinc. To reduce the cytotoxicity of ZnO NPs, transitional metals are introduced into ZnO lattices to modulate the ROS production and NP dissolution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBranched ubiquitin (Ub) chains constitute a sizable fraction of Ub polymers in human cells. Despite their abundance, our understanding of branched Ub function in cell signaling has been stunted by the absence of accessible methods and tools. Here we identify cellular branched-chain-specific binding proteins and devise approaches to probe K48-K63-branched Ub function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarbon dots (CDs) are luminescent carbon nanoparticles with significant potential in analytical sensing, biomedicine, and energy regeneration due to their remarkable optical, physical, biological, and catalytic properties. In light of the enduring ecological impact of non-biomass waste that persists in the environment, efforts have been made toward converting non-biomass waste, such as ash, waste plastics, textiles, and papers into CDs. This review introduces non-biomass waste carbon sources and classifies them in accordance with the 2022 Australian National Waste Report.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA computational study was performed to investigate the dynamics of aqueous electrolytes containing organic corrosion inhibitors near electrified interfaces by using the constant-charge model in classical molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that when inhibitors form films at the interface, the surface charge of the electrode causes displacement of the molecules, referred to as electroporation. The hydrophobicity of the inhibitor molecules affects both the stability of the films and their recovery time.
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