Gold Nanoparticles and Chitosan as Innovative Compounds in Medicine and Cosmetology:A Review of Current Applications.

The medical and cosmetic industries have developed in recent years, there has been a growing demand for new materials. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and chitosan (CS) have been known and used for many years. Unfortunately, despite their numerous advantages and possible applications, such materials may possess certain disadvantages and limitations that constitute a problem in medical or cosmetic applications.

Unlocking the electrochemical performance of glassy carbon electrodes by surface engineered, sustainable chitosan membranes.

Chitosan coatings, derived from crustacean shell waste, possess inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability, rendering them suitable for various biomedical and environmental applications, including electrochemical biosensing. Its amine and hydroxyl functional groups offer abundant sites for chemical modifications to boost the charge transfer kinetics and provide excellent adhesion, enabling the construction of robust electrode-coating interfaces for electroanalysis. This study explores the role of electrostatically-driven chemical interactions and crosslinking density originating from different chitosan (Cs) and glutaraldehyde (Ga) concentrations in this aspect.

Investigation of Recycled Expanded Polyamide Beads through Artificial Ageing and Mechanical Recycling as a Proof of Concept for Circular Economy.

Car manufacturers are currently challenged with increasing the sustainability of their products and production to comply with sustainability requirements and legislation. One way to enhance product sustainability is by reducing the carbon footprint of fossil-based plastic parts. Particle foams are a promising solution to achieve the goal of using lightweight parts with minimal material input.

Electrochemical detection of bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on gold electrode modified with DAL-PEG-DK5-PEG-OH - Antimicrobial peptide conjugate.

This work describes fabrication of gold electrodes modified with peptide conjugate DAL-PEG-DK5-PEG-OH that enables ultra-sensitive detection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from the reference strain of Escherichia coli O26:B6. The initial step of the established procedure implies immobilization of the fully protected DAL-PEG-DK5-PEG-OH peptide on the surface of the gold electrode previously modified by cysteamine. Then side chain- and Fmoc-deprotection was performed in situ on the electrode surface, followed by its incubation in 1 % of BSA solution to block non-specific bindings sites before LPS detection.

Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Steam-Free and Steam-Based Specimens Made of Expanded Polypropylene Beads.

Reducing the CO emissions of plastic parts is crucial in terms of sustainable product and process designs. Approaches include the use of recycled materials and reducing the energy demands of processes through more efficient technologies. In this context, this study shows the potential of the steam-free processing of particle foam beads into thin-walled moulded parts.

Phospholipid-functionalized gold electrode for cellular membrane interface studies - interactions between DMPC bilayer and human cystatin C.

This work describes the electrochemical studies on the interactions between V57G mutant of human cystatin C (hCC V57G) and membrane bilayer immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode. The electrode was modified with 6-mercaptohexan-1-ol (MCH) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). DMPC was used as a membrane mimetic for monitoring electrochemical changes resulting from the interactions between the functionalized electrode surface and human cystatin C.

Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of greigite FeSby GGA and GGA+versus SCAN meta-GGA density functionals.

The performance of exchange-correlation functional of density functional theory represented in generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and in the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA scheme to study structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of greigite (FeS) was investigated. The effects of inclusion of strong electron correlations represented by on-site Hubbard correction, and nonlocality of the long-range van der Waals (vdW) interactions were also considered. Geometry optimization yielded the inverse spinel structure and lattice parameter of greigite in good agreement with experimental data.

Superconductivity in high-entropy alloy system containing Th.

Th-containing superconducting high entropy system with the nominal composition (NbTa)[Formula: see text](MoWTh)[Formula: see text] was synthesized. Its structural and physical properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, specific heat, resistivity and magnetic measurements. Two main phases of alloy were observed: major bcc structure and minor fcc.

Enhanced Superconducting Critical Parameters in a New High-Entropy Alloy NbTiZrTaHf.

The structural and physical properties of the new titanium- and niobium-rich type-A high-entropy alloy (HEA) superconductor Nb0.34Ti0.33Zr0.

Structure and energetics of FeO/Fe(001) interfaces.

We report results of density functional theory calculations of structure and properties of 1-5 monolayer thin FeO(001) films and their interactions with the Fe(001) surface. It is found that deposition of an iron-oxide film affects weakly geometry of the Fe(001) support, causing small<2% expansion of the first interplanar distance compared to clean iron surface. Analysis of the electronic structure of the FeO/Fe system shows that after interface formation, the oxide layer remains semiconducting and the substrate metallic.

Controlled Silanization of Transparent Conductive Oxides as a Precursor of Molecular Recognition Systems.

The search for new molecular recognition systems has become the goal of modern electrochemistry. Creating a matrix in which properties can be controlled to obtain a desired analytical signal is an essential part of creating such tools. The aim of this work was to modify the surface of electrodes based on transparent conductive oxides with the use of selected alkoxysilanes (3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, trimethoxy(propyl)silane, and trimethoxy(octyl)silane).

Electrocatalytic performance of oxygen-activated carbon fibre felt anodes mediating degradation mechanism of acetaminophen in aqueous environments.

Carbon felts are flexible and scalable, have high specific areas, and are highly conductive materials that fit the requirements for both anodes and cathodes in advanced electrocatalytic processes. Advanced oxidative modification processes (thermal, chemical, and plasma-chemical) were applied to carbon felt anodes to enhance their efficiency towards electro-oxidation. The modification of the porous anodes results in increased kinetics of acetaminophen degradation in aqueous environments.

Functionalized FeO Nanoparticles as Glassy Carbon Electrode Modifiers for Heavy Metal Ions Detection-A Mini Review.

Over the past few decades, nanoparticles of iron oxide FeO (magnetite) gained significant attention in both basic studies and many practical applications. Their unique properties such as superparamagnetism, low toxicity, synthesis simplicity, high surface area to volume ratio, simple separation methodology by an external magnetic field, and renewability are the reasons for their successful utilisation in environmental remediation, biomedical, and agricultural applications. Moreover, the magnetite surface modification enables the successful binding of various analytes.

Adhesion as a component of retention force of overdenture prostheses-study on selected Au based dental materials used for telescopic crowns using atomic force microscopy and contact angle techniques.

Contemporary prosthetic materials are characterized by highly specific preparation for a given application. This means that at the stage of their creation, not only their function is taken into account, but also the long-term behavior of this material during use. In the case of telescopic crowns, an important factor not yet appearing in the research is the aspect of adhesion force and its dependence on the type of biomaterial, but also the properties of human saliva.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical determination of the cancer biomarker protein sPD-L1 based on a BMS-8-modified gold electrode.

This work describes the modification of a gold electrode with the BMS-8 compound that interacts with the Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), an immune checkpoint protein. The results show that we can confirm the presence of the sPD-L1 in the concentration range of 10 to 10 M using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.87 × 10 M for PD-L1 (S/N = 3.

Dansyl-Labelled Ag@SiO Core-Shell Nanostructures-Synthesis, Characterization, and Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence.

The present work describes synthesis, characterization, and use of a new dansyl-labelled Ag@SiO nanocomposite as an element of a new plasmonic platform to enhance the fluorescence intensity. Keeping in mind that typical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characteristics of silver nanoparticles coincide well enough with the absorption of dansyl molecules, we used them to build the core of the nanocomposite. Moreover, we utilized 10 nm amino-functionalized silica shell as a separator between silver nanoparticles and the dansyl dye to prevent the dye-to-metal energy transfer.

Efficient Method for the Concentration Determination of Fmoc Groups Incorporated in the Core-Shell Materials by Fmoc-Glycine.

In this paper, we described the synthesis procedure of TiO@SiO core-shell modified with 3-(aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS). The chemical attachment of Fmoc-glycine (Fmoc-Gly-OH) at the surface of the core-shell structure was performed to determine the amount of active amino groups on the basis of the amount of Fmoc group calculation. We characterized nanostructures using various methods: transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to confirm the modification effectiveness.

Precursors of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in Arctic and Antarctic marine sediments: Environmental concern in the face of climate change.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) and their precursors - pentachlorophenol (PCP) and triclosan (TCS), constitute a group of persistent, highly toxic multimedia pollutants, being easily transported via atmosphere over long distances, thus particularly threatening to the polar areas. The global fate of PCDD/Fs is temperature-dependent, and their transfer and immobilization at the Poles are described by the grasshopper effect and the cold trap phenomenon. The aim of this interdisciplinary study was to perform a preliminary assessment of the present state of pollution of Arctic and Antarctic marine sediments by PCP and TCS along with determination of PCDD/Fs contamination by immunoassay.

Electrochemically directed biofunctionalization of a lossy-mode resonance optical fiber sensor.

In this work, we present a direct electrochemical biofunctionalization of an indium-tin-oxide-coated lossy-mode resonance optical fiber sensor. The functionalization using a biotin derivative was performed by cyclic voltammetry in a 10 mM biotin hydrazide solution. All stages of the experiment were simultaneously verified with optical and electrochemical techniques.

Gold nanostructures on iron oxide surfaces and their interaction with CO.

We review results of density functional theory calculations of the adsorption of single gold atoms and formation of sub-nanometer Austructures (= 2 to 5) on most stable iron oxide surfaces: hematite (0001), and magnetite (111) and (001). Structural, energetic, and electronic properties of Austructures on both Fe- and O-rich oxide terminations are discussed. Different chemical character of the two oxide terminations is reflected in distinctly stronger binding of gold at the oxygen- than at the iron-terminated surface, and in different changes of the adsorption binding energy with the size of the Aucluster.

Electrochemical determination of nitroaromatic explosives at boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowall electrodes: 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and 2,4,6-trinitroanisole in liquid effluents.

The study is devoted to the electrochemical detection of trace explosives on boron-doped diamond/graphene nanowall electrodes (B:DGNW). The electrodes were fabricated in a one-step growth process using chemical vapour deposition without any additional modifications. The electrochemical investigations were focused on the determination of the important nitroaromatic explosive compounds, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,4,6-trinitroanisole (TNA).

Hydrogen bonding and protonation effects in amino acids' anthraquinone derivatives - Spectroscopic and electrochemical studies.

Six novel amino acid chromophores were synthesized and their spectroscopic, acid-base, and electrochemical properties are discussed in this work. In studied compounds, selected amino acid residues (l-Aspartic acid, l-Glutamic acid, l-Glutamine, l-Histidine, l-Lysine, l-Arginine) are attached to the 1-(piperazine) 9,10-anthraquinone skeleton via the amide bond between the carboxyl group of amino acid and nitrogen atom of the piperazine ring. All derivatives have been characterized using a variety of spectroscopic techniques (mass spectrometry, 1HNMR, UV-Vis, IR spectroscopy), acid-base (electrochemical and UV-Vis) titrations, and cyclic voltammetry methods.

Comparison of the paracetamol electrochemical determination using boron-doped diamond electrode and boron-doped carbon nanowalls.

Two different type of electrodes, boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD) and boron-doped carbon nanowalls (B:CNW) electrode, were used for the electrochemical determination of paracetamol using the cyclic voltammetry and the differential pulse voltammetry in phosphate buffered saline, pH = 7.0. The main advantage of these electrodes is their utilization without any additional modification of the electrode surface.

Optical Detection of Ketoprofen by Its Electropolymerization on an Indium Tin Oxide-Coated Optical Fiber Probe.

In this work an application of optical fiber sensors for real-time optical monitoring of electrochemical deposition of ketoprofen during its anodic oxidation is discussed. The sensors were fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide (ITO) on a 2.5 cm-long core of polymer-clad silica fibers.

First insight into microbial community composition in a phosphogypsum waste heap soil.

The aim of this study was to investigate the soil microbial communities of a phosphogypsum waste heap. The soil microbial community structures can differ over time, as they are affected by the changing environmental conditions caused by a long-term exposure to different kinds of pollutions, like is the case of soil in the post-production waste area in Wiślinka (in the northern part of Poland) currently undergoing restoration. Our analyses indicated that the most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria, and generally such an abundance is common for most of the studied soils.