Trivalent and Pentavalent atoms doped Boron nitride nanosheets as Favipiravir drug carriers for the treatment of COVID-19 using computational approaches

Exploring the Sensing Performance of T-Graphene, T-Boron Nitride, and Their Lateral Heterostructure for Toxic CO, NO, NO2, and SO2 Gas Molecules

In this observation, density functional theory calculations were carried out to examine the adsorption performance of T-graphene (TG), T-boron nitride (TBN), and their heterostructure (TG-TBN) toward CO, SO2, NO, and NO2 gas molecules. To observe the sensing performance of the nanosheets, the adsorption energy with adsorption distance, charge transfer, electronic properties, sensitivity, and recovery time have been investigated. The gas molecules were adsorbed in the tetragonal (T) and octagonal (O) sites of the nanosheets, in which we found that the O site was more favorable. In the case of the interaction between TG and gases, low adsorption behavior has been found, but TBN and TG-TBN exhibit favorable interaction behavior with the gases. Among the four gases, SO2 and NO2 interact with the TBN in chemisorption energy, which are -0.911 and -1.75 eV, at the O site, respectively. During their interaction, the gases gain -0.139e and -0.428e charges from the TBN. TG-TBN shows high interaction properties with the NO and NO2 gases with energies -1.21 and -1.35 eV, respectively. The DOS spectra show that extra electronic states are generated at the Fermi level of NO and NO2 gas adsorption on the nanosheets. Low recovery times have been observed during the desorption; in the case of TG-TBN, the recovery times are 0.19 and 1.56 s at the T and O sites for NO and 28.32 and 41.04 s at the T and O sites for the NO2 gas molecule. Therefore, TBN can be used as a gas sensor for SO2 and NO2 gases and TG-TBN can be used as a gas sensor for NO and NO2 gas molecules.

Understanding the adsorption performance of hetero-nanocages (C12-B6N6, C12-Al6N6, and B6N6-Al6N6) towards hydroxyurea anticancer drug: a comprehensive study using DFT

Cancer is a paramount health challenge to global health, which forms tumors that can invade nearby tissues and spread to neighboring cells. Recently, nanotechnology has been used to control the growth of cancer, in which anticancer drugs are delivered to cancerous cells via nanoparticles without damaging healthy tissues. In this study, DFT investigations were carried out to examine the adsorption behavior of C24, B12N12, and Al12N12 nanocages as well as their heterostructures C12-B6N6, C12-Al6N6, and B6N6-Al6N6 towards the hydroxyurea (HU) anticancer drug. In this regard, adsorption energy, interaction distance between the drug and nanocages, charge transfer, energy gap, dipole moment, quantum molecular descriptors, work function, and COSMO surface analysis were analyzed to understand their adsorption performance. Findings demonstrate that the adsorption energies of two hetero-nanocages on their hexagonal (SH) and tetragonal (ST) sites are favorable for the drug delivery process. The computed adsorption energy of B6N6-Al6N6 of the ST/AlN site is 183.59 kJ mol-1, which is higher than that of the C12-Al6N6 nanocage, including minimum adsorption distances. Negative adsorption energy with low adsorption distances implies an attractive interaction between the drug and nanocages. During the interaction, a significant amount of charge is transferred between the drug and nanocages. Furthermore, for both complexes, larger dipole moments were observed in water media compared to gas media. From DOS spectra, prominent peaks were found in the Fermi level after adsorption of HU on the nanocages, implying the reduction of the energy gap. Noticeable overlaps between the PDOS spectra of the nanocages and HU's close contact atom demonstrate the formation of chemical bonds between two specific atoms. Therefore, it can be concluded that among the nanocages, C12-Al6N6 and B6N6-Al6N6 may be suitable carriers for HU drug.

Molecular Docking Studies of Boron‐Containing Compounds as Dual Inhibitors of SARS‐Cov‐2 Spike Receptor Binding Domain/ACE2 Complex and Main Protease and ADMET Investigations

The severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS‐CoV‐2 is the causative agent of COVID‐19. Preventing binding of SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike glycoprotein to human ACE2 enzyme and inhibition of MPRO enzyme are still attractive drug targets for treatment of COVID‐19 infection. Boron atom‐containing compounds show anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, anti‐inflammatory, antituberculosis, anti‐dermatophytic and anti‐fertility activities. In the current study, the ADMET properties of ligands were calculated by the aim of SwissADME and pkCSM pharmacokinetics web tools. The results revealed that the ligands meet drug‐likeness properties. Furthermore, we have performed molecular docking study of boron containing dioxaborepine and oxadiazaborole derivatives to investigate binding properties of ligands against SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike glycoprotein/ACE2 complex and inhibition of MPRO enzyme. Through the ligands a derivative of dioxaborepine showed best binding score against SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike glycoprotein/ACE2 complex with a binding score of −8.93 kcal/mol and a oxadiazaborole derivative exhibited a binding score value of −8.36 kcal which is the best binding ligand to the MPRO enzyme binding site. The analysis of binding poses of ligands and ligand‐residue interactions of the systems revealed that dioxaborepines and oxadiazaboroles could have block binding of Spike glycoprotein to human ACE2 enzyme and could have inhibition effects on MPRO enzyme.

Quantum DFT studies on the drug delivery of favipiravir using pristine and functionalized chitosan nanoparticles

Considering the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding new drugs along with the development of effective drug delivery methods can help in the treatment of this disease. For this reason, in this research work, the possibility of drug-delivery of Favipiravir (FP), one of the drugs approved in the treatment of COVID-19, by pristine chitosan (Chit) nanoparticles (NP), and functionalized chitosan nanoparticles with N-acylate, N-methyl, O-acetyl, and Oxazoline functional groups was studied using quantum mechanical DFT methods at B3LYP-D3(BJ)/6-311 + g(d,p) theoretical level in water medium. The QTAIM, NBO, DOS, frontier orbital, conceptual-DFT indices, and non-covalent interaction analysis were further implemented to investigate the possible interactions between FP and Chit NPs. The results show that the adsorption of FP on Chit NPs is done through the creation of hydrogen bonds, and the highest absorption energy of - 18.15 kcal/mol between pristine chitosan and FP. In the case of all functionalized Chit NPs, a decrease in the absorption energy is observed, which is more noticeable in the case of N-acylated and O-acetyl functionalize Chit NPs, and indicates the weakening of the van der Waals interactions for these cases. Considering the compatibility of Chit NPs with the human body and their non-toxicity, as well as the fact that factors such as pH, solubility, the ionic strength, and so on can be adjusted to control the release rate using the functionalized Chit NPs, it seems that the results of this work can be a comprehensive guide to design the drug delivery methods of FP drug using Chit NPs, to reduce the symptoms of COVID-19 disease.

Investigation of the adsorption behavior of the anti-cancer drug hydroxyurea on the graphene, BN, AlN, and GaN nanosheets and their doped structures via DFT and COSMO calculations

To reduce the direct side effects of chemotherapy, researchers are trying to establish a new approach of a drug-delivery system using nanomaterials. In this study, we investigated graphene and its derivative nanomaterials for their favorable adsorption behavior with the anti-cancer drug hydroxyurea (HU) using DFT calculations. Initially, different pristine and doped graphene and its derivatives were taken into consideration as HU drug carriers. Among them, AlN, GaN, GaN-doped AlN, and AlN-doped GaN nanosheets exhibited favorable adsorption behavior with HU. The HU adsorbed on these four nanosheets with adsorption energies of -0.92, -0.75, -0.83, and -0.69 eV, transferring 0.16, 0.032, 0.108, and 0.230 e charges to the nanosheets, respectively, in air medium. In water solvent media, these four nanosheets interacted with HU by -0.56, -0.45, -0.58, and -0.56 eV by accepting a significant amount of charge of about 0.125, 0.128, 0.192, and 0.126 e from HU. The dipole moment and COSMO analysis also indicated that these nanosheets, except for GaN-doped AlN, show high asymmetricity and solubility in water solvent media due to the increased values of the dipole moment by two or three times after the adsorption of the HU drug. Quantum molecular descriptors also suggest that the sensitivity and reactivity of the nanosheets are enhanced during the interaction with HU. Therefore, these nanosheets can be used as anti-cancer drug carriers.

Exploring the adsorption ability with sensitivity and reactivity of C12-B6N6, C12-Al6N6, and B6N6-Al6N6 heteronanocages towards the cisplatin drug: a DFT, AIM, and COSMO analysis

The DFT study on the adsorption behaviour of the C24, B12N12, and Al12N12 nanocages and their heteronanocages towards the anticancer drug cisplatin (CP) was performed in gas and water media. Among the three pristine nanocages, Al12N12 exhibited high adsorption energy ranging from -1.98 to -1.63 eV in the gas phase and -1.47 to -1.39 eV in water media. However, their heterostructures C12-Al6N6 and B6N6-Al6N6 showed higher interaction energies (-2.22 eV and -2.14 eV for C12-Al6N6 and B6N6-Al6N6) with a significant amount of charge transfer. Noteworthy variations in electronic properties were confirmed by FMO analysis and DOS spectra analysis after the adsorption of the cisplatin drug on B12N12 and B6N6-Al6N6 nanocages. Furthermore, an analysis of quantum molecular descriptors unveiled salient decrement in global hardness and increments in electrophilicity index and global softness occurred after the adsorption of CP on B12N12 and B6N6-Al6N6. On the other hand, the above-mentioned fluctuations are not so noteworthy in the case of the adsorption of CP on Al12N12, C12-B6N6, and C12-Al6N6. Concededly, energy calculation, FMO analysis, ESP map, DOS spectra, quantum molecular descriptors, dipole moment, COSMO surface analysis, QTAIM analysis, and work function analysis predict that B12N12 and B6N6-Al6N6 nanocages exhibit high sensitivity towards CP drug molecules.