Publications by authors named "Lucas A Rocha"

We have studied repositioning of carvedilol (an antihypertensive drug) incorporated into MCM-41 mesoporous silica. The repositioning proposes a reduction in the slow pace of discovery of new drugs, as well as toxicological safety and a significant reduction in high research costs, making it an attractive strategy for researchers and large pharmaceutical companies. We obtained MCM-41 bysynthesis and functionalized it by post-synthesis grafting with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) only or with folic acid (FA), which gave MCM-41-APTES and MCM-41-APTES-FA, respectively.

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Thin films of lanthanide orthoniobate LnNbO (LnNO) and orthotantalate LnTaO (LnTO), (Ln = Nd, Sm, Eu) were fabricated using the sol-gel method with subsequent spin-coating on the PbZrO /Al O substrate and annealing at 1000°C. X-ray diffraction patterns showed monoclinic M-LnNbO or M´-LnTaO , which coexists with the orthorhombic or tetragonal phase. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated the presence of Nd , Sm /Sm and Eu /Eu ions.

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To meet the demands of the market and society, the development of structured polymeric materials for application in the medical field is constantly increasing. Over the last decades, metallic silver nanoparticles have been explored due to their antimicrobial action. Here, we aimed to incorporate metallic silver nanoparticles into polymeric pieces obtained by additive manufacture via a chemical route involving silver nitrate and sodium borohydride.

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This work reports two systematic studies related to yttrium vanadate (YVO) phosphors. The first evaluates how the annealing temperature and V/Y molar ratio determine the emergence of a single YVO tetragonal phase, whereas the second concerns the optimal Nd concentration to improve the infrared emission properties for bio-labelling applications. The YVO:Nd phosphors were synthesized by adapting the non-hydrolytic sol-gel route.

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Purpose: We evaluated the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and toxicological effects of indomethacin incorporated into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (IND+NP).

Methods: Nociception was evaluated by the formalin assay. The anti-inflammatory potential was assessed by cell migration and paw edema assays, modulation of nitric oxide and cytokines (IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α) by macrophages production.

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Purpose: This work investigates how Yb concentration affects the luminescent properties of LaNbO nanoparticles for medical imaging applications. Due to the highly transparent optical window for organic tissues in the near infrared region (650-1000 nm), upconversion fluorescence allows near infrared wavelengths to penetrate deeply into tissues, which is useful in biomedical areas such as biodetection, activated phototherapy, and screening.

Materials/method: Upconversion nanoparticles based on LaNbO doped with Tm and Yb were prepared by the one-step industrial process called Spray Pyrolysis.

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The spectroscopic properties of lanthanide ions stem from absorption and emission radiation in the solar spectrum range, which promotes numerous applications in areas such as white light emission, bio-imaging, biological markers, and photovoltaic cells, among others. To intensify these properties, several matrixes have been studied, particularly the yttrium vanadate matrix due to its structural, mechanic, and physicochemical properties. The non-hydrolytic sol-gel process is a versatile way to prepare inorganic oxides doped with lanthanide ions.

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In this work, we have investigated how the concentration of Gd ions affects the structural and luminescent properties of niobium oxide-based matrices doped with Eu ions obtained by the adapted non-hydrolytic sol-gel route. X-ray diffractograms revealed that increasing the concentration of Gd ions favored the onset of the GdO structure decreasing the GdNbO phase. The excitation spectra (λ  = 613 nm) presented bands corresponding to the F → L transitions (L = D, G, and L, where J = 0-7), attributed to the Eu ions, and a broad band at 270 nm, assigned to the charge transfer of the [Formula: see text] group.

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The search for more efficient and less aggressive cancer treatment methods has intensified over the last decades and has involved many scientific areas. To provide skin cancer patients with better quality of life, this work aims to incorporate chemotherapy into polyamide membranes, functionalized by the sol-gel methodology, for controlled drug release at the target tissue. A 200-micrometer-thick flexible polyamide membrane prepared by Additive Manufacture was activated and functionalized with the alkoxide 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane, which was followed by incorporation of the antitumor agent cisplatin.

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The unique properties of macroporous, mesoporous, and microporous systems, including their ability to accommodate molecules of different sizes inside their pores and to act as drug delivery systems, have been the object of extensive studies. In this work, mesoporous silica with hexagonal structure was obtained by template synthesis via the sol-gel process. The resulting material was used as support to accommodate the anti-inflammatory agent indomethacin.

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Ordered mesoporous, highly luminescent SiO2 particles have been synthesized by spray pyrolysis from solutions containing tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), Eu(NO3)3.6H2O, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as structure-directing agents. The 1,10-phenantroline (Phen) molecules were coordinated in a post-synthesis step by a simple wet impregnation method.

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Hybrid nanosilicas constitute a broad study field. They find application as catalysts, pigments, drug delivery systems, and biomaterials, among others, and it is possible to obtain them via the sol-gel methodology. Lanthanide ions present special properties like light emission.

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The catalytic efficiency of takovite-aluminosilicate-chromium catalysts obtained by adsorption of Cr(3+) ions from aqueous solutions by a takovite-aluminosilicate nanocomposite adsorbent is reported. The adsorbent was synthesized by the coprecipitation method. The catalytic activity of the final Cr-catalysts depended on the amount of adsorbed chromium.

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YVO(4):Eu(3+) phosphors have been prepared by the hydrolytic sol-gel methodology, with and without alkaline catalyst. The solid powder was obtained by reaction between yttrium III chloride and vanadium alkoxides; the europium III chloride was used as structural probe. The powder was treated at 100, 400, 600, or 800 °C for 4 h.

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