Synthesis of zinc germanium oxynitride nanotube as a visible-light driven photocatalyst for NOx decomposition through ordered morphological transformation from Zn2GeO4 nanorod obtained by hydrothermal reaction

A review of recent advances in the use of complex metal nanostructures for biomedical applications from diagnosis to treatment

Complex metal nanostructures represent an exceptional category of materials characterized by distinct morphologies and physicochemical properties. Nanostructures with shape anisotropies, such as nanorods, nanostars, nanocages, and nanoprisms, are particularly appealing due to their tunable surface plasmon resonances, controllable surface chemistries, and effective targeting capabilities. These complex nanostructures can absorb light in the near-infrared, enabling noteworthy applications in nanomedicine, molecular imaging, and biology. The engineering of targeting abilities through surface modifications involving ligands, antibodies, peptides, and other agents potentiates their effects. Recent years have witnessed the development of innovative structures with diverse compositions, expanding their applications in biomedicine. These applications encompass targeted imaging, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, near-infrared II imaging, catalytic therapy, photothermal therapy, and cancer treatment. This review seeks to provide the nanomedicine community with a thorough and informative overview of the evolving landscape of complex metal nanoparticle research, with a specific emphasis on their roles in imaging, cancer therapy, infectious diseases, and biofilm treatment. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices.

Recent Advances in Ternary Metal Oxides Modified by N Atom for Photocatalysis

Ternary metal oxides (TMOs) with flexible band structures are of significant potential in the field of photocatalysis. The efficient utilization of renewable and green solar energy is of great importance to developing photocatalysts. To date, a wide range of TMOs systems has been developed as photocatalysts for water and air purification, but their practical applications in visible light-assisted chemical reactions are hindered mainly by its poor visible light absorption capacity. Introduction of N atoms into TMOs can narrow the band-gap energy to a lower value, enhance the absorption of visible light and suppress the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes, thus improving the photocatalytic performance. This review summarizes the recent research on N-modified TMOs, including the influence of N doping amounts, N doping sites, and N-induced phase transformation. The introduced N greatly tuned the optical properties, electronic structure, and photocatalytic activity of the TMOs. The optimal N concentration and the influence of N doping sites are investigated. The substitutional N and interstitial N contributed differently to the band gap and electron transport. The introduced N can tune the vacancies in TMOs due to the charge compensation, which is vital for inducing different activity and selectivity. The topochemical ammonolysis process can convert TMOs to oxynitride with visible light absorption. By altering the band structures, these oxynitride materials showed enhanced photocatalytic activity. This review provides an overview of recent advances in N-doped TMOs and oxynitrides derived from TMOs as photocatalysts for environmental applications, as well as some relevant pointers for future burgeoning research development.