Formation of organic nanoparticles by electrospinning of volatile microemulsions

The Biomimetic Evolution of Composite Materials: From Straw Bricks to Engineering Structures and Nanocomposites

Advanced polymer-based composite materials have revolutionized the structural material arena since their appearance some 60 years ago. Yet, despite their relatively short existence, they seem to be taken for granted as if they have always been there. One of the reasons for this state of affairs is that composite materials of various types have accompanied human history for thousands years, and their emergence in the modern era could be considered a natural evolutionary process. Nevertheless, the continuous line that leads from early days of composites in human history to current structural materials has exhibited a number of notable steps, each generating an abrupt advance toward the contemporary new science of composite materials. In this paper, I review and discuss the history of composites with emphasis on the main steps of their development.

Self-assembled organic nanoparticles of benzimidazole analogue exhibit enhanced uptake in 3D tumor spheroids and oxidative stress induced cytotoxicity in breast cancer

Organic nanoparticles (ONPs) possess great research interests for their promising effects in the enhancement of bioactivity including anticancer activity with less toxicity. The present study describes the preparation, characterization and biological evaluation of aqueous phase ONPs of potent 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole derivative (BZ6) for anticancer activity. BZ6-ONPs were characterized through UV-absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic analysis for their photo-physical properties. DLS, TEM and SEM studies were carried out for morphological and structural analysis. Cytotoxicity determination on a panel of four different cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MiaPaca-2, HT-29 and HCT-116) revealed that the BZ6-ONPs show highest activity in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Surprisingly, the BZ6-ONPs were found to be non-toxic towards normal breast epithelial fR2 cells. Additionally, the FITC-ONPs showed enhanced uptake in 3D tumor spheroids of MCF-7 cells compared to the free FITC. BZ6-ONPs strongly halted cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, possibly through oxidative stress-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, molecular mechanism-based studies revealed that BZ6-ONPs downregulated AKT/NF-κB/vimentin/survivin-mediated oncogenic signaling pathway promoting cell proliferation and malignancy. In a nutshell, BZ6-ONPs are therapeutically efficacious, which needs further development as a treatment option in human mammary gland carcinomas.

Encapsulation of Bioactive Compound in Electrospun Fibers and Its Potential Application

Electrospinning is a simple and versatile encapsulation technology. Since electrospinning does not involve severe conditions of temperature or pressure or the use of harsh chemicals, it has great potential for effectively entrapping and delivering bioactive compounds. Recently, electrospinning has been used in the food industry to encapsulate bioactive compounds into different biopolymers (carbohydrates and proteins), protecting them from adverse environmental conditions, maintaining the health-promoting properties, and achieving their controlled release. Electrospinning opens a new horizon in food technology with possible commercialization in the near future. This review summarizes the principles and the types of electrospinning processes. The electrospinning of biopolymers and their application in encapsulating of bioactive compounds are highlighted. The existing scope, limitations, and future prospects of electrospinning bioactive compounds are also presented.

Electrospinning preparation and photoluminescence properties of Y3Al5O12:Tb3+ nanostructures

Novel nanostructures of Y3Al5O12:Tb(3+) (denoted as YAG:Tb(3+) for short) nanobelts and nanofibers were fabricated by calcination of the respective electrospun PVP/[Y(NO3)3 + Tb(NO3)3 + Al(NO3)3] composite nanobelts and nanofibers. YAG:Tb(3+) nanostructures are cubic in structure with a space group of Ia 3d. The thickness and width of the YAG:7%Tb(3+) nanobelts are respectively ca. 125 nm and 5.9 ± 0.3 m, and the diameter of YAG:7%Tb(3+) nanofibers is 166.0 ± 20 nm (95% confidence level). The YAG:Tb(3+) nanostructures emit predominantly at 544 nm from the energy levels transition of (5) D4 → (7) F5 of Tb(3+) ions under the excitation of 274-nm ultraviolet light. It was found that the optimum doping molar concentration of Tb(3+) ions for YAG:Tb(3+) nanostructures was 7%. Compared with YAG:7%Tb(3+) nanofibers, YAG:7%Tb(3+) nanobelts exhibit a stronger photoluminescence (PL) intensity under the same doping concentration. Commission International de l'Eclairage (CIE) analysis demonstrates that the emitting colors of YAG:Tb(3+) nanostructures are located in the green region and color-tuned luminescence can be obtained by changing the doping concentration of Tb(3+) and morphologies of the nanostructures, which could be applied in the field of optical telecommunication and optoelectronic devices. The possible formation mechanisms of YAG:Tb(3+) nanobelts and nanofibers are also proposed.