Laser Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Bismuth Oxyhalides Nanoparticles.

Photocatalysis offers a powerful approach for water purification from toxic organics, hydrogen production, biosolids processing, and the conversion of CO into useful products. Further advancements in photocatalytic technologies depend on the development of novel, highly efficient catalysts and optimized synthesis methods. This study aimed to develop a laser synthesis technique for bismuth oxyhalide nanoparticles (NPs) as efficient and multifunctional photocatalysts.

Aptamer's Structure Optimization for Better Diagnosis and Treatment of Glial Tumors.

Oncological diseases are a major focus in medicine, with millions diagnosed each year, leading researchers to seek new diagnostic and treatment methods. One promising avenue is the development of targeted therapies and rapid diagnostic tests using recognition molecules. The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly exploring nucleic acid-based therapeutics.

Systematic rare Earth doping to adopt an 32 type huntite structure in NdSc(BO) crystals.

This study is focused on determining the type and quantity of REE impurities responsible for converting the structure of NdSc(BO) into an 32 polymorph. According to the single crystal X-ray diffraction of RNdSc(BO) (R = Sm-Lu, + + = 4) the samples probably contain several polymorphic modifications. However, the predominant structure has been defined as 32 for R = Eu, Er, Tm, and Yb and 321 for R = Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho.

Plasmonic Nanocomposites of ZnO-Ag Produced by Laser Ablation and Their Photocatalytic Destruction of Rhodamine, Tetracycline and Phenol.

Hydrosphere pollution by organic pollutants of different nature (persistent dyes, phenols, herbicides, antibiotics, etc.) is one of the urgent ecological problems facing humankind these days. The task of water purification from such pollutants can be effectively solved with the help of modern photocatalytic technologies.

Unraveling the Structural and Compositional Peculiarities in CTAB-Templated CeO-ZrO-MnO Catalysts for Soot and CO Oxidation.

Structure-performance relationships in functional catalysts allow for controlling their performance in a wide range of reaction conditions. Here, the structural and compositional peculiarities in CTAB-templated CeO-ZrO-MnO catalysts prepared by co-precipitation of precursors and their catalytic behavior in CO oxidation and soot combustion are discussed. A complex of physical-chemical methods (low-temperature N sorption, XRD, TPR-H, Raman, HR TEM, XPS) is used to elucidate the features of the formation of interphase boundaries, joint phases, and defects in multicomponent oxide systems.

Ni-Based SBA-15 Catalysts Modified with CeMnO for CO Valorization via Dry Reforming of Methane: Effect of Composition on Modulating Activity and H/CO Ratio.

Dry reforming of methane with ratio CH/CO = 1 is studied using supported Ni catalysts on SBA-15 modified by CeMnO mixed oxides with different Ce/Mn ratios (0.25, 1 and 9). The obtained samples are characterized by wide-angle XRD, SAXS, N sorption, TPR-H, TEM, UV-vis and Raman spectroscopies.

Development of DNA aptamers for visualization of glial brain tumors and detection of circulating tumor cells.

Here, we present DNA aptamers capable of specific binding to glial tumor cells , , and for visualization diagnostics of central nervous system tumors. We selected the aptamers binding specifically to the postoperative human glial primary tumors and not to the healthy brain cells and meningioma, using a modified process of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment to cells; sequenced and analyzed ssDNA pools using bioinformatic tools and identified the best aptamers by their binding abilities; determined three-dimensional structures of lead aptamers (Gli-55 and Gli-233) with small-angle X-ray scattering and molecular modeling; isolated and identified molecular target proteins of the aptamers by mass spectrometry; the potential binding sites of Gli-233 to the target protein and the role of post-translational modifications were verified by molecular dynamics simulations. The anti-glioma aptamers Gli-233 and Gli-55 were used to detect circulating tumor cells in liquid biopsies.

Unraveling the low-temperature activity of Rh-CeO catalysts in CO oxidation: probing the local structure and Red-Ox transformation of Rh species.

The local structure of the active sites is one of the key aspects of establishing the nature of the catalytic activity of the systems. In this work, a detailed structural investigation of the Rh-CeO catalysts prepared by the co-precipitation method was carried out. The application of a variety of physicochemical methods such as XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, TEM, TPR-H, and XAS revealed the presence of highly dispersed Rh species in the catalysts: Rh single ions and RhO clusters.

Electrochemical Study of Semiconductor Properties for Bismuth Silicate-Based Photocatalysts Obtained via Hydro-/Solvothermal Approach.

Three bismuth silicate-based photocatalysts (composites of BiSiO and BiSiO) prepared via the hydro-/solvothermal approach were studied using electrochemical methods. The characteristic parameters of semiconductors, such as flat band potential, donor density, and mobility of their charge carriers, were obtained and compared with the materials' photocatalytic activity. An attempt was made to study the effect of solution components on the semiconductor/liquid interface (SLI).

Synthesis and Growth of Rare Earth Borates NaSrR(BO) (R = Ho-Lu, Y, Sc).

NaSrR(BO) (R = Ho-Lu, Y, Sc) compounds were obtained for the first time. Their structures exhibit disordered positions of Sr and Na atoms while RO polyhedra are connected through the BO groups. Large distances between R atoms and high transparency in the range of 250-900 nm make them promising for phosphor applications.

Structure- and Interaction-Based Design of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Aptamers.

Aptamer selection against novel infections is a complicated and time-consuming approach. Synergy can be achieved by using computational methods together with experimental procedures. This study aims to develop a reliable methodology for a rational aptamer in silico et vitro design.

Antibacterial Ferroelectric Hybrid Membranes Fabricated via Electrospinning for Wound Healing.

In the present study, wound healing ferroelectric membranes doped with zinc oxide nanoparticles were fabricated from vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer and polyvinylpyrrolidone using the electrospinning technique. Five different ratios of vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene to polyvinylpyrrolidone were used to control the properties of the membranes at a constant zinc oxide nanoparticle content. It was found that an increase of polyvinylpyrrolidone content leads to a decrease of the spinning solution conductivity and viscosity, causing a decrease of the average fiber diameter and reducing their strength and elongation.

Development of Electrochemical Aptasensor for Lung Cancer Diagnostics in Human Blood.

We describe the preparation and characterization of an aptamer-based electrochemical sensor to lung cancer tumor markers in human blood. The highly reproducible aptamer sensing layer with a high density (up to 70% coverage) on the gold electrode was made. Electrochemical methods and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to study the stability of the aptamer layer structure and binding ability.

Study of an EuBO-ScBO system and EuSc(BO), EuSc(BO) orthoborates.

The EuBO-ScBO system was investigated by solid state synthesis and DSC methods. In this system, a new EuSc(BO) compound was found. It crystallizes in the 3̄ space group with unit cell parameters of = 4.

Structure and Properties of Biodegradable PLLA/ZnO Composite Membrane Produced via Electrospinning.

These days, composite materials based on polymers and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in optoelectronics and biomedicine. In this work, composite membranes of polylactic acid and ZnO NPs containing 5-40 wt.% of the latter NPs were produced by means of electrospinning.

Highly Defective Dark Nano Titanium Dioxide: Preparation via Pulsed Laser Ablation and Application.

The development of methods to synthesize and study the properties of dark titania is of the utmost interest due to prospects for its use, primarily in photocatalysis when excited by visible light. In this work, the dark titania powder was prepared by pulsed laser ablation (Nd:YAG laser, 1064 nm, 7 ns) in water and dried in air. To study the changes occurring in the material, the thermal treatment was applied.

Aptamer-Conjugated Superparamagnetic Ferroarabinogalactan Nanoparticles for Targeted Magnetodynamic Therapy of Cancer.

Nanotechnologies involving physical methods of tumor destruction using functional oligonucleotides are promising for targeted cancer therapy. Our study presents magnetodynamic therapy for selective elimination of tumor cells in vivo using DNA aptamer-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles exposed to a low frequency alternating magnetic field. We developed an enhanced targeting approach of cancer cells with aptamers and arabinogalactan.

Development of DNA Aptamers to Native EpCAM for Isolation of Lung Circulating Tumor Cells from Human Blood.

We selected DNA aptamers to the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expressed on primary lung cancer cells isolated from the tumors of patients with non-small cell lung cancer using competitive displacement of aptamers from EpCAM by a corresponding antibody. The resulting aptamers clones showed good nanomolar affinity to EpCAM-positive lung cancer cells. Confocal microscopy imaging and spectral profiling of lung cancer tissues confirmed the same protein target for the aptamers and anti-EpCAM antibodies.

Comparative Study of Physicochemical and Antibacterial Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Prepared by Laser Ablation of Zn Target in Water and Air.

Here, we report on ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) generated by nanosecond pulsed laser (Nd:YAG, 1064 nm) through ablation of metallic Zn target in water and air and their comparative analysis as potential nanomaterials for biomedical applications. The prepared nanomaterials were carefully characterized in terms of their structure, composition, morphology and defects. It was found that in addition to the main wurtzite ZnO phase, which is conventionally prepared and reported by others, the sample laser generated in air also contained some amount of monoclinic zinc hydroxynitrate.

Copper Nanoparticles for Ascorbic Acid Sensing in Water on Carbon Screen-printed Electrodes.

A carbon screen-printed electrode was modified with copper nanoparticles from their dispersion obtained via pulsed laser ablation of a copper target in ethanol. The modified electrode exhibited activity in ascorbic acid electrochemical oxidation, giving an anodic current peak on voltammograms. Linear sweep and cyclic voltammetry have shown a linear dependence of the signal (both peak height and peak area) on the ascorbic acid concentration.

Dispersion properties of sulfur doped gallium selenide crystals studied by THz TDS.

High optical quality nonlinear crystals of solid solution GaSe(1-x)S(x), x=0, 0.05, 0.11, 0.