Live Cell Poration by Au Nanostars to Probe Intracellular Molecular Composition with SERS.

A new type of flat substrate has been used to visualize structures inside living cells by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and to study biochemical processes within cells. The SERS substrate is formed by stabilized aggregates of gold nanostars on a glass microscope slide coated with a layer of poly (4-vinyl pyridine) polymer. This type of SERS substrate provides good cell adhesion and viability.

Transdermal platform for the delivery of the antifungal drug naftifine hydrochloride based on porous vaterite particles.

Development of a skin-targeted particulate delivery system providing an extended or sustained release of the payload and a localized therapeutic effect is one of the main challenges in the treatment of fungal skin infections. In the topical administration of antifungals, the drug should penetrate into the stratum corneum and lower layers of the skin in effective concentrations. Here, we introduce biodegradable calcium carbonate carriers containing 4.

Alkaline Phosphatase Delivery System Based on Calcium Carbonate Carriers for Acceleration of Ossification.

Composite bioceramic and hydrogel-based containers harboring alkaline phosphatase are generated through encapsulation of this enzyme by its immobilization into CaCO-based bioceramic materials in combination with a hydrogel assembly technique and subsequent gelification. A refined way of synthesis and modification allows preparing the enzyme delivery system with functionalized protection layers. The particles are characterized by electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and enzyme activity measurements.

Enhancement of Biomimetic Enzymatic Mineralization of Gellan Gum Polysaccharide Hydrogels by Plant-Derived Gallotannins.

Mineralization of hydrogel biomaterials with calcium phosphate (CaP) is considered advantageous for bone regeneration. Mineralization can be both induced by the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and promoted by calcium-binding biomolecules, such as plant-derived polyphenols. In this study, ALP-loaded gellan gum (GG) hydrogels were enriched with gallotannins, a subclass of polyphenols.

Freezing-Induced Loading of TiO into Porous Vaterite Microparticles: Preparation of CaCO/TiO Composites as Templates To Assemble UV-Responsive Microcapsules for Wastewater Treatment.

The photocatalytic degradation of organic molecules is one of the effective ways for water purification. At this point, photocatalytic microreactor systems seem to be promising to enhance the versatility of the photoassisted degradation approach. Herein, we propose photoresponsive microcapsules prepared via layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes on the novel CaCO/TiO composite template cores.