Biogenic synthesis of Mn-Ag co-doped FeO (Fe1-2xMnxAgx) nanoparticles: As an effective disinfectant and anticancer agent

Manganese Intercalation Enabling High-Performance Aqueous Fe-VO2 Batteries

The aqueous iron ion batteries (AIIBs) are an attractive option for large-scale energy storage applications. However, the inadequate plating and stripping of Fe2+ ions underscore the need to explore more suitable cathode materials. Herein, we optimize the structure of tunnel-like VO2 nanosheets by introducing Mn2+ ion intercalation as a cathode material to enhance their performance in AIIBs. Mn2+ serves as a stabilizing pillar for VO2, which brings some oxygen vacancies to provide extra electrochemically active sites, and accelerates the reversible (de)insertion of Fe2+ ions. In addition, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the introduction of Mn2+ reduces the band gap of VO2 and also decreases the electrostatic interaction between Fe2+ and VO2. Consequently, the VO2 with interlayer Mn2+ pillars (5% MVO) electrodes exhibit a remarkable capacity of 284.32 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1 and demonstrate excellent cycle life, maintaining 81.7% of their capacity at 1.0 A g-1 after 600 cycles. Therefore, these results offer a promising choice for the cathode material to achieve outstanding electrochemical performance in AIIBs.

Enhanced anticancer and biological activities of environmentally friendly Ni/Cu-ZnO solid solution nanoparticles

The study investigates the impact of incorporating Ni and Cu into the lattice of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance their anticancer and antioxidant properties. Characterization techniques including pXRD, FTIR, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, FESEM, and EDAX confirm the successful synthesis and structural modifications of Ni/Cu-ZnO NPs. Anticancer activity against breast cancer (MDA) and normal skin (BHK-21) cells reveals dose-dependent cytotoxicity, with Ni/Cu-ZnO NPs exhibiting higher efficacy against MDA cells while being less harmful to BHK-21 cells. Morphological studies corroborate these findings. Additionally, antioxidant assays using TAC, FRAP, and DPPH assay demonstrate the superior antioxidant activity of Ni/Cu-ZnO NPs matched to pure ZnO. Overall, the synergistic effect of Ni and Cu incorporation leads to improved therapeutic potential, making Ni/Cu-ZnO NPs promising candidates for cancer therapy and antioxidant applications. Molecular docking recreations were performed using Auto Dock Vina software to gain more insights and validate the observed biological activities of un-doped ZnO and bi-metal doped ZnO NPs, we investigated the interaction and binding affinities of pure ZnO and bimetallic metal co-doped ZnO for their antioxidant and anticancer studies. Ni/Cu-ZnO have shown good antioxidants and exhibited remarkable anticancer activities.

Metal-based approaches to fight cervical cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the leading causes of death among women worldwide. The current treatments for this cancer consist of invasive methods such as chemotherapeutic drugs, radiation, immunotherapy and surgery, which could lead to severe side effects and hinder the patient's life quality. Although metal-based therapies, including cisplatin and ruthenium-based compounds, offer promising alternatives, they lack specificity and harm healthy cells. Combining metal nanoparticles with standard approaches has demonstrated remarkable efficacy and safety in the fight against CC. Overall, this review is intended to show the latest advancements and insights into metal-based strategies, creating a promising path for more effective and safer treatments in the battle against CC.

Carbon Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Progress and Outlook

Recent developments in nanoscale materials have found extensive use in various fields, especially in the biomedical industry. Several substantial obstacles must be overcome, particularly those related to nanostructured materials in biomedicine, before they can be used in therapeutic applications. Significant concerns in biomedicine include biological processes, adaptability, toxic effects, and nano-biointerfacial properties. Biomedical researchers have difficulty choosing suitable materials for drug carriers, cancer treatment, and antiviral uses. Carbon nanomaterials are among the various nanoparticle forms that are continually receiving interest for biomedical applications. They are suitable materials owing to their distinctive physical and chemical properties, such as electrical, high-temperature, mechanical, and optical diversification. An individualized, controlled, dependable, low-carcinogenic, target-specific drug delivery system can diagnose and treat infections in biomedical applications. The variety of carbon materials at the nanoscale is remarkable. Allotropes and other forms of the same element, carbon, are represented in nanoscale dimensions. These show promise for a wide range of applications. Carbon nanostructured materials with exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties include graphene and carbon nanotubes. They can potentially revolutionize industries, including electronics, energy, and medicine. Ongoing investigation and expansion efforts continue to unlock possibilities for these materials, making them a key player in shaping the future of advanced technology. Carbon nanostructured materials explore the potential positive effects of reducing the greenhouse effect. The current state of nanostructured materials in the biomedical sector is covered in this review, along with their synthesis techniques and potential uses.

Adsorption Characteristics of Heavy Metals Pb2+ and Zn2+ by Magnetic Biochar Obtained from Modified AMD Sludge

Acid mine drainage (AMD) sludge can be used to prepare adsorbent materials for the removal of heavy metals in water, which is an effective means for its resource utilization. Magnetic modified biochar (MMB), which can be recovered by magnetic separation, was prepared from sludge generated from the carbonate rock neutralization treatment of AMD and rice straw agricultural waste. Unmodified biochar (UMB) was obtained from rice straw and chemically modified and treated by ultraviolet radiation to produce MMB. The Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ adsorption capacities of UMB and MMB were investigated. Simultaneously, the materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR, BET, and ZETA. The results showed that the specific surface area (130.89 m²·g^-1) and pore volume (0.22 m²·g^-1) of MMB were significantly increased compared to those of UMB (9.10 m²·g^-1 and 0.05 m²·g^-1, respectively). FTIR images showed that MMB was successfully loaded with Fe₃O₄. The adsorption process of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ onto MMB was consistent with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and second-order kinetic models, with maximum adsorption capacities of 329.65 mg·g^-1 and 103.67 mg·g^-1, respectively. In a binary system of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺, MMB preferentially binds Pb²⁺. The adsorption efficiencies of MMB reached >80% for Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺.

Research progress in green synthesis of manganese and manganese oxide nanoparticles in biomedical and environmental applications - A review

Nanomaterials and nanotechnology have this unassailable position for environmental remediation and medicine. Currently, global environmental pollution and public health problems are increasing and need to be urgently addressed. Manganese (Mn) is one of the essential metal elements for plants and animals, it is necessary to integrate with nanotechnology. Mn and Mn oxide (MnO) nanoparticles (NPs) have applications in dye degradation, biomedicine, electrochemical sensors, plant and animal growth, and catalysis. However, the current research is limited, especially in terms of optimal synthesis of Mn and MnO NPs, separation, purification conditions, and the development of potential application areas is too basic and do not support by in-depth studies. Hence, this review comprehensively discusses the classification, green synthesis methods, and applications of Mn and MnO NPs in biomedical, environmental, and other fields and gives a perspective for the future.

Natural resources for sustainable synthesis of nanomaterials with anticancer applications: A move toward green nanomedicine

Today, researchers have focused on the application of environmentally-benign and sustainable micro- and nanosystems for drug delivery and cancer therapy. Compared to conventional chemotherapeutics, advanced micro- and nanosystems designed by applying abundant, natural, and renewable feedstocks have shown biodegradability, biocompatibility, and low toxicity advantages. However, important aspects of toxicological assessments, clinical translational studies, and suitable functionalization/modification still need to be addressed. Herein, the benefits and challenges of green nanomedicine in cancer nanotherapy and targeted drug delivery are cogitated using nanomaterials designed by exploiting natural and renewable resources. The application of nanomaterials accessed from renewable natural resources, comprising metallic nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks, natural-derived nanomaterials, etc. for targeted anticancer drug delivery and cancer nanotherapy are deliberated, with emphasis on important limitations/challenges and future perspectives.

Cation Incorporation and Synergistic Effects on the Characteristics of Sulfur-Doped Manganese Ferrites S@Mn(Fe2O4) Nanoparticles for Boosted Sunlight-Driven Photocatalysis

In the present work, sulfur-doped manganese ferrites S@Mn(Fe₂O₄) nanoparticles were prepared by using the sol-gel and citrate method. The concentration of sulfur varied from 1 to 7% by adding Na₂S. The samples were characterized by performing Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Visible). The synthesized sulfur-doped manganese ferrites were applied to evaluate the photocatalytic degradation of the dyes. Further, the degradation studies revealed that the nanoparticles successfully degraded the methylene blue dye by adding a 0.006 g dose under the sunlight. The sulfur-doped manganese ferrite nanoparticles containing 3% sulfur completely degraded the dye in 2 h and 15 min in aqueous medium. Thus, the ferrite nanoparticles were found to be promising photocatalyst materials and could be employed for the degradation of other dyes in the future.

Hidden in Plants-A Review of the Anticancer Potential of the Solanaceae Family in In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Many of the anticancer agents that are currently in use demonstrate severe side effects and encounter increasing resistance from the target cancer cells. Thus, despite significant advances in cancer therapy in recent decades, there is still a need to discover and develop new, alternative anticancer agents. The plant kingdom contains a range of phytochemicals that play important roles in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. The Solanaceae family is widely used in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, due to its bioactive ingredient content. The purpose of this literature review is to highlight the antitumour activity of Solanaceae extracts-single isolated compounds and nanoparticles with extracts-and their synergistic effect with chemotherapeutic agents in various in vitro and in vivo cancer models. In addition, the biological properties of many plants of the Solanaceae family have not yet been investigated, which represents a challenge and an opportunity for future anticancer therapy.

How can nanotechnology help to combat COVID-19? Opportunities and urgent need

Incidents of viral outbreaks have increased at an alarming rate over the past decades. The most recent human coronavirus known as COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has already spread around the world and shown R0 values from 2.2 to 2.68. However, the ratio between mortality and number of infections seems to be lower in this case in comparison to other human coronaviruses (such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)). These outbreaks have tested the limits of healthcare systems and have posed serious questions about management using conventional therapies and diagnostic tools. In this regard, the use of nanotechnology offers new opportunities for the development of novel strategies in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and other viral infections. In this review, we discuss the use of nanotechnology for COVID-19 virus management by the development of nano-based materials, such as disinfectants, personal protective equipment, diagnostic systems and nanocarrier systems, for treatments and vaccine development, as well as the challenges and drawbacks that need addressing.