Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Nanoparticle-Decorated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes find applications in many fields due to their extraordinary properties. However, depending on their synthesis method, they show no or a poor response to the presence of a magnetic field. This limits their usability in magnetic applications.

Dry Synthesis of Binder-Free Ruthenium Nitride-Coated Carbon Nanotubes as a Flexible Supercapacitor Electrode.

Ruthenium nitride was successfully deposited on a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) forest grown on a stainless-steel mesh substrate by radiofrequency plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition. This novel dry fabrication method for flexible supercapacitor electrodes eliminates toxic byproducts and the need for any binder component. Experimental results show a successful thin film coating of the individual MWCNTs with RuN under various synthesis conditions.

Synthesis and characterization of MWCNT-covered stainless steel mesh with Janus-type wetting properties.

Various multi-step methods to fabricate Janus membranes have been reported in literature. However, no article so far reports the durability of the Janus membranes when exposed to liquids. We report on a novel method to fabricate a Janus-type multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)-covered stainless steel (SS) mesh, which retains dual-wetting properties even after exposure to water for 540 d.

Synergy between Non-Thermal Plasma with Radiation Therapy and Olaparib in a Panel of Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Cancer therapy has evolved to a more targeted approach and often involves drug combinations to achieve better response rates. Non-thermal plasma (NTP), a technology rapidly expanding its application in the medical field, is a near room temperature ionized gas capable of producing reactive species, and can induce cancer cell death both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we used proliferation assay to characterize the plasma sensitivity of fourteen breast cancer cell lines.

Quantitative stability analyses of multiwall carbon nanotube nanofluids following water/ice phase change cycling.

Multiwall carbon nanotube nanofluids are regularly investigated for phase change enhancement between liquid and solid states owing to their improved heat transfer properties. The potential applications are numerous, the most notable being latent heat thermal energy storage, but the success of all nanofluid-assisted technologies hinges greatly on the ability of nanoparticles to remain stably dispersed after repeated phase change cycles. In this report, the stability of aqueous nanofluids made from oxygen-functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) was profiled over the course of 20 freeze/thaw cycles.

Permeabilization of adhered cells using an inert gas jet.

Various cell transfection techniques exist and these can be broken down to three broad categories: viral, chemical and mechanical. This protocol describes a mechanical method to temporally permeabilize adherent cells using an inert gas jet that can facilitate the transfer of normally non-permeable macromolecules into cells. We believe this technique works by imparting shear forces on the plasma membrane of adherent cells, resulting in the temporary formation of micropores.

Feasibility of nanofluid-based optical filters.

In this article we report recent modeling and design work indicating that mixtures of nanoparticles in liquids can be used as an alternative to conventional optical filters. The major motivation for creating liquid optical filters is that they can be pumped in and out of a system to meet transient needs in an application. To demonstrate the versatility of this new class of filters, we present the design of nanofluids for use as long-pass, short-pass, and bandpass optical filters using a simple Monte Carlo optimization procedure.

Use of inert gas jets to measure the forces required for mechanical gene transfection.

Background: Transferring genes and drugs into cells is central to how we now study, identify and treat diseases. Several non-viral gene therapy methods that rely on the mechanical disruption of the plasma membrane have been proposed, but the success of these methods has been limited due to a lack of understanding of the mechanical parameters that lead to cell membrane permeability.

Methods: We use a simple jet of inert gas to induce local transfection of plasmid DNA both in vitro (HeLa cells) and in vivo (chicken chorioallantoic membrane).