Modern Methods of Drying Nanomaterials

The Advancement and Obstacles in Improving the Stability of Nanocarriers for Precision Drug Delivery in the Field of Nanomedicine

Nanocarriers have emerged as a promising class of nanoscale materials in the fields of drug delivery and biomedical applications. Their unique properties, such as high surface area- tovolume ratios and enhanced permeability and retention effects, enable targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to specific tissues or cells. However, the inherent instability of nanocarriers poses significant challenges to their successful application. This review highlights the importance of nanocarrier stability in biomedical applications and its impact on biocompatibility, targeted drug delivery, long shelf life, drug delivery performance, therapeutic efficacy, reduced side effects, prolonged circulation time, and targeted delivery. Enhancing nanocarrier stability requires careful design, engineering, and optimization of physical and chemical parameters. Various strategies and cutting-edge techniques employed to improve nanocarrier stability are explored, with a focus on their applications in drug delivery. By understanding the advances and challenges in nanocarrier stability, this review aims to contribute to the development and implementation of nanocarrier- based therapies in clinical settings, advancing the field of nanomedicine.

Using chitosan, hyaluronic acid, alginate, and gelatin-based smart biological hydrogels for drug delivery in oral mucosal lesions: A review

AIMS

Oral mucosal diseases can lead to pain, difficulty speaking and eating, psychological distress, and cancer. Topical drug delivery using biological macromolecules, specifically hydrogels, is gaining interest due to the drawbacks of conventional treatments for oral mucosal lesions.

SCOPE

Biological hydrogels made from natural polymers and their derivatives, such as chitosan, hyaluronic acid, alginate, and gelatin, represent promising alternatives to conventional oral medication delivery methods. Topical drug delivery is beneficial for oral mucosal lesions as it can directly target the affected area, especially with the development of smart stimuli-responsive hydrogels, which allow for more controlled drug release. Biological hydrogels have already been used to deliver drugs like lidocaine and nystatin. This review summarizes the current research on applying smart natural polymer-based hydrogels for drug delivery in oral mucosal lesions.

CONCLUSION

Smart biological hydrogels show great promise as topical drug delivery systems for oral mucosal lesions, offering sustained drug release, increased therapeutic efficacy, and minimized systemic complications. Technological advancement is expected to lead to the development of more effective and safer drug delivery systems. The potential benefits of biological polymer-based hydrogels make them an exciting area of research for oral mucosal lesion treatment.

Carbonized Cellulose Nanofibril with Individualized Fibrous Morphology: toward Multifunctional Applications in Polycaprolactone Conductive Composites

Drying cellulose nanofibril (CNF) from aqueous suspensions often leads to aggregated fibril morphology, negatively affecting its performance in ensuing applications. In this work, we introduced a new solvent drying approach to acquire dry CNF from aqueous suspensions and subsequently pyrolyzed the CNF precursor to obtain carbonized CNF (CCNF) without loss of its fibrous morphology. The fibrous CCNF was dispersed homogeneously in polycaprolactone (PCL) thermoplastic resin, greatly enhancing PCL composite tensile performance. After being further mixed with carbon black (CB), the CCNF helped to minimize CB aggregation due to formation of interconnected three-dimensional (3D) structures. The CCNF/CB/PCL composite exhibited superior electrical conductivity ascribed to electrons transporting more efficiently among CB aggregates. The composite is also suitable for applications such as 3D printed electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and deformation sensing. Specifically, the 3D printed EMI shielding composite efficiently absorbed EM radiation in the frequency range of 4-26 GHz, and the 3D printed deformation sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity, durability, and flexibility in monitoring mechanical distortions. Herein, this study sheds light on the development of multifunctional conductive composites embedded with fibrous CCNF from sustainable resources.

Comparison of Effects of Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride on Spray Drying and Redispersion of Cellulose Nanofibrils Suspension

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were exposed to the same levels of potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl) before being subjected to spray drying. The effect of NaCl and KCl on the size of atomized droplets and the hydrogen bond retardation between CNFs was investigated by characterizing product morphology, particle size distribution, dispersion stability in aqueous system, and surface chemistry. The results showed that the CNF suspensions treated with KCl could be atomized into smaller droplets during spray drying, and then CNF powder with smaller sizes could be obtained. As the agglomeration was less, and the CNF with KCl addition had good dispersion stability after redispersion compared with CNF treated by NaCl. Therefore, KCl treatment was an effective method to reduce the agglomeration of CNF during spray drying.

Dispersible surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanosheets

Ultrathin and flexible silica nanosheets, synthesized with gold nanorod dimers embedded uniformly throughout, can be dispersed in solution and deposited onto arbitrary surfaces. These novel materials conform and maintain the as-synthesized density of dimers, allowing them to be used reliably in labeling and detection applications.