Retraction notice to "Biogenic synthesis and cytotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles mediated by white rot fungi" [Heliyon 7 (2021) e06470].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

Dual-Mode Comb Plasmonic Optical Fiber Sensing.

Surface plasmon (SP) excitation in metal-coated tilted fiber Bragg gratings (TFBGs) has been a focal point for highly sensitive surface biosensing. Previous efforts focused on uniform metal layer deposition around the TFBG cross section and temperature self-compensation with the Bragg mode, requiring both careful control of the core-guided light polarization and interrogation over most of the C + L bands. To circumvent these two important practical limitations, we studied and developed an original platform based on partially coated TFBGs.

Expression of concern: Acceleration of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis using TiO microspheres as a catalyst for hydrogen production.

Expression of concern for 'Acceleration of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis using TiO microspheres as a catalyst for hydrogen production' by Ayman H. Zaki , , 2020, , 2080-2086, https://doi.org/10.

The intriguing dose-dependent effect of selected amphiphilic compounds on insulin amyloid aggregation: Focus on a cholesterol-based detergent, Chobimalt.

The amyloidogenic self-assembly of many peptides and proteins largely depends on external conditions. Among amyloid-prone proteins, insulin attracts attention because of its physiological and therapeutic importance. In the present work, the amyloid aggregation of insulin is studied in the presence of cholesterol-based detergent, Chobimalt.

A chiral 3D silver(I)-benzenedithiolate coordination polymer exhibiting photoemission and non-linear optical response.

A new tridimensional metal-organic chalcogenolate, made of a 1,3-benzenedithiolate bridging ligand and Ag(I), [Ag(1,3-BDT)], is reported. This coordination polymer has good thermal stability in air and displays both photoluminescence properties and a second harmonic generation response.

Solid Magnetoliposomes as Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Systems for Controlled Release of Doxorubicin: Assessment of Lipid Formulations.

Stimuli-responsive liposomes are a class of nanocarriers whose drug release occurs, preferentially, when exposed to a specific biological environment, to an external stimulus, or both. This work is focused on the design of solid magnetoliposomes (SMLs) as lipid-based nanosystems aiming to obtain multi-stimuli-responsive vesicles for doxorubicin (DOX) controlled release in pathological areas under the action of thermal, magnetic, and pH stimuli. The effect of lipid combinations on structural, colloidal stability, and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated.

Recent Progress in Graphene- and Related Carbon-Nanomaterial-based Electrochemical Biosensors for Early Disease Detection.

Graphene- and carbon-based nanomaterials are key materials to develop advanced biosensors for the sensitive detection of many biomarkers owing to their unique properties. Biosensors have attracted increasing interest because they allow efficacious, sensitive, selective, rapid, and low-cost diagnosis. Biosensors are analytical devices based on receptors for the process of detection and transducers for response measuring.

pH-Induced 3D Printable Chitosan Hydrogels for Soft Actuation.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing represents a suitable technology for the development of biomimetic scaffolds for biomedical and tissue engineering applications. However, hydrogel-based inks' printability remains a challenge due to their restricted print accuracy, mechanical properties, swelling or even cytotoxicity. Chitosan is a natural-derived polysaccharide that has arisen as a promising bioink due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, sustainability and antibacterial properties, among others, as well as its ability to form hydrogels under the influence of a wide variety of mechanisms (thermal, ionic, pH, covalent, etc.

Cyclic Solid-State Multiple Phase Changes with Tuned Photoemission in a Gold Thiolate Coordination Polymer.

The discovery of a universal memory that exhibits fast access speed, high-density storage, and non-volatility has fuelled research into phase-change materials over the past decades. In spite of the efficiency of the inorganic chalcogenides for phase-change random access memory (PCRAM), they still have some inherent drawbacks, such as high temperature required for phase change and difficulty to control the domain size of the phase change, because of their brittleness. Here we present a Au -thiolate coordination polymer which undergoes two successive phase changes on application of mild heating (<200 °C) from amorphous-to-crystalline1-to-crystalline2 phases.

Engineering of Electron Affinity and Interfacial Charge Transfer of Graphene for Self-Powered Nonenzymatic Biosensor Applications.

Facile electron transport and intimate electronic contact at the catalyst-electrode interface are critical for the ideal performance of electrochemical devices such as glucose biofuel cells and biosensors. Here, through a comprehensive experimental-theoretical exploration, we demonstrate that engineering of interfacial properties, including interfacial electron dynamics, electron affinity, electrode-catalyst-adsorbate electrical synergy, and electrocatalytically active surface area, can lead to highly efficient graphene-based electrochemical devices. We selected two closely related but electronically and surface chemically different functionalized graphene analogues-graphene acid (GA) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-as the model graphenic platforms.

Linker Exchange via Migration along the Backbone in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

In metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), organic linkers are subject to postsynthetic exchange (PSE) when new linkers reach sites of PSE by diffusion. Here, we show that during PSE, a bulky organic linker is able to penetrate narrow-window MOF crystals. The bulky linker migrates by continuously replacing the linkers gating the otherwise impassable windows and serially occupying an array of backbone sites, a mechanism we term .

Degradation Behavior, Biocompatibility, Electrochemical Performance, and Circularity Potential of Transient Batteries.

Transient technology seeks the development of materials, devices, or systems that undergo controlled degradation processes after a stable operation period, leaving behind harmless residues. To enable externally powered fully transient devices operating for longer periods compared to passive devices, transient batteries are needed. Albeit transient batteries are initially intended for biomedical applications, they represent an effective solution to circumvent the current contaminant leakage into the environment.

Advanced research trends in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are an efficient photovoltaic technology for powering electronic applications such as wireless sensors with indoor light. Their low cost and abundant materials, as well as their capability to be manufactured as thin and light-weight flexible solar modules highlight their potential for economic indoor photovoltaics. However, their fabrication methods must be scaled to industrial manufacturing with high photovoltaic efficiency and performance stability under typical indoor conditions.

Biogenic synthesis and cytotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles mediated by white rot fungi.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were successfully synthesized using silver nitrate via the biological route using the culture filtrate of as well as white rot fungi materials at room temperature. The proposed synthetic technique was applied for the first time for AgNPs preparation via the biological route through a low-cost pathway, which considered as an adequate direction of preparation compared to the commercial methods. This study reports the in vitro cytotoxic effect of biologically synthesized AgNPs in disposing of the human lung cancer cell line (A549) and human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) by using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.

High magnetization FeCo nanoparticles for magnetorheological fluids with enhanced response.

We present results concerning the fabrication of a new magnetorheological fluid with FeCo magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) as magnetic fillers. These NPs have been fabricated by using the chemical reduction technique and show a pure crystalline phase with size ranging among 30-50 nm and high magnetization, 212 ± 2 A m kg. They agglomerate due to the strong magnetic dipolar interaction among them.

Thermoelectric Energy Harvesters: A Review of Recent Developments in Materials and Devices for Different Potential Applications.

The thermoelectric effect encompasses three different effects, i.e. Seebeck effect, Peltier effect, and Thomson effect, which are considered as thermally activated materials that alter directions in smart materials.

Exploring the potential of the dynamic hysteresis loops via high field, high frequency and temperature adjustable AC magnetometer for magnetic hyperthermia characterization.

Aim: The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is the key parameter to optimize the effectiveness of magnetic nanoparticles in magnetic hyperthermia. AC magnetometry arises as a powerful technique to quantify the SAR by computing the hysteresis loops' area. However, currently available devices produce quite limited magnetic field intensities, below 45mT, which are often insufficient to obtain major hysteresis loops and so a more complete and understandable magneticcharacterization.

A Sodium-Ion Battery Separator with Reversible Voltage Response Based on Water-Soluble Cellulose Derivatives.

The development of efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly energy storage systems plays a pivotal role in moving toward a more sustainable society. Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) have garnered considerable interest in grid energy storage applications because of the abundance of sodium, low cost, and suitable redox potential. However, NIB technology is still in its infancy, especially with regard to separators.

Advances in nanotechnology and antibacterial properties of biodegradable food packaging materials.

A large number of non-biodegradable and non-renewable materials are produced daily for application as food packaging materials. These waste materials have a greatly negative effect on our health and the ecosystem. The idea of a bio-based economy is steadily gaining attention from the scientific, societal, and financial communities, so there are several areas in which the intended approaches can be improved for this reason.

Acceleration of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis using TiO microspheres as a catalyst for hydrogen production.

Titania microspheres are considered an adequate material with low cost and easily attainable pathways, and can be utilized in photocatalytic H production to solve the energy crisis. Spherical porous titanium dioxide materials, with nanostructure composition, were chemically synthesized from titanate nanotubes a simple hydrothermal technique, then added as a catalyst to accelerate the route of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis for hydrogen production. The mechanism of sphere formation from titanate nanotubes is elucidated in detail through the current study.

Magnetic, Magnetoelastic and Corrosion Resistant Properties of (Fe-Ni)-Based Metallic Glasses for Structural Health Monitoring Applications.

We have performed a study of the magnetic, magnetoelastic, and corrosion resistance properties of seven different composition magnetoelastic-resonant platforms. For some applications, such as structural health monitoring, these materials must have not only good magnetomechanical properties, but also a high corrosion resistance. In the fabricated metallic glasses of composition Fe73-xNixCr5Si10B12, the Fe/Ni ratio was varied (Fe+Ni=73% at.

Electrical Methods to Elucidate Charge Transport in Hybrid Perovskites Thin Films and Devices.

The panchromatic light absorption and excellent charge carrier transport properties in organo lead halide perovskites allowed to achieve an unprecedented power conversion efficiency in excess of 25 % for thin film photovoltaics fabrication. To understand the underlying phenomena, various comprehensive set of optical and electrical techniques have been employed to investigate the charge carrier dynamics in such devices. In this perspective, we aim to summarize the electrical transport properties of perovskite thin films by using (i) impedance spectroscopy (IS), (ii) space charge limited current (SCLC), (iii) field-effect transistors (FETs) and (iv) time-of-flight (TOF) methods.

Ionothermal Synthesis of Cadmium Coordination Polymers: Ionic Liquid Effects on the Synthesis, Structural, and Thermal Characterization.

Ionothermal synthesis is a little used method for the preparation of coordination polymers. By this method, two cadmium compounds were synthesized, , with formula Cd(ox)F(Ina) (Ina = isonicotinate) and , Cd(NO)(4,4'-Bpy) (4,4'-Bpy = 4,4'-Bipyridine). The modification of the reaction conditions has allowed to obtain as a pure phase.

Lead-Free Perovskites: Metals Substitution towards Environmentally Benign Solar Cell Fabrication.

Perovskite solar cells have attracted significant attention during the current decade owing to their efficacy and photovoltaics performance, which has reached a new milestone in the thin-film category. Perovskite solar cells have witnessed a remarkable 25.2 % light-to-electricity conversion efficiency; however, the toxicity of the commonly employed Pb counterpart towards humans as well as the environment, in addition to material instability, are current bottlenecks towards commercial application.