Cytoprotective Effects and Intranuclear Localization of Sulfur-Containing Derivative of Buckminsterfullerene.

Background: There is a growing interest in exploring the biological characteristics of nanoparticles and exploring their potential applications. However, there is still a lack of research into the potential genotoxicity of fullerene derivatives and their impact on gene expression in human cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of a water-soluble fullerene derivative, C60[C6H4SCH2COOK]5H (F1), on human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF).

Buckyballs to fight pandemic: Water-soluble fullerene derivatives with pendant carboxylic groups emerge as a new family of promising SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors.

Herein, we present the first experimental study of individual water-soluble fullerene derivatives proving their ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. The initial screening allowed us to identify a few new compounds that have demonstrated pronounced antiviral activity with IC values as low as 390 nM and selectivity indexes reaching 214. Time-of-addition analysis and molecular docking results suggested that the viral protease and/or the spike protein are the most probable targets inhibited by the fullerene derivatives.

Wave Function Localization Reduces the Bandgap of Disordered Double Perovskite CsAgBiBr.

Double perovskite CsAgBiBr is a promising alternative to lead-based perovskites with excellent stability and attractive optoelectronic properties. However, a relatively large bandgap severely limits its performance in many applications such as solar cells and photodetectors. It has been reported that a random distribution of Ag and Bi atoms in CsAgBiBr effectively reduces its bandgap without introducing dopants or impurities, while the mechanism remains unclear.

Dose-Response Effect of Various Concentrations of Cl-Containing Water-Soluble Derivatives of C Fullerenes on a Selective Regulation of Gene Expression in Human Embryonic Lung Fibroblasts (HELF).

Background: The new synthesized water-soluble derivatives of C fullerenes are of a great interest to researchers since they can potentially be promising materials for drug delivery, bioimaging, biosonding, and tissue engineering. Surface functionalization of fullerene derivatives changes their chemical and physical characteristics, increasing their solubility and suitability for different biological systems applications, however, any changes in functionalized fullerenes can modulate their cytotoxicity and antioxidant properties. The toxic or protective effect of fullerene derivatives on cells is realized through the activation or inhibition of genes and proteins of key signaling pathways in cells responsible for regulation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, proliferation, and apoptosis.

Unraveling Oxygen Vacancies Effect on Chemical Composition, Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of Eu Doped SnO.

The influence of Eu doping (0.5, 1 and 2 mol.%) and annealing in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere on the structure and optical properties of SnO nanoparticles were investigated in relation to electronic structure.