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Calì F, Fichera L, Tuccitto N. Comprehensive step-by-step procedure to setup a molecular communication through liquid experiment. MethodsX 2022; 9:101736. [PMID: 35677848 PMCID: PMC9168691 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2022.101736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular communication allows information to be exchanged in environments where electromagnetic waves are prohibited. It employs the exchange of information particles travelling through fluids. The transmitter releases several chemical messengers inside the communication channel, encoding the message it intends to send in an appropriate way. These messengers will be propagated in the communication channel according to the laws that determine their movement in the environment, until they reach the receiver, which then captures their presence and decodes their content. To set up an experiment of molecular communication through liquid, the following are required:The simulation of the experiment by means of numerical resolution of the differential equations governing the process, in order to select the proper modulation technique. The synthesis of the carbon nanoparticles to serve as the information nanoparticles. The arrangement of the bench prototype for the experiments.
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Effect of Channel Radius on Fluorescent Nanoparticle Based Molecular Communication. CHEMOSENSORS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors10010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The effect of the communication channel size on the transport and subsequent detection of chemical messengers is investigated on millimetric and micrometric channels. The transport of the information carriers, being characterized by an advective and a diffusive contribution, was simulated by varying the flow velocity and the diffusion coefficient. Then, to evaluate the information quality, the Intersymbol Interference (ISI) between two consecutive signals at a specific release delay was estimated. This allowed us to verify that operating under micrometric channel conditions has a larger flow velocity range to obtain completely separated successive signals and smaller release delays can be used between signals. The theoretical results were confirmed by developing a prototype molecular communication platform operating under microfluidic conditions, which enables communication through fluorescent nanoparticles, namely Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs).
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Abstract
A bioinspired method of communication among biodevices based on fluorescent nanoparticles is herein presented. This approach does not use electromagnetic waves but rather the exchange of chemical systems—a method known as molecular communication. The example outlined was based on the fluorescence properties of carbon dots and follows a circular economy approach as the method involves preparation from the juice of lemon waste. The synthesis is herein presented, and the fluorescence properties and diffusion coefficient are evaluated. The application of carbon dots to molecular communication was studied from a theoretical point of view by numerically solving the differential equation that governs the phenomenon. The theoretical results were used to develop a prototype molecular communication platform that enables the communication of simple messages via aqueous fluids to a fluorescence-detecting biodevice receiver.
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Tuccitto N, Spitaleri L, Li Destri G, Pappalardo A, Gulino A, Trusso Sfrazzetto G. Supramolecular Sensing of a Chemical Warfare Agents Simulant by Functionalized Carbon Nanoparticles. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25235731. [PMID: 33291853 PMCID: PMC7730470 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Real-time sensing of chemical warfare agents by optical sensors is today a crucial target to prevent terroristic attacks by chemical weapons. Here the synthesis, characterization and detection properties of a new sensor, based on covalently functionalized carbon nanoparticles, are reported. This nanosensor exploits noncovalent interactions, in particular hydrogen bonds, to detect DMMP, a simulant of nerve agents. The nanostructure of the sensor combined with the supramolecular sensing approach leads to high binding constant affinity, high selectivity and the possibility to reuse the sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzio Tuccitto
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (L.S.); (G.L.D.); (A.P.); (A.G.)
- Laboratory for Molecular Surfaces and Nanotechnology–CSGI, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
- Correspondence: (N.T.); (G.T.S.); Tel.: +39-0957385201 (G.T.S.)
| | - Luca Spitaleri
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (L.S.); (G.L.D.); (A.P.); (A.G.)
- National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (I.N.S.T.M.) Research Unit of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanni Li Destri
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (L.S.); (G.L.D.); (A.P.); (A.G.)
- Laboratory for Molecular Surfaces and Nanotechnology–CSGI, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Andrea Pappalardo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (L.S.); (G.L.D.); (A.P.); (A.G.)
- National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (I.N.S.T.M.) Research Unit of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonino Gulino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (L.S.); (G.L.D.); (A.P.); (A.G.)
- National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (I.N.S.T.M.) Research Unit of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Trusso Sfrazzetto
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (L.S.); (G.L.D.); (A.P.); (A.G.)
- National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (I.N.S.T.M.) Research Unit of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
- Correspondence: (N.T.); (G.T.S.); Tel.: +39-0957385201 (G.T.S.)
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Fichera L, Li-Destri G, Tuccitto N. Nanoparticles as suitable messengers for molecular communication. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:22386-22397. [PMID: 33150913 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr06999j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Molecular communication (MoCo) is a new paradigm of bio-inspired communication in which the transport of information occurs through information particles instead of electromagnetic waves. Herein, the enormous potential of nanoparticles in this field is highlighted. The MoCo concept has been extensively modelled both theoretically and computationally within the scientific community, mainly in the field of engineering. We collected the most relevant findings about the implementation of prototypal MoCo platforms by exploiting nanoparticles as informative nanomessengers and herein the theoretical and computational modelling used to design MoCo systems is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Fichera
- Laboratory for Molecular Surfaces and Nanotechnology-CSGI, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
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