Biosynthesis of Ag2Se nanoparticles as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent with excellent biocompatibility

The controllable fabrication of AIE gold nanoclusters and utilizing as portable ultrasensitive detection sensor for silver ions via smartphone

Heavy metal pollution is life-threatening, the detection of heavy metals is crucial to human health and environment. In this work, AIE featured LA-stabilized gold nanoclusters (NL-AuNCs) were designed and fabricated by modulating precursors in various reaction conditions, and utilized as an efficient fluorescent sensor for portable detecting Ag+ with high sensitivity and selectivity. The NL-AuNCs exhibited intense red fluorescence at 625 nm via the secondary reducing agent N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), achieving a quantum yield (QY) of 15.7 %. Notably, the introduction of Ag+ enhanced the red fluorescence intensity of NL-AuNCs on account of the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) process, rendering NL-AuNCs uniquely capable of detecting Ag+ with the ultralow detection limit of 1.3 nM within a wide concentration range of 0.002-200 μM. Furthermore, the handheld intelligent sensing strategy was constructed by integrating the smartphone App, which enabled swift portable monitoring and convenient readout by visual assessment of color evolution. The acceptable recoveries of 94.6 % to 114.9 % were attained from testing real water, indicating the excellent environmental tolerance of NL-AuNCs, which allowed the possibility for practical in-situ detection.

Thermoelectric Materials and Devices for Advanced Biomedical Applications

Thermoelectrics (TEs), enabling the direct conversion between heat and electrical energy, have demonstrated extensive application potential in biomedical fields. Herein, the mechanism of the TE effect, recent developments in TE materials, and the biocompatibility assessment of TE materials are provided. In addition to the fundamentals of TEs, a timely and comprehensive review of the recent progress of advanced TE materials and their applications is presented, including wearable power generation, personal thermal management, and biosensing. In addition, the new-emerged medical applications of TE materials in wound healing, disease treatment, antimicrobial therapy, and anti-cancer therapy are thoroughly reviewed. Finally, the main challenges and future possibilities are outlined for TEs in biomedical fields, as well as their material selection criteria for specific application scenarios. Together, these advancements can provide innovative insights into the development of TEs for broader applications in biomedical fields.

Nanocomposites against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms: Recent advances, challenges, and future prospects

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that causes life-threatening and persistent infections in immunocompromised patients. It is the culprit behind a variety of hospital-acquired infections owing to its multiple tolerance mechanisms against antibiotics and disinfectants. Biofilms are sessile microbial aggregates that are formed as a result of the cooperation and competition between microbial cells encased in a self-produced matrix comprised of extracellular polymeric constituents that trigger surface adhesion and microbial aggregation. Bacteria in biofilms exhibit unique features that are quite different from planktonic bacteria, such as high resistance to antibacterial agents and host immunity. Biofilms of P. aeruginosa are difficult to eradicate due to intrinsic, acquired, and adaptive resistance mechanisms. Consequently, innovative approaches to combat biofilms are the focus of the current research. Nanocomposites, composed of two or more different types of nanoparticles, have diverse therapeutic applications owing to their unique physicochemical properties. They are emerging multifunctional nanoformulations that combine the desired features of the different elements to obtain the highest functionality. This review assesses the recent advances of nanocomposites, including metal-, metal oxide-, polymer-, carbon-, hydrogel/cryogel-, and metal organic framework-based nanocomposites for the eradication of P. aeruginosa biofilms. The characteristics and virulence mechanisms of P. aeruginosa biofilms, as well as their devastating impact and economic burden are discussed. Future research addressing the potential use of nanocomposites as innovative anti-biofilm agents is emphasized. Utilization of nanocomposites safely and effectively should be further strengthened to confirm the safety aspects of their application.