Adsorption mechanism, structural and electronic properties: 4-Phenylpyridine & undoped or doped (B or Si) C60

Ab Initio Insight into the Interaction of Metal-Decorated Fluorinated Carbon Fullerenes with Anti-COVID Drugs

We theoretically investigated the adsorption of two common anti-COVID drugs, favipiravir and chloroquine, on fluorinated C₆₀ fullerene, decorated with metal ions Cr³⁺, Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, Ni²⁺. We focused on the effect of fluoridation on the interaction of fullerene with metal ions and drugs in an aqueous solution. We considered three model systems, C₆₀, C₆₀F₂ and C₆₀F₄₈, and represented pristine, low-fluorinated and high-fluorinated fullerenes, respectively. Adsorption energies, deformation of fullerene and drug molecules, frontier molecular orbitals and vibrational spectra were investigated in detail. We found that different drugs and different ions interacted differently with fluorinated fullerenes. Cr³⁺ and Fe²⁺ ions lead to the defluorination of low-fluorinated fullerenes. Favipiravir also leads to their defluorination with the formation of HF molecules. Therefore, fluorinated fullerenes are not suitable for the delivery of favipiravir and similar drugs molecules. In contrast, we found that fluorine enhances the adsorption of Ni²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions on fullerene and their activity to chloroquine. Ni²⁺-decorated fluorinated fullerenes were found to be stable and suitable carriers for the loading of chloroquine. Clear shifts of infrared, ultraviolet and visible spectra can provide control over the loading of chloroquine on Ni²⁺-doped fluorinated fullerenes.

Identification of amphetamine as a stimulant drug by pristine and doped C70 fullerenes: a DFT/TDDFT investigation

The density functional theory (DFT) was used to examine the electronic reactivity and sensitivity of a pristine, Si, and Al-doped fullerene C₇₀ with AM drug. AM drug has been shown to be physically absorbed by its N-head on the pristine C₇₀ with an adsorption energy of about - 1.09 kcal/mol and to have no impact on the electric conductivity of that cluster. The atom substitution of Si and Al for C atoms at C₇₀ significantly increases C₇₀ fullerene reactivity, with adsorption energy predictions of approximately - 31.09 and - 45.59 kcal/mol, respectively. The energy difference of LUMO and HOMO, i.e., Eg from C₇₀ fullerene, significantly affects AM drug. Significant LUMO destabilization in Al-C₇₀ by adsorption of the drug AM boosts the electrical conductivity of Al-C₇₀ while generating electric signals that are related to the environmental presence of AM drug. Hence, Al-doped C₇₀ is demonstrated to be an effective electronic AM drug sensor. In contrast to Si-C₇₀ fullerene, significant AM-drug adsorption effects on Fermi and Si-C₇₀ work functions make Si-C₇₀ an Ф-type candidate for AM drug sensor applications. The time-dependent theory of the functional density shows that the AM/Al-C₇₀ complex is steadily situated at a maximum peak of 784.15 nm.

Heterofullerene MC59 (M = B, Si, Al) as Potential Carriers for Hydroxyurea Drug Delivery

As a representative nanomaterial, C₆₀ and its derivatives have drawn much attention in the field of drug delivery over the past years, due to their unique geometric and electronic structures. Herein, the interactions of hydroxyurea (HU) drug with the pristine C₆₀ and heterofullerene MC₅₉ (M = B, Si, Al) were investigated using the density functional theory calculations. The geometric and electronic properties in terms of adsorption configuration, adsorption energy, Hirshfeld charge, frontier molecular orbitals, and charge density difference are calculated. In contrast to pristine C₆₀, it is found that HU molecule is chemisorbed on the BC₅₉, SiC₅₉, and AlC₅₉ molecules with moderate adsorption energy and apparent charge transfer. Therefore, heterofullerene BC₅₉, SiC₅₉, and AlC₅₉ are expected to be promising carriers for hydroxyurea drug delivery.

The recent advancement of low-dimensional nanostructured materials for drug delivery and drug sensing application: A brief review

In this review article, we have presented a detailed analysis of the recent advancement of quantum mechanical calculations in the applications of the low-dimensional nanomaterials (LDNs) into biomedical fields like biosensors and drug delivery systems development. Biosensors play an essential role for many communities, e.g. law enforcing agencies to sense illicit drugs, medical communities to remove overdosed medications from the human and animal body etc. Besides, drug delivery systems are theoretically being proposed for many years and experimentally found to deliver the drug to the targeted sites by reducing the harmful side effects significantly. In current COVID-19 pandemic, biosensors can play significant roles, e.g. to remove experimental drugs during the human trials if they show any unwanted adverse effect etc. where the drug delivery systems can be potentially applied to reduce the side effects. But before proceeding to these noble and expensive translational research works, advanced theoretical calculations can provide the possible outcomes with considerable accuracy. Hence in this review article, we have analyzed how theoretical calculations can be used to investigate LDNs as potential biosensor devices or drug delivery systems. We have also made a very brief discussion on the properties of biosensors or drug delivery systems which should be investigated for the biomedical applications and how to calculate them theoretically. Finally, we have made a detailed analysis of a large number of recently published research works where theoretical calculations were used to propose different LDNs for bio-sensing and drug delivery applications.

An Ultimate Investigation on the Adsorption of Amantadine on Pristine and Decorated Fullerenes C59X (X=Si, Ge, B, Al, Ga, N, P, and As): A DFT, NBO, and QTAIM Study

In this investigation, the feasibility of detecting the amantadine (AMD) molecule onto the outer surface of pristine fullerene (C[Formula: see text]), as well as C[Formula: see text]X ([Formula: see text], Ge, B, Al, Ga, N, P, and As) decorated structures, was carefully evaluated. For achieving this goal, a density functional theory level of study using the HSEH1PBE functional together with a 6-311G(d) basis set has been used. Subsequently, the B3LYP-D3, wB97XD and M062X functionals with a 6-311G(d) basis set were also employed to consider the single point energies. Natural bond orbital (NBO) and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) were implemented using the B3LYP-D3/6-311G(d) method and the results were compatible with the electronic properties. In this regard, the total density of states (TDOSs), the Wiberg bond index (WBI), natural charge, natural electron configuration, donor–acceptor NBO interactions, and the second-order perturbation energies are performed to explore the nature of the intermolecular interactions. All of the energy calculations and population analyses denote that by adsorbing of the AMD molecule onto the surface of the considered nanostructures, the intermolecular interactions are of the type of strong physical adsorption. Among the doped fullerenes, Ge-doped structure has very high adsorption energy compared to other elements. Generally, it was revealed that the sensitivity of the adsorption will be increased when the AMD molecule interacts with the decorated fullerenes and decrease the HOMO–LUMO band gap; therefore, the change of electronic properties can be used to design suitable nanocarrier.

Fullerene C60 containing porphyrin-like metal center as drug delivery system for ibuprofen drug

Today, drug delivery systems based on nanostructures have become the most efficient to be studied. Recent studies revealed that the fullerenes can be used as drug carriers and transport drugs in a target cell. The aim of the present work is to study the interaction of C60 fullerene containing porphyrin-like transition metal-N4 clusters (TMN4C55, TM = Fe, Co, and Ni) with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ibuprofen (Ibp)) by employing the method of the density functional theory. Results showed that the C60 fullerene with TMN4 clusters could significantly enhance the tendency of C60 for adsorption of ibuprofen drug. Also, our ultraviolet-visible results show that the electronic spectra of Ibp/TMN4C55 complexes exhibit a blue shift toward lower wavelengths (higher energies). It was found that the NiN4C55 fullerene had high chemical reactivity, which was important for binding of the drug onto the carrier surface. In order to gain insight into the binding features of Ibp/TMN4C55 complexes, the atoms in molecules analysis was also performed. Our results exhibit the electrostatic features of the Ibp/TMN4C55 bonding. Consequently, this study demonstrated that the TMN4C55 fullerenes could be used as potential carriers for delivery of Ibp drug in the nanomedicine domain. Graphical Abstract The TMN4C55 (TM=Fe, Co, and Ni) fullerenes could be used as potential carriers for delivery of ibuprofen drug in the nanomedicine domain.