Computational study of carboplatin interaction with PEG-functionalized C60 fullerene as a drug carrier using DFT and molecular dynamics simulations

In this research, the interaction of carboplatin with polyethylene glycol (PEG) functionalized iron-encapsulated fullerene (Fe@C60) molecule was investigated using Density Functional Theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics simulations (MD). Our results indicate that the inclusion of PEG enhances the stability of the Fe@C60 molecule, leading to a shift in the formation energy of the structures from approximately - 3.4 to - 4.77 eV/atom in correlation with the quantity of surface polyethylene glycols. Additionally, the electric dipole moment of the Fe@C60 structure increases following the surface modification with PEG molecules, fostering a more efficient interaction with carboplatin. The optical absorption spectrum reveals several peaks within the 200-600 nm range for Fe@C60:PEG. Particularly noteworthy is the impact of the interaction with carboplatin on the optical properties of the structure, providing valuable insights into the assessment of drug adsorption behavior. Furthermore, the adsorption energy computations demonstrate that the complexes formed between Fe@C60 and carboplatin exhibit stability, with physical adsorption energies falling within a range conducive for the loading and release of carboplatin. Detailed analyses, including IR frequencies and molecular dynamics simulations, provide further insights into the structural and dynamic properties of this complex system, shedding light on its potential applications in drug delivery and related fields.

Synthesis and modification of boron nitride nanomaterials for gas sensors: from theory to application

Boron nitride (BN) has gradually emerged as a significant focus of research due to its unique physical and chemical properties. Over the past few years, substantial advancements have been achieved in the domains of gas adsorption and sensing, driven by improvements in modification technology and a deeper understanding of gas sensing mechanisms. BN-based nanomaterials have been instrumental in these advancements. The application of some properties of BN in the fabrication of gas sensing components is anticipated to lead to new breakthroughs. Furthermore, BN is projected to become one of the most promising materials for high-performance gas sensors, owing to its high thermal stability, chemical stability, and exceptional mechanical properties. While numerous review articles have been published regarding BN, primarily focusing on its synthesis, properties, and functionalities, few have made significant contributions to the realm of gas adsorption and detection through theoretical calculations and practical applications. This review comprehensively examines the integration of BN with various gas adsorption and sensing techniques, covering aspects such as model development, theoretical computations, material synthesis, and real-world applications. These methods provide valuable insights into the potential of BN for gas sensing applications. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges encountered in utilizing BN-based gas sensors and offers recommendations for overcoming these challenges. Finally, the future prospects for the advancement of BN-based gas sensors are considered, highlighting new possibilities and areas for improvement within this field.

A density functional theory study on the adsorption of Mercaptopurine anti-cancer drug and Cu/Zn-doped boron nitride nanocages as a drug delivery

Targeted drug delivery along with the most negligible side effects, is the most important challenge in the designing of the novel anti-cancer drug delivery. Therefore, the interaction of Cu/Zn-doped boron nitride nanocages as the carrier for Mercaptopurine (MP) anti-cancer drug was studied by density functional theory calculations to design a novel carrier. The adsorption of MP drug on Cu/Zn-doped boron nitride nanocages is suitable energetically. In this study, electronic parameters and Gibbs free energy of complexes of Cu/Zn-doped boron nitride nanocages with two configuration MP drug (N and S) were investigated. In addition, CuBN has a short recovery time, but ZnBN has more selectivity for MP drug. It is predicted that the MP drug over both Cu/Zn-doped boron nitride nanocages can be used as a suitable drug delivery system. Configuration -S of MP drug in both nanocage is more appropriate than configuration -N. Analysis of frontier molecular orbitals, UV-VIS spectra and density of states plots of the designed complexes confirmed adsorption MP drug on Cu/Zn-doped boron nitride nanocages. This research predicted which Cu/Zn-doped boron nitride nanocages can be used as acceptable carriers for MP anti-cancer drug.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Interaction of Anagrelide drug molecule on pristine and doped boron nitride nanocages: a DFT, RDG, PCM and QTAIM investigation

Nowadays, a nanostructure-based drug delivery system is one of the most noticeable topics to be studied, and in this regard, boron nitride nanoclusters are promising drug carriers for targeted drug delivery systems. In this article, the interaction mechanism of Anagrelide (AG) drug with B12N12 and Al- and Ga-doped B12N12 nanocages have been investigated using DFT with B3LYP/6-31 G (d, p) method in both gas and water media. All our studied complexes are thermodynamically stable, and doped nanocage complexes have higher negative adsorption energy (EAd.) and negative solvation energy than AG/B12N12 complexes which correspond to the stability of these systems in both media. The negative highest EAd value is 64.98 kcal/mol (63.17 kcal/mol) and 65.69 kcal/mol (65.11 kcal/mol) in gas (water) media for complex F (AG/AlB11N12) and complex I (AG/GaB11N12) respectively, which refers to the highest stability of these systems. The enhanced values of dipole moment (from 12.40 (12.65) Debye to 17.21 (17.69) Debye in complex F (complex I)) also confirm their stability. The QTAIM and RDG analysis endorse the strong adsorption nature of the AG drug onto the AlB11N12, and GaB11N12 nanocages, which is consistent with the adsorption energy as chemisorption occurs for these complexes. According to the electronic properties, doped nanocages show high sensitivity that infers their promising nature for drug delivery purposes. Thus, complex F and complex I are promising drug delivery systems, and doped nanocages (AlB11N12 and GaB11N12) are better carriers than pristine nanocages for the AG drug delivery system.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Density Functional Theory Study of Cu-Modified B12N12 Nanocage as a Chemical Sensor for Carbon Monoxide Gas

The development of efficient B₁₂N₁₂-based toxic gas sensors has received considerable attention from the scientific community. Thus, in this regard, quantum chemical calculations were performed using density functional theory (DFT) at the B97D/6-31G(d,p) level for all of the studied systems. Modification of copper on B₁₂N₁₂ results in five optimized structures, named CuB₁₁N₁₂ and B₁₂N₁₁Cu (doped structures), Cu@b₆₆ and Cu@b₆₄ (decorated structures), and Cu@B₁₂N₁₂ (encapsulated structure). The results indicate that the CO gas weakly physisorbed on the B₁₂N₁₂ nanocage. It was found that the gas adsorption performance of B₁₂N₁₂ is improved due to the introduction of the Cu atom, but the interaction between CO and B₁₂N₁₁Cu, Cu@B₁₂N₁₂, Cu@b₆₄, and Cu@b₆₆ nanocages is strong, limiting the applications as a sensor. Particularly, the CuB₁₁N₁₂ system shows moderate adsorption (E_ads = -0.6 eV) and a high electronic sensitivity (ΔE_gap = 81.6%) toward CO gas, compared to other modified systems. Furthermore, based on the sensor performance analysis, it was found that CuB₁₁N₁₂ presented low recovery time (14 ms) and high selectivity for CO detection, making it a promising fast response sensor. Finally, our results demonstrated the capability of CuB₁₁N₁₂ as a superior sensor material for applications involving the selective detection of CO gas.

Unraveling the electronic influence and nature of covalent bonding of aryl and alkyl radicals on the B12N12 nanocage cluster

Carbon nanocage structures such as fullerene, nanotubes, nanocapsules, nanopolyhedra, cones, cubes, and onions have been reported since the discovery of C60, and they offer tremendous promise for investigating materials of low dimensions in an isolated environment. Boron Nitride (BN) nanomaterials such a: nanotubes, nanocapsules, nanoparticles, and clusters have been described in several studies and are predicted to be useful as electronic devices, high heat-resistance semiconductors, nanocables, insulator lubricants, and gas storage materials. The interaction, and electronic of octahedral B₁₂N₁₂ nanocage cluster covalently modified from the attachment of alkyl and aryl radicals were analyzed using Density Functional Theory calculations. The work discusses for the first time to our knowledge the complete investigation of the impact of the grafted aryl and alkyl groups on the electronic, bang gap, and density of states on the B₁₂N₁₂. Furthermore, this is the first complete description of these radicals attaching to a surface of B₁₂N₁₂ nanocage cluster.

DFT investigation on the application of pure and doped X12N12 (X = B and Al) fullerene-like nano-cages toward the adsorption of temozolomide

The sensitivity of pure and doped X₁₂N₁₂ (X = B and Al) fullerene-like nano-cages (FLNs) toward the anti-cancer drug temozolomide (TMZ) is probed herein at DFT/M06-2X-D3/6-311G(d,p) theoretical level in both gas phase and water. A noticeable affinity of the FLNs toward TMZ was observed along with the negative gas-phase adsorption energies -1.37 and -2.09 eV for the most stable configurations of pure B₁₂N₁₂ and Al₁₂N₁₂ pristines, respectively. Considerable charge transfer from TMZ to the FLNs was also revealed via NBO analysis and the Hirshfeld atomic charges, making the dipole moment vector of the molecular complexes to be oriented from the nano-cages to the TMZ moiety. Furthermore, a percentage decrease in the HOMO-LUMO energy gap (ΔE _g) of 38.09 and 17.72% was obtained for the B₁₂N₁₂ and Al₁₂N₁₂ nano-cages, respectively. The percentage change in ΔE _g was found to be reduced upon doping and solvation of the FLNs. Finally, a recovery time in vacuum ultraviolet light of 1.06 s is found for the complex with pure B₁₂N₁₂, which in addition to the above-mentioned parameters make this boron nitride cage the best sensor for TMZ, among the FLNs considered in the present work.

Adsorption behavior of mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine drugs on the B12N12, AlB11N12 and GaB11N12 nanoclusters, a comparative DFT study

Lately, drug delivery systems established on nanostructures have become the most proficient to be studied. There are different studies suggested that the BN nanoclusters can be used as drug carriers and transport drugs in the target cell. Therefore, the interactions and adsorption behavior of Mercaptopurine (MC) and 6-thioguanine (TG) as anti-cancer drugs on the B₁₂N₁₂ (BN), AlB₁₁N₁₂ (AlBN) and GaB₁₁N₁₂ (GaBN) nanoclusters were studied by density functional theory (DFT) and quantum mechanics atoms in molecules (QMAIM) methods to find a new drug delivery system. Our results showed strong adsorption obtained in BN-MC/TG and AlBN-MC/TG complexes can be decomposed by the BN and AlBN indicating that these nanostructures are not suitable in drug efficiency of MC and TG drugs. Unlike the BN and AlBN nanoclusters, GaBN significantly makes the MC and TG drugs adsorption energetically favorable. The high solvation energy of GaBN when interacting with MC and TG drugs led it to applicability as nanocarriers for these drugs in the drug delivery systems. Furthermore, GaBN has a short recovery time for MC, and TG drugs desorption compared to BN and AlBN nanoclusters. It is predicted that the MC, and TG drugs over GaBN can be used as a drug delivery system.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Theoretical investigation of favipiravir antiviral drug based on fullerene and boron nitride nanocages

Smart implementation of novel advanced nanocarriers such as functionalized C₂₄ and B₁₂N₁₂ nanocages is used supplement for antiviral activity 5-Fluoro-2-hydroxypyrazine-3-carboxamide (Favipiravir; Avigan; T-705), as treatment of COVID-19. The interaction energies of Favipiravir with perfect (B₁₂N₁₂ and C₂₄) and doped (BC₂₃ and CB₁₁N₁₂) nanocages were studied at temperatures equal to 310.15 K and 298.15 K using DFT. Our results have shown that the interaction of the Favipiravir (C[bond, double bond]O group) with BC₂₃ and CB₁₁N₁₂ is more favorable than with the C₂₄ and B₁₂N₁₂ nanocages in the gas and aqueous environments. Additionally, the natural bond orbital, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), energy gap, chemical reactivity, molecular electrostatic potential, and thermodynamic parameters of the optimized structure have been examined. Furthermore, the UV-Vis and infrared spectroscopy have been evaluated for the investigation of the molecular orbitals Participated in the absorption spectrum of the Favipiravir before and after the interaction with the C₂₄, BC₂₃, B₁₂N_12, and CB₁₁N₁₂, sites at maximum wavelength utilizing the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-B3LYP and TD-CAM-B3LYP). The intermolecular interactions have been analyzed by non-covalent interactions (NCI) and also, the electron localization function (ELF) is discussed.

Influence of the adsorption of toxic agents on the optical and electronic properties of B12N12 fullerene in the presence and absence of an external electric field

The interaction energies and optoelectronic properties of sarin (SF) and chlorosarin (SC) on the B₁₂N₁₂ with and without the presence of an electric field have been studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Adsorption of Celecoxib on B12N12 fullerene: Spectroscopic and DFT/TD-DFT study

In this study, we evaluated the effect of the Celecoxib (CXB) adsorption on the electronic and optical properties of B₁₂N₁₂ fullerene by using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations with the M06-2X functional and the 6-311+G** basis set. The calculated adsorption energies of CXB with the B₁₂N₁₂ fullerene was evaluated at T = 298.15 K in the vacuum and solvent (water) environments with the M06-2X functional. UV absorption and IR spectra were calculated and studied in order to identify the most important changes happening as a consequence of interactions between CXB and B₁₂N₁₂ fullerene. The results revealed that the adsorption of the CXB molecule from its NH₂ head on the B₁₂N₁₂ is more favorable than those of the SO₂ and NH groups in the gas and solvent environments. It is anticipated that the applied B₁₂N₁₂ fullerene could be suitable as a biomedical carrier for the delivery of CXB drug.

A DFT study on the interaction between 5-fluorouracil and B12N12 nanocluster

The most stable interaction of 5-FU drug molecule from its nitrogen head (di-enol form) over B₁₂N₁₂ nano-cage is determined using density functional theory calculations.

Electronic and optical properties of 5-AVA-functionalized BN nanoclusters: a DFT study

5-Aminolevulinic acid-functionalized B₁₂N₁₂ and B₁₆N₁₆ nanoclusters were studied, showing significant UV-Vis adsorption spectrum at 200 to 300 nm.